What are you looking at?

Today we are going to discuss the "eyes" and how they relate to our spiritual walk with God. The Bible gives us many examples of what we should and should not look at because the eyes are the gateway to a person's heart. Watching violent movies and playing violent video games has been attributed to some of the worse crimes in American history. It is very important that we realize that you can not watch all kinds of junk and still expect to live a life that is pleasing to God. Sin begins with a thought and a thought is triggered by what we see. Matthew 6:22 [Amplified version] says: The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is sound, your entire body will be full of light.

Again there are many examples of what and what not to look at in the Bible. Let's look at one of my favorite biblical people, Peter. As you may know Peter was very bold. His boldness often caused him a lot of trouble but it also proved to be a great asset to him. Let's look at him when he walked on water. The version of this story that we will look at can be found in Matthew 14:28-30
28. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

Everyone else on that ship was freaking out and wanting to leave but Peter wanted to see for himself whether or not the man on the water was really Jesus. He stepped out of the boat in faith and was able to do something that none of the other disciples got a chance to do, walk on water. The problem was that Peter lost his focus by taking his eyes off of Jesus. Peter would have still been walking on water today had he maintained his focus. If we ever want to do the impossible, we have to learn to keep our eyes on Jesus. Many Christian marriages, businesses, churches, and other God-given blessings have been lost simply because we did not keep our eyes on him. Sometimes we get so busy going through the motions of being saved, that we forget about the devotion that we must have in order to really live for him. What are you looking at?

Psalms 119:37 [Amplified version] says: Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity (idols and idolatry); and restore me to vigorous life and health in Your ways. Everyday we should pray for God to help us keep our eyes on him. As I have already stated, sin begins with a thought but our thoughts are triggered by what we see. One can not look at evil things and expect to live a godly life. At one time I was addicted to pornography. I sat around watching that stuff and would eventually end up doing or wanting to do what I saw being done in those videos. Many people think that they are spiritually strong enough to look at any and everything but nothing could be further from the truth. Proverbs 14:12 [Amplified version] says: There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but at the end of it is the way of death.

Now it would be unfair for me to sit here and tell you what the problem is without providing a solution. I believe that the body of Christ is too busy diagnosing people without helping them get healing...but that's a whole other subject. I have had major problems with what I allowed myself to look at. The moment you take something into yourself that is ungodly, it doesn't end when the TV or the computer goes off. You can be sitting in church singing "Hallelujah" but the next thing you know "BOOM"...a flash back. So we must be very careful because the eye is the light of the body. Your eyes will determine your course of action.

Psalms 131:1-2 [Amplified version]
1. LORD, MY heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty [arrogant]; neither do I exercise myself in matters too great or in things too wonderful for me.
2. Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me [ceased from fretting]. These scriptures clearly point out the attitude that we should have towards God. Whether you've had a problem with porn or any other evil things, we have to humble ourselves to God and ask him to help us watch what we're watching. Notice that it says my eyes are not arrogant, in other words I'm not to high to realize that I need God to direct my path. I need him to help strengthen my line of defense. It's not hard to start out turning the channel or choosing another website but over time if you're not careful you could become spiritually lazy. Laziness is the devil's opportunity to implant mischief and evil into your heart that will result in family's being torn apart, businesses being ruined, etc. I believe that a majority of Christian divorces and corporate riffs could be avoided if we simply keep our eyes on the things of God.

In conclusion, understand that no one else can control what you see. You have to know when its time to walk out of the room or what have you. My husband and I visited a Christian friend's house and they were watching something that my husband and I didn't need to see, so we simply got up and walked out of the room. Because of my previous addiction, I could not sit there and watch something that would cause me to go backwards instead of forward. Proverbs 4:25 [Amplified version] says: Let your eyes look right on [with fixed purpose], and let your gaze be straight before you. What are you looking at? I still struggle with my previous addiction to porn but everyday I have to make a conscious decision to stay away from anything that attempts to take me go back to that sin. It doesn't matter how long a person's been saved, if they are not watching godly things, you have to make a decision to leave. I hope that this post has helped someone.



Remain blessed

The power of the tongue

James 3:5-6 [New American Standard Bible] says: 5. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!
6. And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.

As you can plainly see in the above scripture the tongue is one of the smallest parts of a human body, but yet it can cause more turmoil than any other body part. Matthew 12:37 says by our words we are justified and by our words we are condemned. I have really had to study about this subject because I always struggled with my tongue. I've had to learn that there comes a time when it is better to be wrong in order to be right. I'm going to share with you some of the things that I have learned over the years about the power of the tongue.

