What are excuses? Webster’s defines excuses as “to serve as excuse for: justify.” Why can’t we simply say, “I just didn’t want to do it,” when it applies. Someone may ask us to do something we don’t want to do and we agree because we don’t want to tell them “no” and risk them being disappointed or upset with us. Then we offer up an excuse when we don’t do it.

Sometimes we want to help others so much that we just agree to do too much and find ourselves in a delicate situation. Sometimes we do things for others for the wrong reasons. We are too afraid to say “no” because we don’t want to be rejected. This type of thinking puts us into more bondage than rejection ever could. If we can’t do something, and we explain our situation with compassion, we can generally let it go and then we are free. Most of the time the other person will understand anyway. Now, when this doesn’t happen we need to try and find the root of the problem. Why won’t the other person let us be free to choose? Is there an unholy relationship here?

Rejection is not always a bad thing. Rejection can reveal the truth of the relationship and save us a lot of heartache further down the line. If we want to do something for someone else, we need to do it for the right reasons. I used to be so wounded from rejection that I took on more than I could do. It was then that I also became more frustrated and began to get angry at those who demanded so much of me. It was my fault, because I could have said “no” at any point, but the rejection would have torn me apart. Eventually the rejection came anyway because the relationships were built on a lie. In the end, I suffered more than had I not offered or agreed in the first place. Some lessons come the hard way.

Jesus said something to the effect of, “let your yes be yes, and your no, be no.” Anything more than this opens the way for deceit, deception and all kinds of bad things to enter into the relationship. Ulterior motives have a way of being exposed, even if they take years to rise to the surface. Unfortunately, I am speaking from experience. It took a lot of years and a lot of healing to heal this broken heart. Divorce is a tragic thing. It is even worse when it happens more than once.

Forgiveness is an awesome thing. The Lord desires for us to have godly relationships, yet He gives us the right to choose. We can choose to judge and lock ourselves into a curse. It is like gravity. It doesn’t matter if you don’t believe in gravity, if you jump off of a cliff, you will fall. Judgments bind us. Forgiveness frees us. Let the past go. Don’t carry it on your back another step. It is too heavy. Be free. Walk tall. The Lord has good relationships for you. Trust Him. He will heal you IF you let Him.

How do I know? I’ve been there. I’ve done that. I’ve walked in these shoes and I am here to tell you if you want to change there is something better for you. You know that I am telling the truth because you can feel it in your heart.

Now, having said all of this, I believe in giving to others. Sometimes giving goes beyond our comfort zone. Sometimes it even hurts. My wife and I support this web site out of everything we have and will continue as long as we can even if no one else helps. We want to give to others. My main reason for going back to school after being out for 20+ years was so that this site could become reality. We didn’t have the money to pay someone to build this site, but I had the time to go to school to learn how to build it. We don’t mind giving all that we are able to give. However, I have learned something in our journey over the years. In order to complete the cycle of giving, we must be able to receive. If we can’t receive, we stop others from receiving their blessings. We provide material things on this site to encourage others. These things cost us more money than we have. We add in the cost of a profit to help in these projects and sometimes in our personal lives. Scripture says not to muzzle the ox as it is treading the grain. If you want to give into this endeavor, please do. If you don’t, that is more than okay with us. If you want to give a blessing, we will not hinder you. We will receive it, period. Please do it though, because you want to and not because you feel compelled to do it. The Lord loves a cheerful giver, who gives out of the willingness out of his heart.

We are on a quest. I want to try and out give the Lord. I know, it is impossible, but I plan to have a lot of fun along the way. It touches me so deeply to see a sparkle in someone else’s eyes. Sometimes it only takes a simple smile with eye contact. It is so easy and yet it means so much. We can change this world one smile at a time and one person at a time. God gave His only begotten Son so that He might receive us back to Himself. He gave and He is receiving. Give and then receive. We must receive from Him. We must receive from others to complete the cycle. Excuses! No more!

