I pray that you all are continuing to press toward the mark of your calling. If not, what are you waiting for? The past is the past. Let it go. Whatever you have not succeeded in is done and over with…let the sting of your failed attempts go. Your job, school, business, marriage, family relationships, the dinner you cooked last night, the example that you set for others on the road this morning or whatever. Learn the lesson (s) that you needed to learn from the experience, take note of the errors in judgment and/or execution that you made, pick yourself up and believe in you in a new way on today. God has blazed a path of success before you… a path of victory a path that will ultimately lead you to bring glory to Him.
Deuteronomy 31:6 says,” Be strong. Take courage. Don't be intimidated. Don't give them (those who stand in between you and God’s promises for your life or between you and VICTORY) a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He's right there with you. He won't let you down; he won't leave you."
Moses spoke these words to the Israelites, but I believe that the principles found here hold true for us today.
BE STRONG- This world is built to make us weak, for it is geared to encourage us to depend on everything but God. This world encourages us to build out foundation on temporal things not eternal truths. You can only be what you really are (this is not a deep statement but it is profound). If we are told to BE Strong that means that we are already strong, but we must stop acting weak. There is nothing weak about God and He didn’t create us to be weak. BE what God made you to BE.
Take Courage- It takes courage to “Take Courage”. Following God and pursuing His plan for us takes courage. It is not easy and it can be a lonely and scary road, but know that God is with us every step of the way so there really is no risk involved.
Don’t be intimidated- Intimidation is a selfish choice of faithlessness. Intimidation is simply the act of inducting fear. When you are intimidated, you are ignoring the power of God and relying on your personal resources to deal with what you are facing. When you stack up your resources against what you are facing, you conclude that what you are or what you possess is not great enough to overcome your challenges. At that moment of clarity, faith should turn you to depend on God. Faithlessness causes a sense of intimidation to overcome and paralyze you. DON’T BE IMTIMIDATED!!!
Don’t give them (enemies) a second thought- Your destiny…your life is between you and God. It is about your relationship with Him and how you execute His plan for you. God is with you. God is striding a head of you. He has blazed a trail of victory and is just circling back to get you and to show you the way. Focus on God and your enemies will fail and their “apparent power and influence” over you will diminish.
It is time for us as believers to move. We have been to enough Bible Studies, enough Church Services, enough prayer meetings etc…Where is the action? Where is the execution? Where is the CHANGE????
Not to make this political, but there are too many “McCain-like” Christians…more of the same, safe message, keep the course, mellow and far too few “Obama-like” Christians. Christians who excite the masses, who spark interest in the message, who are not scared to be different, who inspire HOPE… God has called us to action. It is time to stop talking and to start making a difference in people’s lives…starting with your own
Be Blessed,
B
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
What if (#1)
What if the measure in which you helped others was the measure in which God helped you?
What if the measure in which you extended yourself for others was the measure in which God extended Himself for you?
What if God forgave like you forgive?
What if God loved like you love, with condition and based on how you are loved?
What if God only loved you when it was convenient and comfortable?
What if God was just like you?
What if?????
What if the measure in which you extended yourself for others was the measure in which God extended Himself for you?
What if God forgave like you forgive?
What if God loved like you love, with condition and based on how you are loved?
What if God only loved you when it was convenient and comfortable?
What if God was just like you?
What if?????
Thursday, June 19, 2008
The First Time Again
I closed my eyes and heard love calling,
I opened my eyes and in love I was falling.
In all of my strength, but still I am weak.
Something about you knocks me off of my feet.
Is it your style?
Is it your smile?
That sexy way you walk?
The soft tone you use when you talk?
Is it your lips?
Is it your hips?
The effect your presence has on a room?
From the first time I saw you I knew I was doomed.
Eternally cursed by the God of Love.
For what mere man could resist an angel sent from above?
This curse has penetrated to my core within.
But if I could relive that first moment…that 1st time I saw you…the moment that changed my life….No doubt…I’d choose to look at you for the 1st time…Again
I opened my eyes and in love I was falling.
In all of my strength, but still I am weak.
Something about you knocks me off of my feet.
