Thursday, October 23, 2008

HOW TO WORK IN ANY ENVIRONMENT

My friend Jerry Boop sent this to me and I think it is an awesome reminder. Hope you enjoy this and are blessed.

HOW TO WORK IN ANY ENVIRONMENT
(By: T.D. Jakes)

1. Do not expect to be appreciated. Your only expectation should be to get a paycheck.
Do not come to work to have personal relationships. Do not allow what you do to affect who you are.

2. Do your job well, but remember your mission. God put you there to be a Light.

3. Seek opportunities to change the atmosphere without commenting on the problems.
You have a God to talk to. You are on an assignment. Quietness and competence shall be your strength.

4. Don't let your environment get inside of you. You should influence it, not let it influence you.Stop going to work to be fed. You did not come to receive, you came to give.

5. Increase your capacity to work with different personalities.
God will often bless you through people you do not even like!

6. Remember, where you are does not define where you are going.
This will deliver you from frustration.
God has a plan for your life. Keep your eye on the prize.
When Peter did this, he was able to walk in what other people sank in!

7. Get the optimum results with minimal confusion.
Be effective without making the environment worse.

8. Don't be associated with one group or clique. Labels limit your usefulness.
God wants you to work with everybody but be labeled by nobody.
Use all your gifts.

9. Always keep your song near you. Keep a consecrated place in your soul.
Hold on to your praise.

10. Understand that God anoints you for trouble.
Put on the whole armor of God before going to work.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Accepting yourself

"Love others as much as you love yourself." Matthew 22:39 CEV

Only by loving yourself in a healthy way, can you love others the way God intended. When you don't love yourself you live with insecurity, and you keep looking to others for approval. When you don't get it, your self-worth shrivels. As a result, you live far beneath your potential. You are the only person you can't get away from, so unless you learn to accept yourself, you'll be miserable. Stop and think about the last time you were around somebody you didn't enjoy being with - how did it feel?

Whether good or bad, you project onto others the thoughts and feelings you have about yourself. So if you want people to think well of you, have a good opinion of yourself - one that's based on God's Word and nurtured by the right relationships. No question, the Bible cautions us about having an overinflated opinion of ourselves. But don't go to the other extreme! Living with continual self-rejection is an open invitation to Satan, who is always "sneaking around to find someone to attack" (1 Peter 5:8 CEV). Don't play into his hands!

Paul writes: "Nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature" (Romans 7:18 NIV). That means the good qualities you do possess, are evidence that God is at work in your life. So be sure to acknowledge them. The Bible says, "We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us" (2 Corinthians 4:7). Instead of focusing on your flaws and feeling bad about yourself, recognize the "treasure" of God's presence, power, and potential that lives within you, and build on it.

Blessings,

PK

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Choose to live!

Just wanted to share a daily devotional that I read. Thought it would be a great blessing to your life. Choose life.

"Do you want to be made well?" John 5:6 NKJV

He can't walk, the pool isn't easily accessible, and there are no motorized lifts. Then Jesus comes along and asks this man who'd been incapacitated for 38 years, "Do you want to be made well?" What a question! Now, Jesus didn't ask it because He didn't know the answer; He did it to direct his (and our) thinking along the right lines. He could just as easily have asked:

"Are you ready to assume responsibility for your life? Do you really want that promotion, or is it easier to just gripe about money? Are you ready for marriage, for somebody who'll share your life and make you reconsider your self-centered ways?" Answers to our prayers often come with a price. For example, the family of an addict sometimes spends years praying for change, then when it happens they experience their own crises. Because their lives have centered around drama and dysfunction, they've never learned how to live any other way. At that point they have a choice to make: to keep blaming their problems on somebody else, or to accept that they have their own issues to work on. "Do you want to be made well?"

Like it or not, asking God for solutions often means new challenges. A child might solve his need for pocket money by bagging groceries, but when he grows up, hopefully he'll be solving bigger ones, like how to provide for his family. But the good news is, solving bigger problems brings bigger rewards. So ask God to stretch you today by helping you "take up your bed and walk" (Jn 5:8 NKJV), burn your bridges of dependency and "learned helplessness," and move on to greater things. In other words, "choose to live!"

Blessings,

PK

Sunday, October 19, 2008

THE TITHE

"Bring...(the whole tenth of your income)." Malachi 3:10 AMP


When this passage starts talking about tithing it refers to robbing God. I believe it is talking about God being robbed of blessing us through our obedience. God really does what to bring unlimited blessing to our lives.

