When my four-year-old asked me about defeating the devil, I was at a loss for words – almost.

Luke 12: 11-12  (New International Version)

“‘When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.’”

One of my favorite times of the morning is the drive to school with my daughters. After we pray together, we listen to upbeat gospel music and sing our hearts out to God. My favorite artist to play for my children (and myself) is Fred Hammond, because his lyrics are almost always directly lifted right out of scripture. No matter what kind of start the morning has had, singing praise and worship together makes it even better. By the time the girls get to school, whatever problems they have had with each other or with Mommy have been washed away in a torrent of praise.

One morning as we were singing “Let The Praise Begin,” my youngest, who is four years old, stopped us all cold with a question. Over the din of music and voices raised in enthusiastic song, Kit shouted, “How do you utterly destroy the enemy’s chains when the praises ring?” If you are familiar with the song, you may understand the built in reference. For those of you who may be less familiar, in this particular song Fred Hammond proclaims the power of praise. The line to which my daughter was referring, the line of the song we had just sung, reads, “For the chains that come from the enemy are utterly destroyed when the praises ring. Hallelujah! Thank You Jesus. He’s exalted forever. Let the praise begin.”

In an instant I found myself with minutes to go before pulling into the school parking lot, charged with explaining to a four-year-old the potentially complex concept of spiritual warfare. All of my biblical teaching on the identity of the devil, the effectiveness of praise, the battlefield of the mind, went right out the window. I drew a total blank.

I do not believe in postponing answers to honest questions, especially those posed by children. When people ask questions of a spiritual nature, I have come to recognize that the Holy Spirit is at work. I never want to miss an opportunity to share God’s truth. Spiritual warfare, however, can be a frightening concept – especially if improperly explained. As I struggled to come up with something truthful, but not so scary as to frighten my daughter, it came to me. Rather, the Holy Spirit gave the words to me.

Kit is a huge fan of “Dora The Explorer” and is familiar with all of the show’s characters. For those of you who don’t watch the show as regularly as I do, Dora is the protagonist of every episode. Her sidekick and best friend is a talking monkey, named Boots. Every episode begins with Dora and Boots undertaking a quest, which requires the aid of a map and items Dora may have in her backpack, or that she and Boots must find on the way. Swiper, the fox, is the antagonist, who perpetually tails Dora and Boots, attempting to retard their progress by stealing the very items they need in order to complete their quest successfully.

Fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, I said to my daughter, “You know how Swiper is always trying to steal stuff from Dora and Boots?” She nodded that she did. “Well,” I continued, “the devil is just like Swiper. He’s always trying to steal from us the good stuff God wants us to have. When Dora and Boots want to stop Swiper they stand up and shout at him ‘Swiper! No swiping! Swiper! No swiping! Swiper! No swiping!’ right?” Again she nodded, this time even more enthusiastically.

I went on to explain to her that when we sing praises to God, it’s like telling the devil “Swiper! No swiping!,” and that the devil responds the same way Swiper does, by saying “Aw! Man!” and running away.

She responded with a big “Ooooh!” and a smile, then promptly asked me to turn the music back on so she could resume singing. It seemed to me that she had understood. Whew! Theological crisis averted. I love God. I know that my children’s spiritual instruction is even more important to him than it is to me. That morning’s question caught me off guard, but not him. His promise in the scripture above not only applies to our standing before a body of ruling authorities, having to give an account of our faith, but it applies to any situation where people desire an explanation of what we believe.

That morning, the Holy Spirit gave me the exact right words I needed to reach Kit Mitchell with his message on the significance of praise. His explanation was simple, truthful, and age-appropriate. I’m sure that this won’t be the last time my daughter asks about deep, spiritual matters. I am confident that God will continue to give me the right words in whichever situation I find myself with her or with anyone else. I am grateful to know that I don’t need to know all the answers. I just need to know him.

I also know that he will do the same for you as you have need!

Be blessed Family!

Written by Sheeri Mitchell for Elev8.com. Follow Sheeri On Twitter! or Visit her on Black Planet.

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Let Your Mess Be Your Message

You’ve decided 2010 will be the year you spend more time in God’s word, but so far you’re off to a shaky start. Before you re-convert your Bible into your home’s largest paperweight, consider the following.There comes a time in most believers’ lives when we want to commit to studying the Bible more consistently. Whether you are brand new to reading the Bible, or simply want to make your time in the word more meaningful, there are a few small changes you can make to realize your goal of meaningful, ongoing bible-study.

