ClydeStyle

Category: Confidence

  • Yes, no or not now (Part 1 of 3)

    Trust-God1Have you ever wondered how God decides to answer prayer? It is difficult for us to understand how God would respond to us as we know it is written that God’s ways are not our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts. But certainly we can understand what God’s word has to say about prayer to the almighty and understanding that God is sovereign.

    Sovereign speaks of God’s supremacy, his kingship and his Godhead. To say he is sovereign is to declare his majesty and that he is the Most High. His sovereignty states that he is exactly what Paul called him in 1 Tim. 6:15 — that he is the only Potentate, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. So God has the power then to decide to answer our prayers, deny them or delay them. And we trust him to do such…or we should.

    To pray to God is to trust God. To make your request known to him is to acknowledge him as the giver of all things and believe that he will respond in the best interest of his children. Our problem is deciding whether God is saying yes, no or not now to us. The first step in understanding this process is to know you are praying in God’s will. You can only know God’s will by studying his word. God’s word tells me that his intervention is greatly needed in this world. It let’s me know that God’s will is far better than the will of man and that salvation belongs only to the one who gave it. So TRUST is the first ingredient in understanding God’s answer.

    There is a familiar gospel song entitled Trust and Obey which was written by John H. Sammis who was a Presbyterian minister. It says, “When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,  What a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will, He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey. Trust and Obey for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

    Are you willing dear reader to trust God and allow His will to be done? Next week we will discuss the silence of God when it comes to answering our prayers.

  • If God never does another thing for me…

    man in praiseIf God never does another thing for me, I want the world to know that there are three things he has done that will always stand out to me. I did not deserve any of these things, but he favored me with these awesome gifts that show the height, depth, width and breath of his love for me.

    These blessings are found in the first chapter of Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians. “7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the
    riches of his grace; 8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:” Without this redemption through his blood it would be impossible for me to be reconciled back to God. There is no convenant relationship without this event. To know that I am no longer considered an enemy to God is love enough. To understand that God could not stand to look at me in the sinful state I was in and that the blood of Jesus made my filthy sight tolerable, really helps me to appreciate my new standing in Him.

    “11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12 That we
    should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.” This is the second thing that Jesus did for me. He not only saved my soul but he left me an inheritance. This inheritance secures my spot in the Beloved.

    “13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy
    Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” The seal is my proof. It’s like I’ve been wrapped for freshness or sealed until Christmas — either way, God placed a heavenly seal on me which secures my final resting place. Again, I could have never deserved this and it is all overwhelming. This is my mega millions jackpot. I don’t know a better powerball than this. And if the Lord decided today that what he has blessed me with is enough and I never get another blessing from him, these three things have secured me like no other and made me a fan for life. And because of it, I will praise his name forever!

  • Hope in the Storm

    Eye of the StormIf you are fortunate to live in an area where the seasons change, you have undoubtedly heard the phrase April showers bring May flowers. But metaphorically speaking, whenever there is a difficult time in our lives, we count it as a storm. Some storms are far worse than others, but nevertheless we go through storms. During these metaphorical storms we always want to do work. We think there is some deeper meaning to the storm or that there is some unfinished business we need to do. In a literal storm, we know not to go outside and we take cover as to be shielded and protected from the storm.

    No matter which storm we are referring to, the latter is always true: We need to wait. The bible tells us in the book of James chapter one: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” This is the true purpose of the storm. We don’t like storms because they are so unpredictable. We don’t know what to do about it, there is no cry for help and we can’t control it. The only thing we can do is wait — and that’s the dilemma!

    Wait literally means to stay in place with expectation or to remain stationary in readiness. We have such a problem with waiting and with expectations and that’s because we don’t want to be let down. The feeling of not wanting to be let down is cutting us off from our blessing. God spoke through his Prophet Jeremiah to his people of old and said, “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” What the prophet forgot to tell us was that we were going to get the triumph from going through the trial. There is no way around this.

    God has not forgotten us and he is not asleep. He’s where he has always been and he has done marvelous things! Do we not have the faith to wait? Do we not have the courage to stand despite the odds we face. God’s people are not fearful people. We never need to fear a storm for we know that our God is waiting for us in the midst of the storm. It is in the eye of the storm where you will find peace and joy and God’s love. He’s there. Trust him. Go through that storm and count it all joy because He has something to show you!

  • Thank God! Spring is here!

    image

    Spring symbolizes a new beginning. The death of winter is gone and all things are made new. Spring is like a second chance.

    Have you ever been in an unhealthy relationship? Or worked a dead-end job that stressed you out whenever you thought about the drive to it? Or how about a bad circumstance that needs to end? The advent of spring should be the start of a new beginning for you.

    New beginnings are symbolized in scripture by the number eight. It means the next in a new series or a new beginning. For example, when Noah was told to build the ark and warn the wicked world that God was angry, he preached about the next chapter or new beginning the world would take. You see, God was getting ready to start over and Noah and everyone who listened to him would be part of that new series.

