"Show Yourself Approved"

Study to shew thyself approved unto God,a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,rightly dividing the word of truth 2Timothy 2:15 KJV

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth 2Timothy 2:15 NIV84

Repeat these basic essentials over and over to God's people. Warn them before God against pious nitpicking, which chips away at the faith. It just wears everyone out. Concentrate on doing your best for God, work you won't be ashamed of, laying out the truth plain and simple. 2 Timothy 2:14,15 MSG

Happy New Year to all and today we embark on day one of a 13 day entrance into our renewed focus for 2013. The holiday festivities are over and a lot has transpired over the last few months in 2012. A lot of tears, a lot of pain and a lot of joy and excitement however during all of the fanfare God has still been tugging at the heartstrings of His people and now in this new year focus must return to His will, His way and our future. I opened our blog this time with a familiar scripture in the 2nd Epistle of Paul to Timothy. As I chose this scripture I also selected three different bible versions to get the core of what the apostle was speaking over his student and also to us today. He was telling us something extremely important in reference to how we study God's word and how we should apply the word to our lives. Many of us attend churches or listen online to ministry and although that is very good to do if there is no personal study or devotional structure to your life you are missing an opportunity to really understand or completely consume God's word. Study in  definition means to apply the mind to the acquisition of knowledge, as by reading, investigation, or reflection: long hours of study and that's just a portion of the definition of the word study so what I'm saying is this if during the 45-60 minutes you hear preaching on any given Sunday or Wednesday bible study you are merely being introduced to the train of thought so you're not getting the entire idea of what God is saying to you therefore it takes further investigation into a thought to get the true meaning. Just as a cow eats grass and chews for hours to get the nutrients from the grass and digesting them and producing the milk that we drink and get the vitamins into our bodies the word of God must be consumed daily and studied in order that you are approved which the definition is to speak or think favorably of; pronounce or consider agreeable or good and that approval is not by man's standard but Gods standards. We all not just the priest or pastor that you hear each week must know Gods word in order to correctly handle His word in our everyday lives. Take time out of you day to build your word muscle as well as your physical muscle in this time or retrospect and focus so that you will be able to make right decisions in your year and prepare yourself for great success. I'm reminded of the scripture in Jeremiah  that says, For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV)
I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out-plans to take care of you, not to abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. Jeremiah 29:11(The Message)
Keep your head up, stay focused and in the word. God has you and you will not fail!! God has already approved you so get to know Him and you will only do that through prayer and studying His word and His method of operation. Be blessed!!

A Reason To Be Thankful!!!

Psalms 136:1-3
Psalm 136
1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good:
for his mercy endureth for ever.
2 O give thanks unto the God of gods:
for his mercy endureth for ever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords:
for his mercy endureth for ever.


This is one of 22 references in Psalms to give thanks. Obviously thanksgiving is important especially in reference to praise and worship. We are not requested or suggested to be grateful for God's bountiful blessings but we are commanded to be thankful. Well I don't need to be commanded to give thanks because I'm eternally grateful to God for His goodness to me and my family. His goodness has preceded me by blessing my parents against all odds. My father had a third grade education and lost his mother at the age of three and my mother didn't graduate high school and lost her mother at the age of 8 but I having lost both of them when I was between 37 and 40 years of age grew up with both my parents. That's a reason for gratitude!! I am a writer, singer, producer and instrumentalist that travels the world proclaiming the gospel and teaching praise and worship to many. All the prayers my parents prayed for me and my siblings are being answered today. I am divorced and remarried to my soulmate and God is richly blessing our lives together. We just celebrated 8 years of marriage although we have known each other over 30 years!! God's favor over our ministry is almost overwhelming and together we have 9 children and 5 grandchildren and another on the way!! Complaining is an option for some but not in my case. I'm not strung out, broke,sick,lost... The list goes on. I'm not homeless!! The thank you list outweighs the complaint list!! God is great and greatly to be praised. If you're alive you have a reason to be thankful!! Thank Him today and everyday and you won't have time to complain!! Happy Thanksgiving to you all and God bless from Timstrel!!

"Are You In The Fire?"

