Escaping the Unescapable!

Acts 12:7, 8

 7And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter's side and woke him up, saying, "Get up quickly." And his chains fell off his hands. 8And the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals." And he did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me."…

Have you ever found yourself in an unescapable situation; trapped by a problem or storm with no inkling of how to escape from it.  There is nothing worse than finding yourself trapped wondering how you came to be there in the first place.  You feel hopeless and without any sense of how you are going to get through the situation.  You need only go through a few of these as a believer to know there is a light at the end of the storm's darkness, a light the Lord provides to guide you back into his grace. His grace can loosen the chains that bind you, guiding you to a place of freedom where you are no longer enduring the suffering of that moment.  

When all seems impossible remember that your Lord and Savior can make the impossible happen. 

He sets you free and redirects you back to a place of victory turning your sorrows into joy!  All you have to do is believe!  Just a little advice to go! 

What Do You Treasure?

Matthew 19: 21-22

Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven:and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowfully... 

Most of us have read the story of the rich man who loved God but when challenged to sell his possessions, donate the proceeds to the poor and follow Jesus, he could not do it.  Perhaps you believe this teaching does not apply to you because you are not rich or you are broker than broke.  But it is not just about financial treasures,  but anything you treasure more than God.  

Have you pondered the question, what do you treasure?  Perhaps there are things you treasure more than the Lord, things hindering your ability to walk in alignment with his word.  Perhaps, like the rich man, you would rather walk away from God rather than surrender those treasures.  Christ calls us to surrender all and to value him above all.  Whatever your treasure, make sure you treasure your heavenly father more.   Be prepared to surrender all and follow him.  Your faith in Christ will garner you the treasures of heaven, treasures superseding all this world has to offer.  Just a little advice to go!  

Lord Help Me In My Unbelief!

Jesus Heals a Boy with an Unclean Spirit-Mark 9
Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

It is so easy to claim we believe, but it takes a great deal of courage to admit our unbelief.  Yes, we publicly proclaim our faith in Christ and our belief in God's word as truth.  But for many of us if the truth be known, we are like this boy's father, we believe but we also doubt.  The doubt we feel becomes like a wall obstructing our ability to see God's miracle come to fruition in our lives.

From the most simplest of challenges to the most complicated, we believe but we don't believe with the certainty Christ calls us to have.  Like his most dedicated disciples we fail in our belief because of a lack of deep prayer, the kind of intense prayer that builds our belief to the point of certainty required for His miracles to take place.  God I believe, but help me overcome my unbelief so that your miracles become a permanent reality in my every day walk with you!  Amen!  Just a little advice to go!

Do You Love Me?

Do you love me?  Have you ever been asked this question?  Has your parent, child, spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend, or other person asked you this question?  Today's world makes it so easy for people to say I love you, but the sincerity and depth of those three words often lack the intensity and conviction they should carry.

In the scriptures, Jesus asks Peter, do you love me three times?  Yes the same Peter who denied him three times because fear overcame his love.  Christ teaches us that a genuine and sincere love overcomes fear not the opposite.  Peter is now emphatic in his responses to Christ, culminating with his last response, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”  Peter was certain of his love and commitment to Christ!

Where do you stand?  What would be your response if asked the same question?  Do you love Christ and if the answer is yes, is it obvious by the way you think, speak, and live.  Loving and caring for those around us despite their worthiness of love speaks to the sincerity and commitment of our love for Christ.  Every aspect of our day should center around following Christ and caring for others. Love him the way He loved you, fearlessly and unconditionally.  Just a little advice to go!

God I Need You Always!

After more than a week of feeling ill an experiencing pain throughout my body, I found myself on my knees asking for God’s healing.  Suddenly my mind went to the constant pain so many experience day after day.  I cried before God and had to pray for his mercy and compassion for the many that are hurting.  Many are hungry, trapped by addiction, disenfranchised from their families, suffering the loss of a loved one, battling a terminal illness, and so much more.  

My illness and the pain I have felt reminds me that God’s word assures us he is our comforter, our healer, our deliverer, our light in the middle of the darkness, our peace, and our everything.  It is in the midst of the pain and the hurt that we often awaken to the realization that we need His presence with us every single minute of the day.  

God I pray you wrap your arms around each of us, holding us tightly, squeezing the pain out of us and embracing us with your love and peace.  Help us to remind each other of the urgent need to have you embrace us each and every moment of the day.  Just a little advice to go! 

A2G: Never Give Up!

Who is Wilma Rudolph?  Most folks would not easily recognize the name and would have to look it up to learn who she is.  Wilma was born in 1941 as the 20th of 22 siblings.  She was born premature and would go on to be diagnosed with polio affecting her right leg to the point she would have to wear a special brace and shoe through the age of 9 years old.  What makes her special is her determination never to settle and never give up.  Despite her handicap, she fought to walk and use her right leg despite the leg brace and special shoe she wore.  Her parents though poor did all they could to help her stay determined and encouraged.  Wilma would go on to develop her leg to the point of being able to walk and run without the need of a brace,  She would go on to become a high school basketball star and go on to win medals in two olympics.  Her "never give up" attitude reflects the perspective we all need to take when presented with an obstacle in life seemingly impossible to overcome.

Christ teaches  us that all things are possible for those who love the Lord; that greater is He that is in us, then he that is in the world; and that we abide in Him and His word abides in us, we can ask for the desires of our heart and He will provide them.  If we are abiding by His word, we will be in the right state of mind to know that nothing is impossible for our heavenly father and thus we will Never Give Up!  Just a little advice to go!

Be Vulnerable in Christ!

Christ proclaims that the truth will set us free in John 8:32, yet for many believers the truth is kept buried in our hearts.  We fear the truth because it means being vulnerable.  Researcher Brene Brown defines vulnerability as "being honest with how we feel, about our fears, about what we need, and, asking for what we need. Vulnerability is a glue that holds intimate relationships together."
What more intimate relationship than the one we have with Christ.  Yes, Christ is all knowing but this doesn't preclude our being vulnerable with him.  Practicing vulnerability with him will ensure our communication is an open one and we are both asking the right questions and carefully listening for His responses.

Vulnerability in Christ starts with Him and then continues with those we love.  For many parents, children, husbands, and wives vulnerability is exactly what is lacking.  The ability to speak openly from the heart admitting our weaknesses, hurts, and pains is critical for those whom we love to understand why we behave the way we do and why those behaviors are often hampered by the pains of the past.  We often feel a sense of shame which prevents us from being open and honest; for many of us this type of vulnerability is a sign of weakness.  However the opposite is true.  When we have the courage in Christ to admit our mistakes and confront our hurts, we grow in strength and confidence.  We begin to overcome the pains of the past and recognize Christ provides a way for overcoming them.  Confessing those pains, understanding how they impact our behavior, and owning our mistakes are critical if healing is to take place.  It all starts with the truth; owning it, being vulnerable about it, and knowing Christ will help you through it.  Just a little advice to go!

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown