DSL Ministries

Every Action has a Reaction

Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen,

For every decision we make there is a countering consequence.  That consequence may be good or it may be not so good.  Regardless, there is a consequence.  Those who think otherwise are fooling themselves.  Example:  Lie about something and than don’t take responsibility for it and the consequence is a broken relationship with someone whom you may need or have to count on in the future.  Failing to admit you lied only adds to the betrayal.  Rationalizing or  Blaming the fact you had to lie because the other person could not handle the truth only adds to the liar’s dysfunction.  Yeap, for every action taken results in a reaction.  So get ready for it, regardless of which side of the lie you are living on.  

Tip of the Month- January/2011

LIVE  -  You Shall Live and Not Die!

L:  Love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind (Matt. 22:37).

I:  Investigate and pursue in the Bible what the Lord has ordained in your life.  The Lord states that he has plans for each of us.  Plans for prosperity not calamity for a future and a hope (Jer. 29:11).

V:  Victory is in Christ Jesus alone. You must chose to live a victorious life in the face of your challenges this year.   To find fulfillment in anything else other than Christ will lead to disappointment and limited gratification (1 Cor.1:1-9).

E:  Every thing we experience is for our good and God’s glory.  All things do work together “for” the good of those who love him and are called to his purpose.  That purpose is to glory Him in all we do (Rom. 8:28).

LIVE

What we declare to be in the Lord has much to do with how we walk in this life!  God can change our names from collaborating with the enemy to a Child of God.  

But it will take time to grow into it your divine destiny. That is the sanctification process.  Living through a sifting violent/turbulent time can take us to the breaking point of our faith!  We fear the unknown.  Afraid of what tomorrow will bring.  Stand on what God has called into your spirit to do.  Be all you can be in Christ Jesus.  

God is known for changing the names of his faithful to signify their destiny:

·     Abram to Abraham- father of many nations!

·     Jacob to Israel- God prevails!

·     Simon to Cephas or Peter, the Rock/stone (John 1:40-42)

LIVE!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year Everyone.  We pray that your goals for this year include:

A closer walk with God.

A closer relationship with others.

God has great things in store for those who diligently seek his face.  As our desires line up with those of Christ, we can see our future in a more positive light.  We may have lost a great many material things, but we have not lost our faith.  Consider that the adversity we experience in this life has a mandate to make us stronger and humble in Christ —not ourselves.  Be strong in the power of the Lord’s might.

Ask Sis. Shirley

Lies and their consequences in marriage.

Dear Rev. Shirley:

I have made a lot of mistakes in my life & now in my marriage. I have told several lies to my wife, who at this point is considering leaving me. This is a consequence of my doing I understand, but I do want to work things out, and make my marriage work, but I can’t do it alone. I don’t expect my wife to forget what I did, however being a Christian I hope she will forgive me.  Right now she isn’t speaking to me, and I want desperately to start the healing process towards rebuilding the trust needed to make us have a successful marriage. I have your number, and would be more than willing to move forward with couples counseling as soon as you can find time for us, contingent on her wanting to participate in it with me. I have sinned against God, firstly, and my Wife secondly. I hope we will be able to find our way back to each other. This has been a valuable lesson in what not to do in a marriage, or anything else for that matter. To see the tears I caused my wife to shed really hurt me to see what damage I caused, and the hurt I inflicted. I’m lost, and don’t know what to do. Where do I go from here???

Answer:

First go to God and repent of your wrongdoing and then confess your offenses to your wife.  Now is the time to reveal what has been concealed.    Remember every sin has a consequence.  When we throw ourselves on the mercy seat of God, He gives us strength to endure whatever that consequence may be.  It takes time for wounds to heal.  Reflect on why you felt the need to lie and determine to communicate these feelings and thoughts.  No, this does not justify your behavior, but it can allow an opportunity for clarity and accountability.  Trust is earned not expected.  Are you willing to do what it takes to regain your wife’s confidence and trust?  It is natural for the injured partner to have trust issues in light of the betrayal.  Defensiveness and frustration are to be expected, even as a Christian.   In counseling couples learn to take small, manageable, steps to rebuild trust.  It is then up to the offender to follow through on these steps or else risk major damage in the relationship.  Contact the church as soon as possible to set up an appointment.   Stay encouraged in the Lord and be blessed.  

Tip of the Month: November

Take a Tip from the Master- Jesus.  Stay in His will and remain in His hands.

If you want to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, observe the following things about Him: 1) He never acted in haste. He didn’t make decisions in response to the pressure tactics of others. Skilled negotiators know that waiting is a weapon; whoever is the most hurried usually ends up with the short end of the deal. Waiting reveals the weakness in any plan, plus the motives of those around you. Your greatest mistakes will often happen because of impatience, so think long term.  The attached was part of a commentary from “The Vine” http://www.thevinetoday.com/word.  This statement really struck me relative to how we interact with others.  How quick is our response to our spouse and others?  Do we take the time to get the “rest of the story”?  Do we bother to pray before we speak?  Waiting does reveal the weakness in any plan and it allows an individual opportunity re-visit their behavior.  1 Samuel 16:7 states that God looks at the heart and rejects appearances.  Consider this for a moment.  Do we value what people can do for us over their heart intent?  God values faith and love, which goes beyond just human discernment.  He does not show partiality toward loving His children.  

