Being a Casual Christian?

Good Morning! Rom 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what Gods will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. Are you a Casual Christian? I am finding out in some ways of my life I am. And the thing about being a Casual Christian is sometimes we have little or no influence for good upon others. And that is because in certain parts of our lives we do as the world does and condone practices that the Bible clearly states are not good for us. Only because we are afraid of what the world might think, or there are things that my SELF like to do, and so I make excuses so that I can indulge mySELF in them anyway. In the past I really lived for my SELF, I drank, drugged and partied as if there was no tomorrow. But then something happened in 2000, I met Jesus, I mean I really met Him and started having a Relationship with Him. And He started to influence my life. He taught me that I had to die to this SELF. Which is the World and its pleasures. But as I reflected this morning over my Christian walk, I'm seeing areas in my life where I am still condoning certain worldly things. But that is the good thing about God, He will not go to long without bringing those things to light. And for me He usually uses other people to show me where I am conforming. I should have named this text Positive Influence! Because by letting Jesus influence my life, He also brings other people into my life that show me where and how I am being a Casual Christian. I have my guys in group at Celebrate Recovery who all help each other to see how we might be living Casual. And here of late the Lord has brought someone else in my life that has showed me I am living a little to Casual sometimes. Because on my reflection today I saw that it is only through a life of True obedience to Christ that I can really see Gods perfect will for my life. Only through that dying to SELF can I change myself. So today I ask you, are you a Casual Christian letting the world change you? Or are you doing something to try and change, so that you might help change the world? HABD!

Our Sin Struggle

Good Morning! Jude 24 NLT: And now, all glory to God, who is able to keep you from stumbling, and who will bring you into his glorious presence innocent of sin and with great joy. I don't know about you, but I am a Christian who struggles with sin on a daily basis. I think Paul explains it best in Rom 7:15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. You know there are alot of things in my life I hate to do. And in my mind I know are wrong and I try not to do them, but end up doing them anyway. Now here is my predicament, when these things happen in my life what do I do? Most of the time I get down on myself and feel guilty for 3 or 4 days and really waste time. And don't get me wrong we should feel guilty when we do something wrong. But you see no matter how much we try and think it through, no matter how much willpower we try and use, no matter how Good we try to be, we will never be good enough to get into Heaven! Now that statement may shock you, but its true. Now God did give us a Brain to distinguish between right and wrong. But let me put it to you this way, MY BEST THINKING GOT ME WHERE I AM TODAY! And when I say that, what I am talking about is looking back over my life at all the mistakes I made. But you see TODAY! It is only through the power of Jesus Christ that I do right. And it is only by the Blood of Jesus Christ that this Sin Struggle is dealt with in my life. I can be the best I can be! I can do and think all the right things, but it will never be good enough. Because I can't! That is why I have to depend on Jesus for the strength to pull me through my Sin Struggles. Because me, my brain and my willpower are not enough. But I have some more GOOD NEWS for you today. And this is not an excuse to just go and sin! But when we do, we are covered. 2Corinth 5:21 says, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. So the point I am trying to make here today! Is we can try all we want to not sin, but without Jesus we fail either way. It is not about what we do, it is about what He did. So today if you are struggling with some sin, remember Jesus is the only one who can give you the strength to quit doing it. But until we can get rid of all sin in our lives (which will never happen) Jesus is the only thing that will help us there also. So don't get down on yourself today because you sin. Praise God that he sent His Son to pay the price for it. Because of our Sin Struggle we will never be good enough, but Jesus says we are! HABD!

He WILL come back!

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. Now that the 21st has come and gone, I hear all the people joking and laughing about it. Going on and on about, what a joke it was. But the thing is HE WILL COME BACK FOR US ONE DAY! And will you be ready? Or will you be joking? You see all this joking has been going on through the ages. Peter wrote in 2 Peter 3:3-4 First of all you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this "coming" he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." The same type talk I hear today. There is another reason why some people don't want to believe he will come back, and that is because we are always making progress as a Human Race! Look at all the Technology we have today. Iphones, Ipads, I this and I that I I I is the same as Me, Me, Me! Because we as a society think we have all the knowledge and the gadgets to reach perfection on our own. So why do we need Christ to come back? We can create our own Heaven. And the third reason alot of people don't want to see Christs return is it cuts across the plans of millions of people. Lets face it we are a society that with all this technology we can create endless pleasures for ourselves. We can eat, drink and be merry! We can tex all day long, we can play games all day long, we can create any pleasure we want. Lets face it, if all people believed that he was coming back tomorrow, they would not live the lifestyles they are living today. Cause knowing He is coming back would interrupt with the way they want to live. And it just goes to show that the world has not changed since the time of Jesus! But the thing is, He will come again, in His time, not ours. So will you be ready? Or will you be caught in the middle of a joke with someone. Remember yesterday I talked about living One Day at a Time? Well live today for Jesus! Cause when He comes back, It will be no Joke! HABD!

