Find A Christian Man

Tag: devotions for singles

The Three ‘Cs’ of Spiritual Promotion

The Courage to Look, the Compassion to Accept, and the Confidence to Move On!

Through this earth experience, God is teaching us to master faith. We are learning how to endure the tribulations of life, all while keeping our eyes on the prize. The prize of course is a closer relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. This closer walk with God brings with it everything that you and I could possibly desire in life. We want the best for ourselves, and none of us want to live in pain; neither does God intend that we should remain in a painful state. Isaiah 40:31(KJV) contains the grand finale that Heavenly Father has in mind for our tribulations. It says, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” This is beyond fantastic!

Many of us are enduring seasons of tribulations like no other, and we may feel like the sun is not going to shine tomorrow, but I assure you in Christ that it is. And not only that, we’re going to receive a promotion that will exceed our greatest expectations. To make sure we don’t get weary and faint, that we mount up and soar like eagles, I’d like to encourage you to remember the three ‘Cs’ of spiritual promotion, so that your strength is renewed as you wait on the Lord in faith.

When it comes to soaring like eagles, the wings of prayer are essential. As we mature in the Word, we should learn to pray in a way that gets the attention of heaven. Our prayers should command supernatural and natural resources to come together and work in our favor. God has given us this ability and authority through Christ. We can speak it forth and call those things which are not as though they were. You can speak to a thing, and it will be changed simply because you commanded it so. We can’t command these kinds of results if we’re walking around with our eyes half shut. Anyone who knows me can attest that one of my constant prayers is “Lord, help me to see what I need to see, hear what I need to hear, and to be who You have called me to be.” It is a necessary prayer for many of us, because sometimes we miss the things that God is revealing to us.

All of us should want to pray powerfully, and to do so we must have the courage to look at things that we sometimes would rather not see. The life of a Christian calls for this kind of transparency before God; repentance calls for this kind of transparency as well. Some of us will allow our best years to pass us by before we arrive at the conclusion that God has not withheld the blessing that we have so earnestly desired. We simply could not get out of our own way to see it. I might also add that it isn’t enough to see it, but we must have the spiritual strength to reach out and grab it as well.

In Isaiah 45:3 (NIV), God said, “I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.” Whether they are hidden in dark and secret places or in full view, God knows where our blessings and treasures are. He will guide us to them, but we have to remove the blinders from our eyes and unclog our ears, so that our inner being is fully attentive to the impetus of the Holy Spirit. It takes a boat load of three ingredients to do this, and these are courage, compassion, and confidence. They are the three ‘Cs’ of spiritual promotion, and they are also awesomely important to our continued spiritual growth.

COURAGE

Ephesians 3:20 (KJV)
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”

Courage is the mental and spiritual strength that is derived from “the power that worketh in us.” It is our faith to venture into the unknown; to persevere and to withstand some level of pain with full assurance of victory. As we face one tribulation after the next, an assurance of victory is absolutely crucial. Another piece of resoundingly clear information is that we can’t handle tribulation by ourselves; we just can’t. All of us make mistake after mistake in life, and then we come to God with our pitiful selves like it’s a surprise to Him. God knows our propensity to mess up. No need for us to pretend that we got it going on when it so abundantly clear that we can’t cut it without Jesus. We just need him so much, and this is why he gave us the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

You and I don’t have spiritual strength, the spirit does; and he works on the inside of us as we move according to his impetus. Everything we need to live the abundant life that Christ made available is obtained by walking in the spirit. No, our power do

es not lie within our mentality or physicality, no matter how exceptional they may be. Our power comes from God. He is our source of strength. With the collaborative efforts of our physical and mental prowess, our indwelling spirit will bring us to a place that exceeds our greatest expectation; this is why it is so important to align our thoughts and confessions with the mind of Christ, because this is how we partner with the spirit.

Just in case you might have forgotten, walking in the spirit will require us to surrender the stuff that is weighing us down. Whether it’s man problems, money problems, work problems, or family problems, we’ve got to unload the burdens, we also have to acknowledge that we’ve got some issues that could stand some work as well. This takes real courage on our part. The fact that we’re boggled down speaks to the degree to which we’ve held on to some not so pleasant baggage. God doesn’t want us to condemn ourselves. He wants us to have the courage to look at ourselves honestly, and then take the leap of faith to let go and let God.

