Time To Meet Your Maker! by Ben Komanapalli Jr.

Another year has come to an end, and here we are starting a new one. For almost everyone reading this, we have been at this place at least a dozen times. Looking back at our lives, some of those moments were great but some were pretty bad. In fact they were so bad that we wanted to forget all about it when we entered the New Year.

As this new year begins, most of us close certain chapters of our lives and open new ones; we also plan on changing things. All of us have want to become better than we were in the past year.

As we come to that time of the year again, I have a simple question to ask: Who is making you?

Let me explain. In Acts 26:13-18, we see Paul recounting his conversion story to King Agrippa. In verse 16, it is important to see what Jesus says to Paul during the encounter. Jesus says, "I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness...."I want you to focus on the words 'to make you.'
My question to you as a leader is more specifically this: Are you letting Jesus make you?

All of us live in a very fast paced world. There are many responsibilities that we as leaders have in the world today. There are things that need to be accomplished, vision to be cast, money to be raised, conflicts that need to be resolved etc. We need to do all of these things as good leaders.

However, the most important thing is to let Jesus make you the man or women He has called you to be. We can only lead other people as well as we can lead ourselves; the most important thing in leading ourselves is to let Jesus make us the people He has called us to be.

There is always the temptation for us to do the work of God more than we let God work in us. Bill Hybels once said, "The way I was doing the work of God was destroying the work of God in me." I heard that statement about two years ago and it has stuck with me. I believe it is a dangerous place for us to be when we are more excited about a book, album, project, program or an event than about spending time with Jesus and letting Him work on us.

As we plan, strategize, evaluate, set goals and recharge our batteries to make ourselves better leaders for next year, make it a priority to make this year the year where you let Jesus make you the person He has called you to be. Planning and setting goals are very good things but letting Jesus make you is the God thing. He desires to make each one of us. He sees much more in us than we can see for ourselves. We must stop resisting the things God wants to do in our lives. No matter where you live or what kind of organization or ministry you might be leading, if there is one thing we are to do as Christian leaders it is to let Jesus make us.

We might not have had an encounter with Jesus in the way Paul did on his journey to Damascus, but we can all remember the time when we received Jesus as the Lord and Savior of our lives or the time when the call of God became very real. This is a good time to go back and remember the purpose for which Jesus saved you and to let Him make you.

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Take some time to think about the moment when the purpose of God became clear to you. What is it that He has purposed for you?

2. Become very intentional to let Jesus make you into the person He has called you to be during the next year. Write down some of the areas that He really needs to work on.

3. Thank God for the opportunity He has given you to serve people for His kingdom and Glory.

The Battle of the Mind by Dr. Frederick K.C. Price

Everyone has to fight the battle that goes on in the mind. Our thought life determines where we are in the things of God. When people meditate on what is wrong or the negative side of a situation, they become blinded by the problem and never see the escape available to them. Our Heavenly Father has given us a way to bring forth light, and that is through diligent study and meditation of the Word of God. In Hosea 4:6 God tells us, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge."

As Christians we are going to have to learn how to apply Bible knowledge to our lives, if we want to win the battles of life. God instructs the Believer on how to control their thought life by utilizing His whole armor. Ephesians 6:10-17 says, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;"

The Apostle Paul uses armor, the battle dress of the first-century Roman soldier, as a metaphor for God's spiritual armor. Clearly, the military metaphor is intended to show that we are engaged in an active battle. Therefore, Believers must recognize that they are in warfare everyday, and that the battlefield is our minds. The whole armor of God has been provided to help us guard against the enemy of our mind--Satan. Satan's only weapon against us is through the mind. If he can put thoughts, ideas and suggestions in our minds, then he can control our actions. We must come to understand that ignorance of the Word and victory over life's battles are impossible roommates.

If we desire the overcoming life of Jesus then we will need to "take up the whole armor of God." We are not to focus in on only part of the armor to the neglect of the other combat coverings, if we do so we will find ourselves defeated. It is the whole armor-knowledge of the Word of God-that gives us the victory. We need to take each piece of the armor as illustrated by Paul and apply them to our life so that we can benefit from its protection.

