Return to the Lord

Return, O backsliding children,” says the LORD; “for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. Jeremiah 3:14-15


As I read chapter 3 of Jeremiah yesterday and got to these two verses in particular I was touched by God’s love and mercy for us. Actually from verse 12 I was impacted by the word of God. The book of Jeremiah is written specifically for the people of Israel during Jeremiah’s time but like every book of the Bible it still applies today. There are so many who once served the Lord fervently and for whatever reason have gone after other “gods”.

Verses 12 and 13 say this:
Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: ‘Return, backsliding Israel,’ says the LORD; ‘I will not cause My anger to fall on you. For I am merciful,’ says the LORD; ‘I will not remain angry forever. That you have transgressed against the LORD your God, and have scattered your charms to alien deities under every green tree, and you have not obeyed My voice,’ says the LORD. Jeremiah 3:12-13

The backsliding Israel of today is the church. The church that has compromised herself to things of this world, the church that has become lax in what the word of God says in regards to sin and the life a Christian should live. Notice how the last part in verse 13 says – “and have scattered your charms to alien deities under every green tree and have not obeyed my voice.” There are many who are not teaching the unadulterated word of God, men and women who profess Christ but are not obeying His voice. People today think that being a Christian does not involve change or transformation. They think that they can call themselves Christians and continue to live their lives the way they always have before receiving Christ, but as my Pastor is fond of saying – if there is no transformation then that person has not received Christ in his heart because when Christ comes in to your heart, there has to be a change.

These “shepherds” who are not tending their flock the way God commands, not instructing them in how to live a holy life, a life pleasing to the Lord, will one day stand before the throne of God and give account for those of their flock who are lost. I think I just got way off topic but going back to verses 14 and 15 what touched me the most or what spoke to me the loudest was verse 15 where the Lord says that He will provide shepherds according to His heart who will feed the backsliding children with knowledge and understanding. I thought that was awesome!! There are men and women of God who have not compromised! Who have not bowed their knees to foreign gods, men and women of God who are according to His heart and obey His voice! These are the men and women God will use to shepherd His backsliding children, those who have erred for whatever reason. These “shepherds” according to God’s heart will instruct the children with and in knowledge and understanding on how they should live before God Almighty!

God is a jealous God and does not share His glory, but He is not jealous of us, (as I once heard someone say they didn’t understand how He could be jealous and still be a loving God) instead He is jealous for us! It is a holy jealousy, unlike the jealousy that often attacks the minds of human beings. He says that He is married to us! When the people of Israel went after foreign gods they were considered harlots living in adultery against God! God is merciful but He is also a consuming fire, a just God who does not tolerate sin.

In verse 12 He tells the people of Israel to return to Him and He will not be angry with them anymore because He is a merciful God. That is just so amazing! These were people who tried God’s patience as many of us have at some point in our lives, and worshipped foreign gods yet God was saying I will forget all about that if you return to Me and serve Me. Praise God for His mercy that lasts forever. For those of you who are preparing for ministry or are already in ministry – be one of those shepherds according to God’s heart. Do not compromise anything the Lord puts in your hands. Do not bend to wicked ways of this world. Teach the word of God just as He gives it to you. Exhort the people just as God asks you to. Obey His voice at all times and separate yourself from those things that would put you in a compromising position. Praise God!

Heavenly Father,
I pray for all those who are according to Your heart who will lead your backsliding children in knowledge and understanding of who You are and how to live for You. Thank you for Your everlasting mercy. Continue to lead these men and women You have called in all that You have for them and strengthen them to resist anything that would attempt to compromise them and their ministries. Father I pray for those backsliding children that they would realize the greatness of Your mercy and their need of You in their lives and return to You because You have already provided those that will instruct them and help them walk in the straight and narrow path. I give You glory, honor, and praise for Your love, mercy, and eternal patience with Your creation who rebel and don’t always obey. Help us to be obedient and to live according to Your will. In Jesus mighty name,
Amen.

Thanksgiving

Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.
Psalm 100

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day and many of us will be spending the holiday with our loved ones. For some of us it will be different as we will be in unfamiliar surroundings spending the day with relatives not seen in a very long time or relatives we’ve never met before. For others there will be special people who will not be able to physically attend the festivities but are with us in spirit. Some of us will be alone on the holiday and choose to leave it that way. However we decide to spend it, one thing we should all be doing no matter where we are or who we are with, is thanking God for all of His provision and protection. Maybe it hasn’t been the best year for some of us, but the fact that we are still breathing and standing is reason enough to give thanks. Perhaps we are a bit cynical and can’t see what there is to be thankful for, well here is a list of things that we can all agree on:
We can be thankful that we can breathe – some people need help to breathe, yet we can breathe on our own.
We can be thankful that we have all our body parts – some people don’t and they work extra hard to survive while we take it for granted.
We can be thankful for the roof over heads, the food on our table, and the family we have – some people are homeless, hungry, and have no family.
Most of all we should be thankful for God’s mercy on us, after all, we could be in worse situations than we have experienced this past year, yet God has protected us, provided for us, and kept us in the stormiest moments of our lives. So maybe it hasn’t been the best year in your opinion, yet there have been miracles in between those hard times such as, a loved one getting married and finding joy in his/her new spouse, a new baby being born to a friend or relative, a prodigal son or daughter comes home, someone you love received salvation in this past year. We must be grateful for ALL that God does for us, even the seemingly insignificant things such as your car not stalling on you this morning or the traffic light that kept you 5 minutes away from being in an accident. Psalm 100 says in verses 2 and 4: “Serve the Lord with gladness, come before His presence with singing.” “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His name.” Let us remember this Thanksgiving Day to thank God for all our blessings big and small and for the trials too because they make us better people in the end. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Where can you go?

