If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide.13 But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend,14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers.16 As for me, I call to God, and the LORD saves me.
Now that we have come to the understanding that we have to acknowledge the realization of what we have been facing- which is the fact that we have been or are offended- then our next step is to talk about the plans of satan and the plans of God. In everything that happens in life there is a two-fold plan. One fold of the plan comes from the prince of the air, satan, and the greatest plan comes from God.
Though we are dealing with two different sources we must come to know that the lesson that we are to learn from the plans are the same. Here is the lesson: "Our response to an offense determines our future." Regardless of what happens to us in life we all have to understand that the way we react to the things that take place in our life, will truly play an important part in what we do in life and the roads we will have to take in order to get there.
We as Christians, followers of Christ, have to be willing to take responsibility for our actions, but also work to make sure we are doing the right things to not fall into the same deadly traps that so many others have already fallen into. As I stated once already, God will not be pleased with us trying to justify the wrong that we do to others, although they have done wrong to us. Remember we will receive the same consequences as the offenders if we decide not to act the way in which God has called us, as His followers, to act.
Therefore since the way we respond determines our future now that means you probably want to know the two-fold plan that I began talking about at the beginning? Well here it is.
The plan of satan is that we become: shocked, bewildered, and amazed by being offended by others. Understand that satan uses the very ones that are closest to us to bring us into a state of shock, bewilderment and amazement. Now amazingly enough most of us think the same way that David did when he wrote Ps.55:12-14. David says it this way, "If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers." In essence what David said was, if it had been my enemies or someone that I didn't know, then I could probably just be upset about this and go on about my business a lot faster, but that's not the case. These are the one's whom we sing alongside in the choir; the one who stand's before me in Sunday school teaching the lesson; or better yet the one who is delivering the sermon from the pulpit. The one's we spend holidays, attend social functions, and share offices with. And for most of us it's even closer than that. It's the one's we grew up with, confide in, and sleep next to. Yep, it's the church family, those we consider as friends, and our very own family members.
What I've learned and what David is saying is that, we are truly only offended by those whom we care about. No, I'm not saying that we don't get hurt by others that we don't truly know, but when it comes to dealing with offense there is a deeper root to the problem we are facing. The deeper root is caused by the fact that the relationship is much closer. It is a relationship that we have come to expect more from, because we have given more of ourselves to them. Which in return has allowed us to place higher expectations on them, which makes the offense cause us more pain and hurt. All of this in return causes us not to only be: wounded, hurt and bitter, but it also causes us to put up a wall against others that may try to befriend us.
Now that is the plan of satan, but the God we serve has a greater plan than that. His plan is that the potential and purpose, that he has placed in us, be fulfilled. God wants us to understand that everything we face and go through in life is so that we will be prepared and armed for the offense of others that may come our way. If we go back to what David says in Ps.55:12-14 then we should come to understand and know that if it was someone else then we could handle it, but God gives us the strength and power to handle those things in which we don't expect.
The amazing thing about this scripture is not what David says in the following verses, but really what he further goes on to tell us in vs. 16. David says, that "He called on God, and the Lord saves me." So many times we are relying on our own strength and power to handle that which we can't handle, but we need to rely on the protection and provision of God. No, it won't always feel good, because flesh will always rise up to want to do what it feels is the best thing to do, but we are responsible for controlling our flesh and those things which we may be influenced to do that totally go against the word and plan of God.
In the end please understand that satan's plan is that our God given potential and purpose become handicapped and hindered. But the plan of God leads to our purpose and potential being fulfilled, by us serving those whom we are called to serve, so that we might please our Heavenly Father.
If you don't get anything else please don't forget, that "Our response to an offense determines our future." Be Blessed! -AJH
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
'Offensive Breakdown'
Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! Luke 17:1
With the society that we live in currently it seems to be that offensive motives and actions are becoming a norm for us to deal with. It has become a regular for politicians to talk down about other politicians; it is a norm for marriages to end in divorce; it has become a norm for all people (both the young and old) to have sex before marriage/ with multiple partners because it's the thing to do; it is okay to tell a little lie; it is okay for the leaders in the church to do whatever they want to do, without punishment, because they are yet human and they too have the ability to fall; and it even seems to be okay for ministries/denominations to teach whatever part of the bible they want to teach as long as it satisfies what their congregation wants to hear. All of these things, and a host of many others, have become a norm and yet to most of us offensive, but we as Christians have to understand that this is the worlds way and system of dealing with things so we shouldn't be amazed or find ourselves compromising with them to try and make them fit into God's word or his way.
