Inspiration Today

Trust in the Lord

2011-12-01T20:16:00.001-05:00

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

As we are drawing near the end of another year, I have to reflect on the blessings of the Lord. In just a few days I will graduate college with a degree in management and I could not have done it on my own. I am grateful to the Lord for giving me strength and bringing me to this victory. I have not blogged since the beginning of this year and now towards the end it seems fitting to reflect on God's goodness and His tender mercies.

At times I thought that I wouldn't make it but my Father always reminds me, I am not alone, He is with me. And because He is with me I am able hold my head up and press forward. The above verses reflect those moments when God reminded me that He is in control. There will be times when you may feel frustrated and desperate enough to think that you have to rely on your own understanding, but God will remind you to trust Him. In those moments of desperation when you trust Him, He will show you that you've made the right choice, the only choice, because relying on yourself is not going to cut it. He will show you how wonderful it is to trust Him and what seemed impossible or not to have an answer will look like a dot in the sky as if it never were a problem.

In moments were I have felt alone and that God had forgotten me, His rainbow would shine as if just for me, to remind me that He is faithful and He keeps His promises. Don't give up on what He has promised you because He is faithful to keep His word. Trust in Him and acknowledge Him in all your ways, He will never leave you nor forsake you.

I am acknowledging Him in all my ways for He will direct my path. Amen!

Time is Precious

2011-01-03T17:27:00.000-05:00

So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

Yesterday, I listened to a message about getting closer to God in 2011. The minister that preached has a unique way of bringing forth the word. He says that when he reads the bible, he visualizes what he reads and he presents it as a story. Needless to say his message was very inspiring and at the end of his message 99% of the church went up for prayer. I want to try to tie in that message with today’s inspiration.

The above verse has a significant meaning. It is telling us that we should seek God’s guidance in how we should spend our time because like all things must come to an end, so time must come to an end. In all that we do, we must take time out for God. Quality time to spend seeking Him and talking with Him and listening to Him; after all this is how we get closer to Him.

The preacher brought an illustration of how Barthemaus wanted to hear Jesus, the woman with the issue of blood wanted to touch Jesus, Zaccheus wanted to take Jesus home, John wanted to be close to Jesus at all times, and Paul wanted to be so close to Jesus that they would be fused together and it would no longer be Paul but Jesus in Paul. I don’t know about you but I want to be so close to Jesus that it is no longer I but Christ in me. This illustration is relevant to verse 12 of Psalm 90 because the more time we spend with Jesus, the more Christlike we become.

It is believed that Psalm 90 was written by Moses during the 40 years that the children of Israel wandered in the desert. The Israelites wandered in the desert those 40 years because of their unbelief and their murmuring against God. During these 40 years the older generation died off. The children of Israel could not enter the Promised Land until all the people of older generation had died because God said they would not enter because of their unbelief. We cannot compare what God is doing in our lives with the past or how our lives used to be. This will cause you to regress and not progress. It also shows lack of faith in God when we look back and wish that our lives were the way they used to be.

I will be the first to tell you that being a Christian is not easy but compared to the life I used to live I wouldn’t change it or trade it for anything in the world. Yes I go through trials and yes there is suffering but there is also an unspeakable joy that outweighs all the trials and the suffering. Besides that trials prune our characters and brings out those things in us that God wants to use to bless us and others. Time plays a major part during trials and times of suffering. You are probably asking how and why. I will tell you. When we are faced with hardships, anxieties, problems that seem to have no solutions, it is then we should seek God’s guidance and maintain that closeness with Him because He will give us the strength to make it through that difficult time. During the times of rest we should maintain that intimacy with God and during times of blessings and abundance that intimacy should be more intense. This prepares us and strengthens our faith when we go through trials.

Moses asked God to help us to number our days – in other words, help us to be mindful that tomorrow is not promised and we should not waste precious time on things that don’t matter. In eternity, time is not a factor. There is no time in heaven. In this same Psalm, Moses says that to God a thousand years is like a day but here on earth man is bound to time. Time is of the essence because soon our Redeemer will return for His bride and we must be ready! If we don’t spend time with God and are satisfied with just hearing Him the first time He spoke to us then how will we ever know who He truly is? If we are simply satisfied with His touch when we go to church, how will we be sustained on the days when we don’t go to church? If we take Him home but don’t talk to Him, how will we experience a real relationship with Him? Like John, we must walk and talk with Him and be close to Him at all times. Like Paul, we must desire and seek an intimacy with Him that fuses us to Him.

The second part of the verse says – that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Wisdom comes from God. The New Century Version reads this verse as such: “Teach us how short our lives really are so that we may be wise.” The second part of the verse gives the reason why we want God to show us how short our lives are so that we can use our time wisely. So that we will value the time that we have on earth and use it to glorify Him. So that we will live our lives seeking to be so close to Him that others will see Him in us. So that we will not waste time seeking after material things that perish but the spiritual things that last forever. Praise God!

I want to draw closer to God in this New Year. I don’t want to waste anymore time worrying about what will be or what could be. I want to seek God while He can be found and be so close to Him that Christ is revealed in me. How close do you want to be to God? Are you satisfied with just hearing Him? Do you prefer His touch? Do want Him in your house or would you rather walk and talk with Him? Better yet would you be more satisfied if you were so close to Him that you could enjoy all of the above and be one with Him? Reflect on these questions and I pray that this year be a year of intimacy with the Lord for you. Don’t waste anymore time! Time is wasting and God is calling His people to draw near.

God bless you.

Joy to the World

2010-12-23T18:52:00.002-05:00

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2:11-14

It is December already and the count down is on for a new year. Where did the year go? Many people this time of year are focused on getting ready for Christmas and preparing for their traditions. Some people have family gatherings on Christmas Eve where a banquet is prepared for the invited relatives and gifts are wrapped and under the tree. Others go about it as if it were just another day. Some spend it alone because they have no relatives close by and still others dread this special day because of some pain or loss they experienced during this time some years ago.

For me, from the time I was 18, Christmas was always bittersweet. When I was a child, I counted the days till Christmas but after my 17th Christmas it became a time mingled with joy, sadness, and loss. Joy because it was Christmas! My favorite holiday! Sadness and loss because there were certain people I would not be able to share the joy of the holiday with. Funny thing, I didn’t understand the true meaning of Christmas then. I knew what it was or what it was supposed to be about but I didn’t understand. As a child it was a day where we would see relatives we hadn’t seen all year, open gifts, and eat good food. Now that I understand what the reason for this holiday is, I can step back and appreciate all the gifts I’ve been given through out the year; The gift of love, health, family, and most importantly salvation.

