Win-Friday Freedom

In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:6 esv

Right now is your time. What God has for you truly is for you. With faith in Christ nothing is impossible for you. So what is it? What do you feel Him compelling you to do deep down in your soul? What have you always wanted to do? Go after it! With Christ you can make it. There is no failure in God. Seeking God's will never leave you disappointed. So get focused, get disciplined, get out there and win. Live the life God created you for!

Win-Thursday Thought

Delight yourself in the Lord,
  and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4  esv

What is God calling you to do? What is your passion? Contrary to what some believe, God really does want us to enjoy life. There is something that each of us is called to do kike no one else. It is our calling. God has given you a specific set of talents and gifts to fulfill your calling. When you’re in it, there is no greater feeling. Other people see it in you sometime even before you see it in yourself. Every Christian has a unique calling from God. You have a specific assignment from Him to do. It is something that will bring Him the glory and also allow you to express your talents and gifts perfectly.

So what is it? What is YOUR calling? What is that thing you love to do more than anything else? What is that thing you would do for free? Better yet, what is that thing you may do free now? When Christ places a calling on your heart you can’t get away from it. At home, at work, in the car, or anywhere; you can’t stop thinking about it. Seek God more and He will show you more of your calling. Delight in Him and He will delight in you.

Win-Wednesday Word

The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
    when he delights in his way;
24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
    for the Lord upholds his hand.
Psalm 37:23-24 esv

The steps of a good man or woman are ordered. When you seek God He will bless your steps. God will lead you in the way to go. Have you ever felt lost? Have you ever wondered what the next step in your life should be? You don’t have to worry. God knows exactly what you need. God promises to lead the righteous to spiritual success. God delights in your way when you seek Him diligently. Yes, when you live a righteous life the Lord finds high satisfaction in your life. And because you seek Him your plans will be blessed. They are God’s plans too.

Even though Christ blesses the righteous He knows that you are not perfect. He knows that you will slip sometimes. And that’s OK. David tells us here that even when you fall God will uphold you with His hand. You don’t have to be perfect, but you must have a heart for The Lord. Your desire must be to achieve your God given destiny. When you follow Jesus He will keep you and He will bless you. Hang in there. Where you fall short Christ stands strong. He has you in His hand. Go out and win!

Win-Tuesday Truth

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us

Ephesians 3:20 esv

The power to succeed is already in you if you are a Christian. The Holy Spirit lives inside every believer and equips you with all you need to succeed. God often calls us to assignments that seem too large for us. He calls us to things that we feel we are not able to handle. And the truth is that we’re not able. But with God on our side we become more than able. God doesn’t call people who have everything together.  That’s not how He works. He will, however, prepare those whom He has called.

God can do exceedingly abundantly above all that you can ask or think. Let that sink in. As a child of God you have the privilege to take your needs to God in prayer. When you pray to God you can be confident that He can do much more than what you’re asking of Him. Go ahead and ask God to arm you with the capabilities and skills to fulfill your destiny. Then get ready for Him to blow your mind! Not only will Jesus answer your prayer, but He will do so in a way that goes above your understanding. The power is already in you. Let it out.

Win-Monday Motivation

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 esv

You can be a winner in Christ. Have you ever felt like a loser? Has life ever left you feeling bogged down? Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. The enemy loves to throw your past sins in your face and make you feel guilty. When life has you feeling this way remember who God is. God loves you and He displayed that love through Christ. The Lord has a purpose and a plan for your life. Jesus longs to come along side you and commune with you. He truly does love you. And there is nothing you can do to make Him stop! That is so awesome.

Once you accept Christ the relationship can never be severed. However sometimes the Spirit convicts us and we feel bad, as we should, about sinning. But John tells us here that when we truly confess our sins (repent and turn away) God cleanses us. The guilt is over. The shame is gone. Make a sincere decision in your heart, mind, and spirit to let Christ break the chains of your past. There is no time to waste on the dark things of the past when your future in Christ is so bright. Let God cleanse you and win!

Dare to Dream-Friday Freedom

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Hebrews 11:6 esv

Are you ready to step out on faith? You’ve been thinking about making a move for a while now. God has been calling you to something greater. You talk about it. Other people see it in you. It makes you excited. But the time for talking is over. It’s time to go! Taking that first step may be scary, but you won’t regret it. What would be worse; making a risky decision or missing out on what Christ has called you to do? You may not see yourself doing something greater, but God does. Nothing is blocking you from your God given destiny but you. 

