Thanking God... REGARDLESS

Psalms 150:6 “Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!”  Everybody in life   is going to face flat tires, leaky roofs, toilet over-runs, IRS tax frustrations, hackers hacking into your email account, and viruses on your computer. The question is “How are you going to respond to your pains in life?”

      How does one change what comes out of their mouth? Peter exhorts the churches in Asia who were under heavy persecution. Nero in Rome was putting high pressure on these new believers and making life miserable in every way possible. Peter says, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.”  (1 Peter 3:10) NLT

 Is it really possible to Praise God Regardless, even when you’re being frustrated, agitated and flustered with life? Let me share with you three things that can help you with your Praise to God.

         Praise Him Regardless by truly Trusting God with all your heart. A very rich man was travelling through the countryside of Scotland heading toward a very important meeting. When his car got stuck in the mud he was stranded in the middle of nowhere. A poor farmer came to his aid; rescued him and gave him a bed for the night. The rich man was so grateful that he promised to pay for a full education for the poor farmer’s son. True to his word the rich man paid for the education. The young man was Alexander Fleming the man who discovered Penicillin. The story doesn’t end there; the rich man’s son was wounded toward the end of the First World War and was saved by Penicillin. The rich man’s name was Spencer Churchill; his son saved by penicillin was Winston Churchill, who went on to be the Hero- leader of 1939-45 England.

         That one act of compassion changed the course of history. Somebody had to Trust that God was using their painful experience for good. Somebody chose not to give in to negativity, complaining and whining. Little did Spencer know that one day his gratitude to a man and to God would be the very investment that would keep his son alive from a brutal wound on the battlefield.

            Praise Him Regardless by sharing your Testimony with those who need Christ. We forget too quickly what the Lord has done for us. He shined His glorious light on us and forever our life has been transformed. Share the light with someone else and tell them what He has done for you.

           I challenge you today to take a 21 day challenge. Wear a band on your right hand and say, “For the next 21 days I will not whine or complain.” If you blow it, put the band on your left hand. Start again the next day fresh and new back on your right hand. With God’s grace we can Praise Him Regardless.

           Praise Him Regardless by thinking about the Time you have left here on earth to Thank Him. What will you be known for when you leave this world? A Whiner, Complainer, a bellyaching barking busybody? Surely that’s not what you want written on your epitaph. The Psalmist encourages us, “Teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” (Psalm 92:10) With God’s help accept the 21 Day challenge to say, Regardless, “I will Praise Him.” Sooner or later it will become a way of life.

           Dannysdevotional.com

Thanking God Regardless - video message

Don’t let your Dream die!

There is one thing for certain. Life will throw you all sorts of curves, chaos, confusion and challenges. So How does one hold on to their Dreams in life? Take Henry Ford that had a dream to build a horseless carriage. His interest in internal combustion engines led him to construct a small one-cylinder gasoline model, which sputtered its way to life on his kitchen table. A later version of that engine powered his Quadricycle, which was essentially a frame fitted with four bicycle wheels, completed in June 1896.

         The Quadricycle was not the first working automobile in history, but it was Henry's first—and the first of many Ford vehicles. Henry Ford built his Quadricycle in a brick shed behind his house. When the car was ready to run, Henry discovered it was too wide to go through the door of the shed. He was so excited to get his car out for a test run that he took an axe and smashed the bricks out of the wall.

          At 4 a.m. on June 4, 1896, Henry sat atop his first automobile and took it for a spin. It ran successfully for a few blocks, but stalled from ignition trouble when he reached the area of the downtown hotels, prompting some taunts from the street transients. But Henry was jubilant: After years of hard work, he had built a working automobile.

         Later that summer, Henry Ford attended a convention in New York City of the Edison Illuminating Company, his employer in Detroit. At that meeting he was introduced to Thomas Edison, the inventor, who encouraged the young engineer to keep working on his vehicle: “That's the thing! Keep at it!" Edison advised.

