Is It Tough To Follow Christ?

There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man and only God can fill it.  -Blaise Pascal

Clarence and Robert McClendon were two Christian brothers who did well in their careers. Robert was a prominent lawyer and Clarence was the author of a popular book. Clarence was deeply involved with the interracial action-groups of the 1950's and 60's, in Georgia, USA. Once Clarence asked Robert, now a politician, for legal help, which he refused, because his political ambitions would be jeopardized. To rationalize his refusal, Robert told his brother: I follow Jesus up to a point. I follow him to the cross, but not on the cross. I am not getting myself crucified. To which Clarence replied: Robert, you are not a follower of Jesus; you are only an admirer of his.

     
Perhaps Clarence could repeat those words to us. We bear the name of Christ, Christians, but prefer to formulate our own code. In Europe, the Christmas Holidays are called the Winter Holidays. Why? Ostensibly, they do not want to wound the sentiments of people of other religions. Perhaps some segments of Christians, in other parts of the world, have joined their European brothers in switching to the changed terminology, for the same reason.

     
The Hindus have not changed their festival Diwali to something more akin to Christian idiom. The Muslims have not renamed Ramzan to appease their Christian brothers. Why are we ashamed of the word Christmas? Is it because we are ashamed of being identified as Christians? To those of us, who are embarrassed of being Christians, Jesus has a warning. In Matt. 10:32, He says that in the presence of His Father He will not acknowledge those who are ashamed of Him, in the eyes of men. The Master never makes empty threats. Do we hear the alarm bell?

      
We are Christians, but will not attend Church Services. A Christian young man I know tells me that he goes to Sunday morning service only when there are no good movies on TV. Some offer an excuse for their non-Christian attitude. They say that they are scandalized by the behavior of some Pastor/Priest and dissociate themselves from anything Christian. Are we Christian because of some Priest/Pastor, or even because of the Pope? We are Christian because of Christ, who is sinless and blameless. Do we stop using our family name or stay disconnected because of some black sheep in the fold? We refer to Biblical Stories as Christian Legends to distance ourselves from their veracity. We are Christians who do not want to profess Christian beliefs. Do we not profess our political affiliations? Democrat or Republican (USA), Labor or Conservative (UK), Congress or BJP (India)? We join elite clubs and are proud of our membership. We work for Fortune 500 Companies and will let others know of the connection. But Christ, the Son of God, we leave out in the cold. We exclude Him from our network. Alone, He will hang on that cross.

      
We try to run away from Him, but He comes panting after us, as The Hound of Heaven, whom Francis Thompson faithfully portrayed. In an unhurrying chase, at an unperturbed pace, He will not give up following us. Gently, He reminds us, all things betray thee, who betrayest me. We try to hide from Him, but He will seek us out. We shut our ears to His words, but He will play music that we cannot silence. We close our eyes to Him, but He will tenderly lift our hands off them, to lovingly gaze into our troubled eyes. What a Christ we have! Yet, we are ashamed of acknowledging Him. Would we do to our friends, what we do to Him, the truest of all?

 In my reckoning there are a few reasons why we behave the way we do.

1) We are the instant people who demand instant gratification. We want Him to be the genie we can command. He would willingly oblige us, if only all our wishes were for our good. Often, we desire that which will harm us. He sees it; we don’t. So, He shuts some doors through which we wish to enter and opens new doors, if only we have eyes to see.

2) We want to be in control, to march to our drumbeat. To surrender, to submit are against our grain. We like to be in charge of our lives; and extend that power by taking control of Him. The paradox is that He does not want to control us. He will not place limits on His gift of free will. Of our own, if we love Him and seek His protection, He will accept our friendship, and not a forced alliance.

3) We mistake His goodness for weakness, because He does not react even when we act in defiance or choose to ignore Him. His Infinite Patience and Forgiveness are never tested. For that very reason, we tend to take Him for granted.

4) We enthrone false gods in our hearts. Wealth, power, fame and pleasure are some of the deities we enshrine, dislodging the rightful owner. Does He complain? No, He waits for the time we will turn away from those false gods and return to Him, like the Prodigal son. In a question that also holds the answer, Job asks: Has anyone resisted Him and found peace? No wonder, the scholarly Saint Augustine wrote: Our hearts were made for you, O God, and they shall not rest until they rest in you.

      
Mistakenly we believe that we are doing Him a favor when we pray or live a life by The Book. Hugh Blair exposes our folly: It is for the sake of man, not of God, that worship and prayer are required; not that God may be rendered more glorious, but that man may be made better. We need to reflect on Hugh Blair's words, because a Perfect God needs nothing from us. He would not be God if He needed anything from us. He is complete in all respects. With unmatched love He persuades us to reform for our sakes, not His.

