WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?

On our day to day journey, what are we seeking?

Seeking Money?

Seeking a new job?

Seeking a new significant other?

Seeking a better car?

Seeking fame?

Seeking Power?

Seeking Love?

We all our seeking something. Wondering when we get off track and life is having more downs than ups. I was seeking all the things above, but they did not make me happy. My happiness is when I started to seek God everyday. Some think that when they come to the Lord, that they can stop looking anymore. I tell you that they are wrong. I seek the Lord everyday, in seeking Him I focus on Him, not on the things of this world.

Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. 1 Chronicles 16:11

My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek. Psalm 27:8

Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. Psalm 105:4

Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Isaiah 55:6

The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; Lamentations 3:25

Seek His Face, daily, We are not promised tomorrow.

No Storms too Large

In the Middle of the Life Storms,

God has a Plan for you.

HE will strengthen and guide you.

HE will support and love you.

HE will restore you to the place of safety.

HIS Plans are for you.....

"I will attend to you and will confirm My promise concerning you to restore you to this place. For I know the plans I have for you…” (Jeremiah 29:10b-11a).

What a wonderful place to be, right in the middle of our Lord’s promises and plans. There are no storms too large or days too long to keep Him from showing us His love and care.

ANTI-VENOM FOR SIN

The very thing I thought I had licked in my life, I did it again. Is that how you feel about a sin or a bad habit you just can't seem to overcome?

"...For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate." - Romans 7:15

You are not alone. The Bible verse quoted with Paul's words show that even the most faithful still have such moments of struggle. Isn't it helpful to know that we never struggle alone. All of us are born with a sinful nature, we've all been poisoned by sin and are incapable of overcoming this poison on our own strength. The fact is we need a cure, an anti-venom, a doctor.

The good news is we can be. That's why God became a man in the person of Jesus. He is the Great Physician and came to save us from this deadly poison of sin. He forgives us and gives us the power to overcome what we can't defeat with our own strength.

He provides the Holy Spirit to do what we ought to do by giving us the inner desire and discipline to want to. It's found through faith--faith in Jesus Christ. He gives us the victory that we can never give ourselves.

Allow God to be your Cure!

FOLLOWING YOUR DREAMS

God has an appointed time to fulfill the visions, dreams, and desires in your heart. Just because it has taken a long time or because you've tried and failed, doesn't mean it's not going to happen. Don't give up on those dreams! Don't be complacent about pursuing what God has placed in your heart. Our God is a faithful God. No matter how long it's been, no matter how impossible things looks, if you'll stay in faith, your appointed time is coming.

"For the vision is yet for an appointed time;

But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.

Though it tarries, wait for it;

Because it will surely come, It will not tarry."

Habakkuk 2:3 KJV

Hold on to that vision today by declaring,

"My time is coming. God is working behind the scenes on my behalf.

I will fulfill my destiny!"

RUNNING THE RACE

Life can seem at time like running a marathon. I can remember running a 7 miler, not that I enjoyed running. In the Marines they don’t ask you if you want to go running and how you are feeling about it. They say FORM UP! and they GO... Running in life, can be the same thing. You are not asked to run, but you have to get up and go. Week to week trying to find the checker flag. Where are we going? Are we running the race with our chin up? Or dragging our feet and ready to fall down? We all have our hills to go up and our flat lands to cruise through.

“…. since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-3

Hebrews urges us to run our race of life with endurance. To strip off everything that might hold us up, slow us down or get in our way. The author is talking about whatever might be dragging us down or preventing us from living the full life that Jesus wants us to have…. that He died on the cross for. He is especially talking about the sin that entangles us. The less sin we have in our life the smoother our strides will be and God will be glorified more.

How do we best minimize the sin in our life? By keeping close to Jesus, and looking toward Him to help us. We do it by surrendering, day in and day out. Jesus is the champion. He’s the only man who ran the “race of life” on this earth without sin and He knows more than anyone else what it takes to live the abundant life He wants for us. He calls you to run the race with Him.

We can also all have a wonderful prize when we finish our race on this earth…. we can be rewarded with eternal life…. if we acknowledge that Jesus died for our sins and rose from His grave. He did this to give us not only an abundant and rich life on earth, but an eternal one in heaven. Remember, others are watching how you live out your faith. Be a good example for them. Run with Jesus during your race He’s set before you.

He’ll be waiting at the finish line to throw His arms around you!

MULTIPLICITY

Wouldn’t be great to have an army of yourself, to do daily tasks. I believe that this would be great !!! One at work, while the other is at the beach or lake enjoying the day.

In the movie Multiplicity with Michael Keaton he finds his time stretched to the limit between his wife, career and family, until he meets a scientist who offers to clone him. Of course, one clone ends up not being enough and soon he has an attic full of them - and each with a different personality.

