Uncertainty: Faith’s Bench Press

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The Age of Uncertainty
How much faith are you benching?

Take a moment and step into yesterday’s happenings and get a bird’s eye view of how my faith muscles got a good workout on life’s bench press of uncertainty. I must admit I never understood the benefits of a series of events that are designed to “work out” my faith like this.

In the past, when uncertainty presented itself during the course of a day, I would allow it to rob me of any peace that was present. Uncertainty has the ability to get us all caught up in hypotheticals, ego, pride, fear, shame, guilt, and most of all ANXIETY. I am so glad to have Philippians 4 as a source of encouragement to fuel my spirit. It is one of many gold mines throughout the Pauline epistles that NEVER dries up.

I pulled up into the church parking lot that was almost empty at the height of the early morning service. STRANGE! While walking up to the entryway a friend informed me of the power outage secondary to a car accident. The first service was cancelled. Inside, several saints, including our beloved Pastor, were housed throughout the vestibule. There was a hint of light from the 12′ high windows above that filled that powerless dwelling place. Also present was an unspoken uncertainty filling the air as we engaged each other. Although we were in an unexpected situation, fueled by uncertainty about the future, being there was somehow a heavenly experience. We laughed, had fellowship and collectively affirmed our faith in God‘s power to rectify the matter. After 45 minutes the power was restored. I thought nothing of the wait time.

Church began and we experienced a heavenly service from the devotions, to the praise team, to the choir and most of all the pulpit. Our Pastor preached a sermon tailor-made for me once again. Church ended.  Here is where uncertainty grabbed a hold on me for the next 5 hours. My phone’s home button had stopped working causing routine operations to become tedious. I tried to avoid an unhealthy reliance on the smart phone but to no avail obviously.  I had to go to a store for it to be fixed. I was also very hungry. Furthermore, my GPS was not working properly and I had to trust God rather than the machine to get me there. He did.

The young man at the phone store took my phone and proceeded to troubleshoot the issue. He dialed the tech support team for assistance and took my phone to work on it. I sat and waited patiently while my hunger was increasing. I was in the store for nearly 45 minutes before I got the phone back. I immediately went home and ate a bowl of cereal. I picked up the phone to make an important call that was scheduled and to my surprise the files that contained the call stats and contact info were gone along with SEVERAL other files of HIGH IMPORTANCE.  UNCERTAINTY WAS IN FULL EFFECT.  I will state the obvious – the young man did a factory reset and did not back up my files. They are gone for good.  My immediate response – OK God what are you up to? 

I could have become livid over this. In times past that would be my natural response. Not yesterday. Don’t get me wrong, I did loose my cool on one occasion and even feel some expletives surfacing. I was forced to make numerous calls to handle the issues. The more calls I made the more anger I felt. Furthermore, the uncertainty about the data I lost – and how others and myself would be affected – was trying its best to fuel anxiety, fear, etc.  Yet I continued to look up to my ceiling and say “Ok God, what are you up to?” I continued to acknowledge Him in the midst of the uncertainty. I was on the bench press doing faith reps.

At one point when a four letter word surfaced I had to get down on my knees and pray. I poured out my frustrations and all my feelings to the Lord. It was time to “get low & get real” with God. “Father, I need you to give me peace. I believe that you are working all things out for my good, help me see your goodness in this……..” was a key request in that prayer. I had no idea what was about to happen next. 

I had discovered my Bluetooth was not working and I did all I could to pair the devices. I needed to call in yet again. I was soooo regretting having to call in again. But I did. Amazingly, I got a tech support agent almost immediately. That interaction was the beginning of my breakthrough. The dynamics of the call are consistent with me having the opportunity to share my experience and God’s constant presence throughout my day. It became apparent that uncertainty was fueling my experiences but God was “holding His position.” My direct response to all things uncertain was a continued FAITH in His will. We talked and shared our faith. I forgot all about the issue with the phone as I was able to praise the Lord during the call.  It was in the praise that I received my answer to my request for seeing the goodness of the Lord. The agent gave me specific information to get the blue tooth going and I got a credit on my account that covered my next bill payment. This was a need I presented to the Lord last week in prayer.