      How do we reform? By being the salt of the earth, and light to the world. Salt dissolves in food to lend it taste and flavor. Light dispels darkness. Like salt, when we make ourselves useful to others, and as shining examples, when we shed light for others, we become lovable. And when we become lovable, we can be sure that Jesus’ love is in us. Aptly, Bishop Fulton Sheen explains what that means: When the Lord puts His love in us, then we become lovable.

      There is no doubt that it is tough to follow Christ, but the rewards far outweigh the effort, and the peace that comes from it cannot be matched. Ordinary people have done it. Are we any less?

5 Signs You're Settling For Less Than You Deserve

by: Iyanla Vanzant

Some years ago, I was shopping and came upon a beautiful red dress. The color, style and length were perfect. But the store didn't have it in my size. It did, however, have the same dress in navy, which I wasn't crazy about. Then I noticed a pair of blue shoes nearby that complemented that blue dress. (I didn't love those, either.) So what did I do? I bought both. I was afraid I wouldn't find anything else, so I settled. (It won't surprise you to learn that I've never worn the dress or the shoes.)

You've probably heard the saying "Better the devil you know than the devil you don't." Here's a question: Why put up with any devil? Why not give ourselves only good things? When we believe we cannot have what we desire—when we lack faith in ourselves and in the goodness of life—we settle for less. We decide that whatever is in front of us is better than nothing. But believe me when I tell you that better than nothing isn't good enough.

I often see people settle for less than they deserve in personal relationships: accepting bad behavior, excusing broken promises, accommodating people who take more than they give. Why? Because doing things we've grown accustomed to is familiar, comfortable.

Which is why sometimes it can be tough to gauge whether we're settling: When we tell ourselves that things are fine, we soon forget that they could be better. Here's how to know whether you're putting up with less than you deserve:

• When you have to work yourself into a state of excitement rather than naturally experiencing joy and passion, you're probably settling.

• When you bargain with yourself about what you can do without rather than feeling gratitude for what you already have, you're probably settling.

• When your focus is on the time and energy you've invested in an endeavor rather than the love, joy and gratification you've gained, you're probably settling.

• When you're making excuses about why you should stay put rather than going for what you truly want, you're probably settling.

• When you spend more time complaining about what you have than appreciating it, you're definitely settling.

But there is a lesson to be learned in everything. When we realize we've been settling, we discover what we actually believe. We learn that we perhaps think ourselves undeserving of happiness and find how susceptible we are to outside influences—because often we settle when others convince us it's the right thing to do. Most important, we learn that we are not standing fully in our truth. Armed with this information, we can make new choices that support our desires—by beginning to believe that we can have what we really want.


Iyanla Vanzant is the host of OWN's Iyanla: Fix My Life and the author of  Peace from Broken Pieces.

This post was originally published on Oprah.com

This Time I'll Rise

He called me today... there was a warning in me so badly not to pick up...but I couldn't resist. Why because I'd been really wondering why he hadn't called already, and even wanted to call him just to say it "Happy New Year" of course. as he did, but I resisted the tug of familiarity for my own sanity.

Last year I'd become so used to him calling at the times that were convenient for him that it was expected, becoming common place. I thought I'd overcome, but he called me, and I picked up. When I answered the excitement in me to say a simple, nice "Happy New Year" like I wanted to, was stifled. I had a dry attitude that was close to bitter. I cut him off short. I shouldn't have even answered, but I did.

When people call you and say Happy New Year, they more than likely want to be in your life for the year. My picking up woke me up, after that conversation, realizing if  that frustration is inside of me, it means that there are feelings inside of me that can still be accessed. I will not allow myself to be used by the enemy or taken for granted this year!

A while back I wrote a poem pertaining to this situation called "Don't Let The Devil In." In actuality I'm not talking about this guy who called. We can serve as our own worst enemies. Sin is what happens when our actions aren't based in wholeness and rooted completely in God. We are what we let in. Where there is no enemy inside, the enemy outside can do no harm.

We read that no weapon formed against us shall prosper, we have the power to refute whatever comes against us, well that power is a direct result of being fortified with God's strength which is greater than our own. This truth comes with understanding that God is the very creator and master of every weapon created. I was allowed to be placed in a situation with a particular man for a season in my life. He wasn't the devil, my lack of self-esteem and confidence was.

I will not stay held in bondage this year, I will not stay running around in circles. I will not be taken advantage of by the devil. The devil wants us to be complacent. There are many things in our lives that can be considered the devil. There are many things that the devil works through, but we have to ask ourselves "are we inviting the devil in?" Our greatest honor is in listening to God's calling and following  His will. We hear "my sheep know my voice and another they will not follow. God uses the fire and trials of our lives to wake us up and show us what's really important, but we're supposed to learn from them. I've learned my lesson. This time I'll go beyond avoidance, I'll rise above keeping the devil out. This year will be amazing, because I'll do everything  I can to let God in.

