Are we hindered or hampered by a nagging sin or problem that just doesn’t seem to go away? Maybe it is at a certain time of the day or we are in a certain atmosphere or place. Sometimes it can be random and every time it happens it gets us down. How could we have let that happen again? We should have known better. We should have seen it coming. Moving On!

I believe that some of these things are caused by familiar spirits and some of them are just habits. How do you break a habit? There are some who say to just simply start another habit, but this is not always beneficial. How about let’s get rid of the habit with nothing but peace, love, and freedom to replace it. This way we aren’t bound to something else.

What do these habits consist of? They include, but are not limited to the following: depression, anger, drug abuse, bad relationship behaviors, sexual immorality, overindulgence of food or certain foods in general. Most of the time we say, “I am not going to do that again,” only to find out it goes on and on and on.

One of the first things to do, if we can, is to determine the root cause. Why are we doing this? Could it simply be out of a judgment we made at some time in our past? Was there something that was done to us to cause this to reoccur? Did we watch something or witness something traumatic? Were we traumatized? Was it simply bowing to temptation that locked us into the cycle?

Don’t stay in the same place. Sometimes a physical move is necessary. Other times just simply getting out of your comfort zone and hanging out somewhere else will change things. Also, it can be a bad relationship or hanging out with a crowd bent on that way. If it was a judgment we made about someone else and now we are locked into it, we need to forgive them, ask the Lord to forgive us for judging and to release us from the judgment. Sin can open the door to the demonic realm, and in this case a spirit can be attached to the behavior giving it more power. This can be the case in addiction. No matter how hard the person tries to break the habit, there is a stronger force compelling them to continue. Again, we should ask the Lord for His help, find the root, repent and break the power of the spirit’s hold on our life.

Our lives are very complex. We are spiritual beings, we have a soul that is eternal and yet we live in a mortal physical body. Each person sees reality differently. We gather information with our senses and our mind processes it. Based on our knowledge and past, our mind tries to decipher that information and make an assessment. This assessment may be true and accurate or it may be clouded by our judgments, triggers from our past and things that have happened to us. Case in point: Have you ever had a person try to help you in a particular situation, but you reacted like they were going to hurt you or something similar to this? This reaction was not based on truth, however, due to a past occurrence or trigger, you simply reacted before you thought.

How do we move on? I believe we can move on from glory to glory as we lay things down before the Lord and let Him heal us. He knows the right time and when He shows us something we need to deal with it, find the truth about it and correct it. Once it is dealt with and we are healed, we can move on in freedom and strength. We can face our fears with His help and be strengthened to overcome and be victorious.

I once had many fears. I grew up without my dad. I didn’t have that structure to give me a sense of protection. I felt like things kept getting to me to harm me. It was a horrible place to be, but over time I was able to give each fear to Him and He was able to heal me. Perfect love casts out all fear. Fear is the opposite of love. There is no love in fear. A person who grows up in a family atmosphere of love, doesn’t have as much fear as someone who doesn’t. It is the parents love and support that provides a strong foundation for the child to grow. If the child doesn’t have this foundation, he will be unbalanced in these areas. This is why we have so much crime and some children are out of control. It all starts with the family and God’s love.

While Adam and Eve were enveloped in God’s love, they didn’t know fear. If you will take notice to the moment they disobeyed Him, not only did they feel naked, but when the Lord came to meet them they became afraid. Sin separated them from God (LOVE) and FEAR entered into their hearts. I personally believe fear is at the heart of all of our problems. God’s love (true love) is the answer to all of our problems. God’s love is not our definition of love, it is much more. His love contains affection, discipline, mercy, grace, truth, compassion, judgment, etc. It is a complete love. If we truly love someone, we will do what it takes to save them and keep them safe, this includes saying what needs to be said and not just making them feel good.

I hope this has helped you today. May you have a wonderful day and a great life.

Joseph

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The big D’s can shipwreck a successful journey and life. If the enemy can’t get us to quit, his next step is to distract us. There are so many things to do now-a-days. There are so many programs to become involved. A lot of these are even good. In discussing distractions though, it isn’t about good, rather we need to focus on what it best. Dangerous Distractions!

