"I Will Grow Stronger!"

Everyone wants to live this Christian life without falling, failing, and ultimately frustrating or displeasing God. Yet, every now and again we happened to find ourselves in one of these categories. If I'm talking to you... know that you are not by yourself. It happens to the best of us. But here's the good news...

...No one in this world and in this life is perfect. So please don't think that just because you have made mistakes in past that you will not learn and grow from them in the future. And please do not think that the only thing you are good for is making more mistakes. The devil is a liar! The decision to overcome your battles is up to you, but the power comes from the Lord.

In order to change our circumstances or our situations, the first change begins with us. So stop blaming everyone else for the way you are, or why you are in the mess that you are in. Now, I will admit that there are some situations that are caused by others; however, the folk that caused them do not have the power to determine how we will respond.

John Maxwell says in his book "The Difference Maker," that our attitudes are our greatest assets. But it all depends on how we choose to use it. Whatever attitude, mindset, or disposition we choose in any given situation will determine our strength over the matter, which will reveal our growth.

However, this strength and this growth is not manufactured on our own. Jesus once said while teaching on the mount, "blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." To those who chase after Him and those who sacrifice for Him for the sake of cultivating a love relationship with Him will be filled with His Presence and Power.

In this new year, seek Him like never before. Hunger and thirst after Him like never before. Especially when you know that it's His strength that will fill you. Overcoming our battles requires a decision to give Him our all. Choose Him today! And walk, talk, and stand with the attitude that says, "2009 is mine!" This is my year that I will grow stronger!

My Connection

One thing I appreciate about technology, in particular the internet, is that it has been made more convenient. Wireless, or WiFi, internet has made accessing the world wide web more convenient. And depending on where you are, whether at home or in a local public spot where there is a wireless router, or a "hotspot", you will find instant access to the internet. If your mobile phone/PDA or your laptop is equipped with the wifi capabilities, a few clicks here and there and you are surfing the net.

Now this is great if you have the right connection. In fact, before we switched from one internet provider to another at home, we had experienced major issues with this new wireless technology. No matter where you were in the house the signal from laptop to the wireless router was never strong enough to make a connection. So we thought.

The issue was not with the router or the laptops in the house, but the issues was with the signal that the provider was sending to the house. The signal was not strong enough to manage what we required. And instead of going straight to the source to fix it, we spent countless minutes, hours, and even days trying to troubleshoot the home office before we considered checking out the connection with the provider.

Had we started with the main connection instead of looking in the wrong places, all of our problems would have been solved. As believers, we often find ourselves exhausting our energy blaming our significant others, our jobs, or the world in general for failing at connecting or simply building meaningful and healthy relationships with others. And instead of examining the true reasons as to why we're not connecting with others ,we spend time pointing the finger and troubleshooting in the wrong places.

Stop looking at everything or everyone else except yourself and the connection that you have with the Source. Jesus told us to "Love God with all of our heart, mind, and soul; and to love our neighbors as we would ourselves" (Matt 22:37-39). If the connection that we have with God is one that receives our all, then we should not have issues connecting with those around us.

Have you done an internal check to make sure you are not the one blocking the signal from the provider. And have you taken the time to build a relationship with the Provider, God, first before attempting to use His provision in your life the wrong way.

He's Got It

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life..."
(Matthew 6:25-34)

With the alarming and ever increasing number of job loss across the nation, fear, worry, and anxiety are clutching the lives of many. Corporations across the nation are freezing salaries while hundreds of thousand families are spiraling into hopelessness. Corporation cut-backs are prevailing. In fact, Sprint and Home Depot employees have just become recession's latest victim.

It is without question that times are rough. And they will most certainly get worst before they get worst. Nevertheless, there is hope! As an encouragement to the Saints, this is not the time to drop your head and fall into a state depression because your job is not recession proof. Nor is this the time to listen and receive from the voice of the enemy attempting to influence you to do what that brother did to himself and his family in California. The devil is a liar!

Jesus assured us that He not only knows what is happening, but also He is going to take care of us (v.32). He told the disciples and He's telling us in times like this do not worry. Just keep seeking Him and His righteousness. “Don't worry about tomorrow, let tomorrow worry about itself.” In the meantime, fight to keep the faith. Trust God! He will see us through!

Start the Year Right

Are you looking to start this new year growing closer to the Lord, or you're seeking to be strengthen in your mind, body and soul that He might find you a better use for the Kingdom? If so, start by doing either one of two things: "Fast & Pray" or give God your "First Fruits."

Now most of you know about fasting and praying, and we'll come back to this in a second. However, "first fruits" is a teaching that most have never studied or have been taught. In a nut-shell, "first-fruits" was given at the beginning of Old Testament harvest season, which commenced a harvest-time celebration. With the Israelites being agriculturally acute, they would section off more than a tenth (the tithe) of their crops to sacrificially give to God. This was their offering of gratitude and their way of blessing God simply for being God.

Now for us, the one's who produce fruit (via careers, jobs, or any form of income coming in), giving more than the normal 10% required of your first pay in the first month of a new year is considered a first-fruit offering (Prov. 3:9). Some suggest that the first-fruits offering can be broken up over the course of a year, but is this really putting Him first? I will leave that one between you and God.

For fasting & praying... have you ever heard of the "Daniel 21-day fast"? In Daniel 10, you will find him denying himself from certain foods. Now, there is an actual diet regiment that he followed, but I'm going to keep this simple. Eat something... but scale back. For example: if you eat a lot of junk foods, then eat healthier. Or if you do a lot of coffee, stop and drink more water or juices. Now, some of us have health issues, or we're pregnant/nursing. So we need to be careful in all of this. Use wisdom when fasting (See note cautionary note below).

