Good Morning! Psalm 139:14 I will praise you, because I am fearfully?and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful. Today I can say I know that full well. How about it? Is there something about your life or about you (physically) that you would like to change? I know for yrs I did. I was always trying to act intellectual or make it seem like I had it going on to cover up my insecurity in myself. And I was always looking for ways to make myself look better to women. Which today I know is impossible LOL! But it wasn't until I totally surrendered myself to God, that I realized God made us each, to His specifications,and gave us the qualities that He wanted us to have. us are own qualities that He wanted us to have. He made us with our own looks and our own way of doing things. That is why no one has the same set of fingerprints. He designed us with our own purpose. We are all special in Gods eyes. And He designed us with our own special jobs to do. And long as we are working to do His will in our lives we will see that purpose. But the one true purpose God made us for is to praise him and worship him. So today thank God for who you are. Because he made you fearfully and wonderful. You are special to him. And for you people who are married, praise him today for your spouse,for he made you to be together. You see God made us to spend eternity with Him. He made us all different for a reason, so today be Happy with You! You are not a fluke, you have your own mold, that God made. And remember He is the Potter! HABD!

Doing Nothing!

Greetings on this Beautiful Rainy Day. I say that cause its so nice to sleep with the rain pounding on my roof. But it makes me lazy and slothful and I have things I need to get done. In Prov 21:25 it tells us, The sluggards craving will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work. Webster's defines sloth as a "disinclination to action or labor; sluggishness, laziness, idleness." In theological contexts, SLOTH carries with it not only the idea of laziness in spiritual things. but also apathy and inactivity in the practice of our faith in our everyday lives. The slothful person is like a piece of driftwood floating effortlessly downstream with the current. It takes no effort, no strength to be lost. The piece of wood always goes downstream, never up. Likewise, a drifting slothful soul is inevitable moving toward an eternity of destruction. The sin of doing nothing-the sin of omission, is just as dangerous as any sin of action, of commission. You don't have to do anything to be lost, just do nothing. Just be slothful about your soul. Tragically there are many people who claim to be Christians or say they believe who are slothful also. or say they believe are slothful also. Slothful when it comes to prayer,or worship,when it comes to reading the Bible. witnessing for Christ, helping people in need, giving to charity,or giving to God's work. But the main thing I have seen with a stubborn, slothful spirit is it causes a great hindrance to receiving Jesus' forgiveness and transforming power. Don't let slothfulness become part of you life. Doing Nothing is easy! Being a child of God takes action! So today get out there and do something for God and HABD!

True Success

Good Morning! Matt 10:8 Heal the sick,raise the dead,cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. FREELY YOU HAVE RECEIVED, FREELY GIVE. You know there are alot of people who are successful in this world. But what is True Success? Is it all about what I have made happen for me, so now I can sit on my throne and let everyone see my accomplishments. Or has God blessed me, so I can be a blessing to others. I have found that when I take on the attitude that God has helped me to win, so that I can help someone else to win, that is when I am Truly Successful. So many people today measure success by what you have as far as possessions and money and power. But Jesus tells us here its not what you have that makes you a success, its what you give away. Its like for me God helped me to be a success by helping me overcome my addictions. So that now I can help someone else overcome theirs. May be you have been blessed with a good loving family so that you might be able to help one that is struggling. You see its not all about possessions, and yes God has blessed some people with wealth,but are they using it to help others? You see True Success is measured in what you possess on the inside, not what you have. Jesus freely gave of Himself so that we might be with Him and the Father forever in Heaven. So today freely give of yourself to help someone. Out of all the things I have in this world, the thing I treasure the most is my relationship with Jesus. And that is something we should all want to share. And I think when you do! That is where you will find the meaning of True Success! HABD!

Can't Justifiy It!

Good Morning!  Rom 2:11 There is no partiality with God. Let me ask you do you think gossip and murder can be ranked in the same category? Can anger be on the same level as adultery? Do pride and foolishness fall in the same category as fornication and theft? In Roms 1:29-32 there is an extensive list of sins. You can find other lists in Gal 5:19-21, Mark 7:21-22 and 2 Tim3:2-5. Our society today tends to categorize them and thus make us believe some are worse than others. And the problem this raises for me,is that helps me to Justify some of the things I do today. How about you? Things like telling a little white lie because you didn't want to hurt someones feelings. Or having a little sex outside of marriage. Oh! But those are 2 different things? But there not! In Gods eyes sin is sin there is no partiality or justification. In a world that classifies us according to social status, race, wealth, intelligence, and ability, we need to remind ourselves that those divisions are arbitrary and irrelevant to God. The ground at the foot of the cross is level. We will all stand there one day and realize  how short we fall each day from living according to His standards and loving Him with the love and devotion he deserves. devotion he deserves. So today when you sin,and we will. Because we all fall short of the glory of God. Don't justify it! Don't make excuses for it. Realize that God is aware of all our sin and will judge us according to the way we respond to Him and to the death of His son on the cross. So today every time you sin, put Jesus there! And see how insignificant that sin might be. You can't minimize sin! After all that is what killed our Savior. HABD!

