" A Time of Pause"

New Years Eve in the past for me and those I have been acquainted with down through the years was a night of great extremes. There was the one end of the spectrum that was full of reveling and excesses that no other night could bring but New Years Eve. Then there was and is the end of the spectrum that is full of Prayer, Praise and Worship to Almighty God for allowing us to see the end of yet another year that has been full of His Grace and Mercy.

Now, as I have grown not only in age but in my thoughts; New Years Eve has become more than just a time of Prayer, Praise and Worship. New Years Eve has become a time that I really take pause and ponder on all the many things that have taken place the last 364 days. With all the contempt, anger, hatred, malice and envy; I sit in awe at the fact that even with all this there is a better day just ahead and this gives me, what I consider the greatest virtue, Hope.

My hope in knowing there is a better day increases my Faith in the One who is in control of all things; which expands my capacity to not only Love Him more, but to also love my neighbor and yes even my enemy. So, as we begin to wind down the clock on another year let us fervently remember:
1Cr 13:13
There are three things that will endure--faith, hope, and love--and the greatest of these is love.

My prayer is that you all have a blessed and safe New Years Eve, and Happy New Year.

Blessings.

"Follow the Leader"

I remember a game we played a lot as children, called follow the leader, and the whole premise of the game was just that; to follow the leader. I recall having to follow through the woods, up a tree, on top of the roof of the house only to have to jump off because the leader jumped off.

I don't know what the goal of the game may have been for any of you when you played, but the goal was to stay the leader and the only way to stay the leader you had to go where no one would go. Which sometimes meant you had to go where you weren't supposed to go in the first place, but the idea of not being the leader any longer was far worse to deal with as opposed to the trouble one would inevitably encounter for going and doing the wrong thing.

Sadly, this seems to be the mantra of the contemporary church as we call it today; that they are willing to lead people into areas that saints were never meant to go, all for the sake of maintaining this false sense of true ministry leadership. The damaging truth to this is that far too many people are following these persons away from the fundamental and foundational truths of the Gospel.

Paul said it best,
1Cr 11:1
Be ye followers of me, even as I also [am] of Christ.

Who are you following? And are they following Christ?

"Acting out, not necessary"

I was wondering to myself where the times slips away to during the Christmas break. Just when I was easing into the day to day of leisureness without the urgency to accomplish anything monumental, and I must say it was rather refreshing. The best part was the fact that my wife and I were off from our jobs the same number of days; which is a rare occurrence, and I think she likes when it's a rare occurrence because I have the propensity to aggravate her for some unknown reason; not saying that this is the only time I aggravate her. I guess when she's quietly doing her thing I tend to want her attention on me so I find a way to redirect her attention by what I call "husbandly acting out".



Now, my "husbandly acting out" works to the point where she always stops doing what it is she's doing to ask me why I insist on aggravating her. So, I continue this type of attention getting from her until I see where her aggravation starts leaning over to the anger side, and that's when I stop the "husbandly acting out". It's not that she is ignoring me when she is doing something to occupy her time; it's her way of giving me time to spend with myself and doing the the things I need to get accomplished around the house.

I believe this is the same type of behaviour that some believers find themselves engaged in when they are feeling that they aren't receiving the attention from God that feel they desire or that they deserve. And, with that they find themselves acting out in some way or fashion until the Lord arrests their attention bringing them back in line to where they need to be. The acting out is nothing more than the unrealized truth, that the Lord is forever attentive to our needs, and we must understand that it isn't necessary for us to get this type of attention from Him.

I believe the Lord in His awesomeness allows us to live the lives He wants us to live without always standing over our shoulders asking every moment "whatcha doin' now?" So, don't be like I am when my wife gets quiet, but instead take the quiet times that we experience to relax, reflect and revive ourselves from the demands of daily living.

Take a deep breath and let it out.

"Returns"

The day after Christmas has been one of those days as a child I never wanted to end, because this was the day that all we had to do was enjoy all the toys we received on Christmas Day. Also, the day after Christmas is one the biggest shopping/return days of the year in my estimation.

I was pondering on this whole idea of giving gifts to those you love and not to mention the love that is involved in giving them, only to have them returned to the stores from which they came and exchange them for something they wanted more than what you gave to them.

When the gift that is given is not received in the spirit, in which it is given, then it becomes a natural thing to get rid of it by placing it in the closet, attic or garage never to be seen again.

Unfortunately, this is the same mentality that is taken by most people today when it comes to the gift of life that was given them by God Himself,
Jhn 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

When we understand the importance of this gift and the love in which it was given, it is then and only then will we instead of looking to return it we instead will look to His Return.

"The Best Gift of All Times"

Father in heaven, I thank you for this day as I do for everyday but this day is the day we set aside to celebrate the greatest gift any person or nation could ever receive. I recognize how undeserving we have been but because of your boundless love for the world you wrapped your gift for us and placed it by the Holy Spirit into the womb of a young virgin whom you called "blessed". It was this very gift that wise men came to worship because they recognized the importance of your Divine sacrifice, and it was this same gift Herod tried so desperately to destroy, but your foreknowledge of all things would not allow it to come to pass.

Saying, thank you never seems to be enough for what you have done for us. You have given us the opportunity to bask in the glory of your Divine peace through your Son Jesus and the joy that accompanies the acceptance of that great gift of salvation He brings.

I thank you for 'the best gift of all times' and in my acceptance of your Divine present I yield myself to you completely, and I will spend the rest of my life proclaiming to all of humanity..."that unto you is born this day..."

This is my prayer to you this Christmas Day, in the matchless name of your Son, Jesus, I pray, Amen.

"The Night Before..."

It was the night before Christmas...

How will we spend it?

What will you give?

"Happy Birthday, My Wife"

I have mentioned in earlier post about my wife and how she is the greatest cook and how she stays on me to make sure that I'm taking care of myself, i.e. the doctor's appointment she made for me about a week or so ago for me.

Well, today is her birthday and though I've mentioned the ages of my grandmother and my dad, I will not even attempt to hint at what her age is. I can only imagine what it was like as a kid growing up with not only your birthday two days away from the day we celebrate Jesus' Birthday, but she also shares her birthday with her twin brother; happy birthday, "D".

I know guys say how great their wives are and how they are their best friend, but I say this from the depths of my heart; my wife is not only my best friend she is my greatest supporter and critic all in one. I kind of argued with the Lord when it came time to praying for someone, but I'm glad I lost the argument (the full story another time).

Baby, I love you and I pray that your day is filled with all that you desire from the Lord, you truly are, "A Virtuous Woman".

"The Reason..."

We purchase video games, Ipods, cellphones, flat screen televisions, laptop computers and many other items too numerous to list. We purchase all these things and more in the name of the holiday called Christmas.

We say, "Jesus is the reason for the season" and we recite the Christmas story narrative in our churches and we even have plays to act out what the scriptures describe in the book of Matthew, and we sing the songs that attest to our appreciation and devotion of the birth of the King of kings and Lord of lords; yet we bring nothing to Him on the day we have set as the date of His birth.

Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the giving of gifts because I myself give gifts, but I attempt even in my gift giving to remember I'm only able to give to others because God gave to me the greatest gift one could ever receive, Jesus.

So let us remember to give to the One that truly deserves all our gifts, and the greatest gift we could ever offer Him is ourselves.

"Thirst Quencher"

I am what some in my circle would call a "kool-aid connoisseur". I perfected the art of kool-aid making back in the late 70's early 80's when a good glass of kool-aid was practically worth it's weight in gold during that time.

I can remember making upwards of three pitchers of kool-aid in one days time, and sometimes more than that on the weekends. It was as if we couldn't get enough to satisfy the unending thirst we had as children. When my mother saw how much kool-aid we were really going through in a weeks time, she started telling us to drink water instead of the kool-aid. Now, it is true she was telling us to drink water all along but you know how adolescents can get.

Of course this was the time before the bottled water craze really took off, so it was nothing to drink straight from the faucet. I must say, when I really started drinking water the way my mother wanted us to do, it stopped me from being as thirsty as I was drinking the kool-aid.

Which brings me to my close for today. When I was in my world before I accepted Christ in my life, I was drinking from the world's kool-aid pitcher just like a lot of people still are and I continued to be thirsty not knowing why. It wasn't until I was offered a drink of "Living Water" that the satisfaction of my thirst was quenched. So, today I can truly understand and identify with the psalmist in the scriptures, because I now know where and from whom to drink.

