What ever tried to hold you back in 2010, can not....I repeat can not go with you in 2011. Whether it was doubt from you inner man, negativity from your neighbor, or a co-worker who just nagged about life......IT CAN'T GO WITH YOU!
2010 was deemed a year of "recession" but to those of us that are believers we didn't have a recession. In fact we had more because we believed God for more, we prospered in all areas of our lives. It is no accident that you are reading this blog. Every set back in 2010 was your set UP in 2011, you have been set up to receive the blessings from God, set up to increase in physical health as well as wealth. Set up to be promoted on your job, set up to speak life into someone else, set up for a GOD sized blessing. You shall be a lender and not a borrower. (The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.) Psalms 23:1HCSB
I speak peace in your life, the peace that surpasseth all understanding, peace that flows down by the quiet river. The peace that will quiet your spirit and give you rest in knowing that God can and will work everything out for you.(He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.) Ps. 23:2
God when my friends have moments that they feel like giving up that you would carry them along the journey, let them rest in you. Thank you that in the green pastures there is fullness and the pastures are being watered by the quiet stream. Thank you that our life represents the pastures it is abundant and full because of the living water that is given by you, we shall never go thirsty. (He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.) Ps. 23:3
I speak renewal in the mind, body, and spirit. That you will see God even in the very air that you breathe and reflect on how he has carried you from this stage in your life to the next....from glory to glory. I pray that you recognized his hand that is upon you that is leading you to your next destination in him. Thank you for giving us an abundant life, thank you for renewing marriages, thank you for renewing physical health and our spiritual well being. Thank you for (renewal)....it's a new me and a new you! (He renews my life; He leads me along the right paths for His name's sake.) Ps.23:4
God, I thank you that you dealt with our enemies.....we didn't have to fight, but we stood firm on your word and while they planned, schemed and tried to plot against us, you reminded us that "NO weapon, that is formed against us, shall prosper", we thank you that you allowed us to have a Judas moment and from that moment, because we didn't retaliate against people, but prayed in the Spirit, you God, worked all things out for our good. Thank you for anointing our head with your oil, that was our joy, which gave us strength and from that our cup was constantly FULL! (You prepare a table before me,in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows)Ps. 23:5
Because we are seeking you and your ways we can rest assured that you will reward us, we take joy in knowing that your love surrounds us everywhere we go, it follows us to work, it is there with us when we wake up and when we lie down. Grace and Mercy is there when we mess up, it gives us that moment to get it right and not to take advantage of you. It is following us as our guardian to protect us. (Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.) Ps. 23:6
God as we say good-bye to 2010 we embrace 2011, thank you God for keeping us in 2010, we praise you in advance for all that you will do in 2011.
In Jesus Name,
Amen!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
The Conductor
I am so amazed at how a conductor leads the orchestra, it is so riveting to my eyes, it is as if the conductor has tuned everything and everyone out in order to lead. The conductor of the orchestra is so in tune with his music that he doesn't hear the noise in the background of the people talking, or the percussionist sneeze, all the conductor hears is music.
At times life can present challenges, some good and some not so good. There will be a time when life just meets you in the middle of the road, I call these road blocks. Road blocks can consist of nay sayers, past hurt, lack of trust and negative thoughts and yes, negative people. We may not always understand, why the road blocks are there, especially when everything seems to be going well.
Writing from my past experience, I could never grasp my mind around the fact that people would try to get in front of me and block my path with negative talk. Later in life after maturing (a whole lot) spiritually, I understood that not everything was out to hurt me. As a matter of fact, I needed that negative point to get me to my positive state of mind. Those nay sayers were there to propel me into the next dimension/level. I also I had to know that I could determine how much of the negativity I would entertain and how much I would delete and drop it into the trash can.
A valuable lesson I learned from the conductor was when something is out of tune, the conductor stops the orchestra and works to get that one note inline with the others. Same is true with us, when something is not lining up, we should take the time to evaluate the situation, see if what is being said or done belongs in our inbox or the trash can.
When the conductor raises his hands, everything comes to attention and is focused on what the conductor is about to do. As you lead be reminded that you will have people that will try to talk you out of your dreams, discredit what you are doing and most times this is because of jealousy. They feel you are a threat!
Sometimes turning the other cheek means walking in a different direction away from the nay sayers, even the conductor has to turn his back to the crowd in order to lead the orchestra! When you raise your baton to lead, tune out the negativity and do what you have been equipped to do. Stay humble,enjoy the music, this is your life, live it to the fullest!
At times life can present challenges, some good and some not so good. There will be a time when life just meets you in the middle of the road, I call these road blocks. Road blocks can consist of nay sayers, past hurt, lack of trust and negative thoughts and yes, negative people. We may not always understand, why the road blocks are there, especially when everything seems to be going well.
Writing from my past experience, I could never grasp my mind around the fact that people would try to get in front of me and block my path with negative talk. Later in life after maturing (a whole lot) spiritually, I understood that not everything was out to hurt me. As a matter of fact, I needed that negative point to get me to my positive state of mind. Those nay sayers were there to propel me into the next dimension/level. I also I had to know that I could determine how much of the negativity I would entertain and how much I would delete and drop it into the trash can.
