1 Corinthians 15:51, 58

“51. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

58. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

Sometimes we work so hard, so long, and so much, that we can lose sight of why we do it. The loss of focus causes us to take time from those who need our time the most. Family, friends, spouses, and even our ministry suffer due to this attention deficit.

Every now and then we need to do a welfare check. This check is an inward and outward check.

We have to take time to check in with the ones we love. Those who we have pledge to God, that we would love and cherish, till death parts us (this would extend to our children). Those who we owe a moral obligation to cover, and those who have been engrafted in our family. We need to see how we are doing from their point of view.

Then we need to do an inward check. We have to ask ourselves (and honestly answer) some status questions:

Have I spent quality time with my spouse?

Have I had quality engagement with my children? (Spending time with them doing what they enjoy in an effort to get to know them better).

Have I remained true to the call and direction God has given me for my ministry?

Once we have honestly answered these questions, we need to take action. Then you can complete the final stage of the welfare check.

If you are doing well, then keep doing what you are doing. You can take comfort in the fact that you are on the right track, doing what God has required of you.

If you are lacking in some areas, then your actions should be corrective in nature. Repair your relationships and spend time nurturing them.

This may seem time consuming, but it is not. Most people will just appreciate that you care enough to inquire. They will let you know what is needed to maintain a good relationship. The benefits in this is twofold, as the welfare check also affords you the opportunity to express what you need in return. So that all is well from your point of view too. Once everyone involved has a clear understanding, you can all move forward together.

The final stage of the welfare check is to talk to God.

Life is full of distractions (I know, I say this all the time – because it is true!). Working hard brings a lot of stress (distraction). The stress takes our focus in many directions. As long as their is something to stress over, we will always fight distraction.

God is able to remove stress (or worry). He tells us to cast our care on him because he cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). Give him our stress and refuse to take it back. This will keep us focused.

Looking at the scripture text in 1 Corinthians, we are reminded of why we work in God’s vineyard. We are reminded of why we care about God’s people, of why we fast, and why we pray. We are reminded of why we suffer, of why we constantly extend ourselves out to be hurt and rejected.

There is a reason. We have a goal that we are working towards. We want to see God’s face in peace and forever be with him in glory.

Yes, every now and then we need to remind ourselves of this most important fact. We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed…

The remembrance of this fact is enough to encourage us to keep on fighting the good fight. And don’t be fooled – it is a fight! But it is a fight that we will win! We have to fight not to give up or to give in. We fight to stay encouraged. We fight to keep moving forward even when we feel we are alone in the battle.

My Monday Morning Encouragement is this: be steadfast, unloveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain.

Understand that you may not always find encouragement from other people. But know how to encourage yourself in the Lord.

Do your welfare checks at least quarterly.

Seek the Lord daily

Know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

God will bless the hard work you put in for your family and for your God.

This is Monday Encouragement!

Have a blessed day!

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Haggai 1:5-7

“⁵ Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.

⁶ Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.

⁷ Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.”

Have you ever felt like you are working and working, but not getting anywhere. Do you feel you all of your effort is wasted?

If you find your self here, take a step back, stop moving, and just wait.

Take some time to consider your ways.

Consider is defined as think carefully about (something), typically before making a decision. think about and be drawn toward (a course of action).

Most of the time the frustration we feel with our situations is because we did not take the time to consider the situation fully. We moved before we allowed God to pull us in the direction we should go.

Patience is a virtue. It is an essential component to success. Yes success involves risk, but it is a calculated risk. Risk that is based on experience and research.

Most of the time, we move with out consideration, research, or communication with God. To continue to act without consideration is a breeding ground for frustration and failure.

So yes, take a step back. Ask God if your plan lines up with his plan for your life. If so, wait for him to draw you to a course of action. While you wait, prayerfully research and learn as much as you can. When you are pointed toward a God-inspired direction you will be better prepared to possess the land.

Be prepared to be obedient.

If you are not walking in obedience you will miss what God is trying to do with your life. God cannot work with a disobedient soldier. Your rebellion against the plan that God has for you will increase your frustration and poor decision making.