According to God's word we know that evil speaking can only bring about:
(a) discord
(b) broken relationships
(c) destruction of businesses
(d) unnecessary pain and suffering
(e) split churches
(f) hatred
(g) wars
Much needless sorrow and suffering would not exist if it wasn't for the evil of the misused tongue. No good is accomplished by a lying, cheating, gossiping, and deceitful tongue. It is very important that we all take the time to study about what we should say in any given situation. Trials and tribulations can not completely be avoided but we can make them easier if we watch what we say in the midst of those difficult times.

Proverbs 8:6-9 [Amplified version] gives us a checklist that we should pray over and live by:
6. ...for I will speak excellent and princely things; and the opening of my lips shall be for right things.
7. For my mouth shall utter truth, and wrongdoing is detestable and loathsome to my lips.
8. All the words of my mouth are righteous (upright and in right standing with God); there is nothing contrary to truth or crooked in them.
9. They are all plain to him who understands [and opens his heart], and right to those who find knowledge [and live by it].
If we strive to do what these verses tell us, we will be able to handle anything or anyone who comes our way. People will be glad to talk to you because they'll know that what you're going to say will encourage them through their struggles. This is exactly what being a Christian is all about. No you're never going to be perfect but we should be getting better and better as we spend time daily in the word of God.

James 1:26 [Amplified version] says: If anyone thinks himself to be religious (piously observant of the external duties of his faith) and does not bridle his tongue but deludes his own heart, this person's religious service is worthless (futile, barren). This scripture proclaims that a mere profession of faith without living accordingly is in vain. The kind of faith that saves changes a person. He/she becomes a new creature in Christ. He/her desires, habits and outlook change including the habit of speaking.

A word, once spoken, can never be recalled. A good example of this truth is illustrated in a story of a busybody woman in a small town, a church member, who meddled in other people's lives. Early one morning she saw a young girl returning home, a young man escorting her. This gossiping woman started a rumor about this girl without bothering to find out the reason for her early morning return. As usual, the rumor grew and become scandalous. The girl's reputation was ruined and, in desperation, she committed suicide. The woman that started this malicious gossip then learned the reason that the young lady came home at such an hour. It seems that she had spent the night with a girlfriend, and that friend's older brother brought her home on his way to work. The woman's conscience began to bother her, so she went to her pastor and related the whole story. The pastor advised her to go to a store, buy a box of wheat bran and scatter it over the streets of the town. After following his instructions, she returned for further advice. He told her to go back into the town and gather all of the bran that she had scattered. "This isn't possible", she said. "It is just as impossible to undo the terrible, tragic deed that you have committed as it is to collect the bran again," he replied to the heartbroken woman. Malicious gossip can destroy your life too. Great care should be taken when we talk about anyone.

Humanly speaking, we cannot control our tongue or any other attitude of the mind or heart. Only when we have Jesus in our heart and the power of God as our strength can this be done. We should never say anything that will hurt another in any way, whether they are guilty or not. Galations 6:1 [Amplified version] says: Brethren, if any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also. We must always remember that by the grace of God are we saved, not because we're so good. No one is perfect. We are all subject to make mistakes which is why we should always treat people as we would want to be treated if we were doing wrong.

I know that a lot of this stuff that I have shared with you may seem pretty heavy but it is very important that we are not just saved with a shout and speaking in tongues, we should also be saved with our actions outside of the church. It is difficult to never say anything evil about someone or something. But as soon as we realize that we're wrong, we should do everything in our power to make things right. Just make an effort to speak godly things and I promise you that God will meet you where you are. Again none of us are perfect but we should be striving daily to become more and more like Jesus. When Jesus spoke, things changed. When we speak, things change...but it is up to us to determine whether that is for the better or for the worse.



Remain blessed

How can Christians be renewed in faith, mind and spirit?

The Bible is the only source of information that we have. In it are the words of life, the way we should live for Christ in an acceptable and profitable way. His word is truth. It informs us of the way to be renewed; revived and effective for Christ. First, we should be students of the Holy Spirit. Then we must be willing to forsake the way that most of us now live and take up our cross and follow Jesus. We must forsake the evil and walk in the light. Ephesians 4:15, 17, 23-30 (NASB) gives us great examples of how Christians should live.

15. But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,

17. So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,

23. And that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,

24. And put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

25. Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.

26. BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

27. and do not give the devil an opportunity.

