"Deal With It"

I am so excited to write this article because it is just a shorter version of what I'm going to be writing in my book.

**1 Corinthians 10:13 says "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."

Life is full of challenges and obstacles that if we are not careful would eat away at our faith. Relationships that can go sour, job layoffs, disappointments, heartache and heartbreak, can all eat away at our faith in God. If your not careful... tradition and religion can eat away at your faith, and cause you to live a life that God never intended for you to live. You see living for God requires faith. And you can never overcome temptation unless you have complete and total trust in God.
When I read 1 Corinthians 10:13 it helps me understand that God is not a genie... He is a teacher. And many Christians would prefer God to be a genie... that if they would shout loud enough and pray hard enough or if they spin around five times that there problems would disappear. But that is not what the bible teaches. Now don't get me wrong... I believe in prayer and I believe that when we ask God for anything according to His will... He gives it to us. But then there are seasons in our life that God wants to teach. Whew!!!... Sure we would prefer that when we are in trouble that the Lord would deliver us quickly. But the "Testing of our faith produces patience" and the scripture tells us to "Let Patience have it's perfect work." So that we would mature and grow.
What I want to convey to you is this... anytime the scripture talks about temptation... another word that could be used is "TEST"... you see temptation from satan's stand point is enticement... but from God's stand point its "testing"... and a teacher would not allow you to be tested without giving you a lesson first. That is why this particular scripture says that "God is faithful".... Because He will not allow us to be tested without first preparing us for the test. God knows our limits, so no test will be given without Him giving us the answers to our situation. The problem with most believers is that they don't spend time in God's presence to get the answer that they need to overcome life's challenges. Before Jesus was tempted... He fasted 40 days and 40 nights..... Now I know that in the mist of Him fasting... the Lord prepared Him to face satan head on. He spent time in God's presence... and the Holy Spirit prepared Him for the test. When and only when we spend time fasting and praying and seeking the Lord... will He provide the way of escape so that we can endure(bear) the temptation.
So many people would rather not go through anything. But that is not real life. There is so much more that I can say about this scripture... but I guess your going to have to wait until the book comes out LOL... But if there is one thing you need to remember its this. The way of escape does not mean we will not face anything in life. It means God teaches us a lesson before the test. Now let me ask you a question... what has He been teaching you lately?... and why do you keep going through the same things over and over again? Get the lesson so that you can pass the test! If you don't deal with the issue... then it will keep coming up. God is a teacher... and He teaches us to deal with the situations that we face.

Father, help us to deal with our situation and not avoid them. Help us to be real with ourselves. That when we need help, we ask for help. Teach us Lord so that we can be prosperous and victorious in our lives.

In Jesus Name!
Amen.

Be Blessed!
Chad

Be Blessed!
Chad Owens

"The Fear of Failure"

For the past four years now, I have seen and heard so many stories of Pastors falling, or being caught up in some kind of scandal. I just have to be honest with you, when these kinds of things come out,the fear of failure trys to overtake me. And the enemy would say to me "See if they couldn't do it, then you want be able to do it either". You must understand that these men and women start out pure, loving the Lord and doing ministry not to be served but to serve. But then something happens to them, they become hungry for power. It's no longer about winning souls for the kingdom, now its about how many people they can get to come to there church and follow there ministry. When I see these leaders fall, "I don't rejoice and think I told you so. I start crying and I say Lord please don't let it be me." Sometimes what causes me to shrink back and not step out into my purpose is the fear of failure. (Don't get spiritual on me)... we all have some kind of reservation to stepping out and doing what God has called us to do. Look at Moses... who didn't want to be used by God because he had a talking problem... or look at the prophet Jeremiah. He told God that he was to young. Look at Joshua... There was a reason why God told him to "Be strong and of good courage not once, not twice, but three times. The truth is we all need some courage to help us face our fears, our hurts, and our disappointments. I know people who got offered promotions but turned it down because they were afraid of failing. Thomas Edision failed 10,000 times before he was successful at creating the first light bulb. Never give up on your dream,it doesn't matter how many times you've fallen. Get back up and try again! Did you know that the prophet Jeremiah did not win one person to the Lord while he was in ministry? What was his motivation? I wonder if he felt like a failure. I can't imagine preaching the word to people and no receives it. I would feel like a failure. Jeremiah's motivation was to please the one who called him. He was a young man and he went through so much because he obeyed God. I have only been in ministry for ten years. But most of those years were my young years. So when I look at these men who have been in ministry for 30 years and have been married for 18 years, fall... I have to remind myself that I'm not doing this on my own. That God is my source!! and that He will keep me from falling and will present me faultless before God. It reminds me to keep myself in check, that just because I'm a minister, it doesn't mean that I'm exempt to falling. It's kinda like what Paul has said in 1 Cor 9:27 " But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified." The key to keeping yourself from being a cast away... is discipline.

