Good Morning,
Have you ever felt misplaced in the busy-ness of life? Do you ever find yourself asking, “Where am I in the grand scheme of things?” If so, don’t feel bad. I’ve ministered to hundreds of people who have felt exactly the same way you and I have felt! Even the most charismatic and fascinating people you know, whether in person or superstars of some sort, experience days where they feel isolated from everyone else. Whether you’ve lost yourself in your ministry, job, relationship, and your role as a parent; or simply feel too small to see because the big-ness of life absorbs you. Be encouraged, you are not alone! It doesn’t mean your life is doomed or hopeless and that you will never find yourself again. It simply means you are going through an incubation period and transformation. In fact, it’s not until you are lost in this world can you begin to find your best path.  Realizing you are lost is the first step to living the life you want.  The second step is leaving the life you don’t want.  I admit making a big life change is pretty frightening.  But you know what’s even more chilling?  Regret! While it’s good to know we aren’t alone in this feeling, the question still remains: what should we do when we feel lost and lonely? Well, the first key is not to get “stuck” in your current lost state. Also, understand that everyone deal with a feeling of lost in life at some point.  The second key is using your experiences to grow.  When you apply what you’re learning to your future choices and actions, you move forward not backward.  You become resilient and wiser.  It’s not easy, but it’s sure worth it in the end. May I ask; do you remember the last time you had fun in your life? Do you remember when things felt easy and in the flow? It was likely because you were fully immersed in the fun of the moment. As we grow up, we lose sight of how incredibly amazing and remarkable life can be because we feel weighed down by the responsibilities and mundane parts of life. Today, it’s time to reconnect with what you love and to take action on it. No more excuses or apologies about not having the time, money, resources, babysitter etc.. Make a commitment to do what you love and watch your life change before your very eyes. Set aside a time of exploration.  Go on an adventure. Whether it’s a day trip, a Christian retreat, or a long drive with a friend….. Go out and explore the world. This will not only allow you to tap into the flow, but it will also give you the time and focus to really reconnect with yourself again. You’ll be away from the noise of your regular life and will be able to see and experience the world with fresh eyes. I promise, when you come back you will have far more clarity about where you are going than you had when you started. What kinds of dreams did you have for your life before you lost yourself in the busy-ness of life? What have you since reasoned impossible or improbable because of where you are today? Personally, I grab my journal and reconnect with the dreams I once had and better yet, I come up with some new dreams! Allow me to ask; in a perfect world, what would you love to be, have, or do? What is your soul aching for? Once you reconnect with your dreams, you’ll have the desire and inspiration to begin to take action; and all of a sudden you will have found yourself again. My Friend YOU need to expand your comfort zone. It’s time to get uncomfortable by trying new things and meeting new people. Growth doesn’t happen by staying in your bubble of comfort where everything is familiar. Challenge yourself to do something that is a tad terrifying, yet invigorating. That is what I like to call THE ZONE. It’s the space where you are stretching yourself just enough to continue to grow and evolve. Now, what’s the first thing that came to mind for you? Go do that! Wait, let me be VERY clear….don’t do anything stupid like streaking through your community ha ha! Indecent exposure is a crime!!!!! You have to get quiet before the Lord and listen. You might find this hard to believe, but everyday there are signs, messages, and guideposts that will inspire you to act, but you only notice them if you are open. With all the mind chatter and busy-ness we have these days it can be difficult to recognize the signs that are all around, so it’s important to get quiet and listen to what the Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart. Pay attention to HIS still small voice, the signs on the road, songs on the radio, and the people you meet in the street. There are messengers all around with Divine supernatural guidance to help you move forward on your path. Your key to finding yourself may very well be on a billboard or come to you as a thought in the shower. For example: I had a situation once that made me very angry and I made a decision to really let this person have it. Well I was driving and rehearsing what I was going to say; and suddenly this car moved over in front of me and I noticed a sign on their vehicle that said: “If I blow my cool will I blow my witness?” Yikes! Immediately I went from a feeling of anger to a feeling of gratitude. Oh how He loves us!! So listen up, pay attention, and then follow through on your inspired action. Sometimes the feeling of being lost is all-consuming and you forget that you get to choose what you think and how you feel. You are given a great amount of power to create the life you desire and get the answers you are looking for. You cannot find peace by avoiding life.  Life spins with unexpected changes; so instead of avoiding it, take every change and experience as a challenge for growth.  Either it will give you what you want or it will teach you what the next step is.  Honestly, life is too short to spend at war with yourself. Always do your best.  And realize that “your best” is going to change repeatedly.  And remember that no matter what’s happening, you can efficiently fight the battles of just today. Live just one day at a time – just today – just right here, right now.  Ephesians 3:20 tells us, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”

Let’s pray: “Heavenly Father, I rest in You and I wait for You to work out every situation in my life.  I will mount up on wings just like the eagles, I will run and surely won’t be weary, and I will walk and definitely not faint.  You are the Almighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Creator of the universe and there is no need for me to feel lost or abandoned.  You hold me in the palm of Your hands and possess great plans for my life and I can rest assured with that knowledge. This I pray, in Jesus mighty name, Amen!
 
One Simple Nugget: “From the ends of the earth I call to You when my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I!” Psalm 61:2

