1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Have you ever felt like quitting or giving up at some point in life? Have you ever been so discouraged that you just don’t know what to do? At some point in our life, we experience difficulties that make us question God’s governance and guidance of our life.
Have you ever been to the point where life is a roller coaster for you? Life seems to throw one thing after another at you. You try to adjust and you just can’t seem to adjust. You try to do everything you know how to do but your situation does not improve. Life has a way of pressing us to the point where we feel like we can’t make it. What do you do when you are at the point where you are about to say, “I quit”? What do you do when you have prayed, fasted, cried, searched the scripture for a solution and nothing seems to work?
The Apostle Paul encourages us through this text not to give up. He writes this letter to the church at Corinth. He writes to a church that is divided with discipline and doctrinal issues. In this particular chapter false teachers challenged the resurrection of Christ. Paul writes to encourage the believers in the church to stand on the truth that they had been taught. The truth taught by the resurrection of Christ suggests that no matter how low life knocks you down, God has the power to resurrect you. God has the power to resurrect and revive the deadest looking situation.
This chapter teaches us we will always be challenged by naysayers while we are living for Christ. Our victory or defeat is hinged on how devoted we are to the word of God. We have to make sure we have a firm grip on the word of God. How strong of a grip do you have on the word of God my friend? Perhaps you are experiencing some type of trial for standing on the truth. I encourage you to keep standing. The enemy wants to move you from standing for God. Stand your ground and remain focused on the work God has entrusted to you. God has a reward for you in the end. The race is not given to the swift, or the battle to the strong, but it is given to the one that endures until the end.
God bless and keep you is my prayer.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
How to Handle a Hostile Environment!
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
I am a lover of quotes. I read a quote a while ago that stuck with me. The quote says, "There is no growth in the comfort zone." The quote was very eye opening to me. The quote suggested if I want to grow often times I will have to be in an uncomfortable atmosphere.
We all have a level of comfort and none of us like being in an uncomfortable situation. Our comfort zone makes us complacent at times and it is also a zone where we under perform. Often times God has to allow things to enter into our life to get us outside of our comfort zone. When we learn to function outside of our comfort zone, we begin to grow. God's ultimate objective for our lives is to develop us. When we leave our comfort zone, we have to enter into the faith zone. What is preventing you from leaving your comfort zone? Is it fear of the unknown? When are you going to leave your comfort zone? Do you want to maximize your potential with God?
The Apostle Peter wrote this epistle to first century Christians who were suffering great persecution. They were scattered all over the place. They were not in their homeland. They were being tormented and ridiculed for being Christians. It could be inferred they were not in their comfort zone. God allowed them to be scattered so he could increase their faith. Perhaps you are in an unfamiliar place in your life. The situation you are facing is something you have never faced before. You have to remember God is simply developing you. Peter encourages the Christians to:
First, bless God in the midst of their struggles.
Secondly, he lets them know, they need to speak well of God. Have you spoken well of God in the midst of your sickness, financial problems, occupational problems, or marital problems?
Finally, we have to learn to tell God "Thank you" in the midst of our trials (problems). We have to remember to express our gratitude to God. We have to learn not to complain but to have a positive attitude no matter the situation. Things could be worse than they are. God is in control of our situation and he knows what is best for us. We should always have hope that everything will turn out fine because God is in control.
God bless and keep you is my prayer.
I am a lover of quotes. I read a quote a while ago that stuck with me. The quote says, "There is no growth in the comfort zone." The quote was very eye opening to me. The quote suggested if I want to grow often times I will have to be in an uncomfortable atmosphere.
We all have a level of comfort and none of us like being in an uncomfortable situation. Our comfort zone makes us complacent at times and it is also a zone where we under perform. Often times God has to allow things to enter into our life to get us outside of our comfort zone. When we learn to function outside of our comfort zone, we begin to grow. God's ultimate objective for our lives is to develop us. When we leave our comfort zone, we have to enter into the faith zone. What is preventing you from leaving your comfort zone? Is it fear of the unknown? When are you going to leave your comfort zone? Do you want to maximize your potential with God?
The Apostle Peter wrote this epistle to first century Christians who were suffering great persecution. They were scattered all over the place. They were not in their homeland. They were being tormented and ridiculed for being Christians. It could be inferred they were not in their comfort zone. God allowed them to be scattered so he could increase their faith. Perhaps you are in an unfamiliar place in your life. The situation you are facing is something you have never faced before. You have to remember God is simply developing you. Peter encourages the Christians to:
First, bless God in the midst of their struggles.
Secondly, he lets them know, they need to speak well of God. Have you spoken well of God in the midst of your sickness, financial problems, occupational problems, or marital problems?
