Mornings With Jesus

This is chapter 2 of Rags to Riches: A Story of God's Unfailing Love (2018)

you can purchase a copy of this book here: simply copy and paste the link into your browser or smartphone:

https://www.amazon.com/Rags-Riches-Story-Gods-Unfailing/dp/1983821292

Adam and eve are the prime examples of what it means to not know what you have until its too late! 

they had everything! and had they abstained from partaking from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, replenished the earth like God commanded them to do and eaten from the tree of life they would have ruled millions upon millions and billions of people, they would have been second only to God Himself! 

They had everything and yet to them, they had nothing! 

They were blinded! In this day and age of social media and comparison christianity we have the opportunity to look about us in the blink of an eye and see all that everyone else has and we say things like, “I wish I had what they have!” 

“I wish I had their life!”
“I wish I had their stuff!”

Why?

Because we equate stuff with success!
We equate beauty with success!
We equate quantity with success!
We look on the outside, but can I encourage you for a moment and tell you emphatically that God looks on the heart! 

He doesn’t look at our bank account or our job title! He doesn’t look at our house or the size of our television!
He doesn’t see through the filters provided on instagram, snapchat, or facebeook!

He looks on the heart! 

He see behind the veil! 

He sees where no one esle is able to see and He speaks directly to the God-given, God-induced, God-inspried potential on the inside of us!

He speaks to the waves and they obey Him!
He tells dry bones to live and they must obey! 
He is the resurrection and the life!
He is alpha and omega!

He sees the end from the beginning and He calls those things which be not as though they are!

His qualification system is so much higher amd different than ours and if He can’t find someone humble enough to take the position, He will use a donkey to get the job done! 

If He can’t find the right person for the job, He’ll go out in the lowly fields where sheepherders are!

If He can’t get us to stop comparing ourselves amongst each other puffing out our chests in spiritual pride, He will gather a measly 300 men led by a cowardly young man to slay an entire army!

As we endeavor to embark upon 2022, I think it’s about time we give credit where credit is due, that we stop worshiping at the feet of mankind and giving all our praise to those who have zero power to provide our needs! 

I think its high time we stop lifting up men and women so high on pedastals of pride because of their job title, their social media footprint, or their abiltiy to read a script and return to the basica of lifting up the One who os worthy of the Highest praise!!

I say it’s time to give honor to the One who laid down His life to give us life!

To begin honoring the men ans women who honor Him! Who give presendence to the poor and the needy, who sacrifice day in and day out to bring the gospel to downtrodden and the hopeless!

The Bible puts it this way: if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves I will heal their land!

What do you say saints? How about we boycott riding the curtails of people succeeding in this worldy realm and realize once and for all that this place is not our home! We are strangers and pilgrims passing through!

We are citizens of Heaven! We have so much more than meets the eye or that we are able to showcase on social media!

Our real treasure lies within our hearts, within our families, within the relationships that we forge while on this journey together!

It’s not about amassing stuff and being a somebody others can adore, it’s about laying down our life on a daily basis, picking up our cross, and following the One whom all will one day adore, Jesus Christ!

Until next time, remember: what yo

“Full Circle”

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”

(2 Corinthians 1:3-4) KJV

You ever had things happen in your life only to have them happen again later on down the road? 

I’m not talking about de ja vu moments, but rather bigger things, some of them life changing things or at the very least memorable events?

I call these full circle moments and I have seen a few of these come and go.

For example, I was radically saved while in jail almost 20 years ago now. I spent much time on the wrong side of the law, either locked up or doing things which merited being locked away.

Fast forward a few years after getting born-again and I took a position in a maximum security prison for juveniles as a correction officer. 

I spent a year working with numerous juvenile offenders, some quite violent and/or on a fast track to prison. In essence I came face-to-face with the old me.

Another full circle moment, albeit a bit more positive, I met my wife fresh out of jail while serving at a Bible college. 

I worked in the kitchen first before taking the role of janitor, responsible for cleaning the entire campus. 

I would sweep the halls near her classroom where she watched the little children during the afternoons.

I found ways to sweep the same hallway numerous times just to peer in the window!

Fast-forward to today and my wife and I own and operate a professional cleaning business! 

These full circle moments while at their inception may seem trivial or insignificant, BUT given some insight and wisdom from the Lord we can begin to see how He uses them as the perfect training ground to help us grow in certain areas whether it be humility, character, work ethic, or so much more.

Listen, God is purposeful! 

