Do You Really Love HIM?

This morning I sat down in the family room to watch my grandchildren while my daughter went to the store.  As I sat there looking at them I decided to call the one little boy, who always seem to get in trouble, over to me and asked him for a hug.  I said “Grammy needs a hug from you”.  He looked at me with an look of “why, what did I do?”.  I pulled him to me and kissed his forehead and told him “Grammy loves you so much”.  He looked up at me for a couple seconds and then replied, “I love you too”. 

Now you may say “what’s so special about that?” well, two things come to mind:

1. Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, have to learn to be intentional about giving these little people hugs and kisses for no other reason than “we just love them”.  You can look all around us and see the effects of little people (now adults) who did not get hugs, kisses, affirmation or anything. The lack of this genuine affection, tend to develop low self-esteem and the propensity to gravitate to anything good or bad that would give attention – usually to the extreme.

2. I was reminded of the love I have for God and recalled an experience I had during a night of prayer and intercession.  I was leading the prayer in a gathering and when I got up off my knees, I was so overwhelmed with the love of God and I said to myself “God, I love you so much. I wish I could put my arms around you”; knowing that was impossible because God is Spirit. You have to understand that when we try to relate our love to God, we only know how to do so by the way we relate love to each other.  As I spoke that in my spirit, the Spirit of the Lord spoke back to me. He said, you can’t put your arms around me but you can go to your sister or brother and put your arms around them and hug the God in them.  WOW!!  That statement astounded me because my mind quickly began to judge who had God in them (the flesh/carnal mind) and I had to rebuke that spirit of judgment that wanted to rise up. Thank God, however, I immediately got busy and started walking around the church to everybody, then I shared that revelation with the entire body that was gathered, everyone was blessed and God was exalted.

This brings me back to the title of this blog.  Do you really love HIM – God, that is?  If we really love Him, we must show it to those who we see everyday.  The scriptures tell us that we are made in HIS image.  All humankind is made in the image of God.  We may not all act like the real thing (God), but we all are in HIS image.  Those who do not have this revelation will only begin to draw closer to receiving this revelation as we, who understand who we are, begin showing others by how we love them. 

You say, there are some folks who are unlovable.  It could be that they have never been shown love, therefore do not know how to give it nor receive it.  Consider the common story told about the mean dog who brought terror to everyone and because everyone feared him and thought him to be a mean old dog, no one did anything for him.  They shunned him, went the other way when they say him, ran from him and anything to keep from coming in contact with him.  Then one day someone decided that he could not be that mean. He began throwing him food, from a distance – everyday, until the dog started looking for him everyday around the same time.  In a short time, the dog allowed the man to draw closer and closer to him until finally, he was able to pat the dog on his head with no adverse repercussion.  The moral of the story, love conquers all.

As Christians, we must not shun away from the undesirable, the mean spirited, or find ways to avoid those who do not look like us, dress like us or even think like us.  Be kind, show love and above all if we are consistent we will be able to draw close enough to really make an impact on their lives.  Of course, none of this will happen if we don’t really love HIM. Let’s look at a scripture - 1 John 4:20 “If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

If you read this and feel that you are not there yet, it is alright.  This just give us another measure to strive for in our spiritual walk with God.  The thing that is so wonderful about our God is that we are not held accountable for what we do not know.  However, once knowledge comes to you, it is our responsibility to begin allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us into those truths.  Then, if we know to do good and do not do it – to us, it is SIN.

May the Lord bless you as we all strive to reach another level in Christian maturity.

Be blessed!

Pastor Orean Cosby

Mashiyach Ministries

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It's Time To Change Your Thinking - About...

 Where We Are

Let's examine the following:

WHERE WE ARE -

"Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end" Eccl. 3:11 (NLT-Bible). You have an inborn instinct that longs for immortality. This is because God designed you, in his image, to live for eternity." (Warren, 2002)

Wow!! God did not create you for time; He created you for eternity.  Time (your lifetime on earth) provides us the opportunity to get acquainted with Him and develop a relationship that will carry us into eternity. Likewise, because of the fall of man, it is an opportunity for Him to develop our character in His likeness so that we truly become Sons of God (St. John 3:1-2). The tragedy is we live as though we are only living for time as we know it.

