The Christmas Spirit?

As Christmas ends everything goes back to normal. But lets back track a bit. By November most people have Christmas on their minds and is preparing for it. Most are joyful, much more appreciative, and love is flowing, Then i started to think to myself, "what happened?" After Christmas day everyone goes back to their normal self. Not many want to give or sacrifice for others anymore. 

As i grew older i really started to look into this whole Christmas thing, and i realized for one it is designed to make you broke! Not just that but it's a man made holiday, that really does not glorify God in anyway. Think about it. Why is it fare that we all get gifts, but we give God nothing at all, when he is "supposedly" to be the center of this holiday? I don't think this is right at all, and some may not agree with me, and that is fine. I just wanted to get this point across. There is nothing wrong with being joyful and loving over the holidays, but what i was thinking, why can't we be like this everyday of the year? From January  1st to December 31st, that would be a blessing in so much ways! People would be always ready and willing to give and love would be everywhere, but then i thought to myself again! The only way that will happen is if we all serve God! No holiday can do what God can to an individual, and that's where i would like to urge us all to be mindful of how we act towards one another everyday of the year. There is always an opportunity to give to others, not just on Christmas day. God gave us the ultimate gift, himself, so that we as sinners could be set free. What we can give will never compare to what God has given us, but we can give our love and if need be our resources to those who really need it. 

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

God bless, and be safe over the holidays!

God will preserve us!

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. 18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:17-18

Sometimes people say we should not beat up on ourselves when we sin, i agree with this to an extent, knowing that our sins are under the blood. But there is one thing we can not do, let that saying be a cop out every time we sin. and not actually change (repent) As human beings we are very imperfect. Even God said that he understands our frame, he pitys us! Psalm 103:14

I believe as Christians we should never let a wronging pass us. Every time we sin, we separate ourselves from the presence of the Lord! We need to confess all of our sins to the master so that we may walk rightly with him. 

The other day i was thinking, to climb up a ladder takes perseverance, determination, strength, willpower, motivation and so much more. but to fall down the ladder it takes nothing at all, but some little slip. Just like it is so easy to do wrong then Good. living this life requires hard effort and definitely God, for without him we can not make it. My prayer today is that we never let any past, present, or future mistakes hold us back. The devil will try in anyway to snuff out our fire and passion for God. Saints Be encouraged, The Lord shall keep us, and bring us through!

God Bless.

Speechless.

Do you not know, have you not heard. The Lord is the everlasting God, he will not grow tired or wearied and his understanding no one can fathom. Isaiah 40:31

This is one of my favorite Bible scriptures. It pretty much sums up Gods mighty character in one verse. Further up in Isaiah 40 the word says again "do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told to you from the beginning? He sits enthroned above the circle of earth Is 40:20-21 This chapter echoes Gods perfection, as i read the chapter i was amazed, and it caused to look at God differently, at one point i was thinking how can i put what i am thinking in words, this is just to awesome to even mix my thoughts in with it... but i would like to leave just one thing with you. Nothing can or ever will compare to the glory of God, nor can we put him in a box. he can not be contained for he reigns supreme over the world! "who can fathom the spirit of the Lord or instruct the Lord as his Counselor?" Is 40:13

If you have time take a read of Isaiah 40, you will be blessed immensely, stay strong and be encouraged.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a7RCVDiPb0 This song can give you a better idea of how i feel

Godbless!

Don't Forget!

When The Lord your God brings you into the Land he swore to your fathers... Becareful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, the land of slavery.

This word came to me at work while i was thinking about my past. I thought about all the things i did, some good, and mostly bad. I was thinking about the times i broke Gods heart, i thought about the times i failed to stay faithful to him when he always was faithful to me, i thought about the trials i faced and how things just were not working out for me in the physical, and i felt like life wasn't so great... 

Now this is just a bit about my past, as i cant go into details. We all have our "Egypt" that we left behind for Christ and in that"Don't Forget" just kept resonating in my mind, and then this scripture came to me and i give God thanks for it.

 God would of not said this if it was not important. When we forget our humble beginnings, we leave the door open for pride to come in and ransack us spiritually! There is a scripture that speaks explicitly about this. 1 Cor 10:12 So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!