A valuable lesson I learned from the conductor was when something is out of tune, the conductor stops the orchestra and works to get that one note inline with the others. Same is true with us, when something is not lining up, we should take the time to evaluate the situation, see if what is being said or done belongs in our inbox or the trash can.
When the conductor raises his hands, everything comes to attention and is focused on what the conductor is about to do. As you lead be reminded that you will have people that will try to talk you out of your dreams, discredit what you are doing and most times this is because of jealousy. They feel you are a threat!
Sometimes turning the other cheek means walking in a different direction away from the nay sayers, even the conductor has to turn his back to the crowd in order to lead the orchestra! When you raise your baton to lead, tune out the negativity and do what you have been equipped to do. Stay humble,enjoy the music, this is your life, live it to the fullest!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Meeting the giant head on!
"When the Philistine started forward to attack him, David ran quickly to the battle line to meet the Philistine." 1 Samuel 17:48HCSB
Growing up I had a circle of friends that did everything together. We would go skating, shopping, catch a movie and just you know do things that friends would do. If one was upset we all were upset and if one was scared we all were scared.
At our school we had a bully a lot like Goliath, his name was "Rock", day after day this guy would always threaten to beat students up if they didn't give "Rock" what he wanted. For the sake of peace most of us would speak to "Rock" and then take off running. There were times where if we saw him far in advance we would go the opposite direction, because we did not want to face our bully/"giant".
Goliath was just like "Rock" he constantly threatened people day after day. His threats paralyzed the people with fear and crippled their mindset with the belief that they were permanently defeated. A divine appointment led David to the Philistine, where he heard for himself the threats Goliath was shouting. Sensing fear from those around him, he inquired as to what would be given to the one who destroyed the giant.
One day in the cafeteria this one student who became tired of "Rock's" threats, decided to take action. Now everyone warned him to just be quiet, but on this particular day, just like David, this young man, decided to stand up and face this bully. He was taking a stand to protect his people and sending a message to the bully that , "I don't have to take your threats".
You see the odds were against David, he did not have fancy weaponry listed on his resume as a matter of fact he only knew what God could do through him. David's mind was made up, he was not going to let this giant haunt his family or friends anymore. Same holds true for the young man who stood up to "Rock", he took a risk.
While the enemy is still speaking scare tactics and has been on the heels of those around you. God is going to use you to rescue those in need. Others felt the hair on their neck stand up, as the enemy breathed threats on them. Yet he anointed YOU, with his power and strength to stand up to the giant. Your inner circle ran away because they did not want to face conflict, but you decided to stay and fight for what you believe in. Without a thought or second glance, you ran straight towards the enemy. As you were running to meet your giant, God was preparing you for the victory.
Sometimes taking a risk, can be painful, but you will not know, about the risk until you face the risk/"giant". Satan is nothing more than a bully and God wants you to know that he has given you the tools you need in order to defeat the giants in your life. This win will not come because you had a rock in your hand, but because of the anointing of God that is placed over your life, it is God that will give you the VICTORY!
Growing up I had a circle of friends that did everything together. We would go skating, shopping, catch a movie and just you know do things that friends would do. If one was upset we all were upset and if one was scared we all were scared.
At our school we had a bully a lot like Goliath, his name was "Rock", day after day this guy would always threaten to beat students up if they didn't give "Rock" what he wanted. For the sake of peace most of us would speak to "Rock" and then take off running. There were times where if we saw him far in advance we would go the opposite direction, because we did not want to face our bully/"giant".
Goliath was just like "Rock" he constantly threatened people day after day. His threats paralyzed the people with fear and crippled their mindset with the belief that they were permanently defeated. A divine appointment led David to the Philistine, where he heard for himself the threats Goliath was shouting. Sensing fear from those around him, he inquired as to what would be given to the one who destroyed the giant.
One day in the cafeteria this one student who became tired of "Rock's" threats, decided to take action. Now everyone warned him to just be quiet, but on this particular day, just like David, this young man, decided to stand up and face this bully. He was taking a stand to protect his people and sending a message to the bully that , "I don't have to take your threats".
You see the odds were against David, he did not have fancy weaponry listed on his resume as a matter of fact he only knew what God could do through him. David's mind was made up, he was not going to let this giant haunt his family or friends anymore. Same holds true for the young man who stood up to "Rock", he took a risk.
While the enemy is still speaking scare tactics and has been on the heels of those around you. God is going to use you to rescue those in need. Others felt the hair on their neck stand up, as the enemy breathed threats on them. Yet he anointed YOU, with his power and strength to stand up to the giant. Your inner circle ran away because they did not want to face conflict, but you decided to stay and fight for what you believe in. Without a thought or second glance, you ran straight towards the enemy. As you were running to meet your giant, God was preparing you for the victory.
Sometimes taking a risk, can be painful, but you will not know, about the risk until you face the risk/"giant". Satan is nothing more than a bully and God wants you to know that he has given you the tools you need in order to defeat the giants in your life. This win will not come because you had a rock in your hand, but because of the anointing of God that is placed over your life, it is God that will give you the VICTORY!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
The Run!
Every Saturday morning, I would be anxious to get up and watch cartoons. Like clock work, I was up at 7am, ready to watch one of my favorite cartoons "Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote." It always amazed me how coyote could never catch the road runner. Hackneyed in his plans, coyote always kept chasing after the road runner. It was almost as if road runner had some unseen protection!
