February 13, 2012

Visit our Ministry Website!

We won't be updating this blog very often anymore.  Instead, please visit our new ministry website, Encouraging Word Ministries

You can also follow our Twitter feed at EncourageLiving and like our Facebook page at Encouragement for Living.

February 10, 2012

Encouraging Thoughts-"The God Who Won't Give Up" by Max Lucado

Not everyone in Jesus’ world gave him a warm welcome. Not everyone received him with grace. And many didn’t just ignore him, they rejected him.

Isaiah prophesied his reception like this: “He was despised and rejected by men” (Isa. 53:3 NIV).

John summarized the rejection of Jesus with these words: “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (John 1:10-11 NIV).

How did Christ endure treatment like that? At any point he could have said, “I quit. I’ve had enough.” Why didn’t he? What kept him from giving up?

Click here to read the rest of the article from UpWords, the teaching ministry of Max Lucado.

February 3, 2012

Encouraging Thoughts-God's Word vs. Your Feelings

This is an excerpt from Joyce Meyer's book "Living Beyond Your Feelings," which I recently read.  If that is an area of concern for you, I strongly recommend checking it out.

Every day, we are faced with a decision: Will we respond to life's circumstances according to God's Word or will we react emotionally? The initial temptation is to react emotionally, but in every circumstance, it's truly your decision.

Let's examine three circumstances you're going to have to face at some point in your life. I've also included some questions to ask yourself, which I encourage you to answer honestly. They will give you a good idea of how big a part your feelings play in these circumstances.

Click here to read the rest of the article from the Joyce Meyer Ministries website.

January 27, 2012

Encouraging Thoughts-"Open Up"

From Joel Osteen Ministries

Psalm 81:10 says, "Open your mouth wide and I will fill it." As we enter the new year, ask yourself, "Do I have my mouth open wide for this year?" In other words, what are you expecting? What are you ready to receive from Almighty God?

If you've been thinking, "I don't think I'll ever get a pay raise with the economy like it is." "I don't think I'll ever get promoted; I'm not that qualified." "I don't think I'll ever get well," then the problem is that your mouth is barely open. You're not expecting good breaks. You're not expecting increase. You're not expecting God to show up and turn it around, and unfortunately, you won't be disappointed. Jesus said in scripture, "According to your faith it will be done unto you." He might as well have said, "If you've got a cup, I'll fill you with a cup level of blessing. If you've got a bucket, I'll fill you with a bucket level of blessing." But He also says, "If you've got a barn, I'll fill you with an overwhelming load of blessing!" In other words, if you'll take the limits off of God, if you'll go out each day expecting far and beyond favor, you won't be disappointed.

Let me ask you, do you go out each day knowing that favor is already in your future? Or have you gotten stuck in a rut? That's what happened to the people of Israel. They were headed toward the Promised Land. They had big goals and big dreams, but along the way, they hit some setbacks in their thinking. They got so discouraged they gave up on their dreams and just settled where they were. One day God said to them, "You have dwelt long enough on this mountain." Today, I believe God is saying to each one of us, "You've been where you are long enough. It's time to move forward." God is saying, "This is a new day. Get your fire back! Where you are today is not where you're supposed to stay."

Today, increase your capacity to receive—increase your faith. How do you increase your faith? Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. This means that the more time you spend learning, studying and meditating on the scriptures, the more faith will rise in your heart. As His Word transforms your thinking, you'll start thinking bigger and believing bigger. You'll break through barriers that have held you back, and you'll make room for the new things God has in store for you.

Jesus put it like this, "You can't put new wine in old wineskins." He was saying you can't go to a new level with an old way of thinking. Are you ready for God to do something new? Begin to declare, "This is my year to go to a new level! This is my year to be totally healthy! This is my year to see God move mightily on my behalf!" Take a step of faith and open your mouth wide because He who promised is faithful! He will fill you to overflowing in every area of your life!

January 25, 2012

Encouraging Words-Less Fear, More Faith

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  “All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all.  For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.  (Isaiah 41:10-13 NIV)

It’s nice to be back in the flow after a bout with bronchitis.  Unfortunately, there was no easing back into work after several days off.  About five minutes after I returned home from my latest doctor visit, I got a text message from my boss asking me to let him know when he could call me with some major breaking news.  Knowing that the only question here was how bad this news was, I connected with him right away and learned that our organization had lost one of its biggest contracts.  We were now in a “all hands on deck” situation to determine the financial impact and come up with a plan of how to move forward.

