Hang In There

With so much bad news out there today, its very nice and refreshing to report some good news for a change. One of my readers read one of my blogs ,(Brenda) took some of my advice and has given her marriage another chance. Now after two months the marriage is doing well, she is happy, her children happy and she is glad that she has given her marriage of over 10 years another chance. I am very proud of her, because she could have taken the easy route, by doing what so many Americans do today, which is give up or get a divorce. She is a very brave woman and truly what the bible speaks of when it says, When a man finds a wife, he has found a good thing. I have found in life its very easy to give up when times get hard or when the people we are involved with fail or do something that may hurt us. The question many of us should ask ourselves is, What if God was like us and given up on us when we sinned or have done something wrong? Would we like that or how would we deal with an unforgiving God? Thank God known of us have to answer that question, because he is loving, kind, forgiving and he is able to turn a dark day into something brighter. Praise Jesus!

 The question that has been asked of me many times is, "How do I stay on track, when the rest of the world, is getting harder to live in, has given up or bought in to all the bad news they hear everyday?" My answer to that is to never loose your determination and to always remain focused. When I say being focused or determined, I mean being that way with every aspect of your life. Which means one should never forget about their physical or mental health, their personal life , to always keep an open mind and to have their own personal relationship with God. As I have grown older, I have found that its easy to stay focused on one thing, but harder to stay focused on many things. In life to be successful one has to be focus on many things to be a success or happy. Not only does one have to be a good father, mother, worker or owner of a business, but also a good person. Being a good person in today's world is hard and a hugh challenge. Why? Because there are people in the world that thrive on tearing others down, criticizing the weak and relishing when others fail. Your children will test your patience, your spouse will do something wrong or something that may hurt you, there are people in the world that will always be evil and try to invade your privacy or tear down your world. That is why its so important to hang in there, stay determined or focused , to never give up on your dreams and go after all of your desires. Why? Because if you can survive the storm, there is sunshine awaiting you tomorrow, so hang in there.Remember this you can't be on mans side to day and on Gods side tomorrow. One must always remain focused God first, themselves second and then family or friends.With strong  prayer God will always have your back and will always be there to protect you, in your time of need. "Hang In There" and in time everything you want or ask for will be given to you with the grace of God. "Hang In There", God Our Father in Heaven is always by your side!!!
May God bless you,
Charles

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

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Deuteronomy 31:8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

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Joshua 1:5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

The Devil Is A Lair!

If you happen to reading this, I have a question to ask you, isn't life funny or sometimes strange? The reason why I ask you this question is because it seems no matter what we do or how hard we try there is always some type of drama, issue,stress or problem to deal with. Even if you wake up in the morning with good intentions or if you plan on having a good day, something bad always happens or someone always does or says something to ruin your day. The question is why? Why are there so many bad things happening  in our lives when our  thoughts happen to be pure or right? I was asked one day , by a young lady who claims to be a prayer warrior," Why was there so much confusion in her life"? She explained to me that she prayed daily, once in the morning, then before every meal and before she went to sleep at night. She then said , "Charles I love God with all my heart, but I can't seem to get drama or stress out of my life".She went on to say, I am tired of this, tired of the mess and the confusion that's in my life, please tell me what am I doing wrong?

Then I looked at her then smiled, I asked her when she prayed who did she pray for or what?She answered me by saying that she, prayed for her church, family,friends , herself and for anyone she felt that may needed a prayer. Then I said to her that ,What you are doing is in order and you appear to doing it well. But you forgot to do one thing while you were praying. Then she looked up at me and said,"Please, brother Charles, please tell me what I am doing wrong". I then said to her, that  you are not necessary doing anything wrong, but don't forget that while you are on your knees praying at home or while in church that there is always someone else listening to your prayers besides God. The devil, will always be in our mist unless we rebuke him daily.  Then she said to me Charles I always ask Satan to leave my presence. Then I said to her if you could talk to the devil and if you asked him to leave, he would then ask you this question. On who authority should I leave? You have no power over me, after all I am prince of the world or the Earth. And that's when you should always say in, I command you to leave or flee my presence, in the mighty name of Jesus! I rebuke you Satan, you shall not claim my life or my world! God is my strength, my power and my provider. After you have done that then go on with your life and if someone or something comes into your world trying to change your mood, ruin your life or attempt to put a damper on your day, shout out the devil is a lair! Then rebuke the devil, in Jesus name and he shall flee.