There's a king in me

Goliaths to defeat

Visions to decree

It's my destiny!!!

~Marvin Sapp

Dare to Dream-Thursday Thought

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen... And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 
Hebrews 11:1,6 esv

What if all of the faith heroes chose not to trust The Lord? What would have happened? Where would we be now? What if Moses would have accepted defeat at the Red Sea? What if Daniel would have gone into the lion’s den with no faith? What if Joseph would have not trusted God in the pit? They would have been failures and God would have not received the glory from their situations. But they did have faith, BIG FAITH, and they did great things for God. And the benefits are still lingering today.

Are you ready to step out on faith? It’s your turn to be great. 2014 is your year. Do something that will last for eternity. Follow God’s will. Jesus already knows you can do it. Do you? Right now is your time. Don’t run from His call. What if you don’t listen to God’s voice? How will your life pan out? Will you just meander through life aimlessly, wondering what could have been? Will you settle for defeat, or will you choose to be great? 

Dare to Dream-Wednesday Word

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9 esv

There is nothing that you and God can’t do! When God puts a vision on our hearts sometime it seems so huge. We wonder to ourselves, “Me, Lord? How could I do something so great?” But it’s not just you. It’s you and Christ. Understand that God would never call you to do something that He wouldn’t help you accomplish. He gave Joseph resilience through rejection and slavery. He gave Noah confidence when no one believed in Him. He gave Paul strength when his own strength was all gone. He will give you EXACTLY what you need! Do you believe that? Prove it.

Your destiny lies ahead. Are you going to fulfill it? All of the extraordinary people in the Bible have one thing in common. They weren’t that great. They were just regular folks like you and me. But when they allowed God to have His way in their lives miracles occurred. The Red Sea was parted, lives were rescued in the midst of danger, and souls were saved. Why? Because they had BIG FAITH! God still works wonders today and He wants to work wonders through you. What is He calling you to do? Go after your God given dreams!

Dare to Dream-Tuesday Truth

In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:6 esv

God has something big for you to do. Can you feel it? Do you ever just sense God's calling on your life? God is calling you to something great. Something bigger than yourself. Something that brings Him the glory. In Christ we all have gifts that can be used for God's glory. We all have goals. Success, real success, in life is achieved when our goals become God's goals for us.

You can be great for God. He has already given you what you need to succeed. It's up to you to seek His plan. Do you ever sense a vision for your life? Is it from God? Then follow it. Following God's plan is all you need to do. Even if you don't understand it all just follow what you know from Him. The rest will be revealed.

Queen James?

God loves every person and hates every sin. That is the basis and heart behind this series of articles being written. Prayerfully through the truth of God’s Word unsaved people will accept Christ as Savior and Christians will come to know Christ better. I love you all!

Part 4: Queen James

Yes, you read the title right: Queen James. This is a newer version (using the term loosely) of the Bible which is coming to be known as, “The Gay Bible.” The creators of this foolishness, only identifying themselves as “The Editors,” intended to create a Bible that does not offend anyone. It is the King James Version, "edited to prevent homophobic misinterpretation." Certain verses have been amended so that they do not attack the gay movement.  Their reasoning for this is that King James was supposedly gay and that many English versions of the Bible were manipulated to condemn homosexuality. Simply stated this reasoning is just wrong. Let’s see why:

King James authorized the translation of the original Bible (written primarily in Hebrew and Greek), into the English language. The King James Bible is also known as the Authorized Version. However, King James is not the author of what we know as the King James Bible (See kingjamesbibleonline.org). God is the author of the Bible. Translation into English was done meticulously by scholars whose primary aim was to make the best translation that was true to the original meaning. Therefore King James’ sexual orientation (regardless of what it was) is a weak and feeble point in arguing the Bible’s stance on homosexuality.

“The Editors” claim that the Bible is God’s Word translated by man. This is wrong.