1. God expects progress not perfection from you, so behave accordingly. Sometimes people start out reading a chapter or a book of the bible in one sitting everyday. While this can be great, consider starting smaller. Your goal? Until you develop a pace that works well for you, read just a little bit more today than you did yesterday. If you didn’t open your Bible at all yesterday, today open it and read one verse. That’s right, only one. Tomorrow if you like, read two or possibly three.

God’s word is rich and very dense. Pastors often construct entire sermons around one passage. So you aren’t missing out by committing to read one or two verses.  Starting smaller can be a manageable way to integrate bible-study into your daily routine.

2. Invite the Holy Spirit into your study. Although the bible was penned by several different people, it has only one author. Since all scripture is God-breathed, who better than the Holy Spirit to guide you into God’s truth. You needn’t pray elaborately. A simple “Holy Spirit help me to understand and apply what I’m about to study,” does just fine.

3. King James may not be the best translation for you. Unless you are very familiar with it, the English of the King James Bible can be very challenging to understand. For a more contemporary translation try the New International Version, The Amplified Version, The New International Reader’s Translation, or The New King James Versions of the Bible. There are many other versions of the bible to choose from, but if you only want to invest in one Bible, I would recommend using one of those mentioned above because they are line for line translations instead of paraphrased bibles. That means that the translators went line by line through the Hebrew or Greek to complete their version instead of summing up the passages.

If you decide to choose a paraphrased bible, consider purchasing a parallel edition, such as “The People’s Parallel Edition” which lists two or more translations side-by-side with paraphrased editions. This way you don’t have to carry around several copies of the bible.

4. Consider using a devotional. If you type in the word “devotional” on any search engine, sites pop up like daisies. As much as people have abused the internet to spread hate and smut, many use it as a tool of inspiration and education. Of course as with anything, please be careful, research the source of your devotional as much as possible. There are many false teachers out there. For the last eight or nine years, I have found the devotionals on Doctor Charles Stanley’s site, www.intouch.org, to be not only biblically sound, but inspiring and challenging as well. If you have a favorite Christian author, see if that person writes a devotional as well.

5. Purchase an inexpensive workbook. As far as a daily study curriculum, I find any of the workbooks the folks at LifeWay make to be very suitable. “Experiencing God” by Blackaby and King is my personal favorite. I call it “stupid-proof” because you just can’t mess it up. The 13-week study is divided into smaller daily sections that take maybe twenty minutes to read through and answer. The scriptures that you need to study are already in the workbook, so if you study away from home, you only need to bring one book!

6. You don’t have to study the bible in the morning. There are folks who will tell you that morning bible study is the next best thing to sliced bread. And for them, I’m sure it’s true. For me personally, morning bible-study has only been a reality for a season or two. I primarily study the bible in the evening or at night. With four children ages 11 down to four, mornings do not work in my house. Between eating breakfast, combing hair, and carpooling to three different schools, in order to get twenty minutes alone in the word, I would have to wake-up at 4:00 AM.

Let me just say, if that works well for you, God bless your efforts. I mean that sincerely. But if waking at 4:00 AM is unrealistic for you, don’t worry. Find whatever time during the day you can steal away for about twenty to thirty minutes. At one season in my life, I could only study on my lunch hour for fifteen minutes, while I gulped down my food. These days I prefer to study after the little people are in bed and before (or sometimes instead of) watching TV.

Still, studying the Bible right before going to sleep has worked well for me, too. Freshly showered, in my jammies with a full belly, and a quiet house puts me in my best state of mind.  I am most alert and mentally rested. Moreover, I love having God’s word as the last object of my focus upon which to meditate as I slumber, as opposed the latest episode of “Law And Order.”

7. You don’t have to start at the beginning either. While it is a great strategy to start at Genesis and read through to revelation, the Bible is a great book to start in the middle! Any one of the Gospels presents an eyewitness account to the life and deeds of Jesus Christ. Since they are written as narratives, they are fairly easy to follow. If this is your first time reading the Bible or if you haven’t read it in a long time, start with the Gospel of John.

8. Consistency is king! So what if you blow it! Life interrupts your plans. Crises happen. The unexpected pops up. Don’t get discouraged. Refuse to beat yourself up. Keep experimenting with times, places, materials until you find the right combination that proves effective.

9. Solicit prayer support. You don’t have to make an announcement from the pulpit. But do ask a few people who care to pray for you. Reading the bible is no casual gesture. The minute you determine to go deeper in Christ you pop up on the enemy’s radar. Children who once slept through the night, suddenly, inexplicably start having nightmares. The phone rings with yet another emergency just as you sit down to open your workbook. The break-room at work, which is perpetually empty, suddenly becomes the new headquarters of the very vocal Man-haters club. Don’t sleep. This is war. Your enemy has been very successful at creating diversions. So cover yourself. If your church has a prayer team or a Mother’s board, call them and put your name on the list. If you don’t have anyone who can pray for you, call Faithful Central Bible Church at 310.330.8000 and ask for the prayer line. Those folks will pray for you!