Galatians 5:7 “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.”

1 Corinthians 6:12 “Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything.”

1 Corinthians 10:23 “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive.”

Evidently, Paul thought this subject was very important. Here we have three examples of different scenarios. Please read each of the chapters and you will find some interesting tactics the enemy uses. A lot of politicians use these tactics as well. They give us just enough information to distract us from the real core of topics that really need attention, what do the people want to hear, rather than what do we need to do for this country. The whole election has become a political game based on greed. My faith and rest lie in this truth. The Lord knows the end from the beginning. We know the end of the story. He is the One who turns the hearts of kings and can turn any situation around for good. In short, He will have His way. He will take care of His people. Only His plan and purposes will succeed. Men can plot and plan until they are exhausted, but in the end the truth will prevail.

So how do we know if we are distracted? What are distractions? Distract, according to Merriam-Webster means, “to turn aside, to draw or direct (as one’s attention) to a different object or in different directions at the same time, to stir up or confuse with conflicting emotions or motives.” Do we find ourself in any of these situations? Is our mind still focused on our goal? Is everything we are doing, helping us get closer or are we finding ourself being distracted by other things and even other people?

This can be a difficult situation to analyze. There are so many good programs out there. There are a lot of band wagons to get on. We live in a society that is constantly on the go. We have emails and mobile phones that keep us in constant communication with others. Computers have helped us to do more, much faster and they continue to do so. The problem lies in the fact that we usually want to do more instead of take that time to rest, refocus, and redirect our lives.

What is important? Is it those few extra dollars that keep us away from our family or deprive us from spending quality time with the Lord? Is it entertainment or sports? Is it a good benefit that brings us recognition or the satisfaction of doing something good and feeling good about ourselves while it drains the energy out of us.

What is the truth? What is our purpose? Is any of it real? I used to wonder about these things as a teenager. It was then I met the Lord. The emptiness inside of my heart was filled with His love and it was then I knew there is truth. There is purpose to this life and it is real. I don’t know how to reach others except to write about that which I know. If you are wondering, if you really want to know check it out. It is not by accident you are reading this. You have to know personally if the Lord is real for yourself. I already know. Could it be that your heart is tugging at your thoughts right now? It is okay and it is safe. Find out what your purpose is and your destiny. Ask the Lord. I’ve put together a questionnaire on the web site if you’d like to check it out. I’ve also written other posts to help you out. If you’d like to contact me, please use the form on our contact page. There are four photo montage wallpapers I’ve created to help me keep my focus. You are welcome to use them on your desktop for free. Just click on the thumbs and they’ll open into a larger photo.

I have found that life is not about what we can take or do for ourselves, rather, it is about what we can do for and to help others. This brings us joy and it warms our heart. We always receive back more than we give. Giving cannot be measured in money just the same as wealth. Wealth has very little to do with how much monetary gain we have, but everything to do with who we are and our character. To find ourselves we must give ourselves away. The Lord said, “to find your life, you must lay it down.” Dare to lay down your life and find much more than you could ever imagine. Dare to live and be free.

Joseph

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Has something happened to you that is so bad, you can’t even see how you are going to make it through the day, let alone the rest of your life? Was it a violent act? Was it divorce, the loss of a loved one? Was it the loss of a job, or friendship, sickness or injury? What do you do? Traumatized!

Please keep in mind that most of what I share in my posts is from personal experience. The rest is from experiences others have shared with me. When we read a story or a post, it is sometimes difficult to catch the author’s feelings and emotions as they write. I want you to know that I care about you. It is the only reason I write. This web site wasn’t built to be a money maker, even though we have ways to bring in money to help support it and eventually we want to be able to help others beyond these words of encouragement. I created this site to help people like you and me. My biggest difficulty in writing is wanting to communicate correctly to help ease the pain and suffering of others and somehow offer some means of encouragement without adding to the pain.

