Recalibrated

““I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.

When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!

So the Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning. For now he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.”

Job 42:2, 10, 12 NLT

Job, a man who was taken through hell and back. Job is the man we use as an example when things go wrong in people’s life to make us feel better. You lost something, remember Job did too. Sick, look at Job. Tired just look at Job. We us this and the ending of Jobs life to encourage ourselves and others to keep pushing and to keep praising God. Let’s talk about what Job had to do after his frustration and his cries and his yelling matches with God. Knowing he wanted to give it all up and throw in the towel. Job never did. Faith low and mind blown. At the end of the day Job still had to submit to his authority and power. At the end he had to repent. At the end he still had to reverence how great he was. This was before he received anything. Just been crushed by satan and argued with God. Now it’s time to recalibrate our thinking.

HERE IT IS…

We ask God and expect every year for God to do something amazing in our life. We want God to set us apart and do things we have never seen before, but we always miss the step in between. We seem to forget how he had and has done that. We seem to forget how many times we called him out. How many times things has happen and we go against God in anguish. It’s time to recalibrate. When you recalibrate yo have to take the item to the manufacturer and let them break it down and place the settings back to where they were to get the best performance. It’s time for us to get recalibrated so that God can get the best performance out of us. Repent, pray for people around you, and be blessed.

Enemy number 1

““You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.”

Matthew 5:43-45 NLT

How do you love someone that won’t love you back? How do you show love to someone who wants to make sure you fall? Love is already hard enough when you have someone who wants to love you. Now I am asked to love those who hurt, abuse, accuse, me? Why? What will it change? What will it do to help me? Questions we all have wondered at one time or another. Thoughts that have crossed our mind different times and stages of our lives. Points in our life where we met this crossroad with uncertainty. Good makes it clear through his son Jesus. Love the ones that persecute you also.

HERE IT IS…

I believe this is one of the reasons why. At some point or place in your life you may be the enemy. You may be that person that some one feels that you don’t love them, or hate on them, or don’t want them to succeed. There are countless stories of Jesus loving everyone, in the same way, there are stories of people saying that Jesus was the enemy. That he was not the son of God. Even said that he was possessed. In all his ways and miracles Jesus shielded love through his life even down to being crucified by the same people that he was trying to save. In the end those same people ended up getting saved because they knew that he had done no wrong to any of them. Your love may not be seen now, but just keep doing it because in the end they will see it and your life through love could save them.

Don’t fear

I prayed to the Lord , and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Fear the Lord , you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need.

Psalms 34:4,9 NLT

“Fear is not real. The only place that fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future. It is a product of our imagination, causing us to fear things that do not at present and may not ever exist. That is near insanity. Do not misunderstand me danger is very real but fear is a choice.”-Will Smith

Such a awesome statement and something that is true. We choose what we are going to fear. We have the choice even in the ability to fear God. However, with fear and reverence comes admiration and love.

HERE IT IS…

David tells just what fearing the Lord will do for us. In our life we will have things we are fearful about, but when we take our cars to God he will free us from having to be fearful about them. We often times hold on to things longer than we should even when God has freed us from them. With gd we have nothing to fear. With God we have no reason to fear. With God all things will work for our good.

Trust in the Lord

But I am trusting you, O Lord , saying, “You are my God!”
Psalms 31:14 NLT

One of my favorite hymns is the song, “I will trust in the Lord, I will trust in the Lord, I will trust in the Lord till I die…”. That song brings up alot of great memories of my old church back in Illinois. It also reminds me of my mother on Sunday mornings, cooking breakfast and setting the atmosphere for us. A life lesson that I have learned from this song is just what the lyrics say. To trust in the Lord. To not only ask Him for things and pray our troubles away, but to trust in the plan he has for you. How do you trust in a plan that you can’t see, hear, touch, visually be able to have the plans in your hand?

HERE IT IS…

Praise the Lord , for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love. He kept me safe when my city was under attack. In panic I cried out, “I am cut off from the Lord !” But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help. Love the Lord , all you godly ones! For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him, but he harshly punishes the arrogant. So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord !

Psalms 31:21

24 NLT

Has he kept you thus far?
Has he been making a way for you?
Providing
Protecting
Provisions
Well if HE be for you, then who can be against you?
Nobody greater

Time and timing

“Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”

John 2:4 NLT

One of the things dont like is to be late because of someone else. Or someone is trying to rush me because of they’re own issues. If I’m late because of me, it’s my fault I can take responsibility for that. Being late because someone else was not ready, or lost track of time, or something in they’re control bugs me. The time was set. You knew what time to be ready. You knew what time I was coming. Yet you were not ready and decided to take your time as if you dont know we have to go.

HERE IT IS…

Dont get made at God when your the one that’s late showing up. Dont mad at God when you are trying to rush him and he tells you to wait. Truth is there was/is times where God is waiting on you and your the one who decided you weren’t ready. Then when he has to make you wait because you missed the opportunity you get mad. Dont be so quick to try and rush God. Your timing is not his timing. He will do just what he said he would do. What I have realized just like the people at the wedding in this scripture is that, waiting on God is when I know that whatever he is about to do is going to better than I expected. It’s not your timing, it’s his. Just wait patiently…

Sun shine

God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

John 1:3-5 NLT

I watched an experiment on plants the other day that fascinated me. The experiment was that they took 2 plants that are equally the same and grew them side by side. The difference in the experiment was that one was on one part of the room and the other was on the other half. One was by a window the other shaded. Both received the same amount and type of water. One was spoken to daily in a uplifting way and the other was spoken to daily in a negative way. Even though they had the same opportunity the one in the shaded part of the room and spoken to negative, It did not grow as bountiful as the other.

