Encouragement

Jun
29.
GOD STILL HEALS
Category: Encouragement, Faith, Healing
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Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—
Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases…
Never doubt in God’s ability to heal! He is our healer. If you have accepted the teaching that God does not heal, then you will never receive healing because it is by faith that God’s promises are activated. Exodus 15:26 says, “…for I am the LORD, your healer.” That is the covenant God made with His people Israel and Christ grafted us in to the covenant promises.
The Bible describes the process of faith for the New Testament believer:
Hearing the Word initiates faith.
Speaking the Word activates faith.
Doing the Word demonstrates faith.
I encourage you today to believe, confess (speak the word out loud), and walk in God’s promises. When Jesus Christ became your Savior, He also became your healer. You can’t have Jesus Savior without Jesus Healer.
One last scripture is Mark 16:15-18:
He said to them, “Go into the entire world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
These are the words of Jesus for New Testament believers. This is what Jesus said we are to do! If anyone tells you different, then they are saying Jesus lied.

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Jun
07.
More Than Able Part Two
Category: Encouragement
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The Bible says God has completely equipped you for your purpose in life. God has fully empowered you to fulfill your mission. But sometimes we feel limited or unable because we don’t feel approved by others or feel others don’t appreciate us. But I want you to know today that you are not unable. God has fully equipped you for what you need to be.

Morethanablecover

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Apr
26.
“More Than Able” Part One
Category: Encouragement
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The Bible says God has completely equipped you for your purpose in life. God has fully empowered you to fulfill your mission. But sometimes we feel limited or unable because we don’t feel approved by others or feel others don’t appreciate us. But I want you to know today that you are not unable. God has fully equipped you for what you need to be.

Morethanablecover

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Apr
23.
You Are More Than Able
Category: Destiny, Encouragement
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The Bible says that God has completely equipped us for our purpose in life. In this message Paul reveals how God has Approved us, anointed us, and appointed us.

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Apr
16.
ALL FATHERS MUST READ!!!
Category: Encouragement
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All Fathers,
Statistics and studies reveal that children raised without fathers commonly lack strength of character, tend to have more sexually deviant behavior disorders, and fall more easily into crime. More recent surveys reveal that fatherless children are five times more likely to commit suicide, thirty-two times more likely to run away, twenty times more likely to have behavioral disorders, fourteen times more likely to commit rape, nine times more likely to drop out of school, ten times more likely to abuse chemical substances, nine times more likely to end up in state-operated institution, and twenty times more likely to end up in prison. In 1965 in America, three millions mothers were raising children without fathers. Today, the number is twenty-four million, or 34 percent of American children-the highest rate in the world.
Malachi 4:5-6
“Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives. 6 His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
I encourage you to be a father who is there for your children. It is your highest duty, honor, and responsibility. Spend time with your children and love them with all your heart.
-PK

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Apr
03.
Overcoming Disappointment
Category: Encouragement
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Things don’t turn out the way you plan. You don’t get the promotion. The mission trip falls through. The loan for buying the new home doesn’t go through. The vacation you really needed can’t happen because of bills. Your friend doesn’t call.

Each of us faces such disappointments at one time or another. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by them. You begin to wonder if your future will ever get any brighter.

I believe these steps can help in overcoming disappointment.

Don’t Blame God – Run to Him

It is so tempting to blame someone when things don’t go as planned.  God never promised our lives would be free of trouble. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. God offers us safety and shelter in the storms of life. God’s plan is always to prosper you, not harm you. Run to Him in times of trouble.

Trust God’s Wisdom, even when things don’t make sense

When you are disappointed it’s easy to get stuck asking why:

Why did this happen to me?

What did I do wrong?

Why do I have to suffer? I’m a good person.

The truth is, some things we will never know this side of heaven. Trusting God doesn’t mean you will always have the answers. In fact, if you had all the answers you wouldn’t need to trust God. That’s why the Bible says; don’t rely on your own insight and understanding. Whether we understand a situation or not does not change God’s character. Trust and lean on God even when you don’t have all the answers.

Don’t compare your life to others

It’s easy to keep your focus on how good other people have it. You’ll run into people who don’t seem to have a problem or care in the world. They seem happy and blessed all the time. These kinds of thoughts will have you putting a cherry of self-pity on top of your sundae of despair. We compare ourselves to others we become oppressed and depressed. Comparison isn’t healthy and God warns us against it. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and not others. If you keep your thoughts fixed on God and not other people, He will keep you in a place of perfect peace.

