October 15th, 2008 by admin

I want to
share with you something that will make you shout. I think everyone is familiar
with the Lord’s Prayer. We have all read and prayed it many times. If you have
been in church very long you can probably even quote it by heart.

I want to
draw our attention to Matthew 6 verse 10. It says, Your kingdom come. Your will
be done on earth as it is in heaven. If God’s will that is done in heaven could
not be done here on earth, Jesus would never have told His disciples to pray
for it. So obviously God’s will that is done in heaven can, and should be done
here on earth.

Let’s take
healing for example. Psalms 103:1-2 says don’t forget the Lord’s benefits, that
he forgives all of our sins and heals all of our diseases. And I Peter 2:24 tells us that Jesus himself bore
our sins in His body, and that by His stripes we were healed.

If God’s
will for you is to be healed in your body and His will is done in heaven and
Jesus tells us to pray that His will is done on earth “as” it is in heaven.
Then we should be in agreement with that. Here’s the shouting part I promised
you earlier. The root of all things is in the spirit, and the manifestation
shows up in the natural. Just like when you cut a rose off the rose bush. The
rose stays fresh and colorful… for a while but then it will die. The reason it
will die is that it has been cut from the root and it has no life supply
anymore. Though it looks in the natural to be vibrant and flourishing day after
day it has no life force to keep it alive.

Our health
is the same way. Day after day it may look like sickness or disease is vibrant
and flourishing but I know that according to God’s will that the disease has
been cut at the root. It has been cut in the spirit, in heaven first and we are
to believe that God’s will, that is done in heaven (our healing), will manifest
here on earth in our bodies.

Sometimes
we can’t see that the root has been cut, but we must. We normally look at the
bloom or at the natural. If we do that, we will be deceived and we will not be
walking in faith. We have to come to the knowledge that it is done. Our issues
whatever they be, whether health, finances, mentalities, addictions or you name
it. They are all under the heading of “it is finished” and that we can shout
about!

October 14th, 2008 by admin

We often
hear people say, “that this person or that person offended them” or “that
statement was offensive.” The word offense is commonly used, and most of us
know what that word means. It’s a good thing that Jesus taught us about this
since we so commonly have to deal with it.

How do we
deal with offenses?  Matthew 18:7 tells
us, “Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to
that man by whom the offense comes! So apparently none of us will escape the
occasional offense. I was listening to a pastor bring out a point about the
word offense according to Matthew. The word offense in the Greek actually means
a trap, snare or any impediment placed in the way and causing one to stumble or
fall, any person or thing by which one is (entrapped) drawn into error or sin.

See, the
offense is just the bait in which the devil has placed on the trap. He wants
you to take the bait, so that you become trapped or ensnared. If the devil can
get you mad or closed off to people, then he knows that your heart will begin
to harden. If your heart hardens, then the seed of the Word of God cannot grow
as effectively.

We have to
remember that our heart is the soil in which the Word is sown. We just cannot
afford to have the soil hard. Seeds do not do well in hard soil. Jesus tells us
that offenses will come, or the “bait” will come. We never have to fall for it
and become ensnared. Jesus has set us free to walk in love. If we do this we
will recognize the evil devices of the enemy and side step them.

We will
have many opportunities to “get offended” or to take the bait. You will
probably have some today, and may come from your closest friends or even
family. Jesus rebuked Peter, one of his disciples, called him Satan, and told
him he was an offense to him. Jesus recognized the trap that was being laid,
and side stepped it. We have to do the same. When the opportunity comes to be “offended”
just recognize that it’s a trap and side step it. It won’t be easy, but it will
be worth it.

October 8th, 2007 by admin

I was reading yesterday a couple of passages that I would like to share with you that may encourage you in your daily journey. Ephesians 2:6 states, “and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”. Colossians 3:1-3 states, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

Have you ever really wondered what those verses mean? I got excited yesterday when I stopped to really chew on them. Chew… chew… When Jesus died for me He made a purchase. At the point I accepted Jesus into my life I accepted that transaction and I no longer was my own. I know we have all heard this before, but please stop and think about this…. Our life, spirit, soul, and body are hidden with Christ. We are protected in Christ just as little chicks are protected by the wings of their mother. If anything wants to harm us they must first get through the protective barrier, which for us as Christians is Christ. We have been raised up together, sitting together, and hidden with Christ. This is why no weapon formed against us can prosper. The weapon can be formed against us, no doubt, but cannot prosper (complete the work it is intended to accomplish).

If we can somehow make this a realization in our lives then it makes trials like the one I am facing easier to deal with. I can rest that Jesus has my back and that I am actually “hidden” in Him. Yes, the devil can come around and taunt and cause fear, but his weapon will not accomplish what it’s set out to do. The devil will have to get permission from Jesus first for this to happen. Of course, we know that since Jesus already destroyed the works of the devil, that answer would be a resounding NO! Also, I am not going to give permission so I guess that settles it.

Anyway, Just a thought for the day to help anyone who needs to know that Christ is our covering, our shield, our protector, our wings.

So this is my confession,

“Devil, if you want to take my life, you’ll have to ask Jesus for it. It is not mine to give and not yours to take. I have been bought and Jesus owns me. I am the property of Christ and He is the only one who can decide my life status. Leave me alone and go see Jesus if you want me.” 

It’s very refreshing saying this.

Blessings to all

Lee

August 11th, 2007 by admin

The picture above represents some pretty healthy trees and apparently a lush environment. But what about the trees that do not have a consistent lush place to grow. An environment that may be harsh or inconsistent with water, oxygen and minerals.