Although Daniel denied himself from some foods, he did eat something. But the ultimate objective was not to loose wait or to slim down to fit that new outfit that's a size less than what you normally wear. So I apologize to those who thought this was another weight lost trick. Daniel turned down a portion of his plate and prayed intensely everyday. So don't just focus on what you've decided to deny yourself. Focus on praying. Whenever you feel the urge to eat what you've denied yourself, pray. Let that be your notification that you need to sit with God. The objective is to commune with God, not to see if you can do without watching Keisha Cole's "The Way It Is" for a month. What does that have to do with your soul anyway?

Daniel's ultimate objective was to set himself to gain understanding and to humble himself before God (Dan 10:12). Daniel had major concerns in his life, but he sought to address them by addressing his personal issues first. Watching Keisha's family will add to your drama.

Like Daniel, take the first or any 21-days of this new year to draw closer to God. And by this you will be prepared to spiritually, mentally, and physically handle the challenges that you will face throughout the year. Not only will you be able to handle the challenges, but you will also grow closer to God by living a life pleasing to Him.

Check out the rest of the story in Daniel and I challenge you to do a study on all the other "fast" listed in the bible. And do a study on "first-fruits". Practice either one by faith and you will bless your life!

Caution! The Daniel Fast Diet like any other fast can create problems for people with medical conditions, pregnant, nursing and/or taking medicine. Consult your doctors and/or pharmacist before starting any fast. Ask them about your medication while fasting.

Resolutions Revisited

Resolutions Revisited

At the close of every year many folks find themselves in recollection and real reflection of the past 365 days of their lives. Regardless of whether we perceive our past 12 months to be joyous or regretful, many will dare to participate in the ritualistic act of establishing new goals and personal decrees for ourselves for the upcoming year.

I often find that many of us will create these “new” objectives for the year that, truth is, aren’t new and innovative in the least. I personally grew weary of drafting the same resolutions year after year that were totally rooted in selfish gain and egocentric ambition. Hundreds of news articles, TV commercials, and even some sermons also seemed to promote a type of self-centered thinking and practice. “How to loose 60 pounds and look good by February….Find the job of your dreams this year….Land the house of your dreams”…, etc. Any of these sound familiar?

I am not suggesting that we negate all personal and private goals for ourselves. We need well defined goals to help us stay focused in life. Rather, I am simply suggesting that we also make every effort this year to move beyond the self and be carriers of peace, power, and love for someone else.

Philippians 2:3 says, “Let NOTHING be done in selfish ambition and conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

I strongly believe that God wants us to live abundant, well-balanced lives. This, to me, includes loving and nurturing others just as much as we love on ourselves.

The sweet irony of this shift in focus is that by directing your intentions towards empowering others, you too, will be empowered and will reap in prosperity. Trust and believe in this principle. Proverbs 11:25 declares that “a generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

So with this truth in mind, I am proposing something different for myself and others this New Year. For every one resolution you develop for personal edification, develop one that is strictly targeted at edifying another. Begin with small, simple, realistic goals. For example,

Resolution #1.
Talk behind someone’s back regularly.
Once a week, for a year, spread the word to several others about the talents or accomplishments of a coworker, spouse, or salesman at your favorite store.

OR

Resolution #2.
Commit to sending a random and anonymous “love” note, letter, or package to someone in need once a month.

OR

Resolution #3
Each time someone has seriously offended you, do or say something kind and sincere in return. (This will feel very unnatural to most at first, but it produces so much good!!)

By practicing love and kindness on a regular basis we really ARE changing our reality and the world we live in. This new existence is created for us and THROUGH us by one random acts of kindness at a time.

Let’s invest our energies in something that will yield the long term results we crave for every New Year. After all, diets often fail. Get rich quick schemes will fizzle away. And the truth is that relationships often must come to an end. But LOVE NEVER FAILS.
(I Corinthians 13: 8a).

Let LOVE be the daily affirmation that inspires you this year!!!

A Must See: "What's Your Cardboard Testimony"

What you are about to witness will impact your life.
After you clear the tears... share it with your family and friends.
And then share your cardboard testimony in the comments section below.
Thanks & God bless!
-Joshua

The "Me... Myself... and I" Factor

One of the most difficult battles to overcome is the battle that takes place within. Before we ever attempt to take on and overcome the challenges that exist around us, the happenings within us determines how we handle what is before us.

Psychotherapist Sheldon Koop asserts, "All the significant battles are waged within self." When I think about all of the difficult times I had to face, had it not been for Lord and His strength to bring under submission all of drama that took place within me, I would have caused further drama in the situation at hand.

A Pastor, by the name of Dr. Cheeks in McLean, Va., also shared that "if we're not afraid to be honest with ourselves, we too, can overcome the battle of the divided self." If we do not rapidly respond to the dangers of this "divided-self", it will pull us in the opposite direction of God seeking to please the "me, myself, and I" factor.

If you are consistently struggling to handle difficult moments that pop up causing you to lose your temper, resulting in loose words you later regret, use these moments as alarms indicating that there is something within you that Jesus has yet to handle. Paul cries in Romans 7, "who can separate me from this body of death... Jesus!" Call on the Lord. Spend time with the Lord, and He will free you from this battle.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

Obeying the call to handle yourself first (spend time dealing with your internal wrestles through Christ), difficult times and trying moments that tend to catch you off guard will no long have power over you.