My Blog

January 02

I Don't Have to See to Believe

Wow, the new year is in full swing and I am so thankful that I do not have to see to believe. My trust in the Lord is ignited. Two scriptures come to mind. One concerns Thomas after the resurrection and the other concerns Mary at the birth of Jesus. Do you recall these passages? Let's go there for a minute. In Luke 1:41-45, Mary's cousin Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and speaks a word over Mary. Elizabeth says,

" And blessed is she that believed; for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord." (Luke 1:45)

Did anybody else catch that Mary was blessed because she believed what God said about her? Just a few verses back an angel brought her a word that she was favored of the Lord and would bring forth a child (Jesus) whose reign would never end. Mary was a virgin and was able to believe that she would conceive anyhow, just because God said so. She did not have to see to believe. She had to take God at His word, pure and simple and that is what you and I have to do in 2010 if we are to be blessed. (be sure to also read verses 37 and 38 in this chapter)

In John 20:24-31 a disciple named Thomas decided that he needed to see to believe and Jesus had some choice words for him and for us. You see, Thomas had missed the meeting earlier in the chapter when Jesus appeared before His disciples after the resurrection. When the other disciples told Thomas that they had seen the resurrected Jesus, Thomas told them he was not going to believe unless he saw nail prints. Jesus showed up shortly after and gave Thomas the opportunity to both see and touch and sure enough Thomas believed. In verse 29 Jesus spoke a word we can all take to the bank. "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed."

This scripture assures me that I will be blessed if I believe without having to see first. For me that means that I must believe no matter what my sight says, no matter what my life looks like. I know that I know that times are coming where we may have difficulty seeing Jesus---His sovereigntry in, His rule and control over our circumstances. Guess what? God is in control and we have to believe. We have to take the Lord at His Word if we want to be blessed.

So, are you ready to be blessed?

1:34 AM GMT | Read comments(0)

December 30

The Day Before

I am excited as never before as I anticipate and even look forward with great expectation to the new year. In my mind I see a new and greater level

of trust in the Lord and an even greater enabling to hold on. Like Jacob in Genesis when he wrestled with the angel, I intend to hold on until the Lord blesses me. (Genesis 32:24-26)

I also anticipate a new and deeper dimension in my relationship with the Lord and that excites me to no end. I not only am not going to let Him go, but I plan to draw nigh (get close) to Him and according to His word, He will have to draw nigh to me. (James 4:8) I wonder how close can I get?

I see challenges ahead, but at every turn those challenges are accompanied by an overcoming spirit. I shall rest in the knowledge that I am more than a conqueror. (Romans 8:37)

That means that when the challenge is more than I can manage, then I just lean on the more who travels with me everywhere and who promised never to leave me nor forsake me. (Hebrews 13:5)

With my indomitable God on my side I cannot fail.

My Pastor has been preaching a lot lately about a winning attitude and I wholly intend to take that 'tude with me into 2010. What about you?

11:17 PM GMT | Read comments(0)

December 26

The Day After

I am ever so grateful to the Lord for His keeping me in 2009. This time last year I was recovering from a car accident and living off of a meager unemployment check. His reassurance was non stop and I don't remember missing a single beat. As I look back I was tremendously challenged also by a consultancy gone sour. Yet, the Lord kept me....the rivers did not overflow me and the fire did not burn or scorch me. (Isaiah 43:2)

I could not pay the rent in that same season but the Lord in His infinite wisdom had placed me in a faith filled household and for several months my landlord reassured me that she was not worried about the rent and I shouldn't either. Can't even imagine where I would be without the Lord's keeping.

During that same time I had a huge decision to make and the Spirit of the Lord simply hovered, gently nudging until I made that very difficult, but in the end, very blessed and right move.

His keeping comforts you and when His will is for you to move He has a way of keeping the pressure on you until you abandon everything and simply follow Him.

Can't imagine where I would be without His keeping.

I remember also a tremendously joyous word that came a couple of wintry days right before I was scheduled to preach. I had recently applied for a modest grant to tide me over and I got an e-mail that week with the subject line that read "Help is on the way". The e-mail was a positive response to my grant application but the subject line was without question the keeping of the Lord.I don't know about you, but The Lord is my keeper. He is ever present and I can forever rest in the knowledge that He never slumbers nor sleeps. Psalms 121: 5-8 captures my thought for this day magnificently.

The Lord is thy keeper, the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth and even forever more.

11:11 AM GMT | Read comments(0)

December 06

It's Sunday

I am so glad that the Lord connects prosperity and health to the condition of our mind, will and emotions ( the soul) Read 3 John 2. Imagine a healthy mind, well managed feelings and choices that are off the hook pleasing to the Lord. That is where I aim to be. And the best news of all is that if I cooperate with the Lord and do what He says do, then I will arrive at my desired destination. That is exciting and that is reason to be thankful.

8:27 PM GMT | Read comments(0)

December 05

Avoiding the shop 'til you drop syndrome

Choosing wisdom in this season is ever so important. The Black Friday marketing may cause the unwise consumer to lose his or her natural mind.

Why not keep gifting simple and creative? Smilebox is loads of fun and you can send photos. I also highly recommend books and since I am an up and coming publisher, I highly recommend the product section at www.bencouraged.net

Books, especially, for children, stir the imagination and bring forth better results than the thumb/finger exercise used with video games. Don't get me wrong now, I am all for our children becoming super savvy with technology, but there is so so much more.

There is no shame in my game and I dare you to purchase a little stocking stuffer called The Adventures of Martin Tyrone Sanchez Dupree. The youngsters in your neighborhood will love it and it is reasonably priced, well written and illustrated, if I must say so myself.

Guaranteed to encourage good, healthy habits in your children, Martin and his counterpart, Lucille, in Lucille Nadine Alexander's Birthday will bless the socks off your children this season. Reading is fundamental and fun so why not drop a shop at amazon.com or www.bencouraged.net. You will be so glad that you did and you won't have to rise at 3AM or look for parking. OK?

11:53 AM GMT | Read comments(0)

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Post-script for a Saturday morning

I woke up this morning continuing to think about Mary and especially the description of her. In verse 38 of Luke 1, Mary is described as a hand maiden. I looked that word up at (Blue Letter Bible) and grabbed some definitions and hopefully some encouragement for us for this season.

Handmaid:

A servant or attendant

One who worships God and submits to Him

One who gives himself up wholly to another's will or dominion

Those who service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men

Preachers and teachers of the gospel

True worshippers

Those who God employs to execute His purposes

One devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interest

When we think of Mary in these terms, we should be encouraged to live a life submitted to our Lord and Savior. It is ever so much easier to believe that God is who He says He is and that He does what He says He will do if we really, really become handmaids in word and deed.

Consider verse 38 in Luke 1. ³⁸And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

As life unfolds this year, let us choose daily to be found in devoted and submitted service unto the Lord, disregarding our own interests so that He can use us to advance His cause. Then we too can say like Mary, hey, I am the Lord's handmaiden, whatever He says, that's it...that's all.

B-ENCOURAGED.NET

BUILDING YOU UP IN THE FAITH