Before my walk with God, I felt like I was being chased by the coyote, I mean it was like I couldn't catch a break. Every single time a situation arose, I would run faster and faster. At one point I thought I was a track star jumping hurdles. Yet, at the same time, I was being protected from what was chasing after me. Tired of running over senseless things, I began to cry out to God. Now I knew God, but I didn't KNOW him in a personal/intimate way. This would be my act of FAITH.
The prodigal son, is a story of a young man who wanted to take his inheritance early and use it, he wanted to explore life. It was in that exploration of life that things did not go quite as planned as he thought. Let's just say he did not budget well and I am sure he had a few friends that mooched off of him. In many ways our lives are parallel to that of the prodigal son. Sometimes our choices causes things to chase after us, and then there are times where God will allow the chase, so that we will focus back on the eternal life and not the temporary life. The prodigal son, used all of his inheritance up and found himself in a low spot. A spot that was not comfortable for anyone, not even the attendants of the pigs. Broken, disgusted and yet,longing to be reunited with his father, he decided that if he was going to work as an hired servant, he could at least go and ask his father to hire him as one of his servants. (Humility)
There are times in our lives, when we hit our low spot and the only thing we can do is cry out to Abba Father, "God", help us! The prodigal son, made a conscientious decision that he was tired. Although he mentally made the decision first, it would also become an act of faith to go back home to his father.
Towards the end of the story, the father, saw his son from a distance, not asking any questions or yelling at him to leave his property, the father runs towards the son. When they finally meet, the father hugs/embraces and kiss his son. What a way to come home, in the arms of your father.
Are you tired of running? If so, God is longing to reconnect with you, he has never left you, yet he has protected you. He is ready to celebrate your coming home! He is waiting to hug you and tell you welcome home! There is a robe and a crown waiting just for you! God loves you!
Additional Scripture Reference: Psalms 51; Luke 15:11-32; Romans 10:9-10
Before my walk with God, I felt like I was being chased by the coyote, I mean it was like I couldn't catch a break. Every single time a situation arose, I would run faster and faster. At one point I thought I was a track star jumping hurdles. Yet, at the same time, I was being protected from what was chasing after me. Tired of running over senseless things, I began to cry out to God. Now I knew God, but I didn't KNOW him in a personal/intimate way. This would be my act of FAITH.
The prodigal son, is a story of a young man who wanted to take his inheritance early and use it, he wanted to explore life. It was in that exploration of life that things did not go quite as planned as he thought. Let's just say he did not budget well and I am sure he had a few friends that mooched off of him. In many ways our lives are parallel to that of the prodigal son. Sometimes our choices causes things to chase after us, and then there are times where God will allow the chase, so that we will focus back on the eternal life and not the temporary life. The prodigal son, used all of his inheritance up and found himself in a low spot. A spot that was not comfortable for anyone, not even the attendants of the pigs. Broken, disgusted and yet,longing to be reunited with his father, he decided that if he was going to work as an hired servant, he could at least go and ask his father to hire him as one of his servants. (Humility)
There are times in our lives, when we hit our low spot and the only thing we can do is cry out to Abba Father, "God", help us! The prodigal son, made a conscientious decision that he was tired. Although he mentally made the decision first, it would also become an act of faith to go back home to his father.
Towards the end of the story, the father, saw his son from a distance, not asking any questions or yelling at him to leave his property, the father runs towards the son. When they finally meet, the father hugs/embraces and kiss his son. What a way to come home, in the arms of your father.
Are you tired of running? If so, God is longing to reconnect with you, he has never left you, yet he has protected you. He is ready to celebrate your coming home! He is waiting to hug you and tell you welcome home! There is a robe and a crown waiting just for you! God loves you!
Additional Scripture Reference: Psalms 51; Luke 15:11-32; Romans 10:9-10
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Remembering 9/11 Let Us Pray!
Nine years ago today, we were in shock by the first of acts of terrorism unraveled on our country, The United States of America. As many of us watched the news reports come in, we were in disbelief to say the least. Vivid pictures of people fleeing the burning and soon to be collapsing World Trade Center, billowing smoke filled the streets as thousands of individuals ran towards safety.
Neither pictures or words can accurately depict what could have been going on in the minds of those that were directly in the midst of the commotion, not to mention what the family members of those that were trapped in the World Trade Center was going through.
It was at that moment that our world as we know it stopped, hysteria of our nation was now being displayed. If you recall all air transportation was grounded as we as a nation did not know when or where another attack would happen. The hours following the attacks not only at The World Trade Center, but at the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pa. The senseless attacks called our country to prayer. It was in that moment of terror that our country was called back to the basis as to which we were founded, that basis was God and religion. There was unity between all races, religions, and social economic classes.
Last month, we visited Ground Zero, (formerly World Trade Center). Gazing the sky, my heart dropped as I recalled those events. As a tourist, I was walked around with my camera trying to snap photos of this historic piece of land. What I saw nine years ago, was what I saw in August. People of all backgrounds were walking around and speaking to each other as they snapped pictures.
Although time has passed we hold these events close and dear to our hearts, let us not forget the real heros. The ones that tried to stop the hijackers, co-workers who put their lives before others, firemen, and policemen. As a country we ALL were effected in some way, maybe we didn't lose someone close to us, but we shared in the pain of the misfortune of our country.