Have a blessed day,

Charles

Luke 17:3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

Leviticus 19:17 "'Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt.

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Matthew 18:15 "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.

Father's Day!

When I think about this holiday, because I happen to be a father and grandfather myself, I can only think about how big of a responsibility it is to be a father. Being a single parent I had to raise my own son for over six years and even though I did my best I couldn't compare to the best father I know. No it wasn't the man that raised me, even though he did a wonderful job raising me, teaching me how to be a man and providing me with the necessary skills to survive, but when I think about this father he happens to be  the greatest example of being a father ever was. Who is this you may ask? He has been called many names and some have called him ,The Most High, others have called him Our Father in Heaven, then there are some that call him Jehovah, then the bible describes him simply as the Alpha and The Omega ,the beginning and the end. Our God has been and even today, been called many things ,I just call him simply, my Father, my Creator or my everything. Why? Because to me there is no better example than being a father than him. Only God has the strength , the courage or the wisdom to sacrifice his only son (Jesus) for the sins of man.(John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.) When I think about how good God has been to me and others. All I can do is think about the worldly fathers and I find myself asking myself this question." Does any man, including myself measure up to God?" After thinking about this question its very easy to determine that none have or ever will come close to being as great of a Father, as our Father God. For our Fathers love is unconditional and he loves all of his children equally despite ourselves or our actions.

 For those who may question Gods love for themselves I offer you these questions as proof of Gods, unconditional love and why on this holiday created by man, that on Fathers Day he is the one we all should be honoring or praising. Who in this world has always been there for you, through thick or thin, for better or worse? Who can you turn to when the whole world has turned their backs or been against  you? Who provides for you, through the good or the bad? Who do you go to, when you need a blessing or an answer to a prayer? Who will forgive you for almost all of your sins? Who can change your bad day into a great day? Who can you always count on in your time of need? Who will never forsake you or leave you? Who will a  make a new way out of nothing or make the impossible, possible? Who is the greatest Father known to man or of all time? The only answer I can come up with is God, our Father in Heaven. Through the good or bad he has and will always be there.Only God has the love, power or wisdom to help, provide or care for those in need. There is no Earthy father or mother that can compare to him and through his grace or mercy, we all will be blessed on Father's Days or beyond. On this day and all days' Happy Fathers Day, our Father in Heaven!!!
Have a wonderful Father's Day,

Charles

2 Chronicles 14:11 And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.

Psalm 79:9 Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake.
Psalm 36:7 How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

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Psalm 40:17 Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.

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Psalm 71:15 My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.

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Psalm 71:17 Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

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Psalm 73:28 But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.

The Do's And The Don'ts

When I was child God blessed me with two very loving parents, grandparents on both sides of the family and some very good teachers while I was in high school or college. But as you know there is a time where a man will have to learn how to be a man and learn how do somethings on his own. Which means I had to learn what to do in certain situations and what not to do. As I think about what I just wrote, I can only smile, because sometimes even some of us grown folks do some really stupid things, that can either get us killed , put in jail or cause us to loose everything. But as you know some of us never learn and keep making the same old mistakes over and over again. Like the bible says, A wise man changes, but a fool remains the same.
When I think about the do's and the don'ts , its really just common sense things that many of us should learn as adults. Like respecting people for who they are, obey the rules or the laws and never to do silly things that can get themselves killed, like driving on the wrong side of town. For those who don't understand what I mean by this statement, well in every country, state, town or city, there is a bad area where people live in. Where I come from, these places are called the hood, slums or trailer parks. When I became an adult I had to learn these things for myself, because sometimes our parents or teachers only teach us lessons that are only valuable in a classroom, but when we get in the out side world, as adults our lessons we learn are for survival.We have to learn how to deal with other adults or people from different nationalities or race, some of them very nice and others not. Its just a fact of life that there is both evil or good in the world and one has to be season to know the difference.