The day that Jesus was actually born is not certain but December 25th is the day that has been designated to remember His birth and what His birth meant to the world. His birth along with His death and resurrection, are a demonstration of God’s love for us. There is a song that says: How many kings stepped down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
How many gods have poured their heart to
Romance a world that is torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
Only one did that for me.
These words perfectly describe the reason we celebrate the birth of Jesus. When we consider all that He left behind to come and live among us, die for us, and ultimately save us, we can do nothing but be amazed. God’s love for us is so great that He sent His only Son to redeem us. Praise God!

Now as a married adult, the only tradition that my husband and I have on Christmas is that we get each other 3 gifts each and they are usually things that we have been wanting all year. Recently though, this past week to be precise, God has reminded me that material gifts are not important as long as you have Him. Psalm 37:4 says “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” (KJV) My husband and I live in Florida with no immediate family close by. So it is pretty much just me and him. He never celebrated Christmas before he met me and I was used to being around family and the whole big shindig that comes with it. Since we have been in Florida it’s been just us and sometimes I feel the ache of having family close by to visit and share what God has been doing in our lives. Of course we call each other and send each other messages but it is not the same as seeing a dear face and squeezing them tight. It has been in my heart for many years to connect with my father’s side of the family but I didn’t know where to start and I didn’t have much information about them. In the past couple of days, God has given me that desire. I connected with my sister through Facebook and found out that my paternal grandmother and uncle live closer to me than I thought! God is amazing!!

This morning as I drove to work, I meditated on all that God has been doing in the past year in my life and I had to weep in His presence because He has been more than wonderful. I am filled with so much love and gratitude that I can barely contain it! This Christmas meditate on the blessings God has bestowed upon you and love on people – family, friends, someone you may not know but is in desperate need of it. Christmas is about sharing the gift that God so generously gave us – His son, His love. Tell others about Jesus and show them Jesus with love. Reflect on the goodness of God and His mercy on you and your loved ones. Whether or not you get those material gifts you wanted is not important when you see how much God loves you and how He keeps you. Share the joy of Christmas with others and treasure those moments God gives you with loved ones.

Merry Christmas!!

God bless you!

When Two Become One – A principle of Marriage

2010-04-17T21:28:00.002-04:00

Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 1 Corinthians 7:3-5

I want to touch on a subject that perhaps you have encountered or perhaps not yet - temptations in marriage. Perhaps you are married and have not encountered temptation – praise the Lord! Perhaps you have. Either way, I want to focus on the different areas that temptation can enter and not just the obvious one although that is an important one. The first two verses speak about the body and how it belongs to your spouse. When you get married you become one with your spouse. The bible says in Genesis 2:24 that "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." The reason for this is because whenever a man and a woman come together sexually, the man deposits of himself in the woman and the woman receives him, making them one. So the husband's body belongs to his wife, and the wife's body belongs to her husband. There is no more "my body"; it becomes "his body" or "her body."

We cannot dress the way we used to because now we dress to please our spouse, not ourselves. We cannot neglect our bodies (we shouldn't anyway) because our bodies are no longer ours but our spouses. We can go on and on about what we can and cannot do with our bodies because we no longer have authority over it, as the Scriptures tell us. It is also one of the reasons why we cannot and should not commit or practice adultery. We cannot give away what is not ours to give. Our bodies are not ours to give when we are married and God clearly speaks against this behavior. (Exodus 20:14)

I want to bring your attention to verse 5 which tells us: "Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control." I want to focus on this verse because here is where we will see what kind of temptations can arise and why. Obviously, the verse is speaking about depriving each other of sex but when we deprive each other of sex the temptations that arise are more than sexual ones. For instance, there is the temptation to despise your spouse because of neglect. There is the temptation to be angry and bitter. There is the temptation to mock or speak ill of or to your spouse. Now this is something that you would see in a marriage without Christ but clearly the Apostle Paul is speaking to believers. Why? Because Satan doesn't tempt the unbeliever, he already has control of the unbeliever. It is the believer that Satan tempts because he wants to make the unbeliever fall.

To deprive one another can be more than sexual as well. You can deprive one another of companionship, affection, love, friendship. Clearly Paul is emphasizing sexual deprivation because this can lead to the temptation to fulfill your needs elsewhere. As a Christian, this is not an option and doing so will cause you to fall, yet many fall into these other temptations I mentioned above as well.

When you find yourself facing these temptations the first thing you must do is pray. Pray for your marriage, pray for that passion to return to your marriage. Pray for your spouse if that's where the negligence is or pray for yourself if it is on your part. Whatever you do, DON'T GIVE IN TO TEMPTATION. Study the word of God and what it says about the tongue and how you should speak blessings over your home. Pray over your home and if your temptation is sexual pray for your desire to be for your spouse and do what you must to engage your spouse. Remember the word says that if you are going to hold out on each other, it should be consentual for the purpose of fasting and prayer; for the purpose of setting yourself apart for God only. Anything else is no excuse. So be aware, be careful, and pray for your marriage and your spouse so that temptation does not catch you in a moment of lack of self control.

God bless!

Have You Abandoned Your Post?

2010-04-09T19:17:00.003-04:00

"So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. ⁸ When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you shall surely die!' and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. ⁹ Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. ¹⁰ "Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: 'Thus you say, "If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?"' ¹¹ Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?' Ezekiel 33:7-11

Have you abandoned your post?

Definition of watchman – a person who keeps watch; watcher – one that sits up or continues awake through the night.

In the Old Testament the watchman was usually a prophet, the person that God used to speak to His people. Today the watchman is the church. You and I. We are responsible for letting the world know that there is salvation in the name of Jesus. We are responsible for letting the sinner know that they need to repent and be saved. We are responsible for teaching our children the way of the lord and correcting them when they go the wrong way. We are watchmen in our homes, our jobs, and our churches.

The role of a watchman –

Spiritual – the watchman is always on alert for the wiles of the enemy. A watchman can be man or woman, not necessarily a prophet, though in the Old Testament the prophets were called watchmen. She/he is the one who warns the people of spiritual dangers, the one who warns the world that there are consequences for sin and that they should repent. If the watchman does not warn the people and they die in their sin, the watchman is held accountable for their blood.

