Letting Go Of Offenses

“Forgive all who have offended you, not for them, but for yourself.”
-Harriet Nelson

One of the major reasons so many Believers don’t live the lifestyle of victory that they should is because many of us are walking around inwardly offended. Yes we have become masters at putting on a “face” at Church when inwardly we are hurt, bitter, resentful and angry because we have been offended by someone or something. Offenses can begin with something as trivial as someone not speaking to you but when entertained the end results can be hazards to your walk with God.

Someone once said that “Anger is just a cowardly extension of sadness. It’s a lot easier to be angry at someone than it is to tell them you’re hurt.” Some of the definitions of an offense is to be angry, resentful, hurt or displeasured. Holding on to offenses can not only steal your joy, peace and energy but it continuously keeps you bond as a slave to the one who hurt you and allows them to have power over you. Power not only to hurt you once but to hurt you over and over again every time you think about it. When you choose to forgive you are actually setting yourself free from the prison of power that the person who offended you has you captive.

There are many reason why people walk in offenses. For some being offended is the only way that they know how to exist, they have been offended for so long that their identity is wrapped up in the offense. Typically their un-forgiveness is rooted in fear. Fear of if they actually let go of the offense they may be responsible for their own actions instead of letting what has happened to them in the past be the reason for their current behavior.

For others holding on to their offense is due to a “Victim Mentality” thinking that someone owes them something because they have been hurt in life. It is when you accept the fact that nobody owes you anything, not even God is when you will be completely liberated from this mentality. You will give and not expect something in return because you didn’t give it to receive something in return.

Forgiveness is a decision that we have to make daily, it’s a choice. Forgiving those who have hurt us the most has got to be one of the hardest things in the world to do but with God’s help all things are possible. God created everyone with a free will. As Christians we can take control over the negative thoughts and emotions that the enemy tries to flood our mind with by simply making God’s word the final authority in our lives.

Hebrews 12:1-2 says “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” When we recognized the greatness of what God did for us through Jesus even when our sins were great it’s a lot easier for us to have compassion and forgive those who hurt us. The more we focus on the cross the less power offenses have over us.

I once heard a story about two brothers who both grew up in the same home with an abusive alcoholic as a father. Years later one brother ended up in prison while the other one ended up being a very successful business man. When both brothers were ask the question “How did you end up the way that you did?” both responded in the same manner “Because my father was an abusive alcoholic.”

Disappointments hurts and pains are a part of life but you shouldn‘t let that have control over you. One brother decided that since his father was an abusive alcoholic that is what he was going to be. While the other brother decided that because his father was an abusive alcoholic he was going to be the total opposite. Both brothers had identical experiences but they both choose to channel it differently.

You can allow offenses to take you down a path of un-forgiveness, bitterness and resentment. Or you can take the bricks from that same path and build stepping stones. I encourage you to take a closer look at your life. Are you walking in offenses? It takes a strong person to forgive, Begin placing your trust in God that he will give you the strength needed for you to forgive and grow from your hurts and pains. That they will no longer hinder you but help you become the person that God designed you to be. The choice is up to you.

-Rita

Reaching Your Potential

If you have to identify in one word the reason why the human race has not achieved and never will achieve it’s full potential that word would be “Laziness”
-Richard

Have you ever wondered why some people go off to do great things in life while others seem to be stuck sitting on the sidelines? So what separates those ordinary people from becoming the extraordinary people? If you look closely you will find the answer hidden inside of the word “Extraordinary”. Carefully looking you will notice that the word “Extraordinary” is actually made up of two words “Extra” and “Ordinary”. The difference between Extraordinary people and Ordinary people is simple. Extraordinary people are just ordinary people who do the extra that other ordinary people want do. Everyone in life is born with the same amount of potential. Physically some may have more hurdles to jump over in life than others but everyone’s potential is still the same.

The reason why so many people never reach that potential is because of laziness. If you want to reach any goal in your life, you must put that extra work into it to see it come to pass. What most people do is wish for things to change in their life but wishing is not the same thing as of obtaining. You must go from wishing to wanting, and from wanting to obtaining. You must devise a plan for the things that you want out of life, and then follow through with that plan (Habakkuk 2:2) People who achieve great things in life know how to sacrifice something now to obtain what they want later.

So how do I go from being Ordinary to becoming Extraordinary? First you must recognize that if one person can accomplish a dream in their life you can too. Everyone of us no matter how great still put our pants on the same way, one leg at a time. Acts 10:34 says “And Peter opened his mouth and said: Most certainly and thoroughly I now perceive and understand that God shows no partiality and is no respecter of persons”. Here the word of God clearly states that God is no respecter of persons. If you have seen God do wonderful things in someone else’s life, he can do those same things in your life. This demolishes any thinking that God loves or wants to do more in other peoples lives than in yours.

Secondly you must go towards that dream on purpose. The things that you want out of life are not going to come to you by accident. You must set your mind to achieve them on purpose. Set your heart on accomplishing the goals and dreams that you wish to possess. In other words get your wishing in line with your doing. Lastly, get rid of anything that is not brining you closer to obtaining your dreams.

If your goal is to be the Next Best Salesman/woman in your company, then don’t sit at home trying to find who the Next American Idol is going to be. More than likely this is what your competition is doing. To become great you are going to have to make some sacrifices and do what others aren’t willing to do (the extra). If something is not propelling you towards obtaining your goal get rid of it or cut back on it. Recognize that you are great and there are certain things in this life that only you can do. Certain people only you will be able touch. No matter what your life has been like in the past make the decision today to go from wishing to obtaining. The choice is in your hands, let’s go out and make our lives count.
-Richard

Applying God’s Word

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12

As followers of Jesus reading the word of God is vital in our everyday lives. I am thoroughly convinced that we can conquer anything in this life through reading, actively knowing and applying God’s word. Yet many Believers are walking through this life frustrated, defeated, busted and disgusted because they are simply ignorant towards this truth. They approach reading their bible as a chore or duty to be scratched off of their checklist instead of approaching it from a standpoint of life change.

Most people think that the Bible ministers only to their Spirit man but today I would like to challenge your thinking. Just as God created us in his image Spirit, Soul and Body he created a book that would assist us with all three of these areas. God wants us to have victory and walk in everything he has for us. But we can not do this unless we are whole mind, soul and body. God knew this and this is why he doesn’t just address spiritual things in his word.

What we tend to do is focus more on the Spiritual aspect of the Bible. Often viewing it as something that’s far off and “deep” like God. But the Bible is very practical and can be applied to your everyday life. For example, when I was getting out of debt I used the word of God as my guideline. I constantly repeated scripture to myself from God’s word while going through this process. “I will owe no man nothing but to love him” the word of God says “If you owe someone something you should allow no sleep to your eyes until you have paid your debt in full”. While repeating these scriptures my mind was being renewed to the mindset of Christ. This is where the word of God ministered to my Spirit as well s my Soul/Mind.