28. He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.

29. Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

30. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

In Philippians we read: "That I may know Him (Christ), and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his suffering, being made comfortable unto His death". Philippians 3:10

These are but a few of the many scriptures in reference to the way of life that is pleasing unto our Lord. It behooves every person saved by grace to read, prayerfully, the Bible. Be careful to study and understand that which God expects and demands of us. Then apply these things to your everyday walk through this life and you will be rewarded in heaven.

Most of us will agree that a vast majority of the people who claim salvation need something to happen in their hearts in such a dramatic way as to awaken them out of their sleep and cause them to be a vital part in communicating the gospel of salvation. We need to be a dynamic force for good so that people will have respect for the believing Church instead of distrust and disillusionment. The world needs to see a people that loves God and their neighbors as themselves. The basic reason for revitalizing and renewal is love for God and mankind.

The church needs spiritual leaders that are so committed to Christ, that their hearts are filled with compassion for the unsaved; that they will preach and teach their flock by word and example; that they will become so inspired they will carry the gospel everywhere as did the early church.

Please note in your Bible, that Jesus led his disciples by word and by example. They went everywhere preaching and teaching the people. They did not just teach them but they also led them out into fields that were white unto harvest...which is example. James 1:22 says: "But be ye doers of the word, and not just hearers only, deceiving yourselves". Jesus did not exclude anyone regardless of his position. Jesus led his followers; He never attempted to drive them. No church, home, or business will progress beyond the leadership provided.

Another example of the traits that Christians should possess can be found in Philippians 4:8 which says: Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

To be happy and content and at peace with God we must abide in Christ and live daily for Him, who is our Savior, our hope and our peace, who will bless us beyond our highest expectations, who will comfort us in times of distress and give us victory over sin and death, who will hear us when we pray and answer us. Our Lord will supply our every need, now and forever.

All he asks of us is to believe in Him, obey his word, let the Holy Spirit teach us his ways and be renewed, and grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has gone back to heaven to prepare a home for all that receive and love him. May God bless and renew you in spirit and and truth. May your life be pleasing and acceptable unto him.

Do you know what shocks the world about Christianity? Not religion; the world is fed up to here with religion. Not ritual; the world is fed up to here with ritual. Not sincerity; there's sincerity in every group on the face of the earth. Then what is it that will impressed and shocked the world about Christian faith? (1) Oh how they love the Lord...and (2)oh, how they love one another.



Remain blessed

Learning how to be diligently committed to God and what he gives us! Part 1

1. Definitions
commitment- a pledge or promise (vow)
faithful- to be loyal; reliable; dependable
diligent- persevering and careful in work; hardworking; to be consistent and steady


2. When a person is committed to something or someone, he/she usually does not have feelings to back them up....therefore, we see that commitment is a decision and not a feeling.

3. In order to get anything else from God, we must first be faithful and committed to what we have [Luke 13:10 NASB] says: He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.

4. Every man or woman of God who ever achieved anything in life always understood the value and importance of being committed to do what God called them to do even when it caused them to be uncomfortable for a season. [Hebrews 11:25] says: Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

5. Commitment is something that is easy to say or start, but not so easy to finish and see it through til the end. In [Eccl 5:4-5] God says that it is better not to vow or commit than to vow and not follow through.

6. God can only radically and dramatically bless those who are diligently faithful and committed to his will and to his way.

7. God usually allows us to be put or kept in divers situations to prove how loyal and devoted we are to him. [Joshua 22:5 Amplified Bible] says: But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you: to love the Lord your God and to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and to cling to and unite with Him and to serve Him with all your heart and soul [your very life]. It's easy to love God and be faithful over what he gives you as long as you feel good and things look good, but will we continue to be committed and faithful to God when:
(a). we're not getting our way
(b). we don't see or feel our way
(c). we aren't being treated fairly
(d). no one else is encouraging you to be faithful

8. Usually when things get hard, weak Christians tend to faint and give up, but what separates the true Christians from the fake ones is the fact that no matter what happens, comes or goes, we never give up on God. True Christians make a life-long vow or promise to God that only death will keep them from fulfilling. [see 2 Timothy 2:2-3 KJV and 1 Peter 4:19 Amplified version]

9. In [Job 13:15 KJV] Job refuses to give up on God in spite of all he was going through. In [Acts 14:19-22 Amplified version] Paul is stoned and left for dead but yet he did not quit preaching God's word, he got up and continued to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. These are reasons why we aren't instantly made leaders because steadfastness, diligence, patience, and faithfulness only comes or is demonstrated during our tests and trials. [see Romans 5:3-4 Amplified version]

10. According to [2 Corinthians 12:9-10 KJV] God's strength is made perfect in our weakest points. Therefore, even when we want to give up and quit...God will stand up inside of us and pick up where we left off. We can only feel the overwhelming presence of God when our backs are against the wall and no one else can help us but him. When you are down to nothing, God is up to something. But if we don't have a close personal relationship with God, how can he step in for us.


