– Stop talking your self out of what God has ordained

– Speak what God speaks

– Believe the things God has spoken in your ear

– Walk in obedience

– Exercise your faith more

– Commit to the plan (course of action) God has outlined for you.

– Rebuke fear

– Remove doubter (haters) from your sphere

– Walk in love, Always! Let it be your motivation

– Finally, as Nike says – Just do it. After all, it is God’s will for you.

Have a blessed day!

Do you know or are you still hoping?

When you are fully persuaded and extend (and strengthen) your faith, you will see God truly work wonders in your life.

With the current social and political climate of today, it is very easy to finds yourself apprehensive just leaving your home. Add to the the normal stresses and issues of our individual lives, and the door is open to fear.

Fear brings torments, and steals joy, peace of mind, and calm. It clouds your faith so you no longer trust God to the degree you once did.

But there is a remedy.

Praise and worship elevates your mind. It removes YOU from the center of your focus and places God in that spot (where he should have already been).

Praise allows your mind to let go of everything that would burden you. It’s allows you to let go The the things that would weigh you down. Praise allows you to unwind. Why? Because you are not focusing on yourself. We are naturally self centered people. However, when we praise God, we let go of this natural inclination.

As you enter into praise, it may take a little time to let go of things. You mind will tend to ponder things or run rampant. But don’t be discouraged. Keep praising through this and intentionally put your mind on God. Eventually you will loose yourself in praise.

Be specific in your praise. Think of all be has done for you. All of he has delivered you from. All of the things you are expecting to receive. Just thank him. Pour it all out in your praise.

There is power in your praise.

Psalms 22:3, tells us that God inhabits our praises. This means that whenever I need God to show up in a powerful way, I just praise him. The way God shows up is always right and exactly what we need.

Most of the time we think that God needs to change the situation. However, most of the time when God shows up he changes us, not the situation. When WE are changed, the situation is always better.

Praise is contagious. It is almost impossible for an observer not to take part in some way. More importantly, the blessings of praise has a tendency to fall on those that are in close proximity.

Praise has a natural progression. It leads to worship.

There are multiple benefits of worship.

Most importantly is worship allows us to connect with God in a deeper level. It is an intimate communication. You enter into a space that is reserved for you and God alone. This is where worship differs from praise. Everything that has breath is commanded to praise (Psalms 150). But to truly worship God involves spirit and truth (John 4:24).

Flesh is humbled, must bow down, and our spirit connects to God. This means that if you do not have the Holy Spirit abiding on the inside, you are unable to worship according to John 4:24.

However, seek to receive this free gift of God. He desires to dwell in you and be your strength. He desires to give you his spirit so that you can overcome the enemy of your soul.

Once you are in worship God is able to speak to you, and you are in a place to hear and understand. In worship you find direction, correction, and instruction. God prepares you in worship. He prepares you to face everything you must in order to accomplish all that he has ordained for you.

Every believer needs this!

So give yourself a break and make praise and worship a part of your daily routine.

Be blessed.

In all things we are to operate in love – Godly love. But we are also to be wise as a serpent, yet harmless as a dove (Matthew 10:16), because we are sent out among wolves.

Judges 8:1-3

People want a part of your victory after the battle is over. But they are no where to be found when the battle is raging.

It is the duty of the believer to walk in wisdom and discernment. We need to identify who we are dealing with and have the wisdom to deal with them appropriately. James 1:5 tells us if we lack wisdom, ask God and he will liberally give it to you.

Judges 8:4-9

People are not willing to go out on a limb to assist you. If the victory has not yet been fully realized, the faith and trust you have in God for the victory is not shared by all.

People may want to be delivered, but are not willing to do what it takes to receive it. Every one is not your ally. Most are waiting to see the outcome of the battle, and give their support after the fact IF you win.

Just as Gideon destroyed men of Succoth and Penuel, after he secured the victory. They we unwilling to assist him when he needed them. We must be willing to cut people off our “brother in arms” list. Or at the very least unfriend them on social media.

It’s all about love and discernment. Love will allow you to care about and pray for everyone. Discernment will help you do so effectively, bringing glory to God.

Be a blessing to someone today!

From Judges 7:

1. God designed the battle so it looked as if the deck was stacked against Gideon and the children. Why? Because God did not want the people to be able to say they delivered themselves. (V. 1-2).

2. God cannot use people who are afraid. Those that were fearful to fight were the first to be excluded. (V. 3).

3. How you react when you are tried (by God) matters. Those that bowed there knee and drank from the river were also excluded. But they that used there hand and brought water to there mouth and lapped were chosen. (V. 5-6).

4. As the scriptures said, many are called, few are chosen. Same verses above. When Gideon called the people to battle 32,000 came willingly. God could not use them all. Fear took out 20,200. Poor reaction took out another 2,700. God would only use the remaining 300 plus Gideon.

5. God knows us and knows what we need to be strengthened for battle (to do his will). God told Gideon to go down and hear what the people are saying. God gave the people dreams of their defeat by the hand of Gideon. (V. 13-15).

6. God DOES speak to his people, and they hear and understand. Not just in this chapter, but to all the Judges. God spoke, they heard (recognized) God, obeyed.

Be Encouraged

If it seems as if your battle is to hot and there is no way out or for you to win. Do not throw in the towel. God is just about to show you who he is.

Do not give into fear. Trust the perfect love of God, it casts out fear and her torments.

Check your reaction in any given situation. God does have a standard that he expects you to maintain. Do not be less that who he has called you to be.

You are chosen by God. Your are anointed, justified, and qualified to do the work.

God knows how to deal with you to prepare you for the work. You can (and will) operate in the spirit of excellence.

I don’t care who you are or what you have done. God is always speaking to his people. You will understand when God speaks to you.

Judges 6: 10

“And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God; fear not… ”

There are times when the cares of this life are so strong. Times when the enemy will use the issues of life to sneak in and try to steal from you.

If we are not vigilant and watchful, we will find ourselves at a low point and very susceptible to the wiles of the enemy. I found myself in a place such as this. But I am reminded of what Jesus told Peter in Luke 22:31-32, “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. ”

It is a blessing to know that God is always with us, strengthen our faith.

During this time in the valley, God comforted me with these words, I am the Lord your God; fear not. It does not matter what comes after the ‘fear not.’ What does matter is the ‘I am the Lord your God.’

He is my God. He is whatever I need him to be. He is the great I Am, and he is my God. My savior, my deliverer, my protector, my provider, the list is endless. My God is every thing I need him to be. He is always with me. For this reason, I can stand is a place of ‘fear not’ because whatever comes next my God is there, being whatever I need him to be.

If you fear, they you have not faith. Fear and faith cannot operate at the same time.

God’s perfect love casts out fear. According to 1 John 4;18, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. ”

God has called us to peace, not torment.

Be watchful, be vigilant. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by the things going on in your life. Don’t give place (or room) to the devil. Let God be the head, the center of your life. Shake your self. Go back to praying, reading and meditating on the Word of God.

Then…fear not. There is nothing that can happen that you and God cannot handle.

Have a blessed day!

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.