Make Things SIMPLE!

Good Morning! Matt 6:34 Therefor do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Did you know that worry is a sin? Well it is! Jesus tells us in Vs 25 through 34 that we are not to worry. Worrying IS NOT trusting in God. Now there are alot of things in these Vs I don't worry about like food, what I will wear and things like that. Why? Because I have other things going on in my life that are alot more easier to worry about. My biggest is my finances. This is something I am constantly worrying about. Jesus tells us in Vs 30, "O ye of little faith" You see that is what worry is, a break down of our faith. It is telling God that we don't trust in Him and that we have to step in and take matters into our own hands. And you know what happens when I take matters into my own hands? Things get even more messed up. Jesus tells us, take, One Day at a Time! That is also a AA slogan. You see I have enough on my plate just trying to deal with the things going on in my life today. And when I start worrying about tomorrow or the next day and the next, my life just becomes to Overwhelming. That is why I have started something new in my life and it seems to help me worry less! Now the main ingredient in this thing is I have to be honest with God and myself. I have to sit down and take a look at what is in store for me this day, TODAY! And put my focus on it. Just the things I have to deal with TODAY! Then I have to ask God for His help in what I have to face. And ask for the wisdom that can only come from Him to carry these things out. And go at it with a positive attitude! That is the one thing about worry, there is nothing positive in it and it only gives us a sense that we are drowning in a Sea of Troubles! We have to put our trust and faith in God that if we turn these things over to Him, He will help us deal with them. But the main thing is to only concentrate on TODAY! If your life seems a little Overwhelming these days, don't worry about the days! Focus on TODAY! And what you have to deal with TODAY! Go at it with an open and honest heart and get God involved through Prayer and His Word. For remember, we can do nothing but mess things up without His help. And if we are worrying, we are not trusting that He can help! God wants to be a part of your life everyday! He wants to help in EVERY situation that is going on. But if you worry, you are blocking His help. So TODAY let's just take One Day at a Time! And not worry, put your trust and faith in God and watch worry become solutions! HABD!

WHY ISN'T THIS EASY?

Good Morning! 1Thess 5:16,17,18 Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Ok let me ask you something? When is it you usually yell "Praise God!" Most the time I would say it is when something GOOD happens in our lives. Maybe you got that promotion at the job. Maybe He sent the person of your dreams into your life. Or He brought something to light you had been wondering about. But how many of us, (and with a joyful heart) Thank Him for the struggles and troubles in our lives. I know for many years I whined and blamed God for all the problems in my life. But the real fact was I created those problems because I wasn't in tune with God. But now that I have become somewhat in tune with Him, I can look back and see how, today! I can learn from those mistakes I made. And another thing I learned is in those times of struggles and troubles before, even though I did not know it, the Lord was right there with me helping me in those times. And all this has taught me today, that no matter what we are going through, no matter what kind of problems we are having in life, God is there! And the more we pray for His help and strength, the more intimately we become with our Savior Jesus! And once we do that we can be Thankful! Now we may not be Thankful at the moment we are facing these problems. But we can be thankful knowing God is there with us, and will be through the whole thing. So today if you are facing a problem in your life. Be Thankful! Look at it as not only a learning experience, but also a chance to see just how faithful God can be. Pray about everything and before you know it you will experience some type of Joy! That is something we don't do enough! Is Thank God for EVERYTHING. Cause without Him we are NOTHING! HABD!

The Spirit within You!