I have gone through several different periods in my life of trauma, injury, divorce, job loss, and depression. I know what I have experienced and I have helped others go through some of the same thing and have seen the mighty miracles of the Lord’s love heal time and again. There is hope. There is a way. Just because one path is closed doesn’t mean that there isn’t a better one up ahead. Some of what I call my worst trials have actually saved my soul and life. Had I continued down the path I was on, my life might have been lost for good. The Lord used the bad things in my life to help me understand His love for me. He didn’t want anything bad to happen to me, but because of my choices or someone else’s, they did. Sometimes things just happen.

When we are in these situations, it is hard to hear words of encouragement. It seems like we are all alone, even though we can be in a crowd of friends. It is at these times we need to look deeper inside and take a look at where we are. Now that we are in a stopping place, it might be a good time to take a better look at where we were headed. All of a sudden our focus changes. Things that used to mean the world to us, now look like emptiness. What really matters any more? What is really real? And most of all, who is it that really cares about us? It was at these times I really found out who my friends were. I noticed that there were a lot fewer of them than I thought.

I’ve known about the Lord since I was real small, around the age of 4. It was during these times that I started reaching out to Him. “Lord, if You are really there, show me. I need to know You are real and that you care or there is no reason for me to go on.” Does this sound familiar? The first thing I felt was His presence. There was a warm feeling around me as if I wasn’t all alone anymore. Over a period of time this relationship grew. Sometimes I strayed away, but He always brought me back to Himself. Looking back over the years now, I can see how He walked with me all the way. He wanted me to Himself so that He could show me Who He was. I had so many fears and He took them one at a time and brought me to a place of love that shattered every one. Once He became real in each area, there wasn’t anything that could overpower me in that place again. With each step, I was getting more whole and healed. I look back at all of those areas of weakness and now I see that I am strong. It didn’t happen over night. It is a journey. We can’t know someone instantly. We really don’t know them well at all when everything is going good. It is mainly when things go bad that we find out who we really are as well as those around us. Find out who Jesus Christ is. Ask Him to show you. Start reading the Bible in the book of John and the Psalms. Go on a new journey. Listen for His voice. Hear the wind blowing in the trees and the birds singing their songs to him. All of creation praises Him every day. The sunrises and the sunsets are pictures from Him to us. Even the storms clean the air so that we can breathe fresh air.

If you don’t like this journey, you can always walk away, but if you never try it, you won’t ever know. Take a chance. What do you have to lose? Look at your life right now. What do you need? Where does it hurt? Let the God of creation heal your wounds and make you whole. Simply ask Him.

I noticed that the times I made the fastest changes and received the most healing was when I gave the most. I decided to find others who needed help. This helped me to get my mind off of my situation and the giving started bringing the healing. I was able to forgive others and myself as I made the choice to do so with the Lord’s help. Nothing is impossible! Today is day one. Tomorrow will get here soon enough. Look beyond yourself. Is there someone who needs a smile or an encouraging word. I know you do and I hope this has helped. Pass it on. Here’s to you. You do matter to me and especially to the Lord. Don’t give up. Keep on. Healing, wholeness, love, mercy and peace is yours for the taking.

Joseph

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Is there anything good in this life? Is your glass half empty or is it half full? What does it matter? This is the the main event. The eyes and heart you look through lead you down the path they choose. Glass half full or half empty?

We make hundreds of choices every day. Have you ever stopped and thought about it? We make a decision on whether to sleep in a few more minutes or get right up. What do we wear and why? In what sequence will we do everything this morning? The list goes on and on. Now, what has a major influence on each choice we make? It is our eyes and our heart. What is the mood we wake up in? Are we happy or are we depressed? What do our eyes see? What do our eyes want that we might not be able to obtain? Can you see where I am going with this?

Is your glass half empty or is it half full? The logical answer to this question is correct no matter which choice we make. However, the way we see the glass will influence every decision we make, either to take us down a path that is good or one that will add misery. Now, when we talk about this choice between glasses, we come to the realization that we need to make a choice previous to the one concerning the glasses. What are we going to focus on each day? Do we choose to look at the good things in each day and dwell on them or do we focus on all the bad that happened? If we make a choice to start focusing on the good in each day, when we are faced with the question about the glass, we find that the choice has already been made. IT IS HALF FULL. This means that we have an expectancy that the glass is going to get fuller. Someone who sees it half empty is already expecting it to be emptied.