COMPASSION

When we let go, and let God, He’s not going to leave us in a condition that allows us to go on being comfortable with business as usual. I think we tell ourselves this, but releasing stuff is some uncomfortable business. For many of us blame, and not compassion, is the game we chose to play. We blame ourselves, God, or someone else for our conditions, but truly compassion is the order of the day. We have an enemy, the devil, and he will not leave us alone. Even if we don’t want to fight, he does. God told us to be ready for battle. In Ephesians 6:11, Heavenly Father has commanded that we put on all the armor that He has provided so that we can stand against the strategies of the devil.

This verse makes it crystal clear; Christians fight by standing on the Word of God. After being tempted in the wilderness, Jesus Christ responded to all of satan’s temptations with “it is written…” He could do this because God’s Word is true. God’s Word is the authority and the enemy recognizes this. Do not allow him to have further foot-hole in your life by blaming your condition on anyone. Let a spirit of compassion overtake you and realize that you are not suffering alone. Even the person that wounded us only did so because he or she is suffering. And many others are enduring tremendous difficulty in life. God will help them to turn things around, just as He will help you.

If mustering courage is the goal, compassion is the prize. It is a notch on our spiritual belt, and it allows God greater room to move in our circumstances. So to bring about a shift in our conditions, it is crucial that we open our hearts to the spirit of compassion.

CONFIDENCE

The last important ‘C’ is the confidence to move on. 1Corinthians 15:57(NKJV) tells us, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” We have victory over sin and death through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I dare say that those two, sin and death, are the worse things in all of eternity, and God has declared us the winner in every round. This is the major reason that you and I can have confidence in spiritual warfare, because the battle is already won; we simply have to stand on the integrity of God’s Word. We fight by standing strong—this is how we demonstrate confidence.

Yes, moving on can be difficult, because spiritual promotion demands that we take off some less useful things so that we can put on some new, more useful things. This means some relationships will fall by the wayside. Some addictions and obsessions will fall by the wayside; and some of the indulges we enjoy may have to fall to the wayside too. We will have to sacrifice some things, and this is part of our journey forward and upward, but we must take heart and have confidence. We must trust God and have confidence that the spiritual growth we obtain through our tribulations and surrender will yield far greater blessings than those we’ve had in the past.

The courage to look within and the compassion to accept and address what we find will create a momentum towards spiritual promotion. Both are essential to our confidence to move on and have the kind of life God intends for every believer. And make no mistake about it; we’ll not make any significant strides until we learn these lessons well. When we do we’ll know it. The love of God will penetrate those areas within that were previously designated as “DO NOT OPEN”. Then, without any effort at all, our hearts will invite the extraordinary to come on in and make itself right at home!■

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

“The Three “Cs” of Spiritual Promotion, The Courage to Look, the Compassion to Accept, and the Confidence to Move On!” written for findchristianman.com ©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

January 14, 2019
Do Not Doubt What God is Doing In Your Life

You may be ostracized and isolated because you are a born-again Christian. Others within your circle of familiarity may band together, laughing and talking among themselves, and purposely exclude you. The person that is causing or has caused the most devastation in your life may be prospering wonderfully, and you, yourself, may be financially struggling. Perhaps the ex is living it up with the new person, and all you can do is watch by the sidelines, or maybe you were passed over for a promotion because of the color of your skin, and it was given to someone who flat out didn’t deserve it. These are situations that cut deep. They do not always seem rational or logical, and we can’t understand how the world can work this way, but it’s not for us to understand. Our responsibility and charge is to simply trust God no matter how things may look.

The enemy wants us to doubt what God is doing. Just as the devil caused Adam and Eve to fall because they doubted God’s Word, the psalmist, David, reminded us that this too can happen to us if we are not watchful. Psalms 37 is probably on everyone’s list of favorites, and it is a powerful piece of wisdom and instruction. King David advises us in verse one, “Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.” The word “fret” conveys vexation and an incensed anger. It is a heated response of displeasure and annoyance. Many believe that David wrote this psalm as an encouragement to the Children of Israel, so they would not be angry as they witnessed the prosperity of evildoers. He warned them not to be indignant at the advancement of the wicked.

Sisters and Brothers, this is such great instruction for us today, because some of us are so angry by what we see happening in the world. And when you couple this kind of anger with feelings of disappointment that many of us are wrestling with about our own lives, you’ve got a recipe that serves up an ample dose of doubt. If we’re going to get to that glorious place that God has intended for each of us to reach, doubt is the one thing we simply cannot afford to indulge.

We don’t have the luxury of taking our eyes off the prize and casting them on what the enemy’s cronies are doing, because the moment we do this, we stand to lose out on the good things that God has planned for us. An angry response is a sure sign that our hearts are misplaced. When we get angry and allow our attention to be diverted to the prosperity that others seem to have, even though they may have it undeservedly, the underlying truth is that we’re doubting what God is doing in us and for us. He has plans to prosper us, and He has told us this in His Word.