Ultimately yesterday’s uncertainty made me have to do steady reps of faith in God’s will yesterday. The more I acknowledged my need for Him the better I responded to all that was going on that I was not sure of. I often want to know the “why” and have the right responses to a situation. It seems that God has given me that desire for sure. This bench press – uncertainty – makes me lie down on the presence of God’s will, accept my inability to have all the answers, and practice faith in El Elyon. Lifting up faith in Him is the workout. “Tis SO SWEET TO TRUST IN JESUS. He is an on time God, yes He is.

 

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FAITH! When Family & Friends Don’t……………

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The Good Comes Through AS U COME THROUGH

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“Cast your care on Jesus today,Leave your worry and fear;

Burdens are lifted @ Calvary. Jesus is very near.

Troubled soul, the Saviour can see,Ev’ry heartache and tear;

Burdens are lifted @ Calvary. Jesus is very near.”

Burdens are lifted at Calvary,
Calvary, Calvary,
Burdens are lifted at Calvary,
Jesus is very near.

I Peter 5:6-11(NASB)

 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,

 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion,seeking someone to devour.

9 But resist him, firm in your faith knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.

 10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect,

confirm, strengthen and establish you.

 11 To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Every hardship that you encounter is evidence of God’s mighty hand at work on your life. Trials are God’s designs on your life to shape you, mold you, designate you as a child of God fit for the presence of His Spirit at work in you so that you can arrive at the good works that God has prepared in advance for you with His power and might.  When you realize that path, all of the hardships – losses, fears, insecurities, spiritual battles, trauma, infirmities, rejections, uncertainties……… – were necessary to get you to realize that He deserves ALL the praise, glory and honor for all of the “good” that He allows. And you are responsible for an awareness of His goodness because that’s how you can experience joy and thanksgiving during hardship.

The potter picks up a piece of clay and prepares it for molding. There is a distinct plan in mind from the time he chooses the clay type and all the way through the various steps to prepare the clay to become a beautiful, distinct, desirable piece of pottery that someone will NEED to possess. I will never forget being on vacation in the Bahamas years ago. There was a large display of pottery in the marketplace and there was a lady making a fuss over the “distinction” of a particular vase. It was large in stature and totally unattractive to my eye. However, this woman was enamored by it’s appeal so much so that she let everyone around her know – she found this piece. She was loud, energetic and loaded with joy. She had to have a specific need for it that she was unable to fulfill before her discovery that day.Her joy infected that market. That’s what God’s designs on us are for.

He knows his people and He knows the plan. His mighty hand is CONSTANTLY at work on His creation. So burdens are the training ground for our faith muscles. When I was in my teens and 20’s I was in marvelous physical shape. My training ground for building and maintaining my physique was the gym, the track and the courts.

English: CHARLESTON, S.C. (Jan. 28, 2011) Sail...
The harder you work out the better the results.

I loved to lift weights to keep my natural definition toned and shaped. I ran 2-3 miles a day 5 days a week at my peek so as to keep my legs and my core lean. I would play racquetball and tennis to engage in competitive athletics. That shaped my body, mind and spirit.

Then it happened. I learned over time that my body, that used to respond to exercise and sport so well, was not able to keep up with my spirit for working out because of a defective spine. 2 decades later I am not able to exercise my body at all like I used to. Yet my faith is lifting weights I never, ever thought I would need to try. All of the burdens -heartache, pain, misery, ego-bursting, loss, disappointments, guilt, regrets, failures, etc. – were teaching me how to use my faith muscles. The process of conditioning began when I became willing to trust the “finished work at Calvary” as a sufficient source of God’s power in my life. The cross serves us so much goodness that we just take for granted. Trials give us a more defined aptitude for all of the work Christ “finished.” James put it best when he wrote in 1:2-3

2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

Get happy when you come across a trial that God designed for you just like I used to get happy when I was leaving the ins/outs of my daily life and escaping to the gym,track or court. When I engaged those activities everything else was on hold until I was done. So it is with the Cross. You can let everything go when you take all of your anxieties, fears, temptations, and life issues to Calvary and “Leave Them There.” Don’t get caught up in a pity party along the way. You have plenty of examples in this world to know that you are not the only one who has to endure hardship. Instead, get to the place in you where you realize that you have the best remedy for hardships – Christ. All the good comes through- AS YOU COME THROUGH -the suffering, the trial, the hardship because burdens are lifted at Calvary.