Is it your style?
Is it your smile?
That sexy way you walk?
The soft tone you use when you talk?
Is it your lips?
Is it your hips?
The effect your presence has on a room?
From the first time I saw you I knew I was doomed.
Eternally cursed by the God of Love.
For what mere man could resist an angel sent from above?
This curse has penetrated to my core within.
But if I could relive that first moment…that 1st time I saw you…the moment that changed my life….No doubt…I’d choose to look at you for the 1st time…Again
Innumerable Love
How do I love you? Let me count the ways
This thought resonated with me as I started the day
When I look into your eyes I see destiny,
A reflection of eternity and infinite possibilities.
If you lived countless years, years without number
And used them to reflect on the vast measure of my love’s wonder.
You would come to the conclusion that I came to today
That my love for you is too immense for me to count the ways.
This thought resonated with me as I started the day
When I look into your eyes I see destiny,
A reflection of eternity and infinite possibilities.
If you lived countless years, years without number
And used them to reflect on the vast measure of my love’s wonder.
You would come to the conclusion that I came to today
That my love for you is too immense for me to count the ways.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Who is your Daddy?
A belated Happy Father’s Day to the fathers receiving this e-mail, I hope that your respective families “honored” you (deservingly or undeservingly) on Sunday as they should do on everyday (and as we should for the Mothers as well). Remember participating in the creation of a child doesn’t make you a Father. Participating in the development, nurturing and life of that child is what makes you a Father, so even if you don’t have a biological child, you should still be honored as a Father if you are playing that role in the lives of others. If not…you need to step up (nuff said)
I feel extremely blessed to have not only my Father in my life, but I also have a great team of men who are “Fatherly” to me. I’m also encouraged by the Fathers who I know that are right in the trenches with me. Fighting to provide for, to protect and to prepare their children to continue this Christian Race and to win souls for the Kingdom is the job of an unsung hero. Good men and especially good Fathers are hard to come by. It is a “thankless” job. J Ladies if you have a good man who is a good father, consider yourself immensely blessed (so let that man watch the game while you rub his feet tonight…nuff said) J
On a more serious note…
This Father’s Day was a time of reflection for me. As I watch my kids grow up, I realize that every moment is precious. I never know what impact my words, my deeds, the time I spend with them, the things I expose them to or the places that I take them will have on the rest of their lives. It is a great responsibility. That recital that you miss because of “work” may be the thing that causes your child to lose faith in his/her gift. The discouraging word that you say to them in anger or in disappointment may cause their hearts to become bitter and hard toward others. You never know…Many times we don’t think about it in this manner, but sometimes in protecting our kids from themselves and from the bad influences and the dangers that others subject them to, we forget that we must also protect them from potentially one of their most dangerous threats…Us.
We have the power to inspire and we have the power to be dream killers
We have the power to encourage and to discourage.
We have the power to instill strength and to create cowards.
We have the power to show love and to plant seeds of hate.
Most importantly we have the power to point our kids to Christ or to make it difficult for them to accept Him and believe in God.
As parents and especially as Fathers, we must make it our duty to create lasting memories for our kids. Many times our natural inclination is to throw $ or material things at our kids to make them happy, but that is not what they really want or what they will remember when they get older. They will remember the time that you spent with them not how much you spent on them.
Special thanks to my dad (Zachary Jeffers) for riding bikes with me, playing catch with me, taking me jogging with him, letting me work in the yard with him, picking me up from school, reading the Bible with me, going fishing with me and coming into my room early in the morning or late at night to tell me that he loved me. I don’t remember what I got for every Christmas or for every birthday, but I do cherish the memory of the times that we shared (and still do share together). When I think about them I am filled with joy. Thanks for being a Man of God first and the Best Dad in the World…second…
Take every opportunity you can to honor the Fathers in your life, but above all make a special effort to honor, praise and brag about your Heavenly Father to the “fatherless” of the world. Make them jealous of your Heavenly Dad, the relationship that you share with Him and the influence that He has on your life. Then when you hear them say that they wished that their dad was like your Dad, tell them that your Heavenly Father has plenty of room in His heart and His home for them and would love to adopt them into the family too.