You have made a very important decision. Reading God’s word will only bless you and cause you to grow in your faith and in love for Christ. My prayer is that God will honor your heart’s desire to know him and that he will multiply your efforts.

Be blessed, Family!

Written by Sheeri Mitchell for Elev8.com

Follow Sheeri on Twitter! or visit her on Black Planet.

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For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJ)

2009 was a year of  financial devastation and turmoil, as it quickly comes to a close a time of reflection is definitely in order. This is the perfect time to take a self assessment of your vision, goals and aspirations.  Although 2009 was a difficult year,  it was still a very good year. It was a good year in a sense that it showed many people what they were really made of. Many discovered a new method of meeting their needs and quite a few rediscovered an old method of entertainment better known as family time.  Families grew closer and the real meaning of life was often rediscovered.

Adversity and struggle has a way of  pushing our creative button forcing  innovative thinking and a sense of survival. Let’s not lose what we learned in 2009, lets take it into 2010 and beyond.  Be sure to spend this time in prayer and reflection on your past, your present and your future endeavors. Allow the Lord to lead you like only He can into a place of peace, tranquility and joy.

Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy and prosperous new year. May the favor of the Lord be with you and may 2010 be the best year of your life.

God Bless,

Judi

Written by: Judi Mason for www.elev8.com

Contact Judi: judi@divaink.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/judimason

Judi’s Tidbits

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But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins[a] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

It seems that life seldom gets more hectic than around the holidays. Between parties, gift exchanges, shopping, bargain hunting, visiting relatives, and special events, it seems there is little time to catch one’s breath, let alone rest or reflect. I have gone through seasons in my life during which it seemed the activities would never end – seasons during which I have longed for rest, silence, and time to be alone with God. Sometimes those seasons have been exciting and invigorating, where my daily “to do” list, though extremely long, was a welcome challenge. Other times those seasons have produced fear, anxiety, and physical distress. The longer I walk with the Lord, however, the more I see how my life should be ordered.

Every life experiences both seasons of high activity and seasons of low activity. Simply because the individual is busy doesn’t mean the life they lead is a full one.

Ephesians 2:10 is one of my favorite verses in the New Testament. It reminds me that the God who has orchestrated history also orders my steps. I am so important to him and so integral to his plan, that he has hand-picked the work I am to accomplish during my time here on earth. Knowing God as I do, I know that the works he has chosen for me will not always be fun or comfortable. But I do know that he does nothing apart from his character. So whatever He has chosen for me will be good and quite beyond my ability to do without depending upon him.

It is my life’s joy to discover one by one, moment by moment, those works that God has ordained for me. My roles as wife, mother, writer, small group leader, editor, friend, and neighbor mandate my doing anything from preparing a meal,to  researching a story, to sitting in on a product consultation, to mopping a floor, to teaching the basic principles of blogging, to picking up trash, or bandaging a skinned knee. In the past,  I have mistaken a day full of mundane, routine tasks to be a wasted one. I have condemned days during which I accomplished none of the tasks I had planned.

But over and over the Holy Spirit has reminded me that His ways are not my ways and His thoughts are not my thoughts. Days where I have congratulated myself for all the things I was able to cross off my list, in reality could have likely been days that I missed every single assignment God had for me. Days where I was so consumed with making the appointment that I hurried past the homeless man, begging for change, or ignored the woman weeping in the bank.

In church one Sunday, a guest pastor told of an experiment conducted at a seminary in the recent past. He explained that a group of seminary students were instructed to go to one side of the campus to be interviewed and to prepare to give a sermon on Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan, after which they would travel across campus to another building to deliver their sermon. What the students did not know was that between the first destination and the second, lay an actor who had been hired to portray a mugging victim. Needless to say, the point of the experiment would be to see how many students would stop to help.

As they finished their interviews some students were told that they’d finished early and had a little more time to get to their second destination. Other students were told that the interview had run over and they had better hurry if they were going to be on time.  Every single student en route to give their sermon on the parable of the Good Samaritan encountered the actor. However out of the group that was “running late” a whopping 63% of them literally stepped over the “mugging victim.” Yet nearly all of the students in their interviews when asked why they had come to seminary had answered, “To help people.”

