cup of joe

“Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing . That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭3:8-9‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Harmony | Sympathy |  Brotherly Love | Gently | Humility Take a moment to look at these words. These words describe how you and I are to deal with each other. How we treat people is so important to God. Notice that it is never contingent on how they treat us. We initiate all of the good things even when we are not treated fairly or we are insulted. We should always take the high road because there is less traffic. Pay back with a blessing! When we learn how to treat others the way that God intended, we are also treated properly. God sends blessings back to us! So the choice is yours; eye for an eye

#saturdaysmiles  ←Click on this link today to see this weekend video: Saved to the Bone 1 John 3:7-9

It is good for workers to have an appetite; an empty stomach drives them on.   (Proverbs 16:26 NLT) Have you ever noticed that when you are trying to eat the right things, every commercial on television is promoting the wrong things? Maybe you are not really hungry and sitting at home and then suddenly, that ice cream commercial sends you running out for your favorite flavor!  The marketing companies know that if they make you think you are hungry,  you will go after  what they want to feed you. Your hunger,  your appetite will drive you on .  Now consider that God has given us a taste of the bread of life (His Word) that when eaten, will make you want more:) His hope is that your hunger for more of Him will drive you on towards more of His plan for you. Your hunger brings out a craving to be with His people, His family, His activities. So rather than watch the commercials today and chasing pints of mint chocolate chip ice cream, take another taste of His Word and increas

Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.  Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor .  I can honestly say that my favorite places are those that lift up my spirits and encourage my soul. There's no place quite like the corner of Live Long and Prosper. You can find it in the city of Wisdom located among many Proverbs that have become powerful landmarks. Too many people are searching for this corner by working more than they are home, traveling more than they rest and being consumed by a pursuit of things. It's always OK to have things just don't let things have you! Today, I am praying that God would help all of us learn how to get to Wisdom. I found it by taking Proverbs right into the heart of it. You will find so many interesting sites that will make your

Matt 13:19  When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. We have to strive for understanding so that the enemy cannot snatch it.  You are a seed. Your words are seeds. Your thoughts, seeds. And YOU are responsible for learning how to plant yourself and your gifts and resources into what God is doing. God has planted His Word into your life. He wants all of us to strive for understanding so that the things he has planted in us cannot be snatched away. Unfortunately many times when we do not understand something, we simply leave that thought and go on to something that we do understand. God wants us to  know  His plan for OUR lives.  The fourth verse talks about the birds snatching the seed. Birds aren’t the only things that snatch seed. The wrong people in your life can eat the seed. Being in the wrong places too. Careers have eaten many seeds. Ne

May the power of His resurrection invade your life this Easter! H eaven Sent   O bstacles Removed   P eople Saved   E ternity Prepared H eaven sent The most quotable scripture of all time is found in the Gospel of John, 3:16 where we are told that God sent His only Son, so that anyone that believed in Him would not perish but would live for eternity with Him.   John 6:32 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:32, 33 NLT) For the Bread of God is He Who comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world . Heaven sent a gift…a sacrifice…a payment for the sin of the world and all we had to do was acknowledge the gift and receive it. For it is by GRACE that you are saved…not by anything that you have said or done, it is a free gift of God. The price has been paid. Heaven se

Imagine your life being completely turned upside down in one week. Going from sounds of laughter and singing to the chilling sounds of iron breaking bone. Jesus went on a physical and emotional roller-coaster during his final week on earth. And through it all He stayed on point and completed the mission for why He was sent...to be a living sacrifice that would save mankind for all eternity. Skies turning black, the earth trembling and the Messiah breathing His last breath on the cross is probably not what anyone would describe as a Good Friday. But for those that choose to follow Jesus and the teachings of His Word, these things fulfilled prophecy and made a way for us to be saved, healed and live for eternity with God. That makes it a  GREAT Friday ! Prepare your heart today and make this weekend one where you invite His presence into your life. It's the most important decision you could ever make.

Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the LORD will lack no good thing . PS 34:10 Imagine today that you could live life in such a way that there would be no shortfalls. No shortfalls emotionally, physically, financially and spiritually. Sounds like a perfect way to move through the day doesn't it? No shortfalls! Trusting in the Lord sets us up for the best possible life that we could live. When He is in control then we can be certain that the people we will meet, the conversations we will have and the places we will end up are being divinely guided or inspired. He orchestrates the steps and the stops! When we please the Lord, the Lord pleases us. Therefore, there is no lack because you have a new understanding that all things are eventually going to work out for your benefit. Everything gets mixed and mingled together into something that will be perfect for you. So what are you thinking about today? Going hungry or lacking no good thing?

