It’s Not the Title, It’s the Testimony

By: Pastor Marvin Moss

Published: July 22, 2010

The time has come for the church, church folk, the children of God, Christians to realize that it’s not the title, it’s the testimony. It’s the story that we tell with the way we live our lives. It’s the story that we tell by the way we execute the word of God. It’s in the execution that one recognizes another as a child of God or a child of the devil.

It’s what people see you do that makes all of the difference in the world. When you’re trying to get a job, it’s good to have the degree relative to the position you’re applying for, but you still have to undergo a battery of tests. Then there are interviews, more tests, and more interviews. That degree, diploma, and certificate are good but you still have to prove that what you’re saying is true.

They may call you Doctor, but are you board certified?
They may call you Attorney, but have you passed the bar?
They may call you Reverend, but is there anything about your life that would testify to the fact that you’re anything other than a Reverend?

It’s not the title, it’s the testimony.

How are you living? What kind of report would your family give about you? Is there a good report on you outside of the church as well as in the church?
It’s not the title, it’s the testimony.

Peter. Bold, big mouthed, boisterous Peter, has just allowed himself to be used by God to perform a miracle. You know the story, Peter and john were heading to the temple one afternoon to take part in the afternoon prayer. As they approached the temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the temple gate so he could beg from the people going into the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money.

Peter looked at the man intently and said, “Look at us! I don’t have any money for you. But I’ll give you what I do have, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” Up until this point, Peter and John were just like everybody else. They were two people who could meet the beggar’s need or what the beggar thought his need was. All too often, we think that it’s us meeting the needs of those whom God has trusted us with. This is where the ego comes into play; where we begin to wear our feelings on our sleeves. This is where we want to take credit for everything that only God can do.

God uses us as instruments to fulfill His purpose. We are called and the call has more to do with God’s divine purpose. It’s not about you! We’ve all been called to be leaders. We’re to lead the lost to the lamb. We’re to lead the left out to the One who can let them in.

God calls us to lead not by title but by testimony. How can you tell somebody else about the goodness of God if you’ve never experienced it for yourself? You might be able to tell them what you’ve seen happen to somebody else. You might be to tell them what somebody else has told you. But oh, there’s nothing like a firsthand account. Isaiah said in the year king Uzziah died, “I saw the lord.”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, walked through the fiery furnace with an angel of the Lord. Somebody has been walking with Him all week. Somebody called on Him the midnight hour. And when they called on the name of Jesus, He answered them.

He turned their midnight into morning.
He turned their sorrow into a shout,
He turned their problem into praise.
He turned their worry into worship.
He gave them a testimony.

It’s not your title, but it’s your testimony.

Scripture Of The Day: " ...And why look at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power and godliness? For it is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of all our ancestors who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this..." - Acts 3:12-13v (NLT)

Pastor Marvin Moss is senior pastor of Cascade United Methodist Church, located in Atlanta, Georgia. Pastor Moss is extremely active within the Atlanta community, and serves on the Board of Trustees at Gammon Theological Seminary.

For more information about Pastor Moss, log onto http://www.cascadeumc.org.

The Power of Your Testimony

In our justice system, one of the most powerful pieces of evidence is eyewitness testimony. In the days before DNA and other scientific and forensic advances, the testimony of an eyewitness could make or break a case. An eyewitness could identify the guilty party or solidify an alibi and free an innocent person. The assignment for an eyewitness is to tell the truth about what they saw, heard, and experienced.

When Jesus ended his earthly ministry and gave us the Great Commission, he declared, "You will be my witnesses." We are called - commanded, even - to be eyewitnesses to the saving, healing grace of Jesus. In the Bible, there is a wonderful story of someone who did just that. The story in found in the 9th chapter of John. The story begins with a theological discussion, continues with a miracle, and ends with a powerful testimony.

As Jesus and His disciples were traveling, they saw a man who had been blind since birth. The Disciples (sadly like many of us sometimes) were more interested in the theological ramifications of the man's situation than they were in the man himself. "why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents' sins?" they asked Jesus. Jesus replied, "It was not because of his sins or his parents' sins. This happened so the power of God could be seen in him."

Jesus then told His disciples, "We need to be energetically at work for the One who sent me here, working while the sun shines. When night falls, the workday is over." For many years, I didn't understand why He said this - it didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story. But I believe what Jesus was saying to the disciples was you are wasting precious time trying to find someone to blame for this man's blindness when you should be ministering to him. (There's a sermon unto itself there, but that is a devotional for another day...)

Immediately after saying this, Jesus made mud, put it on the man's eyes and told him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam, which ironically means "sent." As soon as the man obeyed, he was able to see for the first time in his life! The town, which had known him all his life as a blind beggar, was buzzing with the news that he could now see. There was such a change in him that people who had known him all his life didn't think it was the same person.

There was a problem, though. The man had been healed on the Sabbath, and that was, according to Pharisaic Law, not legal. So they marched this man to the Pharisees to see what they thought. When they heard the story, there was a deep division among the Pharisees. Some of them were still spiritually minded enough to realize this was of God. Others, sadly were so mired in their self-imposed legalism that they refused to believe this was of God or that Jesus might be a prophet, much less the messiah.

They called the formerly blind man to appear before them to hear his story.

Some of the Pharisees thought they were being tricked, so they hauled the man's parents in front of them to identify him. The parents, who were deathly afraid of the Jewish leaders, acknowledged this man was their son and that he used to be blind, but said they had no idea what had happened to him. "He is of age, ask him yourself" they said.

