Not My Will? REALLY?

And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,

⁴² Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.   ⁴³ And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.  Luke 22:41-43

It's been a few days since my last blogpost, and during a week when one would've easily assumed I was going to put it in overdrive and come hard.....I've actually rested, and spent time preparing for Good Friday services, Easter, and when I would address you....what would I say on here.   Jesus had just spent time with the guys He loved, and had invested the last 3 years of His life with, one of which were set to betray Him, and now He knows what time it is.  The cross is before Him....and the world is behind Him.   He shows us that even He wrestled with the will of God.  He asked, and he shows us that it's ok to ask....GOD if there is another way......PAUSE!!!!!!

What was on your agenda today?  You woke up....and what was next?  Was it a myriad of tasks?  Was it a casual day?  It's already half spent...have you done all that you purposed yourself to do?  NOW I'M ASKING......did you ever ask GOD what He desired from you?  Maybe there was somebody you were to call, or speak to at work.  Maybe there was someone that He needed you to invited to service?   Verse 43 suggests that possibly during the wrestling match of wills, that as Jesus turned the corner to say.....not my will, but thine, but yours GOD be done.....that He was in need of strength because an angle appeared to do just that strengthen Him.


So...what about you....how do you feel?  Are you wore out?  Tore up, from the floor up?  Or did you actually spend time, praying to the Father, asking for His will, then receiving HIS JOY for the DAY, because the JOY of the LORD is our strength.  I know some of you maybe mad at me asking....WHY NOW RAY....you should've had this posted at 5-6a...and you're probably right....but what are you going to do now?  I suggest you pause....and pray the FATHER's WILL BE DONE in these last few hours.  I suggest you start your day this way tomorrow?  I gotta run to a rehearsal...but I will be praying before I do that......because I want His Will not my own......LGLP

THRIVE JOY vs DUTY: IT's DEAD...or IS IT?

Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.  2Cor. 9:6-7


It's amazing...that one seed has the ability to produce so much... Just think about it...if you plant an apple seed, a tree is produced...not just an apple.   From that one seed, you yield a tree, that in turn produces many branches, with many blossoms, that will yield apples, that in turn produces more seeds in each apple.

God knew what He was doing, and this is no byproduct of evolution or any other new fangle way of trying to explain creation.   He said in Genesis to Adam:  "Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened.

But wait a minute.....seeds are dead....right? You can buy them in a pack, they are dry....and if not planted they are of no affect right?   RIGHT!!!!  BUT, when planted.....see all of us are given seeds.  Those seeds come in the form of time, talent, and money (tithe, etc) and what you do with those things will greatly impact you and the world around you.   IF you hoard those things " the 3 T's" you will find yourself never having enough to satisfy you.   You'll always wish you had more time.   You will never be satisfied with your gifting of talent be that 1 or 5 ....you'll wish or pray you were able to do......   Money...well think about it....many if not all people have said..." If I made......I'd do....or I wish I could make about......" and when and if you do make more, you still desire to make a little more.   I wonder what it would look like if you took that dead seed you have called 3 T's, what would your life look like?

What would be the result of you planting, investing time in a ministry at church?  Or taking a few of your 24hrs and investing in studying the Word, praying, coaching or assisting a coach?   I know for a fact if you invest 1min or more in something or someone a DIFFERENCE is MADE.

What if you shared you talent....who would be blessed by it?  If you gave to a missions trip, or dropped a coin in a bucket outside the store...you've said it, we've all said...."Every little bit counts.."  So what are you going to plant today.....a farmer doesn't scatter a seed, He scatters many, and what's amazing is that He's blessed with enough to sell, give away, and still have some left for himself and his family. 

SO WILL YOU BE BOLD TO TAKE WHAT GOD HAS PLACED IN YOUR HAND that will remain DEAD, UNLESS YOU PLANT IT TO BECOME ALIVE, or will you allow this minute, this day, this week to pass.....and possibly you too without having made a sheer DIFFERENCE?  LGLP

THRIVE DEBT vs FREEDOM: I've Been Robbed

⁶ “But soon their captives will taunt them.
They will mock them, saying,
‘What sorrow awaits you thieves!
    Now you will get what you deserve!
You’ve become rich by extortion,
but how much longer can this go on?’
⁷ Suddenly, your debtors will take action.
They will turn on you and take all you have, while you stand trembling and helpless.  Hab. 2:6-7