Lord help us not be afraid of failure. We will have good days and we will have bad days. But I thank you Lord that, it doesn't define who we are.... "WE ARE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF God IN CHRIST JESUS"... Help us to remember that with you, we can be courageous and overcome anything. In Jesus name.. Amen!!

Be Blessed!!
Min. Chad Owens

"Are There Many Ways To God?"

In today's world of religious pluralism, Christians are in constant contact with people of different faiths. Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Mormonism, Christian Science, New Age, Jehovah witnesses, do all these religions lead to God. First I would like to say that this article has nothing to do with me trying to prove myself to be right. This article is about challenging people to seek the one true God and being more of the deceptions in that is plaguing our society. So do all religions lead to God? Can you get to God without accepting Jesus as your Lord and savior? John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, " I am the way, truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Jesus makes it very clear that He is the way of Salvation. No one can go through any other religion and inherit eternal life.

Gotta Keep Movin' by Tamela Mann

Nothing is going to stop me from getting to my destiny! I won't be distracted, I got to keep movin'.
Check out this song and be blessed!

Satisfied by Ronnie Freeman

Listen to the powerful worship song, it will bless you just as much as it has blessed me!

Surprise

On May 10th 2011 I traveled to Orlando, FL from Warminster, PA to surprise my mom for a Belated Happy Mother's day. Watch her reaction as I pop up from behind the car to wish her a Happy Mother's Day. She had no idea that I was coming to Orlando to surprise her.

"Religion Is Useless"

        This morning while laying in bed the thought "Religion Is Useless" came to my spirit. I began to meditate on what this really means; not just for the reader but for myself. All of my siblings including myself grew up in church. We know the church language,and the church routine. That when you lift your hands, you lift it "a certain way" so that it looks spiritual. When you say praise God, you have to say it a "certain way" so that it seems like you have a relationship with Him. When you speak in  tongues, it has to be long and drawn out so that you come across more spiritual than everyone else.  People go to church and leave the same way they came, because they are more addicted to the exercise of spirituality and not its reality. It's reality is CHANGE. 2  Tim 3:5 "having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!" Religious people have a form of godliness but denies the true power of Christianity which is "Change." Not only do they deny it, they cannot obtain it. "God is always working", this statement is simple but so profound. God is active, creative, innovative, He is about Change. When Paul said that Believers were to be "Living Sacrifices" he was truly speaking from the heart of God. We are to be active, creative,busy about our Father's business. We should be touching lives, and imparting into other people. What makes Christianity so different from other religions?. its not a religion. It's about having a relationship with God. That kind of relationship brings about a supernatural change. Old habits are destroyed, old mindsets are gone. God takes away that heart of stone and gives you a heart of flesh. I know that last statement might be confusing for some of you. That simply means, when you surrender your life to the Lord, He makes obeying him simple. "The reason why it is so hard for some people to obey God is because they haven't surrendered. God doesn't want you to cut yourself, poke your eyes out, cut your hand off. He wants you to surrender your heart to Him, and He will do the rest. 1 Timothy 4:8 says "For bodily exercise profits little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come". In this same passage of scripture, it talks about how in the last days, people will start to teach things that are inspired by satan himself. "Now I'm getting ready to open a can of worms" Some religions believe that you shouldn't eat certain foods because it is considered to be unclean. Did you know that this is a doctrine that is inspired by satan? Jesus teaches that all food should be accepted with thanksgiving. The "Religious Leaders" had a problem with Jesus saying that. Jesus totally wrecked their traditions. Jesus had to because it did not produce change. It only produced "More Bondage"  A person who departs from the true faith falls prey to all sorts of traps that are alleged to make one more spiritual. A religious person, doesn't live to please God. Their motivation is to make themselves look higher, and better than everyone else. A true disciple of Christ, cherishes his/her alone time with the Lord. They give when no one is watching. Their motivation is to be more like Christ. "Religion is useless"... its dead. I'm not going to live a life of religion. I'm going to live the life Christ wants me to live. That kind of life keeps a smile on my face. It helps me to see the good in things and not the negative. It helps me to see that there are days that I will come up short, but God still loves me. This kind of life is called an abundant life. John 10:10 says "The thief comes to steal, kill and to destroy. But I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.

