1 Timothy 3:16, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

Definitions:

Controversy: disagreement.

Mystery: something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain.

Just sitting here thinking about the love that God has so graciously shown to us in so many different ways.

He is a great big God (for he is everywhere at the same time), but he is personal too. He dwells on the inside of us (after that Acts 2:38 experience), and he is always speaking. His desire is to lead and guide us, always.

He is there to encourage, to chasten, to rebuke, and to uplift us as we walk with him. He fathers us. And just like any other parent, he has unruly children at times, but that is another lesson :)!

When talking about Jesus, there are so many voices out there that would speak negatively. But that says more about the individual doing the speaking than It does about God.

I have come to realize that Jesus must reveal himself to the believer. Once that has been done, that person will be forever changed. It’s a Jesus thing!

I can only tell you so much about him.

His goodness, his kindness, his forgiveness, his great love. How he died for me, while I was yet in my sin, and not really thinking about him. How he provides for me. How he delivers me. How he has healed me.

At some point we all need to experience him for ourselves.

I could go on and on talking about him – he’s been that good, and done some much for me.

It truly is a Jesus thing…

The best part is after hearing all that, you will want to try him yourself. You’ll want to know him better for yourself. Jesus is just that good!!

Jesus is all about people. He’s was always going out to those that needed him the most – eating with publicans and sinners. It was his love for his people that made him so approachable. He dealt with rulers and common folk alike!

It is a great mystery – but God has revealed himself to us.

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Yes, it is a Jesus thing. However, for his children it is also a faith thing.

We don’t wake up one morning knowing or believing everything in the Bible. It is a faith walk. Many things we take it on faith, and ask God to reveal himself to us. And he will, because he is faithful.

Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

For this reason we are instructed to walk and live by faith, not by sight. There are 37 Bible verses that talk about this, and 4 them outright says you must live by your faith!

When it comes to Jesus, it is all about faith.

Mark 9:23, “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”

I encourage you to take out your Bible and leave it somewhere handy. Read it every day. It does not have to be a lot of verses or chapters. Just a little, and the spend a few minutes throughout the day meditating (thinking / considering) on what you read. Ask god to reveal himself to you.

Don’t be surprised when he does. You will find yourself wanting to share with others the good news (gospel). And that is okay, for this is how we reach the world!

It’s a Jesus thing… and I am so grateful and thankful that it is!

Have a blessed day!

Acts 4:10-12, “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

I love the book of Acts for many reasons. But tonight I appreciate the way Peter takes the time to provide history – a reminder of what was done, and by whom.

He reminds the people of the direness of their present circumstances, and offers them the solution. Jesus is always the solution – he is the answer!

Sometimes, you just have to let people know the truth of where they are. And show them there is hope. We are not perfect and we make mistakes. We find ourselves in tough or hard situations. A lot of times. We have been in these challenging times that it is hard to remember a time of ease and joy.

It does not matter how long you may have been in your present situation. There is hope – and it is in Jesus.

Many times we get so use to being beneath. We learn to navigate the turbulent waters, and find a way to survive. We deceive ourselves into calling this low level of living “normal” because it is all we ever knew.

But God wants more for us.

He died to give us better. He arose again with all power in his hands to ensure that we have access to better. But we must choose his better over what we thought was our normal!

Sometimes, you just have to let people know (or provide a reminder):

– Jesus came to give us life abundantly!

– Jesus called us to be the head, and not the tail. To be above only, and not beneath!

So Peter, when he and John saw the man at the beautiful gate begging – he had to let him know. There is better for you – look on us and receive.

This daily begging at the beautiful gate was normal to the man. He was well know by the people because he was faithfully at the gate. He was so consistent that he had made arrangements with friends and family to get him there each day.

Many of us are the same way. We are faithfully consistent in navigating our brokenness that we do not see it for what it is. We have been tricked into believing it is normal and refuse to seek better.

But for those of us who have experienced the blessed liberty of Christ – we know better. We are so blessed by God daily. It is our duty to share what we have, freely.