Let’s focus on the glass half full scenario for this section. I wake up in the morning and it is raining and there is a hole in my roof and water is pouring in on the floor. The storm knocked over a tree and it landed on my car. How do I respond? If the glass is half full, the worst part of my day has already happened, so everything that happens from this point on must be good. I need some encouragement so I am going to get dressed and find out how the rest of this day is going to turn out great.

Now, let’s take the glass half empty scenario and use the sequence of events above for it. What do you think might be different? What do you think the outcome will be? What was the expectation from the beginning?

Can we see that choice impacts our attitudes? It is not about changing our attitudes. It is totally about the choices we make that lead us down the paths we choose to walk everyday. We need to make intelligent choices to get to the place we want to be.

The Lord simply says, “Choose Life! I am the way, the truth, and the life.” John 14:6 What choice will you make? I hope this makes sense. All of my life I’ve heard these words, “All you have to do is change your attitude.” Do you need to forgive someone? It is not about how you feel about it, it is simply a choice. If we make the choice, with His help, our attitude will line up with the choice.

Somehow we need to grasp this concept. If we can separate our emotions for just a moment, we can make the right choices. If something bad happens to us, let us not make a quick choice based on our reaction. If we can, let us wait until the heat of the moment passes and then make an intelligent decision.

I really hope this helps you. As I was writing this, I began to gain understanding. I make far fewer emotional choices now than I used to. As a result, I reap better rewards. Things happen. Life sometimes dumps on our doorstep. When it does, remember, greater is He that is in us than He that is in the world. Tomorrow will be different. One day at a time. The glass is half full. It is being filled.

My prayer for all of us is that we walk in His grace, mercy, peace and love. May we explore the depths of His love. May we know Him and walk with Him each and every day of our lives. May He guide our every step and lead us down the path of life.

Joseph

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What is faith? How can we get more? How can we become like the great leaders of faith from generations past? Does it seem like you will never get there? Measure Of Faith!

Romans 12:3-8 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

How does an athlete get strong? Does he just go out and benchpress 400 pounds? No, of course not. He starts out with the light weights and then gradually adds more into his workout as his muscles become developed to handle the extra weight. So, how do we increase our faith? We increase our faith in the Lord the same way. He has given each of us a measure of faith to come to Him. We have the choice whether or not to walk with Him. To choose to walk with Him is one of the first steps. As the relationship develops, there appear certain trials and situations that push against our faith. As we exercise our faith by choosing to put our trust in Him, our spiritual muscles get stronger also, ever increasing faith. As we continue to do this we go from glory to glory.

Where are we now? Does it seem like a long way to get there? The Lord has given us a measure of faith to walk in the path He has for us. Some of these are listed above, but there are more. A wealthy person might have the faith to deal in multi-million dollar deals. A cowboy might have the faith to wrangle cattle. Does this mean that one is weaker than the other? No, it means that each must walk in the way of his faith.

Romans 14:23 everything that does not come from faith is sin

If we don’t have the faith to do something, we should really consider waiting. If the Lord is telling us to do something, there will be that measure of faith. It may not be a whole lot, but it will be enough. The more we act on the little things, the greater and stronger our faith grows. We become sure of Father’s ability to help us the more we walk with Him.

Do we worry about things we can’t control? This also decreases as we walk more with Him and discover His ways with us. There is an old song that goes, “One day at a time, sweet Jesus.” It is still true today. Even the highest mountain can be scaled, one step at a time.

What is your next step today? Take it! What is your step tomorrow? Take it when it appears. You will get to your destination sooner than you think. Keep your focus. Measure of faith!