The crazy part is when it comes to Christianity there are some norms that we have begun to accept as well, but really are offensive to the ways and teachings of God. What are these ways you might ask? It is the normality of believing that we have the right to be: angry, bitter, jealous, envious, resentful or outraged towards those who have hurt us. No, I am not suggesting or saying that it is right for anyone to intentionally or unintentionally offend/hurt us, but we do as Christians have to act accordingly to what God's word says for us to do when we have been offended by others.
Jesus tells the disciples in Luke 17:1, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come." He wanted the disciples to know, as well as each of us who have made the decision to follow Him as a believer, that in this life we will be offended but it will be more sorrowful for the offender than for those of us who have been offended. It is not our place to try and repay them for what they have done to us, because then we will receive some of the same consequences that they receive. Not to mention our negative reactions to their offensive ways, could risk us to cause: insults and attacks on others, division and separation in the lives of other people, broken relationships in families and we could even cause people to backslide against God or begin to betray other people as well.
Through much prayer God will use the words of wisdom that he has imparted in me as well as a great study by John Bevere, "the Bait of Satan", as a guide to help us defeat satan and the tricks and schemes of offense that he has tried to place within us. Satan wants us to believe that it is truly okay to be offended, but really and truthfully it is the very thing that is holding us from getting the blessings that God truly has in-store for us.
I know about this all to well because there have been many times in life in which I have been hurt and offended by others. Whether it was the family member that used me; the parent that didn't care anything about me; the pastors/church leaders that have hurt me spiritually/personally; the friends that turned their back on me; or all the other stuff that I allowed to come my way because I totally disobeyed the signs that were right in my face. All because I was angry, bitter or had hatred towards those people for what had happened, I held up the purpose and blessings that God had in-store for me.
Often times we are trapped by offense because we refuse to acknowledge the realization of it. We become so blind to the condition of offense, because we are so focused on the wrong that was done to us, instead of us focusing on a solution that will help us overcome the hurt and lead us to forgiving the one who has wronged us. It wasn't until I acknowledged the realization of what I was facing and that I went to those persons to ask for forgiveness and to forgive them, that God started to make some different things happen in my life. Through these next 30 days my prayer is that the blessings God has for you will be released as we walk through this journey of no longer being offended.
John Bevere says it this way, "Offense isn't deadly, as long as it stays in the trap, but as soon as we decide to pick it up and consume it, then it becomes deadly, because it makes us become offended." In the end the only way we can get to a point of no longer being offended is by: truly forgiving all of those whom have offended us, asking for forgiveness of those whom we have offended and by not picking up the offensive attitudes that satan wants us to carry in order to try and justify what you are doing. Be Blessed! -AJH
With the society that we live in currently it seems to be that offensive motives and actions are becoming a norm for us to deal with. It has become a regular for politicians to talk down about other politicians; it is a norm for marriages to end in divorce; it has become a norm for all people (both the young and old) to have sex before marriage/ with multiple partners because it's the thing to do; it is okay to tell a little lie; it is okay for the leaders in the church to do whatever they want to do, without punishment, because they are yet human and they too have the ability to fall; and it even seems to be okay for ministries/denominations to teach whatever part of the bible they want to teach as long as it satisfies what their congregation wants to hear. All of these things, and a host of many others, have become a norm and yet to most of us offensive, but we as Christians have to understand that this is the worlds way and system of dealing with things so we shouldn't be amazed or find ourselves compromising with them to try and make them fit into God's word or his way.
The crazy part is when it comes to Christianity there are some norms that we have begun to accept as well, but really are offensive to the ways and teachings of God. What are these ways you might ask? It is the normality of believing that we have the right to be: angry, bitter, jealous, envious, resentful or outraged towards those who have hurt us. No, I am not suggesting or saying that it is right for anyone to intentionally or unintentionally offend/hurt us, but we do as Christians have to act accordingly to what God's word says for us to do when we have been offended by others.
Jesus tells the disciples in Luke 17:1, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come." He wanted the disciples to know, as well as each of us who have made the decision to follow Him as a believer, that in this life we will be offended but it will be more sorrowful for the offender than for those of us who have been offended. It is not our place to try and repay them for what they have done to us, because then we will receive some of the same consequences that they receive. Not to mention our negative reactions to their offensive ways, could risk us to cause: insults and attacks on others, division and separation in the lives of other people, broken relationships in families and we could even cause people to backslide against God or begin to betray other people as well.