Finally, we have to learn to tell God "Thank you" in the midst of our trials (problems). We have to remember to express our gratitude to God. We have to learn not to complain but to have a positive attitude no matter the situation. Things could be worse than they are. God is in control of our situation and he knows what is best for us. We should always have hope that everything will turn out fine because God is in control.
God bless and keep you is my prayer.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The Prescription for Worry!
Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.
Some time ago I was sick with an ear ache and congestion. I prolonged going to the doctor because I hate going to the doctor. Instead of going to the doctor I bought over the counter medicine to try and remedy the problem myself. As time went on my condition grew worse. One morning I woke up and the right side of my face was swollen. I still did not want to go to the doctor but, my wife convinced me to go. When I went to the doctor I discovered that I had an ear infection. The medication that I was using over the counter did not work. The doctor prescribed me several medications to address my infection. After I started the regiment of medications I started feeling better and my condition improved. After I left the doctor’s office, I thought about the fact I put myself in a predicament I did not have to be in. I caused myself undo pain and stress by not going to the doctor. If I had gone to the doctor earlier my situation would have improved faster.
Often times in life we become infected with worry from the stress of life. It is interesting that many times we try to handle the situation ourselves, when we have God who has the prescription to help us handle our worry. What specific problem are you currently facing? What situation in your life throws you off balance or creates tension when you think about it? We have to be careful with worry because it leads to stress. Stress is tension between the heart and the mind. Do you want to live a worry free life? Do you want to be able to rest at night? If you answered yes to these questions there is a solution.
The apostle Paul is writing a letter to the Philippian church because they had some problems. Can I pin a foot note here? This letter indicates to everyone that every church has problems. Paul wanted the parishioners not to allow the problems to cause them to worry. This letter also illustrates to us just because we are Christians does not exempt us from problems. Trials, tribulations and temptations are a part of life. We cannot let them rattle us or knock us off balance. Paul shares with us we should not worry when we can pray. Don't allow life to make you so anxious you cannot function. You do not have to carry the burden around you are currently dealing with. You can release this burden by giving it to God. Someone asked me a question not too long ago. The individual asked "Why should I pray when God already knows the outcome?" I responded by saying, “. . . prayer shows God you totally depend on him to work the situation out according to his will. Prayer is not designed to change God's mind. It is designed to line up our will with God's will.” Have you wondered what God's will is in the midst of your situation? The first step that you can take is to pray in conjunction with reading God's word. God will answer your prayer, but you have to first pray.
I challenge you this morning to enter into a more intimate relationship with God by praying. When was the last time you have isolated yourself from everything to have an intimate conversation with God? I am a firm believer prayer change things. If you want your situation to turn around, I challenge you to pray and trust God to work the situation out.
May God bless and keep you is my prayer.
Some time ago I was sick with an ear ache and congestion. I prolonged going to the doctor because I hate going to the doctor. Instead of going to the doctor I bought over the counter medicine to try and remedy the problem myself. As time went on my condition grew worse. One morning I woke up and the right side of my face was swollen. I still did not want to go to the doctor but, my wife convinced me to go. When I went to the doctor I discovered that I had an ear infection. The medication that I was using over the counter did not work. The doctor prescribed me several medications to address my infection. After I started the regiment of medications I started feeling better and my condition improved. After I left the doctor’s office, I thought about the fact I put myself in a predicament I did not have to be in. I caused myself undo pain and stress by not going to the doctor. If I had gone to the doctor earlier my situation would have improved faster.
Often times in life we become infected with worry from the stress of life. It is interesting that many times we try to handle the situation ourselves, when we have God who has the prescription to help us handle our worry. What specific problem are you currently facing? What situation in your life throws you off balance or creates tension when you think about it? We have to be careful with worry because it leads to stress. Stress is tension between the heart and the mind. Do you want to live a worry free life? Do you want to be able to rest at night? If you answered yes to these questions there is a solution.
The apostle Paul is writing a letter to the Philippian church because they had some problems. Can I pin a foot note here? This letter indicates to everyone that every church has problems. Paul wanted the parishioners not to allow the problems to cause them to worry. This letter also illustrates to us just because we are Christians does not exempt us from problems. Trials, tribulations and temptations are a part of life. We cannot let them rattle us or knock us off balance. Paul shares with us we should not worry when we can pray. Don't allow life to make you so anxious you cannot function. You do not have to carry the burden around you are currently dealing with. You can release this burden by giving it to God. Someone asked me a question not too long ago. The individual asked "Why should I pray when God already knows the outcome?" I responded by saying, “. . . prayer shows God you totally depend on him to work the situation out according to his will. Prayer is not designed to change God's mind. It is designed to line up our will with God's will.” Have you wondered what God's will is in the midst of your situation? The first step that you can take is to pray in conjunction with reading God's word. God will answer your prayer, but you have to first pray.