Military – In a military sense, the watchman is the one who stays up all night standing guard. She/he is the one who sounds the alarm when they see the enemy approaching. If this person did not blow the horn when danger was approaching and the people died, the blood of those people was on the watchman's hands.

Characteristics and responsibilities of a watchman -

Watchmen must have vision – she/he has to be able to see the enemy for who he is and know his tactics. To do this we have to keep our eyes on Jesus and live a life of worship.
Watchmen must be alert – she/he should not let her/his guard down but must constantly be on guard so as not to let the enemy sneak up on her/him. To do this we must develop a consistent prayer life. By consistent, I mean we must spend time in prayer everyday. Prayer is very important for the watchman. We must also fast for clarity and discernment.
Watchmen must speak – the watchman has to open her/his mouth when danger is approaching. She/he has to let the endangered know that danger is coming and in our case what to do about it.
The watchman is held accountable for what she/he does or does not say.

Reasons a watchman will abandon or neglect his/her post –

Fear - For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)

Fear is a tool the enemy uses to keep us from being all that we can be in the Lord. It keeps us from speaking out against injustice, sin, and unrighteousness. Fear will cause you to question yourself and say "let somebody else do it, who am I to judge?" But God speaks specifically against this by reminding us that He has given us power, love, and a whole mind (my emphasis) never fear! If God gives us all these things then why do we allow fear into our lives and let it detain us?

Weariness - "If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, in which you trusted, they wearied you, then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan? (Jeremiah 12:5)

The NLT reads it like this - "If racing against mere men makes you tired, how will you race against horses? If you stumble and fall on open ground, what will you do in the thickets near the Jordan?

How does this apply to what we are talking about now? If you become weary and abandon your post, how will you deal with the greater things God has for you? He cannot give them to us until we have learned to stand firm no matter how weary we become. He is our strength and our sustenance. Weariness can cause us to make bad decisions. It can blur our vision. When we are weary we must go to the One who said "Come to me all you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest." We cannot rest on our own knowledge. We cannot rest in our family, friends, or anyone else. We cannot rest in our money, our job, or anything else but the One who created all things and called us to our post!

Wounded - He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. (Psalm 147:3)

Many times when we are hurt, we forget our purpose, we forget who called us, we forget our responsibility and we dwell. We focus on our wounds and how much it hurts and we forget that there was One who was wounded far worse that we can ever be wounded. We forget that He suffered everything we suffer and we forget that He is with us in our suffering.

Distraction - But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." ⁴¹ And Jesusanswered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. ⁴² But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:40-42)

Ahhhh, distraction is a tactic the enemy uses to sneak up on you. When you are distracted you cannot be alert. You cannot focus on your post. Your primary mission is sidetracked. There are many things that can distract us. Anything that occupies too much of our time and takes time away from God, is a distraction. Sometimes we get distracted by things we aren't even aware of.

Reclaiming your post - Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. (Ephesians 6:10)

If you have experienced or are experiencing any of these symptoms, I have good news! First you are not the first to experience this! Second, God has a remedy for each of these ailments! If you are wounded, cry out to him and he will heal you, restore you, and make you whole. If you are distracted, examine yourself and set aside the distractions – seek god and spend quality time with him. if you are fearful, take your fears to him and he will remind you that fear is not of him and he has given you what you need to proceed. Take courage! God is with you. When you are weary – don't give up!! He will give you rest!

I will leave you with this verse from Joshua 1:9 as motivation to reclaim your post. Assume the responsibility the Lord has given you and march forward in all that he puts in your hands because one day we will have to give account for everything we say and do. I would like to hear him say "well done, my good and faithful servant."

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." (Joshua 1:9)

God bless!

Watchman Video/Chris Preaching

2010-04-09T19:06:00.002-04:00

God’s sacrifice

2010-01-24T19:35:00.001-05:00

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. John 15:13

The reason I chose to use both of these verses for this week's devotional is to show how they both relate to the sacrifice that God made for us through His son Jesus. I will explain what I mean but first I want to say that this week's blog is dedicated to all those who are struggling with doubt, loneliness, questions about who God is and if He is even real. I want to tell you that God is very real and He cares a great deal for you.

The first verse explains why He sent His Son – because He loved us. He loved us so much that He sent the one who was most precious to Him because it was the only way to save us. Let me explain what I mean by the only way to save us. You see, when God created man, He created him perfect, in His image. God also created man with free will. In other words He gave us the right and privilege to be able to choose between right and wrong. You may ask why He would give us free will when He is God and can just make us serve Him. Well the reason for that is because He wanted us to love Him by choice and not because we have to. He also gave man dominion over the land and everything in it. Now man has free will and he is confronted with a choice to obey God or disobey Him. There was a tree that God gave Adam strict instruction not to eat from it. The serpent (the devil) then tempted Eve to eat from the tree. Man (Adam and Eve) chose to disobey God's commandment and ate from the tree. Once they ate from the tree, they were in disobedience to God (sin) and they had handed over their dominion (land and everything in it) to Satan. Because of this the land was cursed and every man and woman since then is born into sin. (Genesis chapter 3 for the account of Adam and Eve).

Since man is born into sin, salvation cannot come from him because the sacrifice has to be sinless. Here is where Jesus comes in. As God's only begotten son, He was with God, in God, and is God. He came in the form of man as a sinless sacrifice for the redemption of mankind. Simply put He lived as man but he did not sin. He was crucified on a cross for the forgiveness of our sins. Not only the forgiveness of our sins but also for our health, to give us life. Here is God the Father's sacrifice – He sends His only son, who when He is carrying the sin of the world, has to be separated from Him. God cannot look at sin, so when Jesus was on the cross, He was separated from His son for that moment. Can you imagine the tremendous pain of being separated from your child? But we were also His children, He created us in His image, and He had been separated from us for a long time. God wanted a way to bring His children back to Him.

Now the second verse is Jesus speaking to His disciples. These 12 men, who believed that He was the son of God, and followed Him, had become His friends because they had a relationship with Jesus. He was telling them this to make them aware of His purpose on this earth. He was letting them know that soon He would give His life for them so that they would have eternal life. How many of us would give our life for our best friend or even our family? I dare say not many. Jesus was letting us know that His love for us was so great that He was laying His life down so that we could become His friends by way of a relationship with Him through His Holy Spirit.