HERE IT IS…

Everything was created through Christ but we all dont recieve the same environment. The word (Christ through God) gave us life, however it is the word that we recieve that gives us strength to grow the way we need and should. Sometimes we can be like that plant and be in a shaded area of life, but fail to realize that the sun reaches even the shaded areas. Just because we don’t have the light shined on us doesn’t mean we don’t reap the benefits. Sometimes we have to be shaded or hidden for protection. Sometimes we have to be go through a shaded period so that when we are allowed to get to the sun(son) we don’t think we got there alone. Sometimes we are late bloomers to protect us from what we could have went through if we had what we receive when he shines upon us. He is always there just know your time is coming.

Sun shine

God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

John 1:3-5 NLT

I watched an experiment on plants the other day that fascinated me. The experiment was that they took 2 plants that are equally the same and grew them side by side. The difference in the experiment was that one was on one part of the room and the other was on the other half. One was by a window the other shaded. Both received the same amount and type of water. One was spoken to daily in a uplifting way and the other was spoken to daily in a negative way. Even though they had the same opportunity the one in the shaded part of the room and spoken to negative, It did not grow as bountiful as the other.

HERE IT IS…

Everything was created through Christ but we all dont recieve the same environment. The word (Christ through God) gave us life, however it is the word that we recieve that gives us strength to grow the way we need and should. Sometimes we can be like that plant and be in a shaded area of life, but fail to realize that the sun reaches even the shaded areas. Just because we don’t have the light shined on us doesn’t mean we don’t reap the benefits. Sometimes we have to be shaded or hidden for protection. Sometimes we have to be go through a shaded period so that when we are allowed to get to the sun(son) we don’t think we got there alone. Sometimes we are late bloomers to protect us from what we could have went through if we had what we receive when he shines upon us. He is always there just know your time is coming.

In the beginning

He existed in the beginning with God.

John 1:2 NLT

Do you remember what is was like in the beginning? Do you remember where you were in the beginning? What did your beginning look like? What was your mindset in the beginning? All valid questions if we just look back over our life to the beginning and see where, from who, how, what, when he has brought you from. Our beginnings may not look the same. Our beginnings may not have the same story line. We may not have even started from the bottom in the beginning. The truth is we all had and have a bottom or beginning we came from. Even though my beginnings are different than yours, I praise God for you and me that we are no longer at our beginning.

HERE IT IS…

The scripture says “He existed in the beginning. “. Even though your beginning may have not been good, he existed and was there. Even if your beginning looked to be alone, he existed and was there. Just because your beginning started off rough, he existed and was there. It is my belief that even in the beginning where God started from he existed in your beginning where you started from. The great thing that I love about God is that where he started our beginning he was there, however, he created your end before he started your beginning. He knew where to put you in the end, even before the beginning of your story started. It started rough. It was hard to get going. It was tough being alone. It may have been the bottom. But in the the beginning he existed to create your end. It’s not over, keep pushing.

Jesus is his name

“And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:”

Matthew 1:21-22 NLT

When I was younger I asked my mom how and who named me. When I asked she looked confused a little wondering why this you d child would ask such a question. I asked because I wanted to know why I was named Justin. Was there a significant meaning? Was I named after anyone in our family? Why no one else had a name like mine. Knowing as a child I wanted to be like my father and my brother, I wanted to be the III, but she did something different with me. Why? What would make me so different? Why would I be name something other than my father’s name?

HERE IT IS…

Mary didn’t have a choice what to name her child because of who his father was. He couldn’t be Joseph Jr. because he was not from Joseph. He couldn’t be named after anyone else because he was not from them either. Even though he could not be named God Jr. he was still of God. His name is wonderful counselor. Prince of peace. The rose of Sharon. The king of kings. He had to have a name that we could call on. Judging wouldn’t work. Your name couldn’t work. It had to be something that created and changed the atmosphere. So his name is Jesus. His name is above every other name. The name you can call on when everyone else is gone. Jesus the only name that you need to know.

Do you know what you prayed for

“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

Luke 11:9 NLT

Be careful what you ask for! A statement made by many and followed by few. We ask for what we want and what we think is good for us, and are persistent at it. The things we need and should be persistent about we give up on. Everybody does it and regrets something they asked for and when received wanted to give it back. Where is the balance? Where is the line that comes into play to know what should be asked for and not? The word of God tells us what to ask and how. It tells us to keep asking and we will get it. Be careful what you ask for.

HERE IT IS…

“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.  Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!

Matthew 6:7-8 NLT

When you pray, pray with the right heart and mind. Pray for what is good and what is right. Be persistent in your prayers. Know that our God has the power to do what is impossible to our human minds. Pray with the faith that God will do it. Pray with the knowing that your God will lead you there. Pray consistently asking for the things to please God and not man. Pray wholeheartedly and watch God do a miraculous work.