Soaring Through the Storm

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English: A tornado with no visible condensatio...

This post is going to offer explanation for why I use “Eagle” imagery. When I first went to my church I was totally bewildered.Life had really been harsh to me. Some of my hardship was because of my actions and some was because of how others responded to my choices. Pastor Black referenced and motioned an eagle “soaring through a storm” during the sermon. Ultimately, I have come to realize that no matter what the issue was, God was up to something good. He was using loss to get my attention and my heart. Thank God He has them today and for the rest of my life. I am completely sold out to this Conqueror lifestyle.

A cousin told me, while I was adjusting to the realities of loss in my personal life, that I was going to one day look back on that heartache, misery, mental/emotional pain, anger, fear and uncertainty and be able to realize that it was the best time of my life. “What do you mean by that?” was my immediate visceral response as I sat straight up in my chair and wiped the tears from my eyes. She offered me no explanation but instead issued a directive, which I have not forgotten – “JUST STAY IN POSITION!”

This experience was way before I got “INTO POSITION.” In fact, I thank God for using my cousin to challenge my faith. You see, at that point I had lost everything I had come to rely on – wife, kids, home, materialism, financial security…………  Every aspect of my life that I relied on, which gave me the power to “BE”, God removed from me. There was nothing left to rely on EXCEPT HIM. That conversation gave me a heightened awareness of my NEED for His power to “reign” in and over my life. I surrendered daily; I surrender (TO HIM) DAILY. “Every day I wake up I ALWAYS think of Him.” (A future ConquerorTune u will love) 🙂

Now, this idea about “soaring through the storm” is based in the benefits of “letting go and letting God” through daily surrender. Paul said it best in Philippians 4:13 “I CAN do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength.” When I was talking with my cousin I was in a storm that seemed like it just would NOT pass. The more work I did to “deal” with the problem, the more I realized the problem was too big to “deal” with. These life changes were totally designed for me to get to the “eye” of the storm (my core issues that I was unwilling to surrender to God) and let God abide.

Like an eagle, I learned that avoiding the storm was NO longer an option. God kept on bringing me these storms so that I could grow to understand this concept at my core, which is what He is concerned with. (Heb. 4:12)

“The eagle is the only bird which flies directly into a thunderstorm? Other birds fly away from a thunderstorm seeking refuge and shelter in the safety of a barn or their nest. But it is not so with the mighty eagle. The eagle flies directly into the thunderclouds.Turbulent winds cause the eagle to fly higher, giving him a larger view, lifting him above harassment, allowing him to use less effort, and helping him to fly faster.These updrafts cause the eagle to reach great heights as he soars with them. From this higher position his sharp eyes are able to see more. As he soars higher, he leaves behind all distractions. The feather structure prevents stalling, reduces the turbulence, and produces a relatively smooth ride with minimum effort – even in rough winds. Thus, when he glides in wind currents, speeds of 80 to 100 miles per hour are not uncommon.”(THE WAY OF THE EAGLES,  Joe R. Garman,http://www.arm.org/eagles.htm)

Yesterday in Atlanta stormy weather prevailed. I had deep concern about the welfare of my family, who I no longer live with or fellowship with as a direct result of a divorce. I was concerned from within. One of the best things about a Conqueror lifestyle is that when you get concerned, fearful or worried about something that is out of your control, you have a direct connection with the One who controls ALL – El Elyon – the Creator and Owner of ALL things Earthly and Heavenly. My words could not change a thing. However, having good talk time with Him offers me an enormous resource – HIS SOVEREIGNTY. I prayed for them without ceasing. As the storm doplar radar weather report system, with the help of Brad Nitz and Glen Burns, reported close proximity to where they live, I was well aware of the danger associated with my former address. I decided to turn the TV off and go lay down.