God has a way of handling evil doers and workers of iniquity. David told us in Psalm 37:2, “For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.” So don’t get tricked by the devil. Don’t be overly concerned with what is happening to them. Focus on what God is doing in YOUR life and cancel out any doubt in your mind and heart. Refuse to allow the enemy to steal your attention away from the victory that is yours to claim. This is where your attention must be.

You don’t have to understand all the details that are happening in your life. Yes, things get crazy from time to time, but the Lord works in mysterious ways. Paul said in Romans 11:33 (NLT), “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!” Don’t lean on your own understanding, lean on God! He knows what needs to be done in order to get you from point A to point B. He knows what needs to happen to increase you and bless you spiritually, and in every other way. So, no matter what may come—no matter how things look, just stay in God’s face, and trust Him! He’s doing something good in your life!

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“Do Not Doubt What God is Doing In Your Life” written for findingchristianman.com©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

January 7, 2019
What Happens When We Say Something Different from What God Says

How many teachings have you heard on the power of the tongue? I bet there have been quite a few, right?! Well, I’d like to submit something to you right now, and I believe that it is such a powerful piece of knowledge from God’s Word that it will literally change the course of your life. The instrument that is anchored on our faces, in the center, south of our noses, is the single greatest tool we own to partner with God’s Kingdom. Now this is not news to you, I know. You’ve heard Proverbs 18:21 plenty of times and you know that death and life are in the power of the tongue. This is bible! Yet, our tongues are still unruly. Many of us today still have so much trouble getting our tongues and our minds and hearts in sync with God’s Word. The words that come out of mouths can literally transform our existences and anchor each of us in the miraculous. If you will allow, I’d like to make this case from God’s Word in a way that is undeniable.

When it comes to the words we speak, and the confessions we make, most of us are thinking backwards. What do I mean by this? Well, I know it’s rude to answer a question with another question but indulge me please. Let me begin this explanation by first asking how many of us are in need of a miracle in our lives today? Most of us are asking for a supernatural move of God in our conditions and circumstances. We’re praying that He will elevate us out of what we’re in and promote us to a new dimension of blessings. We tell the Father, “I’m still waiting on You, God. You need to fix this.”

God wants us to grow spiritually, and some of us expect to remain the same. Life dictates that challenges become more complex with the passage of time. If we’re not growing spiritually, we won’t be prepared for the complexities of challenges that are ahead. This is often one of the reasons why many single women view the prospect of crossing paths with a future husband to be difficult. The Spirit is willing, but their hearts and minds are not matured in Christ to the point of backing their faith with fully-persuaded action and believing.

God warns us in Proverbs 4:23(NLT) “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Everything flows from our hearts. The words we speak are reflective of the treasure we carry within. This is one of the reasons God warns us to be on guard, so that we won’t allow the bad stuff in. And if we don’t allow the bad stuff in, we won’t have to worry that bad stuff will come out.

God affirms that indeed there is power in the tongue, there is power in the words we speak. Faith requires the words that come out of our mouths to be on board with the life we desire for ourselves. If you are using your power to say something different from what God says, you are demonstrating that you’re not ready spiritually, and in every other way, to receive the blessings you seek. As spiritually mature men and women, we must know that if we refuse to humble ourselves in this area of our lives; God certainly will not reward our refusal.

We are to be aware that our mouths contain within them a rebellious urge to spew words that are so contradictory to the existence we want and deserve that it’s just flat out ridiculous. The moment before we speak contradictory words, our brains do some calculating, and we think, “I know I shouldn’t be speaking this way, but I’ve got to let this out. It’s negative. It bears false testimony and witness of God’s unbelievable goodness, but I’ve always spoken this way, so I’m going to keep on talking.” The truth of what we’re really conveying is, “I’m going to keep on creating exactly the thing that I’m speaking forth, all because I don’t trust the instrument that God has given me to effect real and lasting change in my life.”

God’s Word, the Bible, is the perfect demonstration that words have power. God’s Word will transform lives, situations, and circumstances for the better. If we say the same things that He says, imagine the outcome. Our Heavenly Father’s Word is the truth! And God blesses His Word; He backs it up! So, if you speak what He speaks, you can’t lose. But if you are speaking something that doesn’t invite the blessings of God into your life, then exactly what do you think you’re inviting?

