Im Positive About This

Yesterday I looked up some promises in the Bible to post above my desk. I felt impressed to be speaking out faith over my heart and mind. I don't always know how or what to pray for, so I believe this will energize my prayers.

"God's Word is His promise to us, and we should speak of those things He promised us as if they already existed."  Joyce Meyer

By continually speaking the negative, we are declaring negative things into our lives. Sometimes it is best to not say anything aloud at all, lest we speak against God's will for us - his best for us. But if we can speak aloud the promises and positive words God has given, we will experience the power to believe He will do those things in our lives.

Words are powerful instruments and God will use them if you speak life, prosperity, health, peace, joy and love over yourself and others. If you look through the words of Jesus you will see he applied this principle of positive declaration when He healed the sick and spoke of the kingdom to come. The Psalms encourage us to speak positive words as well.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you,O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14
That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving And declare all Your wonders. Psalm 26:7

It's difficult to be positive when things are falling all around you. But you have nothing to lose by speaking victory - except for defeat - and that's the whole point.

It's Your Choice

“But if any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He is generous to everyone and will give you wisdom without criticizing you. But when you ask God, you must believe and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like a wave in the sea, blown up and down by the wind. Such doubters are thinking two different things at the same time, and they cannot decide about anything they do. They should not think they will receive anything from the Lord.” James 1:5-7

Is Doubt A Choice?

Sounds to me like it is. I God said “don’t doubt” then He will give us what we need to be strong in that area.

Doubt comes to us through our thoughts. Sometimes Satan will place thoughts of doubt in our minds when we aren’t paying attention to his whisperings. This is why it is so important to guard our thinking and keep our thoughts restricted. Satan wants to destroy our faith and he will lie and plant seeds of negativity in our minds to accomplish his goal of tearing us down.

God gives faith. Satan gives doubt. It’s that simple. God may plant a thought in our minds to direct us from doing a certain thing, but if we are in tune to his voice, we will know it is direction and not doubt. The thoughts of doubt are designed to steal your faith and it takes practice to know the difference between direction and doubt.

Don’t let doubt and unbelief rob you of victories and happiness. We all have a calling. Doubt and lack of faith will only lead us off our path. What have you got to lose by being positive? It’s your choice.

Jesus, thank you for the measure of faith you have planted in me. Help me to grow it into the mighty things you have for me to do.

Jesus is Our Leadership Example

“He told his disciples to have a small boat ready for Him, so the crowd would not crush Him.” Mark 3:9

I am here in Kansas to attend the graduation of my son in law from a Advanced Military Studies school for Majors. He just bought a book that had some great stuff in it about being leaders according to Jesus’ example. I wanted to share a portion of it with you. We are all leaders - it is crucial that we are leading in the right direction by our example.

“Visionary leadership requires both a long-range view of opportunitie4s and short-range plans to advance to the next level. Measure your leadership by this. Do you have the ultimate goal clearly in mind? Do you know how to move to the next step?

Jesus’ master plan is the most brilliant, awe-inspiring one ever conceived. He repeatedly demonstrated his leadership abilities through the precision of his planning. In even the seemingly small things-from the colt that was made ready for his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, to the upper room that was made ready for the Last Supper-he made things happen by planning. Follow his perfect example. Be a leader. Be a planner.”

From The Leadership Lessons of Jesus by Bob Briner and Ray Pritchard

It's Not Done Yet

Philippians 1:6 (New Living Translation)

⁶ And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Do you ever feel like you will never achieve the level of completeness you desire? There are days when I think I shall never arrive. Just when I think I have learned my lessons well, I do something stupid. Just when I think I know enough, I find out I don't know anything. The more I learn, the more I need to learn.

What a blessing to know that the work God began in us is never done. He hangs in there with us even when we blunder, fall, and generally mess up. He has a work to continue and complete and He is no quitter.

Our journey is long and arduous, but the end is in sight. This place and this body is not our home. We have a prize waiting at the end of the race. If we remember that God cares enough to see us through to the end, it makes the struggle worthwhile. Even when we want to give up - He never does.

That makes me feel better - don't you?

Look Out Below!

"A few days later, when Jesus came back to Capernaum, the news spread that he was at home. Many people gathered together so that there was no room in the house, not even outside the door. And Jesus was teaching them God's message. Four people came, carrying a paralyzed man. Since they could not get to Jesus because of the crowd, they dug a hole in the roof right above where he was speaking. When they got through, they lowered the mat with the paralyzed man on it. When Jesus saw the faith of these people, he said to the paralyzed man, "Young man, your sins are forgiven."
Mark 2:1-5

When was the last time you had a friend like the one who lowered this man down through the ceiling? Or more to the point, when was the last time you made such an effort with one of your hurting friends?