The Pharisees would love to have discredited this man and thereby discredited Jesus. One thing stood in their way: his simple yet powerful personal eyewitness testimony.

"All I know is this: Once I was blind, and now I can see!"

You and I are often given the opportunity to use the power of our eyewitness testimony to persuade others of God's grace, love and mercy and to encourage our brothers and sisters. Let's be alert for opportunities that the Holy Spirit will give us today to tell our story of His working in our lives!

Scripture Of The Day: "Then I heard a strong voice out of Heaven saying, "Salvation and power are established! Kingdom of our God, authority of his Messiah! The Accuser of our brothers and sisters is thrown out, who accused them day and night before God. They defeated him through the blood of the Lamb and the bold word of their witness." - Revelation 12:10-11 (The Message)

Out with the Old, In with the New

Brent Barnett

Luke 5:36-39 says, "And He was also telling them a parable: 'No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, "The old is good enough."'"

Jesus' ministry came at a time when Judaism had been severely perverted into an outrageous system of rule keeping with self-righteous teachers presiding as rulers over the people of Israel. Rather than look at how the Old Testament foretold of Christ's coming and sacrifice, they ignored what had come in the person of Christ in exchange for what had been.

The Pharisees and many of the Jews had become enslaved to a thinking process that loved the old ways. Now, there is nothing wrong with being nostalgic or reflecting upon the past, but it becomes wrong when it controls us to the extent that we are unable to put it out of our minds. The Jews were so consumed with Moses and the Law that they could not recognize God Himself in their midst. Though they wanted a Messiah, they wanted it their way.

They wanted a Messiah Who would bring back the glory days of an earthly kingdom as it had been under David and Solomon. They wanted the past, and because they thought that the old was good enough, they missed the future which was right before their very eyes. They were satisfied with the old wine, and their clouded view of the past led them to miss the new wine in Jesus which was far better.

In order for them to receive the new wine, they needed to realize that they would have to lay aside their system of self-righteous Law-keeping. Jesus preached a message of forgiveness, healing, grace, and life. He didn't come to set up an earthly empire, but He came to demonstrate His eternal power and overcome the world. He didn't come to show that Law-keeping was the way to eternal life, but He Himself fulfilled the Law because no man could do it (Romans 3:23, 8:4). The Law brought condemnation and showed man his inability to keep it (Galatians 3:24). Jesus came to bring life, and life to the full (John 10:10).

Old wineskins were fitting for the old wine. The Law did its job, and it did it well (Romans 7:12). But its job was to point people to the cross and to Christ, Who had come in the flesh. If new wine was available in Jesus, then it made no sense to put it into old wineskins which would break as soon as the wine was poured in. The Law had done its job, and the new wine needed new wineskins.

The new wine of forgiveness in Christ needs to go in the new wineskin of grace. We were under law, but now we are under grace (Romans 6:14). The old covenant is over, and the new covenant has been established. Christ is the centerpiece and the focus. We must drink of Him (John 7:37).

If we find ourselves still trying to earn our way into God's favor, we need to lay aside the old and receive the grace and forgiveness of Christ. If we are attempting to manipulate God into giving us what we want in life, we need to stop drinking of the old wine and simply receive the blessings which He graciously gives as He knows best.

Trying to do things on our own strength apart from Christ is like pouring wine into a leaky wineskin. It will never work. Do we want to be full in Christ? Do we want to experience the promised abundant life? Life to the full is found in abandoning the old wine, taking hold of the new wineskin by faith in Christ, and allowing Him to fill us and empower us as He pours the new wine of His grace into our hearts.

The New Edition

Aqualyn Toi Jones

When was the last time you purchased or received something new? Maybe it was a cell phone, a car, or an outfit. It could've been a new pair of shoes, a job, or even a relationship.

There's just something about the newness of things. You value it more. You take better care of it. You can't wait to tell others about it. However, that eagerness doesn't last.

Simply think of all the old things you have acquired over the years. Soon, just like all the old "new things", the newer "new things" becomes a little boring. We settle down into the humdrum of business as usual. Now, it's just a cell phone, a car, or a pair of shoes. Our affection for it fades as we start to focus on the next new thing.

We can upgrade our phones, trade-in our relationships and change jobs when we're bored. We can just get the new edition. Unfortunately, this same mentality spills over into our lives with Christ.

Have you ever heard someone say?

"Before I was saved." or
"When I was still in sin."

If you're like me, you've said it yourself.
As Christians, we like to think of our lives in two categories: Before-Christ and After-Christ.

If you and I were to finish the sentences above, I'm sure we could fill a book. One of the best things about being a Christian is the new life we have in Christ. It trumps the old life every time.

Sometimes and somewhere along the way, we are tempted to exchange the new life in Christ for the old way of living. Life starts to happen again. It rains on your parade more than once. Things that you thought you wouldn't experience as a Christian seem to resurface after Christ!

How do you handle it when the old life threatens to choke the newness out of life in Christ? And what does this new life really mean anyway?

I love Merriam-Webster's definition of the word new. It means having recently come into existence. Is it possible that we never truly existed before coming to Christ? When you accept Christ in your life, you come into an existence that you never knew about.

You never really understood the measure of His sacrifice. You never had a Father like God. You didn't think it was possible for someone to know everything about you, and still love you. And yet, He does. You thought you were free, but liberation has taken on a totally different meaning. Life is not the same.

I want to challenge you (and myself) to remember that there is no new edition of the new life in Christ. There is nothing better. 2 Corinthians 5:17 reminds us that "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new."