In Mark 11:22-23 (NKJV), Jesus Christ said, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.” Notice that the Master didn’t say “whoever thinks about this mountain…” He said “whoever says…” The mouth is the key to activating faith.

Faith comes by HEARING God’s Words. Faith works by SPEAKING God’s Words. Faith cannot be separated from the leading of the Holy Spirit. You are a spiritual being, and you must align your words in partnership with the indwelling Holy Spirit to move by his power. It’s not your power; it’s His, and if you bind him through your words, he cannot work on your behalf. We think backwards because we wait year after year for God to move, but He has already moved. He has already empowered you, and you are poised for greatness by the confessions, prophecies, and declarations of His Word that flow from your lips. ■

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“What Happens When We Say Something Different from What God Says” written by for FindChristianMan.com ©2018. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

December 30, 2018
Don’t Miss God’s Best

I was in the city, walking downtown this week, and as I was crossing a very busy intersection, I crossed paths with a young woman that was totally consumed with a conversation on her cell phone. With her headphones on, she seemed to be oblivious to everything going on around her. I stared in amazement at how engaged she was, because cars were zooming back and forth, and she wasn’t concerned whatsoever. This kind of unmindful behavior can be very dangerous, particularly with so much happening in our world. I thought about this young woman later that day. It reminded me that this is the kind of opportunity the enemy waits for, when our focus is in the wrong direction, and we’re asleep and careless just as she had been. This is when many of us will walk right into traps unknowingly; especially when it comes to relationships with men.

When we’re younger, we tend to take a carefree approach to life, but as we mature and get older, we see firsthand that things can change very quickly. A person’s world can be turned upside down in less time than the blink of an eye. God doesn’t want us to walk around in fear, but He does want us to be alert and aware.

1Peter 5:8 (NIV) tells us, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Many single sisters are due for a season of supernatural blessings, the likes of which they have not experienced before. We’ve heard from great prophets, teachers, and preachers that the body as a whole is entering a period of accelerated increase on many fronts. The relationships we’ve been waiting on, the financial breakthroughs we’ve been praying to receive, the marital restorations and job promotions that we’ve been waiting patiently to embrace…these are all getting ready to burst through.

The problem is that so many of us are still asleep. Our eyes are no more opened than they were two years ago. We’ve really got to do something about this, because mindfulness is one of the key ways in which Heavenly Father measures our ability to handle the blessings we seek. Not only must we prepare ourselves spiritually to receive, if we do not take care of the blessings we already have, like the man that hid his master’s silver in the ground rather than investing it, we may find ourselves in a position where they, too, will be taken away.

God neither holds our blessings back nor takes them away. He has designed the universe in such a way that opportunities appear when we are ready to seize them. God’s people have prepared themselves through His Word, and they are poised to take possession, but there are still some of us that haven’t focused on God to the extent that we can recognize danger in our midst. 2 Corinthians 11:14 warns us that satan disguises himself as an angel of light. This alerts us to the fact that something that seems like a blessing can end up being a set up.

2 Peter 1:10 (NLT) tells us, “So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. “As single Christian women, we must be more than confident that God is going to bless us with a wonderful husband, because He is absolutely going to do this, but we can’t be so caught up in what we want that we forget our allegiance to be dutiful and diligent to God.

No matter how comfortable things may look and feel, don’t let your guard down. Don’t discount the fact that often things happen to us because we allow them to. Know that before your breakthrough comes, the enemy will seek to find out how far you are willing to move away from the foundation of Jesus Christ. Don’t take the bait. Don’t make the mistake of missing God’s best. Seek Him continually, diligently, and earnestly before you make investments of love and care in a new relationship. Wait on His divine directive and be willing to walk away if you don’t receive it. If you pay much closer attention to God and continue to make Him your focus, He will make sure that you don’t miss your blessing. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.

“Don’t Miss God’s Best” written for FindingChristianMan.com ©2018. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

December 9, 2018
Be Still

Dear Heavenly Father,

As we read and study Your Word, one of the things we learn very quickly is that You teach us through patterns, parables, and practices. You showed us first by the examples of faith-filled, Godly individuals. You inspired the written record of their witness and example in Your Word, so that we can study it and put it into practice. Jesus Christ is the greatest example of Your Word, because he is the LIVING Word! We learn most about being the people You desire us to be from his example.

Jesus was teaching in John 8:38(NLT), and he said, “I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father.” In John 5:19(NLT), he explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” Your Son followed Your example. He spent a lot of time in prayer with You. Prayer is communication that goes both ways. We speak to You and tell you our desires and requests. We invite You into our lives and to intervene in our circumstances. And You speak to us. You tell us what to do, just as You told Jesus Christ what to do.