Consider your ways. There is a reason why you are having this Haggai experience. Find out why, repent, and walk in obedience.

Have a blessed week!

A major part of any relationship is appreciating the one you love. When you do, you just want to talk about the one you love to anyone who will listen.

To that end I just want to take time to talk about God to anyone who will listen. He has been so good to us all whether we realize it or not.

Today, I am thinking about (and appreciating) the mercy of God. For he was thinking about me while I was yet stinking in my sinful ways. I did not deserve his goodness, but he considered the plans he has for me more than the reality of where I am “right now.”

God is rich (plentiful; abundant) in mercy. There is no danger of him running out.

Mercy is compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.

God could have, at any time, punished us for the wrong we are guilty of. Instead he chose to extend his mercy toward us. Yes, I truly appreciate the mercy of God!

Full of Mercy:

Ephesians 2:4-5 “4. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”

Today, I am also thinking about the patience and long suffering of God. There are times when we feel like we are on a hamster wheel – just running in circles. We make the same mistakes, make the same choices, over and over again. We get the same results and wonder if things will ever get better.

God could have turned his back on us, but he did not. Instead, he waits patiently for us. He orders our steps, and takes corrective actions to bring us back in line. Because we are human, and a little hard headed, it takes time for the “light bulb” to come on for us. The light bulb that lights the way to a new path with smarter decisions. Causing a change in our life.

This light bulb finally came on for me. Allowing me to think better, to talk better, and to have a closer (different – more intimate) relationship with God.

It took time – a lot of time. To get here, I had to bump my head a lot. But through it all God was patient with me. He showed me his patience and long suffering over and over again. I sincerely appreciate that!

Patient:

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Long suffering:

Exodus 34:6 “And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,”

Romans 5:3-5 “3. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4. And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5. And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

Today, I also am also thinking about God’s sovereignty. By definition, sovereign is possessing supreme or ultimate power. God can do what he wants to, when he wants to for he is God.

I appreciate this attribute because I am a planner. I set a goal, then devise a plan to achieve it, the I try to execute the plan. This makes sense, however, you have to allow space for changes in the plan. Why? Because God is sovereign.

Many times our plan does not line up with God’s plan for us. With this conflict, God’s plan will always prevail, and our plan will take the back seat. We have to be willing to let God be God in our lives. This means not always having things our way – and being okay with it.

I appreciate God for truly being in control!

Sovereign:

Psalms 115:3 “But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.”

Proverbs16:9 “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.”

Proverbs 19:21 “There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.”

God is all of this and so much more. He truly is EVERYTHING!

When we do not actively pursue a relationship with him, we short change ourselves. In our daily struggle to achieve, accomplish and obtain, we tend to lose focus of God.

But God is faithful. He exercises his mercy, Long suffering, and patience toward us continually. He wants us to understand he is a sovereign God. He does what he pleases- it is always to work his purpose.

What do we do when what we want is not the same as what God wants for us? Hopefully we will yield to God’s will, but realistically the best thing we can do in this case is to spend time with God in personal devotion time (praise and true worship).

Why? Because it is impossible to come into his presence and not be changed. Just look at Moses. He went in with a open heart, but came out a servant of God. Let God do the work. You just position yourself at his feet.

God is full of mercy – he is working for us even when we don’t deserve it.

God is long suffering – he does not give up on us, or turn his back on us,

God is patient – he will order our steps a taking us on the path that leads back to him.

God is sovereign – he does what he pleases for his own purpose.

God shows us his goodness because his ultimate goal is the saving of our souls.

Revelations 12:11

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that.”

There are times when we go through trouble just for testimony sake. Yes, sometimes the things you go through are not always about you, it is for the good of someone else.

This can be viewed as a compliment. For God trusts you enough to be victorious on this battlefield. Look at Job, God recommended him to Satan for testing. And be honest – how many of us taken comfort from Job’s testimony? Or have gained strength because of it?

So go through your trouble with grace, trusting God. Because everything is not always about you. But someone does need to hear from you.

Share your testimony, give glory to God for causing you to triumph.