Psalms 42:1

"A little patience"

Read Luke 13:6-9 and consider just how fortunate we are that the Lord thought enough of us to give us that special attention we needed and yet need to develop into the people that He is calling us to be in this day. He knows that once He has broken up the ground in which we have become so accustomed to live, with no signs of life, and has nourished us with His love through the life of His blood; we will without prevarication bring forth much fruit to His glory.

"Rend your heart, and not your garments." Joel 2:13

I was reading in my devotion today another article by Charles haddon Spurgeon and I just felt compelled to share with you all again what I believe to very in tune to where we sometimes find ourselves when we aren't watching.

Joel 2:13

Garment-rendering and other outward signs of religious emotion, are easily manifested and are frequently hypocritical; but to feel true repentance is far more difficult, and consequently far less common. Men will attend to the most multiplied and minute ceremonial regulations--for such things are pleasing to the flesh--but true religion is too humbling, too heart-searching, too thorough for the tastes of the carnal men; they prefer something more ostentatious, flimsy, and worldly. Outward observances are temporarily comfortable; eye and ear are pleased; self-conceit is fed, and self- righteousness is puffed up: but they are ultimately delusive, for in the article of death, and at the day of judgment, the soul needs something more substantial than ceremonies and rituals to lean upon. Apart from vital godliness all religion is utterly vain; offered without a sincere heart, every form of worship is a solemn sham and an impudent mockery of the majesty of heaven.
HEART-RENDING is divinely wrought and solemnly felt. It is a secret grief which is personally experienced, not in mere form, but as a deep, soul-moving work of the Holy Spirit upon the inmost heart of each believer. It is not a matter to be merely talked of and believed in, but keenly and sensitively felt in every living child of the living God. It is powerfully humiliating, and completely sin-purging; but then it is sweetly preparative for those gracious consolations which proud unhumbled spirits are unable to receive; and it is distinctly discriminating, for it belongs to the elect of God, and to them alone.
The text commands us to rend our hearts, but they are naturally hard as marble: how, then, can this be done? We must take them to Calvary: a dying Saviour's voice rent the rocks once, and it is as powerful now. O blessed Spirit, let us hear the death-cries of Jesus, and our hearts shall be rent even as men rend their vestures in the day of lamentation.-Charles Haddon Spurgeon

"Happy Birthday, Dad."

I must say that I hadn't always shown nor given my father the honour that was due him when I was a lot younger and a lot more immature. I had taken issue with him on a lot of different things and wouldn't allow myself to soften to any explanation given that would help me to give the proper honour to him.

I was in my twenties and was the father of my own son when I began to understand to a degree some of the possibilities that a father thinks about as he attempts to do what he believes is the right thing to do as it relates to his children and some of the decisions that are made which perhaps will never be totally understood but in hopes that they will be viewed as being done from a heart of sincerity.

I have this day a greater relationship with my father than I have ever had in the past and the honour he deserves from a son I give to him whole heartily and without reservation. So, as today is his 63rd birthday, I want to wish him the greatest day of all days and for him to know that I love him very much and I thank him for being my dad.

"Who do you ask?"

I was engaged in a conversation with my sister/cousin, I call her my sister/cousin because we are closer in our relationship than just cousins. I watch over her the same as I have with my other sisters, and I check to see how things are going for her and what her plans are for the day, etc. I thank God also for the fact that she is a born-again believer and loves the Lord with all her heart, soul, mind and body. Her coming into the Body of Christ is how we became so close in the first place.

We have great discussions everyday concerning the Word of the Lord and how it relates to our lives on a daily basis. The discussion we had today started a couple of days ago when we were talking about supporting ministry financially. I must say that today was our first real disagreement with one another as it relates to this subject.

I'm looking to have a good discussion on this subject from all believers and from those of you who haven't as of yet given your life to the Lord Jesus. I would like for those of you that wish to leave a comment to state your position and lay out your arguement.

Soliciting financial support from believers and unbelievers?

My cousins position on the subject is: "Unbelievers should not be solicited for financial support of the ministry, because it causes a stumblingblock and gives an occasion for the Gospel to be blasphemed among unbelievers." She uses 1Cor 9:12 and 3John 1:7 to support her position.

My position on the subject is: "We solicit financial support from unbelievers in our sanctuaries every week when it's time to raise the offering, and we say that it for the furtherence of the Gospel ministry. We do not make a distinction when we ask; that only those of you in here that are saved give in the offering only. I believe the Lord provides finances even by the hands of those that haven't trusted in His name." I submit Prov 12:14

Alright, let's begin..."Who do you ask?"

"Come unto me"- Spurgeon

"Come unto me." —Matthew 11:28
The cry of the Christian religion is the gentle word, "Come." The Jewish law harshly said, "Go, take heed unto thy steps as to the path in which thou shalt walk. Break the commandments, and thou shalt perish; keep them, and thou shalt live." The law was a dispensation of terror, which drove men before it as with a scourge; the gospel draws with bands of love. Jesus is the good Shepherd going before His sheep, bidding them follow Him, and ever leading them onwards with the sweet word, "Come." The law repels, the gospel attracts. The law shows the distance which there is between God and man; the gospel bridges that awful chasm, and brings the sinner across it.
From the first moment of your spiritual life until you are ushered into glory, the language of Christ to you will be, "Come, come unto me." As a mother puts out her finger to her little child and woos it to walk by saying, "Come," even so does Jesus. He will always be ahead of you, bidding you follow Him as the soldier follows his captain. He will always go before you to pave your way, and clear your path, and you shall hear His animating voice calling you after Him all through life; while in the solemn hour of death, His sweet words with which He shall usher you into the heavenly world shall be--"Come, ye blessed of my Father."
Nay, further, this is not only Christ's cry to you, but, if you be a believer, this is your cry to Christ--"Come! come!" You will be longing for His second advent; you will be saying, "Come quickly, even so come Lord Jesus." You will be panting for nearer and closer communion with Him. As His voice to you is "Come," your response to Him will be, "Come, Lord, and abide with me. Come, and occupy alone the throne of my heart; reign there without a rival, and consecrate me entirely to Thy service." -Charles Haddon Spurgeon

"Happy Birthday, Lil'Ma"

Today is my grandmother's 84th birthday. She has always been a great inspiration and encouragement to me and even though I'm grown and I have my own family now I still look to my grandmother for not only encouragement and inspiration but for the wisdom that the Lord has given to her.

I can even remember how she would always correct us when we would use improper words in a sentence that didn't go together. She utilized corporal tactics to get her point across when we would continue to speak improperly with phrases like... "ain't got no". My lips still hurt today when I think about that Thanksgiving Day when I sat at the table to the right of grandmother and uttered that phrase, talk about pain.

The word of the Lord says, "The days of our years [are] threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength [they be] fourscore years, yet [is] their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away."Psa 90:10

I thank God for allowing my Lil'Ma to yet be here with us, and I know personally that she has had her life filled with both labour and sorrow and she has shown me that even in this she is yet content.

"Rehabilitation"

I went to the doctor's office today at the behest of my beloved wife who made me an appointment after I refused to do it myself. I had been having difficulties with my left hand in that it would hurt to close it. Well, the doctor checked me out and seems to think it is what they call, "carpal tunnel syndrome" or "repetitive stress injury" and she prescribed me an anti-inflammatory and a brace to wear at night.

I started thinking about this and it seems to me to somewhat of oxymoronic in nature, and what I mean by that is, this carpal tunnel thing is due to repeating the same type of procedure but in a way that isn't quite correct thus causing the end result to be a painful manifestation in the body that requires some type of rehabilitation. There are many things that I can think of that I do repetitively everyday but don't need any type of rehabilitation.

This got me to thinking of the importance of the believer to follow the words of the Apostle Paul when he said to Timothy,"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."2Tim 2:15 His encouragement to Timothy to be constant in his studies which for all believers is an ongoing and repetitive process, but to do it the correct way, by rightly dividing the word of truth.

When we do the things that the Lord requires of us in the correct way there will be no need of us having to go through rehabilitation.

"Good Manners"

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh."Luke 6:45

I read an article on the internet concerning the wife of Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich, and her family said, "her profanity-laced comments recorded by federal prosecutors don't reflect who Patti Blagojevich really is." I was somewhat taken aback when I read the article, because I've always been taught that a person that uses profanity is in fact showing people the type of person they really are.