Some of my greatest tragedies, broken relationships, and discouragement have become my greatest foundations of faith. I have endured these things and have built a place of strength. Now, when these things come my way, they don’t affect me like they did. I know who I am, but greater still, I know who He is. I know that He will not leave me, but will help me get to where I need to be. May this be true of you. May you find the strength you need to go on. Climb your mountain. Stare down discouragement in the face and turn it into a pillar of faith. Look back on these times and gain the strength to go further than you’ve ever been before. The only thing that can stop you is you and your choices. Check out the wallpaper I designed on “Greater Things.” Download it to your desktop if you like and stay focused. I’ll see you at the top. If you need help, please use our form to contact us. Here’s to you and your victory.

Joseph

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What do I mean by, my work, my mission? My mission in life is to do everything the Lord wants and has planned for me to do. Is this always easy? No, but it is the best there is and it fits me perfectly. So, how does this fit into today’s society? Here’s how! My Work, My Mission!

John 6:29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

John 17:4 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.

There was a time in my life that I thought the work of the Lord was becoming a pastor or being in full-time ministry. There was so much fear in my heart, that I became paralyzed and couldn’t focus on anything else. I had failed so miserably and now I only wanted to please Him. Graciously, He put others around me who could nurture me during this time. There are things that happen sometimes that tear us apart. I can testify, He is the One Who can heal broken hearts and bruised spirits.

Okay, so what is our work? 1 It means to believe in the One He has sent. That is really straight forward. It means to put our total trust and reliance for everything in Him. 2 It means to complete the work He gives us each individually to do. This is the one we will explore deeper.

As the Lord began to heal my wounds, I began to see a different view of what He wanted me to do with my life. I think sometimes we don’t understand what it is to lay down our lives so that we might live. We live in a society that seeks its own glory, power, and renown. With the Lord, we must lay down our pride. We must come to that place of knowing, deep inside, that we can do nothing without Him. We can think we know it, but until we actually get to the point of walking it, we truly don’t understand it. It is He who gives us the power, knowledge and understanding to do anything. If He simply backed off, we would be totally helpless.

My work is to do daily what He places in my path. Sometimes it is to go to a cafe with my wife and just be who we are. We reach out to others as the opportunity presents itself and usually this is just being friendly and encouraging others. Sometimes we listen to their stories without saying much at all. Other times, because of the listening we have done, we are able to share certain things. Sometimes I do contract work for individuals and small companies. Sometimes I work for another company. I believe that if we make ourselves available for whatever opportunity comes along, we can spread His love and encouragement to others. Sometimes this only involves planting a seed. Other times it is watering a seed that someone else planted and still other times it is reaping a harvest. I am learning how to be content in each situation.

I believe in helping others to succeed. If I am working for someone else, then my goal is to increase the worth of their company or being. I want to give much more than I receive. I like to see people smile and if you’ve read any of my other posts, you know this already. I have noticed that when someone smiles, for a brief moment their thoughts are focused on something good even if everything else around them is a chaotic mess. What can we give to someone today to help make their day a little easier and less stressful. What ever we do, we should do it with all of our hearts or we might need to ask ourselves if we are in the wrong place. I want to live my life to the full and who cares if someone else gets more than me, it will all work out in the end. You can’t out give the Lord. He gave . . . He gives . . . and He will continue to give . . .

I used to get all condemned when I would listen to certain evangelists say that I should be doing more. How many souls have you saved today? Thank the Lord that I’ve never saved any. It is up to Him to bring others to Himself and to save them. We are simply His ambassadors. It is much easier to live each day, one day at a time.

Where is my work and where is my mission? It is all around me, everyday. Yours is too. May we learn how to relax and be at peace. May we walk in His grace and love. May we have the courage to be different and reflect His light to a lost and dying world. There are many lost souls that attend churches every weekend. Many hear someone preach every week and never hear the real gospel. It isn’t about a building. It isn’t about another program or building project. It isn’t even about serving on some team or committee. It is about knowing Who He is. It is about walking with Him and being His friend. It is a personal relationship that becomes more real than anything else on this earth. It is knowing in your heart that you have found the part that fills the emptiness that was once in your being. It is knowing true love and being willing to die for that love. It is being free from fear and bondage and walking every day into ever increasing freedom and healing. It is a process. It is a journey. It is our destiny. It is our path. We can choose to finish the race set before us and gain the crown of life. Be encouraged. Encourage others. Take time to love and give.

