It’s A Light Thing

So often in life we face many trails, tribulations and struggles and things that seem to break us down. Today, I want you to look beyond the surface, see beyond what you are going through right now. What you are facing now is only a light thing to the Lord!  You must remember that no matter the situation, God is in the picture, and he is watching over you. I want you to begin to see God, working the situation out for you. Because my friends, God is working it out. He is concerned about you.

I know you may not be where you want to be in your life right now, but don’t despise your humble beginning “He That Will Rise, Let Him Begin Low”, after you have suffered awhile, God will restore you.

 

8We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 2 Corinthians 4:8

You cannot allow your sight to be limited by your current situation, you must be able to see God through any situation in life that you face. Remember it’s only a light thing.  In life we wish we could take the easiest way through our trails, God in his wisdom knows that is not the right path for us to take.

~Be Careful Who You Place The Blame On When Things Do Not Go In Your Favor~

It’s A Crushing Matter

  In Ancient times in order to produce olive oil, the olives had to be crushed using very large millstones, to extract the oil.The crushing allowed the oil to flow from the olive oil, and was the only way the oil could be extracted.

Our lives operate in very much the same way. Our struggles, our trails and our tribulations, seemingly overwhelm us, the pressure seems to mount, and we feel like we are being crushed. We as a result of being crushed by life, cry out to God for help.

Often times, we cry out to God, in the middle of our “crushing”  and it may seem like relief from the pressure, cares and stresses of life, cannot come fast enough. One must realize that the “crushing” you feel is apart of God’s plan.

God’s word informs us, that we are like clay, in his (the master potter’s) hands.God takes our “crushing” moments, and uses them as an instrument for his glory, he uses our “crushing” moments, to shape and mold us.

6O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. Jeremiah 18:4

Sometimes, when we are being “crushed”, we get broken, hurt, misused and abused by life and people. The pain we feel, the tears we cry, the night’s spent wondering why, through our season of “crushing”, were not in vain. You see, God in his love for us, draws us to him in his loving hands, and like clay that is broken, remixed and reused, God never throws us away, he gathers us back in his arms and reshapes and restores us again.

It is this period of “crushing” that one experiences in their life, that allows the oil (anointing)  to flow.

Are you ready to be “crushed”, so that the anointing can flow? What do we have to fear, we know that our trails, tribulations and struggles are not sent to kill us. God has promised us, that he would be with us, we may go thorough the fire (a period of crushing), but God has his hand on the thermostat and I’m glad about it!

Home Court Advantage

Have you ever played basketball? When one plays basketball on a team there is something called home court advantage. I want you to imagine that you are on a basketball team, and it’s game day, and your team has home court advantage.

You and your teammates are in the final quarter, the score clock is running low. Your teammate is cornered in, looking for someone to pass the ball to he spots you, and passes you the ball. You begin to make the final drive to the basket, members from the opposing team, stop you right before you get ready to make the lucky basket that will help send your team to victory, you get cornered and are forced to pass the ball.

Life is like that, so many times we face so many obstacles, that sometimes we begin to feel overwhelmed. We find our self stressing out over things, many times that we cannot control. In the basketball game of life, we find ourselves cornered, options and choices running low, the pressure to make a decision mounts. Many times it may seem like, we break free, only to run back into opposition. However, you have Home Court Advantage.

When you find yourself running into a wall of resistance, a wall of problems, a wall of situations that seem insurmountable, there is someone there patiently waiting for you to pass them the ball, your teammates name is Jesus. He’s standing there patiently waiting, without complaint while you’ve tried everything on your own, tried your own moves, tired your own tricks, he has sat right there, when you got up, dusted yourself off and began again, only to feel like you’ve run into a brick wall, or a repeating cycle. He has stood right there patiently waiting.

  Pass him the ball! We are instructed that when things become too much for us to handle, when they become overwhelming, when they begin to cause blood pressure issues and began to affect every area of our lives, to pass the ball to him.  God’s word tells us to, cast our cares on him, because he cares for us {1 Peter 5:7}.

In other words, when you’ve looked around and seem to find yourself all alone, God is right there waiting for you to pass him the ball. You must realize that God is with you, and because he is the greatest power you shall not be defeated, you my friend have home court advantage.

28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

When things become too much for you to handle, when the cares of life seem to much to handle, give everything to God, he’s waiting on you, he will give you peace and rest, and he will make your burdens much easier to bear. 

