I don’t know how many times I get on one of the social networks and either see or read about some person who is trying to be someone else. They obviously have no idea who they are and they for sure do not know who they are in Christ. We need to learn how to be ourselves. God made us unique and He made us for a specific purpose and there is no way we can fulfill that purpose if we are always trying to be who we are not.

The bible says in Psalms 139:14, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. It also says in Genesis that we were created in His image, so who are we to try to change that? We are who we are and nothing can change that. We can try and maybe for a short time succeed but the true us always comes out. God made us to be unique and He has given us a path for our lives and if we will only trust in Him we will see the big picture.

In my life, I had no plans in any way of ever becoming a pastor, but like I said God has different plans for our lives and when we come to Him and listen to Him those plans come to fruition. It wasn’t until I surrendered my life to Christ that one day a voice spoke to me and told me what to do. Coming from a life of drugs I was sure I was having flashbacks and the old voices had returned. I did the right thing, I went to my wife and told her what had happened and she advised me of what to do next, go to our pastor for his input. I did and what do you know, I became a pastor about two and a half years later. I did it my way but my way was not the right way and I was not being myself so God’s plans finally came to be and I became myself and not someone else.

You might say that people will not accept me for who I am and I have to put on a front in order to get them to even notice me. Wrong! If people cannot accept you for who you are then maybe you are seeking out the wrong people. Those who you have to try to impress will eventually turn on you someday anyway and then where are you? Being yourself will give you those people who are honest and have a true desire to be in your life. I spent many years thinking that if I do this or if I do that people will like me but they only turned on me and left me out in the cold searching again. It was only when Jesus came into my life that I finally realized that by being myself was what most people were seeking in me anyway. The same goes for you; those around you are only looking for the real you and not a fake. You will be more honest with yourself when you are yourself and not someone else.

Live by the Golden Rule or by my interpretation of that rule, treat others the way you want to be treated. If you are looking for attention, give attention. If you are looking for acceptance then accept others. Be yourself, and others will accept you. God made you unique so be unique.

This was a message brought a number of years ago by a friend of mine from Colorado. Although I don’t remember the text of the message today, the title has always been on my mind. So, I am going to use the title and add my own text to it for what it means to me and totally my own interpretation.

My thought on this title, “I’ve never seen a vulture eating a moving cow”, refers to pressing in and always going forward. It is leaving the mountain top and moving down into the valley and continuing to move toward the next mountain top. As long as we are moving forward toward God there is no way the demons of hell can touch us. It is only when we stop that we get attacked. We become like Peter and we take our eyes off of Jesus and we begin to sink. It is imperative that we keep our focus or we will be devoured.

We cannot always live on the mountain top where it is safe. If we are going to move to the next level with God we must come down off the mountain where our faith is perfected and put that faith to work down in the valley. It is when we enter the valley that we get our greatest understanding of God and exactly what He can do for us as long as we keep moving forward. Psalms 23 says, “Though I walk through the valley”. Notice that it did not say though I stand and camp here in the valley, it says that I walk through the valley. That is the area that we sometimes fall very short. We get into the valley and it becomes overwhelming to us and we stop and are overtaken by the vulture.

Satan is watching at every moment for us to stop going forward and that is when he strikes. He becomes the vulture and we become the cow and he is going to attack because that is what vultures do, they swoop in at the very sign of trouble and wait for death to occur. It is imperative to us that we keep moving no matter what it is we face. Remember God is there with you and although we may feel we are there by ourselves, we are not.

As you continue to move forward you will soon reach the mountain top once again and then God will be able to perfect more in you for your next journey into the valley. We will always go from mountain top to the valley until we reach heaven, no one is exempt. God wants us to keep moving and pressing in. Again we need to be like Peter and focus on Christ and then get out of the boat and begin to walk on water. No matter what the circumstance may be in our life, Jesus is there to help you in any way if we will just call out on Him and keep moving.

If you will keep your focus and keep moving, as you go through the valleys you will come out the other side full of understanding and the knowledge of what it was you learned on the last mountain top and get excited about what the next mountain top will bring and the lessons you will learn.

Press in, keep moving and keep going forward. Don’t stop and camp and God will show you His glory and presence and take you to the next mountain top. The vultures will leave because as the title says, “I never seen a vulture eating a moving cow”.

Today is a perfect day. If there are those who you have had a problem with or those who have a problem with you, then today is the perfect day for forgiveness. Right or wrong, you did it, they did it makes no difference. Today God says you ask for forgiveness and I will bless you. Today you go to those and get past whatever has been holding you back from what He has for you.

You can’t move forward with your life if you hold a grudge against someone else. You can’t receive total healing if you are holding a grudge against someone else for whatever reason. it makes no difference and today is the perfect day.

There was a day a few years ago when I was seeking healing for my body and God spoke to me about a person I had issues with. He said that I needed to go to that person and get things right between us and my healing would come. I went and He did what He said He would do. That simple and there were no strings attached. The funny thing was, I was the only one thinking about what it was and the other person had no idea. We lose so much time when we focus on what happened in the past and there is no way we can move forward until we get it out of our lives.

God says that if you don’t forgive, right or wrong, you did it or they did it and ask for forgiveness then He cannot forgive you. It makes no difference whose fault it is, the only thing that even matters is that you make the first step and initiate the solution. Once you move beyond the grudge then you will see a new chapter in your life and that breakthrough you have been looking for will come. When you are obedient to what God is telling you to do then you will see a mighty moving of His hand in your life.

