Enemies

Matthew 5:44-47 (KJV) Says, "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven:  for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?"

It is certain that we will have people come against us in our lives whether it be strangers, someone in the workplace, friends, those we are in a personal relationship with, spouses, or sometimes even family members. When this happens, we know immediately how we would react or respond in the flesh, but we also recognize that choosing to take a fleshly reaction or response to these situations would not fit who we are as followers of Jesus Christ. In the above passage of scripture Jesus himself tells us exactly how we are to react, and or respond, when people come against us.

Jesus tells us that we are to love our enemies, and that we are to bless those who curse us, and we are to do good to those who hate us. He further tells us to pray for those who use us, and persecute us. Behaving in this manner toward someone who has wronged us or hurt us  is extremely difficult to do, but to do so is pleasing to God, and healing for us in that we are not walking through life carrying hatred, bitterness, and anger.

One of the two greatest commandments given to us by God is to love one another as God loves us. Some people are easy to love such as family and friends. The true test is found in our ability to love our enemies. Jesus points out to us that it is not difficult to love those who love us, and basically that there is no reward for that. When we choose to love our enemies, forgive them, and pray for them, however,  that is when we are rewarded. First and foremost we have peace knowing we are living in obedience to God. Secondly, we are not carrying hatred, bitterness, or anger in our hearts which do nothing but create our own state of misery. Thirdly, we are witnessing to others by showing them the difference in how a Christian treats their enemies vs. how a lost person reacting or responding in the flesh treats theirs. This is a powerful personal testimony, and can lead the lost who witness it to have the desire in their hearts to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior; wanting for themselves what they have seen in you.

I am by no means encouraging you to allow people to abuse you in anyway, use you, or treat you badly; nor would God want that for you. You can forgive someone, love them, and pray for them even if you've had to end your relationship with them. I encourage you as a born again believer in Jesus Christ to love and forgive your enemies. I encourage you to pray for them, and I encourage you to do so in order to please God, bring peace of mind to yourself, and in order to be a witness for others as to what Christ-like behavior truly looks like.

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you!

Turn to the Lord

II Chronicles 30:7-9 (KJV) Says, "And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the Lord God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see. Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the Lord, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever:  and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you. For if ye turn again unto the Lord, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land:  for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him."

Let me begin by saying that there are consequences for living in disobedience to God. We are all God's children and he loves us tremendously. Just as a parent doesn't reward their children for disobedience; God as our Heavenly Father will not reward us for ours. In the above passage of scripture the children of Israel have clearly sinned, and have turned their backs on God. Because of this they have found themselves in a state of desolation. Note also, that more times than one throughout history they found themselves in captivity secondary to their sin and disobedience. It often took drastic consequences for them to repent of their sins, and turn back to God.

God is the same today as yesterday, and he will remain the same always, his Word promises us that. Always remember too, that God has never broken not one single promise. With that said, the above passage of scripture applies to us today; in that there are consequences for our sins as well. We suffer ourselves in many ways when we refuse to turn back to God and live our lives in obedience to him.

The great news is that God is waiting eagerly for us to repent of our sins, and turn back to him. It is made clear in his Word that he desires for us to surrender our lives to him, find a good Church, serve him, and live our lives in obedience to him. We are told that God is gracious and merciful toward us, and that he will not turn his face from us, if we will only return to him; yet many refuse to do so and instead continue to live their lives in a state of worry, misery, and struggle.

Many people have the wrong idea as to what living a Christian life in obedience to the Lord looks like. Some feel that it would mean living a strict life that is nothing short of boring, and that could not be further from the truth. When you surrender your life to the Lord and live in obedience to him you are choosing to live the greatest life you could ever possibly hope to live. It is a life of joy, divine peace, and so much more.

When we first surrender our lives to God and begin living in obedience to him we can expect, of course, that Satan is not pleased. He will try to discourage us with trials and temptations in an attempt to draw us away from our walk with God. If we remain steadfast in our faith and trust in God, however, Satan will soon recognize that he cannot cause us to waver in our faith. Satan will attempt to work through situations, our thoughts, and even people to draw us away from God, but with strong faith and focus on our creator he will not win the battle and he will eventually give up.

If you are in a situation where you're facing problems of any sort in your life that you feel have you captive, whether it be relationship issues, financial problems, health issues, or any other problem, I urge you to turn to God. There is no problem so great that God cannot handle it. Go to him in prayer and ask forgiveness for your sins, repent, and begin this moment living in obedience to him. Remain steadfast in your faith, and keep your focus on him at all times. Take your worries and cares to him in prayer, and leave them there, and serve him with a joyful heart. The rewards of doing so are so great that there are no words that could ever possibly do them justice.