Which brings me to the do's and the don'ts, when it comes to a relationship.The reason I wrote this is because one day I noticed a couple arguing out in public. What was disturbing to me was the insults thrown at each other and the manner they displayed themselves out in the open. It made me realize why there are so many divorces and so many single people.The reasons I have found is that none of the people that I have encountered, understand that there are certain things you do while in a relationship or a marriage and there are certain things you don't. I was always taught that once a man or a woman gets involved in a relationship or a marriage, there are certain part of their lives that they must leave behind. A big reason why a lot of marriages or relationships fail is not only because God is not the head of it, but also because of the lack of respect that some men or women have for each other. I was having a conversation with a friend of mine and while we were talking, I noticed that every time I said something, she would say something back. It was like we were in competition with each other or her wits against mine. I didn't have any problems with her matching wits with me, but what she forgot was that she came to me for help and I was trying to help her. What God put on my heart is that a marriage or relationship is not a race or a competition, where someone has to win or loose. Instead its a partnership and can only work when the man or woman become one or a team. They must fight for each other instead of fighting, against each other and they also must encourage each other instead of criticizing. Never allow anyone outside of your marriage or relationship effect whats going on inside of it. Also as man or wife one must build up their spouse instead of tearing them down. This reminds me of something a old woman once told me," You don't build a house to just to tear it down, but instead you add to it , improve it and make it your own".Therefore love your spouse with all your might and treat them like your King or Queen. There are just somethings that you are required to do while in a relationship or marriage and there are things that you don't. Do what you need to keep your marriage or family together and don't do the silly or stupid things that may tear it apart. The do's and the don'ts.

Have a blessed day,

Charles
Psalm 20:1 For the director of music. A psalm of David. May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

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Psalm 22:8 "He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him."
Psalm 145:20 The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.

Sunday

Its Sunday morning , I just woke up and all I can say is praise God! If you watched the news or have read your local paper, then you must say as I do , Thank God I am still alive ! Everywhere you look people are being killed or murdered, dangerous viruses are spreading everywhere and while others are dying in car or airplane accidents. There is so much going on in the world today and I am glad that our Father in Heaven, has kept me safe or alive. Now its time to get up ,then get ready for church and its a struggle to get up, because the bed feels so good. It's pouring down outside, parts of me wants to stay in and other parts wants me to go. Something keeps telling me, that it will be okay if I miss church this Sunday, after all the Pastor or Preacher that I like to hear preach, isn't going to be there on this Sunday. I say to myself it won't hurt to miss church today and I'll make service next Sunday. So I get up walk into the bathroom wash my face, then look into the mirror and one thought comes to mind, "God has been so good to me and I can't even give him two hours of my time or out of my day". I say to myself," God forgive me, I should be ashamed" and then I make a frantic rush to get ready for church. No devil ,(I say to myself) you are not going to stop me from getting my blessing. I am going to hear the word of God today and there is nothing you can do to stop me!

 Now I am motivated, pumped up, because I have just called the devil a liar and I am on my way to get my blessing.I am in church, in my favorite spot(which happens to be the back of the church) it is not as full as it should be, because this happens to be second Sunday.I wonder to myself where are all the members, then parts of myself tells me not to be concern with others and to only be concerned with my own salvation. After all when I am standing in front of God himself, only I will be judge for my deeds or actions. Now I am being blessed by the songs that are being sung and the word that is being preached. I am so glad that I didn't miss church this Sunday, because just like always, it was a word that I could use and some how the pastor preached something that I needed to hear too get me through to next Sunday.That is why I love Sundays so much, because every time I leave church, I always leave it blessed, fulfilled, new and never the same.Yes its Sunday morning a blessing to be alive, a day of rest, of peace and joy.Time to go to church and then after, hopefully one can enjoy themselves with some family or friends. If you are really blessed then enjoy yourself with that special someone to love each and every Sunday then beyond. Its Sunday morning time to praise God, a time to rest, to be with family or friends and to have some fun.
Have a blessed Sunday,
Charles

A special note to my readers. Sundays are a great blessing, because in some circles, they are the beginning or end of a week. If God has blessed you with a new start or end your week, wouldn't it be wonderful to start it off in both a spiritual and positive manner? Why wouldn't you want to start it off with a positive message from God? If you allow God to walk into your life then great things will begin to happen and your life will changed for the better. If you seek God he will meet you where you stand and your life will change forever. Join me on this Sunday and every Sunday, pray with me as I praise God, for your many blessings to come! God our Father in Heaven is so worthy to be praised! Don't miss another day and especially another Sunday without giving God praise!

