Perfection

When accomplishing a goal, many of us set up in our minds the perfect outcome.  Perfection takes commitment and practice.  And even when we put it all out there and do everything right, sometimes we are less than perfect. 
They key to perfection is two fold.   It takes practice with correct form.  An accomplished runner or swimmer practice endurance, speed, and cardio training to ensure their VO2 Max. ( VO2 max is a measure of the maximum volume of oxygen that an athlete can use. It is measured in millilitres per kilogramme of body weight per minute (ml/kg/min)).  In addition to improving the VO2 max these athletes also work on form, strokes, strides, and perfection.  
The old saying,  "practice makes perfect", is not entirely correct.  A better way to phrase it would be, "perfect practice makes perfect".  
So what is it that happens when one doesn't achieve perfection?  There  are a variety of things that one reviews.  The athlete may look at  form.  They may look at their practice time, the proper fueling and eating plan, etc. And then for the next race, the athlete will adjust in order to achieve perfection. 
Faith in Christ however doesn't seek perfection.  Instead, faith in Christ is about committing oneself to him.  Pastor Joyce's word today is very poignant.  And more so it calls us out as the church.  

Perfection January 7

There is a statement that nearly everyone spews from their mouth without thought of what is being spoken.  There are many such proclamations that when reflected upon do not display the truth of God’s word.  We’ve all heard those who say, “Nobody’s perfect”; especially when they have fallen short of the perfection they seek.

Job in his constant defense tells his critics that he would take his case before God to defend him, not man.  There is a mystery that has been hidden from ages and from generations, but is now made manifest to the saints; Paul says in Colossians 1:26-28; “…which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every  man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

The paradox of one’s living free of sin and being perfect in this life is not only difficult for us to believe it seems incomprehensible; to many it is ridiculous. The word of God is true and unchangeable.  In Hebrews 10:14-15 it says, “By one offering He had perfected forever them that are sanctified.  Whereof, the Holy Ghost is a witness to us.”

The presumptuous religious institution of our day is not able to receive Christ and His revelation because it is so preoccupied with itself and unwilling to yield allegiance to the One who demands all of our life. They will continue to voice the argument that nobody’s perfect and there is something that must be done to just be good. That is called self-righteousness and it stinks like a filthy rag in the nostrils of God.

When Jesus Christ ascended on high he gave gifts to men; “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come into the unity of faith.” (Ephesians 4:4-6) Those who have received Jesus Christ and honor Him as Lord over all of life are already made perfect by Him who died once and for all.  

Ignite your Passion

What is your passion?  Are you an athlete? Are you an artist? Are you a public servant, teacher, or medical professional?  What ever  you do, you were drawn to it for a reason.  The question remains, "Is this your passion?"  

All to often in life we busy ourselves with the business of the day.  Sometimes we work that extra hour or two so we can get the job done.  Sometimes we say yes to requests to give of our time when we don't have that time to give.  Pretty soon, we lose the time space for the passions in our life.  After time, our passion dwindles and we go through life much like the movie ground hog day.  Things become routine and meaningless.  We run on the same wheel over and over and feel like we will never get off.  Thoughts and dreams of what could have been and the things we are passionate about begin to enter our minds again and we often re-ignite that passion.  

Pastor Joyce writes of the passion, resistance, and persistence today.  Ignite your passion!  

  
Ignite Your Passion January 6

The detonator of our passion is in the brain; the thoughts generated in the mind will drive us to action against the enemy of our souls or lead us into passivity which will make us vulnerable to the devils attacks.  Passion stems from a Greek word meaning path and in context relates to the path of obedience Jesus took throughout His live and led Him all the way to the Cross; His ultimate destiny upon which He redeemed mankind.

The devils main strategy is to destroy and remove our passion from us.  This is a constant battle that we, as children of God must remain engaged in.  Like it or not we are at war and must fight to remain passionate about our path (our God designed destiny/assignment).  Proverbs7:6-8 gives a picture of a young (age does not really matter) man who did not think for himself.  Basically he was going with the flow and the feelings generated through his unengaged mind which leads him into the embrace of the seducer.

When we are passive our thoughts are not connected to the mind of Christ and we cannot see the plan of God for our lives.  We can pray until we are blue in the face, do any manner of religious activity and still not know what God has called us to do. We must engage our mind to resist the attacks of the enemy.