I hope this message blesses you. I hope it encourages you. I went to a meeting this week with people from more than 10 different countries around the world. We couldn’t even understand each other without interpreters. I experienced a wonderful thing. 10+ countries gave honor to the Lord. Was this a church? No! It was a Christian business. The Lord formed it and He is protecting it. It is expanding all over the world. He is the reason. He is the center. His love is spreading. We are giving and we are receiving. There is a new thing happening in the earth. Can you see it? Do you want to be a part of it? Do you want your life to change and more important do you want to see others change? No more excuses! Reach out and touch someone. If you want more information about this business, please use the form on our contact page. We are here to help. Would you like to help too?

Joseph

Comments

What do you do when you feel weak? What do you do when you need strength that you don’t have? How can you find the strength to overcome a weakness in your flesh? What do you do about these little areas in your life that bring you to your knees? Weakness & Strength!

2 Corinthians 12:7 “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.”

Paul had seen all of these visions, including seeing and speaking to Jesus, Himself. It must have been wonderful to have been blessed like this. But then we come to these words in the next sentences about a thorn in the flesh and a messenger of Satan to torment him. What is all of this about?

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong”

Somehow Paul understood that weakness made him strong. Weakness in our culture is not a good thing. A lot of people look down on weakness like a sickness. Paul learned to boast in his weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on him. It took me a long time to understand this. When I was a teenager I thought I was invincible. I was in the process of buying a motorcycle one afternoon, when I had a wreck on my test drive. I had ridden for years and I was really happy about getting a new bike. I never made it back from that test drive and to make matters worse, I stopped by and picked up my sister to go with me. A few minutes later, we were in the ambulance on our way to the hospital. Miraculously, my sister was okay and I would spend 13 days in the hospital with a broken knee. It was as if the angels picked us up and placed us down on the roadway. Invincible, not in the least. I learned that day how precious and fleeting this life really is. The accident was bad, but now as I look back on it, I can see that it was truly a blessing. That was a huge turning point in my life and my relationship with Jesus Christ. I don’t know what would have happened had I not experienced that.

The focus of my life changed. What would have happened if that would have been my last day on earth? Did I finish everything I was supposed to finish or was there more? Did I let my loved ones know that I loved them? Did they really know how I felt? I felt like I was given a second chance. I was engaged to be married at the time and that fell apart quickly. I spent a lot of time and years searching after this. It hasn’t been easy, but it has been totally worth it. I understand the scriptures more and more as I walk them out.

I read the words of Paul in Philippians 3:10-11 “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” I had heard a lot of people ask to know the power of His resurrection, but I didn’t hear anyone ask for the rest of the passage. I thought, “how can we know the power of His resurrection without fellowshipping in His sufferings first?”

I became determined to know the fellowship of His sufferings. I wanted understanding. Proverbs say that understanding costs us everything. We are told so much about prosperity these days. The power of His resurrection seems like a glorious place to be. However, a greater journey is the experience to understanding what His love is all about. What did He experience? How can I know except I touch it too? How can I know what my brothers and sisters are experiencing unless I touch them also? With understanding I found that I developed more patience. With more patience, I became more gentle. It became much easier to give others the benefit of the doubt before passing judgment. Have I attained it? No! However, I am a lot closer.

No matter what you have been through, don’t quit. Let these areas of weakness become places of God’s strength. Let Him shine through you and let others touch Him through you. Only through brokenness can His light shine through. If we keep bandaging and covering up the holes, His light can’t be seen. Let us be weak and let Him be strong. Glory!

I pray that you find His strength to guide you through this path. May you rest in His love, grace and mercy and come to peace. These weak places will become pillars of strength if you let them. Humble yourself and let Him lift you up with His resurrection power. You will never be the same.

Joseph

Comments

The devil says, “I am going to be like God.” God simply smiles and replies, “I Am God!” End of story!

In the garden of Eden, the devil’s dialog to Adam and Eve went like this: Genesis 3:1-5 ‘Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”‘

This is the core of human struggle and it has been since the beginning. It wasn’t good enough for Lucifer to be an anointed guardian cherub, but he had to have more. Ezekiel 28: 13-17 “You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.”

