And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17
Whatever you do...in both your words and your actions do them in the Name of Christ and do it in such a way that brings both Glory and Honor to God! Forget your empty rituals and traditions...let go of your relics and outward religious displays.
Today's Challenge: Pretend that you can't use words to share the Gospel...how would you spell out or display the Love of God to people. If you can't get someone to actually open the pages of a Bible you can force them to read it by becoming Living Breathing Epistles that can't be denied...becoming the living proof that God and His Love are real. Ya Heard!
In the same way I was with Moses, I'll be with you. I won't give up on you; I won't leave you. Strength! Courage! You are going to lead this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don't get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you're going. And don't for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you'll get where you're going; then you'll succeed. Haven't I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don't be timid; don't get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take." - Joshua 1:2-9
This one is short and sweet. The Secret is not found in some pricey CD or DVD package. Anything you will ever need to know about living a full successful life can be found in the Word of God, The Bible aka The Syllabus. It is your outline for Daily Living. If you want to ace the finals and the tests that are coming your way, the best advice is to get into the syllabus...start studying and applying the principals and the lessons today. Failure to do so will only have you being held back until you pass!
Today's Challenge: Don't be Held Back! Study the Syllabus, Learn and Apply it your success as a Follower of Christ depends on it! Ya Heard!
Get the word out. Teach all these things. And don't let anyone put you down because you're young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, teaching. And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed—keep that dusted off and in use.
1 Timothy 4:11-14 (The Message)
It's all about Representation. Jesus came to Represent the father and restore us back, and as His followers we are called or rather commissioned to Represent Him to the World. It's no longer about getting caught up in what you can or can't do (rules) but it's about being willing to do (or not do) whatever it takes to properly Represent the King! We are living breathing Representatives! Not just mere servants or those obligated or forced to follow...we are the beloved called to reflect and show the Love and the Goodness of God.
Today's Challenge: Do a self examination. Are there things you have been unwilling to part with that don't properly Represent...does your attitude, work ethic your relationships properly Represent? Have you accepted your role as one of His Representatives? Once you have the answer to those questions...act accordingly! It's time to Represent! Ya Heard!
Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart! Psalm 32:11
Rejoicing! Did you know that rejoicing begins as a choice and not as a response to circumstances? It's why we can celebrate who and what God is and what He has done for us even in unpleasant circumstances. What's more is that when we choose to rejoice it really confuses the enemy and it makes people want to know what it is that we have that they don't. Making the choice to rejoice also helps you stay focused on where you are headed and not dwell on where you are at.
Today's Challenge: Make the choice to rejoice. Focus on the things you have and not the thing you don't. Develop a sense of gratitude and thanksgiving. Sing a happy song do a little dance rejoice in the Lord and be glad! Ya heard!
"You know the next commandment pretty well, too: 'Don't go to bed with another's spouse.' But don't think you've preserved your virtue simply by staying out of bed. Your heart can be corrupted by lust even quicker than your body. Those leering looks you think nobody notices—they also corrupt." Matthew 5:28 (The Message)
Don't get it twisted fam! A lot of the time we like to play with fire hoping that we don't get burned. You know what I mean...those long stares, those up and down looks. Jesus said that if you look at someone and begin lusting after them...it's as if you have already committed the physical act with them. You see this in action all the time...celebrities and sports figure get caught in adultery and the first thing they say it was an accident...but it was no accident at some point they looked too long, stared too hard and began contemplating what it would be like...and like the scripture says they had already committed the deed in their heart...it was just a matter of time before the physical act happened.
Don't get caught in any accidents. Guard your heart and your thoughts. Pay attention to what's running around in that head of yours. Don't leave things like lust unchecked, a daily dose of the Word can help with that.
Today's Challenge: Lust and Sex are everywhere. It's used to sell just about anything. Make a conscious effort to be aware of what is being put in front of you, ask God through the Holy Spirit to help guard your eyes and your heart. Resist the temptation to lust...and if you have to be willing to turn off or avoid anything that makes it hard for you to do so. Ya Heard!
