Positioned for God's purpose and desire

As I reflect back just one year ago I realize now that I was at a crossroads in my life. I was no longer employed at the place where I was so passionate about working at. I did not understand at the time why things did not work out with the position even though it was the position that I had desired so badly. Today, I realize that God has strategically placed me here in my current position to reach souls that have been lost or are seeking to believe again. I find myself encouraging people week in and week out. I find myself witnessing to people that are about twice my age. It's as if I have been put into a place where people appreciate my presence more so than the place I was at previously. God does not just place us in positions to abound financially but the Bible states "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" Are you losing your soul? Money can't heal a broken family or a broken heart. I deal with people on a daily basis that are in a struggle in their lives and I understand that through the power of Christ Jesus that I can help ease their hearts and minds as they come in contact with me. I encourage you today to let God use you to ease someone's soul that may be struggling or may just need Christ in their life.

Success in relationships through the guidance of His love

We are living in a day and time where people like options. People in and out of the Church want to choose who they want to marry and when they want to marry them. They want to choose who they want to date and when they want to date them. People want to choose when they want to acknowledge God and when they do not want to acknowledge God. As we see by the scripture it clearly states in Joshua24:15 "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose this day who you will serve". Who are you serving? It is evident by the lack of stability in marriages and relationships throughout the world that all people need the guidance of God in regards to these critical decisions. I personally have never been in a long committed relationship, and through my experiences I realize that I am inadequately equipped to make a decision of this magnitude without the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Now that I am saved I realize that an individual's success in relationships (business, family, marriage) will depend solely upon their obedience to the will of God through the inspiration of Christ Jesus which comes through submitting our heart's, our minds and our wills(choices).

Reflecting on His never-ending love

As I look back and reflect over where God has brought me from; I have began to become more encouraged in my relationship with Him. This encouragement helps me to encourage others. I have began to see that even before I had a relationship with Christ Jesus; he was still there for me in so many ways that I had not known. When we forget our testimonies we in turn forget how God has extended his never-ending love to us. I just want to provide these words to encourage you to reflect on what God has done for you, and you will begin to see that He wants to do so much more for you.

Balancing your life to achieve a greater level of intimacy

Lately, I have begun to look at my life and honestly contemplate how much true balance I actually have. When I say balance I speak in regards to spiritually, financially, physically, emotionally, and family. The goal for me is to abound in all of these areas, but I realize that it takes a certain type of Godly wisdom to abound in all of these areas and in turn have them all work together in true harmony. The truth is, we all are still growing which means there will be adjustments that we have to make in order to remain in God's will. Rom 8:28 speaks clearly about all things working together for our good just as long as we "love" him and also remain in his "purpose" for which we are called. As I end I would just like to encourage you to seek God for your true purpose in him through Christ Jesus, and also to examine your relationship and the amount (level) of love that you are offering unto God. Your level of intimacy with God can ultimately shape your destiny, and we must remember that all things are possible through Christ Jesus.

Seeking a greater manifestation

As I continue to grow in Christ Jesus; I realize that I am only going to get out of this walk with Christ what I put into this walk. I am realizing that I must reach a certain level of sacrifice before I can even begin to see what Christ truly has in store for me. With great sacrifices come great rewards. When I say rewards I am referring to spiritual rewards such as peace, joy, love, and longsuffering. We should all seek to see the greatest manifestation of Christ Jesus in our lives that we possibly can. Our sacrifice and God's manifestation are inevitably linked. The outcome of our destiny greatly depends on how deeply we want to see his manifestation, which can be shown through our commitment and dedication to the Kingdom of God . In our seeking the Kingdom of God as stated in Matthew 6:33 we will obtain all that we need for this journey as we continue to follow after Christ Jesus.

Positioning yourself to be elevated

As I reflect back just one year ago I can remember being in a very difficult situation in my life. My joy was being tested. The situation had caught me by surprise and whatever faith I had was going to be needed to deal with that current situation that I found myself in. All I knew was to keep my atmosphere clean so that God could have his way in my life. I did not have time to second guess the set of circumstances that I was in because I was the one that had made the decision. Decisions that we make in our lives put us in a position to either accept or not accept the positives and negatives that come with that decision. How we deal with these positives and negatives are critical in determining how we mature. As Christian's we must realize that when we successfully pass a test in our lives, we in turn put ourselves in a position to be elevated by God. Psalm 75:6-7 states that promotion comes from God. I just want to encourage you to go through your test successfully so that in the end you can be elevated and Jesus can be glorified through your testimony.

Planting the seed of life

In the passing of my grandmother this week, it just reminds me of how delicate life can be. It reminds me to never take moments with loved ones for granted, because you never know when that moment with them will be your last moment. Thoughts try to run through my mind about rather I did all I could do to draw my grandmother unto Christ Jesus. I understand though through my relationship with Jesus that it was his love that drew me unto him and no one else. I realize that as a Christian I must plant the seed and from there let God have his way. God is the one who gives the increase as stated in ICORINTHIANSchap3:7. No matter how much we want someone to give their life to Jesus they have to make the ultimate choice. God’s inspired word which is the Holy Bible contains the seeds of life which we must plant in others in our Christian walk. When we realize that God is the ultimate judge and that he is a righteous judge; there will in turn be a peace in our lives that surpasses all understanding.