This scripture doesn't simply say that anyone in Christ could or will be a new creation. It guarantees that he is. You and I are new in Him. The life we now live has greater understanding and subsequently, greater responsibility. We should never settle for anything routine in our relationship with God.

Every single day is new. Every single old thing is just that old. It's useless and ineffective. After all, it's called the old life for a reason and this edition is just fine.

Toi Jones is a writer and an advocate for youth, underdogs, and all things (and people) that are broken and overlooked. Compassionate at her core, Toi is also an educator, a mentor, and a supporter of multiple initiatives for South Africa. For more information about Toi, log onto www.bewrite-livewrite.typepad.com.

Time To Meet Your Maker!

Ben Komanapalli Jr.


Another year has come to an end, and here we are starting a new one. For almost everyone reading this, we have been at this place at least a dozen times. Looking back at our lives, some of those moments were great but some were pretty bad. In fact they were so bad that we wanted to forget all about it when we entered the New Year.

As this new year begins, most of us close certain chapters of our lives and open new ones; we also plan on changing things. All of us have want to become better than we were in the past year.

As we come to that time of the year again, I have a simple question to ask: Who is making you?

Let me explain. In Acts 26:13-18, we see Paul recounting his conversion story to King Agrippa. In verse 16, it is important to see what Jesus says to Paul during the encounter. Jesus says, "I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness...."I want you to focus on the words 'to make you.'
My question to you as a leader is more specifically this: Are you letting Jesus make you?

All of us live in a very fast paced world. There are many responsibilities that we as leaders have in the world today. There are things that need to be accomplished, vision to be cast, money to be raised, conflicts that need to be resolved etc. We need to do all of these things as good leaders.

However, the most important thing is to let Jesus make you the man or women He has called you to be. We can only lead other people as well as we can lead ourselves; the most important thing in leading ourselves is to let Jesus make us the people He has called us to be.

There is always the temptation for us to do the work of God more than we let God work in us. Bill Hybels once said, "The way I was doing the work of God was destroying the work of God in me." I heard that statement about two years ago and it has stuck with me. I believe it is a dangerous place for us to be when we are more excited about a book, album, project, program or an event than about spending time with Jesus and letting Him work on us.

As we plan, strategize, evaluate, set goals and recharge our batteries to make ourselves better leaders for next year, make it a priority to make this year the year where you let Jesus make you the person He has called you to be. Planning and setting goals are very good things but letting Jesus make you is the God thing. He desires to make each one of us. He sees much more in us than we can see for ourselves. We must stop resisting the things God wants to do in our lives. No matter where you live or what kind of organization or ministry you might be leading, if there is one thing we are to do as Christian leaders it is to let Jesus make us.

We might not have had an encounter with Jesus in the way Paul did on his journey to Damascus, but we can all remember the time when we received Jesus as the Lord and Savior of our lives or the time when the call of God became very real. This is a good time to go back and remember the purpose for which Jesus saved you and to let Him make you.

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Take some time to think about the moment when the purpose of God became clear to you. What is it that He has purposed for you?

2. Become very intentional to let Jesus make you into the person He has called you to be during the next year. Write down some of the areas that He really needs to work on.

3. Thank God for the opportunity He has given you to serve people for His kingdom and Glory.

Jesus, Our Friend

Jack Zavada

"A rule I have had for years is: to treat the Lord Jesus Christ as a personal friend. His is not a creed, a mere doctrine, but it is He Himself we have." -Dwight L. Moody

When Jesus came into the world in human form, he changed our relationship with God forever. He made it possible for us to become adopted sons and daughters in God's family, co-heirs with him to the gift of eternal life with the Father.

But he gave us another Christmas gift few of us ever open: his friendship. He experienced firsthand the loneliness of being human, and he saw that as much as we need a savior, we also need a friend.

"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." John 15:15 (NIV)

What better friend could you have? Jesus is steadfastly loyal. He forgives your every fault. He supports and encourages you when you need it most, and he listens whenever you want to talk. He is a tireless listener. Jesus loves you as a friend who wants to see you grow to your full potential. There is no jealousy in him. He wants only the best for you.

Enter more deeply into friendship with Jesus this Christmas season. You can trust him. If you reach out and accept the friendship he offers, your life will never be the same.

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The Attitude of Gratitude

Cover of Attitude of Gratitude

Alan Riley
There were ten of them in all. They were friends who were bound together by a shared tragedy: they all had leprosy--a horrible, disfiguring disease. There's really no way to explain the horror of watching your body slowly rot away. But that was only half of the heartache. Because it was thought that leprosy was contagious, those who suffered from it had to not only endure the ravages of disease, but also to face scorn, disgrace and loss of all dignity. They were made to live apart from the rest of society, apart from their family and friends with only fellow lepers to lean on for support and encouragement.

Lepers in Jesus' day were not only forced to live in colonies, they also had to yell out "Unclean!" whenever they approached anyone. Sometimes they were made to wear bells on their clothing to warn others of their approach.

At the leper colony, they heard stories of this man named Jesus who not only spoke of God's love for everyone, but He healed all those who came to Him. I can imagine the stories of miraculous healings came in one after the other... Jesus opened the eyes of a man blind since birth; He told a lame man to rise up and walk; He even stopped a funeral procession and gave a woman her child back. I can imagine them hearing the story of the centurion's servant who was healed. They must have thought if Jesus healed a Roman centurion's servant, certainly He would heal us, after all, we are children of Abraham!

At some point the ten came up with a plan. They would travel in a group to find Jesus. Together they would ask Him to heal them.