I challenge you this morning to enter into a more intimate relationship with God by praying. When was the last time you have isolated yourself from everything to have an intimate conversation with God? I am a firm believer prayer change things. If you want your situation to turn around, I challenge you to pray and trust God to work the situation out.
May God bless and keep you is my prayer.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Pursuing God's Purpose In Your Life
Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching for those things which are before, I press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
When I was a freshman in high school I used to run track. My favorite running event was the 110 meter hurdles. I recall a particular race I will never forget. I had the fastest time going into the finals of the district track meet. I remember the race so vividly because I had a bad start and I was behind in the race. While I was running, I started over striding to try to catch up to the others who were ahead of me. If you have ever run hurdles, you understand the danger of over striding. My focus was on the others in front of me and not on running my race. In the middle of the race I hit a hurdle and it knocked me off balance and I fell down in the middle of the race. I got up and finished the race after falling. The race scarred me and I never ran track again until my senior year in high school.
As I look back at my experience, I have gathered life is like a track race. Life is full of hurdles that stand in the way of us fulfilling the purpose God has for our life. Often times the hurdles of life cause us to fall, but we have to get up and keep going. We can’t let our past failures hold us captive. Can I ask you question friends? Is there an event or situation from your past you can’t get over? Is the event or situation so tragic you don't want to face it? . . . . You will never be able to fulfill God's purpose for your life holding on to your past. Do you want to fulfill Gods purpose for your life? If you do, there are some things that you have to put into practice.
This verse teaches us an assessment needs to take place on a daily basis. How often do you take an assessment of your life? I know we live in an instant society and there is not much time to slow down. How much time do you have for God? I know that you have a busy schedule and you have a lot of things “going on”. Can you fit God into your busy schedule? We have to learn to slow down so we can get on the same page with God. Are you on the same page with God? In order to answer that question an assessment needs to take place. The assessment needs to be based on God's standard and no one else’s standard. So the assessment tool needs to be the word of God. How often do you look at God's standard for life? What is your attitude towards the word of God? If you want to fulfill God's purpose for your life it starts with seeking God through his word on a daily basis.
The word of God reveals to us all of our imperfections and it also shares with us how to address the imperfections. Someone may say, you don't know how bad of a person I am or you don't know the things I have done. You may feel you have made a mess of your life and no one understands. God knows, God understands and God can help you. He is waiting on you to totally surrender to him. He can turn your life around. None of us are perfect. We are all a work in progress. We have to be honest with ourselves and understand there is always room for improvement. Don't allow yourself to become satisfied with where you are. Each day God blesses us with an opportunity for improvement. We have to learn to bid yesterday farewell and embrace the opportunity of today. Every opportunity God gives us; we have to pursue the opportunity with passion in order to do our best.
When we do our best according to God's standard, we don't have to live life with regrets. God is ultimately the judge of every one of our lives. Don't allow others to set your standards, but live your life according to God's standard. God has something special for you ahead, but you will never be able to experience it holding on to yesterday.
God bless and keep you is my prayer.
When I was a freshman in high school I used to run track. My favorite running event was the 110 meter hurdles. I recall a particular race I will never forget. I had the fastest time going into the finals of the district track meet. I remember the race so vividly because I had a bad start and I was behind in the race. While I was running, I started over striding to try to catch up to the others who were ahead of me. If you have ever run hurdles, you understand the danger of over striding. My focus was on the others in front of me and not on running my race. In the middle of the race I hit a hurdle and it knocked me off balance and I fell down in the middle of the race. I got up and finished the race after falling. The race scarred me and I never ran track again until my senior year in high school.
As I look back at my experience, I have gathered life is like a track race. Life is full of hurdles that stand in the way of us fulfilling the purpose God has for our life. Often times the hurdles of life cause us to fall, but we have to get up and keep going. We can’t let our past failures hold us captive. Can I ask you question friends? Is there an event or situation from your past you can’t get over? Is the event or situation so tragic you don't want to face it? . . . . You will never be able to fulfill God's purpose for your life holding on to your past. Do you want to fulfill Gods purpose for your life? If you do, there are some things that you have to put into practice.
This verse teaches us an assessment needs to take place on a daily basis. How often do you take an assessment of your life? I know we live in an instant society and there is not much time to slow down. How much time do you have for God? I know that you have a busy schedule and you have a lot of things “going on”. Can you fit God into your busy schedule? We have to learn to slow down so we can get on the same page with God. Are you on the same page with God? In order to answer that question an assessment needs to take place. The assessment needs to be based on God's standard and no one else’s standard. So the assessment tool needs to be the word of God. How often do you look at God's standard for life? What is your attitude towards the word of God? If you want to fulfill God's purpose for your life it starts with seeking God through his word on a daily basis.
