We don’t always feel strong and courageous though, as life can quite often loom large and intimidating in front of us.  The thing to remember is that this is normal.

God had to tell Joshua many times to “be strong and courageous”

Joshua 1:6 - “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.”

Joshua 1:7 – “Be strong and courageous”

Joshua 1:9 – “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua was feeling the burden of leading the Israelite’s and taking the land God had promised to them.  Decisions Joshua would make would mean that people would die.  God continually affirmed Joshua telling him to “be strong and courageous”.  If Joshua hadn’t have stepped out the Israelite’s would never have taken the promised land.

The best part of the story of Joshua is that ten chapters later Joshua was telling his men to “be strong and courageous” after they won a hard battle.

Joshua 10:25 – “Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged,” Joshua told his men. “Be strong and courageous, for the LORD is going to do this to all of your enemies.”

• Joshua had taken Gods’ word to heart and was able to pass it on to others.
• Read God’s word and have it resonate in your spirit.
• Lead strong at home, at work and at church and watch  the Lord God go before you.

Dave Hastings

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There is only one measure in our lives; one gauge to see if we are living out the will of God’s spirit in our personal world. In comparison to the Fruit of the Spirit; how are we acting…what are we doing…how are we living? Are we responding correctly…thinking correctly…living correctly?

If we are truly disciples of Jesus (living disciplined lives according to His teachings and His words) we should do what He says. Our lives should reflect a sincere and consistent EFFORT to live out his teachings. When we fail in our efforts to live according to His word we lean on His grace, dust ourselves off and move forward.

13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

But how do we learn to recognize our stumble points? Our weaknesses, insecurities and human failings can make it hard to SEE and ACKNOWLEDGE when we are failing to live according to the teachings of Christ.

Through two verses written by Paul to the Galatians the Holy Spirit has provided us with a focal point in our walk with the Spirit. Our efforts to live out these verses gauge the level of discipleship we are actually living.

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23

Jesus’ last command to His disciples was to go into all the nations and make disciples. As His disciples we are to “obey everything I have commanded you.”  According to His teachings what was Jesus’ greatest command? To love…God first and others second. ..not just to TALK love but to ACT on love. Love is the first Fruit of the Spirit.

• To lay down our lives for others..putting them first.
• To serve completely and totally with our only motivation being love.
• To trust that giving love by laying down our lives is to gain our life.

So…how are you living? Take the “FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT” and walk it out. Study each fruit and put God’s word into practice. Take the time to study what Jesus said and you will learn to recognize his voice.

LOVE – There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13

JOY -  I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! John 15:11

PEACE – And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

PATIENCE – Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance (patience) the race set out for us. Hebrews 12:1

KINDNESS – Do to others as you would have them do to you. Luke 6:31

GOODNESS – Why boast you yourself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endures continually. Psalm 52:1

FAITHFUL – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

GENTLENESS – Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

SELF-CONTROL – In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. 2 Peter 1:5-7

JimC

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Not in his goals but in his transitions is man great Ralph Waldo Emerson

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 1 Corinthians 13:11

Yesterday you were a child. As a lover of self you lived for yourself; thinking only of feeding your ego and having your “wants” met. You didn’t see it as selfishness. It was just the way you lived.

• Advice? Not easily received and seldom acted upon…
• Honesty? Only when it would facilitate your needs being met…
• Serve? When it was convenient and brought a benefit…

Now however, things have changed. Now, you are a man. Childish ways have been put behind you. No longer bound by the appetites of “wants” you are FREE to put the needs of others above yourself.

• Advice? Consistently sought and acted upon appropriately…
• Honesty? Not just to others but always with yourself…
• Serve? Laying down your life so others might live…

When you become a man your vision clears and your knowledge grows. Block upon block…strength upon strength…connection upon connection…foundations for your future are laid when you determine to mature today as a man.

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12

Aerosmith made “Livin’ on the Edge” hip back in the day. And someone else once said, “If you aren’t living on the edge, you are taking up too much space.” Life is a risky on the edge, but no one ever told you there wasn’t enough room for any support to keep you from the fall.

There is a term for this in the sales industry known as the “lone wolf.” He is characterized as someone who follows his own instincts, is self-assured, and is difficult to control. He stands alone, and does not call on anyone when difficulties arise. This man will sink when pressures mount because he carries the burden without help. He will become weak in the face of temptation and fall victim to the enemy.