You know our futures. You know our pasts, and You know our present. You know exactly what we’re doing and what is going to happen in our futures. In John 16:13(NLT), You said through the Lord Jesus Christ, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.” We have an intimate relationship with You. It is a connection so deep that we hear You spiritually, from Spirit to spirit. We just need to listen. This is why You tell us in Psalm 46:10 to be still and know that You are God. We need to quiet ourselves and meditate on Your Word, so that we can hear Your voice internally.

Thank You for reminding us to spend quality time with You every day. By doing this, we build up our relationship with You, and we grow in spiritual strength. We often seek great blessings from You, yet we don’t spend enough time developing the relationship You desire; we don’t put enough effort in our relationship with You. Therefore, we lack the strength to do what You require.

Jesus taught us by his example that we can see what You’re doing through Your Word and through Your communication to us. This is one of the reasons it is so important to pray and to be still, so that we can see and hear from You spiritually. Thank You for teaching us this wonderful spiritual lesson, and for letting us know that You desire this intimate connection with Your children.

You are so awesome and amazing, Most Holy God. Thank You for Jesus Christ, and thank You for the Holy Spirit. Please help us to be a blessing to Your Kingdom, and let Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“Be Still”, written for FindingChristianMan.com©2018. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

October 21, 2018
The Power of Your Thoughts

I was having lunch with a young woman in her twenties who is attractive, intelligent, and loves the Lord. We didn’t start out talking about relationships, but the conversation ended up going in that direction after a very handsome young man walked by. She made the comment, “I don’t think I could ever attract someone that handsome.” I said to her, “Be careful what you speak. Your words have creative power!” She said that she didn’t mean it to come out the way that it sounded, but I still reminded her of the verse in Proverbs 18:21(NLT) that says, “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.”

Our mouths speak what is in our hearts. People will often backtrack or make excuses regarding the words they speak, but words mean something. You can tell who a person is, and how they think and feel by what they say. This is one of the reasons that Heavenly Father instructs us to guard our hearts and be careful about what we let into them, because the issues of life spring forth from the heart. (Proverbs 4:23)

God tells us in Genesis 1:26 that we are made in His image and likeness. He has empowered us through the Lord Jesus Christ to make things happen on this earth. He’s given us a part of His creative ability, and it can be evidenced through the faith of Jesus Christ. Through faith, we can call those things that are not as though they were. To ‘CALL’ is to speak things forth through our mouths. We can speak things into existence, and it is absolutely amazing to know that God has given us this capacity. He spoke creation into existence, and because we are made in His image, we too can speak, and things happen. They cooperate, coagulate, congeal, and conspire to manifest. All because we spoke, and believed the confession we put out there.

Our words begin with our thoughts, and some of us have thoughts that don’t convey the truth about our identity in Christ. We have negative and dark thoughts that do not bring honor to God or please Him; therefore, they are thoughts that will keep us in bondage, and cause harm to our relationship with Heavenly Father. These are the kind of thoughts that God tells us to squash. Some people are under the delusion that they are not able to control their thoughts. Not true! They allow their minds to run amuck, and refuse to put themselves in check. This is a sin. If you are a sane person with sound mind, you can and you should line up your thoughts with God’s Word. 2Corinthians 10:5 admonishes us to capture every rebellious thought; lock it up, put it in prison, and don’t let it go into your heart where it can do damage. Instead, teach those rebellious thoughts to obey Christ!

Proverbs 23:7(NKJV) tells us, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Again, you can tell a lot about a person by what he or she speaks, because their words tell you how they think. Our thoughts influence everything that we do. They start internally, in our heads, and manifest outwardly. Many of our thoughts spark the actions we take in our everyday environments. So, thoughts are like seeds. Once you plant them, they can ultimately grow to become your reality. This is why Heavenly Father tells us in Philippians 4:8(NLT), “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

I reminded the young woman I had lunch with that nothing is impossible to us when we allow God’s Will and Word to filter into our hearts and become a part of us. We need to renew our minds so that we think like the mind of Christ. We must feed our minds what is pure, lovely, admirable, and excellent. When we do, we can expect that God will deliver His best in our lives.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“The Power of Your Thoughts”, written for FindingChristianMan©2018. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

October 1, 2018
The Lord Sees It Differently

1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT)
“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

There are varying opinions with biblical scholars over whether Jesse had seven or eight sons, as one record in 1 Samuel 16 in the Old Testament mentions eight, and the other record in 1 Chronicles 2:13-15 mentions seven. It is entirely possible that one son passed away, but there is no contradiction in God’s Word; of this we must be sure. The record in 1Samuel 16 tells us that God sent Samuel, the prophet, to anoint David as the King of Israel. By all outward appearances, Jesse thought that any one of his seven sons would be the one that Samuel might choose. They were older, taller, and muscular looking men, but thank goodness God doesn’t look at us in the way that we look at each other. He looks at our hearts.

