NOTHING ELSE I CAN DO, BUT PRAY! REALLY?

"And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus". Philippians 4:7. As Christians, when we go through some trials, sickness, troubles, or other traumatic situations, we say like this " Now I can do nothing about it, but pray". The worrisome and anxious heart pays a high price for doing so. Finally, we say "now only God can do anything ab...out it", REALLY? My friend, anxiety and worry splits us right down the middle, creating a double-minded thinker. Perception is divided, distorting our vision. Strength is divided, wasting our energy. STOP!! Paul offers a two pronged answer. GOD'S PART AND OUR PART. Don't WORRY about anything; instead, PRAY about everything and TELL GOD what you need and THANK HIM for all He has done. Philippians 4:6. What is God's part? If you do this, we will experience GOD'S PEACE which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. It's time to change our mindset!!!

CONFRONT THE ISSUES!

"Then you will no the truth, and the truth will set you free". John 8:32. Usually we quote this verse to refer our spiritual status. What about our daily life? We want to live to the fullest, spiritually, financially, and even relationally. Yet we often settle for less than the best life we could live. Are you tired of living paycheck to paycheck? Do you feel like you're stuck in a job while wish...ing you had a career? Hold your breath while credit cards clear? May be no one knows but you the extend to which your public success masks private failures! Hey, you can only correct what you are willing to confront. Stop living in a perpetual state of denial and do the hard work that is needed to confront issues, weaknesses, and inconsistencies in our lives. Things can turn out the way you want IF YOU ARE WILLING TO REALIZE THE TRUTH. It's time partner! Remember, you can't recycle the time.

WATCH IT, PEOPLE WANT TO FOLLOW YOU!!

Joshua 24:15-16: ...But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. v:16.THEN the people answered, "Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve the other gods". My friends, quoting this verse is easy, but we are to manage our families well. We are also to lead our wives in a loving way. We are to set the tone for our families by making sure that Christ is put first in our plans, our fin...ances, our time, and the things we talk about. How about the area of hospitality? This simply not only mean to give people a place to stay and a meal but to draw people in and make them comfortable around us and they perceive that we genuinely care for them. Hey, are you a absent husband and a father even tough you are staying at home? Are you an unaccessable leader in your organization? Look, v 16, people are watching you and want to follow you!! YOU'LL HEAR ME!!!

PRAYER!

Matthew 6:5-7: "And when you pray, do not be like hypocrites..standing in the synagogues and on the street corner..v7..do not keep on babbling like pagans..for they think they will be heard because of their many words and to be seen". Let me see! In our public life we are men of prayer. We pray: to open a meeting and to close a meeting, before Psalm reading, pray for offering, before the sermon an...d after the sermon, at the hospital, at the secular and sports events, before the meal and some time we create a slot in our program to include some people to pray. Hey, what about prayer in our PRIVATE LIFE. Are we men of prayer? We can fake a spiritual life by public prayer- long prayer from Genesis to Revelation. But the one who knows us the best cannot be fooled. Do we want deep spiritual lifeblood and power? It starts with a personal relationship and constant communication with him through our private prayer.

STAND FIRM IN YOUR FAITH!

"If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all". Isaiah 7:9. Wow! This verse is telling me that "spirituality is not a one-time event- IT'S A LIFESTYLE. Get to know the God of the Bible- you'll enjoy the Book, and you'll love the Author. Bible is the only book when you read it, the author is there with you. You can read a million books in the world, but the Bible is the only Book which reads you. Day by day LIVE your faith. Don't be wishy-washy. STAND! Be the person Monday through Saturday as you are on Sunday. Because "If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all".

STOP HANGING WITH UNFOCUSSED FRIENDS!

Are you tired of the same old routine life and getting bored? Are you at the same place since last year? Last five five years? Last ten years? Spiritually? Careers?Life? "Same Ol- same ol?" Hey, doing what you should do gets old quickly. Doing what you were CREATED to do is exciting! Listen to me friend- To attain the result of total focus, you MUST disassociate yourself from people who are unfoc...ussed, who are not running the same race as you do. They always want to be on easy street, living ungodly, seekers of temporary pleasures, wasting time and life away and ultimately, they will never reach their full potential or find happiness without God. Hey, do you want to be in their car, when they find themselves in a dead-end street, and crash, and no point of return? Bail out man, STOP! Seek God, He wants to take you somewhere in your life.

IF YOU CAN DO IT, I CAN DO IT!!!

In a graveyard, a tomb stone read like this, " Johnny died at 21, buried at 65". In another words he stopped dreaming, focusing, accomplishing anything in his life at the age of 21, he lived, till the age of 65. But accepted the mediocrity, status-quo life, lived to pay bills, struggled to raise a family, never even took time to express his love to his wife, and children. What a sad story. Unfortu...nately, a good number of people are living like this. My friend, let me encourage you to a challenging and excited life. Regardless of where you are now- at the top of the mountain of success or at the bottom of the deepest valley of despair, YOUR BEST IS YET TO COME. NEVER GIVE UP. FOCUS, FOCUS, and FOCUS. Develop an attitude "IF HE OR SHE CAN DO IT, I CAN DO IT".

