We All Need it...LOVE

Repairing The Past.

2010-02-18T08:53:00.000-08:00

Luke 19:8 (NIV)~ "If I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."

Zacchaeus discovered that you CANT be right with God until you are first right with those you've hurt. Joseph discovered that being Prime Minister in Egypt doesnt mean much if your family relationships are strained. Relationships are like a house. If you dont maintain it your task wont be to repair it- it will be to rebuild it. We each carry within us the experience of our yesterdays. They influence our relationshihps, our choices, our view of ourselves, even our understanding of God.

You can't live in a spiritually healthy fashion if you have an unrepaired past.

For a long time Jacob lived that way. He took advantage of his brother Esau, manipulating him out of his inheritance. Then when things got bad between them he fled the country. When he returned home, he did so fearing the face of his brother. In his case the relationship was healed but it doesnt always end that way.

Repairing the past is best done immediately. Patching up wounded relationships, dealing with festering regrets, letting go of feelings toward someone who's betrayed you; these issues lie deep within us as if asleep. Then suddenly they're awakened by some "trigger". It could be an anniversary, It could be an old face in the crowd or it could be a particular song on the radio, but they dont go away until we DEAL WITH THEM. How? By forgiving, and when possible making restitution. You see, forgiveness isnt just for the other person's benefit-it's for yours. So, is there a relationship you need to repair today? If so, take care of it!!

Loving the Unlovable!!

2010-02-16T10:59:00.000-08:00

"THE KING WILL REPLY, I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, WHATEVER YOU DID FOR ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE BROTHERS [SISTERS] OF MINE, YOU DID FOR ME."~Matthew 25:40

Her Parents didnt want her so at birth they placed her in foster care. Shuffled from place to place, she dreamed of the day they'd return. It never happened. So she lashed out at the world by attempting suicide. Then through a series of events she found her parents again. She lived with them but things were strained. When they told her they wanted to adopt a baby and "start over" she longed to be included. But when she said, "I don't want to be a burden, so maybe I should go," her Dad helped her pack. Cramming her things in a grocery bag, he pressed 10 dollars into her hand and said goodbye.
Today she lives on the street, sleeps in doorways and eats from garbage can. Sadly, her story's not unique. It's been multiplied into infinity. In fact, there's probably somebody just like her in your neighborhood-forgotten, unloved and isolated. They're usually the hardest to reach because they feel unwanted and useless. They wrestle with inferiority, poor self image and lack of self respect.
What do we do? Instead of loving them we label them. Instead of caring we criticize.
What should we do? Open our hearts. Love is much more than shaking hands in church. It takes time to develope and grow. So be gracious. Remember, that tough exterior is just a cover up. Look for new ways to reach out, encourage, and show hurting people you care.
Why? Because Jesus said, "I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, WHATEVER YOU DID FOR ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE BROTHERS OF MINE, YOU DID IT FOR ME."

AND THAT SHOULD BE REASON ENOUGH!!

Know When It's Time...

2010-02-09T06:36:00.000-08:00

Some subjects are hard to talk about. Bowing out and passing the torch to someone else, is one of the most difficult. But it is not about YOU--its about God's kingdom!

Stepping down from any position calls for humility. The future of any work depends on it. For 40 years Moses dreamed of leading his people into the Promised Land-but it was not to be. Joshua, his successor, would be the man to fulfill that dream. How did Moses handle it? With grace and dignity, "Joshua...was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses" (Dt 34:9- NIV).
The plan worked, the transition was smooth and the followers immediately transferred their allegiance to Joshua. Why? Because Moses had placed his hands on Joshua and prayed for God's blessing on his leadership. That's leadership in it's finest form and final hour-when it counts the most!
Is it hard to do? Yes, for several reasons:

Job Security--"What am I going to do next?"
Fear of Retirement--"Me, retire?"
Resistance to Change--"The saddle is so comfortable."
Self Worth--"This job is my life."
Lack of Confidence--"Who else can do this job like I do it?"
Love for the Job-- "I really love my job and the people I work with."
Loss of investment--"I've put too much into this to let it go."