I returned to work the next day into an environment dominated by fear.  I learned that our CEO, instead of leading with a calm, focused approach, freaked out worse than anyone.  Swell, my boss and I now had that additional obstacle to circumvent as we tried to engage our program teams and work toward a constructive plan of action.  That is still very much a work in progress, and I don’t know how it will turn out, but I was reminded of how contrary to God’s way the element of fear is.

From a leadership perspective, it is almost always non-productive and leads to emotional responses that are not well thought out and usually harmful, often more so than the original situation that required action in the first place.

From a faith perspective, though, it is something much worse.  At its very root, fear is our way of telling God “I don’t trust you.”  That sounds really harsh, and most of us would never dream of saying that directly to Him, but if we give in to fear, isn’t that the message we are sending to Him?  How many times do we have to read text in the Bible that says “do not fear” to understand that this goes beyond simple encouragement, which is certainly nice, to direct commands from our Lord.

It’s one thing experiencing fear-we’re human, and that happens.  God knew that, that’s why we are coached throughout the Bible on how to handle it.  I’ll never forget the sensation of my blood running cold when Brenda told me she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.  Scared-you bet!  So was she.  We fought that by praying and trusting, and nearly five years later there is no trace of cancer in Brenda’s body.  Praise the Lord, which we often have for that healing!

Other times in my life, before my walk with the Lord was as strong as it is now, I gave in.  I was in a job I should have left, but I watched the company crumble around me because I was so afraid of getting another job.  I allowed myself to be paralyzed by fear, and my inaction resulted in me being laid off and unemployed for eight months.  Even when I found a job out of desperation, it was at a lower level than the one I had lost.

Our actions always have consequences.  Giving in to fear can have terrible physical, emotional and psychological ramifications.  Spiritually, it also distances us from God when we really need Him the most.  Faith, however, works the other way.  The Lord gives us His strength, his peace, during the most challenging circumstances if we reach out to Him for it.  It keeps us away from the “why me?” mode and moves us into the “God has a plan for this” mindset.  Where would you rather be?

I’m not just talking the talk here; the Lord has given me an opportunity to walk it out in the workplace.  My team is responding to the calm and focus God has filled me with and been calm and focused themselves.  They are doing a great job of stepping up and producing what we need to so our upper management has the information they need to formulate a plan for moving forward.
That’s what the Lord always wants us to do-move forward.  It’s hard to do when you’re curled up in a corner shaking with fear, but NOTHING can hold us back when we are walking with the Lord and being fed by the encouragement of His word.  He says don’t fear, so don’t fear!

January 13, 2012

Encouraging Scripture-Fuel Up!

I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.  Psalm 119:5-6 (NIV)

When we thirsty and afraid of becoming dehydrated, espeically in the heat, we drink some water.  When we're hungry, we go to McDonalds-oops, I mean get something to eat.  When we're tired and need rest, we sleep.  When the gas gage in our car is pointing toward that big E, we go to the gas station and fill up.

So when we are spiritually dry and malnourished, why don't we stop, pull out our Bible, and fuel up?

It sounds so darned simple when I put it that way, but I've certainly been guilty of neglecting that important step myself.  I had to study hard for years to become a good accountant, so why would I think I can just roll out of bed in the morning and be a good Christian?  Not because I'm stupid (not really looking for feedback on that statement) but because I allow the speed and business of life to pull me away. 

God will give us the fuel to not only survive our lives but thrive in them, but we need to make up our minds to pull over out of the fast lane and fill up on His Word on a regular basis before we run dry.

January 11, 2012

Encouraging Words-Start With the Finish in Mind

Start With the Finish in Mind

Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?  Galatians 3:3 NIV

I’m sticking with a New Year’s theme one more week, but I’m going to take you forward to January 1, 2013.  Wow, that year just flashed by, didn’t it?  So what’s the rush?  None really, but bear with me for a moment.

Remember those resolutions you made last week of everything you were going to get done in 2012, how you were going to improve your health, how you were going to strengthen you walk with the Lord?  If not, may I suggest adding improving your memory to the list. 

So what will that look like this time next year?  If you’re trying to lose weight, what will your new body look like?  What are your goals?  If you said “I want to walk more closely with the Lord in 2012” what will that mean in 2013?  What does that walk look like in your mind?

The more important your commitment or project is, the more critical it is to start with the finish in mind.  When you get in your car, you usually have a destination in mind, don’t you?  You measure success by reaching your destination, and failure would be getting lost and not finding the location you set out for.

