Archive for November, 2011
You Must Believe!
Posted by: | CommentsAnything is possible if a person believes. – Mark 9:23
God’s Word is full of life giving declarations. Throughout His Word, He is constantly confirming who we are in Him. He affirms our potential, abilities, and our outcome. But God’s Word only has an effect if we believe.
If you’re going to come into your full potential in Christ, you have to believe that you’re more than a conquer. Believe that you’re well able. Know that you’re equipped to do the impossible.
You see, we all have mountains in life. We all encounter obstacles, conflicts and set backs. The only way to move mountains is to believe that you’ve been empowered by the almighty God to conquer them.
God’s Word says if you have faith, the size of a grain of mustard seed, you can move mountains. Notice it didn’t say big faith. It didn’t say experienced faith. No, it said a mustard seed faith.
God has given you the key to unlock mighty doors. But you have to put the keys to use. Doors don’t just open when you have possession of the key. No, you have to Read More→
What’s Your Bigger Picture?
Posted by: | CommentsAlong the journey, it’s easy become distracted and neglect the things that matter the most. Little by little, if we’re not careful, we’ll allow our priorities to get out of order.
Day in and day out, we get so many distractions. We discover new ideas and new concepts. We’re confronted with new issues, we take on bigger challenges and responsibilities. Over a course of time, we’ll ever so gradually take our focus off the big picture: the purpose, goals, and destiny that God has in store for us.
When obstacles come to distract us, our “big picture” shifts. We allow the obstacle to become the big picture instead of the focusing on the finish line.
.Keep first things first. Don’t allow your “big picture” to shift. Keep your priorities in order. Your time and attention should remain on the big picture.
The enemy wants to distract you from God’s plan for your life. His plan for you is the big picture. It’s the thing that drives and motivates you. The big picture is the center of it all, it’s what gives you hope.
When you get a bad break, don’t allow this let down to deter your focus. Keep your focus on the big picture that God has for you. If one door shuts, realize that it’s the almighty God working to draw you closer to His plan for your life.
When you keep the bigger picture in mind, everything else falls into place. Today, I’m asking you, what is your bigger picture? Are you allowing the Read More→
ShareThat Wasn’t So Bad!
Posted by: | CommentsOne of the greatest tricks of the enemy is to bring about fear, doubt and confusion. But the scripture says that God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.
Unfortunately, too many have lost hopes and dreams because of fear and doubt. With a wrong mindset, we can all lose the passions that we once had.
But you can change that mindset. Be bold- be courageous, take a step out on faith and combat those fearful thoughts.
Remember, the opposite of fear is faith. When you conquer your fears, you get the privilege of looking back and saying, “that wasn’t so bad.”
.Think about all past accomplishments, triumphs, and victories. One of the first things you thought after overcoming them was, ‘that wasn’t so bad.’ You get a sigh of relief after taking a plunge and conquering your fears.
One of the number one fears, is the fear of heights. If you’ve had a fear of heights, and finally get on a plane, you get the joy of a ‘that wasn’t so bad’ thought. If you’ve been told all your life that you don’t have the talents and you finally take a leap of faith and put your abilities to the test, you get the pleasure of a ‘that wasn’t so bad’ thought.
Maybe you want to run a triathlon, but you’re afraid you won’t see the end. If you’ll put your faith to use, you’ll come face to face with the finish line. You’ll then get Read More→
ShareIt’s Easier Said than Done
Posted by: | CommentsIn this season of Thanksgiving, you may be watching everyone around you show gratitude. You see all the smiles, the friendships and the laughter but on a personal level, you’re on your last string of hope.
Maybe you’ve had some hardships and it seems like nothing is letting up. You hear all these messages of hope, urging you to just think positive. They are messages full of inspiration, exclaiming you to just let it go and put it in God’s hands. But something deep down on the inside says, “that’s nice but it’s easier said than done.”
