Who Am I Supposed To Be

If you are like me, I have searched and searched this world trying to find myself and where I belong.  I have gone down many dark roads, only to find myself more lost than I ever was.  This life can be hard, confusing, and full of uncertainty.  Even as a believer, this is a question I have asked God, “Who Am I Supposed To Be”? 

The answer is right before our very eyes, but the darkness of this world often clouds or impairs our vision.  You see God has created each and every one of us with a specific purpose and calling for our lives.  He has given us all talents and gifts that we are to use to honor and glorify Him.  The problem lies in this, we fall into the trap of earthly views of what success is.  We let the world, even our parents, family or friends determine paths for our lives that we should not be on.  God and His Word tells us a different story.

You see, when we focus all our attention on God and put Him first in every single thing we do, it is then that we are in and find His Will for our lives.  The problem that most of us face is that we focus on worldly gain, money, or status to try and find our way.  So we end up still feeling a void when we obtain our goals or the status that we are trying to get.  We were not created for that… we were created to Glorify the One who created us and the ONLY way to do that is to seek Him in all we do.

So, my question is to you… are you seeking God in all you do or is He a after thought that you sometimes remember at the end of your day?  Are you truly being who you were created to be?  Are your goals for your life set by the worlds view of success or Gods view of success?  Is your life bringing God Honor and Glory?  Is your life making a difference by being a light in this dark world, or are you blending in?  Are you more worried about what people think of you or what God thinks of you?

Who are you Supposed to be? 

Application:  Seek God and His plan for your life today.  How?  Repent, ask Him to guide your ways and show you who He created you to be?  Study His Word and ask Him to reveal to you the path He has for you.  God is so very Faithful and He will guide you and direct you.

Psalm 138:8 ~  The LORD will work out his plans for my life for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 ~ I say this because I know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future. Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will search for me. And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me!

The Spirit of Thanksgiving

Well, here we are again.  The Holidays have come roaring back into our lives.  For many of us, it means time with family and friends, frantic shopping sprees, cooking endless amounts of food, parties, and empty bank accounts.  However, before we get to carried away with all that goes with this time of year, I want us to stop just for a moment and focus on what this time of year really should be about and not what it has become.

While there are many benefits to the way we go about the holiday season these days, there are just as many downfalls.  We get to spend time with our families (for some that is a good thing, while for others, it makes for shortness of breath and frequent chest pains).  For some, it is hardy meals followed by a trip to the store for expandable pants and Tums.  And for the insane folks, it means spending time after your family meal planning a shopping spree that starts a midnight (for these people, there mouths water more over the money they will save, then the endless supply of food and treats in the kitchen).

So where are the downfalls of all of this?  The downfalls, unfortunately come in the same context and events as all the above.  We get so lost in the hustle and bustle of the holiday madness, that we rarely just stop and reflect on what God has done for us over the last year.  We loss sight over the blessings, victories and even hard times we have gone through.

So am I saying that we should not do these things?  No… I simply want us to take some time this holiday season and really reflect on what God has done for us and what He is doing for us.  You see, many times we pray for God to help us and pour out His blessings on us and we forget to give thanks.  Sometimes, we go through some difficult times, such as a death, a loss of a job, a loss of a home, or maybe a family break-up.  And we forget to give thanks.  What?  Give thanks for all those bad things?  Why would I do that?  God’s Word tells us in all things we are to give thanks.  It also tells us in Romans 8:28, “We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him.”  You see, God is constantly working in and through our lives, helping to shape and mold us into what He wants us to be in Him.  Sometimes that means going through difficult times in order that we might see and depend on Him.  Sometimes it means He pours out blessings upon us that we may honor Him and give Him the Glory.  But it tells us that we are to in all things give thanks.  Let us remember this, that God loves us far more than we can ever truly realize.  So much that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to pay the debt that could never fully be paid without Him.  Let us remember that God owes us nothing, but has given us everything, eternal life for those who know and call upon His Son to be their Lord and Savior.  This should be reason enough for us always to give Him Thanks.

So, with all this being said, it is truly my prayer for us all to stop and just spend some time reflecting on the true meaning of Thanksgiving and give thanks to the Lord this Holiday Season for what He has done for us.  May it not just be in our words, but rather let it break us all over again… let the tears of Thanksgiving pour from our hearts.  Let the joy of victory empower us, embrace us and go with us!  Let our minds be renewed and our souls and spirits be filled with gratitude for ALL the Lord has done for us!

Make this Thanksgiving this best one of your life, as you find the true Spirit of Thanksgiving!

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV

The Endless Darkness

Some of us, in fact many of us, have at some point experienced valleys in our walk with the Lord.  Valleys that are filled with what seems like endless darkness and with little rays of hope.  My prayer for this post is to prove to you that in that endless darkness you are in, that there is a Light shining on you, guiding you along, even though you may not see it.

• Psalm 23:4 NCV
  Even if I walk through a very dark valley, I will not be afraid, because you are with me. Your rod and your shepherd’s staff comfort me.

I have shared with you in many of my past post my failures, the pain in my life, as well as my victories with the Lord.  One of those victories came in one of my darkest days.

I was homeless, no job, 3 shirts and one pair of pants.  I didn’t know if I was going to be able to eat or not.  I was all alone in the darkest place a man can walk.  I could not pray, because I felt God surely had left me and given up on me because of MY CHOICES.  I felt so far away from God, yet was He still near?  No, is the word that kept coming to mind each time I would began to pray.  God doesn’t love you, nobody loves you!  These words rang loud and clear in my head each and everyday.  Where is your God now? See I told you, Gods love is conditional!  You can’t do it, you are what you are… a failure!  All lies that I bought into, straight from the pits of Hell!

One day a friend of mine, a christian friend, came by.  He came and said, “come with me.”  He took me out to lunch and talked to me.  I was honest with him and shared with him what I was doing and what I was feeling.  It was one of the hardest, most embarrassing conversations I have ever had.  However, through that conversation, came a ray of hope through one simple prayer we prayed. In that moment, I prayed for God to forgive me and make me new again.  To restore me, my faith and my walk with Him. At that moment, while I was still in the midst of my valley, God met me there and I felt Him for the first time in a very long time. His was right there!

You see, despite my choices, despite my rebellion, despite me feeling light years away from God, He was still there with me.  He was walking along side me through the darkest valley my life had ever seen.  He was simply waiting on me, waiting on me to turn to Him.  You see, in these moments of our lives that we feel so distant from God, is actually when God is the closest.  He is longing to help us and guide us out of that endless darkness we are in.  However, while He pursues us, He does not force His love, mercy and grace upon us.  It is a choice WE must make.  As believers, God’s Truth is in us the moment we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior.  He pours His Holy Spirit into us to make us a New Creation.  However, when we turn from that Holiness, even for an instant, we are opening the door for darkness to creep back in.  And that is exactly what happened to me.