Even though I had allowed God to change my mindset and minister to my Spirit in this area it still didn’t change the fact that I was in debt. Using those same scriptures I physically went out and got an extra job to put my money where my faith was. I worked long hours, got on a budget and put all of my extra money towards the debt until it was completely paid off. Had I just quoted scripture and didn’t apply what I knew it would have had no affect in my life. Reading the word of God only transforms you when you put it into action. No matter how much you read it, quote it or even believe it.

God’s word can help us in our ordinary everyday life. We should never read God’s word just to read it or to fulfill some sort of spiritual duty. When reading it we should allow the Holy Spirit to transform our lives Spirit, Soul and Body.

-Richard

Judging Others

They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said,
"All right, stone her. But let those who have never sinned throw the first stones!"
John 8:7

At one point in my life a major distraction for me was what everyone else was doing. I was so focused on judging the sin in everyone else’s life I couldn’t hear what God was trying to say to me about me. It’s easier to judge others and forget about our own shortcomings because we are not responsible for changing other’s but we are responsible for changing ourselves. We can easily belittle and talk about others because we have no obligation to change them. But when it comes to taking responsibility and owning up to our own faults then we are completely obligated. So it’s easier to ignore your obligation to change “You” and focus on what everyone else needs to change about themselves.

In John Chapter 8 while Jesus was teaching a crowd the religious leaders brought to him a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They humiliatingly forced her to stand in the middle of the crowd and demanded that she be stoned to death. They begin to quote scripture to Jesus and asked him what they should do with her in hopes of finding fault in him. Then Jesus said to them "All right, stone her. But let those who have never sinned throw the first stones!" Little by little the men who had so viciously accused her begin to leave because they knew that their sins were great. Then Jesus told her that he didn’t condemn her and to go and sin no more.

Jesus didn’t say this because he condoned or agreed with her sin. He said this because he doesn’t judge man the way we do. God was not looking at her outward sin he was looking at her heart. In John Chapter 8:15 Jesus says “You set yourselves up to judge according to the flesh by what you see. You condemn by external, human standards. I do not set myself up to judge or condemn or sentence anyone.” Even though God is completely righteous and fully capable of condemning us he still does not. He waits lovingly with open arm for us to repent and come to him. But human nature is quick to judge, condemn and find fault in others. Sometimes we will even seek out the sin in other peoples lives so that we can have the “dirt on them” so to speak.

We are not fully qualified to completely judge others because we only see their situation from one angle. But God’s sees every angle of their life. He knows their thoughts, their weakness, their motives and intentions. God even sees their childhood and what lead up to them behaving the way that they do. God knows them inside and out! As mere men we only see the surface and automatically assume that this qualifies us to write them off as a lost case doomed to hell for all eternity. Instead we need to realize that if God saved us he can save anybody. You may physically see someone commit a unspeakable act of sin but you don‘t fully understand why they did it. Just like the woman in John chapter 8 they can be completely guilty but only God fully understands why she was doing what she did.

This does not give anyone permission to sin or to say that we don’t need to pay attention to sin. But we don’t need to be so sin conscious that we are more focused on the sin that a person is committing instead of how much God loves them and wants to see them delivered and set free. In life it’s important that we remain balanced and sober in our thinking. We are to hate the sin not the sinner. We are to Judge the sin not the person. So the next time you are faced with the opportunity to harshly judge others, gossip, backbite or criticize them I urge you to put on the characteristic of Christ which is love. Love that doesn’t see where a person is but sees the potential of where they could be through Christ.

If you heed to this advise it will save you a lot of heartache and disappointments in life. If more people knew this we wouldn’t see so many fall away from their faith in God because their Pastor wasn’t perfect or someone they really looked up to disappointed them. You need to be responsible for You and let God change everyone else. The only obligation you have to others is to love and pray for them. When you make up your mind to change it’s not going to be easy. It’s human nature to want to gossip or talk about others. We tend to lean more towards negative things rather than positive things. But I assure you that you can walk in victory over your flesh and love people with the love of God even when it‘s hard (most of the time it will be). God’s word makes it clear that we can have victory in this area through love.

1:Peter 4:8 tells us that above all things we are to have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins forgives and disregards the offenses of others. By loving your brothers and sisters you cover them. You actually allow God to move in their hearts instead of giving them a reason to despise your or even God. Start loving, covering and living your OWN life again today.
-Rita

Delayed Does Not Always Mean Denied

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men's hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy], yet so that men cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11

Some time ago I found myself utterly disappointed because there were so many things that I had been believing God for but I still hadn’t seen them come to pass. Because what I had been believing God for didn’t come in my timing I figured it wasn’t going to come at all. I found my mind flooded with negative thoughts. Thinking well “Maybe I just don’t have enough faith?” or “Maybe God isn‘t listening?” I even blamed the devil for my prayers being hindered. Thankfully, I learned that just because what I was believing God for was delayed, that did not mean that it was denied. Just because I didn’t receive an answer when I thought I should, did not mean that I wouldn’t receive any answer at all. Often what we want and what God wants are two totally different things, and there is nothing but time that will allow our hearts to become one with the Father.

Sometimes without even realizing it we place God on the level of mere men. We self-righteously think that when God speaks a thing it may or may not happen. Because sometimes men lie, sometimes men hurt us or cheat us. But God is not even in the same ranking as man. What he does is divine and if God said it, it certainly will come to pass. Often when we experience a delayed prayer it is only God preparing us to receive the answer. Because if he gave us an answer right away many times we would not even be able to handle the blessing.

I can remember a time years ago when there was a great prosperity movement going on in the body of Christ. It seemed like everywhere you looked somebody was preaching on prosperity. I’d watch as Millions of Christians would shout “Money Cometh to Me Now!” in hopes of becoming multi-millionaires my husband and I included. Needless to say it didn’t happen for most of us. This wasn’t because God doesn’t want us to prosper, it’s because he knew that we were not ready. Truth be told receiving a million dollars back then would have destroyed many of us. We wouldn’t have been able to stand the blessing. God is more interested in us developing qualities like Character, Integrity and our hearts being right towards him than us being millionaires believe it or not.

Some of us should be grateful that God didn’t respond to our prayers the moment we thought we should receive an answer. Sometimes it may appear as if God has abandoned you and left you alone to die but I want to encourage you not to grow weary. Numbers 23:19 says “God is not a man, that he should lie. He is not a human, that he should change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?” It may be hard to detect when God will show up but when he does there is no doubt that he has been there. So I strongly urge you to learn to love the process. Go through it maintaining an attitude of joy. Without complaining have confidence that God loves you and he knows what’s best for you. Remember that even the most exquisite diamonds are formed only through pressure.

-Rita

Enter By The Narrow Gate

Matthew 7:13-14 tells us to “enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” If I were to ask you what Jesus meant by this scripture your response would probably be that of most people. Those who are following Jesus are entering through the narrow gate and those who are following the world are entering through the broad gate.