All of us reach a point when we need a helping hand - when we need to be carried to Jesus. Our troubles and pain can bring a different kind of paralysis, keeping us from reaching the One who could heal us. If it were not for the boldness and determination of certain people in our lives, we may lay there growing more discouraged by the day.

Jesus recognized the faith of these caring friends and rewarded their efforts by healing the man. Sometimes, it takes a lot of trouble and energy to go that far for someone, but when we know it's what we are called to do, we must do it.

Consider the paralytics in your life. Do they need a helping hand?

It Is Wll With My Soul

“When peace like a river attendeth my way

When sorrows like sea billows roll

Whatever my lot Thou hast taught me to say

It is well, it is well with my soul.”

This hymn was written by a Chicago lawyer, Horatio G. Spafford after losing one of his children. The words which Spafford wrote come from 2 Kings 4:26, and reveals a man whose trust in the Lord is unwavering.

The Spaffords were also prominent supporters and close friends of D.L. Moody, the famous preacher. In 1870, however, things started to go wrong. The Spaffords' only son was killed by scarlet fever at the age of four. A year later, it was fire rather than fever that struck. Horatio had invested heavily in real estate on the shores of Lake Michigan. In 1871, every one of these holdings was wiped out by the great Chicago Fire.

Even after all this tragedy, Horatio could still pen those beloved words.

Oh, that I might have that kind of faith. We never know what tragic things might come our way in this world. We must go deep in our relationship with Christ to anchor our hearts, minds and spirits. Only then will we know that whatever our lot…it will be well with our soul.

Cast Your Cares

“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will take care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34


I’ve really never been much of a worrier. At least not in the sense of wringing my hands and pacing the floors over something. But I do tend to have periods of feeling defeated. It’s the “what’s the use” attitude I struggle with. I like to see a purpose for everything laid out in front of me, all nice an orderly.

But both conditions come from a lack of faith. Do I trust God with my food, clothing and shelter? Yes. But the fact that I need to know the future with regard to outcome of a given task or talent is a sign of inadequate trust on my part.

I am learning to just do what I know to do…use what God has given me. The outcome is by His design, and after reviewing everything He has already done for and through me, I should know the best will be done with whatever I commit to Him.

Worry comes in many forms. It sneaks into our lives like a vapor, and is more powerful than we are willing to admit. We may think that a little worrying never hurt anyone. But the Bible tells us differently. Worry has its roots in something bigger, and a daily cleaning will keep it from growing like an unwanted vine in our minds. Take care to cast your cares upon the One who supplies all our needs.

Father, thank you for caring for me. Forgive me for not trusting You with the big and little things in my life.

Out of Town

I wont be posting for a few days. Im at a conference in Seattle.
Blessings for your weekend.

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Are You Two Sided?

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 3:26

This verse speaks to the two sided people we were created to be – strong and yet vulnerable. It sounds like a paradox, but many biblical principles appear to be that way. It’s our finite minds and worldly views that cant make sense of this kind of Godly principle.

“To be vulnerable is to voluntarily place yourself, for the sake of a larger purpose, in a situation that could bring pain.” Author Paula Rinehart

Sounds kind of like something Christ would do and did for us on the cross. He became vulnerable so that we might have life. Yet it took great strength to go through with this mind boggling plan. He was our perfect example of the dynamics of vulnerability and strength.

We can never reach the fullness of sacrifice without both of these attributes. And sacrifice is what we are called to do for the sake of the Kingdom. Dying to self and standing firm in our beliefs will call attention to the One we serve. It takes vulnerability and strength to serve. We know that vulnerability is a choice, but what of our strength? Our strength comes from God. He knows our hearts will fail us, yet He offers his strength in the portion we need for the moment. Without it we would remain in that place of failure.

Lean on Him. Borrow the strength you need. Be willing to place yourself in that situation that could help another – even at your own risk. Be sure you are acting in God’s will and He will bring success.

Thank you God for making your strength available to me when I fail.

In His Shadow

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1

This Psalm is one of my favorites. I often counsel people to read it when they are experiencing anxiety, nightmares or just struggling about anything. It speaks hope and comfort.

I remember when my youngest son was about five years old, he began having nightmares like so many children do. I would read this Psalm over him when he went to bed. I go to it when I need to know that I have a place of shelter, a protective wing, a resting place of safety.

There is significance in the word shadow. The Hebrew meaning is shade or defense. We can relate to this in many applications. How often have we sought shade when the heat of the day is wearing on us? It’s coolness brings relief from the strain of the sun. And how well know that the shade or shadows can hide objects from view. There we can hide from our enemy and rest until we are strong enough to be out in the open.

The most profound thought however is that the shelter is the Most High God. He sits up high waiting to protect and provide a resting place. He cares about every one of us and is watching out for us. Imagine – the Most High God is always there to cover us with his strong arm of love and mercy.

Father, help me to run to You when I am weary and in trouble – always being thankful for your sheltering shadow.