Think about that. Each student had come from an interview and preparation session on the Good Samaritan. Each was on his/her way to give a sermon on the very topic. Yet more than half who were in a rush, refused to stop to help what they perceived to be an injured man.

This lesson is not only good for the Christmas season but for every season in our lives. Brothers and sisters, let’s not get so caught up with the busy-ness of our lives, that we neglect the fullness we find in Christ. Remember, whatever we do for the “least of these” we do to Jesus himself.  We cannot help those in need around us if we’re too busy with our own agendas to even see them. Enjoy our holiday but remember whom you serve and why he came.

Be blessed, Family!

Written by Sheeri Mitchell for Elev8.com

Follow Sheeri on Twitter! or visit her on Black Planet.

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Part Four: Where Your Treasure is, your heart is also. (Luke 12:34)

One of my favorite scriptures is Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV) which states “Keep  your heart with all diligence for out of it springs the issues of life.” Essentially this scripture is telling us to guard or protect our heart because out of it flows our deeps concern and issues. The heart is also the place that drives our vision, desires, hopes and dreams. If you don’t have “heart” or passion then you will probably stay right where your are. The heart is also the place that causes us to make irrational decisions or to move out of step with our plans and goals because we get impatient with waiting.

I am guilty of making few mistake from time to time just like you are because I decided to rush pass God and handle things on my own. I have learned over the years that it is important to pause or take time out for reflection. The bible teaches us to examine ourselves (1 Corinthians 13:5; Galatians 6:3-4) and reflect to see if we are in alignment with God’s mind and will. I think it is important for all of us to push the pause button and take a moment to see where we are, check our hearts and reflect on the events of the years. Many of us are not in the same place that when we began this year. We might of had to shake a few friends, downsize our debt and eliminated a few luxuries.

In any case these changes good or bad are a good reason to pause in our pursuit of success.

Before you begin do the following to prepare your mind and heart:

Find a comfortable place to sit where you won’t be disturbed.
Close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths then breathe normally.
Completely put your focus on your breath, for a few minutes.
Let’s reflect on the following:

God:

Do you have a relationship? Is it strong or weak?  Do you need to draw closer? Are you reading HIs word?
Others: How we doing with relating to others? Are we building better relationships? Do we need to make some changes?

You:

How have we grown this year? Do we need to take a class, get a mentor or advisor? What have we learned?
Finances: How is your financial status?  How is your credit? Do you need to get a financial tuneup? Do you need to open up an investment account?
What changes can you make or resolve? What do you need to get rid of or add to your life?

Call to Action:

Think about what you are grateful for: I am grateful for________.
Think about what you want to wish for:  If I could wish for one thing in next year it would be ____________.

Luke: 12:34 (NIV) : Where your treasure is, your heart will be there also.

The tenants of stewardship living challenge you to be responsible with the time, talent and treasure that God has entrusted in your care.  This holiday season I am going to spend time connecting with you regarding your treasure.

When we think of treasure we most often think of a concentration of riches that was lost or forgotten until rediscovered, like buried jewels and big gold coins. For the sake of this blog let define treasure as something of immense value that you have in your current possession or sphere of influence, like your material wealth (finances, car, clothes, jewelry etc) and your relationship like your friends, family and neighbors.  For the next couple of weeks we will be examining your treasure through the lens of the holiday season.

It is my desire that you are inspired to be good steward over these three areas of your life: Time, Talent, Treasure. Time, you must learn to manage your time; talent you have skills and gifts and lastly treasure, your finances need to managed appropriately. All of these areas work together, when they are managed properly you will be able to become A BETTER YOU!

Pastor George

Written By Pastor George B. Thompson for Elev8.com

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20.  Why do some saints find a corner and face the wall to get their shout on for about ten minutes?

19.  What are the requirements to become a “church nurse”?  Is there “church nurse” school? Other than holding white sheets and forming a circle around people who are filled with the Holy Spirit, what are the duties of the “church nurse?”

18.  Does anyone else secretly want to see that over zealous choir director who bounces around, well…fall just one good time so he or she will cut it out and just direct the choir without all the acrobatics?

17.  What is an auxiliary board?

16.  Does anyone else other than me feel some sort of way when people “save” seats in church for their friends who are already like an hour late?  It is not cool to sit your purse, bible and concordance on the next three seats when there are a bunch of people looking for a place to park their bottoms!

15.  Where are all the people who bum rush out of church before the benediction really going?  Are they trying to make sure they get a seat at Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles?