I was trying to fill the void of my brokenness with everything but God.  I was turning towards every worldly treasure I could get my hands on and in those moments, my world became a very, very dark, lonely world.  I had turned away from God without even truly realizing it.  There is an old saying that goes like this, “if you throw a frog into boiling water, it immediately jumps out because it is hot! But if you put a frog into normal water and slowly turn up the heat, it will sit there until it dies!”  The same holds true for us!  We must constantly be on guard in our spiritual walks with the Lord.  The enemy is looking for ANY WAY POSSIBLE to destroy not only you, but your entire family.  If you are saved by the grace of God, then he can not touch your eternal salvation, but he can (and will) destroy your witness, your family and everything you hold near and dear to your heart.

This post is meant for someone, I don’t know who, but I pray that if you are reading this and this is where you are in life right now, please hear these words!  GOD IS WAITING ON YOU… HE LOVES YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE… DON’T LISTEN TO THE LIES ANYMORE… STOP RIGHT NOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING, TURN AROUND, REPENT AND HE WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU RIGHT THERE!  If you think you can control what it is you are going through, you have just bought into another lie from the on who longs to destroy you! Jesus even illustrates this for us in Luke 15:11-32.

God Found me in my Endless Darkness and proved to me His Unfailing Love, He WILL do the same for you!

Prayer:  Father, I don’t even how I got here.  I am asking for you to forgive me, restore me and draw me close to you once again.  Lord, I can’t do this on my own… I need your help!  Redeem me oh Lord!  Amen!

A Love Worth Dying For

This post is not mine, but when I read it, I firmly believed it was worth the share.  I do want to add my reflection on this though.  Read, be encouraged and share!

Its Different

This is a true story of Mother’s Sacrifice during the Japan Earthquake.
After the Earthquake had subsided, when the rescuers reached the ruins of a young woman’s house, they saw her dead body through the cracks. But her pose was somehow strange that she knelt on her knees like a person was worshiping; her body was leaning forward, and her two hands were supporting by an object. The collapsed house had crashed her back and her head.With so many difficulties, the leader of the rescuer team put his hand through a narrow gap on the wall to reach the woman’s body. He was hoping that this woman could be still alive. However, the cold and stiff body told him that she had passed away for sure.

He and the rest of the team left this house and were going to search the next collapsed building. For some reasons, the team leader was driven by a compelling force to go back to the ruin house of the dead woman. Again, he knelt down and used his had through the narrow cracks to search the little space under the dead body. Suddenly, he screamed with excitement,” A child! There is a child! “

The whole team worked together; carefully they removed the piles of ruined objects around the dead woman. There was a 3 months old little boy wrapped in a flowery blanket under his mother’s dead body. Obviously, the woman had made an ultimate sacrifice for saving her son. When her house was falling, she used her body to make a cover to protect her son. The little boy was still sleeping peacefully when the team leader picked him up.

The medical doctor came quickly to exam the little boy. After he opened the blanket, he saw a cell phone inside the blanket. There was a text message on the screen. It said,” If you can survive, you must remember that I love you.” This cell phone was passing around from one hand to another. Every body that read the message wept. ” If you can survive, you must remember that I love you.” Such is the mother’s love for her child!!Reference:
www.tamiltwist. com/2011/09/mothers-sacrifice-during-japan.html

Reflection:

After I read this story, I was truly touched at this young mothers love for her child and the message on her phone brought me to tears.  Then this came to my heart and my mind.  God does the same thing for us.  When the walls come crashing down around us, He holds us and protects us.  When all seems lost, we have a message from Him to remind us of just how much He loves us, enough to sacrifice His only Son to give us life.  And when we  are in our darkest hour, He sends His people to help us and restore us.

My dear friends, if you have ever wondered just how much God loves you and just how much He longs to draw you near, let this story remind you of just how special you are to Him.  May God Bless you, heal you and restore you, as you are a blessing to God and He loves you more then you will ever truly realize!

Give Freely

Giving Breeds Love

I had some free time at work and decided to read God’s Word.  This Scripture was the verse of the day and really encouraged me and I pray that if you read this, it does the same for you.

Deuteronomy 15:7-11

When you happen on someone who’s in trouble or needs help among your people with whom you live in this land that God, your God, is giving you, don’t look the other way pretending you don’t see him. Don’t keep a tight grip on your purse.  No. Look at him, open your purse, lend whatever and as much as he needs.  Don’t count the cost. Don’t listen to that selfish voice saying, “It’s almost the seventh year, the year of All-Debts-Are-Canceled,” and turn aside and leave your needy neighbor in the lurch, refusing to help him. He’ll call God’s attention to you and your blatant sin.

Give freely and spontaneously. Don’t have a stingy heart. The way you handle matters like this triggers God, your God’s, blessing in everything you do, all your work and ventures. There are always going to be poor and needy people among you. So I command you: Always be generous, open purse and hands, give to your neighbors in trouble, your poor and hurting neighbors.

Reflection:

When we know that someone is need or asks us for help, how are we as Christians to react?  Do we say let me pray about it?  Do we lie and say I just don’t have it right now to give?  Do we just turn away and ignore them?  Do we tell them, I can’t help you right now, but I know someone who can?  Let me tell you this first, I have done all of the above.  In fact, I have done it so many times I can’t count.  Before I laid myself before God and asked Him to search me and try me.  Before I asked Him to make me more like His Son and less like Brad.  Before I quit making excuse after excuse. I had a heart of stone and only worried about Brad and how Brad was going to make it.  It was after all the above took place that God changed my heart and broke my heart for those who were hurting.  This vision of helping people in need came to me about 2 years ago.  And God has laid the path for this moment in time for me to not only help those in need, but also raise awareness for the Body of Christ… to be a voice.

Closing:

Let us stop making excuses and start making a difference.  When we give, we receive.  It may not be a monetary gift back to us, but your gift in Heaven will far out weigh anything you can imagine.  Give freely my brothers and sisters. Give with the joy of the Lord and know you are being Jesus to that person.  We often times hold on to these things that are not ours to hold on too.  God has blessed us to bless others and to spread the Gospel and the Love of Christ to all nations.  It is right there in His Word.

God changed my heart.  See what God does when you open your heart to Him , you can give right now and literally help save lives in Kenya through our foundation.  Choose to make a difference today, click the link below to find out more.