Something out of Nothing

Good Morning! Sorry I'm a little late, but I slept in a little this morn. Gen 1: 2-3 "The earth was formless and empty......and God said, Let there be light"   Are you needing a miracle in your life today for something that seems impossible? With man it may be impossible, but we serve the all-powerful God, and he can create something out of nothing! He can make a way when there seems to be no way and open doors that seemed to be closed forever! Genisis  tells us that in the beginning, God created the heavens and earth, but before he spoke the world into existence, it was formless and void. If God can make the world out of nothing, He can take the empty places in your life and create something beautiful, too! He can speak light into your darkest hour. He can take your formless dreams and give them shape. He can resurrect your dormant gifts and talents! He can make your crooked places straight! Remember you are created in the image of almighty God.Theres power in your words, and there's power when your in agreement with Him. Start saying what God says about your situation. Speak life into your broken dreams today. Speak hope into the hopeless places of your life. Keep an attitude of faith and expectancy because God can and will turn things around for you. And make Something out of Nothing!

The Poison of Anger

Good Morning! Prov 29:11 A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. Anger is a sin that everyone is capable of committing. The tiny baby has tantrum and spits up its dinner. The little boy has a tantrum and ruins the family gathering. The wife loses her temper and wounds her child's heart. The husband gets angry and terrifies the family. Homes and Relationships can be destroyed by the swirling tornado's of anger. Business relation can be shattered by fits of violent temper. Friendships can be broken by anger. Anger causes murders, assaults, and conflicts. Anger brings out the animal nature of human beings. It hinders our Christian testimony, and causes people to lose their joy for living. It causes us to make decisions that are rash and unforgiving. Too many of us excuse our anger by blaming our natural disposition,but anger is a sin. The first step to finding victory over anger is to want to get rid of it. So many of us just wallow in anger until it destroys all the things we have worked for and love in this world. The next step is confession about your anger. Then comes yielding to God. His Spirit can tame your tongue and your passions when you surrender your heart to Jesus. He who calmed the turbulent Sea of Galilee can calm the tempestous sea of anger with His love. He who calmed the turbulent Sea of Galilee can calm the tempestous sea of your anger with his love. As I look back over the many yrs of anger and rage I had living my addictive lifestyle. I am sadden by all the things I lost because of my anger. But the ones that sadden me the most are all the people that I truly loved,but lost because of my anger. So if you are struggling with anger today. Get rid of it! It will make you do things YOU REALLY DON'T WANT TO DO! HABD! 

Welcomed Failures

Greetings! John 21:9  When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it and some bread. Now I'm sure you are saying what does this Vs have to do with being a failure? Well there is something to the aroma of burning fire with coals. Its a smell I love and it has its own distinct smell. If you read Chapter 21 you see that Peter had returned to the fishing biz, with a few of the other disciples. But they weren't having much luck. They did not know it was Jesus on the shore. Jesus then told them where to cast there net and the catch was so great they couldn't get it in the boat. Then they realized it was Jesus. But it wasn't till they got ashore the lesson was learned. Remember the fire now! As Peter approached Jesus, I wonder if the pungent aroma of burning charcoal brought back any memories to Peter. May be that aroma was still stuck in his mind from a few nights before when he stood around a fire and denied Jesus 3 times. When he had FAILED his Lord and Savior 3 times. Jesus could have said, "Well Peter you failed me so your out!" But he didn't! He welcomed him back with love and mercy and reinstated him to go and preach the Good News and take care of his sheep. We are all Peters in our own way. I know I am! All through my life I have denied Him and lived my life against Him. But did he turn away from you or me, NO! He has always Welcomed us back with that same love and mercy He showed Peter. So today let us thank him for that mercy and grace. Because think about it, if he only let perfect people serve him. He wouldn't have anyone to choose from! So today remember, Being imperfect doesn't disqualify us from serving God, it just emphasizes our dependence on His mercy. HABD!

There're bound to happen!