Finally, the moment came when they stood before Jesus. They asked Him to make them whole. "Go and show yourselves to the priests," Jesus told them. As they turned to go, they realized for the first time that their dream had just come true. They stared at their hands in disbelief. Where a moment ago there was decay and stubs, there now were fingers and hands free from leprosy. They walked their first couple of steps, then they began leaping in the air, shouting praises to God! They ran off quickly to establish their healing with the priests so they could return to their homes and families.

But one of the ten stopped in his tracks and realized he'd forgotten something very important. While his nine friends ran down the road, he turned and ran back to Jesus, falling on his face in front of the Lord. Sobbing and laughing at the same time, he kept saying it again and again... Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

"Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?" Jesus asked. The man didn't know what to say. He couldn't answer for them. He just knew the immense sense of gratitude that was swelling up inside him. This man has just given him his life back.

Then Jesus told him, "Go your way, your faith has made you whole."

Far too often, you and I are like the nine who ran down the road leaping and praising. We receive God's grace and mercy, we experience His healing touch on our lives. He restores what the devil has caused to decay. And off we run, leaping, shouting and praising, but forgetting to simply say "Thank you."

I want to be like the one who turned and ran back to Jesus, falling on his face and saying thanks. Lord, give me the attitude of gratitude!

Amazing, Truly Amazing Grace!

Bishop E. Earl Jenkins

"By Grace you have been saved" Ephesians 2:5 NAS

Have you any idea of the mess you were in, or moving toward, when God reached down and saved you? Perhaps an illustration may help you get the picture. If you took your children to a petting zoo and a little lamb came running towards you, you probably wouldn't be afraid at all because lambs are harmless. You might even reach out your hand and let the lamb lick it.

But let's say you're at the zoo and the alarm goes out that a lion has escaped from its cage. If you're standing there and that lion comes running towards you, you'll be terrified and start to run because you know what lions can do. But just suppose that the runaway lion corners you in one part of the zoo and comes up to you - but instead of attacking you it gently licks your hand the way the lamb did. If that happened whose gentleness would you appreciate more, the lamb's or the lion's? You'd appreciate the lion's gentleness more because you know that he could just as easily have destroyed you without violating his nature as a lion.

Well, grace is God's kindness and gentleness to us when He could have backed us into a corner as guilty sinners and destroyed us without violating His holy character. But God wanted to make us His children, so instead of expressing His wrath against us, He poured it out upon His own sinless Son on the cross. Jesus took our punishment so God could embrace us. Hence, we have a brand-new relationship with God through grace. Isn't that amazing!

The Believing Business

Bishop Keith Butler

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Mark 9:23 (KJV)

Get into the believing business. You have to get over into the believing business. When you get over into the believing business, then you will start having the manifestation of God's healing power.

In Luke, chapter 4, the people went by what they thought they knew. And by what they thought they saw to determine whether the power was present. Jesus was requiring them to believe that the power was present without the aid of a miracle.

The healing power of God does not show up because of certain people (personalities). Jesus was requiring them to believe what He said before anything else. They said, show us a miracle and we will believe you. He wouldn't do it. He is still that way today. He has not changed. Somebody says, well, you know, if I ever saw a blind eye opened then I would have great faith.

Faith does not come by seeing. Faith comes by hearing. When I was overseas, I saw whole lines of blind eyes opened. Some of the people were blind from birth. But there were still blind people in the same line doubting. Faith does not come by seeing. Faith comes by hearing. The children of Israel saw the miracles and still doubted God in the desert. So you need to hear the Word.

I want you to take some time to lift your hands to the Lord. Lift your voice up to the Lord and say, thank you Lord the healing power of God is available wherever I go. It is available for me. And in Jesus' name I tap into it, anytime I want to. By faith I know Jesus is my Healer. I know healing is provided for me. And I know it's mine, right now, from the crown of my head to the very soles of my feet, in Jesus' name. Now, thank Him for it in faith.

Scripture References: Luke 4, Mark 9:17-27; Romans 10:17

Examine Your Ways!

Image via Wikipedia

Bishop E. Earl Jenkins

"Let us examine our ways." Lamentations 3:40 NIV

A guy rushed into a service station one day and asked the manager if he'd a pay phone. The manager nodded, "Sure, over there." The guy inserted a couple of coins, dialed and waited for an answer. Finally someone came on the line. "Uh, sir," he said in a deep voice, "could you use an honest, hard-working young man?"

The station manager couldn't help overhearing the question. After a moment or two the guy said, "Oh, you already have an honest, hard-working young man? Well, okay. Thanks all the same." A broad smile stretched across his face. He hung up the phone and started back to his car, obviously elated.

"Hey, just a minute," the station manager said, "I couldn't help but hear your conversation. Why are you so happy? I thought the man said he already had someone and didn't need you?" The guy smiled. "Well, you see, I am that honest, hard-working young man. I was just checking up on myself!"

If you're serious about walking with God, examine yourself regularly. Are you praying, reading God's Word and renewing your mind daily? How about your attitudes? Are they slipping? Your attitudes send a signal before you've said a word.

They're like traffic lights. Sometimes they flash red, which means 'stop, don't get in my way, I'm too busy to love, help, or care.' Sometimes they flash yellow, which means 'I'm touchy and out-of-sorts, I could go either way.'

Sometimes they flash green, which means, 'Let's go, I'm with you, you can count on me.' The Bible says, "Let us examine our ways...and...return to the Lord."

What needs to be examined regularly? "Our ways!"

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The Sideshow

Image by Te55 via Flickr

Milan Ford

As a 33-year old, some may find it strange that I happen to be a big fan of 70's music. Not exactly sure how I actually became one.