11. People who abandon their commitments are those who really don't know God. Because to know God is to know his Word and to know his Word is to be committed to doing it whether we feel like it or not.


12. Truly committed Christians are usually lone rangers, they stand on God's word alone, they are often rejected and misunderstood because of their uncompromising commitment to God and because they absolutely refuse to be like everyone else.


********************to be continued********************

Is it the devil or is it you?

Let me first start by saying that this is a very unpopular subject because it requires us to take a good look at ourselves. A majority of the time things go wrong in our lives, we tend to point the finger at everyone but ourselves. The truth is you'll never have to deal with a bigger problem than you yourself. James 4:1-2 [Amplified version] says:

1 WHAT LEADS to strife (discord and feuds) and how do conflicts (quarrels and fightings) originate among you? Do they not arise from your sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members?
2 You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your desires go unfulfilled; [so] you become murderers. [To hate is to murder as far as your hearts are concerned.] You burn with envy and anger and are not able to obtain [the gratification, the contentment, and the happiness that you seek], so you fight and war. You do not have, because you do not ask. [I John 3:15.]

Chances are if we would really take time to pray about our problems, God will tell us that most of our problems are due to the fact that we got out of line somewhere. Why is there so many divorces among Christians? Because we stop looking in the mirror and begin to point the finger at everyone but ourselves. We would be much happier in life if we kept our eyes on Jesus. Our daily prayer should not be: Lord remove this or remove that. We should pray, "Lord if you don't change the situation, change me". This will take away any disappointment one may have if God doesn't remove the situation. God is always trying to set us up for success, we just have to get in the word and stay there.

You may have heard other Christians say things such as: "the devil is a liar" or "the devil is just trying to stop me" or "the devil meant it for my bad but God meant it for my good". Those things would be absolutely true if we didn't create our own problems and try to get God to bail us out of them. You may also hear people say, "I've been talked about, mistreated, buked, scorned, and talked about sho as you born". But again a lot of those things are happening to us because we sowed that bad seed and forgot about it. If you're going to go through hard times, don't let it be because you brought it on yourself. Galatians 6:7 [KJV] says: Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Is it the devil or is it you?

We must learn to spend quality time in God's presence so that we will know the difference between a storm of life and a self-inflicted storm. A storm of life is something that we can not control, a self-inflicted storm is something that we can help. Many times we try to keep up with what others have and we go out and create a burden that God never intended for us to carry. The Bible says: for his yoke is easy and his burden is light. God will never put more on us than we can bare, but God's blessings require spiritual maturity on our part. You're not going to give a 5 year old child the keys to a Mercedes Benz so why do we expect God to give us something that we aren't mature enough to handle.

God is ready and willing to bless each and every one of us but we must be willing to grow up in him. How do you grow in God? By feeding on his Word and doing it. If you've ever been around babies, you'll notice how quickly they grow. Why? Because we are feeding them the proper nurishment so that they can grow. Our nurishment is God's word.

Hebrews 5:12 [Amplified Bible] says:
12. For even though by this time you ought to be teaching others, you actually need someone to teach you over again the very first principles of God's Word. You have come to need milk, not solid food. Spiritual babies are always fault-finding and complaining which is why they never get anywhere. Spiritually mature saints get more because they can handle more. Don't sow seeds of foolishness and expect to reap rewards of wisdom. Let us close the door on selfishness and self inflicted problems and begin to get in line with God's word. The sooner we acknowledge the true cause of our issues, the sooner we can get past them and move on to bigger and better things.

Remain blessed

God's medicine

Have you ever felt sickness in your mind, body, or soul? If you have, you probably ran to the nearest doctor you could find so that you could get relief. Earthly doctors usually write prescriptions to relieve whatever symptoms you're having. But those of us who are Christians know that God is the doctor of all doctors. He prescribes medicine that contains no harmful side effects or other hazards. The medicine that God gives will not only help your body, it will also help you get better spiritually. Let's look at an example of God's medicine that can be found in Proverbs chapter 4.