​Good Morning,
Have you ever heard the word “Control Freak?” The word control freak is defined as: a person who feels an obsessive need to exercise control over themselves and others and to take command of any situation; is a person who attempts to dictate how everything is done around them. Research shows control freaks are often perfectionist defending themselves against their own inner vulnerabilities or weaknesses in the belief that if they are not in total control they risk exposing themselves once more to childhood anxiety. Such people manipulate and pressure others to change so as to avoid having to change themselves, and use power over others to escape an inner emptiness. When a control freak's pattern is broken, the Controller is left with a terrible feeling of powerlessness ... but feeling their pain and fear brings them back to themselves. In terms of personality-type theory, control freaks are very much the Type A personality, driven by the need to dominate and control. Control Freaks are people who care more than you do about something and won't stop at being pushy to get their way. Does this sound like you or someone you know? What’s funny is control freaks rarely know that they are one. They believe that they are helping people with their "constructive criticism" or taking over a task because "no one else will do it right." They don't see their controlling behaviors as warning signs of what's really going on……their own anxiety has gone into frenzy. Whoa….I think I’m stepping on some toes! Rather than confront their own irrational, illogical, foolish thinking and massage it into more realistic thinking, they attempt to control the situation, usually by trying to control other people. Would you like to know if you're a control freak? If so, here are eight signs for your self-diagnosing pleasure. Oh by the way, I want you to keep in mind that at one point in my life I was forced to use this same information I’m sharing with you. In fact, I have it readily available so I can review it every once in a while ha ha!
1. YOU believe that if someone would change one or two things about themselves, you'd be happier. So you try to "help them" change this behavior by pointing it out, usually over and over.
2. YOU micromanage others to make them fit your (often unrealistic) expectations. You don't believe in imperfection and you don't think anyone else should either.
3. YOU judge others' behavior as right or wrong and passive-aggressively withhold attention until they fall in line with your expectations. Sitting in silent judgment is a master form of control.
4. YOU offer "constructive criticism" as a veiled attempt to advance your own agenda.
5. YOU change who you are or what you believe so that someone will accept you. Instead of just being yourself, you attempt to control others by managing their impression of you.
6. YOU present worst-case scenarios in an attempt to influence someone away from certain behaviors and toward others. This is also called fear mongering.
7. YOU have a hard time with uncertainty and being OK with not knowing something.
8. YOU intervene on behalf of people by trying to explain or dismiss their behaviors to others.
The bottom line is: You believe that if you can change another person's undesirable behavior, then you will be happier or more fulfilled. You make someone else responsible for how you feel. The thing is; you are only responsible for you. The road to better relationships ALWAYS starts with you. Rather than attempt to control everyone else, work on becoming a better version of yourself. Here are some things that my mentors advised me to do:
(A). Be vulnerable with people, but never compromise your self-respect by altering my core beliefs.
(B). Be realistic about your expectations of others. 
(C). Quit the passive-aggressive nonsense…..be direct!
(D). Accept that a large portion of life is laced with unknowns. 
(E). Embrace “healthy” confrontation; it really is sometimes the only thing you can do. 
(F). Take responsibility for your own happiness.
 
Let’s face it; we all know someone who obsessively tries to dictate how we’re supposed to be and feel. They have an opinion about everything; disagree at our risk. They’ll try controlling us by invalidating our emotions if they don’t fit into their rulebook. Controllers often start sentences with, “You know what you need?”…then proceed to tell you ha ha. Whether spouting unsought advice on how you can change or using anger to put you in your place, their comments can range from irritating to abusive. What’s most infuriating about these people is that they usually don’t see themselves as controlling……only right! Controllers are always looking for a power struggle, so try not to sweat the small stuff. Focus on high-priority issues that you really care about rather than bickering about putting the cap on the toothpaste or wiping off the counters. (Those were my issues ha ha)  Matthew 23:4 says, “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.” If you are dealing someone who keeps telling you how to deal with something, politely say, “I value your advice, but I really want to work through this myself.” If you reach a dead end, agree to disagree. Then make the subject off limits.  I guarantee if you work on cultivating your own development instead of trying to control others, healthier relationships will then come to you as a result!
Let’s pray: “Heavenly Father I realize my foundation as a Christian is based on my total dependence on You. In my flesh, I want to control processes and outcomes. I want answers for everything. Knowledge is my friend, uncertainty my foe. Lord, I acknowledge that the “beast of control” has been tamed, but every now and then it lurks its ugly head. Today, I rest in Your sovereignty. I renounce my subtle attempt to be god of my own life. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen!”
One Simple Nugget: “Don’t let something entirely out of your control entirely control you!”
FYI: “Never let someone who adds very little to a relationship, control so much of it!

​Good Morning,
Do you realize if you have acknowledged and accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior that you are now His representative in the earth? Do you get that? YOU ARE Jesus’ representative on this earth right now if you are a born again believer! You have kingdom privileges and you now walk in kingdom authority. Colossians 1:13 says this “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:” The word power is translated “authority.” So this is saying you and I have been delivered from the authority of darkness and placed into God’s kingdom. So this world and the enemy have no authority over us, we have been delivered from it! But we must know and accept we have! Jesus said in Matthew 28:18 “All authority has been given unto Me in heaven and in earth. That power was given to you and me as part of our inheritance in Christ Jesus. We have entered into this position of authority because we are in Him. Jesus succeeded in acquiring all power by going to the cross, dying, rising again and defeating Satan in the pit of hell! He came to this earth and took on the form of man for one reason: to take back the authority Satan had embezzled through Adam’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden. After Jesus secured that power and authority, Jesus liberally gave it over into the hands of those who would believe on Him……you and me. It is very important that we know and understand this power we have been given. Our words are to be words of faith and God expects us to know our authority, speak with our authority, and walk in our authority. It is not enough for us to merely accept the magnificent work Jesus did at Calvary. We are held accountable for so much more. Mark 16:15-18 conveys when Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection from the dead. It was at that time that He passed on the authority to carry out this work. Jesus said: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” My friend, this is a beautiful description of the authority Jesus has given to us! Do you see yourself as a representative of the kingdom? If not, why? God sees you in Christ, in His image. Romans 8:29 tells us God predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son. God sees you and me through the blood of the covenant. On the inside, we are the image of Jesus. As born-again believers, we have authority and we are in His image. Praise God! Hallelujah! I want you to spend some time deliberating on the fact that when God looks at you, He sees Jesus! This will give you a mental picture so you can begin to see yourself as God sees you! You must know AND accept the authority you have been given so you will be able to go to the throne of grace boldly as Hebrews 4:16 says you can. You have permission and authority to go to God’s throne BOLDLY and ask! Thank you Jesus! Listen; if you do not know what you have how do you take it? Keep in mind God is looking at you through the blood covenant. He looks at the inside of a man (upon the heart). I’m not talking about the blood pumping heart; this is the spirit of a man I’m speaking of. And when our spirit has been reconstructed by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior God sees you in Christ, in His image. We must begin seeing ourselves as God sees us – in Christ, having authority – and we need to start walking in and exercising that authority! The devil wants us believing we are defeated; but we have a Heavenly Father and a Savior who gave us power and authority and He wants us to use this power and authority now in this earth to take back from the devil what He has stolen from us. Child of God, what has been stolen from you? Is it health, finances, relationships, peace, joy? The good news is: Everything the devil has stolen from you, you have a right to, but it is YOUR responsibility to take authority over the enemy and not allow him to rip you off ANYMORE! Ephesians 1:21-23 tells us ALL things are under Jesus’ feet. Since you are a part of the body of Christ, all things are under your feet, too! Glory! Glory! But you have to know that, and say it, and stand on it for it to happen! The same spiritual qualities and the same authority inside Jesus are inside you. My Goodness, I am totally enjoying writing this morning’s letter! Ephesians 1:3 says you have already been blessed with all spiritual blessings because you are seated with Him in heavenly places. The word blessed is not just a weak, religious statement where we say, “Oh I am blessed.” To be God-blessed means you are empowered, authorized and sanctioned by Almighty God Himself to prosper and succeed. It means you are endowed by the Holy Spirit to be exceedingly, exceptionally, extraordinarily happy with life and joy in spite of any circumstances! The Name of Jesus is still as powerful today as it was when Peter spoke it to the crippled man in Acts 3:1-8! This Name; the Name of Jesus is a weapon to use to enforce Satan’s defeat. Satan was already defeated by Jesus, Satan knows that. But he is hoping to keep you so confused, fearful, sick, and broke, hurt emotionally so that YOU won’t know the power and authority you have! He wants you to look at your circumstance and not trust the Word of God! He wants to keep you from learning God’s Word for yourself because when you do- you are going to learn that there are things promised to you that you were unaware you can have here on this earth! I better close on that statement!!!!!
Let’s pray: “Heavenly Father, I know YOU can do anything; and YOU are totally unlimited. I also know I can walk in authority in YOUR Name because I am YOUR representatives. I see myself in Christ, as part of His Body, with everything under my feet. Instead of ignoring problems, I WILL rise up with authority and conquer them with the authority YOU have given me. In Jesus Mighty Name I pray, Amen!”
 
