The world has the wrong definition of "SUCCESS"! How do you define it?

Have you ever asked the question, "Why do famous people who blatantly reject God... prosper? Why do people who clearly worship other gods such as money, sex, drugs, and violence seem to be the ones who gain all of the wealth in the world while we who try our best to do the will of God...struggle?

Recently, I made a commitment to God! I told God that I would read and study the bible, more consistently. Well, lets take off the words "more consistently" off the previous sentence and just be honest. I need to get in the Word and stop making excuses! "I'm too busy!" "It feels like I have homework!" "I don't know where to start!"

What are your excuses???

I'm honoring my commitment! Even though I wasn't sure where to start, that didn't stop me, finally! lol In keeping with the question that inspired this blog post, I wanted to know what God had to say about this subject...so I googled "success in the bible" and clicked one of the top links called "Success According to the Bible." It is so on point. It has inspired me to really dissect Deuteronomy 8:10-20 and strategically apply it to my life. Check out the blue text below! A MUST READ!!!

The world defines success in terms of achieving one's goal, acquiring wealth, status, prestige and power. Successful people are those defined as people enjoying the good life. In short, dollars, power and status is the central definitions of success in the world today. Such definitions have many fatal flaws when we consider the lives of the rich and famous whose lives are wrecked by pain and tragedies.

Success According to the Bible God's measurement of success is defined differently from that of the world. God's measure of success involves our obedience and faithfulness to Him, regardless of the opposition and trials we face. In short God's measure of our success is whether or not we are being loyal to Him and obey Him.

The determination of whether one is successful or not is answered by whether or not one is satisfied with one's life. It should not be based on or measured by someone else's standards. We should determine what our success is by God's standards for He is the one who has created us and He is the one who will judge us and by His standards.

Success is much more than just money and status. All others is temporary. When we leave this world, none of it will be of any use to us nor will it guarantee us eternal life. So should we define money and status, which is temporary, as real success? Who amongst the rich today can guarantee their happiness on earth and in heaven?

Does God Want Us To Succeed?
God is not in the failure business. The scriptural truth is, God wants us to succeed. God's condition for success is simple - Obey Him and Obey His Laws.

God Wants Us to Succeed
Proverbs 16:3 - Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

God Wants Us to Prosper
Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

God Gave Us the Ability to Produce Wealth
Deuteronomy 8:18 - He gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/religion-articles/success-according-to-the-bible-504707.html#ixzz0wxajCxZ1

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Daily Word: Do people who devote their lives to service but do not have a heart for God go to heaven?

For centuries, people have been persuaded to believe that they could please God through service and offerings...regardless of the condition of their hearts. But in truth, no amount of activity for God will ever take the place of a heart that is right for Him. Sure, we can be deceived into assuming that God is more interested in our activity for Him than He is in the condition of our hearts. But we would only be fooling ourselves. We cannot buy our way into Heaven! God has consistently made it clear that He will not be pacified by even the most generous offerings and zealous service if our hearts are not right with Him. No matter how much we do, how active we are in the community or how honorable our reputations may be...God will not overlook a sinful heart. His desire is that we devote ourselves to knowing Him and loving Him with all our hearts.

Hosea 6:6

For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

My Thoughts...

I've actually had this conversation with a close friend of mine not too long ago about this subject. I'm not sure how the subject came about but we were discussing this very question. Do people who have good hearts and are known for doing good deeds in the community and in the world but don't have a heart for God go to heaven? I think of the scripture, James 2:20, "Faith without works is dead." If this is true, then it has to be true in it's reciprocal form, "Works without faith is dead." Check James 2:20-26 for a reference. What are your thoughts?

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Daily Word: Have you prayed today? I need to...right now!