The Mirror Effect

Our view of God never changes, we see him as a provider, a comforter, a deliverer, a healer, a way maker, a strong tower, our refuge, our shelter, our own human language cannot find the words to describe all God is to us, He is simply God, and besides him there is none other! Deuteronomy 4:35

Now what Satan aims to do, is change how we see ourselves, he attempts to change & alter our self image, he attempts to change & alter our self esteem. Satan then seeks to change how we believe that God sees us, you must look in the mirror & say God, help me see myself the way you see me.

You see, God is who he says he is, God can do what he said he can do, God got all the power, and he holds all the answers, God told us that through him we could do all things, God’s word ought to be alive and active in you, it ought to be made flesh in your life. The entrance of his word, giveth life unto you!

The Roller Coaster Of Life

Imagine yourself riding an awesome  roller coaster, it’s at the latest and greatest theme park, I have decided to ride with you, although we pick different buggies, you a lover of roller coasters, and me scared to death of them. We approach the ride with trepidation, and excitement. The roller coaster locks, us in, it’s path unknown. The roller coaster hits, bumps, glitches and shakes, shaking us and our confidence in the process. The roller coaster goes over hills and glides through falls, each one, seeming quicker than the other, each turn, curve unexpected takes our breath away. The roller coaster thrills us, excites us, scares us, and frightens us, every time we prepare our nerves, something new, greets us, on a ride in which we cannot stop and seemingly have no control over. Such is Life.

Life takes us along a journey, each new day brings challenges, excitement and elements of fear of the unknown. Often it seems like we are locked in a journey or path and destination, unknown to us. We climb towards mountains, and race toward valleys, our struggles and triumphs seem to fall into a steady rhythm. Life offers us thrills, it greets us, excites us, scares us at times and even frightens us, we prepare ourselves, and often find our preparation for naught, for this new obstacle, this new struggle we could not foresee, it caught us, by surprise.  Such Is Life.

At times we felt alone, at times we questioned why, at times we looked around and wondered why didn’t I die? At times we felt unsure, often wondering “Lord, what have I done to deserve this? At times it seemed like God, offered no reply. At times it felt like time moved too fast, and at other times the wait seemed unbearable, we wondered aloud through our moments of triumph, victory and defeat, when oh, when will this ride end, the ride slowly calmed, peace it seemed in the midst of the storm had finally arrived, we looked around surprised to see Jesus sitting peacefully by our side.

~Playing In The Background, “Just for Who You Are” by Earnest Pugh~

There Is Nothing & No One Like God

There is nothing {no situation}, in our lives that is beyond the reach of God's hand. There is nothing {no issue(s)}, that arise in our lives, that catches God by surprise.

There is nothing {no infirmity}, of which you can't be healed & made whole. Have you forgotten that there is no power on the earth or in the heavens, that is greater than God?

God~Must Be 1st!

I believe that the most difficult thing to do is Praise God when things are not going well, when our backs are against a wall, when all hell seems to be breaking loose in our lives, but those are precisely the times when we should Praise God, even the more, for we owe God a praise. However, so many people are walking around giving God their leftovers, leftover money, leftover talent, leftover prayer life, leftover worship, oh but what if God gave you someone’s leftover breath, do you think you would be able to breath?

6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:6

What if God gave us some leftover sunlight, would it still warm the earth anew? What if God gave us some leftover rain, would it fall from the sky to wash the earth clean? What if God gave us, a leftover anointing, would we be as effective? What if God gave us leftover grace, would we have made it out alive, in a place we knew we should not have been in the first place? What if God gave us left over mercy, would you have still just caught the STD and not the HIV? What if God, Oh What if God, decided to give you leftover salvation, would all your sins, still be washed away? What if God decided to give you leftover sanity, would you still know him as a keeper? What if God, decided to give you leftover time, would you be able to accomplish everything that has been set before you?

33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33

God should be first in our lives, not an afterthought, someone we reach out to just when we need him, someone who’s only called on in cases of emergency. I don’t know about you, but I enjoy hearing from God daily.

I put him first in everything I do, for it is in him I move, breath and have my being. Don’t get it twisted, we would be nothing without God, we could do nothing without him.  It  is because of his grace and mercy that we made it through the most difficult parts of our lives,it’s because of his grace and mercy, that we didn’t commit suicide,committing to death everything God had placed within us.