I used to think it was because of all those crazy space outfits the bands back then would wear. Or maybe it was because many could argue that the 70's were the last decade real instruments were used or played by artists on stage. You can blame my generation for that.

One thing is for certain: the artists back then were great at telling stories through their music.

A great example of that talent was the 1974 classic hit, Sideshow. By far, one of my favorites. Who can ever forget that famous circus melody and barker announcement, followed by the legendary falsetto voice of Ted Mills, who sung these words ever so softly:

Step right up, hurry, hurry before the show begins, my friends
Stand in line, get your tickets, I hope you will attend
It'll only cost you fifty cents to see
What life has done to those like you and me

Then I first heard those words as a child, I (in ignorance) got excited. An avid fan of the circus, I just knew the singer would begin to talk about some of the trademark attractions I had come to expect and enjoy every time I went to "the big top."

But then came these words:

See the man who's been cryin' for a million years, so many tears (So many tears)
See the girl who's collected broken hearts for souvenirs
It's more exciting than a one man band
The saddest little show in all the land

What? Did I miss something here?

What happened to the human cannonball?
The tightrope walkers?
And of course, those incredible tiger-tamers?

What kind of circus act could have possibly caused all this pain? It took me a while, but I think I found one.

"For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.

Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?" (James 3:7-10v)

God has given us all a unique commission to bring forth fresh water to a world dying of thirst.
But more often than not, the water our tongues produce has a tendency to become bitter at times.

As believers, we all have been guilty of using our tongues to lift up prayers and songs of worship to a loving God, while at the same time, using them to attack out friends, family members, co-workers, and yes, even our church leaders.

Let's just be honest for a second; Our tongues can create quite a sideshow.

Like never before, our nation is looking for men and women of wisdom. They're looking for people whose tongues are so fixated on the love and kindness of our God that no matter the circus act, we are always able to give the world a better show.

Remember This: The power our tongues have can change the very course of someone's life.

I challenge us all today to examine the words we speak. The jokes we share. The emails we receive. And the ones we decide to forward. The world is taking notes on the kind of acts we are producing.

Don't miss an opportunity to show the world what life in Christ had done for you and me.

Step right up. Hurry, hurry!

Stepping Into the Darkness

Image by loswl via Flickr

Alan Riley

Have you ever heard the story of the man who slipped off the edge of a cliff and was desperately hanging on to a rope to keep from falling? The man screamed at the top of his voice, "IS THERE ANYONE THERE WHO CAN HELP ME?" A calm, reassuring voice answered back, "It is the Lord. Let go of the rope."

The man thought about it for a moment, looked down to see how far he would fall. Then he yelled out again even louder, "IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THERE WHO CAN HELP ME???"

Have you ever been at a place in your life where you felt the Lord was telling you to let go of the rope, but all you could see was how things looked from a logical, human perspective? I know I have, and I was really tempted to ask for a second opinion like the man in the joke.

Everything about our human nature wants to see it first and then respond based on what we see. We want to see it then believe it. We want to know where we are going before we agree to start the trip. That is our human nature. And it flies in the face of what God calls us to do and who God calls us to be.

Look at the heroes of the faith and you will see people who believed it before they saw it. You will see people who went when God said 'go' even though they didn't know where they were going or what it would be like when they got there. You will see people who walked by faith and not by sight.

When Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection, He allowed and encouraged Thomas to experience what he had said he needed to see to believe that Jesus was alive. Thomas physically saw and felt the wounds in Jesus' hands, feet and side. When he did so, Thomas fell down on His face and declared, "My Lord and My God!" Jesus responded by saying, "Thomas, you believe because you have seen. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."

The writer of the book of Hebrews tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). The New International Version translates that verse this way: "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

Far too often, I find myself walking only by sight. But I know it is those times when I step out into the darkness in obedience to God's call that He blesses me, and grows me, and stretches me.

What is God calling you to do that will require you to step into the darkness?

The Do-Good Seed

Image by BusNikon "Take a picture it will last longer" via Flickr

Dr. Creflo A. Dollar

If I were to ask if you believed in sowing seeds you’d probably say, “Oh, yes amen, Brother Dollar. I give money every time I go to church, hallelujah!” It is good for Believers to be stirred up about giving their finances into the work of God. But I need to shed some light on a misconception that has taken place in the Body of Christ. We have limited seed to being just money. Think about it. Every time you hear a preacher talk about sowing seeds, most likely money is the first thing that comes to mind. Although money is a powerful seed to sow, it is not the most powerful. There is a seed that will always produce and is often overlooked. I call it the do-good seed. It is birthed out of the love of God.

In the beginning God created us in His image, which means we are godlike and we’re His reflection in the earth. In Christ we are restored to the position of power and authority that Adam lost to sin in the garden. Now that we are bought back from the curse of sin, God wants us to use the same two free gifts that He gave to Adam and Eve—dominion and seed (Genesis 1:28, 29).

The Bible says that God is love and God made man in His image, which is love. Now isn’t that interesting? God made man in the image of love and in the likeness of love. It is through the walk of love that we gain complete mastery and dominion in life. If we master love we can walk in our God-given authority like never before, because love is where our true power lies.

You may be thinking, “Well, Brother Dollar, I understand the love of God, but what does that have to do with sowing seeds to get a good harvest?” Love has everything to do with sowing a seed and getting the desired results you want in life. Why? Jesus said that all the laws and prophets hang on the commandment of love, which is first loving God and then others (Matthew 22:40). The law of seedtime and harvest works by this greater law—love. Seedtime and harvest means whatever thought, word and deed you sow—good or bad—you will reap the results of it. Simply put, what goes around comes around.

