Saturday, February 17, 2018

Name Change

I saw this a few years back and it humors me...enjoy.


I know this is humorous but let me ask you this one question is all seriousness...

Aren't you glad, God doesn't call you by your past? I am glad that I am no longer a hypocrite, sinner, lost and undone person. I am glad that I am saved and that God calls me His own!! 

Be blessed today!!

Friday, February 16, 2018

Lessons Learned : Giving

I know, I know...all preachers talk about is money. Well, some preachers talk about money to get your money and others talk about it because Jesus talked more about money than He did about heaven or hell. BUT, He (Jesus) never talked about it, in the way it would, get you rich or help you to keep up with the Jones'. When Jesus talked about money, it was to grasp their attention because that is where the people's heart was at when He was talking to them. You don't have proof to back that up, OH YES I DO.

Usually when Jesus talked about money, He talked about not so much keeping the money, but giving it back. 11 out of 39 parables talks on money. He was usually conversing with either the Pharisees, Sadducees or His disciples when He was discussing money. When He turned the tables over in the tabernacle, it was because of 2 things, they had the dove in a cage and selling it for sacrifices (that's for another post) and secondly, they turned the house of prayer into a money making scheme. They were manipulating people when it was time for the burnt sacrifice into purchasing and exchanging animals in the temple INSTEAD of following what God has put into place back in Leviticus. Sound familiar??? We have some that manipulate the scriptures to make money off of the Gospel and that is just plain wrong.

So you might be asking yourself, is this preacher telling me NOT TO GIVE?? NOOOOOO!!! I AM TELLING YOU TO GIVE BUT WITH THE RIGHT INTENTIONS!!

Jesus said in Matthew 22:21, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things of God's." In other words, pay your taxes like you are supposed to and give your tithes like you are supposed to.

Whenever I teach on giving, I teach on the act of obedience. Obedience is BETTER than sacrifice. Let me let you in on something I have learned in my short time, my lesson learned; tithing is obedience and saves you from the curse, BUT your offering is what brings the blessing. Whenever the woman with only 2 mites gave, Jesus said in Luke 21:3, and I am paraphrasing here, this woman gave more than all of these people because they gave from their abundance, in other words they gave what they gave because it honestly didn't hurt them. They had the extra and wouldn't miss it anyways but this woman gave out of poverty and gave all that she had to the Lord. She gave with a heart of gladness and not to be seen. She was giving in the act of obedience.

My wife and I learned a long time ago, that when we give and give with a cheerful heart and not treat our offerings like another bill; God gives us favor in the workplace, in our health, and in our homes. I am not going to sit here and tell that everything was picture perfect and we had money overflowing after we gave, no sir/ma'am. But God always took care of our needs and our necessities.

When we give with the right intentions, and that is out of obedience to the WORD OF GOD and not TO GET ANYTHING IN RETURN; God will take care of you. Giving is not a get rich quick scheme BUT it is a command from God.

Friday, February 2, 2018

Lessons Learned: Praise & Worship

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to share some life lessons I have learned in my short time on God's green Earth. This little mini-series will be called, "Lessons Learned" and I hope they bless you.

I remember while growing up how different situations would change my actions. If I got what I wanted, I was happy. If I was corrected or something didn't go my way, I pouted. If someone made me mad, took my favorite toy (I wasn't the best at sharing..haha), or my friends picked someone else's idea over mine; I would get angry and throw a hissy fit. In other words my current situation picked my attitude and my demeanor. It affected how my emotions showed and how I would act towards people.

Paul said in I Corinthians 13:11 that when he was a child, he spoke and act as a child; but there was a growing process. He continues and I am paraphrasing here, he says but when I grew old, I gave up those childish ways. We all know one person that who stills act like a big baby or child. Their immaturity isn't that of their age. But this also happens in the spiritual realm. Now you might be asking, how does this title of praise and worship have to do with this? Here is your answer.

We often too many times allow outside circumstance and situations affect how we praise and worship God. We let our finances, intense moments of fellowship with our spouse, a child who rides on our nerves, a co-worker that annoy us, a church member that gets on our nerves truly affect our worship. But a life lesson I have learned is this, there are 2 times to praise God; when you feel like it and when you don't. This is called putting childish things away. Look at Psalms 150 when you get a chance. David says this one phrase in verse 6, "Let everything that has breath, PRAISE THE LORD." He didn't stipulate to praise God when every thing was going your way, if there was money in the bank, if your spouse was the best thing since sliced bread; he told us to PRAISE THE LORD. If you have breath, you are commanded by God's word to praise.

I challenge you this week to give God everything you have in worship. Hold nothing back. Worship unashamed because God has told us in His word in Psalms 22:3 that He is enthroned in the praises of His people. In other words, he INHABITS the praises of His people. You want to see God show up, PRAISE HIM! When praises go up, BLESSINGS come down.