Today is the perfect day and right now is the perfect time. Don’t delay and move forward today and receive the blessings of God that have been put on hold waiting for you to take the first step. I can guarantee you that when you make that first step not caring whose fault it is and ask for forgiveness God will bless you and I speak from personal experience. God does not want you to stay where you are right now; He wants you to move to the next level.

Today is the PERFECT DAY, try it and see. The bible says, taste and see that the LORD is good! How blessed is the person who trusts in him (Psalms 34:8 ISV). Today is the PERFECT DAY and right now is the PERFECT TIME.

God bless you in ways you will never understand and would never have expected.

I have had many thoughts lately but the one thought that really matters, is this “Jesus Loves You”. There are so many things going on in our lives these days that we get totally distracted and wonder if anyone loves us or if we even matter. The answer is yes. Yes there is someone who loves us no matter what and under all circumstances. It is Jesus and He loves us right where we are at.

If you are struggling with loneliness or with the feeling of abandonment, take heart because God is there for you. You may say I don’t know Jesus or why would Jesus want me? Let me tell you from experience, He loves you and He cares more for you than anyone. God loves you so much that He gave His only Son so that He could prove His love for you. Out of the billions of people in the world, He loves you and cares for you. John 3:16 says, “for God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”.

If you cannot grasp ahold of the concept that God loves you and wants you to be with Him then stop and look at how much He loves Jesus. Jesus came and gave His life that we might have life and have it to the fullest. Jesus died on the cross that our many sins would be forgiven and that we would have a way to reconcile ourselves to His Father. He has made it so simple to receive salvation and forgiveness of our sins. Jesus tells us that all we have to do is ask. We cannot do it by being good or by doing good works it is only through asking for forgiveness and accepting Him as our Lord and Savior.

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6) That means that you need to have a personal relationship with Jesus and accept Him into your life as your Savior or you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Today is the day to accept Jesus as your Savior and today is the day to start a brand new life with the knowledge that when you die you will be with Jesus for the rest of eternity. I will not lie to you, it is not easy but it is so worth it. Every day is a challenge and there are many who will come against you and even go as far as to make fun of you, but if you will stay firm in the love of Jesus and keep your eyes focused on Him you will prevail and the rewards surpass anything you could ever possibly imagine.

Love Jesus and accept Him and you will spend eternity in paradise, reject Him and you will have to pay the price for eternity. The choice is entirely up to you. My prayer is that you accept Jesus and receive the eternal life. God gave us a free will and He will never force you to make a decision that you do not want to make, but as I have found out, if God can accept a sinner like me then He will accept anyone. If Jesus could love me so much that He would deliver me from drugs and alcohol just by me accepting Him as my Lord and Savior, then I would do it ten thousand times over and over again.

I tell you the truth, Jesus loves you and He only wants the very best for you in your life. The love that God has for you will never be met in this world and you will never feel that love more than when you accept Jesus as your Savior. God loves you and so do I. You are very important and all I ask is give it your very best and undivided attention and I can guarantee you it will be a decision that will change your life forever.

Ministry is what God has called us to do and He never promised it would be easy. People everywhere reject Him on a daily basis and others just have not heard about Him or been given the opportunity to receive Him as their Lord and Savior. That is why we are to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15)

Let me tell you a little story I heard some years ago and it still applies today. There was a line at the gates of Heaven and each person was being judged on their lives. A man was standing in line with his best friend just in line ahead of him. When it was his friends turn to stand before Jesus the question was asked of him why he did not receive Him as his Lord and Savior to which the friend replied because his friend had never told him. Ouch! How about you? Are you that friend? Are you unable to share the gospel with your friends and family? If not then there needs to be an adjustment in your life because just like the story, you too will be judged and do you really want to hear those words, he did not tell me?

The best I can figure is the worst thing a person could say is no or I don’t want to hear that or even that they would make fun of me. There could be worse but after all of the things God has done for me I don’t want to let an opportunity pass me by. God has done so much in your life and if you call yourself a Christian you need to take heed and listen to what God is telling you to do and then do it. I know that sometimes when God asks you it seems at the wrong time and the wrong place but it is always the right thing. God knows us and He also knows how we will react, but the blessing He pours out on us when we are obedient far outweighs anything else.

I have been doing ministry for a while and for the most part it is not anywhere close to easy because God likes to take you out of your comfort zone, but what He does in your life makes ministry the easiest thing you will ever do. Rejection comes and acceptance comes but all you can do is what God tells you to do. Jesus told the disciples to go into the town and if they did not listen then leave, shake the dust off of their shoes and go on (Matthew 10:14 paraphrased). It is a fact that not everyone is going to accept the gospel for whatever reason but God is asking you to plant the seed and leave the rest up to Him. Ministry means listening to God and then following through with what He asked you to do, that seems pretty simple.

God will bless you when you are obedient and you will see signs and wonders of His love and mighty power. Over the past eighteen years in ministry, we have seen literally thousands of people surrender to Jesus and we have seen some of the most awesome miracles ever. Just be yourself and be surrendered to Him and you will have the same experiences. There is nothing that is more of a miracle than having someone surrender their life to Jesus Christ and make that decision to change.

Ministry may not be easy all of the time, but it is the most rewarding thing ever. Just telling someone about Jesus is more rewarding than anything I could possibly imagine. Don’t give up, just keep pressing in and being obedient because you are a great minister and God has your back.