Handle Your Business

1 Corinthians 16: 2
2 On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.

There are some powerful lessons we can learn from this small scripture which I believe will help you and I with our money. I want you to know that Money is spiritual.

You better pay attention when it comes to money and how you handle it, because one or the other will become of you...either you will control money, or it will control you...as the scripture says: You cannot serve God and Mammon...

First Principle:  On the first day of the week - this speaks of the discipline of time...you must put in place a discipline of time when it comes to use your finances...

Second Principle: Paul said to lay something aside. What this practice does is, it eliminates impulsive and emotional spending! If you have money set aside, then you know EXACTLY what you have and what you can purchase!!  When you spend money based on your emotions, or how smooth the salesperson is, you'll end up spending more than you have; especially for things that you simply do not need!

Remember the Curse of Keeping up with the Jones' ::
a. Spending Money you don't have
b. On things you do not need
c. To keep up with people you don't like

Third Principle: Storing up as you may prosper. If you are blessed with increase, that does not give you the right to expand your lifestyle. In other words, just because you receive more, doesn't mean you spend more - set the difference aside! Put the difference to spiritual use...GIVE IT!!

Fourth Principle: So there will be no Collections...
Real obvious question:  Who wants to go to Collections? If you adhere to the simple principles here, it'll help you get out of debt, (Not manage it), make good on your word because that's more important than anything...and you'll have dominion...Handle your business ladies and gentlemen...handle your business.

Fix Bayonets!!

JOSHUA 1:1-9

GOD’S COMMISSION TO JOSHUA

1 AFTER THE DEATH OF MOSES THE SERVANT OF THE LORD, IT CAME TO PASS THAT THE LORD SPOKE TO JOSHUA THE SON OF NUN, MOSES’ ASSISTANT, SAYING: 2 “MOSES MY SERVANT IS DEAD. NOW THEREFORE, ARISE, GO OVER THIS JORDAN, YOU AND ALL THIS PEOPLE, TO THE LAND WHICH I AM GIVING TO THEM—THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. 3 EVERY PLACE THAT THE SOLE OF YOUR FOOT WILL TREAD UPON I HAVE GIVEN YOU, AS I SAID TO MOSES. 4 FROM THE WILDERNESS AND THIS LEBANON AS FAR AS THE GREAT RIVER, THE RIVER EUPHRATES, ALL THE LAND OF THE HITTITES, AND TO THE GREAT SEA TOWARD THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN, SHALL BE YOUR TERRITORY. 5 NO MAN SHALL BE ABLE TO STAND BEFORE YOU ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE; AS I WAS WITH MOSES, SO I WILL BE WITH YOU. I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU. 6 BE STRONG AND OF GOOD COURAGE, FOR TO THIS PEOPLE YOU SHALL DIVIDE AS AN INHERITANCE THE LAND WHICH I SWORE TO THEIR FATHERS TO GIVE THEM. 7 ONLY BE STRONG AND VERY COURAGEOUS, THAT YOU MAY OBSERVE TO DO ACCORDING TO ALL THE LAW WHICH MOSES MY SERVANT COMMANDED YOU; DO NOT TURN FROM IT TO THE RIGHT HAND OR TO THE LEFT, THAT YOU MAY PROSPER WHEREVER YOU GO. 8 THIS BOOK OF THE LAW SHALL NOT DEPART FROM YOUR MOUTH, BUT YOU SHALL MEDITATE IN IT DAY AND NIGHT, THAT YOU MAY OBSERVE TO DO ACCORDING TO ALL THAT IS WRITTEN IN IT. FOR THEN YOU WILL MAKE YOUR WAY PROSPEROUS, AND THEN YOU WILL HAVE GOOD SUCCESS. 9 HAVE I NOT COMMANDED YOU? BE STRONG AND OF GOOD COURAGE; DO NOT BE AFRAID, NOR BE DISMAYED, FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD IS WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO.”

