Choose God Everyday

Proverbs 27:1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. (NKJV)

James 4:13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. (NKJV)

Joshua 24:14 “Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! 15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (NKJV)

Read Joshua 24

I was talking to a lady today about walking with the Lord and that it can be hard sometimes.  Then we had a celebration about the power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to choose God over our fleshly desires, or whatever the enemy is tempting us with at the moment.  The bible says that today is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.  Every day is a gift from God.  Whether we choose to take advantage of it or not, God’s grace and mercy has touched us and allowed our eyes to open and see a new day.  What do you do each day with your gift?  Are you rejoicing?  The Lord did not have to do it.  That is what we see in the book of James chapter 4.  We always have to be mindful that “if the Lord wills” we will see our loved ones again.  If the Lord wills we will have the house we are living in.  If the Lord wills we will get that job or promotion.  But you know what is more important than that?  If the Lord wills there will be another day for us to choose God and the salvation of Jesus Christ. 

What does choosing God mean to you?  Does it just mean that you say the words and give others and God lip service?  Or have you made a declaration that you have and will live by the Word of God like Joshua did before the children of Israel.  See regardless of what other people say or do, what are you going to do?  Regardless of what the world portrays as right and acceptable, what are you going to do?  Do you choose what the bible says, or what your friends do?  Do you choose what God is speaking to you in that moment, or are you too embarrassed to stand for God so you yield to temptation and sin?  Ask yourself TODAY who you will choose. 

Others see your profession as you go throughout the day.  What are they seeing?  A person who walks humbly yielding to God by His Holy Spirit, or a prideful disobedient person who has made a choice and fallen away from God?  See you can’t walk in the Light and in darkness at the same time.  You have to choose. 

Our gracious and heavenly Father.  Lord God almighty.  King of kings and Lord of lords, we bless Your holy Name.  We profess to rejoice in this day, for You have given us the opportunity to choose You.  You have allowed us to acknowledge Your sovereignty and grace.  Forgive us, with a repentant heart we ask You to receive us into the light and love of Your Son Jesus Christ.  Thank you Jesus.  AMEN. 

Justice, Mercy & Faithfulness

Matthew 23:23 “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you give a tenth (tithe) of your mint and dill and cumin [focusing on minor matters], and have neglected the weightier [more important moral and spiritual] provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the [primary] things you ought to have done without neglecting the others. 24 You [spiritually] blind guides, who strain out a gnat [consuming yourselves with miniscule matters] and swallow a camel [ignoring and violating God’s precepts]! (AMP)

Read Matthew Chapter 23

God is amazing in how He says so much in just one verse. If you think about the history of God’s people throughout the Old and New Testament, you see great stories of faith and disappointing stories of unbelief and sin. We see how God has been faithful for generations to those who love, obey and serve Him.  We also see how the Lord has been merciful at times, but then has had to judge those who continuously disobeyed and sinned against Him. You would think the Lord would be tired of man by now.  But just as He admonished the Pharisees above to show mercy, in His faithfulness His mercy endures forever toward us!

Jesus’ choice of words in verse 23 put you in the mind of someone who is fed up or disgusted? The Lord is speaking to the Pharisees about their religious behavior and poor choices in failing to totally obey Him in the whole counsel of His Word. He proclaims to them that they have done some of the things that He requires, but have omitted the weightier matters of justice, mercy and faithfulness in His law (v23).  These three are essential to living our life for God in spirit and in truth?  Without faith it is impossible to please God according to Hebrews 11:6. If it has not been for God’s mercy on us, where would we be besides dead bound for hell?  In Matthew 5:7 Jesus teaches that blessed are the merciful, and that they shall obtain mercy. Now justice, which is really lacking these days and seems to be very misunderstood, is necessary if we are to understand our own salvation.  Acts 17:31 tells us that For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead. God gives us His holy law in order that we might see our sin, and by faith in Jesus know that the Lord God in His Word is the great and only judge, who by His Son Jesus we might obtain mercy unto salvation.  Have you addressed these weightier matters in your life in relationship to the Word of God through Christ?