14.  Does anyone else have a church with the one token white person in the choir who over exaggerates to stay on rhythm?

13.  Why doesn’t the vending machine in the hallway ever work?  I’m hungry after church…shucks.

12.  Why does everyone turn and look (with some irritation) at the woman who is trying to quiet the baby up?  It really isn’t nice to mean mug a woman with a baby…I’m just sayin’.

11.  Does anyone else get nervous that the person the pastor lays hands on won’t fall out and the people standing behind them won’t have anything to do because they can’t catch him, since he didn’t like you know…pass out?

10.  Have you ever passed out from having hands laid on you?  I haven’t.  Just wondering what it’s like.

9.  Is there a reason the best reader can’t read the announcements instead of sister so and so who well…can’t pronounce words properly?

8.  Has anyone ever tried to sell you Mary Kay products during video announcements?  It happened to me.

7.  Has anyone else’s church bulletin abbreviated Bible Study as B.S.?  Something’s not quite right about that.

6.  Where do the band members go after praise and worship?  Like how come I never see them sitting in the pews?  Are they on intermission or something?

5.  How come the same kid of certain members get to lead the children’s choir?

4.  Should celebrities who show up late really be escorted to a seat right up front?

3.  Are mega churches kinda played out?

2.  How do you respond to people who tell you “The Lord told me to tell you…?”

1.  Is anyone else disappointed when you invite someone to church with you only to find out the pastor is out of town and the woman who reads the church announcements is going to get her shot in the pulpit?  You know it’s gonna be a long day at church and your friend probably ain’t ever coming to visit again.

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“Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.”

Halloween is one of those practices that falls into a gray area for many believers. Some people don’t give the holiday much thought either way. Some go all out to celebrate it. Still others avoid it altogether. As members of the body, it is much more important to focus on what we have in common versus where we differ. The truth is, apart from the basic non-negotiables of our faith: the Triune Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), the virgin birth, the fully human yet fully divine God-man, Jesus Christ, (who physically came to earth, physically died on the cross (atoning for all of humanity’s sins in the process), who physically rose from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit, who bodily ascended to heaven of his own volition, who is seated at the Father’s right hand, and who will physically return to judge the living and the dead), salvation by grace alone, the resurrection of the dead in Christ, and a conscious awareness of every soul after death either in heaven or in hell, our opinions about many issues  – particularly as they relate to the culture at large are just that – opinions. Because we agree on the most important matter, the person of Jesus Christ, we can disagree on those things that the bible doesn’t speak to directly as sin.  The celebration of Halloween is one of those “things.”

Whether you see the holiday as a dangerous pagan practice, infecting young people with an affinity for the occult, or as a light-hearted, fun holiday for the young-at-heart, the most important thing is that you do not judge, condemn or hold another’s viewpoint against him.  People who celebrate Halloween get why it is fun. But often do not understand why others would object to the holiday. Below are a few reasons that I have uncovered as to why some believers do not celebrate Halloween.

Halloween is a favorite time of year for sexual predators – especially those who target children.

Like it or not, our world is a fallen one. While many people who celebrate the holiday do so with the intent to engage in good, clean fun, there are those who use it as a time to target the defenseless among us – namely the elderly and children. A family friend, who is a member of the L. A. County Sheriff’s Department shared this information with me. Think about it. We consistently discourage our children from speaking to strangers, let alone accepting candy or gifts from them. But at Halloween we do just the opposite. Predators are very aware of this and have no problem using it as an opportunity to get close to those who would normally avoid them. Some go as far to give tainted treats or to expose themselves to unsuspecting trick-or-treaters.

Halloween can be a scary experience for young children.

Many people adults and children alike dress up in scary costumes. For younger children, who have difficulty distinguishing between fantasy and reality, witnessing “live” ghosts, demons, and witches can be very frightening. For this reason, many parents of young children choose to attend harvest festivals where attendees are less likely to appear in deliberately frightening costumes.

Some believers find Halloween’s pagan roots disturbing.

Although Christmas and Easter began as pagan celebrations, which the Church appropriated and “depaganized,” some Christians struggle with participating in the Halloween because God is not expressly glorified by it. Whereas Christmas has become a celebration of the birth of Jesus, and Easter a celebration of his resurrection from the dead, Halloween is still more overtly pagan celebration, which can sting the conscience of a person who is sensitive to the significance of pagan practices. Many new believers, those who are sensitive to the significance of occult practices, and those who have come out of occult or pagan religions feel a deep conflict over participating in this holiday and often avoid it altogether.

Halloween is a significant day for those who engage in occult practices.

