God's Blessings "Get Up"

Mark 16:4-6

New International Version (NIV)

⁴ But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. ⁵ As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

⁶ “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.

    Get up!  Every time you feel defeated.  Get Up!  Every time it seems like things are not going your way.  Get up!  Every time the enemy reminds you of who you use to be.  Get up! Every time someone talks negatively about you.  Get up! Every time satan tells you a lie contrary to Gods Word. Get Up! Every time you feel hopeless and alone.  Get Up!  Every time you are faced with financial hardships and challenges.  Get Up! Every time you fall or miss the mark.  Get Up! Every time someone refuses to forgive you or let go.  Get Up!  Every time someone mistreats you.  Get Up because He (Jesus Christ) got up for you!

Happy Resurrection Weekend!  I am so glad we serve a Lord and Savior that still is alive and showed us how to get up!

Brother Clarence

God's Blessings "Gifts or Passions"

Proverbs  18:16

A man’s gift makes room for him,

And brings him before great men

     Steve Harvey was hosting TBN (a Christian television network show) one evening.  One  of the things he talked about was  all of the people who come up to him asking for acting jobs or a break in show business.  He shared that many waitresses  would come up to him expressing their desire to act in a movie or sing.  His response was, “ well what are you acting in or where are you  singing?”  He stated that your gift or talent is something you would do whether you were being paid for it or not.   Your gift is what will promote and cause you to prosper.  Some people were passionate about acting or singing but their gift or talent was not.

     God has blessed all of us with certain abilities and certain gifts.  The problem is we try to mirror our selves after other people instead of developing, investing, and focusing on our own individual gift and talent. What is the difference between passion and gifts?

Passion is defined as any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate. 2. strong amorous
feeling or desire; love; ardor.

Gifts are defined as a special ability
or capacity; natural endowment;

    Today, ask yourself, “ Am I using my God given talents or am I seeking my passions?’  The answer may indicate to you if you are in the will of God.  I am passionate about Alabama football but I am not getting on the field.  I am passionate about Janet Jackson but is Janet  passionate about Clarence. Not at all!  My gift is writing , encouraging, helping, and loving God’s people. 

     According to the scripture, my gift will promote me not my passions.  What are you focusing on in your life?  Gifts or passion.  The answer could be the key to your success or your exit out of the wilderness.

Brother Clarence

www.godlykings.blogspot.com

God's Blessings "Love"

John 13:34-35
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

   If you live in the greater Birmingham area, a lot of strange and bizarre things have happened.   A young child died at the airport because a sign accidently fell on his family.  In a  local park, a teenager was recently tragically killed and shot in the park.  There were other stories where children were killed as the result of domestic disputes between their parents.  Senseless crimes and all could and should have been avoided.

    There is no explanation I can give to justify any of these events.  I listened to the relatives of all the victims who are shocked, hurt and grieving the loss of their loved ones.  It is a terrible time.  Nothing good about what has happened in our city and surrounding communities.

     What is the greatest gift God has given all of us? “Love.”  Love is a gift and love is a commandment.  Our society has become too selfish and self driven to the fact we don’t value life.  Our teens seem to have their conscious seared and the hearts turned cold.  Men and women in relationships are so angry with each other that they will kill themselves and their  own children.    Where is the love?

    In challenging times, love.  When your faced with people who don’t like you, love.   When you are angry and you want to retaliate, love.  When your spouse  has made you mad beyond belief, love.   There is no greater solution.  There is no better cure.

  Love is what saved all of us.  Love healed us.  Love delivered us.  Love died on the cross.   Love loved you when you did not know what love was.  Love went to hell on your behalf.  Love forgave you of all your sins.  That’s love!  God has given each of us the gift to love. 

Romans 5:5

    ⁵ Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.

     It is not always easy but never underestimate the power of love .  It is a gift from God but also a spiritual weapon that can change the course of action.  Love heals.  Love brings joy.  Love binds a family.  Love settles disputes. Your love is a gift  from God for you to share with someone; don’t forget to use it!   Our world needs you to share!

Brother Clarence

www.godlylings.blogspot.com

God's Blessings

Proverbs 10:22

²² The blessing of the Lord makes one rich,
And He adds no sorrow with it.

  Are you stressed this morning?  Having problems sleeping?  Is your health being affected by how you work?  What you do? Where you do it?   Can’t sleep at night? Tossing and turning  at night has become a new norm for you? How do we know that God has blessed us instead of we trying to bless ourselves?

  Years ago, I needed a job.  I was unemployed and  my wife was a full time student.  I needed a job fast.  During that process, I was offered two jobs.  Job #1 would take me away from my family and it would be long hours, I would be on call and training would place me in hotels for several months but would be a substantial increase.   Job #2  was 8 to 5 Monday through Friday right where I lived except it was almost 13,000 dollars less than what I could be making.  Well, which one to you seemed to be the blessings from God?

  I prayed and I did get an answer.  God directed me to take Job # 2.  Now that does not seem to make much sense because we all work to make money.  Here is what you did not know and the reasons God directed me to Job #2.  

At this time I was having marital problems.  I had just exposed my addiction to pornography.  If I had taken that job I do not know if we would be married today.  That was a time where I had to regain trust with my spouse and that takes time.  Secondly, the place that I would be working had been robbed, in a bad neighborhood, and internal theft was a big problem.  You never know what satan will try to do when you are out of the will of God.  Sometimes we open the door to satan when we try to bless ourselves.

  Here’s the blessing:  At job #2 it was not an easy job.  It was in sales.  I had the potential to make more money but you had to make sales.  The environment could be stressful.  They fired people every other day without warning.  People would leave there crying and upset all the time but God was with me.  It was a stressful environment but I wasn’t stressed.

  My family is a blessing from God.  My wife and children are a blessing from God.  I do not  know if I would have them today if I had taken that job.  Everyday satan is presenting us with opportunities.  We must take the time to discover if it is a blessing from God or a quick imitation of a blessing from satan.

  No matter what or where you are in life, if God is with you and you are in his will, you can be blessed with no sorrow added if you trust Him.   I had to trust God.  I had to learn to walk in faith.  I had to learn to survive.  God was with me.  I know in my heart, life could have been much different for me if I had taken Job#1.

The blessing of the Lord  maketh rich and added no sorrow.

Brother Clarence