Fear God...

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 KJV 13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

When we fear God, we yield, submit, obey and comply with His ways, His standards, His commandments, His Words, His requests, .....

Before we jump to conclusions...God would like us to hear the whole matter, all sides, all involved parties. Fear God, keep HIS commandments...for this is the whole duty of man...to fear Him and keep His commandments. Not so hard, right!?

It would seem fair if we are one of those parties, amen!

No worries, everything whether good or evil will be exposed, God will have the last word. So whether now or later judgment is coming, no need to get in God's way, He already has it all taken care of. Amen!

Next time a matter surfaces that just doesnt seem right...go and hear from all involved...be apart of the solution, not the problem and let us all seek to glorify God in our actions and responses to a problem.

YOU ARE POSITIONED BY GOD AND HIGHLY FAVORED!!!! Be obedient and let us understand what our whole duty is to God!

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Grace...Love...Holy Ghost be with us All!

GOOD MORNING!

 2Co 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, [be] with you all. Amen. <<[The second [epistle] to the Corinthians was written from Philippi, [a city] of Macedonia, by Titus and Lucas.]>>

May the grace..(.the supernatural empowerment to do that which you could not do on your own)...of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all today!

Today, maybe we will be able to love someone we are struggling with...forgive them as God forgave us. I dont mean pacify them, I mean to forgive, which means not to dwell on it, bring it back up, talk about it, nor allow it to stand between you, and move forward in your heart.

Forgiveness is not only releasing them in our heart, but asking God on their behalf to forgive them also. By asking God, you are telling God how much you desire for them to have forgiveness also. It's a beautiful thing for the individual asking...the domino effect is hopefully the other party will come to understand and see the work of Jesus in us, Amen!

Another opportunity maybe not to be so stressed out, reacting or respondingso quickly negatively to our surroundings. Such as, someone not meeting up to our expectations, on the job, in the car, at school, at home....deep breath in....exhale out... :) or placing ourselves in our prayer closets to communion with God, calm our nerves and allow Him to reign down His peace...my personal favorite!

May the love of God be with you all today! The essence of LOVE is God! Have you ever just felt so overwhelmed with love...it is but God...it is a filling...a peace in your heart...a smile on your face for everyone...its another dimensional experience happening in our inner man that strengthens us and pours over into our physical sense. That is the kind of love that is desired for us today! All is well with the God and the world, and your J.O.Y. (R) just oozes over.

May the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all today! THIS IS ESSENTIAL TO EVERY BELIEVERS WALK WITH GOD. The very word in the greek means to be intimate with as a wife and husband do, the word in the greek is intercourse. We must understand the importance of acknowleging and abiding with the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost's role in our lives is a gift to empower us with God's plan and purpose for our lives. Without His power, acknowlegement, and guidance we are helpless in impacting the kingdom of God.

I realize for many...many...of American churches we have stayed away from mentioning, including, needing the filling of the Holy Ghost...seek the scriptures...its hindering our ability...we are nothing but a lump of clay...it is the Holy Ghost that brings life and the ability to do God's work in and through us. Yes, we can do lots of work for God...in our own strength. You may say, "Whats the difference?" I would answer, "Start praying and asking God to show you!" Titus and Lucas are not desiring that we would have such a close intimate communion with the Holy Ghost because it will hurt or hinder us. Its because its impossible to please God without Him.

We can do nothing for God and take credit for it, so how do we do anything to avoid robbing God of His glory...simple...we dont...He does it through us...How does He do that...the Holy Ghost. Amen!

May we all be blessed today and everyday thereafter, with this beautiful encourgement of grace, love and the Holy Ghost!

YOU ARE POSITIONED BY GOD AND HIGHLY FAVORED! 

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Worship in Spirit and Truth...

GOOD MORNING!!!

 Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
 Joh 4:24 God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.
If true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, and God is a Spirit, and they that worship HIM must worship HIM in spirit and in truth...I think it safe to say...we are spirits also!