Good Morning! Hope everyone had a Wonderful Sunday, I know I did. This Vs was pointed out to me by my oldest Brother and has really changed my thinking here of late. John 16:8 When He comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgement. I had a guy ask me one time in group, "How do you know if you have the Holy Spirit?" Well first off The Holy Spirit is God himself! But why does he come to live in us? Well, He comes to convict us of our sin. Its just like for me I have to admit to myself that I am an Alcoholic and I can never drink again. The Spirit makes us admit to ourselves we are sinners. We cannot come to Christ unless we admit this fact. But when we do this and give our lives to Jesus, that is when the Spirit convinces us of the truth about Christ the Savior. For there is No Condemnation in Christ Jesus! When we realize that, that is when the Holy Spirit comes in and changes our lives. When we give our lives to Jesus and trust Him as our Savior, the Spirit renews our souls and brings the life of God into us. And what does that do? It gives our lives a new direction. We begin to have Joy and Peace in our lives, it changes our outlook on life. You know I said I was an Alcoholic, well I have to remind myself of that, but the Spirit reminds me that. That is my past and because of the Blood of Jesus I am no longer that person today! The other thing the Spirit does is produces fruit in our lives. He changes our thoughts, our words, our actions and our motives. It starts to produce in us Love, Joy, Peace, Patience and all the other fruits of the Spirit that you will find in Gal 5:22-23. So today have you yielded yourself to the Holy Spirit? You will know, if you know that you are a sinner, but by our Savior Jesus Christ and His blood you are no longer under judgement, and that your life has changed. As my friend Matt says! Changed lives, Change lives! Is the Spirit helping you to change things today? HABD!

Why are we so CRAZY?

Good Morning Everyone! I know I used this Vs a couple of weeks ago in one of my texts, but I especially think it is relevant today. According to a Group of Christians! (Cause I'm not saying they aren't, but I'm not saying they are) They say Today is the day Jesus is coming back for us. Now believe me, no one would like to see that happen more than me. Cause I've had enough of this waiting stuff. But in Matt 24:36 Jesus tells us, And remember these are Jesus' words. NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT THAT DAY OR HOUR, NOT EVEN THE ANGELS IN HEAVEN, NOR THE SON, BUT ONLY THE FATHER. So I'm sorry, but I just can't believe these people who are quitting their jobs and spending their whole life savings believing this. If you read in many places in the Word it also tells that there will be false teachers and people claiming to be the Christ. And I hate to say it, BUT I WILL! These people not only make fools of themselves, but of our Faith as well. Now later today I may be the fool if this all comes about today. But like I talked about yesterday I am not ashamed to give my account to God, cause I know I am not perfect. But today I may be, if you who know the word, catch my drift. And if its going to happen today, GET READY! Cause in Luke 17: 26-27 Jesus tells us its going to be just like the day of Noah and Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah. So I guess I'm not going to work today. I Don't think I'm going to any of the party's everybody is throwing, especially all the Atheists. I'm just going to sit up here on my deck and wait for Jesus! NOT! Listen people nobody knows the time. Not even the Son! But Hey you might want to keep looking up all day. Which is what we should do everyday anyway! So with that I would like to tell you Have A Blessed Day! And who knows, (I guess they do lol) later today we may all be dancing with the Angels and running barefoot in the River of Life. That would be nice! Wouldn't it? HABD

WHY?

Good Morning! Matt 12:36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgement for every careless word they have spoken. Now the other day I did a tex on how God put all our sins behind His back. Well someone raised this question to me. "If all our sins are forgiven and He puts them behind His back, then why will we have to stand and give an account on judgement day?" And that got me wondering HUMM! Now remember these are just my views and opinions and they are Views of a Sinner! But they have a good point, WHY? will we have to stand in judgement. Well right here Jesus tells us we will have to give account for every careless word. And I don't know about you, but I speak alot of those everyday. And what about careless actions? They usually start with a careless word. But what I really think it comes down to is God knows the Heart! And just as in Jesus' day, there are people today claiming to be Living their lives for God, and spreading the Good News, but they are only in it for SELF! Lets face it, None of us are Perfect and there are consequences for the things we do and say in this world. And there may be those same consequences in the world to come, for some of us. But that is something that we will just have to keep seeking, until the day our Savior comes to take back His Kingdom and His people. So today this is my Question to you! Where is your Heart today? Are you worried that you will have to stand in front of God and give an account? Are you Careless with your words and life? Are you living today as if you have plenty of time to get salvation tomorrow. Or are you trying to live a repentant life lead by the Spirit working to try and be careful in everything you do. We do have Gods Grace and Mercy through His Son Jesus, but have you excepted that in your life. To the point that on that day when you are standing there in front of God, You will have no worries. HABD!

He is There!