The end of your trouble is the beginning of someone else’s victory!

As the song says, “open your mouth and say something!”

Have a blessed day!

Isaiah 1:9

“Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.”

Matthew 24:22

“And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”

Psalms 127:1

“Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.”

The mercies of God is unfathomable.

The book Lamentations 3:22-23, tells us that his mercies are renewed every morning. Isaiah 1:11-13 tells us that God is feed up with our vain attempts to placate him by a performance that is played out before men. However, in our heart we are far from him.

For this reason God has in place “exceptions” that are important for our survival. God understands our human limitations, our propensity to fall into temptations, and sin. Even though he understands these things, he does not excuse them. In fact, God expects his people to over come by faith and to excel. To this end he has given us tools to help. In addition to these new daily mercies.

God understands our challenges:

⁃ He has left us a remnant. To be witnesses, to pray, and to serve.

⁃ He has shortened the days – because given to much time, even the very elect would be lost.

⁃ He builds and he keeps watch. He requires us to be lead by him in whatever he has given us to accomplish for him. Doing things on our own leads to destruction.

The times we live in are very distracting from every angle. Life as we once new it is over. The only way forward is to walk by faith, live by faith, and to trust God. We are told to study the word of God. To hide it in our hearts. We are told that the Spirit of God will bring it back to your remembrance at the appropriate time.

There are so many people going through the motions, but their hearts are not involved. Because of the state of the world many have lost faith in God. Mostly because they did not have a personal relationship with God in the first place. But also because many people have so poorly portrayed the life of a Christian (a follower of Christ) that they want to label us all as hypocrites.

However, this is an excuse. Yes, our lives are lived in front of the world, but when our time is over, we must stand before God alone to give an account of this life. At this point we cannot blame the actions of others. We can only speak for our own. No excuses.

This brings us back to God’s exceptions and his mercies.

God is all knowing. But he asks (Isaiah 1:11-13), what is the purpose of your multiple sacrifices? Why are you before me? He asks because he wants you to consider and search yourself for the answer. He does not want any more of our vain offerings. If you are not sincere in your heart to him, than stop. He knows the truth, we are only fooling ourselves.

We are living in the last days. It is time to get it together before it is everlasting too late. To this end, take the time and consider the questions that God posed in Isaiah. Why are you doing what you are doing? Is God pleased with your offering?

It is a new day with new mercies. Repent, and do better, be better. In the end, we all want to be accepted of God.

Thank God for “except.”

Hebrews 12:1

“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,”

Sometimes we need examples of faith, testimonies of victory, that are an inspiration for us to push on further. The 11 Chapter of Hebrews provides this information.

The 12th chapter opens by talking about this same cloud of witnesses. People of faith who have used their faith in God to accomplish great things. We are to take these great examples of faith a step further. We are to take corrective action.

Know Yourself

With the exception of God, no one knows you better than you know yourself. You know the things you struggle with, you know the things that you fall prey to over and over again. You know those things that adversity impact your ability to please God, or to be used by him.

To this end, God speaks directly to us. I am paraphrasing here – “look at the great heroes of faith. See how they conquered and/or what they accomplished through faith? Learn from them, and look at yourself. Lay aside those things that may not be sin, but are certainly designed to weigh you down, preventing you from pleasing me. Remove those sins that persistently trouble or threaten you. After this is done, then run your race.”

Running Your Race

What is your race? Our individual race is the life that God has given us. Our race is unique to us. What makes ours different from another? The choices we make. and how we deal with the consequences of our choices. Whether they be good or bad.

With every choice we make we shape our lives. Deuteronomy 30:15-16. We are told to chose between life and good, death and evil. In Joshua 24:15, he reiterated the choice, and advised of his own. We all need to make a choice. The hope is that we will choose life and good, that we will choose to serve God.

Choices Have Consequences

With every action we take, we are to underscore our initial choice. We do this by seeking guidance from God as we go through our daily lives. We ask for his help, we ask God to order our foot steps, to place us in the position we need to be in. The little choices we make shape our lives. We need to be lead by God for every decision we make. By doing so we are in line with Proverbs 3:5-6, we don’t lean on ourselves, but we are trusting God.