I can’t help but think of the many single women that are holding out for a man that fits their image of how he ought to look. They have it down to complexion, height, build, and level of facial attractiveness. If a man shows up, and he looks significantly different than the image they have in their minds, he’s relegated to the ‘not a possibility’ column with all due haste.

We often talk about this being a tough one, because physical attraction is important in a marital relationship, but it’s not the principal thing. Some of us make it so. It boils down to a matter of priorities, and God sets those. He values your spiritual growth and the spiritual growth of your future spouse more than any other thing. And He tells us very straightforwardly in Matthew 6:33(NKJV), “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” If we don’t hold what God thinks is important at the top of our lists, we will continue to attract the very opposite of what is best for the path God has laid before us.

Heavenly Father looks at the heart, because Proverbs 4:23 tells us that the issues of life spring forth from the heart. If our hearts are out of alignment with the Will of God for us, we run the risk of not being satisfied with the choices we make. It’s just that simple. We’ll be in a constant state of discomfort because our real self, the spirit ‘you’, has been betrayed by our wrong choice. We must be fully persuaded that the only way to honor the Christ in us is to be guided by the indwelling Holy Spirit, so that we please God and live through Christ. God wants us to be pleased with the person that is to be our partner, but our faith that He will not disappoint us with His presentation is a must. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“The Lord Sees It Differently”, written by FACM, Finding A Christian Man.Com ©2018. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

August 26, 2018
With God’s Blessing, Go Ahead and Marry

There might be areas in your life where you don’t feel it’s absolutely crucial for you to have the best, but I guarantee you that the life-time commitment of marriage isn’t one of them. This is the one place where we want God to pile on the good stuff. Our future spouse doesn’t have to be the smartest, finest, most handsome or talented; but when it comes to his commitment to the marriage and his loyalty to family, we want serious ‘A’ game!

And rightly so. There is very little that compares to a spouse that you can count on to be faithful and put you above all the other people in his life. After all, this is the standard that Heavenly Father has set for the husband. He tells us in Ephesians 5:25, “For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her.” That’s some standard isn’t it?! Jesus Christ was so incredibly steadfast in his love for the body, that he gave up everything so that we could be reconciled to God. Because of his love, we have a barometer to measure how we should be loved by our spouses as well.

Were it not for the life, ministry, and sacrifice of Christ; we couldn’t have an expectation about loyalty and faithfulness, but Jesus Christ passed every love test. He demonstrated God’s heart towards us, and now we can have every hope that we will not only live up to this standard, but that we will experience the fruit of it in the form of a loving and committed spouse.

One of the blockers that keeps us from manifesting the luscious fruit that God has in store for us is the sin of fornication. This isn’t popular to say, but it’s the truth. A marriage must have a strong foundation, and you cannot build a strong foundation on a lie. That’s a sure way to have one big mess on your hands. When you mention the sin of fornication, one of the first things that people will say is that no one is perfect. This is true, but if we are of the household of faith, we are being perfected in Christ day by day.

All of us sin and fall short of the glory of God. And when you get right down to it, this is really the definition of sin. It’s falling short of the glory of God, and thereby falling short of the glory of which He wants to envelop our lives. In other words, we diminish the good stuff that Heavenly Father wants to lavish on us by continuing to do the things that He has told us not to do.

Heavenly Father tells us in 1Corinthians 6:18 (NLT), “Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.” God doesn’t want to make our pleasure any less. Through His Word He gives us the very information, knowledge, and wisdom that is going to position us for blessings and increase. This is always His heart. It’s up to us whether or not we take heed. If we don’t honor God by obeying His Word, we can’t lay up treasures for ourselves in heaven. Instead, we leave them exposed; where the enemy can get to them and destroy them. Many sisters have given their bodies away so many times, that they are depleting what’s left in the heavenly storehouse for them when it comes to finding the right man.

You might have experienced times when you’ve met someone that you liked, but things didn’t click. The timing seemed off, or you didn’t feel a certain chemistry. Sometimes this isn’t a matter of chemistry, it’s the protection of the Holy Spirit, keeping us from hurting ourselves further through fornication. He’s helping us to preserve ourselves so that we don’t cancel out or continue to block our blessings.