What happens when we live for time?

1. We miss the ultimate purpose of creation - to become Christ-like and live with the Father eternally..

2. We allow our past to mold and shape our lives for the present - instead of for eternity.

Our lives, as children of God ought to be shaped by the future (what you will become - Sons of God).  God uses your present time to mold and shape your future usefulness here on earth and in eternity.  Remember - Jesus has gone away to prepare a place for us. 

Take a moment to reflect on some of the things in your past that is currently having a strong limiting influence on your life today. Physical handicaps, troubled family background, failures, shame over some personal or family "dark secret", or even such things as pride, success, fame recognition, excessive wealth, and the list could go on and on.  But, really - think about it!

We have to change our thinking about where we are.  Yes, we live in time, but we must remember that God lives outside of time and He sees, He knows and He cares about where we are. When you change your thinking, your thinking will change your words.  No longer will you talk about the results of the past and relive every dreadful event that keeps you bound in the past. See yourself  LIVING FOR ETERNITY!!!!

References:

Warren, Rick. 2002. The Purpose Driven Life. Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI

God Made Me Chuckle Today - lol!

Over the past few weeks, I have been focusing my bible study teaching on “Faith”. I don’t know if you know this or not, but anytime you begin studying, learning or teaching on a particular subject you are bound to be tested on what you are teaching or learning. And the church said - AMEN!

I was reminded of two things during this time of study. The first was that portion of the prayer model that Jesus taught His disciples (Mt. 6:11) that simply says: “Give us this day our daily bread” . Second, He reminded me of the story of the Israelites in the wilderness when they did not have anything to eat. You can read the account in Ex. 16:15-20. When they did not trust God to supply the next day, they tried to save what they had to be sure they had for the next day. What did God do? Because of their disobedience, God caused the excess manna to breed worms and became useless to eat.

Now, how did God make me chuckle - you ask? Well, I had been believing God to supply my every need, one day at a time - so I thought. Yet, every time I thought about the bills and the lack of finance, it would always take my thoughts and concerns into the next day or next week. Fortunately, I would quicken myself to start thanking God for all of my needs being met. So on Wednesday, I went to the mailbox after not going there for a couple days and to my surprise I had received a check. Of course, I was elated and began to thank God for His blessings. The next day (Thursday) I went to the mailbox. Now before I continue I need to say that I had already calculated in my mind all of the ways that I could possibly receive any money from anywhere. And I concluded there were no other means for surprise money to come.

Continuing with the story...I get to the mailbox on Thursday and I have all sorts of mail. My eyes fall on a small envelope with the perforations on all sides and it is from one of my previous banks. You who are reading this may not be able to relate to this, but some of you may. When I saw the mail from the bank, immediately I began trying to recall the events of this account closing. I said “I thought I closed that account with money in it”. Then I said, “I should not owe them any money”, “Wonder why are they sending something to me”. Listen, when I usually get one of those perforated envelopes from the bank, it is usually telling me about an overdraft. I know you guys don’t get those, but I’ve received several in my time - lol!!

I decide to follow the instructions of the envelope of tear each section off. Low and behold, when I opened each side I discovered a check . I was so surprised - I started checking the front of the envelope to see if it was addressed correctly, if it was truly made payable to me, and if it was a real negotiable check. The answer to all my questions was - YES!!

My response to God was (as I laughed) - “Ok, God are you going to send me small checks every day or one at a time just to show me that you can do things in ways I can’t imagine, even if it is in small doses? He responded back to with “I told you to trust me one day at a time. Stop worrying about what is due next week. I know all things. Stop being afraid to answer the calls from the creditors. You don’t know how I can move on the hearts of others, but you have to trust me”. He reminded again of the story of the Israelites in the wilderness. The purpose for Him telling them not to save anything for the next day was to prove to them that the God they served was able to provide fresh manna the next day and any day. Even when they could not see what they would have to eat, He would provide. Then He said “I will take care of you day by day”. I could do nothing but “chuckle” and say THANK YOU FOR BEING GOD!!!