This is so important. I am sure many of us have seen people fall from pride, it is a terrible thing once it has taken place inside us, We will "never arrive" or be at that place where im "it" or i am the better than. We see in the bible many times how the Pharisees thought they were so better then everyone, but in reality they were worst then the very sinner! Pride is destructive, and as soon as an ounce of it is seen, we must destroy it! 

I pray this word encourages and strengthens you, God Bless!

Behold the LAMB!!

The Next day john seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of this world. John 1:29 KJV

As of late i have been thinking about what Jesus Christ did on the Cross.and also was thinking about myself and how i have so many dysfunctions but Christ still loves me. A no good sinner, but then i realized that God isnt like us. He's God, and his ways are high above us,we will never understand him, but one thing i do understand is that no matter what God still loves me and you! We all have messed up pasts but God put our "stuff" on the Cross so that we might live! Amazing isnt it? 

Rev 21:7 reads "He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and i will be his God, and he shall be my son" If we just keep on running this race we shall inherit the kingdom of Heaven. Sometimes it's not so easy, trying to live holy in an unholy world is rough. You're constantly battered on all sides, your mind is under attack, and everything is just messed up because of sin. But amidst all of this we have someone we can turn to, God! He's able to strengthen our feeble knees, and empower us with his might!

One last thing i was thinking about this week was, living Holy for the Lord everyday, not just on Sunday. 

It's so easy to fall into "Holy mode" on Sundays, then just go back to the same old stuff from Mon - Sat. I was saying to the Lord, "i want to live holy everyday of my life, and i need your help" Lately i have been struggling alot with this, but i came to the realization that no matter what i am going to do this, no matter how the enemy wants to work in my life. Sometimes we need to get to a place in life where we say enough is enough and just "do"! I got tired of letting the enemy walk all over me and i refuse to let him have victory in my life. Knowing we fight a mighty enemy, know this. We server a mighty God who is more then able to bring us through our trial and temptations! Wait on the Lord: be of Good Courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart, wait, i say on the Lord. Ps 27:14. 

God Bless you, we are winners, and we will overcome by the Blood!!!

The piece that wont fit

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God?Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. James 4:4 NIV

Thoughts:

As i read this scripture today i thought to myself "i am guilty of this." I know i struggle with this sometimes, especially being a Christian, i may feel like i should fit in with people of the world, i should have more friends and so on, but as i am writing this i realize that when you have been chosen by God you will never fit in! 
The dictionary defines normal as conforming to a standard, the usual or average. Conforming to the world is normal in the eyes of man, but when you give your life to God, conforming to him is the normalcy! we are a piece of a puzzle that wont fit in the puzzle of the world, and i want to encourage someone today, don't worry if you feel like an outcast, know that you belong to God and that's all that matters. if the world hates you it's ok God loves you!! You may even feel like you do not belong in the church, don't worry about people, God still loves and continue on going to church for God not people, he will bless you for your continual effort. 

This last word i want to leave with you is to submit yourself to God and he will submit to you, when we give us, he gives himself to us. What a blessing that is, we don't even deserve God but he gives himself to us.
I pray you're blessed by this word

God bless!

Don't run from God (Destiny)

Before i even write a scripture i want to apologize to every single person that has read these devotionals in the past, present, and soon to be future. Some who read this may know me in person and some who don't may not. I have been allowing the devil to overcome me, and i want to let all know that when God calls you to do something don't run from it.
God commissioned Jonah to preach the word to the great city of Nineveh... but he ran away from his calling but because of Gods concern for his people, he didn't just let him walk away.Because of this the word that was preached to Nineveh the city was saved from Gods wrath!
God has given us all dreams, visions, and purpose in this life and when we turn from it for silly reasons. We literally say "God i want nothing to do with you". Some may say "hey, its no big deal" but let me tell you this, it is a very big deal when we walk out on God.

Imagine if Jesus Christ said "you know what i don't want to die for these wicked people, they're nothing" Lets think about this, because i sure am. If he said no, none of us would even be standing here right now, but because of God's infinite love for his people!!! He laid his life on the cross for us, a wretched people, deep in sin. This is why we have to give thanks that God is not like man.
Sometimes as children of God we do not realize our potentiality in the Kingdom, and that we affect so many lives, but we just forfeit our blessings like Esau.
I also want to let you know that God spoke through my someone to me, and i started to think about what i was doing, and that i was wasting my blessings. The Bible says "blessed is the man whom God corrects, do not despise the discipline of the almighty, for he wounds but he also binds up; he injures, but his hand also heals" John 5:17-18. This is a powerful verse, and as i am typing this i want this verse to seep into my very soul, and i pray it will open all of our eyes. My brothers, my sisters lets go forth in the calling God has for us, lets lift one another up and keep each other in prayer. The devil is trying to cripple the Kingdom of God but he cant stop us!