How could one, who had so much splendor and glory, do what he did? It says that he became proud and that his wisdom was corrupted because of his splendor. Pride was the essence of his fall. When we look at the major problems with our world, pride is at the top. This same sin is repeated over and over again throughout the centuries. It started with the devil and was then introduced into humanity through Adam and Eve.

Humility, what a weapon it is. It has no hidden agendas. Those willing to obey the prophet’s orders in humility obtained their miracles. Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 22:4 “Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life.”

In reality, there can be only one God. There can be only one creator. The rest are created beings and things. As humans, we create robots to help us and not to rule over us. We would immediately disconnect or destroy a rogue robot. Should we expect God to be any different?

God created each of us for a special purpose and destiny. He showed us how much He loves us through His Son, Jesus Christ, Who died on the cross for all of our sins, both past and future. We each have different talents and abilities. We each have the ability within us for greatness. It starts with humility. It starts by us acknowledging who we are and who He is. Without His grace and power, we are nothing and would cease to exist. God has a plan and a destiny for us. It is greater than we can ever imagine or comprehend. The question remains. Do we want to be like God, knowing good and evil or do we want Him to be God? Do we want to be on His level fighting against Him or can we trust Him to be Who He is?

Jeremiah 29:11-13 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” The Lord is for us. He knows us each by name. We are not a number to Him. We have an enemy who would like us to join him in his rebellion. Be like God, no thanks! I enjoy letting the Lord be Himself. It’s a good place to be. It’s a safe and glorious place to be. What choice do we make?

Joseph

Comments

Who is my enemy? Is it the person next to me? Is it a corrupt government? Is it a terrorist? Who is our enemy?

As the Lord dropped the title for this post in my mind, I began to meditate on it. I began to realize that the first answers that popped into my mind were incorrect. Almost as soon as I began to write I thought of the scripture, Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle (fight) is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” I wrote a post previously on the Armor of God and this verse is right in the midst of it. One thing that is very interesting is the only post I receive any spam on is the Armor of God. The enemy doesn’t want us to know how to fight and where to focus this fight. He wants us to fight and destroy each other. This way we fight his fight for him. We need to turn it around on him.

Every day we are bombarded with news headlines and propaganda. We are led to believe that certain individuals, groups and countries are our enemies. Sometimes it is difficult to stay focused on the truth. Something I am going to start doing, because I just received the revelation, is start looking for who my brothers and sisters are? Where are they? When can I meet them? As brothers and sisters in Christ, we have a big family. Some we won’t meet until we enter eternity or until the Lord establishes His kingdom on this earth, but what about now? I meet new brothers and sisters all the time. Some have even been my enemy in the flesh or so I thought. It is possible that someone reading this blog will become my new brother or sister and that would be wonderful.

I always think of Saul of Tarsus when I think of an enemy who became a brother. Acts 9:1-31. Here was this man going zealously after the Christians. He was a man of the law and He hated the Jesus people. He even witnessed the stoning of Stephen and the mention of his name put fear in most Christian’s hearts. Then Jesus showed up and the rest is history. His life changed in an instant, his eyes were opened and now the same zeal that persecuted the Christians was now proclaiming the Gospel. How awesome is our God! Sing it and shout it because it is true. The person we are having the most difficult time with can be our closest friend tomorrow. It happens all the time. Who is our enemy?

Our greatest enemy is fear. I remember when I was bound by fear. I stayed in this one little area of my life because it was safe. Tragedy was the main thing that brought me there. It took several years to get out of that place. While in that place, I realized who I was and just how much I could accomplish with human hands, absolutely nothing. The Lord never left me during that time, in fact, he sent others to me to help. If you were to look at my life during that time, you might have judged the situation differently. Herein lies the problem with our judgments and opinions. We can’t, nor do we know what someone else is really going through unless we go through it also.

