Have You Considered?

Have you considered, do you think carefully about or are you giving attention to Jesus in regards to His unique role in your salvation? 

Holy brethren - He makes us holy brothers and sisters by setting us apart unto Him. To be holy means that we have turned away from unclean things of the world and from the religions of the world and have turned to Christ

Partakers of the heavenly Calling - We have been Called by Christ to live with God in heaven. We are not to live for this earth; we are to live for heaven. Therefore, our attention is to be fixed upon heaven, even more so on Christ who is our Savior and who has made it possible for us to live in heaven

Jesus is the Apostle of our confession - Jesus is the One Sent by God with full authority and power. We confess that He is the One whom God sent from heaven to earth for our salvation

Jesus is the High Priest of our confession - Jesse is the great high priest who stands between God and man. He bares the name of God before man, and He carries the names of men before God. This means two things: (1) Christ must know man and He must know God (2) Christ must also be able to represent God before man and man before God

“Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,” (Hebrews‬ ‭3:1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

Something to consider today...

Hybrid Faith

"Hybrid" may be good for cars, but a Hybrid Faith is no faith at all

Hybrid cars can be powered by gas or electricity and because it's a hybrid, you can toggle between the two. When one source becomes depleted you can simply transfer or toggle to the other. This is indeed useful for cars and the owners of man made or manufactured things. However, please know that even hybrids can and will deplete both gas and electricity and if you are in s situation where you don't have access to refuel, you're stuck!

The issue at hand is that some of us are living with Hybrid Faith, meaning that we are relying on our abilities, our education, influence, position and financial situations to carry us through this life and only when our health becomes depleted, our monies become depleted and our relationships become low, that's when we want to toggle/transfer over to Christ.

Jesus is always accessible, never low on blessings, favors and miracles. Jesus is the only, original and authentic source of power that you'll ever need!

The writer of Hebrews puts it like this, “Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses..." (Hebrews‬ ‭3:3‬a NIV‬‬). So today, I contrast Hybrid Faith with FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS:

Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than ___________________.  You name "whatever" your mind can conjure up and I'll say again, Jesus had been found worthy of greater honor than "that"!!!!

He's Able to Help

Transparency - I've made some mistakes in my life. I haven't done a lot of things right. I've said hurtful things and I've had hurtful sayings come my way. I've lied, I've wronged folks and I've had my fair share of misunderstandings. I haven't always been grateful; had my bouts with conceit, jealousy and all kinds of shortcomings. BUT GOD...

God has known me before I was even born and He knew of my shortcomings, miss deeds and mess ups. Yet He still sent Jesus to "Put On" (this flesh) and to "Take On" (my sins) and to "Shut Down" (the power of sin in my life), so that I can stand today and say that I have been forgiven and that I AM A CHILD OF THE MOST HIGH GOD!

Today is a good day to know that the same applies to YOU!!

“Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels He helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason He had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Hebrews‬ ‭2:14-18‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

He became like us that He may be a merciful Priest. "I know what you're going through", Jesus says. "I was just like you, I never sinned - but I understand your struggle".

Isn't that something...Jesus understands our struggle. Talk to Him about what you are going through today, He really understands and has made a way out!

What Are We Missing Out On?

We can have everything that God says that we can have. But are we willing trust Him, obey Him, believe Him and seek Him for it?

The True You!

BE THE ORIGINALLY CREATED, PURPOSED AND BLESSED YOU TODAY!

Never mimic or copycat what someone else is doing, because when you do, you are no longer authentic, you've just become a cheap imitation or knockoff of something else! Please let the REAL YOU stand up and be noticed. There's GREATNESS in YOU when you let God's purpose for your life lead your life.

“When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they lack wisdom and behave like fools.” (2 CORINTHIANS‬ ‭10:12‬b AMP‬‬)

Be Careful That You Don't Miss It!

Some of us are missing the move of God because we are too busy teaching religion in an attempt to make folks religious. The problem with being religious is that we miss the relationship and personal intimacy with The Lord and replace the same with rules, rituals and doctrine that oftentimes is more about our denominations than The Christ who came to restore relationships and who was made superior to religion and even angels. (Hebrews 1:4)

Don't be so caught up with religion (rules) that you fail to see or even neglect the move of God that's taking place right in front of our faces. Please know, it is not at our discretions, our authority or our titles/positions that salvation is given. God is in the salvation business, not man.

"He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:10‭-‬13 NKJV)

Listening..

"The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens my ear to hear as the learned. The Lord God has opened my ear; and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away." (Isaiah 50:4-5 NKJV)

It's Alright to Say "No"

When we truly love someone, an answer of "No" is just as loving and acceptable an answer as "Yes". Saying "Yes" just to show your love can be detrimental to right living. Saying "No"  when needed PROVES your love for another.

Don't continue to enable wrongful activities by telling folks "Yes". Also, don't be duped by your own heart by convincing yourself that ignoring or looking away isn't endorsing wrongful acts, because it does!

In Layman's terms, "Don't love me to death" by enabling me..."Love me to life" by correcting me and telling me "No" when needed!

"God helps those who helps themselves"

Although popular, this phrase is not found in the Bible. However, it is correct in regards to salvation because none of us are capable of saving ourselves. In this sense, we are helpless.

Apart from salvation, there is perhaps a way that the concept "God helps those who help themselves" is correct. As an example, if you asked me to help you move a piece of furniture, but then just watched me as I moved the furniture for you, I was not actually helping you. I would be doing the work for you.

Some of us have a "Gimme" type of Faith. "Gimmie" some money, "Gimmie" something to eat, "Gimmie" a break, clothes, a room, etc. All the while that we are giving, all is well. They get what they want, but they have not changed their issues which got them into the situation that they're in. They are still living recklessly and expect someone who is trying to live right to provide for them. They are still addicted, they're still lying, they're still scheming on how they can get over on those they are counting (preying) on.

Many people fall into the trap of inactivity. Many people ask God for help, but then expect God to do everything Himself. When God has already provided a way of escape or has already provided provision and blessings, they miss it because of stubbornness and hard-headedness. God requires them to move in faith to receive the blessing. He'll break the chains that are binding you, but when He breaks the chains, we must move from that place, not remain in that mess with a "Gimmie" spirit. Many fail to receive blessings because they have put conditions on it..."if you do this for me, then i'll..." The problem with this is that you should have put yourself in a position to receive. Saying that you are ready to receive but still carrying drugs in your pockets, a pipe in your bag or the cell phone number to your supplier is not being ready! Don't blame God, The Church or Christians when that "Gimmie" spirit is rightfully rebuked in love. Yes, in love. God wants you to be free, you have to want to be free and to move into what He has already provided for you.

Be healed, set free and delivered. God requires you to STEP OUT on faith. Stepping out requires you to move. You will be pleasantly surprised by what you will receive and achieve when you move!

It's Called CHRISTIANITY not "Churchi-anity"

Some of us are safeguarding our Christian interactions as well as our local church memberships, and for these reasons (oh, there's more), we're stifling our call of making disciples for the sake of maintaining a presence, style of worship and to only attract others that resemble YOU! Shameful.

Jesus established THE CHURCH, how dare we decide to not co-exist; decide not to fellowship; or to hold combined worship services or bible studies, etc! Churches should complete one another and not compete with one another.

Don't let "Churcianity" take the place of CHRISTIANITY!