Judges 2:1-3

“1. And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you

2. And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?

3. Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.”

God is an awesome God. He is ever speaking to his children. He is faithful to give us comfort, encouragement, strength, peace, direction, and warnings (just to name a few things).

Whenever God is speaking we should be diligent to take heed to his words. This is especially so when he warns us. This is usually to keep us from doom or some forthcoming tragedy. We may not understand the warning at the time it is given, but we should still be obedient.

Keep the words God has dropped into your heart, mind, or spirit. Don’t allow the enemy to steel them, and don’t you disregard them because it was not what you wanted to hear. I guarantee what God spoke will come to pass. He promised his word will not return to him void, but will accomplish what he sent them to (Isaiah 55:11).

What has God warned you concerning?

Have you taken heed? Have you been obedient? Or have you failed to make the necessary corrections to your behavior, and chosen to do what you wanted to instead?

Ask your self, “why have you done this?”

Are you in a place where everything seems to be going wrong, and you don’t understand why?

Remember, God does not bless over mess. But he does accept a true repentant heart. And he will then give you grace to bear what you must go through as a result of your disobedience. God’s Word is true. You will reap what you have sown (God cannot lie).

It is a blessing to know that we serve a forgiving God. However, to obtain his forgiveness we must first acknowledge the wrong we have done. Then do a 180 degree turn, and repent with the intention of never doing the thing again. God is faithful, he will accept you.

Moving forward be mindful of the voice of God. We, as his children, hear his voice. Our job is to obey. We can do this and be successful. We can (and should) live a blessed life that brings glory to our father. This requires obedience.

The Bible tells us to examine ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5, 2 Peter 1:10-11). No body knows you better than you know yourself. You should know when you are failing and when you are pleasing God. Examine yourself in the light of the word of God. If you are pleasing him, well done – keep doing what you are doing. If you are not pleasing him – repent and get yourself together. Be obedient to his word.

It all starts with you, and your desire for a better life.

Love and blessings to you.

Galatians 6:10

“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. ”

When you don’t know what to do, do good. It’s a simple solution to the most common issues we face. It’s a simple as a thought “what is good and right in this situation” then do it.

Doing good does not always seems or even equal what’s best for you at the moment. But I guarantee that when you do good it will work out for your good eventually (see Romans 8:28).

Go out and be a blessing to someone!

Galatians 6:1-2

“1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

2. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”

We need one another.

There are times when you are strong and doing well. You are productive doing what God gave you to do, and doing it well. Then, out of nowhere it seems, comes a bump in the road that throws you off your game. Most of the time we are able to successfully navigate this rough terrain. However, there are times when the terrain is so foreign to us, that we forget who we are, and we fall.

We have ALL been there, and will probably get there again. These are the times when we need the prayers of others to carry us through. We may even need someone to physically come to our rescue. After all, love is an action word. Love will cause you to move out of your comfort zone to be there for a person in need.

In the times that you are strong and doing well, your duty is also to be strength for someone who is weak.

Most of the time we as people are self centered. This is not a put down, it is simply a true statement. We are concerned about our “circle” of friends and loved ones. We concentrate on this core group of people almost exclusively. If all is well within our circle we don’t look any farther. But we are more than this narrow focus.

Don’t get it twisted, God requires more from us.

God is omnipresent. He desires to stretch us beyond our “circle” and enlarge our territory to cover more. We are built to stretch without breaking. We are built to bear the burdens of others. We just have to be willing to be stretched.

Know that you will also reach a point where you need others to bear your burdens for a time too. This is a part of the stretching process. You have to learn how to”feel” the cares of the people you will pour into (minister). God teaches this to us by allowing us to experience times of weakness.

Don’t get it twisted. Understand that weakness does NOT mean failing. It simply means you faced the temptation and made it through. We do not give into temptation as a rule because God always provides a way of escape. Successfully navigating this is a part of your stretching process.

Be there for someone who needs you. It maybe messy, but this is the life of a servant. We serve God by serving his people.

Galatians 5:22-23

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. ”

We live in a time of over indulgence. People want what they want. And the want it right now!

However, in most of these instances their over indulgence lead to negative consequences. We gain weight, hurt people (or ourselves), we suffer loss, get sick, etc.

But with the fruit of the spirit you can over indulge to your hearts content. The more you have, the more you are able to share. Blessings upon blessings just waiting to be unleashed.

