Encourage Yourself

 

Discouragement is the initial stage of anxiety, depression and mental fatigue.  It mostly comes to people that are driven, have goals and are motivated. If you are not looking to accomplish anything in life your disappointments are few. People often fear disappointment more than the fear of failure. The biggest failure comes from those that don’t try. We are discouraged when we do not see things formulating or coming to pass the way we envisioned or when something happens that we did not anticipate.

It takes work to fight off depression, anxiety and fear.  Defeating these feelings and thoughts takes a conscious effort. You are not entitled to happiness, it is something you have to work for. The scriptures states that our inner man is renewed daily. Our Creator allows every day to be new. Time is not recycled, so therefore we must forget the past and venture on.

Many of our most intense moments are spent alone, sometimes lying in bed before sleeping, sometimes crying in a private room, sometimes being bombarded by our thoughts. The reality of life is that you just cannot trust everyone with your problems and concerns. People tell your business, post it on social networks or sometimes they just look at you differently. It’s hard to find real people, people that you can trust and rely on and if you do sometimes you don’t want to burden them with your problems.

Any strong person must learn to encourage themselves in GOD.  If you encourage yourself in your own accomplishments and abilities, fear and sadness will overtake you.  No one exists on this Earth without adversity. Man’s days on this Earth according to GOD’s Word are few and full of trouble. No amount of money or fame can remove the existence of trouble. However, GOD’s word can bring you through any situation

Here are some ways to encourage yourself in THE GOD OF ALL CREATION!

1. You are not alone
It is written “no temptation that has taken you is common to man.” according 1st Cor.10:13.  The Apostle states in  1st Pet 5:9 that “the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”  Many people don’t discuss their problems but the life of every believer is a testimony of overcoming.

2. There’s a Purpose for your Pain
It is written that the test of your faith produces perseverance according to James 1:3:4. Sufferings produce the character that will endure. YAHWEH who is the GOD of All Creation is building character through endurance according Romans 5:3. What is being formed in you is greater than what we are going through.

3. Perspective
The Great King David stated that he would have fainted unless he believed to see the goodness of YAHWEH in the land of the living. GOD is not dead, he’s alive. The dead can’t praise GOD; there is no life or power in the grave. Everything can change in one day. One thing is consistent is that the Earth is filled with the YAHWEH’S eternal glory. (Hab.2:14)

4. Hope
The Great King asked why his life seemed to be cast down. He began to say “Hope in YAHWEH (Name of GOD). Hope isn’t wishful thinking or being optimistic. Hope is the anticipation of great things happening. According to GOD’S word, Hope will not embarrass or disappoint you. It is written that “Many are the affliction of the righteous but YAHWEH delivers us out of all of them!” (Psalms 34:19)

5. Stay the Course
The last thing that you want to do is give up on your faith. It is written to hold fast to the beginning of our assurance.  Giving up is like rowing to the middle of the sea and stopping. You must follow the compass and continue to move. YAHSHUA (Christ, The Messiah) said that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life! Broad is the way that leads to destruction. Narrow is the gate that leads to life, according to Christ.

6. It’s Bigger Than You.
Your ability to encourage yourself will increase your strength and put you in a position to encourage others.  The Apostle was told when he bounced back to strengthen his brothers. It is written that YAHWEH is the GOD of encouragement and comfort; who encourages us in all our trials, so that we can encourage others in whatever trials they may be undergoing with the encouragement we ourselves have received of GOD.” (2nd Cor.2:4 cjb)

7. Continue in Prayer
It is written that “Men should always pray and not faint.” Therefore it is only logic to concede that by stop praying you WILL FAINT!  The only way to receive the promises of GOD ordained for us since the foundation of the world is not to faint.  Praying is the process to build yourself up in your most holy faith. When David encouraged himself, He then inquired of GOD, the next step to take. Once he did that he was confident he would gain the victory!

We are more than conquerors. The Called out Ones of the King and Creator of All are compelled to prevail! So we must overcome in order keep the inherit and gain power over the nation and inherit the throne that was predestined for us before the foundation of the WORLD

Scripture References

1st Samuel 28-30

Job 14

1st Cor.10:

1st Peter 5

Psalms 34

Psalms 27

Ecc.9:10

Romans 5

Romans 8

Hebrews 3

John 14

Matthew 7

Luke 18

Jude 1

Matthew 25

 

Seasons

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:” – Ecc 3:1

Time is one of the most powerful components of our existence. A prayer of the great leader Moses shows that the ability to know and understand how time interacts with our lives has to be taught and applied to wisdom.

