Spurgeon’s quote hit the nail on the head in today’s picture!Undoubtedly, we pray for things expecting God to move; when in reality, God is either waiting on us to walk through a door He has already opened or waiting us to stop trying to open a door He has closed.

Isaiah 30:18,21 says, “But the Lord still waits for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for him to help them. And you will hear a voice say, “This is the way; turn around and walk here.”

My brothers and sisters, if you are lacking something in your life, it’s time to evaluate your heart. You may think you are waiting for God to give you good things, but in reality He is waiting for you to seek Him and give yourself to Him with a whole heart. God is eager and willing to give His children every good thing, but it is up to you to qualify for the promise. You have to position yourself to receive it.

Psalm 31:19 NKJV declares, “How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you.” The good things of God remain stored up until you put yourself in a position to receive them. And the only way to get into that position is by seeking God and His will for your life.

It’s not luck or coincidence, when you seek God, He will speak the words you need to hear. He will tell you how to change the way you think about certain matters. He will show how to walk in greater wisdom and success. As you trust in His goodness and walk in obedience, you will move into position to receive the good things that are stored up for you.

So in light of what I just read, don’t forget what C.H. Spurgeon said, “We shall not grow weary in waiting on God if we remember how long and how graciously He once waited for us!”

#BeStrong

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The statement in today’s picture speaks volumes on so many levels! Too often, people (including myself) mistakenly and erroneously believe that humility implies to think less of themselves. When in reality, the correct layman’s definition of humility means to think of yourself less.

Knowing your self-worth is not a call to become conceited, prideful, or arrogant. Rather, it should harmoniously impact every area of your life – your spiritual life, your fears and insecurities, how you relate with others, how you do business, your romantic relationships, how you spend your time, the people you hang out with, your priorities, your finances, your self esteem and level of confidence, your self control, what you allow others to pour into your lives, what you pour into the lives of others, how others will treat you and talk to you, how you react to what others say to you or say about you, your attitudes towards others, life, and God; and so much more.

Additionally, knowing your self-worth will even affect seemingly non spiritual matters such as how much you charge for goods and services you offer, how you conduct yourself in the business place, your self respect, and in turn – how people respect and value you.

I Peter 2:9 humbly and yet powerfully reminds us that, “We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called [us] out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

True humility is not self-deprecation, it’s self-appreciation! So why would anyone discount what God considers invaluable?

I know that by God’s grace, He will minister His truth to everyone reading this message today. May God help us all to be confident in who we are in Christ Jesus, and know the power and gift available to us in Christ. May we always be aware of our self-worth and value, and act accordingly – to the glory and honor of Jesus Christ our Lord.

#BeStrong

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There’s something each of us does at least once per week that can feel like an annoying obligation, but we know we have to do it, so we do. Can you think what it is?

No! It’s not going to church!

It’s taking out the garbage.

Think about it for a second; if no one took out the trash, what would happen in our homes outside of the smell? They’d get flooded with trash. No one wakes up in the morning and says, I’d like to make ten gallons of trash today. But we just do. Trash happens and this also applies to spiritual trash like envy, bitterness, hate, worry, fear, etc.

There’s an old adage or saying: ‘garbage in, garbage out’. The Bible puts it this way, in Proverbs 23:7, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” In other words, where your mind goes, your feet follows.

To combat this debilitating mindset, Paul wrote in Philippians 4:8-9, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

My beloved brothers and sisters, the best way to keep garbage out is to let God’s word consume your thoughts (2 Cor 10:5). This isn’t just about the power of positive thinking. This is about making room for the things of God in our minds and giving God ample space to communicate to us.

Undoubtedly, when we dispose of the garbage that contaminates and jeopardizes our peace and sanity, we literally make room for joy, light and love in our lives. With that being said, what trash do you need to throw out today?

#BeStrong

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In Galatians 6:3-5, Paul encouraged the church to take careful stock of the work they do in the Spirit without comparing themselves to each other. He instructed them to be honest with themselves and take full responsibility for their spiritual calling.

Paul knew the ‘comparison game’ wasn’t a good thing. He recognized that it was another trap the enemy used to breed complacency, destroy contentment, create contempt, and kill confidence not only in ministry, but in a person’s everyday life.

The Bible is full of people who fell into this destructive trap! Do you remember the story of Jacob and Esau found in Genesis 25:29-34? The Bible says Esau “despised” his birthright. He hated what was his because he wanted something else. Both wanted something the other had and it created enmity between the twin brothers.

In Genesis 4 we learn of the story Cain and Abel. Cain killed his brother out of a jealousy that came from comparison. He didn’t look at what God wanted from him. He only looked at the fact that his brother’s offering was acceptable and his was not.

I can keep on going (Rachel and Leah/Jacob and His brothers), but I’ll let you do some digging for yourself. However, the reason this topic is so prevalent today is because of social media and other platforms alike.

The first thing most people do when they roll out of bed is pick up their devices, open up their favorite social media app and once logged on they’re immediately inundated with perfectly filtered pictures and highlights that drags them straight into the comparison trap. They begin to feel as though their life just doesn’t measure up.

Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, our 26th president of the United States, said it best about comparison when he exuberantly stated: “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

I hope you find solace and joy in remembering that you were not chosen for someone else’s journey! You were chosen for yours! Your life is not a carbon copy of someone else’s life. Falling into the comparison trap will only leave you feeling less than enough! So don’t compare yourself to others!! Your marriage, your children, family, your vocation, and ministry have been uniquely designed and scripted by God (Psalm 139:16).

