I Am With You Always!

In Matthew 28:20, Jesus tells us to remember, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  Wow, what a promise!  In a world where division occurs within families as children and parents become estranged and countries divided by politics and religious beliefs, Christ reminds us that He is with us always.  

The only thing that can separate us from Christ is our sin; our disobedience.  He never leaves us or forsakes us and understands our daily battle to resist doing the things that contradict our beliefs.  Knowing that He is there always should remind us it is in His strength we overcome the daily challenges; he is there right by our side ready to come to our aid if we simply acknowledge him and ask for His help.  For we know that if Christ be for us, who can be against us.  In Him, we can proclaim that nothing will separate us from the love of God!  Just a little advice to go!

Guiltless But Guilty!

Luke 23: 1-5
Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.

Have you ever been there, judged as guilty even though you are guiltless.  It is a strange and lonely feeling when you find yourself condemned for something you are not guilty of.  Jesus was accused of blasphemy for proclaiming he was the son of God, it was a truth that many could not accept and thus they found him guilty even though he was guiltless.

We too will encounter times where we are condemned for simply speaking the truth or for doing what we know to be right even though others may call it wrong.  In Christ we have no choice but to do as he did, proclaim the truth and/or do right accepting the consequences whatever they may be.

The challenge for us as believers is to overcome the fear of consequence often used by the enemy to dissuade us from doing what our spirit confirms to be right.  This fear can only be overcome through God's word; the knowledge and power promised by his words.  He did not give us a spirit of fear and there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus.  In Christ we are left to stand up for His truth, a truth that sets us free from guilt even when others would find us guilty.   Whatever you may face, stand in Christ's truth and when others find you guilty, know that in him your are guiltless.  Just a litlle advice to go!

The Joy of the Lord Heals Your Pain!

Celebrating Jesus' birth always reminds me of his resurrection, the fact that he died but then rose from the grave.  He was alive and walking on planet earth as if he never died and had the scars to prove it.  Jesus had the scars on his hands and the wound on his side evidencing the devastation he endured and overcame so that we could be set green from the pain of our sins. (John 20:27)

As believers we often forget that as long as we are in this world we too bear the scars of the sins and suffering we have endured.  Whether physical or emotional, the scars bear witness not only of the suffering but of the miracle of Christ's healing.  The scars and memories remain, but the pain is alleviated by the joy of his salvation.  The bible tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength, we need only to receive him, believe in him, and live in him to receive that joy.  That joy illuminates the greatness of God in our lives, overcoming the darkness and pain of this world.  Yes, trials and weeping may come in the nighttime but joy cometh in the morning. (Psalms 30:5)

Let your scars serve not as reminders of the pain and suffering you have endured, but as reminders of  your rebirth in Christ, your deliverance from the evil of this world, your victory over the pain of the past, and your new found joy in the Lord!  Just a little advice to go!

A2G: Blessings in 2014

Blessings to each of you as your start 2014!  God's word offers us the following promise in Deuteronomy 1:11

11May the Lord, the God of your ancestors, increase you a thousand times and bless you as he has promised!

I claim that word for each of you, praying that your relationship with Christ, your family, loved ones, and friends would would be increased a thousand times.  I also pray that your finances would increase a thousand times allowing you to receive much so that you may bless others with much!

Debbie and I find ourselves blessed in this new year as our parents who have struggled with health challenges begin the new year with us, our children are doing well, and we continue in our service to our heavenly father.  Debbie began a new job this year working at Seton Homes serving single teen moms and I continue to work at Haven for Hope serving homeless men, women, and families.  We are blessed to be able to live our ministry every day both at home and work.

My commitment to God's service includes sharing my weekly devotional, Advice to go,  which can be challenging at times due to my commitment to work, school, volunteering at Bexar County, and much more.  But I will do my best to share the messages that God brings to my life in the hope they will bless you as they have blessed me!  Happy New Year!  Just a little advice to go!

TEAM Up!