I am reminded of the book “The Principle of the Path” written by Andy Stanley.  In it, he defined the principle of the path as “direction not intention determines our destination.”  Essentially he says that we have to know where we want to wind up before we set out on a path in our lives.  We will take certain steps, but if we’re not pointing to a specific place how do we know where those steps will take us. 

Wait a minute though, if we’re thinking things through on our own, aren’t we taking it out of God’s hands and putting it in ours?  Psalm 16:11 says otherwise:

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Then there is Psalm 119:105 (also a beautiful Amy Grant song):

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

Jesus warned us about taking the wrong path in Matthew 7:13

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

In Jeremiah 6:16 we are taught to carefully consider our path before embarking on our journey (look before you leap):

This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.

When the Lord has brought us to a time of change in our lives, He doesn’t tell us to turn our minds off and just wander off in the name of “trusting in Him.”  Remember how we’ve been taught that God has a plan for our lives?  Proverbs 3:5-6, a very familiar passage to many of us, spells it out very well:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight

My takeaway from these and other texts:

1)      God has a plan for us that starts with step one, continues with step two, and eventually reaches a definable destination.

2)      Something may seem like our idea, but if it is truly in our hearts, it’s very likely that God put it there and will bless it.

3)      We need to trust and actively engage the Lord as we move through His plan by praying (ask where the good way is) and studying his word (a lamp unto my feet).

4)      If we lose focus on 1-3, our path will diverge from what God would show us, and we will wind up in a ditch or worse because our plan is NEVER better than His.

So you’ve got goals for 2012? Good.  Start with your finish in mind, seek the Lord’s blessing, submit to His will, and follow the path He lays out for you.  If your goal is to loose weight this year, he will not likely be leading you to McDonalds for double quarter pounders (sad but true).  If that’s the path you take, you may have the intention of losing weight, but I can say from personal experience that your destination will be different from your goal (probably the plus-size section).

Whatever the Lord is calling you to do right now, I encourage you to answer that call and Brenda and I will happily support you with prayer.  Please feel free to drop me a note and tell me what your goal is so we know what to pray for.

January 10, 2012

Encouraging Scripture-Actions > Words

 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:18 (NIV)

Modern day corallaries to this verse would be "if you talk the talk, you need to walk the walk" or "actions speak louder than words."  Don't get me wrong, words are important, but they come back pretty empty if there are not actions to back them up.  If we try to encourage someone yet don't make time for them when they have a problem they need to share, that doesn't help.  If we express concern about someone being hungry or not receiving proper medical attention yet don't offer some type of assistance, either from our own resources or connecting them with someone else, that doesn't help.

Our God talked plenty in the Bible, but He sure did back it up.  He not only talked love, he showed it and through that taught us how to do the same.  Encouraging words are good, but encouragement through our actions is what changes lives.

January 8, 2012

Join Us For Affirming Sunday Worship

Please join us on Sunday at 11:00 AM EST for inspiring worship music and the inspired Word of God coming live from New Covenant Church in Atlanta, GA under the leadership of Bishop Randy Morgan, the spiritual covering of our ministry.

I assure you it will be a blessing!

http://www.newcovenantatlanta.com/NCCAtv.html

You can also sample archives of previous services.

January 6, 2012

Encouraging Scripture-A Work In Process

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.  2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (NIV)

I know I've struggled with bad habits, ones that don't exactly glorify the Lord, and sometimes I feel like I'm trapped in them.  This scripture reminds us that the Lord is constantly at work inside of us, helping to free us from the shackles of our own limitations.  If you fall short today, that doesn't mean tomorrow won't be better--not based on our strength but on His spirit.

We are all a work in process.  We'll wind up with different starting and finishing points, but the more we walk with the Lord and acknowledge His presence in our lives, the more His Spirit will work to make us more closely in His likeness.