It’s because of his grace and mercy that we didn’t die of a drug overdose, don’t get it twisted, my friends, readers, haters, and family, you didn't get where you are in life on your own. How do I know this, I tried it on my own, I couldn't make it, without God holding my hand.

So if you find yourself, giving God your leftovers, and not putting  God first in your life, I urge you to do so today, he will make a change in your life, and your life will be sweeter with him as your guide.

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It’s Time For You To Walk Part 1

You know how babies when they first learn to walk they grab on to different things around the house and don’t have very much strength and a degree of uncertainty. Now anytime a baby starts to walk they eventually encounter something they want and give up and crawl, when they first started you were happy, but as time moves on, and they begin to try and walk they get no praise. When they crawl they don’t get any praise from us, they get no applause and no smiling faces.

Hmmm, crawling when it’s time to walk, sounds familiar? It’s easier sometimes though isn’t it? I truly understand, I’ve been there. I’ll be the first to admit, that growing up takes more strength than I originally anticipated. Looking back, I’m sure like me, you faced many difficulties, going from one level of maturity to another, sometimes like me, you may have delayed your own development. Every new level of growth brings new responsibilities. Not just physically in your life, but spiritually also. The time has come, the time is now, it’s time for you to walk my friend, it’s time for you to walk.

LiveJournal Tags: walking,life,journey,babies

Profiling Zacchaeus 4rm Luke 19:1-10 (Part 2)

Now the question, I will try to answer for you is how you fill the emptiness that you feel inside, and how to reach true fulfillment. Sheer Will, Desire, Motivation and Determination.

We need to stop, stop settling for things in our lives that are outside the promise. If God said it, it is so. Learn to pray and move with the Lord’s direction. We must get our lives in complete order. God has promised to be a present help, when we need him and he will strengthen us when we are weak. I encourage you to ask God for wisdom. 

We are no good to the Kingdom if we continue to settle in life, and not strive to reach our maximum potential with the Lord. Please don’t let another year come being outside of the promise or being satisfied with a half-deliverance\half-blessing. The promise is yours to possess, walk into it. The fight with the giants is worth the produce of the land, (Numbers 13 & 14, Joshua 1). For every moment that you feel that you have wasted, know that God can restore your wasted moments and redeem the time.

But before I can get to Zacchaeus, I have to ask, What’s your belief system? That’s right, what are the things that define you, that provide your moral compass, whom and how do you shape your beliefs? How do you see yourself? What gives your life purpose and a sense of direction?

My second semester as a Freshman in college, I asked God to give me his eyes. I realized that I was not viewing myself the way he saw me, and I was not looking at others the way he saw them. Fulfillment does not come from material things. Fulfillment comes from relationships. People become famous and successful but lack strong relationships.

Zacchaeus also teaches us that, even a safe haven, or what you consider a safe haven can become a place of danger, uncertainty, and dissatisfaction. Zacchaeus had quite alot of enemies, he had a good profession but not a good reputation and he was not like by his towns folk. Zacchaeus realized that his adversaries (haters) were his biggest advertisement.

I realize that at times we all wonder what’s taking God so long, to bring about the promises that have been given to us. It’s common to feel like one is surrounded by people, places and things that only seem to frustrate or be the source of one’s frustration.

Zacchaeus had a dream for something better, and he was just waiting for the right opportunity to come along. A word of warning, you can’t tell everyone your dreams, they won’t support you. If you find that you’ve already told them, relax. Despite what Zacchaeus considered to be a hopeless situation he kept pursuing, kept chasing, kept going after the felling that he knew there was something better for him. Now more than ever before people are discouraged or becoming discouraged. Discouragement robs us of our energy and our productivity. Zacchaeus gives us reason to hope again. If you do crazy things for God, I believe he will do crazy things for you, for he chooses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.

I believe that if Zacchaeus could speak to us today his words would be the following, “Be thankful for your limitations Because they give you opportunities for improvement And the motivation to keep dreaming and reach higher Be thankful for each new challenge Because it will build your strength and character”.

 

 

LiveJournal Tags: zacchaeus,bible.transformation,radical

We Are Only Passing Through…..

It was supposed to be a great Saturday afternoon of fun and games, but it was starting to take its tool on me. It was more like a war of the wills gone wrong. I was struggling trying to hold on to the rope, and I gave it my best but my hands and grips just were not what they used to be.

When I was invited to this afternoon of fun, I admittedly was taken by surprise. I usually reserve my Saturdays for traveling, meditation and cool down time. I jumped at the chance to do something out of the ordinary schedule for me.