Isaiah 26:3 says, “I will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is fixed on me.” We have to fight to keep our mind fixed on God it’s a matter of war for peace.  In the New Testament James 4:7-8 says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you…”

Resistance is a fight against something that takes away all that we are passionate about.  Without passion there will be no resistance.  So, ignite your passion so you will be driven toward your mission.

Commitment

What is the longest distance you have ever run? What is the worst habit you've ever broken? What is the biggest goal you've ever set and accomplished?  So what do these three questions have in common?  In case you haven't guessed it, they all take a commitment. And when you've committed to these tasks they are done in small stages.  One stride at a time... one day at a time... and one benchmark at a time.  None of these things seem like much in light of the whole picture.  But when you step back and look at the these stages from a different angle, you are able to see how each small fraction gets you closer to accomplishing your goal. 

Regardless of your goal, you have to be committed.  I could spend a lot of time writing an analogy today, or I could work to provide you with a great story.  But today I leave you with Pastor Joyce's word for the day on committing one's self to the Lord.  As you read this word I ask you to ponder this question?  If someone were to describe you as a Christian, would they say you are committed to the Lord?  It's a very simple question, and yet so very complex.  Enjoy today's word and God Bless!

Commit Your Way to the Lord- January 5- Joyce's Word

“The road to Hell is paved with good intentions!” (that are never completed).  Hear the New Year’s Resolutions of many, “This year I will or will not do that which I have or have not done yet; I will lose this weight, I will stop this or that bad habit, I will love more, laugh often, read my Bible more etc.” Three weeks into the New Year most people who vow to change are the same or worse than they were before they made their resolve.

This cycle has repeated itself year after year for many generations and when the ability to remain faithful to the pledge fails, ninety percent of each year is spent under failure’s shroud of shame based guilt.  Some have remedied this problem by never making a commitment to change resulting in a rigid walk of staleness in a wilderness.  God is in the change business and works in us to will and to do His good pleasure stepping ever upward from glory to glory, each day becoming more and more like His Son.

Essentially we will form this new cycle when we seek God for your purpose, and depend on the Holy Spirit to take you through the change that He is planning in your life. Make your commitment and focus on God’s plan for your life. A conditional promise is made in Psalm 37:4-6 saying, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and He shall bring it to pass. And He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.”

God will work in our life to bring forth righteousness in us when we delight in Him and commit everything to Him, then rest assured of this one thing, “He who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it!

Walk by Faith

Faith is an interesting thing.  We entrust ourselves to those who we know have more knowledgeable than we do when we embark on something new.  If you have been reading this blog for any amount of time, you will find that last June I began a journey to run a marathon for the first time in 20 years.  Having been an accomplished runner in my teens and early twenties, I can honestly say I felt pretty confident in training for a 5k, a 10k, even a really fast mile. As a matter of fact, I had been an age group winner, or top 3 placer in several races in the past 10 years.  Because of my successes I was confident that I would be able to handle a further distance.  I had pulled a training plan for a few half marathons (13.1 miles) in the past few years and followed the plans exactly.  However- though I had done so, I was clearly missing something.  How did I know this?  I knew this because I ran a series of 6 half marathons.  In each of these endeavors I crashed at mile 10.  Though I  could run my race in under 2 hours, I have never run my last 3 miles in under a 9:50 mile.  If you are a mathematician, or someone who simply wants to check my stats,  you'll find that an entire half marathon at a 9:50 per mile pace would put me at a 2:08 finish time.  So let's put this in a different perspective.  My fastest half marathon is 1:57:40.  This means I ran my first 10 miles at an 8:47 pace and ran my last 3.1 miles in 30 minutes, a.ka 9:41 minutes per mile.  

I could have continued with my own plan, or I could have made a choice to put my faith elsewhere.  I made the choice to put my faith in someone who could help me reach my goal and not crash.  I signed up with the Dallas Running Club (DRC) training program and spent my next 22 weeks training for a marathon.  Trust me, there were times I questioned the training program.  But clearly I had no idea why I kept crashing at mile 10.  So I had to choose- continue to put my faith in my own knowledge, or put my faith in someone much smarter that I when it comes to running, nutrition, and of course - the "older runner".  Yes I had to admit I knew nothing about running a marathon and the change in physiology of a runner after age 40. So I put my faith in the DRC coaches and pace leaders.  And guess what? I finished.  Not only did I finish, I improved my 1/2 marathon time, 15 K time,  10k time, and my 5k time.  