Alleluia to the Lamb of God who was slain before the foundations of the world.  Jesus you are the great and merciful judge of all things.  We plead mercy from you and pray that we might obtain mercy as we grow in Your Word seeking You in spirit and in truth.  Your testimony is amazing, and by this we have faith so that we might overcome the evil one in Your Name Jesus.  Lord by Your precious Holy Spirit we desire to persevere to the end so that we might receive our crown in Your glorious salvation.  Forgive us, help us and save us in Jesus name we pray, AMEN.  

The Best Laid Plans

1 Thessalonians 5:24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

Sometimes the best laid plans, and the best intentions have no bearing on how things go. In times like these there is an opportunity to stay the course, exercise faith and trust God. Monday I made my plans to drive back to Nashville from Washington DC. I would get up early…4:30 am and be on the road by 5ish to beat any beltway traffic and get out of the city early. I needed to get back to Nashville and make some business calls on appointments I had coming up this week. This would not be an issue for me because I like to get up early and drive with sunlight.

Sooooo……I did not get in bed as early as I wanted. When my phone went off, I started my process. All of a sudden I heard what sounded like thunder! No way….  But of course I had not checked the weather. Did I mention I hate driving in the rain? Needless to say it was not just thundering it was raining, windy and thundering. As I stopped to fill up the gas tank the wind picked up. It did not matter that I was under the covered area, the wind managed to blow just in the right direction to soak me. The gas tank was full and I was on my way to the interstate at 5:30…check. As I get on the beltway I was feeling good until the blinding water started blowing up unto my windshield….I guess my car is too low. So after about an hour and a half, I decide to pull off the interstate because I am sleepy, it was dreary and I was worn out fighting the torrential rain. The good news is that I had made pretty good time in spite of the highway fun. I stop at a Starbucks, parked and slept for about 45 minutes. Then I got my dirty Chai and a breakfast sandwich, and hit the road with a new attitude. I had prayed, napped and was believing God that the rain would let up soon. I even texted some prayer warriors to pray my strength….10 hours is no joke to drive alone. Needless to say about 51/2 hours in, the sun came out and it was a beautiful drive the rest of the way! Where the five hours prior to that pretty miserable, yes, but I made it through.

See sometimes life is just like that. Even though the best plans are made, even though we do everything we can to prepare, and even when we have done nothing wrong.  Even though there are things to do when we get to our destination, the storms of life still come. As I hit the 6^th hour of the drive, the sun came out. The rain stopped and it was smooth sailing the rest of the way. The same is true for life, the day and hour will come when the dark clouds will part, the rain will stop and the Son will shine on your situation. And sometimes just as you planned you will make it to your destination in time to do just what needs to be done….as long as you keep going. See it is by faith that we overcome the storms of this world. God reminded me as I saw the beautiful clouds and felt the sun shine and the wind blow, that He is faithful to get us to our destination if we just press forward trusting Him. I am so thankful not just to have made it back to Nashville, but that I serve a God who promises to ALWAYS bring me through the storms of life to victory through faith in His power! Amen.

I WILL BE STRONG!

Psalm 95:6 Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our maker,

7 for he is our God. We are the people he watches over,  the sheep under his care.

  Oh, that you would listen to his voice today! 8 The LORD says, "Don't harden your hearts as Israel did at Meribah, as they did at Massah in the wilderness. 9 For there your ancestors tried my patience; they courted my wrath though they had seen my many miracles. 10 For forty years I was angry with them, and I said, `They are a people whose hearts turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.' (NLT)

