Stand Firm

First things first: Can I just ask for you all to forgive me? I apologize for leaving you blogless these past few months. It was necessary in the beginning, and then I just lost my mojo. I have no words. I am ashamed. I have prayed. God's forgiven me. Will you? I thank you in advance for your mercy.

On another note, I've missed blogging. I'm not sure if I will return to daily posts, though. But, I don't want to give up the blog totally. I will, however, be posting more regularly moving forward. I'm still figuring out how to make things work.

So, on to today's inspirational moment.

It seems like every single day there is news about how the church is being challenged to give ground to the world and accept the world's way of doing things. The church is consistently being asked to compromise what the Bible says for what is the current views of the day. And, far more frequently, the church is giving in.

I can only assume that many believers don't want to be seen as bigots or hateful or crazy or unreasonable. We don't want our friends, family members, co-workers, or society in general to place us in an unflattering light.

So, we find little ways to compromise. Maybe we misinterpreted that scripture on fornication. Perhaps a child really doesn't become a human being until a certain point during pregnancy. There are pastors who are gay now, so maybe the original thoughts on homosexuality were incorrect. God is so loving perhaps there are multiple ways to get into heaven.

Little by little, we keep giving in. Yet, how long until we have nothing left to stand for?

When Daniel was torn away from everything he knew and was chosen to serve a new king, he purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the king's provisions. (Daniel 1:8) There were other Jews who were taken into captivity as well. But Daniel was the one who chose to remain true to the Lord's will. He stood up for what he believed in. And the Lord showed him favor. Because of his stance, the Lord blessed Daniel with wisdom and insight far greater than anyone else in the king's service. (Daniel 1:19, 20)

Are you allowing the world to make you compromise what you know is right and holy? Are you standing for righteousness? Can the Lord count on you to stand firm in the midst of complacency?

Today, purpose in your heart to follow after God no matter who around you is giving in. Don't compromise what you know is right for the popular view of the day. The Lord will bless you and show you favor because of your faithfulness to His Word.

Verse of the Day: But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 10:33

Are You Living What You Know?

If God came down to take an inventory of how you've been living for Him, would you be able to stand with your head held high, or would your head be hanging in shame? Would God be able to give out compliments about how great of a job you're doing, or would He have critiques about so many things that you can be doing better?

The Bible says that we should diligently work to be approved by the Lord. We should actively strive to interpret His Word and live our lives in accordance with it. Our aim should be to obtain His favor.

I can't tell you how many times people have told me Well I know I should do better... or I know one day I have to get it right... or That's on my list of things to improve about myself... If we know better, we should do better. God is not looking for what we know, He's looking at what we do - how we live our lives.

All the more, the Bible sends a grave warning about those of us who know better, but still act contrary to the Word of God! Once we know what God has to say on the subject, our responsibility is to line up with His will. Period. Not next week, not tomorrow, not an hour later. Now.

Today, strive to be that workman that has no reason to be ashamed. Remember the Word that you know and try your best to live it. We know that God is always watching over us, but imagine that today is your inspection day. Are you getting high marks or demerits?

I know I already got some things to get right. Thank God for mercy!

Verse of the Day: Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJ)

Souls in the Balance

By now you've probably heard about the theater shootings in Aurora, CO. Yesterday, there were memorial services and prayer services to remember those that were killed and pray for the injured. Our President even put his agenda on hold to go and see about those hurting in that city.

In the midst of all the news coverage and happenings surrounding this matter, one thing keeps bugging me: somebody knew. Someone knew that the alleged shooter, James Holmes, was off. Someone knew that something wasn't right with him. Someone saw that he was not in his right mind.

Yet no one said anything. No one did anything.

As believers it is practically our job to notice those who are outcast, rejected, hurting, and alone. It is our responsibility to show love to the unloved, to give to those who have nothing, to be friends to the friendless. We are to spread Jesus' love to everyone we see who needs it.



Marc Piscotty for nbcnews.com



The question is whether we are taking the time to do something about the people we see who are in need.

 Are we reaching out to those that we see hurting? Are we going out of our way to show love to someone who needs it? Do we reach out to those who we see are all alone?

There are souls in the balance.

True, not everyone will accept the love of Christ. Not everyone will respond to a caring act. But someone will. There's someone who is just waiting on someone else to show that they care. There's someone who wants someone else to notice that they're hurting. There's someone who doesn't want to feel alone anymore.

That's where we come in. When we show God's love, when we follow the Holy Spirit and reach out, when we take on the mind of Christ and pay attention to someone in need... we can turn things around. We can change someone's life. We can rescue someone from despair.

