Are you All In?

Are you all in? This seems like quite an interesting question. What does it mean? In Ray Pritchard's book Stealth Attack, he asks the following question? "When you stand at the gate of heaven and God says, "Why should I let you in?" what answer will you give?

"I was a member of Wesley Methodist Church." Not good enough.

"I was an elder at Wayside Chapel." You'll be in big trouble.

"My father built our church." That's good, but it's not the right answer.

"I lived a good life." We're happy for you, but you weren't good enough.

"I gave to feed the orphans in Namibia." That's truly wonderful, but that won't open the doors of heaven.

"I was baptized by Father O'Reilly." I'm sure he was a good man, but that's not enough.

"I read The Purpose-Driven Life five times." That won't get you to heaven.

"I listen to christian radio every day." That's admirable, but it's not the right answer.

There is only way into heaven. Do you know what it is? There is only one answer to that question now and forever. Please don't let yourself get duped into believing anything else but the following statements. Paul tells us in Romans 4:12, "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved". Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved". Did you see it? There is nothing else you can do. We are saved by grace, and we stand by faith. I believe in Jesus to the point that if He can't get me into Heaven I am not going. Are you "all in" on the Son of God who loved you and died for you? Let me encourage all of you to stand by faith, live by faith, and walk by faith. It is my eternal hope that you will run to the cross and grab hold of Jesus and never let go. An old hymn says it this way:"My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus name. On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand." I hope today's post reminds you of what exactly Jesus did for you. It certainly reminds me. Praise the Lord, that He reigns sovereignly for all eternity. If you know someone who could benefit from this message please forward it to them. My prayer for us today is we remember what Jesus has done for us, to share what He did for you to someone else, be bold for Him, and never let go. I appreciate all of you very much and hope everyone has a great day.

Until next time...
God Bless you all!!!!!!!!!

Alan

Is it your battle?

There are times when we need to realize we cannot fight every battle or every situation that seems to challenge us. In 2nd Chronicles chapter 20, we find the Israelites in trouble. There is a multitude of enemies coming against them. King Jehoshaphat is scared and very concerned. He does have a few options at his disposal though. He could have gathered his troops and mounted a counter offensive. He could have gathered all the people and run for the hills. Or he could have done what he did, which was to lay his need at the feet of God. He cried out in prayer. He sought God's instruction, council, and help. He did not panic. He waited for God's answer to his problem. God answered his prayer. In verse 15, Zechariah the priest is telling the king what God said. He said, "Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the LORD to you, Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's. (NLT) I love this part of the story. God tells the king the battle is not yours it's MINE!!!! Wow, how about that people. When I heard this story is was overwhelmed with joy. I needed a word from God and this is what HE gave me. The bottom line is I've been doing it all by myself. I was trying to climb out this Grand Canyon myself. I was trying to get out of the desert with no guide. I was doing it wrong, to borrow a line from Mr. Mom. I thought I needed to be in control. I though I could make it happen. Well let me tell all I need to do is let God be in control, seek His council on my life's decisions and sit still. Had I realized early on that I needed God to be in control of my life I would not be where I am now. BUT I thank God for the lesson's He has and continues to teach me. I thank God for the revival in my spirit, my family, and my friends. I thank God for loving me enough to teach me. You know sometimes we need to let the Creator be the Creator and remember we are the creation. I am glad I am learning to give my battles to Him. One thing is true, there is not a enemy to big, an amount of debt to large, or an addiction that He cannot overcome. If we will put our lives wholly in His hands God will give us victory. Did you know the most common command in the Bible is "Do not be afraid!" Praise God for His sovereignty and loving kindness. I hope this blesses you hearts today. My prayer for us today is that we will trust Him enough to let Him fight for our battles.

Until next time....
God Bless You!!!

Alan

Weeding your Garden

Spring is just around the corner and it occurred to me today that sometimes our internal garden like the ones outside need some up cleaning out. People including myself don't like to do yard work or work on ourselves. But how else are we supposed to grow ? I was reflecting on some of my past efforts to improve like getting in shape, spending more quality time with the Lord, being a better listener, or insert something here that you have attempted to work on. We all have things that we can improve on. My point is we let fears, doubts, pain, or whatever the barrier creep in and start choking out the growth we are experiencing or are about to experience. So I am making a decision right here before you all at 11:50 pm that I am going to pay more attention to my garden. My God, My family, My friends, and My professional contacts all deserve my best. I thank the good Lord in heaven that each new day is a fresh start. I am realizing the more I turn over to Him the more peace I have. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:26-27 "Look at the birds. They don't need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your Heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Can all of your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not." I believe we can weed our gardens by asking God to carry our load, trusting that He will (this is half the battle.), resting in our trust of His capabilities, seeking encouragement from Him and those that we trust, and not looking back. Yesterday is gone forever and there is nothing any of us can do about it. Tomorrow is not yet written and we have no guarantees of a tomorrow. But today is now. Today is the day the Lord has made, we should rejoice and be glad in it. We need to make the best of the 24 hours in front of us and learn from yesterday's failures and success's. I believe if we will just remember this our lives will improve. When we started walking as babies we fell down a lot. We had to learn how to walk, well we have to learn how to live. This has made me feel better. I hope this makes you feel better. Each one of you who reads this, forwards this, or tells someone about this is a encouragement to me. I appreciate you all. My pray for today and for you is that we would all trust Him more. That we would let go of things that don't really matter and focus our efforts on the things that do matter HIM...