We are spirits in a human costume!
Ecclesiastes 12:7 KJV 7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

God's nature is not material or matter...spirit is the exact opposite, we cant see it and God requires a spiritual worship IT'S internal, not a material or external one. Worship to God is not an outer show of "here I am", its one that is deep within ourselves, the core of our being meeting with His being...where are hearts meet. Its an attitude of our will.

This is just one example of many in the scriptures that God says, I don't want your outer show of doing your "rituals" that you think will appease me!


Isaiah 1:10-20 KJV 10 Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. 11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. 12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? 13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. 14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. 15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. 16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

He doesn't want our vain service, HE WANTS OUR HEARTS!!! HE WANTS YOU!!! HE WANTS ME!!! He wants honor, respect, obedience, and adoration towards Himself. He wants us to draw nigh unto Him. Isn't amazing God wants us so much? It isn't "going" to church...its "being" the church...it isn't "doing" for God...it is "being" with God. We are not saved to served...we are saved to glorify God and in seeking Him and making it all about Him.

 God doesn't need our service. Service is not "working" for God, rather, it is loving others by God's work. Service isn't something we do for God rather something He does through us. We dont have to force it, it will come supernaturally through us as we are intimate with Him! THERE IS SUCH A DIFFERENCE!
IT BEGINS IN THE HEART with SINCERITY, HUMILITY, AND PURITY!

God hates it when we live life our way, doing whatever we want, doing evil and justifying it as good. It isn't the outer actions, its the motives of our hearts. Are we operating in sinful pleasureful desires that make us feel good regardless of the scriptures or are we living our lives according to the scriptures even when it hurts, or feels uncomfortable? ex: what good is it to love someone who loves you back, have you extended love to someone who is unlovable?

 Do we avoid conflict? Conflict is an opportunity to glorify God, not ourselves. We are not to protect ourselves from confrontation, we are to do what is right in love. How will anyone see God really works, and that His Spirit is victorious if we never engage Him and we run from opportunities?  Have we given love, prayed for our enemies or bless those that curse us? That is part of worship to God! God desires us to be the hands and feet of Jesus, then go and praise in His courts. Not, go sin and then come and go through your motions of sacrifices.... Ps 51:17 The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Preparing to worship in spirit is to clear our minds and the distractions and be fully concentrated on God and not allow our minds to wander. No matter how sincere we are in our hearts if we are not worshipping in truth, God cant accept it. This is a lifestyle not just an event in our day!

Being led by the Word of God, being intentional that our whole hearts and minds are fully engaged before the Lord...we can only begin to experience a worship that is spirit filled and in truth.

I personally have come to find, that singing and praying just to pray can seem repetitious. Then there are times when I am fully engaged with the Lord in my heart and mind and it is as if a window in heaven opened above me. I cant really put it into words, but I can say there have been times that have been very special to me...fully connected and not wanting my worship time to stop. Then there are days, the Spirit shows me the love of God and I extend that love and see how a lifestyle of worship can look. IT IS GLORIOUS!

Worship is a lifestyle, its how we think, how we move, how we react, how we respond...in our lifestyle are we glorifying God?

God deserves our very best concentrated effort to FOCUS on Him and Him alone! Having a passion and a hunger and thirst for Him brings us into our desire to please Him know Him MORE.

Today, kinda be aware of how you pray...are you distracted...when you worship God, have you entered in with Him with a whole heart, not looking at your watch and wondering when can I be out of here, I have a zillion things on my to do list today.

James 4:8 KJV 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

If you don't do this already, here is a suggestion: Give yourself 20 minutes to sit down in a quiet place...close your eyes, empty your heart and mind and just start verbalizing the greatness of God...mediate on His wondrous works, His promises, His character and His amazing love...read His Word out loud...acknowledge He is God, Lord, Creator and start cleansing your heart of all unrighteousness...repent...ask for forgiveness for rejecting or rebelling against Him. Coming into His courts with thanksgiving with respect of our rightful places...you and I will find ourselves on our way to a meaningful time of worship with God in spirit and in truth!