Let’s look at 2 Timothy 3:16 esv All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness 

All Scripture, the entire Bible, was authored by God.  His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, filled certain men and He wrote through them. The best analogy I've heard, by Dr. Jack Graham, is that of a musician and a wind instrument. God is the musician, the writer of each book is the instrument, and the musician's breath is the Holy Spirit. God breathed His Word into each of these men and they wrote it down. Those original writings together make up what we call the Holy Bible. As we saw in the first post in this series, “What Does The Bible Actually Say About Homosexuality?”, homosexuality is condemned by God in the original language of the Bible in the Old and New Testaments.

Any English version of the Bible is simply a translation of the original text. There are some trustworthy versions (KJV, NIV, ESV just to name a few, there are many more) and there are some deplorable versions such as the Queen James Bible. The former being solid translations of the original text while the latter is one of man's frail attempts to change what God has said. Common sense tells us that translating from one language to another may create some confusion in understanding the meaning of certain passages. That is why any serious student of the Bible, who is not fluent in the the languages the Bible was written in, must use a concordance, Bible dictionary, and other resources for true and deep understanding.

Although the Queen James Bible is relatively new this tactic has been around for centuries. No one can deny the existence of God or His Word so they simply try to discredit them. The God of the Bible, the one true God, condemns homosexuality. This is clearly seen in His Word, the Bible. No person or group can change God’s truth no matter how hard they try. Seek God’s truth for yourself and He will reveal Himself to you (Hebrews 11:6). No matter who you are God loves you. Accepting Christ as your Savior is the one and only way to know God and spend eternity with Him.

Hebrews 4:12 esv For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

God's Word, The Bible, is direct and real truth. It cuts sometimes. But that doesn't mean we should ignore it or try to change it.

GOD'S WORD IS TRUTH AND NO ONE CAN CHANGE IT!

Read the other posts in Christianity and Homosexuality here:

Part 1:What Does The Bible Actually Say About Homosexuality?

Part 2: Does God Love Everyone?

Part 3: Media Mindset

Photo Credit: queenjamesbible.com

Forward-Friday Freedom

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 

Philippians 3:12-15 esv

It’s your time! 2014 is your year! Forget about all the negativity in your past. God already has. There is too much greatness ahead for you to waste time looking back. In Christ you are free from your past. It’s time to achieve your dreams. What has God placed on your heart? Starting a business? Writing a book? Going back to school? Changing careers? Knowing Christ at a deeper level?  Whatever it is you can do it with Jesus, Bible study, and prayer. Make today great. Make tomorrow even better. Make 2014 the absolute best year of your life!

Not going back!

I’m moving ahead

I’m here to declare to You

May past is over in You

All things are made new

Surrender my life to Christ

I’m moving, moving, FORWARD!!!

Hezekiah Walker

Forward-ThursdayThought

All hard work brings a profit,
    but mere talk leads only to poverty.
Proverbs 14:23 NIV

Are you ready for success? God is calling you to do great things this year. Can you feel it? There is something that God has specifically for you to do. Every Christian has a calling, but we must work towards fulfilling that call. It’s one thing to be excited about God doing great things in your life. It’s another to do the necessary work to achieve great things in your life. God is looking for those who are ready to work. Are you ready to work?

You can be successful in Christ. You can do big things. But it will take hard work, persistence, and dedication. Actually, in Christ, reaching your goals will take Bible study, devotion, and a great amount of prayer. Planning without prayer is pointless. Are you up for God’s challenge? Can you keep yourself unstained from the world? Can you set your mind on heavenly things? Good! When God’s will is the plan you cannot fail. Now get all God has for you this year and for the rest of your life! God knows you are capable, intelligent, and qualified. Do you?

Forward-Wednesday Word

Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart. 
Psalm 37: 4 esv

Your future starts today! God has greatness in store for you, but He won't force you to do anything. When life doesn't go as planned we are quick to blame God. Could it be that the reason is us? After all he went through David finally understood that when he delighted in The Lord (found high satisfaction in God) then all his desires were met. That's awesome! Are you ready for God to meet your heart's desires. Go after your destiny!

Expect amazing things from God in your life. He can do more than you can even imagine. But He also expects great commitment from you. It's time to be serious about Jesus. Make the necessary sacrifices to get where God wants you to go. Let go of the garbage. Listen to the Spirit's direction. Get serious about God and get all that He has for you. Let 2014 be the year you come to know Christ like never before.