Good Morning! Isaiah 33:2 O Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength in the morning, our salvation in time of distress. There is a reason why I get up in the morning and do this. And that is why! I get my strength to make it through the day. To get ready for what the world has to throw at me today. And I hope they help some of you do the same. But what it all comes down to is Jesus cares and He is there, no matter what you are going through. Unlike Isaiah's time, we may not be facing overwhelming armies, ready to take our country hostage, but your daily challenges are just as important to Jesus as that. Like the prophet, you can call on Him, no matter what you face. In fact in (1 Peter 5:7) God tells us to cast all our troubles on Him. God is telling us He is concerned about everything we face, all the trials and troubles that impact our lives on a daily basis. He is there all the time and wanting to help. On that tired morning, when its hard to get up and moving. (Like me this morning lol) You can call on Jesus. When you have a life changing problem that looms ahead in your day. He cares about that too! Can you find a problem that He wont share with you or tell you to take it somewhere else? NO! He told us to give Him our troubles and problems, and He means just that. Whether it be a son or daughter who's hard to handle, a difficulty on the job, or a spiritual issue you just can't seem to resolve. He offers both a listening ear and answers. Do you long for help from God? Your desire is in the right place. Just ask, then trust He will answer. It may not be today and it may not be tomorrow, but you can know that help is on the way. Because you've put your faith in the eternal God who never fails. Talk to Him this morning! He is there! He cares! And then know, that help is on the way and HABD!

Are You Living in the Pit, or Out?

Good Morning! Isaiah 38:17 In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back. I want to share something with you today. Scripture tells us God saved us from the pot of destruction. When we were headed for trouble, He rescued us from sin. That's not hard to relate to. If you are like me, you know how easy sin still grabs hold of us and the problems it can cause in our lives. but the idea that God puts our sins behind His back, that seems strangely human. What would our iniquities be doing there? But I guess God could put something behind his back and ignore it. Its as if sin doesn't catch His attention. But that's the point I want to make today. God doesn't ignore our wrong doings. He covers them with the Blood of Jesus! Perhaps it would be easier to look at it as Him putting are sins behind His back, a bit the way we do when we turn from them. They have no impact on our lives anymore. But now! Here is the good news. No one can get to those sins anymore. Satan may accuse us, he may try and make us feel guilty, but those sins cannot effect or impact our eternal lives at all! Unless God says so and he won't. So here is my question for today. Are you still living as if your sin is behind Gods back. Or do we fear that we can never escape sin, as it continues to mar our lives. When we react that way, have we really left the pit? Aren't we saying God's salvation was only partial. But when we take sin seriously, seek to avoid it, and trust God has really done as He said, we can begin to understand that sin has less and less impact on our lives, and we can start living in the promise that we'll spend eternity with Jesus! This world is the pit! But we are not going to live here forever! Amen and Thank You Jesus! HABD!

Does Jesus know You?

Good Morning! Matt 7:23 Then I will tell them plainly, "I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers!" Its funny! I was just talking about this Vs yesterday. And when I see it the next day in one of my Devotionals I think God wants me to touch on it. But I'm sure it is a question we all ask ourselves at some point. What is Jesus going to say to us when we are standing there on that great day when He comes to claim His Kingdom once again? I mean, I am sure we are all trying to live our lives for Jesus, but are we doing it because we think that if we do all that stuff like, being involved in our Church, going to Bible studies, sharing His Word, and for even me getting up and doing these Devo's every morning will get his attention. You see it is not what you do that gets Jesus' attention, it is what is in your heart! We see in Jesus' words that eternal life is not dependent on whether you know Christ, but whether He knows you. If Jesus has taken up residence in you life and you are filled with His Spirit your life will reflect His holiness. When He speaks, you hear, and you respond to His will. Obedience, not Activity, is the sign of a genuine and saving relationship with Jesus Christ. I'm sure some of you are saying, "But I am obedient, because I do, I do all those things that will get me to Heaven. But there is only one way to get to the Father, and that is through the Son! So today does Jesus know you? Do you truly belong to Him? If you are asking these questions, you might want to ask Him to help you see your life as He is seeing it. And to discern whether you are relying on His Spirit. If you are hearing His voice, responding to His will, and obeying His commands. Cause lets face it, I don't know about you, but I do sometimes have this fear, that when I get up there Jesus will say I know you not! What about You? HABD!

Is it really Unfair?