Contentment

I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 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. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. ~  Philippians 4: 10-13

During my various trials of late, I learned and I am still learning to hold fast and be content in my circumstances.  While I pray everyday for the Lord to deliver me, I can rest in knowing that He knows my deepest needs.  I sometimes confuse my wants with what my true needs are.  And if I am being honest with myself, He has always provided for my every need.  For even in my darkest trials, while He might not seem to deliver me as I pray for Him to,  but I can rest on the promise, that He will teach me out of the trial I am in and never leave my side.  So I should instead pray and ask for the strength of the Lord to carry me through what I am going through and to teach me what it is I need to learn and seek Him, even in the darkest times.  For the Lord, knows what is best for me, even though I might think I know better.  For as Paul says, I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.  For while I am a man who is bound by time, I serve a God who’s time is boundless. So I should remember what my main purpose is, and that is to bring Him honor and glory in all I do, even in the darkest of trials.

You see true contentment, does not mean we become lazy.  However, it does mean that we must learn to trust in God no matter what our circumstances are.  If you are like me, you like to control every aspect of your life.  I have learn, the hard way, that my ways are not like His.  In fact, they are not even close.  While we see today and hope for tomorrow, God sees everything, the whole entire picture.  We can plan, hope, dream or strive for our desires all we want, but if they are not in His plan, then we often times fill frustrated or even mad.  When we truly learn contentment, we learn to trust in God’s plan and not our own.

Challenge:  Trust in God and His plans and His timing.  God knows all.  He knows the plans He has for us, including what will come out of the trial we are in.  His promises are true, He know the plans He has for you, plans not to harm you, but plans for you to prosper (Jeremiah 29:11)  Take Him at His word and rest in the fact that nothing touches you without first going through the Father.

The Tragedy of Shame

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The tragedy of shame is not the action or deed for which we are shameful of.  The tragedy of shame is not unveiling it.

I want to paint you a picture in words.  Most marriages are not arranged anymore.  However, imagine if you will, a bride and groom getting married without ever seeing or meeting each other.  Up until the actual ceremony, the two would not even know what each other looked like, leaving a great mystery.  Now, time for the moment… the groom standing at the alter waiting on the arrival of his beautiful bride.  A glamorous white dress enters the room, the veil covering the beauty that lies beneath.  She finally arrives at the alter and is given away by her father, but instead of the veil being lifted for her groom to see, it is left down, hiding what lies beneath.  Everybody in the room can see the beauty that is surrounding her on the outside, but nobody, including her groom can see the beauty that is on the inside.  Only her father knows that beauty.  The ceremony continues, and because of the shame of the bride, she hides even for the ceremonial kiss.

You see the tragedy of shame is the same thing.  Everyone sees the beauty of who you are on the outside, but because of the lies of Satan, that shame keeps us locked under our veil, leaving only our Father to know what beauty lies underneath.  Shame is a powerful weapon of the enemy, and he loves for you to think and more importantly, feel like nobody will see the beauty underneath, only the scars of our past.  Shame is a crippling, paralizing effect, of an action.  You need to hear this very important FACT… We are all sinners, who have fallen short of the Glory of God.  Not one person, on this planet has ever or will ever, walk a perfect life.  The only one who did and could have is Jesus Christ, the One and only Son of God.  He came to this earth, born of a virgin, not just to teach, heal, and stir up the religious views on God, but to bare your sins and my on the Cross.  Nailed to a tree, breathing His last breathe, He cried out “It is Finished!”

“It is Finished!” What is “It”?  It, is our sins.  The past, present and future sins of yours and mine.  You see the true tragedy of shame is this, by hiding under the veil because of our shame, we withhold the Love, the Grace and the Mercy that Jesus poured out on the cross for us.  By hiding, we don’t let others see the marvelous compassion and love He has for us.  Hidden under that veil, is a beautiful workmanship of our creator.  The unveiling of our shame that lies beneath, allows others to see the true beauty of what the Cross represents… A New Creation.  You see, by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are just that… A New Creation.  He poured out His precious blood for your shame, pains, hurts and every other burden and sin,  to be cleansed and made new.  The power to break the chains of the lies and deceit, lies within you… Jesus is crying out to you… BREAK FREE, BREAK FREE… YOU ARE MY BEAUTIFUL, PRECIOUS CHILD… I LOVE YOU… BREAK FREE.. ALLOW OTHERS TO SEE MY LOVE, MY GRACE AND MY MERCY THROUGH YOU.  BREAK FREE! I DIED ON THE CROSS FOR YOU!  I PAID FOR YOU IN FULL… BREAK FREE!

Satan is the father of all the lies we hear in our heads… you know the ones I am talking about, “you’re not good enough, you’re not educated, you’re not pretty, you’re not, you can’t….” every single one of them is a lie straight from the pits of hell!  The price has been paid in full, by the blood Jesus Christ!  Satan can no longer touch you, he can only deceive you and lie to you… and he will continue to, if YOU let him….

Challenge: BREAK FREE, BREAK FREE… I know what shame can do… I know what power it can hold, but it is all lies.  So my challenge and prayer for you, is to right now, stand up and proclaim your VICTORY IN JESUS CHRIST and BREAK FREE.

Prayer: Father, I have been hiding under my veil for far too long.  I know you have created me to be a beautiful creation and I know your death on the cross paid the Full price for me.  I ask for your forgiveness for hiding under my veil and being shameful.  I give you full reign over me and my life.  Use my shame for your glory and allow others to see your love, your grace and your mercy that you have shown in me.  Amen!

Link for helpful scriptures to see God’s Promises for Shame.  You can find our helpful resources on the top home page of this blog.

http://bradnd24.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=179&action=edit

What it Really Means to have Faith

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What does it mean to have faith?  How do you obtain it?  Where does it come from?  If I asked you if you have faith, what would your answer be? Some believe by saying they have faith, it is an … Continue reading →

I have a Dream

Many have heard the famous Martin Luther King, Jr. Speech, I have a Dream, in which he called for racial equality and an end to discrimination. King’s delivery of the speech on August 28, 1963, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, was a defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement.

In a similar fashion, I have been given a dream.  A dream in which we as Christians can unite as the Body of Christ.  Spreading the Gospel and Truth of God’s Word so that all man kind, can be delivered through salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ.  A dream where all racial barriers are broken, a dream where economic status does not matter, a dream where our main focus is sharing the love that Jesus Christ has given us.  No matter what our status is, we have all been called, we have all been commissioned to go and share the Good News.  While there are many different denominations, we as the Body, need to step up and step out of our comfort zones, and share the love of Christ.

I can stand here now and tell you that it breaks my heart to see the Body of Christ as it is today.  There is division like no other time in our history.  As the Body of Christ, we are governed by the Head or Brain, which is supposed to be God.  However, if you look at the Body today, and honestly look, you would think that there is no connection to the Brain at all.  Each part is doing its own thing.  The Body (our physical body) was designed by God to work as one accord.  For example, the legs receive a signal from the Brain, saying step forward, and then your legs move.  However, if we use that same analogy for the Body of Christ, it would look more like one leg stepping forward and the other going backward, while the hand slaps the face.  We are truly disconnected as the Body and you know who pays the ultimate price for this?  The non-believers that we are supposed to be reaching.  They see what the Church has become and they say, I want nothing to do with that.