I must say also that I'm certain she and her family are going through a very difficult time with all that is happening to them, but if she is the good person that her family is saying she is then where is the profanity coming from?

We must always remember that no matter what life throws our way the responses we give are always a reflection what is on the inside of us. If you are in the presence of those that use profane language on a regular basis then it is certain you will do the same. "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners."1Cor. 15:33

"Saints"

There has always been this stigma with people, young ones in particular that in order to live the life of a christian that one has to walk around with a long face trying to look all somber and pius as if they had been sucking on lemons or drinking vinegar. I can remember older christians hardly ever smiling which tends to keep young people from wanting to be a part of what they were trying to get across.

I've learned that living a christian lifestyle shouldn't be a pressured, walking on eggshell, sorrowful existance. It has been my experience that there is a light joyful feeling when one truly comes to know the Lord Jesus. Christians are supposed to be the light of the world and it's that light which draws people to see what is it about us, not the humdrum dried up looks I've seen on some christians faces.

This is why I prefer not to use the wording of christians when I'm talking about true born again believers. I like using the words that the bible uses when referring to them and that is Saints; so from this post on when I speak of believers the word will be "Saints".

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.Num 6:24-26

"All the saints salute you." 2Cor 13:13

"Better than a dog"

Bishop(top)

Scheeba(bottom)

I have been an animal lover pretty much all my life, and my favorite animal hands down would have to be a dog. I can remember our first dog we had was a Collie and he looked identical to Lassie from the T.V. show. We named him Dino and this was the beginning of my love for dogs. We had Dino for many years and I was the one to train him to do some of the normal things like sit stay lay down, etc. I taught him this one thing where I would take him for a walk around the neighborhood and then I would tell him to go home and he would turn around and go all the way to the house.

I have learned as I've gotten older that the many different dogs I've had through the years all responded favorably to the commands I gave them when it I had established my position as the master and shown them that I was going to care for them. I have always said that dogs know who they can and cannot trust. Today I have two American PitBull Terriers, Scheeba and Bishop, a mother and her son from her first litter. They too are just like the rest of the dogs I've had; in that they have follow my commands too, once I've established that I was the master and they look for the praise and rewards for doing what's expected of them.

Now, if this is the case with animals to know that if they do what is required of them; then what seems to be the problem with us? "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted..."Gen 4:7 The Lord has more than established himself as the Master of all things and has promised to reward us if we just obey him. He is far better to us than we could ever be to any animal that we own, and has a greater reward to give each one of us.

"Persistency?"

I remember how determined I was when we were younger and there was something I really wanted from my parents. I would ask for the particular thing and a lot of the times I wouldn't get an answer right away so I would continue to ask rather often. This would go on for some time until I either got tired of asking and just gave up or I would get an answer that was somewhat definitive.

There were times when the thing I wanted really wasn't necessary for me to have at that time and in time my parent would tell me just that, and I was satisfied with the answer to the point I wouldn't ask for that particular thing again. I've learned as a parent that there are times when we must inform our children that there are some things they just don't need at this particular time, and that waiting for something isn't necessarily a bad thing.

I believe this is how the Lord deals with us when it comes to us asking for things that we think are what we need. When we don't get an answer right away we are more persistent with our request, and the Lord let's us know, if we listen, that it's not something we need and that His grace more than sufficient.

Let's take a moment before we ask the Lord for what we think are the "desires of our hearts", because they may very well be the desires of our fleshly appetites that we need so desperately keep under subjection.

"An Individual"

My parents never put me on the same level with my other siblings, because we all had different personalities. They would deal with my sister in a certain way because she was the youngest at the time and my brother was dealt with differently because he was the oldest.

If our natural parents have the where withal to understand that they have to use different tactics when it comes to dealing with their children; then how much more does the Lord know how to deal with each and everyone of His children?

"...O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known [me].Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted [with] all my ways."Psa 139:1-3

"Recession, and?"

Well, it is official according to the government as reported by the media, we are in a in a full blown recession. Now, I don't think we really needed to have the government tell us anything we already knew for some time. However, with this new so-called revelation that has been given shouldn't sway us from what we know to be true.



We as believers aren't to be so easily shaken by the developments of the economy and the all of the negative things happening with the stock market. We are to continue to look to the very one that allowed the economy to even exist. I like the way David said it..."I have been young, and [now] am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."Psa 37:25



The world lives in wonder not knowing what is next. We live in anticipation knowing that He controls what's next.

"Doing Something New"

I'm the type person that is always looking to change things around in my life to get a new look. Some of my friends say jokingly that I'm O.C.D. because I like things to be neat and orderly. I've been this way even when I was a kid; I would arrange and rearrange my room at least once a week and sometimes twice depending on what flow I was in at the time.

I believe it necessary for all of us to be more flexible with our surroundings and not get bogged down with what we perceive to be the normality of life. "For I am about to do a brand-new thing. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness for my people to come home. I will create rivers for them in the desert!"Isa 43:19

He's doing a new thing are you?

"Honest testimony"

The words of the Apostle Paul:

"This [is] a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting." 1Tim 1:15,16KJV

"This is a true saying, and everyone should believe it: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--and I was the worst of them all. But that is why God had mercy on me, so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. 1Tim 1:15,16NLT

The testimony of all honest believers..."If God did it for me as messed up as I was; then surely He will do it for you".

"Warrantable"

I work in an industry that provides warranties on the different products that are sold to the consumer. The warranties however vary from product to product and there are various time tables that govern the warranties as well.

It is part of my responsibility to inform the customer, once the equipment is either just delivered or delivered and installed by our company, of the product they have and the warranties that are attached to the equipment and their responsibilities of keeping the warranties valid. The warranties or in and of themselves pretty good, however the warranties do not cover everything related to the equipment. There are parts that are considered wear items and the warranties do not cover wear items, because they are designed to "wear out".

This is the great thing of the assurance we have in what the Lord Jesus did for us on the cross of Calvary so long ago, which is there are no wear items that aren't covered. When he purchased our salvation with his own blood he did it once and for all and his blood covers us completely. "...but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us]."Heb9:12

"Tests"

I remember having to take all these tests when we were coming through school and they were to determine our development and where we stand as far as our level of understanding. I really didn't particularly care for those tests, because the tests were too generic.

I can remember having classmates that didn't do very well on the tests and the results were that they were placed in a slower teaching classroom when they were fully capable of maintaining in a classroom that was of a faster pace. The same was the case with others that according to the tests were near geniuses and were placed in classrooms that were designed for individuals that needed to be challenged more than other students.

These were the and are even to this day the downside of tests that are developed by persons that I believe are using a generalized way of determining the growth of individuals. These types of growth charts are unsurprisingly used in our churches today. We attempt to gauge each other on where we should be in our walk with the Lord based off of a generalized formula constructed by religion.

Thankfully the Lord doesn't operate in our lives in general terms, but is involved with the development of each believer on an individual basis. Most importantly our tests that we go through as believers are specifically designed for us and the great part about the tests the Lord allows us to go through is that He has already given us the way to pass and that is by His Spirit.

"The Right Tool..."

I had an uncle that taught me a lot of things, but what I remember him most for was how he would teach me how to fix things. I remember a time in particular where he had taken apart a telephone and then handed it to me and told me to put it back together.

He would do those types of things with quite often, and he would say that if you could fix it for yourself then you couldn't be taken advantage of. I was always instructed by my uncle, when I was putting things together or fixing something, which tool to use for which job. The right tool for the job will get the job done right.

The Word of God is that tool for the believer, and it works in conjunction with the Holy Spirit as he teaches us how to apply the right scripture to that particular area in our life. A self check is always in order and when we find a breaking or broken area; then allow the Spirit to direct you to the scripture that will best remedy the brokenness.

"Fresh everyday"

I must admit I do like leftovers, especially Thanksgiving Day leftovers. I tell you there is nothing quite like warming up the dressing, greens, macaroni and cheese and of course we dare not leave out the turkey.

I also must say that even the greatest meal known to man; which is Thanksgiving Day dinner can become a little less inviting as the days increase since that fourth Thursday in November. It is at that point you no longer want to have anything to do with the leftovers.