Good Morning! Psalm 73:2-3 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. Do you ever get frustrated when you see someone who is definitely not a believer, getting all the things that we who are committed to following think we should have. That is where I was a couple weeks ago. And to be honest most of my life I felt I was cheated! Everybody always had the things I should have had. But today I have realized that God gives us exactly what we need. Because if I had all those other things that everybody else has, I'm not so sure my walk would be as close to him as it is today. In Vs 5 it says, They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. Sure it looks like they have it all, but will they in the end? But in Vs 17 this man comes to his senses as I have of late. It says, Till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Jesus told us not to store our treasures where thief's and moths could destroy or take them. And you see when you have all the things that your heart desires, there is probably no room in there for God! In Vs 27 it says, Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. So today don't think life is unfair. Jesus has prepared a place for you in the Mansion! Don't envy those with the things you think you should have, cause in the end, we will be the ones with all the treasures. And remember we have something today that they don't have and may never have. (But I pray they do!) And that is a Relationship with a Loving God! In Vs 28 it says, But as for me it is good to be close to God. You see that is our treasure, He is with us! And will be with us forever and that my friends is TRUE RICHES! So today do not envy those who have it all. For the day will come, when we will all stand before Him. And he will not be looking at what we had! Today Thank God for everything in your life, for He has given it to you and HABD!

There is Hope

Good Morning! 1Peter 1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your HOPE FULLY on the GRACE to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. I just want to say, OUR GOD IS AMAZING! It wasn't but at the beginning of this week that I was whining and crying about wanting this and my life was a mess. And how in just a few short days, between Gods word and the help of the Spirit and you my Brothers and Sisters in Christ my whole outlook is changed. In this Vs it says, prepare your mind for action. Well let me tell you (cause it just happened to me) our minds are where our outlook on life are developed. On a daily basis we have the capacity to HOPE and to BELIEVE how our day is going to be. Now it may not always turn out great, but that is no reason that we can't have a great day everyday. Something I have learned in the last couple of days is just that. We are just passing through here on our way to Glory! JESUS told us that in this world we will have troubles, we will have trials, we will encounter problems. But we should take heart for He has conquered this world. HOW? By His GRACE that is shown to us by what he did on the Cross! So many of us today live like I was living at the beginning of the week looking at all the sin in my life and being convicted of it. Which is fine! Be Convicted, Repent and Move On! So many of us are Convicted of it, and we choose to stay there and wallow in it. When what we need to do is set, Our Hope Fully on His Grace. In so many places in the Bible God tells us He remembers our sin No More! Or He puts it behind His back! We as Christians need to grab a hold of that concept, and run with it. This week I was downing myself for wanting things. I found out its OK to want things, but I have to look at what for. For the glory of God or the glory of Self! What I am getting at is we have a chance to live each day to its fullest, WHY? Because we have been given Grace! Grace that was given with Love! Because God loves you and me, and He wants to spend eternity with you and me in Heaven forever. Now if that doesn't give you HOPE, and a better out look on life, I don't know what to tell you. So today put you Hope Fully in the Grace that has already been given to us, and the Grace that we will also receive on that great day when Christ is revealed to us. But remember He is revealed to us today in our hearts by the Spirit, so share that with someone today and HABD!

All in His Time!

Good Morning! Psalm 31:15 My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. Last night in group the Lord got me thinking about this. One thing I have learned in my Recovery is God doesn't always work on our time table. For many yrs of my life I was the one who prevented God from working in my life. Sure there is the old saying "The Devil made me do it" but we all know it is our own sinful nature, that doe's it. For yrs I let a life style of addiction run my life. But another thing I've learned is that in a single moment He can change your whole life around. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. We are the ones who need to change. Another thing I know is that even though most of my life I didn't live for God, He was still there watching over me and taking care of me, just as He still does today. But what I am getting at today is God changed my life in 2000 even though I still went out and used again, the seed had been planted. I have a John Deere shirt that says, Plant it and it will Grow! Well once that seed was planted. God started working. And He is always working towards our future, because lets face it, the future He wants for us is spending eternity with him. So today I want to encourage you, you may be going through some difficulties in your life today. You may be experiencing some Hurts, Habits or Hangups. But God is there! He is working! Just remember, He works on his timetable, not ours. He wants to work Victory in your life. So all we have to do is, Today! Resist discouragement in your life. Keep standing tall, keep hoping and believing in Him, because He is behind the scenes working. He will deliver you from your enemies (Difficulties) He will keep those who purse you (Satan) at bay. And he will work in time, the glorious plan He has for you. And with that I will leave you with this Scripture. Philippians 1:6 Being confident in this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it out to completion until the day of Christ Jesus! Remember, we are on Gods time, not Him on ours! HABD!