The Power of a Mentor: Following the Pattern Set Before Us.

By: Paul Horne


As a student preparing for ministry I am coming to a greater realization that having a mentor who is in ministry is vitally important. The set of verses that constantly come to mind are the words Paul wrote to Timothy in his second letter, “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:1-2, ESV) Listen to how Paul speaks to Timothy; he calls him my child, showing such a deep loving relationship. We know from human standards that a father is to teach his children how to live in all aspects of life. We need mentors the same way we need to have fathers in our lives to set the patterns for us to follow. Without them we have the tendency to go astray. 

The relationship of mentoring is not a one-way street; it is one that branches off to others. We should be learning from our disciple maker while at the same time taking what we are being taught and teaching it to other men (and women) in the faith.  In order to be in a disciple making relationship it requires work to be put in, along with time. Jesus invested his time in twelve men whom he would send out into the world to teach others. He not only sent out twelve but at one point he sent out seventy-two men two by two (Luke 10:1). The best way for us to be sent is by a man we are learning from so we can implement what is being taught.  

  

What does a mentor look like? A mentor is going to look different for each person; you may not have just one mentor in you life or at one point of time. There will be areas in life that you need to have the footsteps of someone else to follow whether it be in a hobby, in your profession, or in general guidance for your life. This person should be some type of authority on the subject; not necessarily having to have credentials but having done a what ever it is you are seeking them for a period of time with a good track record. You do not want to start following after someone or seeking their help when they have no idea how to handle the struggles you are facing because they have just started the activity themselves. 

Do you have an idea on how this association should look? It is imperative that when you enter into a formal mentoring relationship that some standards be set. The type of standards I am referring to are like how often will there be contact made, what forms of contact are best for this relationship. What kind of accountability is going to be set in place if any at all? Are you both going to keep this association merely about the mentoring/disciple making or is this going to become more of an intimate friendship where lives overlap? 

I would recommend depending on the type of commitment being made, that lives become intertwined with an at least weekly (if not several times a week) contact. It does not matter where the contact comes from be it a phone call, text message, social media interaction. And no less than once a month interaction face to face in a setting that is not sterile, but inviting conversation and allows the relationship to feel more organic and real. 

It is my hope that this work will inspire you to strengthen those relationships that are in place and to possibly form new ones. I leave you with this: who is investing in you and who has the Lord placed on you heart to invest into?



Paul Horne is a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband, a father and expositor of Scripture. You can find more of Paul's writing at preachdatruth.blogspot.com

Getting Back To Gratitude

I have SO much to be Thankful for, sometimes in fits of recognizing what I don't have or going after what I don't need, I get off track and everything falls out of order. I'm so glad that God has me in exactly the place where He wants me to be. I'm thankful that I can never get too deep into a depression without the spirit of God lifting me up! Thank you father for being my covering! 

I know that anytime I feel limited, slighted, or overwhelmed by the very gifts I've been given, I'm really not operating in the spirit. Thank God for always leading me back. For helping me to realize today that Breath Of Life Daily came out of a pure spirit, not from me wanting to be liked or get money, but from me wanting to encourage people. 

BOLD came from me having an overflow of life to give. That life is in God. I'm always chasing better, even if it's not God and this year He put me in a position that I never could have imagined, but it's absolutely everything I need. I'm covered in a place of safety and I get to minister to women at the Christian Women's Center. God's got me, I'm covered, and I'm here. Breath Of Life Daily came from that, That no matter what happens, or what has been, the life in the spirit overpowers the life on the outside. I'm so thankful that I'm not in this by myself, that I've have people who support me and see my potential in God. Thank you to everyone who has been a blessing and who continues to be a blessing!! Happy Thanksgiving Day!

When we get back to the true source of why we do what we do, our passion will take control and produce of it's own accord. Thank God for gratitude, Blessings come from gratitude. 

-April D. Byrd


What are you thankful for today?

How To Move Past Your Past

by: April D. Byrd

"We live as if the purpose of life is to arrive at death safely." "Freedom is the goal, not safety."  In her Moving Past Your Past series Christine Caine discusses that in life we have to take risks in order to move from where we are to where we want to be and receive God's best life for us. 

I was able to see her video series in it's entirety, which is Amazing! Life Today with James and Betty Robinson also shared an excerpt on their show. The episode featured a flashlight analogy that I knew I wanted to share. In this series, she shares brilliantly that it's never too late to turn our lives around for the better and not be hindered by the past.