In 1Corinthians 7:9 (NLT), Paul said, “But if they can’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust.” The Apostle Paul had a call upon his life that was very different from the apostles we see living today. He was able to abstain from sexual sin, and counted it a privilege to devote himself totally to God’s work. This kind of commitment is rare. Most of us want to enjoy a physical relationship and the Apostle made it clear that if that is the preference, get married! It’s better to marry than to sin. Think about this. In the context of Paul’s level of commitment, it gives us a clue how detrimental sin is.

People run from the subject of sexual sin, because it is so pervasive in our society. People want to do whatever they want, but make no mistake about it, there’s a cost. God doesn’t love us any less because we sin, and He doesn’t want us wallowing in self-condemnation. He wants the best for us. His goal is for us to build a foundation on which a committed marriage will rest.

Love yourself as Christ loves the church. Set a standard for your temple. If there’s even a slight chance that fornication might be blocking your blessing of marriage, repent. Ask for Heavenly Father’s forgiveness, and make a commitment to Him to wait until you are presented with the man that is to be your husband. He will confirm it in your heart and in your circumstances that abstaining is exactly what He desires you to do. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“With God’s Blessing, Go Ahead and Marry”, written by FACM, Finding A Christian Man.Com ©2017. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

April 30, 2017
Bounce Back from the Sting of Criticism

How well do you deal with criticism? Not only is this an important question to answer, it points out a spiritual lesson that every single woman will need to learn. Proverbs 3:11(NLT) tells us, “My child, don’t reject the LORD’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you.” This verse lets us know in no uncertain terms that God disciplines and corrects. Very often He does it through others. For instance, someone might point out something within your personality they find offensive or off-putting. This someone just might be your future husband, and your response can either bring you closer or take you further away from the kind of marriage you desire.

Everyone receives criticism; politicians, religious and spiritual leaders, celebrities, athletes, teachers, doctors, lawyers… you name it. We all receive criticism, but it can hit the hardest when it comes from the person you love, and a lot of us do not handle it well at all. Criticism can be constructive or destructive. In either case, it can be handled with a Godly finesse. One of the ways that a mature Christian person handles criticism of any kind is to first try and make the distinction as to whether it is true or false. If it’s false, we kick it to the curb and keep it moving. However, when something has been pointed out about us that may be hurtful but is accurate, it can lead to correction.

In order for criticism to be helpful, you and I have to first hear it, and then be humble enough to consider whether it is true. In a heated situation, someone might say something out of spite, but it is important for us to weigh it when cooler heads prevail. Proverbs 18:12 (NLT) tells us, “Haughtiness goes before destruction: humility precedes honor”. ‘Haughtiness’ is another word for ‘pride’. Pride can lead to missed opportunities, and it can also cause us to go in the wrong direction. Most folks that are arrogant or prideful can’t see correction or direction, they only see themselves, and God isn’t pleased with this kind of mind-and-heart-set.

The love of God is activated in humility. It allows us to surrender to God, so that He can lovingly correct us and help us to recover what has been lost.

Another thing that we have to examine is whether we are too consumed with ourselves. This happens frequently with singles. We learn to be self-reliant and sometimes lose a register of sensitivity when it comes to the needs of others. The problem is that it becomes extremely difficult to recognize your faults or weaknesses if you’re consumed with yourself. Some people talk about their problems relentlessly. They’re not necessarily egotistical, but they too focused on themselves to realize that it isn’t always about them. In order to grow, you must humble your heart enough to admit you have imperfections. Even if they seem harmless to you, they could be harming your preparedness to partner. To the extent that they stand in the way of your blessing, you will need to address them.

Hebrews 12:11 (NLT) tells us, “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” Sometimes we forget that God holds our futures. He knows our pasts, and He sees our tomorrows. We might not recognize a situation that will cause us to lose out on an opportunity or a blessing, but God knows every nook and cranny of it. If we are prayerful and humble, God can prepare us to respond in a way that minimizes collateral damage. So, when we hear criticism from others, the best practice is to seek God about it, and let Him speak to you on the matter.

Heavenly Father’s number one goal for us is to grow in Christ. When we allow the love of Christ to expand in our hearts, the Holy Spirit can lead us down the path to the blessings we desire. The truth is that we don’t always pay attention to his guiding hand. We miss important directions, and we skip details that would qualify our best effort. These kinds of misses can add up and cost us big time. We are blessed to have a loving Heavenly Father who is always rooting for us to be the best, and He is willing to teach and help us achieve it.