Now my friends, I know most of you already know that God is able but isn’t it interesting that we HAVE to be reminded of this simple fact -EVERY DAY that we live and breathe. It is the very nature of mankind to very easily believe what we see with the natural eye and feel with our fless. Nonetheless, we who are children of the Most High must remember that we are pilgrims in a foreign land and we walk by FAITH, not by sight!!!(2 Cor.5:7)

There are more events that took place on Friday that shows how God moves on your behalf when you just rest in Him and trust Him. I think I’ll save those events for another blog. If you have some testimonies of how God is sustaining you in these economically hard times, post it on the blog so others can catch a hold of faith and see the same results in their lives.

Longsuffering

My brothers and sisters in Christ, we must learn how to give others their right to think and feel how ever they think or feel. After all, God made humankind to be “free will” agents on purpose. We, as individuals, cannot force our thoughts/thought process or feelings on others. You and you alone are responsible for your own thoughts and feelings. What we, as Christians, are responsible for doing is letting our lights so shine that men see our good works and glorify the Father, which is in heaven. It is our influence on individuals in our world that bring change to thoughts and feelings.

What does that mean? It simple means allowing others to experience what our thoughts or feelings are about any given situation through our responses. This allows them to process the results of God-driven thoughts and feelings. Then, give them time to make changes. Something that we humans do not like to do - have patience. Change does not happen over night. Think about this; it takes anywhere from 10 days to several months for a caterpillar to turn into a beautiful butterfly. And the amount of time depends on the nature or kind of caterpillar it is. So, here we are talking about humans and we are all different in how we think, how long it takes for us to process a new idea, and so on. We are all different.

Too often we want to make others think the way we think and when they don’t, we refuse to give them the right to think however they think. Then we judge them based on our own thoughts. I have seen things such as this turn into people saying hurtful things causing offense to follow. Now, you have another issue at hand because someone is offended and the whole situation is placed in a position of possible breach of friendship and relationship.

Consider this when being confronted with someone’s views that seem totally indifferent to your view and opinion and allow the fruit of the Spirit to show up in your life. That is, the part of the fruit of the Spirit called, Longsuffering.

Testing

Testing

Have you examined the type of test you seem to have to repeat in your spiritual walk lately? Guess what, until you go back and figure out where you are making your mistake, you will continue taking that particular test. Over and over again - trust me, I know. It could be in how you think about the problem, it could be what you are saying about the problem or the attitude you develop every time this problem comes to you. I had an epiphany today, personally. Now, I have to go back to the textbook (my bible) and go through the process of the solution to this problem and begin to work it. Someone said “The Word will work, if you work the Word”. Take time today to check out your test, discover what area of your life the test is in, go back to the textbook and begin to practice the solution. See won’t you pass the test!!!!

The Anointing

Beloved -

The anointing is God’s power manifested through an available vessel and it is for SERVICE!!! It is not to cause one to feel important in the Kingdom or to boast about ones awesomeness. My (anyone) anointing benefits someone else and someone else’s anointing benefits me - therefore if I want to be effective, I need to continuously submit myself to God so that His Power (anointing) can flow through me to be a blessing to others.

This is the responsibility of one who is anointed. You can’t have Power without responsibility. Consider this: when one loses their connection with the Power source - they lose their effectiveness and consequently begin operating in self (the flesh). Read the story of Samson in the Old Testament. When he began to involve himself with the life of heathens (the world), he lost his power and when it was needed, he had none. I preached a message some years ago, “There’s a whole lot of shaking going on and no Power". Saints, we don’t want to find ourselves in that place. So, stay connected to the power source and allow His anointing to flow through us for SERVICE!!!

Revival Integrity

Revival services held in Houston, TX November 2, 2010. If you would like to have this kind of teaching and preaching in your area, log on to www.oreanwilliamcosby.com for contact info.

He Did The Difficult Things

Excerpts from Jesus – CEO. Strength of Self-Mastery -1

3.  He Did the Difficult Things –

Of all of the difficult things that leaders encounter, one of the most difficult positions a leader may take is one that causes him to stand all alone.  No one likes feeling like his decision has put everyone in opposition to his leadership. However, “Doing the difficult thing means not letting public opinion sway you from what God, your heart or your spirit is telling you” (Jones).  Jesus, who is our perfect example, said “no” on several occasions.  Let’s take a look at those occasions.