Joseph

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I can’t seem to say enough about this subject. I wrote another post in January titled, “Laugh At Yourself.” You might like to read it also. Regardless of what we are going through we need to laugh. I am not saying there isn’t a time to grieve or to be serious. These times do come and go and when they do, it is good to go through them. I am not referring to these times, eventhough it is good to find short periods of time to laugh during these times, if you can. Laugh, and Laugh Again!

Proverbs 17:21 “A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” (AMP)

One reason to laugh is that it is like a medicine. It works healing. I am not a doctor, I’m just quoting the scriptures. There is a lot to this scripture. It says that a broken spirit dries up the bones. Could this have to do with the chronic problem we have with brittle bones, especially in the elderly? Each individual has to come to grips with their own lives and choices. Now, nutrition has a lot to do with our health and just like nutrition, the state of our heart, feelings, emotions and judgments also has a lot to do with our health.

Life is too short to carry grudges and judgments. Who really cares anyway? We do, right? What good does it do for us? What good is it to those around us? Does it make us grumpy and complainers? Does this cause more stress? Does it keep others away from us? Can it keep our bodies from absorbing the nutrition we need? Yes it can. So, what can we do?

We have choices. Things happen in our lives. These things aren’t fair. Do we respond or react? Do we really, really, really trust the Lord? Does He really know what He is doing? This is where it all comes down to, the essence of our faith and what we really believe in our hearts. Do we believe that the Lord is able to help us through anything that we face? If we can’t forgive, can we choose to forgive with His help? Here again, it comes back to choice. Every step we take in life is by choice. We live in a society that holds on to wrongs and litigates at the drop of a hat. Whose fault is it? Well, they need to pay. They caused it. Pause for a moment and look at our society. Take a good look. Everyone is fighting everyone else with the exception of a few. What can we do? We need to focus on ourselves and how we handle each situation. Are grudges and judgments really good for us? Look at the bad that happens to those who hold on to grudges and judgments and then look at what happens through love and forgiveness with others. What quality of life do they live? What will be remembered about them? Will it change anyone else’s life for good or bad? We must decide.

Find some shows that are funny and watch them at least once a week. Try to find things that are done in good taste, so we don’t get caught up in someone else’s judgments on the show. Have some fun. Go out to a park, the mountains, the ocean and see the things the Lord has made just for you. He sits in heaven and laughs at the plots of the enemy because He knows that His plan will succeed. Stop by and sit with Him a while and laugh a little too. See everything from His perspective. He knows you. He knows what you need and if you let Him, He will help you. Get to know Him and gain true understanding. Laugh, Laugh Again!

My prayer for all of us is that we can truly see the Lord in all of His goodness. I know He cares for us more than we can ever know, this side of heaven. I long for His people to have the courage to go beyond our judgments and experience His love. To admit we might be wrong is the beginning of this journey. To admit we are wrong puts us firmly on the path. Spend time with Him and get to know Him better than your closest friend or spouse. He is our Father. He is our Creator. He is deserving of everything we can give Him. Laugh, laugh, laugh! The enemy can not keep you from your destiny, only you can. I so desire to meet you in this life, but if I don’t get the chance, I want to see you on the other side in His kingdom. Don’t settle for second best when you can have the best just by choice. Choose life, please.

Joseph

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Are you a selfish giver? Do you give and give, but don’t like to receive? If so, you are a selfish giver? How can you say that, you might add? Read on and I’ll show you what I am talking about. The Selfish Giver!

Acts 20:35 “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive”

In this passage, the Lord didn’t mean that we shouldn’t receive. In fact, being unable to receive can be a symptom of pride. It can also be a feeling of owing someone something if we receive from them. This is not true. When we fully understand the concept of giving and receiving we will be free to enjoy its rewards. Giving and receiving is a cycle. What happens with cycles? They must be complete in order to work. If we give something, the Word says that we will receive. What if we choose not to receive because of the source of the giving? We not only don’t receive, but we keep the giver from receiving a blessing also. That is the way it works. Are we a selfish giver?

