Category Archives: Uncategorized

Being Destroyed from the Inside Out

Posted on by

0

 

Japanese beattle on rose

I Corinthians 3:16 – 17

“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?  If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.”

I HATE, HATE, HATE Japanese Beetles!!! Can I say it again, I HATE JAPANESE BEETLES!!! They destroy everything in their path but they love roses. NASTY LITTLE CRITTERS!!! Okay, I feel better.

Japanese beetles grow underground where you can’t see them and hatch in late spring, early summer when my roses start to bud and bloom. They fly, crawl and have a hard shell which makes them difficult to kill. They get inside the rose buds or underneath the rose leaves and eat my roses from the inside out.  I can check my roses in the morning and they will look fine but, when I go out to look at them later the same day they have holes straight through the heart of them.

When I first moved to Maryland and started caring for my roses I didn’t know what Japanese beetles were because I didn’t have to deal with them in California or Texas. I was talking to a friend one day and telling him about this bug that was eating my roses and nothing I used got rid of them. He identified the pest and told me to get some Sevin and that would do the trick. That afternoon I went to a nursery and picked some up. My friend was correct. As soon as I started spraying my roses with Sevin the beetles began to fly away and die.

Now that I’ve lived in Maryland for over 20 years I know how to deal with the beetles. As soon as the humidity starts, I begin two-a-day spraying; once in the morning and again in the evening. The humidity seems to be the trigger for the beetles to come out and destroy.

We have things that are eating us from the inside out. Things like hate, envy, jealousy, pride, low self-esteem and feeling less than are just a few things that eat at our spirit persons.  There is also the spirit of control, you have to control everything and everyone or everything is wrong. Then there’s a competitive spirit, you have to win and be first in everything even when no one else knows there’s a completion underway.  The list of things eating us from the inside out goes on and on but there are three solutions; The Word of God, prayer and professional help.

We need to identify the triggers that cause our internal bugs to start their eating frenzy within us. We need to pay attention to our feeling and emotions when this happens, also called self-awareness and we need to spray our internal bugs with the God’s word and prayer. If necessary, we need to seek professional help to deal with our internal bugs. It’s okay! The goal is to kill that which is destroying you from the inside out.

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other; so that you are not to do whatever you want.” Galatians 5:16 – 17

© Copy written material

No Longer Needed

Posted on by

0

 

Uprooted Grass

Isaiah 43:18 – 19

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

 

Three more days of digging in my backyard! My back, legs and arms are all sore and I’m not done yet! The weeds are out, for now, and the roses are in place but, I have to battle the grass that I have removed and displaced.

When I decided to put the roses in the back yard not only did I have to remove the weeds, but I had to remove the grass that had been growing there for years. Unlike the weeds, the grass had been needed and wanted in that area of the backyard but now, its services are no longer needed. The grasses usefulness has run its course and it’s time for it to go.

The grass, unlike the weeds, was not a bad thing; it’s just no longer useful in the area where I planted my roses. Grass is useful in other places, just not with my roses.

This is how it is with our lives. There comes a time when things and people who were needed in our lives are no longer needed AND, sometimes, we are no longer needed in someone else’s life.

When God starts doing new things in our lives, He replaces the old stuff with new things and sometimes, He replaces old people with new people who can help us get where God is taking us or can help us mature so we can move forward to the next place God has for us. The old stuff can only keep us where we are, it cannot help us grow into the people God has for us to become.

Some people take an exception to the concept of letting go of things and people that/who are no longer useful fixtures in our lives. But, let me put it this way, if you have a friend who is still doing all the things you are trying to get away from or trying to leave behind as you press to be more like Christ, can you still hang out with them AND achieve your goal? If you have someone in your life who is happy and content with just enough to get by but you want God’s promise of abundance, can you still hold on to them AND receive your abundance?

To move out of the old and into the new takes work! To leave behind that which we have grown accustom to in order to become something more than we are today takes diligence, dedication and determination. Can we take the old with us as we change and progress in our lives and walk with Christ? The Bible states, “No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.” Mark 2:21 – 22.

What do you say?

© Copy written material

Prayer for Today

Posted on by

0

February 18, 2015

Father, I give you my time this week. I want to be productive in the things you have told me to do. Help me not to allow laziness, fear, doubt or low self-esteem to stop me from fulfilling Your destiny for me. Help me to remember that every day of being obedient to You brings me closer to fulfilling the blessings You have placed on my life.