Little Round Top is the smaller of two rocky hills south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania—the companion to the adjacent, taller hill named Big Round Top. It was the site of an unsuccessful assault by Confederate troops against the Union left flank on July 2, 1863, the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg.
Considered by some historians to be the key point in the Union Army's defensive line that day, Little Round Top was defended successfully by the brigade of Col. Strong Vincent. The 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, commanded by Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, fought the most famous engagement there, culminating in a dramatic downhill bayonet charge that is one of the most well-known actions at Gettysburg and in the American Civil War.

What God asks of us is faith and courage...He will take care of the rest.

1 CORINTHIANS 9:24-27

STRIVING FOR A CROWN

24 DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT THOSE WHO RUN IN A RACE ALL RUN, BUT ONE RECEIVES THE PRIZE? RUN IN SUCH A WAY THAT YOU MAY OBTAIN IT. 25 AND EVERYONE WHO COMPETES FOR THE PRIZE IS TEMPERATE IN ALL THINGS. NOW THEY DO IT TO OBTAIN A PERISHABLE CROWN, BUT WE FOR AN IMPERISHABLE CROWN. 26 THEREFORE I RUN THUS: NOT WITH UNCERTAINTY. THUS I FIGHT: NOT AS ONE WHO BEATS THE AIR. 27 BUT I DISCIPLINE MY BODY AND BRING IT INTO SUBJECTION, LEST, WHEN I HAVE PREACHED TO OTHERS, I MYSELF SHOULD BECOME DISQUALIFIED

JOHN 12:27

JESUS PREDICTS HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS

27 “NOW MY SOUL IS TROUBLED, AND WHAT SHALL I SAY? ‘FATHER, SAVE ME FROM THIS HOUR’? BUT FOR THIS PURPOSE I CAME TO THIS HOUR.

Too many of God’s people don’t know or understand what they are fighting for, or even why they must fight! Many of us die on the wrong battlefields…the errand is plain…take the land for Jesus Christ! It’s not about our own agenda, it’s not about proving a point – it’s about Jesus and Him crucified!
We cannot afford to be thrown off course. We must stick to what God has commanded.



HEBREWS 12:1-3

THE RACE OF FAITH

12 THEREFORE WE ALSO, SINCE WE ARE SURROUNDED BY SO GREAT A CLOUD OF WITNESSES, LET US LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT, AND THE SIN WHICH SO EASILY ENSNARES US, AND LET US RUN WITH ENDURANCE THE RACE THAT IS SET BEFORE US, 2 LOOKING UNTO JESUS, THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH, WHO FOR THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM ENDURED THE CROSS, DESPISING THE SHAME, AND HAS SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE THRONE OF GOD.

What I love about the battle of Little Round Top is…the Union was out of ammunition, they were short of soldiers, and many of them were wounded…the Colonel decided to charge!

They had a border / flank, to protect and retreating was NOT an option!
The same is true for you and me in the Kingdom. We have a church to protect, we have a community to protect, a city to save…retreat is NOT an option…when the enemy is on the pursuit, rather than react to what he’s doing – attack!!

ISA. 59: 19 – ‘WHEN THE ENEMY COMES IN LIKE A FLOOD, I WILL LIFT UP A STANDARD AGAINST HIM…’

A standard is not a shield or a barrier…it’s a flag bearing the colors of my armed forces…in other words, when the enemy charges, we’re going to tell him who we are, and then FIGHT BACK!

Not only will we be engaged in the fight, SO WILL THE LORD! He will fight with us and FOR us!!

DEUTERONOMY 1:29-31

29 “THEN I SAID TO YOU, ‘DO NOT BE TERRIFIED, OR AFRAID OF THEM. 30 THE LORD YOUR GOD, WHO GOES BEFORE YOU, HE WILL FIGHT FOR YOU, ACCORDING TO ALL HE DID FOR YOU IN EGYPT BEFORE YOUR EYES, 31 AND IN THE WILDERNESS WHERE YOU SAW HOW THE LORD YOUR GOD CARRIED YOU, AS A MAN CARRIES HIS SON, IN ALL THE WAY THAT YOU WENT UNTIL YOU CAME TO THIS PLACE.’

