NCarolinian

Do you know what Moses, David and Samson have in common? They each missed out on a major, if not, THE major point of their lives. Moses was supposed to be the leader who led the Hebrews out of captivity and into the Promised Land. Moses did not see The Promised Land. Why? He did not follow instructions. God told Moses to speak to the rock and drinking-water would burst forth for all. What did Moses do? He got frustrated with the people to the point of anger and hit the rock twice with The Staff. God, graciously, still honored the action of Moses and saved face for Moses, but that moment, that decision cost him the crossing of The Jordan or The Finish Line . ( See Numbers 20:1-12 ) David was a good shepherd. David was a great musician, especially a harpist. David was a brave warrior and excellent fighter. David was even called a man after God's own heart.  However, for all David's marvelous accomplishments and for all David's military victories, David's  Finish Li...

There have been instances in my life when I requested the Lord's intervention for someone or a situation. I would pray something like - "Lord, would you reveal yourself to this person? Lord, would you speak to this person or into this situation? Lord, would you act promptly in this issue?" Recently, the Lord has re-emphasized to me - I am His answer in many of these petitions. God is All-Powerful, All-Knowing and Ever-present. One might entertain the notion - why does He need me? To me, it is not a matter of need, it is a matter of God's Preference and Plan. He has chosen the believer in Christ to be His physical representation extended to each person in each generation on this planet. Paul, in his second letter to the believers in Corinth, described our representative duties as those of an Ambassador. "We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God." - 2 Co...

I don't know that there is a better compliment you could receive than one that sites God in your life. For example, "Sister Suzy, I just wanted to let you know that your worship as you lead in singing is beautiful. I see God in you and all over you and your worship makes me want to worship Him. Praise God for you Suzy!" That is just a taste of the many different ways we could compliment each other. I feel we hold back too much for fear of the Big Head Disease catching. I believe that is a spirit which is holding us back from Encouraging and Loving on one another. Allow God to deal with the compliment afterwards. Trust God. I love the complementary and encouraging friends I have in my life. Praise God for these people. I don't know that there is a better gift than having an army of friends who will pray for you and your family. These friends are not just any-ole-friends, but ones that know about life, know The Author and Finisher of Our Faith, and know how to tug ...

It seems all of us have stuff (politically correct word) that we are dealing with at any given moment. My woes could probably remind you of a friend's problem, family member's issue or even resonate with your own life-difficulties. There is no test of life which we have felt overwhelmed by that is Not ordinary to us now-a-days. Plus, God is consistent in His Nature; He will not allow you to be tested beyond your means. However, when you are tested, God will provide - in His timing, in His manner, in His form - the answer - But First You Must Endure. (Pritchard Paraphrase of 1 Cor. 10:13) "No temptation [testing] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted [tested]  beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted [tested] , he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." - 1 Corinthians 10:13 I'm not always understanding of my situation, but even if I am I still have to weather t...

Disappointment, it is going to come but how we all handle it will either develop us or keep us stuck at the same maturity level, if not regress a little.  Responding to disappointment in life is normal and fine, but what you choose to do and say in the given situation reflects a lot on where you have been and where you are going in life. In Mark 9:14-29 there is an event with plenty of disappointment to share. There is a father who has a demon-possessed son that he brings to the Disciples for healing. The Disciples cannot grant the boy's healing, disappointment settles in for BOTH the father and the Disciples and arguing ensues. When Jesus arrives on the scene the father explains the situation to Him. Now it is Christ's turn to get frustrated and disappointed - He said, “You unbelieving generation, how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” When Jesus receives the boy He asks, "How long has he been like this?" T...

There are so many self-help books and programs out there that the amount will make your head spin. If you are looking to improve your life and identity, why would you not take your leading from Christ Jesus? For the tight circle of followers of Jesus who had been witnessing His power and sharing His life, the time finally came to ask them the all-important questions.  "When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of Man is?' They replied, 'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' 'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say I am?' Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.' " (Matthew 16:13-16) Proximity to Christ is paramount to knowing who Jesus is and the power He has for our lives. Other people had to speculate about who the Son of Man is (John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah), bu...