If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior I urge you to make the decision to do that immediately, right where you are. Simply go to God in prayer, ask him to forgive you of all your sins, tell him you believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, and that he rose again, and ask him to come into your heart and be your Lord and Savior. If you pray this prayer and you are sincere about it in your heart then he will save your soul and give you the precious gift of eternal life. God is loving forgiving, kind, compassionate, understanding, and so much more. He loves you tremendously and he is eagerly waiting for you to cry out to him, to accept him, and to walk side by side with him.

If you accepted Christ as your Personal Lord and Savior, or if you were backslid and have decided to get back on track then you have made a priceless and most rewarding decision. You have made the decision to live the greatest life you could ever possibly hope to live, and you will never live a single second of your life alone as Christ will be with you every step of the way.

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.

Losing Focus

Matthew 14:25-31 (KJV) Says, "And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, it is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt."

In the above passage of scripture notice first that as soon as the disciples cried out in fear Jesus spoke to them and calmed their fear. Note it says when they cried out in fear Jesus answered them "immediately." There are times in all of our lives when we are struck by fear, and when this happens we too can be assured that if we cry out to Jesus, he will calm our fear just as he did for the disciples.

Notice secondly that when Jesus called Peter to come to him, Peter demonstrating great faith stepped out of the boat, and began walking on the water toward him. At first Peter was focused on Jesus and had no difficulty whatsoever walking on the water, but then he allowed himself to become distracted by the strong wind and the storm going on around him. When Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and began to focus on the things around him; he immediately began to sink. Afraid and now sinking, Peter cried out to the Lord again desperate for him to save him, and Jesus took his hand and saved him. Jesus pointed out to Peter that he had demonstrated little faith, and doubt. Peter had lost his focus. If he had continued to focus on Jesus putting total faith and trust in him when he stepped out of the boat and began walking on the water, he would not have began sinking.

Like Peter we have all found ourselves in a storm of some type in our lives whether it be the loss of a loved one, divorce, a break-up of a long time relationship, loss of a friendship, rejection, financial issues, and the list goes on and on. When we experience a storm in life no matter the type it can leave us feeling afraid, devastated, and even hopeless at times, if we do as Peter did and take our focus off of Jesus.

When you find yourself in the midst of a storm, I urge you to cry out to God, and to stay focused on him.  Put your faith and trust in him and remain steadfast in it. I encourage you to stay focused on him reminding yourself that there is no problem greater than he is, that he is your strength, comforter, protector, shelter in times of trouble, and that he loves you tremendously.  When you are walking through a storm of any kind, and you stay focused on God instead of the storm, he will see you through it, and he will not allow you to sink.

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you!

Humility

Luke 2:7 (KJV) Says, "And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn."  John 13:14-15 (KJV) Says, "if I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet, For i have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you."

The above verses of scripture give us two excellent examples of Jesus having demonstrated what it looks like to be humble. Jesus was not born in a palace, but rather entered the world in a stable, and was laid in a manger. A manger is a trough used to feed horses and cattle, and that is where Jesus was placed after His birth. I'd say that is without a doubt the definition of humility. As if that were not demonstration enough of how important it is to be humble,  Jesus washed the feet of His disciples.  Jesus himself advises us in the above passage of scripture that we should follow the example He set for us; practicing humility with one another.

We live in a world where so many people are materialistic, and feel it is vital that they grab a spot among the elite; located atop the social ladder.  People will work extremely long  hours, on a daily basis in order to have the finest houses, cars, clothing, food, vacations and such things simply to impress others, and secure a place atop the social ladder. Many work such long hours to have these things that they never even get a chance to enjoy them.  What they fail to see is that they are sacrificing so much in the way of things that truly matter in order to possess things that hold no real value. Material things will reveal their true value when a person is on their deathbed, and by then it's too late. I have been at the bedside of a number of people who are moments from going home to be with the Lord, and not a single one of them asked for their checkbook or wallet. The thing each of them requested was to be surrounded by family members and friends. I have ridden in many funeral processions, and not one time did I witness a brinks truck follow a hearse to the cemetery.

We can put on a show with our possessions, and  allow them to define us. We can spend our lives bragging about our accomplishments in an attempt to impress others. We can boast about ourselves relentlessly. We can look down on those less fortunate than we are as though we are somehow above them.  We can do all these things, but know this, when we behave in this manner we are first and foremost displeasing God because there's not one thing in that type behavior which demonstrates humility. Secondly, we are behaving as though we are ignorant to the fact that every human being was created by God in his image, and that He loves us equally no matter our social status. Remember, God  looks on our hearts not our possessions. Placing so much value on things that are of little or no importance is often done at the cost of neglecting the things in life that are true blessings from God and that truly matter; such as family members and friends.

