Our Father Which Art In Heaven

Matthew 6:5 vs5 "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. 14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Where does your heip come from? Are you leaning on God, and expecting His blessing in your life. We have access into God's Presence and the resources that He has prepared for His children. The Bible declare that "Every good and perfect gift comes from above". The Blood of Jesus gives you the right and access to enter the heavenly realm. We can pull on Kingdom Resources that have been made available to all of us that are adopted into the beloved. See your God moving on your behalf. Your prayers will move heaven to invade the earth as you call on your Father's help. Look to heaven today, It's not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of God that things are accomplished in the natural realm. It starts in the Spirit. Call on Heaven's influence to change your present circumstances and trials.

More Jesus

John 3:30 He must become greater, and I must become less.


More JESUS, that's all he wrote, "More Jesus". Those words rang in my spirit, as I pondered the e mail over and over, as I thought of more Jesus. We all need more Jesus, especially me. My friend Paul caused a stirring inside of me, as the Holy Spirit began to work. As I sat there examining myself, I realized maybe I had offended Him. I made my heart right before God, and I made a plan to reconcile and resolve anything I might have done to offend him. As Christians, we need to always make a point not to offend anyone. Now don't get me wrong, if the Lord has you do something or say something to someone, and it offends or upsets them, Stand Your Ground. Paul, is a great brother in the Lord, who God has put in my life to keep me in check. Everyone of us need a friend, to keep us in line or at least on track. Is Paul the Holy Spirit in my life? NO. I do realize however, the value of our friendship. God has put this man of God in my life for accountability and coaching. No matter how far we think we have arrived, we could always use a little more help.
Thank You Paul . We all need More JESUS.

Leadership is Being A People of Influence

As Christians, we need to understand God's call to each one of us to lead and influence people for God's glory. What I mean is this, God takes pleasure in the plans and purpose He created for all of His children. That plan is to be a people who make a difference. Who bring healing to those who hurt, and are wounded. To bring freedom and deliverance to those who are bound and imprisoned. To bring light and life, to that which is in darkness, and what is dead or dying. Christ is life and healing to those who receive and accept Him. Jesus said "freely receive, freely give". We need to follow His commands, and help those we can. People usually do not care about what you know, or how much you know, until they know how much you care. Caring for people is one of the first steps in being an influence in their lives. Sharing and bonding, takes these acquaintences into friendships, and friendships into families. We need to become the family that God wants us to be to each other.

Let Favor Flavor Your Life

Favor to me is having God's undeserving, unmerited blessings surround you, because you are His child, a child of the most high God, the creator of the entire universe, the master of everything. Favor is God giving you everything in this life He can give you without harming you.  Favor is Jesus dying on the cross for our sins.   Favor is from God, it is is the mercy of God.  Favor is being at the right place at the right time.  Favor is getting a front row parking spot in a crowded parking lot.  Favor is when people just seem to want to help you.  Favor is the grace of God. The Bible does clearly state that we need to be obedient to Him and do everything we know to do to receive His favor.  Just as you wouldn't show unusual favor to your own child if they were misbehaving or disobeying you, God is no different with us as His children.  Favor is the gift of eternal life.  Favor is the forgiveness of our sins. I would never want to live without the favor of God on my life.  Favor is the fact that we are strong and well able to fulfill our God given destiny.  Favor is being a friend of God.  Favor is having true peace and happiness that can in no way be obtained by anything in this world.  James 1:17 says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." 

   Friend, if you are not for sure if you are a Child of God, I want to invite you to ask Jesus Christ into your life.  Just as there are physical laws that govern the physical universe, so are there spiritual laws which govern your relationship with God.  Walk with God, in God's favor, and let Him guide your life into success.

Who's Your Daddy?

People spend their whole lives trying to find who it is that they identify with,and where their roots are  from. The generation upon us and the one that is coming, is a fatherless generation.Where are the Fathers and mentors?  Where are those, who will lead, inspire and influence the future generations to pursue truth,integrity, and execellence .  Where are the men, that will be the next role-models to sons and daughters that are looking for affirmation and direction in their lives?  Who has the answers they are looking for?  Obviously, there is'nt enough people power to fix all the problems in the world.  God's help is always needed in the equation somewhere.  We as Christians need to get the Father's heart mind, and perspective towards the "fatherless" and those who have no Divine influence.  We need to reach out to this lost and dying world, and point them to The Father, who cares for them.
      If you do not belong to His Kingdom yet, seek Him, ask Him to come into your heart.  Allow Him to adopt you as a son or daughter.  Experience His love and forgiveness.  The new life He has for you is amazing.  Is God your Father?   Who's Your Daddy?  Make sure that today is the last day you will go through life without the Father's love and guidance.