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139:7-10


How many of you know the story of Jonah? Jonah was a prophet who God had sent to a country where sin abounded. Frankly Jonah didn’t like these people and didn’t want to go, so instead of going where God sent him, he went the other way. The Psalmist David asked the Lord where can he go from His Spirit? In other words where can I hide from Your Spirit?? God is all seeing and all knowing and you cannot hide from him. Jonah soon found this out as God created a storm around the boat he was in and he had to have the crew throw him off the ship in order to save them because he knew the storm was because of his disobedience and flight. So now David continues, if I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. Isn’t that beautiful?? No matter where we are, God is with us, leading us and guiding us. Jonah was swallowed by a fish and there God was dealing with him. When he repented of his disobedience, the fish spit him out and he landed in Nineveh where he gave the message that God had given him for the people there and they repented and were saved from the wrath of God. God pursues us with relentless love, no matter where we are He is there with us. A word of advice for those who think they can hide from the Lord – stop running. You cannot hide from God. You may be able to hide from me or your Pastor or the church but you CANNOT hide from God. Jonah could not hide on the ship going to Tarsus and he could not hide in the belly of the fish. Sooner or later you will realize that God is everywhere. What man cannot see, He can. When you are afflicted and struggling, God is there with you also. There are times when what God asks of you doesn’t make sense to you, but be obedient because you will have to give account as to why you disobeyed. You cannot hide. God’s hand shall lead you and His right hand shall hold you. Isn’t that awesome!! Praise God!! No matter what your situation is God will hold you! When you feel like you want the earth to open up and swallow you whole, God’s right hand will hold you. He will lead you. He will order your steps and lead you in the path of righteousness for His namesake. David understood that God is omnipresent – He is everywhere. And because He had a relationship with Him, he knew that no matter where he was, God would be there also.

He is with you in the Valley

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psalms 23:4

It is so comforting and encouraging to know that when we are going through the darkest times of our lives, God is with us. Not only is He with us but He comforts us, He strengthens us, He fills us with His peace. It is an amazing thing to go through something that without Jesus would crush you to the point of despair, yet you feel perfect peace because your mind is stayed on Him and He is with you. We should remember this verse in times of trouble, adversity, trials, loneliness, despair, and discouragement. Though I walk through the valley, the desert, where there is no refreshment, through seasons of dryness and despair, I will fear no evil because You are with me. I will not fear the adversity, the loneliness, the length of time it takes to get across the desert. I will not fear what the enemy would try to throw in my way to discourage me. I will not fear those who murmur against me and try to tear me down. I will not fear the bill collectors and the rent that is due. I will not fear the sickness that is trying to attack and overtake my body. I will not fear anything that comes against me, the stumbling blocks, the mountains and the giants. I will not fear because You are with me. You are my rock and my fortress, Your rod and Your staff they comfort me. I can lean You and You support me. When I’m tired and thirsty, You give me rest and quench my thirst. When I can’t go on, You give me strength to fly on eagle’s wings. When I am depressed, lonely, confused, and discouraged, You give me joy, peace, companionship, and motivation. You remind me that You are with me, that You are my strength. You remind me that You will not leave me nor forsake me. You remind me that I am not alone but You are right next me, feeling every pain I feel, crying every tear I cry, it is You that carries me when I can go no more. Oh praise God for His infinite love and mercy! Thank you Lord for Your comfort and peace! Thank you Lord for always being there when we think no one is! /Thank You Lord for sustaining us in the valley of the shadow of death! When death would pursue us, You encourage us to press forward and give us life. Thank You Lord for Your faithfulness! You are awesome Father and we worship You this morning and give You glory. We love You with all that is within us. Let us take a moment to reflect on those times when God was closest to us and how He brought us through.

Why Tithe?

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Malachi 3:10

I remember the first time I heard about tithing and saw the brothers and sisters go up with their tithes. I asked the Pastor “what are they doing” and “what is tithing”? She explained to me that it is taking ten percent of your earnings and giving it to the Lord. Of course God doesn’t need our money but those He has called to labor in ministry do. I quickly said “I want to tithe!” She smiled at me with love and I began to tithe immediately afterward. It was and still is a joy for me to tithe. The bible tells us that when we tithe, God opens the windows of heaven and pours out blessings upon us. I am a witness of God’s faithfulness in this area. I have lacked for nothing. It says to test Him, if He will not bless as He says He will. God is awesome. If you notice the verse says “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house….” What does that mean? God has no need for food but His people do! In Israel the priests were dedicated solely to the work of God, ministering in the temple. They could not go out and work for a living or at least they weren’t supposed to. But there came a point where they had to because the people were not tithing and they had to survive. That there may be meat in mine house refers to providing for the priests and the Levites who ministered to the Lord in His temple day and night. Today those priests are our Pastors, who have dedicated themselves to full time ministry and need sustenance. It is our responsibility to sustain our Pastors and the church ministry through our tithes and offerings. If you have not experienced the joy of tithing start today, test God, and see how He will open the windows of heaven and bless your socks off to where there is no room for you to receive it all. If you have, testify to others who may not have, about God’s faithfulness in this area so that they too can partake of the blessings. God is faithful to those who are faithful even to those who are not, yet He reminds us of the importance of tithing and the blessing behind it.