January 4, 2012

Encouaging Words-Calling the New Into Being

He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.  Romans 4:17b (NIV)

Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone had a time of celebration and refreshment over the holidays and is ready to jump back into the tasks and opportunities of everyday living.
2012 is off to an exciting start for me and Brenda, that’s for sure.  We welcomed the New Year by sharing communion at the Resolution 2012 conference at God’s Remnant Ministries in Maryville, TN.  The conference was amazing, the music and dance were stirring, the words were powerful, and the fellowship was wonderful.  We had the chance to reconnect with some dear ministry friends, and make some new connections with some precious servants of the Lord.  A very special thanks to Pastor Pam Wright and the family at GRM for being such wonderful and loving hosts!
For me, Sunday was the highlight of the weekend.  I was moved to tears (bawling, actually) when the Holy Spirit grabbed ahold of me during a prophetic dance to the song “Lord, You’re Holy.”  I’m still not sure if it was a cleansing, an unbinding, or something else but whatever He did in me was amazing!  I had never had an experience like that before—God absolutely rocked my world and left me with a peace and sense of purpose like none I had ever felt before.
I was primed to receive the message brought by Bishop Randy Morgan, who based his sermon on Romans 4:17.  I was ready to own that principle and put it into practice.  What better way to start a new year than to take inventory of what has not yet manifested in your life and call it into existence by the power of the Holy Spirit! 
I can’t encourage you enough to mediate on this scripture and apply it to your life.  In case you are afraid I’m just being naïve or using wishful thinking, let me remind you, as Bishop Randy did on Sunday, that earlier in Romans 4 Paul reminded readers of Abraham, who God declared would be “the father of many nations” when his wife Sarah was waaaaay beyond child-bearing years.  God called into being something that was not as if it were and, as they say, the rest is history. 
Won’t you join me in speaking to what is not in your life and call it into being for 2012.  I am declaring that, by God’s power, Brenda will be pain free and regain full mobility and strength in her body!  I am declaring that Brenda’s family will come together in peace and harmony and those who don’t know the Lord will come to do so!  I am declaring that I will be a servant leader that reflects Jesus and can teach others how to do the same!   I am declaring that my best friend will enter into a relationship with the Lord that will change his life!  I am declaring that our ministry will grow and be a source of insight, strength, and encouragement to many people! 
The Lord has already blessed me and Brenda so richly that our list may be shorter than yours.  Since our God has no limits, make your list as long as you need to, then PRAY.  When you’re done, speak God’s promises back to Him about your situation and keep speaking them.  He is listening, and He will come through, even if sometimes He may be on a different schedule than we are.  Believe it, own it, and boldly move forward into the New Year!

I am also very excited to announce that Brenda and I are now co-leaders of Encouraging Word Ministries.  You can find our Internet home page at www.encouragingword.us. This is an extension of the Encouragement for Living (www.encouargementforliving.com) ministry that I’ve been doing and that will remain under this umbrella.   We are adding two new parts, Encouragement for Leading, and Healing for Damaged Emotions.
Encouragement for Leading will be a section where I will share what I have learned and put into practice regarding the concept of Servant Leadership.  You may have heard of the primary example of this practice-Jesus Christ.  We believe this applies to everyone because leadership is about influence, and we all have the opportunity to influence someone in our lives.  Like Encouragement for Living, this will also have a blog that can be found at www.encouragementforleading.blogspot.com or linked from our homepage.  I’ll also be starting a weekly “Leading Words” e-mail soon, which you can of course opt out of if you choose.
Brenda is leading the Healing for Damaged Emotions (www.healingfordamagedemotions.blogspot.com) part of our ministry.  This is an inner healing ministry that can be presented in a group workshop setting as well as a private, individual ministry.  We are available to travel to your church or conference, or have you come to our home for private ministry (with referral by a ministry leader).  Brenda is also available to give you a personal prophetic word, simply e-mail your request to info@encouragingword.us.
We are in the process of setting up a 501(c)3 organization, and are honored to have Jenny Hart, Robbie Ousley, and Doug Sewell serving on our Board of Directors.  We are also honored to serve under the spiritual covering of Bishop Randy Morgan.
If it sounds like we’ll be busy, well, the Lord has told us it’s time to get busy with His work, so we’re just following directions. 

January 3, 2012

Encouraging Scripture-Come Out of the Wilderness

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.--Isaiah 43:19

As you enter the New Year, do you feel like you're stuck in a rut?  Do you feel like you've been wandering around the wilderness with no clear path or destination?  Unfortunately, I'm sure you have a lot of company.  Fortnuately, there is a way out.

God is ready to do a new thing in your life.  He has a plan, and I guarantee you based on personal experience it is better than any plan you can come up with.  Unfortunately, He won't e-mail it to you.  To understand it, you'll have to get to know him, through studying (reading your Bible) and talking to Him (praying).  When you engage in that, He will start cutting down the brush and make you a path out of your personal wilderness into the light He wants to shine on your life.

The best day to get started would be today.  Why wait any longer to receive His blessings?