Now these two verses work together because God loved the world (us) that He gave His only son (Jesus), Jesus (God in the flesh) gave His life so that we could become His friends because He was the only one who could bring us back to fellowship with our Father.

For those of you that are not in a relationship with God, I challenge you today to think about the sacrifice that was made for you and me and your need for the love and mercy that God offers. I am not saying that your life will be all peaches and cream, but I will tell you this – since I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ almost eleven years ago, I can honestly say that my life is better. My life has purpose and though there are trials, God is with me through all of them. He never leaves me alone.

Your life has a purpose – will you seek that purpose in God or will you let the opportunity pass you by? If you are feeling God knocking on the door of your heart right now, don't let the opportunity pass you by. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and that you need God and then ask for His forgiveness and invite Him into your heart and life and see how He will transform you. You can say this simple prayer to receive Christ into your heart:

Jesus, forgive me for my sins. I believe that You are the son of God, who died on the cross and rose on the third day for the redemption of my soul. I believe that you are alive and want a relationship with me. Come into my heart and wash me clean. Write my name in the book of life and transform my life. Show me how to live according to your will and strengthen my faith every day so that I may please you. Thank you Lord for the forgiveness of my sins. In Jesus name, Amen.

If you have just prayed that prayer, welcome to the family of God! You will need to get yourself a bible and study the word of God. Also find yourself a church that preaches and teaches the word of God so that you may grow in the Lord. If you do not know how to go about doing this, please respond to the blog and we will help you with resources depending on where you are as best we can. God bless you!

God is Near

2010-01-10T21:36:00.001-05:00

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You. Psalm 51:10-13

I have found myself drawn to this passage of Scripture many times when in affliction. It is one of my favorite Psalms, but these verses in particular have resonated in my heart in mind in the past months like never before. Many times we pray and ask God to change our heart but do we know what we are asking for? To ask God to give us a clean heart requires an examination of ourselves and our motives. We need ask ourselves are we honoring God in all that we do? Are we walking in obedience to Him? Are we spending enough time with Him or are we spending time with Him at all?

The past year had its challenges and opportunities; challenges to our faith and who we are in Christ and opportunities for us to draw closer to our Father. For some of us, myself included, it has been a tremendous struggle to stand firm and planted but God has been faithful to give us the strength to keep pressing forward. Personally it was a time of drought. A time where I literally felt like I was gasping for air and clawing my way forward yet by the grace of God, here I am. Specifically in this time I have cried out to God to "create in me a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me."

You see, there are times when we as Christians, will go through periods where we may think that we are alone and we don't hear God speak to us, we don't see Him moving for us, or like me, feel very far from Him and His presence. That does not mean that He is not there! In these moments of loneliness, despair, and intense pain, Jesus is right there with us. Our human nature does not recognize that He is there because we are hurting, frustrated, angry even, and we cannot see past our situation to know that He is there yet He is.

This year I have determined to seek God with pure motives – with all that I have, all that I am, and all that is in me. I have determined to teach the transgressors His ways so that sinners may be converted. The Psalmist David was going through his own personal struggle when He wrote this Psalm but God renewed a steadfast spirit in him and lifted him up because he humbled himself and cried out to the only One who could help him. Today I have renewed strength and I am going to press even harder in the Lord and I pray that you do to. Be encouraged if you are struggling, you are not alone. And if you're not struggling, praise God because He is good!

God bless!

His Word is not Void

2009-08-10T19:38:00.002-04:00

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:8-11

I love the comparison in these verses. God does not think as we do. He knows the future and He knows the plans that He has for us. His ways are not like ours. We make mistakes, He doesn't. One thing is for sure, God is faithful.

In these verses, God is telling us that what we have in mind for ourselves is nothing close to what He has in mind. He has created us with purpose and He has a plan for our lives. What we have planned for ourselves is not what God has planned for us. The methods that we use to achieve and accomplish our goals are not the methods that God uses.

He compares it to a process of nature. When it rains or snows, the water or frozen ice come from above and water the earth. In the winter that snow remains on the ground but in spring it begins to thaw and that water gets sucked into the earth. The same with the rain; the rains comes down and waters the earth and new life begins to spring forth from the ground.

God's word brings life into your spirit. Whatever He has promised you, it shall come to pass because His word does not return to Him void. He cannot lie and what He says He will do, He does. It's like the rain that waters the seeds that are planted in the ground. It nurtures the seed till it brings forth its fruit. The word that God planted in your life will bring forth its fruit!

You will be what He says you will be. You will do what He has called you to do. He will bless you and strengthen you, restore you and use you to bless others, just as He said He would. His word always has a purpose. It is not empty or without worth. His word does what He sends it to do. It does not return to Him without first accomplishing what He sent it out to do!

Isn't that awesome?! To know that no matter what your current situation is, God made you a promise and He will keep it. He does not lie!! It's not in His nature! He is a life giver and a promise keeper. His word is faithful and true and you can count on it coming to pass. His word gives life!!

Did you know that when God speaks a word into your life it gives you purpose? That word must be fulfilled! And it will because it cannot return to Him void. Be encouraged. Whatever God has spoken into your life will be because He loves you and has mercy on you. He forgave you, washed you, gave you new clothes, and transformed you into who you are now. He will finish the work He started in you. Believe it, receive it, and count on it!

God bless you!

Calling on Jesus

2009-08-03T18:16:00.002-04:00

NAMES OF JESUS

ATTORNEY

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.

1 John 2:1

LAMB OF GOD

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

John 1:29

THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE

Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.

John 11:25

SHEPHERD AND GUARDIAN OF SOULS

Once you were like sheep
      who wandered away.
   But now you have turned to your Shepherd,
      the Guardian of your souls.

1 Peter 2:25

JUDGE

And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead.

Acts 10:42

LORD OF LORDS

For at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

1 Timothy 6:15

MAN OF SORROWS

He was despised and rejected—
      a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
   We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
      He was despised, and we did not care.

Isaiah 53:3

HEAD OF THE CHURCH

For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church.

Ephesians 5:23

TEACHER

Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."

Matthew 8:19

TRUE AND FAITHFUL WITNESS

"Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginningof God's new creation."

Revelation 3:14

ROCK

And all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:4

HIGH PRIEST

Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 6:20

DOOR

Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.

John 10:9

LIVING WATER

Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water."

John 4:10

BREAD OF LIFE

Jesus replied, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

John 6:35

ROSE OF SHARON

I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.