Family, it is critical that we acknowledge that the warfare is not against physical forces but against powers that have authority in the spirit realm. Paul not only warns the Believer of a clearly defined demonic structure, but also instructs us to take up the whole armor of God in order to maintain a battle stance against these unseen forces.

Satan's mode of operation has not changed. He continues to use the same mind game that he used on Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1). We are going to have to recognize his deceptive ways and stand against them with the Word of God.

Our battle is clearly spiritual. Satan launches assaults on the mind in order to affect the spiritual aspect of our lives. The mind is like the door through which the enemy has access. If Satan can influence our thoughts, he can control every aspect of our lives. Therefore, we must examine every thought that comes to our minds. Are they the fiery darts, the evil day and or the wiles of the devil? Every thought has either a life or death component attached to it. Once a thought is allowed to have access in our lives, it begins its subtle work.

This is the reason God tells us in Romans 12:1-2: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Living A Surrendered Life by Sonique Sailsman

As a child you did not have a care in the world. You knew that your parents/guardians would provide for you. You had food in your stomach and a roof over your head. You did not concern yourself with bills and transportation you just went with the flow. If you had to ride the bus with your parent you did so because that is all you knew. If you had to eat bread and butter for dinner you did so because that was what everyone else was eating.

As you grew, your cares changed and life began to get real for you. Middle and high school issues, who to take to prom, how to pay for college. You got to college and had college issues and the burden of loans! Now you are a full blown adult making grown folks decisions. Sometimes you wish you could just return to the days when it was all so simple.

Well actually you can, but it is a choice you have to make. You have to choose to live a surrendered life, a life in which you release all your cares to GOD. A life where you say if God can’t do it then it can’t be done. Now this is not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination. It takes time, some falling down and getting back up. It may take making some really big mistakes and transgressions.

Finally, it takes a decision to release all control. It is a decision to live a life that is not your own, but led by the Holy Spirit. The best part is the Holy Spirit is omnipresent and omniscient and goes before you and has the road map. I would much rather follow the lead of someone with a road map than someone who is just going on a whim.

Just imagine preparing for a road trip and your passenger states they know where they are going. As the journey proceeds the roads begin to look unfamiliar and street signs unclear. Your passenger finally decides to share that they actually do not know the way. As a believer you have confidence in knowing that the Holy Spirit will never give you false hope. The Holy Spirit knows the way no matter how unfamiliar or scary it may look. You can rest in the promise of God that he will never leave you nor forsake you.

I encourage you to make a decision to live a truly surrendered life. This is the life of faith. Faith is not knowing what tomorrow will bring but, trusting that God wants everything good for you. To walk in faith and letting God have His way in every affair of your life is one of the best gifts you can give to yourself. It is not going to be easy but I guarantee you it will be worth it!

Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you - 1 Peter 5:7

Healer by Kari Jobe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFfuG7bwicA
This song by Kari Jobe reminds us that God is our Healer and that He can get us through anything.

Faith Is An Action Word by Tanya James

For as long as I can remember, I have been able to quote scriptures on faith. Over the years there have been plenty of occasions for me to share those same scriptures with those around me experiencing rough patches in their lives. Matter of fact, I can honestly say it has become second nature to speak life into anybody’s situation no matter how bleak things may look.

Even in my personal life, I’ve faced my share of difficult and trying times. Using those same scriptures or reflecting on how God has always brought me through, I have effectively ministered to myself.

Then it happened - a test of my faith that I was not prepared for.

On Sept 9th, 2009, I gave birth to our second child – a beautiful baby boy name Kyle Ethan. Two weeks later, we learned that he had sickle cell anemia.

When the phone call came through, fear tried to replace every ounce of faith that I had. All of the statistics about babies and young children dying filled my head. Guilt overwhelmed me. The unknown outcome consumed my thoughts day in and day out. Everything seemed to trigger a river of tears and a range of emotions that I never knew were possible.