Good Morning! Sorry about yesterday, but I hit the ground running yesterday. It was my day off lol! John 16:33 and we all know this one. Jesus told His disciples and us! "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Today will you all say a prayer for a friend of mine Janie, she is having some rough times. And that is what we are all here for to help each other in those times. You know Jesus tells us right here we are going to have troubles in this world. But the more trust we have in Him, the less we worry about them. I heard a saying once, That God is not as concerned about what you are going through today, as he is as how you handle what you are going through! You see when we let the troubles of this world steal our Joy and make us worry, we are showing little faith in God. Jesus gave us His Spirit to be with us always! And no matter what we are going through that Spirit is there to give us peace. But if we don't use it, Troubles will be Troubles for us. So today when troubles happen, remember Jesus told us they would. But he also so told us we could have Peace in Him, knowing that He is right there with us, to help see us through. I like the slogan on the back of our new Celebrate Recovery shirts, it says! kNOw You're not Alone (Deut 31:8) "The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you: He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." So if you are having troubles today, put your trust in him. And there is another saying I know from AA, "And this to shall pass" So today if you are down in the dumps because of troubles, all you have to do is look up! HABD!

What are you Worrying about?

Good Morning! Todays Vs is from the NLT. Rom 8:31, "What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, then who ever can be against us?" Its funny how todays world has so many misconceptions about God today. You know like, "God is mad at me and he is keeping a record of all the wrongs I do. That is so wrong!  Sripture tells us that God is gracious,patient and loving,that He is forgiving and doesn't treat us as our sins deserve. Scripture tells us that God is for us,and if God is for us who can be against us? Think about that for a minute. The same God who created the heavens and earth,the one who spoke the universe into existence and knows everything about you,He is on your side and wants the best for you. I love this Vs today and another one I like is Isaiah 54:17  No weapon formed against me shall prosper. You know why? Because God is for you,God has got your back. So why do we let things defeat us? Like the pain of your past,or mistakes we have made. A bad economy or any of Satan deceptions. That take away are Joy and make us feel worthless. But instead of dwelling on all that you are not today,dwell on all He is. He is faithful,He is loving, He is with you by your side all the time. And the greatest thing is HE IS FOR YOU! And with God on your side, How can you lose? You may have battles! You may have struggles! But God is for you and guess what? That means in the end you will have VICTORY! So remember when struggles cross you path today,who's in your corner! And come out swinging! HABD!

How are your words?

Greetings! Prov 16:23-24 A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction. Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. I was reading today in my Devo's of 2 men at Purdue University who for 2 hours every Weds they would stand on a busy sidewalk and do nothing but compliment people as they walked by. You know! Telling people things like "I like your red coat" or "You have a nice smile." It made me think, How much do I go out of my way during the day to give someone a compliment? The more I thought about it though, I am like the man in Vs 27 whos lips are like a burning fire. So often I am to busy looking at someone and finding all thier faults before I start looking at thier good things. How about you? The Bible tells us we are to build each other up and encourage each other. (1Thess 5:11) So why do we find that so hard. So today I am challengeing myself and you can do it to. To find the positive things in the people I encounter today. And to find nothing but kind words to say to people. Kind words are FREE! But you never know the priceless gift of the spirit you might give someone today. So today let us try to have nothing but Honey coming out of our mouth so we may give sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. And just remember! If you don't have anything nice to say! Then say nothing at all. Have A Blessed Day and remember what you do or say may impact somebodys life,for the rest of it.

Having a Job!

Good Morning! 1Corinth 12:4-6 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Today at the service at 1st Baptist of Blairsville it is a Special day. We are Celebrating 2 yrs of the Celebrate Recovery Program being started there. And I praise God that he introduced me to the right people so that I am a part of this Great Program. So I can do my job. If some one would have told me 5 yrs ago that today I would be an instrument the Lord uses to help others stay clean, would have told you, "You were Crazy!" Because you see 6 yrs ago I was so wrapped up in my Alcohol and Crack Addiction that all I WANTED TO DO WAS DIE! But God got me through that. And he has put it on my heart that,that is my job now,to help others find Him and the Peace, Joy and Love that I have found in Him, and to share it with them. And I Especially have a heart foir helping young people see,that Alcohol and Drugs are not COOL! God has givin me a job. And he has jobs for all of us. What is your gift? Its funny mine WAS being a loser, but NOW I am a winner. What kind of Service do you think God has for you? Even if it is not as Dramatic as mine, I want to share something with you. It doesn't matter how insignificant you think your life is,and just because you don't have this great story to tell, How God Touched your life. If He Has! You have a Job! And that is to share that with everyone! Gods gifts come in many shapes and sizes. And even though there are all different kinds of workings. We all Have a Job! And that is spreading the GOOD NEWS of JESUS CHRIST with everyone. So you see we all have Jobs. So lets get out ther and do them! HABD!