You can NEVER have too much!

The best thing about the fruit of the Spirit – not only do they bless you and improve your daily life, but every one around you is blessed too. The blessings will flow from you to them.

Live strong, and be blessed. Accept and operate in the fruit that God has for his children. Indulge in them as much as you like. Then get more. You can always use it. The people around you are depending on you to be that light. That beacon in a dark land showing the love of Christ. You can never have too much.

You cannot control people, what they do, or how they think.

What you can control is your reaction to them. Don’t ever allow a person’s actions distract you from being who you are.

Be who God made you to be. Accomplish what God has called you to. You have work to do. Don’t allow the enemy’s tricks to stop you.

Walk in the Spirit and exercise self control!

Romans 8:14-15

“14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”

Sometimes I have to take a step back and remember who I am. Remember I was raised better than I am behaving.

Because of our fleshy nature (if we are not careful), it is easy to slip from acting as a son to acting as an illegitimate child. When we lose sight of who we are, our behavior does change. We slip back into those old habits and ways of doing things.

We have silently and unconsciously taken on the mentality of bondage, but yet still free. However, if we don’t remember who we are fast enough that mentality will become real and we will find ourselves back in bondage. Doing the very things we hated and despised in others.

If we allow God to lead us, we are then the sons of God. We have become adopted by him, and we can call him father. If we do not allow him to lead us, to guide our lives, then we’re are illegitimate. We want the benefits of sonship, but none of the responsibilities of being a son. This person cannot call him father. Why? Because God does not recognize him as a son.

If you are like me, and at times the daily struggles of life have caused to to forget you are a son, there is still hope. Repent, and ask God to forgive you. Then just get back line by allowing God to be the head of your life. Let him guide your footsteps. Acknowledge him in all of your ways so he can direct your path.

Remember who you are.

Psalms 67:7

“God shall bless us;

and all the ends of the earth shall fear him. ”

My prayer of Thanksgiving on this evening is this:

Thank you God for the multitude of blessings you have poured on us. So much so that people stand in wonder on how we made it through. But the truth of the matter is you God were behind the scene orchestrating every thing so you would receive the glory.

Thank you for keeping us even when we did not understand what was going on. Thank you for separating us from people and influences that would have distracted us while we were going through.

Thank you God for bringing us through the other side. We are not only closer to you, we are also stronger. You alone are worthy of my praise.

It is a blessing to share the testimony you given us!

What about you?

What have you been through?

Are you stronger for having gone through?

People will never understand everything about you, but they definitely see God’s hand on you.

God’s blessings on you are apparent to all. Share your testimony as God directs you. The people will have no choice but acknowledge our God, and fear (reverence and respect) the only God who works true wonders.

Galatians 6:15

“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. ”

True lasting change can only come from God. We can make changes in life, if we have will power and a strong mind. Most of the time, the changes we make are not life long. The change lasts just as long as our will power lasts.

God is a life changer. When he comes in changes occur. Lasting changes. The scripture says 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. ”

Contrary to popular opinion, God has requirements of his people. He expects us to allow the things that he has killed in our lives to remain buried.

However, because we are inherently disobedient, we are tempted to go back and fetch those buried bones. Many people choose to go back and revive old habits without shame. We feel because we are not “as bad” as we use to be, that we are acceptable to God.

The truth of the matter is, your progress does not impress God. He expects you to be (remain) a new creature. Forsaking what you used to be – the old man; and accepting what he has called you to be – a new creature. It is human nature to want to compromise. But our father does not compromise, neither does he accept compromise from his children. His word is immutable (unchanging).

Let go of the past. Stop looking back. Looking back causes you to long for “old times”.

Focus on the present and prepare for the future. Take the lessons you have learned from your past, apply them to your present and enlarge your territory for the future. Go forth and conquer in the name of Jesus – but you must be that new creature.

If you have gone back to pick up God-buried items, repent and give them back to God.

If you are in the “temptation” phase, lean into God. Let his strength be yours – he won’t fail you. Through him, you can endure as a soldier.

If you are not currently in a battle, give praise to God in your season. Be a source of prayer, comfort, and strength for your brothers (and sisters) who are going through. We need each other – all the time.

There is power in opening your mouth and declaring a thing.

Keep saying it until you believe it. Once your faith is involved God will bring it to pass.

Give it a try. Activate your faith and declare what God has commanded you to be.

Just seek God…