NO THIS IS NOT ABOUT GUN CONTROL.  THIS IS NOT ABOUT BEING FOR or AGAINST GUN CONTROL....but it is about being controlled by decisions that lead one into debt, and the consequences that the debtor is left with.   If this was the way people got into debt, it was totally understandable....because you are being intimidated and to some degree forced to do something you wouldn't ordinarily do.   But the reality is that....this isn't how we end up in debt.   Some of you might be saying, Ray you don't understand my situation and unless I charged _______________________ or signed up for _____________________________ they were going to.........or you were going to have to what?  Is not having the utilities on the worse thing in the world?  I can say that....because in my adult life I've dealt with having both disconnected.  Praise GOD that we were made to suffer long enough to realize....we need to be better managers of our finances.   I've charged gas.....and boy did I pay for it, and I'm just now getting out of that stupid hole.....but  more than anything debt robs you of peace, the opportunity to give to God, and obscures your ability to trust GOD or anyone.

You wonder when are they coming to get the car.   You wonder and hope they don't call your job.  You can't rest wondering if and how you will explain to the kids why?   Debt is like this gunman....it doesn't care about you, your family......it only cares about taking from you the freedom that Christ gave...and what's sad is that you swap it for temporary gratification. Yeah....I said it, and I mean it...it's temporary: the shoes, the dress, the purse, cell phone, the tools, the TV, the car at some point are no longer current. Society says you need version 6, only to turn around 6mos later to tell you this newer version is the ONE.



When you, when we are in debt...you can't help anyone...all you think about is your needs.   This is not how God's people are to be, remember we are TO BE THE LENDERS...but instead we are enslaved because of our own borrowing.  Lastly when we are in debt because all we can see is our debt, and the hopelessness of it all....we have difficulty seeing the way of escape is through the very WORD of GOD.   We have difficulty understanding how giving to GOD will cover us....but unless we have FAITH, and surrender our jacked up ways of doing finances, and embrace His.....every pay period will be a STICK UP!  LOVE GOD (enough to trust His ways and WORD are true), and LOVE PEOPLE (LGLP)!

THRIVE DEBT vs FREEDOM: SAY NO TO SLAVERY

²² And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ. ²³ God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world. 
1Cor. 7:22-23

REMEMBER......this verse starts off with asking us to remember.....remember on Monday how GOD's intention was that we were to be the lender not the borrower.  Remember Jesus said we were to be the HEAD not the TAIL....remember that we were bought with a HIGH price.....JESUS paid His life for our freedom....and are you willing to trade your crown for shackles?  Are you willing to trade your freedom for a monthly payment?   

If you are Jewish, Asian, Indian, or African American....the thought of slavery or going back to it....should repulse you.  It should enrage you enough that you'd ensure that you or your kids would never have to endure what your fore-fathers/mothers had to endure.....so if that's true...we can't hide the truth from them.  Let's educate them on why credit cards, and debt as a whole is unhealthy and not worth our freedom.   The cycle of poverty can be broken by you.   I heard someone say when they hear the complaints and cynicism of today's elders re: the state of today's generation they laugh because today's generation is the byproduct of the generation before them failings.  






 I believe there is a lot of truth to this because we see this in our neighborhoods and schools systems.  Our neighborhoods aren't communities because we are to tired or selfish to invest in building relationships with our neighbors.   When we see parents who don't train up their kids....things get worse.  So where are you now....if you died today did you educate your kids on healthy living?  Did you submerse them in godly principals that you followed?  Or do they see a legacy of poverty that awaits them? 

 I digress.....as an African American who has a family history of slavery, and have ignorantly chosen slavery (debt) in my younger years, I am now and have been choosing to say NO TO SLAVERY!   Of any kind...and prayerfully my kids will be able to enjoy the FREEDOM CHRIST intended for them to enjoy when He died on the cross, and chose me and Cherilyn to be their parents.   I pray you too choose to live, lead, and leave a legacy that promises a better future for those that will be coming to live.  LGLP

 

THRIVE DEBT vs FREEDOM: IN GOD WE TRUST.....REALLY??

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;do not depend on your own understanding.  ⁶ Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.  Proverbs 3:5-6

  I'm sorry but I'm of the class and belief that our money really betrays us, or the sayings we put on the money are just downright false for many of us.   I know the bill says IN DEBT WE TRUST, but I would also challenge you to buy into IN US WE TRUST or even worse....IN STUFF WE  TRUST.  WHY?  Because if we all believed in the statement IN GOD WE TRUST there would not be this attachment to money.   We'd be natural givers understanding that IT ALL belongs to Him. 