Proverbs 4: 20-23 [Amplified version] says:
20 My son, attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings.
21 Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh.
23 Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.

These scriptures give us the steps to gaining and maintaining both physical and spiritual health. 1. Attend to my words- Give you undivided attention to God's word and take heed to what he says. In order to avoid the snares of the devil it is important that we spend time daily in the word of God. Understand that we all are born and shaped into iniquity. We have to meditate on God's word in order to undue what the devil has programed into us from birth. (Isaiah 26:3) says: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee.

2. Incline thine ear- Open your heart and your ears to take in God's sayings. Desire and go after the knowledge of God's Word. (Proverbs 4:5) says: Get wisdom, get understanding... God is not going to force feed us his word, it is our jobs to seek his word for ourselves. We have to make a conscience decision to hear God's word and do it. Remember that the time you give to digesting the word that you hear will measure the return of the virtue (power) and knowledge that will come back to you through the Word.

3. Let them not depart from your eyes- Keep your eyes trained on the Word of God. Do not look at circumstances or feelings that appear contrary to your healing. Look at God's word. Give attention to what he says. Circumstances will ALWAYS be the opposite of what God wants us to say or do, which is why we must re-program our minds daily to believe what God says no matter what. There's no telling what impossibilities we could achieve if we just keep our eyes on Jesus. Remember the story of Peter walking on water? Everyone knows that walking on water is not possible but with God all things are possible. Peter would have still been walking on water today had he not taken his eyes off Jesus. (see Matthew 14:28-30).

4. Keep them in the midst of thine heart- Psalm 119:105 says: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. The word of God gives us inside information that the devil can't touch. The portion of the word that you act on is the portion of God's word that is living in you. Continually feed yourself with God's word in order to keep the word producing the force of faith. Psalm 119:11 says: Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. We are going to make mistakes, as human beings, but we can limit those mistakes by putting God's word in our hearts.

5. For they are health to all their flesh- God's saying are life. Jesus said, "My words are spirit and they are life". The word is God's medicine. Continually attending to the word with your ears, eyes, and your heart will cause you to live in divine heath. The more (word) you take in, the more powerful you become.

Remain blessed

Complaining, the spiritual abortion!

Complaining means to- express feelings of pain, dissatisfaction, or resentment. You may remember the story about the children of Israel and how they mumbled, grumbled, and complained all the time. Because of their chronic whining, God let them wander in the desert for 40 years on what would've been an 11 day journey. You'd think that they might've caught on after the first few years, but they didn't. Ladies and gentlemen ask yourselves is this why you haven't gotten where you needed to be in life? Hasn't God already brought me through many things that I thought was impossible? If so, then why not believe that he's going to bring me out again.

Complaining comes from people who don't really trust God. If you really trust in the Lord you rest in him knowing that he's going to do just what he says. Proverbs 3: 5-6 [Amplified version] says:
5 Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
6 In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

People have forgotten how to live as a Christian. Everywhere you look in God's word, you'll find scripture where Jesus talks about being grateful. Instead of whining about all that's negative, Jesus preaches about looking for the positive. The selfishness that seems to engulf everyone at times colors your view so badly you can't see all the good things around you. Our insight or understanding of things is very shallow. This is why God says that his ways are not our ways nor his thoughts our thoughts. Unless we learn to trust God, we will find ourselves on the outside looking in.

God impregnates each and everyone of us with a dream and a vision of a bright future. But we often abort those dreams by speaking the opposite of what God says. Many of us don't realize that our blessings or curses don't come from what we say or do in public, they come from what we do under pressure and what we do secretly. Matthew 6:18 [KJV] That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. If we really understood this we would be busier working more on what is hidden and not what is seen.

What can we do to stop complaining?

-Becoming aware of how much you complain is the first step to stopping. For the next 24 hours, keep track of every complaint that comes out of your mouth. When you look back, you will be absolutely amazed. You also want to keep track of the negative thoughts that continually run through your mind. Your mouth follows whatever is going on in your thoughts, so go directly to the source.

-Start saying positive, life affirming stuff on purpose. The only way to replace all that negative stuff is to deliberately program the right stuff in to replace it. It's going to take some practice, but pretty soon it will become habit for you to find the positive, to avoid the negative, and to eliminate your urge to complain.

-Distance yourself from people who live to complain. It's too easy to fall back into old habits, so it's absolutely necessary to surround yourself with people who don't live for the negative. They might not like it, and they probably won't understand. But your life will start to get better the sooner you eliminate complaining people from your life.