This morning, when I got up, I turned on the TV and saw the video of the damaged areas. To my surprise I recognized my old neighborhood. The damage was significant as a tornado touched down around the corner from the subdivision. I SAT STRAIGHT UP IN MY BED and CHILLS went down my spine. That could have touched down “around the corner” where their house is BUT it did NOT! The Creator of Heaven and Earth and the SUSTAINER of life PROTECTED, PRESERVED AND PROVIDED for them yet again.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen. (Read Hope & Faith) Yet when I saw this broadcast what I was hoping for became my reality. All the while I was able to REST in Him. That’s how it is to be an MTAC today. There is SAFETY “alone in His Presence.”

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Hope & Faith

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The Stone of Scone in the Coronation Chair at ...
The chair is only as secure as its substructure

It feels like Christmas today. I have waited patiently for this day to arrive and thank God it is here. As I developed the thematic content for ConquerorShots in January, I got excited then about today’s post. From now on 3/1 will forever be “Hope & Faith” day. You see, we have a progressive transition that is God-ordained.

 

All of my anticipation about this post is fueling my fingers to hit these keys because I no longer have to hold this in. I pray this blesses you all.

Hebrews 11: 1 is often referred to as the “introduction to the Hall of Faith.”

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” 

Hope and faith are clearly defined here. There is ABSOLUTELY no reason for us to misuse these Heavenly gifts UNLESS you are not in agreement with this verse.

Faith is the “conviction of the truth of anything, belief.”

For an example let’s look at the simple act of sitting. When I was a kid, I witnessed my cousin Michael – a tall 6’7″ 300lb solid public figure – sit in a chair which collapsed in the process. The atmosphere was full of celebration and excitement because we were eating Sunday dinner and we had a chance to see our loved one who’s music was being played on the radio hourly. He was most definitely festive because of the meal he was about to eat on the plate he held in his had while chosing what resin chair to sit in on the porch. Without question he was “convinced” that he was about to sit down and “throw down” eating,  after being on the road for weeks performing. My other cousins and I were already seated and eating which made his entry into the scene so natural. He never considered the idea that he was about to “hit the deck”.

As he positioned himself in the chair, the legs of the synthetic material began to buckle outward. It all happened so fast! He sat down, the chair could not hold him and he hit the porch floor as his plate went up and the food landed on him and the porch. It was a total disaster of the worse kind. His faith in the chair failed him. It was unable to hold him up because of the force associated with his stature. It was a lesson for all of us to behold.

We are taught from childhood to sit. In fact, “timeout” is designed to make us sit down, to quiet down  rambunctious activities. Our instinct is to find a seat and sit. The decision to sit in the chair is based in the “conviction” of the truth that it will hold us up. It is a belief that we naturally realize. Yet we do not have to acknowledge our faith in the chair until the chair is not working for us i.e. it is unable to supply us with the rest from standing we need.  At that point,  panic sets in as the thought of the consequences of the chair’s failure yields horrifying circumstances from us hitting the ground. The acknowledgement is based in the fact that “faith failed us.” The expectation was to experience rest, relaxation and comfort. Instead, we are embarrassed, uncomfortable, possibly injured and so on. Faith is the substance………

The word substance in the verse is contained in the overall Heavenly blessing of this passage. It provides us with insight that is often overlooked. Simply put, faith is the “substructure or foundation”  or “confidence, firm trust, assurance” of what your hoping for. This idea is best understood when you consider the structure of a home. The substructure has to be strong enough to support the foundation, infrastructure and superstructure, of the home. It is the firm bedrock for the adjoining structures to rest on securely. The essence of our faith and the confidence of my hope NEEDS a constant attachment to “The Rock” which is CHRIST.   The evidence……………

We are constantly in search of proof to validate truth, whether we are honest about the pursuit or not is irrelevant. Back to the chair example, the reason we can so readily have faith in the chair is because of the continued success we have experienced over the course of a lifetime relative to the chair’s  ability to provide us with rest off of our feet.  When Mike got up off the floor he did not say “I am never going to sit in a chair again!” Instead, he cleaned himself off, got  another plate of food and went inside and sat at the dining room table to eat instead. He was not going to be so foolish as to STOP trusting in the chair to do for him what it was designed to do.  Christ came to this world to save sinners, through the death at Calvary, the burial and resurrection. Long before He established his earthly ministry, He was established as The Rock of our Salvation.