Making the most of Time!

Good Morning! First off thank all of you who gave me feedback yesterday, you don't know how much you and the Spirit helped to take that feedback and give me a new outlook today. Ephes 5:15-16 So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. You know yesterday I was whining about want, want, want! Wanting more money, wanting more of the things that really don't mean anything in life. We spend more TIME, chasing after these things and we are wasting the most valuable commodity we have, and that is TIME! Think about it, You can make all the money you want. But you can never have enough TIME! Somebody told me yesterday that once they got all the things they wanted, they ended up being a slave to these things. And this is so true. It was then I realized! That when I (We) woke up this morning. God gave us a present called "TODAY" And with that gift comes responsibility. This scripture tells us to redeem our time and make the most of every opportunity. That simply means don't waste your time today being unfocused, unhappy, being negative and defeated. But make the most of every opportunity you have today. God has entrusted you with this life, which is His! After all he breathed His very breath into you. He has put gifts and talents inside of you. You are a person of destiny with a purpose and assignment to fulfill! So today join me in evaluating how you are spending your time. Are we chasing after the things that have no value, or are we making the most out of the DAY and TIME God has given us. In Ecclesiastes 9:12 Solomon tells us, Moreover, no man knows when his hour may come: So today let us not waste TIME! But use it as opportunity! HABD!

What are you Craving?

Good Morning! 1John 2:16-17 For everything in the world, the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does, comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. I don't know about you, but this Vs really hits home with me. I know that I have all the riches I need in Jesus Christ! I know I have the greatest gift of all, and that is I am going to spend eternity with my Lord. So why do I always Crave more? And I'm not talking about my thirst for righteousness, because I always have that. But what I am talking about is the Cravings of this world. This has become a big problem with me. I don't know if its because I am getting older and I look at people and see all the things they have. Things that I should have at this point in my life, but don't! Things like a loving wife, children, a house and so forth. Things that I Crave, but I am now way past the point of having them. Here lately Satan has been telling me, "Oh if you were Rich, then these things would not bother you. Which has done nothing but give me another craving. Why is it we cannot just be content with God? Now don't get me wrong, I have accomplished alot of things. Or should I say the Lord has blessed me with the power to do alot of things. (see there I go with that I thing again) I have been clean and sober now for almost 4 1/2 yrs, I have a good job, I have a wonderful place to live, and I have plenty of friends. So why do I want more? It is that sinful nature that lives in me. In Gal 5:24 it tells us, Those who belong to Christ have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Well I guess that's it, I haven't crucified those passions. So today will you pray for me, that God will give me the power to do this. And be happy with what I have. And if any of you have this problem or are dealing with it, give me some feedback. For I am happy in Christ, but I want more! How about you? HABD!

Why is it so Hard?

Good Morning! Hope all you Mothers had a Wonderful Day yesterday! Matt 18 21-22 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you,not seven times,but seventy seven times." You know the main part of our Salvation is forgiveness. For it is what Jesus did on the Cross that got us forgiveness from God. And it is a BIG part of living a life of Recovery, or should I say life in general. Because we are all in Recovery from something, even if you don't know it or want to admit it. And for alot of us it is this one thing that we say we do, but deep down we don't. And that is FORGIVENESS! I know for me in the past there were people who I said I forgave, but when it came to interacting with them, I avoided it. When it came to being nice to them, even when they weren't nice to me, I didn't do it. And when it came down to talking with them, I made excuses why or why not I shouldn't. I know one thing though. In Matt 6:15 Jesus tells us, "But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." So I ask you today! Is there someone in your life that, you say you have forgiven, or you forgive, but you don't talk to them or you go out of your way not to have contact with them? Be it a Brother or Sister, or a Brother or Sister in Christ. If there is still some kind of discomfort when you get around this person, then you haven't forgiven them. I can tell you because I know, Resentment and Anger are one of the biggest things that destroy Relationships. It is one of Satan's biggest tools. I know this because I used to resent all my Brothers, because I thought they were all better than me. But found out later, We are all the same in Christ! So today is there someone in your life you avoid? Is there a Relationship that needs to be mended, and it doesn't matter who's wrong and who's right! It just needs to be mended. Because if Christ was resentful against anyone, none of us would be forgiven today. So today make that effort to FORGIVE. It's really not that hard! And even if that other person doesn't change. See what a change it makes in you! Cause it will! HABD!

All His Anyways!