He never does things willy-nilly. (Yes that is a word, I think) 

He will use situations and events in our life to not only train us, grow us, and prepare us, but also to heal us, ready us for His service, and ultimately strengthen our resolve and solidify our foundation.

In other words, if we will allow Him to mold us and pune us during these pivotal times, we will be able to say, “Aha I have seen this before and I know God brought me out of this already, therefore I have confidence He will do it again!”

Or better yet, we could say, “God has brought me out of this already, therefore I can help this or that person find their way out as well!”

Can you think of any full circle moments in your life? 

I challenge you to embrace them!

Rather than say, “this? again?”

Say, “This! Again!”

And know for surety that God’s got this! You are gonna come out on the other side, faster, stronger, wiser, and better able to help those whom He places in your path to help! 

You are more than a conqueror through Him! 

Remember, until next time, what you make happen for others, God will make happen for you.

In Christ,

Joshua Scott Zeitz

“Immanuel”
by: Joshua Scott Zeitz

Twas the night before Christmas
and all through the world
Darkness loomed large
sin was unfurled
lonely & lost
empty & broken
the state of our souls
til Your Word, it was spoken!
first to a girl, then to some shepherds,
then to some wise men
who readied their treasures 
You could have just done it,
You could have just came,
but You stepped in our mess 
You called us by name!
from Adam and Eve
who sinned in the garden
to Moses the grinch
whose heart you unhardened
to David who lied, murdered, & cheated
to Mary, a woman, tormented with demons
to a wicked young man,
twisted with fear
to my wondering heart in a jail did appear,
the Hope of mankind 
in a babe had come near!
Forget the coal 
We all deserved Hell
What we got was a baby,
Immanuel!
God with us this Christmas,
this story to tell,
how Jesus split Heaven 
and gave up His throne
For a chance at God in us,
our hearts, His new home!
Let’s celebrate Christmas,
with this as our plea,
to worship the One,
who hung on a tree!
who laid down His life,
with the greatest of care,
To be with us always,
a love story to share! 

Merry Christmas!!!!

In Christ, 
Joshua Scott Zeitz

It's Christmas Eve! Enjoy! 

“Immanuel”
by: Joshua Scott Zeitz

Twas the night before Christmas
and all through the world
Darkness loomed large
sin was unfurled
lonely & lost
empty & broken
the state of our souls
til Your Word, it was spoken!
first to a girl, then to some shepherds,
then to some wise men
who readied thier treasures 
You could have just done it,
You could have just came,
but You stepped in our mess 
You called us by name!
from Adam and Eve
who sinned in the garden
to Moses the grinch
whose heart you unhardened
to David who lied, murdered, & cheated
to Mary, a woman, tormented with demons
to a wicked young man,
twisted with fear
to my wondering heart in a jail did appear,
the Hope of mankind 
in a babe had come near!
Forget the coal 
We all deserved Hell
What we got was a baby,
Immanuel!
God with us this Christmas,
this story to tell,
how Jesus split Heaven 
and gave up His throne
For a chance at God in us,
our hearts, His new home!
Let’s celebrate Christmas,
with this as our plea,
to worship the One,
who hung on a tree!
who laid down His life,
with the greatest of care,
To be with us always,
a love story to share! 

Merry Christmas!!!!

In Christ, 
Joshua Scott Zeitz

During the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it can be easy to get overwhelmed and miss divine opportunities. Taking time to slow down will not only benefit us personally but also open up chances to bless others with the love of Jesus! 

Merry Christmas, 

Joshua Scott Zeitz

This is part 2 of our Christmas special, showcasing the importance of keeping an eternal perspective always to stave away the "wintertime blues." Jesus said He will never leave us nor forsake us, so we don't have to sink into the muck and mire of discouragement after the Christmas celebrations have ended. We can be like David, and bless the Lord at ALL times! 

Thanks so much for your love, support, & prayers!

Merry Christmas,

Joshua Scott Zeitz

This episode kicks off our Christmas 2021 Special all about returning to the basics of Christmas! Enjoy & Thanks so much for your prayers and support!

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭22:17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

I sure do love the Lord! One of the many things I love about Him is how inclusive He is. 

His call has always, and will always be to the whosoever. :)

This means however, there will be people in Heaven whom perhaps many of us thought, “No way!”

Be encouraged, it’s time for another moment of truth...how many times have we caught ourselves thinking more highly of ourself than we ought to?

This can go both ways by the way. It looks something like this, “They have so much money, all those fancy clothes, and nice things, there’s no way they can be living for the Lord!” or “Did you see their house? Their clothes, they don’t even have a job, there’s no way they can be serving the Lord!”