At that moment, I couldn’t remember one scripture on faith. At that moment; I forgot that God was a healer. At that moment I allowed fear to cause a complete interruption and breakdown in my spirit.

I tried to pray but it seemed like I couldn’t get any words out without breaking down in tears again. I tried to be strong and pull it together but it was just a front for those around me.

But God.

I remembered that I didn’t have to do this alone. I remember that God had never failed me before nor was He going to start now. All I needed was to have faith the size of a mustard seed.

“…if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” - Matthew 17:20

Do you know how small a mustard seed is? Surely (I thought to myself) I had that much faith. During this time, I heard a minister say both faith and fear require you to believe something you can’t see. It was then I made the decision to choose faith - to really choose faith and not just the talk as though I had.

Immediately, I felt the comfort of God’s hands on my life and my family’s life. I had felt alone and abandoned by God but the truth of the matter is I was never alone. God was just waiting for me to turn and trust Him. This is when scriptures became real to me. For every emotion I had experienced the last two months, God reminded me what His word said, and once I began to mediate on those scriptures and allow the Word to be made flesh in my life, healing began.

Did the healing and wholeness happen overnight? Not for me. Does fear still try to rear its ugly head? Most definitely. But now I am standing on the Word of God and in spite of what is going on in the flesh, I can boldly say:

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

This devotional is for you and is dedicated to my beautiful baby boy. “For I know the thoughts 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

Never Would Have Made It Official Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x06Z2-apBg

This song is one of Marvin Sapps best piece to the Lord!

Dedication to our Father in Heaven!
Thank you Lord for everything you have done and will do in my life!

Let This Mind be in You by Alan Riley

One of my favorite passages in the New Testament is found in the second chapter of Paul's letter to the Philippians.

The book of Philippians is special because of who wrote it, who it was written to, why it was written, and where the author was when he wrote it.

The book was written by Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles who took the gospel to the world. It was written to the church at Philippi to thank them for a financial gift brought to Paul from the church. Paul had a very special place in his heart for the Philippian church, and the warm, loving words of the letter reflect this. It was written from a Roman jail cell about ten years after Paul first preached in Philippi. It was on that visit that Lydia was saved and, after an earthquake freed the prisoners, but none fled, the Philippian jailer and his family came to know Christ.

Now Paul is Nero's prisoner in Rome, confined in a Roman prison under difficult circumstances. Yet this letter brims with joy, assurance and victory. The second chapter contains what scholars tell us is probably the earliest recorded Christian hymn, and a passionate plea from Paul for us to imitate the loving and humble spirit of our Lord Jesus.

The word that is translated "mind" in the Bible sometimes refers to our thinking process, but most often it refers not to the process but to what we are thinking - to our attitude. As early as the book of Proverbs, we are told "as a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7). In this passage, Paul says, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." (NKJV) The New International version says it this way: "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." The attitude of Jesus was that of humility and love. It was His humility that allowed Him - the sinless Son of God - to take on the role of a servant, and even to die a humiliating death at the hands of men.

Verses 5-11 contain the lyrics to that early hymn of the church. The Message translates the hymn this way:

Though He was God,
He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges
He took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being
When He appeared in human form,
He humbled himself in obedience to God
And died a criminal's death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
And gave him the name above all other names,
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
In heaven and on earth and under the earth,
And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
To the glory of God the Father.

For over two thousand years, the followers of Jesus Christ have sung these words in many different languages and to many different tunes. Yet the message is the same: Because of His obedience and humility, God has given to Jesus a name that is above every name, and everyone in heaven and on earth will bow and acknowledge that He is Lord.

And in that second chapter of Philippians, Paul tells us that we need to have the same humility, the same love, the same compassion, and the same obedience as Jesus as we relate to each other in the family of God and as we reach out to the world around us to tell them about His love.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus!

You Just Lost One...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vvx8mdSXno

Allow me to re-introduce the Christ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNJ5oi1cw2I

Our Deepest Fear

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
by Marianne Williamson