In your time of need, meet someone else’s need

Focusing on helping others gets your eyes off yourself and your problems. It helps you realize you are not the only one who is hurting, which can keep you from isolating yourself and wallowing in self-pity. Remember this statement, “Sow a seed during your time of need”. Helping others often engages our thoughts in such a way that we don’t have time to think about our problems. The Bible encourages that it is in giving that we receive.

Sometimes we go through things we don’t understand today, but we will understand better in the future. God gives us His Word: As for me, my way is perfect. Anyone who puts his trust in me will never be disappointed.

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Mar
21.
Crawl Out of a Pit Mentality
Category: Encouragement
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Joseph is one of my heroes. He could have drowned in the despair of that pit his brothers threw him into, but he determined not to allow it to overtake him. Even though he was in a pit, he didn’t let the pit get him. He didn’t develop a pit mentality. No, Joseph put his trust in God and that is when his dreams came to pass.

The way to avoid a life of pit living is to take control of every negative thought that would try and keep you bound and feeling sorry for yourself. When a negative thought comes, make a deliberate choice to stop and deal with that thought immediately.  First, decide that you will not dwell on that negative thought for one more minute. Instead, replace that negative thought with one of God’s powerful thoughts about you. This is the key. Begin to fill your mind with hopeful, positive, faith-filled thoughts from God’s Word.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
I will make it because God’s grace is sufficient for me today.
God has a good and positive future for me! I believe what God says about me.

When you say these words, you may not feel like you have a bright future, but you choose to live by the truth instead of your emotions. Emotions are fickle, but God’s Word remains true. As you choose to believe God’s Word about you, hopelessness and negative thoughts are defeated.

This takes intentional choice, self-control, and warfare. Negative “pit” thoughts can only be overcome by scripture. As you choose to believe God’s Word about you, thoughts of hopelessness and lies are defeated one thought at a time.

The Bible says the person who trusts in the Lord will never be disappointed. Refuse to live in a pit of self-pity and hopelessness one more day. Lift your eyes to the hills where your help comes from. The pit is not what God made you for-He did not design you to live in the dark. Every night is followed by morning, and every valley is flanked by hilltops and mountain peaks!

-PK

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Feb
06.
God in the Muck
Category: Encouragement
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Discouragement, confusion, loneliness, frustration, anger and the like are all attitudes and emotions that we have all experienced in our walk with God. When one or more of these feelings overtake us, we describe the way we feel by saying, “I am down in the muck”. I don’t know if you have ever heard that term used before, but growing up in the south introduces you to all kinds of strange sayings to describe many of life’s circumstances.
Muck is a dark, moist, filthy soil which is what most people call mud. So when someone uses the term “down in the muck”, they are describing a very undesirable place.
I have noticed in the scripture that God’s people have a way of getting themselves mired down in muck. David got neck deep in muck when he committed adultery and murder, Peter stepped into it when he denied the Lord, Mary felt stuck in muck when she got an unexpected visit from an angel of the Lord that altered her entire life plan, Paul wallowed in the muck on several occasions as he had to face many difficult hardships and trials. Yes, God’s people have found themselves from time to time buried in muck.
I know there have been times in my own life where I have felt stuck and bogged down life’s muck. I’m sure you can relate to what I am saying. Everyone experiences the muck of life and no one likes it. But muck is inevitable from time to time. Whether we bring it on ourselves or it is no fault of our own, muck seems to find us all. Are you down in the muck today? Do you feel trapped by a dark, thick trial? If so, I have some good news for you! All we have to do is visit the scriptures to see that all throughout history God’s people have gotten their foot caught or completely fallen into the muck. You may say, “Paul, that’s not encouraging!” Let me finish my thought. If you are in the muck today, you are not alone and you are not abandoned because God makes it clear in scripture.

Psalms 40:2 says, “He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.

You can know with certainty today that, just as God rescued you before; He will rescue you again. God will not leave you trapped in muck. I encourage you today to look up! Look up and see His Hand reaching out to you. Reach out and take hold of His power to save and deliver. God loves you! You are His child and He is your deliverer. Call out to the Lord and see His mighty Hand reach down and rescue you today! God will lift you out, clean you up, and place your feet on solid footing.

-PK

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Nov
22.
CHOOSE YOUR PATH WISELY
Category: Direction, Encouragement
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It’s funny really, but we all have a propensity for choosing paths that do not lead in the direction we want to go. Let me give you a few examples.

 

 

 
•  A single guy says, “I want a great sex life once I’m married”…but he “practices” with every girl he dates along the way.

•  A single girl says, “I want to meet and someday marry a great Christian guy who’s really got his act together” … but then she dates whoever asks her out, as long as he’s cute.

•  A married woman says, “I want to have a great relationship with my husband”… but she makes the children a priority over him.