We'd make sure we'd give to GOD whatever He stated or more, and rely completely on Him to "MAKE OUR ENDS MEET" which in reality on He can do.   It wasn't until I began trusting GOD at the ripe old age of 22 years old with giving an honest tithe, that I began to actually climb out of debt with Dillard's, Famous & Barr, and a few other credit cards.   I'm even ashamed to admit that even after that.....I continued to believe that unless I had ________________________ I hadn't made it.  So after paying off those cards, I went back into slavery (debt) with Sears and at least 5-6 other cards because I still felt I needed my stuff (Playstation, rims on the car, expensive clothes, audio equipment in my car, road trips every other weekend, etc) which I think many of us still buy into.   We sheepishly go back to attempting to trust God and the marketing of our culture...which we end up trying to serve two masters.  

We feel as though unless I have these clothes I will look and feel better.   Unless I buy this new piece of equipment I will lose more weight, to be more sexier.   We tell ourselves I need this cruise, this vacation to help me relieve my stress...instead of giving our stress to God and trusting time spent with Him (during a daily devotion) to relieve our stress.

See at the end of the day....it's not true....some of us, if not many of us don't trust in GOD...as the scripture says.  We trust in ourselves....where we have a history of really of failing ourselves, our families, our communities because we trust in the accumulation of stuff/things to give us, only what GOD can.   So today....will you pause before you purchase?  Will you actually stop, look, and listen before the streetcar named debt desire drags you another mile.....and instead say GOD IN YOU DO I TRUST, and I APOLOGIZE for living a life where it was all about acquiring things that ultimately left me lacking, and what I really need is more of YOU.   MAY GOD BLESS  YOU TO LIVE TODAY IN HIM, and not dependant on what only money can buy.   LGLP

THRIVE DEBT vs FREEDOM: MISTAKE or CHOICE?

There should be no poor among you, for the Lord your God will greatly bless you in the land he is giving you as a special possession. ⁵ You will receive this blessing if you are careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today. ⁶ The Lord your God will bless you as he has promised. You will lend money to many nations but will never need to borrow. You will rule many nations, but they will not rule over you.  Deut. 15:4-6

God was preparing His people for a standard and quality of life that they were somewhat unfamiliar with....and that's being debt free.   That was being the lender not the borrower...so He began this chapter with telling them after 7 years any neighbor, brother, or kin that they had loaned money to that they were to release them from that debt.   Never to bring it up again but the debt was to be written off.  The only exception to this rule was that if they person they had loaned money to was a foreigner...they weren't part of the family of faith so they weren't under the law as the Israelites were.

Now many if not all of  us have been in the position of our backs being against the wall....due to bad decisions that led us into debt.   But the question is what are you going to do about it?  It's amazing after any preached message or counsel from _______________________ (you fill in the blank) that we are all left with a decision to make.   Understanding that you can't make the same mistake twice, because the first time you make the decision that it yields a mistake, the next time if you choose the same path again...it's now a choice because you knew from the last time it yielded an short sided pay-off.   So here we are left with God's standard....that amongst HIS PEOPLE there would be NO POOR among them because He's a provider of blessings on top of blessings if we are careful (meaning diligent...obedient) to follow His word. 

So is your back to you past...or is it against the wall because you are faced with _______________________ (fill in the blank your sin, your debt, your bad decisions, your......) the simple solution is simply to turn around....and take the hand of JESUS CHRIST so He can walk you out and through the mess called your life.....so that you can begin to experience the abundant life He promises to those that obey His word.   Your choice........LGLP

THRIVE: 3 P's to GENEROSITY

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. ¹¹ I will rebuke the devourer^[a] for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. ¹² Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.  Mal. 3:10-12

I remember growing up we got to an age where we thought there were certain things we could get away with.  Not stealing or nothing like that...but literally testing my mom's patience and intelligence on things.   Like she worked irregular very long hours, so we just knew she wouldn't know if we were outside playing, or that by the time she got home she'd be to tired to care about the condition of the kitchen or our rooms........boyyyyyy were we ever wrong.   She always knew...and she was never too tired to wake us up and "aggressively force" us our of our sleep to get up to do what we were supposed to do.

GOD, on the other hand isn't going to aggressively force us out of our debt, or lack of giving circumstances.....nope....we do that with our own choices in concert with the terrorism of the enemy.  GOD simply says TEST ME.....but HE totally plans to blow your mind.   So how do we begin to do that....how can we get from not giving, to consistently giving, to scripturally giving, to living generously before the Lord?  Here are the 3 P's:

First you have to make giving to GOD a PRIORITY!  See if when you make money, get a check, etc....you think of it like LET ME take care of ME (treating yourself, paying some bills....cause many people don't pay them all....someone is always short) and then I'll see what's left and GIVE to GOD.   This is totally backwards.   GOD has to be the first you bless....and you have to do it this way!  He's the one that provided you with the job, that keeps you healthy, and ultimately blesses you with the ability to produce wealth.