One Simple Nugget: “God reveals His glory in the lives of those who trust in Him!”
 
Keep this in mind: “The most common way people give up their power is my thinking they don’t have any!” Alice Walker 

​Good Morning,
I greet you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord. I urge you to focus on the Word of God today. Spend some time reading about Him and His mighty works. Proverbs 3:1-8 says, “My son, do not forget my teachings, but let your heart keep my commandments; for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn from evil. It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.” I encourage you to read the Bible as if God is speaking directly to you…because He is! Give it a try!  Starting today, read some of the Scriptures and simply observe what your responsibility is in order for the benefit or promise of God to be realized or "activated." Don’t try to go overboard, keep it simple. It will still be profound and convicting because it is God's pure word. I want you to let the Scriptures speak for themselves and guard against subjective or personal thoughts. Stay in your lane and look at what the text is actually saying. I had to learn it is only when we allow God's Spirit to speak directly to us through the Word that we are able to determine what He meant when He inspired these anointed chosen authors to write the passages.  We are supposed to handle the Word of God with deepest reverence. We should let every word that God has spoken be Law and Gospel to us. Never make it minor, small or inconsequential; never try to evade or shirk its force or to alter its meaning. God speaks to us in this book as much as if again He came to the top of Sinai and lifted up His voice in thunder. Hallelujah! Praise God! For me, personally, I like to spend some time in prayer before I begin reading and studying the Word. In Genesis 1:3 God said, "Let there be light, and it was. It was God who created the stars in verse 16. He put them in place by the utterance of His command by the manifestation of His Word. As Believers we have the ability to recite the same powerful word that God used to bring the universe into existence. Let me be very clear, I’m not saying that we create galaxies, but we do accomplish great things when we quote the Word of God to people. Think about it. You can actually tell people the very Word of God. This is why it is so important for us to commit Scriptures to memory. We don't have to have every single word down perfectly of every verse, but we should be able to recite the Word of God concerning who God is, who Jesus is, and what He did on the cross. After all, the gospel message is the most important message there is to tell anyone. It is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes! Now, I understand that some of you reading this morning’s letter don't have the confidence to speak the Word of God. Maybe you, like Moses, are not very articulate in speaking (me either). Don't worry about it. It is not an issue of confidence or eloquence. Instead, it's an issue of trust in God’s Word. Don’t let your concern for what your family, friends, neighbors or co-workers might think stop you from speaking the truth when an “appropriate” opportunity arises. Instead, be concerned for what God thinks of you and let the powerful Word of God accomplish what God desires. Remember what Isaiah said in 55:11: God’s Word will not come back empty without accomplishing what He desires. All we have to do is yield ourselves to God to be an instrument of His Word, and in the process, watch how it changes others as well as how it changes us! The only thing we have to fully realize and keep in mind is that the Holy Bible is truly the inspired and infallible Word of God. It WILL change and transform us into the kind of persons that God really wants us to become in Him. I believe this is why King David said we must meditate on the Word, so we can find out what their true meaning is and how all of these divine truths can apply to our daily lives. Meditating on the Bible means to think about, to chew on, to try and figure out the meaning of all of the different verses in the Bible. I’ve had people tell me they can’t read it because it so much to wrap their mind around. Grant it; the Book is long, but God has made it as simple and easy as He possibly could. Think about this. There is only one Bible. In one Book, God has given us everything we need to know about Himself, His Son Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the basics of our salvation through His Son Jesus, how He wants us to live this life, the things that He wants us doing, and the things that He does not want us to be doing. Isn’t that powerful? The Bible tells us that the love that God has for all of us is like a “CONSUMING FIRE.” These two words are showing us a love that is of maximum intensity. Oh my God! With this kind of intense, passionate love that God has for all of us, I believe He is trying to tell all of us one main thing, and that one main thing is that He is looking to enter into a one-on-one, personal, love relationship with each of us. WOW! Think about this; that the one and only all-powerful God of the entire universe is looking to make a direct personal connection WITH US on an individual and unique basis. Thank you Jesus! This is why I want you to start reading your Bible, it tells you that you will find a peace that will pass all human understanding once you have accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior and have become truly born again. That peace you will find is the results of finding the one true Person who can fill that empty void that is on the inside of each and every one of us; and that one Person is God Almighty Himself!!! In other words, the words in the Bible have God’s supernatural power and life in them. They are literally anointed by the power of the Holy Spirit Himself. This is why the words and the truths contained in the Bible have the supernatural ability to change and transform YOU into the kind of person that God wants you to become in Him.
Let’s pray: “Heavenly Father, there is none like You! I acknowledge that nothing else will feed my inner man like reading from Your Word. I have found no other spiritual truths from any other sources that I can feed off of that will cause any kind of true spiritual growth to occur in this life. I totally rely on Your Word as 100% pure, solid truth. I thank You and I confess that over these past 37 years; Your Word has sanctified me, transformed me,  molded and shaped me into the express image of Your Son Jesus. Help me to continue to walk humbly before You. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.”
 
