Father,

Your Grace made me whole….

Your Love heals my soul….

Your SPIRIT keeps me bold….

All because Your Son paid my toll…..

Have you ever felt like your mundane everyday life is boring or unfulfilled? Have you ever thought “man what I would not give for a great adventure?”  Do you ever reminisce of your childhood when you had all these plans for that grand future and a ton of mysteries you’d unlock?  Well we get it honestly, our Daddy was a visionary and He’s planned these great adventures for us.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

With three kids my wife and I constantly try to plan out certain things for family to do; whether it be a Caribbean vacation or just a Weekend outing around town. We like to pick things that we believe they will enjoy and even some things that they’ve never done so that they’re exposed to something new.  We do this hoping for Family bonding; to create lasting memories; that the kids would since the love we have for them; to remove any fears of doing something different and ultimately to enjoy the journey together with them.  So ultimately, my wife and I plan the fun, we pay for the excursion and ultimately all they have to do is get on board the adventure train.  It’s just what our Daddy does for us…..

God has planned our adventure and His plans are great for our future…. plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  When the creator of everything plans your trip, you’d have to think it will be a pretty exciting journey.  If the CEO of Disney World planned a vacation at the theme park for my family; I would have to think that it would 100 times more exciting than what I could plan on my own, because he knows the ins and outs of the park, the most enjoyed attractions and so many of the creative details that we will never understand.  So think about God crafting us an individual journey; where He includes all of the elements He knows about us into everything He knows about everything and everyone else involved.  For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD; Needless to say, it will far exceed anything we could ever come up with.  So rather than continuing to try and plan out your own journey; just “Get on Board” of the journey that God has already planned for you.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

The thing that makes God’s journey for us so amazing is that this planned Journey was the very reason we were created. So it is not like my wife and I planned out this elaborate vacation and once we finalized all of the details, we went to work on having a child so that the vacation could happen like we’d planned.  No we plan based on our current circumstances……But that’s not God’s MO.  He created everything about us, we were hand crafted by the God of the Universe; For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.  However, before we were even a thought; He’d already purposed out our entire journey.  In His great wisdom, He knew every step, stumble and success we will experience and it all leads up to a Finale that He meticulously planned out.  The beauty is that God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.  Should ….That is the word that often causes us to stumble, because rather than understanding all that God has done, we attempt to plan and work things out on our own.  When what we should do is walk with God, being led by the Holy Spirit in this Great Journey that Jesus Christ died so that we might enjoy and fulfill His purpose for us.   As simple as this purpose is to receive….are you willing to stop fighting and Just Get On Board….

Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

I remember growing up hearing the many reasons people didn’t go to church; for a long time I agreed with most of them. By far, the two I heard the most were “all the Church want is money” & “The Church are a bunch of hypocrites, they’re all fakin.”  The money issue is a fruitless conversation to have.  However, if there’s one thing that continues to hurt the Church today, it’s our inability to be authentic and transparent.  The Urban Dictionary defines Fakin as “someone who’s scared to keep it real,” and often the Church tends to keep it real fake.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Jesus and His imperfect Church, we the Church just need to be willing to admit that we’re imperfect.

Many profess Christ, then feel a need to maintain a façade of being faultless. However, one of the most powerful sermons is the transparency of a Christian that acknowledges a struggle and the Grace God provided to help them through the challenging situation.  One of my favorite John P Kee songs is called “Testify.”  The lyrics that I just absolutely love are “The things that we want to hide are the things that He wants to use.  If we will testify that thing He will remove.”  So rather than trying to hide it from people, tell your own story then get help while helping others along the way.

James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.   You see when we share our “Real Lives” with others we value, the blessing is twofold.  We allow others, who have our best interest in mind, help hold us accountable and lift us up in prayer.  We also allow others who are going thru the same or similar situation to see that they are not alone.  They can then see that if those they know & respect can go thru a challenge and make it; that kind of encouragement can help others and when we testify the body is built up.

The next part of James’ verse is “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”  This is really the key; we fake rather than pray; we hide from the truth rather than walk in the righteousness Jesus died to give us.  When we walk in His righteousness; we have all the provisions we need (Matt 6:33), our prayers are answered (James 5:16), our praise is perfected (Ps 7:17) , we are justified (Rom 3:26).  Jesus has given us victory to overcome any and every situation; even if the situation is self-inflicted.