YOU ARE POSITIONED BY GOD AND HIGHLY FAVOR!!! WORSHIP GOD...HIS WAY...IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH! EMPTY YOURSELF AND BE FILLED WITH HIM!

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As for God,....

GOOD MORNING!

2 Samuel 22:29-37 KJV 29 For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness. 30 For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall. 31 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him. 32 For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God? 33 God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect. 34 He maketh my feet like hinds' feet: and setteth me upon my high places. 35 He teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. 36 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great. 37 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.

Here is just a snippet into David's life with God! David does not brag on himself to have the power to do anything. He isnt saying look at me...I have eyes to see and I have run through a troop...I have leaped over a wall...I have gone to high places...I am a great warrior...I have enlarged my steps...I...I...I...I.

I nothing. Like the lump of clay we are with a brain, we can think we have rights to take credit for our accomplishments...Its mine...Its mine.

David understood his greatness was because the Lord was his strength and POWER, and anything he, David did was, God making his way perfect!

Let's just analyze this one verse...For by thee, I have run through a troop...A troop of men can be extremely large...David ran through the extremely large group of men undetected! David didnt say I did it...He said, "For by God!" Then, by my God, have I leaped over a wall...for David to write this, I am going to assume the wall was a bordering wall of great height and not some rocks that a farmer stacked up to 4 feet...are you with me on this! David leaped over a tall building...its a bird...its a plane...no it is super David!!! Ok, Got a little carried away there, but really God carried him over the wall!!! Who needs super hero's, when we have the Lord, Amen!!!


Two amazing feats, done by an ordinary man with an extra ordinary God...In chapter 22, David sings his songs to God for all that God has done. He sings, I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

Imagine, David must have witnessed and partook in the amazing supernatural works of God over 4,000 years ago (est). God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. What God did for David, He can do for us too!

David says, The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness, that he kept the ways of the Lord, and he kept himself from iniquity. The Lord desires obedience, He promises to reward those who diligent seek Him. He makes it known He shares His glory with NO ONE...not even me...not even you. David was intentional to a point in his life to honor and follow God. David was a man after God's own heart, God loved David and because of his obedience HE blessed him.

Coming to see everything we are...everything we have...everything we do...is all the power and strength of God...we cannot take credit if we belong to HIM. We are his work and He will give us the power over all of our situations. We may not be running into a troop of men, or climbing over a wall that borders a city...but we may come up against some strong obstacles...nothing is to big, wide, or tall that God cannot take us through!!!

YOU ARE POSITIONED BY GOD AND HIGHLY FAVORED!!! GIVE GOD ALL THE GLORY...HE IS WORTHY OF OUR PRAISES!!!

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BUT BY HIS GRACE...I AM WHAT I AM

GOOD MORNING!

 1Co 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which [was bestowed] upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Like a lump of clay, I sit on a Potter's wheel. Helpless and unable to take shape or form, to know up from down, right or wrong. Then a GREAT AWAKENING begins, I begin to hear, "What I have ears!"...the wheel begins to turn...I begin to see.."What! I have eyes." Still helpless and worth absolutly nothing, I cannot move... I cannot form myself or shape  myself... I have ideas...ooooh I have ideas of what I would like to be...If I could just...oooh just make my clay go this way...or not...how about it going that way.

I have no arms or legs, no abilities...and then I feel the Master Potter's Hands, ooh what is He doing, ouch...oooo no that is not in MY plan...what is He doing....uugggh He is squeezing me, eeeekkkk, He is molding me...oooohh Sir, not that way...oooh Sir can I make a suggestion...NO...please lets go out not up...really aaawweee, thats not what I wanted.

Then, He puts me down and walks away...wait a minute, I say, where you going, you cant leave me like this!!! I now see others around me...aaaahhh look I want to be like that one....eeewwweee I sure hope I am not like that one over there....Why does it seem no one is really completed, polished, finished...ooooh the ones that are finished are in a beautiful glass case, with pearly gates...they look real nice!

