Keeping the Faith

Look at my people. Rising from the dust of anguish and despair/heaped upon them by the slaveholders snare/ look at my people whose daughter’s forced cries/from their babies sold before their very eyes/look at us. Often the victim of the whip’s lash/yet we rise free at last/look, I tell you, at my people bruises and stars/while astonished masses look for scars. Look at my people!

Recently I was doing some prep work for my new series called The Moving Forward Mindset. Principle three of this series is ‘Write it Down’. Upon doing a verse search, I was astounded at the number of instances in which God commands prophets, priests, scribes, kings and even ordinary citizens to “write it down.” Dozens and dozens of verses are mentioned in this vein, such as Jeremiah 30:2: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you.‘

How many times has a thought, idea or inspiration crossed through your mind and, after a few fleeting moments, you longer had any recollection of it? Truth be told, those ideas, inspirations and thoughts are as priceless as gold. It is possible they contained the seedlings of answered prayers and elusive dreams. Just one idea can be worth millions of dollars.

God sees the value of writing our vision, our dreams, as He so often commands His servants throughout Scripture. He knows the more we write, the clearer our vision becomes; that is why God instructs Habakkuk in the Old Testament to not only “write the vision” but to “make it plain”. That carries the image of editing and re-editing, until we reach a coherent draft.

Dreams and visions are like shooting stars, they streak across the dark sky of consciousness and fall quickly into oblivion. I cannot think of a better time than present to write it down, whatever is on your mind. Who knows? It could be a best-seller!

Write you vision, your dream, your thoughts, your game plan, then immerse them in prayer. Watch your dreams come true.

Pastor W. Eric Croomes is an author, coach and speaker. Download his new book, Surge into the New: Stand Up Reach God’s Excellence, at www.pastorwericcroomes.com

Who would have thought we would wake up one morning to a global pandemic? Nobody! But here we are. The question is: what do we do now? We surge into the new!

Stand up and reach for God’s excellence.

That sentiment is precisely what a new devotional, SURGE into the New, by Pastor W. Eric Croomes, is aiming to instill: to equip readers with the mindset to come out of Covid-19 better than how they went in. The three P’s which mark our times – pandemic, protest, pandemonium – have not come to harm us, but rather to move us from a position of fear to a place of faith.

We will come out of Covid-19 better, stronger, wiser and more prosperous – if we stay in confidence!

SURGE argues that now is the time to shake off the fear, pick ourselves up and walk with confidence into our brand-new future.

Croomes is branding his latest work as more “devotional” than a typical book and will be offering it initially as a digital download before moving to print. It offers an axiom as a guiding truth: what we want most is on the other side of fear.

The biblical narratives of Mephibosheth, Joseph and Elizabeth are referenced as modern-day mirrors for believers as we seek to make sense of our own dilemma.  Each struggled with their own unique challenges and “pandemonium”; Mephibosheth’s becoming handicapped not of his own doing; Joseph being left in a pit by his brothers and Elizabeth’s living under the tyranny of other’s expectations.

Each of these important figures of faith moved into a new reality by conquering fear.

In the end, says Croomes, our priorities are what will matter. “This is not a time to be overwhelmed by overwhelm, but rather to focus on what is important: good health, big ideas and strong relationships. It is a time to reach higher, dig deeper and come out of this with a new determination.”

S.U.R.G.E. into the New. Stand Up Reach God’s Excellence is available as a digital download at www.pastorwericcroomes.com

For virtual appearances contact info@pastorwericcroomes.com

As believers, we have been entrusted to move forward in Christ. Moving forward requires a mind-set. Both principles – ‘moving forward’ and ‘mindset’ – are biblically-supported. From Genesis to Revelation, God is actively moving His people forward and upward. The Bible is a progressive history. In New Testament times, Jesus routinely calls people from where they are to where they need to be.

The Bible mentions a derivative of ‘mind’ at least sixty-four times. Paul urges us to be “transformed by the renewing of our mind” (Romans 12:2) and elsewhere writes, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5) The Bible also makes it clear that the Enemy attacks the mind before anything else.

Therefore, our mandate as believers is to move forward in life with the mindset of Christ. Developing a moving forward mind-set requires diligence, effort and faith. Even amid a world-wide pandemic, God is still moving us forward and upward.

Like a surge, God is using the strong winds of change and challenge to push us toward the shores of new opportunities, new relationships and a brand-new future. With a moving forward mindset, we can stay in confidence, step up to the challenge and step into our destiny.

The moving forward mind-set is comprehensive but here is a beginning blueprint:

Anticipate the “Blind Side”

I Peter 4:12

“Do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come to test you…”

Sometimes our challenges happen from the peripheral – the blind side. It is not always easy to plan for the unexpected. We should expect the best but always be prepared for the worst.

Respond Do Not React

Proverbs 10:19

“…but the prudent hold their tongues.”

When we react to our circumstances or to people, we are usually in knee-jerk mode. A response is tempered by a prayed-up Spirit.

Write it Down

Jeremiah 30:2

“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you.’

The more you write the clearer the vision becomes. Write. Edit. Re-edit.

Remember the 3 P’s:

Patience Persistence Praise

Hebrews 10:36

“You have need of patience so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive the promise.

Praise is fuel for persistence.

Kick the ‘But’ Out of Your Life

Proverbs 25:28

“Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.”

The word ‘But’ is a conjunction when used to introduce a phrase or clause contrasting with what has already been mentioned. How many times do you use ‘but’ on any given day?

“I would go for a power walk but…”

“I would go back to school but…”

Master the Mile

John 10:10

“…I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.”

Christ came to bring life to our lives, to make our lives complete in body, mind and spirit.

S.U.R.G.E.: Stand Up Reach God’s Excellence is available as a digital download at: www.pastorwericcroomes.com