What is the answer? Rejoice in your God given accomplishments, bow out graciously, bless and assist your successor, and then ask God "WHAT'S NEXT??"

This brief article was take from "The Best of ..the Word for You Today" a daily devotional.

Charisma- A Beneficial Leadership Trait.

2010-01-10T22:01:00.000-08:00

One of my New Year's Goals is to keep this blog updated with motivation, insight and encouragement as we move forward to embrace all that 2010 has for us.
We will continue to examine all the traits that make us better leaders in our lives. In the last blog that was posted here we mentioned the number one trait which was Character. Today and the next 7 days we will reflect on this aspect of Charisma.
Some people think that charisma is something that is hard to define or vague. Some think that it is something that you are born with, but I disagree. Charisma is something that can be developed in any one's life. What is Charisma? In a simple definition, Charisma is the ability to draw people to you. To develop into someone who draws others to you incorporate the following into your life.

1. Love Life!
People enjoy leaders who enjoy life. Are you a celebrator or a complainer? People who have charisma are passionate about life.
2. Put A "10" on Every Person's Head!
People/Leaders who have charisma see the best in people. Believe in people it cause the best to come out in them. Appreciate others, encourage others and give them the room to make mistakes because we all do. When you believe in them, they believe in themselves. 1st Corin. 13:7- ...is ever ready to believe the best of every perons..." (Amplied version).
3. Give People HOPE!
Help people believe in their tomorrow. Hope is the ability of seeing a prosperous tomorrow today. Give others Hope and they will be attracted to you. Romans 8:24-"who hopes for what he already has?"
4. Share of Yourself
As you lead others, give of yourself. Share experiences, share wisdom, and share resources. When you think of Charisma simply think what Paul said in Philippians chapter 2:4-" Each of you should look not only to your own interest but also to the interest of others."

Until we meet next week, stay motivated! Stay encouraged! Believe in tomorrow and see it being better than today! Become the Leader that you want to become and start now.

Leadership Qualities..... #1 CHARACTER.

2009-09-26T15:11:00.000-07:00

Hello BraveHearts!
I've been so busy with the affairs of life -Family, marriage, children, ministry, working, preaching and teaching that I have been neglectful in keeping up with my post. However..I'm back.
Last night The meeting was awesome. We have focused our attention on Leadership and several qualities that are associated with it. The qualities that we will discuss, focus on, meditate upon, and encourage one another to obtain are taken from the book, "The 21 indispensable qualities of a Leader" by John C. Maxwell. It is a small yet insight book. It is a quick read however we will slowly meditate on the qualities spoken of in the book. I encourage anyone who will be attending the meetings to obtain the book. It is a great add to any library.

We should all aspire to become great leaders in our lives. We are all leading someone in some capacity. Some are leading a business that contains employees or you may be running a company and or department with your subordinates and colleagues. Some are leading ministries with a minor or massive following of people. Some are leading a wife and three children to a destination greater than where they are and some have the awesome task of leading themselves through high school, college and out of home with mom and dad to successful independent living. Everything rises and falls on leadership. I don't believe people are born into leadership. Leadership to me is a trait that can be honed and developed over time. A good leader is something you become on the inside and when that happens it will manifest outwardly and people will see a good leader.
When Jesus walked this earth he strives to teach his disciples leadership. If all he came to do is die on the cross for us then Jesus could have made a "B" line straight there; from the cradle to the grave. However, Jesus didn't just come to die he came also to train 12 men (Bravehearts) to become great leaders.
To lead means "to go before or with to show the way; conduct or escort" and if we are going to lead or go before anyone and show them the way we have to know what type of qualities make up a good leader so we can discipline ourselves to make those qualities a part of our character.
Speaking of character, that brings us to our first quality-The first quality of a good leader is CHARACTER.
What is Character? Character is the combination of qualities or features that distinguishes one person, group, or thing from another. How you deal with life will tell others alot about your character. Going through a tough time doesn't necessarily build character but it will certainly reveal the type of character you have.
Character is more than you just "saying" that you have character. For example, do you tell people that you are an honest person or does your character prove you are honest by your actions. Your actions determine what type of character you have. If you constantly lie, cheat, manipulate, etc. then that will sum up your character. If you are a womanizer, flirt, manipulator, fornicator, then those actions sum up your character. When people hear your name what do you think they say about you? What they are saying might be an indication of your character. If you don't like what they are saying then change your actions which will change your character.
Please make a distinction in what I'm talking about; I'm not talking about making mistakes and learning from mistakes. I'm talking about how you live on a consistent basis- that's your character.