As we honor the memories of those that lost their lives, let us not forget to continue to pray for the families of the victims. Let us pray for our country and our current administration. Let us pray that we end racism, let us pray that we put a stop to drugs that are being sold within our communities, let us pray to stop the loss of jobs, let us pray for affordable medical insurance, let us pray that more children will be educated, let us pray that churches will come together, let us pray that terrorist attacks will stop, let us pray that more homeless shelters would be opened, let us pray for peace, let us pray for happiness, let us pray for each other, let us pray, let us pray........LET US PRAY!
Neither pictures or words can accurately depict what could have been going on in the minds of those that were directly in the midst of the commotion, not to mention what the family members of those that were trapped in the World Trade Center was going through.
It was at that moment that our world as we know it stopped, hysteria of our nation was now being displayed. If you recall all air transportation was grounded as we as a nation did not know when or where another attack would happen. The hours following the attacks not only at The World Trade Center, but at the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pa. The senseless attacks called our country to prayer. It was in that moment of terror that our country was called back to the basis as to which we were founded, that basis was God and religion. There was unity between all races, religions, and social economic classes.
Last month, we visited Ground Zero, (formerly World Trade Center). Gazing the sky, my heart dropped as I recalled those events. As a tourist, I was walked around with my camera trying to snap photos of this historic piece of land. What I saw nine years ago, was what I saw in August. People of all backgrounds were walking around and speaking to each other as they snapped pictures.
Although time has passed we hold these events close and dear to our hearts, let us not forget the real heros. The ones that tried to stop the hijackers, co-workers who put their lives before others, firemen, and policemen. As a country we ALL were effected in some way, maybe we didn't lose someone close to us, but we shared in the pain of the misfortune of our country.
As we honor the memories of those that lost their lives, let us not forget to continue to pray for the families of the victims. Let us pray for our country and our current administration. Let us pray that we end racism, let us pray that we put a stop to drugs that are being sold within our communities, let us pray to stop the loss of jobs, let us pray for affordable medical insurance, let us pray that more children will be educated, let us pray that churches will come together, let us pray that terrorist attacks will stop, let us pray that more homeless shelters would be opened, let us pray for peace, let us pray for happiness, let us pray for each other, let us pray, let us pray........LET US PRAY!
Monday, September 6, 2010
Hold On! Keep The Faith!
In high school, we had to take swimming in order to graduate. I can remember my swimming coach, telling me, "Carmen, you will not drown with that life jacket on"....yeah right as I mumbled to myself. Nonetheless, it was the coach's job to get me safely to the other side of the pool. But my fear would not let me move, panic sat in and negative thoughts swirled my mind.
The echo of the coach's words ring in my mind to this day....." I am not going to let you drown, trust me". In a sense, God has repeated those same words over to us more times than we can count. Unfortunately our carnal mind allows, fear to seep in and keep us from doing all that God wants us to do.
In the story with Peter, he saw Jesus from afar off, he knew it was Jesus and not a ghost, he wanted to be able to walk on the water, just like the Master. Yet a hard reality settled in as he began to take his eyes off of Jesus and onto the howling winds and the waves that were forming around him. Walking on water seemed easy until Peter's focus shifted!
We all have been guilty of letting our focus shift onto something more attractive UNTIL the WINDS and the WAVES start to crash in our life. At that point, code red, blue, green and yellow are being yelled out for HELP! Matthew's account says that after Peter recognized that it was Jesus walking on water and not a ghost, he asked Jesus to allow him to walk towards him. "He said, Come! So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and he came toward Jesus. But when he perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened, and as he began to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me [from death]. Instantly Jesus reached out His hand and caught and held him, saying to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" Matt. 14:29-31
First of off all Peter had to recognize from the beginning that he could not walk on the water without the help of Jesus. Right? Right! He asked for permission, so he already had the mindset that things were going to be alright. Next he was focused on Jesus until his surroundings became shaky. Faith will cause you to walk in the unknown. It is in that unknown territory that our Faith goes under attack, questioning us if we really heard what God said. (JUST THINK ON THAT). After taking his eyes off of the goal, fear of (you can fill in the blank) failure, lack of assurance, control, just to name a few set in set in. I am sure fear started saying you are not going to make, you are going to drown, just give up and quit.
At the point when it looked like he was going to drown from his own fears, help arrives. Just as he began to loose his footing, Jesus reaches his hand out and helps him. AMAZING, Peter, Peter, Peter.....Did you not notice that you were so close. In fact you were almost there! I like how Jesus tells him "O you of little faith, why did you doubt? "Matt. 14:31b In other words, look Peter you have been with me for a long time, you have seen me perform miracle after miracle. Why are you doubting me now?
It is the same way in our life, we have watched God do miraculous works, yet at the time of our storm, we suppress in our minds, what he has done, what challenges he has helped us to overcome. The next time you feel like fear is taking over, start speaking to your storms, waves and winds, not only tell them "Peace be still", but let your storm know, that when I call on God his hand is nearby to save me! I am a CHAMPION, it has been declared that I will live a VICTORIOUS life, my Jesus is not dead, but he has risen with all power. AND if he brought me through the last trial, you better believe he will bring me through this one!