I would like to give you another interpretation of that scripture. Most of us have dreams and goals in our life that we would like to see accomplished. Whether it’s becoming debt free, owning your own home, fulfilling your God-given destiny or just being the best Father/Mother that you can be. All of these are great goals but where most people go wrong is that they think only about the end result. Never taking into consideration that there is a process in between reaching their goals.

When Jesus tells us to walk through the narrow gate he knew that reaching our dreams wasn't always going to be easy. He also knew that human nature loves instant gratification. We typically want the end result now, aborting the process and going straight for the prize. For example, lets just say that someone wants to get out of debt. If they were to enter by the narrow gate they would get on a budget, take any extra money that they had and put it towards their debt. Even getting an extra job if necessary. While entering through the broad gate only encourages you to do what everyone else does.

Taking out a second mortgage to pay off your debts, transferring all your credit card debt onto another credit card or just ignoring the debt altogether. Entering by the broad gate may solve your problem for the moment but in reality you are still in debt. However, entering by the narrow gate may take longer but it’s best in the long run. Not only will you completely eliminate the debt but it also builds character and instills a sense of accomplishment that you wouldn’t have got by following the crowd.

When you’ve worked hard getting out of debt you develop a new found respect for money and are less likely to get back into debt. While those who took the short cut almost always end up back in the same position. It also shows you that if you work hard you can achieve anything that you want out of life. The broad way tends to follow the masses doing what is comfortable and pleasing to the flesh for the moment. Only problem is it leaves your life in chaos full of broken dreams and shattered goals. Jesus strongly urged us to choose the narrow way to life. As painful as it may appear this road is always the best one to take.

-Richard

Knowing Your Self-Worth
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
Psalm 139:14

Do you know how valuable you are to God? God envisioned you in his heart even before the foundations of the earth. He had a purpose in mind when he created you. Like a thumbprint you are unique. You don’t have to strive to impress anyone or be different you just are. Just like no two thumbprints are the same there never has or never will be another you.

Every man and woman alive today has God-given gifts. There are things that only you will be able to do on this earth because God specifically designed you to do them. Yet so many people really don’t realize their self-worth. They let the amount of money that they make, how much “stuff” they own, their education level, their social status or even their circumstances and situations determine how valuable they are.

You don’t have to struggle to make yourself valuable you already are. Psalm 8:4 say’s “what are mortals that you should think of us, mere humans that you should care for us?” In comparison to the greatness of the universe we all may appear to be insignificant. But what makes us significant is that God who created everything chose to make us the center of his attention. Out of every living creature that God has ever created we are the only ones made in his image. Yes, you are God’s masterpiece, wonderfully and fearfully made by the hand of a loving creator.

Our Deepest Fear
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
~ Marianne Williamson

When you allow accomplishments, people or things determine your self-worth you are only setting yourself up for failure. You are valuable because God made you that way. It came with the package when he designed you.

-Rita

From Belief To Conviction
Do you still think it's enough just to believe that there is one God?
Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror!
James 2:19

It is so wonderful when someone new comes into the kingdom of God. The word of God even says that all of heaven rejoices. It is truly a glorious event that should be celebrated. However, the ongoing statistic is that 50% of all new born again believers will drop out of their walk with God within the first year.

The reason for this is that Jesus remained a belief that they had and he never became a conviction. A Belief can be changed at any given moment. But Convictions are a part of who you are. The stand firm and can‘t easily be dismissed. Belief in Christ is just the first step to receiving salvation but we mustn’t remain there.

When I was a young boy two ladies who attended our church told me and a group of my friends that we needed to get saved. So they made us say the sinners prayer with them. We prayed the prayer but there was no real life change. This was because our hearts weren’t provoked to change. It was not something that we wanted to do but something that we were made to do. If a persons heart doesn’t change there will be no life change.

This is where the difference between belief and a conviction come into play. Convictions always moves you to take action. When I finally did give my heart to Christ it was evident in my life. When I read the Bible I accepted what it said then changed my actions accordingly, this is a conviction.

The way you turn a belief into a conviction is to do what your belief provokes you to do. If the bible says that you should pray, pray. If God is leading you to witness to others about Jesus then do it. I urge you today to move out of the realm of Belief over into the dimension of Convection.

-Richard

Think Your Way to Victory
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he
Proverbs 23:7

Any and every war waged against the individual Believer always starts in the mind. You know it’s amazing the amount of Christians that continue to struggle on a daily basis in their walk with God because they fail to realize this very important truth.

Every single decision we make begins first in our mind. This is why when Satan wants to do battle with you and I he always starts in our thoughts. He does this because he knows that where your thoughts go eventually the man will follow.

When I first became born again I used to think that I couldn’t help my thoughts. I figured they just happened and I couldn’t control what I was thinking about. This is a lie straight from the pits of hell designed to keep you in bondage. You have authority even over your thought life. Just because a thought comes into your mind that does not mean that you have to receive it as your own.

This is why it’s important that we renew our mind with God’s word. Knowing God’s word and having victory over your thought life go hand and hand. You can not be victorious over your thoughts if you don’t know what the word of God says. When a thought comes into your mind that is not inline with the word of God speak what God’s word says about that situation.

When you do this what you spoke out loud automatically interrupts the thought you were having. If you do this enough eventually the thoughts go away. If you don’t feed those negative thoughts they can’t help but to starve and die. Take authority over your thoughts instead of listening to the lies of the devil.

-Rita

Mastering Sin

If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?
But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching
at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."
Genesis 4:7

Ever wonder why it seems so hard to stop sinning once you start? If you’ve walked with God for any amount of time I’m sure you’ve asked yourself this question a time or two. The first key to understating and mastering sin is being aware of the foundation of sin. Even the deepest of sins start with a tiny little thought. When a thought is fed it grows into a desire and once the desire is full blown the action of sin takes place. Sin is a vicious cycle, one sin almost always leads to another. Often not getting caught in the act of sinning only feeds the flames. Once you get away with it, it becomes easier and easier to commit the act. Before you know it you are in Bondage to that sin.

It is no longer a thought, or a desire but something that controls you, stripping you of your freedom and joy. It always appears to be fun at first but it always leads to the road of destruction. God desires for us to be free, he created us this way. This is why we must master sin. Another key to mastering sin is thinking about the after effects. It may be appealing to your flesh right now but how will you feel afterwards? What kind of destruction will it bring about in your life after the act is committed? Some of the most common emotions are resentment, extreme anger at one’s self, frustration, confusion and even depression. Giving Satan even more room to operate in your life. The third key to mastering sin is to run like heck! In Genesis 39:11 Potiphar’s wife was trying to seduce Joseph. Refusing to give in to the temptation to sin the Bible says he ran so fast he left his robe in her hand.

