Think on these things NOW

Live Now, Jesus Did...........

2011-01-12T08:22:00.000-08:00

Whether you believe it or not your here on assignment.You assignment is based in serving.The more we fight against this purpose the more we struggle in life."I want this,I want that has sent many of us spiraling on a downward journey for years. Jesus came to serve not to be serve.In the Book of Acts,Acts 3:13 its says,"¹³The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified His Servant and ^[c]Son Jesus [doing Him this honor], Whom you indeed delivered up and denied and rejected and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had determined to let Him go.

Webster’s Dictionary defines "servant" as: "one that serves others , a public servant; especially, one that performs duties about the person or home of a master or personal employer".

Let’s notice the servant aspect of "Jesus as a servant" in the first chapter of Mark: "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. {2} As it is written in the Prophets: "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You"" (Mark 1:1-2 NKJV).

Notice that God is sending His Son as a messenger with a job to do.Verse 10: "And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove"This was at the end of John’s ministry and the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Notice how a servant is busy and constantly on the move.

A real servant does not waste time thinking about the glory of his accomplishments, he has more work to do.He recognizes the work and the mission is far more important and bigger than him or herself.

Remember that a "servant" does his work and his tasks "immediately".

Jesus came to serve rather than to be served. He served by preaching the gospel and then giving His life as a ransom for many. Keep the point that "Jesus is a servant" and remember to be like Jesus is to become a servant willing to reduce what you want and replace that with what can I do to add to the kingdom of God.

The purpose of Jesus coming to earth was to become flesh and dwell or tabernacle with man (John 1:14). He was to remain busy in preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. "Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, {15} and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel"" (Mark 1:14-15 NKJV).

Live Now, the way Jesus has led by example the way we should live, in the service of serving others.

DONT LET YOUR MOUTH HINDER YOUR MINISTRY

2011-01-10T08:54:00.000-08:00

Everyday we have opportunities to truly transform the world.As I reflect back to the book of Genesis In chapter 1 from verses 3-29 God said,God said, and in verse 31 his reply was,"³¹ God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.His love for us was the main component for creating this world for us. He created everything but there was nothing in the earth that reflected who he was so the invisible GOD created a reflection of himself in MAN(I will make him in my own image).

We still since the very beginning of time have not truly grasped the magnitude of our tongues and our mouth and the blessing and curses with it. Our current world is a result of what we have spoken. It has caused this world to be divided on so many levels, that we cannot actually see that the similarities between us are more than the divisions. In Paul's letter to the churches in Corinth, 1 Corinthians 1:10," ¹⁰ I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,^[a] in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.

When we learn that as the body of Christ our main objective is to function as servants to build GOD'S Kingdom here in the earth(Because its already established in heaven) we will realize that in order to build his kingdom we must be speaking the King's language,which is the word of God,in season and out of season. We need to stay away from negative cliche's,bridle your tongues,season your words with salt(a pleasing flavor words that build,embrace and encourage) and remind ourselves it not whats in a man that defiles him its what comes out of his mouth that does that.

God has given us the proper language and platform for us to shape our atmospheres with. Speak life and not death,speak blessings and not curses,speak love and not hate,and speak to promote harmony and not confusion.David said it best in Psalm 19:14,"¹⁴ May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

SUFFERING CAN PRODUCE GOOD FRUIT

2011-01-06T08:52:00.000-08:00

No one likes to suffer.The very nature of our flesh points to that.Pain is a thing we don't like to confront, if we dont have to.However pain alerts us to areas of our body that may need assistance, to be put back on track.It allows us to know,"I'm not functioning at my best and I need your help.As the body of Christ we often times do not like to suffer because we feel like life should be easy, stress and drama free,but thats not real life.
Life is filled with some disappointments,trials,tests,afflictions,hills,valley expereinces and a host of varied things.But the final reward that is received when all these things have ran their course is well worth it.Jesus went to the cross and paid the price that we could not pay.He did it because the depth of his love for us was that real and that evident by his actions.Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 4:12-16 about what we face and how we must embrace this," ¹² Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³ But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. ¹⁴ If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. ¹⁵ If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. ¹⁶ However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
Your relationship with Christ requires some suffering because it came with a price.......his life.Think about it....Do you honestly know of anyone in this present time who would give there life for you, and in giving your life it would enable you to live forever?There is no one else...He understood his purpose and we need to start understanding that we too have a purpose and we can only know it if we have a realtionship with Jesus Christ.

