Keep climbing! No more quitting!

My encouragement to you this week is to stop quitting on your journey because it's hard. Struggle and accomplish what you set out to do! Exercise faith! Faith releases confidence. If your faith is in God, be confident. He has shown up before and He will this time too!

When has it become OK to quit? And I am not talking about walking away from something that doesn't benefit you. There is truly a difference. Walking away can be made with a mindset of wisdom and humility. Quitting is just the refusal to go on further, most of the time, because of the struggle. We are all going to struggle. Did you know that? I won't lie, wen I accepted Christ as my personal Savior, I thought troubles would be far and between because of that. But when I look at the most prominent people in the Bible, they had to work for what they wanted! They were persecuted, thrown in prison, laughed at, cried, and were scared at times; but one of the reasons they were successful, they kept going with their tasks at hand. They had a goal in mind and never lost sight of their goal because of some trouble and hardship. Whereas a lot of us, myself included, are willing to throw in the towel because there is a struggle. Sometimes it really is one thing after another. Our foundations moved from under us. I get it. That is really tough to overlook. But we cannot quit at all. That is not the way to do it. Ever.

If our faith is in God, be confident. Be positive. You can't create a positive change with a negative mindset. All of those prominent people in the Bible remained positive and focused because they knew they could count on the Lord. Many of us pray for God to hold us together and work a major miracle but don't have a true confidence in our betterment. In Hebrews 10:23 it says,"  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." Unswervingly! We cannot keep going back and forth. Faith doesn't work that way. And its says, "He who promised is faithful" FAITHFUL. Faithful means: steadfast in affection or allegiance. God loves us and He has aligned Himself with us. He wants to see us be well. He wants to see us thrive even in the most difficult of situations! Be confident in God. Be confident in yourself. Be confident that no matter what is coming your way will not take your focus away. Struggle. Who likes to struggle right? No one likes to struggle. But sometimes you may just have to do that. Struggle and don't quit. Stop getting disenfranchised with the goal because it won't go exactly how you planned! God is in control. You had some setbacks. Guess what? God is in control.

My last point may sting a little bit but I am going to say it. Something to think about. If you say you have faith in God and His provisions for your life, who are you to quit and disrupt the plans of God? What gives you the right to quit if you have complete faith that God can turn it around in your favor? You may have to struggle but God never once promised His plans for you will come without a fight! Joshua had to fight many battle which were really life and death to see the Promised Land. David fought against a giant who killed many with some stones, a slingshot, and insurmountable faith! That sounds crazy but His faith moved Him forward because He believed God had a plan for His life. Saints, we all have to recall what God has brought us through before and think that He will get us through again. He made mountains move out of our way that we didn't have to climb; and some others we have to climb, fall, get us ap climb again. But the one glaring fact is that has always reigned true is God has always gotten us through! Think about that the next time you want to quit...Be Blessed...

God is Peace. Peace That Works!!

My encouragement to you this week is to never let the promises or stability of the world replace the promises of God. God's promises can never be taken from you and never will. Place your faith in what works.

"Luke12.34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also"

This statement is so true. If you are placing your treasure and all your eggs in the world, then that is where your heart lies. This is a sad fact in the wrong way for a lot of people. What I mean is that we find a lot of peace and stability in things of this world. We find peace in our relationships with people, our possessions, our bank accounts, our status, etc. Things that the world has to offer us. These mean the world to us more than anything in the world. We have used these things to replace the promises of God as well. Yes, I said it. Sounds harsh but that's the reality. We believe in God for so much but we have in some ways used these things to be a deeper peace than what God can offer us.

What's the biggest difference between all of these things and the promises of God? You can lose all of these things except the promises of God! Relationships are lost all the time. Money, all the time. Status, all the time. But who can take away the calling that God has on your life? Who can stop the Will of God when He makes a declaration? Not one of us. So when God is saying that He has plans for us or that He promises to take care of us, why can't we take peace in that? If we believe in God and all the things about Him, why are we paying attention harder to our earthly possessions more than His word?