    It is no wonder then in 1 Peter 3:20 that it says of Noah’s time that “8 souls were saved by water”. And in 2 Pet. 2:5, Noah is referred to as a preacher of righteousness and called the “eighth person”. I would’ve  thought with Noah being the head of his household, he would be number 1. This text calls him the eighth person for a reason: He represents the new beginning. He was the next in a new series.

    There are many others in scripture that could be pointed out, but the point is to show the healing power of Spring. This is your new beginning. What are you going to do with it? The rest of your year will be dictated by what you do now, today, during the spring season.

    It’s time to stop planning and making excuses. Now is the time for action! Don’t let everything around you change and become beautiful and you stay the same.

    You deserve a new beginning. God knew that and allowed you to live and see the Spring. Make the most of it! This is your season!

  • Jesus — the way, truth, life (Part 3)

    TheWayTruthLife10What is your life worth?

    Each year thousands of people commit suicide because they don’t see their worth. We go through life trying to prove to ourselves that we are worth something. We put in overtime with our jobs, we help out when we can and we even give money away to prove our worth. Kids in school are troubled by bullies who point out all of their flaws. They take to heart everything negatively that is said to them without regard for the good things. When kids (and adults) are faced with these type of challenges it seems as though the only option is to stay at home and cry.

    Many people are walking around desiring to be with someone that will give them more self-esteem credits. Each time they date and get hurt, they lower their standards more and more in an attempt to lessen the pain. They end up settling for “G” candidate thinking that they are not worthy of the “A” candidate. Furthermore, in America we spend money. Everything revolves around money so it stands to reason that value would be placed on everything here. Our lives should not be for sale. It’s tough when ad campaigns tell you that you are too fat, too dark, too skinny, too short or your hair is not good enough, your feet are too big or even your teeth aren’t white enough. Plastic surgery is a billion dollar industry. Low self-esteem doesn’t care how much money you have or what color you are. As a result we really don’t know who we are.

    Thank God for Jesus! You see, he placed value on all of us when he died on the cross for the sins of the world. Through his sacrifice he is trying to tell us that we have value. His actions prove we have worth — why else would the Son of God waste his time on us? If John 3:16 is correct (and it is!) then God loved us and was eager to save us. He sent his son to die for the sins of the world and simply says let me give you rest.

    Dear readers, I hope you know that there is no better life than one spent serving the Lord and enjoying the blessings he gives us. To live a life reciprocating the love God thrusts toward us is clearly an abundant life. Jesus said that he is the way, the truth and the life and he is right. There is no way to the father except by the mediator he chose and that is Christ.

    Help me spread the word that salvation has been brought down to earth and by it God has added value to every life. All we have to do now is live like it!

  • Jesus — The Resurrection and the Life

    20130223-010914.jpgA family of five, living in a studio apartment full of little critters running around, is no way to live life. An 11 year old, having to worry about whether or not an adult will make sexual advances on him or her tonight, is no way to live either. Nor is it cool that a single mother, working three jobs to make ends meet, gets her 4 kids taken away because someone called child protective services after discovering they were left alone at home a few hours a day.

    We get so caught up in living life and gathering things. We define ourselves by the things we have accumulated and none of these things mean anything when we’re dead. We spend a lot of time being angry and frustrated when things don’t go our way. We hold grudges and seek revenge and will go to great lengths to get even. We are overweight, sleep deprived and need assistance from the pharmaceutical industry just to keep up. For all these things to be temporal, why do we place such value on them?

    Jesus made this statement in John 11:25, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live…” I wonder how many people truly understand and are comforted by these words? With these statements Jesus has changed the game.

    He’s taken the focus off of the now and placed it on the eternal. If there is anyone watching the big picture here, God has given us an everlasting promise that should make our lives easier. His statements set us free.

    We struggle to live life here on earth in such a corruptible state and when our loving savior promises us eternal life it doesn’t appear to be enough. I mean is it enough, dear reader, to make you stop chasing the almighty dollar and begin to covet more spiritual things? Does it make you want to spread love to everyone you meet? Does it make you want to change the game for someone else? Does it even make you want to be a better person — you know, live life because you’re saved and not to earn salvation?

    This could be a stab in the dark, but I believe that Jesus actually meant for this to be the best news ever and that his disciples would hear these words and live a celebratory life in honor of His work.

    Are we taking his promises for granted?

  • God did not give you the spirit of fear

    photoIn 2 Timothy 1:7 the bible says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of
    a sound mind.” I really believe this, but clearly in our society people are afraid. The fear clouds our judgement and makes it difficult for us to make sound decisions. It was never God’s will for us to live in fear. There are things he has done for us mentally, spiritually and physically so that we would not fear. It is my goal and prayer that this little blog post will help us all see fear as a choice, and choose to trust God instead.