Whether you believe tithing to be an Old Testament law or a New Testament truth, one thing is certain, giving God the first tenth of your income demonstrates that He's first in your life. To those who practice tithing, God promises two things:

(1) His blessing. God said He will "Open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it" (Mal 3:10 NKJV). A farmer, who was a faithful tither, was prospering while others around him were barely getting by. When one of his neighbors asked, "What's your secret?" he replied, "No secret, I just shovel it into God's bin and He shovels it back into mine - but God's got a bigger shovel!" By tithing, you partner with God. Think what God's blessing could mean to your business, your family, your ministry or your future - your possibilities are out of sight!

(2) His protection. "I will rebuke the devourer...he shall not destroy" (Mal 3:11). "What's the devourer?" you ask. Anything that devours your blessings. The dishwasher breaks down for the third time in a month. The kids are ill and have to be taken to the doctor all the time. The day after the warranty runs out on your car, the transmission goes. One of the Hebrew words for tithe is charam, which means "marked for destruction." Your tithe literally becomes a force in the hand of God to destroy the works of the enemy. It puts a hedge of protection around you. "Is God after my money?" you ask. No, He's after your lack! He wants you to be blessed and protected every day of your life.

Be Blessed,
PK

Saturday, October 18, 2008

PULL IT TOGETHER

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart." Deuteronomy 6:5 NIV

Modern life is custom made for role playing. We live in a neighborhood all our lives yet we hardly know the family next door. We commute to a church miles away, walking in and out, never getting known, never getting involved or serving. We work with one crowd and play with another. The opportunities for undercover activity are almost limitless. Since no one knows us in any other context, we can reinvent ourselves in each one. Someone has said that our life is like a chest of drawers: a separate one for each interest, value or pastime - one for work, one for play and one for church. For each we have a separate set of values and a different language. With each new situation we add another drawer to ensure complete appropriateness and safety. Rather than having a oneness and integrity of character, we role play.

But God doesn't see us as a chest of drawers or a collection of separate performances, He sees us as a whole person. Who we are when no one is looking, is just the same to Him as who we are when we're standing in plain view. God asks for integrity in our lives. That's because life doesn't work any other way! God made us with one will, one mind, one heart, and one spirit. It's Satan's lie that we can "have it both ways," which leaves us mentally and emotionally fragmented, and worse - distant from God! "What is the answer?" you ask. The Bible says: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your strength." In other words, refuse to role play!

Everything we do, needs to be done as unto the Lord. My job, family, finances and future all lived through the view of His glory and purpose. Then, I live whole as God intended. What a wonderful way to pull it all together.

Blessings,

PK

Friday, October 17, 2008

That's grace!

"Grace was given me." Ephesians 3:8 NIV

The word "grace," is so important that Paul mentions it three times more than any other writer. Remembering the violent life he lived, he writes, "Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach...the unsearchable riches of Christ." The word grace comes from the Greek word charis, meaning "pure joy." Although you didn't deserve it, God considered saving you a "pure joy." How about that?

In John, chapter 8, a woman is caught in the act of adultery. The law is unmistakable about her punishment. The Pharisees are ready to stone her. She knows that Jesus, being righteous, must agree. She has no lawyer to defend her, not even a character witness! Suddenly Jesus stoops and begins to write in the sand. Some scholars have suggested that perhaps He wrote down their sins, times, places, etc. Ouch! When He looks up, her accusers are gone. He says, "Neither do I condemn you...Go now and leave your life of sin" (Jn 8:11 NIV). Jesus lifted her from a position of undeniable guilt to one of unconditional pardon. She didn't deserve it, and didn't know it was possible. And that's your story too, isn't it?

One day Abraham Lincoln watched a plantation owner bidding for a slave girl. Figuring he was going to buy her and abuse her, Lincoln paid the price to set her free. "Does this mean I can say whatever I want to say?" she asked. Lincoln replied, "Yes." Again she asked, "Does this mean I can go wherever I want to go?" Again Lincoln responded, "Yes, you're free!" With tears streaming down her face she replied, "Then, sir, I will go with you." That's grace!