P.S I plan on continuing these devotions until God says stop. Please pray for me as i do this. If one person can be impacted from this, then i know it has served it's purpose. It's not about me, but about lives being saved.

God bless you!

You are Rich

There are many fearing Christians, who are spiritually rich, yet think themselves poor; by their doubts, and complaints, and griefs, they make themselves poor.

We all do this sometimes, we forget we have God, and that God has every single thing we need and will ever need. We have a Father who cares us, and though it may seem that he does not hear when we need something he does. He just does not answer by our time frame, yet he's ALWAYS on time. 

I love how God operates. when we think about all those times we needed something and he always provided just before whatever it was, it makes me laugh, because God was in control all the time, and he was just testing us. Encouraging us all to trust God, He knows what we need. and he will answer.

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Is 40:31)

God bless you!

Worship sets us free!

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get you behind me, Satan: for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.

Luke 4:8

I may have already wrote about worshiping God, but i want to speak about it again on a different level. As people of God we're called to worship the holy king, worship causes us to see things we would not normally see, for example the calling that God has over all of our lives. I want to remind us all that WE NEED TO GO BACK TO THE FOUNT THAT NEVER RUNS DRY! If we don't we simply... die. God is the best sustenance we could ever have, no food,nor man or thing can give what God can give. He gives freedom from our inner man, the fleshy nature. He also gives us a way out all our issues, even the stuff you don't tell your spouses or loved ones. Worship to God stops the enemy in his tracks, it confuses him, it derails him, and i am letting us all know today when you come up on something that you can't fix, something you can't let go of, God can do it, Some things wont go away with counselling, or any other man made way... Only God can do it! So i encourage us all as brethren in Christ to worship the Lord our God, for only he can truly set us free, The bible says we must worship God in spirit and truth, and once we do this we will see change.

God bless

Building Character

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Phil 4:12-13 (NIV)

It's easy to be content when things are good, bills are being paid, having the good job, good car etc etc... but what about when you don't have some of these things? Car isnt working, mortgage is behind in payments, and a big one here, no job? you say, Lord why?! I have asked myself this question multiple times in the past but then i realized the moral here is; God is building character within me. speaking from a human perspective we all feel like things are not working out and sometimes forget God is doing something greater. 
I woke up today and i started to think about the job i have. i know i have a job but the thing is it's not in my field of what i would love to do. (This may be the case with many who read this). I would prefer to work on cars and learn more about them, but (humanly) speaking i am working at a factory making cookies. This right here is how we think in the physical, but then i realized that this is just a stepping stone to my destiny. 
When we look at Paul we see a man who has gone through alot, was it his will... Probably not, but God was building Godly characteristics in him,and ultimately further him, and others! 
The worlds message to us all is "we must live big, driving the nice cars, big houses,and all that stuff" But the truth is we need God. For example having love, paitence or peace is so much better then having a Lambo. I want to encourage us all to not just go through our going throughs, but to be  content as well! We need not be discouraged because if God is in the vessel we can smile at the storm. You may not have the most ideal circumstances at this moment, but be joyful and rejoice in the Lord, knowing the fact we serve God is enough to shout Hallelujah when all else fails because in the end, we'll be up in the heaven rejoicing!

Be blessed

Worship!

Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshiper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth John 9:31 (KJV)

Picture Taken by Nolasco Image
Productions

When i think about worship, I look at it as apart of our Christian lifestyle. Worship is having reverence  and adoration for our God. and when you think about it, how could you not have such a profound love and admiration for someone who died for you! 
There's something about worship that God finds irresistible  It's so powerful that it moves God upon his throne. Now look at Job, he went through so much, God allowing satan to take everything from him, but because of his love and devotion to God, he did not curse him once. Even when his wife would say "Why do you still retain your integrity .. Curse God and die" But again... because of his devotion to God, he did not curse him. 
I want to let everyone know that when you worship God with your whole heart... he will fix your problems. it may not be right now, but it will happen. when we worship we are actually winning the fight, and when the enemy sees us worshiping God in spirit and truth.. he trembles. It's that powerful. John 4:23 speaks; But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. I stress the point "worship in spirit and in truth" because it is absolutely needed, as it says in the bible we must do so. God is not looking for fakers, but he's looking for someone who has a heart for him and someone who realizes that they're nothing without him. Don't wait for something to go wrong to worship God, but do it whenever you can, and you will be surprised by how much deeper you will go in God, if it can work for me, it can definitely work for you. Let us all apply this word to our lives! 

