Encouraging Notes

For a person to experience their best life, they must be willing to have periods of giving up things they enjoy. It may seem more enjoyable to lay around at home every day instead of hitting the gym or going on a walk or run, but the result of that lifestyle is hardship. The easy way is usually not the easy way. How many of us want to experience the fullness of God’s marvelous life but have not been willing to go to that spiritual weight room consistently. Consider these profound words of Jesus.

Mark 8:34-35 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.

The natural inclination of man is to fight for our rights, fight for our righteousness and shun anything that doesn’t give us what we think makes us feel good. Apostle Paul understood the necessity of training and how going through pain can equal gain. To experience a life of real significance, you can be sure that you will indeed go through strict training.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27: Do you not know that in a race, all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Obtaining a truly significant life will always require being willing to give up what is comfortable and easy. The easy way is never really the easy way! Freedom is not the right to do whatever you want but the ability to do what you know is the best. It is those who have the ability to do what they know is best who will achieve a life they love living!

Successful people hold tightly to their daily habits; unsuccessful people, out of a desire to be comfortable, adhere to quality activities occasionally. Living for what feels good at the moment produces a life of discouragement and purposelessness but being willing to do the hard things produces a life of purpose. God has amazing things in store for you! Will you allow him to do his incredible work in you? Is it easy? NO! But remember, the easy way is not the easy way! To win in life, you will need to…

RUN TO GET THE PRIZE

Read More

My dear friend, as you well know, not just anyone can waltz into the Oval Office of our president! There is a protocol that must be strictly followed to garner his attention. The Old Testament records how some Kings would kill anyone, even a queen who tried to go into their courts without being summoned or given the okay of the King's scepter. A protocol and special favor had to be granted to enter the King's palace and come to His throne.

Just as there is a protocol for entering the presence of a president or King, so there is a protocol for entering into the presence of the King of all Kings and the Lord of all Lords.

Psalms 100:4-5 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good, and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Ps 118:19-20 Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD through which the righteous may enter.

God is a good God and wants to give you more good than you are ready to receive! God wants us to believe him enough to thank Him even when it looks like our situation is impossible or things will not work out. You can be sure; thanking God even when we face difficult trials pleases him!

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith, it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (NIV)

It is important to note that God is not moved by need but by faith! There are many desperate needs across our hurting world that God cannot bring a solution to because access to Him is by faith alone. God needs those who are called by his name to rise up in faith! He needs his people who know what is theirs to, by faith, through prayer, unlock the storehouse of God's provision, blessing, and help.

We all know that there are big needs all across the world, but maybe today, you are facing some challenges, and you are the one who needs God's help. I love this verse in Psalm 50:23. He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God. According to this Scripture, when a person chooses to offer God a sacrifice of praise (meaning they would rather complain but instead choose to be thankful), they access the salvation of God. The kind of faith that will ask God for the solution and thank him for the answer in the same breath is what God is looking for.

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

God loves it when you fully trust him, even when it looks impossible! Oh yes! This is the kind of faith that gets the attention of God and moves his mighty hand!

I am praying for you today. I believe God is causing you to be energized with His Spirit of faith and that by His Spirit, you will thank God even when it makes no sense! As you come before the King of Kings and the Lord of lords, please don't forget to give thanks because it is the protocol for…

ENTRY AND ACCESS

Read More

Wow! Sometimes when it rains, it pours. Ya, I get it! But, If I stay in an emotional funk, that is a choice! What?! Yes, I said a choice! Listen to Words of God:

Romans 8:35-37 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake, we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (NIV)

1 Thess 5:16-18 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

Hebrews 13:5-6 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” 6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (NIV)

God never claimed that we wouldn’t go through difficult times, but he did say how to operate during those times. He said to be joyful always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances. Sometimes we have exalted our problems above God and his word and therefore live in worry, anxiety, and fear. We must trust that God is who he says he is and that he is well able to take care of us in any and every situation!

Remember, God never kept the three Hebrew boys from going into the fire or Daniel from the lion’s den, but he was with them in the fire and in the den of lions. David said, “ Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” Psalm 23:4 Yes! Knowing that God is with you is all you need to know! I guess the question is, do you know that God is with you? Is he for you? Does he love you?