"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16
Do you really want to bring Glory and Honor to the Father? There is no better way to do it than to Shine for Him! Live your life in such a way that it catches people's attention and when it does be prepared to explain your reasoning and motivation. Let the world see you as you walk in your new character...don't hide it or turn it down...this light was meant for the world to see...so start shinin baby!
Today's Challenge: Recognize your inability to do anything and draw upon His Strength, Personality and Character...let His Love and His Light Shine through You today...Ya Heard!!!
I'll bless his holy name!
O my soul, bless God,
don't forget a single blessing!
He forgives your sins—every one.
He heals your diseases—every one.
He redeems you from hell—saves your life!
He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.
He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.
He renews your youth—you're always young in his presence.
God makes everything come out right;
he puts victims back on their feet.
He showed Moses how he went about his work,
opened up his plans to all Israel.
God is sheer mercy and grace;
not easily angered, he's rich in love.
He doesn't endlessly nag and scold,
nor hold grudges forever.
He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve,
nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
As high as heaven is over the earth,
so strong is his love to those who fear him.
And as far as sunrise is from sunset,
he has separated us from our sins.
As parents feel for their children,
God feels for those who fear him.
He knows us inside and out,
keeps in mind that we're made of mud.
Men and women don't live very long;
like wildflowers they spring up and blossom,
But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly,
leaving nothing to show they were here.
God's love, though, is ever and always,
eternally present to all who fear him,
Making everything right for them and their children
as they follow his Covenant ways
and remember to do whatever he said.
God has set his throne in heaven;
he rules over us all. He's the King!
So bless God, you angels,
ready and able to fly at his bidding,
quick to hear and do what he says.
Bless God, all you armies of angels,
alert to respond to whatever he wills.
Bless God, all creatures, wherever you are—
everything and everyone made by God.
And you, O my soul, bless God!
psalm 103
For some of us it seems like a hard concept to grasp...that there are benefits when it comes to serving and Trusting God. Like it or not there are. The scriptures declare that whoever desires to approach God must first believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of good to those that diligently seek Him. As parents ourselves we strive to be the best and provide the best for our children...how much more does our Heavenly Father long to do the same for us. Like the psalmist we must remeber to think on the blessings of God and all of the wonderful things He has done for us...and like the psalmist said don't forget a single one.
Today's Challenge: Forget what it looks like and focus on the Goodness of God. Determine that no matter what you will remain in a state of Thankfulness and Gratitude...and if you manage to do this you will find it is easier to give God the Worship and Praise He deserves. Focus on the Goodness Fam and you will be amazed at what it does and the effect it will have on you and the people around you. Ya Heard!
"I'm speechless, in awe—words fail me.
I should never have opened my mouth!
I've talked too much, way too much.
I'm ready to shut up and listen."
Job 40:3
In the above passage, prior to Job being rendered speechless...he had approached and questioned God. When God begins to respond Job snaps back to reality and realizes who he is talking to. When confronted with God's awe, power and majesty it's typical to be rendered speechless. We don't have enough words in our language to describe His Power and His Beauty! Today's challenge: Learn how to recognize His presence and then like Job be ready to Shut Up and Listen! Ya Heard!
You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. -James 4:4-8
Christianity 101, if there was such a class one of the subjects would definitely be about the lure or the seductive call of the world. Some think "The World" is a certain style of clothing or music way of talking...it can manifest itself through those things but "The World" is actually a way of thinking it's a mindset. It's why the Scriptures tell us to adapt a new way of thinking (renew your mind) "The World" or being worldy is pursuing or doing things to serve purposes other than God's. You could dress right talk right and still be quite worldy in your thinking and approach toward life.
The key to avoiding living in or like "The World" is submitting your life to God completely. When you do this the enemy has no avenue to lure you away. We must follow the example of Christ...recognize that the lure...the pull or the temptation and choose to submit to God's way of doing things (not my will but your will be done)
The Challenge: Ask yourself what your motives are for your actions, why are you doing it...even if it is something good. Are you doing it because there is something in it for you? Are you choosing to do things that satisfy your desires but ignore God's? Submission is the key fam...get out of the spotlight there is only one star in this show....ya heard!!