We don’t ambush people. We don’t badger people. We don’t judge people. We don’t negate what they know.

But we do move in love as the Spirit of God leads.

When God opens the door, we just have to let people know. This same Jesus – he is our help, and theirs too!

Yes, I do love the book of Acts. If you have not yet taken the time to read it much, I encourage you to do so. You just might find yourself letting people know too!

Have a blessed day!

Psalms 27:6, “And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.”

Sacrifices, by definition, is an act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy.

No matter who you are or how strong you are in faith, this walk with God takes everything you have to navigate it successfully.

The believer must give up a lot of self interests for the cause of Christ. However, because God is good and faithful, he will still give you the desires of your heart as we follow and trust him. I call this the blessings of obedience.

Sacrifice comes into play during those times when everything thing seems to be going wrong. We must let go of pride, and see God.

Pride, by definition, is consciousness of one’s own dignity.

Pride will keep you tide up in negative emotions and blind you from seeing God. Many times, we are reluctant to move ourselves out of our own way. We become too proud, to turn everything “off” and seek God’s face. To humble ourselves before him and cry out for help, deliverance, peace, calm, etc.

But it is at these times – I call them desert places, (and everyone has them form time to time), we must offer the sacrifice of joy.

It is a sacrifice, because we do not always feel the joy. We do not always feel victorious. We do not always feel as though we are the head and not the tail. Some times we are so disgusted with our circumstances that we forget God is in control – even in hard times!

But we must go through.

We are designed by God to withstand whatever we must go through!

So we offer the sacrifices of praise in the midst of our desert places. Our praise brings God into our circumstances – for he inhabits our praise. Acts 3:15, calls him the Prince of Life. This life brings water and nourishment to our desert place.

Praise brings life.

Worship brings deliverance and freedom.

Pride, however, will keep you bound to your circumstances, cloud your vision, and cripple your desire to praise.

Let go of what you think “should” have happened. And understand that delay does not equal denied. Just because things did not work out according to your plan, does not mean it is not working according to God’s plan.

His plan is far better than yours. He can see all the pitfalls you cannot.

Ask yourself, “can I still trust God in the desert?”

If your answer is yes, pick your self up, dust your self off, and open up your mouth and offer God praises. Don’t stop until your burden is lifted. Yes, you are still in the same situation, but now your attitude and perspective has changed. You can now see beyond where you are currently, and know that God has better in store for you.

Keep a praise on your lips and worship in your heart.

Trust God until your change comes.

Have a blessed day!

Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Definitions:

Power: the ability to do something or act in a particular way, especially as a faculty or quality:

Authority: the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience:

Promise: a declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen

When the Holy Ghost comes to dwell in us, it automatically positions the believer to live “above”,

We were all deep in, and dying of sin. However, with Jesus’ death at Calvary’s Cross, burial in a borrowed tomb, and rising again the 3rd day, victory was won. He rose with all power in his hand. Including the power of death and the grave. 

This great plan of salvation is sufficient to save the world, past, present and future!

The Upper Room Experience, Acts 2:1-4, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

Lead to Peter explaining the plan of salvation as given by Jesus. Acts 2:38-39, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”

We are a part of the promise. Acts 2:40, “

I always talk about the responsibility of salvation. It is the believers job to take the necessary steps to live “above”. Deuteronomy 28:13, “And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath;”

However, our responsibility is found in the later part of that same verse: “if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:”

So when Peter tells us to save ourselves from this untoward generation, he is implying that you have work to do, choices to make, and you must endure to the end. For he that endures to the end, the same shall be saved (Matthew 24:13).

So yes, Peter explained what was going on in Acts 1 and 2, but the people still needed to take action. It was they who cried out in Acts 2:37, What shall we do?

The answer to this question remains the same today – Repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost!

But just as the people then had to take action, so must we today. By taking on Jesus, through salvation, you also gain the power he promised in Acts 1:8. This Holy Ghost power will keep you, will give you power to overcome, to rebuke the devil, and to live a life that pleases God. It will help you love and respect people – even when they do not deserve it. It will give you power to endure to the end, and to be a witness of Him to all.