TEAM up with me for a few minutes as I share this message, knowing Christ guides us to where he needs us to be if we listen.  Are you with me?  Christ spoke into my life this morning and I wanted to share with you.  The world TEAM came to me but in a different perspective than it normally does.  In Christ TEAM means I am Transformed, Empowered, Anointed and Mastered.  Let me explain in greater detail:

Transformed- Today I stand transformed into a new creation knowing the old me and old junk within me died in Christ as I was reborn into the new me, the me he intended in the first place.

Empowered-By myself I often felt powerless and incapable of impacting my situation and the storms that came upon me.  But as of my transformation in Christ, I am empowered through Him to change my situation, to overcome the storms, to take to the battle knowing victory is mine.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me for I am truly more than just a conqueror!

Anointed-His anointing over me is not temporary but rather an eternal anointing guaranteeing He is with me, in me and all around me.  He is an ever present, everlasting, and all knowing Savior whose anointing pours gifts into my life.  That anointing continues to ensure my transformation and empowerment will endure.

Mastered-Yes I am a one of a kind master production, created in His image but made into the me He foresaw me to be.  The only thing that could stand in the way of my mastered image is the free will He gave me enabling me to choose between being a mastered creation or an imitation, a counterfeit product looking like the real thing but falling far short of it.

TEAM with Christ and take hold of the fact you have been Transformed, Empowered, Anointed, and Mastered by Him.  With the knowledge granted through the step of faith taken when you asked Him into your life, you will achieve the greatness God intended for your life and the lives of all whom you TEAM Up with!  Amen, received His word!  Just a little advice to go!

Be A Multiplier, Not A Diminisher!

Jesus was an expert at multiplying people, not just the number of people but the individuals themselves. He recognized the beauty and power of each individual and knew what to do to help them recognize their full potential.  He did not focus on their weaknesses or on diminishing them, but rather chose to love them unconditionally leading to the recognition that they could do the impossible.  Whether a prostitute, tax collector, a bad tempered and overreacting disciple or committed follower bent on washing his feet; Jesus knew how to multiply their strengths helping them to develop into better people. 

We too have to learn to become multipliers, to celebrate the goodness of those we come into contact with, helping them reach their full potential.  Sadly, we live in a world that often wants to focus on the negative, the flaws of the individual with little regard for their strengths.  It is so easy to come together to talk about others faults rather than trying to celebrate their strengths.  Each of us can move from being a multiplier to being a diminisher if we fail to make conscious effort to celebrate people rather than diminish them.  

As believers we are called to love everyone, to look for their goodness and strengths and help them focus on those while keeping their weaknesses in check.  It takes courage and commitment both of which  Christ provides if you are open to receiving them.  With his help we can learn to become multipliers and avoid being diminishers.  Join me in committing to help multiply people instead of diminishing them.  Just a little advice to go! 

A2G: Renewing of the Mind

Romans 12:2
Do not conform 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.

Yes we are all familiar with this scripture but are we really understanding that in order to avoid conforming with the patterns of this world, we have to make a conscious effort to keep our minds renewed.  It is not as difficult as it sounds, here are three simple areas to focus on based on Dr. Henry Cloud's teachings; he is a Christina clinical psychologist:

1. Attention: your ability to focus on relevant stimuli and block out what is not relevant.  Pay attention to those things that bless your life and take your mind away from those that curse your life.  Not a difficult plan, you know better than anyone else which stimuli to focus your thoughts on and which to avoid.

2. Inhibition: The ability to not do those things that are distracting, irrelevant or destructive to your life.  Don't do it, yes that means that you fight with all you have to make sure that you don't behave in ways that contradict who you are in Christ.  If you need help then get together with a group of believers that can help keep you standing in the light.

3. Remembering-Working memory: The ability to retain and access critical information that helps you reason, make decisions, and take action.  Your brain has to be constantly focused on retaining access to that information that helps you be successful in your walk with Christ.  That means no matter how bad you believe your memory is, you must constantly feed into it the blessing of God's word to help sustain you and deliver you from those destructive thoughts.  Retaining the good thoughts, God's word is a must to help sustain your Godly walk.

Remembering these three areas is as simple as remembering that you need AIR to survive: Attention, Inhibition, and Remembering are critical to making sure your brain has what it needs to thrive.  Give it a try!  Just a little advice to go!