Be Still....

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Psalm 46:10-11

Have you ever told a child to be still and to wait?? It seems almost impossible for most children to sit still isn’t it? That is how we are when God tells us to be still. Notice the second part of that sentence though, and know that I am God. God is not only telling us to be still, He is also telling us to know that He is God. In other words – RELAX and see what I am going to do. Don’t worry about how things are going to play out or what the outcome will be. Relax and watch how I will work it out is what God is saying. Leave it in my hands and don’t worry, I have it all under control. I can imagine God smiling when He says that. J Yet as human beings, we become anxious because we don’t like to wait. I believe that is why God teaches us patience and shows us how to wait. When we don’t wait we attempt to help God do what He does best and we mess it up, but when we are still, He glorifies Himself as only He can. The next sentence says I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. There are times when we have no choice but to be still and watch the Lord do His thing because the situation is so out of our control. There are things that happen that we can only give glory to God for, because there was no way we could’ve possibly made it happen. Take for example, the blind man in Chapter 9 of the Gospel of John. This man was born blind, yet when He met Jesus, he received his sight. Mind you, he had lived all of his life visibly challenged and was an adult by the time he met Jesus. Doctors could not reverse his handicap, there was no cure for blindness and in those days there was no such thing as laser surgery. This man received his sight to glorify God. In verse three the disciples asked him by whose sin was this man born blind, his or his parents and Jesus answer was neither but that the works of God would be revealed in him. Only God could give sight to a man born blind! If you read about Gideon in the book of Judges, chapter 7, God gave him victory over the Midianites with an army of only 300 men! Why? To show them that it is He who gives the victory and the glory belongs to Him. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. If God is with us, who can be against us? God is with us and He is the One that fights for us. He is our fortress and our strong tower. He goes before us in battle and all we need to do is keep our eyes on Him. He will be exalted among the nations and in all the earth, for He is God Almighty, the God of Jacob, our fortress!! Praise the Lord!! All glory to the Creator of the heavens and the earth!!

Stand on the Rock

Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7

Think back to the day when you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior. What did you feel? I can tell you what I felt, I felt relief! Like this huge boulder was lifted off of my shoulders and released a dam that was built up inside of me for too many years. I cried tears of joy and relief. It is different for everyone I would think but one thing I believe we all experience is the peace that Christ gives us when we are born again. So now Paul is telling us to continue to live in Him. Remember that feeling of peace and love and joy that filled you in that moment that you said yes to the Lord and continue to seek Him, continue to live in Him. Be rooted in His word and built up in Him the Rock of Ages. When we are built up in Him it means that we are standing firmly on His word. Our houses are built on the Rock so no matter what storm comes, what winds may blow; our houses will not fall because they are built upon the Rock! We build ourselves up in Christ through the word of God. Jesus told Satan when he tried to tempt him in the desert that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God. The Bible is God’s word. In order to build ourselves up in Christ we must eat that word. We must read it, study it, and apply it to our lives daily. We must believe it. In this way we are also rooted in Him. They will be deep roots that will be hard to pull out. Strengthened in the faith as you were taught – the word of God strengthens your faith. When you think you are the only person going through whatever you are going through, the Bible tells of someone who went through it too. Jesus knows how we feel because He too suffered as a man here on earth. Our faith is strengthened when the word of God comes alive daily in our lives. For those of us who think or say that reading the Bible is hard or boring – ask God to bring it to life for you as read it. Imagine the different scenarios that the Bible speaks of. Imagine David running from Saul when Saul wanted to kill him. Imagine Joseph fleeing Potifar’s wife when she tried to have her way with him. Imagine Abraham speaking with the Lord and two of His angels before raining fire and brimstone down on Sodom and Gomorrah. Imagine Jesus healing the blind, the lame, the deaf, and the mute. Imagine that woman that who’s faith made her believe that if she just touched the hem of Jesus garment, she would be healed. Praise the Lord!! Can you see it?? The word of God is awesome and God speaks to us through it everyday, telling us how much He loves us and wants to walk and talk with us. To think that God would want me to be His friend is just amazing. I mean He is God, why would He want a mere mortal to be His friend? Because He loves me and He created me and you too! Praise God! We must be grateful for all things that God Almighty provides for us. He protects us, He loves us, He cares for us and He saved us! I may have gone off topic a little but my point is that we must stay in the word to be built up and rooted in Christ and continue in Him. We must show gratitude for all that God has done, is doing and will do in our lives. Stand on the Rock of Ages, continue in Him, as you did when you first believed. Hallelujah!!

Honor Your Parents

Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Exodus 20:12

Good morning and God bless from the Big Apple! Yeah I miss Florida already..lol Look at the wonderful promise God makes us in this verse but there's a catch. The catch is to honor your father and mother. The promise is our days shall be long upon the land which He gives us. For some of us it is easy and natural to honor our parents because they have taught us the fear of the Lord and have been godly examples in our lives. But what about those of us who's parents were not the examples we would have hoped for? Or those of us who's parents were abusive or unloving or absent all the time? Do we still have to honor them? Yes!! Why? Because we are no longer our own. Our lives belong to our Heavenly Father now and we must live according to His word and that means that we have to forgive all those who have hurt or offended us in the past, including our parents. How do you honor parents who have abused or abandoned you? By forgiving them and praying for them. By treating them with love and respect despite the past and despite their reaction to it. To honor your parents no matter what kind of parent they may be is to love them unconditionally and see them the way God sees them and us. Forgiveness makes way for reconciliation, love and peace. If we have anything against our parents today, let us give it to the Lord and ask Him to show us how to forgive them and love them so that we can be in obedience to His word and honor them. When we honor them we are promised a long life. Not just a long life, but a long life of peace, joy, and the fullness of God! Praise the Lord!! Everything God commands us to do in His word is for a purpose and for our well being. His commandments are for our growth, our healing, our faith, and our relationship with Him.

Get Ready!

Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Matthew 24:44

I had a conversation yesterday with one of my co-workers concerning certain things he did not understand about the Bible. One of those questions was what happens to the people who have different religions? My answer was the bible says that no one can come to Father except through the Son. Anyone who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior before they die or before He returns for His church, with the exception of the specific number of Jews mentioned in Revelation, will go to hell. So he says “Then 2.5 billion people are going to hell!” The conversation continued and I explained to him that everyone will have the opportunity to receive Christ before He comes back for His church and that God will give man every opportunity to accept His gift of salvation. If man rejects this gift he will burn for eternity, however if he accepts it, He will see the Father. He then asked me when Jesus is returning. I answered him, “we know not the day or the hour when the Son of man will return, which is why we have to live every day as if His return were today.” Matthew 24:44 tells us the same thing! We must be ready because He will come at a time when we least expect. We must try to always be in that expectation that when we wake up in the morning it may be the day the Lord returns or when we go to bed at night we may not wake up in our beds the next morning but find ourselves in glory with the Lord! However if we are not ready, we risk losing it all. I know, it is too early for such gloomy thoughts, but the reality is that we have to examine ourselves everyday and look to see if we are ready. We are human and fallible, which is why we must stay in prayer, in the Word, and walk in the spirit! Everyday I wake up, I say Lord I want to be ready when You return. There are so many things that we have to be mindful of in our daily walk with the Lord. We must not neglect our communication with the Lord; our personal time of devotion and prayer. We must not neglect studying His word and we must not neglect congregating with the saints. Most importantly we must not forget our reason for living – Jesus our source of life. We live because He lives. We exist because He created us and He created us with a purpose. We live to worship and adore Him. That is our purpose! Humanity is fallen and therefore those of us who have freely received the gift of salvation must give freely of what freely we have received. Or as they say in Spanish “Dad por gracia lo que por gracia has recibido.” For my friends who don’t speak or read Spanish, that is the Spanish version of give freely of what freely we have received. Not trying to throw you guys off here with the Spanish. J We must live each day as though today were the day that we would be caught up to be with the Lord always. That is our hope! That is what we are waiting for! To me the greatest reward is to see the face of my beloved Savior Jesus! I know there are beautiful and tremendous things in heaven but the only person I want to see and if I don’t see anything but His face, I will have seen all of heaven!! Praise God! I don’t know about you guys, but I find myself thinking more and more of that day when we go home to be with the Lord. When we will no longer live as strangers in a foreign land but as citizens of heaven! Glory, glory, glory! My brothers and sisters let us live everyday with the expectation of the return of our Lord. Let’s live today as if today were the day that He would find us laboring in His vineyard, with our lamps full of oil and burning, and ready to meet our bridegroom! Praise the Lord!!!

Afterthought: Like the song says “People get ready, Jesus is coming, soon we’ll be going home. People get ready, Jesus is coming, to take from the world His own.” Hallelujah!!!! (Crystal Lewis – People Get Ready)

God Keeps His Promises

For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
Habakkuk 2:3

For many of us, matter of fact, for all of us, at some point or other, God has made a promise concerning our lives. Maybe you’ve seen that promise fulfilled. Maybe it is being fulfilled in this chapter of your life. Maybe you are still waiting for it to be fulfilled. I am! This verse speaks to our faith. Why do I say that? Because you have to have faith to believe that a promise is going to be fulfilled no matter how long it takes. How many of us, when we were little, believed wholeheartedly when our parents promised us something? Sometimes our parents failed in keeping their promises yet we believed it when they said it and waited anxiously for it to come to pass. GOD DOES NOT BREAK HIS PROMISES. It may seem like it’s not going to happen. It may seem impossible. You may even think God has forgotten His promises to you. Quite possibly you may have forgotten His promises to you yourself! Be sure of one thing, God does not forget His promises! Whatever He promised you, if it hasn’t been fulfilled yet it is because it is for an appointed time but it will happen. Wait for it! Expect it! Because it will surely come, it will not tarry! Praise the Lord for His promises! We get discouraged when we are waiting on the Lord for something He promised and we don’t get it right away or we don’t get it when we want but God reminds us through this verse that it will surely come! He is not a man that He should lie, nor the son of man to change His mind. He knows the appointed time for the fulfillment of His promise to you. And when you finally see it come to pass, you will be in a position to appreciate it and glorify God for it. He tells us to wait for it because He keeps His word. No matter how long it takes, we should hold on to the promises of God for our lives. Remember that nothing is impossible for our Lord. He will come through. You will see it! You will rejoice in it! He is always on time. Praise God!! When you least expect it, God will remind you that He promised you something and will fulfill it at that time.

Battlefield of the Mind

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

God bless all! These verses speak about spiritual warfare but directly to the battlefield that is in the mind. We cannot fight the enemy with our own strength. God has given us His Spirit and an armor to fight with and weapons that can overcome the enemy and give us victory. What are they? The Word of God, the name of Jesus, the blood of Jesus, prayer, praise and obedience. The one that is used offensively and defensively is His Word. The Word of God is alive and powerful and Satan can’t stand against it. At the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. When we call on the name of Jesus during times of attack or battle He is there to help us. He is a very present help in times of trouble. The blood of Jesus that washes us of all sin also has power. When we plead the blood of Jesus over our lives, over our situations, we are asking to be covered by the blood. Satan can’t stand the blood because the blood cleanses us and therefore he cannot come against it. Prayer is your communication with the Father, when you pray without ceasing, there is no room for the thoughts the enemy throws at you. Praise is a mighty weapon against the enemy, no matter what you are going through when you praise God the enemy has to withdraw. Obedience to God is very important and key in a victorious life. We must be obedient to overcome and to obtain victory no matter what the cost. As you yield to the Lord and allow Him to govern your life, as you fill yourself with His Word, and maintain a relationship with Him, you will be able to tear down strongholds from your past, old thought habits, and replace them with what the Word of God says about you and your walk with Him. You will be able to discern when the enemy is trying to creep in with thoughts of pride and boasting or anything else that does not give God glory and exalts itself against the knowledge of God. We can take those thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ by professing the Word and rejecting those thoughts. Victory is ours through Jesus Christ who has defeated Satan and has given us the power to overcome. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

The Potter and the Clay

The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying: “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.” Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the LORD. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel! Jeremiah 18:1-6

In this passage of Scripture, God is showing Jeremiah an illustration of Himself and His creation – man. The Creator (God) is the potter and the creation (man) is the clay. If you go back to the book of Genesis, chapter 2, verse 7, what did God shape or form man from? The bible says dust! God formed man from dust and what does dust become when you add water to it? Mud or clay! When we first come to the Lord, we dry, cracked, broken vessels. As we put our lives in the hands of God, He begins to put the pieces of our hearts, souls, minds, and lives back together. As we begin to grow in Him, He puts us on the potter’s wheel and begins to form and shape us into who we were originally intended to be. He cleanses you, purifies you, gets rid of all the junk that you don’t need and He can’t use and begins add virtues and mold those qualities He already gave you according to His purpose. The final outcome is a beautifully made, complete vessel, ready to be used by the Potter.

Being on the wheel is never pleasant. You are being stretched and scrubbed and shaped which can be quite painful as you let go of things that hold you back, things that you thought were of value, things that perhaps caused you more pain as you hid them away inside your heart. Let me encourage you today. God’s ultimate goal is to bring out the true you in Him and to do that you have to let go of the old you and your old ways and allow Him to shape His image in you; the image of Christ in you. Paul said we must decrease so that Christ may be increased. That simply means that we must deny ourselves of our fleshly desires and desire the will of our Father in our lives. When this is done daily, we decrease and Christ is increased. People see the difference. They see Jesus instead of you. They see Jesus instead of Christine. But it requires a process that you must allow God to do in your life. If you don’t submit and allow Him to have His way, people will only see you and not Christ. They will only see Christine and not Christ. How sad that would be, to profess Christ and the transformation that comes from salvation is not evident. When the Potter has finished molding the clay, He will bring forth a beautiful vessel for His glory and His honor. Allow Him to have His way with you from this day forth, you will not regret it.

Have You Not Heard?

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:28-31


The book of Isaiah is full of promises to the people of Israel concerning the Messiah and for us today as Christians concerning our spiritual lives. It is one of my favorite books in the Bible and I have found encouragement many times in the promises of God. Isaiah was a prophet whom God used greatly to admonish and exhort the people of Israel. He spoke against the sin of the nation of Israel and it neighbors but also spoke about God’s redemption for His chosen people and the rest of the world. Isaiah prophesied the Messiah’s birth, His suffering, and the price He would pay to redeem the world. To restore what was broken in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and broke the relationship between man and our Father.

In these verses, there is a question asked. Have you not known? Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard?? God Almighty does not sleep, He doesn’t get tired, He doesn’t get stressed, and He doesn’t get bored! He created all things on earth and in earth. He created the earth! His understanding is unsearchable. Who can pretend to know the mind of God? His mind is infinite. His thoughts are not our thoughts as Jeremiah said. The human mind cannot begin to grasp God’s understanding. He is the One who knows all things, sees all things, and knows every man’s heart.

Here is the awesome part of these verses – He gives power to the weak and to those who have no might He increases strength. When we are walking in God’s perfect will, and confront different situations and go through various trials, we become weak. We become tired and grow weary. Sometimes we feel that we can’t go on, that if God does not intervene and give us strength we will faint. But guess what?? God increases the strength of them that have no might! He will give you the strength to carry on, to keep going, to keep pressing and climbing that mountain. He will strengthen your faith as you receive strength from Him to continue to see the things that aren’t as though they were.

Now here’s the promise – even the youths shall faint and grow weary, and the young man shall utterly fall, BUT THOSE WHO WAIT ON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH; THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS LIKE EAGLES, THEY SHALL RUN AND NOT BE WEARY, THEY SHALL WALK AND NOT FAINT. Praise God for His faithfulness!!!! Those who wait on the Lord – this is another one of those conditional promises I spoke about before – the promise is that our strength shall be renewed, we will mount up with wings like eagles, we will run and not be weary, we will walk and not faint. Now the condition is – if we wait – ugh!!!! That is such and ugly word for some us!! Who wants to wait in a day where everything is technologically savvy and we live in a country where people live life fast paced??? Waiting can be very difficult. But as you walk with Jesus, you will see that there are times when you will be required to wait, and if you try to rush things, it will just mess it all up and you will have to now wait longer. Waiting grows patience, character, determination, and integrity. God requires these in all of us that truly wish to serve Him. Well you might say - I can’t wait! I don’t like to wait! Or my personal favorite, I don’t have time to wait! When we attempt to rush in to things that are not in God’s timing, we will surely fail. We cannot attempt to help God with His plans for us. We must allow Him to lead us and if we have to wait, then wait we must. It may be painful at first, but the rewards are very much worth it. If we don’t wait and do things our way, then we will be like the youths who faint and grow weary and the young man who utterly falls. Let’s wait on the Lord and allow His perfect will be done in our lives. He will strengthen us and make us soar like eagles!!

He has Overcome the World!!

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Whoever said that life would be a bed of roses once you got saved lied. It’s that simple. They lied. Jesus is very clear on what the life of a Christian entails. Prior to this verse, in chapter 15, Jesus tells His disciples that the world will hate them, and that they would be persecuted and these things they would suffer for His namesake. In the beginning of chapter 16, He tells them that they would be put out of synagogues and that those who would kill them would think they were doing the work of God.

So now in verse 33 of chapter 16, Jesus consoles them by telling them (I’m paraphrasing in plain English) I told you all of this so that you would find peace in Me. In the world you will suffer, you will go through trials and tribulations, you will endure pain, and you will be laughed at, mocked, spit on, beaten, and tormented – but cheer up! Don’t let it get you down and take your focus off of me because I overcame the world! I suffered all those things so that you would have peace. I went through it all and overcame therefore you also can overcome!

You may think how can I have peace when you’re telling me that I will have to suffer? You can find peace in Jesus because He will give you the strength to endure it and persevere! You will not and are not suffering alone! He is right there with you and He already endured it so He can give you the strength to be of good cheer and find peace in Him. Praise God!!!

Lord Jesus,
We thank You because You overcame the world and have endured the things that we must endure and probably worse and are still and always will be the Victorious One. You have already won the war and have the victory and through You we too are victorious conquerors because You have strengthened us to endure. If there is anyone of us today who may not feel Your peace or feel victorious, as we will feel because we are human and cannot see the victory because of our sorrow, Lord I ask You to give them a double portion of strength and perseverance to continue pressing forward in You until that day when we will see You face to face and hear You say, well done my good and faithful servant. We long for the day we will see you face to face and to behold Your glory. I pray that You strengthen each and every one of us on this day, that we be found worthy of the call on our lives by You. In Your name we pray,
Amen!

Wait on the Lord

Teach me Your way, O LORD, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence. I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! Psalm 27:11-14

This is the last part of Psalm 27 where David is encouraging himself in the Lord. He begins by asking the Lord to teach him His ways and lead him in a smooth path because of his enemies. False witnesses or liars have risen up against him to defame his name and ruin his testimony and those that would try to harm him. He would’ve lost heart had he not believed that he would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. He tells us (and I believe himself) to wait on the Lord and be of good courage, because the Lord will strengthen our hearts (and his). Again he says to wait on the Lord.

It is wonderful when you can go through difficult situations and be confident that God will strengthen you through it all. When we ask God to teach us His ways and make our paths smooth because of our enemies, it does not necessarily mean that we are asking God to make things easy for us. Let me back up a moment here. First, teach me Your way O Lord, that part of the sentence alone is saying God show me how to walk in Your will and in obedience. Lead me in a smooth path because of my enemies – God glorify Yourself in the midst of my situation and shut the mouths of those who speak against me and those cancel the plans of those who would try to harm me. Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries – Lord do not let their words or actions affect me but let Your will be done. For false witnesses have arisen against me and such as breathe out violence – Lord You know that they are lying about me and trying to ruin my testimony and there are even those who would harm me violently. Here’s the best part – I WOULD HAVE LOST HEART, UNLESS I HAD BELIEVED THAT I WOULD SEE THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING – Lord, I would’ve gave up already if I didn’t believe that I would see Your glory, that I would see Your goodness, that You would sustain me, in this world that I live in. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage and He will strengthen Your heart – Yes!! Yes!! Yes!! Waiting is not easy for both of us, but when we wait on Him, He gives us strength to carry on. He gives strength to take the next step. He gives us strength to keep climbing that mountain. Again I say wait on the Lord. Notice that David is stressing the waiting on the Lord. We must wait on Him because He already won the victory, He just wants us to believe and wait on Him. There is a beautiful song that I heard in a movie soundtrack for the first time and it really ministered to me. It’s by John Waller and it talks about waiting in difficult situations. The chorus goes like this:

While I’m waiting,
I will serve You,
While I’m waiting,
I will worship,
While I’m waiting
I will not faint
I’ll be running the race
Even while I wait.

I feel the Lord’s presence as I think of the words to that song because I can relate and it encourages me to keep pressing forward and wait on the Lord because He will see me through. He has never failed me and He will never fail you. Just be of good courage and wait on the Lord. Joshua 1:9 says: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Never forget that my brethren. The Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Take that verse and make it yours and remember to wait on the Lord.