#BeStrong

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Hey Family, as we step into day 3 in 2021, I just wanted to remind you that prayer is one of the most important activities in our lives because we’re actually talking to the sovereign God of the universe. He understands how we feel, knows what we think, and has the power to intervene in every area of life. Our quiet time with God empowers us to face the challenges of each day even before our day begins. When we make prayer a priority, we reap a whole host of benefits like comfort, guidance, strength, wisdom, and confidence.

Let’s me set the record straight; prayer is not and was never an optional request, it’s a command! In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, we are commanded to “pray without ceasing.” God expects us to be people of prayer. Our lives are to be saturated with prayer, identified by prayer. The very words “without ceasing” imply the idea of never ending. That means we ought to be praying all the time and about everything.

Case and point, in order for us to experience true and long lasting success, we need to pray. In fact, prayer ought to be our first response in every circumstance in this life. Our lives are not of quiet desperation, but of divine inspiration. God has placed each one of us in this world and commanded us to pray in order that we might bring his presence and blessing into our present reality.

In closing, don’t forget that prayer is one of the main attributes mentioned in the Bible about the church; Jesus dubbed it a house of prayer. We might even say that if the old adage is true, “Brick and mortar don’t make a church — people do,” then every Christian ought to be a “house of prayer.”

#BeStrong

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#PowerInPrayer

When Adam and Eve chose to follow their own will in the Garden of Eden (Terrestrial Paradise) they introduced the need for the cross, but when Jesus chose to follow the will of God, He conquered the cross in the Garden of Gethsemane. Two different gardens yielded two different outcomes.

Finding and following God’s will for our lives often feels like a game of chance. But if we know God’s methods of revealing His will, we will see it—even when life feels full of chaos, ambiguity, and confusion!

God often directs His will for our lives through circumstances timed perfectly. These “coincidences” work in concert with the Scriptures and prayerful surrender to affirm we should follow God’s will.

The book of Proverbs offers practical wisdom in discovering God’s will as a primary application for us. Why? The wisdom of God existed even before “the first dust of the world” He created (Prov. 8:26). Because God created every speck of our universe (known/unknown) in His wisdom, we created beings require that wisdom in order to live in the world He architected and built!

So, if you are making BHAGs for 2021 please read Proverbs 19:21! I love the New Living Translation and it says, “You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.”

God’s purposes will always win. They will always stand the test of time, even when our plans crumble. This should not anger or discourage us, but rather give us great hope. God always wins! He always gets what He wants in the end and this alone is an amazing hope, joy, and peace inducing truth.

#HappyNewYear2021

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Have you ever heard that expression?—that ‘the tables have turned’? I tried to find out just exactly where it came from; and I found all kinds of different explanations. Some have said that it came from the world of chess—that, when one player gains a sudden victory over another player, the side of victory has shifted; and it’s said that the chess table had ‘turned’. Others have said that it came from the playing of cards—that one player is dealt a hand that puts him at an advantage; and that the situation at the table has ‘turned’. Some folks (who, if you ask me, had probably seen too many old movies) say that it came from those occasions when there was deceit and treachery at the dinner table—that when someone poisons the drink of an enemy, and when their back is turned and the enemy switches drinks, it is said that he had turned the tables on his would be assassin.

With all that said, I think we would all agree this expression simply implies that a favorable shift took place and we find this to be true for God’s people in the story we find in the book of Esther (7-9). In a nut shell, God’s people was literally headed to the slaughter, but God used a young beautiful and courageous woman name Esther to deliver His people from Haman’s diabolical plot!

In my opinion, the tables turned for Mordecai and the Jews when Esther made a conscious decision to step-out and step-up by faith. This is what she said, “After that I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish” (Esth 4:16). With this declaration, the pliant and obedient Esther became a woman of action.

The purpose of the Book of Esther is to demonstrate to Jews living in exile that it is possible to achieve success in the country of one’s exile without giving up one’s identity as a Jew.

Similarly, in the wake of the melting pot we as Christians face in our nation today, the Book of Esther solidifies that we don’t have to succumb to the perils that we know are lurking; in fact, Christians can thrive as Christians because we serve a God who is able to turn some tables (although the danger we may live in is also clearly acknowledged)!!

As we see the sun setting on 2020 and the sun rising on 2021 it behooves us not to forget that we serve a God that has no limits. He is not bound by time nor space! He works in the past, present and future. He is the only One that can go to our past to correct something that is affecting our today and can also go to our future to prepare something for us and then come back to our present to get us ready for that thing.

The power of God is amazing and unlimited whether spiritual, physical, emotional, financial, political, social, mental or any other power. He can use any power He chooses. As children of God, we should not worry about the power that we don’t have because God will supply all of our needs according to what He do have (Philippians 4:19)!

There is no limitation in our past, present and future that can stop what God has decided to make of us. In Acts 17:24-28 we learn that, “He is the God who made the world and everything in it…. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need…..”

Let’s be honest with ourselves! In 2021 there will be obstacles, doubters and there will be mistakes. However, everything that comes against us has to stand before our God first and we know that anything that opposes God will fall!

Still not convinced? Well, Elihu had to remind Job of God’s limitless power in chapter 36 verses 22-24 and
He said, “Look, God is all-powerful. Who is a teacher like him? No one can tell him what to do, or say to him, ‘You have done wrong.’ Instead, glorify his mighty works, singing songs of praise.”

God is the Almighty One, the Lord God, El-Shaddai, the All-Sufficient One. He is everything. He is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent and as we magnify and exalt Him, we will understand that anything is possible! He is unlimited. He is not handicapped by our limitations. He can do anything! Therefore, He can and He will bring His perfect will to pass in our lives.