Until next time.

God Bless You!!!

Alan

Daily Strength

I came across this prayer in my daily reading yesterday and I want to share it.

Dear Lord,

So far today, I am doing all right. I have not gossiped, lost my temper, been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or self-indulgent. I have not whined, cursed, or eaten any chocolate.

However, I am going to get out of bed in a few minutes, and I will need a lot more help after that. Amen.

If your like me you probably laughed at this little prayer and thought that was funny. But the more I reread this prayer I find myself relating to it more and more. I see my struggles in this prayer and seem to act out at least one if not more than one of these daily. Sometimes I feel like I commit these offenses hourly. The enemy is always hanging around waiting for me to curse or be self-indulgent and then pounce on me. Now, some days are better than others but some days man, I feel like Hell's fury is comin for me. Its like the enemy has no where else to be but hanging out right behind me. And of course the hurt I feel as a result is deeper as I continue to grow in Christ. I am reminded though that I cannot make it through the day without Jesus's strength. I am so thankful that God is in control and is always willing to give me strength when I need it even if its every minute. In 2nd Corinthians 10:5, Paul encourages us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ Jesus. We can overcome these temptations if we will outfit ourselves with the means to fight back. Let me encourage each person who reads this posting to remember the words of Paul and know you can overcome. I know it because I have experienced it. I know you can too.

Until next time!!!!!!
God Bless you all!!!!!

Alan

Our Attitude

Attitude is defined as a state of mind; the inward feeling expressed by outward behavior. Attitude is a choice. Its a perspective. Its the inner you. With all that said let me say this:

Attitude is something we all struggle with. Lets take a moment right now and say: I am going to keep a positive attitude and use it to affect others in a good way. Did you say it? You know outlook determines outcome. There are some things we can do to display the right daily attitude:

1. Be thankful in all things not just the "Big Things". Appreciation is a matter of perspective not a matter of sophistication or personal preference.


2. Just about everybody has things that need improvement. Take a minute write down areas where you struggle. Try to identify the triggers of those "ugly" areas. Find the triggers, remove them, and finally replace them with things that are more positive.


3. Look for the best in the people around you and try to help them bring out their best positive qualities. This attention will send your negative thoughts packing.


4. If you want to change you then start with your mind. You must believe you can change and believe you can change into the person you want to be. Ralph Waldo Emerson said" What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." If you change your thinking everything else can flow.


5. Happiness is something you decide before you do something. You choose right or wrong, you choose. Coach John Wooden said " Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." Thanks Coach!!

I hope this post is music to your ears, a blessing to your heart. It has blessed me just thinking about how important our attitude is in everything we do. Reach out to someone today and say something encouraging. It will make you a better person. I firmly believe each one of us has the ability to change for the better. I would encourage you to seek your best in all things you do.

Until next time!!

God Bless all of you..

Alan

Thank You All

I want to say a special Thank You to everyone who has sent me a message today. You all have made me feel very good for stepping out there. I had no idea I would have received this kind of response. I had hoped I would but have fought back the discouragement of trying something new. You know isn't that the way it is. Whenever we have dreams or aspirations someone or something tells us we cannot do it. You know what! We can do it. I have recently rediscovered that all we need is the right outlook. I mean what are problems other than opportunities in disguise. In the past I would get absolutely paralysed with fear. Why am I unable to move? I couldn't get past it. I seemed to be the world's best excuse maker. All I was really doing was enabling that behavior and not pressing forward. So, to end a great day let me say this:

You can do it. Press forward and every inch you have given fear take it back. Take it back by changing your outlook. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale said"Positive thinking is how you think about a problem. Enthusiasm is how you feel about a problem. The two together determine what you do about a problem."

Until Next Time!
God Bless you all.

Inagural Encouraging You Post

Hi,

I finally did it today. I have been wanting to start this process for sometime now. I was a little apprehensive at first but I am confident this will be a good thing. The purpose of this blog is to share words of encouragement with all of you and to seek encouragement for myself when my batteries run low. It is intended to be a blessing. I am very glad to share with you what I am learning and have learned. I hope this blesses your hearts. So what is encouragement really? Encouragement is defined as inspiring with courage, spirit, and confidence. I like to think of encouragement as helping those around us through prayer, a kind word, a good hug, or a firm shoulder to lean on. We all need encouragement more than we like to admit. I know I need it daily. I have found if we take the emphasis off ourselves and put it on those around us our lives seem to flow. There is always someone in worse shape than we are. Now, that is not to say that your needs are not important but it means we need to stop worrying so much about ourselves and reach out to those around us. Jesus tells us in the Matthew 6:34 to not worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. I commit today that I will use this blog to encourage you all. I will pray for you and ask God to speak to your hearts. Its my prayer today that we all look for ways to encourage one another. You are a blessing to me by just reading this. Please tell everyone you can about this blog. I am open to any suggestions on how this can be of benefit to everyone. If you need encouragement with something specific please let me know. I appreciate you all...

Until next time God Bless You!!