God's grace is so big, so huge and I know many fear the preaching of it. Fearing that it will encourage people to live a life free of boundaries. I believe this story is such a great illustration. When God sets us free from such bondage, we will want to go with Him not away from Him. Enjoy His grace!!1
Blessings,

PK

Thursday, October 16, 2008

TAKEN FOR GRANTED

People have short memories. It doesn’t take long in ministry to realize this. One day you’re leading someone to Christ, the next day they’ve left for the new church down the street. One day someone says they loved the sermon, the next day they can’t remember what it was about. Short memories are nothing new.

The Israelites had a short memory when it came to Moses. Just three days after the Red Sea miracle – at the very first sign of trouble – they started doubting his leadership. We think we’ve got it rough. God used Moses to split a sea, and the Israelites forgot him. If that happened to Moses, it can happen to us.

But it doesn’t just happen in ministry, does it? We live in a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world. Children forget what their parents have done for them. Bosses forget what their employees have done for them. Spouses take each other for granted.

I read an article one time about a chief accountant for a millionaire. He was paid very well, but he committed suicide. His suicide note said: “I’m committing suicide because in 30 years I’ve never had one word of encouragement. I’m fed up.”

What do you do when you feel taken for granted? Moses gives us a great example to follow.

1. Don’t curse it. When Moses heard the Israelites grumble, it would have been natural to respond back in anger. Most of us would have done that. But Moses didn’t. Revenge just wasn’t an option. When people don’t appreciate you, choose not to strike back. Leave your frustration in God’s hands. When you let God settle the score, you are well represented. Romans 12:14 says, “Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse” (NASB). Instead of cursing those who forget you, speak positively about them.

2. Don’t rehearse it. Every time you review the hurt you feel when you’ve been taken for granted, it gets bigger. If somebody you’ve served selflessly criticizes you, it hurts. No doubt about it. But if you’re not careful, it’ll blow out of proportion in no time.
Notice that Moses never went back over the pain. He focused on the future. Rehearsing pain is a dangerous habit in ministry because soon you’re addicted to it. I’ve met some very bitter pastors who allowed experiences of their past to color their perception until they thought everybody was against them. You can’t allow that to happen.

3. Don’t nurse it. Don’t allow yourself to have a pity party. It’s OK to be angry. Anger is a legitimate response to hurt. But holding on to anger becomes sin. Ephesians 4:26-27 says, “Don’t get so angry that you sin. Don’t go to bed angry, and don’t give the devil a chance” (CEV). If you are a leader, you can expect to be misunderstood. It’s a fact of leadership. If you choose not to take the disappointment personally, you’ll avoid becoming cynical.


So, what should you do when you feel forgotten and taken for granted?

First, share your pain with God. Often we go to the wrong people with our pain. We go to the people who’ve mistreated us and remind them of their oversight. Instead of doing that, take your pain to God.

Second, expect God to reverse your disappointment. God is the master of reversing hurts. Remember the story of Joseph in the Old Testament? Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. Then in Genesis 50, 20 years later, he said, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Joseph had every reason to be cynical. His own family had sold him out. But he wasn’t cynical.

Moses had a similar experience. The people had been whining and complaining because they didn’t have water – and when they did get water, it was bitter. But where did God lead them after that? He led them to a land of abundant water. He reversed the situation.
Friend, I don’t know how you’ve been taken for granted, but I do know one thing. God has not forgotten you. He’s seen every act of service. Others may take you for granted. But God doesn’t. Never forget that.

Blessings,

PK

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

OUT WITH THE OLD...IN WITH THE NEW

"No one pours new wine into old wineskins." Mark 2:22 NIV


Jon Walker writes: "A few miles from my house there's a convenience store that went through a make-over. However, the employees may have missed the make-over memo. The kid behind the counter wore a new uniform...but he also wore the same sullen look I'd seen before. It made me think about how we try to put new wine into old wineskins.

Jesus says we're bound to fail because 'the wine will burst the skins and both...will be ruined.' But don't we, do the same, when it comes to our Christian walk? The new wine of honesty-at-work, poured into the old wineskin of cutting corners. The new wine of unconditional love, poured into the old wineskin of hatred for the family two doors down. The new wine of worship, poured into the old wineskin of idolizing money, power, music or the latest video game. The new wine of Bible study, poured into the old wineskin of 'gotta-go-pop-tart-for-breakfast' busyness. The new wine of humility, poured into the old wineskin of conceit. The new wine of forgiveness, poured into the old wineskin of bitterness. The new wine of others first, poured into the old wineskin of selfish ambition. The new wine of joy, poured into the old wineskin of jealousy and factions. The new wine of peace, poured into the old wineskin of discord."