Love is an action word and can be expressed in many ways. It is the most powerful seed you can sow into the life of another. In Luke 6, Jesus gives the law of love. We’ve become so familiar with this passage of scripture that we’ve missed what God wants us to understand. Jesus said to love your enemies and do good to people that hate you. He says to pray for those who despitefully use you (Luke 6:27, 28). Jesus wanted us to understand the importance of demonstrating love to the unlovable.

When you release the love of God into the lives of others, God is released. The do-good seed is the action of love you extend to another person who has done you wrong and doesn’t deserve your goodness. If there is someone in your life who irritates you, add his or her name to the top of your Christmas list this year! This is not a sign of weakness. It takes a powerful person to do right by someone who has done them wrong.

I have probably been ripped off more than the U.S. Internal Revenue Service by people who said that they loved me. One man stole thousands of dollars from me and it cost me the exact amount of money he had stolen from me to bail him out of jail. That was hard on my flesh! But I’ve discovered whenever I sow a do-good seed, God rewards me.

The seed you sow in response to how another person treats you becomes the deciding witness of the harvest you will receive. If someone sows hate and you retaliate and sow hate in return, there are laws that have been released. Hate will be your harvest because “If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them…” (Matthew 18:19). When someone hates you, you have the power to determine your own harvest by responding in love. Don’t use your opportunity to sow love to come into agreement with selfishness by responding negatively. Your seed will have authority over their hate if you'll retaliate with good. This is how you overcome evil with good—sow a better seed than the seed that was sown toward you.

Believers must understand and operate God’s principle of seedtime and harvest. I’ve taught for years that the law of seedtime and harvest is an established law God intends for man to use to create any outcome he desires. The Bible says whatever a man sows is what he will reap (Galatians 6:7). Most Believers assume that when the Word of God speaks of seedtime and harvest, the only seed that exists is money. The truth of the matter is our words, thoughts and actions are also seeds. However, according to Jesus, the most powerful seed is the Word of God. It is the seed that must be planted in order for all other seeds to produce, including the do-good seed.

Everything in the Kingdom of God works by seedtime and harvest. You could be sowing positive or negative seeds, but your love walk will determine the growth action and harvest of what you sow.

When it comes to sowing, God is not requiring anything of us that He hasn’t already done. When He saw mankind in a sinful state, He sowed the ultimate do-good seed—Jesus—as an expression of His love for mankind. Even though humanity deserved eternal damnation, God gave His most valuable and precious possession. As a result, He has reaped a harvest of sons and daughters. Love is the key to experiencing fulfillment and satisfaction, and should be the motivation behind every seed you sow.

Sow the do-good seed and from it you will reap a harvest that will affect every area of your life including your health, finances, relationships and more. Purpose to share His love through acts of kindness and He will overtake you with His blessing!

Ask God For What You Want!

Image by marcp_dmoz via Flickr

Bishop E. Earl Jenkins

"The reason you don't have what you want is...you don't ask God." James 4:2 TLB

Imagine walking into a restaurant on a whim and asking if your order is ready. "When did you call it in?" the server asks. "Oh I didn't," you reply, "I just thought perhaps you'd have something with my name on it." Sound ridiculous? No more so than expecting God to answer requests you haven't made - or made in faith believing. James says, "The reason you don't have what you want is...you don't ask God." Does that mean He'll automatically give you everything you ask for? No. James adds, "Even when you do ask you don't get it because...you want only what will give you pleasure" (Jas 4:3 TLB). Your motives need to be in tune with what God knows is best for you. John says, "This is the confidence...we have in Him...if we ask anything...according to His will...He...hears" (1Jn 5:14 AMP).

Sponsor AdLamentations 3:25 says, "The Lord is good to those who wait...expectantly for Him" (AMP). Expectant prayer demonstrates confidence in God's goodness. Instead of fretting and taking matters into your own hands, when you say, "Lord, I'm going to trust you with this, regardless of the outcome," He'll honor your faith. Paul says, "Pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks" (Ph 4:6 NCV). Do you need a job? Help overcoming a problem? Salvation for your loved ones? A deeper walk with God? Physical or emotional healing?

Jesus said, "It gives your Father great happiness to give you the [benefits of his] Kingdom" (Lk 12:32 NLT). God wants to be good to you, so tell Him the "desires of your heart" (Ps 37:4 NKJV). And thank Him that the answer will come - in His time!

Storing Up Treasures

Pastor Marvin Williams

I know a man who has built a small empire of wealth – several large houses, cars, trucks, and large envelopes filled with thousands of dollars in cash. In addition to having a few thousands in his house, last year, he resorted to hiding a large sum in cash, under a doghouse in his yard.

No, I am not giving you his address (Smile).

When I think about him and people like him, my heart breaks because, he has pursued and accumulated wealth here and failed to build a relationship with Jesus. I imagine this is exactly what Jesus was talking about, in Matthew 6:19-21, when he said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth...But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”

To understand what Jesus meant, we need to know what he did not mean. Jesus was not saying we could not have nice things, or that we could not engage in wise financial planning (life insurance policies, 401K/403B, or other investments). Moreover, he was not saying we could not enjoy wealth and the good things in life that God gives us, or we could not run our businesses profitably.

What did Jesus mean?
Jesus is talking about two types of treasures.