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Having perfect peace!

Good Morning! Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast,because he trusts in you. If you read Mark 4:33-41 you read the story of Jesus calming the storm. They were all on a boat out at sea, when a furious storm came upon them. Jesus was in the back of the boat sleeping. They woke him terrified! Jesus calmly got up and said, "Peace be still" and the storm stopped. Why was he so calm? Because there was no stress or lack of faith in his life. He was in Perfect Peace. His mind was fixed on God and in order for us to have that Perfect Peace we have to have that same faith. Our minds have to be fixed on God with that same faith Jesus had. And how do we get that? By meditating on Gods Word. That is the best way to have your mind on God. Are you facing a storm in your life today? Go to Gods Word and see what it says about what you are facing. And believe me, I have found that with all the storys between the O.T and the N.T. you will find a situation just like yours. Apply it to your situation and meditate on it. This will make you Spiritually healthy and by doing this.! meditating on the Word of God it will give you strength,joy and peace in your life. And guess what that doe's? It gets rid of the stress and worry. I have gone through many storms in my day. And most of them I made it through because as that storm was blowing up in my life, there was a Piece of Scripture in my Heart that helped me keep that other Peace that Jesus had in that storm. If you can't find Peace today,it is probably because you haven't broken open that Book today. That one that is the guide to a Life of Peace! HABD!

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Vengence is His!

Good Morning! Psalm 37:8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret (worry) it leads only to evil. Let me ask you have you ever had someone do something to you, or tell a lie about you? Or maybe they are spreading rumors about you. Well if you are like me. Or maybe I should say like I used to be, you need to get something done about this. But you see it tells us in Rom 12:19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for Gods wrath. for it is written, It is mine to avenge; "I WILL REPAY" says the Lord. You see anger and vengeance are not of the LORD, they are from his enemy. In Vs 9 of Psalm 37 it says, For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope (trust) in the Lord will inherit the land. You see it doesn't matter what people say about you or do to you. As long as it is not physical, there is nothing they can do to you that the Lord cannot take care of. Something I learned a long time ago in my Recovery is, It doesn't matter what people say or think about you,what matters is you relationship and where you stand with God that matters. And when we get angry and try to repay people for things they do to us, we are no better than they are.when we get angry or try and get revenge on these people,we are no better than them. Again I go back to Rom 12:21 where it says, Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. So today if someone is spreading rumors or being mean to you. Find some thing GOOD to do. Maybe find something good to do for them. For you never know when by an example of your good, you just might help one of these people who are wronging you, find the mercy and love of the Lord you have found. So today Refrain from anger and turn from wrath. It only lets Satan steal your joy. And remember Vengeance is His! HABD!

Are you a Do it your Selfer?

Good Morning! Psalm 55:22  Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. Being a Do it your Selfer has become a big fad these days. But as I have found out and maybe you have to. That being that Do it your Selfer usually means 3 or 4 trips to the Hardware store before that project is done right. And the term "Some assembly required" Tends to mean more confusion and frustration than we bargained for. And usually before its all said and done you are on the phone or knocking on the neighbors door and asking for help from someone who knows How its Done! And don't most of us want to be Do it your Selfers when it comes to troubles and burdens in our lives. We don't need any help,we can handle this on our own,only to find out that we need help. God wants to help,God wants to bear your burdens. He wants you to trust in Him and cast your cares on Him. Peter tells us in 1Pet 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him,because he cares for you. God did not put us here to be Do it your Selfers. He put us here to have a Relationship with Him. That means sharing everything that is going on in our lives. Not trying to do things on our own. When it comes to our Salvation there is Nothing we can do to get it. Only through a Relationship with Jesus Christ do we get it. And with that comes the responsibility of Faith, which is Obedience and Worship. So today don't be a Do it your Selfer. Ask God for help! You will be surprised how wel He can help you put your life together. HABD!

We are sinners, by Birth, Choice and Practice

Good Morning! I ask today you all say a prayer for me. I have been having these little episodes when I just don't feel good. Had one yesterday,but feeling a little better today. Rom 7:24-25  What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord!  As much as we hate to admit it, we are sinners by birth. The Bible is clear: "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me" (Psalm 51:5) We are also sinners by choice. There comes a time,it actually happens several times a day, when we deliberately choose to tell a lie, to steal, to covet, to gossip, to rage. Or we deliberately choose not to be kind, not to serve or not to help. Sins of commission,sins of omission, we choose them both. We are also sinners by practice. T he more we do it the easier it is to practice lust,greed,hate,lying,stealing, or whatever it may be, maybe pride, jealousy and anger. These things beset all of us. And the more we yield to the pressure, the more easily we will yield next time. I tell you this today,because no matter how I look at myself today. No matter how good I think I am. No matter what good things I do during the day. I must still join with Paul in claiming "What a wretched man I am" and who will rescue me? We all need to give thanks to God for sending his Son Jesus, Our Savior and Deliverer! For without him we live in a body that deserves nothing but death. HABD!