Any of these ring a bell? If they do, it's time we asked God to help us abandon the old wineskins of carnality and make us a strong, new, clean vessel. As a new creation, we're no longer defined by old behaviors; you're defined by your relationship with Christ.

So I vote for CHANGE!!! Out with the old and in with the new!

Blessings,

PK

Thursday, October 9, 2008

HINDERED PRAYER

"If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." 1 John 5:14 NKJV
Hindrances to answered prayer

Another hindrance to answered prayer is - praying outside of God's will. The Bible says: "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us and...we know...that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." One of the best ways to make sure we are praying according to God's will, is to pray according to His Word. Use a verse, a passage or a principle from Scripture to back up what you're praying, for God says, "I am ready to perform My word" (Jer 1:12 NKJV).

Sometimes there are things we want to pray for, but we aren't sure whether those things are God's will for us according to Scripture. In this case we simply need to ask God to give it, if it's His will to do so - and to help us to be satisfied with His decision. St. Augustine said, "O, Lord, grant that I may do thy will as if it were mine; so that thou mayest do my will as if it were thine." D.L. Moody said, "Spread out your petition before God, and then say, 'Thy will, not mine, be done.' The sweetest lesson I have learned in God's school, is to let the Lord choose for me."

When we pray in harmony with God, we will have what we ask for. We may have to wait, because God's timing is part of His will, but it will come. We can say, "I may not see it yet, but God has promised it to me, so it's on the way." And if God doesn't give us what we ask for, He will give us something better, if we walk in faith and keep a good attitude.

Keep on Praying,

Pastor Kevin

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

A HINDRANCE TO ANSWERED PRAYER

One hindrance to answered prayer is - sin! Lillian Pearsall says: "When I was a telephone operator, a customer talked overtime on a long-distance call from a pay phone. Even with my friendly reminders, he refused to deposit his overtime coins. Instead he slammed down the phone, irate and verbally abusive. A few seconds later he was back on the line - somewhat calmer. 'Operator, please let me out of the phone booth - I'll pay, just let me out!' Apparently he had locked himself in and mistakenly thought that I had control over the phone booth's doors. He gladly paid the overtime charge, and with my advice, gave the door a hefty kick and set himself free."
Unconfessed sin locks us in and shuts God out. If we have hidden sin in our hearts, we cannot pray with confidence that God will answer. However, if we ask Him to reveal our sin, He will. When He does, we must deal with it if we want to keep the lines of communication open. If God reminds us of a situation in which we didn't do the right thing, we can't just sweep it under the rug; we have to acknowledge it and receive His forgiveness.
What we call "little things," grow into sinful habits and lifelong patterns. So when God reveals our sin we need to repent and stop what we are doing. We need to take Him seriously - immediately! This means doing everything within our power to make sure our relationship with Him is unobstructed. That way our prayers will be heard and answered.

"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." Psalm 66:1

Blessings,

Pastor Kevin

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

DOWN TO MOTIVES

"Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved." (Ephesians 1:5–6)

There are a lot of people who think they should keep the Ten Commandments because they are under the impression that God will punish them if they don’t. But the fact is that God loves us, and we should keep His commandments because we are aware of His incredible love. For example, I want to keep my marriage vow because of the love I have for my wife Kelly.

We need to know that God accepts us as we are. We don’t have to do anything to earn His approval. We don’t have to do anything to merit His love. In spite of our shortcomings and in spite of our sins, God loves us.

Some people come from homes in which their fathers never expressed love or showed any affection toward them. Therefore, they take that image of their earthly fathers and place it on their Heavenly Father. They spend the rest of their lives trying to earn the approval of God, who already has given His approval to them.

He loves us just as we are. Of course, He doesn’t want to leave us that way. We change because of our association with our Heavenly Father. The change is not because God is unhappy with me, but rather it is a return to the original intention God had for me.

Realizing this should cause us to want to love Him. As 1 John 4:19 says, “We love Him because He first loved us.” So instead of wanting to keep God’s commandments to earn His love, we should want to keep them because of His love for us. We should want to keep His commandments because we know they are right. It all comes down to our motives.