How many of us have lost a job for petty reasons? How many of us have been through breakups? How many of us have been broke before? Things or people we put our confidence in and taken from us. When they are, we can't get ourselves back on track! But the One who has been consistent to us still offers us peace if we turn to Him in fill faith. He can get us back what we lost. He has that ability! So why are we putting more confidence in the product than the one who gives it?? That doesn't make sense does it? When we wanted something as children with no money, we were happy to receive the product. But we knew what we wanted was dependant on if our parents gave it to us. They were the most important part of us getting what we wanted. Same with God. He is the most important aspect in getting the things that give us the peace we want. So where is your heart located? If you trust in God and all His promises you will find a peace that lasts. A peace that can't be taken from you. But if you permit your peace to come through what you have, all given by God, then you will never live a life of real peace.

God has shown Himself to you time and time again. Your peace should be found in what works. God works. God has always worked. The promises that you have benefitted from, so have others. God works for you and many others. Wake up. Stop complaining and start looking at what God has been doing for you and trust He can makes more things happen for you in your highs and lows...Be Blessed...

Endure and Be Successful

My encouragement for you this week is to be OK with your struggles because they weren't meant to last. Life will always have problems. God made you able to endure. Keep praying and FAITHFULLY work at your problems. You will always be successful!

I know that sounds insane to be OK with your sruggles but it is a necessity if you want to move forward. By no means am I saying to get used to it but stop stressing yourself insane. No struggle was meant to last. Ever. Your struggles were never made to carry on and on. Life will be full of problems. After you conquer one feat, in due time a new problem, big or small, shall rear its ugly head. Do not let yourself be discouraged to keep going forward and trying. Be OK with the struggle and start working hard on the solution soon.

God made you able to endure. You've survived the worst of times. God is always on your side. God will never leave you. But God made you strong. God made you able. God hasn't given you a spirit of weakness. God hasn't given you a spirit of defeat. God has been winning victories for you even before this problem or these problems surfaced. God made you strong. God made you able to take on those problems to leading up to your current trials and tribulations. You can and WILL endure and keep driving yourself forward. You have to do it. There are times we feel we are trying with no end on sight and no direction. It takes great faith to understand our efforts have an end are guided if we keep going. Stand on the word of God in His promises!

Keep praying on it. Place your burdens at His feet and let God have His way. You may feel tired all the time but stop groaning and start praying and acting. Groaning will do nothing for you. I promise you that all it will do is slow you down from the productive things you need to be doing. D. L. Moody said this: "Whatever your burden is that caused you to search for strength, give it up to him now. Do not let another minute go by without completely surrendering your burdens to Him. God wants to be your strength. Surrender to Him in your weakness and let Him show Himself strong. Remember if God brings you to it, He will bring you through it!" Don't go another minute with complaining and not giving it over to the One who can change it in our favor. This means FAITHFULLY working at your problem. Not, "I tried once or twice and nothing seems to work." NO. You are going to have to stick with a plan for solution. Stick with it and I know you will see success. Stick with God and you will never see defeat. You may lose a battle here and there but you will NEVER lose the war. Check God's resume in the Bible to those who remained faithful to Him if you don't believe me...Be Blessed...

Make the effort! Trust God to be a Success!

My encouragement to you this week is to put your goals into action. Nothing can be accomplished without sacrifice and effort. Trust God to make things happen and they surely will. Root your faith in God's promises for your prosperity. You can keep crying with no results. Or start trying waiting on the results.

Put some of those goals you have into action. The time is now to get to work on what you really want to happen for yourself. I have stressed this before to you all but this is something I feel can't be stressed enough because there are many of us who are still sitting in place. There are many of us who are sitting around waiting and waiting for some thing special to happen for us. We feel that one of these days something is going to turn it around in our favor. Let me tell you something. You will keep waiting forever if you are not making some type of effort for SOMETHING to happen. It is very, very,very, rare for things to happen without you doing anything. You know that! What you really want requires effort! It requires a try! It may require you failing initially until you get it right! It requires you to sacrifice to be successful. You can have most anything you want in life if you are willing to sacrifice what is necessary for it. Your time and effort are worth  the sacrifice to put your goals in action. Stop saying, "I want this"  or "I want that" but still doing the exact same thing which has proved unsuccessful! And if that is nothing, what do you expect? Put some action on that goal!