“If you are on the fringe, you will get picked apart by enemy.” Ps. Dean

No longer is living on the edge the “thing” to do. Surrounding yourself with people who will support you and help you advance your goals is the right thing to do. No one can do it alone. Your destiny cannot be filled until it is shared, and believed in, by someone else.

“But if they had stood in my inner circle, they would have proclaimed my message to my people. They would have caused my people to turn from their wicked ways and stop doing the evil things they are doing.” Jeremiah 23:22

Every day is an opportunity to share life with someone else, to share dreams, goals, and aspirations. If we don’t take advantage of these opportunities, and live life on the edge, all of that will die.

I think Aerosmith had it right when they said, “you can’t help yourself from fallin’.”

Jimmy

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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. Romans 12:2

When we want to change most of us focus on altering our exterior. Thanks to the imagery of advertising we think that a new car…new vacation spot…new wardrobe will seemingly make all our negative thoughts, feelings and insecurities disappear like magic. But it’s not magic and we know it. At best it’s a not so cheap illusion that is not only short lived but leaves us feeling short changed. Like painting a rotting building, the facade looks good for a time but the damage remains. If you scratch below the surface, the decay  is easily exposed.

• Exterior..surface…changes are immature responses to external and internal stimuli.
• Real change occurs on the inside.  when our heart changes permanence is the result.
• God is the only one who can create in us a new heart.

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

God changes us first on the inside. It is only when we embrace and remain loyal to the new paradigm of who we are in Christ will our external world begin to align with our renewed internal realities. We become one with Christ and our world matches that oneness.

Or…we can continue to slap paint on what is rotting.

JimC

The minute you take  to read this post will never come again. It is one of a kind.

Making a right decision this minute is what keeps you from sin…gets you into the word…opens your ears to what God is saying…connects you with someone who needs encouragement.

What we do with this minute is totally up to us. We are not a victim of not having enough time because we control this minute. A minute is not insignificant. 60 seconds is often all that it takes to right a wrong, to make a shift and to make a difference.

This minute is ours. It belongs to no one else. We can give this minute away or hold it selfishly for ourselves.

It is only a minute…60 seconds…1/60th of an hour and 1/1440th of a day. But to you and to someone else in your world the next 60 seconds are the most important of your day.

What are you going to do with this minute?

• YouTube and Facebook pulls on you…
• TV grabs you…
• Arguments bait you…
• Failure patterns await you…

But this minute can be different.

• New and positive habits can be formed…
• Love can be shared…
• Hope can be restored…
• Victory can be achieved…

This minute. It is yours. What will you do with it?

Don’t continue doing things the way we’re doing them at present, each of us doing as we wish. Until now you haven’t arrived at the goal, the resting place, the inheritance that God, your God, is giving you. But the minute you cross the Jordan River and settle into the land God, your God, is enabling you to inherit, he’ll give you rest from all your surrounding enemies. You’ll be able to settle down and live in safety. Deuteronomy  12:8-10

When you go to war against your enemy and see horses and chariots and soldiers far outnumbering you, do not recoil in fear of them; God, your God, who brought you up out of Egypt is with you. When the battle is about to begin, let the priest come forward and speak to the troops. He’ll say, “Attention, Israel. In a few minutes you’re going to do battle with your enemies. Don’t waver in resolve. Don’t fear. Don’t hesitate. Don’t panic. God, your God, is right there with you, fighting with you against your enemies, fighting to win.” Deuteronomy 20:1-4

After the death of Moses the servant of God, God spoke to Joshua, Moses’ assistant: “Moses my servant is dead. Get going. Cross this Jordan River, you and all the people. Cross to the country I’m giving to the People of Israel. I’m giving you every square inch of the land you set your foot on—just as I promised Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon east to the Great River, the Euphrates River—all the Hittite country—and then west to the Great Sea. It’s all yours. All your life, no one will be able to hold out against you. In the same way I was with Moses, I’ll be with you. I won’t give up on you; I won’t leave you. Strength! Courage! You are going to lead this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going. And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.” Joshua 1:1-9

JimC

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32

One of the most fruitful roles that technology can play in the modern church is connection facilitation. No longer bound by the limits of geography, we can stand with other believers all across the globe. In seconds, communication and prayer requests flow between continents, across time zones and even catches us in flight as we cruise at 30,000 feet and 550 MPH.

