Walking Contagion!

 

Thank God for infections! Yes, you heard me correctly. Did you know that living on and in you are more bacteria than you have cells in your entire body? (Pause) Okay, now that you are recovering from the nausea of such an idea, let me explain. On your skin and lining your respiratory and gastrointestinal tract are millions of bacteria, without which you would be severely sick. Research has shown that if certain bacteria are not present in certain areas of the skin, specific diseases can occur.

In the intestinal tract, normal flora bacteria produce growth factors and nutrients which allow your cells to function, not only normally, but at a higher level than they ever could without the bacteria. Another way bacteria benefit you is by providing a competitive environment, where harmful and deadly bacteria can be hindered from causing disease.

Now think about the promises, dreams and hopes that God has given you as bacteria! You see, God’s principles are always revealed through His Word, and all of creation is literally His words manifested (Gen. 1-2). God desires for you to be “infected” with His plans and dreams for you and His Kingdom.

For example, when we hear from God concerning our purpose and destiny, a hope arises within us. This hope gives rise to faith and acts as a protective covering, much like bacteria on your skin, to help fight the lies and frustrations of circumstances from consuming God’s Word concerning you.

The Bible also says that God’s Word is the bread of life. Each time you allow a dream or prophetic word to grow and multiply within your spirit, you allow God’s Word over you to supply the “nutrients” needed for you to rise above the circumstances and ultimately walk into the manifestation of your dream.

You see, when we meditate on God’s Word, be it the scriptures or personal words from God, we allow God’s Word to be established as the “normal flora” of our lives. God’s Word now fights off the “evil bacteria” that come to try and steal our confession, our faith, our hope and our joy.

Now for the fun part! Do you know what is so great about bacteria? They can’t just stop by infecting one host! They are always looking for opportunities to infect and reproduce themselves in as many individuals as possible. Why? Because the more they spread, the greater they become (number-wise that is). So I ask you this question: What have you been doing to grow and reproduce God’s Word in you? Have others been infected with your dreams, your passion for God and His Kingdom?

If your answer is no, then stop being sterile! Throw away your spiritual antibiotic scrub-brush and embrace, cultivate, and spread the infectious words of God in your life. And soon, you will be a walking contagion for the Kingdom of God!

~Dr. Matt

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The Path

 

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and He will direct thy paths. Proverbs 3: 5 & 6

One of the definitions of path is a track or course. Life is a series of having to make decisions or choices.Many times we find ourselves at crossroads having to decide which way to go. Some of our choices are very easy to make. What to wear, what to eat, or what movie to watch? Living life would be so easy if our choices were that simple.

I remember as a young child wanting to go to my grandmother’s house. My mother would lead me by the hand to the path. There was a well worn path through the field between our house to Grandma’s. Mother would tell me to follow the path. It was easy, stay on course till I got there. As I got older I would stray. I remember getting into a sandspur patch, being bare foot it really hurt. My mother heard me crying and came to my rescue. After pulling out the sandspurs, drying my tears, she said, ” thats why I told you to stay on the path.”

The Lord wants us to rely on Him when we have to make decisions. First we have to trust Him, knowing He has a plan and purpose for our lives. The Lord knows the future and what we are going to face because of our choices.How many times have we made decisions on our own and later regretted it? When we let our emotions take over we usually end up in a mess. Our flesh feels good and off we go. We have all cried out, “Lord please get me out of this mess.”

Thank God for His mercy and grace. As we grow older we are suppose to become wiser. We are to profit from our poor decisions. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Maturing in our relationship with the Lord, learning to listen and obey His voice, Life’s decisions will become more clearer. We have to learn to be led by the Holy Spirit. He will order our steps and direct our paths.

~Ricky Robinson

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Using Your Authority

 

Anybody can praise God whenever things are going great. What about when your children are ill, you lose your job, divorce, death in the family, and the list goes on. What do you do then?

I have had many circumstances over the years come against me and my family.  I had a choice to make to either duck tail and run or go right through the middle of it. To tell you the truth at times I would love to have run, but God on the inside of me just would not let me do that.

He’s always been bigger than anything I have ever faced.  At times I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me, and then I would remember that He was right there with me, seeing me overcome every obstacle that came my way.