In their book entitled, “The Facts On Halloween: What Christians Need To Know” John Ankerberg and John Weldon write:

“Although Halloween has commonly practiced today is an innocent time for most youngsters, it is a very serious observance for many witches, neo-pagans, and other occultists…it shoudl be noted that the historic and contemporary occult associations to Halloween have produced something of a “crossover” effect to the larger society so that in some instances the observance of Halloween is not necessarily an innocent practice. Reading through various histories of Halloween one is struck at the large number of superstitions and divinatory practices involved. Some of the former (and all of the latter) can be related to the occult.”

In light of this association, many believers view Halloween as means of familiarizing innocent children with the occult.  For some believers the fact that the association is innocent is even more of a problem because the underlying “spirit” behind the holiday is certainly not.

The most important thing to remember is to be sensitive to your fellow believers and remember the words of the apostle, Paul:

“I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong.” (Romans 14: 14 NLT)

If we apply this scripture to Halloween, it might read something like this: “I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no day in and of itself is wrong to celebrate. But if someone believes it is wrong to do so, then for that person it is wrong.”

I agree with Paul. I certainly do not want to cause someone to stumble by exercising my “right” at that person’s expense – particularly where matters of the conscience are concerned. I view Halloween in the same manner that I view drinking alcohol. I am free to drink responsibly (not get drunk – mind you), but I would not choose to do so in the company of someone for whom my drinking responsibly created a crisis of conscience (i.e. a recovering alcoholic, the adult child of an alcoholic, a seasoned believer offended by drinking, or a person new to the faith). There will be plenty of time to celebrate in heaven – we aren’t missing anything by skipping a drink – or Halloween for that matter.

I hope this sheds some light. I’m interested in your thoughts. Do you celebrate Halloween? Why or Why not? If you do not, what are some alternatives you have discovered that you can share?

Be blessed and stay safe, Family.

Follow Sheeri on Twitter! Or Visit her on Black Planet.

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Seven Ways To Improve Your Life In Seven Days

9″This, then, is how you should pray:

” ‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

10your kingdom come,

your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

11Give us today our daily bread.

12Forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.’ 14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you…”

If God is omniscient – and He is – then not one datum of knowledge escapes Him. If God is omnipotent – and He is – then there is no limit to His power; He possesses the ability to do whatever He thinks best. If God is sovereign – and He is – then He requires permission from no one to carry out His plans. And if God is perfect – and He is – then everything He does is right and good. If God possesses all these attributes, unlimited power and knowledge, complete authority, and perfection, then every decision He makes is the best one. As a frail, flawed, dependent creature, the requests I make of Him in prayer are often way off the mark. In fact, His ways are so much more advanced, holier, purer, and more complete than mine, that I often only know what I want to ask of Him, but often not what I really need to ask of Him. The Holy Spirit interprets and translates my prayers and Jesus Himself lives to intercede for me, so that my prayers fall more in line with God’s will than they would if left up to me alone.

If I don’t know what to pray for, and God is going to carry out His will anyway, why should I bother to bring my requests to God? Why not just adopt the attitude of the fatalist and embrace apathy, claiming that “God will do what he wants anyway, my prayers don’t matter?” I have said those words before, to myself, to others, and to God. Usually they poured out of a doubt-filled heart, over a situation that tested my personal limits and my faith in God’s goodness.

As I helped my husband prepare for a short commuter flight recently, my thoughts turned to another man, who one day over 20 years ago, took a short commuter flight, but who never returned home. My oldest brother was a business executive who had a winning personality, an amazing work ethic, and a bright future, which was only surpassed by his even brighter smile. My sister-in-law drove him to the airport one day for a routine business flight up the coast, and unknowingly delivered him to his death.  The passenger plane he boarded crashed about forty minutes after take off, twenty minutes from its destination, killing everyone on board.  My brother, who was only 35 at the time, left behind a wife, two small children, and a host of family and friends.

I was a sophomore in college at the time. I got the news by phone first, then on the local television news later that night. I was shocked and devastated initially.  I had never lost anyone close to me – not too mention so suddenly and violently. It was almost too much to comprehend. My friends and dorm-mates extended their support. Those who believed in Christ interceded for me. I drew away often in the year that followed to talk to God, to yell at Him, to sob, to listen to Him. There were times where I was tempted to pull away from God because I figured that if God was going to carry out His perfect (and I might add – incomprehensible (to me at least) ) will anyway, surely my prayers would not make a difference to Him.

Except they did and they do. I miss the mark. I am not as advanced as God. I can’t understand all He has to share. But He cares about my heart’s desire to know Him for myself, something I can only do by spending time talking to Him.