God’s Love and Grace is perfect and cannot be outdone; there is nothing capable of separating us from the Love of God (Rom 8:37-39), not even you……  So stop hiding from your struggle or issue; you don’t have to post it on Twitter or Facebook but you can certainly tell your confidants and let God’s love do the rest.  Remember your victory is just waiting on your testimony….

The things that we want to hide are the things that He wants to use. If we will testify that thing He will remove.

Psalm 67:5 May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.   6  The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us.  7  May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.

And the Grammy goes to GOD!!!!!

So we hardly ever watch many of the award shows because too often we are not ups to speed on some of the “art” that is out now. However, we know that it is important to know what is out there because our kids are immersed in it at school and when they are not around us.  However, last night our Son who desires to be an artist of some sort wanted to watch the Grammys.  So we did and it was so pleasant to watch the Grammys tonight and see an artist that I really like, Chance the Rapper.  One because he is super unique, Two because he is not at all shy to praise God in his life and his music.  So when he received his award it was no surprise that he gave glory to God, but not in a way that we usually see people trivialize God’s presence in their lives (not that I attempting to judge), but as authentic as I’ve seen at a show like the Grammy’s (Glory be to God, I claim the victory in the Name of the Lord).  So then when it was his turn to perform, he chose to praise God.  Performing “How Great is Our God” and sprinkled in some of his own songs which were done with perfection.

I know that many of the crowd were expecting something different but what they got was Blessed. The word tells us that as the People Praise God, God blesses us.  And it does not say that God only blesses some people, because God desires to bless all.  After all He sent Jesus to save all of us and just because many choose not to receive Him, He continues to bless us all with His precious love.  So even though some in the Grammy crowd did not know what transaction was occurring during Chance the Rapper’s performance they walk out of the LA Staples Center better than they came in.

For all of us that Praise the Lord as a daily part of our lives, be assured that we are mainly doing it because of the relationship we have with Him, it is also still critical for those who still have not accepted Christ. As we praise, God blesses…..

It is time to receive God’s Love for you.  Romans 8:35 reminds us that nothing we’ve done or could ever do is greater than the Love God has for us.  In 2017 it is time to let go of the things keeping you from receiving the Love you so desperately need.  You’re worth everything to God so much so that He gave up everything for you (John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.).  His love for you has covered, removed and destroyed all that you’ve done and all that you are even capable of doing (1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”)

Receive the Love you’ve sought for so long.  There is nothing that can stop you from receiving it….so take it.  

2 Corinthians 2:¹⁴ Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. ¹⁵ For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

Well last night (early this morning) capped of two years’ worth of campaign ads; political spin and all out verbal assault at times. But it is all over, well at least until tomorrow anyway (this cycle never stops you know).  I hope each one of you voted and participated in a right that so many people sacrificed for us all to have (well not all; another thought for another day).  So now that it is done, What Are You Thinking?

Many are cheering in the streets, while others are crushed, trying to figure out “what went wrong.” Let’s not kid ourselves, the election results were unexpected, unprecedented and downright unbelievable.  Which is why today emotions are running so very high.  We voted for a reason and whether your candidate won or lost last night (or even made it to the general election), you were somehow invested in last night’s outcome.  Now that the results are in you should get your emotions out today, high or low.  However, after you’re done remember this:  God is greatly invested in us and much more than our investment in an election.

Paul reminds us that it’s “God who always leads us”; stop there!  If you are a child of God don’t forget that your steps are ordered and the Lord wants to lead you into triumph.  Here’s a secret, if the Lord leads you NOBODY can stop you.  “Triumph” in the text refers to Victory and Celebration (dig a little deeper and it is a song sung if a festival of procession in honor of God).  We do indeed have victory and can celebrate today and every day because we are “in triumph in Christ.”  Our hope, joy, life and future and not tied to this or any election.  We are tied to Jesus Christ and He always leads us in triumph.. For some this morning was a great morning and for others still a nightmare, but for those of us “in Christ” today there is more Victory and Celebration.  There is a lot more meat in this verse but let’s just marinate on Christ’s Triumph (The Cross).

John 9:1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth….. 11 So I went and washed, and I received sight.