Through much prayer God will use the words of wisdom that he has imparted in me as well as a great study by John Bevere, "the Bait of Satan", as a guide to help us defeat satan and the tricks and schemes of offense that he has tried to place within us. Satan wants us to believe that it is truly okay to be offended, but really and truthfully it is the very thing that is holding us from getting the blessings that God truly has in-store for us.
I know about this all to well because there have been many times in life in which I have been hurt and offended by others. Whether it was the family member that used me; the parent that didn't care anything about me; the pastors/church leaders that have hurt me spiritually/personally; the friends that turned their back on me; or all the other stuff that I allowed to come my way because I totally disobeyed the signs that were right in my face. All because I was angry, bitter or had hatred towards those people for what had happened, I held up the purpose and blessings that God had in-store for me.
Often times we are trapped by offense because we refuse to acknowledge the realization of it. We become so blind to the condition of offense, because we are so focused on the wrong that was done to us, instead of us focusing on a solution that will help us overcome the hurt and lead us to forgiving the one who has wronged us. It wasn't until I acknowledged the realization of what I was facing and that I went to those persons to ask for forgiveness and to forgive them, that God started to make some different things happen in my life. Through these next 30 days my prayer is that the blessings God has for you will be released as we walk through this journey of no longer being offended.
John Bevere says it this way, "Offense isn't deadly, as long as it stays in the trap, but as soon as we decide to pick it up and consume it, then it becomes deadly, because it makes us become offended." In the end the only way we can get to a point of no longer being offended is by: truly forgiving all of those whom have offended us, asking for forgiveness of those whom we have offended and by not picking up the offensive attitudes that satan wants us to carry in order to try and justify what you are doing. Be Blessed! -AJH
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Worthy Sacrifice- "Why Me"
Well the last time we dealt with some very interesting questions concerning our sacrifice to God. We discussed what the word "sacrifice" means and also why it is that we should sacrifice. Now please don't misunderstand the writings of this and take it as though I'm placing our sacrifices as being higher than obedience to God, because that is simply not the case. The only true way to sacrifice for God is through His obedience because if you are doing it for any other purpose besides obedience, then it is really worthless in the end. Today we will go a little further into our study of "sacrifice" by finding out: why we should not sacrifice and how long we should sacrifice?
Romans 12:1-3 NIV
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
Why should I not sacrifice?
In life you will definitely find out that there are truly some purposes in life for why you shouldn't do certain things. Well sacrificing comes with some of those same exact parameters placed around it. There are probably many reasons for why we shouldn't sacrifice but I believe this one reason will cover the bulk of all other reasons, because this is what normally leads up to the other reasons. Whatever you do don't find yourself sacrificing for the purpose or the mere fact of expecting something in return from people. Don't do it for public recognition, money or anything that you/others will put into your head to make you feel like you deserve something from other people. Please know that no one owes you anything for being obedient to Christ and you shouldn't allow others to make you feel like you're owed anything either. Understand that anything that you do for Christ, out of true obedience to him, He will bless you beyond what anyone on this earth ever could. If you're doing something and you're expecting something in return then that's called "work", therefore you should go and find a legal job, but sacrifice is about giving up something without expecting anything in return. If you get something for your sacrifice then great, but if you don't then don't be upset because only God can bless you like no one else can.
How long should I sacrifice?
You've probably asked this question many of times and if you haven't then I sure have. Well God gave me 1 answer, that is until He says that your time is done. Most times I had a very hard time trying to figure out what that answer meant because I thought that most situations were never ending, but I soon found out that all of them do have an ending point but you have to pay attention to when that ending point is. If you don't pay attention and listen then you could end up being there longer than what you were expected to be and find yourself frustrated in the midst of it. There are a couple of things that we must all know and do in order to find out when our sacrifice is truly over.
- The first thing we must know is the reason behind our sacrifice that God has called us to offer up. Most times we fall into this trap of doing things without ever knowing the reason behind why we are even doing it. I would go further to say that we sometimes think we are sacrificing when really God never asked us to do such a thing in the first place. God may of said to do this one time and we took it upon ourselves to make it continuously, because it seemed like the right thing to do. Anytime we have been called to sacrifice there is always a purpose behind it and God is not one who will lead us into the dark of a situation and not give us full instructions on what He wants us to do. Most times what happens is we don't pay full attention to the instructions and therefore things get twisted and way out of hand. Therefore if you don't understand fully then just take the time to ask God and I promise He will be more than happy to give you any direction that you are seeking. Also know that God is not like us, so He won't get mad if you ask him more than once because He really wants you to fully understand.