Next we need to find someone we can become accountable to. Someone who is a Believer as well. Someone you know you can trust and talk to about the temptations going on in your life. Lastly, Get rid of all temptations. If you are dealing with pornography get rid of the computer or block those sites. Set yourself up to win. God has given us the power to master and destroy the sin in our lives. We can live holy lives that provoke the presence of God. Take the steps today to be more like our Heavely Father.

-Richard

A FREE GIFT FOR YOU

Salvation is a gift that is made available to those who repent, believe and confess that Jesus is Lord and that He died and rose from the dead to save mankind (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9-10). This gift cannot be earned through good deeds or by simply being "good" (Ephesians 2:8; 1 Timothy 1:9). It is a matter of faith (acting out on what you believe according to God's Word concerning salvation). If you have come here looking for a change in your life, if you have come seeking a peace that is found only through a personal relationship with a loving God, then you are at the right place. God is ready and willing to help you—right now, and right where you are.

Pray this prayer:

Heavenly Father, I come to You in the Name of Jesus. Your Word says, "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Acts 2:21). I am calling on You. I pray and ask Jesus to come into my heart and be Lord over my life according to Romans 10:9-10. "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." I do that now. I confess that Jesus is Lord, and I believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead.
(kennith copeland ministries)

If you have prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of God. The next step is to getting connected with a good Bible believing church. Remember that salvation is a daily walk. For additional information on salvation please feel free to contact us at beyondthirsty@yahoo.com
R&R

Check Your Motives

But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your hearts, don't brag about being wise. That is the worst kind of lie. For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and motivated by the Devil. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil.
James 3:14-16

As Believers in Christ it is imperative that we lead Godly lives and that the motives and intentions of our hearts be pure. I remember when the Lord first started to teach me about checking my motives. I was born again but for years I still continued to struggle with depression. I prayed to God for a solution and one day I heard him say “Your heart isn’t right”. I’m thinking my heart isn’t right? Wait a minute, I’m hurting here that can’t be God speaking to me. So I continued to pray and still heard the Lord say to me “Your heart isn’t right”.

It was at that moment that God revealed to me that the root of my depression was that I was simply self centered. The more I focused on me, my problems, my faults, what I didn’t have, how someone had hurt me the worst my depression got. Luke 6:45 says “A good person produces good deeds from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil deeds from an evil heart”. My life was simply a reflection of where my heart was.

I am convinced that the only reason I started to walk in victory over depression is because I chose to take my focus off of me and place it onto God. Philippians 4:8-9 says “Fix your thoughts on what is true, honorable and right. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise”. Our greatest motivation should be to know Christ and to make him known. We should never do things for selfish gain or for the approval and praise of man. We mustn’t live our lives before an audience seeking their approval and praise. But only for the praise and admiration of one - Christ Jesus.

Once I decided to check my motives and got my heart right depression was a thing of the past. I urge you to make the same decision today. Intentionally place your affections and thoughts towards God. When you do this it will be nearly impossible for your motives to be impure.

-Rita

The Power of Choice

“Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice:
It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved.”
-William Jennings Bryan

There are certain powers that God has freely given man. These powers help shape our lives and spear us into our destiny. One very significant power is the power of choice. Your life today is the sum total of the choices that you made yesterday, whether it be bad or good. To have a life that is overflowing with the promises of God we have to make the right decisions.

Deuteronomy 30:19 says “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live!” Here we see how powerful choice really is. The choices you make today not only have the ability to affect your life as an individual but also the lives of your children and your children’s children.

In the book of Genesis Adam choose to disobey God and that decision is still affecting mankind today. Not every choice is major but every choice matters. Ask yourself, am I making choices that will take me towards my purpose or rob me of purpose? Start making the right choices today. Don’t blindly make decisions, think about what the effects will be 1, 5, 10 years from now. Remember that when you don’t make a choice you’ve already made a choice.

-Richard

Finding Financial Freedom
By: Crown Financial Ministries

It is not always a lack of money that creates financial pressure. Many times it is simply a matter of attitude. If there is a right attitude toward money, freedom from financial bondage can be assured. God did not say that money and material things were problems; money is neither good nor bad. It is the use of money and the attitude toward money that is the problem. Therefore, Jesus regularly warned His followers to guard their hearts against greed, ego, and pride, because Satan can control God’s people with these emotional tools. In the area of finances, God’s people are extremely vulnerable. As such, they need to be encouraged to follow the necessary steps that will ensure money management according to God’s plan, thus assuring financial freedom.

Transfer ownershipGod has designated the most difficult step, transfer of ownership, as the first step. Once this has been accomplished, all other steps will fall into place.As Christians, God expects that all possessions be transferred to Him. Since we can’t literally place everything into His hands, this transfer becomes an act of faith. In essence, it means accepting the fact that God owns it all. Transferring ownership to God means that God owns all that we consider ours: clothes, car, home, family, income, debts, present, and future. Once ownership is transferred, God can begin to lead out of debt and into financial freedom. We then become stewards and managers of what belongs to Him.So, if God is the owner of everything in Christians’ lives, He can be trusted to change unhealthy spending habits (especially the abuse of credit cards) that cause debt, anxiety, and fear of the future. The key to maintaining this relationship is to understand properly the definition of stewardship.

A steward is someone who manages the property of another. As His stewards, we are responsible for managing His property in a way that will please Him. God will not force His will on us, but if we realize our responsibility and transfer everything to Him, He will keep His promise and provide for each and every need. The first step in achieving financial freedom is to realize that since God is in complete control, all that we are, do, have or ever will have must be transferred to Him.

Get out and stay out of debtThere are many ways to get into debt but only one sure way to get out and stay out of debt: self-discipline. Regardless of income, disciplined debt elimination is mandatory in order for a money management plan that keeps Christians out of debt to function properly. Proverbs 27:12 says, "A prudent man sees evil and hides himself, the naive proceed and pay the penalty." Debt can best be eliminated by following these steps.

Transfer ownership of every possession to God (Psalms 8:6, Deuteronomy 5:32-33) Allow no more debt, including bank and personal loans, and cut up all credit cards if unable to pay them off each month (Proverbs 24:3)
Develop a realistic balanced budget that will allow every creditor to receive as much as possible monthly (Proverbs 16:9)Start retiring the debt (Psalms 37:21, Proverbs 3:27-28), beginning with the smallest debt first. Once the smallest is paid off, put all the money on the next, and so on.

Generally speaking, if these steps are followed, the average family will be debt free in less than five years and the problem that caused the debt in the first place could very well have been corrected.In order to stay out of debt, two steps need to be followed. Develop a written plan of all expenditures in order of importance. Determine whether the expenditure or purchase is a need (basic necessities such as food, clothing, and housing), a want (things that make life easier, such as more expensive clothes, a VCR, or air conditioning), or a desire (more expensive wants, such as designer clothes, a new BMW, or a wide-screen TV).

