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Confidence

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Romans 12:3

It’s okay to be confident as long as you know who your confidence is in. The Bible says that man should boast in Christ and Christ alone, for it is Him that gives you strength and power. Every good and perfect gift comes from above. Thus, it is futile to think that any physical attribute or material possession you have comes from any other source but God. That being said, you should be quick to give Him glory for all that he has done. Take pride in nothing as it comes before the fall, but credited it all to His amazing grace.

“Confidence with no outlet equals arrogance”

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Persistence

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14 King James Version (KJV)

TD Jakes said, “As it is with weight training, you can determine a man’s strength by the amount of weight he is able to press.” Such it is in life, when the cares of this world weigh on us, our ability to press through the storms determines our spiritual resolve. It is very easy to believe in God when there’s money in the bank and things are going your way, but it’s a completely different animal when the odds are stacked against you.
It is at this time that you must dig deep inside yourself and summon the will, the intestinal, the moxy, the desire, etc. to press on in the face of adversity and uncertainty. We must realize however that the key to victory doesn’t lie in us, but in who we are in Christ Jesus. He is our source and we can do all things through Him
It’s not by might or by strength, but by His Spirit that we will be able to persevere through the storms and challenges of life. The Word of God assures us that we will have challenges in this world, but He instructs us to be cheerful because He has overcome the world. While we may not understand the nature or origin of the obstacles we sometimes face one thing is certain; if He bring us to it, He will bring us through it.

“Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and Determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “Press On” has solved and will always solve the problems of the human race.”
-Calvin Coolidge-

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A Man’s Thinking

7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:
Proverbs 23:7a (KJV)

The battle between good and evil comes down to one thing; Mind Control. If the enemy can control your thoughts, he can control your actions. And once he controls your actions he can lead you into a life a captivity which ultimately leads to destruction.
The Bible states that the enemy comes to steal, to kill and destroy, but this is not the life or plan God had for you when you were created. His plans are to prosper you, not to harm you; to give you a hope and a future.
This can only be accomplished by letting your mind be renewed through the reading of His Word. To develop a Christ-like mind you must allow His thoughts to become your thoughts and His ways become your ways.
I once heard a pastor say that the answer to the problems you face is probably in a book you haven’t read. God knows every challenge that you have faced and will face in the future. He has made a way of escape and reveals the answer to your dilemma in His Word.
Take control of your life by allow His Word to saturate your mind and become the final authority over all your decisions. Cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself above the knowledge of God and lead into every thought captive into the obedience of Christ.
Every action starts as a thought. Take action now. Surrender your life to Christ and let Him change your thoughts; change your actions, and ultimately change your life to line up with His desired plan. Your crisis can end when Christ begins.

“If you can control a man’s thinking you do not have to worry about his action. When you determine what a man shall think you do not have to concern yourself about what he will do. If you make a man feel that he is inferior, you do not have to compel him to accept an inferior status, for he will seek it himself. If you make a man think that he is justly an outcast, you do not have to order him to the back door. He will go without being told; and if there is no back door, his very nature will demand one.”

― Carter G. Woodson, The Mis-Education of the Negro

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The Story of the Howling Dog

Tom just moved into a new neighborhood recently. He liked his house and his environment, but there was one thing he didn’t get. His neighbor, Mr. Tan, had a dog that kept howling non-stop. Literally: Day in, day out. “Auuuuuhhhh………. Aaaauhhhh……….” Initially Tom thought the dog was just going through a phase, so he ignored the howls, as he thinks it would eventually stop. But it didn’t. The dog continued howling. “Auuuu…………auuuu………..Auuuhhhhh…….” One day passed. Nothing changed. Second day passed: Still howling. Third day passed, fourth, fifth day. 1 week. 2 weeks. 1 month passed, still howling, with no signs of stopping. “Auuuhhh………….Oouuuuuhhhhh…….Au au auuhhhhh…” Finally, Tom couldn’t stand it anymore. One fine day, he walked over to Mr. Tan’s house to see what was going on. Sure enough, there was the dog, sitting at the front porch, howling pitifully to whoever was walking by. “Auuuhhh…Ouuuhhh….Auuuuuuuuuuuuuu…”
On the other hand, Mr. Tan was relaxing on his bench at the lawn, leisurely reading his newspapers and sipping a cup of coffee. Wondering what was going on, Tom walked up to Mr. Tan.
Tom: “Hi Mr. Tan, is that your dog?”
Mr. Tan: “Which dog?” He glanced around. “Oh that. Yep he’s mine.”
Tom: “Why does he keep howling?”
Mr. Tan: “Oh, that’s because he’s sitting on a nail.”
Tom: “Sitting on a nail?!?”
Tom gave the dog a bewildered look.
“..Okay… so why doesn’t he just get away from the nail then??”
“Well, Tom………” Mr. Tan took a slow sip of his coffee before replying.
“…That’s because he doesn’t find it painful enough yet.”
Author: Unknown.