Surrender To His Will

Romans 8:14 (King James Version)

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Jesus' model prayer says "Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done, here on Earth as it is in Heaven".   Jesus understood the power of surrender.  He yielded Himself to the Holy Spirit amd followed the will of the Father to the point of obedience even unto death.  God is wanting a merging, or rather an aligning of our wills with His.  This happens as we are intimate with Him in prayer and worship.  As we meditate on His written Word and the Living Words that the Holy Spirit is speaking to the hearts of men and women today.  Begin to seek God for His will and ask Him to lead you in the right direction.  He directs the steps of His children, as they follw Him in obedience.  Obey His voice, be led by the Spirit of Christ, and learn to walk in Love and Forgiveness.

Set Appointments With God

Acts 3:1 "Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour."

Great people of God have great habits.  Get in the discipline of prayer each day.  Your discipline will birth a habit and eventually, will become a joy and a pleasure to you.  Make appointments with God, you make appointments with everyone else.  Doctors schedule appointments, businessmen schedule meetings, and othe professional people make appointments with you.  Even your friends make appointments with you.  Start making scheduled appointments with God.  On a daily basis, find some time that you can get alone with God in your "secret place", prayer closet, or wherever you can meet with Him.  You must get in His presence daily, hear His voice daily, and cleanse your mind and heart daily.  Your success in life is contingent upon meeting with God everyday. Make the time and take the time to pour your heart out to Him.  He's waiting for you to come. Set appointments with God and Keep Them.  God Honors those who Honor Him.

A New Thing

“This is what the LORD says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” - Isiah 43     God is moving throughout the Earth, declaring He is doing a new thing.   Many are actually experiencing the new things that He has in store for us.  While others are reveling in the old things, not even concerned or open to the new things that God has for them.  Put off the old things,  bury your past befor it buries you   God never consults your past to dictate your future.  God is preparing new ways of Blessing, it won't look religious or even spiritual, but it will be.  It will be the new supernatural means by which God uses the practical things to bless His people.  Even non-spiritual people, God will turn for the good of His children.  The Word says the wealth of the wicked is laid up for the righteous.  Look for the new thing, perceive it, recognize it, when you find out what it is, concerning your life, yur family and your future run afte it.  There is a way God is making in your desert, ask Him to lead you into your "Promiseland".

The Reason For The Season

“For to us a Child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Evelerlasting Father, Prince of Peace”.  - Isaiah 9:6
     In the midst of all the stress and madness of shopping,  let's remenber why we are doing all of this.
Most of us acknowledge that Christmas is supposed to be about the "virgin birth" of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Many however have commercialized and trivialized Christmas to the point that the jolly guy in the red suit gets all the props and celebration, rather than the one who was born into the Earth during this "holiday season".   Let's forget about the sleigh full of goodies driven by reindeer, and start to celebrate the One who came for us.  Jesus was born into the Earth to bring recognciliation and restoration in your life.  Let the Spirit of Christmas fill your heart this year, cast off the stress and heavieness of the holidays, and trust God to bring an anointing that will break off all the depression ,and hardness that may come as a result of your circumstances.  The things that come at us as a result of being in the world, and subject to its system, are enough that they will try to crush us if we let them.   If you've been crushed, or are feeling the weight and pressure of life pull at you,  let the peace of the Prince of Peace, fill your mind and heart by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Maybe you've been to every counselor and doctor and have yet to find any resolve.  Let the Healer and the Wonderful Counselor bring healing to your mind and body as you trust Him to help you.

Humility and Prayer

 2 Chronicles 7:14-18 states that "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. 16 For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. 17 As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, 18 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom,
    
     We find a direct corelation in the Bible, between prayer and humility.  God asks us to "humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will exalt you in due season".  If we are to reach the altitude promised to us by the Father,  which is to be  "seated with Christ in heavenly places", we will have to approach Him and everyone else in this life with humility.  The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory are all His, not ours, but when we humble ourselves in His sight, He makes them available to us.  Do you want to see God's Power and Glory displayed in and through your life?  Do you want His Kingdom authority, along with His benifits?  Meekness is not weakness, but even if it's mistaken as such in our weakness, He is made strong, and He will strengthen us to do all things.

Don't Lose Your Focus

1 Corinthians 15:33 declares,"Be not deceived evil communication corrupts good manners."

People fail because they allow distractions and diversions into their lives.  When a persons focus is broken, their vision becomes skewed.and the dreams and plans that the Lord  has for them are often delayed or can eventually die.  When the Devil wants to destroy your lfe he will send people with wrong agendas and motives to strip you of you confidence in God, and be a wrong influence in your life.  Satan hates it when people are completely fixed on their purpose in God.  Take Sampson and Delilah for example, Israel greatest worrior of his day looses his strength and ability to overtake because he confided in the wrong person.  It also happened to David with Bathsheba.   Don't let it happen to you.