Secondly you have to follow His plan on what PERCENTAGE is a starting point.  10%...notice in Malachi it doesn't say bring what you want, and watch me......no it says bring the TITHE which is 10% and then it's followed with a promise.  If a bank tells you there's a certain amount needed to open an account, you can't just give them less than what the starting point is and open the account.  Plus in giving to GOD the goal should never be to GET from Him, actually He's given too much to us already....and like grateful children to their parent we should long to bless GOD back for all He's done and provided for us.

Lastly your giving should be PROGRESSIVE....in other words for those of you that are TITHERS already.....what would it take for you to say...." GOD deserves more?  If He owns it all, and He entrusts a portion of it to you, then you produce more....." How much of what He's blessed you with should you, or do you NEED to keep?"   A few years ago they changed the standard amount for tipping your waiter/waitress.......some are faithful to tip them appropriately....but does your server get more than your GOD?

Giving for many of us presents challenges, but I'd rather face those challenges than the ones I'm left with when GOD isn't with me, and my giving doesn't reflect my devotion to Him.  It doesn't stop at finances folks...that's just a starting point....how much is your home (that He blessed you with) is used for ministry?  When was the last time you used your car to transport someone home, or carried a meal to a family in need?  What do you do at you place of worship, or are you JUST a consumer?  We are called to be worshippers...and that includes more than singing, dancing, and or lifting our hands....but rather we'd be the SALT and LIGHT...and the more of yourself you give, the more of HIM THEY SEE!  JUST GIVE UP, and GIVE!  LGLP

THRIVE: THINKING OF THE MASTER'S PLAN

Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions.

⁹ You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. ¹⁰ Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. ¹¹ I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. ¹² Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.   Mal. 3:8-12

 

While this is a funny or comical picture, how we treat God in relation to our finances and blessings isn't funny at all.  It's actually shameful.   It's like your kid refusing to share with you their parent.  It's like an employee unwilling to share with their boss.  It's really the creation saying to the creator....NO!

 

So we have today this section of scripture that has been used over and over again to drive home the point and challenge that we are supposed to trust GOD with a small portion of our finances.   The odd thing  is....the majority of "said" BELIEVERS/CHRIST FOLLOWERS and I emphasize SAID don't consistently give to GOD or His Kingdom's causes on Earth, yet we wonder why our communities are the way they are.   It's been said that people don't plan to fail, but they fail to plan.  This is us......no teenager says I want a job, so I can go into debt....but many if not all of us end up there.   WHY?  Because we don't include GOD in our finances, nor do we go into working with the mindset of blessing GOD with our finances.   We really think....ITS OUR MONEY...that it belongs to us....totally forgetting that WE PRAYED FOR THIS JOB, that GOD BLESSED US WITH.  So it wasn't really us that got the job....but rather GOD's favor that allowed us to be hired for the job.  So we owe Him thanks for that, and what better way to show our thankfulness by investing in His desires to be able to serve the community through our giving/bringing a gift.   This is what it means to have meat in His storehouse......the local church should be the food pantry, but they can't....because people come to churches to consume...instead of to bring a blessing.   This is why there was no needs unmet in the Acts 2 church.   They realized in their hearts that God deserved so much more than just a 10% gift. 

 

 

The MASTER'S PLAN was for us to be blessed, not cursed.  His plan was for us to be the lenders, not the borrowers.   His plan was that He'd bless us, and out of gratitude we'd want to give to Him, others in need, and any cause that furthered His will.  But what has happened is that we have become more selfish/stingy and it's killing us......a large percentage of Americans/Christians are in financial debt, and some are even in crisis not because of the economy, or the gov't....but rather because of our selfishness.   Unless we learn to give to GOD first....our finances will continue to be under a curse, so I close with....whose plan are you on?  I'm blessed (and you know this)......and I have some debt that I'm resolving through Godly principles.   I'd hate to be cursed and have debt, not working a Godly plan.  LGLP

 

 

 