God bless

Leadership

Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. Joshua 1:2

We all know about the children of Israel and their journey to the promised land. Looking at Moses we realize it took a huge effort to lead the children of Israel. Being a leader is not an easy task, and finding a good leader is not always easy either. Taking a look at Joshua we see he has some real important quality's a leader should have. Some quality's that come to mind when you think of a leader is, honesty, boldness, commitment, and even the ability to inspire, but the most important out of all is submission which could also be humbleness. This quality Joshua did not lack, and plays a key role in his successful leadership. 
many people are reading this, and may be thinking this does not apply to me, but at some point in your life you have taken on the role of a leader, or play the part right now. You could be leading a team at work, a bible study group, be a parent, or even own a company. A important question we should ask ourselves from time to time is, "what kind of leader am i?"
A true leader is humble. as it says in James 6:4 God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. If you may lack the other quality's of leadership being submissive is huge, and will get you further in whatever roll of leadership you play, and not just leadership but life it self.
Also being a leader can sometimes be nerve wracking, but when we look in the first chapter of Joshua 1 we notice God specifically told Joshua to be of Good courage 4 times through out the chapter. God assured him that he had everything under control, all he had to do was be a vessel pretty much. He also said be not afraid nor dismayed for the Lord thy God is with thee wherever you go. This devotional is a bit different then what i normally right, but it i believe it is very important that we ask ourselves what kind of leader we are so we can do the best for others, and even ourselves.

God bless.

Pleasure in Infirmities

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Cor 12:9

Some may read the title of this devotional and think i am some what crazy, maybe so but 2 cor 12:8-10 fully describes how one can feel empowered in their weakened state. An infirmity is a weakness, nothing more, nothing less, we all have our weaknesses whether it be a physical ailment or mental, we struggle with in our bodies. 
I have always loved this specific verse because it is so powerful. As much of a pain it can be to struggle with our flesh, it can make us stronger. why? Because God is purifying us, As the smelter purifies Gold in the fire to remove the impurities, in turn God does the same thing. Quality's such as faith, long-suffering, humility and so many more are gained in the process. 
Through our limitations we learn to truly depend upon God, we realize that we are weak and that without God in the vessel we are no use at all. We also realize that our limitations do not only help build our Christian character but it deepens our worship to God! Paul would later say in verse 9 that he glories in his infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon him! this verse is so powerful, and i pray that it encourages you. This truly was a God given word, just knowing that even when we are weak, we're actually strong! We need to remind ourselves daily that we are more then conquers, and when we realize this we will go so much higher in God. Be blessed by Gods word.

Self - Evaluation

To evaluate ones self  is to pretty much to put yourself before a mirror and look at "you". It's so easy to look at another persons "stuff", its so easy to look down on someones negatives ways, but i realized that we are no better. Matt 7:1 - 2 says to judge not, that you be judged not. for with what judgement you judge, you will be judged and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 
Just as in work we get a progress report for our duty's, we need to do this to ourselves. To be upright and holy before God we need match our lives with the word. and when we do this we will see improvement in our walk with God. 
So next time you see someone do something odd or not right, don't worry about it. Imagine if God showed us all the wrong things we did, we wouldn't even want to stand before him, but thanks be to God he has forgiven us for the wrong we do everyday! 

1 John 3:2 (ESV) Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

I pray you're blessed by these words.

Do i trust God?

In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness. Ps 31:1

The psalmist says it so well. In you, O Lord, i put my trust. The definition of trust is a firm belief in the reliability, truth, strength of someone or something. 