O, my dear friend, it’s time to step up to the plate and swing the bat of faith! Yes, it is your turn to hit this one out of the park! It is time to be joyful, to pray, and give thanks! We are more than conquerors through Him who gives us strength! Do you get it? God loves you, created you in his image, and he is calling you to let go and let him take the wheel! Come on – Don’t live in that spirit of fear, worry, or anxiety any longer! It is time to let go and trust that through Christ…

YOU ARE MORE THAN A CONQUEROR

Read More

What does it mean to know God? Knowing God is being intimate with him through his eternal truth and his Spirit! Intimacy with God is the secret to a life that looks like God! True Christianity is made known when a person, through God’s word, and the Holy Spirit becomes one with God! This experience produces both death and resurrection in Christian life. This is where true and powerful Christianity begins!

John 8:31-32 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Romans 6:4-6 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin –

The power to live God’s kind of life here on earth is accessed through intimacy with God. Therefore, God longs for you to live in intimacy with Him!

My dear friend, I am praying that you would intimately know Christ! Oh Yes! May oneness with God be how you live your every minute! May the life and love of God be yours today!. In the name of Jesus, may you see it, and may you believe it, because powerful Christianity happens…

WHEN YOU KNOW!

Read More

Many would like to have some new clothes or even better, a brand-new wardrobe. Though a new wardroab might be nice, a new set of spiritual duds would be even better. I don’t know about you, but at times, I am faced with situations that try to frustrate me or even make me angry. When we are treated wrong is when the true depth of our Christianity is made known. This is when we find out how an excellent spiritual wardrobe can make a difference.

The second in the line up of the greatest of all commandments is to love your neighbor as yourself! Mk 12:31 This is a beautiful saying but not always easy to live! In Luke chapter 6 Jesus said, “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you..” Luke 6:27-31 Wow! Life on another level by the power of God starts right here! Look at these powerful words from apostle Paul.

Col 3:12-14 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

When someone has offended you, the temptation is to be bitter and cut them off; this is the opposite of God’s way. God’s heart for us is to bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances we have with each other. To live in this kind of victory, we must be clothed with God's kind of clothing – love. With the help of the Holy Spirit we can put on the clothes of, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; this will give us the power and grace to have God's attitude, his attitude of love. This is not possible in our own strength; it requires an impartation from God and is accessed by simple faith.

According to Romans 5:5, the love of God is made possible in us by the Holy Spirit.

Rom 5:5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

The world is longing for a true manifestation of God’s love! We as the body of Christ must allow the Holy Spirit to have his full way in our hearts and minds! My prayer for you today is that you will draw near to God and, by faith, deeply receive his love for you! This alone will give you the power to forgive and love those who have done you wrong! A new wardrobe is available for you today– spiritual clothes of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Yes! I am asking God today God to give you a...

NEW WARDROBE

Read More

Like me, I am sure that you desire for something great to happen in and through your life? It is essential to understand that greatness does not come through a stroke of luck but a willingness to be faithful with what God has called you to do! It is easy to get caught in the trap of wanting to do something big for God while ignoring the LITTLE THINGS he asks us to do. Like being in the Word, tithing, being faithful in prayer, serving in his church, loving those around us, and just believing when life makes no sense. Listen to the words of Jesus; they are your key to breakthrough!

Luke 16:10-13 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? 13“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

With God, it is the little things that count! In this parable, God is talking specifically about money, but it applies in all areas. God tests our hearts to see if we will put him first in the seemingly insignificant things. When we give our full attention and utmost effort to the little things, God knows he can trust us with the big things. If you work hard for minimum wage, you will assuredly work hard for ten times that amount.

Your everyday life is where God tests you to see how far he can take you. The little choices of working out, showing up on time, being willing to give a little more than what is expected, etc., make all the difference. One of the key areas God tests us is in our money. Jesus said, “Where your money is, there your heart will be also.” Mat 6:21 We work harder for money than we do anything else in all of our lives; therefore, what we do with that money is an accurate thermometer of what is most important to us.

Does God have preeminence in your life? Does God come first in your time, your passion, your money, etc? The price of your future is your present! May you be faithful with the LITTLE THINGS God has given you, and watch the blessing of God overtake you. Are you ready for God to do something great through your life?.... Yes? Excellent! Beginning with today, become an expert at...

THE LITTLE THINGS

Read More