Songs of Solomon 2:1

ALPHA AND OMEGA

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."

Revelation 22:13

TRUE VINE

"I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener."

John 15:1

MESSIAH

" Know therefore and understand,
      That from the going forth of the command
      To restore and build Jerusalem
      Until Messiah the Prince,
      There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;
      The street shall be built again, and the wall,
      Even in troublesome times."

Daniel 9:25

HOLY

Saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!"

Mark 1:24

GOOD SHEPHERD

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep."

John 10:11

LIGHT OF THE WORLD

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

John 8:12

MEDIATOR

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 2:5

BELOVED

To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

Ephesians 1:6

BRANCH

There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

Isaiah 11:1

CARPENTER

Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" So they were offended at Him.

Mark 6:3

IMAGE OF GOD INVISIBLE

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Colossians 1:15

THE WORD

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:1

CORNERSTONE

Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.

Ephesians 2:20

SAVIOR

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:11

SERVANT

"Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen,
      My Beloved
in whom My soul is well pleased!
      I will put My Spirit upon Him,
      And He will declare justice to the Gentiles."

Matthew 12:18

AUTHOR AND CONSUMER OF OUR FAITH

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2

ALMIGHTY

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

Revelations 1:8

ETERNAL FATHER

For unto us a Child is born,
      Unto us a Son is given;
      And the government will be upon His shoulder.
      And His name will be called
      Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
      Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

LION OF JUDAH

But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals."

Revelation 5:5

I AM

Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."

John 8:58

BRIDEGROOM

And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

Matthew 9:15

KING OF KINGS

Which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

1 Timothy 6:15

PRINCE OF PEACE

Isaiah 9:6

ONLY BEGOTTEN SON

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

ADMIRABLE COUNSELOR

Isaiah 9:6

IMMANUEL

"Behold,
the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."

Matthew 1:23

SON OF MAN

"Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Matthew 20:28

THE AMEN

Revelation 3:14

KING OF THE JEWS

And the inscription of His accusation was written above:
THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Mark 15:26

PROPHET

So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee."

Matthew 21:11

ANCHOR

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil.

Hebrews 6:19

MORNING STAR

"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star."

Revelation 22:16

THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

John 14:6

What's in a name?

2009-07-27T22:30:00.000-04:00

Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "because I bore him in pain." And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God granted him what he requested. 1 Chronicles 4:9-10

We live in an age where we meet people with different, unique, and even strange names. Names that sound nice or are uncommon but few people take the time to investigate the meaning of that name.

In ancient Israel the name of a child was important because it had a specific meaning. You could say that the meaning of your name caused you joy or shame in those days. The Bible recounts different men and women who's names caused them shame. 1 Samuel, chapter 4, the bible tells us of a woman who gave birth during a time of tremendous stress and grief. Her husband and her brother-in-law were dead and she had just received news that killed her father-in-law - the ark of the covenant had been captured by the Philistines. When her father-in-law heard this news, he fell back and broke his neck. This poor girl, from the grief and stress of losing her family and worse yet the glory of God had been taken from Israel, she gave birth to her son whom she named Ichabod. Ichabod means "the glory of God is departed." Can you imagine going through life with a name that means that the glory of God is not with you?

Jacob in the book of Genesis was the son of Isaac. He was the father of twelve sons that later became the twelve tribes of Israel. His name means usurper or trickster. Yet when he called on the name of the Lord and consecrated himself to the God of Abraham and Isaac, the Lord changed his name to Israel. Just as the Lord changed Abram's name to Abraham - father of many nations.

In the case of Jabez, the bible describes him as more honorable than his brothers, yet his name brought him shame. His mother named him so because she may have had a very hard time delivering him or the family may have been going through some financial set backs and it was not the opportune time to have another child. Or maybe she was grieving the loss of a loved one as Ichabod's mother was, and named him in her grief. But notice what Jabez does - he knows what his name means, he probably believes that he was the cause of his mother's pain at the time of his birth, I imagine that while he was in school the other kids made fun of him because of his name, yet he calls on the God of Israel. In his shame and in his pain, he calls on the One who can change his status. He calls on the One who can change the meaning of his name or change his name altogether. The bible doesn't say that God changed his name, only that He granted his request.

Let's look at his request - "Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and You would keep me from evil, so that I may not cause pain!" It was a cry for God's mercy and grace. He did not want to be what his name meant or said he was. He wanted to be a blessing! He wanted to reach others with the love of God! He wanted to please God. And here's the best part - GOD GRANTED HIM HIS REQUEST!! He enlarged his territory! He blessed his socks off! He became a blessing for others! The Lord protected him! What does this mean to us?!

We don't have to be who the world says we should be. We don't have to become our namesake. Our future does not depend on the circumstances of our birth or our upbringing! With God all things are possible! He is the lifechanger and the lifegiver! He determines our future! And when we call on Him as Jabez did, and allow Him access to our hearts and our lives, He will bless us, enlarge us, and protect us. Let us ask the Lord to bless us indeed, enlarge our territory, that His hand be with us and He keep us from evil and we WILL NOT cause pain but be blessings to others and a living testimony of the power of the Almighty God in our lives.

God bless you and be encouraged.

New Posts coming soon!

2009-06-28T21:02:00.002-04:00

To those who have been following this blog, my apologies for the time I haven't posted. Just want to let you know that I will be posting again very soon. Thank you for your patience.

Christine

Are You Using Your Talents?

2009-04-24T09:55:00.001-04:00

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Matthew 25:14-15

If you have not read this parable of the Talents, you can find it in Matthew 25:14-29. It is a parable of a merchant who gave his servants money to double for him. In banking terms he made an investment in his servants and expected to double his investment in return. To one he gave five talents, to the other two and to the last one he gave one, according to the abilities that he knew they had to make profit of his investment and went on his trip. When this merchant returned to settle accounts with his servants, the one he gave five to had doubled his investment. Likewise the servant whom he gave two talents to, doubled his investment, but the servant to whom he only gave one talent, hid in the ground and did nothing with it.