The Fire Of The Holy Ghost

The Fire of the Holy Ghost!

"I’ve got a joy down in my soul that the world can’t take away.  I’ve got a feeling of expectation of the glorious rapture day.  I’m just so excited about the coming my Lord. So I’m getting ready, sanctified, and all dressed up for that great wedding day"
(Lyrics by Orean Cosby, 1985).

Yes, that great wedding day when Christ (the bridegroom) returns for His bride (the church).  Will you be ready?

One thing is for sure, if we are to be ready, the saints everywhere need to be revived and set on fire for the Lord.  The ole’ church saints use to sing the song – “I wish somebody would – catch on fire, catch on fire and burn with the Holy Ghost”.

The Body Of Christ

The other day, I was listening to a Christian radio station and these words caught my attention. “If we are the body, why aren’t His arms reaching? Why aren’t His hands healing?” Why aren’t His words teaching?” My goodness, my ears perked up then and I began listening even harder. The song went to say: “If we are the body, why aren’t His feet going, why is His love not showing there is a way/”

These words peirced my heart and I began to wonder for myself. Am I doing all that I can, as a part of the Body, to fulfill my function? My friends, it is not to be left up to the preacher in the pulpit or the evangelist that comes through from time to time to utilize these functions. It is for every believer who has become a part of the Body of Christ. We all have a part to play. The question for today is – How are you fulfilling your function as a part of the Body of Christ?

 

Are your arms reaching out to some lost soul?

Are your hands touching someone’s life for healing and restoration?

Are you allowing the Words of Christ that dwell richly in you to speak out to others to teach them that Christ is the way?

The meaning of HALLELUJAH

Don't Be Afraid

This message is so good and my daughter wrote this on her blog and I thought I would share it with you all.

"Donot be afraid for God is with you!!!! Wherever God put you NO MAN can put you out! DO NOT BE AFRAID!!! The Lord your God is ALL powerful! He can do anything he wants and everything you need him to do! DO NOT BE AFRAID! We are his children who TRUST in him for ALL things. WE WILL NOT BE ASHAMED!!!"

*a few minutes later* "Everybody don't have to know what you're going through, but when you come out, don't be ashamed to testify of where you were."
A comforting word from God to me (when I was going through), that I chose to share with you...

Its Praying Time!!!!!!

I am being pushed by the Holy Ghost to continue to press everyone to stay in prayer! It is "Praying Time". Some of you may have already viewed this video (link posted below), but replay it as often as you need to remind yourself that it is PRAYING TIME!!!

Count Your Blessings

Count Your Blessings –

Here we are, at the end of the week. Many things have taken place since the beginning of the week. Some good and some not so good. To often then not, we have a tendency to look into the future with a negative focus, spending too much time on negative outcomes and missing the blessings that we are enjoying in the present. As you go through the rest of this weekend, take a minute to write down at least five things that you are grateful for and begin thanking God for them. Review that list all through the weekend.

By Sunday morning – when you enter into your various Houses of Worship, let your thanksgiving explode during your Praise and Worship service. You will see a remarkable difference in the atmosphere, if for no one but you. Remember what the psalmist said,
  “I will enter His gates with thanksgiving, and then let your thanksgiving carry you into Praise (in his courts). Then be thankful unto Him, and bless His Name (paraphrased Ps. 100:4).

Remember – COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS – and Bless His Name all day!!!!

Pray With Me

would you pray with me? C'mon -

Dear Jesus, Son of the Living God –

We extole you and lift your name above all other names. We lift you up above every circumstances and adverse situations in our lives. We love and adore you you. We honour you, respect and reverance you right now. Oh God, we give you praise and all the glory for all that you have done in times past and for all that you have already prepared and planned for me in this life (according to Jerm. 29:11) and in the life to come. We know and acknowledge that there is none like you anywhere

Now we ask that you forgive us from everything that is not representative
  of a holy lifestyle. Help us to live a holy life and have a “do right” mind. Oh God, we want a do right mind. We want to treat our neighbors, co-workers, bosses,church leaders, family members, husbands, wives, and children RIGHT. Hear our prayer and Helps us Oh God, to seek you in every decision that need to be made today. We want to be more like you so that out lights shine out in this dark world; and men begin to see our “good works” and glorify you, our Father in heaven.