Unfortunately, there are some who view the Bible as a one time big meal celebration and that you can come back and get some leftovers, but after a short time the leftovers are no longer appealing. This is not the testimony of the individual that has given their all to the One who holds the keys of life and death. The Bible to the believer is a never ending buffet that can satisfy all that the believer desires and the supply is always fresh.

So, let's remember the Word is "Fresh everyday."

"Guaranteed Prize"

I have been athletic all my life and have played, I would guess, almost every sport there is to play. I particularly cared more for basketball and track as opposed to baseball, wrestling and football.



I enjoyed track most because it seemed to challenge me every time I would step out on the track, whether it was to jump a little bit higher or to run a little bit faster than the last time I ran or jumped. Track is about endurance, patience and mastery all was needed to be successful in this sport of wills.



There was nothing like the feeling that one gets when they have practiced for days on end and have logged many miles running building up the endurance needed to compete. When the day arrives to stand on the track and apply all that was coached and instilled, you perform it seems almost effortlessly and the results end with a second place finish.



The same, thankfully, is not the case with the believer of the Lord Jesus. Although, some of the principles of endurance, patience and mastery can be applied the results are far more rewarding than those of a natural race. Because in the natural race there can only be one winner, but in God all that run and run faithfully will all receive the prize.

"Debt Relief"

I would have to say that the introduction to credit cards when I was a younger adult was a bitter sweet one to say the least. I mean to be able to purchase something and not have to pay for it for at least 30 days, wow. Yes, of course there was a certain amount that could be charged, and the way I approached it was simple; I'd charge up to the limit and then pay it off when pay day came.

The system I had was going good until an interruption in my employment dictated that I start making the minimum payment. This was alright for a moment until I realized that the minimum payment wasn't taking down the balance I owed. I soon found myself so overwhelmed that I was going to need help freeing myself; so I looked for that help and found the way out. I had to change my spending habits and a lot of other things had to change, but it works as long as I stay committed.

The same could viewed with the state of man when he is without the God. We go through life charging and racking up spiritual debt that we could never pay off even if we tried, and this is why Jesus came and paid the price for us with His on blood.

Now that the debt is paid we must live our lives according to the stipulations that the Lord has given to us once we have accepted what He did for us. Yes, our habits have to change and the commitment we make to Him is one of a life time.

"Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." Romans 6:18

"Thank You..."

As I sit and think of all the people, places and things I have experienced even just over the past year; I can find no stronger word nor phrase to express my gratitude to God, except the one phrase we all should say with all sincerity..."Thank You".

"Handy work"

I have always wanted to do things in a big way no matter what it was I wanted to make a very convincing statement to anyone paying attention that I did it big. I very seldom wanted to do small things because I felt as though they were so what insignificant in the over all scheme of things.

So, I would just wait for the opportunity to do only the big and extravagant things, because again there was that statement that had to be made. I must say with shame that I allowed that same type of spirit to be a part of my new life in Christ, just without the pride. Nevertheless the desire that was in my heart to accomplish big things for the Lord was far more pressing than the right small right now things.

I understand that every born-again believer wants to accomplish great and mighty things on behalf of the Lord, however I must say with great conviction; that desire will hinder our ability to be as effective as we could be. The mandate is this..."Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do [it] with thy might; for [there is] no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest."Eccl. 9:10

"Better than a string"

I remember when I was a lot younger; the saying was, "if you don't want to forget something that's important then all you have to do is tie a string around your finger". Well, if you know me I tried it and tied a string around my finger. Now, they said if I tied a string around my finger then I wouldn't forget whatever it was that I needed to remember. However, the funny part about that whole thing was they never said I wouldn't forget that the string was around my finger.

So, by the time I remembered the string around my finger it was too late for me to remember the one thing that I put the string around my finger for in the first place. I believe this is what a lot of church-goers do today; they place these proverbial strings around their fingers in an attempt to remember the things that the Lord has spoken, but aren't able to because they forgot the string was there.

This now is the joy of all true believers; to know that since we have accepted the Lord Jesus and have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit we need not to worry nor do we have to tie the proverbial string around our fingers any longer, "But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." John14:26

Bye, bye string.

"Not a lot of talk"

I have always heard people say to one another, "just call me if you need me for any thing" and of course for the most part the individual never called. However, I've come to realize that the individuals that say, "just call me..." really don't mean it at all. This was their small frail attempt to seem genuinely compassionate towards another individual; when all the while they weren't all that concerned in the first place.

Sadly, there are those inside the church-body (notice the I said church-body) that are just as guilty of saying the same and not meaning it. We as believers and followers of the Lord Jesus are to at all times be ready to assist those in need."Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, and you say, "Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well"--but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?"James2:15,16

How can we say we have the Lord in our lives and we neglect to comfort those that are in need of comforting? My friends let's not just be a lot of talk, but instead let us truly walk the walk.

"Open All The Time"

When I discovered Wal-Mart several years ago I honestly could have been labeled as a kid in a candy store. They seem to have everything you could imagine from electronics, sports equipment and even clothing. I can remember going to Wal-Mart and spending hours just walking around taking in all the different types of merchandise that I was making a mental shopping list from.

I have even gone to this store at mid-night and even later at times and a great percentage of the time I wouldn't ever purchase anything on those visits. I soon became aware of the comparison that one could make with Wal-Mart and The Bible. Now, don't blow a gasket with that analogy I just made, because by no means am I equating the two.

The Word of God is of course the original mega superstore, and unlike Wal-Mart has never nor will ever run out of supplies that you may need. The believer has unlimited access to The Word and when there is a need to receive from that Word it is at no cost to the believer, because the price for whatever is needed has already been paid in full.

The Word is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

"Little Body Talk"

I have, over the past few years, begun to what some would call "filling out" and starting to show some signs of middle age. Meaning, my mid section no longer is the "six pack" it once was when I was younger, and even with working out I don't seem to be able to regain the body I once had.

It is with this that some people have resulted to plastic surgery and other types of physical alterations to keep the look they had in the youth. I don't understand why the desire is so deep to keep their bodies from changing.

We shouldn't as believers be so caught up in the trap of trying to change the way we look externally as oppose to the way we look on the inside. Besides this body that we are in now will not be the same body we'll have when we are with the Lord forever,"Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself."Phl.3:21

"Hooray for Troublehood"

I must say with all honesty; that I, in my youth, have been one to find the easy way out of difficult situations up to and including just quitting. I was always told that quitters never win and winners never quit. However, when I was young, I never fully understood the magnitude of appreciating the many troubles that life brings.

I later learned in my life as I have grown in my relationship with the Lord that the troubles that come to us are for the perfecting of our faith in Him. There is a song that is sung even from the time I was younger, and the words are very poignant to the writing of this post. The key phrases in the song are, "hallelujah anyhow never let your problems get you down; when hard trials come your way hold your head up high and say...hallelujah any how."

So, let's remember"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;..."James 1:2 Yes, it easier said than done, however it becomes easier when we keep in mind that we don't go through these troubles alone.

"Why?"

I would like to get a dialogue started with this particular post, because I'm very interested in hearing what other believers truly think about what I'm about to say. I can remember a time, and it wasn't that long ago that I really only cared and looked out for "numero uno" and my concern for other people was minimal at best.

It wasn't until I started to really begin to learn what real love was about that I began to make a transformation in my own life. Though the process was a slow one in the beginning it helped me to see "me" and not someone else.

This is what I want to start a dialogue about with those of you that name the name of Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. 1. "Why is that we find every excuse in the book and or point out what other people do or have done but we never want to deal with ourselves?" 2. "Why is it when we feel the burden for others to experience the peace we have in God and the many days and nights we sit up praying that they could just "get it" but when some time has passed and they still haven't "gotten it" that we throw up our hands?

Let's begin..."why?"

"Thankfulness, Not a One Day Thing."

I must admit this is probably my most favorite time of the year, because it's around this time of year people seem to be the most caring and generous with more than just the people they associate with, but also with total strangers. This is the time of year we label as the season of giving thanks.

We come together and sit down at dinner tables all across this country and world and we begin to tell one another how thankful we are to have one another in our lives and that it shouldn't be just during this time of the year that we get together and appreciate each other. Well, the truth of the matter is that is exactly what happens, because no sooner as the last piece of sweet potato pie is eaten and the last of the ballgames is over we go our separate ways for another year before once again we are thankful for the people in our lives.