How do we fight?

- Prayer

- Devotion
- Worship
- Evangelism
- Holiness
- Liberality
- Fasting

2 CORINTHIANS 10:3-6

3 FOR THOUGH WE WALK IN THE FLESH, WE DO NOT WAR ACCORDING TO THE FLESH. 4 FOR THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE ARE NOT CARNAL BUT MIGHTY IN GOD FOR PULLING DOWN STRONGHOLDS, 5 CASTING DOWN ARGUMENTS AND EVERY HIGH THING THAT EXALTS ITSELF AGAINST THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, BRINGING EVERY THOUGHT INTO CAPTIVITY TO THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST, 6 AND BEING READY TO PUNISH ALL DISOBEDIENCE WHEN YOUR OBEDIENCE IS FULFILLED.

Revival is an Atmosphere

Acts 2:1-4


2 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord[a] in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Revival is an atmosphere. God responds to our faith and our anticipation...the Lord loves when we are awaiting His presence! The Lord will gladly pour out His spirit upon those who long for His appearing. Our church in Pasadena TX has longed for the Lord to breathe on us! Our prayers, our praise, our labors have all pointed to our desperation to be in the presence of God...it's no accident that the Lord is breathing upon us in this manner!

I am so grateful and humble that God would move in our church the way is lately. We've reached record numbers for our services without visiting churches...96 in attendance this morning! We've entered into revival services with Evangelist Dave Eccles, but truthfully, the church was in revival Long before he got there! So far, there have been over 10 people who have given their lives to the Lord...I can hardly wait to see what God will do for us this week! Please pray for us as we labor in His will and believe for Breakthrough!!

God bless

Hold My Hand

Heb. 11: 8 - 'By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.'

In the infallible words of Oswald Chambers:

‘faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One Who is leading. It is a life of Faith, not of intellect and reason, but a life of knowing Who makes us "go." The root of faith is the knowledge of a Person, and one of the biggest snares is the idea that God is sure to lead us to success.’

Can this also be said of you? Are you more concerned about how your life will turn out versus a concentrated focus on the One leading you? This is a struggle for many Christians, especially those who are overly sensitive to potential dangers and uncertainties that come with 'Risk-taking.'  What's amazing to me is when we were sinners, we risked our lives with drugs, alcohol, illicit sex, and rebellion...now that we're in God's kingdom, our approach is with caution and self - preservation.

Can we have confidence and faith like Abraham? He simply listened to the voice of God and acted...you never read of Abraham asking God probing questions because he wasn't sure about what God was doing. He simply obeyed. The question isn't where are you going, it should be, 'Who are you going to be Christ?' and, 'Will you allow God to change you and lead you?'

Whom will You Receive?

John 5: 43 - 'I have come in My Father's name and you do not receive me; but if another comes in his own name, him you will receive'

Well, I just returned from South Africa (Capetown/Mitchell's Plain to be precise), and it was an experience I'll never forget. The people there were so grateful that I would come and bless them, but honestly, they blessed me! A special shout out to Pastor/Missionary Hector Ortiz and the Ortiz family - he really blessed my life and taught me a lot about the foreign field and how to deal with people in general.

I can't wait to implement things that I've learned in the short time that I was there. On my last day in South Africa, I had the privilege with leading someone to Christ! His name is Lucas...(that's his translated name). He was smoking cigarettes when Pastor Ortiz and I happened upon him; after we prayed for him to accept Christ, he walked us all the way back through the mall where he was working, brought out the young man whom he had borrowed the cigarettes from and told him, 'I don't need these anymore!' He then paid the young man for the cigarettes he smoked!