I was thinking about social networks today and how important they are to so many people. Then I thought about Jesus and wondered what He would think. If Jesus had a Facebook profile what would it look like? Can you think outside of the norm for just a moment today with me? What kinds of posts would you find on his wall? How about… “Getting ready to walk across the sea again…really freaks out the guys!” Or maybe you would read… “Did you know laughter is like good medicine?  :)LOL” Or “keep using MY NAME in vain and I’ll make rush hour longer!” How about his status updates? Things like “just fed a thousands of folks with a little boys sack lunch…love to see the looks on their faces when the bread multiplies!" #full #rockedit #leftovers Would Jesus post "selfies" or pictures of the people that he was trying to minister to? What kind of “links” would he have…perhaps a link to healing, a link for those who hunger and thirst for righteousness?(of course all of

Got to love it when we all get excited about Jesus and begin to let the praises ring out! Today is that kind of day! It’s Palm Sunday and the celebration has begun…Jesus is riding into Jerusalem to the shouts of Hosanna and songs of praise. There is nothing better than being lifted up in spirit by a song of praise and shouts of Hosanna(Save Us) This is referred to in scripture as the Triumphant entry into Jerusalem.  Triumphant  means filled with pride and victory . The occasion was festive, celebratory; it was a huge street party! You see there was great anticipation and excitement on Palm Sunday. Just a short time before this, Jesus had been in this community standing in front of a tomb where a man named Lazarus had been buried.  Mary and Martha had been on an emotional rollercoaster. They knew that Jesus could have helped but he did not show up in time. They would find out that He did indeed show up in time…His time….and His timing is perfect. Lazarus would come walking out of

Everything comes to you at the right moment. Be patient. Do we really believe that? Scripture tells us that there is a time for everything. What I have realized is that I like to manipulate the timing and the end result of so many things in my life. What I want to do is learn how to trust the Lord, allow the process and enjoy the journey. Patience in the Bible is sometimes called long-suffering. I think that is because it feels that way. But when you and I are able to recognize our challenges, take a few deep breaths and ask the Lord for help, we soon understand that everything comes to us at the right moment. Those that wait on the Lord renew their strength. They rise up above the circumstances and develop endurance in so many ways. Be patient. Trust God. It's coming! #cupofjoe #longsuffering #patience #timing

Phil 2:14-15 Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe .  Every time I read this verse it is a gentle reminder to watch how I talk to others. I need to pay attention to how I engage in conversations and conduct myself in meetings. Going about our days and our business without complaining or arguing is not always an easy task. But it is a necessary one. There is much to be said about living a peaceful and quiet life. We need to remember that others are watching us at the grocery store, the restaurant and even at church. Your life is a living testimony of what you believe and what is important to you. And the good news is that you become more and more pure as you develop your ability to stop complaining and arguing. We live in a crooked and depraved world. In other words, there is so much darkness around us. That is why we

Some time ago, I was in a discussion with someone who was trying to determine how to move into the next season of their career. It was time for them to make a transition and they were like most folks...the hardest part of this type of change is the leaving. Today I want to give you a short excerpt from my story when I left the Christian music industry to become a full time Senior Pastor, Founding a Non-Profit Ministry Organization and a Church. It was a season filled with emotions, challenges and so many blessings. " When God tells you that its time to change jobs and you stay longer than you were supposed to, things may get very difficult before you leave. The longer you stay where you are not supposed to be the harder it will be to leave. I often wonder why He seems to move us when things are somewhat comfortable and going quite well right where we are. I don’t like to move. But I never want to stay anywhere longer than I am supposed to.

Romans 8:1-2 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death .  Sometimes in life, we become so focused on the finish line that we fail to find joy in the journey. Too often we carry guilt of a past failure and never rise up to our full potential because of these burdens. Many people feel condemned by their past, condemned by themselves and condemned by others. To be condemned is to be pronounced wrong or morally deficient. People who who are under condemnation never believe life can get any better and feel that no one approves of anything they do. It's very important to realize that when you follow Christ, your approval rating goes off the charts. Jesus accepts you the way you are. Jesus loves you and all of your imperfections. Jesus is a game changer! Those that ask Him to be Lord never carry the load of condemnation again...they a

Psalm 8:1, 4 Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? Every day I am filled with wonder that the Creator of the heavens would ever be thinking about me. Often I run to the Lord with a prayer that sounds more like a list of things I think I feel like I must have...as if He is unaware of what is going on right now in my life:) Sounds a bit silly doesn't it? I am absolutely certain today that there is nothing I could bring to the Lords attention that He does not already know. And even at times when I go off the deep end, His grace fills the gaps and His love remains unconditional and never ending. He is truly majestic! Would you join me today and take a moment to think about how you talk to the Lord. Do your prayers sound like a list of wants? Let's try some thankfulness today for the One whose glory fills the heavens! Lord, MY

The Bible tells us that IF we would humble ourselves, we WOULD be lifted up at just the right time by God. Humility is a trait of a blessed life. Thinking of others before yourself...looking out for your neighbor...helping a co-worker finish a project on time...all ways to start learning  the art of humility . So often we want to "blow our own horn" to make sure everyone else knows that we did something worthy of credit. I remember a story about a turtle and some geese. A turtle wanted to spend the winter in FL but he knew he could never walk there. He convinced a couple of geese to help him, each one of them taking the end of a piece of rope while the turtle clamped his vice like jaws on the center. The flight went fine until someone on the ground looked up in admiration of the genius in this plan to fly a turtle through the air and asked, “who in the world thought of that?’ Unable to resist the chance to take credit the turtle opened his mouth and said, “I diiiiiiiii