UPWARD DELEGATION!!!

Recently in a small group prayer a struggling young mother (laid off) had a specific prayer request during intercessory prayer time. She said, "my car is with a mechanic and the mechanic said it blew its transmission. I don't have the money necessary for the repairs. Without a car I can't go anywhere even for job hunting and interviews. Would you please pray that God would provide the money for t...he repair work? So the leader prayed out loud, " God, our heavenly father, we know that YOU own the cattle on a thousand hills, Nothing is too hard for you. Lord, answer our dear sister's request so that she can fix her car and be able to go and look for a job to provide for her special financial needs. IN JESUS NAME, WE PRAY! AMEN!! However, our small group of 20 who are employed, really doesn't need GOD'S help in this matter. Each person in the group has ability to contribute at least $50 dollars to the cause; together we could cover the entire bill. Instead we passed the bill to God. WE HAVE GIVEN HIM A JOB THAT HE HAS ALREADY GIVEN TO US!! Ouch! OUCH!! I have a word for this- Are you ready? UPWARD DELEGATION!! This is exactly what James wrote. James: 2:15-17.

OUR GOD IS OMNIPOTENT, OMNIPRESENT, AND OMNISCIENT!

Our God is OMNIPOTENT, what does that mean? He is all powerful, whatever He says will come to pass. Our God is OMNIPRESENT, what does that mean? He is never coming in or going out- He is there! All places at the same time. In your trouble- crisis- storm, home- car- church- work- YET He never left home- watching over your stuffs, in your business, with your child in college, dealing with your sons ...and daughters, Hey , you cannot be, but HE can! Our God is OMNISCIENT. What does that mean? ALL knows- He knows what you are trying to say before you say it! Nothing happens in our life without His knowledge. My friend, He knows your finger print- voice tone, You are an ORIGINAL not a carbon copy. What do you mean you are alone and nobody likes you. STOP THAT PITY PARTY. Are you hearing me?? Yeah, YEAH, GOOD!!!!

LET'S IMPACT OUR GENERATION!!!

I have been studying the great men and women in the Bible for last two years. Also I read couple of autobiographies of men who impacted their generation for the Lord. I realized that individuals who impacted their generations and affected world most dramatically were those who, because of circumstances, pressure, or adversity: CHALLENGED the tide of convention, STRETCHED the boundaries of tradit...ions, VIOLATED the expectations of "status-quo", UPSET the mind of the average, SHATTERED the mindset of "the norm" and BROKE through the "accepted" in order to accomplish the unexpected. My friend, God is calling you to realize your PURPOSE in life and march towards your DESTINY. We have the anointing of the ANOINTED ONE dwelling in us, DON'T WE????

When Satan challenges you of your Sonship

During my devotion and meditation time this morning, I noticed two of the three typical temptations Jesus faced in the desert were a challenge on His Sonship. "If you are the Son of God.."command these stones become bread" and "jump down". Matthew: 4:3,6. Even Satan put the same words to challenge in the mouth of passersby who watched Jesus on the Cross: "If you are the Son of God, come down from the Cross". Matthew 27:40. My friend, understand that Satan spares no saints of this temptation during our days of our spiritual infancy and our times of infirmity due to adversaries. Now I hope you realize who is the source of your attack.

WE NEED PROPHETS LIKE ELIJAH!!!

1 Kings: 19:2-3. " S Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, "..if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them"...Elijah was afraid and ran for his life...". In these days of faceless politicians and voiceless preachers diluting their messages to please the crowd, there is not a more urgent Kingdom need than that we cry to God for a PROPHET. As in the case of Elijah,... the degree of his effectiveness is determined by the measure of his unpopularity. Elijah was totally "otherworldly". He was unquestionably controversial and unpardonably hostile. He marched to another drummer. Thank God we have FEW ELIJAHS LEFT. Please recognize the BALAAMS invading our churches and it is time to reject them.

ARE YOU MISSION MINDED OR MAINTENANCE MINDED?

ARE YOU MAINTENANCE MINDED OR MISSION MINDED? If your church is one that revolves around itself and provides programs and services for its members, it's a MAINTENANCE church. This is the church where politics, positions, elections, titles and groupism is the dominant factor. Result: only biological growth and no spiritual growth and next generation leaves the church. In a mission minded church, th...ey are focused on how the programs and ministries will draw in the lost, and how they can personally bring new people to church and ultimately to CHRIST. The members and the leadership are willing to sacrifice their personal preferences to win the lost and the members make the people outside the church more important than those inside. Result: Members love and support one another- but their camaraderie is that of battlefield soldiers, united for a greater purpose: that of rescuing the lost souls beyond the church walls. This church will enjoy tremendous growth in membership, spiritual growth, and next generation will serve their God of their fathers and will have a purpose in life. OMG, STOPPPPP playing church!!!