I’m so glad that I have learned how to believe God for myself.

Confess His word and watch it come to pass.  Mark 11:24 says, “Therefore I say unto you, whatever things you desire, when you pray, believe that you will receive them, and you shall have them.” The devil is just the devil; he will always put up a fight to keep you from the things of God.  Don’t listen to his lies. If the Bible promises you something, you have a right to fight for it. God has given us every tool we need to win.

The sword of the spirit which is the Word of God is one of our greatest weapons against the devil.  Jesus always used it when He was tempted of the devil. Now, it is our turn to do the same thing. The next time the devil comes telling you anything contrary to the Bible, and trying to beat you up, use the Word.

Just like David said to the uncircumcised Philistine, You come to me with a sword, and a spear, but I come at you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the ranks of Israel, Whom you have defied.  ~1 Samuel 17:45

~Tammy Sanders

Image Credit: Tammy Sanders

The Maze of Life

 

Have you ever gone to the airport and watched and listened to the people coming and going? I recently had that opportunity. I had to pick up my nephew who was flying in from Minnesota. I pictured this little maze with a mouse running around trying to find it’s way to the prize, the CHEEESE at the other end. People were darting here and there to get to where they were supposed to go hoping they do not miss their flight to their destination.  Their eyes are focused straight ahead as they maneuver around people, luggage, and barriers.

I was pondering on this and the thought crossed my mind, “How many times do we run around, darting to and fro, trying to find our way to the end, the grand prize?” Like the mouse in a maze, we try one avenue only to find a barrier or obstacle so we try another way. This process goes on until we FINALLY get on the right path, the one that God had originally wanted us on. We dart through life doing a lot of good things, but are they God things? I don’t know about you but I have traveled paths that were good paths, which I thought were God’s paths, only to find that I missed the flight so to speak. Never loose hope because you have wondered down the wrong trail or wondered down the wrong path. It is so easy to get back on the right trail. All we have to do is ask God to forgive us for making the wrong choice and He does. Immediately we have gotten back onto the right trail towards the cheese.

Satan wants to deceive us. His goal is to steal, kill, and destroy. He can make things look so good that it must be God telling you to do something or go somewhere. Remember that he is the master of deception! In order not to fall for every deception he puts out there we must equip ourselves daily. Not just on Sundays. To equip ourselves we need to build a relationship with God. Spend time in prayer and just communicating with Him. Have a conversation with Him, and then listen to what He has to say because He will respond to you if you listen. The next thing to do is to digest the Word. Not just read it to say you have read the Bible. That would be like buying lunch at a fancy restaurant and just watching the food. It is not until that food gets inside of you that your hunger is quenched. Your body digests the food to energize your body so that it will function correctly. The Word, once digested, becomes part of you. It helps your spirit man grow and become strong.  Meditate on what you read. Make it a part of you not just a once in a while thing. I am talking to myself as well. We have all missed it in this area if we are at all honest with ourselves.

Praise and Worship are two other ways to keep the enemy from deceiving you. Create a lifestyle of praising God daily. Even down to the littlest things you have. All things on this Earth belong to God. God, the creator, inspired everything created, and then had man to create what we have,. Give Him the glory for each day that you have and for the wonderful provision He has bestowed upon you and your family!  God wants us to be prosperous but not to hoard up the prosperity. He wants us to share with others to establish His Kingdom here on Earth. It is never too late to start over. If you miss it, repent, then move on with God. He is waiting for you because He loves you unconditionally!

 

~Ronda Sullivan

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That Lie We Tell

 

I am too blessed to be stressed. Doesn’t that sound nice? When we become born again, our troubles are over. We are never faced with problems again! That may even sound a little poetic. It’s not true. We will be faced with challenges. We will experience pain. The good news is that we don’t have to fight alone. The enemy wants us to believe our battles are all over. He wants us to become unaware. We may even become lazy and fall asleep. A lazy soldier who is not equipped is a defeated soldier. I am not saying we will only know war. There will also be times of peace and joy as well. Christ died so that we can enjoy a victorious, abundant life. Our enemy is defeated. He will still try to kill, steal, and destroy.