Greetings! Today I have 2 Vs, Gen 1:27- So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Gen 1:31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. You know something that I have a BIG Problem with and I am almost positive there are others that can relate with me, I think all this stuff I own or have, or have worked for all my life to get is mine. I mean lets face it, I have worked hard to get all the things I have today. They may not be much, but they are mine! But that is the problem with our whole way of thinking today. Mine, Mine, Mine! When it tells us right here in these 2 Vs that without God, We would not be here, and neither would this world. How greedy is that to take away from God the one little thing He asks us for. Just a little Praise for the things we have in life. I know I forget alot of the time, and I'm sure you do to, that this is all His! The World, Us and everything in it.? So I just kind of find it funny when these days I see people fighting wars over territory's or lands. Or I family's fighting over inheritance, be it money or land. Or (and I do this to) making excuses not to give the Church money or this Charity, because lets face it, we just don't want to give them what is OURS! When we forget that it is ALL HIS ANYWAY! Nothing we have in this world is ours! Everything we have right down to our families, homes,cars and yes even your Bank account is His. You may have the deeds and the papers, but that is nothing to God. So let me ask you? When is the last time you Thanked God for all you have. When is the last time you thanked Him for a loving wife and family, or Mother and Father who raised you? When is the last time you thanked Him for all HIS POSSESSIONS that he has giving you to hold, like money or fame or a Business to support yourself. And when it comes down to giving to the Church, how thankful are we to give back, what is His anyways. The text today is mainly a reminder for me. But maybe someone else needs to here this today. So today when you say, "Hey that's mine!" or "I worked hard for that!" just remember where it came from. Everything is Gods! Even You and Me! HABD!

Being Strong in Weakness!

Good Morning! 2Corinth 12:8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take this away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." How many of you at times have a problem in your life you tried to handle on your own? I have been trying to do this for a couple months now. I'm not going to go into it, but it is something that I need to rid my life of, and it all comes down to greed and the love of money. But it is something I told myself and God, "Don't worry I got this." But after a few days there I am, doing it again. It wasn't until yesterday I again realized that I am weak! In mind, body and Spirit and that the only way to be rid of this thing is to ask for Gods help. You see I can do nothing apart from God! I can do nothing without him. So he told me, you have to handle this problem just like you did drinking and drugging, One Day at a Time! So last night at C.R. I went up and got a Blue Chip! (The surrender Chip) To announce my weakness. I have put this chip on my key chain and now it will be a reminder to me everyday and everywhere I go of my weakness. But you know what else it will remind me of? Is that I am not alone in this, I now have the mighty power of God to help me. And I have Faith in that power! Because it has helped me Beat Up and Whip other weaknesses in my life. So today, if you are finding there is something in your life that is becoming a Hurt, Habit or Hangup and you are too weak to get rid of it. Ask God for help, it is when we do this, his power is at our disposal. And Hey, find some type of thing to put in your pocket, so that when that temptation comes today, you can reach in your pocket and grab it. That will remind you that you are not alone and that Gods got your back. And remember the old song! Yes Jesus loves me! For I am weak, but He is strong. It is only when we can admit our weakness that Gods power can work! HABD!

Being Trustworthy!

Good Morning! Luke 16:10 Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. You know so many of us wonder sometimes, why things just aren't going the way we think they should, or why we don't have the things in life we think we should. I know I do! But this Vs and the ones that follow really hit home with me this morning. Maybe some of you can relate to this, but I pray you don't. Here lately I have been wondering why I don't have more of the things I want in life. And when I sat and thought about it. It is because I am not Trustworthy with the things God gives me. One of my biggest problems all through my life and even today has been the handling of my finances. I am a very frivolous spender and that is why God cannot give me all the things He would like to. Maybe you are saying to yourself, "What does he mean that God would like to" You see God would like to give us everything our hearts desire, the problem is some of us don't know how to handle that stuff like money, success or power. You see life is full of assignments God has given us. And how we handle them determines our next one. Well as I look back over the assignments I have been given in my life, I have failed at most. When he gave me some wealth, I squandered it, when he gave me power I abused it and even with His love and the love of others I turned it away. What I'm getting at today though, is I am sure that some where along the way everyone can relate with me on this matter. We have failed at some assignment God has given us and we cannot rework the past. But today is a new day and we can start there. If we want to experience God's power in our lives we have to be good Steward's of the things and assignments He gives us. Because if I cannot be trusted with the little things God gives me in life, how can He give me anything bigger? HABD!