- Next we should truly evaluate what it is that we have been called to do and see how effective it is. In doing evaluations you shall find out how effective you have been in doing what it is that God has called you to do. It will also start to help you to see if you're becoming ineffective and what it is that needs to change, so that you can transition out of that situation or change the dynamics of what you're doing. Notice that I said transition out and not just step out of it altogether suddenly. God does all things decently and in order so just because you didn't come out when you were originally suppose to doesn't mean that He will allow you to just up and leave suddenly without giving you or those whom you are sacrificing for other directions in order to go forward.
- Lastly make sure you ask God, "Have I done what you said do and am I finished?" Now just because you get clear understanding from God of what you are to do and you have evaluated your efforts doesn't mean that your sacrificial task is completed. All those things may be in order and things may look like they are complete and working great, but honestly only God knows and has the final say. If you leave a situation to early then you can be punished as well, but it can also harm those others whom are also involved. Please make sure that before you consider your sacrificial assignment or task complete that you consult with the One who gave you the assignment in the first place. If God says it's complete then it's complete, but if He doesn't give you the okay then you might want to get back to the task that is at hand.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Worthy Sacrifice!
Romans 12:1-3 Msg.
"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your every day, ordinary life-your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around-life and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. 2. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. 3. I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him."
At the end of 2010 I began to reflect on my personal life. How it is that I got to where I am today and all of the things that I've been through. I must say that it hasn't been an easy road for me to travel down but in the end I realized that it was a road that was destined for me to travel down. I wouldn't sit here and tell you that I've liked every corner, street or people that I had to endure but at the end of it all I'm very grateful for it because I understand now that it has shaped me to become the young man that I am and it even helped to shape the lives of those whom were around me. I won't lye and tell you that I was perfect; that I made all the right decisions; that I said or thought all the right things; or even that I always treated people the way they should've of been treated but one thing I do know and have learned is that my life has been about sacrifice.
Sacrifice is defined as an unselfish giving; worship offering. All-in-all sacrifice is a conscience decision that a person chooses to make in life. This decision says that I'm willing to give up something that I want so badly in order to help better the life or well-being of someone else. It doesn't mean that I give up everything and be left with nothing, but that I take what I have and make it more meaningful by sowing/giving into the life of someone else. The most amazing part about it all is that the life that truly becomes most meaningful~changed or empowered, besides those that are around you, is the life of the one who is making the sacrifice.
Now if you're anything like me or even some others (Jesus, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Barak Obama, parents, educators, etc...) which have all sacrificed in order to better the lives of others, you've probably ask some of the same questions that I wanted to know the answers to. Well prayerfully today after reading this you will have gotten some more insight and take a totally different look at the purpose and meaning behind your sacrificing.
Why should I sacrifice?
I've asked this question plenty of times in the short span of my life. For whatever reason it seemed like I could never be what would be defined as a normal person. I didn't get to always do all the things that people my age was doing growing up. Once again I'm not saying that I was better than anyone cause I was a long shot away from that but some things just didn't fit and I always found myself asking the question "Why me?" Well let me tell you what I found out: 1) because God's word says that we should, 2) because there are others in need of your sacrifice, & 3) because you will receive the greatest benefit from it.
1) Because God's word says that we should: I had to come to the understanding that my life and my body doesn't belong to me but it belongs to God. Even before I was saved and became a Christian I learned that as much as I wanted to do my own thing and even tried to do my own thing, I had God's voice in my ear telling me that I didn't belong to myself. Please understand that we don't belong to ourselves but we belong to God and therefore all that we do should honor and please Him. Jesus had to find this out and if God expected for him to know it then how should we think that we aren't suppose to know it. All throughout the Bible and life God is speaking to us and letting us know that He has called on us to sacrifice for him.
2) Because there are others in need of your sacrifice: Not only is it because God tells us to but also we have to realize that there are those who are really dependant on our sacrifice in order to get to where God would have for them to go. You know even to this day I can say that I don't like it and growing up being the oldest child I surely didn't like it but the motivation that I had to continue doing it was for the mere fact that I learned that others were dependant upon my sacrifice and if I didn't then they wouldn't be able to do in life what they are suppose to do. If we look back at the life of Dr. MLK Jr. then we should be able to understand that if it had not been for the sacrifice that he made to stand up for civil rights for all people (all races included) then we as a people would not be able to do the things that we can currently. If Jesus hadn't went to the cross and died for our sins then we wouldn't be able to make it to heaven or even pray to God. Your sacrifice may not seem as though it is as momentous of an occasion as theirs but to someone it is. That which God has called you to do means just as much to those in whom you've been called to sacrifice for as what Jesus, Dr. MLK Jr. and others have done. I encourage to never discount the sacrifice you make because even if it doesn't seem like something large in someone else eye, then you should be encouraged to know that it means the most in the eye of the One who matters the most, which is God.