We must stay in the Word. Our battles must be fought on our knees in prayer. We can’t fight in our flesh. God has given us mighty spiritual weapons. These weapons are useless if we don’t learn how to use them. The Bible tells us not to be ignorant of the devil’s devices. One of the devices he uses is to convince christians that we don’t need to grow. This way, we are easily defeated. I know some wonderful Godly people who are facing struggles in their lives. My family and I are are also in a challenge right now. We are all going to win. There will be rejoicing for us in the days ahead. Maybe you are in a hard place in your life. Be encouraged. Know that greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world. Read your Bible. Pray for wisdom, favor, and strength. We can endure hardships when our hearts are set on our destiny. We can’t endure trials if we only concentrate on our flesh. Stand firm on what God has brought you through in times past. You will find strength and hope in knowing who Jesus is.

~Connie Robinson

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Fitly Framed

God is building a home. He’s using us all—irrespective of how we got here–in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.Ephesians 2: 19-22 (Message Bible)

The church has to be built according to the pattern that God gives. God is in the process of building His church. Once we are saved then we have to be fitly framed into God’s kingdom. That means you may have to team up with people you don’t get along with. This is where the chipping, cutting, and polishing begins. As you begin to mature you will be able to work with your teammates and get more done together than alone.

Fitly means in a proper manner, place, or at a proper time. To be fitted takes time. You might be fit in children’s ministry, but God may be fitting you somewhere else as well. Just fill in the blank with whatever area you are in. God has to do more work on us to get us ready for what He wants us to do.

Jesus had to be fitted to the cross. Someone had to nail His hands and feet. That was part of His assignment. He endured the cross as a man. He could have exercised His free will, and said He didn’t want to do it. What if Judas had not betrayed Jesus? What if Peter had not denied Jesus? It goes back to the message Apostle David preached, and how we can apply it to everyday life. I had been frustrated because God had not given me all I needed to finish this article. I was stuck!  I read what I had to my daughter, who said one thing, and it triggered the rest of my article. How awesome is that? God does not get in a hurry. He is always on time!

Don’t grieve God. Don’t break His heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted. Ephesians 4:20-22

~Tammy Sanders

Image Credit: Tammy Sanders

Where is Your Focus?

“Focus, focus, focus, you have to learn to focus.” How many of you have ever heard that in your lifetime? I know that I have. I have also been guilty of saying that same phrase or something similar. How about you?

As a teacher, I catch myself saying something similar like keep your eyes on your job, quit watching what someone else is doing. I teach students with special needs where there is a lot of repetition to master each task. There is also a lot of redirection to keep the focus on their task at hand.

In my classroom there are a lot of opportunities for students to get distracted. The slightest movement, change in routine, visitor to the room can cause them to lose their focus on their task. How many of us have bee guilty of letting the little things come in to take our focus off of the task that God has on doing? I have been guilty of that and I am sure you have been to. You might look at the new car your neighbor just bought and start thinking and focusing on wanting one as well. Before you know it, your focus is off of the task God has for you and it is on a new car. In Matthew it tells us to seek FIRST the Kingdom of God. When we seek God first despite the distractions He will take care of all that we need. He will provide for us.

So the next time that a distraction or circumstance presents itself to you just remember to keep your focus on God. Continue to seek Him in spite of what your circumstances are saying and He will take care of you.

~Ronda Sullivan

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Thank God I’m Odd!

Growing up I never considered myself “normal” (if such a thing even exists). Some people embrace their uniqueness, but alas I cried many a night because I was different from everyone else in one way or another. But today, I can truly say that I am wonderfully blessed to be such an odd cookie! Let me share some of the ways God has used my quirks for His Kingdom.

 I took piano lessons for twelve years while growing up. None of the other boys at school played piano, but I seemed to enjoy it. Well, several years later, all of those lessons are paying off as God has been able to use me with the Praise and Worship team to minister to multiple people in a unique way that I would never have been a part of otherwise.

Another oddity about me is that I’m a gaming geek. I am 37 years old and I still love playing both video games and board games. Let me give one example of why I’m thankful for this! My best friend, who used to attend this church, had drifted away from God. Many people judged him, but I still cared for him as a friend. Fortunately, we both really enjoyed playing video games together, so periodically we would get together to play. For about two years, I simply loved him where he was and would confront him about his sinful lifestyle as I felt the prompting by Holy Ghost. Within a few years, he married and recommitted his life to Christ. He now has an active relationship with God and we are still best friends. I by no means take full credit, but God was able to use my “odd” passion for games to play a role in the restoration of my brother.