Proverbs 20:11 (NIV) "Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right."

In the above text Solomon mentions that people are known by their actions. What determines if you are mature or immature? Not age. What determines if you are a man or a child? Not strength. What determines if you are a Leader or a lump? One word,-- ACTIONS.
Strive to let your character be above criticism. Live right, it's your character, its the first step to a great leader. The people who depend on you are following your character!!

You must simply LEARN TO FIGHT!

2009-08-07T18:00:00.000-07:00

John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

As men we must simple learn to FIGHT. When you look at and consider the above text you will see that tribulation and trouble is promised. Life is not perfect and problems occur every day; Righteous or unrighteous, godly or ungodly, believer or unbeliever, it does not matter what stance you take you will face something in life. So since we must face challenges and trouble we must simply learn to fight. When I say "fight", I am not talking about fighting physically or in the flesh (2 Corinthians 10).
Fighting as a Christian is a learned art. One should sit at the feet of the Holy Spirit and take time to learn His battle techniques. Read and meditate on Ephesians 6 and look at some of the equipment you must use to fight.

Remember, James 4:7 says,... resist the devil and he will flee from you"- The word "resist" literally means to "remain standing". The devil is trying to kill us, steal from us and he is trying to destroy our lives and if we are to resist him or remain standing we must LEARN TO FIGHT!

Jesus said that ever since the days of John the Baptist the kindom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force. If we are going to take anything that the enemy is trying to steal from us we must Learn to Fight.
The Word is your weapon, confessing Gods promises out loud is a weapon, Praying in your understanding and praying in the Holy Ghost is a weapon, understanding the power of binding and loosening is a weapon, praying in unity and in agreement with others is a weapon- all of God's weapons are at your disposal and no weapon that the enemy trys to form against you will prosper!!

Even though we have to learn to fight we have something wonderful to our advantage, and its this...."the righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all"!!!!
You will never out grow warfare you must simply learn to fight!!!

ISOLATION EQUALS DEVASTATION

2009-07-14T22:32:00.000-07:00

ECCLESIASTES 4:9-12 "TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE, BECAUSE THEY HAVE A GOOD RETURN FOR THEIR WORK: IF ONE FALLS DOWN, HIS FRIEND CAN HELP HIM UP. BUT PITY THE MAN WHO FALLS AND HAS NO ONE TO HELP HIM UP!...THOUGH ONE MAY BE OVERPOWERED, TWO CAN DEFEND THEMSELVES. A CORD OF THREE STRANDS IS NOT QUICKLY BROKEN."

This scripture and my above title should be self explanatory of what I'm trying to say, but let me elaborate.

Plenty of men want to fight their battles alone. This is one of the biggest mistakes you can ever make. Isolation is the first step toward devastation. Two are better than one. God has two (pun intended) much to say about this issue in his Word, lol.

At one time, Jesus gathered 70 anointed men (Luke 10:1) and sent them out in pairs not individually. There is power in numbers. That's why Jesus said if, "..If two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for , it will be done for you by my Father in heaven."

This is something I struggle with to this day. I have been on my own since I entered my teenage years and as a result I initially always try to go at things alone. I am discovering that this is a bad habit that must be broken in my life. I am not only trying to get support from God (which is always important) but we as men need support from those we trust around us. Let's learn to get help when needed, learn to get support, learn to trust someone. Get a friend, get a mentor, get a prayer partner.

SEE YOUR BATTLE AS PREPARATION TO PROMOTION!

2009-07-08T11:52:00.000-07:00

JAMES 1:12- BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT ENDURETH TEMPTATION: FOR WHEN HE IS TRIED HE WILL RECIEVE THE CROWN OF LIFE, WHICH THE LORD HAS PROMISED TO THEM THAT LOVE HIM.