Be Blessed,
Chad Owens

"Having the Right Power"

You might find it interesting that I called this article "Having the Right Power". I named the article that because so many people have "power". I'm talking about spiritual and natural, we all have some sort of influence in the world. Whether it's on your job, school, church, or business. Did you know that power is just influence? The more influence you have, the more power you have. Just to be transparent with you... my sphere of influence or power is connected to my job(but God is the source). I am a supervisor at a childrens home and I have influence over my staff, volunteers, the kids,  and their parents. That is my sphere of influence. Now "the power" is not having  power(if that makes sense) ... it is about having the wisdom on what to do with the power that you have.   You see having the "right power" is about knowing when you should use the power and not abuse it for selfish gain. Jesus had power, but He used his power to change lives, never for His benefit. "He had the "right power"... Now lets go deeper... Matthew 4:1-4 says(1) "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. (2) And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights. afterward He was hungry.(3) Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. (4) But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread along, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God". Here is a great example in scripture where Jesus had the opportunity to use his power for his own gain, but He didn't. Jesus never used His power to get back at people, or to make people feel belittled. He always used it to help someone else. Anytime you use your power for selfish gain you are fulfilling the lust of the flesh. Not only that... it will always come back and bite you in the butt. Here me when I tell you (ALWAYS). Sometimes I had to realize that Jesus... the son of God could have called on 10,000 angels to come to His aid when He was getting persecuted... but He didn't... He humbled himself and God exhalted Him. Whewwwww... I'm getting excited just thinking about it. So lets wrap this up.... having the right power is not about position... its about wisdom. It's about knowing when to use your power and not abuse your power. God has given all of us power or influence... some might have more than the other... but that doesn't matter. It's all about how you use what God has given you to be effective in the earth.
"Lord teach us to have wisdom, and not to use our power for selfish gain. But to change lives for the kingdom of God in Jesus name Amen.

Be Blessed guys!
Minister Chad Owens

Vashawn Mitchell | Be Fruitful

"You can't Curse what God has Blessed"

Sometimes I go through things in my life and wonder if I'm cursed... at times I wrestle with discouragement and wonder if God hears my prayers. Have you ever heard that small voice that tickles your ear that says "you will never be nothing" or "God has forsaking you"... "God doesn't love you because you struggle with xyz"? I have! There were times in my life when I didn't want to get out of bed because I felt useless like no one loved me. I felt "cursed". There are some people who can identify with what I'm saying. Here is the secret that satan does not want you to know, YOU ARE NOT CURSED!! as a matter of fact, when you accepted the Lord Jesus as your personal savior... He destroyed the curse over your life and blessed you with an everlasting blessing! Whew!! Thank you Jesus! Like my bishop T.D Jakes would say "lets go deeper" LOL.  Numbers 23:8 says "How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how shall I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced? Numbers 23:20 says "Behold, I have recieve a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it." Just to give you a little insight to what's going on here... a moabite king named Balak recruited a prophet name Balaam to "curse" the children of Israel so that they could defeat them in battle. Because of the children of Israels convanant relationship with God.. they were undefeatable. Balak believed that the outcome of battles is determined by the gods, therefore if a curse is spoken over them... it will enable him to defeat them. The prophet balaam tried to curse them three times... but all three times God spoke blessing! Take note of this "Your failures do not define who you are"... Your disabilities do not define who you are. I challenge you to change your perspective! You have a purpose and God is going to use you for His glory. I want you to understand what a curse is.... in the Hebrew language curse is "naqab" and it means "to puncture with holes". My friends... do not be ignorant of satan's devices. He creates scenarios that would make the believer think their leaking. What does that mean? That means that everything you get... you lose it... that means every friend you make... ends up acting weird and stops checking up on you. "Satan wants you to believe that your life has not changed". The devil wants you to think that you will always be in poverty and living from pay check to pay check. The devil wants you to think that you will always have that addiction and you can never get free from it. But I'm here to tell you that its your choice to believe God for what He said about you. He said that your the head and not the tail... your above and not beneath.... your the lender and not the borrower. The greatest deception for a person to believe is that the harm that comes to their life is caused by God. Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope".  God wants to bless you and not harm you... so its  is not Him that causes the evil... God is the one who brings good. God wants you to be "whole". Everytime Balaam tried to curse the children of Israel... God spoke through him and blessed them. Balaam went back to Balak and said(paraphrase) look man... you can't curse what God has blessed. My brothers and my sisters... you are not "cursed" you have your Father's seed in you. Begin to pray over yourself and speak life to yourself. And declare that you are a blessed man or women of God. Don't doubt for a moment that blessing is not on you. The scripture says that "the blessing of the Lord makes one rich and adds no sorrow".