Because life is so short but so impacting, it is very important that we understand the various seasons that take place in our lives.

A season is an appointed time; A space of time that is given for a particular event and/or activity. It is a set time, according to the scriptures.

Everything has a set time, at time we are uncertain when seasons in our lives will change.  It requires wisdom to discern and see the signs of what they are so we can operate effectively.

Imagine if baseball players played in the winter or football players played in the summer? How erroneous would it be if farmers planted all their crops in the winter waiting for a harvest in the cold when the field will not yield and produce life?
In the same way, knowing how to act during appointed times in our lives requires understanding from GOD and direct fellowship with his word.

YAHSHUA (The Messiah, the Christ) made a statement saying “O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?” (Matt 16:3). The Greek word for discern is diakrino which means to mentally separate, or distinguish. So we must be able to observe and distinguish various seasons in our lives.

YAHSHUA saw a fig tree afar off having leaves. When he came near the tree hoping to find fruit, the only thing that he found were leaves. YAHSHUA proclaimed “No man eat fruit from the tree hereafter and forever!”  Not even 24 hours later the tree was dried up from the roots and withered away, much to the astonishment of the disciples of YAHSHUA.

Our existence is often predicated on our ability to operate effectively according to the  set appointed time in our lives.  There are times where we must learn, take information gather knowledge from the experiences that GOD has created for us to gain insight into our calling. Then there are times that we must be more productive, teach, show initiative, take the lead and display our gifts.

So many young men and women fail because they wish to gain so much being young without growing and developing. Young men and woman that are exposed to intimacy before emotional maturity often causes them to have children before they have experienced the necessary lessons of life that teach responsible parenting. Men suffer midlife crisis because they do not embrace the wisdom that life’s experiences teaches. Then eventually they live in regret because they have wasted their youth in folly.

So we understand why the Prophet asked GOD for wisdom to number our days. Meaning not to just count them but the Hebrew word is manah to allot, assign, to prepare, appoint and constitute over.

Seasons are not a term that should be used designed for blessings only,  but  should stand as a reminder that our lives and experiences are temporary. When times are good we must enjoy but prepare and consider. When times are bad, we must endure and anticipate the victory that is on the horizon and rejoice in the character that is being formed in us.

Our life is a season. It has a set time. We have a start date and an end date and within this time we must gather the character and knowledge that will allow us to inherit our eternal position and purpose.

Time is the tool that GOD has used to measure our lives. We do not have one second to waste by being idle or failing to occupy. Every day has purpose. Every day there are experiences that will contribute to the hope of our calling; every day provides us the experiences that we need to become what GOD has created us to be. There is a set time appointed for every work under the Sun, our job is to seek and trust the Creator of all things for wisdom for proper success and development.

*Scripture References*
Psalms 90:12
Ecc 3:12
Mark 11:14
2nd Peter 2:10
Ephesians 1:18
Daniel 2:20-21
Hebrews 9:15

The Keep It Real List 1-24-2014

The Keep It Real List 1-24-2014

America Deserves A Raise!

Since President Obama’s State of The Union last year, debate has increased regarding minimum wage.  Since the last minimum wage increase, gas prices and food cost have increased anywhere from  15 to in some cases 50 percent over the past three years. Yet there has been no adjustment to the workers minimum wage.

Many of our elected officials claim that most people that work minimum wage jobs do not support their families but are young, single adults that live at home or with relatives. Also, that the increase of minimum wage would have a drastic impact on major corporations like Wal-Mart, JC Penny, Target, Sears, Burger King, Subway, Starbucks, Domino’s and McDonald’s.  In addition to the crunch felt by Major corporations, small business owners would have to lay off workers survive.

Congress also points to the fact that their wages have been frozen since 2009 the last minimum wage increase. While this is true, stipulations and rule changes according to the *Congressional Research Service allow for increases for elected officials to gain more outside of congress and increase spending for task.

Because of this, Congress last year refused to pass a law that would raise minimum wage. Many men and woman have taken to the streets to protest low wages. Apparently, the major corporations that make billions during National Shopping events like “Black Friday” don’t feel that America deserves a raise.

 Should you be in business if you cannot ensure that those who work for you cannot live a life where they can provide for their families? Should you own a business if you cannot afford to pay those who work for you?

After all that this country has been through, doesn’t America deserve a raise? Because you flip burgers or clean bathrooms, should your hard work not be rewarded? If investors provide financial capital to corporations as a resource, shouldn’t manual labor be considered an effective resource that deserves an increase?