While it is certainly acceptable to desire and purchase a nice home, car, clothes, and other material things' it becomes a problem, when these things are desired above God, above family and friends, and when they are desired for the wrong reasons. To become proud and boastful; lacking all humility is to ignore the request that Jesus made of us to behave in a humble manner toward one another as He did toward his disciples. We can have great riches and still be pleasing to God, but we must remain humble in all of them reminding ourselves that it is God who lifts up and who brings low. No matter our social status we are to treat others with kindness recognizing that we are all equal, and we are to remain humble always never forgetting the examples of humility that Jesus Himself set for us and instructed us to follow. I encourage you to be humble always, and to love one another as Christ loves us.

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.

Broken Confidence

Judges 16:18 (KJV) Says, "And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the Lords of the Philistines, saying, come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the Lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand."

Samson is the he being referred to in the above verse of scripture. He was a mighty man with great strength, and his strength would remain as long as he did not cut his hair. This was a secret that he kept to himself until his wife,  Delilah began badgering him, convincing him to confide in her with it. Loving her, and feeling that he could trust her, he told her the secret of his tremendous strength, and soon after he did, she betrayed him. Delilah sold Samson's secret to the Philistines who had longed to know the source of his great strength. This enabled them to capture him, torture him, and ultimately it would cost him his life.

Note the above verse of scripture states that Samson told Delilah all his heart. This indicates that he confided in her with something that was very important to him, and very personal. He shared his secret with someone that he loved and trusted. Samson shortly realized that he had made a grave mistake. Most all of us have experienced betrayal at the hand of someone we have confided in; at least once in our lifetime. It may not have been our spouse, but maybe a friend, or other family member that we loved and trusted. Betrayal is a very painful, emotional experience, and without fail it has devastating consequences.

First and foremost betrayal is not something God smiles upon. Secondly, it hurts the person who falls victim to it. It brings to an end; or at least severely damages relationships because the relationships no longer contain the vital element of trust. If the relationships manage to remain intact they become shallow, and superficial. The victim also faces consequences in the form of having what they deemed very personal and private information spread to others whom they would have never themselves chosen to share these things with. By sharing the victims personal and private business, the betrayer ignites a vicious and ugly ring of gossip. This in turn brings even more emotional pain to the victim.

I urge you to recognize that there is nothing positive to be gained for either party, when a confidence is broken. It causes nothing but damage on so many different levels. Take time to truly consider how it feels or would feel to be betrayed by someone you loved and trusted. I encourage you to be a good listener, and too keep to yourself those things that others share with you in confidence. I also urge you not to listen to gossip, but instead to walk away or make clear, in a polite way, that you will not be a part of it. As the Word of God tells us when wood is not added to a fire, the fire goes out.

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, please leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.

Know the Truth

2 Timothy 3:14-17 (KJV) Says, "But continue thou in the things thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

The above passage of scripture makes clear the importance of reading and studying God's Word on a regular basis in order to be thoroughly furnished which means to be equipped with something necessary. It tells us that we are to begin learning holy scriptures as a child. It further advises us that all scripture was inspired by God, and that it is used to instruct us, for reprimand, correction, and that it instructs us on how we are to live our lives as born again believers in Jesus Christ.

It is of vital importance that we read and study the Word of God for ourselves for a number of reasons. As Christians the Bible is our instruction book for life, and if we desire to live our lives in a manner that is pleasing to God we need to read his instructions on how to do so. Reading and studying God's Word also arms us with scripture to be used to ward off Satan when he comes against us with various forms of evil, and when he places temptations before us. It is also vital that we read and study the Word of God for ourselves because it is an important avenue for building a strong personal relationship with him. Another factor that makes reading and studying God's Word for ourselves so important  is that if we are not familiar with the truth of God's Word, and we base our belief's and opinion's solely on what the preacher says then we are risking being misled by a false teacher. The Bible warns us of their existence, and of the danger of being led astray by them. If you have a preacher who fails to give you the passages of scripture that they are basing their sermon on in order for you to follow along as they preach, then that is something I would question. Without seeing for yourself the passages of scripture that are being preached on you are allowing yourself to be convinced that whatever the preacher says is the truth of the Word of God, and that is a dangerous road to travel.  If you attend a Church were the preacher never opens a Bible or seems threatened by any questions you may ask, then that too is something I would be concerned about because the Word of God is the authority in Church, not man.

In closing, it is important to note that it is a privilege to own a copy of the Bible, and to be able to read it whenever you choose to. It is a privilege which is denied to many, yet we have Christians who own a copy of the Bible, and never bother to pick it up much less open it, and read a verse of scripture. Some never even bother carrying it with them to Church, and honestly that is a shame.