God gives each and every one of us a talent. It may not be an obvious talent like some but nonetheless it is a talent. A talent is something that you can do and do very well; a specialty so to speak that you may have. For example, some people have the talent of hosting. People can go to their house and they will make them feel as if they are in there own home or at a luxurious resort. That is a talent not everyone has. Some people have the talent of calming situations so they don’t escalate into something ugly. These are not very obvious talents but they are effective and necessary talents nonetheless. If they weren’t necessary why would God give them? God gives us these talents to use for His glory. If we host, we host for Him, if we pacify a situation, we pacify for Him. Whatever your talent is, you are to use it, practice getting better at it, and multiply it. How do you multiply it? By using your talent to bless others. I know a newlywed couple who have several talents and they use them all to glorify our Father, hence I have been witness to the multiplication of those talents. Not only do they sing, they host, they direct, they preach, and they lead and there are probably more talents I have seen yet in them. The point is that they are multiplying that investment that God made in them by blessing others. If you hear these two sing together or individually you will be truly blessed.

The first thing you need to do is discover your talent. Once you discover your talent, you have to develop it or put it into practice. It can be an obvious talent such as singing, preaching, or teaching, or it can be a talent that is not seen in crowds or the general public. A talent is a talent, however obvious or unobvious it may be. Is that a word?? You have to use it. As you develop your talent and become good at it, you multiply it. You cannot hide your talent and do nothing with it. God gave it to you for a reason. He gave it to you to bless others and to bless you and in so doing you are honoring the One who gave you the talent. If you allow fear and other elements to prevent you from using your talent you can lose it. Now let me be clear on what I mean about losing it – you will lose the desire, you will lose the ability to do it well, it is like a flower that receives no sunlight or water and dies. It is like a muscle that is not exercised and grows weak to the point where it is useless. A talent in monetary terms is equivalent to 10,000 shekels. In American money that would be about $1500. Jesus used the monetary example so that the people would understand but He was actually talking about those deposits that God makes in each and every one of us.

If you read the verses where he came to the last servant who he gave one talent to, you will see that the servant did nothing with his talent. He knew he had it, but he didn’t develop it and he didn’t multiply it because he was afraid. He was considered wicked and lazy by his master. Fear, insecurity, low self esteem, complexes and other elements can prevent you from discovering and developing your talent. A low self esteem will make you think that there is no way that you could have a talent but you do. Fear will say, you can’t do it, what if you fail? Insecurity will say you’re not that good, so and so can do it better, let them do it. These are all obstacles the enemy puts in your path to keep you from your full potential. You have to step over those giants and remind yourself, if God gave it to you it’s because He knew that you had the ability to do it. You see, verse 15 says “to each according to his own ability.” Not according to so and so’s ability but according to your own ability God gave you a talent or 5 talents or 10 talents or more! It is up to you to discover them, develop them, and multiply them!

I want to hear the Lord say “well done, my good and faithful servant”; how about you? Verse 29 says: ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.” If you don’t use your talents they will be taken away. Let us use those gifts God has given us to further His kingdom so that we can hear the Lord say “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
God bless!

The Sanctity of Marriage

2009-04-07T16:10:00.000-04:00

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
Ephesians 5:22-31

This is for those who are married and those who will get married. I don’t pretend to be an expert on marriage – far from it – but there are some things I learned in the course of my marriage to my wonderful husband that I would like to share and may help someone in need.

First – IT CAN BE DONE! The society and age we live would have us believe that marriage doesn’t work. So many people are terrified of the commitment of marriage or are hostile toward it because of past hurts or the wrong example of the marriage of someone close. The statistics of the divorce rate in the 21st century alone are scary and at the highest they’ve ever been. 50% of married couples in America end in divorce. A person who marries more than once is more likely to divorce sooner than the first time. The sanctity of marriage is no longer regarded in today’s society. It was every little girl’s dream to have a beautiful wedding and spend the rest of her life with the man waiting for her at the altar. Those dreams can still come true! It is God’s design for man and woman to live in the intimate relationship called marriage. Of course the world has a twisted and warped view of what marriage should be. It is more challenging today to marry and stay committed to that union than it was 50 years ago, even 20 years ago, but it can be done. Marriage is not a fairy tale where you marry the person of your dreams and live happily ever after. It requires an investment of time, patience, sacrifice, compromise and commitment. It is a decision to love when life is just like a fairytale and when it’s not. A decision to love when you realize your spouse is not perfect and you can not change him/her. The good news is that you can be a vessel that God uses to mold him/her. Marc and I will be celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary on June 29th, a little more than 2 months away. It has not always been easy and there have been times when one or the other wanted to throw in the towel but God continued to remind us that it can be done, we could make it work if we put Him first and build our marriage on His foundation. 8 years is a victory!!! Praise the Lord!!! I’ve noticed that each year that we’ve been married, God has taught us something new about marriage, about ourselves, and we’ve grown as individuals and as a couple. This brings me to my next point.

Ladies, WE CAN SUBMIT to our husbands. Not only can we submit but our Heavenly Father tells us to do so. Growing up and in the first couple of years of being married I had a terrible misconception of what it meant to submit to my husband and I believe many woman as well as men share this misconception. The dictionary’s definition of the word submit reads as so: to give over or yield to the power or authority of another. My understanding of submitting was different and when you grow up in a home where the woman does everything it’s hard to see yourself submitting to someone else. I thought that submitting to my husband meant that I had to be a doormat for him to walk all over and/or be his slave. So my attitude was, “no man is going to walk all over me.” As I began to grow in the Lord and as a wife, God began to teach me what submission to my husband truly is. Ladies it has absolutely nothing to do with being his slave or him telling you what to do and you have to do it. It’s about giving him the respect he deserves as a man and as the head of your home. Men yearn for respect from their wives and sadly today there aren’t many marriages where the husband is respected by his wife even in the church. When God created woman, He created her to be the helpmeet of man. He created her to help him in his walk with God, in his struggles as a husband, father, friend, brother and as a man. Of course we cannot relate to some of the things men struggle with, but we can be supportive and give them the respect they need that will encourage them to keep pressing forward. You’d be amazed at the difference it makes when you show a man respect. Your respect motivates him to do all that he can to keep your respect and your trust.