Be Blessed!
Chad Owens

Testimony of God's Provision

William McDowell - I Give Myself Away"Awesome Song"

♫" He Wants It All" : Enjoy some Worship while you Read!

Exposing Depression

Have you ever had to fight discouragement and depression at the same time. It's hard isn't it? Scientist say that depression comes from having a chemical imbalance. But I suggest to you that depression is just a spirit that seeks to have control over your life. Discouragement makes room for depression, and depression makes you unproductive. So let me break that down. The way depression comes in is by you being discouraged about something first. Discouragement opens the door for depression to come in and cause havoc in your life. The way it causes havoc is by paralyzing you. You want to sleep more, eat more or not eat at all, lay around, stay in your house, don't want to talk to anyone, your grumpy, or you will have outburst of anger. Depression causes all kinds of emotions to hit you all at once. Does God intend for us to live this way, absolutely not. I want to give you some scripture that will help you fight depression but first lets go deeper into what depression is and how it works. Because you can't fight anything you don't understand. The definition of depression is "to lower in force, to put into a lower position, to make dull, to press down. Isn't that something? These definitions alone lets us know that there is a demonic force behind depression. Now there are many ways that depression can come into someone's life. I talked about discouragement being one of them, but the scripture lets us know that Anxiety plays a big part in someone being depressed. Proverbs 12:25 says " Anxiety in the heart of a man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad." If you look at this scripture it deals with depression in two parts. Part one says "Anxiety causes depression"... now anxiety is destress caused by misfortune. So many get anxious when things don't go there way or when they lose something. Life can be stressful yall!!! I'm so serious about that... somethings in life can weigh you down. But you must not let it get to you. Philippians 4:6 says "Be anxious for nothing" but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God;. Prayer and spending time with God breaks the back of depression. When we take our concerns and our worries to God the result is verse 7 " it says and the peace of God( How many of you want peace)... which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Isaish 26:3 "Says you will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You because he trust in You." These scriptures lets us know that medicine is not the cure for depression, but trusting in the Lord is... these scriptures lets us know that suicide is not the cure for depression, but prayer and taking your worries to God is. My brothers and my sisters, the second part of proverbs 12:25 says this The the word makes a man's heart glad. I'm telling you, spending time with God and reading his word will rid your life of depression and will cause Joy to overflow in your life. The way we get God's Joy is by spending time in his presence. Psalm 16:11b "In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. One of the qaulities of the fruit of the Spirit is joy! I don't know about you I want the JOY of the Lord operating in my life... the kind of JOY that the world doesn't give... and the world can't take away!!!! Weeping may endure for a night, but JOY comes in the morning!!! So what I want you to take away from this article is to pray and then praise!!! Pray and then give God the praise for what He has already done!!! Thank you Jesus!!! Listen I have never done this before, But I feel a prophetic move of God... I want you to send me your prayer request!!! to wholefamilymissions@yahoo.com (Subject Prayer request) and I want to touch and agree with you... I believe that by the end of march you will receive a prophetic breakthrough!! The water is troubled!!! It's time for you to jump in says the Lord!! Send me your prayer request and be blessed!