Bullies, cowards, terrorists and the like live in fear. They all fit into the same category of fear and it is only degrees of violence that separate them from one another. They would like us to think otherwise, however it takes courage and a strong character to admit things, especially that we might be wrong. What will people think? How will they react? Will I will be exposed again?

Who are these people? They’re the ones who most likely have been crushed by someone close, maybe abused, ridiculed, and told a bunch of lies. They are hurt, broken, and bruised and they are really looking for love. Everyone is looking for true love. How will they ever find it if no one shows them? Why do they fight and how can they be so violent? I believe they are like a wounded dog that feels cornered. It doesn’t matter who the next person is that approaches them, they are going to strike out, even if that person came only to help. Now the person that came to help can assess the situation in two different ways. Number one, they might give up and walk away wounded themselves and think that the person doesn’t stand a chance. Number two, another person might be able to see through all the pain, grief, and brokenness and reach out anyway while taking every blow from the person. Once the wounded one sees that they won’t get hit back, they start to receive some comfort. After a period of time a relationship develops and the wounds get healed. If everything continues to go well, they can become whole. Remember the demoniac in the gospels. This person was totally given over to demonic spirits. He was a totally different person when Jesus set him free. Mark 5:1-20.

Who will be that person? Who will dare to reach out to others no matter the cost? Who will share the love of Christ? Is another soul worth it? How can we do this? Walk with the Lord, lay down our lives and let Him live through us. Is it easy, no. It is impossible without Him. Is it worth it? Only you know the answer to this question. Who is your brother? Who is your sister? Who is your enemy?

Please don’t get the wrong impression from this message. I am not saying we shouldn’t have laws and justice. We need these things and it is right. I am saying that as far as it is within our means and with the Lord’s direction, we should extend His love towards those who might not deserve it. Please catch the spirit of the message, love. Love is gentle and firm. God’s love is different from our definition of love.

My friend, one person can make a difference. Saul (Paul), witnessed the stoning of Stephen who forgave all those in attendance. Later on, this one person wrote most of the New Testament. There are many stories of one person who has made a difference. May we also be like them. May our treasure be in heaven and may we hear the words, “Well done, My good and faithful servants.”

Joseph

Comments

Are we covered in fig leaves? Do we find ways to protect ourselves and hide our actions? Do we feel naked and exposed unless we do something about it? FIG LEAVES!

Genesis 3:6 Some of the first times I read this chapter, I couldn’t figure out why the Lord would want us naked. Why didn’t He want us to know good and evil? I was looking from my perspective backwards in time. It wasn’t until I asked for His understanding that I began to get the message. I began to realize, that up until this point, Adam and Eve were covered totally in the glory of the Lord. They lived in innocence. I then began to meditate on the words of Jesus in the gospels.

Matthew 18:2-4 ” He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

In this passage, I believe Jesus is calling us back to a time in Eden. Unless we become like children we will never enter. How do you become like a child again? In one of my previous posts, “Like A Child“, I discussed being born again. I want to go on from there so that we can find out the relevance of the fig leaves. In verse 4, He mentions “humble himself like this child.” Well, I thought, the opposite of humility is pride. That’s it! They were filled with pride. Adam and Eve committed the same sin as did their tempter, Lucifer, the devil. They could become like God, knowing good and evil.

“Whoever humbles himself like this child is the GREATEST in the kingdom of heaven.” What, on earth, does this mean? Our society, in general, is built on pride, competition, greed, lust, etc. How do we humble ourselves in the Lord’s sight and not look stupid to the world? It isn’t possible. The great king David of Israel, humbled himself before the Lord and all of Israel. His wife was humiliated and despised him because she thought that kings weren’t supposed to do this. David chose to honor his Lord and King. Read the following and see how David answered her and how the Lord judged her. Pride is very dangerous.

2 Samuel 6:14-16 “David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets. As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.”

2 Samuel 6:20-23 “When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, ‘How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!’ David said to Michal, ‘It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.’ And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

Children and innocence, how do we do this. Children put their faith in their parents. They trust them unconditionally. They believe they are protected. They know they are loved. They love to play, dance, and have fun. They don’t even care to wear clothes. They don’t hide things well and it is hard for them to keep secrets. Wow! There is a gem here. Parents are responsible for their children up to a certain age. They are totally covered and protected. Where are we?