Going through the struggle to obtain victory

This April 20th will make five years since I have been saved. If I said that it has not been a struggle I would be lying. Maturity has made me to realize though that many of our blessings as Christians is on the other side of the struggle. The struggle that I speak about concerning myself stems from knowing what decisions to make that will best benefit the Kingdom of God , compared to making decisions which may just be in my best interest and in turn have no benefit to the Kingdom. I realize that there is a correlation between having a strong relationship with Jesus and also making the best decisions for the Kingdom. We must realize as Christians that if we go through our struggles in life successfully, we can come through with more wisdom and direction as it relates to our destiny. We are faced with temptations everyday but the Bible states clearly in 1COR10:13 that there is always a way of escape. We must remain in Christ so that whatever attack comes against us we are able to remain victorious.

Finding companionship in the arms of your first love

Throughout my life I have noticed many people struggling to find companionship; both Christians and non-Christians. As I reflect back before I became a Christian I realize that the emptiness that I felt before I was saved was a result of me not having a relationship with Jesus Christ. As Christians we should be cognizant of the fact that we have the ultimate companionship through our relationship with Jesus. Satan may try to put thoughts in our mind that are in opposition to the word of God, but we have to maintain the focus that no other relationship can replace this ultimate relationship. The reason we love Jesus is because he first loved us as stated in 1John4:19. I realize that although I am not married does not mean that I am any less important to the kingdom of God . As a matter of fact I can focus more time solely on Christ and the Kingdom of God being unmarried. I just want to encourage those who may be struggling or if you know someone that may be struggling with the need to have companionship; tell them to continue to serve in the Kingdom of God and in turn he will make manifest his strength in their weakness. If the person is not saved this may be an excellent time and opportunity to witness to them about the love of Jesus that you have experienced.

Experiencing a greater level of intimacy through your praise and worship

As I was getting ready for work this morning I began to reminisce on how instrumental praise and worship has been in regards to my growth as a Christian. It has contributed tremendously to the level of joy and peace that I have in my life. I have grown to realize that praise and worship are necessary factors in building an intimate, lasting, and vibrant relationship with Jesus. I have also learned that Satan has the power of suggestion. Never let anyone discourage you when it comes to how you praise and worship Christ Jesus. John4:24 states “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. In order for any relationship to flourish there needs to be a sacrifice of quality-time and committment. I just want to encourage you to take your praise and worship to a greater level so that you can experience a greater embrace of pure, dynamic, and intimate fellowship with Christ Jesus.

Relinquishing fear to enter into your destiny

On Monday evening as I was praying for God to give me more insight concerning my destiny; I realized something. It is not that people do not know want to know what their destiny entails; it is the responsibility that comes with knowing your destiny that people struggle with. Just because someone knows their destiny does not mean that they are willing to accept what their responsibility is to God concerning their destiny. 2Timothy1:7 states “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. The sooner that we are able realize that fear is what negates our faith in God; the sooner we will be able to step into the plans and purposes that God has predestined for our lives. I just want to encourage you today to continue to seek after your destiny in Christ Jesus, because there are so many people that are affected by whether or not we as Christian’s ultimately reach our destinies through Christ Jesus.

Positioning my perspective to please God

Before I gave my life to Christ on April 20th, 2003 I used to have a self-righteousness/arrogance about myself as it related to my character. I used to think that since I did not do some of the other things that some of my friends were doing that I was living a higher standard then they were. From my perspective I believed that I was better-off than many people that were in my surroundings. I realize now though that there is one ultimate standard of living and that is God's standard. If someone has never experienced life through the perspective of living a Christian lifestyle; they can never truly know whether or not their standard of living is inferior or not. I realize now that my standard of living before I gave my life to Christ was inferior as it related to my morals, mindset, and choices. God put a desire in me that had me seeking more in life. I just want to encourage you to remember how much more your standard of living has improved as a Christian, and if you have not given your life to Christ I just want to encourage you to consider a purer standard of living.

Sufficient grace in a time of need

I had something prepared to write for today, but on my way to work this morning God moved!! As I was on my way to work I began to pray as I was on the freeway, because many things had been occurring to people's vehicles the past couple of days that attend my church. As I got off at the exit I came to a red light. As the light turned green I began to drive and I felt some vibration, so I pulled off the road into a parking lot. As I was changing my tire I seen that the front passenger tire had been slashed in at least 5 different places. I still have the tire in my trunk. It's as if I had been driving on the freeway with a slashed tire. When a tire is slashed it's supposed to go flat. As I pulled out of my driveway this morning nothing was wrong. I was able to drive on the freeway all the way from my house to the west side which is at least 20 minutes away. My tire could have easily blown out on the freeway. Satan meant to take me out! The Bible never said that the weapon (knife, gun, nuclear bomb, word) won't be formed; but He did say that it won't prosper (Isaiah54:17). I just want to encourage you today to continue praying for others and to seek after Jesus, because Satan's ultimate goal is to kill, steal, and destroy. HIS DEMONIC HELL HOUNDS FAILED TODAY.

Knowing the inspiration behind your destiny

As I look ahead to my future it has become apparent to me that I can never underestimate any moment at anytime in my life. Moments in our life can either determine our success or our failure. The obstacle that you try to sidestep in life can be the same obstacle that hinders you from fulfilling your destiny; whether that obstacle is a bad habit or whatever the case may be. That one obstacle can overshadow every other accomplishment if it is not dealt with. As a Christian I would have to say that if we allow certain things to linger in our atmospheres than we will never reach our full potential in Christ Jesus. We are all a creation of God and only the creator knows the purpose of their creation. If I never seek to know the mind of the Creator who created me than all I can do is guess. Isn't your life and destiny worth more than a guess? Proverbs 3:6 states "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths". The question that I have for you today is "who is directing your path and why?" Once we know the answer to this question than we can begin to focus on God and his purpose for our lives. I just want to encourage you to stay focused in this day and time because your destiny is so delicate, but the reward for staying focused on God's will is well worth the sacrifice.