3) Because you will receive the greatest benefit from it: You know often times we're seeking after what will give us the most recognition or prestige among a group of people. We're always asking, how will this benefit me and how do I know that they appreciate what I've done for them. Well an attitude like that really doesn't show that you're sacrificing but it shows that you're being selfish. Don't get it twisted in me saying that you shouldn't feel appreciated for the things that you do for others, because I will tell you that's one of my biggest pet peeves (those whom don't appreciate what you do or have done for them), but what I am saying is that I don't do anything looking for some instant gratification or appreciation from man because I do the things that I do for the love that I truly have for God. Therefore because that's my intent behind it all then I have found that my sacrificing has been of the greatest benefit to myself. Not necessarily beneficial in material things, but beneficial in life changing. I've seen things come to pass in my life that I only dreamed about at one point in time and never thought would happen. I've gained some life changing and long lasting relationships with people that truly love and accept me for who I am. And to top it all off I have a great relationship with God who comforts me, cares for me and loves me just the way I am and is willing to lead, guide and direct me into the path that He has destined for me. If these are not great benefits then I truly don't know what is.
All in all you should be able to see that your life has meaning when you truly sacrifice for God. It shouldn't be about how is this going to help me or what am I going to get for it in the end but make it about pleasing God and making the lives of those around you better. Later this week I will finish the 2nd part to this and tell you: What it takes to sacrifice and how long you should sacrifice because I've also found out that all sacrifices aren't meant to last forever. I pray that you are blessed by this and that something here helps you to continue to go beneath the surface in your life. For all that is done God truly gets all the glory, honor and praise. Be Blessed! ~AJH
"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your every day, ordinary life-your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around-life and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. 2. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. 3. I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him."
At the end of 2010 I began to reflect on my personal life. How it is that I got to where I am today and all of the things that I've been through. I must say that it hasn't been an easy road for me to travel down but in the end I realized that it was a road that was destined for me to travel down. I wouldn't sit here and tell you that I've liked every corner, street or people that I had to endure but at the end of it all I'm very grateful for it because I understand now that it has shaped me to become the young man that I am and it even helped to shape the lives of those whom were around me. I won't lye and tell you that I was perfect; that I made all the right decisions; that I said or thought all the right things; or even that I always treated people the way they should've of been treated but one thing I do know and have learned is that my life has been about sacrifice.
Sacrifice is defined as an unselfish giving; worship offering. All-in-all sacrifice is a conscience decision that a person chooses to make in life. This decision says that I'm willing to give up something that I want so badly in order to help better the life or well-being of someone else. It doesn't mean that I give up everything and be left with nothing, but that I take what I have and make it more meaningful by sowing/giving into the life of someone else. The most amazing part about it all is that the life that truly becomes most meaningful~changed or empowered, besides those that are around you, is the life of the one who is making the sacrifice.
Now if you're anything like me or even some others (Jesus, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Barak Obama, parents, educators, etc...) which have all sacrificed in order to better the lives of others, you've probably ask some of the same questions that I wanted to know the answers to. Well prayerfully today after reading this you will have gotten some more insight and take a totally different look at the purpose and meaning behind your sacrificing.
Why should I sacrifice?
I've asked this question plenty of times in the short span of my life. For whatever reason it seemed like I could never be what would be defined as a normal person. I didn't get to always do all the things that people my age was doing growing up. Once again I'm not saying that I was better than anyone cause I was a long shot away from that but some things just didn't fit and I always found myself asking the question "Why me?" Well let me tell you what I found out: 1) because God's word says that we should, 2) because there are others in need of your sacrifice, & 3) because you will receive the greatest benefit from it.
1) Because God's word says that we should: I had to come to the understanding that my life and my body doesn't belong to me but it belongs to God. Even before I was saved and became a Christian I learned that as much as I wanted to do my own thing and even tried to do my own thing, I had God's voice in my ear telling me that I didn't belong to myself. Please understand that we don't belong to ourselves but we belong to God and therefore all that we do should honor and please Him. Jesus had to find this out and if God expected for him to know it then how should we think that we aren't suppose to know it. All throughout the Bible and life God is speaking to us and letting us know that He has called on us to sacrifice for him.