HOLINESS!!!

Good Morning Members,

Something to think about today -

The same thing it took for the Saints long ago, its going to take the same thing now! Scripture declares that the church must be “holy”. It is a particular quality that, as Christ’s bride, God expects. Look at what Eph. 5:25b-27 says. “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church without stain or wrinkle or any other blemis, but holy and blameless”.

Holiness is not a single demonination. There should be Baptist holiness, AME holiness, Presbyterian holiness, Non-denomination holiness – it is a required lifestyle for all who are called out, set apart believers in God. The songwriter wrote these words: “The same thing it took for the saints long ago, it’s going to take the same thing now. It takes Holiness, Righteousness, a clean heart and a sanctified mind” (O. Cosby)

In this millenium, what does “holiness” mean to the church at large? Hummmm? Stay tuned for more on the subject.

I SPEAK THE BLESSINGS OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE TODAY!!!

Perspective

Some people act as if every occurrence in their life is crucial to their happiness. With that perspective, they may easily feel depressed when something turns out different from the way they had hoped. Putting life circumstances into a broader perspective can help you to withstand disappointments and maintain a positive mood.

Remember this: Don't let the "joy" stealers effect your joy. What are the "joy" stealers? I'm glad you asked. They are: people, things and circumstances.

Change your perspective and maintain the Joy of the Lord in your soul!!!

Be Blessed.

Trust God

As you enter into a new day, a new week, one that may be filled with challenges, surprises and unexpected change, I encourage you in everything you do – trust GOD. That’s right, trust GOD.

Look at the condition of our world today. Everywhere we look, people are afraid of one thing or another. Yes, even the Saints! Afraid of whether the job will this week, afraid of what changes will occur because of financial difficulties, afraid of losing a spouse to someone else, afraid of debilitating illness, just afraid.

The prophet Isaiah, in the 12th chapter of Isaiah, verse 2 says “Behold, God is my salvation: I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord JE-HO’VAH is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation. Isaiah says “I will trust, and not be afraid”.

Just a Thought

When complacency exceeds your desire for change - the consequence is concession (surrender).

Temptation unresisted becomes a necessity!

Blessings!

Thoughts- The Mind

"Thought" is everything to man. It's your leisure thoughts that determine who you are. What has been your thoughts, lately?

You can't conquer yourself until you conquer your mind.

So, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus". Question, you ask - What kind of mind is that? Glad you asked!

Here is the answer:

1. Humility
2. Obedience

For scripture context - Read Phil. 2: 5-10 and more...

Blessings!

The Dangers of Popularity!

As God gives directions and “God” ideas come into play, there is a Word that we should all be mindful of. That is – beware of the dangers of popularity.

It is no doubt that everyone wants to be popular and there is nothing wrong with being popular, but Ray Stedman, the author of “The Servant Who Rules” presents three (3) false forces that drive popularity and we must be watchful for them lest we become distracted. The first (1) false force is: Misguided expectations and emphases (Mk 3:9-10), second (2) – The Rise of Unclean Spirits (Mk 3:11) and third (3), Misunderstanding on All Sides (Mk 3:20-22).

Listen to this, my friends - “Popularity is empty and meaningless; celebrity status is dangerous and can even hinder our mission. Fame quickly gives rise to dangerous forces that will destroy us if we do not rely on God’s power from moment to moment, just as Jesus did. Amid the noise of the crowd, we must continually listen to that still, small voice of the Spirit of God (Stedman, 2002).

BE BLESSED TODAY!!!

Are You Determined pt.1

for more videos and the 2nd and 3rd parts to "Are You Determined" please visit Mashiyach Ministries on Youtube

Old Hymns for the younger generation

I Really Love The Lord