The first type is the kind we accumulate on earth. These treasures are vulnerable to all kinds of decay and theft. Jesus is saying, don’t make acquiring and accumulating these types of treasures - houses, cars, degrees, prestige, popularity, vintage comic books, coin collections, paintings, CDs and albums - our main concentration, obsession and addiction, at the expense and neglect of the most important treasure – God and helping those in need.

We should guard our hearts against the addictive pursuit of material wealth because of its dangers – the love of them is the root to all kinds of evils, may hinder people’s response to the gospel, create false security, make people proud, cause excessive worry, and lead people to forget God. Working for them may cause excessive tiredness, enjoying them too much may lead to self-indulgence, and misusing them may foster oppression and injustice.

The alternative, is laying up treasures in heaven. He is not saying people can buy their way to heaven. However, he is calling his followers to simplify their lives and leverage their time, and wealth for the sake of people in need (Matthew 19:21; 1 Timothy 6:17-19). When his followers, with pure motives (Matthew 6:1-4), do good, are rich in good deeds, are generous and willing to share with the marginalized, they will be laying up treasures in heaven.

Jesus goes on to say wherever our treasures and wealth are, our whole selves will be entwined with them. This verse becomes a gracious mirror in which we can see where our hearts really are. Jesus is warning us against being totally earthbound at the neglect of eternal values.

So, how can we determine today if we are pursuing wealth at the expense of God? How can we understand where our hearts really are? I believe the following questions can help us:

What occupies my thoughts and daydreams when I have nothing else to do?
What do I fret about most?
Apart from my immediate family, who or what do I most dread losing?
What are the things I measure others by?
What is it that we know we cannot be happy without?

Let’s pray about and determine how much is enough and release the rest to build the kingdom and help others find the real treasure: Jesus.

Get It To Give It

Pastor Andre Butler

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work” --2 Corinthians 9:8

There is no more important time to line up with God’s financial system than now. In this time of financial crisis, many are in fear. They are concerned about how the struggling U.S. economy is affecting them. The thing about fear, though, is that it is selfish. It only thinks about me and mine.

Fear is the opposite of faith, and it is motivated by selfishness which is the opposite of love. Yet, God’s Word teaches us that we receive from him by faith and that our faith works by love.

God’s financial system works for you when you focus on the needs of others rather than your own. Matthew 6:33 teaches us to ‘seek first the kingdom of God’ and then ‘all these things will be added to you.’ Philippians 4:19 has a promise from God to meet all of our needs regardless of what’s going on in the economy.

God’s ultimate goal for your financial life isn’t that you just receive abundantly but that you give abundantly. God’s plan for your life is that you be a generous giver-- someone who is so abundantly blessed that you are able to give abundantly for God’s purposes. Jesus said in Acts 20:35 that it is better to give than to receive.

God wants you going through life experiencing the superior joy that comes from giving and that is one of the reasons why He wants to get abundance to you. Even more importantly, He’s thinking of those who are without in this life, especially those without Him, who will benefit from your generosity.

God understands that for you to be able to give abundantly, you must receive abundantly. You must Get it to Give it! One of my desires is to get to a place financially where I can GIVE $1 million a year for God’s purposes. My goal is to give abundantly, not just receive abundantly for my purposes. And when (not if) the time comes that I am receiving from Him on that level, it will be vitally important that I remember the purpose for it coming into my life.

Whatever God has given you, some of it is in your hands simply for you to give to His purposes. Remembering the purpose for the money God has given you is an important step in lining up with God’s system. It’s when God knows that you truly understand this principle that He will trust you with more.

In this time of recession stop focusing on your financial needs and look around for someone that you can help with whatever God has placed in your hands now. Doing just that will position you to GET even more so you can GIVE more in the days to come!

Have It All

Pastor Andre Butler

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” --3 John 1:2

Have it all! Isn’t that what the world is striving for? People read books, chase money, fame, and sex all in a futile effort to have it all in life. Sadly, they don’t realize that the only person that can bring them to a place of satisfaction is God.

The good news is that we can tell them about Jesus and demonstrate to them what God can do with a life that is totally sold out to Him. We can tell them that they can have it all in God! They can have a life of satisfaction and significance! A life worth living!

To be effective in our witness about God, we need to allow God to develop our character so that we are enjoying the rich life He desires us to have for ourselves. The rich life is where you prosper spiritually, emotionally, physically, professionally, and financially. It includes growing spiritually through a life lived in the Word and daily fellowship with Jesus.

It also includes consistently enjoying the blessing that comes from being a blessing to others, especially in leading someone into a relationship with Jesus Christ. Living a life of significance is the key to living a life of satisfaction.

In giving us the greatest gift of Jesus, God has demonstrated His great love to us. His Word teaches that He will give good things to His children, and that He’ll withhold no good from those of us who will walk right before Him. In short He desires that we have it all. When I married my wife Tiffany, I gave her my heart. And after 10 years, that is the greatest gift I gave her--myself.

Sure, buying her material things to fill her needs and wants has shown her how much I love her, but those things are just bonuses. This is what God has done with us. He gave us Jesus, and with this greatest gift came the ability to receive from God in every area of life. God has demonstrated to us that His desire is that we enjoy the life

He intended for Adam and Eve to have all along, and we can start living it now. Of course, we have to deal with the enemy in this life but ‘greater is He that is in us than He that is in the world’ (1John 4:4). We have the tools to defeat him every time!

Today is the day to start having it all!

Choose to give up control of every area of your life to God. Say yes to Him about everything! Never tell God no. And as you grow in your relationship with Him and fulfill His plan for your life, you will be able to witness to the world around you that it is possible to have it all in this life.

You Can Have It All in God!

