Why is this the most wonderful time of year?????

Why is Christmas the most wonderful time of the year? Why are families re-united? Why are people happier around Christmas time than the rest of the year?

I just love the anticipation of the children for Christmas morning. I would submit that people are so cheerful because of the simple fact of the name of Christ being posted everywhere. We are told over and over in the bible that our words have power. This principle is not more evident any other time of the year. But, during the month of December, people and banners are continuously expressing "Merry Christmas". Even the un-saved are using the name of Christ. Christ means the annointed one, and when we include Him in the hustle and bustle of our everyday life, we too can live an annointed life.

I would love to see people everywhere have the same anticipation that little children have for Christmas morning. Instead, we should be anticipating the return of the Christ. What a joyous day that will be. I just pray that we can include Jesus in our speach, our actions, and our thoughts all throughout 2010.

Have a Merry Christmas, and remember..... without Christ, there can be no CHRISTmas.

Follow at a distance????????

How often have we either said or heard, "we better keep our distance". We usually say that when we want to "know" what is happening, but not really be involved. Think about when you were in grade school. There were fights that would break out. Everyone wanted to be a witness to the fight, but not many people wanted to be close enough to get smacked. Think about an accident on the highway. People can't keep themselves from staring, but not many actually want to get out of their car and help.

When Jesus was betrayed in the garden, Peter attempted to cut off one of the soliders heads. Peter had just been told by Jesus that he would deny even knowing Christ 3 times before the end of the night. After Jesus had been arrested, and was being led away, we are told that Peter followed at a distance.

Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. 58But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.

How many of us are more content just "following at a distance"? I mean think about it, wouldn't we rather just "be there" to witness and maybe even partake in all the greatness of God, without actually having to "get our hands dirty"? Jesus said that only if we are willing to "lose our life" will we actually find it. I challenge you today not to just follow at a distance, but rather jump in, both feet, and do the work of God.

We have all been blesed with talents, abilities, and gifts. Shouldn't we start using them for heaven's sake? We really need to give our best efforts to God. He tells us that in our weakness, He is able to show His strength. Turst Him today, and do you best.

Believing is not seeing.... it's saying

Many people believe that you can't believe something that you can't see. I agree, it is hard to believe something that you can't visualize. But, that is the point of faith. We are to walk by faith, and not by sight.

However, when we consider the passage in Mark 11, Jesus taught that what you say is just as important as what you believe.

22"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. 23"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

We have to get into the habit of making positive confessions about our lives, and the "obstacles" coming into them. It is just as important to speak to the obstacles in our lives, as it is to believe that things can change. Proverbs 18:21 tells us that "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit."
I can't stress to you how important the things we say about us, others, and our lives is. Our words have power. We are told to call things that are not, as though they are. That is how God formed the earth. He called out the things that He wanted to appear.


Believe it and speak it. If you believe something, and have dreams and desires, start speaking them. Your words have power, start using them wisely.

Are your prayers hitting the roof?

Do you ever feel like your prayers aren't heard or even answered? Do you ever feel like you are praying the same words everytime you hit your knees? I am sure we have all felt that way. The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Jesus told them how to pray in what we call the Lord's prayer.
Matthew 6:
9"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.[a]' 14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

I see two really important parts of this prayer. One, we are to forgive others, if we expect to be forgiven. Secondly, how are we told to seek forgiveness? We are told to confess our sins and He is faithful and just to forgive us.

I think the point is that if we want our prayers to be heard and answered, we have to hold our end of the deal with sin. We have to forgive those who have sinned against us, and we have to confess our own sin.

Try praying with a new approach. Search yourself with the help of the Spirit, and see if there is any sin that hasn't been dealt with.

Seek the Lord, and you will find Him.

Happy Pill.........

In today's society, many, many people have a "happy pill". Usually this is an anti depressant that is commonly prescribed by a doctor to assist a person with dealing with a traumatic event. In my opinion, and again this is my opinion, these meds are prescribed wayyyyy toooooo often. Even more, there are taken for way toooo longggg.

It seems to me that most people who consistently use these happy pills, are looking to fill a void in their life. There is an empty hole in every persons life that they are born with. We as humans, attempt to fill this hole with people (friends, spouses, children), stuff (cars, clothes, purses, houses, shoes, etc), or new hobbies and toys (the newest technology, a new sport, a boat, camping equipment, etc). This hole is not meant to be filled with any of this stuff.

God fashioned each and every one of us in His image with a void in our life that ONLY HE can fill. I encourage you today to examine your life, take inventory of the things that make you feel happy. If God is not in that inventory, I encourage you to pray for Him to give you a desire for His Love and Truth. His Word says that He is a "consuming fire".

Allow yourself to be consumed with Him today! Start a new Happy Pill. Allow the Spirit to fill you.

Are you a sponge???

I heard this great illustration a few days ago, and I just have to share it. Okay, picture a large bowl of orange juice. If you soak a sponge in the OJ, and the go to an empty bowl and ring it out, what comes out of the sponge? Orange Juice right? Okay the sponge is completely rung out now. Soak the same sponge in a bowl of water. Now ring out the same sponge, what comes out now? Water, that is correct.

Now consider yourself as the sponge. Whatever you saturate yourself with, is what comes out of your life when you get squeezed. When life stresses you, what do you say or think. I would bet that most of us allow non life giving words and thoughts to come out of our lives. The bible tells us that "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. That means whatever you saturate yourself with, that is what is squeezed out of you when life starts stressing you.

I encourage you today to decide today to get VERY familiar with your bible. God has given us His amazing Word so we can get to know Him. If He is our heavenly father, shouldn't we spend as much time and energy forming a relationship with him as we do with an earthly father?

You are a sponge, make sure you are soaking up good stuff!

Please God.....

We often times use these two little words while we are in the middle of a heap of whatever. We are usually begging God to change our circumstance. However, we are too proud to realize that it is actually us that He desires to change. So, when we get out of what it was that we were in to, we forget about the impact that God has in our lives.

I would like to encourage you today to take a different stance. Instead of asking "oh please God", why not try living a life that is pleasing to God. The bible tells us that blessed is the man that delights in the Lord. That means if we actually live out our faith, we are going to be different. We are going to act in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.

Please God today!