          Henry took Edison’s advice. And as the Quadricycle began to attract public attention, investors were intrigued. With the backing and influence of the mayor of Detroit, Henry Ford incorporated his first automobile company, the Detroit Automobile Company, in 1899. It had a short life, but Henry Ford's career as an automaker had begun. By the way, he went bankrupt five times before the dream came true. 

        Think of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Nehemiah, and Elijah, each of these struggled with the dream until it came to pass. Friend, don’t ever ever quit. "Let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season you shall reap if you faint not." (Galatians 6:9)
         Dannysdevotional.com

Gems in Life Series 1 “Confidence” (Philippians 1:6)

Gems generally refer to a gemstone, a cut rock or mineral. Jadeite is worth more than $3 million per carat; Red Diamonds are $2 to 2.5 million per carat. Have you considered the treasures that Christ has promised to make your journey successful?

 Any athlete can tell you in order to have any success in their field, Confidence is a must. I’ve watched singers who’ve gotten nervous in their performance and gone flat and off key. I’ve seen golfers who ‘choked’, once they thought about their four foot putt worth $40,000! There are several things that will destroy your confidence. Let’s talk about a few                                    “Confidence Killers”.

 Unrealistic demands. Friend, no one is perfect. The Bible is full of heroes who experienced many blunders and mistakes. Some people place so much pressure on themselves to be perfect, that they forget what Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ. (Phil 4:13) If you think you can succeed in your own strength, you will fall flat on your face!

 Hitting the Replay Button too Often. The feature may be wonderful in helping referees in making the right call on the sports field, but when you’re always focusing on your past, you will certainly miss what God desires to do in your future. You can’t drive very far down the road looking in the rear view mirror without having a major collision and crisis.

 Fear of Failure What if Moses would have never left the backside of the desert and faced Pharaoh? What if Joshua would have never gotten the Priests to put their feet in the Jordan River? What if David would have never faced Goliath? What if Queen Esther would have never gone to the King to rescue the Jews from a death threat? What if three Hebrew teenagers would have never said to the King, “We will not bow down to your god?” What if Peter would have never launched out into the deep for a great catch of fish? (Luke 5:4) There would have been Many Missed Miracles.

Peter could have argued with Jesus, “Lord we always fish in the night, not in the daytime. Lord, we always fish in the shallow end where the Jordan flows into the Sea of Galilee, not out in the deep. Lord, don’t you know that I have been doing this all my life? Lord, don’t you know we are tired and have been fishing all night long?” Peter’s pride and ego could have gotten the best of him; but instead he says these words, “NEVERTHELESS AT THY WORD I WILL LET DOWN THE NET.”

 

If you really want SUCCESS in your walk with God, quit focusing upon your knowledge, your  abilities, your past experience, and your smarts. God can build your CONFIDENCE in HIS WORD to you. He is able to get you through your stress, your struggles and your shortages in life.    

 Dannysdevotional.com

The Challenges of Parenting! (Part 1)

A priest was invited to attend a house party. Naturally, he was properly dressed and wearing his priest's Collar. A little boy kept staring at him the entire evening. Finally, the priest asked the little boy what he was staring at. The boy pointed to the priest's neck. When the priest finally realized what he was pointing at, he asked him, "Do you know why I am wearing that?"The boy nodded his head yes and replied, “It kills fleas and ticks for up to three months".

 It’s amazing what goes through the mind of a child. Kids really do have a mind of their own. And because they do, they need essential Time, Training and Tough Love from Godly Parents. We can’t leave it up to the White House to lead and give time to our kids. Neither can we leave it up into the hands of the schoolhouse to Train and steer our kids in the right direction. In all honestly, it’s not even the church house’s responsibility to give Tough love to kids. God puts all these responsibilities upon the shoulders of Parents. Yes, the church house Will give tenderness, time and training because so many kids are without a compass in assessing what’s really valuable in life. So What’s Important?