Make every day…Father’s Day.
Be Blessed,
B
I feel extremely blessed to have not only my Father in my life, but I also have a great team of men who are “Fatherly” to me. I’m also encouraged by the Fathers who I know that are right in the trenches with me. Fighting to provide for, to protect and to prepare their children to continue this Christian Race and to win souls for the Kingdom is the job of an unsung hero. Good men and especially good Fathers are hard to come by. It is a “thankless” job. J Ladies if you have a good man who is a good father, consider yourself immensely blessed (so let that man watch the game while you rub his feet tonight…nuff said) J
On a more serious note…
This Father’s Day was a time of reflection for me. As I watch my kids grow up, I realize that every moment is precious. I never know what impact my words, my deeds, the time I spend with them, the things I expose them to or the places that I take them will have on the rest of their lives. It is a great responsibility. That recital that you miss because of “work” may be the thing that causes your child to lose faith in his/her gift. The discouraging word that you say to them in anger or in disappointment may cause their hearts to become bitter and hard toward others. You never know…Many times we don’t think about it in this manner, but sometimes in protecting our kids from themselves and from the bad influences and the dangers that others subject them to, we forget that we must also protect them from potentially one of their most dangerous threats…Us.
We have the power to inspire and we have the power to be dream killers
We have the power to encourage and to discourage.
We have the power to instill strength and to create cowards.
We have the power to show love and to plant seeds of hate.
Most importantly we have the power to point our kids to Christ or to make it difficult for them to accept Him and believe in God.
As parents and especially as Fathers, we must make it our duty to create lasting memories for our kids. Many times our natural inclination is to throw $ or material things at our kids to make them happy, but that is not what they really want or what they will remember when they get older. They will remember the time that you spent with them not how much you spent on them.
Special thanks to my dad (Zachary Jeffers) for riding bikes with me, playing catch with me, taking me jogging with him, letting me work in the yard with him, picking me up from school, reading the Bible with me, going fishing with me and coming into my room early in the morning or late at night to tell me that he loved me. I don’t remember what I got for every Christmas or for every birthday, but I do cherish the memory of the times that we shared (and still do share together). When I think about them I am filled with joy. Thanks for being a Man of God first and the Best Dad in the World…second…
Take every opportunity you can to honor the Fathers in your life, but above all make a special effort to honor, praise and brag about your Heavenly Father to the “fatherless” of the world. Make them jealous of your Heavenly Dad, the relationship that you share with Him and the influence that He has on your life. Then when you hear them say that they wished that their dad was like your Dad, tell them that your Heavenly Father has plenty of room in His heart and His home for them and would love to adopt them into the family too.
Make every day…Father’s Day.
Be Blessed,
B
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Say "Yes"
Most of us have had one of these experiences:
1. The phone rings at home (or the cell phone rings) and we ignore the call and let it go to voicemail because after checking the caller ID we suspect that the call is from someone that we don’t want to talk to or someone that we don’t have time to talk to.
2. We are on the phone with someone and we get another call (maybe a call that we have been waiting for or maybe from someone that we would like to talk to) but we don’t click over in time to answer the call at miss the opportunity to talk to that person who was trying to reach us.
3. We are on the phone with someone and just as they are getting ready to say something important…the call is dropped due to a weak signal.
4. We make a call or receive a call, but there is so much static in the line that we can’t make out a single word that the person is saying.
These can be frustrating experiences. Good Communication takes place when 2 elements exist. A person willing to speak and a person willing to listen… Many of the failed communication attempts listed above have parallels in our spiritual lives. For example:
In #1 above, Sometimes we choose to ignore the call of God, because we are “too busy” or we are afraid of what He may ask us to do. We are comfortable “running things” and aren’t interested in what God may have to say about our lives and what direction He may have for us. We, in essence, tell God to “leave and message” and we’ll get back to Him when we have time, because what we are doing is far too important for us to stop and talk to Him.