Let’s look at the story with Elijah and the widow.

1 Kings 17: 9-14 “Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.” So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”

“As surely as the LORD your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”

Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.’ “

What would we do if a poor person comes up to us to give us something? Would we take it and bless them? Would we look at them and think that they need it more than we do? This is exactly what I am talking about. The Lord had purposed to help this widow lady and her son. He wanted to bless her. She would have to step out in faith to give so that she would be blessed. Elijah could have stopped the blessing. Will we dare to stop someone else from receiving by refusing to receive from them? I pray that we won’t. I pray that we are humble enough to complete the cycle of giving. Would you want someone else to stand in your way of receiving a blessing from the Lord. Check out the blessing this widow lady received. Not only did she have enough to eat during the whole time of the famine, but her son was raised from the dead at a later date.

Can we see the magnitude of completing the cycle? Do we judge when others take from those less fortunate because they have been asked to do so? Next time we see this, we need to thank the Lord and ask Him to make sure they receive an awesome blessing. Give and receive and help others to do the same. Selfish giving! I don’t think so!

I’ll be sharing, at a later time, a company that operates on this principle. It was founded and is being overseen by the Lord. It is the only large corporation I know of, that operates on godly principles and at the command of the Lord. Keep checking back for this post and where to go to find out more. May the Lord bless you abundantly and help you walk the path He has for you. Bless you.

Joseph

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We all know who thieves are, right? What about when it comes to the Lord’s kingdom? Who are the thieves? Who was Judas really? Who are the hired guns? No Honor Among Thieves!

John 10:11-13 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.”

1 Peter 5:1-4 “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”

I have met a lot of church fellowship leaders and most of these have a sincere heart. I have seen some of them crushed by the systems they uphold. They search for some organization that comes close to their belief system and then do what it takes to get the credentials necessary to lead the group or organization. I have also met others who have separated themselves from others, usually because of wounds and established a following for themselves. We have all heard of people like Jim Jones and have wondered how that could happen. Unfortunately, this happens more often than is seen.

Who is a thief? A thief is one who steals something that doesn’t belong to him or her. The Lord is the good shepherd. The sheep belong to Him and Him alone. We also see that there is a hired hand, a wolf and other shepherds. Peter admonishes shepherds to not be greedy for money, but be eager to serve. He also says not to lord it over others, but be examples to the flock. The hired hand, as the title suggests, is only in it for the money. As soon as the wolf is revealed in the midst, the hired hand is gone. It is then that the flock is scattered, separated and can be picked off by the enemy.

No honor among thieves! The enemy doesn’t care how he gets to people, he just wants to kill, steal and destroy. How are you doing? Are you alone and separated? Are you in a fellowship run by a hired hand? Are you in a fellowship run by someone who is greedy for money? Do they have your best interest at heart? There is One who loves you dearly. He wants to make sure you live your life in the fullness it was meant to be lived. Would you like that? What would you do to make sure you lived the destiny you were created to live? There is no honor among thieves. The end result is all the same. You can see them compete for the sheep. We have to have your money. We have to have your time. We need your commitment. We need your life. But what do they do for the flock. Do they care for His flock? Do they help the downcast, the needy and the poor or are they more interested in their buildings and material things?

Friends it is time to seek the Lord and make sure we are living for Him and not ourselves or someone else. There are a lot of good things out there that aren’t beneficial to us. We have a destiny that was planned for us before there was time. Before we were born, the Lord knew us. He is the Good Shepherd. He gave His life for us. Should we give Him any less? Should we let someone else’s influence be stronger than His? It’s our choice. What will we choose? As for me, I choose to serve Him with all that is within me. I may not get it all right, but I am going to do my best. Don’t let someone else take your life. Live your life to the full. There are leaders out there that truly care. The church isn’t as large as it seems. Dare to find your path. Let Him guide you, heal you, support you, lift you up and lead you to where you need to go. In the end you will hear the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” This is the cry of my heart, let it be yours too.

Joseph

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