-Lastly, ask God to show you what you can do to help someone else in this area. Sometimes helping someone else helps you more than trying to help yourself. Who knew? As you build a network of friends and family who want to eliminate complaints from their world too, pretty soon you'll be able to look back and see just how much better your life has become.

Remain blessed

Strength from the Lord

"How blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee." Psalm 84:5 NASB

The blessing of strength from the Lord is a provision every one of God's people needs. And God wants to give us His strength, in an abundant supply. But God's ways are higher than man's ways, and God's thoughts are higher than man's thoughts (Isaiah 55:8,9). This is undoubtedly true, when it comes to the strength of the Lord. God's ways of strengthening us are different than man's ways.

God's purpose is to make us strong. "The God of Israel is He that giveth strength and power unto His people." (Ps.68:35 KJV). God's will is to strengthen us, and to give us power in His ways. We are commanded, "Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might." (Eph.6:10). God wants us to be strong. Strong in Him, strong in love, strong because we are filled with the Holy Spirit. We must have an unshakable confidence, that God's purpose is to make us strong in Him. When we face situations which we don't understand, or when we encounter obstacles, difficulties, or painful situations which we were not expecting, it is easy to lose sight of God's purposes. God's thoughts are not like our thoughts. Our thoughts can become thoughts of fear or discouragement, anger or frustration. Thoughts like: "I'll never be able to get through this," or, "God must be punishing me for something I've done," or, "The Lord is against me," can become a part of our thinking.

But God's thought is to make us strong! His will is to make us stronger, not to tear us down. We must become strong in the ways of the Lord. "The way of the Lord is strength to the upright." (Prov.10:29 KJV) God says to you, "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10, NASB). The strength of the Lord is more than enough, to meet every obstacle.

God's Word says, "Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." (2 Tim.2: 1 KJV). The Word says, "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us." (Rom.8:37 KJV). The Word says, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Phil.4:13 KJV), and, "The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Ps.27: I KJV). God's promise is, "In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength." (Isaiah 30:15 KJV). Yes, God wants us to be strong!

David was a man who knew the ways of the Lord. He was a man after God's own heart. Yet he encountered a situation that from all appearances looked like a complete tragedy. He and his men were away from their camp, when the Amalekites came and raided the camp. They took all of the women and children, all of their belongings, and burned the town with fire (I Sam.30: 1,2). When David and his men came back to their camp and found it completely destroyed, "then David and the people who were with him lifted their voices and wept until there was no strength in them to weep." (I Sam.30:4 NASB). To make things worse, David became distressed because the people spoke of stoning him. They were embittered because of the loss of their loved ones in this terrible tragedy (I Sam.30:6).

David could easily have turned his back on the Lord in such a perilous situation. He could easily have thought that God was against him, or that God had forgotten him. He could have become bitter, like some of the people did. But David knew the Lord. He knew that the Lord was for him, not against him. He knew that God's purpose was to strengthen him in this situation. So, "David strengthened himself in the Lord his God." (I Sam.30:6 NASB). He received strength from the Lord; power to overcome and to conquer.

David inquired of the Lord, and received word from the Lord, to pursue the Amalekites. He found them, eating and drinking and partying, spread over the countryside. They were celebrating over their plunder. David and his men completely conquered the Amalekites, and recaptured all of their wives and children. They recovered all that had been taken from them; they also recovered all of the plunder of the Amalekites. They not only recaptured what was lost, but received over and above it. God was in control.

Not long after this incident, David was made king over Judah. The Amalekite raid was one of the greatest testings David faced, and it happened shortly before he was made king. David could have walked away from God's plan, in the time of testing. But he knew God's purposes, and that his God wanted him to be strong. Do we realize that it is true, for us as well?

David strengthened himself in the Lord his God (I Sam.30:6). How can we receive more of the strengthening power of the Lord into our hearts and lives? Here are some of the ways we can receive strength from the Lord:

1. Those who WAIT ON THE LORD shall renew their strength (Is.40:3 I). We must spend time waiting before the Lord; we must spend much time with Him.

2. CALL ON THE LORD, in earnest entreaty. "On the day I called, Thou didst answer me; Thou didst make me bold with strength in my soul." (Psalm 138:3 NASB).

3. BELIEVE that it is undoubtedly God's purpose to impart strength to you, and to make you strong, no matter what the situation may look like. God's promises are clear, that the will of the Lord is to strengthen you (Ps.105:411s.30:15/ Psalm 68:35/Psalm 27: 14 / Eph.6: 10,11/ 2 Tim.2: l / Is.41: 10).