Poor choices reap less than favorable results. For example, If you choose to spend your money on excessive or needless shopping rather than paying your bills. Your decision can lead to loss (such as losing the use of utilities, car, home, poor credit). Your choice has shaped your life. Now you must deal with these consequences.

When you make wise or godly choices the blessings of God are evident in your life.

Understand we are not perfect. At some point we all make bad choices. But God remains faithful. He will give us grace even in this. We should not make a practice out of poor choices. We still walk by faith, even in the face of poor choices we made.

God is Faithful

If we go back to Hebrews 12:1. If we lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily trouble and threaten us, we are able to succeed. By getting rid of these things we become lighter. We are now able to run this race with patience. We can live a victorious life through faith. We will have a testimony that we can share with others. A testimony that will strengthen others, and inspire them to greatness.

Yes, our struggle is real, but the God we serve is faithful.

Hebrews 3:12-13, 19

“12. Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

“19. So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”

By definition unbelief is an absence of faith. Doubt is a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction.

The Bible tells us that the just shall live by his (or her) faith (see Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11).

To underscore the importance or necessity of living by faith, Hebrews 14:23b tells us that what is not of faith is sin.

People will have you think it is a small thing to doubt God, or try to do things on our own. Or to do things your own way – without adding God in the equation. But the truth is God’s plan for us is that we trust him, and allow him to direct us.

Proverbs 3:5-6 5 tells us to trust God and not our own understanding. Why? Because our understanding will fail us. We cannot see the complete picture. We don’t know what is behind the closed door or even around the next corner. However, we are encouraged to trust God, because he will direct us in the way that we should go. And make the way straight.

Faith is a personal thing – how you live your life. No one has a heaven or hell to put you in. No one should be given the job of judging (approving of, or not) your life. Ultimately, whether we live or die it is unto God. Our goal is to be accepted of God.

However, as a minister of the gospel, we are given the duty to preach (teach and share) the word of God. We are instructed to be instant in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2…” Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine”).

We are not given the luxury of choosing what part of the Bible we want to share. We must share it all.

There are times when the life a person may choose to live comes in direct conflict of the word of God. Just because the word hits you hard does not mean that the vessel who God used to deliver that word is attacking (or judging) you.

You can simply accept it or reject it – the choice is yours. Whatever choice you make, you must judge it by the word of God (the whole thing and not just special scriptures you believe proves your point). Isaiah 28:10 “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.”

Whatever choice we make we must be prepared to accept the consequences of that choice. God loves us enough to allow us to make a choice and to receive what follows as a result of the choice. For example, if you choose not to pay your bills, you will receive a low credit score. A low credit score leads to higher interest rates, causing you to pay more for the same items others can get cheaply. This will teach a person to make a different choice later. They may choose to start paying bills.

Why? Because God is faithful. He will deal with you heart and mind to give you an opportunity to choose differently.

Back to unbelief

Hebrews calls it “an evil heart” because it takes God out of the equation. Unbelief replaces God with you (I, me, we, us). God is a jealous God, and he will not share is glory with another. By removing God, we are saying to him “I don’t need you,” or “I can do this on my own,” or even “I don’t fully trust that you are capable, or even willing to do.”

Unbelief is the absence of faith. It is dark and void (completely empty). Unbelief separates you from God. There is no middle ground.

We are not perfect. There are times when we struggle with and in faith. However, the difference is the person of faith chooses to press through and rebuke his or her own doubt, and unbelief, striving to trust God. The unbeliever settles in their unbelief and chooses to stay there.

Even in this God is still faithful. If the person, (who is shrouded in unbelief), were to repent, and strive to get to know God at a deeper level, they too can be accepted of God.

So let us all examine ourselves to see where we stand.

Let us repent, and do better.

Let us forgive, and let go.

Let us choose to trust God.

Let us take him at his word.

Have a blessed day!!

(Sunday morning message – Pastor K. Adams)

Scripture test: Acts 16:25-28

Praise- to express a favorable judgment of: Command. To glorify God. To express approval or admiration, of, command, extol. To offer grateful homage to God as in words or song.