It has been noted that trees will spread their roots down and out to find water and nutrients to survive in times of heat or drought. What is interesting to me is the side effect of the roots “Digging Deep”. The roots are just trying to find water or life to stay alive, but the side effect to this is that as the roots dig deep a maturity and stabilizing is taking place in the tree. The tree becomes a stronger tree as the roots go down and out. It’s the dry times that make the tree seek life, which in turn makes a stronger tree. We can learn from this illustration that we have two options when the dry times come in our lives… we can give up or we can dig deep. It’s in the dry times that we have the opportunity to seek life and as a result become a much stronger person and a stronger Christian.

May 10th, 2007 by admin

Matthew 4:4 states, “man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” I am sure that we have all heard that scripture, but have we ever really stopped and thought about it. Our spirit man eats…. we actually have a spirit inside of us that needs to eat. We feed our physical bodies each day… more than once mind you, yet we so frequently forget that there is another feeding that needs to take place. If we could see our spirit… what would it look like. Would it look healthy, weak, fat, scraggly, fit, etc….. Do we even think about the health of our spirit. Do we think that once we are saved our spirit becomes perfect? We know that it becomes brand new… but even brand new babies without proper nutrition will not survive very long.

We are not only to live by bread, but also by the bread of life, the word of God. FUEL YOUR BODY… FUEL YOUR SPIRIT. I believe that we should take care of our physical bodies and eat healthy… I also think we should take care of our spirits the same way. I like those references about meditating on the Word… in other words chew slowly. Take one scripture and chew on it all day. Let it digest slowly into your spirit soaking in the spiritual nutrients that you need so desperately. This blog now has a daily scripture… just so we can all chew.

Happy eating.

April 20th, 2007 by admin

As I walked from one office to the other yesterday at work I looked down and saw my shadow. The shadow mimicked my every movement. It even revealed the pen in clarity that I was holding in my right hand.

The shadow was not me, it was a image of me. It looked like me… it acted like me… it walked like me… in every form it resembled me…BUT IT WASN’T ME.

There is a passage of scripture (Psalms 23) that says “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil”. Notice that this says shadow of death. Shadows can’t hurt you. The real thing might, but not the shadow.

The bible obviously, through this verse states that we as Christians may have to walk through the valley of the “shadow” of death. The devil is always casting shadows that resemble the real thing. This is to provoke fear in us and to get our eyes off of faith. So if the shadow can’t hurt you and Jesus has already defeated the real thing… what do we have to fear. So the next time the devil throws something your way… remember what Jesus has said and who you are. Realize that it’s just a shadow… and press on.

April 18th, 2007 by admin

I have been wondering why so much of the bible is being used by churches for comfort instead of answers. We are real people with real problems… and though I like comfort… I will take answers a million to one over comfort. I believe that Jesus came to give us answers to our daily life issues. We are one of the physically sickest nations in the world and yet have more medicine than any other country. We also have the gospel message preached to us more than any other nation (probably all nations combined). We need answers… I need answers… Why are the things that we preach that God has for us so difficult to obtain. Does God hide the blessings like Easter eggs and enjoy our frustration when we can’t find them. Of course not!!! It’s not God’s fault. It’s ours. What is our problem?? Why is it when we need answers many people just pray comfort for us. I don’t want to be comforted through the storm. I want an answer for the storm! I believe that the bible has the answers for our needs, not just comfort. We press on, and on, and on, until the answer is revealed. God loves faith, and wants to find it within us all. Faith is seeing the answer when we don’t have it. I guess when we get to a breaking point in our lives, we have to give our cares to God and have faith. I guess…. that is the answer.

April 16th, 2007 by admin

When something dies… it doesn’t have to be the end of life. Here are four live oak trees that died as a result of hurricane Katrina, that received new life at the hands of a skilled chain saw artist. If you feel that the storms of life have damaged you, remember that God is economical and nothing is wasted. He can make something beautiful when it seems there is nothing beautiful to work with.

April 14th, 2007 by admin

I grew up on the beach around the Atlantic Ocean. Every summer we would pack up our beach stuff and head for the water. It was always a great family time. The Atlantic Ocean however has an undertow that sucks water back out to sea as it breaks along the shores. We would stand where the water breaks and feel the undertow pull on our feet. Rafts were different. You could never feel the undertow when playing on a raft. Everyone loves to play on rafts and on occasion just relax on them. It�s the relaxing that becomes so dangerous. Picture yourself laying back on a raft, your eyes closed and the sun warming your face. You�re not thinking about anything in world except how good it feels just laying there. You�re not aware that the tide and undertow are slowly taking you out to sea. You�re now way off shore and don�t even realize it. God help you when you open your eyes! Sheer terror hits, the people on the beach look like tiny dots, and the buildings look like the small sandcastles you made earlier while playing in the sand. Then it hits�. da dunt� da dunt� JAWS!!!!! You feverishly paddle your way against the tide, undertow, wind, and saltwater splashing in your face. You get back to shore, but it wasn�t easy. You also realize how easy it was to drift away from shore. You never even felt it. I have notice this in my spiritual life as well. We drift� it happens. The most important thing is that we get back to shore. Also, if we keep our eyes on the shore (God) more… we tend to drift less.

April 8th, 2007 by admin

Perhaps you know a story about Benjamin Franklin. One day he received a gift of a whisk broom from India. He noticed a few seeds fastened to the wisps of the broom. Franklin planted them. When the first crop came up he distributed the seeds among his friends and neighbors. Their crops flourished. In this way Franklin was responsible for introducing broom corn into the American colonies, and starting the American Broom Manufacturing Industry. From our tiny efforts sometimes come great rewards.