Minister Chad Owens

Walking In Excellence

                                                         Part 3: "Keeping Your Word"


 When people think of the word excellence they automatically think external attributes, how you dress, how you talk, how much money you have. That is not what excellence is about. Excellence is a character trait that a person develops over time. It's not about what you are presenting on the outside, but what you are presenting from the inside out. I couldn't wait to get to this topic because so many people lack this character trait. When you tell someone that you are going to do something for them, how your going to do it and when your going to do it... it's important that you do it that way. If something changes... you communicate with the person. Have someone ever told you something that they was going to do for you, then when you get in touch with them they are no where to be found? How does that make you feel? Now ask yourself... have you ever made someone feel that way. Whether you realize it or not, it is apart of our Christian duty to keep our word. Numbers 23:19 "says God is not a man that He should lie, Nor the son of man that He should repent, Has he said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken and will He not make it good? If our heavenly Father is big on keeping His word... then we should be on keeping ours. If I said it...I'm going to do it. If I spoke it... I'm going to make it good. Because I'm like my Father!...Did you know that the word says that God esteems His word higher than His name? That is a powerful scripture verse. It just comes to show that God will fulfill his promises. People of God... don't make promises that you can't keep. As a minister I'm very careful when it comes to dealing with people, I have learned to be a man of few words. I made a vow to myself to never be in spiritual covenant with people who don't keep there word, I will love them from a distance. But I will not preach at their church, be their friend, or even do business with them. Why chad that is harsh... well to me honesty and friendship goes hand and hand. I don't think most people realize that, so they end it with friends who betray them, talk about them behind there back. I'm to busy for all that drama. So my standards are high when it comes to friendships. Lets see what esle the word says about keeping your word. Ecclesiates 5:6a says do not let your month cause your flesh to sin. In order words Do not permit your mouth to make rash vows that you cannot keep. So it is sin to say your going to do something and don't do it... wow... did you know that? So its better to be quiet than to make a vow and not keep it. What I found to be interesting is that James 1:26 goes hand and hand with Ecclesiates 5:6a. It says " If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but decieves his own heart, this one's religion is useless." A true believer in the faith... a true christian will value the importance of  practical living as well as spiritual. So I just want to encourage you... keep your word, be like your Father in heaven and esteem your words higher than your name.

Be Blessed!
Minister Chad Owens

Walking In Excellence

                                               Part 2: Application

In the last article I talked about how I met Dr. Anna MCcoy Richmond and what she taught me as a individual. I realized after leaving her pressence that there was alot I needed to work on. She made my life look like a tore up rag lol.... not in a bad way but in a good way. You might say but chad... I'm sure  Dr MCcoy is twice your age? Don't you have to be 40 years old to live a comfortable life? My response to that would be age is nothing but a number. If a 4 year old would apply these priciples to there life, they would get the same results. When I left home to go to Texas, I knew nothing about finances, I knew nothing about how building credit works. I didn't know that when you go to a car lot, you need to have a down payment and a good credit score. Sad to say I always heard stories of people who would go on the car lot and lay hands on the car and a week later get the car. I'm sure you have always heard stories like this too right? But what they don't tell you is that the  interest rate on the car is 18% (or higher) and that their stuck with a 6 year loan. In my book this is not a miracle. God paying your bills for you because you spent the money at the mall is not a miracle... it is a rebuke!(I have found myself in this position plenty of times... so I'm not condemning or judging, but what I am saying is that we all need to get better.) If we don't apply excellence to our lives then we cannot fulfill our purpose. All of us have gotten wonderful prophecies about doing great things in the world for Jesus Christ.... but can I tell you that if your not walking in excellence people will be turned off by you. Doors will open for you but they won't stay open. You will bear fruit but it won't remain. For example... as much as people tell me that I can preach... If I don't study and deliver the word in excellence... I won't be able to impact the people that I'm ministering to. You can't properly serve people if you don't have a spirit of excellence. I started building credit at the age of 19 years old, and I'm just now getting to a place where my credit is in great shape. It feels good to be able to save money and take vacations because I manage our money well. Do you want more?? Do you want to enjoy life?? I don't know about you but when I'm old I don't want to regret anything about my life.To apply something means to put it into practice. Walking in excellence is a practical matter... it's something that we need to work at. I've made it my priority this year not to do business with people who do not walk in excellence. It is important that you do the same because you have to protect your reputation. Keep a high standard, do not lower it for anyone. Not even your family... if you say your going to be there at 4:00pm be there at 3:45pm. It never hurts to be early. The reason why I have good credit is because I pay my bills a week in advance. I never pay my bills the day of. Now if it comes out of my account automatically that is different. But things like school loans I never pay the same day because it takes a couple of days for it to process...walking in excellence is not in easy thing... but if you want to live your best life...  it's necessary.