Gentleman, YOU CAN LOVE your wives. This is what you are called to do in your relationship with your wife. The woman is usually more emotional than the man so it is in her nature to love. That is why God does not tell her to love her husband because she is going to do that anyway. It’s how she is wired. That doesn’t mean that men cannot love, they just don’t show it the way women do. Women want to feel loved by their husbands. Sometimes that requires showing affection, telling her that you love her, or doing little things to make her smile that let her know you care. Some men have a hard time showing affection. They may have brought up to think that showing emotion is not manly, but gentleman we love it when our men show us how they truly feel and when God is at the center of the marriage it is so much sweeter! In the past few months, I have experienced and continue to experience the gentle side of my husband that made me fall in love with him in the first place. The side of him that lets me see how he is feeling about me and our life together; the side of him that comes out when God is the center of his life. Guys, when you allow your Heavenly Father to have His way with you or as I like to say, invade your mind, soul, and spirit, your heart is open door. He can then go in and do spring cleaning in those dusty closets inside your heart that have stuff you probably didn’t even know was there collecting dust and hindering your spiritual life! When your wife allows herself to be the vessel that God uses to mold you and you allow yourself to be molded, beautiful things happen in your marriage. Your wife has to feel loved; she needs to feel secure in your love. Without the demonstration of this element, the wife feels unloved, unwanted, and can become quite bitter. This does not mean that you don’t love her, but if you are not showing her, she will think that you don’t. The same way you men need respect, we women need to be loved.

The Bible describes the love/respect relationship between the husband and the wife as the relationship between Christ and the church. The church/the bride submits to her beloved Bridegroom/Christ. The Bridegroom/Christ loves His bride/the church. Paul said in Ephesians chapter 5 that the husband should love his wife as Christ loves the church. He goes on further to say that the husband ought to love his wife as he loves is body. The church is the body of Christ, Christ is the head of the church. The husband and wife become one flesh when they are married. The bible says that when a man marries, he will leave his mother and his father and cleave to his wife. This simply means that he becomes one with his wife.

The world would have us believe that it is okay to marry and divorce and marry again. That it is okay to have more than one spouse. That it is okay for men to marry men and women to marry women, defiling the sanctity of marriage as God intended. But the Bible is very clear on the marriage relationship. Genesis 2:24 says: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” The marriage relationship was meant for one man and one woman per marriage. Not one man and one man or one woman and one woman or one man and three women or one woman and three men, but one man for one woman and one woman for one man. Only a man and a woman joined in marriage can become one flesh. All other substitutes just don’t work! Those of us who know the Bible or who have understanding or know of the Word of God, let us keep the sanctity of marriage as it was meant to be; holy before God, to be fruitful and to multiply. Wives respect your husbands, husbands love your wives. Every year that you celebrate a wedding anniversary with God at the center of your marriage is a victory! God bless you!

Called to Love

2009-04-06T11:23:00.002-04:00

As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. John 15:9

God is love. We have heard it said many times and have read it many times. The very thought alone that He would give up all He held precious to Him for us to be reconciled to Him, demonstrates that love. Jesus as a man was love in the flesh. Everything He did, He did in love. Everything He said, He said in love. Even when He got angry in the temple, He got angry but still there was love. Even when He rebuked His disciples, the Pharisees, and the scribes, He rebuked them in love. He poured out His love on the disciples and the people every time He healed, spoke to them, delivered them from demonic oppression. He taught the disciples what love is and how they should walk in love. John spoke about this love in his letters years after the crucifixion. He was the embodiment of God’s love for us and He gave His life for us because of that love.

So now that we are saved and sanctified we have to walk in that love also. The same way He loved us, and still loves us, we have to love others. Like Pastor was talking about yesterday in the message about Juan and his co-workers, only a person filled with the love of God can withstand abuse in that way because his desire is to please the Father and the Father is love! When we deal with people who have been hurt, abused, betrayed, who don’t trust anyone and have walls thicker than El Yunque in Puerto Rico, built up in their hearts to protect them from being hurt, love is the only thing that can penetrate those walls. Love is the only thing that is going to help that person trust again, open up, receive love, and give it in return. God’s love that abides in us is what penetrates those walls.

In our walk with Jesus, we will encounter many such people but if we are not walking in love they will never see Christ in us. They will only see the religious acts of going to church, praying, and reading the Bible but they will never see the transformation and renewing power of the Holy Spirit in us if we do not walk in love. We are getting ready for a new dimension in the Lord. Anytime God gets ready to move His people into another dimension in Him, He prepares them for it. God is calling us to love as He loves. God is telling us that there are those that are hurting and wounded and they will only be reached in love. God is telling us to walk in His love, abide in His love, and let His love shine in us! It is a requirement for where He is taking the church and what He is going to do and is doing.

Jesus came to mend the broken hearted, comfort the grieving, heal the sick, deliver the oppressed, release those who are in prison from their bondage; He did it because He loved us so. Now we are called to love the loveless, give hope to the hopeless, comfort the grieving, and do everything Jesus did because we are His ambassadors here on earth. He empowers us to love those we thought we could not love. He empowers us to comfort others in their pain and lead them to Him because He reveals His love to them in us. We should ask the Lord to fill us with His love daily. Let us abide in His love as He abided in the Father’s love. The Father loves Him with all that He has and all that He has He freely gave to Him. He gave His most precious to show us the true meaning of love. The Father’s love heals, restores, revives, reinstitutes, reestablishes, reaffirms. The Father’s love was all it took to bring humanity to a place where they could reconnect with Him. Because of that love Jesus gave His life to become the bridge between the Father and humanity. Praise God for His everlasting love!!

Heavenly Father,
We come before You this morning recognizing that You are love and that we need more of You. We ask You to fill us with Your love this morning so that everyone who encounters us today will feel that love and see that love. Father we ask that if anyone we come across today and everyday is sad, lonely, broken hearted, rebellious, or has walls built around their hearts to keep from feeling pain, that Your love in us would penetrate those walls, heal the broken heart, turn the sadness into joy, turn the rebelliousness to submission to You and let them know that they are not alone. Father let us be Your vessels and show us how to love the way You do. In Jesus mighty name, we thank You because You first loved us and because You showed us love, we can love You in return. Allow Your love to reflect in everything we do and say that others may feel You and come to know You through Your love in us.

In Jesus name,
Amen!

Trust God

2009-03-30T11:37:00.001-04:00

But the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. And Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way.” So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had. Genesis 12:17-20

To fully grasp these verses you would have to read the whole chapter but I don’t have room to include the whole chapter in one devotional but we will discuss the previous verses in order to better understand the ones above. The first three verses are promises from God to Abram. God called Abram to leave his country and his family and in turn he would bless him and his future generations. Abram was obedient even though he was already 75 years old without children; he believed God would bless him with a son. In verse seven, God makes yet another promise concerning the land in which He had Abram settle in. The promise is that the land would belong to his descendants.