Laborers carry out the vision of visionaries and should be treated with the utmost respect and dignity.  No one is saying that you should not pursue your dreams, or recreate a socialist system and eliminate free enterprise.  We should however, allow any man and woman that seize the opportunity to get on their grind the means to live comfortably.

America deserves a raise. We have been through enough in the past five years. It’s time to be put money in the pockets of our workers. Write your local elected officials and let them know that America deserves a raise!

*This Article borrows data from -http://www.senate.gov/CRSReports/crs-publish.cfm?pid=%270E%2C*PL[%3D%23P%20%20%0A

The “Keep It Real” List of 1-10-2014

The “Keep It Real” List of 1-10-2014

This page is dedicated to the “Who’s who” of nonsense.  Those noted for demonstrating actions that show that they are void of a valid concept of reality causing them to do or say things that lack reasonable comprehension, so we tell them to ….”KEEP IT REAL!”

A Living Soul – Our Prayer for Jahi

 

Our prayers go out to the Jahi McMath and the McMath family. I pray that all be well, and that this young lady is a testimony to all that do not believe in miracles. If she passes I applaud the family for not giving up, for believing GOD based on his word and not on circumstances. Life positions us for miracles, we have to engage GOD’s word and execute our faith by our choices. It’s very easy to accept a Dr.’s word but sometimes hope will not allow us to give in, hope will give us the strength to fight on.

 

Let us pray Jahi, for the family, for all those that are on life support that they may have the strength to fight on regardless of the circumstances. For we walk by faith and not by sight!

 

 

 

A Living Soul – Our Prayer for Jahi.

A Living Soul – Our Prayer for Jahi

 

The first thing that the WORD OF GOD declares about man is that

1. He was made from the dust of the Earth.

2. GOD ALMIGHTY breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, THEN man became a living soul.

 

It is written that there is a “spirit in man,” and the ALMIGHTY giveth them inspiration (Job 32:9). The Breath of GOD ALMIGHTY gave man life, not his faculties, ability to reason, or consciousness but it was the breath of the ALMIGHTY GOD. AIR is the breath of GOD.  The scriptures states that if GOD would altogether hold his breath that everything living would perish (Job 34:15).

The main living component of mankind is the air we breathe. It is the main functioning component of our natural existence. The word soul comes from the hebrew word nephesh which means a living breathing creature.  As long as there is breath in our bodies, we are alive and we have the potential to revive and continue to live.  

The word spirit in Hebrew comes from the word ruach which means wind, which by definition is the perceptible natural movement of the air. The spirit in every man is inspired by that Spirit of GOD.  The Apostle James states that the body without the spirit is dead (James 2:26).  However, it is written that “who knows the things of a man except the things of a man?” 1st Cor. 2:11

The human being is awesome, and it is wonderfully made.  Our life is supplied by the LIFE OF GOD, furnished through his breath. Life is based on breathing, without breathing no functionality of the body can operate. You cannot think, move, live, love, eat, sing, and hug. GOD designed that the core function of life is his breath interacting with our breath. If we can do that we have life. When we have life, we have hope. It is written that a living dead is better than a dead lion. GOD made us subject to hope.

Recently, a young teen girl by the name of Jahi McMath was checked into Children’s Hospital Oakland for a routine tonsil surgery and went under cardiac arrest.  Without any explanation of what happened, the Doctor’s informed Jahi’s mother that they would remove her from life support and declared the young teen brain dead.

The mother and family said that the teen was responsive in movement and refused to allow their daughter to be taken off of life support.  Eventually the Mcmath family obtained a court order to stay the removal and was able to move the young lady to a long term care facility.

If you have breath in your body, you have the potential for miraculous things to take place because you have life. If you have life you have hope, regardless of what Doctors, Scientist, Judges or lawyers say. Hope is not worth forfeiting at the word of a doctor.

Our prayers go out to the Jahi McMath and the McMath family. I pray that all be well, and that this young lady is a testimony to all that do not believe in miracles. If she passes I applaud the family for not giving up, for believing GOD based on his word and not on circumstances. Life positions us for miracles, we have to engage GOD’s word and execute our faith by our choices. It’s very easy to accept a Dr.’s word but sometimes hope will not allow us to give in, hope will give us the strength to fight on. 

Let us pray Jahi, for the family, for all those that are on life support that they may have the strength to fight on regardless of the circumstances. For we walk by faith and not by sight!

 

*This scripture reference*

Genesis Chapter 1

James 2

Job chapters 30-35

1st Cor.2

Romans 8:19-30

Ecclesiastes 9:4

2nd Cor.5:7

Psalms 150