He will not Leave You nor Forsake You

Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.” Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take care of me. Psalm 27: 7-10

What an awesome word!! You may have noticed that the last two devotionals were about this same chapter of the book of Psalms. Tomorrow I will send out the last one on this chapter.

David knew how to pour out his heart to God! The Bible says that David was a man after God’s own heart and when you read the Psalms he wrote, you can see why. In these verses David pleads with God to hear him when he cries out to him and have mercy on him and answer him. He reminds God that when He told him to seek His face, his heart answered and said yes! Your face Lord I will seek! His pleading continues asking God not to hide His face from him and not to turn him away in anger. This makes me think that David perhaps did something that did not please God and he is repentant of what he did and is pleading with God for forgiveness even though He already did. He says God has been his help. He’s asking the God of his salvation not to leave him nor forsake him and acknowledges that when his father and mother are not longer with him or when they leave him, the Lord will take care of him. Praise God!!

There are times when we feel that God doesn’t hear our prayers and we examine ourselves and ask ourselves what are we doing wrong? What did we do that displeased God? Perhaps we haven’t done anything but still feel that God does not hear us. We must do as David did and cry out to God to hear us! Of course God is not deaf to our cries but when we cry out to Him it is an expression of our deepest desire and desperation. That desire and desperation is for Him. Many times I have cried out and asked God not to leave me even though I know He won’t but as a human being we feel alone sometimes and need that assurance. How wonderful that God provides that assurance in His word. Sometimes we ask God for forgiveness and He forgives us but we keep reminding ourselves of what we’ve done and think that God is far from us because of it. Dear brethren, when God forgives us, He forgets our transgressions; we are the ones who don’t forget and the enemy takes advantage of that to accuse us. In those times we must remember that God is our help and our salvation! He is always there to help us when we call on Him. He is our salvation! When we were lost without a clue about the life and sin we were living in and without a savior, He provided THE SAVIOR, the only One who claim that title. When our friends and families turn their backs on us, because of what we believe, or because they don’t understand us, or for whatever reasons that people turn away from each other and abandon one another, remember: THE LORD WILL TAKE CARE OF US!!!! Praise God!!! I hold tight to that word, that no matter who turns their back on me, God will never turn His back on me. He will take care of me. Glory to God!!

He will Hide You

One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD. Psalm 27:4-6

The psalmist David continues in this Psalm to express his desire and his joy for the Lord. In these verses he tells the Lord, he only wants to seek his face. His desire is only to be in His presence so that he can behold His beauty and to inquire of Him in His sanctuary. He goes on to acknowledge that in times of trouble or distress, God is his hiding place. The Lord will hide him in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle and set high upon a rock or far away from the trouble. God will lift up his head above his enemies and he will offer sacrifices of praise! He will rejoice, sing, worship and praise Almighty God in his time of trouble!

As it relates to us, when we are battling against the wiles of the enemy, when we are struggling to keep our heads above water, we must remember that our desire is for the Lord. Our desire is to be in His house, to be in His presence, to inquire of Him and to behold His beauty. We must remember that He will hide us under His wings when we seek Him in our secret place where we meet with him. He will lift our heads high above our enemies. Our joy should be in the Lord. We ought to praise Him and sing to Him even when we are going through adversity and waiting on Him to bring us through! We know that He will, but as humans we tend to want what we want when we want it, and our time is not God’s time. So we forget that God is the one that sets high upon the rock. We forget that He has us in the palm of His hand, and yes, we forget what He has promised us when our eyes are on the circumstance rather than on Him. Let us remember who is with us, who fights our battles, and who protects us when we go through various adversities. Let us bring sacrifices of joy when we want to cry, let us rejoice when we are sad, let us praise and worship our Almighty God who gives us the strength to persevere!! Let’s not forget His faithfulness and His mercy on us and praise Him with all that we are.

I Shall Not Fear

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident. Psalm 27:1-4

David is the writer of most of the Psalms. A Psalm is like a song. They were written to either express joy or praise to Almighty God or to express distress and dependence on God. In this song, David is going through a time of persecution by King Saul and he is crying out to God who is his light and his salvation. He recognizes that God is the One who gives him strength and that he should not fear anything man can do to him. Though David is going through his time of trial and persecution, he acknowledges that when his enemies came against him to harm him or kill him, God gave him the victory and fought on his behalf. He proceeds to tell the Lord that though an army may encamp against him, his heart will not fear – no matter what the enemy throws at him, he will stand firm and not fear – though war may rise against him, in this he is confident. David is confident that God is with him to protect him and fight for him even when he is outnumbered and everyone is against him.

As Christians, we find ourselves in situations where we have to call on God as David did. We have to encourage ourselves and remind ourselves that we serve a mighty God. That He is the one that fights our enemies; He fights our battles and puts our enemies under our feet. He is the One who gives us strength to keep going when our hearts are fainting and weak. He gives us strength when we feel we can’t go any more and our hearts are battered. He gives us strength when we don’t have the strength to lift our hands to Him and worship. He sends His angels to minister to us and He gives us new strength. Praise God!! We must say that we are confident that no matter what the enemy throws at us or what army of demonic influence is surrounding us, our God will deliver us and fight for us! Though war may rise against us, we must be confident that God is ever faithful and He will fight for us and protect us. Hallelujah!!!