I have been told that this blog and many of my posts have been very encouraging, good and just what needed to be read at the time. I praise God for directing my thoughts and fingers to make such an impact. However, all of us could give the best instruction and words of encouragement to each other until we are blue in the face and many outcomes would still be in dire need of help. What we need more of and help with is application. For example, we all have heard and read teachings/sermons on how "there is no law against - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Gal. 5:22-23) . But, how do we get ourselves, seasoned Christians and the next generation of believers to APPLY these Christian principles and more to their lives?  I believe the answer to this question is three-fold: Teach a Biblical example of what needs to be applied. Plus, showcase an individual in the church, to the Glory of God, that is a real life example ...

I went to go get a shower this morning and as I stepped into the tub the shower curtain fell down. I said out loud, "Really, I don't need this. What is this about?" Be careful what you ask about. Instantly I received an image from the Lord of the split Jewish Temple Curtain between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. Then the Holy Spirit started downloading a message to me.  The Holy Spirit said, "That shower curtain falling was analogous to the Jewish Temple Curtain in the Holy of Holies being split from top to bottom when Christ gave up His life for ALL."  While it is not a perfect one-for-one analogy -- not everybody now has access to me while I am showering, THANK GOD -- everybody does have access to Father God through faith in Christ's sacrifice and resurrection since then. The message is to not take for granted, but to take advantage of direct access to God's Throne, His Immediate and Glorious Presence. We do not require a human priest ...

If you have a desire for something, you will pursue it with a great amount of energy. Sometimes the desire can even become an addiction. What better addiction is there than Christ Jesus and the lifestyle He teaches. But first, you have to want Him and the lifestyle.  My Worship Pastor, Kerry Crespo, wrote about a great truth on a post on our church blog recently that spoke to the Christian's identity as a worshiper. He encouraged Christians to have their life on display for Christ, 24/7/365, not just " for the holy moments…the spiritual parts of our lives such as church attendance, devotions, small groups and when we’re listening to worship music." (K. Crespo, same post) .  He said,  "If worship is to become a lifestyle, it needs to be automated—second nature and not just a New Year’s resolution. You shouldn’t wake up in the morning and have to decide whether you’ll read your Bible or not. It needs to be an automatic action. You shouldn’t have to decide whether...

Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke has written a book entitled - Holy Spirit: Are We Flammable Or Fireproof?  What an awesome introspective question that has profound influence in our private and public lives daily as believers in Christ. I have not read Mr. Bonnke's book, but this idea is not to difficult to follow through. Let us study the later word first - Fireproof.  The second side of the equation that Mr. Bonnke proposes is sad and not just lukewarmness, but flat out being Holy Spirit Fireproof. We could ask ourselves - are we utterly desensitized to God's voice in our lives, in our church or in our country? Would we even recognize Him if He gave us additional chances to rekindle the passion for, by and with Him? This is what it means to be Fireproof - to be at the point in your life where you are numb to God for whatever reason. We could have kicked God out of our lives and placed a wall around our spiritual mind and heart. We could have replaced God with something else t...

Any race, especially the year-to-year race of life, should consider the entirety. I speak of the goal-oriented planning that comes from making appropriate New Year resolutions.  Many goal-focused people have no problem in setting new resolutions every turn of the new year. However, others have a more challenging time keeping them if they even make them at all. We all know where we fall in the spectrum of goal-detailed individuals to spontaneous living people. However, this is what Scripture seems to contribute -  First, pause and consider a plan of action for your life and its consequences for the upcoming year. “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another ki...

Do you recall the phrase - "Be careful what wolf you feed."? Well, that is the phrase that came to me to start the New Year. The catch is wolves travel in packs. There are not just two wolves to be careful about. So it is in life. One wolf could represent Christ Jesus. This is the wolf you want to find yourself feeding all the time. The other members of the wolf-pack are known as ourselves , the devil and the world . Again, if you treat the True Alpha with the respect due Him daily, Jesus Christ, then He will manage The Pack. There is no escaping being part of this Pack. The Holy Spirit is everywhere. The devil is going after everyone. The world is a fallen system that we are doomed to continually attempt to repair. And humanity is stained with the tendency from birth to do their own will all the time.  However, Father God supplied The Answer and continues to supply Him today. Mind you there is a devil that desires to kill, steal and/or destroy your soul, BUT GOD pr...