2) Because there are others in need of your sacrifice: Not only is it because God tells us to but also we have to realize that there are those who are really dependant on our sacrifice in order to get to where God would have for them to go. You know even to this day I can say that I don't like it and growing up being the oldest child I surely didn't like it but the motivation that I had to continue doing it was for the mere fact that I learned that others were dependant upon my sacrifice and if I didn't then they wouldn't be able to do in life what they are suppose to do. If we look back at the life of Dr. MLK Jr. then we should be able to understand that if it had not been for the sacrifice that he made to stand up for civil rights for all people (all races included) then we as a people would not be able to do the things that we can currently. If Jesus hadn't went to the cross and died for our sins then we wouldn't be able to make it to heaven or even pray to God. Your sacrifice may not seem as though it is as momentous of an occasion as theirs but to someone it is. That which God has called you to do means just as much to those in whom you've been called to sacrifice for as what Jesus, Dr. MLK Jr. and others have done. I encourage to never discount the sacrifice you make because even if it doesn't seem like something large in someone else eye, then you should be encouraged to know that it means the most in the eye of the One who matters the most, which is God.
3) Because you will receive the greatest benefit from it: You know often times we're seeking after what will give us the most recognition or prestige among a group of people. We're always asking, how will this benefit me and how do I know that they appreciate what I've done for them. Well an attitude like that really doesn't show that you're sacrificing but it shows that you're being selfish. Don't get it twisted in me saying that you shouldn't feel appreciated for the things that you do for others, because I will tell you that's one of my biggest pet peeves (those whom don't appreciate what you do or have done for them), but what I am saying is that I don't do anything looking for some instant gratification or appreciation from man because I do the things that I do for the love that I truly have for God. Therefore because that's my intent behind it all then I have found that my sacrificing has been of the greatest benefit to myself. Not necessarily beneficial in material things, but beneficial in life changing. I've seen things come to pass in my life that I only dreamed about at one point in time and never thought would happen. I've gained some life changing and long lasting relationships with people that truly love and accept me for who I am. And to top it all off I have a great relationship with God who comforts me, cares for me and loves me just the way I am and is willing to lead, guide and direct me into the path that He has destined for me. If these are not great benefits then I truly don't know what is.
All in all you should be able to see that your life has meaning when you truly sacrifice for God. It shouldn't be about how is this going to help me or what am I going to get for it in the end but make it about pleasing God and making the lives of those around you better. Later this week I will finish the 2nd part to this and tell you: What it takes to sacrifice and how long you should sacrifice because I've also found out that all sacrifices aren't meant to last forever. I pray that you are blessed by this and that something here helps you to continue to go beneath the surface in your life. For all that is done God truly gets all the glory, honor and praise. Be Blessed! ~AJH
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Survival of the Fittest!
Well yesterday we started this discussion about life. Through looking at the lives of Dr. MLK Jr. and Jesus we found out that although life may throw you to be surprised at times, we can handle those things diligently if we would choose to put things in the right priority.
Well today we're going to go a little further with using the lives of Dr. MLK Jr. and Jesus to show how life is also about survival. In Matt.10:22 Jesus tells us, "And everyone will hate you because of your allegiance to me. But those who endure tot he end will be saved." Both of these great men teach us about survival through the type of life that they lived and the things that they did. They were both spit on and humiliated as they marched from town to town for what was right. There was a lot that they had to endure in order for them to make the difference that has been made by them taking a stand. Dr. MLK Jr.stood for equality and justice for all, regardless of race, creed or background. Jesus came and was the ultimate sacrifice for each and everyone of us as we were headed and on our way to hell.
We have to realize that things in our life may not always go the way we plan for it to. We won't always have what we want and some people won't always do what they said they would do. Even from this scripture Jesus have already told us that we will be hated because of the allegiance that we have with Him, but we can rest assure that if we stay committed to God and be in allegiance with Him then our life will be more rewarding than we could ever imagine, because by no means was there ever promised to us a problem free life. Dr. MLK Jr. and Jesus both knew that the road they were about to travel was going to be very rewarding in the end, but I'm sure they also knew that it was going to come with some pain. They knew it was going to come with some heartache and suffering, but they also knew that they had to survive for the greater good of what they were called to do. Please understand that we were called to do something far greater than what we could even probably imagine, but we just have to be willing to tap into that which we've been called to and then step out on faith to start making it happen.