Over and over in His word, God invites us to pray – to talk to Him, cast our cares upon Him, to seek Him out for protection, counsel, acceptance, reassurance, reinforcements. Mostly God wants us to talk to him because he wants us to know Him. If we look at prayer as a one-sided delivery of wants and needs, then we miss the point. Everything about God’s creation of Adam in the garden indicates that God created humanity for relationship with Himself and with each other. I have relationships with people who only talk to me when they need something from me. I accept those relationships and those people for what they are. But I would never call the relationship a close one, nor the person a friend. On the other hand, I have friends who call me just because they want to be close. They want to share what’s going on in their lives and long to know about what is happening in mine. It’s nothing for one of us to call and admit “I didn’t have anything new to share. I just wanted to hear your voice.” That sentence has been the start of some of the best conversations I have ever had. No requests, no agenda – just two people seeking to know and be known – exchanging intimate feelings and thoughts – communing.

That is what prayer should be first and foremost. That is what I touched upon as a teenager the year that my oldest brother died. God was more than Someone to whom I delivered my laundry list of prayers to morning after morning. In that season, He was Jehovah Shalom, the Lord God (my) Peace. I experienced the Person of the Holy Spirit as He comforted me, protected me, and grew me through my first great tragedy. As I began to heal, I turned to Him less and less for comfort and more for companionship. I read and studied God’s true word, the Bible. I began to listen more than I talked. I had not yet committed to giving every area of my life over to God – but the seeds had sprouted and taken root in a fertile heart, preparing me for a lifelong relationship with my Father, one that could be cultivated through prayer.

At the time of this writing, I have a three-year-old daughter, who loves to talk. In fact, the only time I can be sure that she will be quiet is when she is sleeping. It seems billions of thoughts pass through her mind in a day, and she wants to share them all with me. Sometimes our conversations are serious ones that flow smoothly. I understand what she wants me to know. She understands what I want to convey. Other times I have no idea what she is saying or even trying to say, as she lapses into that mystical three-year-old language comprehensible only to other three-year-olds and puppies. But you know what? I don’t care. I don’t care that I don’t understand everything she says. I am just glad that she wants to talk to Mommy. When time and circumstances permit, I devote my focused attention to her babblings, musings, or clear insights. I don’t care which. I just want to talk to her and have her talk to me. I want her to develop the habit of seeking me out to tell me things – all things – good, bad, whatever. If it is important to Kit, it is important to Mommy.  I want to hear about it from her – even if I already know it, because I love her. You listen to and take time with the people you love.

Why bother to pray? Yes, God has a plan for your life and every life, and He will carry it out. By all means, ask Him for what you need and desire, knowing that He only gives His best.  But pray because you want to know Him and enjoy Him. Pray because the God of the universe, the One who hung the stars and shaped the planets, the Inventor physics who determined the laws that govern the function of the universe, the One who thought a daisy into being, the One who hand-picked your features and wove together your DNA in your mother’s womb, the One who orchestrates history, and who died on the cross in your place, the One who is pure beneficence, and the Source of life itself, makes Himself available to you – to share intimate thoughts and details, to commune with you, just to hear your voice.

To come into God’s presence is to encounter the Sublime. It was with this purpose in mind that He created you and me in the first place. To fail to take advantage of such an opportunity regularly, daily, moment by moment, is to miss the entire point of living.

When you think of it this way, prayer isn’t a bother at all, but a privilege.

Be blessed Family!

Follow Sheeri on Twitter! or Visit her on Black Planet. Email her at Elev8.com@gmail.com.

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Everybody has their own definition of what success is. It can be defined and measured in many ways. Webster’s dictionary defines success as the achievement of something planned or attempted. Success is best achieve by creating a plan with measurable goals to get you closer to your desired results. Many people often achieve success only to discover upon arrival of their destination they are feel empty or not satisfied. I believe that as a Christian it is important that you include God in your plans to achieve success, not only will you eliminate the feeling of emptiness, but you add to the equation the ability to use your gifts and talents and in the end you will have a much more prosperous journey.  3 John 1:2 states “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”  The prosperity that John is referencing is as if you were going on a journey, and have a road map to get you to your destination. In other words success is not an accident it is intentional. The journey might have some challenges or obstacles but in the end you will get to your destination because you have a plan in place to achieve your goal.