    There is a lot to be learned from an indepth study of the 23rd Psalm. I have heard this psalm preached a number of different ways and they have all been correct and inspiring, but I have not heard one yet on fear. The 23rd psalm is all about eliminating fear from the mind of the child of God. It was written for us to remember the state the Lord, our shepherd, has left us in.

    If we believe that the Lord is really our shepherd and we won’t be lacking in anything as the first verse says, then it’s easy to see that the first four things God does, takes away all of our reasons to fear.

    The text says “he makes”, “he leads”, “he restores” and “he leads” again. All that hard work goes to waste if we receive it and still fear. The “still waters” and the “green pastures” speak to our physical needs. The “paths of righteousness” speaks to our spiritual being and I’m sure you need no help with what “restoration” speaks too.

    Then the text declares that evil would not be feared because God is with us. And not only is he with us, but his “rod” (discipline) and “staff” (authority) comfort us. If God is for us, who can be against us???

    Then this whole idea of setting a table before us is so deep that I will share it as a subject of next weeks blog. The anointing was to prepare us for service and the cup running over is pure blessings. So the way I see it is like this: The Lord as our shepherd is out in front of us. The rod and the staff are to our right and left sides for comfort and protection. The only area left to cover is our backs and you know how God gets our backs don’t you??? God covers our backs with two things which will always be there and he promised to keep us in his family forever. Read it for yourself and sleep well at night!

    “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever” (Psalms 23:6).

  • Welcome 2013!

    2013Now that 2012 is gone and the fiscal cliff has been avoided, we can not get on to the real business of the new year and that is to make ourselves better. Each of the 365 days in this year will be special because they are from God. But what will we do with the time?

    I have pledge to lead a life stress-free and eating healthy. I want to exercise regularly and take more time to meditate. I am preparing to make the leap from being vegetarian to vegan and I want to spend more time alone. This is my year to take a break from the daily grind and take care of myself — spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically. Everything that I do in 2013 will have 2014 in mind. This year should be a game changer.

    What about you dear reader? How will you spend 2013? Hopefully, you will not waste any of the days living with regret. Hopefully you will not take any of the days for granted, but seek to live each day to the fullest. Will you spend the year making promises you can’t keep? Will you spend time preparing to do something all year long without ever getting anything accomplished? Will you be able to walk away from bad relationships or people who bring you down instead of build you up? Will you stop being afraid of the unknown? Will you take responsibility for your own mistakes? Will you return to church? Will you save any money this year?

    Whatever it is that you decide to work on, I want to encourage you to go all out. Give your ideas a fair chance to breathe. Don’t allow those who doubt you to get under your skin. Turn a death ear to negativity and fly like an eagle this year. It is all up to you! Happy New Year!

  • We need to wait for God’s end

    Friends,

    Everyone can relate to the feeling of being betrayed or having someone do something to you without cause.

    It’s not right! It doesn’t feel good! And it’s hard to forgive in such cases.

    There are many who may still be struggling to overcome the results of someone’s wrong doing. You would not be human if as a spiritual person you didn’t wonder or question where is God in all of this?

    In 1 Peter 2, the bible tells us that it is thank worthy to God “when we suffer wrongfully” and “take it patiently.”

    Although this is easier said than done, we need to wait on the Lord. God’s providence follows us into the calamity. God’s control has limited and manipulated the wrongdoing before it came to us.

    Did you catch what I said? God has already worked things out. Now remember I am talking about the trouble that comes your way that you did not cause. This is the same type of trouble that James says to “count (it) all joy when you fall into divers temptations” (Ja. 1:2).

    Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all believers trusted God enough to allow his control and not seek to fight alone? There is a clear war going on here my friends — Good vs. Evil.

    The real question is: Who are you going to trust? Can the wrongdoing of mankind trump the goodness of God when it comes to his love toward us?

    Let’s wait (on the Lord) and see!

  • Do you believe?

    To believe.

    One of the most powerful things on the planet is man’s ability to believe.

    The bible tells us that whatever a man thinks in his heart defines who he is. If I truly believed I was royalty, then my state of mind would be just that. If I thought I was handsome, then to me I would be handsome.

    Unfortunately it works just as well going the other way — if I thought I was a failure, then I would be. If I thought that I was  worthless, then I would be.

    This also means that our minds can be manipulated into believing anything. In the story “The Emperors New Clothes” the ruler was duped into thinking that his servants had made him fine robes to wear when they had not. Because the emperor was convinced that they did, he went out in public very proud of his new garments.

    You may say that’s just a kids story, but let’s take a look at real life. There are people walking among us who believe that they are losers simply because no one challenges the contrary. Children who grew up in non-supporting homes, feel insecure and unsure of themselves.

    If knowing is really half the battle, then just imagine if people were given the proper support? What if instead of believing what we’ve been told, we examined everything we were told? What if instead of trusting our negative feels, we challenged them with empirical data?

    The point here is simple: Remember where you came from; accept the present; and work hard to impact your future in a positive way.

    Stability is coming!