My next part of this to you is to trust God! Root some faith in God and His promises! I am telling you stand in the word of God! Jeremiah 29:11, it says, " I have plans for you. For your your welfare, not for disaster." Jeremiah 33:3 it says, " Call me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you don't know." Are we seeing in these two verses how God is saying that we can trust Him. He has no plans for our disaster, only what is best for us. Trust in God and He will take you places. He will take us places that to everyone else we have no business being. Get to know the word of God ad stop letting it go when hard times present themselves. If you do not stand i the word and promises of God when trials come, you will be taken over by your trials. Lets, look at the story of Daniel. Daniel was sentenced to death buy he world. Placed him in a Lion's den. Daniel stood on the promise of God in an almost impossible;e situation and look what He did for Daniel. Some of us may be thinking, well that was then and this is now. I'm not Daniel. You don't have to be Daniel! Be you. The same God Daniel turned to is the SAME God that you call today! The Lord always cares for us. the Lord always will be there for us. Stop sentencing yourself to death in your situation! Stop forgetting the Lord is near! Trust God to make things happen but He surely will do it for you!

Saints, it's OK to cry about what pains you. I promise you that it is OK to cry. Let it out. It's OK to feel. It is OK to be hurt. But saints, crying day after day with no action will keep you in those same tears. Crying with no action will only make it hurt worse as you see nothing is happening for you. I'm not trying to be harsh but this is true. I want you to understand this is a reality. therefore, I encourage you to start moving. I encourage you to trust God! Hold on to His promises! Get to work on what you want to see done. Please! If you work, you know you are going to get answer to what you have been working on. Initially, there may be push back. Stick with with it! God has not lied to you nor has He ever. Plans for your welfare, not for your disaster! Get to work! ...Be Blessed...

Make it Happen Now. God is With You!

My encouragement to you this week is to build on your potential and start making things happen now! No matter how much  life you have lived or haven't yet, start making things happen now. Don't be mad at the obstacles. Keep God with you and press forward. There is no failure in God!

There is no failure in God! I believe in this statement with my entire heart. Yes, I may fail at some things in this life but I know that if I keep with God, I will be successful no matter what life brings. So why am I still living in my tomorrow? Some may think I mean my promised future or something of the sorts. No. I mean how we are constantly putting something off that you know needs to be handled now. We all have so many dreams and hopes for our lives. We say things like, "If I had this" or "If I start on this". Well, why are we waiting? What are we waiting on? The reason we dream certain things for our lives because there is a 95% we already have the potential to make it happen. So I ask again, why am I still living in my tomorrow?

We all have too much of a tendency to put things off that can really affect our lives in such a positive way. Maybe it is because we are afraid to fail. Maybe because we don't believe in ourselves. Maybe because we think our window will never close on us. Let me start on the window. The window is definitely closing on us when we keep putting things off. Because the older we get, the less inspired we become when we let all of our other situations cloud our minds and pull our attention on them. Then when you look up, you have shut the window on yourself because we may feel that our life now has too much of a grip on us that we can't get to it anymore. And sometimes that is really the case. Then there are times we don't believe in ourselves. That is such an agent of the devil. Doubting yourself to make sure that you become your greatest enemy. You lose all belief that you can change. You begin to denigrate yourself. You call yourself things that you shouldn't at times. Then that can really lead to a fear of failure. Like, this failure will destroy your whole world.

Enough. First off, start telling yourself that you can do this. God has given us certain gifts. God has made us able to do things no matter what we are going through. Start telling yourself all the right things. I know some of you may be telling yourself it's harder than it seems but you have to try. Right? How can you know what God can do for you and how great you are until you start trying? We all have a lot of potential in us! We have all have so may good things that we can use to start making things happen now! And now is the time to start making them happen! We can do this. There is greatness in all of us that we can build on to make some great things happen for us. We have to start moving towards those goals immediately. And hold on tight for the obstacles. When in life have we just gotten easily the things that we desire the most? We had to struggle at times. Some goals we struggled harder for than other goals. So don't be mad at the obstacles. Don't dare get discouraged into submission to where we give up on our potential. Stick with God and God will keep you. I didn't say He will keep you away from the struggles and storms but He will be with you the whole way until you make your way out. God will keep you and make sure that you will be successful. There is no failure in God. Stick with God and let Him show you why is that such a great decision. Press forward. Please don't quit. You have potential to be great and I know that you can do it. We all can do it. God won't let you fail. If you fail, God won't get the glory AND others can't see the glory of God through us. So again, God won't let us fail. BUT above all of that. God loves us SO MUCH. His love for us will move the mountains of our lives! His love for us undeniable! God sacrificed His son for us. What won't He sacrifice for you? What will he not do for you? Our God is awesome and He will always be there for us...Be Blessed...