The testing of your faith produces patience. James 1:2

When i woke up this morning i asked myself this, do i really trust God? I was thinking... yeah, of course i do! and i started to think, there are some things in my life i do trust god with and some i don't fully. I thought this topic to be important because sometimes we don't trust God to the fullest, and we really need to! When Jesus was crucified he said "Father into thine hands i commit my spirit" He said this to show us that in all things we must commit ourselves to God, no matter what the thing maybe... he's was on the brink of death, he could of killed all the men that killed him, but because he loved us so much he showed us the right thing to do. Trust God, and when we do he will take of us and the problem. We cant just trust God to keep us safe or provide food, but not to deliver us from temptation or keep our finances in order. We need to put 100% if not 110% complete trust in God. This is what you call real faith, when it doesn't even seem physically impossible to get out of the situation your in, or if a gunman has the barrel pointed at your head(Being extreme), when you have faith that will move mountains... God will move for you.
So the question we should ask ourselves do i trust God in all things? I pray that you will be blessed by this word, and also please keep me in your prayers!

Stay blessed

Distraction's

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1

Distractions... we are surround by them and as much as these distractions can help us, they can also hinder us greatly in the physical and also in the spiritual realm. Take for example the computer a great tool for studying for school, work and even the word of God, but once turned around we see that this object of use becomes a huge time waster. That one video you were going to watch on you tube for 5 or so minutes becomes an hour... and then another hour until you realize you wasted about 3 hours do nothing important.  

The enemy loves distractions and you may say "why so?" Because once you are distracted you forget about the important things, like serving God. When we forget about about serving God there's a huge problem, we don't get our proper sustenance for our spiritual body which causes spiritual malnutrition. I have been going on about how dangerous distractions can be, but how do we re-establish control? First off we need to acknowledge our problem, and bring it before God and ask him to assist us in re-establishing control. We need to understand that our flesh is very weak! 
Roman 8:2-3 says For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh.
The way to deal with this flesh is to focus on the Godly and not the fleshly (distractions around us). Now this is easier said then done, I myself am working on this, I am not perfect, i am just here to encourage us to center our lives around God, and not the things around us. Knowing our God is an awesome wonder it is so possible for him help us re-establish control in our lives, this comes by making plans through out the day to spend with him we all have differing schedules so see when you have that free time, and instead of sitting on the couch give that time to God. I pray you are encouraged by this God given word!

God bless fam

Don't let your environment dictate your praise!

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

I feel led by God to part this word before you. Do not let your environment or conditions dictate your praise to God. Why do i say this? Because in most cases our environment has a negative or positive impact on us in the physical and also the spiritual. We all come from different roots, some have it alot easier than others, and well others have it really tough, where they feel  stuck in their situations of life, everyone is against you, nothing seeming to go right and so on.

The dictionary defines environment as the surroundings or conditions a person or thing inhabits. What i want to get through to us is that our environment can heavily impact our outlooks on life, and what we do later in life. As you notice a child that grows up with a loving family will most likely prosper later in life, and learn many valuable lessons. But a person that grows up in a abusive house hold will most likely turn out to be a menace to society. This is not always the case but we see how important our environment can be. And this what the devil use to cripple our praises to God. Even though our surroundings and conditions are are not so great we can take solace in the fact that God will keep us no matter the condition.
Isaiah 43:2 says When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Isn't this proof enough that God will keep us? The song writer says Some through the water, some through the flood, some through the fire, but all through the blood. This is why i want to encourage us all to keep the faith, to stay strong and trust God. while the situations get dreary know that you're covered!

God Bless

Welcome!

Praise God friends and family, This is my Blog that i have started up with weekly devotionals. i write weekly to my Church brothers (House Of Caleb). It came to me why don't i just start a blog! I have gotten so good feedback from men and women alike, and now i want to take it to a bigger scale, so it brings me great honor and pleasure to serve you all as a servant of Christ. I pray you will be inspired by all that is written here,

God Bless

Loving God with all of our heart

With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?^{Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:6-8}

^{Hmm, what could i give to God that could please him? we could pray, fast, and even do many good works and God would be so pleased with us! but... hold on there's more to this Christian walk then praying fasting and even doing good... The biggest thing we need is love , as Jesus said himself Thou shalt love the Lord they God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. As much as we should do good, if our heart is not right, then these works we are doing profits us nothing. We as human beings can find it hard to love others sometimes, especially if they do not fit into our "norm", but the factor here is that love is so important, especially knowing that God is love. The scripture says  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love 1 john 4:8. it seems a bit harsh but in order to get anywhere in this journey it is critical we have this attribute so our life would be sealed with the most high God. I encourage us today to Love God, and people with a true and sincere heart!
God Bless}