1 Pet 5:10 says But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

Suffering can produce good fruit....as long as your know the purpose for your suffering.

BLESSED ASSURANCE

2011-01-05T08:37:00.000-08:00

Can we honestly say we trust God with everything that we do?EVERYTHING? King Solomon shares this with us,very familiar scripture,⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart
   and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
   and he will make your paths straight.^[a]
⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes;
   fear the LORD and shun evil.
⁸ This will bring health to your body
   and nourishment to your bones.
We must believe God no matter what the the circumstances maybe.Good,bad,indifferent,small,large,insurmountable there is nothing too hard or difficult for our mighty God. We must trust in him that our very life is in his hands.We often take for granted that he is watching over us and our family constantly every second of every minute and hour of the day.He knows the plans he has for us, and he knows even greater than that, our designed purpose for being in the world.

Our minds need to be fixed on him so we can hear him as he is speaking and reaching out to us to strengthen and build us up for our separate journeys.The end result is we all will be blessed(Only if we are walking in complete obedience and submission to him)to join him and walk around in our real home with our heavenly father.
In the letter to the Romans Apostle Paul shares this with us in Romans 8:24-25,"²⁴ For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Now the word "Hope" in this scripture is defined as "BLESSED ASSURANCE" .
Let's replace the word hope with"blessed assurance with this scripture and it reads like this,"²⁴ For in this "blessed assurance we were saved. But "blessed assurance" that is seen is no "Blessed assurance" at all. Who has "blessed assurance" for what they already have? ²⁵ But if we have "blessed assurance" for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Interesting,huh?We have to know God is going to do what he promised and stop wavering in what we know he has promised us.....Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2,"  “What no eye has seen,
   what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”^[b]—
   the things God has prepared for those who love him—
¹⁰ these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.
You cannot know the spirit of God if there is no relationship with him,therefore you can have no blessed assurance of what his word says it will perform.His word,well its powerful,Isaiah says in 55:11,¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
   It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
   and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Blessed Assurance is yours only if you desire it.........Grace and Peace........

LOOKING TO THE HILLS

2011-01-04T08:09:00.000-08:00

Psalm 121:2
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." It is impossible to survive in this world without a relationship with Jesus Christ and our heavenly father.Why? Because we need constant guidance,leadership and unconditional love to equip us on this journey called life.The journey is a long one filled with many expereinces and lessons to be absorbed.Countless times we have abandoned our relationship with Jesus and our father to embrace a relationship with ourselves that has proved to be totally painful.Our very nature of our flesh has allowed our own understanding of our limited existence here on earth to be ruled and directed by our flesh and past experiences.These two things have kept us from missing a wondeful and enriching relationship with Jesus.Every day we sit back and try to figure out what we need to do and how we need to do it,we push Jesus away from us, and we mock his purpose on the cross and its impact its suppose to have on our lives.We have to stop this lack of assuming accountability for our decisions and actions.Jeremiah says in Jeremiah 1:5 says,"
⁵ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew^[a] you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
You've been a enemy of the devil since birth and his main objective every second of your life is to destroy you.Now don't take this personal because you're just a means to a end.Remember everytime the devil sees you, he sees God who he hates.Seek God with your whole heart and you will find him.Remember his grace(unmerited favor) is sufficent for you.I will leave this scripture for you to ponder over~John 14:26~"²⁶ But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Grace and Peace be unto you~

Overcoming Temptation

2011-01-03T11:29:00.000-08:00

Jesus Christ said something very important that we as people have a very hard time grasping because of our strong will. In the book of Matthew,Matthew 26:41 said“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”Jesus knew all too well about this.After coming out of the wilderness after fasting for 40 days and 40 nights the Tempter(devil) came to him and said,"“If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” ⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Jesus in his weaken state understood what to do and how to handle the enemy with the word of God.The enemy immediately knew that God's word had power and he could not combat that.Also note that the attack came at a point where Jesus was weak,hungry and a lil weary.Jesus understood the power of the spoken word.We too must do the same in our desire to be able to withstand the attack we find ourselves under in this current world. Day in and day out there are weapons being formed against us.We must remember above everything else these weapons may form against us, but as God's children they will not prosper.We are being tempted by the things of this world that have no value whatsoever. Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21,"¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.The things of this world are temporal and have no real value accept to satisfy the flesh,which can never be satisfied.When the flesh is in full operation it is swayed in every direction because it wants everything and it wants it now and it wants it in abundance.John writes in 1 John 2:15-17," ¹⁵ Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father^[d] is not in them. ¹⁶ For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷ The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. Note it says in the 17th verse"The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.The key is to not give in to temptation,fight for your right to live better and enjoy a productive life in this earth.Our time is short. Let us recognize the true value of living.Submit to God's sovereignty and allow the HOLY SPIRIT to rule and reign in your life forever...Overcoming Temptation requires complete submission to God...

