STATUS QUO

"I PRESS toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus". Philippians 3:14. Thousands of Christians have buried their talents, gifts, and abilities in the cemetery of their last accomplishment. You know why? They are stuck in the "status quo"or mediocrity level. They are holding on to their Sunday School and Little League Soccer Trophies and never stop talking about it. It's alright you did it but never anchor on it. Don't be like Israel going around the mountain for 40 years and never get to the promised land. Paul is warning us here not to make mediocrity the milestone of our accomplishments. Be aware of what you are measuring because heroes in the Bible, history makers, and Kingdom Shakers have never been status quo, mediocre, or average people. They are people who think big and lived outside the box called "average". Hey, tell the RHINOS in your life and church "excuse me, move over, I HAVE AN ASSIGNMENT FROM GOD TO FINISH".

GOD IS A SPIRIT!!

During my devotion and meditation time I read from Psalm 139:7 "Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? In John 4:24 Jesus said: "God is spirit". Humm.. let me see: the weather determines what we wear, gravity dictates our speed, the road tells us how to travel, and our health determines our strength. We may challenge these forces and alter them slightly, but never remove them. But my God, OMG.. He doesn't check the weather- He makes it, He doesn't defy gravity- He created it, and He is not affected by health- He has no body: equally active in India and in Indiana, in Africa and in America. You may me at work yet He is at your home watching over your stuffs. He is everywhere- My OMNIPOTENT, OMNISCIENT, OMNIPRESENT GOD. I LOVE YOU JESUS!!!

ARE YOU FED UP?

"Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then, YOU WILL BE PROSPEROUS AND SUCCESSFUL". Joshua 1:8. I hear you brother: You are fed up! But I have a word for you man: Don't let your "fed up" convince you not to "get up" and say it's time to "give up". Fight your fed ups. Develop the ways of a winner- living like Jesus lived. Be a "doer" of the Word. Doers have an attitude. They believe in their God-given potential, have a clear focused vision, act by faith in God's grace, and are persistent enough to accomplish it. Train yourself to speak the Word. Stop listening and reacting to the unfocussed crowd who do not have a vision. Hey HEY, DON'T GO TO THE PHONE, GO TO THE THRONE! Y'all hear me? Good!

THERE IS A PURPOSE

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose". Romans 8:28. You must be kidding my Lord! REALLY!! Then, why is there so much strain, so much struggle, so much conflict, so much hell? Lord, I am frustrated and overwhelmed by these things I can't pray away, rebuke away, cast away, fast away, confess away, or speak away. Why? Huh, what did you say Lord? "There is a purpose?" - you are building a foundation of character in my life, which will enable me to obtain the success and blessing that is to be poured in to my life. What? You are teaching me how to trust you in my desert days so that when I enter into my promised land, I won't feel funny and threatened by the foes when they question my anointing? NOW I GET IT! There is a reason to my riddle: Clarity to my confusion, and calmness in my chaos. In another words "You are preheating my oven to bake a cake". OMG I can smell it now. I am getting ready!!!Bring it on!!

LOVE

"Husbands, LOVE your wives, just as Christ loved the church, and gave himself up for her". Ephesians 5:25. Hey, hey, listen to me my brother: when a woman takes a man's name in marriage, it is her visible expression of SUBMISSION and trust in relationship. Then, if she is willing to assume the man's name, then his responsibility is to give her an identity in his character and worth with which she is pleased to identify. Love focuses on the one loved, with thought of self SECONDARY. But LUST, which is perverted love, focuses on self at the expense of the other person. The provisions of love are IDENTITY, SECURITY, AND STABILITY. These are what Christ provides for the CHURCH and what (your name) has to provide to (her name). Don't just read the Bible, understand it Buddy!

DON'T SACRIFICE YOUR FAMILY!