Who knows? Our small acts of kindness could lead a person to the Lord. Our smile or hug could save someone from the grasp of suicide. Our love could ease the hurt of someone who was planning to hurt someone else.

We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Are we doing our jobs? Does the world reflect our Christian actions? Is our faith impacting those we come in contact with?

We can't just live our lives in a bubble. We can't ignore the pain and hurt in the lives of those around us. We were given too much to be selfish. We were shown too much love to keep it all to ourselves. We have to start reaching out. We have to start living the life we claim. There are souls in the balance.

Verse of the Day: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Luke 4:18, 19

Afternoon Ti: Do More Than Just Enough

The fields are ripe with harvest!
Let's get to work!

It's graduation season here at my school. And today I was running around getting things together to ensure that our Seniors have a happy matriculation with everything they need taken care of.

Walking through the school, you can tell that some of the students have already checked out. They're already acting as if they've gotten their diploma. They don't see the need to keep pushing or to try hard to finish strong. They're just coasting to the finish line. They're doing just enough to get by.

There are a few, however, who are still hard at work. These are the ones who've built a foundation of excellence and don't want to see their record smudged one iota. They don't care that they have accomplished enough, they want to exeed enough. These are the ones who I'm running around finding awards and other accolades to hand to them at the end of their journey.

We are on our own Christian journey in this life. Some of us are just coasting to get by. We see no point in striving to do more. We've accepted Jesus as our personal Savior. We know that we're getting into heaven. That's enough for us.

Then there are those of us who have chosen to do the work of the ministry as well. We are striving to do more for the Kingdom. We are building a foundation of excellence. We have sought out God's will for our lives, and we are doing all we can to live it. We've taken up Jesus' Great Commission and witness the gospel to those who need to hear it. We make sure to live our lives according to the principles and tenets set forth in God's Word.

As a result, we're seeing God's blessings flow in our lives. We're experiencing God's great love on a daily basis. We lack no good thing, and God's peace reigns in our hearts.

For those hard workers, can you imagine what God's got waiting for you in heaven? Can you even think of what God's waiting to award you with once you come before His eternal throne?

For those who are just coasting in your Christian life, why are you sitting on the sidelines? Are you serving justice to the great gift of salvation that you received? What do you think your Heavenly Father will say once you come before His eternal throne?

Let's all make sure that our work for the Kingdom is making our Father proud!

Verse of the Day: What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. James 2:14-17

Come Out of Dream Land!

All of us have dreams. We all have these scenarios that dance through our heads of things that we believe will make us exceptionally happy. Maybe it's getting a new job... It could be writing a novel... Somehow getting a whole lot of money, so we don't have to work... Or, maybe it's finally being able to fit into that size we've been chasing for years...

Many of us sit and mull over our dreams. We may even start planning and outline some action points for us to pursue. We might even start walking down the road to our goal.

Yet, so many of us lose steam and wind up giving up on our dreams. So many of us wind up never seeing the joy of fulfillment. So many of us look back with regret.

Today, I'm meditating on living the dream. And, you know what? Living the dream takes work. That's what stops a lot of us.

In order to get the new job, we've got to find it, send out our resume, interview, and secure it. Writing a novel means we have to take the time to write the novel. Money doesn't just fall out of the sky. Most of the time it comes from hard work and dedication to a great idea. Fitting into that size means we have to exercise and eat right.

So, a lot of us just default to regret. We give up and allow our dreams to remain dreams because it's too much work to make them real.

I don't want to wind up in regret. I'm sure you don't either. Let's all come out of dream land and make our dreams reality! Let's put our hands to the plow and work hard to achieve our visions of success!

Dreams can come true. Are you willing to put in the work to accomplish your dream?

Verse of the Day: Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3 (NLT, emphasis added)

Your Success

This morning I was blessed to catch Pastor Mike Freeman's broadcast on television. He said something that caught my ears: "You are the main ingredient to your success."

He elaborated on how God has already stacked the deck for us. God has given us His Word, His Holy Spirit, His wisdom... He's given us the talents, gifts, and attributes we possess and has placed us in the right spot for us to take advantage and live a fully sustained life.

The only thing we have to do is grab onto what He has given us, and do the work. If we never move, we'll never see the greatness God has placed on the inside of us. This is powerful when you think about it.

What if Abraham had never left the comfort of his homeland and didn't move out like God told him?

What if Moses decided to stay in the comfort of the wilderness and live out his days as a shepherd instead of going back to Egypt to free the Israelites?