We as believers are just as guilty as those who don't profess Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, and the truth of the matter is we as believers should be equally as thankful for every day that the Lord allows us to see each and every day. Let's remember to be mindful of the scripture that says, " This [is] the day [which] the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."Psa. 118:24

So, yes of course we are to be thankful for this time of the year but not at the expense of not being thankful everyday and the rest of the year.

"Love hurts?"

I have to be honest, I received my share and my siblings share of spankings as we were growing up. I really couldn't tell you why I was so inclined to not do what I knew would most assuredly get me into trouble and ultimately spanked and or grounded.

Whenever the punishment was administered for what ever rule I had broken at that time, I was later informed by my parent that just administered a most thorough and sound spanking; that they loved me very much and that I left them no choice. And, of course I would have begged the difference with them at that point, but I knew that would have only escalated the situation into something I wasn't prepared nor equipped to handle.

I later, much later, in life understood where my parents were coming from when they made those, I did it because I love you statements. It is because of love a parent must discipline their children in a way that will be most effective and beneficial to the child.

The same principle is applied to the believers of today when it comes to stepping out of line with the commandments of the Lord. He loves us more than we will ever be able to comprehend in our life time, and because he loves us so it is necessary that he corrects us when we need to be corrected. "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."Heb 12:6

Yes, love does hurt sometimes.

"It's Not An Age Thing"

I'm another year older and of course I thank God for that, but I was thinking back on somethings that I heard as I was coming up. I remember distinctly hearing older people say that "when you get older you'll become wiser". And, of course like any young person that heard those type of statements from an older person you thought they were dead on target and I couldn't wait to get older just to get wiser.

As I began to read and study the scriptures I was to say the least shocked to know that this "when you get older you'll become wiser" statement wasn't exactly true with everybody. Wisdom is more than just knowing something, it's (actually) the knowing how and I can say that even after four plus decades I can concur with Job32:9 "But sometimes the elders are not wise. Sometimes the aged do not understand justice."

So, as believers what should we do in order to gain this wisdom as we begin to grow older. I believe the answer just like everything else lies inside of the scriptures, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."James 1:5

"Remember"

I can't seem to remember a time when ever I have spoken to friends or family members that I haven't seen in a long time; that we didn't play the "do remember" game. There is always something during the conversations that we have that triggers a memory whether pleasant or not so pleasant.

It has been my experience when I would remember a time and a place that I was able to learn something from it, whether it was to how not to find myself in that particular situation again or how to repeat what had transpired because it was a positive and beneficial experience for me.

This is what the Lord wants from us as his children each and everyday of lives here on this earth, and that is to remember the many times He has come to our aide and rescue. Let us not be as the children of Israel in the old testament; where they would constantly forget what and where the Lord brought them from.

But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for [it is] he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as [it is] this day.Deut.8:18

"A Regular Check-Up"

I really never cared that much for going to the doctor when I was coming up, because for the most part going to the doctor meant one thing they were going poke and probe on you and at the same time keep asking you the same question over and over again, "does this hurt or tell me where it hurts".

It wasn't until they found where it hurt that they were able to begin to prescribe a treatment plan for me in order to get me back healthy again. So, as I grew older I began to learn to appreciate going to the doctor, because I found that the old saying is very true..."an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure."

So, it is with us as believers today; we shouldn't wait until there is something seriously wrong with us before we go to our physician for treatment. We should make constant and consistent visits to Him, even when there is nothing wrong with us as we see it. So, let's remember that our health is just as important to the Lord as is our spiritual well being. "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."3John1:2

"A Little Landscaping"

I started cutting grass when I was around 11 or 12 years old. My brother and I had a system when we had to cut the grass, because the yard was rather large for a couple of pre-teens. It was always a competition to see which one of us could cut our section of the yard the quickest, and then the next time we would switch sections to do the whole competition thing again. We weren't too readily concerned with the state of the yard other than it got cut.

I later in life worked as a quality control manager with a landscape company in the south, and the overall description of my job was to check the work of the guys cutting the different properties that the company had contracts with. I had to make sure the yards were edged properly and that any and all weeds were removed from the flower beds. The hedges had to be clipped and shaped correctly and when it was time for pruning the trees it was imperative that the right branches were cut properly.

Working with that landscape company helped me to see the importance of the scriptures and the need for us as believers to really search and study them. It is when we just go and read a scripture here and there that we end up doing what my brother and I did for so many years cutting the grass at home. However, when we stop to examine what the word is saying to us in any given situation we begin to allow the word to landscape our lives, removing the weeds and trimming back the shrubbery that has blocked our view for so long, and allow the world to see the workings of the Lord in our lives.

A little landscaping tends to bring forth a brightness to an area so..."Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."Matthew 5:16

"I can't find it"

I was remembering when I young how my mother would instruct me to go into the kitchen and to retrieve something out of the refrigerator for her. I would go into the refrigerator and immediately shout to her in the other part of the house and say that whatever she wanted from the refrigerator wasn't in there. My mother would only say to me, "it's in there keep looking". I would just stand there with the refrigerator door opened repeating over and over again to my mother, "it's not in here".

It was after a few minutes of this back and forth conversation with my mother; that she would come into the kitchen where I was standing in front of the refrigerator and would say one more time before moving me out of the way, "it's in there". She would then move me out of the way and reach into the refrigerator and move a few things out of the way and pull out the very thing she sent me into the kitchen to get, and on her way out of the kitchen she would say to me in a rather stern voice, "you will never find it if you never move things out of the way and look".

This lesson we all as believers must learn or if we have already learned it we must continue to apply it to our walk with the Lord. I'm reminded of what the Lord Jesus said, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." John5:39

So, let's move somethings out of the way and then look; I guarantee we'll find just we're looking for.

"Encouragement from within"

It has become quite apparent to me as I have grown older; that people look for others to validate them in practically everything they set out to accomplish. They look for encouraging words from their loved ones and even from acquaintances and friends. When they are receiving these words of empowerment it seems as if nothing can keep them from their anticipated goals.

In the same token, all too many times those same individuals that thrive off of the encouraging words of others and the ones that are closest to them often fall victim to the same people. We have to be very careful when we rest of comfort in individuals and their words that we look to propel us onward.

It is only when we truly look to the Lord as our source and guide in all matters of life that we will be able to continue moving in the direction He wants for us. There comes a time in every believers walk that they will encounter among fellow travelers disapproval and disenchantment. However, we can't allow that to sway us to the point of giving up on the mission and vision that the Lord has given. We must consider following the example of King David when his men became disillusioned with him,..."David encouraged himself in the LORD his God."

So, in the words of a song I've heard..."Speak over yourself, encourage yourself in the Lord."

"Reference Check"

When I first started looking for my first real job I soon found out about having good references for a potential employer. You see references are persons that know important details concerning your work ethic, and well you can adapt to certain employment changes and so forth. Although it's nice to know that your Aunt Suzy thinks the world of you; employers are looking to speak with individuals that aren't related to you and people that would be unbias.

Most times we don't realize that we are making ourselves known to the people we work with or go to school with each and everyday. That is why it is so important to maintain an attitude as well as a posture of excellence at all times. No, we are not always at 100% everyday however that should never affect our attitudes. Regardless of the situations that we face each day; our goal is to always look to please the Lord of our Salvation and Source.

When we think people aren't watching is the time when our characters and attitudes should be at there highest levels, because most reference seekers will ask about the type of person you are when you are left alone and working by yourself. What will your references say of you? Will you be offered the position or will someone else? "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold."Prov. 22:1

"True Triumph"

There has always been this unspoken rule as I was coming up, and that was the person that could beat every person they fought with was the "Big Person on Campus". The bully mentality was very much alive when I was rather young, and with a bit of shame I must admit that I prescribed to that type of attitude. I would allow myself to get angry rather quickly when I felt I was wronged in one way or another, and would rather settle the dispute with a physical altercation much more than to try and talk it out.

I found that even with the so-called triumph over the other persons after the physical altercation that there was something that was missing. Yes, I walked away with my chest out but the rush that was there moments ago left just as quickly. I had to keep winning these altercations in order to keep that "feeling" fresh.