Proverbs 7:15 So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you!
Leviticus 7:11 "'These are the regulations for the fellowship offering a person may present to the LORD:
John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and said unto them, Peace be unto you.
Daniel 2:20-23
20Daniel said,
         “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever,
         For wisdom and power belong to Him.

21“It is He who changes the times and the epochs;
         He removes kings and establishes kings;
         He gives wisdom to wise men
         And knowledge to men of understanding.

22“It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things;
         He knows what is in the darkness,
         And the light dwells with Him.

23“To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise,
         For You have given me wisdom and power;
         Even now You have made known to me what we requested of You,
         For You have made known to us the king’s matter.”

Saturday

Its Saturday morning  I have survived Friday and  I feel blessed to be alive. Why you may ask? Because so many people around the world have died on Friday and wasn't blessed enough to make it to Saturday. Even though the weekends are fun or enjoyable many of us take for granted that weekends are sometimes very dangerous. Storms come out from no where and evil for some reason is out in full force on the weekends. That is why every weekend when I am out, I always say a special prayer not only for myself, but also for others that are out enjoying their weekends or vacations. Because many them are not blessed or fortunate enough to see another Saturday or any other day after that. What I have grown to realize that ,even though there is a lot going on in the world, one must never forget to enjoy life to the fullest and enjoy this beautiful world that our Father in Heaven, has created. I have been taught by my parents and by my study of the Bible, that one shouldn't live in fear of today or tomorrow. For everyday of life is precious and should be lived to the fullest without expectations of tomorrow. I know some may wonder why I would say, without expectations of tomorrow. To those who may question what I just wrote I would say, that life itself is not promised to any of us and no one knows the day or hour when we or our love ones will leave this green Earth.

That is why every weekend  I make it a point to find somewhere to go or find something new to do. I have heard many people complain about their lives and say ,"That they are not happy with it. To those people I could only say, "It is your life and even if are unaware know this, you do have some control over it.Only you can make the necessary changes to make it better, exciting or worth while. Like my mother would always say", "Make the best or most of what you have today, because its pointless to complain about what you don't have tomorrow. In other words you may not be rich with money, but you could be rich in spirit and still be happier than those who are. How you may ask? By making ,God our Father in Heaven the head of your life! Also by praying daily and by waking up everyday thanking God! Everyday is a blessing, enjoy it while there is still life in your body! After all its Saturday, a joy to be alive and its part of the weekend. Get out enjoy it with your spouse, family or friends and if they aren't around ,then do something fun all by yourself. I have found that even when I am out by myself, that I never feel alone. Why? Because I now have peace and the joy of having God as a major part of my life. It's Saturday morning, the weekend, the beaches are waiting, movies are waiting to be watched, bands are ready for you to listen to, new restaurant's are ready for you to try, the mountains are ready to be climbed, the rivers, lakes, ponds or oceans are waiting for you to swim or fish in them and the whole world is yours, just waiting for you to explore. Have an awesome amazing and blessed Saturday! In Jesus name! Amen!!

Have a great weekend,

Charles

Acts 11:24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

Judges 19:6 So the two of them sat down to eat and drink together. Afterward the girl's father said, "Please stay tonight and enjoy yourself."

1 Corinthians 3:22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cepheus, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

Your King Or Queen

If you were a person that believed in statistics , then there is one that should really disturb you. Out of all the people in the world, there are now more single, divorced or separated people, then there are married people. It seems that in today's time marriage isn't what it used to be and if you did a poll you would find that many people are considering not getting married at all. What brought this fact closer to home, is when I went through my own divorce and even today I find it very difficult to think about. I know some may think that divorce is a good thing, but when I got married, I did it with the thought or intentions of staying married until death due us part or for a lifetime. No my marriage wasn't perfect, because if it was I guess we would still be married. But at that time I felt out of all the women in the world, that she was the one for me. I know those of you who are blessed enough to read this may ask, "Well if she was the one what went wrong"? I could do the worldly thing by blaming her, myself or even others. I could have said that we married to soon or that we didn't know enough about each other. I could have even said that over time that our love or feelings for each other just faded away. I also could say what I heard some church people  say, by saying that God didn't send her to me and that is why our marriage didn't work or why it failed. But that would be the easy way out, blaming others and even myself.