I was reading some time ago in the book of Job and if you don't know this man's story you are missing a great life application moment!! Just a brief synopsis: Job is selected by God to be the victim of the devil based on God's recommendation and referral as being one whom would not forsake his relationship with God even if all God's blessing were withdrawn from him and the devil is instructed by God to do all he wants to Job but not to touch his soul. When you have time read the story but I want to observe a verse written in the book of Job by Job. In  Job 23:10 it says,"But He knows the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold" KJV and another version The Message says, "But He knows where I am and what I've done. He can cross-examine me all He wants, and I'll pass the test with honors. I've followed Him closely, my feet in His footprints, not once swerving from His way. I've obeyed every word He's spoken, and not just obeyed His advice-I've treasured it. I can honestly say that  I haven't done all that Job has done and I also haven't gone through what he went through but I can truthfully say that I have been tried!! In the fire I haven't maintained my stance of not complaining as even Job did but the fire has had a twofold effect on my life. It has burned away all unnecessary things that have clouded my vision and weighed me down and also the fire has purified and perfected my development into what I am in the process of becoming!! The fire will purify you and also burn away those distractions that cloud your vision. You may not enjoy all aspects of the trial by fire but when you come out you will be pure and illuminating the reflection of He Who is in the fire. The fourth one in the fiery furnace that looks like and now we know is the Son of God!! Let's get through this and become what He wants to make us!! We can make it through this!!

The Wait Is Over

You know waiting for someone can be irritating especially when you're ready and prompt but when it comes to waiting on God to move or do something in your life it's less irritating and more stressing or causing you discomfort. The wait has many variables that we must explore. Firstly there is the question of "Are you ready yet?" or another valid question, "I this what God wants for your life right now or even at all?" These questions must be answered in order to understand if you should continue waiting or not and the other thing is this. If you get what you think you want before you're ready for it you will not only regret it but you may miss the real thing God intended for your life. I am speaking this from the aspect of one that is currently living this!! I was in what I know now to be a holding pattern until I was ready for God to unveil His true plan for my life. It was a season called transition. During this transition I went through transformation and became the person God wanted to use for His purpose. After this season God was able to release through me what His intention was for me because He could trust that I would do His will with it!! Hold on because if you endure the season of preparation you will be exactly what God wants you to be!!

"An Encounter that Changes Your Walk and Your Name"

Blessings on you all today!! I have been deeply pondering the transformation of Jacob to Israel and the intensity and the life shifting that occurred at "Mahanaim" where angels met him in Genesis 32. There's so much that can happen when you truly are "Touched By an Angel". The conclusion in verse 30-32 was he was blessed and saw God face to face and his life was preserved. Today we have the great opportunity to do this whenever we want. The exciting part is that when this occurs you can never leave the same way you came. These encounters are not just for yesterday but they are daily available to the ones that want them. It just took being available and getting clear of any distractions. I'm amazed how little it takes for a visitation to happen but it is soon forgotten unless a mark is left. Jacob not only was left limping but his name or destiny was shifted. No longer a supplanter but changed to Israel  a prince with God  having power with God and men. Not only was his name changed but he renamed the place "Peniel" which means the face of God. What an encounter that happens when you let the desire you have to be blessed push you not to let go without the blessing!! Minstrels, we have got to develop that sort of tenacity and resilience that whatever comes our way we won't allow our surroundings to stop us from getting all God has for us!! Let's go for it in this new millennium and fight for what God has that we want!! I want it so I can distribute it to the world so the gospel can achieve all that it was created to achieve!! Let's join together and let this happen!! Be blessed and don't let go until you get it all!!

"Worshipping allows transparency to be easier"

Worship involves intimacy and intimacy causes ease in transparency. When transparency happens there are no masks in the relationship thus true intimacy is created. When your worship gets here all your flaws are out in the open to the only one who can see your flaws and without judgement correct them. God's love and fellowship with us through this level of worship is unmatched by any other form of communication. His greatness overwhelms you and surrounds you in such a complete way that He is all you see and not the temporal surroundings that attempt to shadow His presence. When this occurs the reality of Who He is comes forth and true worship is achieved. Let's be open to Him and all He wants to reveal to us today!!

Can music change the atmosphere in you life?

When you select the right sound, play the right song, write the right lyric, atmospheres are changed. Suicidal people are lifted to another level in their mindsets. It is the minstrel's responsibility to create openings in the heavens and those openings allows glimpses into the heavenly realm. When the heavenly realm is opened your future is viewed from a brighter perspective when heaven is open!!