If connections are so easy then why do we still choose to remain unconnected?

• Stuborness
• Pride
• Fear
• Rejection patterns

By far though the most common hinderance to connection is deception.

Connection…true connection…requires us to be honest and vulnerable. The process of connection necessitates that we tell the truth about ourselves and our circumstances. Truth bonds us together. Without truth, the pressures of life pull us apart.  When truth is lacking we become disconnected from our connections.

Truth binds us with ties that are not easily broken. Connections based upon deception can have the appearance of permanence but at the first signs of pressure are easily broken.

But we know the truth of who Jesus is. If we hold to His teachings we are his disciples. The result of discipleship is freedom.

• We are free in Christ.
• We are free to connect.
• We are free from sin.
• We are free from fear.
• We are free from doubt.
• We are free from lack.
• We are free from disconnection.

Who the son sets free is free indeed. Unless we choose to walk in bondage.

Find someone today…reach out to someone today…open up to someone today. Stand in agreement and you never stand alone.

PS: Take some time right now to stand with Pastor Dean as he recovers from neck surgery. If you tweet, hash tag #standwpsdean. Let’s use our technology to connect and stand in agreement that Pastor Dean is pain free.

JimC

Pastor Dean taught on the tithe (Sunday, Feb 12).  If we make the effort to LISTEN and DIG deeper, God will open our eyes to revelation and enhance our walk. This is mine. 

For although Levi wasn’t born yet, the seed from which he came was in Abraham’s body when Melchizedek collected the tithe from him. Hebrews 7:10

• Abram (soon to me renamed Abraham) received a promise from God.
• Abram would be a great nation.
• He will be both blessed and a blessing.
• The seed in Him, released in faith through the tithe, bore the fruit of the true High Priest (Jesus) and descendants (us) as numerous as the stars in the night sky.

In order to GET to his promise, Abram had to ACT on his promise. Though our blessing and hope comes through the sacrifice of another (Jesus), realization of our promise takes action, sacrifice and faith on our part.

• REALIZATION: “the fulfillment or achievement of something desired or anticipated”
• We move…God moves.
• No blessing is received without planting a seed.

First we receive communion…oneness with God through the sharing of the body and blood of Christ…then we receive a promise from God. But we have to plant our seed.

• The seed of his promise was in the tithe that Abram paid to Melchizedek.
• The seed of our promise is in us.
• If we don’t PLANT our seed we don’t REAP our promise.

Abraham received instructions and promises from God in Genesis chapters 12:1, 13:14-17, 15: 4-6 & 17-21, 17:3-8. In between these promises were years of failures, lapses in faith, scattered victories and human uncertainty about what God’s promises meant to Abraham and his descendants.  Abraham’s full submission to God’s call began with a tithe. Not an offering of what isn’t owed but a payment of what IS owed. All that we have and all that we are, represented by the tithe, given to God.

Bottom line…no arguments…in order to REAP from faith we have to ACT in faith.

Our tithe…the seed of our promise.

JimC

Psalm 91:5 NLT Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day.

Joshua 1:9 NLT This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

1 Chronicles 22:13 NLT Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or lose heart!

John 6:20 NLT but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!”

Matthew 14:27 NLT But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

Mark 5:36 NLT But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”

Stretch our faith and become stronger:

Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch our the curtains of your dwellings; do not spare…lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes! Isaiah 54:2

Exercise your faith daily:

Draw near to God and He will Draw near to you…James 4:8 

Rejoice always,  pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Stand with others and not just stand for yourself:

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed…James 5:16 

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 1 John 3:16

Expect results:

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:11

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. John 15:7

Pray according to God’s will…read the Bible to find out His will:

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 1 John 5:14

 Go bold…Go strong

So let us come boldly before the throne room of grace. There we will receive his mercy and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:16

Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 28:31

No Pain; No Gain…Sweat produces results

Consider it a gift when tests and challenges come at you from all sides…Under pressure your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed. James 1:2-4

Stretch your faith by ACTING on your faith