After I took a hard look at our marriage, I found out that there was one big thing that was missing and without it our marriage was already doomed to fail. What was this you may ask? Even though we both were church going people, we didn't make God the head of our lives. Yes, we both attended Sunday school, Bible study and church on Sundays, but we didn't take those Godly principles or what we were taught home. We did what most people do after they leave church, which was living worldly. We didn't honor our marriage the way that God intended it to be and we didn't treat each other like a King or Queen. I know there may be some that may be puzzled by this last statement so let me explain. In 1 Corinthians 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. This clearly explains the order in which a marriage should take place. Also in this verses I discovered that we both didn't allow our marriage to grow through God. (Ephesians 4:15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.) From reading just these two verses in the bible, I began to realize that if God isn't the head of the marriage then it is bound to fail. Why? Because if we both allowed God to be the real head of our lives our marriage would have survived.

To anyone who is blessed enough to read this, if you happen to be in a marriage that is in trouble know this, it can be repaired, saved or salvaged. How you may ask? First by trusting God, second by prayer and third by treating your spouse like your personal, King or Queen. My advice to anyone who has a troubled marriage or one that may happen to be on the rocks, take a step back and allow God to step into the middle of it. After you both have done this, take a moment to reflect and rekindle whatever magic you may have lost. Talk to each other openly about your problems, then find a way to compromise. Even if this fails, never loose faith in God and let him work it out. My advice to the newly weds when your spouse gets home from work, allow them to relax when they come through the door. Welcome them with open arms and then ask them how was their day. Never confront your spouse with a issue or problem as soon as they walk through the door. Why? Because you may not have any ideal how their day went. Allow them to relax , adjust and make them feel at home. After all the old saying is that a mans or a woman's home is their castle and there shouldn't be better place in the world to feel like a real King or a Queen.

Have a blessed night,

Charles

1 Peter 3:7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

 Peter 3:1 Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives,

1 Corinthians 7:4 The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife.

Ephesians 5:33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

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Colossians 3:19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

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1 Thessalonians 4:4 that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable,

Just Because

As children each of us find ourselves doing things that we know that we shouldn't be doing or do things that we know that are wrong. I was raised by parents that were very strict and I thank God for them, because without their rearing I wouldn't be the law abiding citizen I am today. One morning my mother caught me doing something wrong and then she asked me why did I do what I did. I then answered by saying, Well my friend did it and his mother didn't punish him for it. Then she looked at me angrily and then said, Just because someone else does it doesn't make it right. If your friend set himself on fire, would you copy him? I put my head down and said No Momma. Then she went on to say, Chuck you know better and I raised you better than that! When I think about those moments as a child, all I could think about then was how hard or mean my parents were and when I was bold enough to ask them why. Then they would answer me by saying we are hard on you because we love you and we want nothing but the best for you. Also just because you happen to be our oldest son and we can't have our oldest son following the rest of the world. We raised you to be a leader of men and not someone who follows someone who sins or one that does wrong.

What I find that is happening a lot in today's time, that there are more followers than leaders. Why would I make such a statement? Because now people justify their behavior because of what someone else is doing or for what they may think is acceptable behavior. I have heard many say, well everyone else is doing it or they may even feel just because Gods son Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that what they do may not be punished.(Isaiah 66:4 so I also will choose harsh treatment for them and will bring upon them what they dread. For when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened. They did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me.") What they don't realize is that just because God so loved the world, that he sacrificed his only son Jesus, so that we would have a chance at every lasting life and that we might live in Heaven forever. Also by God allowing this great sacrifice even those who have committed evil in their past can be forgiven for their sins. All that is required is to turn away from their evil ways and God will have mercy on their soul.(Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.) Why would God pardon a sinner? Just because he is just like my parents he loves us, but more than that he is our creator,our provider, our Father and our God that will always love us all forever. Just because.

Have a great weekend,

Charles
Romans 14:6 He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

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1 Corinthians 10:26 for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."