When we become born again, we become as children again. As we lay down our lives and take off our filthy rags, we put on the Lord’s righteousness. We become clothed in Him. Once again, we are naked, but now we are clothed in His glory. This is the way it was in the beginning. Pride exposes us, humility covers us. Proverbs 3:34, James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” If we humble ourselves and become transparent before the Lord and others we will receive grace. The Lord loves us and He protects us. We can choose to cover ourselves or we can let Him cover us.

I want to walk in His glory. I want to be innocent of evil. How can we be tempted if we can’t see the temptation? I know that I am only seeing a small portion of this, but I want to go deeper. How can we walk this earth clothed in His glory? How can we walk alongside this world system and not be crushed by it? How can we let Him shield us from all the insults, misunderstandings, hatred and violence? How can we become as a child again? What about all the wounds, the broken promises, the broken relationships, the judgments, and all the other things that have hindered our walk? How can we get past it all? We must lay it all down. We can be healed. We can be made whole. We can overcome. We can walk as we were meant to walk. Jesus made a way. I know who I am and I am familiar with filthy rags. I know who He is and I choose to be clothed in His righteousness. I don’t need to defend myself, He will. FIG LEAVES? No, thanks!

As humans, none of us are perfect, but we expect everyone else to be. Heroes are only so until their weaknesses are exposed and then we drag them through the mud. Let’s be real. Our humanity is all we have. Only in Him can we be righteous. Extend grace, mercy and love to those around you. Everyone knows we all make mistakes, why can we just admit them from the start. May your life be blessed. May you find what it is you are looking for in your life. Be encouraged, you are not alone.

Joseph

Comments

What do you remember about your childhood? Were they days of love and laughter or have you forgotten most of it because of the hardships and problems? Can you remember the good times?

Children are a gift from God. They come into the world totally helpless and dependent on their parents. Will they receive love, neglect, or possibly abandonment? That depends mostly on the parents and which part of the world they are living. For the sake of this story, let us imagine that a child is brought into this world into a loving family. This family also has the wealth to provide everything that will be needed for the child. This is the start of a wonderful life for this child.

In the beginning years the baby is nurtured in love by the mother and father. They make sure they have the time to spend with the child. They choose to tell the child the truth about things as it is growing up. They don’t give in to fairy tales and false customs. The child learns that if its parents tell it something, he can count on it being the truth, because mom and dad would have said they didn’t know the answer if they didn’t. The child has been in a constant atmosphere of love. When he does wrong he was corrected so that boundaries are set. This child has security, stability and love. As he grows older, he is subjected to other people and their ideals. Now with the foundation that was established by his parents, he knows he can get good counsel from them, so the young man doesn’t hesitate to run things by them. His parents aren’t afraid to let him try and fail, however, they keep a watch to make sure he is protected.

How do you think this child will do when he becomes a man? He understands that not everyone is the same. He has developed compassion for others. He knows that not everything is the truth, yet he understands that people need to be loved. He has no need to prove himself to others because he is secure in who he has become. His goal in life is to simply walk and make a difference. It is to journey down the path the Lord has for Him and to reach out in His love. He is a very humble person, and won’t be moved by others shouts and challenges. He knows what is important and the things that are distractions. His parents have raised him well.

Wouldn’t you have loved to have been raised this way? It really doesn’t seem fair that we weren’t? But we still can? How? This is how Father wants to raise us. Luke 18: 16-16 ‘People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”‘

John 3:3-9 ‘In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee, one of Israel’s teachers and he didn’t understand this. It doesn’t matter if we didn’t have the best family growing up, here is a chance to have what we always needed in the first place. When we ask Jesus to come into our lives and change us, we become born again. We become a child in the Kingdom of God. We are surrounded by His attributes of love, peace, mercy, grace, loving kindness, etc. This is Who He is. Father is the perfect loving Father. He knows everything and He will speak the truth to us through Jesus, Holy Spirit and His angels. The Holy Bible contains His words to us. As we read, Holy Spirit interprets them to us. The Word was given to man by Holy Spirit and He is the one Who can show us what it means. Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” If we accept it, we can grow up in His love, no matter what age we are on this planet. The soul is ageless. It is only our physical bodies that will see decay. Our soul and spirit will live for eternity.