Is this Coincidence?

Good Morning! I have something for you to think about today? And later a question you can ask your self. Check these dates, Sept 11th (N.Y.) Jan 11th (Haiti) March 11th (Japan) Luke 21:10-11 Then he said to them; "Nation will rise against nation,and kingdom against kingdom. (look whats going on in the Middle East) There will be great earthquakes,famines and pestilence in various places,and fearful events and great signs from heaven." Jesus was telling the Disciples about the end times. So let me ask you,do you think this stuff is just all coincidence? For me it just goes to show how true the Bible is. Jesus said these things over 2000 yrs ago. And do you find it coincidence that here we are coming up on celebrating the death he died for us.and then rising again to conquer death for us. And then he rose up to Heaven to take his rightful place at the right hand of God. But He said, "One day he would come back for us!" This is the question to ask yourself. If he came back today, ARE YOU READY? HABD!

Can't get away with it!

Greetings! In Num 32:23 it tells us, and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. And in Heb 11:25 it says, He chose to be mistreated along with his people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. As I was growing up I would get into trouble time after time, being getting caught stealing a piece of candy from a store to getting caught for DUI 7 times. And I will always remember something my Mom used to tell me, and how true it was. She would say don't you know you Can't do anything and get away with it! That used to make me so mad, because she was always right. I could never Get away with anything! And it is still like that today. Maybe some of you can relate? And one thing I have learned is that, even if we have done something and gotten away with it, with people or with ourselves. We Can't get away with anything with God. In Rom 14:12 it tells us, So then, each one of us will give an account of himself to God. So today if you have a sin in your life. And the problem is some sin may be enjoyable, but as it said in Heb, it is only foe a short time. Cause eventually your sin will find you out. And then comes the circumstances of sin, but that's another lesson. So today if you have some sin you think you have,or are getting away with. Confess it, Repent of it and get forgiveness. For with God, we Can't get away with it. But the wonderful thing is our God is always there with open arms to forgive us 1John 1:9. So today confess your sin, cause it will always find you out! HABD!

Do you wonder sometimes?

Good Morning! Rom 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Are you going through something in your life right now and it makes you wonder, How can God use this for my good? Maybe you are struggling with something. Maybe things aren't working out for you right now. Maybe you are having a hard time finding a job. Or maybe a relationship is not working out. Or things just aren't going the way you think they should be right now. Well let me share something with you. God has a plan to take every adversity and every hardship you go through  and use it. He is not going to beat you down and make your life miserable. NO, God's dream is to take that difficulty and supernaturally turn it around and use it to bring you good. HE WILL USE THOSE TIMES TO MAKE YOU STRONGER! You may not understand everything that's going on in your life right now, but I encourage you to keep your head held high. Know that God is working in your life. Keep being faithful, keep doing the right thing, knowing that in the end God is going to turn things around in your favor. If God is for you who or what can be against you. GREATER IS THE ONE IN YOU THAN ANYONE THAT CAN BE AGAINST YOU! So today walk with your shoulders back and a smile on your face, knowing that God is working things together for your good because he loves you. HABD!

Worrying about the Wrong Things

Good Morning! Today instead of a Vs, I'm going to use part of a prayer. The Serenity Prayer, some of you may know it some of you may not. It goes like this, God grant me the serinity to accept the things I CANNOT CHANGE, the courage to CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN, and the WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE. Man you don't know how much this prayer helps me in my daily life as far as stress and strain on my emothions. So often in life we worry about people, or situations or even scenrios we dream up in our own heads that we have NO CONTROL over. Like for instance you know someone who says they are doing something one way, but they are really doing it another. Well you can chose to do something about or you can let it go. Dwelling on what others are doing will only get your blood pressure going, and most the time these people don't even care if it upsets you. (THINGS YOU CANNOT CHANGE) I had to learn early in my Recovery that the only person in this world I can change is myself and the way I do things. And that means not worrying about what others are doing out there be it business, recovery or the way they live their life. But that I can only be responsible for me. (CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN) And this is the BIG ONE! (THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE) So many times during the day I wine or bitch or moan over things I have no control over, like the way the government is being run,or the way another business is doing things,but the thing is unless there is something I can do it is useless for me to even think about these things. It is a waste of my time and Gods. So today when worry about something in your life comes. Unless it is something to do with you. You probably can't change it. So turn it over to God and look for the things in your life you can change. Cause that is what Life in Christ is all about. CHANGE! HABD!