There is so much rich goodness in this chapter and even in these first 11 verses but I just wanted to share something that caught my eye this morning. For those of you who see God working in everyone else’s life & ministry, and while you are excited for them, you sometimes find yourself wondering when it will be your time. When will I get healed? When will my child be saved? When will I get that opportunity? Is it too late? Well Don’t Worry, God has not forgotten you. He loves you and is already at work. Now you should read the whole chapter as some point it will bless you. I want to highlight a few things:

The scripture says “as Jesus passed by,” it would seem that the man was not on His agenda. However, Jesus tells his disciples that this man’s situation was “that the works of God should be revealed in him.”—Take Away: It may look like God is passing you by but He’s using your situation so everyone can See Him work.

You see while he was passing by the man, teaching His disciples and leaving each of us wisdom to live by (God’s always at work), he was forming the mechanism He would use to heal the man and anointing the area of need. “He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.” —Take Away: It may seem like nothing is happening, but know that God is anointing you and your circumstance as prepping for His “Big Reveal.”

After this Jesus told the Blind man to “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam,” the blind man went, washed and came back with his site. —Take Away: Just Go!! The blind man could not see, he did not know where he was going, he could not even see the man who was telling him to go. However, by faith he moved and did what God said. If God has given you instruction…Just Go your Healing, your Miracle, your Breakthrough your Vision Awaits!!!

“So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.”

Matt 16:15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus asked Peter THE MOST powerful question.  The answer to this question determined Peter’s future and will ultimately determine our eternal destiny.

In the midst of Jesus doing numerous miracles, teaching His disciples about the tarnished ways of the Pharisee; and just before prophesying His coming death and transfiguring himself, literally bringing heaven to earth. Jesus prods Peter with this overwhelmingly critical examination.

While many people were seeing miracles with their own eyes, others hearing stories from afar and deciding for themselves what they thought based on others opinions, all were deciding who they thought Jesus was. Yet, Peter and his colleagues had walked, talked and been with Jesus for days, weeks, months, so the question to Peter, while very personal, we also very humbling.  After all, the disciple’s new Jesus best…..didn’t they??

Peter came thru like a champ with his answer; “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  He nailed it!!!….. But wait didn’t he later deny even knowing Jesus just 10 chapters later??  How could that be?  What chance do we have if Peter was right there with him, knew the answer and still failed?

I’ve got some great news, Peter’s destiny was stamped right at the point of his perfect answer. When we confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus and believe in our hearts…(Rom 10:9-10), like Peter, our eternal destiny is stamped “Forever LIFE w/Jesus.”  Peter’s forever was changed when Jesus asked him this question.  What will your destiny be…

Who Do (enter your name here) say that I am?

Just a reminder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqybaIesbuA

I was reading today’s Proverb (27) and was struck by verse 17 a verse that is so familiar that it often loses its penetrating impact.  Yes it’s that verse.  “As Iron sharpens Iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”  Are we still sharpening others or being sharpened????

Maybe just maybe we are becoming dull because of much usage….  You see, the knife is dulled when cutting or chopping–causing the blades edge to be bend and fold away eventually breaking off (losing pieces).  If not sharpened significant damage is done.

Regular sharpening restores the knife’s optimal performance without any metal being removed or loss.  Fret not, because our Lord is our restorer (Psalm 23), and He will provide for us other iron to sharpen and be sharpened by. Regular time in the Lord’s presence will strengthen you and allow us to strengthen one another. Time to get sharp….

(1 Cor 4:15) For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
We have a lot of men in this world and many of those men have children. However, just as the text states “yet you do not have many fathers.” A father is much more than someone that is able to procreate and we just don’t have many Fathering the numerous youth of today. Which explains a lot of the chaos we see in this World today.  

With that small backdrop I commend all of you Fathers out there today. Those who are providing, loving and pouring into your children and even those young people that are not yours by blood. You are the cream of the crop and the legacy that this world is longing for. 

For those who’ve never had a Father in their lives or like me no longer have your Father with you. Paul has some great news for us “for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.” God our Father sent Jesus so that we would never be Fatherless. Because of His Glorious Gospel we can enjoy the love of a Wonderful Father for the first time or once again.  

Happy Father’s Day God, thank you so much for being my Daddy now and forever. Please keep teaching us how you Father is so we can be the Father’s you’ve destined us to be.