Work on Your Salvation!

My encouragement to you this week is to actively work on your salvation. Submit to God's purpose for your life. Be obedient to His word. Rely on God. Let others see God through you and through your active service to God's kingdom.

Your salvation will not find you. Your salvation is nothing guaranteed to you from birth. Your salvation is nothing owed to you. Our salvation is something to be sought. Our salvation is something to be treasured. Our salvation is something we live in everyday. Our salvation is only attained when we accept Christ in our heart as our one and only savior. But after we get this beautiful and wonderful gift, what do we do with it? Do we just walk around and go about our lives like we can cash in this salvation whenever we need it? Saints, we have to be working on our salvation daily. Yes, we got a free gift from God but this is a gift we cannot take for granted. We have work to do. Not here and there. Daily.

Saints, there is one thing in life that we a re too good at and it is sinning. We do it without thinking about it sometimes. Sin hurts us and causes more than enough problems in our lives. Sin results in separation from God, both in this life and the next. God is good, perfect, and just, and so sin by its nature prevents a right relationship with God. Therefore sinners cannot enjoy the full benefits of knowing God in this life, such as peace, comfort and help in times of trouble.But we have hope in our salvation. We have been given an alternative from separation from God. Salvation gives us comfort because we can turn to God and ask for forgiveness and for Him to help us with our sin. He will remember our sins no more but salvation calls for you to actively work at your sin so that we can feel peace. Sin takes away peace from our lives. The salvation we get through our faith needs to be fostered in us daily.

But I tell you saints, we have to be obedient to His word to really grow our salvation and to ensure we can be recognized by God when our last breath is taken and we stand for judgment. I don't mean following rules solely. We have to grow a relationship with God. When we truly realize that we can trust God to be all of our help we should want to obey Him because we know that there is so much to gain. I don't mean selfish gain either. Just to have peace from following the word of God and listening is something all of us would pay millions for us to keep! But we have to actively get to work! "The moment the sinner believes in Christ, he stands in the sight of God uncondemned; for the righteousness of Christ is his: Christ's perfect obedience is imputed to him." Look, we will never be perfect. But the point is following Jesus' example of the way He lived His life to serve God and others. Are you doing that? Are you looking to serve God and others? We should be looking for that. Christ is our hope and our refuge. His righteousness is imputed  to the obedient. DO NOT be discouraged by the high level of the standard. The measure of the sacrifice is the guarantee of the power of God to save to the uttermost. The repentant receive the blessing of Christ's righteousness which bears fruit in obedience to the commandments. God just wants a heart that is willing to earnestly try and obey His will and work for Him!

As we are obeying His word others need to be able to see God through you. This may sound like pressure but don't let it be that. If you are really living for Christ, I promise you being an example to someone will just happen. They will see God through what you do naturally. That's all. But people have to see a difference in you than the world. That is really important for others to see the difference in you and those who don't know God. They possibly can know God through you. Don't be scared of that. Be happy that we can introduce another to the peace that we feel from serving our God..Be Blessed...

Draw Me Close..

My encouragement to you this week is to work to draw closer to God. We ask so much from God but it's important to have a relationship with God. Let God recognize who you are by drawing closer to God every day! God will always be faithful to those who are faithful to Him.

Into your arms, I'm drawing near again, To dwell with you is my only heart's desire. Draw me close, closer than before, closer than I ever been. 

These are lyrics from William McDowell from His song Closer/Wrap Me in Your Arms. The lyrics in the song say exactly where our hearts should be directed. We should all want to dwell with God. No, I don't mean in the after life but to dwell in His spirit. Feeling that closeness to God. Knowing that He is near. We must make effort to be with God daily. Work to draw closer to God. I don't mean make some great effort but simply giving God some time. Wake up fifteen minutes earlier maybe and pray. Take 5 minutes some time in the day to thank and praise God. Open the Bible maybe before the day and at night. The little things you can do to draw closer to God. It doesn't take a crazy effort but it is a necessary thing to do. Drawing close to God gives us so much hope for our troubles. We know that our faithfulness to Him will NEVER be in vain. Not that God is a genie. But even the peace in a tough situation that is not getting better is something we can thank God for and understand better when we draw close to God.