How we Forget!!

Good Morning! Psalm 103:2-5 Praise the Lord,Oh my soul and forget not all his benefits. Who forgives all your sins,and heals all your diseases,who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things. You know in my little hectic world it is so easy for me to concentrate on all the bad things going on, that I forget about all the gifts that God lavishes on me on a daily basis. How about you? Are you to busy, looking at all the negative things going on in your life and in the world? That it blocks out all the Blessings and Gifts from God that you get on a daily basis? Are you so busy looking at how everybody is doing you wrong, that you forget to see how the Lord is doing you right? I know I do! So that I can complain about how BAD I have it. When in reality I don't have it at all bad. I have air to breath, I have food to eat, I have a roof over my head that kept the snow off of me last night and kept me warm. I have a job, I have friends and family. For some of you, you have a spouses and children. How often do you thank God for them? You know our lives are full of things to be thankful for, but yet we would rather walk around and bitch and moan how bad we got it. So today I challenge you! See if you can't go through the whole day without bitching about something. Or if you find yourself about to bitch or moan about something, find something you are thankful for first. Sure there are a lot of things to bitch and moan about out there, but How we Forget all the Blessings and Benefits God gives us daily. HABD! And remember! What people see in you, that's how they see Jesus too!

What's your training regimen?

Good Morning! 1Corinth 9:27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. If you read 1Corinth 9:24-27 you will see Paul is comparing being a Christian to being an athlete. Someone competing in a race or a contest of some sort. Well as you know if you are an athlete or have ever been one, you don't just go out there and enter the race and compete without any training. You have no chance winning without knowing what will be expected of you and your body. The good thing about running the Christian Race is we have already won the prize. Jesus already won the prize of Salvation for us. But let me ask you this, What are you doing today to help others get in the race? Jesus already won our salvation. But let me ask you this, What are you doing to help others train for the race? Christian maturity and spiritual power do not come automatically. They call for a sustained,determined effort on our part. They call for training and discipline. You know a lot of people tell me I don't know how or why you do this every morning. Well I am in this race,just like you. And I know at the end awaits a Crown. But I can't get it if I don't run the race. I do this as part of my training, and believe me it takes discipline. So let me ask you? What does your spiritual training regimen look like? Athletes have their weight training,skill development sessions and endurance workouts. What are you doing to mature your relationship with God and to enhance your Bible study,worship,and prayer? What are you doing to be sure you are walking in Gods ways and honoring him in all you do? Are you being casual or careless about your relationship with Jesus? Are you in the race or just sitting on the sidelines. Spiritual Discipline will pay off in this life and in the eternal one. Far greater rewards than a Gold Medal! HABD!

Words that Help with Love

Greetings! Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful in building others up according to their needs. We've all met people who seem to enjoy correcting others and telling them what is wrong with them. Sometimes its done with an arrogant attitude, the kind that says "I'm better than you, and I know whats wrong with you." Sometimes it's done with an attitude of false humility; "I'm just telling you this, hoping I can help you become a better person. But if your like most people, you probably don't care much for people like this, and (rightly or wrongly) you probably don't listen to their advice. Because you sense that their real motive is pride,and their main goal is to impress you with how wise and perfect they are. This is the opposite of what the Bible says her about the way we should speak to others. Instead of doing it in prideful way, our motive should be love. Instead of criticism,our goal should be to encourage and uplift people. Instead of trying to impress them with ourselves and how much we know. We should want them to see Christ in us and know that what we are telling them is coming from a heart of caring and compassion. I know this is something I need to work on, cause sometimes I am that prideful person who knows it all. But I say this for all of us. We must all learn to avoid hurtful and useless words. And everyday ask for Gods help to be encouraging and helpful to others, for Christs sake! HABD!

Being in Control

Good Morning! 2Corinth 10:5  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make obedient to Christ. You know? With the world the way it is today. The unrest in the Middle East,the price of gas and with the economy the way it is, it is so easy to think negitive and damageing thoughts. It is so easy to concentrate on all the bad stuff and create in our minds alot of depressing things. It is so easy to get an attitude of giving up and wondering is this all worth it. I know cause here lately it seems like the harder I work, the further I get behind. And I just get discouraged. But in 2Tim 1:7 Paul tells us, For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, (or discouragement) but a spirit of power, of love and of self disipline. You see that discouragment is the damageing thoughts I am talking about. I forget that God is on my side, I forget that God has got my back. I forget that God gives me the power to control what goes on up there in that playground called my mind. But it has to be me who takes control. I am the one who has to take every thought captive and make it obidient to Christ. I have to be the one in Gods Word to help me be positive in this negitive world. I have to be the one in control of my thought process and weather it will be Positive or Negitive. And that is what Paul is telling us here,is God gives us that power through his Spirit to Be in Control of how we think today. So today if things are getting you down in your mind, remember you have the power to change it. No matter whats going on in the world, that doesn't have to be what goes on in you head! HABD!

