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Surrendered!

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  Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39, NIV Surrendered The Garden of Gethsemane is an olive garden in East Jerusalem. “Gethsemane” means “a place of pressing.” Here workers put olives into a press and squeezed out the valuable olive oil under great pressure. It’s not a coincidence that before Jesus went to the cross and rose from the dead, He had to go through Gethsemane. That’s where He was so distressed, knowing what He was about to face on the cross, that His soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. He had this season of suffering that He had to endure and pass the test. We celebrate the resurrection, but the real victory was won in Gethsemane. That’s where He refused to give up despite being under great pressure, and where He made this decision: “Father, not My will but Your will be done.” He showed that real victory...
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Do Mot Be a Consumerlator!

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  Do Not Be a Consumerlator Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:10, NLT “ Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia. ” (2 Timothy 4:10, NLT) Demas deserted Paul because loved the temporary perishing things of this life more than the eternal aspects of life promoted by the gospel. Being actively involved as a  CONVERTERLATOR  is one of the best protections against falling into the plight of Demas. This brings another new word to be aware of as we navigate our way through this world: CONSUMERLATOR. A CONSUMERLATOR is an agent or modality that is engaged in stealing, killing, and destroying our opportunities to CONVERTERLATE our perishable time, talents, and treasures into the imperishable values that will last for eternity. Demas was a CONSUMERLATOR because he was apparently unwilling to defer experiencing some temporary pleasures of this world in order to accumulate treasure ...
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A Definite Plan!

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  “This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” Acts 2:23, ESV A Definite Plan There was nothing random or happenstance about the betrayal, arrest, trial, crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. God had already prearranged it all as a part of fulfilling His plan to bring us salvation. It may have seemed out of control and frightening to His disciples, but God preplanned how He was going to turn that for their good and our good. Do you ever think that a setback, a disappointment, or a betrayal has caught God off guard? No, He wouldn’t have allowed it if it was going to stop your purpose. You just don’t see what He is doing behind the scenes. What He’s already planned in your future is bigger, better, more rewarding than you can imagine. When you understand this, you won’t live striving, straining, or worried. “How’s it going to work out?” You’ll live from a place of peace, a place of r...
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The Battle: Converterlator vs Consumerlator!

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  The Battle: Converterlator vs. Consumerlator Scripture: Matthew 10:16, NCV “ There were two hundred leaders from Issachar. They knew what Israel should do, and they knew the right time to do it. ” (1 Chronicles 12:32, NCV) “ Listen, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. So be as clever as snakes and as innocent as doves. ” (Matthew 10:16, NCV) We find ourselves in a world filled with all kinds of conflict. Conflict rages in both the seen and unseen realms. Secular forces battle spiritual forces all the time, but we often are only able to see the partial results of the battle. Individually, we all face battles of various kinds, including physical, material, spiritual, emotional, and mental stresses. Human casualties are abundant. But the Word of God gives us the hope, power, guidance, and instruments needed to fight these secular and spiritual battles. “ The Lord says, ‘I will make you wise and show you where to go. I will guide you and watch over you.’  ” (Psalm 32:8...
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Before You Even Call!

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  “I will answer them before they even call to me.” Isaiah 65:24, NLT Before You Even Call There are things you’re concerned about now, dreams you want to accomplish, situations you need to turn around. It’s easy to get discouraged and think God hasn’t heard you. “Why isn’t it happening?” Can I encourage you that God has already taken care of it. He says, “Before you call, I will answer you.” He is always going ahead of you. He knows what you’re going to need in the future. He has solutions before you have problems. That’s why you can live in peace. You don’t need to be worried about your children, stressed over your health, losing sleep over your finances. God is ahead of you. He’s doing things right now that you can’t see. The hand of God is working, taking care of what you’re concerned about. The answer has been dispatched. Blessings are coming your way. Don’t let what you don’t see talk you out of what has already happened. It’s just a matter of time before you see things chang...
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The Compass of Life!

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  The Compass of Life Scripture: Proverbs 28:26, NKJV and Judges 21:25, NKJV “ He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered. ” (Proverbs 28:26, NKJV) “ In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. ” (Judges 21:25, NKJV) Our point of reference is critical in becoming a  CONVERTERLATOR . The above verses summarize what is wrong in our world: People refuse to acknowledge God and instead trust in their own hearts. To do so is to make oneself a fool. People do whatever they think is right in their own eyes. They think that no one, including God, is going to tell them what to do. We see the evidence of this foolishness on the evening news. Many Christians drift away from their mission. They fail to do what the Psalmist did:  “ I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. ” (Psalm 16:8, NKJV) Many have fallen into the trap of the  CONSUMERLATOR...
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Not Next Week or Next Month!

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  This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24, NKJV Not Next Week or Next Month Throughout his life, David had all kinds of reasons to live negative and discouraged—armies attacking, King Saul trying to kill him, people betraying him, his own son even trying to take the kingdom from him. But when he could have been complaining, he made the decision in the midst of all that adversity: “These troubles and bad breaks are not going to take my joy and cause me to live sour. The Lord made this day for me to rejoice and be glad in it. I’m not waiting until things improve—not next week or next month. I’m rejoicing today.” Anyone can be joyful when everything is going their way, when they’re getting good breaks. The test comes when people do you wrong, when life throws you a curve, when the medical report is not good. If you’re going to keep your joy, you can’t wait to see how you feel or if things are going your way. You have to be proactive and take ...
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