Ask Sis. Shirley

Good morning Sis Shirley,

Congratulation on your accomplishment. It is always a Blessing to get your e-mails of encouragement.  I work very hard at trying to stay encouraged. I have been married for 6 years, and hope that one day my husband would speak of our marriage as we. But, he continues to speak. ” me and mine and your and yours”. even with cups and household items. He has retired and I work 12hr night shifts 3-4 times a week. I have had to hire a person to clean the house, because, he will only do what he wants to do in the house and not always to his best.  With the 2 grand kids (10-12) and 98 yr old mother - in- law that live in the our home, I feel overwhelmed and discouraged. I know God don’t make mistakes and patience is a virtue. I sometime need understanding.   Thanks for your time and DSL Ministries.

Answer:

Paul tells us: “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength but with your testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).  Don’t forget self-care.  In other words, “Don’t neglect yourself” as you take care of others.  In times of stress and strain, we must be faithful to God and to taking care of ourselves in meditation, prayer and relaxation.  This way when adversity continues and others in our lives do not change our disposition does not change (negatively) with them.  Our “way out” is to trust that God has our best interest in mind and lean on His strength.  It appears your marriage is very young.  Have you tried counseling?  It is not uncommon for couples to experience “single mentality” in a marriage especially when one spouse is determined to resist conforming to the image of God and the covenant of Marriage.  When we love God completely, we learn to love others correctly.  Don’t lose hope. Stand firm and you will come out on the other side in God’s hand.  God is faithful.  Peace, Rev. Shirley

Strength in Weakness

During our weakest moments, we find our strength in Christ. Don’t give up.  Our hope is truly in Christ Jesus. 

”’My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’   “Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10.        

Grace is God’s unmerited favor.  It is kindness from God we don’t deserve.  So in our weakness, God extends his unmerited favor to divinely empower us to do exceedingly beyond what we could ever ask or think.  This is the power of God through the Holy Spirit working in us.  It is what happens when we come to the end of our human abilities and God takes over. 

Stay encouraged!

Tip of the Month: October

And The Beat Goes On

There are times in our lives when stuff just happens.  When the rain falls on the just and the unjust (Matt. 5:45).  The question is, “do you have your umbrella up?”  Everyone gets the rain.  It is going to rain on everyone body, but can you put up your umbrella and know that God is still in control and keep on keeping on?  The goal of the enemy is to discourage us to the point of giving up.  He will use our friends and family, even our jobs or lack there of to cause us to say, “enough is enough”.  This “Jesus thing” is not working.  The Beat- The Heart Beat of God does go on.  God loves us and cares for us.  Keep your eye on God and the beat will go on!

Have a Plan

In the Middle of a Storm.

In the middle of a storm be sure to take cover in a safe place.  Have an action plan in case of an emergency.  Most people over-react instead of having an action plan.  In a crisis, one should already have a plan of action- shelter from the storm.   Without a vision or plan- the people perish (Prov. 29:18).  God has a vision and plan for our lives. The Hebrew word for vision used in this passage is “chazown” and it means sight, a dream, revelation or oracle.  God wants us to have sight of His hand on our life.  A revelation of witnessing of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.   There is nothing that we can get ourselves into that God cannot walk us through.  Of course there will be consequences to our actions.  However, we can come out on the other side with a lesson learned and a revelation of the goodness and the mercy of God. 

Tip of the Month: September

Focus People Focus

The enemy has distracted us with such a weight of issues these days.  Our jobs or politics or environmental conditions have clouded our sight to the real plight of Satan- destruction.  He has strategically divided us between the “Them –vs- Us” camps. “Young-vs -Old.  Black-vs- White.  Married- vs- Single.” Our Battle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against powers, against world forces of this darkness, against spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places  (Eph. 6:12). The devil is going to hell and he wants company.  He will lie and cheat to get us to follow him.  We forget sometimes that we are in this world-not of this world. Satan has us so busy making a living that we forget there is a war going on.

We must be strategic- See ourselves as warriors- focused and aware of the enemy’s tactics and devices.  Seek to understand one another.  Listen to be understood.  There are always to sides to a story.  Then there is the real truth to the story.  We may never know the real truth until Jesus returns, so try to extend mercy and grace whenever possible. This battle is fought on the Spiritual and Physical realm.  Be sure you are not wounding a physical friend unaware.  Focus People Focus.    

(Source: biblegateway.com)

Tip of the Month: August

Stepping up our game!

We must step up our game.  Each year, the fashion industry redesigns or reconstructs a new way presenting an old look in order for men and women to be inspired to spend their hard earned money.  Satan does the same thing.  His tactics have not changed.  John 10:10a states that the thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy (NLT).    These attempts are wrapped up in credit card debt, interest only mortgages and car notes we can’t afford.  We must step up our game.  Become more transparent with each other.  Start at home.  Establish a “real” accountability partner.  Someone whom you can look eyeball to eyeball with once a week and speak candidly about success and pains.  Tell your children the truth about past and present success and failures of how God has worked in your life.  Get help for your relationships. Stop being TRIFFLING!   We get more emails from children about their Christian parents fighting (and we wonder why our children do not want to go to church?)  Now is the time to step up our game. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Heb. 11:1).  Be blessed.