Open a savings account and get in the habit of putting something into the savings account regularly, perhaps every week or every month. The amount of deposit is not nearly as important as the consistency in making a deposit. This savings can then be used for specific purchases or emergencies, rather than making these purchases on credit.

Establish a titheEvery Christian needs to give something back to God as a testimony to God’s ownership. A tithe is the portion of our income that we give to God and to God’s work. It should be the first part. “Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of all your produce” (Proverbs 3:9). Tithe means “tenth.” This is the amount most Christians use as a guide for tithing, but it really should be just a starting point for our giving. It’s through sharing that God’s power in finances is brought into focus. “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6). Accept God’s provisionIn order to maintain true financial peace, we must recognize and accept that God’s provision—all that He gives—is what He has provided to direct our lives. Many Christians are under the impression that God directs financially only by an abundance of money. This is not necessarily true.

Sometimes He directs by withholding financial abundance. As such, He expects His people to live on what He provides and not be pressured by the desire for riches and material possessions.Put others firstChristians seeking financial freedom must always be willing to put other people first. “Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:9-10). It is not God’s plan for us to get ahead in the world at the expense of others. Their welfare must be considered. “Do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Hebrews 13:16).Avoid indulgenceUnfortunately, most Christians in America are self-indulgers, rarely passing up a want or a desire, much less a need. To achieve financial freedom, indulgences and the tendency to spend more than what can be afforded on things that are not needed must be avoided. Indulgence is greed. “But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints” (Ephesians 5:3).

Avoid snap decisionsAvoid impulse spending, get-rich-quick schemes, and other financial decisions made through intimidation. “The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty” (Proverbs 21:5). The best way to avoid these traps is to pray about each purchase, each financial decision, and each opportunity that is intended to produce extra income—especially if the decision will affect the family’s financial welfare. “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes” (Psalm 37:7).ConclusionMost Christians have an upside-down view of money. They feel that the money they have is theirs and that God’s money is the portion that they give to the church. God has a different view. As Lord, God, and King, He owns everything—including the money that we claim as our own. As such, He has clear ideas of how He wants His people to function and to make use of His possessions—ideas that result in financial freedom for His people, if they are followed step by step.

Are You Killing Your Confessions?

So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead).
James 2:17

As Believers in Christ Confessions should be a part of everyday life. But have you ever wondered why a majority of our confessions never come to pass? Most of the time the reason we never see a manifestation of our confessions is because we are killing them with our actions.

Yes, our actions play a major role in getting our confessions to come to pass. Let’s say that you are believing God to get out of debt. You wake up every morning and declare “In the name of Jesus I will be totally debt free!” But the next time you see a pair of jeans you like you just “have to have them” so you swipe them on your credit card.

The confession that you made to get out of debt was murdered the moment you swiped that credit card. Whenever we make a confession it is crucial that we work towards them, not against them. We have to put movement to what we are believing God for. If you are confessing and believing God for a better marriage take the next step and start to invest in things that will get you the marriage of your confessions.

One thing we really need to realize is that the word of God is very practical. It’s not just some far off thing that doesn’t apply to us today. It will work if you work it! By putting this simple principle into practice you will allow your confessions to live and manifest to their full extent.

-Richard

Frame Your World with Your Mouth

This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.
Joshua 1:8

Here’s the first rule of winning. You have to stop praying one thing then turning around and killing what you just asked God for with negative conversations or words. Words have power and what you speak has the ability to create life or produce death into your situation. Proverbs 18:21 says that “death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life].” This is why it is so important that we get our words inline with God’s word.

The devil wants you to go around pointing out all of your flaws and failures instead of pointing out what God's word says about you. Because ultimately he knows that we believe what we say about ourselves more than what anyone else says. We’ve all heard the saying “Garbage in, Garbage out” if you fill your heart and mind with negative things this is what is going to come out of your mouth. Those negative things can be the music you listen to, the things you watch on television or even the latest “church gossip” you love to listen to or even join in the conversation.

But if you fill your heart and mind with the word of God you will reap the promises written in it. Yes, long life, prosperity, health, success, wealth and much more will be yours for the taking. Psalm 1:2 tells us to delight ourselves in his word and meditate on it day and night. Romans 12:2 tells us to renew our mind. When you and I speak the word of God the lies of the devil are destroyed by God’s truths.

I’ll admit it’s not going to be an easy process but the rewards are without limit. There are going to be times when you don’t “feel” like saying that right thing but say it anyway. We must refuse to operate by how we feel. I encourage you to speak the word of God over your situation regardless of what you feel or what it looks like. God’s word is like a powerful stick of dynamite that can demolish every work of the devil in your life.

It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past. Maybe you are the ring leader of the “church gossip group”. Maybe you are the most negative person in your office. I want to offer hope to you today. The word of God says that this is the day that the Lord has made. Start making the right choices today. There is something amazing that takes place in the spirit realm when your words begin to line up with God’s word, it’s called faith. Faith is the stuff that pleases God. And when you gain God’s attention you start seeing results.

-Rita

Has Noah's Ark Been Found?
Christian Archaeology Team Believes It Has Found the Ark

June 29, 2006 — A team of Texas archaeologists believe they may have located the remains of Noah's Ark in Iran's Elburz mountain range. "I can't imagine what it could be if it is not the Ark," said Arch Bonnema of the Bible Archaeology Search and Exploration (B.A.S.E) Institute, a Christian archeology organization dedicated to looking for biblical artifacts. Bonnema and the other B.A.S.E. Institute members hiked for seven hours in the mountains northwest of Tehran, climbing 13,000 feet before making the apparent
discovery.

"We got up to this object, nestled in the side of a hill," said Robert Cornuke, a member of the B.A.S.E. Institute. "We found something that has my heart skipping a beat." At first, they didn't dare to hope it was the biblical boat. "It wasn't impressive at first," Cornuke said. "Certainly didn't think it to be Noah's Ark. But when we got close, we were amazed. It looked similar to wood." In addition, some B.A.SE. members say, their discovery didn't look very distinctive. "It looked like the deck of any boat today," Bonnema said. Long Search for the Ark

The Bible places the Ark in the mountains of Ararat, a mountain range theologians believe spans hundreds of miles, which the team says is consistent with their find in Iran. The Bible also describes the Ark's dimensions as being 300 cubits by 50 cubits — about the size of a small aircraft carrier. The B.A.S.E. Institute's discovery is similar in size and scale.

"It is provocative to think that this could be the lost ark of Noah,"Cornuke said Throughout history, people have been searching for the Ark to help prove God's existence. "There's this idea, if we can prove that the ark existed then we can prove that the story existed, and more importantly, we can prove that God existed," said Bruce Feiler, author of "Where God Was Born." Previous scholars have searched for the Ark on Mount Ararat in Turkey. "Czar Nicholas, actually, in 1916 sent two expeditions to photograph it on top of Mount Ararat," said Feiler. One former U.S. president, Feiler said, looked for it in the mountains of Iran.