Here are a few scriptures from the book of Proverbs:

We should make plans – counting on God to direct us. – Proverbs 16:9

Plans go wrong with few counselors; many counselors bring success. – Proverbs 15:22

It is dangerous and sinful to rush into the unknown. – Proverbs 19:2

A sensible man watches for problems ahead and prepares to meet them.  The simpleton never looks and suffers the consequences. – Proverbs 27:12

Any enterprise is built by wise planning, becomes strong through common sense, and profits wonderfully by keeping abreast of the facts.  – Proverbs 24:3-4

Research shows that approximately 95% of us have never written out our goals in life but the 5%, who have written out their goals 95% of the goals were achieved.  Yale University conducted a study and discovered that the 3% of the 1953 graduating class had specific written goals for their lives and in 1975 researchers found that the 3% who wrote down there goals had accomplish more than the other 97% combined. Wow, this statistic is startling however, I hope that it inspires you to write down your goals.

Below please find four key points that will help you achieve your goals:

Desire: You must have the longing or the desire to want to achieve the intended goal, otherwise it will be meaningless. Remember that nobody can make you want it. You have to want it bad and more importantly you have to want it more than anyone else. Do or die mentality.

Focus: You need to have laser point concentration. There are going to be so many things that will try and distract you from achieving your goals and to be quite frank they will sound appealing in some cases. May I suggest to you that you need to be radical in your focus if someone say no to you, then that is another opportunity for someone to say yes to you. Also, there are no snow days when you are trying to achieve your goals. Nothing should stop you.

Accountability: Is defined as the willingness to accept responsibility. It is much easier to hold yourself accountable if you had someone in your life to assist you.  We often let ourselves off the hook way too easy.  If you have an accountability partner you are less likely to slip up and they will be there to help motivate you to achieve your goals.  Also, I would encourage you to reward or create consequences if you do not achieve your goals within the desired time frame this should motivate you even more to get results.

Consistency: You will be surprise how much you can achieve by just being consistent. You can begin with something as simple as just showing up. It is okay if you fail or make a mistake just keep getting back up again. The more that you keep going and chipping away you will discover that you have made a lot of movement on your journey to success. Remember it takes 31 days to make a habit so we need to have 31 days of doing something same.

So now our assignment this week is to:

Step 1: Write out what your desires are;

Step 2:  Write out your plan with goals to achieve them.  That’s focus.

Step 3: Write out how often you’re going to do it.  That’s consistency.

Step 4: Contact your accountability partner and discuss your plan. Also write what the rewards and consequences are if you meet or fail to achieve your goals.  Ask your accountability to hold you accountable to meet these challenges. Make it fun that way you can create memories that you can laugh about when you look back.

Let me know how you are doing.

Pastor George

Connect with George on

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Setting Goals: Set The Bar High By Creating A Plan

You cannot hit a target without aiming for it. Yet we wake up everyday aspiring to achieve our dreams of being successful without a road map in place. We dream about our success stumbling through life hoping that we will get there by chance. Our lives are spent reacting to the ebb and flow of life wishing things will get better instead of creating a set of goals that will help us reach the target that we are aiming for.

Creating a plan with a clear set of goals is one of the most effective ways to achieve anything we are striving for. A goal is nothing more than a personal objective that can be measure. It will work for the smallest tasks to the largest dreams that we are trying to accomplish. Having goals in place will give us a clear focus and define what we are pursuing. It will help us easily eliminate those distractions or enticing detours that come along to take us off our path.

There are three things you must do to achieve any goal:

1. Be intentional
2. Put your heart into it
3. Be able to make sacrifices for it

Listed below are a set of questions that will help you begin your journey of creating a plan to achieve your goals. Let’s begin with creating a personal mission statement that will describe “what you are here for”.

Questions for mission statement:

What is God’s plan in your life?
What do you enjoy doing the most in your life?
What things are you most talented at?
What issues are you most passionate about?
What do you always want to do for others?
When you die, what would you like people to say about you?

For example my mission statement is:

“To help people achieve there God given goals in the area of stewardship time, talent and treasure.”

Once you create a mission statement, you have to make sure that all of your goals you create support or enhance your mission. If a goal appears important to you, but in some ways does not align with your mission statement then you either have to eliminate this goal or re-write your mission statement to so that the goal support it. Remember your personal mission statement is a living document and you can re-write it anytime. It should reflect who are right now and not what you aspire to be. Also, if your mission statement and goals are not in sync, you will find your self procrastinating and expending a lot of effort without really going anywhere.
Your assignment this week is to write out your personal mission statement and stay positive.

Pastor George

Connect with George on

My Web Page

You Tube

FACEBOOK

My Blog Talk

Twitter

Other Related articles

Think Positive – Introducing The”Set 4 Life Series”

It Cost More To Be Broke Than To Be Wealthy

Five Steps To Get Out Of Debt

Do You Know Where Your Money Is Going

Eight Ways to Know If You Are Fit

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