So what then shall we do?  How can we fulfill this Dream?

Ephesians 4

Unity in the Body of Christ

¹As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. ²Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ³Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ⁴There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— ⁵one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

⁷But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. ⁸This is why it^[a] says:
“When he ascended on high,
he led captives in his train
and gave gifts to men.”^{[b] 9}(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions^[c]? ¹⁰He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) ¹¹It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, ¹²to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

¹⁴Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. ¹⁶From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Living as Children of Light

¹⁷So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. ¹⁸They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. ¹⁹Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

²⁰You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. ²¹Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. ²²You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

²⁵Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. ²⁶“In your anger do not sin”^[d]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷and do not give the devil a foothold. ²⁸He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

²⁹Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³²Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

The Great Commission

Matthew 28:16-20

¹⁶Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

One day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  But on that day, not all will enter the gates of Heaven.  One day our Lord and Savior will return, if we don’t pass before then, on that day, we as Christians, we have to account for what we have done.  We will stand before the Lord and He will ask us what we did to share what He so freely gave to us.  What will you say?

Imagine this instead.  The enemy longs to destroy the Kingdom of God. He longs to keep the people on this earth, blinded from the Truth that lies in Jesus Christ.  However, imagine if all of us as Christians would unite in one accord and proclaim the gospel in our everyday lives.  Imagine the day where fear no longer kept you from saving a soul by sharing with them the Good News of Jesus Christ.  If you saw someone stuck in a fire, would you just pass them by, or would you do everything possible to try and save them?  So is it not the same with a soul?  We see them stuck in a lifestyle that is leading them to eternal fire, but what are we doing?  We need to take charge, be bold in our faith, and share the love of Christ with all we see.

I have a dream, a dream of saving every lost soul through sharing the love of Christ.  I have a dream, a dream where we don’t rely on others to do what we are commanded to do.  I have a dream, will you help make it a reality?

Pride – What Pulls us Apart

Many of my posts have had to do with me and my walk, in hopes that I can encourage you and your walk.  Well, today is no different.  I have struggled this week with pride.  It is my hope that you will see the heart that is behind this and use it to strengthen your walk.

Pride is a funny thing.  It has a way of creeping up without us even knowing it.  This week, I had a situation where I felt like God was telling me something to do and when I shared it with my wife (and family), it brought about a reaction that I was not prepared for.  The reaction was against what I felt led to do.  In this process, I made mistakes that I wish to share with you.  One was my pride.  The second was that I told her what God had laid on my heart at the same time I told the entire family… and that was a HUGE mistake.  But that is for another post.  But trust me, you don’t want to do that…

My pride, made me feel like I knew better than anyone what God was calling me to do.  I argued with my wife and basically told her, “I know what I am talking about and you don’t”.  Now, I didn’t say that, or really even mean that, but the pride in me, would not let go of the fact that God had spoken to me.  She was totally against what I felt led to do and in all honesty, it made me very mad and like wise with her.  My pride jumped up and started thinking, I am the man of this house and I know what is best.  However, I agreed to pray about it and I did.  I also sought counsel, because I honestly just didn’t know what to do.  It was then I was told by a wise friend to submit and love my wife as Christ loved the Church.  To lay down my desires and help her with hers.  To honor her wishes.  However, I was still very unaware of my pride.  I could not see it at all.  But later that day, I told my wife that I would hold off on doing anything until she had the peace to move forward too.

The next morning, I was having my quiet time and before I knew it the burden to do this was stronger than ever.  I asked my wife to please pray for me and this situation.  Again, I hurt my wife, without even realizing it.  You see I, in a since, broke my promise to her. My pride was coming out without me even knowing it.  When I realized I had hurt her again, I stopped right there and prayed. “God if this is not your will, take it from me, but if it is your will, please show me what in the world I am doing wrong here.”  I made a phone call to the man at our church.  And like a slap in the face, the answer came clear as day.  I was completely honest with him and told him my struggles and my wife struggles with this situation.  He simply answered you are very wise to listen to your wife.  I sat there for a minute.  He then said, men are wired to be go getters, we feel a calling and go, often times ahead of God.  And leave everything else in the dust.  WOW!  Sitting there feeling about an inch tall, I could not believe it.  At the moment those words were said, it hit me… MY PRIDE!  I was being a complete jerk.  A prideful, arrogant jerk.

Deuteronomy 8:17-20

¹⁷ You might say to yourself, “I am rich because of my own power and strength,”¹⁸ but remember the Lord your God! It is he who gives you the power to become rich, keeping the agreement he promised to your ancestors, as it is today. ¹⁹ If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship them and bow down to them, I warn you today that you will be destroyed.²⁰Just as the Lord destroyed the other nations for you, you can be destroyed if you do not obey the Lord your God.

My pride had slipped in without me even seeing or realizing it.  I would never do anything to hurt my wife, but I did and it was my pride that was deceiving me, it had slipped right past my guard.  Do I still feel like God is calling us to this situation?  Yes, but not right now, down the road.

So what can we learn from my mistakes?

First, Pride even in the smallest form, is very dangerous.  It, as with any other sin, is blinding.  We can’t see through it to see the truth.  To me, it is one of the most dangerous sins there is.  Second, God has placed our spouses in our lives as a teammate.  We need to heed the warning when we are both not on the same page.  Third, when you are not on the same page, pray about it together… face to face together.  Seek the wisdom from Him as a team.  Where two are more are gathered in His name, He is there.  Fourth, (looking back on this now I realize this) when you start getting upset or see your spouse getting upset about the disagreement, you need to stop and really search what God is showing you both.  In my case, my wife was right on with what God was saying and I was not.  She was not against this opportunity, she just didn’t have a peace about it right now.  And last but not least, is not to jump and run.  (I struggle with this one a lot) When you have a calling, there could be several avenues in which that calling could take place.  Search the Lord and His calling to see what He wants.  Don’t just jump up and run without getting ALL of His instructions.  Sometimes He places a calling on us to prepare us for what is to come.  It is not always right then, right now.  Seek His instruction first.  Then pray with your spouse and then prepare for what He has called you for.  The main thing is that we are open and obedient, but in His timing, not ours.  We are here to bring Him Glory and if we jump out ahead of Him, we only cause ourselves pain.

Pride is very dangerous.  It has the power, if left alone, to rip you to pieces and everything around you as well.  We need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirits guidance and be sure to check our motives in everything we are doing.  God and only God should be the one getting the Glory.

Challenge: Don’t be afraid to admit when you are wrong.  We are all humans and we make mistakes.  The moment I realized I was wrong and what it was that I had done, I called my wife and simply told her, I humbly admit you are right and I am wrong.  Pride can be tricky and it can also cause you and those around you pain.  So always watch for it.