Be Blessed today,

Pastor Kevin

Monday, October 6, 2008

THE BLESSINGS OF GOD

There is a fable about a man who found an enormous building in Heaven. Inside the building, he saw rows and rows of neatly stacked boxes, each tied with a satin bow. When the man found the box with his name on it, he quickly tore it open. Inside his box, he found all the blessings that God had wanted to give to him while he was on earth…but he had never asked.

In Genesis 12:2 and 3, God gave Abraham a sevenfold promise, and two of those were, first, “I will bless you,” revealing that God wants to bless us individually. Second, “And you will be a blessing.” The Hebrew is taken as an imperative. This is really a command. God blesses us so that we can be a blessing.

Augustine stated, “God is more anxious to bestow His blessings on us than we are to receive them.” In Psalm 21:3 David wrote of himself, “For You meet him with the blessing of goodness.” The word “meet” means “to anticipate, to precede, to foresee and fulfill in advance, to pay a debt before it is due.” Furthermore, in almost every usage, it implies something of pleasure. He claimed God’s promise of blessing.

Dr. S. D. Gordon wrote that he could never forget his mother’s paraphrase of Malachi 3:10. The verse begins, “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,” and ends, “I will pour.” Her paraphrase was this: “Give all He asks; take all He promises.”

God states in Isaiah 65:24, “It will come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.” David Wilkerson commented, “This verse provides us with an incredible picture of our Lord’s love for us. Evidently, He is so anxious to bless us, so ready to fulfill His lovingkindness in our lives, that He can’t even wait for us to tell Him our needs. He jumps in and performs acts of mercy, grace and love toward us. And that is a supreme pleasure to Him.”

Ephesians 1:3 reveals our heavenly Father is the source of our spiritual blessing. Philippians 4:19 tells us that He supplies our temporal blessings through Christ. Psalm 103 lists five of God’s benefits for His people. Someone has described them as: First, God’s court of law, “Who forgives all your iniquities.” Second, God’s hospital, “Who heals all your diseases.” Third, God’s safe haven, “Who redeems your life from destruction.” Fourth, God’s throne room, “Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies.” Fifth, God’s banquet hall, “Who satisfies your mouth with good things.”

“How thankful we should be that God’s blessings are dispensed according to the riches of His grace, and not according to the poverty of our faith” (Arthur W. Pink).

(by David Arnold)

“And this is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:

‘The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make His face to shine upon you,

And be gracious unto you;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.’

So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”

(Numbers 6:23 – 27)

Blessings,

Pastor Kevin

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

NOW IS THE TIME

The prophet Hosea wrote, “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground. FOR IT IS TIME TO SEEK THE LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you” (10:12). Spurgeon stated, “Whenever God determines to do a great work, He first sets His people to pray.” He was also asked the reason of his marvelous power in the ministry. Pointing to the floor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, he said, “In the room beneath, you will find three hundred praying Christians. Every time I preach they gather there, and uphold my hands by continuous prayer and supplications. It is in that room that you find the secret of the blessings.”

In James 5:16, we read, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” The word “effective” comes from a Greek root word that means “a fixed position.” It is suggestive of an unmovable, unshakeable mindset. “Fervent” speaks of boldness, built on solid evidence and absolute proof, that supports our prayers. Taken together, we have the exhortation to stand on God’s proven evidence that He will hear and answer when we pray. William Cowper was correct when he said, “Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees.”

A sincere lady questioned, “Pastor, I have sought a deeper experience with God all these years and I don’t have it. I have read books. I have read what to do, and all the rules, but I am nowhere yet. Does God have favorites?” Her pastor replied, “No, my dear, God does not have favorites. But he does have intimates.” Hebrews 10:19 tells us that we have “boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus.” “Boldness” indicates complete freedom of speech, without any reservation whatsoever. Someone wrote, “Prayer is the openness of the soul to God; the out-looking, up-looking of the soul to God; the humble sense of self, the silent and the spoken cry for the light and help of God.”

A new organ was installed in a New York City church. The first Sunday it was used, the electric current that was required to operate the console went off at a point early in the service. A hurried call for help brought a mechanic. Soon a note was sent up, and handed to the pastor. The note said, “After the prayer, the power will be on!” A prayerless church is a powerless church. A church that prays will do exploits.

Romans 13:11, 12, “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”

“There have been revivals without much preaching, but there has never been a mighty revival without mighty praying” (R. A. Torrey).

(by David Arnold)


Blessings,

Pastor Kevin