There is no better proof of the essence of His power that is greater than the FACT that He is the Son of God who arose from the dead and ascended back to His rightful place at the Right Hand of the Father where He now intercedes on our behalf.  No matter how messed up life may become, He NEVER FAILS!  HE CONQUERED THE POWER OF SIN AND DEATH AT CALVARY. Proof is further accomplished after we accept this SELFLESS act of salvation personally. I don’t know about you but the life that I now live is SOOOOO MUCH better than the life I use to lead. The difference? The power of sin is NO LONGER reigning over my life – HE IS! Even though we CAN’T see Him!

The evidence of things not seen. “Things” is so misunderstood and taken for granted. It is EVERYTHING THAT IS ALREADY DONE in God’s plan>The results are eternal but everyday I get a glimpse of the proof from the time I open my eyes and realize my lungs an my heart are working, my legs and my arms are still functional, my 5 senses are still in tact and He is present – providing, protecting, and purposing all of the events of the day for my good.  These “good works” that God ordained EVEN BEFORE I TOOK SHAPE IN MY MOTHER’S WOMB, are the “THINGS”. What a MIGHTY God!!!!!

 

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In His Presence (Dr. Tony Evans)

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The Only Worthwhile Purpose

In His Presence: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly

(John 10:10).

Have you been duped when it comes to purpose?

The only purpose worth living for is God’s purpose.

Paul said: “I press on toward the goal for the prize of

the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”

(Philippians 3:14).

If you live with this goal in mind, God will change the way you live.

You will stop just being alive and you will start to really live.You will live

the abundant life through God’s grace because you aren’t just living for yourself

anymore.

You are not here for you, but for God.

You will have stability. You can get off the roller coaster of emotions that comes

 when you live according to your circumstances. Even when things are bad,

 you are good because God is good.

When Jesus was asleep on the boat in the middle of the storm, His disciples asked,

“How can He sleep at a time like this?” Jesus could sleep peacefully because

He knew where He was going-He was going to the other side.

One of the great blessings of living in purpose is that you can rest.

You can rest because you know ALL things

will be used for God’s purpose,and you can rest

because you know you are going toward God.

You will be provided for. God always supplies that which He has ordained.

If you are outside of His purpose, you have to take care of yourself.

But if you are walking in His purpose, He will meet all your needs.

***One Minute Please

 Following God’s purpose may not change your place in life,

but it will change the way you live your life.

Watch Online Videos of Dr. Tony Evans and The Urban Alternative at LightSource.com

and

Listen to Dr. Tony Evans Online Broadcasts at OnePlace.com.












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Accept What God Allows

				

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image


Today is a beautiful day here in Atlana. The sun is shining, there is a pleasant breeze flowing through the atmosphere and most of all I am alive and well to engage in the various activities today will offer.  Life is good.


I was reading the 11, 12 & 13th chapters of Job in my devotional time.  I remember thinking “Lord why am I reading this book.” Now if I was not obedient to His Sovereignty over my life I would have missed this blessing I am about to tell you of. It pays to LET GOD LEAD. A daily surrendered heart to the finished work @ Calvary keeps God in the leadership position. It also keeps me engaged in a conqueror lifestyle.


Job’s life exemplifies the value of a consistent presence of HOPE. He lost everything -wife, kids, job, home, good health, friends etc. – with no prior warning. It just happened to him, one loss after another. To make matters worse, he had 3 associates coming to him with various ideologies that supposed the idea they knew why Job’s life fell apart. Throughout all of the hardships Job encountered, he maintained an attitude of HOPE and EXPECTANCY.