It was after I became a believer in the faith that I found the triumph over an individual was not the feeling of satisfaction that I was looking for at such a young age , but instead was the conquering of myself. I will not say that I have arrived at perfection but I'm closer now than I ever was then, and when things begin to get a little difficult for me I just stop and remember the scripture that reads..."He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city."Prov 16:32 NKJV

"The Right Temperature"

I have said this in a previous post, and that is my wife is a great cook. I'm not being bias either; she could very well give lessons on cooking to alot of people who think they can cook but really can't. The reason I brought this in to the discussion for today is because of the way my wife is able to determine the correct temperature to cook a particular dish at.

You see if a cook were to place a dish in the oven at a temperature that was lower than what was required the dish would be undercooked when it was taken from the oven at the set time. This would require the cook to replace the dish back in the oven until it reached the desired results. The temperature that is set too high would do just the opposite and over cook the dish; it is clear then how important the right temperature and time plays in the preparation of a meal.

The same is the case with the believer when it comes to the trials and tribulations we find ourselves in from time to time. The scriptures refers to them as "fiery trials" and that we should be alarmed when they come. I believe that when these trials come to us it's as if the Lord is allowing us to be placed in the oven of perfection, and it's only when the proper time has elapsed as well as the correct temperature that we as believers shall come forth.

The wrong temperature has ruined alot of dishes and have caused them to be thrown out and unusable, but we are encouraged by the scripture..."I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure, just as gold and silver are refined and purified by fire. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, `These are my people,' and they will say, `The LORD is our God.' " Zec 13:9

"The Joy of Togetherness"

I have always enjoyed when my family gets together and we sit around going back in the past and remember the things that we have done together. The time spent together is a wonderful experience that is enjoyed by all in attendance, and it is always said that the time spent together is either too short or it's too long in between.

Togetherness is a continuous theme throughout the scriptures and is what the believers of today need to refocus on in this tumultuous time in which we live today. As the world gets worse with all the wars and natural disasters that seem to be the lead stories of every news broadcast lately, we must remember as believers to come together.

It is when we come together that we regain our focus as well as strength, because we are indeed better together. I'm reminded of the scripture..."How wonderful it is, how pleasant, when brothers live together in harmony! For harmony is as precious as the fragrant anointing oil that was poured over Aaron's head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe. Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. And the LORD has pronounced his blessing, even life forevermore."Psa 133:1-3 NLT

"Shhhh...the Lord saw you."

I am privileged to have met a lot of different people in the short time that I've been on this earth. I've seen the very generous of persons and I have also seen the very selfish of persons as well, but what I have noticed even with some of those individuals that were and are generous is they tend to make a big deal of letting people know just how generous they have been to someone. Even before I understood the scriptures I was always instructed by family; that when something is done for someone then we weren't to broadcast it all around the neighborhood. We saw money given and groceries purchased and no one knew about it except those persons that lived in those particular families.

It was the way I was raised and then I realized as I began to see and understand scripture; that it was the way the Lord instructed it to be done..."When you give a gift to someone in need, don't shout about it as the hypocrites do--blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity!..."Matt.6:2

So, let us perform acts of charity towards those that are need and most importantly let's keep what we do for others to ourselves. I guarantee that when we give in this manner then the Lord shall reward us openly.

"Shhhh, trust me the Lord saw you."

"The Blame Game"

All my life I have heard people go on and on about this or that blaming the everything and everyone for the situation they were in at that moment. There seems to have been no sense of personal responsibility taken by these individuals for any area of their lives. They blame the weather man when they get wet from the rain; rather than blame themselves for walking outside without an umbrella. They blame the car manufacturer for the engine seizing up in their car; rather than blame themselves for maintaining proper service of that car.

As, believers we can not get caught up in the "Blame Game" with those that aren't believers and most importantly those who say they are believers and exhibit these types of behaviours. It is a certainty that every individual shall have to stand and give an account for themselves.

So, instead of us trying to find a way to point the finger at someone or some group to blame for the state we find ourselves let's instead embrace what the Apostle Paul says, "...for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."Phil4:11

"You look just like..."

When I was coming up it wasn't uncommon for people I've met for the first time to say to me and my brother, "you look just like your father" or "you act just like your father". I had always taken pride in the fact that not only was my dad known to a lot of different people, but that his reputation and character was one of a positive experience rather than a negative one. I, of course being every bit the problematic individual that I was at the time tried to my best to deny, in a sense, the identity that was unmistakeably mine.

It reminds me of the place in the scriptures where when they took our Lord to the judgement halls how the people were asking the Apostle Peter, wasn't he one of the disciples of Jesus and how they were able to determine that he was because of the way he spoke and acted. However, Peter did like most of us has done in times past when the situation we found ourselves in getting a little bit much, "we tried to deny the unmistakable identity that is ours".

So, let's not repeat the examples of myself growing up trying to deny who I was and most importantly am, nor the follow the example of Peter. However let us all embrace that which has totally embraced us; which the love of our Father and the identity that He has given to us even from before the foundation of the earth.

"You look just like your Father".

"Is it proven?"

There is a saying that expresses the idea that a person mustn't allow suggestions from external sources to dictate how you are to handle a difficult situation. You must when facing what may seem to be an insurmountable obstacle rely on what it was and most importantly who it was that saw you through it. Attempting to change tactics that have not been proven in the midst of a battle can and has been proven unfruitful for many.

This brings me to the story of David, and how when the enemy went war against the chosen people of God and how that one man (Goliath) was threatening all those that would oppose him. It was this David that suggested to the King (Saul) that he would go out and fight the enemy; so Saul gave David his armour to wear in the battle, and after David had it on he realized it wasn't going to work for him to wear Saul's armour.

David had to explain to Saul why he wasn't able to wear his armour, and this is where we as believers must be focused. We must understand and remember all the many battles the Lord has brought us through; using the methods that work for us.

What may seem ridiculous to most is just the thing that the Lord will use to get the glory that is due to Him and Him alone. Proven methods work.

Losing the weight.

I have been engaged in the battle to lose weight for a short period of time and I must say that it has proven to be somewhat of an uphill battle. The cause of the battle being an uphill struggle to lose what I would deem as nuisance weight is because of the fact that I enjoy a good meal and of course it doesn't help my case much with the fact that my wife is a great cook.

I do however know exactly what needs to be accomplished in order for me to continue to remove the necessary weight, and that is simply I must put aside the second and sometimes the third helpings of dinner. Once I recognized what the hindrance was I was able to move forward in a positive effort to lose the weight.

The same is to be said of our walk with the Lord. I know we all desire a closer more intimate relationship with Him, and the more we attempt to make this happen there seems to be this underlining resistance that seems to keep from us that which we truly desire. And, it's once we are honest with ourselves and recognize where our difficulties are that we will be able to"...lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us..."Heb 12:1b,c

"Warning...Do not eat."

I sat in service one Sunday morning and I listened to the pastor talk about how God explained to Adam over in the book of Genesis; that he was permitted to eat from any tree in the garden, "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it:" Genesis 2:17 the prohibition went on to also explain the consequences of eating from this tree.

The words that were spoken reminded me of the same type of prohibitions that were placed on us as we were growing up in a neighborhood that had an abundance of fruit trees. We, of course were instructed that there were trees that we were able to eat from at anytime, and there were trees we were to never eat from. The consequences of eating from the "forbidden" trees were also given. Although, the punishment wasn't necessarily that we would surely die, but that if we did we would get very sick and probably wish we would die.

We as believers must always keep in our minds and understand that the Lord doesn't tell us not to do something just for no apparent reason, but that there is always a better alternative. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil wasn't the only tree in the garden at that time; it was just the only tree they weren't to eat from because the results were very detrimental.

Let's remember to to read the warnings and precautions on the label before we take of that which is forbidden, because there is a tree of life that is just waiting for those with enough faith to reach up and partake of...that tree is the Lord himself.

"Take a Time-out"

My parents would tell me from the time I was young; that I should take my time and think things through before I ever made a decision especially when it came to some thing that was what I would consider important to me. The reason they would have to keep reiterating this one instruction to me more than my other siblings was because I had what one would call a very passionate disposition.

Well, needless to say I followed their instructions a very low percentage of the time, and just like most things; I found out the hard way how right they were with their predictions of what the results would be if I didn't take heed to their words. Now, don't get me wrong I didn't purpose to go against the instructions of my parents, I thought they were at times trying to keep me from being me.

