A Walk In The Garden…
There is a great responsibility placed upon leadership which is to start in our homes to our careers and to the church. Let’s look at this way to have a better understanding. We can compare our homes our careers and the church to individual green houses that are to promote life. Each green house is to have a gardener or a care taker who’s responsibility is to take care of the environment within their area in love and they are to recognize the maturity of each plant as they grow to insure their needs are being met.
If the plants are watered too much or not enough then this can stunt their growth without the proper balance between the two. Another factor is the replanting of the young and the old. For the roots of the young are very delicate and the roots of the old can be very stiff in age. The old don’t like to be moved and the young are very delicate to the touch but they both are to be handled in love. Whether the plant is young or old when being replanted for further growth this often places the plants into shock until they adapt to their new environment which is to further the blooms and to help produce future fruit for the harvest.
Some plants that start out in the green house can only grow so far until they must be taken outside to eliminate any restrictions of growth. These plants often grow into trees like our children who are one day set free. The doors of the green house are to be monitored closely to be aware of any infections that could be blown in. It is when we overlook this importance that the infections can turn into a disease that can stunt the overall growth. For the longer we neglect the infections the harder the disease can set in. But on the other hand if we live in fear without ever opening up our doors for fresh air then the atmosphere can become stale.
There is a disciplined balance required within our lives to maintain the roots of our foundation and to promote future life. It is when we take our eyes off of God that we often begin to live without recognizing the environment that we are in and this leads to selfish a garden due to the lack of care to others. Some of you might ask how does this have anything to do with our homes, our careers or the church and the answer is simple. As a father I have a responsibility as a care taker within my home just as a pastor is to be a care taker of the flock and as any leader is to help and serve the people. I challenge you this morning to reread this message and pray to God as you read to help you see what could be needed within the green house that you are in. Please join me again tomorrow morning to expand on future growth within the garden….
“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12
James A. Harrison
The Heart Of A Champion…
Have you ever felt the spirit of opposition and allowed it to stop you from something you knew and desired in your heart? Did you ever look around and allow the spirit to oppress you due to your past failures or due to the lack of belief? When God gives us a vision or desire in our heart we should never allow Satan to spiritually discourage or rob us of our purpose in life. Sometimes in order to break through the oppression we have to step out of the box to see the Way.
Throughout time man has set up perimeters to follow and these perimeters are what Jesus often spoke against due to man following tradition instead of listening to the heart. Our God is of order and He teaches to obey authority but He is the one who qualifies man as it is validated in the spirit of others. We never know where God may be working and all it takes is the eyes to see and the ears to hear as we come together in the spirit of God to witness amazing things in His glory.
God tells us in 1 Samuel that He does not see as man sees. For he does not look upon the outside appearance for He looks upon the heart of man. David came out of no where and was the least of his brothers but had the heart of God. If you were to look upon your heart and ask what God may see would you find the heart of a champion or a heart that has grown tired and weary. The Lord can refresh your spirit as you call upon His name and He is often working in places that we never see due to forgetting how to truly believe. This spiritual message paralells the movie Secretariat as God displayed the heart of a stallion that went against all odds to set new records. It took the belief and sacrifice for a family that recognized the heart within one to uplift others….Enjoy this brief movie trailor on Secretariat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftFMenGAd2A&feature=relmfu to further relate this message….
James A. Harrison
http://balancedlifeministry.org
http://specialdeliverybook.com
The Heart Of Our Father…
It is when tough times come upon us that we often see the true heart of men and women that rise to the occasion to help and serve others. Unfortunately, some have to be put in a corner with no way out but to fight but this fight in this world is not physical for it is spiritual. Throughout the years there have been many movies based on true stories like Secretariat that displayed the heart of a stallion and others like Cinderella Man that displayed the heart of a father during the depression. The spirit that drove Secretariat and Russel Crowe in Cinderella Man is where I want your attention.
For it is the spirit within all living things that gives us life and God speaks to each of us everyday when we learn to look for Him to hear the real message instead of getting stuck only on what we see. Jesus did not come to teach us about what we see He came to show us how to believe. For God may speak in one way to one but He may speak in another way to another. The object is to listen from the heart with our eyes upon God instead of man.
As each of these movies lift our spirits it is obvious in why they are often forgotten due to the attention stopping on the physical instead of staying focused on the spiritual. For when we learn to give all glory to God as we uplift the power in Jesus name it is then that the attention goes to the One that gives eternal life through the love of Jesus Christ. Always be alert in hard times for it is then when we can often find God at work in places we never expected to see. May I encourage you to watch this movie clip of Cinderella Man to recognize the heart of a father during the depression http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eyr8jTH1YN4 . Never are we to ever give up or lose hope no matter the cost!!! For the price has already been paid and there is Victory in our corner!!!
James A. Harrison
http://balancedlifeministry.org
http://specialdeliverybook.com
Persecution Brings Expansion
Have you ever noticed how persecution can bring expansion not only in the Word that travels but in our drive to reach the promises of God? Spiritually Satan works to oppress movements of God due to losing ground where so many are held captive. Think about it! Look at Martin Luther and the Theses that he left nailed to the door on the Catholic church and how this led to the Protestant Reformation. Look at how the lack of freedom of religion led to the formation of the United States of America. Look at Martin Luther King Jr. and how the persecution and unfair rights led to the equal rights movement. Look at recent movie Courageous and how the loss of a daughter brought about a better father.
Most of all look at what took place on the cross and how the persecution of Jesus has expanded the freedom and the spread of the Good News in the Word of God. The message in this is to recognize the passion and drive that God gives to those that believe and the differences that are made for the better of mankind. Since the beginning of time man has tried to hold back movements of God but as we can all now see nothing is impossible to those that truly believe.
I pray this morning that if you are feeling oppressed or held back to not give victory to Satan any longer and that you begin to break through what is simply wrong for what is right by God. God has given us Victory through Jesus Christ and His Word carries us forward. If you are living in despair I pray that you snap out of it! For the Word of God is powerful when we trust and obey. Don’t give Satan victory and think that you can’t make a difference when you can! Change first starts within us and then it spreads to our homes and then from there. Ask God to show you through prayer and seek Godly council for your confirmations to discover your purpose in life through Jesus Christ… Watch this movie trailer on Courageous may it inspire you to make a difference http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9VT_NBIVfs
James A. Harrison
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