God is faithful! Yes, he has expectations of his people. But because he IS so good, he gives us power to fulfill these expectations.

Yes, he wants you to love all. But he gives you power to do it.

Yes, he wants you to forgive. But he gives you power to do it.

Yes, he wants you to trust him. But he gives you power to do it.

Yes, he wants you to walk in obedience. But he gives you power to do it.

We just have to choose to access the power to live “above” and be great in him!

Holy Ghost Power!!

Joshua 5:6, “For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.”

It’s a familiar story.

God used Moses to deliver the children of Israel. They left Egypt and wandered the wilderness for 40 years. Keep in mind, normally the journey should have only taken 11 days.

Why did it take the Israelites so long? Disobedience – complaining, distrust, and the like. But despite everything they did wrong, God was still good to them. Think about it – their clothes and shoes never wore out. They were guided by a cloud during the day, and a pillar of fire at night. They were fed manna and given water daily. Circumstances many not have been what they wanted, but they did have what they needed.

In spite of it all, God was still in control.

There was life in the desert! The people multiplied. The original crew that left Egypt with Moses, those who also guilty of murmuring and complaining – all died in the desert. But the promise was still alive, it was still in process, and it was for God’s chosen people.

They were unable to look beyond we’re they came from to where God promised to take them. They were unwilling to let go of what they knew – the life of a slave, and to embrace the promise. A free life

Can you imagine, thinking it would be better to stay in Egypt, and eventually die there? Rather than embrace a life without an evil taskmaster. A people who cared nothing about you? Who treated you with cruelty everyday?

It is one of the enemy’s biggest tricks to have us believe the routine of bondage is better that the uncertainty of freedom!

Freedom has it’s own responsibility and takes work. You have to diligently work at maintaining it.

– You must walk in obedience to God by faith.

– You must be faithful to the call.

– You must believe God!

But if you can walk in obedience and remain faithful to God, there is nothing he will withhold from you!

That is the blessing of obedience!

It’s Time to Move Forward!

Take a look at your self. Is God trying to move you forward? Or are you resisting the pull?

Hear God. Follow what he is saying and where he is leading you!

Your situation may be a little uncomfortable, and you may even be a little bit afraid. But don’t allow that to push you into disobedience, murmuring or complaining. God cannot work or move where your unbelief is in charge and unchecked.

God has sustained you this far.

He has supplied your needs in your personal desert.

Do not follow the example of the children of Egypt. Don’t allow fear of the unknown cause you to miss out on your promised land. Do not die in the desert with a mind that is programmed to accept bondage

You can handle freedom and flourish!

You can possess your promise land!

You must move forward!

Are you guilty of unbelief?

Have you murmured and complained about what God is doing in your life?

Repent. Ask God to forgive you and get back in line with his will. God responds to your sincere plea, and is willing to put you back in good standing (righteousness). Then, walk by faith. Do the work.

Trust what God says and embrace liberty! Go and possess your promised land!

Matthew 8:13, “And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.”

God is awesome! Whenever he is getting ready to take you from one level to the next, he has a way of causing you to take part in your own deliverance.

For example, when you feel that pull or tug on your spirit to dig deep into the Word and just spend quality time with the Lord. I say QUALITY time, not quantity of time. 

Side note, it is not about how long you can do a thing. Rather, it is how well you do it. When time is well spent, it has the impact of something you have done so long you seem an expert. When in reality, the amount of time spent may not be that great. 

My favorite scripture is Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

For this reason, I love the word of God. I love to study the word and hide it in my heart. I learn more of who God is and who he is not. For these same reasons, I strongly encourage everyone to develop a love for God’s word and study it.

Proverbs 4:7, “…and with all thy getting get understanding.”  This is the responsibility of salvation. 

I am finding that as I dig deep in the word of God (trying to get an understanding of a specific topic), God is speaking to me of other things he wishes to do in my life. That is a double blessing. 