The word of God reveals to us all of our imperfections and it also shares with us how to address the imperfections. Someone may say, you don't know how bad of a person I am or you don't know the things I have done. You may feel you have made a mess of your life and no one understands. God knows, God understands and God can help you. He is waiting on you to totally surrender to him. He can turn your life around. None of us are perfect. We are all a work in progress. We have to be honest with ourselves and understand there is always room for improvement. Don't allow yourself to become satisfied with where you are. Each day God blesses us with an opportunity for improvement. We have to learn to bid yesterday farewell and embrace the opportunity of today. Every opportunity God gives us; we have to pursue the opportunity with passion in order to do our best.
When we do our best according to God's standard, we don't have to live life with regrets. God is ultimately the judge of every one of our lives. Don't allow others to set your standards, but live your life according to God's standard. God has something special for you ahead, but you will never be able to experience it holding on to yesterday.
God bless and keep you is my prayer.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Be Encourage!
Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
I was watching the news about a month ago during the time of the Tsunami in Japan. The morning I was watching the news, a lady was being interviewed in a town that was destroyed. Before she spoke, I could see the hopelessness in her eyes. She stated during the interview that she did not know what she was going to do and how she would recover from the devastation. There were city officials that told her she would have to leave the area because of exposure to radiation. Can you imagine being told to pick-up and leave everything you are familiar with?
Often times in our lives, God allows devastation, disappointment and discouraging situations to occur. Life can be unstable at times and in the midst of the unstable situations, we have to make choices. Have you ever had to make a choice in the midst of an unstable situation? It can be quite discouraging because the outcome may look unfavorable for you.
The apostle Paul writes this letter to the church at Ephesus while he was experiencing some difficulties in his own life. He is in a Roman jail cell but he is writing to encourage others. Can I ask you a question? How many of us can be a source of encouragement to others while we are going through our own personal struggles? Paul encourages the saints at Ephesus by telling them in verse 10 to take a look back at what they had previously been taught. Often times in our life we have to look back to go forward. Paul wanted them to be prepared for what was ahead of them. Paul also shares with them that they are not alone as they face life's difficulties.
Sometimes in life you may feel like your struggle is unique. Someone has been through it or is either presently going through the same struggle. As you go forward handling your struggle remember God will empower you no matter what arena of struggle you encounter. The empowerment can only take place if you make yourself open and available to God.
Have you surrendered yourself to God in the midst of your struggle? Surrendering is key to overcoming life's struggles. Every one of us has to realize we can't make it on our own strength and we are totally dependent on God. If you are tired and fatigued because of life's struggles, I challenge you to pray to God. Tell God you surrender to Him and you surrender the “struggle” to Him.
May God bless and keep you is my prayer.
I was watching the news about a month ago during the time of the Tsunami in Japan. The morning I was watching the news, a lady was being interviewed in a town that was destroyed. Before she spoke, I could see the hopelessness in her eyes. She stated during the interview that she did not know what she was going to do and how she would recover from the devastation. There were city officials that told her she would have to leave the area because of exposure to radiation. Can you imagine being told to pick-up and leave everything you are familiar with?
Often times in our lives, God allows devastation, disappointment and discouraging situations to occur. Life can be unstable at times and in the midst of the unstable situations, we have to make choices. Have you ever had to make a choice in the midst of an unstable situation? It can be quite discouraging because the outcome may look unfavorable for you.
The apostle Paul writes this letter to the church at Ephesus while he was experiencing some difficulties in his own life. He is in a Roman jail cell but he is writing to encourage others. Can I ask you a question? How many of us can be a source of encouragement to others while we are going through our own personal struggles? Paul encourages the saints at Ephesus by telling them in verse 10 to take a look back at what they had previously been taught. Often times in our life we have to look back to go forward. Paul wanted them to be prepared for what was ahead of them. Paul also shares with them that they are not alone as they face life's difficulties.
Sometimes in life you may feel like your struggle is unique. Someone has been through it or is either presently going through the same struggle. As you go forward handling your struggle remember God will empower you no matter what arena of struggle you encounter. The empowerment can only take place if you make yourself open and available to God.
Have you surrendered yourself to God in the midst of your struggle? Surrendering is key to overcoming life's struggles. Every one of us has to realize we can't make it on our own strength and we are totally dependent on God. If you are tired and fatigued because of life's struggles, I challenge you to pray to God. Tell God you surrender to Him and you surrender the “struggle” to Him.
May God bless and keep you is my prayer.
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