Maybe you’ve lost all hope. You’ve lost your fire, passion and zeal for the things you once had. You’re squinting your eyes, focusing, trying to see that silver lining in the clouds that you hear so much about.
.It’s true, everyday may not be filled with cheer. There will be some days when it seem a little cloudy. But here’s the thing, even when you hit rock bottom, the choice is yours of whether you go up or continue to go down. My friend, it may not seem like things can’t get worse but they can. In the same way, things can always get better too.
I dare you to stretch your faith and believe God can work miracles on your behalf. Dare to make a bold choice that no matter what happens, you won’t let the voice Read More→
ShareMaybe You Could be One of the Ones… (Compassion for a Good Cause)
Posted by: | CommentsYou have the ability to bring about a positive change in every area of your life. You can be the catalyst that brings about total change in your environment.
From time to time, we find ourselves putting off certain responsibilities for the next person. But God is looking for us to step outside of the mold. As ambassadors for Christ, He wants us to take initiative. He wants us to step up to the call of duty.
Maybe there was an opportunity to go against the grain. When everyone else is too busy to help someone in need, maybe you could be one of the ones to take time out of your busy schedule and lend a helping hand.
Maybe you could be one of the ones to do what everyone else is not doing. Maybe you have a service to offer. The world might say, “It’s crazy to offer your service for free.” But, I dare you to be bold and courageous. Remember, it’s not about what someone else can do for you, it’s about what you can do for someone else.
.Who knows, someone out may be in desperate need of the service you have to offer, but they may not have the resources to acquire it. My friend, what better opportunity is there to show compassion than this? I believe that God is moved with compassion for us, when we’re moved with compassion for others.
I’m reminded of the story about the Good Samaritan. It tells of a Jewish man who was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho and was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him, and Read More→
ShareAttitude of Gratitude!
Posted by: | CommentsEveryone has a reason to complain. But we all have an even greater reason to be grateful. No matter how bad we have it, or even how good we have it, everyone has something they want to change for the better.
Too often, when we don’t get our way, we tend to complain, gripe and get bitter. But the good news is you can change this mindset. God takes great pleasure when we show an attitude of gratitude, even in the bad times.
When you wake up in the morning, the enemy goes hard to work to try to get you to focus on the negative instead of the positive. He’ll cause you to dwell on everything that’s going wrong, and make you forget about what’s going right.
.Instead of bickering and complaining, make a decision to put on your attitude of gratitude. You see, we all have our morning routine. We wake up, wash our face, brush our teeth and put on our clothes before we even leave out the door. Well in the same way, make it a part of your morning routine to give thanks to God, even for the little things.
Be thankful for the breath in your body. Be thankful that you have full activity of your limbs. Show gratitude for a roof over your head and clothes on your back. Be thankful that you’re in full health and that you’re in your right mind.
As cliche as it sounds, it can always be worse. Someone wasn’t fortunate to see another day. There could be someone out there who is in poor health. Maybe Read More→
ShareIt’s Yours for the Asking
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s easy to forget about the power of prayer. Day in and day out, we hope for the best- we set high goals and expectations, but we forget the most powerful ingredient of all, prayer.
The scripture says in James 4:2b, “…you have not, because you ask not.” God wants you to have anything you want. But first you must ask in His name.
Maybe you’re overwhelmed with the cares of the day. Say a simple prayer and ask the Lord to bear the burden. You’ll be surprised, miracles can happen. Maybe you have deadlines to meet, ask in the name of the Lord. Maybe you want to start a business and you’re looking for direction. Ask in the Lord’s name, He’s mighty to perform it!
.Maybe you’ve lost hope, and everything around you seems to be doom and gloom. Pray in the name of Jesus, and look for great things to happen. You might think that God has forsaken you. But the reality is that He’s just looking for you to take a step towards Him.
Just like the Parable of the Prodigal Son, if you’ll take one step towards Christ, He’ll take two steps toward you. When you pray to the Most High God, that’s your one step. Once you take that step He goes to work on your behalf, and performs great and mighty things.