Time, James Dobson says kids spell love… “T I M E”. Mom and Dad, no doubt you are under great pressure when it comes to the time you have left over from work, keeping up with the house, your child’s school, taking them to their ball games, dance recitals, music lessons, karate, and the list goes on and on. Somewhere you come to realize you can’t be everywhere and do everything that is pulling on your coat tail. You must determine your TOP Priorities.  Have you sat down and discussed, “Just what are the TOP priorities for our Family”? Is there time for God? Is there Time to deposit His Word? Is there Time to worship the Lord on “The Lord’s day?” Have other things crowded God out from your world?

 Training. If you don’t make time to train your kids, who will? Most of them will learn lessons from society, friends, MTV, social media, prime time, and television.  So what does God say about the child God has given us? “Bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4)

Tough Love, God states that parents are to discipline their kids. Eli was a great man of God but a horrible father. His sons Hophni and Phinehas were wicked men. He allowed his sons to get away without any repercussions or discipline. They violated sacrificial portions that belonged to God. They scandalized the faithful, acted unjustly and had illicit sexual relations with the young women assigned to care for the Shrine at Shiloh. But Eli did nothing. Mom, Dad don’t neglect in bringing tough love with some form of discipline to your kids. Kids are more secure when you do. God himself “chastens those whom He loves.”

I’ll be the last to say I did it all right as a parent. But with God’s wisdom and help, He will enable each of us to give Time, Training and yes, Tough Love to the children He gave us.

dannysdevotional.com   

                                    The Challenges of Parenting - Part 1    - video message                                                                                          

Add to your Faith…… “EXPERIENCE YOUR PAYDAY” #8

God states, “If you will add to your faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection and love, you will have a “PAYDAY of Victory.” Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit states, “If you possess these qualities in increasing measure, you will be productive.”

 These could be looked at as tools in becoming everything God would have us to be. Everybody struggles with something. In the pages of the Word of God, it is evident that men and women have their hang-ups and weaknesses. It’s up to us to add to our faith tools to overcome the entrapments that Satan uses to destroy us.

 Nobody climbs Mt Everest overnight. Those who have made it to the peak did it by taking one step at a time. BJ Gallagher writes, “Our journey is about progress, not perfection. It’s not about doing one thing 100 percent better; it’s doing 100 things 1 percent better each day.” God has a plan and a strategy for us to win. But you have to pay ‘up-front’ before you experience your Payday.

 Abraham kept pressing until he hit Payday. He struggled in believing for his promised son Isaac. It was his impatience that brought about Ishmael. Failure is not final unless you don’t get up. He persevered at the age of 100 and Sarah at 90, and they saw God bring about their promised son.  Payday came as they trusted God to fulfill exactly what He had promised.

 Isaac kept pressing until he hit Payday. He struggled with the Philistines who threw dirt in his wells. But he wouldn’t quit. He stayed in the batter’s box and faced every curve ball that came against him. He pressed on regardless, even in a famine, Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him (Genesis 26:12).

 Joseph kept pressing until he hit Payday. He struggled with his eleven brothers who sold him into slavery. He still trusted God who led him through some very deep and difficult steps. He was falsely accused for a crime he never committed and ended up in prison until he was 30 years old. Those 13 years of confusion eventually turned into a celebration.  He could have easily quit and turned sour and bitter. But he believed God had ordered his steps. As a result, thousands of people and own his family were saved in a famine. Yes, Payday came for a young 17 year old dreamer because he kept pressing.

 How long have you waited for your Payday? Have you become weary and worn to a frazzle? Keep taking one inch, one step, and one moment each day, pressing towards the mark. You may not understand it now, but God says, “Keep pressing till you hit the mark, for there is a prize.” Yes, keep adding to your faith and you will see your own PAYDAY OF VICTORY.                                              Dannysdevotional.com

Add to your Faith….Mutual Affection #7

                                           

A waiter at a Boston-area restaurant witnessed an act of kindness on Tuesday night that's warmed hearts across the Internet. “While waiting tables tonight, a mother and daughter started crying mid-meal. I had no idea what happened until a single guy at the table next to them handed me this note with his bill, “Do me a favor and bring me their check; someone just got diagnosed, don’t tell them.”