Are any of these You?

Good Morning! My Vs is kind of long today,but meaningful. 2Tim 3:1-5 But mark this; There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. WOW! What a warning we get here from Paul about people in the last days. Kinda sounds like today? The thing that is bothering me,is I can look at this list of things that people will be and find about 4 or 5 things that I do. WOW again! Does that mean I am not a Christian and I am a bad person? In Philip 1:6 it says, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Paul was warning us against those people who will try and sway us from the truth. But for us who know the truth,it is a message that being a Christian is about being Changed from these things Paul is talking about. At a point in my life I had all those bad quality's. But thanks be to God through Jesus he is changing these Character Defects in my life. I still have a way to go,but don't we all? We will never be Perfect until that day we get our eternal body's. But until then as long as we are striving to be better and working on letting God help to change theses defects of character, then we are moving in the right direction. Paul is right about one thing. If you know someone who does not want to change, but is happy living with all these Bad Attributes. Then stay away from them, because you can do nothing for them, but pray for them. And they will definitely be no good for you! HABD

Never Alone!

Good Morning! In Psalm 68:6 it says; God sets the lonely in familys. Well here I go again this week, feeling lonely and sorry for myself. I played a little game this week and I think it backfired in my face. I have a certain person who, lets just say I have some feelings for and used to say Good Morning to every morning. But I felt like I was always the one intiating all conversations and responces. So I said to myself lets not say anything for a week and see what happens. Well guess what I didn't hear anything all week. So it just goes to show me again that I can't put my trust or my feelings in people. Well let me say it this way; In certain people. Because in this Vs I found comfort today and the Lord showed me that the reason I was feeling this way was because I missed a couple meetings this week with the family God has placed me in. And that is my church and Celebrate Recovery. You see with God and my family he has put me in I am Never Alone. But I forget this cause I am looking somewhere else. Can anyone out there relate with me? Sometimes I forget that God is all I need, and through Him I will find all the fellowship I need. Its funny how we create our own Prisons sometimes, like me playing my little game this week. I did learn something from it though and I won't get into that. I will find all the companionship I need. And he will place the family or people in my life who need to be there. I did learn one lesson this week,and that is don't play games,sometimes they backfire in your face. But thanks be to God, He tells us in Joshua 1:5 I will never leave you or forsake you. That right there got me through my loneliness. HABD!

Being Positive!

Good Morning! John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you,I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know I joke around with people where I work. MARCH 21 is the first day of SPRING,and I keep saying Winter is over and we will not have anymore snow. But 9 out of 10 want to say OH NO! Its not over yet. I WONDER? What would these people think or say when I say "One day Jesus is coming back for us!" In this Vs Jesus himself tells us he is. In 1 Thess 4:16-18 We are told, For the Lord himself will come down from heaven,with a loud command,with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God,and the dead will rise first. After that,we we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so WE WILL BE WITH THE LORD FOREVER. Therefore ENCOURAGE each other with these words. I don't know about you but that Vs there encourages me to be Positive about life now and the eternal life we are going to have with Him now and forever. The Bible is God talking to us! Telling us and showing us how to live and be Positive in Him and a his promises while we are here in this world. So which person are you,and I know we are talking about the weather, but we are also talking about your attitude. Are you with the 9 who think negative or are you that 1 that wants to think positive. I know Jesus will come back for us one day cause the Bible tells me so. But sometimes I find it hard to put my trust in book written by man (The Farmers Almanac) because the Bible also tells us don't put your trust in man. But the point I'm trying to make today is think Positive in all you do. And HABD!

Where are my Prioritys?