Fighting the War!

Good Morning! Ephes 6:10-11 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take a stand against the devil's schemes. Yesterday I talked about not being able to do the right thing. Well today I want to share with you why! As Christians we are always under attack, we are in a War! A battle of universal proportions. Evil, dangerous, sinister forces are seeking to destroy you, your family and your church on a daily basis. Satan and his Army of demons is always there with temptation and lies to make us think that we can take on this battle on our own. And that is why most of us fail, because God is the only one who can defeat Satan. For many years I tried to fight the battle with Willpower and my own way of doing things. Only to lose and be caught up in whatever I was fighting again. Spiritual warfare is a reality. But we do not have to live in fear. God has defeated Satan and he has provided us with the Armor to protect us and give us the edge in the battles we face everyday. And that is why some of us lose the battle and end up doing things we don't want to do. Because before we go out in this world to engage in battle, we don't put on our Armor. It is then we are left open to Satan and his demonic band of henchmen, who pound us from every side all day long. So today don't forget to put your Armor on. God has made provision for any and every circumstance we might face today. So,"be strong in the Lord" and live in the confidence that he will help you say NO! When that battle rage's inside you today. Live in the confidence that God will give you Victory if you go into battle with the Armor he provides for you. Now we may not win every battle, but that's where the Helmet of Salvation comes in, and that is the forgiveness of Jesus Christ and what he did on the Cross. So don't forget your Armor today and fight the good fight! And HABD!

Why can't I do it?

Good Morning! Rom 7:19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing! Is there something in your life that you know you shouldn't be doing. But you just can't help yourself, you do it anyway? I know for me there are a couple of things. Maybe it might be as small as eating Chocolate or eating or drinking something you shouldn't. Or maybe it is something big like watching porn or doing drugs or smoking! But the point I'm trying to make, it is something you know is not right and you shouldn't be doing it. But you do! If you read Chap 7 of Roms (14-25) You will see where Paul is telling us WHY! It is because there is a power at work in us that we just cannot control. That power is our Sinful Nature. And I mean to tell you as much as I fight my sinful nature, on some things I just never win. And sometimes I beat myself up. Why? Why can I not control this thing? I remember for yrs when I was struggling with my addiction problems saying to myself WHY? Why can't I just stop? It was because my sinful nature didn't want me to. But then I found the power of Christ to help me overcome the sinful nature. But today I want to share something that has helped me. In Vs 24 Paul says, What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Now I'm not giving you an excuse not to fight this sinful nature we have. But I am giving you an excuse not to beat yourself up over some things that you may not be able to control in your life right now. This walk down the road of good and evil is a rough one, but one thing I know, and you should to. Is our Lord is there with us all the time. He is either there giving us the strength to fight this nature, or He is there giving us forgiveness when we fall short. But either way he is there. So today if you have something in your life that you just don't want to do, but you do it anyway. Ask Jesus to help! To give you the power to defeat this sin that keeps popping up its head, or to give you forgiveness when you are weak. Remember we are all weak at some point, and we all fall short at some point. Thank God he gave us JESUS!
HABD!

Blessings

Good Morning! Hope everyone had a Blessed Sunday! Believe and Agree! Rom 4:17 "As it is written; I have made you a father of many nations. He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed-the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not." You know Abraham must have thought God was crazy. Because 20 yrs before he ever had a child, God told him, "I have made you a father of many nations." Notice God said it like it had already happened in the past tense. I'm sure Abraham probably said,"But I don't even have a child yet." He could have easily talked himself out of it, but yet he chose to believe. I do this all the time, talk myself out of the promises God has told me I have. Today do you think like I do sometimes! Telling ourselves "I'm not blessed, I'm not confident, I'm not healthy or I'm not favored." But let me tell you something when God says you are these things, don't try and figure it out. JUST BELIEVE AND AGREE WITH HIM! When God says you are Blessed! Say I am blessed! When God says you are prosperous, don't go to your checking account or stock report to see. Just say "I am prosperous!" Things may look impossible in our lives sometimes, but they probably looked that way to Abraham. But sure enough God's promises came to pass and he became the father of many nations. So today remember when you agree with God, you are positioning yourself for miracles to happen. You are activating His truth in your life. When things are looking difficult in life, don't agree with your circumstances. Agree with God and believe in the promises he has for your life. Because God is faithful and he will complete all the things he started in your life, just as long as you BELIEVE AND AGREE! HABD!