Spiritual Growth

The moment we enter this world, we are dependent on our parents to feed us, clothe us, change us and to teach us.  As babies, we go through many different changes.  We start out being breast fed or bottle fed (liquids only).  Mainly because we don’t have teeth, but also because our stomach and digestive system can’t handle or process anything else.  However, as we develop, we start eating small amounts of food.  By the time we are a year old, we start eating some table foods, never wanting the gross baby food we once enjoyed.  While the baby foods were packed with nutrients to help us grow, they were only meant to be given for a short amount of time. As we continue to grow, the less we are dependent on our parents to help us.  The more we grow, the more responsibility we are given.  The more we grow, it is very unlikely that we will return to the ways of our baby days.

So why am I making these references with a post called Spiritual Growth?  While many of us have been Christians for a long period of time, we are still eating those baby foods.  We sit in our spiritual baby chair, waiting for someone to feed us.  And while the baby foods of our Christian walk are not bad, they don’t help us grow as God has designed us to.  You see as we grow in our lives, graduating from baby food, we must also graduate in our spiritual growth as well.  We need to begin to feed ourselves.  As we grow, our parents sit us at the table and place the food before us and then we dig in with our forks and spoons feeding ourselves.  Then as we continue to grow, we might even begin to prepare our food.  You see, the same is with our spiritual growth.  We must first recognize where we are (baby, toddler, youth, or adult).  Once we know that, we must strive to learn the next step.  Spiritual growth comes by doing, not by having something done for you all the time.  When we are hungry for our spiritual food, we need to prepare our plate and dig in.

Just as with babies, we all develop at different rates.  We all have different ways of preparing our food.  But the most important thing to realize, is that when you are hungry, you need to eat.  And when you are hungry for your spiritual food, you need to eat too.

Start with a simple recipe, something that you know how to cook.  A simple Bible study or devotional.  When you read it, don’t just put it down, but digest it.  Let it provide you the nutrients it is intended to.  See how to apply it in your everyday life, then apply it.  Or maybe you have been doing that for a while and you need something more.  Maybe it is time for you to start a spiritual family and help them eat.  So then look for ways to start teaching a Sunday School class or Bible Study group.  You see when you prepare the food for others, you still eat too.  You often times get more out of it also.  You see when you are the cook, you know the ingredients, spices and final product.

The worst thing we can do, is to stay where we are in our growth process.  The enemy loves to lie to us and tell us that we can’t grow anymore because of this or that.  My dear friends, we should be constantly growing.  We can never grow enough in our Christian walks.  We are not ever done, until the day the Lord calls us home.  So examine yourselves before the Lord and ask Him to show you the areas you need to grow more and realize that it is a process.

¹² In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! ¹³ Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. ¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.  (Hebrews 5:12-14)

¹ Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. ² I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. ³ You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? (1 Corinthians 3:1-3)

Challenge: Find out what stage you are in. Then begin taking from the Word of God, so that you might grow.  Ask the Holy Spirit to help you discern, digest and put into practice what you have read and learned from God’s Truth.

Application: As with our lives, we must eat to grow and strengthen ourselves with good healthy food.  We need to do the same for our Spiritual Growth.  We need to eat and digest the Word of God and allow it’s nutrients to help us grow and strengthen us.  Once we are able to feed ourselves, we must then start feeding others, in order that they might grow too.

Putting Christ Back In Christmas

As we embark on this holiday season, it is my deepest prayer that we all remember what we are celebrating.

With all the hustle and bustle that we are faced with each and everyday, the holiday season compounds that times 100.  From Thanksgiving Day on, we are pulled many different directions.  We have multiple Thanksgiving meals, at multiple locations.  Followed by the busiest shopping day of the year, Black Friday.  Some stores this year opened at 3:00 am, while some didn’t close at all.  And while saving money and bargin shopping is great for your pocket book, it really got me thinking.  Have we numbed ourselves to what this holiday season is all about?

Don’t get me wrong here, I am not saying that shopping for gifts is a bad thing. In fact this post is not really meant to focus on shopping at all.  What it is meant to focus on is Jesus Christ and His birth.  My point is this, we are so distracted with holiday parties at work, school, friends and many more.  Not to mention the last minute shopping sprees.  Before we know it, the season has come and gone without any regard to what we are celebrating, the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Our focus, as with our everyday lives, should be on glorifying our Lord and Savior.   However, as time goes by, year after year, more and more people are leaving Christ out of Christmas.  More and more stores, businesses and other organizations, are dropping Merry Christmas for Happy Holidays.  Christ is slowly but surely getting left behind and for what?  But more importantly, why?

The for what part is pretty easy, money and to be politically correct. You know we would not want to offend anyone and say that Christ is the reason for the season.  And we sure would not want to stir the pot and tell people all around us why we celebrate Christmas in the first place.  Christmas gifts are great, and the glimmer on a child’s face is priceless when they open their favorite present.  But Christ should always be the ultimate focus in all we do, especially when we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. Put it this way, on our child’s birthday or an important loved ones birthday, the day is all about that person and celebrating, loving and cherishing what they mean to us.  So should we not even do more for the one who paid the price for our sins and saved us from the pits of hell?

The why part of this is hard to accept, but we must be honest with ourselves.  Christ is getting more and more left behind at Christmas because we as Christians are focusing more and more on the earthly meaning.  Another words, we are conforming to the world.  We are not standing for our beliefs in our everyday lives and so why should we do any different on Christmas?  We need to refocus on what we have (meaning Christ in our lives) and who we are supposed to be modeling (Christ).  We need to be willing to make that stand in the store or even at work or a friends “Holiday Party” and share why we celebrate Christmas.  We need to be willing to sell out and proclaim what Christ has done for us.  What better time to share your faith and share with others the love of Christ?

So as you continue your holiday season journey, it is my prayer that you always remember Christ is the true and ONLY reason we celebrate or have anything to celebrate.  The birth of Jesus Christ is our victory beginning.  Without Him, we would still be on the hook for our sins.  Without His sacrifice, we would have no hope and no future, as well as, no guidance from the Holy Spirit.  So as you sing your Christmas songs on the radio or at concerts this year, listen, really listen to the words and the meaning behind them.  As you go about buying your gifts, remember that it is better to give then to receive.  And as you see someone in need, remember to take the time to help.  Let us make Christ and our Heavenly Father proud that His sacrifice was not in vain and make our Heavenly Father proud that we are His children.  Let’s take Christmas back.  Let’s put Christ back in Christmas.  But mostly importantly, let’s remember what this season and Christmas really means.  Take the time to read and share with your kids the Real Christmas Story.  Explain to them what it really symbolizes and why we celebrate.  Instead of watching the Miracle on 34th Street, share with them and others the Miracle on Bethleham Street.  You know the story of how the virgin Mary gave birth to a baby boy in a manger.  That story still holds power.