THRIVE: INVOLVING GOD in YOUR FINANCES is GOOD

You must set aside a tithe of your crops—one-tenth of all the crops you harvest each year. ²³ Bring this tithe to the designated place of worship—the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored—and eat it there in his presence. This applies to your tithes of grain, new wine, olive oil, and the firstborn males of your flocks and herds. Doing this will teach you always to fear the Lord your God.   (Deut. 14:22-23)

Remember as a kid finding loose change, or making a buck with the paper route, cutting some lawns, babysitting, or doing extra chores?  Anyone have a piggy bank?   I remember the principle of saving, but it was always with a goal in mind.   Maybe I was saving to be able to buy any toy I wanted.   Maybe I was saving to have money to go on the next school field trip.....but as well as I could've been saving for things....I begin to see no value in that, and rather defaulted to the risk of carrying it on my person, you know in my pocket.   Now in my pocket, I was armed and dangerous with a dollar or more....especially at the corner store.   I also remember times of losing that same money simply by being a careless kid, and being haunted by the words of my mother " put it in the bank, or in drawer, or let me hold it so you won't lose it....." meanwhile kicking myself for not listening.

Moses had been with the Lord, and the Lord instructed him to communicate to the people that He desired that they would bring tithe, a tenth of what He's blessed them to be able to produce to the place of worship.  The purpose in this was two fold, it was to be a storehouse for those that came in need, as well as it spoke to the devotion to GOD, of the person bringing to God.   Whether you bring/give to GOD says a lot about your relationship with Him.  If you give Him your first, then that communicates His priority in your life.....you give special attention to the things that mean the most in your life.....that's the way we are wired.   If you care about your car...you take it to the car wash, or you detail it yourself.   If you care about yourself you spend countless dollars and time doing things that make you feel & look good.   If you care about God, you are constantly listening to His direction and pouring yourself out for his name sake.

The truth is.....when we do finances on our own, I don't care who you are, or how much you make...you are no different than me as a little boy with his money in his pocket, going outside to play.  You will be more likely to spend it frivolously, invest it foolishly,  or lose it accidentally......but when you involve God in your finances......He protects you from really the worse case scenario....because He is the best insurance policy for your financial future.  I'm reminded of a few scriptures that have been proven time and time again in my life:

Proverbs 37:25  Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.

Malachi 3:10-12  Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! ¹¹ Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. ¹² “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

If you know me....you know me to be blessed....and that's essentially a byproduct of my decision to make Him first......in every area of my life....and while I may stumble in areas.....I've decided to involve GOD in not just my finances....but in every area of my life....even when it comes down to relationships.   I pray that you will decide today, to stop trying to handle your finances alone, and trust, TEST GOD to see what He can and will do when you include Him first.   May GOD bless you today with more of Him!  LGLP

THRIVE: WHAT TO WORRY ABOUT?

Then the Lord said to Elijah, ⁹ “Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you.”
¹⁰ So he went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, “Would you please bring me a little water in a cup?” ¹¹ As she was going to get it, he called to her, “Bring me a bite of bread, too.”

¹² But she said, “I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”

¹³ But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son.  1Kings 17:8-13



You know we are all on a journey...and each one begins with a step.   That step can be filled with faith where there is literally an adventure & a degree of uncertainty.  Or it can be filled with fear, where there are few steps if any; each leaves you riddled with anxiety & doubt.   Elijah had been in both scenarios and knew to trust the Lord.   He's instructed to go to a certain city, to meet a certain woman ( a widow), that would feed him.  Now he didn't know she would be wrestling with fears....but he was able to encourage her to trust the Lord, because he didn't know what it meant to be a widow, but he knew what it meant to feel like you were at the end of your rope.

As a child of a single parent, my mom did well to inform us of what we didn't need to be worried about.   See as a single mom, she worried about bills, about providing for us, about our security, etc, etc.    But she knew that we didn't need to worry about things we couldn't do anything about.  What could I do to change the fact child support wasn't in, or late?  What could my brother or sister do about a disconnection notice?  If there was more month left than money....what could we do?  NOTHING....so even as an adult....but CHILD OF GOD....there are certain things I need to simply surrender to GOD, instead worrying about them.....especially those things I can't do anything about.  So what do I currently worry about????  I could say nothing....but I'd be lying to say I'm never concerned about how are people really doing?  I'd be lying if I'm not concerned about am I delivering the message GOD wants for His people.  I'd be lying if I'm never concerned about am I doing a good job at____________________________(you name it; pastoring, friendships, marriage, parenting, bbqing...well maybe not that one).  Look friends, worry visits me too....I just don't entertain it, because I hear the Spirit echoing through eternity "DO NOT FEAR, DON'T BE AFRAID, TRUST ME, BE STRONG & COURAGEOUS, I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU nor FORSAKE YOU."