Walking In Excellence

                                             Part 1 "Seize the Moment"

One of the things God taught when I was in Dallas Texas is the importance of having an excellent spirit. Today people like to cast blame on others for holding them back and their dreams not becoming realities...  if only they would just be honest with themselves, they would realize that their holding themselves back from living the Life God intended for them to live. When I was at Christ for the Nations in Dallas, Texas I got the awesome privileged of meeting Dr. Anna McCoy Richmond. She was one of the guess speakers that Pastor Adam McCain(Director of Christ for the Nations)  invited to the school to minister to the student body. She spoke a profound message entitled.  "Act Now" ... in which I will never forget  because it taught me to "seize the moment". Somethings will not happen on its own, God has given us creative abilities so that we could create opportunities. She taught us the importance of having divine connections, following up with those connections, and establishing healthy relationships... I mean it was great!!... During her message she pointed me out and used me for one of her illustrations, and that in itself was an interesting experience lol. After the message I said to myself... I want to get to know her. But I struggled with that because of  my insecurities ... I said to myself this women is a millionaire... she is busy... she has things to do... places to go...there is no way she will sit down with me and have lunch. I remember thinking throughout the day... there is no way... there is nooooooo way lol. Well I woke up the next day and I said.. I'm going to do it... I'm going to do it... I'm going to do it.... because the worst thing that could happen is her telling me no. So later on that day I emailed her and asked her if we could ever get together... she emailed me back and said sure.. why don't you come over Thanksgiving day and have lunch with me and my family. I WAS BLOWN AWAY.... do you see what happens when you  "I seized the moment" ...Her house was decked out... I said to myself... oh my word lol... She was laid back... funny... and she can make a mean pan of Mac and Cheese... Lord have mercy....lol... and I learned more from her by interacting with her and watching the way she carried herself then me just talking to her. I thought to myself... I want to be that kind of person... where the life that I live will speaks for me.  What I took away from that experience is the importants of living an excellent life. I wasn't fasinated because of her house, and her cars,and the stuff she had.... I was fasinated because she taught me that not only can you have these things... but you can keep these things, you can maintain these things and not get caught up on yourself... if you walk in excellence... keep your word, pay your bills on time, have great time management skills, God will honor that! Hear me my friends... God honors the little sacrafices that we make. It's time for you to ask yourself, why don't my relationships last?, why is my account always overdrawn?, why don't my family like to be around me? I'm going to challenge you to do what most people don't like to do "Examine Yourself". It's time out for blaming others for the life your not living. It's time for you to step up and walk in Excellence. By the way, you can check out Dr. Anna Mccoy's website by going to www.annamccoy.com

Be Blessed
Minister Chad Owens 

"How to deal with people who are jealous of you"

How do you handle people who are Jealous of your success? This is not a silent jealousy that I'm talking about either, I'm talking about the kind of jealousy that will have people talking behind your back, gossiping about you, lying on you. What do you do when your family starts acting funny and the people that are closest to you stop coming around. The proper response is to LOVE THEM ANYWAY. You have to treat your oppressors like Jesus treated His.... He treated them like they was a distraction. Can I tell you what feeds the people that have envy toward you for no reason? It's when you give attention to it. You might say... but they lie on me... and they talk about me... and they treat me like I'm nothing. My response to that is where is your confidence?.... A person that spends to much time talking about what people think of them and not what God thinks of them is very insecure. So let the haters hate.... God doesn't  want you to concentrate  on people who are jealous of you...  be focused on His business. If your to busy concentrating on who is jealous of you, then you have to much time on your hands. I encourage you to not allow  satan to distract you. God likes you and He loves you... and that is all that matters.