Don’t forget, Jesus says in John 14:14, “ask anything in my name, and I Read More→
ShareHighlight Your Selling Points
Posted by: | CommentsWe all have our faults, downfalls, setbacks and insecurities. Many times, we make an unconscious habit of pointing out our downfalls instead of focusing on our true potential.
When we focus on the areas that we lack, we find ourselves on a downward spiral of no hope, no joy, and no peace. Instead of pointing out your faults, point out your strengths and accomplishments. Highlight those things that you have going for you.
A true salesman knows the art of finding the “selling point” in his products. He knows that if he features the product’s downfalls, he’ll run the risk of losing the sale. That’s not to say that his product doesn’t have areas of lack. It’s not to say that his product is even the greatest out on the market. But his strategy is to make the customer feel like they’re purchasing the best product. He does this by highlighting key attributes and reassuring the customer that they’re making the greatest purchase.
In the same way, day in and day out, you’re walking around selling yourself. You have the choice to either highlight your selling points or highlight your weaknesses. When you walk around pointing out your faults and failures, you’re communicating to others a sense of low self-worth.
My friend, that’s not what God wants for you. He wants you to know that you’re worthy of more. He says in His Word that you can do all things through Christ which strengthens you. He says you’re an over-comer.
Instead of pointing out your downfalls, setbacks, and insecurities, sell Read More→
ShareYou’re a Designer’s Original!
Posted by: | CommentsBefore you were formed in the womb, God set you apart. He has a specific design and purpose for you. He has given you a position of importance that no one else can fill.
I heard an interesting statistic recently. It had been reported that the population of the world has reached seven billion. Some say it’s not quite there, it’s close- and others predict it will reach seven billion by early 2012 for sure.
And you would think that out of nearly seven billion people on the face of this earth, somewhere, somehow, there is another person just like you.
But God, in His infinite power, created every single person for a specific purpose. No one person is just like the next. The scripture even says that He has numbered the very hairs on your head.
Photo by ontheinside new yorkI think of the French fashion designer, Louis Vuitton. This retailer of leather goods is known for their collection of handbags and other prestigious fashion accessories. People spend dollars upon dollars just to say they own the “real deal.” It can’t be a fake. It can’t be a generic or imitation. No, they don’t want the duplicated version, they want the brand name original.
And what I find interesting is that over the years, other generic companies have been able to model bags that look very similar to the original. And I heard that one of the ways you can tell the real from the fake is to open it up and look at the inner lining of the bag.
Friend, in the same way you may have imitators and duplicators, but just like Louis Vuitton, God designed you from the inside out. He gave you the character. He gave you the heart. He gave you your own specific personality. Every detail about Read More→
ShareThere is Power in Music
Posted by: | CommentsMusic is one of the greatest gifts that God has given us. And there are certain types of music that can change our day for the better.
For some, music has the ability to make them dance. For others, it makes them happy. We even find ourselves relaxing and letting go of the cares of the day, when certain other types of music is being played.
Music is so powerful it even has healing abilities. I heard how surgeons play music during surgery operations.
When we go to church, one of the first things we do as a congregation is sing a song of praise and thanksgiving unto the Lord. It is our praise that sets the tone for the service and for the day.
One of the greatest ways to give God praise and thanksgiving is through a song of praise. And when you sing praises in your heart, just like worship service, it sets the tone for the day. Amazing things start to happen.
Photo by Eduardo DeboniA read in the book of 1st Samuel about how when the Lord sent a tormenting spirit on king Saul, he would often call on David to come and play the harp. Whenever David played the harp, the tormenting spirit would leave Saul.
Another great amazing thing happened in Acts 16:25, where Paul and Silas were locked up in jail. It says that at midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymn songs to the Lord. And suddenly, there was a massive earthquake so that the Read More→
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