•  A husband says, “I want my kids to respect me as they grow up” …and then he openly flirts with women he associates with on a daily basis.

•  A young Christian says, “I want to develop a deep and lasting intimacy with God” … so he gets up every morning early and reads Facebook.

•  A couple says, “We’d like our children to develop a personal relationship with God and choose friends who have done the same” … but then they skip church every weekend and do other things.

•  Newlyweds determine to be financially secure by the time the reach their parent’s age … then adopt a lifestyle sustained by debt and leveraged assets.

•  A high school freshman intends to graduate with a GPA that will afford him options as he selects a college … but neglects his studies.

Obviously, this list could go on and on but I think you get my point. The people my list represents have legitimate goals and oftentimes every good intention of reaching them. What is important to understand is that direction-not intentions, hopes, dreams, prayers, beliefs, intellect, or education-determines destination.

Direction—not intention—determines our destination.

Looking ahead we are often deceived into thinking that life is a series of unrelated decisions, and somehow we will end up where we want to be simply by force of will or luck. But the truth is, our good intentions, aspirations, and dreams do not have the ability to do an end run around the decisions we make on a daily basis. Simply put, you and I will win or lose in life by the paths we choose. If you stepped off the path, you can get back on. If you never were on the path or you’re not sure how to get on it, find someone who is on it and ask them how it is done. Remember, they path you are on today is leading somewhere and that somewhere is your future. You might try looking in the rear-view mirror and see where you have come from these past months or even years and then you will know for certain what direction you are headed.

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Sep
15.
Help! I’m stuck in a Toilet!!
Category: Encouragement
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Help. I’m stuck in a toilet! That was what I heard from the elementary boy in the bathroom at our Christian school. The teacher had come to get me out of my office because she was concerned that one of her students had been in the bathroom for some time and would not come out. She had called to him and he would say all was well, but he would not come back to class. Based on this knowledge I make my way into the bathroom and to my amazement, there he was with his rear-end stuck way down in the toilet seat. As a matter of fact, all I could really see at this point was a head, calves, and two little feet. This poor boy was literally up to his neck in you-know-what! He said to me, “Please Mr. Paul, get me out of here, I can’t feel my legs!” It was all I could do to keep a straight face as I pondered this poor kid’s plight. I reached over and went to free him but the more I pulled, the more realized this kid was not coming out! I began to think what my next step would be to try and free him. I went to the kitchen and got some liquid dish soap and return to the bathroom. Methodically I begin to apply the lubricant to all the right areas (ugh) and then told him on the count of three I wanted him to grasp my hands and I would give him one good yank. I began my count; One, Two, Three, Pull; and with a hard yank and a strange vacuum sound the boy was free. You have never seen a kid more excited than that little boy at that moment. He was free! I then asked him the question we all want answered, “How did this happen?” His response was simple, “I was curious as to what would happen if I stuck my bottom down in that hole?” This may be a little scary to some of you, but it made good sense to me. Honestly, it made perfect sense to me. Nevertheless, he lifted his pants, washed his hands, said I’m sorry and thanks, and then returned to his class. Life returned to its normal, happy state and I have never had to pull him from a toilet again.

After I returned to my office, I heard the Lord speak to me, “You’ve gotten yourself stuck up to your neck in poop before and I had to set you free.” I replied, “It’s true Lord.” If the truth be known, this metaphor has played out in my life more times than I would like to admit. There is an important lesson to learn here. Often in life we discover we have gotten stuck in the toilet of sin because we thought we could sit on that seat and avoid getting caught in sin. Instead, we get ourselves dug in deep and in desperate need of help. The question is, “How does God respond to us when we willingly get ourselves stuck in sin?” I think the answer is found in how we respond to our mistakes. This boy was truly sorry for what he did. After he was free he pulled up his pants, washed his hands, asked for forgiveness, and was grateful to be rescued. Notice his attitude and his actions. He responded to his sin correctly and then went back to class where he belonged. He did not turn around and put his rear end right back in the toilet. Because of his response, there was no need for me to discipline or correct the boy. He had learned his lesson and responded with the right heart attitude.

How do you respond when you get stuck in sin? Do you make excuses? Do you cast blame on someone else? Is it the toilet’s fault for being too big?  God is watching our response when we act ugly, selfish, rude, critical, or mean. He is looking for a right response when we sin and make mistakes. His desire is for us to learn from our mistakes so that He won’t have to judge us. His heart is for us to mature and to allow life to teach us. I encourage you today to follow this little boy’s example the next time you get stuck in a toilet of sin. If you do, I can promise you an easy rescue.

-PK

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