"There is a story that Jimmy Carter, on his way to visit the Shah of Iran in 1977, purposefully flew over it," he said. As recently as March, researcher claimed to have satellite photos that proved the presence of Ark remains. The B.A.S.E institute hopes the physical evidence they've brought back from Iran will hold the answer to this enduring mystery. "People will always be looking for it, always be skeptical, always be excited of the search," Cornuke said. "But I think we found something here that's very notable."

The B.A.S.E. Institute's samples are being examined at labs in Texas and Florida. B.A.S.E officials concede that there would be no way to conclusively prove that their finding is actually Noah's Ark. So the hunt goes on. The biggest hurdle in identifying Noah's Ark comes down to "gopher wood." The Bible says the Ark was made of gopher wood but no one knows what it is.

ABC News' Chris Cuomo reported this story for "Good Morning America."

Taking Dominion

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
Genesis 1:26

We live in a day and age where most saints don’t understand the true meaning of the word Dominion. Yeah we shout about it when we hear our Pastor or our Favorite T.V. Preacher say it but we live lives that don’t reflect it. Let me break down the word Dominion for you. Dominion is simply a territory or a specific area. The base word for it is Domain an area of activity over which somebody has influence.

In our lives there are certain areas that we must master and dominate ourselves. Its not always up to God. Yes God wants us to have victory but the ultimate choice is up to you. It is vital that we understand that mastering these areas does not happen overnight. It is a process that we have to continue to work on day after day. When my wife and I first got married we lived in a very old apartment building. Once in the middle of the night the ceiling starting leaking so we went and grabbed a bucket to catch the water. There wasn’t a lot of water dripping, it was small but constant. But by the time we woke up in the morning the bucket had overflowed with water. This is what it’s like taking dominion.

At first you many not see any results but when you are diligent eventually your life will overflow with victory. There are two main things a believer must focus on, the natural and the spiritual. Most saints place all of their emphases on their spiritual lives but their natural lives are a mess. 1 Corinthians 15:46 says first the natural, then the spiritual. If you don’t know how to handle your money, go and find a book or people who know how to handle money and take dominion over your finances. If you are overweight and don‘t like it, start walking around the block everyday.

Once you start taking authority over the physical areas that have been giving you problems, you will find it much easier to take authority in your spiritual life. When God formed us, he formed us to rule and reign here on this earth. He didn’t want anything to have mastery over us. Make the Choice today that you will have Dominion in every area of your life.

-Richard

Prayer that Gets Results
Taking the Journey into His Presence

When the Church begins to live within the third dimension of prayer, joining our hearts with the heart of God in the most holy place within us, then life as we know it will be forever changed.
-Juanita Bynum

Did you know that there is a secret place in God that you can hide where the devil can’t enter in? Psalm 91:11 say “He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty”. The word dwells is present tense. This shows us that prayer is not just a one time thing. Prayer is a Lifestyle. That secret place that we can abide in is the atmosphere of prayer.

In my own life I have had times when I’ve struggled in my prayer life. Either I felt as if I didn’t know how to pray or I felt as if I wasn’t worthy of prayer. That is until I discovered a way of praying to God that was very useful to me. It actually changed my prayer life forever. I believe one of the most powerful lines of defense the devil uses against the believer is ignorance. I have heard people say “What you know want hurt you” I believe the exact opposite. What you don’t know can be keeping you in Bondage!

One of the widely respected Father’s of the Faith Smith Wigglesworth put it this way…

There are two kinds of shouts: a shout that is made, and a shout that makes you. There are men of God, but there are also men who are God’s men. There is a place where you can take hold of God, but there is a better place where God takes a hold of you.

The first step to dwelling in this secret place is actually realizing that you are worthy of such an honor. Did you know that Prayer is actually a privilege? We don’t have to pray we get to pray. Praise God! We are not worthy because of anything we’ve done. We are worthy only because of Jesus. Secondly, I had to recognize just how much God loves me and how he actually wants me to spend time with him. Before without even realizing it, I would come to God with a very passive attitude when praying. I prayed because I knew I was suppose to but most of the stuff I prayed about I really didn’t think would happen.

This was due to a lack of my trusting in his love for me. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, who you are, where you come from God loves YOU. Just as a bridegroom yearns to be with the bride he adores so does our heavenly Father yearn to be with us. This is a very important step in the process of prayer because it creates confidence that not only are you praying to God but that he hears you. Last but not least, I learned to pray according to His pattern. We must keep this in our focus as we pray. We are after the counsel and the will of God and not our own….

Matthew 6:9-13
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

THE BREAKDOWN
(1) Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. - Acknowledgment of who God is. That He is Holy and that He is King of the Universe.
(2) Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven - Acknowledgment of God’s Kingdom and praying that it will be Established in the earth as it is in heaven.
(3) Give us this day our daily bread. - This is where you would pray for your daily bread. Your needs to get through this life.
(4) And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors - This is where we forgive everyone who has sinned against us and ask God to forgive us of our sins.
(5) And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil - This speaks of being held back from stumbling into evil traps set up by the enemy (Temptations)
(6) For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. - This is Affirmation of God in everything that we do. Worshiping & Praising Him!

The prayers of holy men appease God’s wrath, drive away temptations, Resist and overcome the devil, procure the ministry and service Angels, rescind the decrees of God. Prayer curses sickness and obtains pardon; it arrests the sun in its course and stays the Wheels of the chariot of the moon; it rules over all gods and open and shuts the storehouses of rain; it unlocks the cabinet of Womb and quenches the violence of fire; it stops the mouths of lions and reconciles our suffering and weak faculties with the violence of torment and violence of persecution; it pleases God and supplies all our needs.
-Jeremy Taylor

Remember, Prayer invites the Power of God into your situation. Prayer opens up the door for God to work in your life. Prayer is the most lethal weapon the believer can use against the kingdom of darkness. However it is still the most underused by the body of Christ. Someone told me that the on going statistic is that the average Pastor prays only 5 minutes a day. If this is so just image how much the congregation is praying. We can change that statistic today but it is going to have to start with you and me. Prayer allows God to work in the earth. If we don’t pray God’s hands are tied. Psalm 115:16 says that heaven belongs to the Lord, but he has given man the earth to rule. So Rule, Heck REIGHN Through Prayer! We have not because we ask not. So Ask, Seek, Knock and the door will be open (Luke 11:9).

-Rita

NFL's Simmons Speaks of Former Gay Lifestyle and New Faith in Christ

By Andrew KnoxThe 700 Club

Roy Simmons is one of only three NFL players to publicly discuss being homosexual. All three chose to speak of their sexual orientation after retirement from the league. But there is another side to Roy’s story that hasn’t been told, at least not until now.

In 1992, on The Phil Donahue Show, Roy Simmons had a major announcement.
"He comes here today" Donahue told the television audience, "to tell you that he is now and always has been gay."