We always are asking so much from God. We always want God to work on our behalf and that is great. But is God our first and last choice? Or just a last resort? God should always be our first and last choice. Period. But as I said, we keep looking to ask God for something. We have wants and needs from God. And God knows that. he is our source of happiness. But I tell you that it is important you get to know God. You have get to know who God is and who He is to you. Have a real relationship with God. Inform yourself of who He is through prayer and reading the word. Next put what you learn in application. If you have to learn to forgive because God forgives, do it. Learn it now. Lastly, get intimate with God. Pray and pray some more

Purpose! Let God Move Yours

My encouragement to you this week is to live each day with purpose! Live with goals in mind, passion in your heart. Give God your plans and strive to them. Don't let obstacles allow you to quit. Or you'll never see God's faithfulness work for you. You are chosen. You are special. Get what's yours!

Live with some purpose. What is the definition of purpose? 1. the reason for which something exists or is done, made,used,etc. 2. an intended or desired result; end; aim; goal.  So what is your aim or desired result for yourself today? This week? This year? What do you want to see change for yourself? What gives your purpose to exist? We have to own these things! Have a goal in mind daily that you want to see accomplished. Be proactive about it. Place some passion into this goal. If you want to see your deepest desires come into fruition, you are going to have to sweat! And be OK with that. Be OK with having to work hard. Be OK with being that much closer to your goal.

Please make sure you give God your plans! Tell God what you want no matter how absurd it may sound to the world. Give it to God and He will give you the direction you need. He will open doors that no man can shut. He will make a way. He is a keeper! He is the keeper that will never fail you. Give your plans to God! Give God all of the glory! Give Him the praise because He will come through!! Keep praying. Don't let yourself be discouraged by obstacles. Those are going to happen. Period. There will be all types of obstacles to impede you and tell you that you are a fool for praying and believing something will change. DON'T GIVE UP. Quitting is for people who don't understand God will get you through. Job lost everything in days! Still knew not to quit on God. You don't either. Obstacles will come. It really sucks too. I know because it happens to me but I know God is amazing! Trust in God and keep heading forward to your goal!

You are Chosen by God. God wanted you. God wants you to be happy. God wants you to be successful. God wants you to experience peace. You are special to God. That doesn't mean that you'll have an easy route there but I promise you'll get there. Get what's yours! Get what you came for. Don't let yourself be beaten into submission. You will cry, sweat, hurt but you will get there. Live with purpose. Move with some passion in your heart. Push yourself..Be Blessed..

God's Strength, Your Strength....Victory!

My encouragement to you this week is to let God push and build the strength within you. You have the power to overcome a lot! Push yourself. Ask God to use your strength and add His strength. Keep praying and never stop going! You will struggle but you have the strength to overcome.

"My God is so big, so strong and so mighty. There's nothing. my God cannot do" This was part of one of the first songs I ever learned as a child in church. It was just a song to me then and now as I reflect on it, it is a message I realize more and more each day. My God is big, mighty, and strong. He has strong shoulders that can carry any load that I am putting on Him! I trust God to carry my burdens. i trust God to be all of my strength and all of my help. But do I trust the strength inside me? I know that my strength does not parallel God, but there is a strength in me that God put there! I am not weak. Through Him who lives in me there is great strength! There is great strength in me! There is great strength in all of us! We are chosen by God to be made for struggle.

God has placed some strength in all of us that we don't realize until it is really time to put it to work! There are some of us who feel like we are incapable of so much on our own. That is not true. Yes, we turn to God but God put a strength  and ability in all of us! Not in some people. You think that you have to run to others to always get you through but God didn't design you to always look to other's strength! He put something in you! Use what God has put in you. You have the strength and power to overcome so much if you are willing to try. Push yourself! How will you know what you are capable of doing when you are always placing limits on yourself? How can you know that God is with you and will help you when you are always quitting at the first sign of trouble? Find your strength in the Lord! Remember God does not fail! God will not use this opportunity to fail you. Draw your strength from knowing that God is not a failure! There has never been a fight God has lost!