A Blossom That Eternally Blooms

Pastor Paula White


A good way to determine how steadfast your faith in Christ is, and how completely you have given your life over to the leading of God’s Holy Spirit, is to consider the joyous message we are given in Galatians 5:22 – 25:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:22 – 25

These verses offer an awesome, inspiring, and deeply comforting revelation of how the Christian believer’s life, spirit, and actions should transform and manifest when truly “spirit-filled” and “delivered.” I can find no better description in the Bible of what a believer experiences, shares and expresses, when listening to, acting out of, and sharing the Spirit of God.

In other words: our lives should “bloom” with the fruit – the “blossom” -- or living proof, of the Holy Spirit within us! And people should be able to see our fruit – in our actions, our words, our lives…as clearly as we might see a juicy, ripe orange hanging from a branch as we pass by…or smell the delicious fragrance of beautiful tulip in spring.

In the verses from Galatians, the words “love,” “joy,” “peace,” “gentleness,” and “goodness,” immediately fill us with a gratitude to the Creator for His deep and abiding devotion to us. He is GOOD…and His Spirit fills us with His goodness, wraps us in His love, comforts us with His peace, and calms us with His gentleness – and define what true, lasting, and eternally accessible “joy of the Lord” is made up of.

“Longsuffering,” “meekness,” “faith” and “temperance,” are words that describe the characteristics we should display to the world as mature, Spirit-filled Christian believers. Hard won, steadily nurtured, carefully tended virtues – these are the sometimes painfully cultivated fruits of a harvest that the Spirit reveals through our patient, passionate, and persistent commitment to getting the best of what God has to offer!

There is another vital reason for nurturing the Holy Spirit within: it is only through the guidance of that “small, still voice” that we will be able to reap the sustenance of God’s grace, power, strength and fortitude during the darkest and most difficult seasons of our lives. His fruits within us are nourishing, empowering, and life-transforming characteristics that will show the world God’s omnipotence – as in our weakness, but through His strength, even while shaken, we stand…when everything around us tumbles.

So seek to cultivate the fruits of the Spirit that God reveals in Galatians…and in every season of life, you will be a walking testimony of God’s glory on our earth today – truly “a blossom in eternal bloom!”

Why Do You Do What You Do?

Cindy Beall

I love the Holy Spirit.
He guides, counsels, comforts, and protects.

I appreciate the guidance that comes as a gentle nudge to write a much-needed note to a friend who is hurting. I am amazed at the counsel that falls from my lips when I have no earthly idea what to say to a woman in need. I adore the comfort I get when I am hurting and no one on this earth can do the trick. I love knowing that my children are protected within a hedge erected by the One True God.

But He also convicts.
And dang if I don't like that,convict.

Please don't misunderstand me. I love the outcome of conviction but am just not a fan of the discomfort that goes along with it. But, it's necessary. It's necessary for growth and a changed life. And I want a changed life.
I raise this issue of conviction with you because I have been slammed with it on every side in regard to a particular issue in my life.

My motives.
The why behind what I do.

Questions haunting me recently have had to do with the purity, or lack of it, behind why I do things or why I say things or why I write things or why I go to the places I go.

I think you get my point.

Do I do things I do to get my name out or to see what people think about me or to make sure I'm seen shaking the right hand or hugging the right neck? Do I want recognition so that my self-esteem and fleshly desires can be unhealthily fed? Do I comment or speak just to hear myself?

Sometimes.
Sometimes I do.

I want to have pure motives. I want to have an agenda that is solely about building the Kingdom of God. I want to get my desires out of the way long enough so that I can be fully yielded to what I absolutely know God has called me to do.

Still starving the flesh.
Is anybody hearin' what I'm sayin'?

The Holy Ghost Is Still In The Life-Saving Business

Bishop Keith Butler

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26 (KJV)

The Holy Ghost still is in the life-saving business. I'm going to say it again. The Holy Ghost is still in the life-saving business. Remember what Jesus was anointed with in Acts 10:38? It says, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and power, who went about doing good. All of the healing that Jesus did was a result of being empowered with the Holy Ghost.

Now, let me ask you this question. Are you filled with the Holy Ghost? If you're filled with the Holy Ghost then get both hands up. And thank the Lord that He filled you with the Holy Ghost. Thank Him for giving you the Holy Ghost. Thank Him that the Holy Spirit of God is within you. Greater is he that's in you than he that's in the world. We've become too casual about being filled with the Holy Ghost... we really have.

Sponsor AdWe've become too casual about Him, bless God. I mean, we ought to recognize who it is that's on the inside of us. That's God on the inside of you. That's God, the God, via the Holy Ghost is on the inside of you, glory to God. And He's greater than the one on the outside. They may say your situation is terminal. But He's greater than the one on the outside. But they may say there's no cure. He's greater than the one that's on the outside. But they don't know what it is.

Well, bless God, He's still greater than the one on the outside. Greater is He that's in you than he that's in the world. It's about time you started acting like that, about time you started talking like that's so. It's about time you started praising God like that's so. It's about time you start seeing victory like that's so. It's about time you get up anyway and dance like it's so. Glory to God!

Well, Romans chapter 8:26 says, "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." The literal Greek text says here that the Holy Spirit takes hold together with us against our infirmity.

The Holy Ghost gets with us and helps us against that thing coming against you. That is, if you'll make use of Him, He's there. But He's a gentleman. He won't force himself on you. He won't cause anything to happen unless you connect your faith with his power. But He's there. He helps against your infirmities. That word infirmities there means weaknesses, lack of strength, and inability.