God has placed a desire in each of us to know him better. When we pursue to know him, we become a participant in our own deliverance. God is definitely doing the work, but we are right there doing our necessary part. And your deliverance is most assuredly according to your own faith. The bible tells us “the just shall LIVE by his faith” (Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38).

So we see in Matthew 8:13 “as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee.”

As we pursue God in faith, we will receive according to our faith. The woman with the issue of blood – she set her faith “if I can but touch the hem of his garment I shall be made whole.” That was where her faith was, and that is what she received.

So as we pursue God, let us also set our faith. What is the miracle you need? Think about it, set your faith, then pursue God. Understand, as you pursue God, your position shall change. You will no longer be content with the way things used to be in your life. You will begin to see yourself and your life as God sees them. This will cause you to work on changing them so they better match what you now see. Why? Because now God is taking you to another level. He is drawing you closer to him. 

Do not be afraid.

Do not try to run from it.

Rather, embrace what God is doing. 

Have a blessed day!

John 8:31-21, “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

If you are anything like me, it seems that continuing on is the hardest thing to do at times.

We grasp the “what” of what God is saying to us. But the victory lies in the process of continuing on.

While we grasp what God is saying, we are able to run with it and experience some victory, peace, and receive some blessings. However, this is a fleeting experience. Like the sower seeds which fell on stony places.

Matthew 13:1-9, “Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.”

But when we continue on to walk with Jesus, the true and lasting blessings come. We take time out to personally study the word, to meditate on that word. We seek God in prayer – without an agenda, but just to listen to him as he speaks. Then when we set ourselves to move forward we have a direction.

Our roots are strengthen and the reach deep down in the good ground or soil. We are prepared to wither any storm that dares to blow on us.

So dont get up to fast after you received a word from God. Rather, continue on to be that disciple of Christ. Continue on to know the truth. That truth will make you free, and when you are free, nothing can stop you!

Continue on and walk in truth!

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life!

Have a blessed night!

When you find your self struggling to receive from God, it’s time to do a self check.

Ask you self do you believe? Truly believe?

Are you walking in unbelief?

Are you walking in obedience?

If you are not pleased with your honest answers to these questions, it’s time to invest in fasting and prayer.

Fasting and prayer draws you closer to God. It sharpens you view and point of view to see things as Jesus does.

It keeps your faith at a level where you can rebuke everything that is not like God, and speak life!

Have a blessed day!

Luke 8:49-50, “While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master. But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.”

We must face facts, sometimes the very thing we fear, happens. Yes, we speak and proclaim by faith. We decree and declare in faith. But God is still sovereign. His will be done.

Ecclesiastes 9:11, tells us that time and chance happens to all of us.

John 9:1-3, tells us that somethings happen so that God can get the glory.

Do not think, when the worst happens, that God does not hear or answer prayer. Rather, understand that God is sovereign. Many times we want things to play out in a specific manner, but we don’t leave room for God. We don’t really take the time to ask God what his will is in the situation. Or even that his will to be done in the situation. Rather, We go straight to a prayer that more or less orders God’s hand. This is not faith, it is an attempt to manipulate God.

This type of prayer does not work.

Remember, Paul did not intend to end up in jail, but he did. Or to be ship wrecked and survive by using broken boards, but he did.

In this Covid-19 climate we live in, many of us has suffered great loss, and have allowed our faith to be shaken. But don’t give in to fear and doubt. Gird up your loins, and strengthen your faith.

We must have faith that stands in the midst of God’s sovereignty.

So, things did not play out the way you wanted. Now, what is your next step?

We must have faith that still trusts God in the midst of the worst of times. Jesus instructed “Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole. “

Take a deeper look at Luke 8: 51-54. We must choose carefully those who we ask to take this faith Journey with us. Out of everyone who was present when the bad/sad news came, Jesus only took a few with him to deal with the situation.

We must not be unequally yolked in our faith walk!

Dealing with this type of dire situation requires someone who is at the same or a greater faith level as we are. This work is not for the faint hearted or those who cannot believe beyond what they can see. This requires that faith of Hebrews 11:1!