In closing, there are many things that I am thankful this holiday season, but honestly, I am most thankful for my financial situation.  Our finances are the tightest and more bleak than I can ever remember, but it for that reason I am thankful.  You see, it is because of that, and the thought of no traditional Christmas for our family that has really caused me to reflect on what this season is all about… Jesus Christ and His birth.

From my family, to yours, have a very Merry Christmas!  And may the Lord bless you richly.  I pray that this year will be more special and different than any other in your life, as you put Christ back in Christmas.

Listen to the song below and truly embrace the words and meaning.

Luke 2:8-21

⁸ That night, some shepherds were in the fields nearby watching their sheep.⁹ Then an angel of the Lord stood before them. The glory of the Lord was shining around them, and they became very frightened.¹⁰ The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I am bringing you good news that will be a great joy to all the people.¹¹ Today your Savior was born in the town of David. He is Christ, the Lord.¹² This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box.”

¹³ Then a very large group of angels from heaven joined the first angel, praising God and saying:
¹⁴ “Give glory to God in heaven,
and on earth let there be peace among the people who please God.”^[c]

¹⁵ When the angels left them and went back to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem. Let’s see this thing that has happened which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So the shepherds went quickly and found Mary and Joseph and the baby, who was lying in a feeding trough. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they told what the angels had said about this child.¹⁸ Everyone was amazed at what the shepherds said to them.¹⁹ But Mary treasured these things and continued to think about them.²⁰ Then the shepherds went back to their sheep, praising God and thanking him for everything they had seen and heard. It had been just as the angel had told them.

²¹ When the baby was eight days old, he was circumcised and was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before the baby began to grow inside Mary.

All Things New

Ever worry about what others think about your past?  I heard a great interview this morning on my way into work that really got me thinking.  The interview was with a former high class escort who has given her life to Christ and is now working to help other women who are stuck in that lifestyle.  What a fantastic testimony of Gods workmanship in a persons life.  To God be the Glory!

As she talked about it on the interview, she said, “I am a new creation in Christ and that is what I want to show these ladies”.  She also said, “I don’t worry about what other people might think or say, because I know who I am in Christ.  My sins are washed, and I have been made new”.  My wife and I talked about it, she said, “can you imagine, she was from a normal middle class family.”  I then said, “yeah, talk about a wearing a scarlet letter around your neck”.  My wife then said something that floored me and really brought it home, she said, “but it is really no different than the rest of us.  We are all in the same boat”.  Wow!  She was exactly right.  None of us are any different than this lady.  None of us are sin free and since no sin is great than the next, we are all wearing our own scarlet letters around our necks.  For some, it might be drugs, alcohol, sex, divorce or lying addiction, while  for others it might be something like porn addiction.   We all have something in our lives, from our past, that might make people look at you in a different way or judge you with.  But here is the thing, you are a new creation in Jesus Christ, as Paul states in 2 Corinthians “¹⁷ If anyone belongs to Christ, there is a new creation. The old things have gone; everything is made new! (2 Corinthians 5:17).  When Jesus died on the cross, and you accepted Him as your Lord and Savior, His atoning blood cleansed you from head to toe.  At that moment you were made new.  At that moment, you were blameless in the eyes of God.  Why?  Because you were made new in Jesus Christ and when God looks at you now, He sees His Son.

My dear friends, we all have a past.  None of us are blameless.  We all carry around a scarlet letter, but here is the kicker, that letter is now white as snow.  That letter that used to condemn you, it has been changed to free you and to help others to be set free.  You see, Romans 8:28 says this, “We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. They are the people he called, because that was his plan.” That means that no matter what you have done, no matter how bad you think it is or even what others might say, God can use that for His Glory, and that is a promise, not from Brad, but from God.  If you lay that burden down at His Throne, He will use it to help build His Kingdom.

So whether you have had an affair or been addicted to drugs, no matter what your past says, God wants you to know that when you chose to accept His Son Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you were and ARE a New Creation by the cleansing blood He shed on the cross for you.  He has made all things new.  So, no matter what other people say or judge you by, remember that God sees you for the New and not the old.  And more importantly, He loves you so much that you will never fully understand or comprehend that love.

Below is a link to this ladies amazing story, as well as a very powerful song.  As you watch and listen to it, remember this, He who loves you, has made you NEW!  Proclaim that victory today!  Move forward for He has made All Things New!  God Bless you all!

⁷ Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. ⁸ The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”  (Deutoronomy 31:7-8)

http://www.hookersforjesus.org/

The Value of a Good Friendship

Proverbs 17:17  ”A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

Finding friendships that last seems to be very hard.  Most of us can remember back in our childhood days, when it seemed everyone was our friend, but as we grow those friendships fade away.  Before we know it, we are all grown up and if we are lucky, we stay in touch with a few friends and if you are really lucky you have a friend that is a like a brother or sister, who you can always count on.  While this is not always the case, as some of us develop strong lasting friendships later in life, it is for me.  With that being said, I want to talk about the importance of having friends and especially close ones.

As you well know, life is hard and there are many trials that you are going to face in time on this earth.  Going about it alone or secluded can be very depressing and very hard.  I was lucky enough to have one friend who is like a brother to me and who has stuck by my side through thick and thin.  Although we have not always agreed on things, and our friendship has been tested, that bond will never be broken.  I lost most of my friends when I made a decision to follow Christ in my senior year of high school.  Me and the group of friends I hung out with were always the life of the party.  But something happened in my junior year that changed me and changed the way I would pick my friends for the rest of my life and something I still battle today.  After catching one of my best friends with my girlfriend, it changed me.  While I was okay on the outside, I was deeply wounded on the inside.  I built a wall around me and no one was able to get in.  Even in my relationships, I rarely let my guard down, always expecting the worst from them.   I have come to realize now, as I look around and have no close friends to count but one, that I have destroyed so many potential close friendships, and all because of the protective wall.  When people get to close, I simply push them away in one way or another.

So why am I sharing this with you?  Why the long history of my life and my friendships or lack there of?  Simple, most of us have some sort of wall like mine.  Some are higher or more protective than others and that is hindering your growth.  While it is good to some what keep your guard up, it is bad to avoid letting people in because you feel they may hurt you or let you down.  Guess what, we are all humans with many flaws and we will hurt people and make mistakes, but it is through those mistakes we grow and learn from.  See for me, I thought everyone was out to hurt me and therefore, I let no one in.  So as a result, I have spent the last 20 years guarding something that I long to have and that I was created to have.  I have deprived myself of the love and friendships that would help me grow, not only as a person, but spiritually too.  Because you know what, those walls weren’t just for friends, they carried over to my relationship with my creator, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

So how do we let down the walls the hold us captive?  We must start by trusting in the One who is Trust worthy and that is God.  We must allow the heeling to take place within our hearts, as painful as it may be.  Once that heeling takes place, and it will, we must then begin trusting in people and ask God to do the protecting and to guard us.  Allowing people into your lives is key.  Those relationship take time to build, but the are worth the wait.  Try enjoying the time together and the bond that is being made.  Don’t force a relationship, God will provide the people, as long as you are open.  Should you hang out with anyone?  No.  You should still use your good sense about people.  Some are clingie, some are downers and some are just takers.  Use the discernment that God has given you without putting that wall back up.  And remember this, “A true friend loves you just the way you are!”