Heavenly Father,
I thank You because You are my light and my salvation. Of whom shall I fear? You are always with us, fighting for us like a Mighty Giant. You protect us and cover us and You let us know when danger is near. Father, I thank You for this word because we need to remind ourselves sometimes, who is the God that we serve. We need to remind ourselves that we need not be afraid because You are with us. We need to be reminded that You fight all of our battles and it is You who gives us the strength to continue forward in this walk. It is You who loves and cares for us, that no matter what enemy rises up, You will give us the victory. We worship and praise You Almighty God because You are awesome and wonderful are Your works.
In Jesus name
Amen

Our Mansions are Ready! Are you?

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

I can’t begin to describe what I feel when I read this verse! It is hard to put into words the emotions that are stirred up when I think of the day when the Lord will return for His bride. The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. That part alone is enough to cause excitement and anticipation for those who are waiting for His return, and repentance for those who are not. I remember a conversation I once had with someone when I was still a baby in Christ and I could not recall exactly where this verse was but I remember quoting it to this person and saying “I don’t know about you, but I am going to heaven”. After I got home I looked for the verse and when I found where it was I let the person know where to find and I never forgot it. This has to be one of the most powerful verses in the Bible! This verse not only proves that there is a place where we will be with the Lord forever, but it is also a promise for those who are anticipating His return. We must have our ears fine tuned and sensitive to the Holy Spirit to ear these trumpets. I don’t even want to think about what happens if we don’t hear them when they sound but there are those who need to know. It’s quite simple actually, if you don’t hear the trumpet when it sounds, you will be left behind. That is a distressing thought, I know, which is why we have to be prepared and live each day as if the Lord were coming today because the Bible says that we do not know the day nor the hour in which the Son of man will come! We must live each day expecting our Lord’s return and that He would find us ready with our lamps burning and full of oil! Praise God!! The dead in Christ shall rise first. Those who’s physical bodies have long decayed, who have died anticipating the return of Christ shall rise first. But they shall not rise as skeletons. No! They shall rise in their glorified bodies! In the incorruptible body that we all will be transformed into. How awesome is that?!! Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to the meet the Lord in air. If anyone tries to tell you that there is no such thing as heaven or that only a small portion of believers are going to heaven, know that it is a lie straight from hell. The word clearly tells us that we will be caught up! To be caught up is to be snatched up, lifted up, kind of like in a whirlwind motion I imagine, to be taken up into the clouds! Helloooo!!!! The clouds are part of the sky and the sky is part of the heavens and if we are to be caught up into the clouds and meet the Lord in the air, where do you think you will be?? Sweet heaven!!!! Yes!!!! God is good!!! I love talking about these verses and I get excited thinking about that day when the Lord will return with the trumpet of God. Finally it says, and thus we shall be with the Lord always!! Hallelujah!!!!!!! Oh my God I cannot describe what I am feeling right now! Thus we shall be with the Lord always!!! Not for a year or a thousand years, but always!! God promises us eternity with Him! In His presence where we will have no need for the sun because His glory will shine upon us. Oh come on people if you can’t get excited about that what can you get excited about?! God is an awesome God!! When Jesus was preparing His disciples for His death and resurrection, He said to them “In my Father’s house there are many mansions, if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that were I am, you may be also.” (John 14:2-3) The above verses clearly confirm these verses. Jesus told His disciples and is telling us, that He has gone to prepare us a place that where He is, we may be also!! Oh my God!! Is anybody hearing me this morning?!! We are going to be where He is!!!! Everday, 24/7, 365 days a year, where time does not exist! Where an hour is like a second and a year is like a day! I can’t wait!!!!! Praise God, I can’t wait!! Let us pray that the church of God, the bride of Christ, would be ready to hear that trumpet and that beautiful voice calling us home to Him. If we are not ready, let’s get ready for the coming of our Lord for He will be here sooner than most think! Oh hallelujah! People we need to be ready and let others know that He is coming soon!!! And He is coming for a church without spot or wrinkle.

Heavenly Father,
We give you glory, honor, praise, and thanksgiving, for Your awesome Word that regenerates our minds, uplifts our spirits, and reminds us of Your promises of eternal life and the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Father, we pray that You would strengthen Your church in these last days, that our ears would be fine tuned to hear the trumpet call homeward where there will be no more pain, sickness, death or suffering. Oh Lord, we pray for those who do not know You yet, that they would come to You and submit to Your saving grace so that they too can be caught up to meet You in the air on glorious day when You return for Your church. We honor You this morning and everyday that we live and breathe on this earth, knowing that we are aliens on this earth and citizens of heaven, longing for the day when we will go home forever. In Jesus mighty name, I ask for strength, joy, peace, and a double portion of Your Holy Spirit for each of my brothers and sisters who will receive this word this morning. I ask for revival for Your church that those who may have been steered in the wrong direction may find their way back to Your truth, that those who may have had the fire quenched in their hearts may still have an ember left that can be stoked into a roaring flame again for everything that pertains to You. Father I pray for mercy for those who may be leading Your sheep away from Your pasture. For those oh Lord who are compromising Your word and sugar coating it to accommodate the flesh, I pray that these people will receive correction, recognize the truth of Your word and preach it unadulterated as You would have them to. For those who are preaching Your word unadulterated, as You give it to them, such as our Pastors, I pray that You give them strength to continue to speak what You put in their mouths to admonish Your people, to bring encouragement to the discouraged, hope to the hopeless, and conviction to those who are not aware of their sinful condition without You. Bless them, strengthen them, and continue to use them for Your glory. Prepare Your church Father, for that glorious day when we will go home to You.

In Jesus name,
Amen!!