Prayer...we've all heard of it, but how many of us actually do it? Or believe that our prayers will be answered? Do we really know the significance of prayer? Do we understand that it's a way for us to commune with God and strengthen our relationship with Him? Do we even know how to pray? Or do we only pray when we want or need something? It was common knowledge among the disciples that they would find Jesus praying during the early morning hours. Because He was often surrounded by crowds, Jesus knew He had to find a quiet place to pray in order to Hear His Father's voice. He understood that His mission was not to attract a crowd, but to remain obedient to His Father. Obedience to God is our mission as well. "Prayer is not about getting what we want, prayer is designed for us to discover God's agenda for us! Therefore, we would be wise to follow Jesus' example and let our time alone in prayer with God set the agenda for our lives as well." We know what we want...God knows what we need.

Mark 1:35
Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

My thoughts...
I said a prayer today but I haven't really took time out to spend in his presence like I should...on a regular basis. I have to discipline myself in getting up a little earlier in the morning to do so. There a re many things that I need to thank God for and there are a few things that I would like God to consider granting me...if it is his will of course, ya know! It is my intention and my desire to get closer to God this year.

When searching for an image for this "Daily Word," I googled 'prayer changes things' and the image above caught my attention mainly because of the scriptures. Philippians 4:6 hits it right on the nail for me. When entering into prayer, I try to remember to give thanks to God before I ask Him for anything...at least, to show my appreciation. But then it also says to 'be anxious for nothing." This most nearly means to not worry. Worrying does not make things better...only the opposite. So instead of worrying about something or someone...pray about it. This will definitely up my prayer life because I feel I'm a natural worrier...like a lot of people.

Until next post...

Continue to recognize that you're blessed!

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Always Say A Prayer (A.S.A.P.)

There's work to do, deadlines to meet,
you've got no time to spare,
But as you hurry and scurry,
Always say a prayer

In the midst of family chaos,
"quality time" is rare.
Do your best; let God do the rest:
Always say a prayer,

It may seem like your worries are
more than you can bear.
Slow down and take a breather-
always say a prayer,

God knows how stressful life is;
He wants to ease our cares,
and He respond ASAP-
Always say a prayer

Anonymous

This poem describes so many of our lives. Life can definitely keep us busy but we must not be so occupied with the things of this world that we forget to give thanks for the many things that we think we are entitled to such as waking up in the morning. Prayer is so important. Prayer, at least, tells God that you're thinking about Him throughout your busy day. I thank God for giving me the peace of mind to handle the stress of the day. Like in the last stanza, it says, "God knows how stressful life is; He wants to ease our cares." Prayer centralizes your thoughts and brings you to a place of serenity while allowing dialogue to take places between you and your provider.

Until next post,

Continue to recognize that you're blessed!

http://christophjenkins.blogspot.com/

Daily Word: Are you so blinded by your past to the point where you can't focus on your future?

The world tells us that the dominating influence in our lives is our past. The world tells us that if we came from a difficult home life, our race was treated unfairly, we were hurt or abused or if we were rebellious in our youth, then we have no future. The world tells us that our past will determine the direction of our lives, dictate the condition of our present and the future will be spent struggling with our past. In truth, the world is preoccupied with its past because its future is uncertain! But the Christians of the world live in freedom because they know that Christ has overcome the past. God has forgiven the Christian's sin and therefore chooses not to remember it. That "does not" mean that Christians forget the past...it just means that they are not controlled or motivated by it. Christians look toward the future with hope. Because their future is so full, rich and exciting that it supersedes whatever happened in the past.

Philippians 3:13

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.

My thoughts...

Too many people get burdened by their past to the point where they cannot focus on praying and working towards a better future. If more people looked at their past as a life lesson learned then theyw ould recognize that their past is more of a testimony and less of a burden. Whether your past experiences were positive or negative, your future has the potential to much better. My pastore told our congregation this not too long ago while presenting his sermon, "Yesterdays best is today's average." And what he meant by that was you have to continue to strive to better than you've done before. Basically, if you're not growing...you're dying. If you're not getting better...you're getting worst. Everyday, God is giving you another chance to do better than you've done the day before. This is striving for perfection!

Until next post,

Continue to recognize that you're blessed!

http://christophjenkins.blogspot.com/

Daily Word: Love God, trust God, be obedient to God...PERIOD!