Now that seems pretty significant to me. I can understand the devastating blows life can hit you with. That can be severe in nature. Job is the prime example of how to ACCEPT WHAT GOD ALLOWS. You see ACCEPTANCE is the answer to all my problems. We have a glaring lesson in the book of Job that supports the thought. All of the loss Job sustained WAS ALLOWED BY GOD. There was a bigger picture available for us to understand. Job’s losses were directly related to a Spiritual lesson between God and the enemy. Job, his wife and children, all of Job’s associates mentioned in the book only had an awareness for what they could see – A LIMITED PERSPECTIVE AT BEST. Yet Job had the willingness to TRUST God in his uncertainty. Why? JOB KNEW GOD IS SOVEREIGN. I think this is why he did not beat the hell out of those accusers. I know the thought must have crossed his mind 🙂


This is a lesson that continues to fuel my own climate for a HOPEFUL outlook day by day. It’s not always easy but it truly does work when you work it.


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What A Mighty God We Serve

				

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Can your heart identify to these words? “He is so good to me, oh yes. He gives me victory, oh yes! Oh what a mighty God we serve…….He opens doors for me, oh yes. Doors I’m unable to see, oh yes. Oh what a mighty God we serve.” I woke up with this song of my youth. This tune is not the popular version we know today but one that seems to have vanished from the archives. I learned it in the 70’s.


Hope is the principle we are focused on this month. Yesterday I had a belief in the Giants victory that was fueled by hope. I am sure many of you did as well. At half time they were behind and the Patriots seemed to be gaining momentum going into the third quarter. I remember tweeting after a failed drive that “it was clobbering time” in the Giants camp. (I am a Fantastic 4 fan too!) To my surprise I was right. The game shifted and the Giants went on to win in the last 2 minutes of the game. What an exciting game but it also serves as a lesson in the benefits of HOPE.


My statement was fueled in hope. I hoped that the defense would prevail because of their history. I hoped in Eli being the better leader because of his history. I hoped in the receivers being in sync with Eli and running the field because of their history. The Giants did not start out the season on top but the history of the season yielded significant evidence to fuel my HOPE. We got to see the Giants, in all their splendor, win the game, the trophy, the rings and the celebration began. OH WHAT A TIME!!


Mighty Mighty (song)
CHECK OUT THE LINK  BELOW!


Romans 5:2 reminds us “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” HOPE is vital because of the process of justification at work in my life. It is necessary to do a daily assessment of the HOPE in my life. There may be times when I have nothing “going on” to hope in. If my heart and mind is not settled in “rejoicing in HOPE of the glory of God” I could find myself hopeless in certain situations. Hopelessness is a direct result of a conquered lifestyle.


I continue to WAKE UP  to the fact that “WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS”  in all my affairs. You have a best friend in Jesus that has affixed you into the Body of Christ so perfectly that you are victorious from the time you wake up until the time you go to sleep.  All you need is a heart and mind that is settled in “rejoicing in Hope of the glory of God.” My HOPE in the Giants winning the super bowl was realized and lasted for one day and it was AWESOME!!!!


OUR HOPE IN THE GLORY OF GOD REVEALED TO MANKIND AND THE WORLD IS GOING TO LAST THROUGHOUT ETERNITY – IT WILL NEVER END!!!!!!!!!!


Can u hear me shouting????????  SHOUT WITH ME!


We are all CONQUERORS in Christ.




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I Have Hope

				

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A Polish made Unitra turntable atop an Electro...
 vinyl productions burned music on my soul permanently


Growing up I heard this classic Roberta Martin song “I Have Hope.” In addition to hearing it from the choir on Sunday mornings, I can recall the 33 playing on the record player ringing out the lyrics from the speakers in our living room on Aspen Place, Columbia Ave and Pennington Ave:


“I have hope, I have hope when trouble comes my way


I have hope, I have hope since Jesus has come to stay


I have hope, oh yes when things are not well with me


I have hope, it’s a beutiful hope and it sets me free


If your distressed , Jesus says come unto me. If your depresed I know he’ll give you liberty


Time may find you at the end of your line, but keep the faith its not too late the Lord will be on time.