Forward-Tuesday Truth

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32 esv

God wants you to be successful. Believe that. Have you ever been so busy that your focus gets away from God? Well I have. When this happens our worldview gets distorted. Everything else becomes bigger than The Lord. Our problems, our desires, our wants, and our needs all take precedence over Jesus. We focus too much on what we cannot handle alone; life. We get run down and sometimes questions God's motives.

But the Word tells us that God have us His Son. If He gave His Son up for you, then what will He keep from you? God has given us eternal life and there is nothing that He will keep from us. He has already given us the greatest gift. He wants us to do well, but on His terms. He wants us to prosper, but His way. He wants you to do well, but He must make you ready! Let Him do it.

Forward-Monday Motivation

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 esv

Your past is over in Christ! Stop letting old stuff weigh you down today. Yesterday I heard an awesome sermon at my church, The Tabernacle. Preaching from the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15), my pastor  shed some light of the part of the story when the son came home. After he came to himself and headed home the father saw him afar off. The father ran to him, embraced him, and kissed his son (verse 20). The father didn't hold any of the son's offenses against him. He was simply glad his son returned home.

Our Father, God, doesn't care about our past. Be honest with yourself. At one time or another you drifted away from Jesus. You wanted to do your own thing so you did it. You may be in that state right now. Whatever it was, whatever you did, just let it go. God has. He is not angry with you. He just wants to love on you like no one else can.  In Christ you are free from your past! When you come to yourself don't be ashamed. God just wants you to come home. Let Christ make your 2014 the best year of your life.

Perfect Patience-Friday Freedom

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 esv

Don’t worry about someone else’s affairs. God has something laid out specifically for you to do. It may not be what you thought, but doesn’t the Lord know best? How pointless would it be to spend your whole life searching for what you think is best, only to realize it was all in vain? How rewarding would it be to spend life fulfilling the holy perfect plans that the Sovereign Lord of the universe has for you? What Jesus has for you is already yours. Go get it!

What God has for me, it is for me.
What God has for me, it is for me.
I know without a doubt,
that He will bring me out;
what God has for me, it is for me.
It is for me,
it is for me;
what God has for me, it is for me.

Perfect Patience-Thursday Thought

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 esv

“What am I doing with my life?” A question that can come up in our minds fairly often. If we are not careful we can fall into the trap of basing the value or worth of our lives in comparison to other people’s accomplishments. We look at what someone else may be doing and make ourselves feel bad (or good). However God has created each and every one of us for a unique and specific purpose.

“What has God called me to do?” is a better question we should seek to find an answer to. “Am I doing it?” would be a great follow up. We know The Lord’s mind is much higher than ours. He calls us to do different things, at different places, and at different times. Success with God is being where He wants you to be and doing what He wants you to do. No matter where you’ve been, how much you’ve gained, and all you’ve acquired, if you’re not following God’s plan for your life, have you really done anything at all?

Perfect Patience-Wednesday Word

“And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” ~Job 1:21

The Lord does what He pleases in this world and in our lives. He knows us way more than we know ourselves. Many Christians recognize this Sovereign God when things are working out in their favor, but turn on Him when their situations change. God needs less Christians on the bandwagon and more of us to really trust Him!

Job recognized that the same Lord that was with him during his good times was the same loving, true, just, holy , and righteous God that was with him during his trial. Our love and allegiance to Christ should not be based on circumstance, but simply in the fact that He is our Lord. Trust that when everything seems so unmanageable, God is still sovereign. No matter what your current situation may be; He is working it out for your good. He does this in His perfect ways and His perfect timing.

Perfect Patience-Tuesday Truth

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 esv

We can never fully understand the mind of God. His ways us just too high for us to comprehend. Through Bible study, meditation, and prayer we can know more about Him and more about how He operates. Actually the more we get to know Him we can even learn to think like God at times. However many of His ways are just over our heads and we are not able to fully grasp the way He works.

We are not made to understand everything about how the Lord works. We are made to trust Him. The wrong attitude about how God works can create frustration out of fear. However the Christian can be at peace in any situation knowing that the Lord is in control of everything. The fact that God’s mind is higher than ours should not be irritating, but encouraging. We don’t have to worry about anything, even when we don’t know what is going on, because He is the Sovereign God!