I love God...but. I trust God...but. I'm obedient to God...but. I know God loves me...but. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Loved ones, WE HAVE GOT TO GET THE "BUTS" OUT OF OUR LIVES!!! Let them go. Begin again in the 2010! (that's twenty-ten for the slow-smile). Love God, trust God, be obedient to God...PERIOD! That's all you have to do. And please know that GOD LOVES YOU! He doesn't ask for perfection because He knows we're not capable of it. All He needs is our LOVE, TRUST AND OBEDIENCE! If we take one step toward Him, He will take ten steps toward us. Do not be afraid of Our Father. He knows us, He knows all our deepest, darkest secrets. He sees all. He knew who we were and what we would do before He ever allowed us into His world....And He still loves us anyway!!! If we would just "let go" and love Him, trust Him and be obedient to Him WITHOUT QUESTION...our lives will change dramatically and things will open up for us in ways that we never dreamed possible. You don't have to believe me. Just give it a try and watch what happens...WATCH HIM WORK ON YOU, IN YOU AND THROUGH YOU!

Psalm 9:1
I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works.

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Daily Word: Never argue with a fool, on lookers may not be able to tell the difference!

At times people are going to disagree with you regarding God's Word. They will question the way you say God is leading you and they may even challenge your faith in God. At times like these it's pointless to argue...you will never persuade someone that God has spoken to you by out arguing them. But God is not interested in how right we are...He's interested in how obedient we are. Only God can convince others of the veracity of His word to you. If we will allow God to vindicate us in His time, in His way, a time will come when the wisdom of your choice will be evident. We bring no honor to God by winning a dispute in His name. But we reflect a Christ-like character when we demonstrate patience to those who mistreat us or misunderstand our motives. God's command is not that we win arguments, but that we are kind and forgiving when others do mistreat us.

2 Timothy 2:24

And the servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient.

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Daily Word: Are you growing in God?

Some people know just what to say and do to encourage others who are going through difficult times. These people are sensitive to God's voice. Their words give strength to those who are discouraged and comfort to those who are grieving. They are not self-centered; they are keenly aware of the struggles of those around them. These are the people we seek when we enter a crisis. Their energy is so calming that their mere presence sustains us. God puts godly people in our lives so that we can learn from them and become more like them. He wants to develop each of us into the kind of people who are able to strengthen one another. Words are VERY powerful. They can cause extreme pain or they can bring extreme comfort. The choice is ours. What we say to each other and how we treat one another is important. The words we share and the things we do can bring laughter, joy, comfort, help and encouragement to others.

2 Peter 3:18

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

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Daily Word: Have you ever been jealous of someone, honestly?

Jealousy...it's a destructive attitude that poisons the way we view life. In fact, it's so harmful that God condemned coveting in "two" of the Ten Commandments. Even though none of us deserves it, God has made "all" of us His children. So there's no need to compare our blessings to those of others. Jealousy is self-centeredness at its worst. It robs us of our joy and chokes our contentment. It hardens the heart and stifles gratitude. Jealousy even has the nerve to assume that God's resources are too limited for Him to bless another and still bless us! We have to watch over our hearts very carefully. We cannot allow jealousy to taint us. And when we are tempted to compare our success in life to that of another, we ought to ask God to remind us of all the ways He has blessed us...undeservedly.

1 Samuel 18:15
Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him.

I think we've all had a jealous spirit once or twice before. I'll be the first to admit that I have. However, I reserve the right to conceal the details of the occurance...lol...but I have in the past been jealous of someone. I have learned through my experiences that what God has for you is for you. In the past, I have asked God to give me what a person had and He did...I think to teach me a lesson though. I say that, because when I received it, I noticed that the "thing" that I asked for came with other things attached to it. And I didn't do my research on the "thing" that the person had. Had I done my research on that "thing" that I said wanted, I would have found out that I wasn't ready for the things that were included in its packaging. Little did I know when I was consumed with that jealous spirit, the person who had the "thing" that I wanted had been preparing to handle all of the things that came with it prior to him receiving it. This reminds me of the time my mom said to me, "Be careful what you ask for...you just might get it!" I want what God has for me!

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Daily Word: Do your ACTIONS speak louder than your WORDS?