I have hope, I have hope when darkness fills the sky


I have hope, I have hope since Jesus is ever nigh


I have hope, oh yes through dangers I can not see


I have hope its a beautiful hope that sets me free.”


http://www.last.fm/listen/artist/Roberta%2BMartin/similarartists is a link to this genre of music that features the Roberta Martin classics.


It was written in 1968 but the melody and message is timeless. Hope is a life principle that fuels my daily pace. It puts pep in my step and glide in my stride. Most of all it keeps a smile on my face that springs from true joy in my heart. The goodness of God is constantly present. Thank you Lord for saving me at Calvary. It gives me Hope, a beautiful Hope that sets me free one day at a time.


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The Beauty of Honesty

				

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That’s what you are wearing? Really??? You can’t be serious? What do you mean by that? How are you going to do…….? Do you know what you’re doing?  These are some open-ended questions that I can either ask myself, someone else or they can be asked of me.  The theme of all of these questions, and many others,is they all come from our soul.  They are genuine responses to core issues that are apparent to the presenter of the question. The issue is evident because of particular actions that are obviously in need of questioning. Why?


Honesty is an important character trait that affects all our lives. When used properly it produces hope, faith, courage, integrity, willingness, humility, love, forgiveness, discipline, awareness and service to others. Effective service is when you do something from the goodness of your heart – NSA(no strings attached) These spiritual principles are God-inspired traits we all must experience as time goes on.


English: Honesty (Lunaria annua) Honesty seeds...
The beauty of honesty


Lunaria or “honesty plants” give us defined characteristics that can really help us see the beauty in honesty. The caption under the plant below details how I can make the correlation to my own honesty.


Seeds of truth are the source of my intrinsic values that germinate honesty. When I was a child I received those seeds from my parental guidance, my elders and my experiences in the church. Fundamentally, each group had two key reference points – The Bible and the world. The experiences that I had, the lessons that I heard and learned growing up were “seeds” that were sown into my core which began to germinate into absolute truth which I base my thoughts, ideas, beliefs and goals on. John 8:32  “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”


When the lunaria seeds are planted it is important not to cover them with too much soil. This is true about “the truth” in our hearts. Sin can do to our hearts what soil can do to the seeds, that is impede upon the growth process. David said in Psalm 119:11 ” Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Daily reading and meditation on the Word of God is essential to the manifestation of truth in our hearts. We live in a world where all kinds of distractions from the truth of God’s Word exist. 


ScriptureSeedsLogo
Source of truth


 


Once truth is at work in our lives the affects are many. It is regenerated repeatedly due to all of the seeds it produces in our lives and the lives of others. If you deposit God’s Word into a child’s life in the first two years on a consistent basis it has the power to manifest for the remaining years of his/her life. It can be grown in any kind of heart, under virtually any adverse condition and without a constant source of light. THIS IS MY STORY!!!! Proverbs 22:6 reads  “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. “


For many years I heard the scriptures. As a child I read them and even studied them. As a teen and young adult I began to share them with others. In my marriage and parenting I shared them even more and I found out about the personal attachment I had to them which was growing even when I was unaware of the growth they caused. All of my references to truth were systematically developing my character trait – honesty.


I always knew when I was being honest and when I was lying. The choice to allow truth to be the litmus test for my decisions and subsequent actions was learned behavior. Who was the teacher? God. What was the classroom? Life. Do I always make the choice? No. However, I see that there is a heightened awareness of my progress in this area.


I try to keep this really simple. When I am allowing honesty to work in my life it allows me to get some amazing results. The other 11 principles are the beginning of my reality that I like the affects of a lifestyle based in honesty. The more I experience the benefits of honesty the more I am willing to incorporate it into my daily activities.  Christianity is the central component of my life that affords me the liberty to realize just how magnificent honesty is. Every day I experience the truth of the Word of God faithfully revealing new mercies, faithfulness, grace and power.


2Corinthians 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 


English: Honesty (Lunaria annua L.)
grown from seeds;sow early in the season; cover lightly with soil;they can grow undisturbed for years and years;they will drop seeds and regenerate year after year;if you want flowers every year, you have to plant them two years in a row;can be grown in almost any soils;should have at least four to six hours of sunshine


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