Be sensitive to the fact that the sting of criticism can sometimes lead to God’s correction. It would be wonderful if the people who criticize us always did it in love, but that isn’t always the case. Sometimes criticism will come from the person we love, and it is levied in a way that crushes us, but God created us to be resilient, humble, and flexible. We can and will bounce back, and hopefully we will learn that criticism is sometimes a way to get our attention. If we examine it with careful scrutiny, it might help us to grow in Christ and become more pliable to God’s Will. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“Bounce Back from the Sting of Criticism”, written by FACM, Finding A Christian Man.Com ©2017. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

April 23, 2017
The Boomerang Effect

Very soon, the one day of the year that we have chosen to supercharge love and put it on blast will be upon us. For some people, it is a very happy day, and for others…not so much. If it is a day that makes your blues even bluer, I have a suggestion. Why not let it be a day where you bask even more in God’s love and let the expectation of meeting someone new take your faith to a whole other level! This is absolutely doable, and it is something that single Christians should embrace. On the one hand, yep, the holiday can get super worldly and commercialized to the hilt; but on the other hand, as Christians we walk by faith and not by sight, so we can always see the light of Christ where others may not.

All the beauty that any of us can ever offer stems from the Lily of the Valley, that bright and morning star, Jesus Christ! Because of him, we are able to offer our love to others, and have the greatest expectation that this love we offer will have a positive impact, and that it will return to us all the hope and joy in which it was given. Without the love of Christ, there really isn’t ever anything to celebrate; but with him, we have the fullness of joy.

We are planted in this world, and we grow up with thorns all around us, but we have to be so careful that our blossoms are colorful, full, and fragrant with the sweet aroma of Christ. We can’t be dry and rough to the touch, and sometimes the bitterness of a dry patch of loneliness will do this to a woman’s heart. Instead of focusing on Christ, and allowing his love to water her soul, she might focus only on the hurt and disappointment of the past; or she might allow doubt to spring up in her heart. She might convince herself that God is not going to bless her with a wonderful partner. These kinds of thoughts and feelings keep us from abiding in the love of Christ the way that he desires.

There’s something about the prospect of a new relationship on the horizon that can suddenly make a person feel brand new. God designed us in such a way that when we draw near to the person of our affection, we get all giddy inside as the butterflies begin to flutter in our bellies. This is how Jesus Christ feels about us. We bring to him this level of anticipation and adoration, and this is one of the reasons why God calls us the bride of Christ. In Song of Solomon 2:11-13 (NLT), we can see his heart. It says, “Look, the winter is past, and the rains are over and gone. 12 The flowers are springing up, the season of singing birds has come, and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air. 13 The fig trees are forming young fruit, and the fragrant grapevines are blossoming. Rise up, my darling!”

You might not live in an area where the winters are brutal, but I have a little experience in that area. Let me tell you that when winter is over, and the flowers begin to spring up, many people are very thankful that the brutal cold air and harsh conditions have passed. The introduction of spring wakes up your body in an indescribable way, and you feel a tinge of something invigorating happening. A person that is pessimistic or sad might immediately squash that tinge of hopefulness and tell themselves that nothing is going to be different, but that isn’t how a Christian should respond. Jesus Christ wants us to come alive to him and the tremendous hope that he brings to our lives in every season—with every day that goes by.

In Song of Solomon 2:11-13, we have a taste of the affection of Christ towards his bride, the church. The newness and humility of this expression can’t be lost on us. We train our minds how to think and our emotions how to feel. Heavenly Father wants us to allow the indwelling Holy Spirit to help us to retrain ourselves with the mind and heart of Christ, so that we are eager for him and all that he brings. We should breathe in his wonder, and exhale the most earnest and dear affection for him.

The Apostle Paul affirms in Acts 17:28(NKJV), “for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’” The meaning and fulfillment that we get out of life comes from knowing that we belong to the Father, and from matching our Lord’s example. Jesus Christ is not pessimistic and unhopeful, and we shouldn’t be either. Our groove should be in step with his, because he is always in rhythm with the Will of the Father.

The holidays, the change of seasons, both are reminders that nothing harsh last for long, and life is truly worth celebrating. We may not feel giddy inside about a new person, but we certainly ought to feel that way about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We should choose to use the approaching day of love to celebrate our love for God in Christ through the Holy Spirit. We should also expect that as we do, at some point it’s going to boomerang back to us from a most endearing man of God. ■

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Written by writers of FACM for FindingChristianMan.com copyright © 2017. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God in Jesus Christ.

February 6, 2017