See as I stated before we are all on a journey, and maybe you don't know the Lord's voice that well, and it's hard for you to discern His voice amidst all the others ones running through your head or competing for shelf space but God has set up THIS day that you'd meet certain people.   That you'd be coming in contact with someone that may encourage you, or that you were sent to encourage them.....and that GOD would be glorified through that meeting.



So the questions is.....WHICH ARE YOU?  Are you Elijah who has a testimony of being fearful, doubtful, wrestling with depression & despair that was delivered and can now encourage those that are currently the down in out in need of the GOOD NEWS?  Or are you feeling like all is lost?  Are you like the widow gathering your last, thinking that this is it....today is the day, you can't take it anymore?  WHICHEVER you are.....GOD has a plan, you need not worry, because His plan is perfect and it's to prosper us, to give us a hope, and a future WITH HIM!  May GOD bless you, and every FAITH-filled step you take today to intersect with those He's planned for you to meet.  LGLP

THRIVE: FEAR vs FAITH

Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Matt. 10:28

It's been long theorized and characterized that the largest land mammal the elephant was afraid, fearful of one of the smallest creatures, the mouse.    Never really considering the truth of the matter that Elephants in captivity (circus, zoo, etc) are exposed to conditions in which mice are found all in the hay and often the sharing the same space....so where did this come from and why has it continue to be perpetuated......entertainment effects? 

As you think about this and come to this feeling of ridiculousness that elephants would be petrified of mice.....make the leap of FAITH, that we too are fearful of a few ridiculous things.  False Evidence Appearing to be Real (F.E.A.R) such as many of our phobias....when you really stop to think about it we probably, most likely FEAR the wrong things.  Jesus says to His audience " don't fear those who can do you bodily harm...." in other words bill collectors, car jackers, drug dealers, the monsters of our world"........don't fear them.....don't live in such a that it paralyzes you from doing what it is God is calling you to do.  But fear the one who is able to destroy your soul & body.




We know people who are afraid to fly, and we think that's ridiculous.   We know people who are afraid of all dogs, and we think that's ridiculous.   We know people afraid of ___________________ and we think that's ridiculous....but what is it that you are afraid of that others, God included, think is ridiculous and what is it keeping your from doing; THRIVING...living life fully alive and engaged?  What part of you holding back of you, because of your fear of what others may think, or say......are you living by FAITH or in FEAR?

Simple question are you living life fully engaged, no fear, or are you stuck in a rut because of your fear(s)?   I pray you BOLDLY TRUST GOD, and submit your fears to the cross and LIVE MORE ABUNDANTLY TODAY!  LGLP 

THRIVE: PRACTICE & FOCUS will KEEP You on a Gratitude JOURNEY

¹⁹ And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God.  Ecc. 5:19

¹⁸ Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1Thess. 5:18

I'm sure by now you've been asked or either you've asked somebody " How are you today...?" and I am equally as sure as you've gotten your mixed bag of responses from fine, to pretty good, to same ol' same, blessed....to even the notorious "What's so good about it...?"but I ask yous....How are you today?

There are many places you can go with that question and some of you maybe asking "Do you really wanna know????" and I say yes, only to know how to either join you in prayer or join you in the celebration of the joy of the opportunity to see another day!  Yes, if you know me I'm oozing with excitement that God woke me another day, filled with the singular purpose of making Him famous through where I choose to eat, work, visit, rest, be entertained....whatever I'm doing today should not change my ability to humble myself see where it is God is taking me.

So maybe you are struggling with an illness, or someone else's, or finances, or relationships...whatever it is can you stop the negative locomotive, long enough to count your blessings?  Can you take the focus off of you long enough to say THANK YOU LORD FOR___________________.  The danger is we can waste this day wishing it was different totally missing the present God has given us.  So email, text, facebook, communicate your love and appreciation for God, and the people He's placed in your life, so that ultimately He will be glorified and that you will be blessed in all circumstances!  Happy FRIDAY, have a great weekend and LGLP!

THRIVE: The Sin Within; Comparison

Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!  2Cor. 10:12 

It starts off very early....maybe your parents compared you to another sibling...you know " I wish you could or would be more like......"   Then you go off to school and what kid doesn't ask " What did you do this weekend, or what did your mom make you for lunch, or what did you score on your test???"