The good news is that Father loves us so much that He sent His Son to save us. We can be a part of His family. We can experience True Love and security. He will tell us the truth and not lie to us. He pours out His love, grace and mercy on us so that we can live our lives to their full. He wants us to have a relationship with Him like the parents of the child I talked about above. He wants the best for us and His provisions are unlimited.

Dare to find out what True Love is all about. Find the family that really cares. Ask Him to show you the truth. Ask Him to help you to trust again. He was betrayed by a friend, he really does understand. Ask Him about rejection, He was rejected by His own people. Ask Him about His Father’s love, He knows it well. Dare to walk with Him and get to know Him. Dare to walk with Him and be His friend. Dare to give your life to Him and find something more wonderful than you could have ever imagined. Live your life to its full and let no one keep you down. Be blessed today and everyday in His love.

Joseph

Comments

One of the things Jesus dealt with during His earthly ministry was the spiritual realm. So what does that have to do with me? Everything, and also it has to do with those around us. Jesus could see in the spiritual realm. He knew when He was speaking to the person or when a demonic spirit was speaking through the person to Him. The disciples also knew. There are a lot of Christians who are familiar with this too as well as a lot of others. What about you?

Do you know the difference between your thoughts and someone else’s? Do you think every thought you hear? Did you catch that? Have you ever wondered, “Where did that thought come from? I don’t think that way!” Well guess what, there is more than one place they could have come from. We usually think thoughts that are familiar to us, things we’ve meditated on, books we’ve read, movies we’ve seen, songs we sing, etc. There are things we’ve carried from our childhood and among our friends that are very familiar to us. Then there are the words spoken by angels and the Lord Himself. Lastly, there are the words of demonic spirits.

How do you tell where a thought came from that is a familiar thought? Was it you or was it from something intending to keep or bring you down? Is there a certain area in your life where you just can’t seem to get the victory? Check it out a little closer and you might find that it isn’t all you and it might not be your fault. You do have enemies. Their sole purpose is to destroy God’s creation in any way they can.

Angels and demons are not all knowing. They can’t read our thoughts. They are powerful though and they operate in the spiritual realm where we usually can’t see them. They have an advantage over us and without the power of Holy Spirit to show us things we can be at their mercy. Thankfully, we can overcome them by knowing and speaking the truth, mainly to ourselves. Why would we keep thinking thoughts that are lies about us and others? You can become what you think and speak. Words and thoughts are very powerful. Words and thoughts make people do various things, some unthinkable and tragic and others very successful.

The best thing of all is that no matter where you are now, you can change everything through the power of Holy Spirit, your thoughts and your words. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Let it be new. Find the truth. Dare to admit you might be wrong. Ask for forgiveness if you need to, and then dare to chart your new course. Only you can keep you from finishing the race. Father created you for a wonderful purpose and destiny. Jesus died on the cross so you could be forgiven, obtain right standing with Father, and receive the power of Holy Spirit to finish the path and race before you. You don’t even have to go alone. He will walk with you and will never leave you alone. How can you not succeed? You have everything going for you, including the great cloud of witnesses who have lived their lives before you as a testimony. There are brothers and sisters all over the world who are on the same quest and are praying for you. Lift up your eyes and get them focused on Him and His greatness, not on you and your littleness. Walk, one step at a time, one hour at a time, one day at a time until you get to the end. Live your life to its full and let others read about Him through your living book, one page at a time. I’ll see you there if I don’t get the chance to here. Be encouraged, my friend. Things can change in a moment. He is the best thing that has ever happened in my life.