One Simple Nugget: “Don’t mix bad words with your bad mood. You’ll have many opportunities to change a mood, but you may never get the opportunity to replace the words you spoke.”

Good Morning,

Yesterday I was watching one of those reality court shows and I notice the Judge was giving each party a chance to share their side of the story. For some “strange” reason I became very interested in seeing how the case would turn out. I say strange because it had absolutely nothing to do with my life ha ha! The thing I notice was each party thought they had a valid reason for being before the judge. And I noticed each party thought they should be the winner in their situation. After the show was over I went about my routine. Later on, I began to think about the scenario that was played out in the court room. Tidbits of information were divulged; and it provided the judge with enough insight to unravel the case and then make a fair evaluation. Let’s be honest, when we are going through tough times it’s very hard to start with self-evaluation. It’s easier to believe someone else caused our heartaches, miseries, and pains. It hurts too badly to say, “I’m broken!” “I need validation!” “I need help!” Instead we come up with excuses. The word excuse means: attempt to lessen the blame attaching to (a fault or offense); seek to defend or justify; an explanation offered in defense of some fault or offensive behavior or as a reason for not fulfilling an obligation. The bottom line is: Excuses! Excuses! Excuses! When God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden He gave them only one restriction. He told them not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Because God created Adam and Eve with a free will, when confronted with temptation, they had a choice to make: obey God and live, or eat the fruit that was forbidden and die. The right choice would bring everlasting life and the wrong one, everlasting damnation. The choice was theirs to make. They chose to disobey God. Adam knew the rules. God gave them to him. Yet Adam not only loved Eve, enough to die with her, but also wanted something that belonged to God; omnipotence. Adam committed two sins, disobedience and covetousness. Eve disobeyed both God, by not obeying His commandments, and her husband, by not submitting to his authority. Didn't God give her to Adam? Why then was she listening to the voice of the devil? Her eyes were on material things and not on the things of God. When confronted with their sin Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent and the serpent slinked away. What did he care…… he had won! Adam and Eve had lost. That's the way the devil wanted it! After Adam and Eve had sinned, God asked this question, "Where art thou?" They were not where they were expected to be. Their Fellowship with God was broken due to sin. Listen to me very carefully; when we sin we withdraw our fellowship from God. God looks for us and asks us, "Where are you?" "Why can't I find you" "Why are you hiding from me?" "What have you done?" It is impossible to have true fellowship with God if we are in sin. Adam and Eve's excuses were to blame someone else for their sin. Who do we blame when we sin? The one great
hindrance to living out our destiny is not really a great mystery: EXCUSES. Excuses take more people out of the game of life than most anything that could stand in the way of fulfilling purpose, including inexperience and sickness. We could say that inability is a reason, but often that is just an excuse. We could say that we didn't have an opportunity, but that is often an excuse. We could say we don't know of anyone interested, but that would just be an excuse. We could say a lot of things, but they would most likely be just excuses, and nothing more than that! Excuses hinder us from living the life God ordained; and doing the work we should be doing. I can remember when I worked so hard on making excuses that if the same amount of time and energy would have been put into living this “God-Life,”much more would have already been accomplished! Excuses are never the answer to work that needs to be done. By definition, an excuse is a plea offered for release from an obligation. An excuse is offered to
try to get out of what we should be doing. Let’s face it; sometimes we make excuses to avoid
responsibility for our actions. We make excuses for things we did wrong, times we failed, things we
don't want to do, situations we don't want to be in; BUT if it is faithfulness that is commanded, we must be faithful. How about you? Have you submitted to the will of God, or have you been making excuses? If so, the answer to those excuses is submission to His will that you might receive the benefits and blessings of forgiveness. Are you making excuses so you don't have to obey? Are you making excuses so you don't have to do what you know God wants you to do or to go where He wants you to go? Are you making excuses for why you will not trust Him? Is there some excuse for why you have not made the
decision to trust His grace for your eternal life? If you want to be greatly used of God you must be willing to follow wherever He leads you.  It's time to stop hiding behind the excuses we are so good at making. It's time to stop resisting and start following. It's time to stop saying, "I can't" and start saying, "He can." It's time to stop debating faith and start practicing it.  When God gives direction He expects cooperation not excuses. I want you to imagine standing before God and trying to make excuses for your stubborn disobedience of His Word. What will be your excuse? How dreadful it will be to be without excuse! My friend, you should know, God’s sovereignty is so great that it can give us the freedom to make choices and yet in no way jeopardize His plans and purposes.

Let’s pray: “Heavenly Father, I acknowledge that the excuses in my life have given me permission to settle for less than Your best. I no longer desire to have an excuse for my shortcomings. I no longer desire to look for something or someone else to blame for my less-than- stellar lot in life. I will take responsibility by no longer saying, “It is never my fault.” I will no longer brand my insecurities through seemingly justifiable alibis. I no longer desire to be so stuck in the rut of excuses that I even make excuses for my excuses. Lord, I receive the victory You have in store for me. I Trust Your Word and the plans that You have for my life. Today, I put to rest forever the old, makeshift justifications. I Peel back
the layers of excuse after excuse that’s been holding me back from Your best! Today, I become a new creation in Christ and I let the blood of Jesus and His salvation promises justify me, vindicate me and excuse me from my excuses! I ask this in Jesus’ wonderful and powerful name, amen!”

One Simple Nugget: “Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure!”