Peace In the Midst of the Storm

God Is A Rewarder

Hebrews 11:6 states "But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him".
      God is constantly looking for ways to reward our obedience.  Our Heavenly Father is pleased, when His children trust and believe Him for everything.  Take God for face value, if He said it, it's true, God is not a man that He should lie.  Come with faith, trust, and confidence in the one who loves you so much that He gave His Son for you.  He is looking for hearts that are fully His, those who seek Him diligently.  Will He find that heart in You?  Do you come to Him in confidence?  If you need more, ask Him for more faith and confidence.  Seek Him while He can be found, and rewards will follow.  Jesus said, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.  Expect God to bless and reward you.

The Real Business of Life

^{The book of Micah 6:8 declares,}  "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God".  The prophet Micah explains the real business of life, which is to walk humbly, by loving God and proclaiming His glory.  Our actions are more important than our words toward others, we need to show the love of God by acts of kindness,and trying to bring justice and mercy to everyone we can.  Love God's Glory and share Him with others, this is the real business of life.

Proclaim Rather Than Complain

Philipians 2:14 declares, "Do all things without murmurings and disputes".

When we approach God, often we come with the idea of Him being a Heavenly Father, that we can talk about anything, or in any way we choose.  Although it is true of the paternal nature of God, there is a level of respect and reverence that must be present, when we speak to Him.   When the children of Israel were in the desert the Lord provided them Mana to eat, but after awhile some of the people began to murmur and complain.  The Lord sent them quail, and still some complained.  Then they died, by choking on the quail.  Because they were ungratful, the Lord put a stop to it.  We must come befoe Him with a thankful heart.  Enter His gates with thanksgiving in our hearts and enter His courts with Praise.  We must begin to declare what the Lord says about our circumstances. Do not pray the problem, pray the promise Jesus said to speak to the mountain, and it would be cast off into the sea.  He never said council the problem, rehearse the problem, or even entertain or glorify the problem.  He said Speak to it.  When in the desert, Jesus was faced with the same delima the Israelites had, the pains of hunger and thirst.  While the children of Israel chose to complain about the food they did have, Jesus choose to fast and proclaim the Word of God, every time the enemy tempted Him to murmur to God, over some hunger pains.  One choice resulted in death, while the other a very powerful overcoming life.  Pray the victories of God over your life.  Do not  entertain the mindset of defeat, by polluting your faith with your negative words.  Talk and pray like a confident victor, instead of a victim.  As you hear and speak God's word over everythng in you life, your faith will build and you will see more breakthrough with the Lord.

Be Someone's Connection to God

John the Beloved Disciple encouraged believers to be compassionate, " But whoso has the world's good, and sees his brother in need, and shuts his hand, and bowels of compassion from him, how does the love of God dwell in him?" (1 John 3:17)  Someone that is close to you is hurtung and needs your help. You may be there only connection to The Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, that they ever have.  We often think of problems as a problem, rather than looking for the opportunity that they bring.  Problems cause us to see the value in those who are close to us, they make us reach out, which brings a humility into our lives.    The way we respond to those in need determines the way God responds to us when we are in need.  Start by being sensitive to the needs of those closest to you.

Run to God

John 6:37 declares, "All that the Father gives me shall come to me; and him that come to me I will in no wise cast out."  
     When a product is damaged, usually it is returned to the manufacturer for repair.  Come to Him, and learn to wait in His presence.  Something happens in His presence that does not happen anywhere else.
Bring Him all of your worries and fears, your doubt and your tears.  He really cares for you, Make a point to enjoy time with the Holy Spirit.  When you get into His presence you think,talk, and act differently.  The best will come out of you, when you reach and run towards God.  Your success depends on the decisions you that you make.  Choose to enjoy His presence.

24 Hour Obedience

Psalm 5:3 declares "My voice shall thou hear in the morning; O Lord;  In the morning I shall direct my prayer unto thee, and I will look up." 
      Focus on walking in total obedience for the next 24 hours, get in a habit of listening for God on the inside.  Keep your ear next to God's lips every hour.  He may want you to change your agenda for the day.  Every act of obedience is recorded in Heaven and celebrated by the Lord.  Obedience can be defined in the Spirit-Walk, as doing exactly what God commands you to do.

The Good Shepard

“Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” - John 10:7, 9-10