There are SO many points of division that we use to divide ourselves, separating the “spiritually elite” from the “depraved of faith,” that it would take quite a long time to try and sort them all.

Listen, all I know is this: I once was lost, but now I’m found! I once was blind, but now I see!

I love how Paul worded it in 1 Timothy 1:15, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”

You see Paul understood something that we can all learn from, he understood the depravity of his own soul before his encounter with Jesus! He understood the grace of God!

The Good News is this, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever still saves, still heals, still delivers, still sets and makes the captive free, still makes one whole, and His call is to the whosoever!

If He can meet a man named Saul on the road to Damascus, on his way to imprison Christians, and completely transform him from the inside out, don’t think for a moment He can’t or won’t do the same for the person whom you have in mind right now that perhaps you have been thinking, “They are beyond saving.” :) 

Be encouraged today! The very people who come against you, that fight you the hardest at every turn are the very people whom God is working on the most! Why do you think they fight you so much? So don’t lose hope! You keep giving, loving, encouraging, sharing the Good News, being a light, and allow the Lord to do what He does best!

Listen fellow Christians, our job is not to expose dirt on people, fault-find our fellow believers, compare ourselves amongst ourselves, tell people how bad they are, speak the judgement of God over people’s lives, and so forth...

Our main job and priority should be showing people how Good God is, speaking words of encouragement, giving, sowing good seeds, lifting one another up!

There is so much darkness in the world, and just as God didn’t step out into the expanse of darkness in the Genesis account of creation and say, “Wow, it sure is dark,” we shouldn’t either! No, “He said let there be light!” So too we oughta do the same! :) 

You will catch flak for doing so. People will call you names, perhaps even threaten you, belittle you, try and tear you down, but always remember you are in good company! 

I leave you with this, the words of the very “whosoever” whom Jesus radically transformed on the road to Damascus! 

Paul writes, 

“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, t

“I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything just because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence and boldness he will get up and give him whatever he needs.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭11:8‬ ‭AMP‬‬

I must admit, this is the part of the A.S.K.ing I have had the most trouble with in the past because I always felt as though  I was somehow missing it if my prayers didn’t get answered right away. It looks something like this, “Well I didn’t get what I asked for, so it must not be God’s will...”

Then, after letting that doubt creep in we begin swallowing bigger lies thrown at us from well-meaning people and even ourselves in most cases, “Well you know God will provide your needs, just not your wants...”

Keep on going down this line of reasoning and we might just end up with the biggest whammy of the bunch, “You know God works in mysterious ways...”

And then bam! One day we wake up and our receiver is completely broken! :) 

Be encouraged today, I have great news for you! Jesus Himself said, keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking! 

Listen, the Bible says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

The Bible says, “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you [that is, if we are vitally united and My message lives in your heart], ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.”
‭‭John‬ ‭15:7‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Again, “The young lions lack [food] and grow hungry, But they who seek the LORD will not lack any good thing.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭34:10‬ ‭AMP‬‬

All throughout scripture, we find God providing our needs and wants and we have learned already that when our hearts are full of the Word of God, we know that even our wants line up with scripture! :) 

Therefore, the problem is not with God or whether it’s His will, this would however be the easiest path to take because it takes all the pressure off of us! :) 

Can I tell you some more good news? The pressure was never on us anyhow! All the pressure remains on the Word and it is well able to stand the test of time and any doubts we may possess.

In other words, no matter if we receive from it or not, the Bible remains true! No matter our experiences, the Bible remains true! No matter what we believe or don’t believe, the Bible remains true!

So where does this leave us? 

The Word of God is His will! :) Therefore if it says, I can have my heart’s desires if I delight myself in Him, then that’s the final Word! And if I am delighting myself in Him and my experience is I am not receiving my heart’s desire, this is when doubt tries to creep in...

Don’t let it! Keep on keeping on!

Knock!!!!

Persist!

The Bible puts it this way, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:13‬ KJV

Listen, we live in a material world, but our battle is not with flesh and blood. Ephesians 6:12

We don’t always see what’s truly going on around us, but I can tell you this, the thief comes not but for to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came to give us life and it more abundantly! John 10:10

Therefore, keep sowing good seed, keep giving, keep putting the Word of God in, keep going to church, keep tithing, keep encouraging, keep praising Him, keep praying, keep reaching out to others, keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking! 

Don’t you quit! The Word of God is alive, “So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me void (useless, without result), Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55:11‬ ‭AMP‬‬

It doesn’t matter what you see or feel, the Word works! Knock!