At times in my life I wish I could be in many places, doing many things, involved in Ministries to reach people for Christ and having a balance life. But... at last their is only one of me and some might agree that is a blessing in itself. I know that it is not the amount of activities that I can do, but following God in His plan for me and focusing on the direction in which I am traveling with Him.

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

We need to be in His timing, which He has already prepared!

LAIR, LAIR

In the movie Liar, Liar, Jim Carey starred as the profane attorney who was incapable of lying for an entire day after his son makes a birthday wish that his dad would stop lying.

Lying has become a pervasive problem. Have you fallen into the habit?

A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue. Proverbs 17:4

It seems that today’s “me-first” mindset places very little value on honesty and personal integrity. Truth is sacrificed on the altar of self-advancement. At the time, you may think that lying will make your life easier, but one lie almost always requires another and another and another. You have to remember everything you said to keep from confusing your lies.

But when you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember what you said. That makes life a lot less complicated!

Which life have you created for yourself?

There’s only one way to break the bondage of a lie, and that’s with the truth. Seek to live with integrity and honesty and you’ll find a new freedom for living.

“He is a shield to those who walk in integrity.” - Proverbs 2:7

Find Him (Jesus Christ), and find the truth, the power, and strength to become a person of integrity.

TOLERANCE FOR ALL

If tolerance is a supreme virtue of the politically correct, why is there such hypocrisy, such intolerance of Christian values?

Diversity is about openness and acceptance of all people, why do the diversity police seek to enforce their man-made rules on Biblical Christianity?
Maybe it is because their is a misunderstand of the true definition of tolerance and diversity. Tolerance means accepting people even if you completely disagree with them, and not trying to force them to believe what you believe.

“…walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance for one another in love…” - Ephesians 4:2

Christianity doesn’t try to force anyone to believe in Jesus, but seeks to explain why it is a great way to live and believe. If you are really open-minded and tolerant, I hope you’ll consider it. You’ll find the church one of the most diverse groups in the world.

Whatever behavior we want the world to exhibit,

it must first begin in the household of faith!

GREAT DOOR OPEN

There are two common mistakes Christians make

when God opens his doors:

Some Christians don't wait for God - they want to crash the doors on the run, not allowing Him to do the opening. Prayer is still a prerequisite to action.

Other Christians find that God has opened a door - through which they are not prepared to go.

Remember that open and closed doors rank very low in the list of ways of knowing the will of God. The problem with it is it's almost impossible to really say at the moment the door opens or closes whether it was God who did the opening or the closing.When we speak of a door we are talking about an entrance into something, a portal. However, what we are really seeking is a particular kind of door. We are looking for what Paul calls a "great and effectual door". It other words we're looking for an entrance into a great opportunity.

For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. 1 Corinthians 16:9 - NKJV

The Holy Spirit will companion you in making right decisions. He is ready to give you the prompting you need. Often, though, He just uses the peace of God. You only have to look to the peace of God in your heart. When it's there you know the leading you have for what to do or say is the right one!

In this way you can carry on in confidence.

THE CHURCH & THE BAR

Have you ever thought of the similarities of the local church and the neighborhood bar?

In both places:

1. People come looking for fellowship

2. People want to go where others know their name

3. People want to go where they are accepted

4. People want to go where their spirits will be lifted

5. People are united around one theme

6. People go where they like the music

Like a pastor, the bartender serves by listening to people’s troubles. But the differences are profound: The bar is centered on booze and the church is centered on Jesus Christ.

The bar offers a way to escape problems. The church offers a way to face them, get through them, and overcome them.
The spirit inside the bar lowers one’s guard when it comes to temptation and sin.The spirit of the true church encourages people to turn from sin and turn to God.

In short, the neighborhood bar may be a substitute for the environment of the church, but it never comes close to providing the meaning and purpose found in a Christ-centered church.

“…not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.” - Hebrews10:25

BE THE CHURCH WHERE EVERYONE KNOWS YOUR NAME!

Debunking Myths

Like many kids I developed a fascination with magic tricks. Watching a magician pull a rabbit out of a hat, or perform a card trick, fascinated me.

Reading about the man -- his background, his famous illusions and escapes, and one thing I found particularly interesting: throughout his career Harry Houdini spent a lot of time exposing mediums and psychics as frauds. Just prior to his death he became so concerned these con artists would try to contact him beyond the grave (using his death to further deceive the public), that he gave his wife 10 code words to repeat to verify his identity. Although seances continue to this day on the anniversary of his death, no one has ever been able to say the code words correctly. In this way, Houdini was able to continue debunking spiritualists beyond the grave.