It's up to us to understand that no matter what we've been through in life we have the ability to overcome and start over. Don't allow one season of your life to define your entire life. The same spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead lives on the inside of you, and the same holy spirit empowers us to move beyond our past into the future and destiny that Jesus Christ has for us.

Refuse to Allow your past to Limit your future!!


Check out Christine's empowering message (below):

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10 Scriptures To Help Brighten Up Your Day

by: Bryan Skyz

Life has a number of ups and down. Most low moments are rather spontaneous and unpredictable. God’s will for the human race is to have life in abundance and to enjoy every minute of it. No matter how your day starts, something can happen that may upset or intrigue you and consequently mess up your emotions. Below are some of the bible verses that you may consider meditating upon to get through a bad day.

• I Peter 5:6, 7 ‘’ Humble yourself therefore under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time.’’

When you feel things happening to you are unfair or you are being treated as slave at your workplace, this verse tells you that God is watching, and He cares about you. If you will continue enduring in faith, in due time, He will deliver your breakthrough.

• Philippians 4:13 ‘’I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’’

This is one of the most powerful verses in the Bible. Whenever you face a tough challenge, which you normally don’t have what it takes to conquer, contemplate on this verse. The inspiration behind it verse will work your faith and assure you that you are not alone but with the ultimate conqueror. You and Jesus are a majority.

• Mathew 11:28-30 ‘’ Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

When you feel the whole world is crushing down on you, this is the verse to meditate upon. It tells you that Jesus knows about your troubles, and He is a savior who is willing to help you out and be your comforter and refuge.

• ‘’Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in you,’’ Psalm 56:3

Many a times the devil will tempt you and frustrate you with fear and anxiety. This verse will encourage you to focus on God rather than your fears. God is greater than your fears. As you trust in God, your troubles grow dim.

• John 15:17 ‘’If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you’’

When Christians allow God’s word to reign supreme in their lives, they touch God’s heart. When a faithful Christian is going through a bad day, this verse gives an assurance of God’s intervention after a prayer.

• Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

This verse is an encouragement that whatever you go through during your day, as a Christian, you are not alone. God is watching. He is with you and will see you through it all to the end.

• Jeremiah 17: 14 ‘’Heal me, Lord, that I may be healed; save me that I may be saved, for it is you whom I praise’’

It is through praise and worship that men touch God’s heart and unleash His mighty power. The verse will uplift you no matter the condition you find yourself in during a bad day.

• ‘’The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not lack,’’ Psalm 23:1This verse encourages you on a day you feel insufficient. When you trust in God to provide for your needs, you indeed can never lack, for God is faithful unto his people.

• Romans 5:3 ‘’ And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience’’   On a bad day, this encouraging verse teaches Christians to maintain a positive attitude towards challenges. God brings both joy and sorrow. If your day is sour, God has a reason for it, and He is working on your character. Take it positively.

• Psalm 37:23-24 ‘’ Those whose steps are guided by the Lord, whose way God approves, May stumble but they will never fall, for the Lord holds their hand’’

If failing at some task has messed up your day, don’t let it get you down. Failure is not final; it’s just a stumble, not a fall.

• Hebrews 10:36 “You need endurance to do the will of God, and receive what he has promised.”

[ All Christian News]

Pray, Hustle, Then Pray Some More.

by: April D. Byrd

So often I need to remind myself that prayer is the key and source of energy. Most of the time when I get up, the first thing I wanna do is get going with my OWN plans for the day! That's after I get up from a 2 hour snooze from the time I "wanted" to get up! It's usually the "special" things that get me going.


A friend told me this morning that "I Hate to get up in the morning", she went on in her rant that "You're not a morning person". I wanted to be appalled, but I couldn't even argue. People know us by our actions. As much as I want to be in demand in charge, I know most of the time that never comes unless I've been in the spirit, been fortified in the replenishment of worship. It's a game changer. Most of the time I end up doing extra stuff I never even thought I would do. Like the energizer bunny.


A lot of success/money magazines list "meditation" as one of the top habits of wealthy people. I'm not knocking meditation, it has it's place, but I think in the spirit of God, truly acknowledging that, there is so much more.


You can call it meditating or whatever you want, but we know what it is. Honestly that time spent in the spirit, that direct line of communication with our maker is what gives the energy, the hustle, the grind we need, all of that. Pray everyday.  Pray without ceasing is what the word says. Prayer is the thing that causes our lives to reflect greatness. The word of God is life changing we know... even when I'm searching through the #scripture tag on Instagram I feel empowered. I guess that would be 10 times better if the word is coming from the life giver Himself.

Note: that Beyoncé didn't wake up like that, and Oprah didn't do it all own her OWN. You will find both of them attributing their success to one God. The one who controls the universe, inspired the Bible, and uplifts our souls. Pray! your spirit will thank you, you will be motivated. It ALWAYS works for me.