 Let me share one last quirk about me for which I thank God. I am a HUGE Survivor fan! (I’ve even planned out an audition tape for getting on the show.) I find the reality TV show absolutely fascinating. However, I have built relationships with people I would have never dreamed possible because of our common love for the show. In fact, I currently have influence in the life of both an atheist as well as a muslim because of our shared interests in Survivor. God has opened opportunities for me to demonstrate God’s love to those whom I would have had little in common with otherwise, all because of my weird obsession for a reality TV show.
Whether you now think I’m odd or not, I will guarantee you that you’ll never find another man just like me ever again. I am one odd cookie! But you know what? God celebrates the uniqueness of who I am, so why shouldn’t I? So I say, “Thank God I’m odd!”

 ~ Dr Matt

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Are You Prepared?

Our life here on earth is like a vapor of smoke. It appears for a little while, then vanishes away. We may live to be a hundred, compared to eternity it’s short.

Life is very fragile, to be handled with care. Many times we take it for granted. Everything can be going great, enjoying peace and prosperity. Suddenly our world can be turned upside down with turmoil and disaster. One phone call in the middle of the night, a bad doctor’s report, a car wreck. Any number of scenarios can change our lives in an instant.

Where do you turn when disaster happens? Everybody has seen programs on television. They advise us to prepare an emergency kit. We all know certain things needed to be placed in the kits. Extra water, food, medical supplies, batteries, anything we may need to sustain our family.

All of us need to be prepared for an emergency just in case. The Bible is a book filled with all kinds of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Not only for our spiritual life, but our natural life also. A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself, but the simple pass on, and are punished. ( Proverbs 27:12) That’s good advice for all.

When my world gets turned upside down I’ve learned to run to the Lord for help. He is my peace at all times. He is my refuge and help in the time of trouble.

How many times have we all cried out, Lord please help me out of this trouble? I know I’ve done it many times in the past. Most of us have asked Him to help, but soon as the trouble passes we forget Him.

I’ve learned to abide in His presence at all times. So when challenges come, I don’t have to go searching for Him. The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run into it and are safe. (Proverbs 18:10)

~Ricky Robinson

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Birthing

In this season of birthing as you look around and see all the births taking place, it’s easy to get caught up in the here and now and forget that there was a process that took place for that birth to occur. Now, we all know that a beginning process must take place before birthing can even be thought about. It first starts with a seed being planted. From there you have the process of nurturing that which is in you, making sure you’re feeding it. Not just any old junk, but feeding it things that will help in its development. You go through the struggles of carrying it day after day, week after week, and month after month. As changes occur in you, you find you have to adjust the things that you once did and what you were used to and adapt to doing things a little different.

There’s one thing through the whole birthing process that doesn’t get a lot of attention, but yet is also something that a birthing cannot take place without: Exposure. If a mother doesn’t allow herself to be “exposed” to the doctor who has been sent there to help and guide her in the birthing process, closes herself off and refuses to push, then the birth will not happen. It’s the same way with something that God has planted in you.

You’ve carried that vision around with you for months and done the things to nurture it. When it’s time for that birthing to take place, if you haven’t gotten to the place where you can let your guard down and allow yourself be exposed, birth will not happen. It can only and will only happen when these two things are intertwined. The perseverance of you pushing and not giving up no matter how things look in the natural you believe on what is to come.

Just as a mother pushes harder the deeper she gets into delivery because she believes if she just keeps on pushing that baby will come.  Likewise you must allow yourself to be exposed; God can’t use you when you’re hiding yourself! How can you expect the birthing of what God put in you to occur if at every turn you are shying away or putting up a façade? If pride still rules in your life, you have not let yourself be exposed to God. You are still walking around with a façade that closes Him off to helping you. Don’t let fear keep you from birthing the gifts God has placed on the inside of you. Trust the process of faith, even if your miracle hasn’t manifested yet!

 

~Jevallye’ Beverly

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