"I don’t think we knew the repercussions that were going to come after that," Simmons explains. "My friends were in shock – 'Roy, you must have gone out and just gotten toasted and you got a major hangover.' "

This was not just any man revealing sexual secrets on national television. Roy had been the epitome of a macho, 290-pound offensive lineman in the NFL whose career ended much too early. He had a bright future from the start, signing a commitment to play with Georgia Tech. He boasted the ideal

physique for football – big and strong, lots of speed. He was drafted by the New York Giants in 1979. But off the field, he had a secret: he was having sex with men. It was a well-kept secret, but ultimately the double life affected his on-field performance. The Giants got rid of Simmons.

"I was in shock," Simmons admits. "It really hurt me that I was released. It really, really did."Roy caught a break. The Washington Redskins took a chance on him, and that same year the Skins made it to the Super Bowl… but lost to the Raiders by nearly 30 points. That didn’t matter much to Roy. He had other things to worry about. Among the special guests Roy had brought with him to the Super Bowl were multiple lovers, two females and one male.

By this point, Roy was drinking heavily and snorting cocaine. But he didn’t last long with the Redskins; they didn’t want him either. Most of Roy's wounds were self-inflicted, except for one. As a little boy, Roy did odd jobs around town. A woman asked him to clean her house. While she was out, her husband stayed behind at home and sought out Roy's company.

"He had some cocktails; he had been drinking," Simmons recalls. "Eventually, he called me into the room, and he turned me around and basically he did what he wanted to."That was the first big secret in Roy’s life, and it had a profound impact. After the Redskins dumped him, Roy's NFL career was over. He had a quick stint in the second-tier USFL, but he became a broke, washed-up athlete with a drug addiction and a secret sex life. In 1990, he headed out West.

"I had heard about San Francisco, the gay life. It’s the gay capitol. It was kind of crazy, but it was like, well, since you’re in it, go all the way," Simmons reasoned.
That he did. He drank and did drugs. Some nights he even slept on the street. Worst of all, Roy actually prostituted himself to fund his drug habit.

"[That was] something I thought I’d never do," Simmons says. "I always said there were things I’d never do, and I kind of caught myself with that. I shoplifted and I prostituted, basically. I think that through the years there was a lot of confusion brought about in my life due to the rape. It led me in areas where I cared not to go, but I went there."

Roy believed God wouldn’t accept him as he was. "When you’re out in sin," Simmons explains, "you really feel like you cut yourself off. You’re ashamed that 'oh, look what I’m doing. I can’t go to Him like this. I can’t go to God in prayer.' "He surfaced briefly, making his appearance on Donahue. A few years later, a doctor gave Roy a grim diagnosis.

"He called me in, and he gave me the results," he remembers. "My knees buckled. He told me that my tests came back positive. I guess the initial thought was I’m going to die. I’ve known people, some of them a month, and then they’re gone."

Upon learning that he was HIV positive, Roy felt hopeless, like he was just waiting around to die. That's when he made a desperate call to best friend Jimmy Hester and decided to move to Martha’s Vineyard. There a remarkable physical and spiritual cleansing took place.

Jimmy Hester is also HIV positive. He went to the Martha’s Vineyard Holistic Retreat because of his HIV. He has made great strides with his physical health, but he also found something he never expected – a relationship with Jesus Christ. That relationship started soon after a Bible study invitation by his doctor, Roni Deluz.

Now Roy is also meeting with Dr. Deluz, and he’s feeling great. He was recently baptized. Roy's pastor, Marcia Buckley, who quickly notes Roy's hunger for God, says, "One thing that he appreciates is the fact that he’s alive in the Lord and that God has given him a chance to live."

Roy has learned much from his pastor about his former lifestyle.
"We spoke on and learned about homosexuality and the connotations and everything that go along with it. It's really against God’s will," Roy states.
Roy devotes himself to the Lord and to purity. He has not been sexually active in more than three years.

"All that lying and cheating and all that backbiting and all that deceitfulness – I don’t practice that," he says bluntly. Roy is eager to study the Word of God and to grow closer to the Lord.

"Thank God for Jesus, for Him dying for my sins. On a daily basis, I can go to Him in prayer and just put it out there and be honest about it," says Simmons. "Coming into the fold, coming into the knowledge of God, just how wonderful and great He is and powerful, and feeling the love of Jesus – it’s a beautiful feeling."

Renew Your Mind
Connecting with Jesus Through His Word

"When you know what God says, what He means, and how to put His truths into practice, you will be equipped for every circumstance of life."
-Kay Arthur

To walk in the Purpose in which God designed you you’ll need to know His Instruction Manuel. God’s Word is our Instruction Manuel. Who better to tell us what we were created for than the Manufacturer? To walk in the fullness of Everything that God has called us to be we must be full of God’s word. We must learn to love His word. Its tough trying to read your word and juggle everything else life throws at you.

But I assure you, it can be done & today I will show you how. 2 Timothy 2:15 says “Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.” I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve used the excuse “I just don’t have time to read my bible”. Truth be told, what’s important to us we will make time for. If spending time in God’s word is important enough to you, you will make the time.

Great example, everyday you get up and go to work. Why? Because you know that if you don’t you wont be able to eat and pay your bills and that‘s important. Listen, I believe in keeping things simple. Now that you know why you should read your word let’s look at some ways you can start taking some action. #1. Make the time.

I’m reminded of this story I heard once about a housewife that lived back in the 1900s. She had 9 children or so and she could never find a quiet moment. She knew how important it was to spend time in God’s word but she could never seem to get a minute to herself. So many times you would find her with a towel over her head at the breakfast table. Under the towel she would be reading her bible. She couldn’t find the time so she made the time. This is what I urge you to do. Get radical about it!

#2. Pray before reading your bible. You know it’s amazing how much more of an understanding you’ll gain while reading when you simply ask God what he means. #3. Get rid of Distractions. This plays a large part in why most believers are not actively reading their Bible. Believe me, I know. I have a Husband and 3 small Children all under the age of 4 and a “To Do” list the size of Texas.

But I’ve learned that if you have your cell phone turned off the world won’t self destruct. #4. Truly observe what you are reading. Ask yourself these Questions (1) Observation - What does this scripture say? (2) Interpretation - What does this scripture mean? (3) Application - How does this scripture apply to my life today? You’ll be amazed at how much more involved you’ll be when reading your word. Because what this does is it actually forces you to throw yourself into the equation. Many times we read our bibles from the perspective of “God” and “Those People” we are reading about in the bible without even realizing it.

Matthew 7:24-27 says "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

When you are disciplined in studying God’s word. When you let His Holy Spirit lead you. You are building your house on the rock. The winds of life may come but your house will stand firm. You will know your God and when you know your God you can be strong and you WILL overcome every obstacle that comes your way.