There is no storm too big, that God can not save you from! Keep the FAITH!
Additional Scriptures: Isaiah 41:10,13;65:21,Matthew 14:22-33
The echo of the coach's words ring in my mind to this day....." I am not going to let you drown, trust me". In a sense, God has repeated those same words over to us more times than we can count. Unfortunately our carnal mind allows, fear to seep in and keep us from doing all that God wants us to do.
In the story with Peter, he saw Jesus from afar off, he knew it was Jesus and not a ghost, he wanted to be able to walk on the water, just like the Master. Yet a hard reality settled in as he began to take his eyes off of Jesus and onto the howling winds and the waves that were forming around him. Walking on water seemed easy until Peter's focus shifted!
We all have been guilty of letting our focus shift onto something more attractive UNTIL the WINDS and the WAVES start to crash in our life. At that point, code red, blue, green and yellow are being yelled out for HELP! Matthew's account says that after Peter recognized that it was Jesus walking on water and not a ghost, he asked Jesus to allow him to walk towards him. "He said, Come! So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and he came toward Jesus. But when he perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened, and as he began to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me [from death]. Instantly Jesus reached out His hand and caught and held him, saying to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" Matt. 14:29-31
First of off all Peter had to recognize from the beginning that he could not walk on the water without the help of Jesus. Right? Right! He asked for permission, so he already had the mindset that things were going to be alright. Next he was focused on Jesus until his surroundings became shaky. Faith will cause you to walk in the unknown. It is in that unknown territory that our Faith goes under attack, questioning us if we really heard what God said. (JUST THINK ON THAT). After taking his eyes off of the goal, fear of (you can fill in the blank) failure, lack of assurance, control, just to name a few set in set in. I am sure fear started saying you are not going to make, you are going to drown, just give up and quit.
At the point when it looked like he was going to drown from his own fears, help arrives. Just as he began to loose his footing, Jesus reaches his hand out and helps him. AMAZING, Peter, Peter, Peter.....Did you not notice that you were so close. In fact you were almost there! I like how Jesus tells him "O you of little faith, why did you doubt? "Matt. 14:31b In other words, look Peter you have been with me for a long time, you have seen me perform miracle after miracle. Why are you doubting me now?
It is the same way in our life, we have watched God do miraculous works, yet at the time of our storm, we suppress in our minds, what he has done, what challenges he has helped us to overcome. The next time you feel like fear is taking over, start speaking to your storms, waves and winds, not only tell them "Peace be still", but let your storm know, that when I call on God his hand is nearby to save me! I am a CHAMPION, it has been declared that I will live a VICTORIOUS life, my Jesus is not dead, but he has risen with all power. AND if he brought me through the last trial, you better believe he will bring me through this one!
There is no storm too big, that God can not save you from! Keep the FAITH!
Additional Scriptures: Isaiah 41:10,13;65:21,Matthew 14:22-33
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
This is only a TEST!
2 Samuel 22:4 “I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies.”
Do you recognize this sound and message….. We interrupt this regularly scheduled broadcast to announce an important message: (BEEEEEEEEEEEP) "If this had been an actual emergency, you would have been instructed to tune to one of the broadcast stations in your area." Sometimes in our spiritual life we hear this message, we interrupt YOUR regular schedule plans to bring you a test. As we hear this sound we often prepare for the worse, but do not panic! “A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 HCSB
Just as the alert goes out our Spirit takes note that something different is occurring. I am often intrigued by the use of signals and signs by athletic coaches. They come up with different signals for plays so that the opposing team will not understand what they are doing. Have you ever been traveling down the highway and you lose your radio station and another station starts playing? That is what happens when the test occurs our earthly language no longer works and our spiritual language begins utterance of praise to God. This sets off an alert in the enemies’ camp, he is receiving a mixed signal. What the enemy once thought was fear from you is now recognized as your praise.
The enemy does not understand your praise, he becomes confused. He based his prerequisites on your past actions, he thought you were weak, going to lose your mind, and that you would give up. He did not know about your secret weapon….YOUR PRAISE. As you endure through the test, your praise will allow your faith to increase, while self decreases. As God strengthens you and you continue to praise him, it sets off hysteria in the enemies’ camp. As the walls of your test starts collapsing around you because of your praise to God, the enemy starts backing off. He now understands that this test will not kill you, it only made you stronger and closer to God. Your attention has shifted it, is no longer on the test or your regular scheduled plans but it is now more focused on God. Your praise is your weapon of destroying the enemy. David understood that in order to get to the secret place and hear the next instruction he had to praise and worship God. The battle with the enemy is not with guns, knives or sticks but it will be won by using your voice, your praise!
Lord thank you for giving us a weapon to use that destroys the enemy, thank you for PRAISE!