Good Morning! Prov 8:18-19 With me are riches and honor, ENDURING wealth and prosperity. My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver. I have a confession to make! Here lately My Priories have been getting a little mixed up. I have been chasing after the almighty Dollar alot more than I have been chasing God. And it has taught me a little lesson. I CAPITALIZED the word enduring in the Vs because this is what God showed me. I am like the Israelites, back in 2006 when I got out of Prison I was really seeking God on a daily basis. And not money or materialistic things. And I want to share that I didn't want for anything. Kinda like the Israelites in the Desert. As long as I was following the cloud (GOD) I was fed, clothed and had the things I needed. But today like them I put my trust in other things like making a Gold Calf to worship. I have found myself worshipping money more than God. Working to get MORE, MORE, MORE! But I have found the more I work for it,the less I have. And that makes me say HUMMMM? You see I am forgetting that as long as I am seeking the Kingdom of God (our promised land) all the things I need like manna,clothing and food will be added unto me. In 2006 when I did not worry how I would pay the bills,they always got paid. But today when I worry that I need more money and I need to do more to get it,it is like chasing the wind,I can never seem to grab it. So today I'm going back to putting my Priorities back in God. I have to get back to Gods priorities in my life,for that is where true wealth is. Not in how much Gold or Silver I have. In Eccl 5:19 it says, More over when God gives any man wealth and possessions,and enables him to enjoy them-to except his lot and be happy in his work-this is a gift from God. So today I just ask God to let me be satisfied with the riches I have in Him. HABD!

Can't keep doing it!

Greetings! Yesterday I talked about the Unforgivable Sin. So let me ask you,seeings how God is going to forgive us, does that mean we can do and live however we want? In Rom 6:1 Paul asks us that question, What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? I know in my old way of living I did. I used to think it doesn't matter if I drink and drug and live a sinful life. God is going to forgive me! But in Vs 23 it tells us, that the wages of sin is death. Because I know for me there are things I do today that I rationalize and say to myself, I do that because I still have sin in my life. But you see in Vs 14 it says, For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. In Vs 6 it tells us, For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. Because in Vs 16 it tells us, you are a slave to the one you obey! Be it sin, or obedience. You see now that we have died to sin with Jesus in his death to sin. Vs 11 And now that we have been set free from sin we should want to live a life of obedience. I don't know about you, but some days I take Gods grace for granted, and do things and live the way I want. But this is not obedience to God. And if I am telling myself that, God will forgive me! I am mocking God and His Grace and we don't know how close we might be coming to that Unforgivable Sin. Because in the end, we will only stand before one Judge and that will be him. Living a life of obedience through Jesus is the only way to eternal life and all the other benefits that come with it. Vs 22! HABD!

The One Unforgiveable Sin!

Good Morning! Today I'm going to talk about something that I always here people ask about, What Sins Cannot Be Forgiven. In 1John 5:16 he tells us, "There is a sin that leads to death!" and in 1John 5:10 it says, "Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. ANYONE WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE God has made him out to be a liar." And God does not lie! But here it is this is the one that tells it all. In Luke 12:9-10 Jesus tells us, But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. Now Blasphemy means to, speak against or revile. And revile means to speak about someone abusivly. So basically what it is saying in all these Vs is that the only Unforgivable Sin is someone who BAD MOUTHS GOD! And pretty much says he or she doesn't believe in Him. And I guess if you called God a liar that is pretty much it to! So today I ask you,do you know someone like this? Someone that you are trying to talk to about Jesus, but they just don't want to listen,pray for them and turn them over to the Holy Spirit for He is the only thing that can make them believe. And as for you and me, just remember that means there is nothing we could do that God CANNOT Forgive us for! But that still doesn't give us the right to do as we please. And I will talk about that tommorrow. Rom 6:1, HABD!

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Nothing you can Do!

Good Morning! In 2Chron 30:9 it says, For the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him. If you read Chapter 33 of 2Chron you will read of Manasseh, one of the most evil Kings Israel ever had. In Vs 33:2 it says, He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven ouy before the Isaerlites. Manasseh was guilty of immorality; he practiced every conceivable evil and perversion;he devoted himself to witchcraft and sorcery. He alsop was a murderer and a cruel tyrant, even sacrificing his own sons to a pagan god. Now some of you are saying MAN! God could never forgive this guy. But he did,after Manasseh was captured by the Assyriaians and taken to Babylon he HUMBLED himself before God. God forgave him! Are there things in your life that you have done,that you think God can't forgive you for? Well let me tell you from experience, cause I like Manasseh lived an evil life,and even today I still have sin in my life,and I make mistakes. But there is nothing you or I can do,that God won't forgive us. As long as we see the error of our ways and HUMBLE ourselves to the Lord He will forgive us. Be assured there is no sin that you have ever committed that the Blood of Jesus cannot cleanse. As long as we Repent and turn from our ways and back to Him, OUR FATHER,OUR GOD! Today walk in the Joy of knowing that God loves you and there is Nothing you can Do that will keep you from that love. (Rom 8:38-39) HABD!