Praise is a weapon of warfare- Old Testament whenever the children of Israel would go into battle, they would send the Levites first to praise and play skillfully.

Have you ever had a moment when you just had to stop what you are doing just to give God a praise ? So you do, but you really don’t understand why? My wife would say- “me and the Lord are working on some things” after her praise.

Why did Paul and Silas pray and sang praises unto God? They must have felt – While we’re in this situation we might as well praise him!

While you’re in your situation you might as well praise him too! Remind him of how amazing he is, and what a awesome God he is.

This was Paul and Silas’ moment to spontaneously praise God. Paul and Silas were not expecting for the shackles to fall off. They were not expecting the prisoners chains to fall loose, or the prison doors to be opened. But they knew God. They had the unction to praise God! Praise is a power weapon. It will set the captives free.

Do not let your situation determine if you can or will praise God. No, everything does not work out the way we planned. Yes, sometimes the worst things happen. In spite of this, God remains faithful. God remains worthy of your praise. Sometimes you have to praise God in your “prison” experiences. God can use these situations to bless you and everyone around you.

Your praise is powerful and purposeful.

⁃ Your praise can set you free.

⁃ Your praise can bring diabetes to a normal level.

⁃ Your praise can stop Corona virus.

⁃ Your praise can deliver you from drug addiction.

⁃ Your praise can deliver you from lying, cheating, gossiping, hating, etc.

Remember sometimes you just got to give him praise.

Psalms 150:6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

2 Corinthians 5:20

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

In the Garden of Eden, man communed and talked with God daily. The the enemy, that subtle serpent, came in and caused separation between God and man. Ever since that day God had a plan to get together again with man. The plan was Jesus. Through Jesus’ life and death on the cross. The way has been made.

Reconciliation (by definition):

1. the restoration of friendly relations.

2. the action of making one view or belief compatible with another.

3. the action of making financial accounts consistent; harmonization.

2 Corinthians 5:17-19 King James Version (KJV)

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

18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

This time around God wants us to choose him, not for himself to be forced upon us.

To this end God has entrusted the ministry of reconciliation to us. Our job is to share this good news with everyone we can. To let the world know how he loves us and wants to dwell is us.

God sets before us all the opportunity to choose life and good, or death and evil. If we choose life and good, and endure, we shall see his face in peace. If we choose death and evil, we will place ourselves on the path to hell. Away from God’s presence forever.

We are to witness – give testimony of what God has done. Anyone can read a book, but personal experiences of victory and triumph are priceless. We are called to be written epistles seen and read of men (2 Corinthians 3:2-3). The very life we live can work to reconcile men to God.

It is duty to be taken seriously. Because our life can draw or repel. It can bring glory or dishonor to God. How? With our mouth we speak one thing, but with our life we live something totally different.

This is hypocrisy. Unfortunately, the “church” is full of it. But God also knew this would be the case. He instructed his disciples to let the wheat and tares (weeds) grow together. In the end, he would separate. This is important to note that God would separate- we are not qualified to judge what is tares, and what is not (Matthew 13:24-30). After all, there was a time when we ourselves could have been described as tares.

We must understand what we do and say does matter. It matters because people are watching us. Our actions and reactions are viewed under the microscope of how the “church” is perceived. We must live up to the true standard of Christianity (followers of Christ). It seems to be a simple requirement – to actually live what you believe. When (or if) you stumble or fall, admit it, repent, forgive yourself, and move on.

We are not perfect!

Rather, we share the gospel (good news) with all. The word of God alone is powerful enough to do what needs to be done in the individual who hears and receives it.

We don’t judge, we pray.

We don’t accuse, we pray.

We don’t throw people away, we pray.

We trust God.

We take him at his word.

We do what he has called us to.

We love.

Loving God means loving his people. Our gift, our calling is for people. We feel their hurt, and we feel their pain. We work to bring them to God, who is able to touch, to save, to heal, to deliver, and to set free.

Together again – our ministry of reconciliation.

This is what the world needs.