Additional Scriptures: 2 Samuel 22:4; Psalms 18; 21:11,34; 37:40; 50:23; 68:1; 2 Corinthians 4:7-18
Do you recognize this sound and message….. We interrupt this regularly scheduled broadcast to announce an important message: (BEEEEEEEEEEEP) "If this had been an actual emergency, you would have been instructed to tune to one of the broadcast stations in your area." Sometimes in our spiritual life we hear this message, we interrupt YOUR regular schedule plans to bring you a test. As we hear this sound we often prepare for the worse, but do not panic! “A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 HCSB
Just as the alert goes out our Spirit takes note that something different is occurring. I am often intrigued by the use of signals and signs by athletic coaches. They come up with different signals for plays so that the opposing team will not understand what they are doing. Have you ever been traveling down the highway and you lose your radio station and another station starts playing? That is what happens when the test occurs our earthly language no longer works and our spiritual language begins utterance of praise to God. This sets off an alert in the enemies’ camp, he is receiving a mixed signal. What the enemy once thought was fear from you is now recognized as your praise.
The enemy does not understand your praise, he becomes confused. He based his prerequisites on your past actions, he thought you were weak, going to lose your mind, and that you would give up. He did not know about your secret weapon….YOUR PRAISE. As you endure through the test, your praise will allow your faith to increase, while self decreases. As God strengthens you and you continue to praise him, it sets off hysteria in the enemies’ camp. As the walls of your test starts collapsing around you because of your praise to God, the enemy starts backing off. He now understands that this test will not kill you, it only made you stronger and closer to God. Your attention has shifted it, is no longer on the test or your regular scheduled plans but it is now more focused on God. Your praise is your weapon of destroying the enemy. David understood that in order to get to the secret place and hear the next instruction he had to praise and worship God. The battle with the enemy is not with guns, knives or sticks but it will be won by using your voice, your praise!
Lord thank you for giving us a weapon to use that destroys the enemy, thank you for PRAISE!
Additional Scriptures: 2 Samuel 22:4; Psalms 18; 21:11,34; 37:40; 50:23; 68:1; 2 Corinthians 4:7-18
Monday, August 23, 2010
Don't Count Me OUT! I am a CHAMPION!
From the time we are able to communicate with the world, people ask us "what is your name and what do you want to be when you grow up?" I can recall saying my name is Carmen and I want to be a truck driver. You could have heard a pin drop! Ironically those same words follow us to our adult life. Now instead of asking what is your name, they want to know more about where you came from, where are you heading, what credentials do you have, and oh by the way do you want to be a giant slayer?
In high school I was assigned a book to read. I took one look at the text and thought, "hmm, I can purchase cliff notes and find out everything there is to know about the story in less than one day." That literally, had to be one of the worst mistakes I ever made. A few weeks later, my English teacher gave the test and all of the self confidence I had, was now out the window. The questions were hard and it was nothing that I read from the cliff notes. A preconceived notion.
David the youngest son of Jesse was anointed by Samuel. "Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one." (I Sam. 16:12b) Little did David know his anointing was about to destroy a giant. We have heard the story before, Goliath a 9ft tall Philistine who for forty days yells threats at the Israelites. Amazingly every one was scared of Goliath, because of his size. Fear will cause you to run away from your problems that you are facing, but Faith in God will cause you to face what has scared everyone else. David inquires from the others about Goliath and what will be given to the one who destroys him.
The destiny of David is about to be on display for the whole world to see. David's oldest brother was unhappy that David was there and that he was asking questions. Hearing of the inquires, Saul wanted to meet David, just one look and Saul thought that David would not be able to pull off a victory against Goliath. He even told David, "look, Goliath has been fighting since a young man" (paraphrased I Sam. 17:33 NIV). Fear of others will cause them to speak doubt. Saul only looked at David's outer appearance he did not know what he was anointed to do. There are times when God will hide who you are and what you are capable of doing for him until it is time to face the giant. At the end of the story we see that David faced the giant and used what he knew would help him win, he didn't rely on another's faith or weapons. He used what had been given to him. The next time you are faced with a giant, remember that you were anointed for the battle. God will use what's inside of you!
Sometimes we are too busy trying to size up people based on bias information or preconceived notions. Some people read books others read cliff notes, question is do we know the difference? If David, would have listened to people he would have never faced his giant and walked away with the VICTORY! Champions you don't have...to prove who you are to people, GOD anointed you to slay your giants! VICTORY IS YOURS!
Scripture references can be found in I Samuel 16 & 17 chapters.
In high school I was assigned a book to read. I took one look at the text and thought, "hmm, I can purchase cliff notes and find out everything there is to know about the story in less than one day." That literally, had to be one of the worst mistakes I ever made. A few weeks later, my English teacher gave the test and all of the self confidence I had, was now out the window. The questions were hard and it was nothing that I read from the cliff notes. A preconceived notion.
David the youngest son of Jesse was anointed by Samuel. "Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one." (I Sam. 16:12b) Little did David know his anointing was about to destroy a giant. We have heard the story before, Goliath a 9ft tall Philistine who for forty days yells threats at the Israelites. Amazingly every one was scared of Goliath, because of his size. Fear will cause you to run away from your problems that you are facing, but Faith in God will cause you to face what has scared everyone else. David inquires from the others about Goliath and what will be given to the one who destroys him.
The destiny of David is about to be on display for the whole world to see. David's oldest brother was unhappy that David was there and that he was asking questions. Hearing of the inquires, Saul wanted to meet David, just one look and Saul thought that David would not be able to pull off a victory against Goliath. He even told David, "look, Goliath has been fighting since a young man" (paraphrased I Sam. 17:33 NIV). Fear of others will cause them to speak doubt. Saul only looked at David's outer appearance he did not know what he was anointed to do. There are times when God will hide who you are and what you are capable of doing for him until it is time to face the giant. At the end of the story we see that David faced the giant and used what he knew would help him win, he didn't rely on another's faith or weapons. He used what had been given to him. The next time you are faced with a giant, remember that you were anointed for the battle. God will use what's inside of you!