4. We must TURN FROM SIN, to be strengthened by the Lord. Sin is what can make us weak. The Psalmist said, "My strength has failed because of my iniquity." (Psalm 31:10 NASB). We must turn from sin, and receive cleansing and forgiveness through the blood of Christ.

5. DRAW NEAR TO THE LORD. It is the Lord Himself who is our strength. Drawing near to Him insures that His strength will dwell in us, because His presence will be near us and in us. We are told to "seek the Lord, and His strength." (Psalm 105:4).

6. BE OF GOOD COURAGE. The Word of God says, "Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart." (Ps.27:14 KJV). If we have courage, God is able to strengthen us. We must have courage and faith when we draw near to God, knowing that it is His will to strengthen us, and make us more than conquerors. David was of good courage, when he went out to face Goliath. We must also be of good courage, when we face our battles.

7. The WORD OF GOD strengthens our faith, and builds us up. The Word of God can be relied upon, with confidence. "Strengthen me, according to Thy Word." (Psalm 119:28 NASB). Meditate on, and rely upon, the Word of God. Saturate your mind and your spirit with the Word, and the promises of the Word, for your strengthening. As we do these things, God will impart His strength to us. We will be strengthened to walk in victory, and walk in faith. God will show himself strong on our behalf.

At times God's people can begin to drift, and begin to coast along on their own strength. We can gradually begin to do things in our own strength, and not even realize that we are no longer walking in the strength of the Lord. That is why we must seek fresh strength from the Lord day by day and week by week. We must seek fresh strength in prayer, the Word, and waiting upon the Lord. The Israelites in the wilderness so often missed God's purposes. God wanted to make them strong - strong in faith, strong in trust, strong in the Lord. But when food and water began to run low, they didn't feel strong; they felt weaker. They missed God's purpose - He wanted to strengthen them, and provide for all of their needs. But they often doubted, or grumbled and complained. God's ways were higher than their ways.

But throughout the wanderings of the Israelites, Caleb had learned of God's strength. After forty years in the wilderness, he could say, "I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out. I am just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day." (Joshua 14:11,12 NIV). Caleb knew that God's purpose was to make him strong. The blessing of the Lord was powerfully manifested in his life. He received the full measure of the blessing of the Lord.

As we are strengthened by the Lord, part of God's purpose is that we help others to find that same strength. We should be like Jonathan: during a difficult time he went to David, and helped him to find strength in God (I Sam.23: 16). When brothers or sisters in Christ, or others we love are passing through a difficult time, they need someone who can help them find strength from the Lord. We are to pray for one another, and bear one another's burdens. Then God will use us as His channels, to bring the blessing of strength from the Lord, to those who need it.

Remain blessed

Learn to play piano by ear!!

If you are interested in taking your piano playing to the nextlevel, I think I may have struck the right chord for you. Justlast week, I was contacted by my friends over at HearandPlay.comwho specialize in teaching people how to play piano by ear.

Jermaine Griggs, the President of HearandPlay, just let me knowthat his site had recently been updated with a few new pianoresources... When I finally checked it out (because I was very busy lastweek), I noticed one particular article that discusses thedifferences between musicians who play piano from sheet musicand others who play by ear --- some of the advantages anddisadvantages of both.

The article focuses more on the advantages of playing by ear--- obviously because that's their specialty. Here are just afew of the many examples of what they said (you'll have to checkout the article for yourself to get the full story):

Advantages of Playing Piano By Ear
1) "Being able to instantly recognize chords that are played insongs even without being at a piano."
*****************How does this help you?*****************
"You are able to learn songs faster and easier because youunderstand why chords are played at certain points in songs."

2) "Not required to memorize chord progressions (pattern of chords played one after the other) because understanding themwill automatically incline you to know what chord to play next."
*****************How does this help you?*****************
"Allows you to improvise and add your own "flavor" to the song.This is especially advantageous when playing in a church as youcan never predict how long a song will be sung or what key thesinger might resolve to. In a band, this might be helpful if theleader simply instructs everyone to surprisingly repeat a partof the song or change the key in which the song is currentlybeing played in."