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The Night of Reckoning

On Sunday night September 13th, 2015 I made a mistake. I allowed myself to be baited into a road rage incident that resulted in a heated verbal exchange between me and another motorist.

By the grace of God, cooler heads prevailed and I returned to my vehicle avoiding a physical confrontation. As I drove away I was relieved, that I avoided any physical harm to myself or others, but little did I know the internal damage had already been done.

Ironically, I was on my way to my church Small Group meeting when this incident occurred and my first inclination was to go home as I knew I had missed it on this test. I felt ashamed and unworthy to be in the company of my Christian brothers after what I had done.

As I continued to drive the Holy Spirit quickened in me and reminded me that there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus and that isolation is the final step before the enemy moves in for destruction. Therefore, I decided to go to Small Group in spite of what had just happened.

At the time I was a newer member of the group, but from day one I was made to feel at home. I’d always been reluctant to join a Small Group because I didn’t want others in my business and it was very hard for me to trust the genuine goodness in others.

However, since joining this group of Christian men I have found the transparency and unconditional love to be invaluable assets to my life. I knew that I could go to Small Group and talk to other men of God openly about my anger issues without being judged and receive prayer upon request. I knew the guys would minister to me as needed in love, not condemnation.

As I arrived at Small Group I noticed that I had a very intense headache and was starting to experience chest pains as well as shortness of breath. I made it to the house where our leader, Phil, greeted me. He could sense I wasn’t feeling well so he offered me a seat and a glass of water.

As other members of the group arrived they could sense the same. Before Group started I excused myself a few times to go to the restroom as the headache intensified and nausea set in. When I returned from the restroom a second time I informed the Group that I was going home to get some rest.

The Group insisted that I let Mark who is an EMT/Firefighter, take my vitals. Based on his readings he advised the others that I shouldn’t drive. Immediately Kimani, who initially invited me to the group, offered to drive me to the closest ER or Urgent Care.

He helped me to the car and ensured that I was as comfortable as possible. As we drove he could tell my condition was getting worse, so he pulled over and called 911. He kept me calm and conscious until they arrived and then texted the Phil with an update. Within minutes Phil and Mark came to where we were and Mark informed the responding EMT’s of his findings and recommendations.

When I arrived at the Hospital I was alone and frightened that I may be experiencing a heart attack, stroke, or onset of an aneurysm. Soon Kimani and Robert showed up in my room. They talked to me and comforted me until my wife arrived.

Mark and Phil took my car home and informed my wife of the situation. Shortly thereafter Mark arrived at the hospital along with my wife as he had followed her to ensure she made it without incident. Upon their arrival Kimani and Robert gave them updates on my condition.

Before they left, the three brothers prayed for me and my family. They also informed me that Phil had taken our daughter back to his house and that he and his wife, Julie, would watch her as long as needed.

I’ve told these men Thank you, but I could never thank them enough for what they did for me last on that scary Sunday night. Their quick response and decisive actions saved my life. They’ll never admit it, but their actions were nothing short of heroic.

I know they didn’t do it for the recognition; they did it because it was the right thing to do. I’m sure they don’t want to take any credit because they were just displaying the love of GOD from their true character. However, I just wanted the world to know Small Group participation is not in vain. It is bearing fruit and I’m living proof that authentic manhood works.

Thank You Gentlemen,
God Bless!