Remember it is vital that you read and study God's Word for yourself in order to grow in Christ, and build a strong personal relationship with him. All Christians need a strong personal relationship with God, and no preacher can build that for you; no matter how many sermons you sit through. I encourage everyone to find a good Church and attend worship services on a regular basis. Make certain, however, that the sermons the preacher delivers align with the truth of God's Word. Don't go to Church, sit on a pew, and blindly soak in whatever the preacher tells you and take it as the truth of  God's Word without verifying that it is. If we are not familiar with God's Word and we simply sit and listen to whatever is being said by the preacher and believing every word of it without verifying that it is the truth of God's Word,  then we are sitting on a pew during worship services and taking the risk of falling prey to false doctrine which God's Word clearly warns us about.

I urge you to pray, read and study God's Word on a regular basis, and know without a doubt what it says. This is the only way you can grow and mature in Christ, and build a strong personal relationship with him. I encourage you to begin each day with God, in prayer and in his Word. I assure you the results of doing so will be nothing short of amazing.

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you!

A Powerful Impact

I John 2:6 (KJV) Says, "He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also to walk, even as He walked."

I John 2:10-11 (KJV) Says, "He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes." Matthew 22:36-39 (KJV) Says, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." 

In the above passages of scripture it is made clear that as born again believers in Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, we are to live our lives in a Christ-like manner. Jesus set the perfect example of what that looks like, and it is well documented in the Word of God. In the above scripture it is also made clear that the two greatest commandments are to love the Lord God with all of our heart, mind, and soul, and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. 

When we go about our everyday lives as Christians the light of Jesus Christ should shine through us in all we do, and that includes in how we treat other people. In today's world we have too many Christians living their lives in a manner that is far from the example that Jesus set for us to follow, and they do so while they profess with their mouths to be Christians. When the lost witness an individual profess to be Christian, and then behave in a manner that is judging, condemning, prideful, hateful, and other like behaviors it is very damaging. What others should see in us are the fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. 

I know firsthand just how damaging to lost individuals negative behavior found in some self-proclaimed Christians can be; because I have personally witnessed it. I grew up attending a small Church in Smyrna, Georgia, and I was very active in that Church.  I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior at the age of nine, and I felt a call on my life to serve God immediately. I love the Lord and his Word tremendously, and I always will. At the age of 15, however, my family received a phone call that my grandfather had suffered what appeared to be a stroke. I loved my grandfather so very much, and my immediate reaction was to drop to my knees and pray. My prayer was that God would grant me the opportunity to see him at least one more time. I wanted to tell him what he meant to me, and how much I loved him. My prayer request wasn't granted, and I became angry at God. I couldn't understand why he took my grandfather before I could see him again knowing what he meant to me. I strayed from my walk with the Lord immediately. 

During this period of my life I distanced myself from God, and I spent a great deal of time with some lost souls.  Being well aware that I was in no place to serve as a witness for Christ secondary to my behavior, I did a great deal of listening and observing whenever my new friends engaged in conversations about Christianity.  My friends were of the opinion that Christians thought they were better than everyone else, and that they were condemning and judgmental. Not having experienced anything, but positive behavior coming from the Christians in my life, I sat quietly by taking in what they had to say, and trying to understand where all of their bitterness toward Christianity was coming from. 

In a short time, however, I came to understand exactly how my friends had come to form their opinion of Christianity.  On various occasions I was with my new group of friends, when we were approached by self-proclaimed Christians who assumed we were all lost, and clueless as to anything pertaining to God or His Word. There were several instances where self-proclaimed Christians in an attempt to witness to us did in fact come across in the stereotypical manner that my friends had described to me. They were critical, judgmental, they talked down to us, and all but condemned us to hell. Although I was backslid at the time, I still had the Holy Spirit dwelling in me, and I have to tell you I was shocked and disgusted by their behavior. 

I eventually turned back to God repented and asked Him for forgiveness, and I thanked Him for never giving up on me. I could not, however, let go of, or get over the way I had seen so many self-proclaimed Christians behave toward lost souls. This prompted me to write a book called Christian Behavior (A Look in the Mirror) which is available on Amazon.com, if you're interested in reading it. It is a small book with a big message. I had to find a way to bring attention to what I had witnessed. I felt the labor of writing the book was worth it, if it would change the heart of even one Christian who behaved like some of the many that my friends and I had come in contact with. 

As a Christian are you heeding the above verses of scripture? Do you walk as Jesus walked, or are you walking in the dark? Do you love the Lord God with all of your heart, mind, and soul, and demonstrate love for your neighbor? As born again believers in Jesus Christ, we are His disciples, and as such we are to go about witnessing for Him in the hope of growing the kingdom of God. The manner in which we live our lives and go about as His witnesses has a powerful impact on those we come in contact with. We can have a positive impact by following Jesus' example and leading others to the Lord with love; or we can behave as some of the Christians my friends and I came in contact with, and run people away from Him. It is of vital importance that we recognize as Christians the powerful impact our behavior has on others, and that we strive to make certain ours is a positive one.

If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you!