Sometimes we are too busy trying to size up people based on bias information or preconceived notions. Some people read books others read cliff notes, question is do we know the difference? If David, would have listened to people he would have never faced his giant and walked away with the VICTORY! Champions you don't have...to prove who you are to people, GOD anointed you to slay your giants! VICTORY IS YOURS!
Scripture references can be found in I Samuel 16 & 17 chapters.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Dream on Champion! Part 1
You know when you are younger, you dreamed unexplainable things! As a young girl I dreamed that I would one day marry Prince Charming, he would sweep me off of my feet and take me to the countryside, where we would have a house on a hill surrounded by a white picket fence. It would be at that residence where we would start our family and the rest would be history.......
Fast forward 30+ years later and yes I married my Prince Charming, we had children, but we never made it to the countryside, instead we moved to the city. Talk about how things can change in a moment!
In Genesis 37 we are introduced to a 17 year old young man whose name is Joseph, son of Jacob and they resided in the land of Canaan. Joseph had a dream that his family would one day bow down to him as he would be their ruler. Needless to say the brothers didn't like that idea. So they schemed a plan to get rid of him and for the first couple of years it worked! What they did not realize is that God had favor over Joseph's life.
Joseph was probably emotionless, heart broken and lifeless by the act of his brothers. I don't even think he could have possibly felt like he was going to survive the first of many pits. His first pit didn't look like LIFE, but death. The Bible actually calls it a cistern, in those times the average size was 15 to 20 feet deep, with a 2 to 3 foot opening. What do you do when others throw you in the pit and leave you?
His dream turn into a nightmare within a matter of days. You see you can dream, but you must be careful who you release your dream too! Even the ones that were closest to Joseph didn't understand him....they were dream killers! But God had a plan.....
First thing to remember: always keep your dream alive, keep it close to your heart. When it seems and feels like it's not going to work, and it feels more like failure, hold on to the promise. It's not permitted to kill you, but to GROW you. The action done by others is working out in your favor.
The pit may seem lonely, dark and cold, but you have someone there with you...God is orchestrating your next move, he is preparing you for victory. We know all things work together for our good (Rom. 8:28), it doesn't always feel good, but it is producing a Champion! I encourage you to stir up the gift that is within you (2 Tim. 1:6). Don't let others kill your dreams!
The pit is not permanent, it can not keep you down but for a moment, it is your stepping stone to victory. The vision will come to pass! (Habakkuk 2:3) Hold on CHAMPIONS!! VICTORY BELONGS TO YOU!
Fast forward 30+ years later and yes I married my Prince Charming, we had children, but we never made it to the countryside, instead we moved to the city. Talk about how things can change in a moment!
In Genesis 37 we are introduced to a 17 year old young man whose name is Joseph, son of Jacob and they resided in the land of Canaan. Joseph had a dream that his family would one day bow down to him as he would be their ruler. Needless to say the brothers didn't like that idea. So they schemed a plan to get rid of him and for the first couple of years it worked! What they did not realize is that God had favor over Joseph's life.
Joseph was probably emotionless, heart broken and lifeless by the act of his brothers. I don't even think he could have possibly felt like he was going to survive the first of many pits. His first pit didn't look like LIFE, but death. The Bible actually calls it a cistern, in those times the average size was 15 to 20 feet deep, with a 2 to 3 foot opening. What do you do when others throw you in the pit and leave you?
His dream turn into a nightmare within a matter of days. You see you can dream, but you must be careful who you release your dream too! Even the ones that were closest to Joseph didn't understand him....they were dream killers! But God had a plan.....
First thing to remember: always keep your dream alive, keep it close to your heart. When it seems and feels like it's not going to work, and it feels more like failure, hold on to the promise. It's not permitted to kill you, but to GROW you. The action done by others is working out in your favor.
The pit may seem lonely, dark and cold, but you have someone there with you...God is orchestrating your next move, he is preparing you for victory. We know all things work together for our good (Rom. 8:28), it doesn't always feel good, but it is producing a Champion! I encourage you to stir up the gift that is within you (2 Tim. 1:6). Don't let others kill your dreams!
The pit is not permanent, it can not keep you down but for a moment, it is your stepping stone to victory. The vision will come to pass! (Habakkuk 2:3) Hold on CHAMPIONS!! VICTORY BELONGS TO YOU!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
VICTORY!
As a child I was not the "athletic" type....my thing was books, making cool science projects, running for office in student government, so therefore I didn't know what my level of physical endurance would be until I became older and implemented a workout regimen.
Being a Christian, I certainly didn't know what my "spiritual endurance" would be until I began going through "storms" of life. Wow, I can recall early on in my walk with God.....it was hard, I wanted to give up, throw in the towel and forget about the test, my mentality was just give me an F because I am failing. My carnal mind was not putting my trust in God, who is the Author and Finisher of our Faith. I tried to fight the battles on my own! Boy, was that the wrong thing to do.