What if Joshua thought that the instructions that God had given him about marching around Jericho were just too ludicrous to work?

What if David had cowered at the sight of Goliath like all the other men of Israel who laid eyes on the giant?

What if Esther had come to the conclusion that it was too risky to go and see the king unsummoned?

All of these people stood on the brink of success and made the decision to go after what God had laid out in front of them. They chose to step out in faith and do the work that the Lord was calling them to. And their lives were never the same. Once they chose to move, God was able to steer them to their greatness.

Are you living a life of greatness? Are you experiencing the thrill of serving God in the exact capacity He created you for?

Or, are you still trying to decide whether or not you're going to follow after His word?

No matter how bizarre, uncomfortable, complicated, or unheard of... if God has shown you what you're here to do, your best bet is to put your hands to the plow and walk down the path. Your life's success hangs in the balance. Don't miss out on the greatness that could be yours.

Verse of the Day: Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Jeremiah 33:3

Work What You've Got

It's the beginning of another week, and I just want to give thanks to God for blessing my weekend. It was filled with games, studying, church services, and bus rides, and I'm glad to say that it was all blessed. I got to minister to the youth with my crew on yesterday, and we had a wonderful time! I'm proud to see my friends go forth in their anointing.

Just wanted to give God some praise for a fabulous weekend before moving forward with this week.

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I'm still focused on purpose. This morning I was thinking about how the Bible encourages to live our lives utilizing all of the gifts God has given us.

Jesus illustrated this thought in His parable of the talents. (Matthew 25:14-30) A master leaves his servants with varying amounts of money (talents) while he goes on a trip. Most of the servants take that money, invest it, and are able to increase their amounts of money. However, one servant simply buries his in the ground and does nothing with it.

When the master returns and sees how the servants have multiplied his money, they are given more money to be responsible for.

It's the last servant who angers his master. This servant has his money taken from him, and he is fired.

In the same way, God has given us all talents. We all have various valuable gifts on the inside of us that God placed there for us to purposefully use for His glory. It is our responsibility to 'invest' in our gifts, work them to make them better, and use them in the world to bring in returns for God's Kingdom. When God sees how faithful we are with what He has given us, He will be all the more inclined to entrust us with more.

However, many of us don't utilize our gifts for God's glory. We hoard them to ourselves, use them selfishly, or devalue them altogether. God didn't just give you that talent for you to keep it all to yourself! You better open up your gifts and let the world be blessed!

When you get to heaven, what account will you have to give to the Lord? Will you be able to inform Him of how you used the gifts He gave you to bring others to Christ? Or, will you be trying to explain why you never used your gifts at all?

You've got some valuable assets. Don't let them just sit and collect dust. Don't let them get buried deep inside. Pull them out and use them for the glory of God!

Verse of the Day: To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. Matthew 25:29

Looking For Inspiration

Keep Going!

Sometimes even knowing that you are headed toward a great destiny is not enough to stay motivated. We all hit points where we grow tired, lose our spark, or just hit a wall and can't figure out a way around it.

The road to greatness is not an easy one. It is purposefully challenging to ensure that those who reach the goal are capable of handling the prize. Working our way down this path will not always be what we want to do. We may want to sit down and take a breather.

We cannot afford to take a breather, and we cannot take our hands away from our task. A moment of respite can easily turn into another destiny missed. In these times that we have to encourage ourselves to stay motivated and reach out to our Heavenly Father to keep our fire burning.

The Bible is full of stories where the people had to stay encouraged. Moses encouraged Joshua in helping him obtain the land God promised to Israel. David had to encourage himself when he was living on the run. Nehemiah kept the people uplifted as they rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. Paul's letters to all the churches were to encourage them to continue in their faith.

Don't let complacency win! Don't get weary in well-doing! Encourage yourself in the Lord. Remember why you started down this road. Remember the vision God has placed in your heart. Find a scripture to stand on. Spend some time in God's presence and let His love re-invigorate you. Play a song that gets your motor running. Listen to a sermon that speaks to where you are.

Everyone has moments where they want to give in. Most people actually do. But champions keep pressing, they keep moving, and they don't give up! Encourage yourself and keep going! Greatness is waiting for you!

Verse of the Day: And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day. Judges 20:22

Tomorrows vs. Today

Right now many people are evaluating their lives and looking for ways to improve on themselves in the coming new year. Resolutions are being prepared, new classes are being enrolled in, and self-help books are being bought. All because the calendar is telling us that a fresh, new year is upon us.