"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. -Matthew 5 14:16
Are you aware that when it comes to communication our words only account for 15% of our language, the remaining 85% is comprised of what we do...our actions. I'll bet you have even heard the old cliche "actions speak louder than words!" Jesus instructed us to live our lives in such a way that it actually causes people to take notice and then give God the Glory. Most times we think our role as a witness is merely to mouth the words or verbally speak the truth...but the truth is a Life dedicated to living out or demonstrating the Gospel will have far greater impact than any sermon ever will. Today's challenge...be a living epistle for everyone to read. Force them to read the Bible by being a living breathing walking example of the scripture...it's time for us to be the salt and the light that Jesus has called us to be. Ya Heard!
Jesus said, "I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead-end life and is, in fact, a slave. A slave is a transient, who can't come and go at will. The Son, though, has an established position, the run of the house. So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through. -John 8:34-36
As un-believers we were all the slaves of sin...but Thank God there is Freedom through Jesus Christ! Jesus said who ever He sets Free is Free Indeed. That word indeed...most of us miss the meaning of it in - deed. When Christ sets us free we are free in what we do free in our actions...the old way of thinking and the enemy try to convince us that we are still the same messed up people but we aren't! Religion will even have you singing spiritual sounding songs that declare how wretched you are...but that is not the way Christ sees it if He sets you free then you are free buddy!!!
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. -2 Corinthians 5:17
You are no Longer a slAve to sin and death...declare it and then act like ya know it! Ya Heard!
But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,
they gathered themselves together. One of them, a lawyer,
asked Him a question, testing Him,
"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"
And He said to him, "
'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART,
AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'
"This is the great and foremost commandment.
"The second is like it,
'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'
"On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."
- Matthew 22:34-40
Most of us miss the significance of what Jesus said. When cornered about which commands from God were the most important, Jesus responds that the most important thing to God is that we Love Him with all of our Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength and to Love other's the same way we love ourselves. Jesus goes on further to say that every other law or command is basically wrapped up in those two simple commands. Think about it...if you love people like you love yourself then you wont do anything that will cause them pain (i.e steal from them, want their stuff, lie on them ect.)
This kind of Love that Jesus is referring to is the kind of Love that makes a difference between a legalistic view of Christ and true relationship with Christ. When we Love God with everything in us,,,then we will no longer seek our will above His...we will begin to develop a heart that is sensitive to God's Heart. Even obeying God becomes less of a chore when we develop this Higher Love, after all Jesus said that those who Love Him will keep His commands and that in fact those commands wont seem burdensome or hard to the one that Loves Him.
It's all about Love fam...and there is no Love Higher than His Love for us...here's a challenge for ya today...He has already proven and demonstrated His Love for us...isn't it time for us to show Him some Love?
If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ,
if his love has made any difference in your life,
if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you,
if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor:
Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends.
Don't push your way to the front;
don't sweet-talk your way to the top.
Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead.
Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage.
Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.
Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.
He had equal status with God but didn't think so much
of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status
no matter what. Not at all.
When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity
and took on the status of a slave, became human!
Having become human, he stayed human.
It was an incredibly humbling process.
He didn't claim special privileges.
Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life
and then died a selfless, obedient death—
and the worst kind of death at that—
a crucifixion.
Scripture encourages us to adopt the same kind of thinking and the same kind of behavior modeled by Christ. It was clear that Jesus was always thinking of someone else and never seeking His own agenda. In case you didn't know He was thinking about you. There are a lot of people and a lot of things fighting for your attention...your adoration and even your worship and the truth is none of them deserve it...none of them have done anything for you especially when compared to the selfless sacrifice of our Lord and Saviour.
I challenge you today to begin to follow the example...begin to think of others. Look for those opportunities where you can help someone else get ahead. Think of those things that might be just a little bit uncomfortable for you but will have greater reward in the long run...better yet think of Christ and what you can do to continue His work to better Represent Him while you are still here on the Earth after all He did what He did for you. Ya Heard!
“Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
If ya wanna be healthy and grow in your relationship with God...it's gonna be kind of hard if you don't spend some time reading and digesting His Word. We all seem to be busy most of the time and often it is our reading and study time that gets cut. Take the time and make the time to read and study...this is the technological age get your word on cd or in mp3 format and take it with you...there is no excuse! Get in ya Word...ya heard!
To help you get a jump start listen to the Book of John like you have never heard it before...it's from The Bible On Beat Section courtesy of the good people of Revelant Revolution...enjoy!
"There was once a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, 'Father, I want right now what's coming to me. So the father divided the property between them.
It wasn't long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any.
"That brought him to his senses. He said, 'All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. I'm going back to my father. I'll say to him, Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.' He got right up and went home to his father.
"When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: 'Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son ever again.'
"But the father wasn't listening. He was calling to the servants, 'Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We're going to feast! We're going to have a wonderful time! My son is here—given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!' And they began to have a wonderful time.
"All this time his older son was out in the field. When the day's work was done he came in. As he approached the house, he heard the music and dancing. Calling over one of the houseboys, he asked what was going on. He told him, 'Your brother came home. Your father has ordered a feast—barbecued beef!—because he has him home safe and sound.' -Luke 15 11-27
The young man in the story had lost his way. We all have at one time or another. Just like the young man in the story we think we can do it better than the way Our Father is showing us...but eventually just like the young man in the story we all find ourselves up to our necks in mess and slop...and it's at those moments that we get the same revelation the he did...that we are much better off going back home! Where ever you are today...no matter what you have done it's never too late and never too far to come back home...stop running...pick yourself up and...
Go Back Home...He's Waitin For Ya with Open Arms!!!!!!
Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact.
As written in Scripture, "The two become one."
Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master,
we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment
and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever—
the kind of sex that can never "become one."
There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others.
In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies,
these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love,
for "becoming one" with another. Or didn't you realize that your body
is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit?
Don't you see that you can't live however you please,
squandering what God paid such a high price for?
The physical part of you is not some piece of property
belonging to the spiritual part of you.
God owns the whole works.
So let people see God in
and through your body.
1 Cor 6:16
It's not about sex...it's about Love Fam! Yeah...a lot of people are runnin around exploring and expressing themselves sexually...but that is not what we were designed for. Real Talk...as much pleasure as they think they are having it is nothing in comparison to the intimacy that comes with becoming one. Physical intimacy God's way doesn't just pleasure the body...but it forms a Spiritual connection...one that is not so easily broken. God's not tryin to deny you any fun...He just wants ya to have it the way it He designed it...ya dig!
Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said, "There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: 'My rights are being violated. Protect me!'
"He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, 'I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won't quit badgering me, I'd better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I'm going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding.'"
Then the Master said, "Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won't step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won't he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?"
Many of us have a hard time being successful when it comes to our Christian Walk. Most times that is due to a lack of prayer. Prayer is the key to sustaining a healthy relationship and walk with God. Remember Prayer is not just you showin up and cryin and complainin to God...prayer is a two way communication...don't leave before you have heard what God has to say...(in fact you should practice being quick to hear and slow to speak...)
Continued prayer is like good workout sessions...it builds up spiritual muscles and endurance...so no more excuses...spend less time on ya backsides and more time on your knees...you need to be battle ready and a healthy prayer life is one of the key ingredients...ya heard!!
All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it's not only around us; it's within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We're also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.
Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.
So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:
They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.
It's a cold world out there people! But no matter how cold it may get, the Light and Warmth of God's Love is there comforting...consoling and warming our hearts. You just might be facing some challenges or even some really tough situations...but don't get lost in the coldness of this world...stay strong and hang in there...cause just like the passage declares this momentary suffering or light affliction is nothing when compared to the Eternal Glory that awaits us.... ya feel me!
Hint: To minimize time spent in the cold or the dark...Stay In The Light!!!!!