Then we grow up and we are launched into a world that it's all about comparison....you date and hate comparison....but we all do it.   "She cooked better than, he was more considerate than....nobody does it like my mom, etc" the list of comparing and comparisons go on an on, and what it communicates is devaluing of a person based on somebody else.   We all hate being compared to someone else simply because we are not that person, we are a uniquely crafted creations of God, that is already handicapped with sin, hurts, habits, and hang ups that all really just want to make an enjoyable life.

Pastors can even get sucked into this.....when churches are compared.   When style of teaching/preaching are compared.  When worship styles and preferences are heralded over the simplicity of is the WORD being taught?   We feed that by our comments and compliments and it's sad to say that we, the church, become like the World in comparing something as sacred as worship.  The truth is this...Paul said it's ignorant....that we shouldn't do it....and we all do.....and the question is will you be more consciously aware to begin to try to reign it back.....cause stopping it maybe in and of itself almost impossible....but reducing it.....is a start. 

You know yesterday I talked about the American Idolater...and I can't help as I write this think of the American Idol how it's all about comparing.....asking myself instead of saying "he's/he's better than....why not just say they were both very talented, but I connected with this one."  Which acknowledges the value of them both. 





 You know me.....I enjoy many things and even I' have gotten sucked into comparing something as ridiculous as BBQ (rarely will I turn it down) and at the end of the day....I love BBQ period!  But I love GOD and People way more!  If I have ever dishonored any of you by comparing you to someone else please forgive me and pray that we could all GROW UP, and learn to appreciate each other as fearfully, and wonderfully made individuals of God!  LGLP

THRIVE: The American Idolater

So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.  Col. 3:5

If there is one thing I can say...is that we as Americans are so all about OURSELVES.   We are all about OUR rights, OUR causes, OUR beliefs....OUR, OUR, OUR and as believers there are certain aspects about us that need to be put to rest......eternal rest.   Paul here tells us that we need to put to death the carnal things or thinking in us....which all point to our bend towards fulfilling our selfish desires.   We as people, and as a culture are mass producers of Idols, and they are many.....guns, drugs, pleasure edifices, cars, homes, you name it...and we can make it an Idol...even a whole TV Show....and Paul says we should put such things to death.

He even turns a corner to say to us in all of our getting......that we aren't to be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshipping the things of this world.   So my challenge to you is.....what is it that you Idolize?  What is it that you post about that tells the truth about the condition of your heart?

My prayer is that each one of you takes an honest look into the mirror, and even look at your timeline to see what is it, if anything, that you need to have a funeral about today?  Because in verses 6-7 it says Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.⁷ You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. ⁸ But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.

So is this statement TOTALLY true about you...that you " used to do these things" or do you really still do them which is the very reason people don't go to want to go to your church, or find your Jesus, or your style of living attractive..........   I remember being a young college kid and gathering with some dear friends (all of which were either believers or new believers) to have a movie night.   We thought we could enjoy some old laughs....so we rented Eddie Murphy RAW because we all remember enjoying it so much in are younger years.   So we got some pizza, went to Blockbuster and rented only to put in the tape (yes I said tape VCR) only to find ourselves appalled at the vulgar content....to which led us to taking it back, only left wondering.....what changed......our hearts did.    He gave you His grace and this day for reason......let's DO WHAT NEEDS TO GET DONE!  LGLP

THRIVE: MORE MONEY MORE PROBLEMS

The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!   ¹² People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep.  Eccl. 5:11-12



Some of you see this picture and dream, " If only..." and I say "thank you Lord for what I have that you've blessed (entrusted) me with.  I pray I'm honoring you with it....."
Ever watch those shows where they follow up on the folks who've actually won the lottery, and discover how horribly more money has caused them more grief, and you say to yourself......" That wouldn't be me?"  The truth is the truth!  Solomon was the richest, and wisest of kings, and if anyone knew about the downfall of the pursuit of happiness through the acquisition of things, he did!

The more you have the more you worry about.   We've all left town, concerned about our stuff...some to the extent we've hired house sitters, or pay for home security systems.  Some folks can't sleep because they are worried about___________________(always something you can't control).   Solomon said we actually have to hire people to help you spend it: Can someone say investment specialist or accountants?  When you are broke you don't have any extra to give people.   Some of us are so consumed with our stuff....we have this storage bill.....really you are paying someone to keep stuff you don't even use?   

Wanting more creates conflicts....James 4:1 hit the nail on the head when he asked:  What is causing the quarrels and fights among you?   It's always because we want our own way and we are led by our own evil desires.   When was the last time you fought because you and your spouse, co-worker, best friend, or neighbor because you both wanted GOD's will?  RIGHT, it's because you wanted them to do or see things YOUR way........so depending on what it is you are actually in pursuit of today, will greatly affect what type of day you will have (inside or outside your home).