Be Blessed
Minister Chad Owens

Why doesn't the bible talk much about Dating?

The bible doesn't talk much about dating but God has equipped us as human beings with something called "common sense". The problem with most people is that they don't use it. It's important to read the bible to get understanding on what it says about "relationships"... their might not be scriptures on dating... but their are scriptures on relationships...... and no I'm not going to list them all, because their is a lot of them. I challenge you to search out the scriptures for yourself and allow God to give you His perspective on Relationships. Dating is only for the people who got God's approval on the relationship. Because this is the one that God has chosen for you. By the way ladies... God chooses the man... that will choose you. To many women try to take control of the situation and things always end up backwards when that happens. Divorce is higher in the church than it is in the world... let me tell you why... because people just go off of God told me this is my mate. USE COMMON SENSE. People in the church are so spiritual that they lack common sense... ain't that a shame. If he has a history of abusing women and he is not rooted and grounded in the church.... and God told you he is your husband.... "You better check that".... It just might be your emotions thats talking... not God. Dating is a common sense factor.... it only should be used if God has approved the relationship. Then you continue to pray.... by the way.... If God has approved the relationship... its better to marry than to burn.... SO GET MARRIED... LOL... I'm just saying... but my wife and I had a 2 year engagement. God approved the relationship but it wasn't time for us to get married. So here are some steps that I came up with... that will help you on deciding if you should date.

Step 1: Research the scriptures and see what it says about relationships.
Step 2: Ask yourself... does this persons lifestyle line up with the scriptures I just read. (For Example: 1 Cor 15:33 says " Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits" or some translations says character. When you are around this person, does this relationship produce good habits or bad habits) This is one of those common sense scriptures I will telling you about.
Step 3: If this person's life style does line up with the word than you "seek God".
Step 4: Wait for an answer
Step 5: If the answer is yes... start dating and set a "date" or pray about a "date".... Because dating is about setting a "date". It's not about exploring your options and different people.
Step 6: Seek God some more and enjoy Dating....
Step 7: (Which is the number of completion) By now... you should have picked a date and get married. Live happily ever after.

So as I conclude this article, dating is not about exploring people and trying different things. Its about seeking God while your picking a date... on the calendar. Before you date... get God's approval.

Be Blessed,
Minister Chad Owens.

"The Temptation to Establish Relationships based on Moments"

What does temptation have to do with your relationships? Everything.... most people in up being with someone who is not good for them because they are seeking after what I would call a "moment". Chad what are you talking about? I'm saying to you that choosing a relationship base off of where you are and not where your going will cause nothing but hurt and headache. Many people pretend to be happy... but deep down on the inside of them they wish they haven't chosen xyz to be there mate. (I know that is a hard fact... but its life.) The question is how can you avoid being put in this position.  When talking about moments you need to understand something.... Never choose to marry someone because you had a great moment together. In other words just because he took you to lunch, paid for the meal and you saw that he left a good tip for the waiter, does not mean he is your husband. (SMILE). Don't make decisions based on MOMENTS.... that is the biggest mistake you can ever make.  Listen my brothers... just because she is well spoken.... and she smells good... does not mean that God has equipped her to help you get to where He is taking you. Just because you had a good moment... it doesn't mean it's meant to be a lifetime. What is the answer to making sure your not establishing a relationship based on a moment... "Seek God"... and wait for him to speak to you. Some people He will speak to about the relationship quickly... and others He will say... its not time yet. If you get a no its not time yet... "avoid dating"... Don't rush things.... go out and be friends and continue to seek God while your doing that. Don't allow the temptation of establishing a relationship on Moments get the best of you.... it will give you peace in the end.

Tell Me Your Testimony... How has God been your provider?