Joseph

Comments

Reality? Whose Reality? What does it have to do with me? Everything!

This word really gets my attention and even more so here lately. We hear all kinds of stories on the news everyday and we know that they can’t all be true. I understand that there are those who promote lies to further their own cause, but for the sake of this post I am not including these.

What is reality? Wikipedia puts it this way, “the state of things as they actually exist.” Merriam-Webster shows one definition as, “a real event, entity, or state of affairs.”I think this goes a bit further than just the definition. Whose reality are we talking about? We have all heard the story about traffic accidents and the fact that if you have three witnesses to the accident each will have their own story about how it happened. Now the accident, in general, is reality. It happened and there was a certain chain of events that led up to it. In each witness’ mind it was also a reality. Where each person’s reality is different has to do with their state of mind before, during and after the accident. What were they thinking? How do they relate to each of the victims? How do they respond to tragedy? Was there anything similar that happened in their past and on and on and on?

As we read over each witness’ account we discover that their story is different from each other. They might have even been standing next to each other. This is their reality. Is it wrong? Is it the truth? A person’s reality doesn’t have anything to do with the actual truth, but it is a collection of the real event mixed with their emotions and judgments.

Okay, so where am I going with this? I try to live my life by giving people the benefit of the doubt. I believe that people change everyday. If I judge them tomorrow by what I have observed today, I leave myself open to be wrong. First of all, I must understand that what I observed might not have been the total truth. The facts are mixed with my emotions and judgments. Secondly, I might have only seen a part of the total story so therefore, my observation wouldn’t be complete.

So, what do I do? I must rely on the Lord to lead and guide me each day. There is so much coming through the media that we don’t know which story is truth, but there is someone Who does. He knows what is going to happen before it happens. He knows the truth behind every situation and circumstance. He will lead us through each and every day. Quite frankly, I don’t need to address every single thing that comes my way. Most are distractions anyway and it wouldn’t make any difference if I spent any time on it or not. I believe, more than ever before, we need to focus on the things that are really important.

People can change. People change when they feel loved and cared for. Even if they are guilty, they can change. I am not saying they shouldn’t be held to account, but they should be given the right to change and lead a different life. The Lord has a path for each of us to walk. He is the One we are ultimately accountable to. Don’t get caught up in the many voices in the wind. Don’t get distracted. Take time to hear Him and then simply obey. Walk in His peace, love, joy, grace, mercy and loving kindness. If we focus on Him, we will be doing the things and walking in the only reality that is going to matter anyway.

Give out your smiles today. Watch others change before your eyes. Help someone even if it’s just to open a door. People, now more than ever, need to feel your love. We live in a society that teaches independence, but we are a people who are interdependent on each other. We need the hugs. We need to be loved. We need to be heard. The best way to get these is to start giving them. Have a great and wonderful day and life. Jesus is worthy to be praised. His way is true freedom, not religion but a way of life.

Joseph

P.S. Please remember that these are my thoughts and opinions and it is my desire to simply point out some things that might encourage you. If you find something that doesn’t agree with you, please put it on a shelf. It is not my intent to have to be right and to dot every “i” and cross every “t”. It is my intent to share with you that which I have discovered with the hope that somehow it might bring encouragement and strength. Feel free to share your comments. Heb. 10: 25, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Comments

Do we live in love or fear? What is the opposite of love? It’s not hate. It’s fear and hate is only one by-product of fear. Scripture says that God is love and perfect love casts out fear. Fear cannot exist in love, it must flee. In any area in our lives where we have fear, love has not conquered. Meditate on this for a while and think of all the places in your life where fear has a hold. Then think of all the areas where love abounds. Now how would you feel if all of these places of fear became places filled with love?

I believe that if we can understand why someone does a particular act, we might have more compassion for them. If we have compassion for them we might be able to help them. If we love them, we are compelled to see them restored. Restoration is touching God’s heart. His desire is for everyone to be saved, (restored) to Him and not lost. It is through a hardened heart that we become indifferent to those around us and it is out of fear that we really don’t want to reach out.