So what does this mean? Recently I read, "Where there is no faith in the future, there is no power in the present" (The Daily Walk Bible). Had I not had faith in the results the marathon training plan would achieve, following it would have been pointless.  As a matter of fact, it would have been a lesson in futility.  I mean who on earth would put themselves through 111 miles of running during the month of August in the 100 degree weather of Texas unless they knew it would pay off?  In life we have many opportunities to walk by faith.  We have faith in our diet plan, or our exercise plan.  We put our faith in doctors and dentists to protect our health. We even put our faith in the stock market and 401 K's to improve our financial portfolio.  But there is no faith like that found in Christ.  Pastor Joyce's word for the day explains this kind of faith.  

January 4

Walk by Faith

Everything from God is received by faith! Hebrews 11:1-3 clearly provides faith’s definition, “Faith is being confident of what we hope for, convinced about the things we do not see.  It was for this that Scripture attested the merit of the people of old.  By trusting, we understand that the universe was created through a spoken word of God, so that what is seen did not come into being out of existing phenomena (things which are visible)”. In verse six of the same chapter we read that, “without faith, it is impossible to be well pleasing to God, because whoever approaches Him must trust that He does exist and that He becomes a rewarder to those who seek Him out.”

It is tough to add thought to words that clearly define what must be.  When we trust in and rely on God to lead us through life, all the blessings of Abraham of the Old Testament are ours to enjoy (an overview of the blessings is given in Deuteronomy 26). It is not something that can be explained to the natural mind, for everything from God is received by faith, and is conveyed through the Spirit.

No one, I repeat no one is automatically endowed with faith, trust, or reliance in God naturally.  Faith comes through hearing, and hearing by the Word of God!  So it boils down to this, to walk by faith and be well pleasing to God we must walk and abide in His Word.  Proverbs 4:20-22 says, “My child, pay attention to all my words and give heed to all my sayings.  Let them not depart from sight; keep them in the center of your heart, for they are life to those who find them and health to all their flesh.”

Nothing Withheld

Just one week ago an EF4 and an EF 3 tornado his Rowlett, TX and Garland, TX.  Both cities sustained extensive damage.  Homes were devastated,  11 people lost their lives, and the cities were left in shock and awe.  The most amazing thing about the tornado's aftermath was that though more than 600 homes were destroyed, the death toll was limited to only 11.  As you read this you may think the statement is diminutive of those who lost their lives.  On the contrary.  The loss of life is always devastating.  More-so, the families left mourning are not just mourning the loss of their loved ones, they are also trying to figure out how to put their homes back together.  However, in a storm this intense, to have only lost 11 people is simply miraculous.  

Equally miraculous was the outpouring of selflessness from both of these communities.  Every day since the tornadoes, people have volunteered to help with the clean-up.  Companies have stepped in to tarp roofs for free, donations of materials, boxes, food, water, and money have poured in.  Churches and emergency response people have assisted from the very beginning. To name all of those who came forward to volunteer is truly innumerable. 

The volunteers who assisted the tornado victims all had the same purpose in mind.  Their sole purpose was to assist those in need.  Pastor Joyce writes of the church and their call to come together as one.  When we step into God's perfect plan nothing is withheld.  

Nothing Withheld

At the Word of God all things were created.  Mankind chose to exalt themselves with their own accomplishments (“Let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves.” Genesis 11:4) God said, “Let us go down and confuse their language. With swift action He stopped the prideful ambitions of man and broke their ability to communicate. 

He said that when they were in agreement with one another nothing would be withheld from them.  Interestingly they could have had it all if they were in agreement with God’s plans instead of their own. When man tries to accomplish great things based on their own agenda they are limited as to how far they can go before God intervenes and changes their course.

On the other hand when our plans are in line with God’s word and His will regardless of how mysterious it may appear He causes His own to rise above the flood waters and bring new life into that which would otherwise lay barren.  In the days of old He accomplished His purpose through one man who was willing to listen and act upon what He heard.

Today He is calling for a collective body, the church to hear what He is saying and carry out His plans together.  Jesus has drawn His body into a place where, if in unity they will work, they will govern the earth.  We have heard Him speak through the mouth of the prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers and apostles that in He will establish His government on the earth to which there shall be no end.