Trust and understand that life itself isn't easy, but truly in order for us to make it through this life and for us to be the person in whom God has called us to be, it is so very important that we survive. Not just survive in order that we might make it but also survive for those who are depending on us to make it. The words to Hezekiah Walker's song says it best:
"I need you, you need me.
We're all a part of God's body.
Stand with me, agree with me.
We're all a part of God's body.
It is his will, that every need be supplied.
You are important to me, I need you to survive." Be blessed! -AJH
Well today we're going to go a little further with using the lives of Dr. MLK Jr. and Jesus to show how life is also about survival. In Matt.10:22 Jesus tells us, "And everyone will hate you because of your allegiance to me. But those who endure tot he end will be saved." Both of these great men teach us about survival through the type of life that they lived and the things that they did. They were both spit on and humiliated as they marched from town to town for what was right. There was a lot that they had to endure in order for them to make the difference that has been made by them taking a stand. Dr. MLK Jr.stood for equality and justice for all, regardless of race, creed or background. Jesus came and was the ultimate sacrifice for each and everyone of us as we were headed and on our way to hell.
We have to realize that things in our life may not always go the way we plan for it to. We won't always have what we want and some people won't always do what they said they would do. Even from this scripture Jesus have already told us that we will be hated because of the allegiance that we have with Him, but we can rest assure that if we stay committed to God and be in allegiance with Him then our life will be more rewarding than we could ever imagine, because by no means was there ever promised to us a problem free life. Dr. MLK Jr. and Jesus both knew that the road they were about to travel was going to be very rewarding in the end, but I'm sure they also knew that it was going to come with some pain. They knew it was going to come with some heartache and suffering, but they also knew that they had to survive for the greater good of what they were called to do. Please understand that we were called to do something far greater than what we could even probably imagine, but we just have to be willing to tap into that which we've been called to and then step out on faith to start making it happen.
Trust and understand that life itself isn't easy, but truly in order for us to make it through this life and for us to be the person in whom God has called us to be, it is so very important that we survive. Not just survive in order that we might make it but also survive for those who are depending on us to make it. The words to Hezekiah Walker's song says it best:
"I need you, you need me.
We're all a part of God's body.
Stand with me, agree with me.
We're all a part of God's body.
It is his will, that every need be supplied.
You are important to me, I need you to survive." Be blessed! -AJH
Monday, January 17, 2011
Caught by surprise!
Today we celebrate the life of a person who made history by stepping out to take a stand for his people. One that worked for equality amongst those of different races and backgrounds. Martin Luther King Jr. taught us a lot through his life and even more after his death. He reminds me of Jesus. No, I'm not saying that MLK was the Savior, but I will say that they both taught us a lot about life. Life will be our focus for the next few weeks. I have found that it is one of the hardest things that we as a people deal with and it's why so many are doing the crazy things that they do. It's the reason why people are taking their own life or the life of someone else. The things that are going on today happen more so because we have lost what the true value of life is really all about. We have lost the value of life because those that are suppose to be responsible for teaching us are not doing their part and we aren't doing ours to make sure we are being taught the right way. We have to understand that life comes with a lot of things and if we don't understand those things then we will continue to have a lot of problems as a people concerning life.
Life is defined as, the total substance of a person's existence. In a sense it is all of the things that you do, whether good or bad, that we/others use to define who we are. Like I said the substance can be good or it can be bad, but we have to understand that life is so much more than just a substance. The 1st thing we will talk about is how life can be shocking/surprising.
Luke 12:15-21 NLT says, "Then Jesus said, 'Beware! Don't be greedy for what you don't have. Real life is not measured by how much we own.' And he gave an illustration: 'A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. In fact, his barns were full to overflowing. So he said, 'I know! I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll have room enough to store everything. And I'll sit back and say to myself, My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!' "But God said to him, 'You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get it all?' "Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God."