"Under the Sheets"

Someone once asked me if it was okay to live with a person that you liked or had feeling for unmarried. Their exact words were "I want to get to know her first before I marry her. I want to see how she lives and behaves. I said well... my perspective is God's perspective and I believe that a person should live by God's standard which is His word. I know many people who have decided to live together and sleep together without making a commitment to each other. The reason they have decided to take this route in life is because they want to try things out first. That is all well and dandy but what does the God's word say about living together before your married? Well lets find out.... Hebrews 13:4 (NKJV) says  "Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge".  In other words the bed is only to be shared if you are in covenant(Married). Notice the last part of this scripture, it says "but fornicators and adulterers God will judge" A fornicator is someone who has sexual intercourse without being married, and an adulterer is someone who is married but is having sexual intercourse with someone other than there spouse. God makes it clear that both  of these sinful behaviors will be judged. How will God judge the people that defile the bed? 1 Corinthians 6:9 says " Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, ( The list goes on in verse 10). Notice that fornicators and adulterers are on this list. The people who defile the bed are not eligible to inherit the kingdom of God. But Chad... times have changed we are in a new decade. Here is my response to that,  God doesn't change with the times , because that would mean that God is subject to time. God is the creator of times and season, therefore He could never be subject to time. So if you want God to bless your relationships, do it His way and not your way. You would be surprised at what your life could become if you would follow hard after Him.

Be Blessed,
Minister Chad Owens





   

"Recognizing The Enemy"

This article is straight from my heart, and I don't say that to sound churchy or arrogant. Today I had what some people would call a "ah ha" moment. I believe that sometimes Christians forget that Satan comes to steal, kill and to destroy. Satan is also known to be the tempter, deceiver, the enemy of our souls, the devourer, and there are many other names that he carries. 2 Corinthians 2:11 says " lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices" Now in context Paul is talking about forgiving a brother that has caused offense to him and the Corinthians. And he tells them, that although he sinned, that they should forgive him of his offense and show the love of Christ. He was teaching them not to allow hatred to build up in their hearts against him. I encourage you to read all of chapter 2, so that you can get the full history of what Paul was saying to the church. Anyhow... Paul was teaching the Corinthian Church to "recognize the enemy". Satan is very cunning and crafty. He doesn't penetrate your thoughts in a abrupt way. He does it by giving you one word at a time. One day he will give you a thought about failure, then the next day he will give you thoughts like " you will never be nothing". But he never gives you the same thought twice because he doesn't want his presence to be known. He rather you be ignorant of his devices. The more ignorant you are of him, the more he can take advantage of you. What is God's perspective on this topic? Hosea 4:6a says " My People are destroyed for a lack of knowledge" Satan's goal has not changed... and that goal is to talk you into doubting who God says He is. The way you can beat him is by EQUIPPING YOURSELF WITH THE WORD OF GOD. Feed yourself Jesus! Strengthen your prayer life. This will sharpen your discernment. It will make you more aware of things. Before I close out this article, I want to give you some good news... You have already won! You have been given the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6) that you might stand against the wilds of the devil. Walk in your victory! I love you with the love of the Lord.

Be Blessed
Minister Chad Owens

Prophetic Word for 2011 "What is God saying"

Wow! The new year is here... man did it come fast. So many of us will experience new exploits, new vision, new levels, new dimensions and new challenges. I thank God for his grace and favor, that He will never leave his Children Ignorant of Satan's devices.


Prophetic Word:

  The Lord showed me in a vision two things.... The first thing that He showed me was the number (11) and how it represented the believer because the number 1 stands tall... He said that this is the year that the Believer must  stand tall in the mist of adversity. This is the year of the Warriors... Test and Trials will come and try your faith... and it will come in the form of confusion and disorder.  The Lord says rebuke it! I will do what I have said... do not give place for any doubt.  I have called you to be a tree planted by the rivers of living water. Stand says the Lord... Stand says the Lord... Stand says the Lord....  The second thing the Lord showed me is that things this year for your life are going to break! Whew! You have been faithful says the Lord! You have held on to your faith! Now is the time to walk into your season.... this is why the attacks are coming because you are at the end of your trial and you are about to cross over into the Land that God has promised you. God says that this is the year that you will build! Build Build Build says the Lord. But make sure you build on the Rock.... Do not build on sand... do not build on anything that is not sure or certain... Things are going to break for you this year! Strongholds will fall... oppression will fall.... many of you will change job locations.... Doors will open for you! The wait is over says the Lord!! The wait is over says the Lord! The wait is over says the Lord! The wait is over says the Lord! (Get it in your spirit) The wait is over says the Lord!


Amen!
God is great! 

¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,^[a] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;