"Thy WIFE shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy CHILDREN like olive plants round about thy TABLE". Psalms 128:3. Yes, it's dinner time at the house. Parents and children are communicating. Sometimes Dad and Mom, you can be in the house, but ABSENT. Hello? Christians, especially the "deeply committed" variety, DON'T NEGLECT your family. The insidious thing about overabundance of righteous activities is that you can neglect your family and feel extremely pious all the time you're doing it. After all, it's God's work. On the other hand, many workaholic parents have convinced themselves that they are sacrificing for the future of their families, but the plain truth is: that is SELFISHNESS. O yeah? yes, yes. The workaholic labors because his or her work meets their own needs; whether he or she knows it or not, he or she is meeting those needs at the EXPENSE of their family. Ouch..OUCH! STOOOP it.

DUMP THE JUNK

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord". Isaiah 55:8. Hum, let me see: This means RIGHT THINKING thinks spiritually- the way God thinks. It is founded on truth. My friend, have you heard it said that God don't make no junk? It's true, but many Christians don't believe it. They go through life carrying pieces of junk on their backs inscribed with words such as HUMILIATION, FAILURE, REJECTION, STUPID, UGLY, CLUMSY, UNWORTHY, INADEQUATE, UNLOVABLE. Hey, such words are not found in God's vocabulary, but they are favorites of your enemy, the father of lies, Satan himself. So, why... why, do we allow ourselves to be beaten down by such lies? DUMP THE JUNK. You are custom made by God, you are His darling with a purpose and destiny. RISE UP AND SHINE, YOU ARE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF THE KING OF KINGS. Y'all hear me??

SETBACKS ARE SETUPS!

"For a just man falleth seven times, and RISETH AGAIN: but the wicked shall fall into mischief". Proverbs 24:16. My friend, if we intend to accomplish anything, we must react to adversity like YEAST. I found out that once yeast is thoroughly stirred into the dough, it cannot be detected. Although it is invisible, it is highly effective. when the HEAT is on, it will rise- the warmer the circumstance, the GREATER the reaction. You know what? The trophy is never given to someone who does not complete the task. Remember, SETBACKS ARE JUST SETUPS FOR GOD TO SHOW WHAT HE IS ABLE TO DO. Now rise up, shrug your shoulder, walk like a general, confront, compete and conquer. STOP THAT PITY PARTY!! Y'all hear me? Yeah.. good.

Take Heart!!

My friend, Did God give you a vision? Then, why are you a people pleaser? Do you ever wonder if everything will turn out right as long as you do everything right? Take heart- when you do what is right, GOD REMEMBERS. The majority is not always right. If the majority had ruled, the children of Israel never would have left Egypt. They would have voted to stay in bondage, David never would have fought Goliath, his brothers would have voted for him to stay with the sheep, and Noah would have never built an ark. "But Peter and John replied, "judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God". Acts 4:19. You all hear me???

GO TO CHURCH!!

My friend don't tell me you don't like to go to church and you have no time for it. God designed the church and Jesus said " I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it". You need to be in the house of the Lord where there is a move of God and become a part of a move of God. Hey, if you are around seasoned Christians who loved the Lord, who manage their emotions, who do not have temper tantrums, who aren't flipping out and cursing people out, who aren't living double lives, some seed will fall on you and you will catch it. That is the place for your breakthrough. MAN, sometimes you have to go to church even when nothing is going on because you have to build up EQUITY. JUST DO IT MAN - DO IT.

BUT GOD REMEMBERED NOAH!!

"But God remembered Noah" (Genesis 8:1). My friend, I will never forget the time I went through a tremendous struggle. I thought it was an emergency and I want the answer right then. But the four words "But God remembered Noah" brought streams into my desert. Before Noah ran out of resources and provisions, God REMEMBERED him! God knows where you are and how much left in the reserve. Hey, there is a gusty wind from the Lord and it will blow back your Red Sea, your Jordan River, and will blow dry the wet, marshy, flooded lands as in the days of Noah. Brother, God's wind is ultra-effective against every current in your life. It's blowing..can you hear? MY GOD DID IT FOR ME, YES, HE DID!!