I have since come to realize that they weren't trying to keep me from being who I was, but instead they were trying to get me to become the best me I could be. I understand that an individual no matter how passionate they are can be better served with knowing what the scriptures read and what my parents attempted to get me to see..."Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:" James1:19

So, let us take a moment every time a situation arises that comes to challenge who we are in Him, and "take a time-out."

"Not ready..not going."

Here I go again; I remember when we were kids my mom would have her hair appointments on Saturday mornings. Well, she would also use Saturdays to take us places, however the catch to this was that we had to be ready to go when she pulled up in the driveway or we weren't going anywhere.

Looking back on those days now I can understand her motives behind some of things she did; especially the "if you aren't ready to go when I get there then you're not going". It taught us to be ready at a moments notice, because with my mom we never knew when exactly she would show up in the driveway.

The same principle must be applied in the lives of every believer when it comes to the return of the Lord. He has said in his word,"watch therefore,for you know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh."Matthew 25:13

So, let's remember to be vigilant and always ready, because He is coming back, and in the words mom used when we were kids; "If you're not ready when the Lord returns...you're not going with Him."

"Don't be a churchgoer..."

I, like many people I know grew up going to church from the time they can remember. I can't begin to tell you when I wasn't in church as a young person, because believe it or not I along with alot of other people I knew my age, we loved to go to church. Church then was a time to hang out with your friends that went to a different school than you did and catch up with what might have gone on with them from the last time you were together.

We went to Sunday school and in the summer time we were at vacation bible school. We went out of town to visit other churches to meet other young people and see who's choir or group sang the best. Yes, we were the quintessential churchgoers at a very early age. They taught us about Jesus being born and that's why we celebrate Christmas, and about him rising from the dead and that's why we celebrate Easter. Oh, and we got new clothes at Easter so we could look good doing our Easter speeches.

I was fourteen years of age when I really understood the whole reason behind us "going to church" in the first place. I now understand that we (the believer) are the church and that the building is the place we meet to fellowship and strengthen one another to go out into the highway and hedges and compel men and women to come and be apart of the church-body and not just the church-building.

"Don't be a churchgoer...Be the church."

The root cause

I have seen people change their lives for the better and I've unfortunately seen people change their lives for the worse. And, I have been wondering and contemplating what could posssibly be the causes of these drastic changes for the worse.

The causes of the turning ones life for the worse seems to directly related in part or in whole to the availability of or lack of money. When there has been the lack of money in the lives of some people and they desired to have it by any means; then they normally turn to committing offenses that they feel will give them their desired results and that is have money. The same could be said for those that have a considerable amount of money and they desire more and more of it. They have been know to enter into scamming for more or manipulating the existing system not only to receive more but to keep more.

Now, there is nothing wrong with having money, however when the reverse can be said and that is the money has you then that becomes a problem. Money is stated in the scripture as being able to answer all things. This includes but not limited to the providing of your family, giving to organizations that provide for those that can't seem to provide for themselves.

1Tim6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil:which while some coveted after, they erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Lets not love money, but like it; so we are able to do what the Lord would require for us to do with it, for the "root of righteous" yields fruit. Prov. 12:12b

"Check under the hood"

When I was in the detailing business years ago; I was priviledged to see exactly what was invlved with getting a used car ready to sell whether for the dealership or for the auction. We would take a vehicle that looked like it was 50 years old and ran that way too, and vacuum out the interior and sometimes even shampoon the carpet. We would then take a cleaning agent to remove any film that had built up over time on the paint finish. When there were scratches present we had this compuonding cream that blended the finish to the degree that it looked as if the scratches were removed. Finally, we would put a real generous amount of wax on the finish and buff it until you could practically see yourself in it.



Once the vehicle was detailed and placed on the lot; the job of selling it was up to the salesperson that had a potential client looking at that vehicle. And, the idea was to direct the clients attention away from wanting to know either how much the cost of the vehicle was or how did it actually drive. I've seen people purchase vehicles on an used car lot without ever test driving it all because of the way it looked sitting there on the lot shining like new money.



This is for us to keep in mind that we must consistently remember it's not what it may look like on the outside, but it actually is on the inside. The Lord shows us in the book of Matthew 23:27 "...hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.



So, indeed we should allow the outside to look good, but never at the expense of allowing the inside to dry up and die. Let's "Check under the hood."

Power of Attorney

There are times in our busy lives that we aren't able to go and get everything done as we would like to do, and there may be some transactions that must take place but we have to be somewhere else at that time. This is where a power of attorney document would come in handy. This document allows an individual to appoint another person or organization to conduct a specific business transaction in the absence of the principle person. Most husbands and wives have these documents done up which keeps both from having to schedule both their times to let's say be at the bank to sign papers. This document says in essence that "I give this person or organization complete authority to function in my name on my behalf."

We as believers have been given that same type of Power of Attorney. We don't have to worry about when the enemy raises his head to come against our families, finances or our fellowship. All we must do is invoke the Power of Attorney that has been given to us by the Lord himself. Mark 16:17b "...in my name shall they cast out devils..." We don't even have to worry about not having enough or going without, because when it seems that are backs are against the wall all we have to do is utilize the Power of Attorney...John 14:13 "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do..."

So, don't be concerned about any situation that may show itself today or even tomorrow; just know that you as a believer have been given the Power of Attorney for every area of life.

Whichever way the wind blows.

I have had friends I grew up with that would agree with you one moment and not even 30 seconds later in the same conversation would agree with someone else and disagree with you. The fun thing I used to do (and I've since repented for) was to hold a conversation with these persons and in the course of our discussion whatever it was at the time I would change my mind about three or four different times just to see if the individual would do the same.

I was never disappointed with results of my little experiment that I had conducted on my seemingly unstable friends. I was always told from the time I could remember that whatever decision I make to stand by that decision. However, even in those instructions I received I was also instructed to listen to all sides of the argument and after hearing both sides then decide whether the position I was standing on was yet the correct one.

This brings us to consider the scripture that instructs us to ask God for any lack of wisdom we may have and not only to ask God, but to do it with the expectation that God will do just what we are asking him. We aren't to be the friends of my past that would believe one way today and then the next day believe something totally different. The scripture refers to this person as being like a wave that is tossed back and forth by the wind.

Let us believe the Lord for the promises He has spoken to us, not only in the scriptures but also what He has spoken to us individually. Let's not be tossed back and forth or whichever the wind blows, because the scriptures say it best...James 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in ALL his ways.

"If first you don't succed..."

I believe in encouragement almost to a fault; I just think that the more a person is given encouragement the more apt they are to accomplish whatever they set out to do no matter how difficult the road may get for them. I can remember always hearing..."if first you don't succeed, try again". Sometimes it may not have been said in those exact words but the meaning was still very clear; don't give up.

I've seen and heard of what some may deem as horror stories of people venturing out to make a mark in this word and they end up losing if not everything then almost everything, but they never allowed a set back to keep them down for very long. Sometimes it seemed as if once they got knocked down they would bounce right back up as if it never happened.

Unfortunately it seems to be just the opposite when it comes to our relationship with the one person that has never failed at anything, but because our prayers may seem to go unanswered day after day we feel it's no use of us even coming back to the church.

I'm telling us today; that never going back to church or reading our bibles and praying is just what the enemies of the Body of Christ want us to do. However, the remedy for bouncing back is quite simple when you think about it, because in the remedy is a guarantee. It may not say exactly..."if first you don't succeed..." but it does say..."the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much".James5:16

So if first you don't succeed...Pray, Pray again.

Some side-effects are...

I, in all my forty plus years, have never seen as many pharmaceutical commercials as I have as of late. There is at least three or four different prescription drug commercials in the span of one hour. There have been everything from rheumatoid arthritis commercials to fragile bone commercials, and there are so many more I wouldn't have enough room in this post to write them down.

Along with the commercials for all these different ailments is the positive performance of the prescription drug that they are advertising. They show how your life will be more enhanced for the better once you begin taking these prescription drugs. Then at the end of that same commercial in a lower tone and rapid speech they tell you of the side-effects of those same prescription drugs that are to make you better. Amazingly the side-effects at times are much worse than the issue in which you are taking the prescription in the first place.

Now, I don't want anyone getting the idea that I'm totally against prescription drugs; because I'm not totally against them at all. I am however one who believes in weighing out every option that is a possible choice before the prescription drug option. Whatever choice one makes should be with the understanding that if God isn't in the midst of the consultation then the results aren't guaranteed anyway.