In #2 above, we desire to hear from God, but we have so much “clutter” in our lives that our attempt to communicate with Him is delayed and we miss the opportunity to hear Him speak. Think about the times you have been sitting in church, or having prayer, or reading God’s word and your mind has drifted off to think about the 1,000,000 insignificant things that are taking place in the world. (What will I eat after service?...Who is cooking?....What game is coming on?...What will the choir sing?...What was he/she thinking when they put that outfit together?...What is going to happen next week at work?...etc). God is trying to talk to us but the clutter of “self chatter internal chatter” prevents us from hearing.
In #3 God is broadcasting loud and clear from station W-GOD but when He starts too get to close and the message gets too personal, we turn the station to W-YOU or WYME (Why Me), due to our weak faith.
In #4 we simply can’t hear from God because our ears are filled with “wax” (sin). The sin in our lives has cause our spiritual “deafness” and we can’t hear (and choose not to hear) anything that God is saying. Our sin has caused us to be numb to His call.
Procrastination before God is a sin. In our last study we talked about Isaiah’s (Ike) call and how He responded to God. God asked “Who shall we send?” Ike’s response was “Here am I…send me” His response was yes. God is looking for Yes- Men and Yes-Women...People who will “run to the phone” when He calls… People who will clear the line so that they can answer His call immediately…People who aren’t too busy. God wants AVAILABLE PEOPLE. For every excuse that you can make, God has a counter argument for it because everything that you aren’t and all that you don’t have or all that you can’t do…He is…He has… and He can DO. He wants His will to be done through you. In the words of the hit song by Floetry, ”All you gotta do it say YES.”
Now is the time to answer the call. Today is the fullness of time in which you are in the place and the position to say yes to whatever God is calling you to do at this moment. God is not going to wait indefinitely for you to answer His call. Do yourself a favor and take God off of hold and answer Him. The God of the Universe and of all Creation wants to talk to you…pick up the phone and say YES before he stops dialing your number.
Be Blessed,
B
1. The phone rings at home (or the cell phone rings) and we ignore the call and let it go to voicemail because after checking the caller ID we suspect that the call is from someone that we don’t want to talk to or someone that we don’t have time to talk to.
2. We are on the phone with someone and we get another call (maybe a call that we have been waiting for or maybe from someone that we would like to talk to) but we don’t click over in time to answer the call at miss the opportunity to talk to that person who was trying to reach us.
3. We are on the phone with someone and just as they are getting ready to say something important…the call is dropped due to a weak signal.
4. We make a call or receive a call, but there is so much static in the line that we can’t make out a single word that the person is saying.
These can be frustrating experiences. Good Communication takes place when 2 elements exist. A person willing to speak and a person willing to listen… Many of the failed communication attempts listed above have parallels in our spiritual lives. For example:
In #1 above, Sometimes we choose to ignore the call of God, because we are “too busy” or we are afraid of what He may ask us to do. We are comfortable “running things” and aren’t interested in what God may have to say about our lives and what direction He may have for us. We, in essence, tell God to “leave and message” and we’ll get back to Him when we have time, because what we are doing is far too important for us to stop and talk to Him.
In #2 above, we desire to hear from God, but we have so much “clutter” in our lives that our attempt to communicate with Him is delayed and we miss the opportunity to hear Him speak. Think about the times you have been sitting in church, or having prayer, or reading God’s word and your mind has drifted off to think about the 1,000,000 insignificant things that are taking place in the world. (What will I eat after service?...Who is cooking?....What game is coming on?...What will the choir sing?...What was he/she thinking when they put that outfit together?...What is going to happen next week at work?...etc). God is trying to talk to us but the clutter of “self chatter internal chatter” prevents us from hearing.
In #3 God is broadcasting loud and clear from station W-GOD but when He starts too get to close and the message gets too personal, we turn the station to W-YOU or WYME (Why Me), due to our weak faith.
In #4 we simply can’t hear from God because our ears are filled with “wax” (sin). The sin in our lives has cause our spiritual “deafness” and we can’t hear (and choose not to hear) anything that God is saying. Our sin has caused us to be numb to His call.
