“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.’” – John 5:8 Continuing our discussion from yesterday regarding the paralyzed man at a healing pool who was healed by Jesus, this was not the last time that Jesus encountered this man. In John 5:14, it reads, “Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you....  Read More

“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.’” – John 5:8 In John 5, a paralyzed man sat at a healing pool for 38 years. Jesus was in Jerusalem for the feast of the Jews, and he decided to visit this pool, where the diseased and disabled frequented. Jesus, on the Sabbath, chose a man amongst the multitude. He asked him, “Do you want to get well?” Why did he ask this question? Because no change was going to be made until the man first acknowledged that he needed it; and that same question applies to us. Each time we choose to give into temptation, we are saying “No, I do not want to get well.” After Jesus asked the man if he wanted to get well, he acknowledged that he didn’t have the help he desired. Jesus cured him and he was able to walk. The cure was not just for himself. The cure was also so that the man could tell others how he was healed. God wants you to start fresh, and every day is a new opportunity to do so. To start fresh, you must first acknowledge that you cannot do it on your own. Once you acknowledge this, and become receptive to God, He can move in your life. And when you receive that healing, you will have a testimony to share with others. Like the paralyzed man, you will be able to share with others that you didn’t make it on your strength alone, but that you serve and Almighty God who brought you out of the dark into the light. This process may not happen overnight. Often, God builds patience in us through the waiting period. No matter how long the wait, commit to submitting to the Lord’s will; and when the wait is over, you will be glad you answered, “Yes I want to made well.”   Read More

“It is for freedom that Christ as set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” – Galatians 5:1 The apostle Paul knew a lot about what it was like to be in prison. During his second missionary journey, he was arrested and imprisoned in Philippi. He was set free by an earthquake that freed him and Silas. After his third missionary journey, he was ...  Read More

“For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” – Romans 13:10 When you sin, you are not the only one who suffers the consequences. Those around you suffer as well. I once heard a preacher ask his audience the question, “Whose life hangs in the balance of the decisions you are making?” This might sound drastic and bold…and well, that’s exactly what it is. Every action has a reaction; in other words, the decisions you make have consequences, which can directly affect your parents, kids, significant other, friends, team players, classmates, employees, and others in your sphere of influence. If you sow good seeds, you reap good seeds, and the same goes if you sow bad seeds. The Bible lays out a general template for operating in the flesh (sinning) vs. operating in the Spirit (living righteously). “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like…. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5: 19-22). The consequences may not be immediate, but they are eventual. Maybe you are wrapped in sin, and you cannot find your way out. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. That’s where Jesus comes in. He is our help in times of trouble. He will never leave nor forsake us, even when others do. Decide today that you will master the sin and the sin will not master you!   Read More

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. – John 15:12 It is easy to love someone who is loving, but what about those who you consider to be hard to love? It’s often difficult to love others because our love is conditional, based on how we feel. However, God measures love by our obedience and not our transitory emotions.1 John 5:2-3 states, “This is how we know that w...  Read More

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” – Romans 12:2 Rick Warren once said, ““Time is your most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it. You can make more money, but you can’t make more time. When you give someone your time, you a...  Read More

“Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” – John 12:26 What is a disciple? A disciple is a follower of Christ who studies the Word of God and seeks to live righteously. John 12:26 is articulating that in order to be a leader to others, you must first be a follower to Christ; because you cannot lead others to Him if you ...  Read More

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:15 For the most part, the Israelites had clung to God (Joshua 23:8). However, there were many instances...  Read More

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” – Genesis 1:27 Today, we will continue our discussion of building a personal brand. Do people see Jesus when they see you? An old hymn by B. B. McKinney states: “Let others see Jesus in you. Let others see Jesus in you; Keep telling the story, Be faithful and true. Let others see Jesus in yo...  Read More

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” – Genesis 1:27 In the age of social media, many people have profiles and are building a brand for themselves. Whether you monetize it or not, you are creating a public image and reputation for yourself. A personal brand can be defined simply as building one’s public perception based on the a...  Read More

“The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I a...  Read More

“So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company.” – Genesis 13:11 I’ll never forget a trip I took to New York one time. I was in Times Square looking for a billboard that a friend of mine purchased. When I got there, I could not see the billboard. So I called my friend and said, “Hey I’m on 42nd street and Broadway and I don’t see you...  Read More

“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs t...  Read More

“So Abram said to Lot, ‘Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.’” – Genesis 13:8-9 In professional sports, there is a point a little past the midway mark of the season in which a trade...  Read More

“So Abram said to Lot, ‘Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.’” – Genesis 13:8-9 Finish this saying for me, “Where there’s a will, there’s a ______.” I know you were probable going t...  Read More

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1If you are going through a difficult period in life, struggling with trials and tribulations, wondering when the difficulty will end, I am here to remind you that God is up to something, and He is working on your behalf. You might not see all that He is doing, you may not feel like He is moving, ...  Read More

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” - Ecclesiastes 3:1 If you are going through a difficult period in life, struggling with trials and tribulations, wondering when its difficulty will end, then today you need to hear that God is getting ready to change your life. God is up to something in your life, and He is working on your behalf. You might not se...  Read More

“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.” – Colossians 4:5In 2003, Time Magazine published a series of stories entitled “80 Days That Changed the World.” This series featured photos and editorials from renowned journalists who either lived through or researched what Time regarded as the most important 80 days of the 20th century. The highlighted events were world-changing...  Read More