Goal:  Brake Down Those Walls Guarding Your Heart

Application:  Build good strong Faith Based Friendships that can last a lifetime

A World Away: A Brother In Our Hearts

Church Building

I began writing this blog as a meter for my own growth and experiences within my own Christian walk.  I never knew what God had in store or how He would use it to change the lives of two families a world apart.

One must love God with all his heart, all his mind, and all his strength. And one must love his neighbor as he loves himself. These commands are more important than all the animals and sacrifices we offer to God.” ~ Mark 12:33 NCV

I first met Wilson Ngando of Kenya about 9 months ago via facebook, after receiving a friend request.  We began having small general conversations.  I then began feeling a calling from the Lord shortly there after.  At first I thought maybe it was a calling to go over to Africa.  After much prayer, my wife and I knew that was not it, at least for now.  Months went by, and the burden on my heart was still so heavy and I did not know why.  So, I just continued to pray for him and asked God to reveal to me what it was.

Children Eating After First Donation

About two months ago, Wilson began sharing with me the dire need they were facing in the orphanage which he leads.  The worst drought in 60 years has caused a severe famine for the entire East Africa Region.  He began sharing stories with me about how his children there at the orphanage were starving and other stories of infants going to their mothers for milk, but the mother was dead of starvation.  Stories of woman and children walking 6o miles one way to just get food and water to survive.  I knew then part of what we were to do… help!

Children getting food with the next donation

My family is very tight financially.  In fact, like most of us these days, we live paycheck to paycheck.  We depend heavily on my side business just to make ends meet.  But my wife and I knew it was time to act and just do what we could to help in someway, even if it was just a little at a time.  We began sending small amounts over there to Wilson. Yet in my heart I kept hearing, more Brad, more…  I began praying again… not sure what else we could do.  On my way to work one morning the Lord placed it on my heart to call my friend who is the General Manager at a local Christian Radio Station (90.9 KCBI FM).  So I emailed him, I told him what I believed the Lord was wanting me to do and asked him if he would pray about helping me.  His reply… yes!

The Children in Front of their School

So we scheduled a time to do a radio interview and ask for there listening audience to help by making donations.  We did the interview and even had Wilson on there via Skype.  It went perfect.  Everyone was moved and I just knew this was what it was I was called to do for Wilson and the children of the orphanage.  The day before the story was to air, I got a call from my friend.  Do to FCC laws, they were not going to be able to air the story as they originally hoped to.  Since I was an individual, with no 501 c(3) non-profit, they could not ask for donations.  We were all crushed.. I still had that feeling that this was supposed to happen.  So… I began praying, again, asking for wisdom ( as the Lord tells us too).  I prayed for God to bring me a way to make this happen.  I said, Lord, I don’t have a clue what I am doing and we don’t have time to start a non-profit organization, please send me someone to help.  Guess what, a few days later, while venting with a friend, that friend told me that he knew someone who might be able to help me and would have them call me.

The Wilson House Foundation

The next day we talked and before I knew it, I had a meeting set up with a company who does exactly what we needed done.  They act for individuals such as myself, who need non-profit status and allow them to setup foundations to raise money for charities.  Yes, God is good!  That same day, we had a Non-Profit Foundation, and thus The Wilson House Foundation was born.  We are in the works now of trying to re-air the broadcast and provide the miracle that my dear brother Wilson and the orphans of Eldoret, Kenya need.

I tell this story, for several reasons.  However, the most important reason, I believe is this.  You never know what God might do through you or for you by simply saying, “yes Lord, use me”.  What began as simple conversation with a man around the World from me, has turned into one of the most loving friendships I have ever had.  Wilson and the orphans are now considered part of our family.  There is not a day that goes by we don’t talk to them and praise God for them.  By simply saying yes to God, even though I didn’t know what it was for, I have gained not only a friend, but God has allowed us to forever change the lives of children we have never met.  God blesses those who bless others, and in this case, it is my family who has been so richly blessed.

I invite you to come along side us and continue to change lives.  The Wilson House Foundation is just the beginning.  There are many lives to change and many lives to save.  Together, we can make a difference and Together, we can save lives!

To donate to this cause and help save lives, please click here.

2011 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 12,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 4 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Reinforcing The Lessons of The Bible in Our Homes

If we want our children to serve the Lord, they must hear about him from us. It is not enough to rely on the church or those with more knowledge to provide all their Christian education. We must reinforce the lessons of the Bible in our homes. ( from via www.youversion.com)

The people in the future will serve him; they will always be told about the Lord. They will tell that he does what is right. People who are not yet born will hear what God has done. ~ Psalm 22:30-31

Letting God’s Love Guide What You Say and How You Think

Would you change the way you live if you knew that every word and thought would be examined by God first? David asks that God approve his words and thoughts as though they were offerings brought to the altar. As you begin each day, determine that God’s love will guide what you say and how you think. (From YouVersion.com)

I hope my words and thoughts please you. Lord, you are my Rock, the one who saves me. ~ Psalm:19:14

The Seeds We Plant

A Story About Planting Seed

Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23

(1-9) That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Large crowds gathered around him, so he got into a boat and sat down, while the people stood on the shore. Then Jesus used stories to teach them many things. He said: “A farmer went out to plant his seed.  While he was planting, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and ate it all up.  Some seed fell on rocky ground, where there wasn’t much dirt. That seed grew very fast, because the ground was not deep.  But when the sun rose, the plants dried up, because they did not have deep roots.  Some other seed fell among thorny weeds, which grew and choked the good plants.  Some other seed fell on good ground where it grew and produced a crop. Some plants made a hundred times more, some made sixty times more, and some made thirty times more.  Let those with ears use them and listen.”

There have been many times when I have witnessed to people and there have been many more times when I passed the opportunity up, either out of fear of rejection or I simply didn’t care enough (just being honest).

In this post, I hope to give you some encouragement in the area of witnessing and planting seeds.

Often times we come in contact with people and then we get this sinking feeling in our gut that tells us to share Christ with them or maybe just to ask them what they believe.  We fight with ourselves for a moment or two and then we either give into that prompting and obey or we choose to ignore it.  And when I say choose, I really mean that we simply don’t care enough about their eternal future, to get past our insecurities enough to ask.