3) "Will allow you to use the same methods to play virtually anysong you want (most songs; don't quote me if you're referring toMozart as this might take more practice than most other songs)."
*****************How does this help you?****************
"Saves you the money and time of having to go out and buy the sheet music to a song that you've already learned how to play byusing the ability of your ear to recognize melodies, chords, andprogressions. However, buying the sheet music isn't a bad ideaif you want to learn specific parts to songs that have highlevels of complexity."
*************************

You know... I could really go on and on about this article,but dueto the lack of space, I'm going to have to send you to thearticle so you can check it out for yourself:
Go to: http://www.hearandplay.com/at.cgi/480396/course
(...and if you're really serious about taking your piano playingto the next level, you might want to consider taking them up ontheir 300-pg course, "The Secrets to Playing Piano by Ear"). Meanwhile, let me know if you have any questions and I'll answer or pass them to the right folks at HearandPlay.com. Again, go to:http://www.hearandplay.com/at.cgi/480396/course


All the best,


Chevonne Reynolds

P.S. - There's also a little section in the article that talksabout major and minor scales, chords, and progressions. Checkout that section too.

Other helpful links
Free newsletter- http://www.hearandplay.com/480396/newsletters
Gospelkeys 101 dvd (for beginners)- http://www.hearandplay.com/480396/gospel101
Gospelkeys 202 dvd (Worship chords)- http://www.hearandplay.com/480396/gospel202
Jason White (for church musicians)-http://www.hearandplay.com/480396/gkministry.html
Gospelkeys 300 (praise songs) http://www.hearandplay.com/480396/gospel300

Lord I just want to thank you

I know that its not Thanksgiving yet but I've learned that God loves a grateful heart. Time and time again God has brought us through man hard times and trials so I couldn't help but to post this in my blog. Luke 17:15-16 {Amplified version} says: 15 Then one of them, upon seeing that he was cured, turned back, [c]recognizing and thanking and praising God with a loud voice;
16 And he fell prostrate at Jesus' feet, thanking Him [over and over]. And he was a Samaritan.

Notice in this scripture that there were 10 lepers but only one of them had the presence of mind to thank God for the miracle that he had performed for them. As you may know, leprosy is considered a debilitating skin disease and once it becomes known that you suffer with this disease you are banished from your home and forced to live far away from other humans. So this was a MAJOR MIRACLE for them because there was no other cure for this disease. Sometimes God blesses us and we get so carried away with the miracle that we forget the miracle worker. I have learned especially recently how precious God is to me. I have found myself waking up to say, "thank you Lord".

As you all know, the economy is in decline and people are losing their jobs. If you still have a job to go to, you should thank God everyday because it could be the other way. You could be unemployed with kids and don't know how you're going to make ends meet. You could be homeless with no one to turn to, but GOD continues to unleash his mercy upon us. My husband and I have struggled lately financially but God never failed us. We have two kids and after we moved away from our family it was hard to adjust for a while but even through that, God continued to uphold us with his mighty hand. Look back at how you were before God saved you, I was a prostitute, alcoholic, pill popper, liar, cheater, mistress, etc...but God took me and made something beautiful out of my life. What has he done for you, that no one else could have done? We've got so much to thank God for.

One of the worse insults to God is mumbling, grumbling, and complaining. We've been on this earth long enough to realize that everything is not going to go our way. So it is our job, even in the midst of struggles, to remember what God has ALREADY DONE and thank him for that. Luke 17:19 {Amplified version} says: And He said to him, Get up and go on your way. Your faith (your trust and confidence that spring from your belief in God) has restored you to health. In other words, because you were thankful I'm going to give you something that the others won't get. Having a thankful heart makes you stand out among other Christians. I have met people who are basically saved complainers, the thing that gets me is the fact that they fail to understand that they are their own worse enemy. We have to realize that we're responsible for whether we get a breakthrough or not, what you say in bad times determines what you get. You will be amazed at how fast God comes to the rescue of a person with a grateful heart.

In closing, I have to say that I had to learn all of this stuff the hard way unfortunately. I used to be one of those movers and shakers who never had time to thank God for his blessings. When I became sick and confined to a wheelchair, it didn't take long for me to realize that I had taken God for granted. Since the Lord delivered me and even before he delivered me, I learned not to take God for granted. I pray that none of you don't make the same mistake I made. It's amazing how thankful you become after you lose everything. Don't wait until the well runs dry to be thankful. We have to learn to look at the big picture, if things don't go well for a few days don't get all bent out of shape. Just remember what storms he's already brought you through and be grateful and believe that if he did before, he'll do the same again. God is not going to forget us, God always comes through right on time. He is faithful you can rely on him, the question is can he rely on us.

Remain blessed