I have a friend that sent the following in an email that I want to use as a basis to encourage you today.

"I love the line in Transformers II that goes, "fate rarely calls upon us at the moment of our choosing..." It underscore the importance of preparation.... spiritual, mental, physical, emotional, and financial. More often than not, great opportunities (challenges) present themselves when it is least convenient for us. The average person doesn't recognize this as an opportunity. They see only hardship and hope for it to pass without much impact on them. They don't allow themselves to transform into the person they can be to deal and handle the situation. I've been taught to seek out the hardest problems for those who deal with them will reap the greatest rewards (finances are but a part of the rewards). Shower me with hardship for I get tougher and the can handle even more. I know larger rewards are attached to these harder problems. That's why I loved your message today. You prayed for wisdom. That is exactly what I seek. For through wisdom I can handle the greater challenges."

As a warrior in the Kingdom of God you must be prepared to fight. Warfare may appear to be an obstacle to you, however, God will use it to determine your next promotion.

Remember, Daniel was promoted ONLY AFTER the lion's den. Job received a double blessing ONLY AFTER his suffering. Joseph (one of my favorites) reached the palace and controlled Pharaoh's wealth ONLY AFTER he went in the pit and through the prison. And more importantly, Jesus was promoted and exalted ONLY AFTER he was nailed to the cross. Dont run from the battle and don't quit because of it. Stay around to receive your crown. Your Award Ceremony is ONLY AFTER!!

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Prepare your Minds for War!

2009-06-29T23:25:00.000-07:00

"For in my inward man I delight in God's law, but I see another law at work in the members of my body waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work withing my members". Romans 7 :22-23

Your mind is at War every single day! Every day that you arise to enjoy another day your mind will be bombarded by images, words, concepts, and thoughts. What you think about does matter, despite what some think or say. Another misconception that many people have is that you do not have control of your thoughts, but that is far from the truth!

YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CONTROL YOUR THOUGHTS!

You must make your mind your servant. You must tell it what to do, you must tell it what to think, and you must tell it what to meditate on. Boss your mind around, it is your servant. When unholy, bad, negative and unproductive thoughts pop up in your mind resist those thoughts by opening your mouth and say what the Word says that contradict those negative thoughts.

Some believe that your heart is your subconscience mind where you store your thoughts. So fill your Mental Warehouse with the Word of God. What happens in your mind is likely to happen in your future ( as a man thinketh in his heart so is he...Proverbs 23:7). Practice meditating on the Word of God today to unlock your faith in His Word.

Brave Heart Baby, Brave Heart!!

2009-06-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

"For God has not given us a spirit of Fear but of Power, Love and a Sound Mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).
God has not given us a spirit of Fear! That should be encouraging enough to pull a Brave attitude out of our hearts to help us confront anything that trys to rob from us, steal from us or may try to destroy us.

By looking at that verse please understand that Fear is a spirit, just like Faith is a spirit ( 2 Corinthians 4:13, "with the same spirit of faith,") and I believe that Fear comes the same way that Faith (Romans 10:17) comes which is by hearing and hearing by the word of Fear. The enemy, negative circumstances and even negative minded people (even those close to you) will say things/words that will get you to operate in fear. The enemy knows that Fear will make you run, tremble, quit, hide and it will paralize you. Fear is never productive rather to the contrary it is destructive.

I'm not sure what you are facing or how severe your problems may be but I do know that God doesn't want you to live in Fear at all. Don't be afraid to confront sin, don't be afraid to confront pornography, don't be afraid to confront your fits of wrath, don't be afraid to confront your pride, don't be afraid to confront the alcoholism, don't be afraid to confront your selfishness--DON'T BE AFRAID, DON'T BE AFRAID!!
God wants everyone that serves him to look their problem(s) right in the face, resist the spirit of Fear and with the courage that he supplies recognize that they cannot be defeated by life's problems because as Christians "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1st John 4:4).

God doesn't beget suckers, lames, or weak willed feeble people. A Brave God begets Brave men and therefore they must possess Brave Hearts!!

My Brother you are a Brave Heart.....a Brave Heart!

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