Ask God for His strength to add on to yours. Believe me, I know it can get so hard to be in good spirits in the midst of trial. Just trying to be in good spirits can be so draining. It can be so physically exhausting. It can be so emotionally exhausting. Crying all the time. The pain never stops. Please Saint, hold on! God is going to pull you through. Push yourself as tiring as it's already been. Do it! You have to win this fight. You cannot afford to lose. Find the strength in you Saint! Ask God to be all your strength when yours runs faint. God is going to handle it. Keep praying about it! Get on your knees and cry out to God. God will listen. He will not turn His face from you! This will be a struggle but you can handle it. You can do it! You have the greatest help you will ever need. Use God! Dig deep and get the strength in you!..Be Blessed..

God Won't Fail You!

My encouragement to you this week is remain encouraged no matter how it looks until your miracle arrives!  Don't you dare lose hope in God. God has never failed you and He isn't going to now! It hurts but trust He will step in on time. He will keep His promises to you. KEEP PRAYING and KEEP TRYING! God will make a way!

Your miracle is on the way! Your day of peace is on its way. I know what it feels like. I know the thoughts that go through all of our heads. I have bee so discouraged again, again, and again about some thing that hasn't happened for me yet. I think the thoughts like, " what happened to my life?' "This is it for me. I'm not going to make it through this. "Maybe this is what my life will always be like." THEN after I come out of my troubles, I ask myself, "How in the heck did I start doubting God's power and God's promises for me?" God has NEVER failed me! God will never fail me! What ever I am going through now, God won't fail me on this one! Some of us have been dealing with the pain for weeks, months, and year but BUT I am telling you DO  NOT give up! You had better not!

   I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? (Psalm 121:1-2)

 God is all of our help! We have all suffered setbacks in our lives. In this time of uncertainty,  our personal struggles can bring fear and doubt into our lives.  It is hard enough to survive much less have any hope for the future. But God is our help! All of our help hat we will ever need. God's promises are real. Marianne Lord says this, "God always has  a plan.  For believers, whether you are experiencing a time of peace in your life or enduring the heat of a painful struggle, you have the assurance of knowing that all things are being directed by the hand of God.  When it seems as though you are being defeated, it just means that your victory is near.  There is nothing to fear in any battle  for the war of life has already been won at the cross!  Never surrender to him what Christ has paid a price to give you!" I know it hurts. The pain may seem almost unbearable. But please hold on to you faith. If you are willing to struggle and endure, this means you are willing to be saved! Tears will be shed. Days of pains will happen. But I promise you God will give you a little something daily if you are willing to hang on to him. God is working on it. Open your heart to see God work. Your battles are not yours to fight when you surrender them to Christ.  Whatever valley of despair you may be in right now, remember that it is not your permanent location. This won't always be your life! Things will change! Yes, it's been a long time but this won't be your forever! God promises you that!

Isaiah 58:11  The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.

You must keep trying to get your life together. God is a powerful Savior and He can turn it around in a second. But I ask you to get trying. You will have setback after setback. Yes, I said it. I am not going to lie to you. It will happen maybe once or a few times. You have to keep a positive attitude.  People with positive attitudes see setbacks for what they really are. When you have a setback, it’s not a brick wall that must be climbed. You’ve merely met a gate; it may delay you for a second, but if you open that gate and move through it, you’ll soon be on your way. Believe in God and I promise you, though yo may struggle, you'll get there. Next thing, get a plan for what you want to happen for yourself. How can you want a victory but not have a clue to get your victory? Sometimes it is out your hands but you have an idea of what you want your life to be. Even if your plan is only prayer because that's all you can do, have a plan! But for some of us who aren't willing to take control, you have got to get off your butt! Yes, God's plan will be the plan that happens at the end but present what you want and how you plan to get there and let God order your steps. Lastly, believe in yourself. Believe in the power of God. But push yourself. Please push. Believe in yourself that this will happen for you! This is going to happen. Pray!Pray! Pray! Believe in God! Believe in you! God won't fail you! Be Blessed!