So what is it that you are in pursuit of?   Is it a better paying job? Then my question to you would be why and if your answer is to make more money, my response is I'll be praying for you.   Is it that you are actually in pursuit for a companion?  Then my response to that would be: I'm praying that your relationship with God is an intimate love affair, because without GOD no marriage will be what it could be.   If your pursuit is for fame, my response for that is REALLY?  It's (this life) is so not about you, but what you do with it to leave an impact on those around you.   

 If you want my honest opinion the pursuit of happiness is one of the most ridiculous rat races ever penned.   Why settle for something as temporal and cheap as happiness, when you can have joy which is eternal and unconditional?  Pursue the will of GOD for your life, and start by simply loving God, and loving people my tag line LGLP!  Have a blessed day! 

THRIVE: Working Yourself to Death? NOT!

Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich.  Be wise enough to know when to quit. 
Proverbs 23:4

Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich;  restrain yourself!  Riches disappear in the blink of an eye; wealth sprouts wings and flies off into the wild blue yonder. MSG (23:4-5)


Complete this sentence:  " I wish/pray I had more_____________________________."  Now depending on what you placed in the blank or popped in your mind, are you really content without that?   Or is that what you are working for.  Is that literally what you are living, exhausting yourself for?

In the book " It All Goes Back In The Box," John Ortberg takes us down the journey of Western civilization living and greed where we spend our lives attempting to acquire things, or pay off the debt from the things we've acquired......never really given consideration that this game called life will some day end, and like a physical board game........when it's over: it all goes back in the box.

Solomon having lived a life where he too chased after all the wrong things, thinking that it would reward him with happiness or contentment, only to realize it's all vanity/selfishness/empty living.

So you are now at work by now, or preparing to leave the home........I simply ask are you truly living or working yourself to death?  If you are living you are excited about today, and all the impregnated possibilities that God has planned in advance for you.   But if you are in the majority; working yourself to death, you weren't that thrilled about today, and as a matter of fact you may have even said you needed another day off, because you failed to rest and enjoy what God has provided you with.   The Message version states it plainly "restrain yourself," (pacing is important in any race) why because none of us are promised tomorrow, and working my fingers through the bone or until I'm dog tired.....that's not living/thriving......that's surviving.  

Famous quote of the week....." Even if you win the rate race, at the end race, you're still a rat!"   Who wants to be eulogized as a rat?  LGLP

UNLEASHED L.O.T.E. : Do You Have A Heart for GOD's Mission: the World

As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” ³⁸ He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

³⁹ When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰ Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea.  Acts 8:37-40

So here's what we know....Philip didn't aspire to be anything more than what God created/ordained him to be.   He was content with serving tables as a deacon, as well as speaking to crowds about the Gospel, as well as he was very willing to GO wherever GOD's spirit desired him to be.  He was definitely an admirable, powerful, and humble follower of Jesus Christ.    We find him concluding his journey with the Ethiopan Eunuch with baptism.   Notice how it didn't matter the color of skin, the region they were from vs his.....mattered NOTHING to Philip...no barrier beit cultural, political, etc. hindered his ability to keep the MAIN thing the MAIN thing.  Which brings me to this:

Matthew 24:12 says "Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold."  While I know sin is rampant everywhere.....not in a few places or just in congress, or the white house...it's in YO HOUSE (I know....your...get over yourself long enough to see where I'm going) and the most critical part of this passage is that " the love of many will grow cold."  This is distressing, because many could mean a variety of people groups, one of which possibly could be Christians.  

For instance, complete this sentence (if you can) I CAN'T STAND_____________________!  Now unless what goes in that blank is SATAN or SIN, everything else may go against the very reason CHRIST was sent, died, and rose again for.   My fear is that MANY of us, our hearts have grown cold toward the very things, the very people that GOD SO LOVED, and sent His Son to die for.   Philip heart wasn't cold at all.......he went wherever God sent him, and his mission didn't change: WITNESSING.......but what about you?  Can you fill that blank with a name, a people group, etc. and justify it....then tell me Jesus came for everybody but..........  

 My prayer for you.....drop the associations with divisive groups, allow the WORD to create in you a clean heart and renew a right spirit in you, and rather take up the blood stained banner....L.O.T.E (Live on the edge), on mission to seek, serve, share (your testimony)and allow CHRIST and His WORD to save those which are lost.   LGLP