However, every day we wake up is a fresh, new opportunity to do better than the day before. Each new day is a clean slate ready for us to get our shine on. No matter the day of the week or the date on the calendar, every time we greet another day is a time for us to go to a higher place.

All of us have areas that we need to improve. We all have projects that we need to start (or finish). We all know that we can do a bit better in how we are living.


Why wait until January 1st to start on a journey of purpose? Why not start now and experience the satisfaction of improving your life? Who knows what will happen tomorrow? Right now all you have is today.
 
It seems like we all live glorious tomorrows. It is in our tomorrows that we place our hard work, dedication, diligence, and productivity. Our tomorrows shine with the glow of completing projects and fulfilling dreams. Our tomorrows are the keepers of our destiny.
 
Yet if we do nothing today, we will never get to tomorrow. So, why not start today? Take today to start on that resolution. Use today as day one of that great project. Tomorrow is not promised, but today is here. Grab hold of it, and make it great!
 
Verse of the Day: So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Ephesians 5:15-17

Who Knows?

I'm still meditating on fulfilling your purpose in God.

Jonah's claim to fame was literally going the in the opposite direction that God was calling him to. As a result, Jonah jeopardized the lives of the people he was travelling with. It was only when he put his life on the line that Jonah was able to spare those around him.

And he still had to go back and do what the Lord asked him to do.

Many of us are undercover Jonah's out here. We know God has called us to action, but we are doing the total opposite: nothing.

We may not be in the midst of a great storm with the potential to be killed and have others killed with us. But who knows how many lives are being adversely affected because of our inaction? Who knows how many souls will go unsaved because we did not open our mouths when God asked us to speak? Who knows how many lives will not be improved because we did not put the programs and visions in place that God gave to us?

When Jonah wised up, he saved a whole city from being destroyed. When we wise up as a body of Christ, we can save this world from destruction.

Verse of the Day: And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them... And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. Jonah 3:4, 5, 10

No Excuses Before the Throne

My girl Joyce Meyer was stepping all on my toes this morning. She was talking about how people need to follow through on what they know they are supposed to do. She said that the saints are "educated beyond our obedience."

I most certainly agree.

All you have to do is look at some of my old posts, and you'll see how deep this woman of God was wading in my business.

I meditated on that this morning, and I was reminded of something. We will all have to give an account before the Lord when we make it to heaven. (Romans 14:12) I definitely don't want to be standing there without being able to say I accomplished or, hey, even tried to accomplish my destiny. I don't want to stand before God with my purpose unfulfilled.

There are no excuses when you're standing before the Creator of the Universe.

So, I'm praying. I'm fighting against these enemies called Procrastination, Fear, and Doubt. I can't do it anymore. I'm getting too old. And I'm starting to sound like a broken record.

God created me for a reason. I can't go back before Him without my reason being fulfilled.

Are you living out your purpose? Are you attempting to accomplish your destiny? We're all in the same boat. Don't let this short life go by without you pressing toward your finish line.

Verse of the Day: And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Matthew 25:20, 21

Afternoon Ti: How Do You Stay Hungry?

I should be out there
getting what's mine!

For the class that I'm currently taking, I've had to do some leadership audits on my current ministry. I've found out that I'm very strong in a lot of areas, but I'm clearly weak in the areas of follow-through.

I cannot tell you how many ideas that I've had of different, innovative, and creative methods for various things where ministry is involved. I have even more items filed away for my own personal life. However, the majority of my bright ideas wind up confined to a journal, file on my laptop, or stay stuck in my brain.

I don't know what it is, but I have spurts of inspiration for a moment in time only to let the dreams fall to the wayside. I don't want to be one of those people that looks back and sees a life filled with plans unfulfilled. Still, that looks like how things are shaping up. And I want to put a stop to it.



So, I wanted to ask: How do you stay hungry? How do you stay motivated to follow through on your plans, dreams, and goals? What keeps you from letting procrastination dead your dreams?

I appreciate your advice!

I Know...

These past few months, I've made some decisions to make some changes in my life. I decided to exercise more. I decided to eat healthier. I decided to spend more time with the Lord aside from just preparing for ministry.

So, how many of these things have I done?

Not. A. One.

I'm really embarrassed about the third item.

It seems to be a pattern with me. I know what I'm supposed to do (exercise), I'll see the negativity of my not doing the said thing (getting a bit soft in the middle), yet I still will not change my behavior. I'm wondering my own self what it will take for me to change....

But I already know the answer to that.

It takes a made-up mind. A determined effort. A will to succeed.