So what do I fear? What do children fear? Children who are loved don’t experience as much fear as those who aren’t loved. They also don’t hurt others as much either. Someone who is loved feels safe and secure. The deeper your relationship with the Lord, the less you fear in your life. You know that He is able to keep you safe in all situations. Someone who only knows about Him but doesn’t have this relationship, doesn’t have this security. Relationships take time and must be developed through various trials and experiences as we journey day by day through our lives.

If we can overcome fear, there is nothing else that can hurt us. One scripture that has always amazed me was the one about the stoning of Stephen. It says,

The Stoning of Stephen

54 When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

Stephen was so full of the Holy Spirit at the moment that he didn’t feel any fear. In fact, he was able to see into heaven and see Jesus. Even while they were stoning him he prayed for them. They didn’t kill him, he fell asleep like Jesus did on the cross. I don’t think he felt one stone hit him at all and even if he did the glory of the Lord was greater. He was in God’s awesome presence. Fear had no grip to prevent him from fulfilling his destiny. I have been in the awesome presence of the Lord even to the point of being totally weak and yet I believe it was only a small portion to what Stephen must have felt.

It is also interesting to note that this passage points out Saul who became Paul was at this event. I wonder if this had anything to do with Paul’s conversion, his meeting face to face with Jesus and the life he would eventually lead spreading the gospel to the degree he did.

Why did Stephen have to die? Whose life did he touch and how many? Did it make a difference? Later on Paul would say these words, “Who are you, Lord?” I wonder if he related this experience about Stephen to the one he was having as the Lord met him on the road to Damascus. We don’t know how our lives are going to effect someone else. Who are they and what will they become? Only the Lord knows. We must journey down the path He has for us without fear. He will cover and protect us even if it is in the midst of a vicious crowd.

Let go of fear by letting True Love into your heart. The only places that His Love can’t go are the areas you won’t let Him in. Let Him in, walk with Him daily and experience a life of awesome grandeur. People have their idols and famous heroes, but you have the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Ancient of Days, the Rose of Sharon, the Great I Am, the Prince of Peace, and Emmanuel. Do a search for His names and find out what they mean. Hide in Him and walk with Him every step of the way in victory. My prayer for you is that you become all you were created to be, that you experience the fullness of His glory and the riches He has for you, and that you walk in His blessings all the days of your life. I want to hear about your life here if possible and for sure in heaven. Stand up, take courage and make a difference with your life.

Joseph

Comments

The word peace is a complex word to say the least. One can check out the definition in the Merriam Webster Dictionary for the different meanings of peace. The meaning that I would like to discuss is the one we find in the passage in Luke 4:35,

“35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, Be silent (muzzled, gagged), and come out of him! And when the demon had thrown the man down in their midst, he came out of him without injuring him in any possible way. (Amplified Version)”

In this passage, be silent refers to hold thy peace, in other words be muzzled and gagged. It is a command spoken to the enemy. There wasn’t any peace before Jesus spoke, the man was living in utter chaos. Peace, silence and stillness can only come about when our enemy is silenced and defeated. The good news is that Jesus defeated the enemy long ago on the cross and He has given us the gift of peace. If we accept it and apply His victory, we too can live totally in the peace that passes all understanding no matter what circumstances we are currently in.

Jesus crushed the head of the serpent on the cross and has given us the victory. True peace only comes when our enemies are silenced and powerless. When we give our lives and heart to Him in exchange for Who He is, we walk into His victory. If we choose to walk His way and appropriate His victory in our lives we can live in peace. It doesn’t matter what the circumstances look like on the surface, reality must bow to the truth. Let go of your cares and stress and let peace rule in your heart. He has under control the things you allow Him to control. His victory is your victory. Let go and let God.

May the Lord lead you down the path of peace. May you come to know Him more and more everyday. He longs for you to know Him and to share His secrets with you. He knows you by name. He knows your thoughts and hurts. He longs to hold you close and fill you with His love. Let Him make Himself real to you. Have a great day.

Joseph

Comments