He is back, ok maybe He will listen to me now...let me give Him my wish list...

Arent we alot like a lump of clay. We are funny people, always wanting to "tell" God, "direct" God, "control" God. Wanting to take "credit" for who we are and what we have become. Look what I am, Look who I am, Look what I have done with myself...ummmm...Can a lump of clay do anything in and of itself?

Walking with God is a lifetime journey of realizing we are so helpless, we are a lump of clay with a brain! We think we are so much more than what we really are. We are but a speck in the grand universe and we are so bossy and demanding, self absorbed, self righteous, and self reliant. Self reliant, how in the world can we rely on ourselves, we are helpless...but not hopeless, Amen!

The Potter begins to shape and mold me, its not comfortable, its not exactly what I thought I wanted. Sometimes I am not sure if He knows what He wants, He shapes me and just when I think He is done, He sprinkles more water and starts to reshape. Its like He keeps seeing a greater master piece in His work in me and keeps adding and shaping some more. I wonder if He will ever be done?

Then there are times...I say "OOH NO" "What does He have in His hand, Is that a knife!!" He cuts some clay away, He adds some clay...ooohhh I dont like this very much...just smash me and get it over with, I cannot bear the pain, the agony, the ugliness of this process any longer!

I have come to see, there is nothing that I am, know, understand, that hasnt been given to me by my Master. There were times I wished I was like someone else, or that someone else looked like me or even better. I have gone through hard times of molding and shaping to get where I am today. God has shown me others have gotten where they are today the same way. Did you know you are just like me? Just a lump of clay!

God wants to make us into useful vessels that are fit for His Kingdom. To often, we want to be useful vessels for our own kingdom...isnt that true. Sometimes its hard to accept we arent what we liked to be...and there is always someone more useful and there is always someone not as useful...but the truth comes down to the only way any of us, are of any use at all, is because of the Potter.

Sometimes we can get discouraged...jealous...bitter...demanding that the Potter just isnt working to His potential in us or others and we wonder, Why. (there we go again, telling the Potter what we think)  When we take our eyes off the Potter we see ourselves and we see others for the good, bad, and ugly. When we gaze into the Potter's eyes, and TRUST his HANDS to mold, shape, direct and guide us individually...we fall in love...we become thankful for His love towards us personally and we are so grateful that He even decided to pick up our lump of clay and begin His work on us.

We still could be sitting on a shelf...never to have AWAKENED to the need of being changed or molded at all. Yet all that I am, all that I ever will be, I owe it all to thee! Lord help us to gaze into your loveliness, help us to worship YOU, help us to be seeking you. Help us, Master Potter...to embrace your work with gratefulness and to yield to the use you created us to do. With our eyes on YOU...I am what I am...but by God's grace go I!

A work in progress we all are...we didnt ask for the style vessel we have...physically or spiritually...we are just to be obedient to be useful for the Master's plan for us individually, Amen!

May I add, looking back...seeing where I am today...hoping where I will be in the future...I wouldnt change a thing...in all of my ugliness, my helplessness, my continue need to be shaped, cut, molded...I wouldnt change a thing...I have learned to gaze into the Potters eyes and all I see is HIM.

That is why we are on a wheel as He works on us...its just me and Him...He gets His way all the time...and I have learned He can see things in me that I cannot. So I have trusted He choices...He is my best friend, He looks out for me and He is constantly removing rough edges, smoothing over the bubbly warts that form and adds water when I am dry. It is but by His Grace...that I am what I am today.

Then one day will come, where I too will be placed in the showcase of all of His beautiful shiny master pieces...I will enter into the pearly gates as well...a master piece in progress until the day of my perfection...I will have gone from one shelf of helplessness being a lump of clay...to another shelf of hopefulness, shiny, beautiful, polished for all eternity.

YOU ARE POSITIONED BY GOD AND A HIGHLY FAVORED LUMP OF CLAY!!!

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