Overcoming Your Flesh

2011-01-02T07:20:00.000-08:00

For years now your flesh has had its way in every facet of your life,as a child,teenager,young adult and now as your further walk in life.In the end wrestling with your flesh has produced alot of confusion in your mind and has allowed you to make some very irrational decisions with some very painful outcomes.Renewing your mind is the first step to changing this.One major way is to begin to seek a more regular walk with God.He created you for a purpose to walk in this earth, and until you seek him and seek him diligently and with your whole heart, you will wonder aimlessly out here in this world with no real direction or purpose.The reality is our flesh can never be satisfied, coupled with our emotions all over the place this provides a dangerous mix.Jesus' desire has always been to be our comforter and our guide in times like these.We shouldn't take for granted his love,kindness and commitment to see us become what we should be and not what WE THINK WE SHOULD BE.To become what we need to be for God requires total submission to his word and his deity.He is sovereign and deserves all the glory and the honor.But hear me now we cant hear,serve,walk,embrace,and love him with out Submission and another word repentance(Repentance-

: the action or process of repenting especially for misdeeds or moral shortcomings).

We must come before God humbly and willing to ask for forgiveness, so he can wash us clean of all our sinfulness...Its not too late the time is now to establish yourself in him, and take your rightful place in his KINGDOM...Spend time in his presence and in his word and begin to see your life transform to heights unimaginable. 1 Peter 5:6-7 ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

The Process of Change

2011-01-01T08:24:00.000-08:00

As we enter a new year many people will be going down the list of things they "WANT" to do to take themselves in a different direction in this new year.Many wont make it past the first day with those promises to themselves because of their mindsets.Change happens everyday around us.But we choose to be buried in routines so we can measure what we do so it can seemingly point us in the direction we feel is best suited for us..
We will surround ourselves with things and people that make us comfortable to operate in that mindset and never challenge ourselves to be better and want to make others better around us.The first important step in the process of change in your life is based in being very honest with yourself.You learned alot of bad habits down through the years and and its time to eliminate them to clear a path for you to accomplish some long overdue goals you've been trying to reach and open up the creative force that's been lying dormant inside you.It certainly will not happen in one day, so you must take one step at a time.
Changing your thought process will not be easy as long as you continue the same negative habits and stay around the same negative atmospheres and people.If you want a different outcome you must be willing to do better to receive better.Discipline comes when you decide to change where you are to become better.We all have issues and we all have strongholds we are fighting but we must change our thinking and focus on the fact we were created for a purpose to do great things to impact others.We do not live in this world just to satisfy ourselves.What we have been created for is to add and mutiply in this world with our gifts,talents,and minds to make this world more productive,efficient,safe,and caring.

It's time to step up and be accountable for where you are right now,have the strength to be honest with yourself,make the necessary changes that will produce a better climate for you to be the best you can be and don't dwell on your past and past mistakes..You can do it.....ONE DAY AT A TIME........"³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

You can't change your Enviroment but your can change your atmosphere

2010-12-31T08:32:00.000-08:00

Todays world is filled with a great many obstacles.Mostly the problems we face first start in our minds as opposed to our actions.Our thoughts propel us into action because of how we perceive things.The world is ever changing but what we primarily need to be concerned with should be our current atmospheres(home,work,and family)Do we invest the proper time,attitude and amount of respect to these areas deserve from us.Are we willing to do so or are fearful of stepping out and taking a real chance to make a difference for ourselves and those that are around us?Its time to really examine how we think about ourselves,what things influence us the most and if those influences are for our betterment or detriment?We have to be completely honest with ourselves in order to be able to really make the necessary changes to put us on the right path to truly discovering your true worth value and purpose.You don't have the luxury of procrastination or idle time to play with.Your very future right now maybe on hold because the way you think speak and act...⁵Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
⁶In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
⁷Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
⁸It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Proverbs 3:5-7
It's a new day filled with infinite possibilities,the question is are you bold enough to want to change your atmosphere or just let your life wither and die all for nothing,Change what you think and you can change what you see,then you can change what you speak,your words have power,your very words can change "YOUR ATMOSPHERES."