-Rita

Black Enterprise Exclusive: The Business Of FaithPublication’s May Cover Story Examines the Proliferation of the Pastor/CEO

(New York, NY) April 25, 2006–For a growing number of modern-day clergy, preaching from the pulpit is only half of the job. A rising number of profitably managed black megachurches are turning pastors into high-profile CEOs of multimillion-dollar enterprises. In the May issue’s special report, "The Business of Faith," BLACK ENTERPRISE (BE) conducts exclusive interviews with cover subjects Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell and Bishops T.D. Jakes and Eddie L. Long–religious leaders who have embraced business in a big way–often facing criticism–to further their church mission, spiritual message, and entrepreneurial aspirations.

The combination of church and business is booming as ministries grant pastors oversight of both for-profit and nonprofit ventures. A prime example is Bishop T.D. Jakes. As head of the Dallas-based The Potter’s House–one of the nation’s most prominent non-denominational churches with roughly 30,000 congregants–Jakes, 48, is adept at juggling projects. He successfully serves as the chief spiritual leader of his vast number of parishioners while simultaneously pursuing his entrepreneurial dreams.

His $15 million for-profit media empire, T.D. Jakes Enterprises L.L.C., includes books, plays, a record label, and motion pictures, including Woman, Thou Art Loosed! "The pastor oversees two kingdoms divided by a carefully constructed firewall," says BE News Editor Nicole Marie Richardson, who co-wrote the feature and spent months researching black megachurches. "The ministry has a compensation board that determines Bishop Jakes’ salary and approves all budgets, including last year’s $15 million MegaFest.

This solid financial infrastructure has enabled the church to fund nearly 100 charitable ministries ranging from grief management to debt consolidation." To secure the flow of revenue for his far-reaching endeavors, Jakes employs what he calls the three Ps: partners, corporations that help fund programs and initiatives; products, items sold to the public for proceeds that go to the church; and people, congregants who make significant contributions. To avoid conflicts, Bishop Jakes employs two staffs and uses different accounting systems and financial institutions for The Potter’s House and T.D. Jakes Enterprises.

He also has two sets of accountants perform separate compliance audits. By embracing entrepreneurship and sound business practices for both his church and his companies, Bishop Jakes says he’s answering God’s call. "(Our) compliance audits are so thorough that if I bought you a Coca-Cola on my church card, it would show up in the audit," says Jakes. "We are pastoring to the equivalent of a small city. If you’re going to be here for longevity’s sake, you have to do things right.

"Additional features in the current issue:

Akiane Kramarik: Dream Child
This 10-year-old prodigy, who says God shows her what to paint, is using her gift to help the needy.

By Mary Berryhill

Akiane Kramarik is a young prodigy from Sandpoint, Idaho, who has been drawing and painting lifelike artwork since she was 4. Akiane (pronounced ah-KEE-ah-nah) says she first met God when she was 3. And now she's hoping to use her amazing gift to help feed needy children around the world.

When young Akiane's special gift was discovered, not much time passed before the humble 10-year-old was featured on Oprah, CNN, and other national media programs. Akiane began working in pastels when she was 5, and completed her first painting at 7. The self-portrait she painted sold for $10,000.

"It wasn't just art that was happening. Simultaneous with art was a spiritual awakening," says Akiane's mother, Forelli Kramarik. "It all began to happen when she started to share her dreams and visions."Prior to that time, Forelli had been raised as an unbeliever, in an atheistic family from Lithuania."And my husband was a former Catholic and did not share in the family beliefs. We didn't pray together, there was no discussion about God, and we didn't go to church. Then all of a sudden, Akiane was starting to talk about God."

Forelli's young daughter was homeschooled, she had no babysitters, and the family watched no television."We were with the kids all the time, and so these words from Akiane about God didn't come from the outside—we knew that. But there suddenly were intense conversations about God's love, His place [in our lives], and she would describe everything in detail."

In the beginning, Akiane drew pictures of family members and pets, but her interests eventually shifted to the creation of faces. She started "scribbling" more and more faces. She tries to recreate visions that she says God gives her in her dreams.

"I wake up after I have had many dreams. I wake up and I pray, and then I see visions and I explain all those to my mom, and I say, 'This is what I want to paint.' And my mom says, 'I'll give you a canvass so you can paint it.'"From her dreams Akiane began to compose what she calls the "Jesus" paintings, which took her more than 75 hours to complete. She has so far painted two oils of Jesus. She calls the first one "The Prince of Peace," and the second is titled "Forgive Them, Father."

"I always think about Jesus and talk about Him," she says. "I was looking for a [Jesus] model for a long, long time, and when I couldn't find anyone, one day I suggested to my family to pray all day for this model so God would send the right one." The day that they prayed, a very tall carpenter—yes, a carpenter—came to their door looking for work. When he showed up, Akiane nearly fainted. "I told my mother that that was him. I want him to be my model," she recalls.

The carpenter agreed to it at first, but he called a week later to back out.

"He said that he wasn't worthy to represent his Master," Akiane says. "He's a Christian, and he's a humble person. But I prayed that God would change his mind and that he would call back." And the mysterious carpenter, who wished to remain anonymous, did call Akiane back, saying that God wanted him to pose for the painting, although he felt it was unusual.

Akiane took pictures, studied his face, made sketches, used her imagination and photo references, and the result was the "Prince of Peace."

Akiane's day is a little different from other children her age who are homeschooled. When she wakes each morning she has a drink of water, exercises, prays, and then she paints.

"And after I paint, I write poetry," Akiane adds. "And I write Russian, and then I write and read Lithuanian, after which I read the Bible."

When asked how she knows that it's God who is speaking to her, she replies, "Because I can hear His voice. His voice is quiet and beautiful." Although she was 3 at the time, she'll always remember God's first message to her. "He said, 'You have to do this, and I'll help you.' He said, 'Now you can help people.' I said, 'Yes, I will.' But I said it in different words in my mind. I speak through my mind to Him."

Akiane also has another dream that she believes God has given her—only this one is one that she dreams during her waking hours."I really want to help needy people in Africa and other places," she says. "Especially the Lithuanian people—the 'garbage children' is what they are called. They live in the garbage, and 2- and 3-year-olds are being killed for the first place in the food line," she says. "Lithuania has the highest suicide rate in the world. They need help with food and medicine, and a free hospital. I really want to build a free hospital for them."

Akiane hopes to fund such projects with the sale of her paintings and poetry. According to her agent, Akiane soon will embark on a world tour to raise money for the African AIDS crisis.

"We don't have an answer as to why this is happening. We don't have a clue," Forelli Kramarik says about her daughter's unfolding ministry. "We're just thankful to God."

But Akiane does seem to have an answer. When her mother asks her why she thinks she received her gift, the 10-year-old replies: "I have been blessed by God. And if I'm blessed, there is one reason and one reason only, and that is to help others."

Article: Today’s Christian, July/August 2004

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