We can learn a lot here in this passage but today we will only deal with one area. It doesn't say it here but because of a humans natural instinct and the way we think, if it had been us in the illustration then we would've been shocked/surprised to know that all the thinking and work that we had done was really a waste of time because we just found out that tonight we are about to die. We hadn't planned on sharing anything with anyone or even trying to see whom we could help, but we were only focused on our own needs, desires and wants. Yes we would've been totally shocked and surprised. You know it's sad, but true, that we as a people have gotten so entangled with having only the finer things in life or more than enough, that the majority of us don't even care about the welfare of others anymore, which has led us to be surprised/shocked when certain things happen here in America or over in another country like Haiti. Understand that there is nothing wrong with having nice things or even having more than enough, but please know that life is about so much more than just material things. MLK Jr. and Jesus both displayed this to us through the way they lived their lives and how they were willing to take a stand for people. They weren't caught by surprise nor shocked when things went the way they did because they understood and knew what life was really all about. The mistake that most of us make/have made is that we have gotten caught up in things and other stuff, which ended up leaving us surprised about how our life is going/has gone thus far. In order for us to stop going through this period of shock/surprise then we must continuously prepare ourselves for our ultimate future. Your ultimate future should not be based on how much money you have, what position/title you hold, your status in life or who does or does not like you, but it should be based on you having a rich relationship with Christ because without that even if you had all the things in the world that you wanted you still wouldn't be happy. If you would only change your perspectives and priorities then the things that God can/will allow to happen in your life will no longer shock you or catch you by surprised. Be Blessed! -AJH
Life is defined as, the total substance of a person's existence. In a sense it is all of the things that you do, whether good or bad, that we/others use to define who we are. Like I said the substance can be good or it can be bad, but we have to understand that life is so much more than just a substance. The 1st thing we will talk about is how life can be shocking/surprising.
Luke 12:15-21 NLT says, "Then Jesus said, 'Beware! Don't be greedy for what you don't have. Real life is not measured by how much we own.' And he gave an illustration: 'A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. In fact, his barns were full to overflowing. So he said, 'I know! I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll have room enough to store everything. And I'll sit back and say to myself, My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!' "But God said to him, 'You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get it all?' "Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God."
We can learn a lot here in this passage but today we will only deal with one area. It doesn't say it here but because of a humans natural instinct and the way we think, if it had been us in the illustration then we would've been shocked/surprised to know that all the thinking and work that we had done was really a waste of time because we just found out that tonight we are about to die. We hadn't planned on sharing anything with anyone or even trying to see whom we could help, but we were only focused on our own needs, desires and wants. Yes we would've been totally shocked and surprised. You know it's sad, but true, that we as a people have gotten so entangled with having only the finer things in life or more than enough, that the majority of us don't even care about the welfare of others anymore, which has led us to be surprised/shocked when certain things happen here in America or over in another country like Haiti. Understand that there is nothing wrong with having nice things or even having more than enough, but please know that life is about so much more than just material things. MLK Jr. and Jesus both displayed this to us through the way they lived their lives and how they were willing to take a stand for people. They weren't caught by surprise nor shocked when things went the way they did because they understood and knew what life was really all about. The mistake that most of us make/have made is that we have gotten caught up in things and other stuff, which ended up leaving us surprised about how our life is going/has gone thus far. In order for us to stop going through this period of shock/surprise then we must continuously prepare ourselves for our ultimate future. Your ultimate future should not be based on how much money you have, what position/title you hold, your status in life or who does or does not like you, but it should be based on you having a rich relationship with Christ because without that even if you had all the things in the world that you wanted you still wouldn't be happy. If you would only change your perspectives and priorities then the things that God can/will allow to happen in your life will no longer shock you or catch you by surprised. Be Blessed! -AJH
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
"Beneath the Surface"
Welcome to this new beginning of "Beneath the Surface." This is a new journey that I embark upon and I would hope that you are ready for the ride. Many times in life we are faced with some situations that are beyond our control. We have no sense or idea why things are happening the way they are and when we seek out to people for answers we tend to get the same advice that the last person told us. Therefore we find ourselves still being stuck without really knowing which way to go when we leave because we haven't been challenged to do something different or because we have become dependent on that person instead of depending on God. Well I can't say that I have all of the answers to life's problems but I know the One who does. God has every answer we need but we can only receive it if we are willing to go beyond the surface of our problems and really deal with the root(s) of our issues. Well that is what "Beneath the Surface" will be all about. I'm going to take you beneath the surface of some of the issues that we all face in life and prayerfully give you the direction that you need in order to make a turn around. Not only just in life but we're even going to go deeper into the Word of God so that we might begin to have a better understanding of what God might be saying to us through His word, because many times we miss some of the key elements that we should get out of the Scriptures. I believe it's time out for us being comfortable with the way things are and have been in life for so long. Paul said in Philippians 4:8-9 "And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you." It's time for us to go beyond the surface in God's Word so that we can Worship & Praise him like He fully deserves and that this World & our Lives might become better. I hope you're ready for the ride. Be blessed. -AJH
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