[Paul speaking] "...unless it was this one thing I shouted as I stood in their presence: 'It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.' " Acts 24:21

Paul references his belief in resurrection and the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus is unique in this well-documented

historical event. He is the only person to not only make the claim ("Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days" - John 2:19), but also do it ("Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!' Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." - John 20:26-27).

No myths, superstitions, illusions or magic tricks -- just the indisputable evidence of life after death. Houdini's death debunked claims of contact with the spirit word; Christ's death and resurrection proved His life, purpose and identity.

Are you living as someone who knows the truth?

REMOVING THE ROADBLOCKS

A roadblock is religion. You can probably think of someone right now who is being kept from Jesus by a reliance on his or her religion. The person says,

"Yes, but I'm a good Baptist...I'm a good Catholic...I'm a good Jew...I'm a good Muslim."

Unfortunately, you cannot pay a death penalty by being a good person. The Bible says that"the wages of sin is death" and our going to heaven is "not by works"

(Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:9).

You can remind your friend who stands behind the

roadblock of religion that no human court will accept

good as a payment for bad. There is only one way to

be saved from that death penalty:

"It is by grace you have been saved,through faith" Ephesians 2:8

So a person's religion, a person's goodness, is

ultimately a non-issue in whether or not they have the

relationship they were created for, whether or not they

will go to heaven when they die.

Will you have religion or a relationship with Jesus Christ?

A FRESH START

Watching the potter push a large lump of gray clay directly onto the center of his potter’s wheel. His adept hands skillfully smoothed and pulled the spinning clay up into a cylinder. Suddenly, the pot spun off-center and became lopsided and useless. The potter calmly stopped and began again, creating a beautiful vase.

“O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hands of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel” (Jer 18:6).

God, the Master Potter, told Jeremiah that He was going to bring disaster upon the nation if they did not repent. He could shape Israel through calamity if He had to. God longed to give His people a fresh start, but they chose evil instead of Him. As life spins around us, it’s important to keep Jesus as our central focus. Like pliable clay in His hands, God will give us a fresh start when we need one if we are humble enough to repent.

Thank You, Lord, for the fresh start everyday!

ONE NATION UNDER GOD

Truth.........from a man the media has never been able to throw dirt on..amazing!!

He has certainly hit the "world" on the head!!

Billy Graham's Prayer For Our Nation

THIS MAN SURE HAS A GOOD VIEW OF WHAT'S HAPPENING TO OUR COUNTRY!
'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics.. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!'

Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story,' and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired. With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called 'One nation under God..'

I AM GROWN

I have heard and said this many times in my life. “I am Grown” What determines that you are grown? Is it size, age, wealth, power? In my younger days, being grown was having a driver license and a car. Having the abilities to come and go when I wanted too. To drink, smoke and party when I wanted. To spend my money anyway I wanted. I was grown or was I?

I thought these things are what made me grown, I was wrong. Jesus in his boyhood was grown. He was obedient to His parents and grew in wisdom and stature with God and men. Living a life of integrity, truth and being compassionate to others.

“Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Luke 2:51-52

GROW IN GOD!

WHY WAS I HERE

Eddie is a wounded war veteran, an old man who has lived, in his mind, an uninspired life. His job is fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. On his 83rd birthday, a tragic accident kills him as he tries to save a little girl from a falling cart. He awakes in the afterlife, where your life is explained to you by five people, some of whom you knew, others who may have been strangers. One by one, from childhood to soldier to old age, Eddie's five people revisit their connections to him on earth, illuminating the mysteries of his "meaningless" life, and revealing the haunting secret behind the eternal question: "Why was I here?

You might be like Eddie and wondering what is your purpose on this world. Who are you touching in your life, sometimes without even knowing that you are touching them.

“ A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse--after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. For she thought, "If I just touch His garments, I will get well." Mark 5:25-28

Know that you are touching people in your life.

Touch them for Jesus!

SEMPER FI "NO PAIN, NO GAIN"

The Few.

The Proud.

The Marines.

Always Faithful;

Semper Fidelis.

Being a former United States Marine,

I understand motivation and devotion.

Boot-Camp was a mental and physical challenge.

“No pain, No gain”

The body was something they could help with intense physical training and get all Marines to a level of physical fitness that could cope with most extreme situations. Taking verbal abuse was a daily event, knowing in the stress of combat it would not be an easy ride. That the mind many times would break before the body. In combat we need to be there for each other and the unit was as strong as the weakest person.

As a believer in Jesus Christ, I take these life lessons to the battle field of lost souls.

The Few:

Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. Matthew 7:13

The Proud:

Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it.