Read Psalm 95

When we read the Old Testament and the history of the Israelite's we see a people who made plenty of mistakes.  What we should also see is ourselves, and the many times we have refused to do what God is telling us.  In this Psalm, there is a call to be different from the early people of God.  We have a new opportunity, by the power of the Holy Spirit to be obedient.  We have to make a choice, a choice to make God proud and not angry.  Everyday we are challenged to choose.  We must choose to please the Lord Jesus, and not our flesh.  We must choose to please God, and not satan by our nasty attitude and behavior.  We have a choice of whether we are or are not going to sin against God, and if we are going to rely on the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit to enable us to make the right choice for Christ.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want the Lord looking down and shaking His head at me saying, “How many times must I give her this test?”.  I want to pass the test, and I WILL NOT be weak and subject to my flesh.  The Word says that greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world.  Do you believe it?  I know sometimes we don’t act like we do; BUT today make the right choice that shows that you do!  Declare that you will NOT be in the “they” that refuse to do what the Lord tells you (v10).  Declare that you WILL BE strong in your discipleship, and walk in all that the Lord has for you!  

Jesus thank you for helping us, strengthening us, encouraging us, and teaching us.  In Your MIGHTY name we pray, AMEN.  

The God Influence

@2015  A Poem from "I" Can Relate: How Not to Lose Yourself in Relationships

Who has influenced you?

God wants to…

What has defined you?

Until you read God’s word,

You won’t know the truth.

What do you think of yourself?

You were created by God himself.

His love will define you.

His love should influence you.

His love is always thinking of you.

His love is waiting on you.

WLS

RelationSHIPS....

"As in all aspects of our life in relationship we have to realize the importance of the work of God in us during the relationship.  We can become focused on what the other person should be doing or fixing, but God wants us listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in us.  This is how we can learn and know how to navigate the “SHIP” or abandon the “SHIP”."

- Relation"SHIP" p. 53 - "I" Can Relate: How Not to Lose Yourself in Relationships by Wanda L. Scott

People stay in relationships - bad relationships - dead relationships because they at least know "that" pain.  They know how "that" person will hurt them. Sometimes they are afraid to hope for something better. They are afraid to hope that there is someone who will love them, respect them, cherish them...  

It is our human nature to accept what is easier especially if we have not seen anything different or don't expect anything different. 

I see people walking together lifeless in their relationship........

I see people sitting together lifeless in their relationship..........

Communication is dead. Love is dead. Hope is gone. BUT we serve a God who restores, repairs, and does the supernatural to any heart and any relationship! Hallelujah & Amen.

Psalm 84¹¹ For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly. ¹² O Lord of hosts, Blessed is the man who trusts in You!

I declare and decree that anything that is dead in relationships will either come to life in the name of Jesus, or either it will be removed, released, retired, fired or thrown away for the new thing God has ordained and prepared for those that hope in Him....in the name of Jesus Amen. 

Practice for 2016

“Practice what you preach.”   “Did you go to football practice today?” 

“How many days a week do you practice?”

“I practice Medicine….”  “My practice is to read at least one book a month.”

How many of you have heard or said any of these common phrases or statements?  What do you practice? We spend our time and sincere effort doing a lot of things.  Practice is an investment of time and effort, so that typically means that if we practice something, we put value in it. The bible says some interesting things about what you practice.  I know in 2016 I will be practicing following and obeying the promptings of the Holy Spirit.  I will be practicing using my gifts, skills and abilities that God has given me to His glory.  I will be practicing at spending time with God in His word and in prayer.  These are the things that will bring joy.  These things will bring me peace.  These habits that I will practice will help me operate in the kingdom of God so His will will be done and His kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven. 

So what will you practice in 2016?

1 John 1⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

1 John 3⁷ Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.

The bible is full of God’s people practicing other things that only brought them destruction and strained their relationship with God.  We even see in Psalm 141 David praying for God to help him not practice evil…

Psalm 141⁴ Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, To practice wicked works With men who work iniquity…

It is my hope for you and I that we practice love, first of all loving God by worshiping and obeying Him, and second by loving one another.

1 John 3¹⁶ By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. ¹⁷ But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? ¹⁸ My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. ¹⁹ And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. ²⁰ For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. ²¹ Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. ²² And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. ²³ And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. ²⁴ Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

Here’s to purposeful practice in 2016!