Dear Friend,

A dear friend of mine introduced me to the phrase, “Aren’t you glad God is in the details?” Well the big question is; how can we know God’s details? This morning’s letter speaks briefly to the “perfect” plan of God. I remember reading of a man who thought he had a fool-proof plan for sneaking into a drive-in movie without paying. He would crawl into the trunk of the car, and his wife would pay only for herself. Once inside the drive-in, she would let him out of the trunk. The plan sounded good, but it failed. The man did crawl into the trunk, and his wife drove into the theater just as they planned. Only when she attempted to release him did they realize the problem with the plan--the husband had the keys to the trunk in his pocket. After firemen cut through the trunk, the man was released, but neither he nor his wife saw the movie. Some plans may sound good, but they do not work. Even if this plan had worked, it could hardly be called good, for the intent was to deceive and enjoy a movie at another’s expense. God’s plan for us is a good plan. The goal for which it was instituted is of the highest good. It is good in a functional sense, because the plan is certain to work, producing the ends for which it was ordained. Ultimately, it is good because it is God’s plan! Scripture makes it abundantly clear that there is a plan. A number of evidences could be used for the existence of God’s plan for His creation, but the most compelling and gripping evidence is that which is recorded in Scripture: Psalm 33:11, “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation.” Proverbs 19:21, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but the counsel of the Lord, it will stand.” Isaiah 14:26-27, “This is the plan devised against the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out against all the nations. For the Lord of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?” God’s plan was established long before creation. His program for mankind began at creation. When human plans fail, it is often because the planner has overlooked some detail. Something unforeseen arises, and suddenly plans collapse. This is because every detail was not taken into account. God’s plan is all-inclusive. It is based on God’s omniscience (knowing all), so that everything past, present, and future is taken into account. God’s omniscience, as we have seen, includes all things which will actually occur, as well as all things which could possibly occur. Every contingency or possibility is taken into account in God’s plan. God’s plan is for all creation, things in heaven and on earth, things visible and invisible, thrones, dominions, rulers, and authorities according to Colossians 1:16. God’s plan includes seemingly insignificant details. It excludes “good luck” or coincidences. In Genesis 37:14-17 when Joseph wandered about in a field looking for his brothers, he did not just happen to be found and told where his brothers had gone. The fact that the pit into which Joseph was thrown was empty was no coincidence (37:24). In 37:25-28 the passing caravan, which was headed toward Egypt, was no accident either. The fact that Ruth in Ruth2:3 would “happen” upon the field of Boaz, a near kinsman of Naomi, was not mere chance but a matter of God’s providential control. God’s plan also includes the creation of life, the design, and the destiny of men. It includes the calling of individuals to specific service. The plan has precise timing as well. The Scripture let us know the plan of God is absolutely certain: Isaiah 55:10-11 says, “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth, And making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” The assuring truth that God’s plan is certain is because it is God’s plan. This is based on the truth that God is all-knowing and all-powerful, that He is faithful to His promises, and that His glory is at stake. It is also based on the fact that God’s plan is eternal and all-inclusive. God’s plan is partially and progressively being revealed. The plan of God is complete, fully developed, and as good as done, from God’s point of view! Hebrews 4:3, “His works were finished from the foundation of the world.” In its outworking, God’s plan is progressive in yet another way. God’s plan is divided into separate, but related, programs which might be called administrations. Some call them dispensations. Even those who reject dispensationalism admit to one degree or another that there are differences in the way in which God has exercised His rule over men. At each point of change, there are some principles and precepts which remain constant, while other aspects change significantly. God’s plan is a mystery because it is the product of the divine mind of God and not the finite mind of man. 1 Corinthians 2:6-8, “Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” Isaiah 55:6-9, “Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” God’s plan is not only for His glory, but for the good of “those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose.” As children of God we must therefore live by faith, trusting in God’s promises even when present circumstances seem to contradict them. In short, God’s plan for us is all about the establishment of the “Kingdom of God.” Every dispensation or administration found in the Bible concerns God’s rule on earth.God’s plan suggests that we should plan. But His plan is also instructive as to the kind of plans we make. God’s plan seldom explains exactly what God is doing at the moment. Job, for example, was not informed that his trials were a part of a heavenly object lesson to Satan, as well as a faith-strengthening exercise for him. What God’s plan does explain is that God is in control, whatever may be happening at the moment, and that this is being orchestrated by God to produce what is for His glory and our good.

Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, Your word in Isaiah 55:9, says, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” And in response to your word I say, “I thank you for being above me and knowing what is best for me.” I search for my purpose and ask for your will to be done. Help me to realize that anything you bring into my life and anything you reveal to me is for my good. Give me a spirit of acceptance and a heart open to your move in my life. Let Your love surround me and cast out any fear or doubts. Help me to live in love with you, accept your will for my life and give me the proper response to Your revelation. In Jesus Name, Amen!