Let me know not waste nor killer precious time watching meaningless television shows or playing useless computer games. Help me to monitor my time in such a way that I can be productive and have down time.

Father I know my time is a commodity that You have given me to fulfill all the task of my day and to find sweet sleep at the end of my productive day. My time is not intended to be wasted nor killed. Please help me move to a new level of time management. Help me to manage my time by the tasks You’ve given me and not by my lazy tendencies. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Scripture references:

Psalm 39:4 – 5                  Romans 13:11

Psalm 90:12                       I Corinthians 10:31

Proverb 3:24                     Ephesians 5:15 – 18

Proverb 10:4

Proverb 12:14

Proverb 13:4

Proverb 26:14 – 16Silver-Clock1-wm

© Copy Written Material

Hold On Part II

Posted on by

0

Ice age squirrel holding on

Hold On – Part II

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

God has told us that he will never leave us; he will always be with us. This is why we don’t have to seek after the things of the world system. We don’t have to love money, fortune or fame. We don’t have to give up our morals nor ethics in order to fit in with the world. We don’t have to go along to get along with everyone else because God the father has made us a promise; ‘I will never leave your; never will I forsake you.’

This means as children of God we can stand and fight just like the Israelites stood and fought at Jericho, using unorthodox methods by the world’s standards. Who marches around a fortified wall and sings in order to bring the wall down? Who show’s love and compassion to the people who are trying to take their jobs, their home or their car? Those who trust in God do because we know, God is with us!

We can hold on when it looks like all is lost because we have confidence that our God is not only with us, but he’s for us! We can be strong and courageous, unswerving and stout-hearted because we know that no matter what happens God is standing beside us to care for us.

Even in the most desperate or difficult times we can keep our lives free from the love of worldly things  and be content with what God has given us because we know that God will provide for all our needs according to his riches in glory through his son, Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:19).

Proverbs 19:23 says it like this: “The fear (respect) of the Lord leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.” If we respect the truths of God; that he is with us at all times, that he will supply our needs and that no one can do anything to us that God hasn’t ordained, then we can rest untouched by trouble!

DO NOT GIVE UP NOW! God has been and will continue to be with you.  He sees what you’re going through and he’s right beside you to help you through it. This is not the time or place to give up!  Just keep your eyes fixed on Jesus because he is walking right in front of you; The Holy Spirit is leading, guiding and directing you down the correct path for you. Remember Gods’ hook, “Hold on, I’m here!”

Prayer for Today

Posted on by

0

February 13, 2015

Father, allow your glory to fill my heart today. Let your peace prevail in my life. Let your joy overflow in my home and allow your grace and mercy to cover every aspect of my life. I feel that things going on in my life are trying to overtake me, but I will open my heart and mind to your peace, joy, grace and mercy, and I will find rest for my soul.

Everything is not going the way I wanted or expected it to go but I put my trust in you. Even though I don’t understand what you are doing, I know you have my best interest at heart and are working to prefect me in Christ Jesus.

I know you have a purpose and a plan for me. I know you have placed me on this path so I can fulfill your plans. I will trust in your unfailing love for me and will walk on this path until you tell me to do something else. I will trust your peace, joy, grace and mercy to override all outside factors that are vying for my attention. I will keep my eyes stable and fixed on you, trusting you to lead me safely on my journey to fulfilling your plans for me. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Scripture references:

Psalm 13:5 – 6

Psalm 20:7

Psalm 37:3- 9

Nahum 1:7

John 14:1

 

© Copy written materialmoving forward world

Prayer for Today

Posted on by

0

February 5, 2015

Father God, thank you for making me the apple of your eye. I will walk in the fullness of your glory and will not fall short of the abundance you have for me. I am overwhelmed by the fact that there is nothing in my life that does not concern you. Everything; my spiritual, mental, physical, financial and emotional health are important to you. There is nothing nor no one who is more important to you than me.

The light of this truth propels me to walk into the destiny you have designed, purposed and planned for me. Knowing that nothing you have planned for me can be stopped gives me the courage to pursue what you have purposed for me.

You don’t hold my past against me and neither will I. I press forward; leaving yesterday, last month and my earlier years in my rearview mirror. I move forward to what you have for me.

Moving forward in Jesus name! Amen.

Scripture references:

John 10:10

III John 2

Proverb 21:30

Nahum 1:7

Deuteronomy 32:10moving forward world

Psalm 55:22

 

© Copy written material

F.I.T (Frequency, Intensity and Time)

Posted on by

0

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I Thessalonians 5:16 – 18 (NIV)

When I hired a personal trainer one of the first things he told me was, “I believe in F.I.T., which stands for frequency, intensity and time. If you really want to better your health and fitness you need to work out frequently, be intense in your workout and give ample time to complete the workout.”