There is a prescription that we as believers are privileged to take and the side-effects are guaranteed to be the same every time. As we continue to walk in the Spirit the results shall continue to increase everyday...But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.Gal. 5:22,23

So let's be very mindful of what we are taking into our spirits, because the "Side-effects" have been know to be worse.

"911...what is your emergency?"

I remember when I was young and when there was some type of emergency that perhaps happened, we would dial "0" for the operator and she would answer the phone with, "operator may I help you". She would never answer the phone with asking what is your emergency because at that time everybody called the operator for pretty much everything.



So, they developed the 911 phone system that was strictly for emergency calls requesting some type of help. Once the phone system was on line a person would call 911 and the person on the other end would answer, "911 what is your emergency". This new system was wonderful in the beginning with some glitches here and there however for the most part it saved critical time in getting the right help to your given situation.



Now as the populations grew in areas the calls to 911 increased overwhelmingly, and it's not unusual when you call 911; that you hear "911 please hold" or they can't understand what you are saying because of some type of language barrier. Now it seems that the 911 system is in need of some type of emergency assistance.



Which brings me to my point for today, and that is I find it very refreshing as a believer that my trust is not completely in the hopes of individuals coming to my rescue. I'm certainly thankful for the technological breakthroughs that we as a people have achieved, however I'm more joyful of the fact that when I'm in need that I can call on the One who never slumbers nor sleeps but is a very present help in the time of trouble.



Palms 86:7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.



Don't wait until there is an emergency in your life; you can call him anytime you like. He's even better than the operator of old that we called for everything, He's better because he doesn't have to patch you through to anyone else. "This is Jesus...I already know what you need".

"Will the real..."

There was a game show that started airing around 1956 called, "To tell the truth". The way the game show worked was to have three people who stated that their name was "Joe King" or "Josephine King" if it were three females. Once the name was given by the three people the host of the show would then read a letter that the real Joe or Josephine had written. Armed with the information in the letter the four celebrity judges were allowed to ask the individuals questions in relation to what the letter stated the person did for a living and so forth.

When the time of questioning was over then the panel judges were then asked to decide individually which person of the three they thought was the real Joe or Josephine King based on the answers they received. The host then asked the real Joe or Josephine King to stand up.

This is the similar to the life of the believer versus the churchgoer. The world plays the part of the panel judges asking all types of questions trying to determine what is real and what isn't. This has been the case almost from the beginning, but there is a day coming and it won't be very long that the ultimate judge, Jesus Christ the Righteous, will descend from heaven with a shout and it will be then that only the real believers will be able to stand up.

Seasoning Salt

My wife is an excellent cook and I'm not just saying that because she reads my posts sometimes; I'm saying it because it's true. I don't think there is anything she can't put together and make a great meal out of. She has the ability to taste whatever it is you have put together and is able to tell you almost 100% of the time what the ingredients are that's in the dish.



Now, I know how to cook pretty decently, however it is probably my least favorite thing in this world to do. You can forget about me being able to determine what's in a dish unless I put it in myself. With that said there is an ingredient that I think is probably one of the greatest discoveries of the cooking world, and that is "Seasoning Salt".



It almost doesn't even matter whether a person can cook or not, because if they have the right amount of seasoning salt mixed in the dish then it's going to give it a nice flavor. I love seasoning salt; my mother use to make a quick dish with spaghetti noodles a little butter, a splash of Tabasco and seasoning salt. This was the dish for every Saturday afternoon as we watched Star Trek and some other shows, but if there wasn't any seasoning salt then we didn't have the dish because it's never the same without seasoning salt.



The same is said about the believers of this world; the Lord called us the "Salt of the Earth" and that without the salt there is only blandness. We are to be the flavor in which the world wants to taste; and once they have tasted the flavor of love that we have to offer then we can direct them to the place where they to can get this "Seasoning Salt."

Hide and Seek

I remember some of the fun games we use to play as children. There were the games you played as a group and then there was those challenging games like "hide and seek". I loved to play hide and seek, but not for the hiding part of it. I prided myself on being able to go and find the ones that were hiding and then run back and touch the base before they did.

There were times during the game that a person could be standing almost in front of you and you would never see them because they were concealed very well you could pretty much say they were hiding in plain sight, and no matter how hard you looked you just weren't able to find them. It is at this point in the game that after you have found all the ones you were going to find; you hollered out, "Olly Olly oxen free" and all the ones you didn't find came out of their perspective hiding places.

The same principle that we used as children in the game of Hide and Seek is the same principles we employ in searching out the Will of God for our lives. There have been scores of people that have read the scriptures from front to back many times over, but can only give you a surface synopsis of what the bible is trying to convey to the reader.

The scriptures gives us to know that the Word is related to a treasure and with any treasure that I've come to know about; an individual had to seek to find it. I'm convinced that when we set our hearts and our minds to seeking out the treasure of the word, we'll be pleasantly surprised to know that it wasn't that far away in the first place...and ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Jer.29:13

Corrective Vision

I'm what some might term visually challenged; I first was required to wear corrective lenses somewhere around the age of 12 years old. My parents would take me to the eye doctor once a year to have my eyes checked to make sure that the glasses that I was wearing at the time would be sufficient enough for me to continue wearing or would I have to get a different prescription.

I have to say it was rather fascinating to sit there and the doctor would have you look at the chart on the wall with all these different letters that were all boxed shaped so you really wouldn't be able guess at what the letter was. Then the doctor would put this device over your eyes and it would have these lenses in it; and with each turn of the lens the doctor would ask, "which is better...1 or 2". This process went on until the doctor got to the right setting on the device and you were able to see the letters as if they were two inches from your face.

The same could be said with our christian walk today. We, in and of our own selves, can you see to a point and being able to differentiate what a thing is can really become challenging to us only because we are somewhat pre-programmed to see things a certain way. This is why we need to continuously go to the Lord for an eye examine, not just once a week on Sunday but everyday of our lives. It is through the light of His word that we will begin to focus in on what He would have us to see at any given moment, there is no need for him to ask us "which is better..." because His word is the true prescription by which we ought to see, not only ourselves but all those we come into contact with on daily basis.

So, if you haven't done it today or perhaps you haven't done it at all...why don't you make an appointment with Jesus and allow him through his word bring everything into focus for you.

Independent...dependency

This is my nephew Dallas' first car.

It took me back to 1985 when I bought my first car; it was a 1971 Volkswagon Beetle. I really loved this car from the time I was a youngster, because it was owned by a young man in the neighborhood I grew up in. Every time Billy (that was his name) would drive down the street I would envision me driving that car one day.

I have always heard that when you get to the place in life where you have a car; that you would be free as a bird. I looked forward to one day getting a car just like the one Billy had, or better still the one Billy had. Well, that day arrived in the fall of 1985. I had just graduated and was on my way to college. It was with a portion of my financial aid check and the help of my grandmother; that I was able to realize a long time dream of owning my first car. However it wasn't just any car...it was the car that Billy used to drive through the neighborhood, yes it was my dream car. Now I was on my way to true independence, because now I had the one thing I knew was going to make that happen...my car.

It wasn't long after I bought the car that I found out, this so-called independence that came with owning your own car, was a mythological fallacy started by people who didn't have a car. I was going to need gas, oil, water, the lack of these few things mentioned will keep a car from going very far if anywhere at all. You become dependent on these items from the first day of owning a car.

So, it's with that concept in mind we must understand that we are dependent upon one another as well. The scriptures tell us that we (born-again believers) are the Body of Christ and members in particular, meaning that we are interdependent and connected to one another and that it is the roll of the body to provide for the members of the body. When a part of the body is lacking some type of nourishment it is the body's responsibility to provide healing and comfort to that area. The body will only function for so long without proper care and it will begin to deteriorate. The results of lack of care doesn't show itself outwardly in the beginning, the process of deterioration begins from within the body as it starts to attack itself. The more the body attacks itself inside the weaker it becomes outside. This is when the everyone begins to notice the decay.

There are words to a song that says in part..."I need you, you need me, we're all apart of God's Body..." It is when we as the Body of Christ begin to reach within itself...lift the bowed down heads, heal the brokenhearted; it is when we truly become our brother's keeper that we can understand that our independence is in fact the results of our dependency to one another.

We are better...together.