Dear Friend,

Have you ever really thought about the “privilege “of prayer? I know we’re always talking about the power of prayer, but we never put any emphasis on what a privilege it is to spend time in the presence of the Almighty God! What is prayer? It is speaking to and conversing with our Creator. Everyone can do it and SHOULD do it. What is breathtakingly inspiring is that God hears, is interested in and answers prayers! Prayer is effective; in other words, prayer from those sincerely responsive to God gets results. Now that’s a privilege! There are several words that come to mind when I think of the word privilege: honor, pleasure, joy, treat, etc. If you really think about it, when you bow before the Lord you experience all of those feelings and more. Sometimes when you call a friend they may not be accessible at the moment you need them; but God is never asleep or too busy to listen. There is never a bad connection or a bad time. You never get a busy signal or voice mail or get put on hold. You have unlimited free minutes—and hours.  Jesus knew the importance of praying to our heavenly Father. The Bible gives us many cases of Jesus fervently and passionately praying to His Father, not only praising God but asking for help. Jesus clearly knew that God in heaven was the ultimate source of success in every endeavor. If Jesus Christ needed help from His heavenly Father, how much more do we? All the committed and faithful people of God in the Bible and in history have been people of prayer. In Luke 11:1 Jesus' disciples soon realized their Master's source of power. They said, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Anyone can begin to pray even before they have learned anything about prayer. God hears and appreciates the simplest of prayers. Jesus made it plain in Matthew 7:7: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.” It's noteworthy that in English the first letters of the key words “ask, seek, and knock” spell ASK!  God wants us to grow in understanding and application of how to pray. I would say it’s like learning a new hobby, sport or activity, satisfaction and rewards increase with added knowledge and skill. So it is invaluable and priceless to read and understand the biblical teachings regarding prayer. We can gain much understanding and inspiration from many wonderful examples of prayers in the book of Psalms and throughout the Bible. Daily practice naturally leads to added proficiency and pleasure in prayer. I can personally attest to this! When Jesus’ disciples said, “Teach us to pray.” Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus began His lesson in prayer by giving them a brief outline of some of the most important and significant things to pray about on a daily basis; commonly called the “Lord's prayer. Notice Jesus suggested that the most frequent way that we are to address God is as “our Father in heaven.” We can and should have many relationships with God, which are revealed by the names and titles for God found in Scripture. But the most important relationship is that of OUR FATHER— an all-loving and “perfect” father. I personally believe all human beings can and should think of God as their Father since He is their Creator. And as their relationship with God becomes closer, that father-child relationship builds to deeper and more intimate levels. Praise God! So, how should we “walk in” this privilege of talking to God? Well, He wants us to come to Him as a beloved parent. We should feel confident, secure, understood, appreciated and loved in coming before Him. When we talk with our physical fathers, we are not repetitious or scripted; we don't use an unnatural syrupy tone or a monotone. And we don't use archaic antiquated language because we think it sounds more religious. Neither is this necessary with God. Our heavenly Father cherishes prayers offered with complete honesty and sincerity, even if they include respectful complaints ha ha. The prayers in the book of Psalms certainly portray candid honesty. I want to let you in on a little secret: When people pray nice words while thinking and doing contradictory things, they apparently think God can't read minds, BUT He can! According to James 3:9-12, when we use our tongue to “bless our God and Father, and [to] curse men,” our prayer is counted as hypocrisy. Imagining what God is like is relatively easy for someone who has had a loving and attentive earthly father. Admittedly, it is much more difficult, especially at first, for someone like me whose parental experience has been with an alcoholic, uncommunicative and absentee father. I had to make a major effort to learn what an ideal father is like and establish that picture in my mind's eye. Genesis 1:26-27 lets us know, of all God's creatures, human being have the unique and awesome privilege of being created in His image. The greatest benefit of this is being able to have a personal relationship with God. Throughout His Word, God repeatedly stresses the importance of right relationships. In fact, Jesus said In Matthew 22:35-40 that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love your fellow man. Beginning with our creation, God has done many things to initiate a relationship with us. It is up to us to respond to Him and show initiative in nurturing that relationship with good communication. James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Our prayers keep us connected to God. In John 15:15 Jesus said to His disciples, “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” Oh my, doesn’t that send chills up and down your spine? Here Jesus explained a crucial factor in true friendship;ongoing open and sincere communication. A true friend is someone you talk with openly and regularly. Hallelujah! God is the Great Communicator. He records in the Bible His revelation of everything we need to know about His plan for our lives. His Word gives us His worldview, the framework for a true perspective on life; past, present and future. Plus He communicates with us and guides us in other ways, by His Holy Spirit, through His Church, through other individuals, through circumstances and through experiences that He sets up. WOW!!! Now that I’ve shown you the “privileges” of prayer, will you groggily drag around thinking you are too busy? Will you lack time to pray? Honestly, we all make time for those things we consider privileged and most important. And we will accomplish more in the long run when we put God first. Hence we cannot afford to not pray. Prayer needs to be a top priority and a daily habit. My friend, let’s not let the wonderful privilege of prayer go to waste by not using it. Let's walk with God—obey Him and talk with Him—in prayer!

Let’s pray: “Heavenly Father, make me so mighty against the deadly undertow of self-reliance that I am never ashamed to trust your arm, like a child with his father, in every breaking wave. Make me so mighty in seeing and mighty in savoring the promises of your sovereign grace that in all my sorrows I might never cease to sing your praise. And Lord, make me so mighty against the powers of self-justification that I never lose the humility to repent and weep for my sins. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen!”