We've all heard the phrase before, "actions speak louder than words." Many of us often "say" things and then "do" something totally different. Listening to what people say is good, but if you really want to know someone, watch how they act. We put our time and energy into the things we feel most passionately about. The way we live reveals the condition of our hearts and tells our real reasons for living. Anyone can pay lip service. But our words and actions should mirror each other. And although we will never be perfect in this life, we should still do our best to remain obedient to God and live as He wants us to. Living for anything less than God's intended purpose is a waste of time.

2 Corinthians 2:15

We are to God the fragrance of Christ.

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Daily Word: Are you watering the seeds God has planted in your heart?

All of us have a "secret garden" of the heart. How we tend that garden will determine what words we speak and what behavior we exhibit. Proverbs wisely teaches us to "keep our hearts with all diligence." The word keep means "to watch or guard with fidelity." Guarding what we take into our hearts and monitoring our response will determine what takes root there. God wants us to water the seeds He plants in our hearts. If we neglect to nurture our hearts, in order for them to grow in the way God wants...the garden fills with weeds and eventually dies! But if we do protect and nurture our hearts, we will produce love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Now...how are you tending your garden?

Proverbs 4:23

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.

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Daily Word: Tell 'em why you mad, son!

Few things are more destructive than anger. Anger causes us to lose self control and to say and do things we would otherwise never consider. If we allow it to remain, anger turns into bitterness that eats away at our hearts. Most of the time, we try to defend our anger. However, Scripture consistently commands believers to put away anger...listing it as one of the sins of the flesh. We should not cease to have strong convictions or lose our desire for justice. But we must be careful not to justify our anger with Scripture. And we should not allow the sins of others to cause us to sin as well. Anger never brings about God's redemptive work. More often than not, it hinders what God is working to accomplish in us and through us. Therefore, we should deeply examine any anger that is within us and allow God to remove any sinful attitudes that our anger may have produced. That way we won't block any blessings or get in God's way.

Ephesians 4:26"

Be angry and do not sin", do not let the sun go down on your wrath.

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Daily Word: Why are we so judgemental of others?

There is a significant difference between judgment and discernment. Only God can see our hearts, therefore He is the only one who knows our motives. And only God can accurately judge those who deserve punishment. The problem is we like to sit in the judgment seat and pronounce condemnation upon those whom we think have sinned! While God commands us "not" to judge others, He does want us to be discerning. Jesus said we would recognize a person's spiritual condition by the fruit of their lives. And scripture commands us to avoid associating with scoffers and fools. But unless we are able to identify scoffers and fools, we cannot obey God's commands! That's not being judgmental...that's being discerning.

Luke 6:37

Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Daily Word: Has God ever been unfaithful to you?

God never calls us to do anything without faithfully keeping His word and enabling us to do it. We may not always be faithful in doing what God tells us...But He always remains faithful and stands by His word to fulfill what He has promised. Sometimes we have what can be called a "Red Sea" experience. We've gotten a clear word from God, we obeyed Him and then we came up on a Red Sea, blocking us from doing what God called us to do. When we face this type of opposition, we feel as though God has abandoned us and His promises to us. This is when we have to trust in God's character. And remember that it is His very nature to be faithful. Regardless of how our present circumstances may appear to be, we must never lose hope. Give God time to reveal His faithfulness to you, because GOD HAS NEVER BEEN UNFAITHFUL.

1 Timothy 1:12

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.

Daily Word: Are you taking God for granted?

Some of us live our lives in a constant state of fear. We don't go anywhere or do anything because we're sure doom and gloom is just waiting for us. Others walk through life doing whatever we want...laughing, carefree and having a good ole time, without a care in the world. Then there are those of us who, for reasons that are unknown to us, live in relative calm all the time...seemingly unaware of our own fragile existence. No matter how we live our lives, one thing is true for all of us, were it not for the grace of God, many of us would be dead as a direct result of our own idiotic behavior. We have no idea the world of trouble we would be in if God chose to remove His protective arms from around us and really allow Satan to get at us. God's love still stands even when all else has fallen. DO NOT TAKE HIM FOR GRANTED!