The philosophy of F.I.T has stuck with me through the years. I found it to be true in every facet of life, including my spiritual life. If I want to save money, I have to monitor my spending frequently, by intense about self-control and make routine assessments (time) about where I am with my financial goal. The same thing is true for my spiritual life.

In the King James Version of the I Thessalonians scripture mentioned above says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing”. In this scripture the Bible sums up our F.I.T for prayer. It speaks to how often we should pray, how intense our prayers should be and how much time we should spend in prayer.

Some people think that intensity means flat out all the time. That’s not the case. Intensity means the correct amount of effort to achieve your desired results. Everyday I workout I’m not a sweaty mess. Some days I’m  lifting weights which doesn’t require as much intensity from me as floor exercises or cardio. What I am trying to achieve determines the amount of intensity I use.

Sometimes you may be praying, crying and laying prostrate on the floor. Other times, you may be praying while you’re driving, while you’re working or during an event. Your intensity will be different because your amount of effort is different.

Daniel is a wonderful example of praying continually. He prayed three times a day whether he was under attack or not. David and Paul are also good examples of F.I.T. prayer. But the best example is Jesus. When he was about to be delivered into the hands of the Roman soldiers he prayed until he cried blood. But when he prayed to raise Jairus’ daughter from the dead, the prayer wasn’t nearly as intense as the one he prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.

So, how F.I.T. is your prayer life? Plug into the power of prayer

Prayer for Today

Posted on by

0

January 15, 2015

Father, sometimes I feel like I can’t go on. I can’t get through this round of difficulties. I can’t press through this trial. My flesh is crying for everything to end; all the heartache, hardships and difficulties, so I can live what I call a “peaceful life”.

But the three Hebrew men had to be delivered from the furnace in order for the king to recognize you as the King of kings. The king had to see the King of kings do the miraculous before he was willing to acknowledge there was a God greater than his gods and a King greater than him.

In this world system there are a lot of kings and gods; our government system, the rich and powerful and corporations to name a few. Sometimes you have to put your children in the furnace in order to prove to the kings and gods of this world that you are the only true God and sovereign Lord and King.

Thank you for trusting me to go into the furnace. Thank you for giving me enough faith to know you will deliver me unharmed. Thank you for instilling in me enough faith in you to know that you have my best interest at heart and you will never leave me nor forsake me.

Thank you for trust me with suffering for your glory! In Jesus name I pray.  Amen.

Scripture references:

Daniel 3:19 – 27

Hebrews 13:5

Job 42:2

 

© Copy written material

It’s a Virus and It Spreads – Part I

Posted on by

0

From the book: It’s Still Relative (The Word of God for Today’s World)

I John 3:4 – 10 “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.  But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.  Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.  No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.”

I have several electronic devises at my disposal on a daily basis. My home computers, table and my iPhone. Not to mention the electronic devises I have for work. All of my systems have different types of software installed but all systems, except my iPhone, are Window based systems. So all the electronic devises I use operate pretty much the same way.

One day I was working on my system at home when I received an email from an old friend. When I opened the email I realized it was a chain letter, so I deleted it and continued my work. But, my system stopped responding to my keystrokes and function keys. The computer just wasn’t acting right.

At first, it was small things that I chalked up to computer glitches. Then my sound system started fading and my computer started freezing. Then, some of my programs stopped working all together. I checked my configurations and made sure all my apparatuses were hooked up correctly but no matter what I did, my computer was acting as if it had a mind of it’s own. It was running a muck! The email I opened from my old friend had a virus and it was destroying my operating system.

Sin in the life of a Christian is just like the virus that infected my computer. It will destroy the renewal of your mind, corrupt your morals and ethics and, ruin your relationship with God the Father.

One “small” sin left unchecked will cause your walk with Christ to fall into a position of not being fully functional, which means your spiritual well being has been jeopardized. Sin left to grow and flourish will cause you to lose connection with the Holy Spirit because sin runs interference and doesn’t want you to remedy the problem. Our sinful man likes the sin but our spirit man is grieved when we sin.

As we start a new year, let’s examine our spiritual operating system. Do we have any sin that is causing a disconnect between us and God? If so, let’s deal with it for the truth that it is and get rid of it!