Dear Friend,

Have you ever felt that God was asking too much of you? Consider for a moment what would be too much? Our daily lives are built around people and things we enjoy: a spouse, children, friends, a job, a hobby, possessions, and future plans. These are the pillars and beams of our earthly support system; and if one of them is removed, we sometimes feel as though the framework of our lives is collapsing around us. But there are times when God says “Let go!” and the nuts and bolts that hold our world together suddenly snap. If you’ve ever been in that situation you know the pressure a test like that can exert on your faith. Every time God challenges you it is an opportunity for you to shine and advance to another spiritual grade level. This ought to excite you. Even if spiritual tests are difficult, they have a wonderful purpose: to make you more like Christ so the world can see God’s greatness revealed in you. Abraham was well acquainted with such strenuous tests. James 2:22 lets us know that God was testing Abraham so his faith could be “perfected” before men. The word “perfect” means complete or mature. Persevering through tests and being obedient to God made Abraham’s faith visible to an on looking world. God tested Abraham in order to give him an opportunity to display his true character. Keep in mind that Abraham had walked with God for about 35 years before God tested him in this most severe way. God did not give him this severe test until He knew Abraham was equipped for it. One of the great things about God is that He does not give us tests we cannot pass. His tests come when we are prepared. Furthermore, according to 1Corinthians 10:13; He supplies an extra measure of grace to help us through times of testing. God is not like some of our former teachers who gave us premature tests or “pop” quizzes on information they had never covered in lectures. He is gracious and faithful. He wants for us to receive the highest grade possible! We are told from the very first verse in Genesis 22 that Abraham will be tested. Notice when God calls Abraham’s name, Abraham responds with, “Here I am.” He was willing to hear from God and be moved to action. Obedience and discipleship demand that you be a person who is faithful, available and teachable. Sometimes people and things can become too important to us. We grip them with closed fists and tight knuckles, so God has to pry open our fingers to loosen our hold. Listen;there will be times in your life when obedience will not make sense. Are you prepared to obey God even in these cases? I confess there are many things in the Bible that I wish were not there—life would be easier. I could blend in better with our culture. But the real test of surrender isn’t when I obey commands I like. If I say to my grandchildren, “Eat your ice cream,” that is not a good test of how well they obey me. The true test is when I ask them to do something difficult. If God is calling you to something difficult today, will you say, “Here I am?” Will you obey? If God is calling you to let go of something today, will you? Abraham’s test intensifies in Genesis 22:6-8 when he has to take the wood of the burnt offering and lay it on his son. As Abraham and Isaac are trekking along, it dawns on Isaac that the most important element is missing. So Isaac finally breaks the silence and speaks to his dad: “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” I can’t imagine what went through Abraham’s mind when Isaac asked that question? Rather, Abraham replied, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” In essence, what he was saying is, “Let’s let God take care of it.” My Friend, I want to come to the place in my own life where I can confidently say, “God is big enough to take care of me.” If I’m faithful to obey Him in all He asks of me, He will provide for me all that I need! Beloved, the only way this kind of obedience can be pulled off is by walking with God and knowing His heart. In 22:9-10, we see that Abraham’s obedience was thorough and complete. Notice, the whole procedure is drawn out like a slow-motion replay. It has taken three days to get to Moriah. Once Abraham finally arrives, he has to climb Mount Moriah. Then he has to build the altar, arrange the wood, bind his son, lay him on the altar, stretch out his hand, and take the knife to slay him. Now, let’s be very clear, on my best spiritual day, I probably would have had faith to build the altar but not to kill. Abraham did everything yet heaven remained silent. I’m sure as he raised that knife, every bone in his body must have wanted to disobey. But if Abraham had not raised the knife he would not have heard from God. Did you catch that? It took raising the knife of obedience with intent to kill (that’s commitment), and then Abraham heard from God. Many of us may be willing to lay something on the altar but when we do we take along a rubber knife. Yet, our obedience is not complete if there are some strings attached. One thing is very clear: Abraham could not have offered Isaac without Isaac’s consent and cooperation. Apparently, Isaac had decided to obey his father whatever the cost, just as his father had decided to obey God whatever the cost. At this point in our story it is often our tendency to object to God’s demands. We wonder why God wants such sacrifice from us. Remember, total obedience is not only measured by what you give God; God also takes into account what you keep for yourself. Can God get close to the most important things in your life: your possessions, business, plans and dreams, and relationships? Are you willing to let go? Sometimes the supreme test of our faith will be a matter of putting obedience to God above something we have lived for all of our lives. Sometimes it will involve something that might to everyone else seem foolish and ridiculous. Are you willing to be sacrificially obedient to God in every area of your life? When we obey God fully we can trust that He is looking farther ahead than we are; and He is already taking care our future needs. Are you at the brink of despair, thinking that you cannot bear another day of testing? As difficult as it may be for you to believe this today, the Master knows what He’s doing. Our Savior knows our breaking point. The process is designed to reshape us, not ruin us. Our value is increasing the longer He lingers over us. I’m convinced that God wants you and me to hold people, things, and dreams loosely. To help us in this pursuit, He uses tests. He will test our obedience and our commitment. If we pass His tests, He will bless our lives.

Let’s pray: “Heavenly Father, I place my life in Your hands. In this moment, I let go of all thoughts and concerns. I let go of problems and challenges in order to receive your guidance and clarity. Help me not to struggle but to surrender my struggle to you. Thank You for the truth that Your grace is sufficient and help me to truly apply this in my life from this day forward. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!”

Dear Friend,

Right now you may be in the fight of your life, and you are asking, how do you get peace in a bad situation? Whether people admit it or not; we’re either headed into a crisis, in the midst of one, or coming out of one. Now, coming out of one is great. We can see what God was up to in part, and we get a measure of peace from that. But how can we get peace if we're headed into or in the midst of a crisis? God speaks to just that in Philippians 4:4-9. The first thing we have to do is focus on God instead of the situation. That's easier said than done, but that's what Paul means when he says in Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice." He's not saying that we're happy about what we're going through; he's not even saying to rejoice in our difficulties. He's saying rejoice in the Lord, and that's something altogether different. Biblical joy is the knowledge that God is in control of your circumstances and allows only that which is good for you into your life. That's why James 1:2 says to consider it joy when a trial comes your way. It's not that the trial brings joy; it's what God is doing for us through the trial; His good work is coming into our lives. Because we know that, we consider the trial joy; we rest in the Lord. In essence, we worship Him. That's what Job did when he lost his possessions and his family; he said, "Blessed be the name of the Lord." The afternoon of November 8, 1989, when my only sister died from lymphoma was sad; not only were we very close, but it pained me to see my sons suffer as well. At the same time, we all knew that God was involved in every detail and was doing a good thing in our lives through our hurt. As we focused on that, we were able to worship, find joy, and tell others about the goodness of God and the good times we had with my sister during the last year of her life. It’s not that we were happy about my sister’s death; but we forced ourselves to focus on God and in so doing we found joy. But that’s only the beginning, we can’t stop there because Satan and the flesh have a way of coming back to bite us. From our focus on God we have to literally engage in serving others. Paul says in Philippians 4:5, "Let your gentleness be known to all men; the Lord is at hand."  As you rejoice in God, that should move you to then focus on others. Let your gentleness, kindness, patience, and heart be known to others. How can you do that? Paul says the Lord is at hand; God is near and will help you. And it's not just that God wants you to serve others in the midst of your trouble. It's that He knows our weakness. Our inclination will be to focus on ourselves and spiral down into despair. But if we focus on others, we'll be distracted and not have time to spiral down. More than that, we'll derive a certain joy in serving others before the Lord. Now, that’s well and good. But what happens when we’re alone or it’s time to go to bed? We have to give our worry and anxiety to God through prayer.  I remember tossing and turning one night in 2006 when my son was in the hospital for his blood pressure and the doctors were very concerned about his kidneys. I couldn't get any peace. I did remember God's Word though in Philippians 4:6: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." Well, that's what I was doing; I was praying over and over again but I still couldn't get any peace or sleep! And then I realized; I was praying like the pagans do. I was worried if I didn't say just the right thing, mention every possible problem, or pray with just the right attitude, that God wouldn't hear my prayers. When I realized what I was doing, I simply gave it to the Lord. That's why He says to pray; He means for us to tell Him what's burdening our hearts and give it to Him so we can rest. He gives us permission (and commands us even) to stop thinking about our problems and let Him deal with them. When we do that, He gives us the peace. When I did that, I went right to sleep. If we pray and leave our burden with God, Philippians 4:7 tells us, "The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." God's peace will guard our hearts and minds so that no troubling thing plagues us!! You might say certain thoughts plague you because you're in a long term dilemma that seems never ending. Yes, but you don't have to dwell on the difficulties. Reorient the focus of your thoughts. Paul says in Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things." My friend, take it one step further. The more you meditate on the things of God, as Paul says, the more you'll know God and His ways. You'll know that He is indeed working these things for good in your life. You will understand Psalm 84:11, "the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly." Praise God!!! Hallelujah!  But there’s one more thing before I close this morning’s letter: Keep doing the things that God has instructed you to do. Philippians 4:9, "The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you."  If you do what God is teaching you to do, you'll have peace. And don't overlook the tone of what Paul says here. Earlier, he said that the peace of God will guard your heart. That's true; that's what we want. But here he says the God of peace will be with you. That's even better! You get peace because you have the God of peace walking with you through the fire. In Daniel 3:17-25 we see God was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, and He'll be with you in your fiery furnace as well! They were at peace even though they didn't know whether God would actually keep them alive or not. All they knew was that God was with them and would see them through one way or the other. And that's what you need to realize; God is with you and will see you through one way or the other. And that's not acceptance or pessimistic. That's confidence. God has a plan for you and it's good. You walk with Him because He's walking with you. That's how you get peace in a really bad situation!!