So I ask this question, why do we get so scared about asking others what they believe or if they know the Lord?  Why do we fight our flesh in those moments?  This should be our encouragement that what we believe is true and God and His Son Jesus Christ really do exist.  You see, in any other instance, we most likely could strike up a conversation with them about anything else such as, sports, the weather, kids, or even our problems.  Yet when it comes to sharing about our faith, we clam up and have this massive internal battle that causes us to break out in cold sweat and/or break out in hives. This should be our sign that we are in the middle of a spiritual battle and that the battle of good vs. evil really does exist.

We must realize that this prompting is from the Holy Spirit, guiding us to plant a seed or perhaps harvest a seed that has already been planted.  We must also realize that it is not our job to save them or beat them over the head with our Bibles, causing a massive dust storm over the area (from our Bibles not the head of the person).  We are to compassionately share with them the love of Christ and share with them what God has done for them through His One and Only Son Jesus Christ.  We must also be willing to carefully listen to them and not shut them down, nor put them down.  Share what God has done in your own life and how you came to know the Lord.  This is also very important to remember, you don’t have to be perfect, nor do you have to have a 99 page power point presentation to show them.  Remember, the Holy Spirit is the guide here and He will speak through you, if you allow Him to.  And finally, remember, they might not accept what you have to say and they might reject what you have to say, but that battle is between them and the Lord.  You can not save them, only God can save them.  All you are required to do is obey the Holy Spirits prompting and plant the seed. If they don’t accept it, ask them if you can pray with them and for them.  Give them your number and tell them to call you if they might have any questions.

And last but not least, you might be the harvester.  The Holy Spirit might be prompting you to be the final piece in the process, meaning you get to see someone come to know the Lord.  So it is always important to follow, trust and obey when we feel that sinking feeling in our guts telling us to share.  All we are to do is to be obedient.  And remember, if you do get too nervous, just share what God has done in your life.  We all have a story that is waiting to be told.

Jesus Explains the Seed Story

(18-23) “So listen to the meaning of that story about the farmer. What is the seed that fell by the road? That seed is like the person who hears the message about the kingdom but does not understand it. The Evil One comes and takes away what was planted in that person’s heart.  And what is the seed that fell on rocky ground? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching and quickly accepts it with joy.  But he does not let the teaching go deep into his life, so he keeps it only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching he accepted, he quickly gives up.  And what is the seed that fell among the thorny weeds? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching but lets worries about this life and the temptation of wealth stop that teaching from growing. So the teaching does not produce fruit. But what is the seed that fell on the good ground? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching and understands it. That person grows and produces fruit, sometimes a hundred times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes thirty times more.”

Reflection: Whether you are planting a seed, watering the seed or harvesting the seed, we must remember that all we are to do is to be obedient to share.  Always listen to the person… listen to their fears, their past, and maybe their present.  And don’t forget to pray for them and with them.  Give them the number to reach you, invite them to church, and follow through!

Challenge:  At what cost will you plant a seed?  Watch this amazing story from One With Them and ask yourself, are you willing to follow no matter what the cost?

Video by OpenDoorsUSA

September 11th: Then and Now

On this 10th anniversary September 11, I have been reflecting back on that dreadful day and what it meant to me then and what it means to me now.

As most of us, I remember that day like it was yesterday.  I remember exactly where I was when I heard about the fire.  I remember finding out that a plane had hit the first tower.  At first they thought it was a small plane.  I rushed into work and everyone was gathering around the TV to see what was happening.  Shortly there after, we found out it was a commercial plane that hit the first tower.  We were all in shock, asking how could this happen?  Then as we were watching the TV, the second plane flew into the second tower.  There was not a sound in the room… we all stood there in utter shock and disbelief.  Then we all looked at each other and knew what was happening, we were under attack.

As we continued watching, reports came in about the plane striking the Pentagon.  Then shortly after that, the first tower began to fall.  Disbelief, anger, fear and a lot of other emotions filled my mind.  We watched people running in the streets, covered with dust and ashes. Then the second tower began to fall.  I was completely amazed that this could happen to us.  How, why, who had done this?

As the hours passed that dreadful day, I remember a nation on its knees.  News station after new station reporting 24 hours at a time, asking people to be praying for the families and friends of those lost.  Bumper stickers began to fly off the shelves, showing our nation united as one.  In those days, race and economic status did not separate us.  We were bound together as a family.  In God We Trust and One Nation Under God, never rang louder.  Churches were filled, lives were changed, as a Nation, we were brought to our knees crying out to God.

Flash forward 10 years.  What a decade can do for a nation.  Greed, hatred, and bitterness has crept back in.  The Mayor of New York has banned all references to God and Prayer for the 9/11 ceremonies.  Wow… what 10 years will do. Once a Nation crying out to God, has become a Nation who’s heart has turned cold once again.  Although we received one of the loudest wake up calls in our Nations history, we have once again turned our back to God.  Although God continues to try and get our attention with things like the stock market, the recession, job loss and more, we continue to ignore Him.  Earthquakes in Washington D.C., powerful hurricanes, and devastating tornadoes are all signs, signs we need to wake up.

Who is responsible for our coldness to God and ignoring His warnings?  We all are!  The homes of millions of Christians has been filled with compromise, which in turn, spills into the church, which spills into our lifestyles and so forth.  We have to get back to the basics of life and realize that no matter how powerful we think we are, we are nothing without God.  This Nation was founded on the Biblical principles of God and His Word, yet we as believers refuse to stand up, refuse to speak up and flat out refuse to live for what we say we believe!  Think I am wrong and that these things are not warning signs?  Try reading the Word of God.  In the Old Testament, Book after Book shows God warning His people and their nations to return to God.  He goes as far as sending prophets to them and telling them exactly what is going to happen if they don’t.  You might say that is the Old Testament and has nothing to do with us now.  Really?  Does God change?  NO!  We refuse to think that God will do that again, but here are your warning signs my friends… No were in the Book of Revelation does it mention anything about us as a country.  We better get serious and we better do it quickly!

About a year ago, I wrote in my blog, ARISE!  I again say ARISE!  We as believers, The Body of Christ, must ARISE and start living what we say we believe.  We must take our beliefs to the streets, to our work place, to our schools and ARISE!  Stop the fence riding and choose a side.  Either you are for Him or against Him, which will you be?  There is a world that is lost and a world that is hurting, and it starts in your own neighborhood.  Will you be the Light that we are called to be or will we continue to ignore God and face the ultimate consequences?  It starts with the person in the mirror.

10 years later, I would never have believed this Nation would be where it is today?  It is time to be Shaken.  ARISE oh Body of Christ! Arise!