Procrastination before God is a sin. In our last study we talked about Isaiah’s (Ike) call and how He responded to God. God asked “Who shall we send?” Ike’s response was “Here am I…send me” His response was yes. God is looking for Yes- Men and Yes-Women...People who will “run to the phone” when He calls… People who will clear the line so that they can answer His call immediately…People who aren’t too busy. God wants AVAILABLE PEOPLE. For every excuse that you can make, God has a counter argument for it because everything that you aren’t and all that you don’t have or all that you can’t do…He is…He has… and He can DO. He wants His will to be done through you. In the words of the hit song by Floetry, ”All you gotta do it say YES.”
Now is the time to answer the call. Today is the fullness of time in which you are in the place and the position to say yes to whatever God is calling you to do at this moment. God is not going to wait indefinitely for you to answer His call. Do yourself a favor and take God off of hold and answer Him. The God of the Universe and of all Creation wants to talk to you…pick up the phone and say YES before he stops dialing your number.
Be Blessed,
B
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Promises
Promises…We have all made them. We have all broken them. None of us enjoy the heartbreak that comes along with a broken promise. It can sometimes be very painful to experience the letdown of someone making a promise to you and then not following through. Husbands make promises to wives (and vice versa) only to not see the promises fulfilled. Parents make promises to children (and vice versa) only to break them as well. Sad to say, we have also made promises to God and not followed through on them.
God if you get me out of this financial bind…I’ll give to you.
God if you heal me of this illness…I’ll serve you
God if you give me this job…I’ll have more personal time with you
God if you open this door or that door… I’ll give you the glory.
Time and time again we make promises especially to God and we never follow through. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 5 that God is not interested in our mindless babble. He would rather that we don’t make a promise to Him than to make a promise or vow and never follow through on it. Many times we tell God what we “think” He wants to hear. In actuality, what we “think” God wants to hear is what we would like to hear if we were God. God can see right though our games and already knows what promises we will and will not keep before we even open our mouths. Thanks be to God that God is still faithful in spite of us. God’s faithfulness is not contingent upon our failures.
I can hear someone right now reading this and thinking…Hmmm. I guess I can just chill, not promise God anything so that there is nothing that I have to follow through on and God is going to bless me anyway. If that is your attitude, you might want to check the status of your relationship with the Father. Just as children want to please their parents (or should want to), our greatest desire should be to bring our Heavenly Father joy and we can only do that by being faithful to what He has entrusted to us and by being obedient to His Word.
Take a moment and reflect on any unfulfilled promises that you have made to God. Ask Him to forgive you for putting Him on the back burner and commit to following through today.
Ask any athlete…In almost all cases they will tell you that any successful goal or shot is the result of their commitment to it and their follow through (or finish). It’s clutch time…Are you ready to follow through?
Be a Promise Keeper.
Be Blessed,
B
God if you get me out of this financial bind…I’ll give to you.
God if you heal me of this illness…I’ll serve you
God if you give me this job…I’ll have more personal time with you
God if you open this door or that door… I’ll give you the glory.
Time and time again we make promises especially to God and we never follow through. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 5 that God is not interested in our mindless babble. He would rather that we don’t make a promise to Him than to make a promise or vow and never follow through on it. Many times we tell God what we “think” He wants to hear. In actuality, what we “think” God wants to hear is what we would like to hear if we were God. God can see right though our games and already knows what promises we will and will not keep before we even open our mouths. Thanks be to God that God is still faithful in spite of us. God’s faithfulness is not contingent upon our failures.
I can hear someone right now reading this and thinking…Hmmm. I guess I can just chill, not promise God anything so that there is nothing that I have to follow through on and God is going to bless me anyway. If that is your attitude, you might want to check the status of your relationship with the Father. Just as children want to please their parents (or should want to), our greatest desire should be to bring our Heavenly Father joy and we can only do that by being faithful to what He has entrusted to us and by being obedient to His Word.
Take a moment and reflect on any unfulfilled promises that you have made to God. Ask Him to forgive you for putting Him on the back burner and commit to following through today.
Ask any athlete…In almost all cases they will tell you that any successful goal or shot is the result of their commitment to it and their follow through (or finish). It’s clutch time…Are you ready to follow through?
Be a Promise Keeper.
Be Blessed,
B
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