Let’s Pray: ‘Heavenly Father, I lay down my anxious thoughts and cast all my cares on You. Bathe my mind with Your Holy Spirit and fill my entire being with Your peace. When I feel inadequate, help me to live in your grace and rest in the knowledge that You are with me. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen!”



Something to think about: The sweetest time of the day is when you pray; because you are talking to The One who loves you the most!”

Dear Friend,

To walk wisely, you must know what God wants you to be, what dangers to avoid, and how to take advantage of the opportunities that God gives you. Some of the popular TV preachers will tell you that God wants to help you fulfill your dreams. But that’s backwards, because it leaves you as the lord of your life and makes God your servant. The Bible is clear that God is the Sovereign and we are His servants. We exist to fulfill His will, not vice versa! So it is vital to know from Scripture, where does God want us to go with our lives? Much more could be said about that, but note these four things in relation to what God want you to be:

1. God want you to please and glorify Him with your life. Colossians 1:10 says that we are “to please Him in all respects.” Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:9 that his ambition was “to be pleasing to Him.” He wrote in 1Corinthians 10:31, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” As the Westminster Shorter Catechism puts it, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” To glorify God, in simple terms, means to make Him look good, as He truly is. You extol, magnify, and exalt His person and attributes through praise, honor, thanksgiving, trust, and obedience. To do this requires a second goal:

2. God wants you to know Him more deeply. You can only extol, magnify, exalt, and glorify God to the extent that you truly know Him as He has revealed Himself in His Word. I personally believe that our chief problem as believers today is that we do not know God as deeply as we ought. Paul said in Philippians 3:7-8 that he counted everything else in life as loss and rubbish in order that he might know Christ. The only way that we can know Him is as He has revealed Himself in His Word. So as you read the Bible over and over, from cover to cover (not just your favorite verses ha ha!), ask God to open your eyes so that you come to know Him more deeply. Moses said in Exodus 33:18 “Show me Your glory.”

3. God wants you to be a godly person. You can only glorify God to the extent that you display His holiness through your obedient life. As 1 Peter 1:14-16 puts it, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” Jesus said in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” To walk wisely, so that your life counts for eternity, ask God to give you that hunger and thirst after His righteousness. He promises that you will be blessed and satisfied when you pursue that course. Sin always brings pain and sorrow.

4. God wants you to proclaim His Excellencies by your life and works. 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” Or, as Paul has told us in Ephesians 5:8, “You were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light.”

Thus God wants you to be growing in the direction of pleasing and glorifying Him with your life. You will do this as you come to know Him more deeply and grow in godly character. He wants to use your transformed life (from darkness to light) to display His excellencies, both by your behavior and your words as you bear witness to the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, let’s look at how to get there.Again, much more could be said, but note three things:

1. You must discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness. You can sit around wishing that you were godly for the next ten years, but it won’t happen! According to 1 Timothy 4:7 you must discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness. In all of my years of ministry, I would say that the presence or absence of self-discipline is one of the most determinative factors in whether a person will do well or have serious problems in their Christian life. Self-control or discipline is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Paul compares discipline for godliness with physical exercise and the analogy is helpful in thinking about how to do it. The athlete sets a goal and then works hard to reach that goal. By definition, self-discipline means going against your feelings for a higher goal. Also, discipline is an ongoing process and not a quick fix. You must set aside all hindrances, keep your eye on the goal, and manage your time in line with your goal.

2. Godly discipline includes the discipline intake and application of God’s Word. Paul says that we should walk as wise people, not as unwise. Proverbs 2:6 tells us where wisdom comes from: “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 says He has given us His wisdom in the Bible and especially in the message of the cross. To be a godly person who glorifies Him through your life, you must be getting a steady intake of His Word. As Psalm 1 pictures it, the godly man meditates on God’s Word day and night, so that he is like a tree planted by a river. His deep roots sustain him in times of drought. You should have a plan to read constantly and consecutively from both the Old and New Testaments. I also try to read a daily portion from the Psalms or Proverbs.

3. You must learn to think biblically about all of life. Walking wisely requires that you be a thinking person. But, not just thinking logically, but also thinking biblically. You should develop a biblical worldview, so that you filter news, movies, literature, moral issues, and all of life through a biblical framework.

Thus, to walk wisely, you must know where God wants you to go and how to get there. While all of our times are in God’s hands according to Psalm 31:5, He wants us to walk wisely, redeeming the time, in accordance with His sovereign will. No matter who you are, if you walk with Christ and grow wise through His Word, He can use you greatly for His eternal purpose.

Let’s pray: “Heavenly Father, please order my steps according to your divine will and purpose for my life. In Jesus Name, Amen!”

 

One Simple Nugget: “Sometimes you will never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory!”