My heart truly goes out to the people of South Africa...I also realize that they're not too much different than people here in America. We need Jesus just as bad as anyone else does.  Now, the reason why I chose that scripture in John to start this blog is, I had to ask myself a question: which One will I choose? Will I choose the Lord who did not come to heap glory upon Himself, but to glorify His Father; or will  I receive the one who comes in his own name?  Ask yourself this question, are you satisfied where you are in Christ?

Can and / or could you sacrifice a bit more? What if your life depended on it?  Can I tell you that it does...it's time to reevaluate your motives and purposes of serving the Living God.

Ode to Excellence

1st Cor. 15: 58 - 'Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable,always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord'

Ever been on a diet? What is a diet? In essence, a diet is simply the restriction of food portions in order to lose weight. You hear things like 'Fad diets' - for the most part, diets rarely bring success that people are looking for.  There is a main reason for this, IT'S A DIET - NOT A LIFESTYLE...

Your frustration comes because you are seeking long-term results using a short-term method. You cannot go on a diet, shed pounds, and expect to keep it off by going back to your old ways...this truth cannot escape the Kingdom of God!

You cannot serve God like you're on a diet! If your lifestyle choices do not change, you'll never 'shed' the weight!  Unfortunately, there are a lot of backsliders out there who came into the Kingdom with a diet mentality.  Think with me for a moment...

You've spent years becoming an idiot, and now you expect God to come in and transform your character and personality overnight...this simply isn't true. While forgiveness of sin is instantaneous...transformation is NOT. This is the difference between Justification and Sanctification...in other words, I'm not saved...I'M BEING SAVED!  Salvation isn't an Event, it's my entire saved life!!

Ps. 47: 4 - 'He will choose our inheritance for us, the excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah'

In reference to Excellence...it's not what you do - it's how many times you do it! Being consistent is at the center of excellence...in other words - you can't simply perform an excellent deed once, and expect people to respect and label you an excellent person...there must be a proven track record...this takes time!

Luke 2: 36 - 38 speaks of Anna, being in the temple for 84 years...this is a picture of excellence because of the consistency and longevity in her spiritual decisions for God. What is to be said about you? Have you gone into the Kingdom with a diet mentality, only to be frustrated because the results weren't as fast as you'd hoped...so you quit!?!

Matt. 24: 13 - 'Those who endure to the end, the same shall be saved'

God is challenging you and I to be excellent...this takes prayer, faith, and persistence in the Holy Spirit!

The Merry Christmas of Provision

Matthew 2:10-15
New King James Version (NKJV)
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

The Flight into Egypt

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.

It's amazing how God can open doors because of our liberality. We read here the first account of an offering set aside for Jesus...as a result, we see some amazing things happen in both Joseph's family and the Magi.

First of all, giving is an act of worship. When we give, this should be the mental picture...it's as if we are in the very presence of God...we fall down and worship (humility), then we bless our Lord with gifts from our treasures...not spare change, but treasures...this speaks of something saved up; premeditated if you will...something of value...

David told Araunah that he will never give to God whatever costs him nothing... - 2nd Sam. 24: 24

What's amazing about the account is, their giving set in motion the fulfillment of prophecy and the salvation of both parties! I believe because of their liberality, God was able to speak to them in order to avoid Herod! - Prov. 18: 16, 'A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.'

Secondly, what they gave became provision for Joseph and Mary to flee to Egypt!!

2 Corinthians 8:1-5
New King James Version (NKJV)
Excel in Giving

8 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: 2 that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. 3 For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, 4 imploring us with much urgency that we would receive[a] the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 5 And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.

So, not only did their gift make a way for them, it put in motion prophetic results and saved the Messiah...

We know that our giving can make a way for us, but could it possibly unlock the doors to prophetic impact? Through your giving, is it possible to intercept the will of God and make a powerful impact on the earth? You'll know for sure when you give!!