It's amazing how many things in life we will make up our minds to accomplish. Since I've started back in school, I have stayed at work a couple of hours late daily to make sure my readings are complete and my assignments are finished. As much as I love getting off at an earlier time, I love getting A's more.

Soooo.... I need to have a "come to Jesus" moment. If I don't make a determination to change, nothing will change. I can sit and shake my head at myself and sad how sad I am all I want. It changes nothing. I have to make some moves that will make the difference.

Are you making the effort to change what you know needs to be changed in your life? Have you made up your mind to succeed?

Let's not have a list of things we never got around to doing. Let's go out and succeed!

Verse of the Day: For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. Romans 7:15

Wake Up!

It takes a lot for me to awaken fully each day. Despite getting out of bed, showering, and driving an hour to work, I still am not fully alert until I’ve had something to eat and about two cups of hot tea. I can literally feel the grogginess until I’ve had my morning pick-me-up.

Recently I had noticed that my spirit seemed to be nodding off as well. As I went about my days, attended church services, and even spent time in prayer and study of the Word, I could feel that the connection I had with the Kingdom of God was not as strong as it should be.

I had to take measures to “wake myself up” to become fully alert to the things of the spirit. I had to shake myself out of the funk and press in to the Heavenly realm. For me, that meant that I had to spend some time in prayer coming against the enemy and stirring up the gifts that God had placed inside of me.

All too often the cares of life and busyness of everyday occurrences can distract us into a passive attitude when it comes to the things of God. We can drift through life thinking that we’re okay just because we’re saved and living according to the Word of God.

Still, there is a big world out there that needs the God we have! There are people hurting who need our touch of love. Someone needs to hear a word of encouragement that comes straight from God’s throne.

But if His ambassadors are not on the job, the world will never experience His love. Daily we should be influencing the world for Christ. We should always be alert for any opportunity to share the goodness of the Lord. Our ears should be attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit in order to follow any directions that He may have.

Don’t let another day pass by where your spirit lies “asleep.” Wake up! Shake yourself and go be a blessing to somebody today!

Verse of the Day: Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Let your light so shine before men… Matthew 5: 14, 16a

A New Outlook

Recently I began planning the 2011 itinerary and focus for my church’s youth ministry where I serve as the leader. In my times of prayer and meditation, God has been showing me new and innovative ideas to continue reaching out to and involving our teens. I am getting excited that I get to implement such creative initiatives, and I know that my teens will enjoy them.

Sometimes we can get into a bit of a routine in our service to the Lord. Our participation becomes like a habit and we perform our responsibilities like a machine. We can even let the fire that God lit in us die down to glowing embers, and we lose the zeal we originally had.

However, all of that complacency changes when we get before God and allow Him to show us His vision and plans for every area of our lives. God has a way of making everything fresh, and His ultimate creative process can invigorate any situation.

I love how God can take the ordinary and make it extraordinary! Nothing is routine when God is involved. He always brings forth a new way that always delivers sound results. It’s just our responsibility to move with God in the change, so that our lives can continue to thrive with vitality. Variety is the spice of life as they say.

Take some time today to allow God to breathe new life into you where your service to Him is concerned. Allow Him to remind you of the call that you have, and open yourself to hearing His fresh take on your position. Let God quicken your spirit anew with His inspiration.

Verse of the Day: Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? Isaiah 43:19a

That Old Familiar Feeling...

As I’ve already told you, I have a very creative mind. It wasn’t always a joy to have, mind you. Growing up, I struggled with worry and fear. I would come up with all kinds of scenarios envisioning things that could go wrong. It was not a fun place to be in.

Thankfully, I have grown spiritually, and I have learned that I can cast all my cares upon the Lord and He will handle them. (I Peter 5:7) However, the other day, Fear and Worry tried to come back knocking at my door. I found myself praying aloud and casting out the negative thoughts.

I had to take stock, and I found myself to be lacking. Over the last few weeks, I have been allowing my time with the Lord to slip. My year started off with a bang: I had two straight months of fasting and prayer. Then, I slowly dipped back into complacency. Other things started taking up my time and efforts. I was feeding myself things from the world and starving myself of the Word without even noticing it.

So, of course, I’ve repented and vowed to get back on track. The devil is always on the lookout for an opportunity, and I can’t relax for a second. Any open door is a spot for the enemy to come in, and I refuse to give him any place.

Don’t let this happen to you! Keep your guard up, and your reserves full. Being a Christian is a 24/7, 365 day job. We’re soldiers, guys. As long as we’re on the battlefield (this earth), we have to stay conditioned. Let’s stay sharp!

Verse of the Day: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour… I Peter 5:8