              

 What a great act of compassion and kindness! Peter says, “Add to your faith…Mutual affection.” (2 Peter 1:6) He’s inspired by the Holy Spirit and says that loving others is part of the journey in our development. This adds to the securing of your faith and your walk with Christ.

 Just how serious are you about finishing strong in your walk with Christ? Nowhere in the Word does it say that our walk will be perfect and without blemish, bumps and blunders. Yes, there are many challenges along the way. One of the greatest challenges that your faith will face will be how you handle people around you. Not everybody is going to smile at you and be nice, kind and loving. Some might just “rain on your parade”. Your issues aren’t in dealing with easy to love people; it’s those who are belligerent and ugly that adds stress to your life.

 Moses had to deal with Korah in the wilderness. Joseph had to deal with his eleven brothers who threw him in a pit. Nehemiah dealt with an enemy named Sanballat who attempted to stop the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. Jesus was betrayed by one of His disciples named Judas. I don’t know who’s getting under your skin, but headaches and stress with individuals are always going to be part of your development this side of heaven. Yes, God uses people like sandpaper to make us smoother and better fit for His use.

 So, will you stay the course and become Better rather than Bitter? I have watched many people who have removed themselves from His Will and Plan all because they couldn’t handle the pressure of people who caused them tension and heartache. But the apostle Paul says, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. “For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. (2 Corinthians 4:7-11)

 Go the distance friend. And one day, standing before the Lord, you will see how God used each difficult situation and different people to make you more like Him and better at loving those around you.

 Dannysdevotional.com  

Add to Your Faith - Mutual Affection - video message

Making Godly Decisions?

                             

Have you ever seen a filter get stopped up in your home air conditioning, your car oil filter, or a gas filter? If you don’t replace the filter, it won’t be long you will be paying high dollars in repairs and replacement cost. Everyone should ask themselves, “Do I have a filter for making Right Decisions?”

 Filters are cheap in comparison to replacing your motor or your A/C unit that cools your home. Car manufactures recommend that owners replace their oil and filter every three to seven thousand miles. It’s a small cost, but it can be a big ticket item in your budget if it’s overlooked. So what is your filter for making Godly decisions? I’m certain there are many, but let me mention just a few:

  Keeping your Head clear is vital to making Godly decisions. I just recently talked with a discouraged Pastor of a local church. He came asking, “How do I know when it’s time to step down from my church?” Many people make a bad call when they are tired and weary. God says, ^{30 “}Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; ³¹ but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint”  (Ish 40:31, 32).

 Each of us NEEDS a filter called Time Alone With God. Without consistent time alone with the Lord, you are apt to make some very bad decisions. Sarah said to Abram, “Take Hagar, she will give you a son. Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarah.” What would have happened if he would have hearkened to the voice of God? This mistake caused Abram and Sarah a whirlwind of heartache.

 Each of us NEEDS a filter called Trusting In Our God. “Without faith it is impossible to please God, he that cometh to God must believe that He is and He is a rewarded of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). People who tithe, trust in their God. People who share their testimony and witness, trust in their God. People, who choose to engage in ministry, trust in their God. “It’s not by might, nor by power but by My Spirit says the Lord” (Zechariah 4:6). Most people hold back from obeying God because of doubt.

 Each of us NEEDS a filter called Remembering the Lord’s Faithfulness. If God did it once, He can do it again. “He is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). “They soon forgot what the Lord had done” (Ps 106:13). The children of Israel had just come through the Red Sea and within three days got amnesia. They came to Marah and the waters were bitter. Immediately they are murmuring and complaining of God’s unfaithfulness. I keep a black book of the breakthroughs that the Lord has done for me. I do that to remind myself that when I go into another battle the same God that brought me out the last time can do it again. Have you checked your filter lately? When you get the trash of doubt, discouragement and darkness out, it’s amazing to see how the Lord will guide and direct you.               

                        

Dannysdevotional.com