The hour has come when God will not work through individuals who are not connected to His will and purpose.  His word is our road map to the future there is no limit to what we can do together and nothing will be withheld from us.  Learning to work in unison with God and His people is our highest calling.

It's Supernatural

We've all heard the benefits of daily exercise.  It is essential to maintaining one's physical health, mental health, happiness, and longevity.  Vast amounts of research have been conducted to chronicle the benefits of exercise.  Growing up in a family of people who sought athletic accomplishment, I learned early in life the benefits of exercise.  I also learned what happens when I don't.  I found that my body is tired, I am less productive overall, and quite honestly- I am just uncomfortable in my skin. 

 There have been seasons where I've competed, exercised to keep my weight down, and then.....well....not done anything at all. The time when I chose not to do anything did not bode well for me.  I later learned though that at least 30 minutes per day was sufficient to reap all of the above listed benefits.  I continue to choose running as my exercise of choice.  And as I wrote in a previous post, running is only a small chapter in an entire book.  Today's word from Pastor Joyce gives us insight into another piece of the story.  As a matter of fact, when exercising our mind with wisdom we gain another component of fitness.  It is one of thought and intelligence.  Like exercising our physical body, exercising our mind takes discipline and commitment.  Though I could write a whole book to convince you of the benefits of reading and improving your mind, I leave you to Pastor Joyce's word for the day.  

It’s Supernatural

The Bible, God’s word is not a history book!  It is not a book that can be read once and comprehended for all time. It is a living person who is communicating to its student how to live in the now. It serves as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path…without it we would be in darkness.

John the apostle understood the characteristics of the Word and persuasively presents his insight of its supernatural nature in the beginning of his gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  All things came to be through him, and without him nothing made had being.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not suppressed it.”

Our life is directed by God in every detail of our existence when we read, study, memorize and apply (eat and digest) the Word.  The Word shows us how to relate to God in worship, relate to others in conversation, have passion for life…the list goes on.  There is nothing that will be faced in the natural that is not addressed by the supernatural.

Let’s all meet the challenge to dig deeper into the Word and seek to receive revelation from it for our future and defined destiny.  Without it we stumble in the dark and have no light to lead us; we ride the roller coaster of confusion and are always wondering what God’s will is for our life;  God is not the author of our confusion.  If we are uncertain of our divine purpose in His Kingdom, then we are surely lacking in knowledge and we will perish. 

If I were to re-title this post it might be: Give me 30 minutes every day and I'll give you a healthier life!

A New Thing

Each year tradition in the United States is to start it with a Resolution. Websters dictionary defines Resolution as a firm decision to do or not to do something.  It is common knowledge that most of us make that New Year's resolution only to fall away before we complete the year.  According to a recent Forbes report, only  8% of us actually achieve our resolution. 

I stopped making resolutions years ago.  My only goal was to live my life in such a way as to benefit others and honor God in the process. I guess you could say that I did make a Resolution.  It is simply renewed yearly as the exact same resolution each year.  However, this year I did make a resolution.  One that is different in many ways.  This time my resolution is to honor the teachings of one of my greatest mentors and friends.  Pastor Joyce: My mom.  

 My resolution for 2016: To post Pastor Joyce's word for the day for an entire year. 

Who knows- maybe this will turn into a lifetime blog.  I hope you enjoy her short teachings as much as those who have read them before.  Good luck on your Resolutions and Happy New Year!

A New Thing

For the entire year 2015 God has been laying the foundation for His manifest presence in our life, every sermon, teaching, prophecy, and Word that He quickens to us is preparation for His purpose in us as individuals, the body, state, nation, and the world.  If we fail to embrace our destiny we shall be most miserable and have little impact on the new day ahead of us.

The prophet Isaiah said it, “Stop dwelling on past events and brooding over times gone by; I am doing something new; it’s springing up –can’t you see it?  I am making a road in the desert, rivers in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:18-19

Step out of that old comfort zone, there is nothing comfortable about change, but we cannot stop it when the hand of God moves His Kingdom into the new – which is a constant process – we can choose to leap into it by faith or continue to grumble about the past.  If we select to remain stuck in the past with all its pressures and disappointments we will miss the forward motion of God.

We all have something that is painful in our life but the apostle Paul says, “I reckon the suffering of the present is not worthy to be compared to the Glory that shall be revealed in us.”  Let’s focus our attention on the path that God has prepared for us to walk in and make 2016 a year of glory.