2 Corinthians 8:24

Always Faithful:

So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul-Deuteronomy 11:13

The Few, The Proud, Always Faithful. Semper Fi !!!

THE WORD IS ENOUGH

We have seen certain legalisms invade many denomination. Every denomination grabs hold of certain legalisms with the best of intentions. Becoming the Gestapo when it comes to enduring select legalisms of their choice. Well-intentioned people feel there is a need to add to scripture and not trust scripture to be enough.

“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ."

Colossians 2:8

Understand that man-made legalisms are an insult to God and to His Word. It's like saying the Bible is incomplete and we have the knowledge to correct the scriptures on what is right and wrong. In fact, we are getting into some very scary territory when we do that.

"Every word of God is pure; he is a shield to those who put their trust in Him." Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.

Proverbs 30:5-6

The Word of God is PURE.

OFF THE BENCH

Do you ever feel that you are just sitting on the bench? Not sure if you want to get into the play. Not sure if it will be more than you bargain for. Knowing it is easier to watch, than getting involved.

Life is like that. I have a problem sometimes watching from the bench, knowing if I get off it, their might be problems. Even as a Christ Follower, I have to push myself. It gets comfortable on that bench. Others will fill that gap, maybe.

I tell you though that every-time I get off the bench, I love it. I can see God working in it even in my mistakes and weakness. I see how the spirit fills me with His strength to do His work.

"No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.

Luke 8:16

So even if you think that you are not adequate to get off the bench, Do it! God will take your weakness and show His strength and so many will be blessed by this.

SOMEONE IS MISSING

When it comes to relationships, ultimately every human relationship leaves us with a hole in our hearts where "someone is missing." In fact, Someone is missing.

Our Creator is missing.

There's a relationship you're created to have. In those few words, God answers the fundamental question of our lives, "Why am I here?"

"For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him." Colossians 1:16

You will have a hole in your heart until you belong to Jesus Christ. The one relationship you cannot do without is a personal relationship with the God who created you. God loves you very much, and He wants to be in a close relationship with you.

It's a relationship you don't have because of what you've done.

LIKE ME

Do they look like me?

Do they act like me?

Do they think like me?

Are they sinners, unworthy, liars, foul mouth, have body ornaments?

I tell people my parents had enough with just one of me. Glad that everyone is not like me and God created so many different people. So why do we hesitate, resist or denied to be a light to people that are different from ourselves? Look in the mirror and know that you are different from anyone else in the world. I pray if you don’t know Jesus Christ as Lord, that someone will witness or you will seek Him.

For this is what the Lord has commanded us:


" 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles (race, nation, people), that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” When the Gentiles (race, nation, people) heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

Acts 13:47

We need to love all people as the Lord commands us.

IN THE FIGHT

Do you ever find it a challenge to fight temptation? Of course you do; we all do. The best way to fight temptation is the way Jesus did. When Satan tempted Jesus with bread, power, and freedom from harm, Jesus responded by quoting scripture. Again and again Satan would throw out a great prize and each time, Jesus shot him down with God's Word. Follow Jesus' example and you'll have a much easier time overcoming the devil's attempts to tempt you into sin.

"Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." - Ephesians 6:17,18

ARE YOU READY FOR DINNER

Babies start off on milk then move on to baby food and later start to eat solid. My Grandson, Elijah, is having his first birthday party. I cannot wait to see when he gets his own little cake and digs in with both hands and makes a total mess.

We come to Christ and start off on the sweet milk of salvation. As we grow we are able to grab ahold of solid food, even to the point of starting to feed ourselves. The problem is some like that sweet milk, they never learn to feed themselves.

I know Elijah has no problem to grab ahold of food and feed himself. He grunts and makes noises to get attention to let anyone around him to understand that he is hungry and all you have to do is put some food on his high chair and he can handle the rest.

It should be the same with us. Grunting, crying, praying and as long as we have the word we can feed ourself and be satisfy in knowing that spiritual food we are receiving will take care of us.

Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Hebrews 5:13-14

Are you willing to feed yourself daily or will you wait till you get to church on Sunday to be fed? Good way to loose spiritual weight and fall prey to the one that devours.

WAITING ON GOD

I don't like to wait in long lines at restaurants, being stuck in traffic during rush hour, or being put on hold by a computer. Waiting is a waste of time. This is why waiting on God is so difficult for many believers.

That's also why many people quote the verse that is not in the Bible, "God helps those who help themselves." That's American ideology, but it's not biblical.

The statement speaks to the lack of faith, how God needs us to take charge to get things done. What we need to do is to trust God and be willing to do His will, in His timing, not our own, for the right action at the right time equals the right result.

Waiting on God is tough, but God's timing is always best for us and for others.

“Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.”"Psalm 37:7