I just knew I had the skills, and to my undiluted pleasure, I did. Just not the body I once had. When I was younger, I jumped at any game that was a manageable team game. That was then and this is now.

You are responsible to the energy you bring in life.

As I lay on the ground nursing my defeat, and my sore hands. I thought about the time that had passed, true I no longer had the body I once possessed, true my strength had decreased, but my drive to continue moving forward, to constantly challenge myself, to push my own boundaries, mentally and physically had only increased with the passage of time.

I had let go of the rope, I let go of any illusions I had that time had not caught up with me. The Holy Bible, says that “We are like the grass that springs up fresh, and then quickly withers away (Psalm 90:5-6)”. Its not just poetic words, but reality.. A gentle reminder that life is fleeting. There are many people who go to great lengths to ignore this reality, but it’s still reality.

I’m not telling you, nor am I giving you permission to let yourself go, do take a self assessment check, look at where you are now, and where you plan to go.  The Holy Bible, says that Moses asked the Lord, to “teach us to number our days, that we may present to him a heart of wisdom”

As you take stock of the time you have left, the stuff, the things that should matter the most to you are the things that matter to God. God can’t bless those whose hands are closed. Give to others, do good deeds, reach out neighbors and friends. It that way you will begin to redeem the time.

Part of facing reality, is recognizing that we are only passing through this world for a short time, and that are lives ought to be precious to us. 

 

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Second Chances Part 1

 

What do you do , when you have tried and failed and you want to give up, but your scared to try again because trying again means opening yourself up for hurt again. Maybe you’ve survived physically, but a part of you died on the inside, I speak life unto you. There is nothing that you’ve done, that prevents you from receiving a second chance. Maybe you’ve given up on a dream that you once excitedly shared with everyone, maybe you’ve given up on small simple goals that have piled up over the years, and now seem unattainable. You need a second chance. Second chances are not always given, and they carry an element of apprehension. Step forward, sir,madam, you’ve been given a second chance….

LiveJournal Tags: life,secondchance,failure,repeat,renewal

Obedience 2 God

“I want to live so God, can use me, anywhere, anyplace, anytime. I want to live so God gets the glory, anywhere, anyplace, anytime.”

Most of you don’t remember that song as it is before our time, however the words still ring true today. I was talking to one of my prayer partners earlier and we were talking about how God asked of obedience from us.

                  Operator, yes what is your emergency, Information please, Give Me Jesus on the line.

During the semester that just ended, I asked God to increase my anointing and use me in mighty ways, I finally had decided that it was time for God to move my plans out of the way and allow his plans to supersede. I thank God for all the trails he sent my way last semester and for allowing me to build my strength.  During my free-time during or between class I would usually go into the university chapel, play the piano sing and more often than not pray.  I would often just lay before God and just express myself.   I am thankful for those times of prayer and building a closer relationship with God. I don’t have that many friends, for various reasons, but I can remember one day last semester I was trying to be friends with someone and things just were not going well. I went to a table in the cafe by-myself and God said “Ryan, stop, your trying to hard. If I had meant for that person to be your friend I would have laid it on their heart and they would have already accepted you.” You know that hurt, but I appreciate what God said to me, and I took heed.

All I can say to God is that I’m available to him, for he gave me a second chance, and I’m determined to be sold out for him. I’ve got something to shout about, he turned my life around and gave me new life again. I can tell the world how he cleaned and brought me up.  NOW LET ME BE CLEAR, I AM IN NO WAY PERFECT, NIETHER HAVE I CROSSED EVERY I and dotted every T. However I just try to live my life in a way that’s pleasing to God, I make mistakes, I sometimes say and do things that I shouldn't, however I never have not been humble enough to get on my eighteen year old knees and ask God for forgiveness. And that my fellow blog readers is the key, being humble and a willing vessel for God, in any capacity that he decides to use you, remain humble. I was talking to my sister the other day, and I said to her, “Benita, all God wants is a willing vessel”. We are the physical representation of Jesus Christ on earth, we are the salt of the earth, we are to spread God’s love and plan for mankind. If we don’t tell others that God heals, that God saves, that God loves them unconditionally, who will?

I know what God has done for me, and if he never does anything else, he’s already done enough. I serve God because I want to and its not forced.

I was born premature 1 pound and 5 3/4 ounces, now I’m 5’6 140 (I Wish!) Its 160 pounds now and 19yrs old.   

 

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