Perfect Patience-Monday Motivation

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 esv

God’s timing is ALWAYS perfect! This is true whether we can see how He is working or not. The Lord has clear and laid out plans for each and every one of our lives. If you are seeking His will, then whatever you are enduring will pass in His perfect timing. We are finite beings, but our God is infinite. He literally has all the time in the world to work everything out.

Anytime we try to rush God’s plans we may be settling for less than God’s best. Do you want the best God has for you? Then don’t try to rush Him! Trust in Him with all of your heart. Believe that He loves you and has your best interest in mind. Pray continually for his will to be done. His plans for you will come to fruition in His PERFECT timing!

Media Mindset

God loves every person and hates every sin. That is the basis and heart behind this series of articles being written. Prayerfully through the truth of God’s Word unsaved people will accept Christ as Savior and Christians will come to know Christ better. I love you all!

Part 3: Media Mindset

First of all let me say I love and respect President Barack Obama. He is a man of great intelligence and integrity. The Bible even calls us to honor government officials (Romans 13:1). This message is not an attack on him or anyone else, but simply a proclamation of Biblical truth. As much as I love and respect my President I have also pledged my life to Christ.

In a 2012 television interview President Barack Obama announced that he is a supporter of gay marriage. In light of that fact he is a politician this was not surprising. However the President also claims to be a Christian. This REALLY surprised me! I didn’t question his ability to lead our nation, only who his allegiance belongs to; his political success or Jesus Christ? What followed was downright sickening. Pastors, preachers, and many other Christians blaring statements such as, ‘he is everybody’s president’ and, ‘that is his job, you have to separate the two.’ But in Christ that is the farthest thing from the truth. Many Christians, especially black ones, were torn in their beliefs about the infallible Word of God because of what another person said.  (See What Does The Bible Actually Say About Homosexuality?)

Even though The Lord calls His people to keep their minds on godly things:

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Colossians 3:1,2 esv

We spend hours engrossed in mainstream media; (TV, social media, music, etc.) most of which is against God.

Of course this is not just an issue with the President or just Black people. This was just the example I chose to highlight. Mainstream media is replete with individuals who openly deny the true teachings of The Lord. And too many of us Christians just take it. We hold fast to the teachings of Oprah and Lady Gaga or whoever else has the spotlight. We will get offended when someone disagrees with our favorite star, yet will not care when we hear people openly denying the truth of God’s Word; The Bible.

So what am I saying? That we should turn our backs on those who disagree with the Bible? Not necessarily, but we do need to know when to support and when not to support. In this particular case I love and respect my President, however I do not support that particular decision to support gay marriage because it contradicts God. As Christians, we need to know when to draw the line with the people and causes we support!

What is that line? It is when anyone or anything contradicts God and His Word.

God calls us to be living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). All that we are should be for His glory. The way we live, the words we speak, and the way we work should all be to give God praise. God calls us to work like we are working for Him (Ephesians 6:5). We actually do work for the Lord because our occupations ultimately come from Him. Therefore no one is to separate their job, or any other aspect of life, from God; especially the leader of this country. We are called to represent God and His ways in all that we do. God calls the Christian to be totally led by His Spirit. Any true Bible believing Christian that believes God led the President to openly support a grave defiance to His Word is sadly mistaken. Our occupation along with all that we are should be submitted to God.

Do not be conformed to this world,but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 esv

 So who is your Lord; Jesus Christ or some other person?

New You-Thursday Thought

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 

~John14:6 ESV

Do you really understand what it means to be born again? This is the basis for our faith as Christians. The new birth of accepting Christ is what we are all about. The fact that we are born again should shape everything about us. Our new birth should permeate to every area of our soul and flood all areas of our lives. God has made us new creatures; dead to sin yet alive through Christ’s power. Take a moment and reflect just on your own personal sins. In light of your own sins; do you ever just think about how awesome that new birth is?

As we strive to please God in everything we must never lose focus. Fellowship is necessary. Singing and praise help us connect with God. But our ultimate mission is to tell people how to get eternal life! And the only way to do that is to be born again. And the only way to be born again is to accept Christ as Savior. In college I always did well when I participated in study groups. Why? Because I spent ample time explaining information to my peers. I was always talking about the material. It was always on my mind. When was the last time you told someone how to be born again? How often does it even cross your mind?