Ephesians 6:12 tells us " For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Too many times when I was in the battle, my flesh had me looking at who was against me, instead of what spirit lies within that situation. Finally, I wanted to just quit, throw in the towel. Crying out to God, I began seeking more of him. Each speed bump, hiccup or hurdle that I faced, was different and hurt even the more. I can imagine how I looked sweat beating against the brow, panting hard, losing my breath and at the point where the ropes couldn't hold me up, I was down for the count as a matter of fact, the countdown by the refree had already begun. But God had a different plan, he never intended for me to run from my problems, instead of me throwing up the white flag, he wanted me to throw my hands up and surrender to him.
God wants to fight our battles, he doesn't want us to hold on to them and harbor unforgiveness, lose our sense of joy and more importantly lose sight of what he has prepared for us. Sometimes the look and smell of victory is at what appears to be the point of defeat. But just when you were ready to throw in the white towel, GOD steps in and says....."I have this, I am turning this around for your good!" The battle is not yours it belongs to GOD! What was trying to defeat you has been defeated by God.....he has crushed the enemy on your behalf! VICTORY BELONGS TO YOU!
Reference Scriptures: Psalms 21:11, II Chronicles 20:15,Ephesians 1:11, Ephesians 6:12, II Corinthians 10:3
Being a Christian, I certainly didn't know what my "spiritual endurance" would be until I began going through "storms" of life. Wow, I can recall early on in my walk with God.....it was hard, I wanted to give up, throw in the towel and forget about the test, my mentality was just give me an F because I am failing. My carnal mind was not putting my trust in God, who is the Author and Finisher of our Faith. I tried to fight the battles on my own! Boy, was that the wrong thing to do.
Ephesians 6:12 tells us " For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Too many times when I was in the battle, my flesh had me looking at who was against me, instead of what spirit lies within that situation. Finally, I wanted to just quit, throw in the towel. Crying out to God, I began seeking more of him. Each speed bump, hiccup or hurdle that I faced, was different and hurt even the more. I can imagine how I looked sweat beating against the brow, panting hard, losing my breath and at the point where the ropes couldn't hold me up, I was down for the count as a matter of fact, the countdown by the refree had already begun. But God had a different plan, he never intended for me to run from my problems, instead of me throwing up the white flag, he wanted me to throw my hands up and surrender to him.
God wants to fight our battles, he doesn't want us to hold on to them and harbor unforgiveness, lose our sense of joy and more importantly lose sight of what he has prepared for us. Sometimes the look and smell of victory is at what appears to be the point of defeat. But just when you were ready to throw in the white towel, GOD steps in and says....."I have this, I am turning this around for your good!" The battle is not yours it belongs to GOD! What was trying to defeat you has been defeated by God.....he has crushed the enemy on your behalf! VICTORY BELONGS TO YOU!
Reference Scriptures: Psalms 21:11, II Chronicles 20:15,Ephesians 1:11, Ephesians 6:12, II Corinthians 10:3
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Getting Out Of The Past!
Ever had one of those days when you thought about something you did as a child? Like riding your bike on a hot summer day and you tried to do a trick in front of your friends and it didn't work, or when you fell down at the skating rink, were you embarrassed when you fell? Did you get back up? Of course you did, you laughed, brushed yourself off and kept on trucking.
Somehow along the roads of life, we have forgotten that principle of getting back up and we have held condemnation over the heads of others. Even in our weakest moments, we have had the opportunity to be forgiven. Yet, we play games with the minds of others, by making them feel inferior and that they will always be that "same old person." Ps. 32:1 "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." We can not dangle a person's past over their head. For the believer we must extend our hand to help those that may have fallen. True we should not be a crutch for them, but an extension (witness) of God's saving grace.
The greatest moment in any one's life is the opportunity to use their setback as a come back. God gets the glory when we realize that we have overcome and are willing to share our testimony with others. After all how did we hear about the gospel other than when someone shared their encounter with us. We overcome by the word of our testimony (paraphrased Revelation 12:11) "Though a righteous man falls seven times, he will get up..." Proverbs 24:16a The bigger question is are you willing to help or hurt those in need. I choose to HELP!
Champions, you have a challenge....today, this week, this month and this year. Help someone else along the way. It's not about you although you are fearfully and wonderfully made, it's about God......he doesn't give us dead ends, but glorious new beginnings. Challenge the CHAMPION in you to become a better you in your home, church, community, on the job, and in school.
CHAMPIONS, VICTORY BELONGS TO YOU!!
The greatest moment in any one's life is the opportunity to use their setback as a come back. God gets the glory when we realize that we have overcome and are willing to share our testimony with others. After all how did we hear about the gospel other than when someone shared their encounter with us. We overcome by the word of our testimony (paraphrased Revelation 12:11) "Though a righteous man falls seven times, he will get up..." Proverbs 24:16a The bigger question is are you willing to help or hurt those in need. I choose to HELP!
Champions, you have a challenge....today, this week, this month and this year. Help someone else along the way. It's not about you although you are fearfully and wonderfully made, it's about God......he doesn't give us dead ends, but glorious new beginnings. Challenge the CHAMPION in you to become a better you in your home, church, community, on the job, and in school.
CHAMPIONS, VICTORY BELONGS TO YOU!!
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