Everyone who was calling it a dead situation or hopeless. Everyone who was weeping and wailing, and laughing at those who dared to still believe the report of Jesus. These are the same people who Jesus had to put out the house!

If you have people around you who refuse to see God, and believe him in spite of the worst that has happened, you must also put these people out of your way. Their faith is not at the level you need to see this thing through to the end! It is a faith thing that they cannot understand.

By removing these people, you clear the way for Jesus to speak into your situation and for life to be restored!

The Bible tells us that he that endures to the end, the same shall be saved.

We must stand and withstand every attack of the enemy, every time. Yes, there are times when we will fail and fall. But we get back up again. We don’t stay down. The Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit that dwells in us quickens us. We shake ourselves and continue to fight the good fight of faith.

So, know those who work or labor along side you. Know who is of faith and who is not. Remove who you must, but keep moving forward. God has a plan specifically for you. It will take your faith to receive and achieve.

But a lack of faith will keep you where you are. For without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). And whatsoever is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23).

You CAN make it, even when the worst happens!

Have a blessed day

Happy New Year 2022!!

Habakkuk 2:4, “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.”

Why is “Faith” so important?

By definition, faith is complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Spiritually speaking, this someone or something is God!

Faith is so important because it is all we have to navigate through this life. It is what allows us to endure the test and trials of this life. It is our faith that allows us to endure to the end. For the Bible says, “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” (Matthew 24:13).

Hebrews 11:16, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Our faith is important because by using it we please God. This is why a measure of faith is given to everyone (Romans 12:3). This initial measure is to be added to and increased by the individual. We are instructed to grow from “faith to faith” (Romans 1:17).

Our faith is so important that the bible mentions several time (old and New Testament) that the just – or the redeemed of the Lord, the believer, the follower of Christ – shall live by faith!

• Romans 1:17 – “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”

• Galatians 3:11 – “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.”

• Hebrews 10:38 – “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him.”

Now that we understand why faith, let’s look at what faith can do, and how it touches Jesus!

Luke 8:43-48 tells the story of the woman with the issue of blood. It was the desperation of her situation that spurred on her faith. Sometimes, we go through times that are so tough, where you have exhausted everything you know to use, but yet the situation persists! It is in this place this woman found herself.

Generally, when you find yourself at this point, it is only your faith that is keeping you going. This level of desperation separates you from others. Why? Because they have not been pushed to their limit, they cannot understand the extremity of your next step!

It’s all about living by YOUR faith!

This woman heard that Jesus was coming close to her location. So she decided to go to him directly. There were many people there, so she said to herself… Stop there – this is her faith speaking “if I can just touch him, I know I can be made whole.”

She put her faith in action, and did what she believed! We all must do the same!

Here is the results of her faith: “and Jesus said, Who touched me?”

Yes, there was a throng of people around (a large crowd). Yes, many people were reaching out to touch him. However, the only touch that Jesus felt or acknowledged was the touch of faith.

It was her faith that caused the healing virtue to leave him, and enter and heal her!

2022, is the time to put your faith in action, and do what you believe. Let your faith touch Jesus, and receive whatsoever you are believing him for!

If our faith is weak, how can we strengthen and increase it?

We said earlier that we all were given a measure of faith. From that initial measure we will need to increase it as we walk further with the Lord. The Bible says that, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17.

We can consider faith like a muscle. We all have them, but to make the strong and to work as they should, we must exercise them. The same with faith. To make our faith strong we must exercise it. To increase our faith, we must study the Bible, and put it into practice in our daily walk.

2022, is going to be a year of faith. It will require our faith to be strong. We are going to have to use our faith as never before! We must be in a place to endure to the end so we can be saved!

Happy New Year! This is usually time where people make resolutions for change or improvement. This year, let’s resolve to live a life that pleases and touches Jesus. By its very nature, this type of living will also over flow to those around us.

It’s time to put your faith in action – faith that touches Jesus! Go after that thing or things which are burning in your spirit. Let your faith touch Jesus!

Have a blessed day.