2 Corinthians 1:9
We should not trust in ourselves, but in God.

Daily Word: Sometimes God answers our prayers before we finish praying!

At one time or another, we've all prayed to God about something. Sometimes God answers our prayers before we finish praying. At other times His answer is slow in coming...or it may not come at all...or it may come when we least expect it. When we pray, we want God to answer us immediately, but often times He has something else in mind. Whatever the case may be, we have to be patient and wait on Him. It's not about what we want at any given time. IT'S ABOUT WHAT GOD WANTS FOR US AND FROM US. God intends to change our hearts, not just our circumstances. He could very easily fix any problems we may have or give us what we want when we want it. But then we would not 1.) learn the lessons He's trying to teach us or 2.) mature into who we are meant to be. If we watch, wait, listen, learn and obey, we may find that God's answers to our prayers may exceed our expectations altogether!


Isaiah 64:1
Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down!

Daily Word: Are you patient enough to wait on the Lord?

We have become a society that does not enjoy waiting. We want instant gratification in every area of our lives. The Lord wants us to enjoy the abundant life He intended for us. But the key is we have to wait on Him. We tend to rush through life without stopping to really evaluate our activities. Sometimes in our haste to achieve our goals, we race ahead of God. If we find ourselves taking the lead, we need to stop and re-think our position. We are in charge of nothing...He leads, we follow. Part of God's teaching and restorative process is to slow us down and make us listen to Him. When we slow down and seek His will, He will reveal His plans for us. However, waiting requires us to cease our own pursuits and give God our complete attention. And as we wait on Him, God will remind us of our utter dependence upon Him and His strength. Be patient.....

Psalm 40:1

I waited patiently on the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry.

Daily Word: Have you fallen to temptation lately...me too!

Those who know have heard say it before, "God's always talking, but we're not always listening." Sometimes we can hear God clearly and we still don't get it right. The moment we understand what God wants us to do, suddenly everyone and everything around us requires our time and attention. We become distracted and lose sight of the big picture; doing what "we" want to do instead of what "He" told us to do. If we know what God wants us to do, we are to set our sights resolutely toward that goal "with full determination" in order to accomplish it. Our resolve to go where God is leading us ought to be evident to those around us. And we should beware of becoming so sidetracked by the opportunities around us that we lose sight of His ultimate goal for us. We cannot succumb to the temptation to delay our obedience or discard it altogether. Once we have received a clear assignment from God, our response should be unwavering obedience! We may fall short...but we have to try.

Luke 9:51
Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.

Daily Word: Will you wait for God's wisdom before you make a decision?

The world is full of so-called "experts." They're everywhere and they want to convince us of the wisdom of their opinion. They feel that if they are loud enough, then they must be right. But, God says it's not the one who declares his viewpoint the loudest who is wisest...it's the one who is vindicated over time. Wisdom is proven over time, not by argument or debate. The end result of a practice proves its validity, not how loudly it's promoted. Oftentimes we are criticized by those who disagree with the wisdom of our actions. And our immediate response is to vindicate ourselves. However, if we wait patiently, time will reveal the wisdom of our actions far better than we could through arguing. If we base our life choices on the Word of God, time will eventually be our defender. And if we find that we were wrong, we need to ask God's forgiveness and await further instructions from Him. Then obey those instructions and watch Him confirm His wisdom in our lives.


Luke 7:35
But wisdom is justified by all her children.

Daily Word: Do you have a habit of disobeying God?

It's never a minor thing to know God's will and not do it. That's blatant disobedience and God calls that sin. We can come up with several excuses for our lack of obedience, but in the end, there's no real excuse. We rationalize and procrastinate. At times we even deceive ourselves into thinking that good intentions are enough. But they aren't. Good intentions without corresponding activity is still disobedience. When we encounter God and He gives us a direction, it's not enough to just take it under consideration. And making public commitments is not the same as obeying God. We have to make the decision to obey and actually do it! We will never be perfect in this life. But God desires obedience from us. And only obedience will satisfy "God's desire" for obedience!

James 4:17

Therefore to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.