In verses 10-20 there was a famine in the land of Canaan and Abram and his wife traveled to the land of Egypt where there was food. Here we see the display of a very human reaction and a tool that the enemy uses against Christians – fear. Abram felt fear because he saw that his wife was beautiful and feared that he would be killed by the Egyptians so that Pharoah could have his wife. So he came up with a plan to say that his wife was his sister rather than his wife, not knowing that this would cause more harm than good. Many times God speaks to our lives and makes promises to us and ask us to trust Him, yet when we experience fear, we forget that trust and act on our own survival instincts. God is not a man that He should lie, nor the son of man to change His mind. If He said He would be with you wherever you go, then He will be with you wherever you go. Abram had not yet realized the faithfulness of God in His life at that point because He did not stand on God’s promise and trusted his own instincts and lied about Sarai being his sister.

Now look at God’s faithfulness, mercy and sovereignty in this situation. Not only did he bless and prosper Abram in this land but He also protected him and his family from harm and the Pharoah’s desire for Sarai. Since Abram said that Sarai was his sister, Pharoah saw no wrong in desiring her for himself because she was beautiful, but God plagued him. Praise the Lord!!! God warns us before we make mistakes!! Pharoah did not know that he desired a married woman but the Lord took his sleep and gave him dreams to let him know not to touch her. Pharoah’s response was as we read in the above verses, to send Abram on his way with his wife. Not only that but everything that he had acquired while he was there he took with him. God blessed Abram but the blessing could have been greater had Abram trusted God to preserve his life and told the truth about Sarai being his wife.

In application to us today, we must trust God with all that we have, all that we are, and all that we will be. Sometimes we allow fear to enter our lives through situations, people, or our own emotions, our own lack of self confidence, our own lack of trust in others and in God. When we enter situations where the unknown plays a major factor in the outcome, we must trust God for our deliverance, sustenance, and everything else. We cannot and must not compromise because we are afraid! The God we serve will never leave us nor forsake us. Abram’s fear could’ve cost him his wife and the promises that God had for them both, but God did not allow that happen. Mercifully He intervened and plagued Pharoah and his house and by doing so He protected Abram, Sarai, AND Pharoah! Although Pharoah did not know the Lord, God is merciful and desires that all be saved and therefore sent warnings so that Pharoah would not sin against God and against His anointed. God gives us chances to repent and He makes a way for us when in trouble. Abram feared and did not allow God to bless him the way He wanted to while in Egypt, but He still blessed him and never left him. Praise God!!! God bless you!

Come Forth!

2009-03-17T13:06:00.001-04:00

Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.” John 11:38-44

There are several points that I want to touch on in this passage. This is a very familiar passage and most know of the story of Lazarus but there are some human and divine characteristics in Jesus that are revealed in this passage that I want to point out. There are also some comparisons between Lazarus and us before and after coming to Christ that I noticed.

Jesus experienced three human emotions on His way to and at the grave of His friend Lazarus. He felt sadness for the people around who thought that He wept for His dear friend. He was sad because of their unbelief, because they could not see that the One they had waited for was before them. He felt compassion because they were like lost sheep and He being the Good Shepherd had come to find them and bring them back to the fold. He felt compassion for their physical, mental, emotional, and most importantly spiritual needs. He felt frustration because there were many that walked with Him that had not yet grasped who He really was and what He had the power to do. He was frustrated that the people would not believe in the love and mercy that brought Him to them without signs and miracles and even then, most did not receive what He came to offer.

In His divinity He could see the thoughts and intents of every heart standing there. In His divinity He knew the outcome of that scenario before He got there and He knew those who would believe and those who wouldn’t. I imagine this knowledge would bring on all three human emotions at once. After all, though He is the Son of God, He walked among men as a man. Experiencing all the emotions that men feel, experiencing pain as man feels it, yet without sin.

Jesus knew that Lazarus would not be dead long even after he was buried yet it had to happen this way to glorify the Father and so that those that would believe would have their opportunity to witness the glory of God. Martha, although she knew the Lord and believed that whatever He asked the Father was His, needed to witness this event so that she would fully understand that Jesus is the Messiah she was waiting for. That is why He tells her “if you believe, you will see the glory of God.” In this passage He reminds her of what He said in a question. Didn’t I tell you?

At the tomb, Jesus prays to the Father before calling Lazarus for the benefit of those around Him, that they would understand that the Father sent Him, that He was not just an ordinary prophet. He wanted them to understand that He was among them because He was sent from above, that He was the One the Scriptures spoke about, the Messiah.

Ever think about why Jesus called Lazarus by his name when He could’ve just said come forth and why He waited four days to do it? He called him by name because although their may have been many Lazarus’s in that time, there was only one Lazarus who knew the voice of Jesus. Had he said come forth possibly all those who walked with Him before would have risen so He specifically called him by his name. He waited four days so there would be no doubt that Lazarus was dead when Jesus resurrected him.

Now if you look at the last two verses, 43 & 44, this is where I see a comparison and at the same time the reason Jesus came into our world. The bible says that Lazarus was bound from head to foot. Think about where you were before you turned to Jesus, you were bound from head to toe in bondage and sin. Jesus called Lazarus by name just as one day He called you and I by name and set us free from our bondage. Lazarus or should I say the dead Lazarus is a type of the man without Jesus. He is bound by worldly lusts and desires, bound by the desires of his flesh. Bound by Satan’s grip, not knowing how to escape or be free. What a wonderful and marvelous thing Jesus did for us, that He came to set us free!! Praise God! Jesus told those around Him, to loose him and let him go. The same way Jesus tells Satan, when a person comes to Christ and receives salvation, “loose him and let him go.” Oh my God, my God, my God!!! How awesome is our Lord and Savior!!!!! All glory and honor belong to Him for all eternity!! He sets us free from bondage!!!! Satan has to loose us and let us go because we are now the property of Christ!!! Bought by His precious blood!!! Hallelujah!!! Oh my God! I am feeling the presence of God in such a powerful way right now that I just want to shout!

Lazarus’s resurrection had to come to pass to show us what Jesus truly came for! He came to set the captives free!!!! To save the lost, heal the sick, and deliver those captive!!!! Thank you Jesus!!! You see, when we are in sin, we are spiritually dead, we are bound as Lazarus was in graveclothes that represent the chains that had us bound, but when we receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are like Lazarus coming out of the grave of spiritual death and resurrecting as new creatures in Christ!! The old Lazarus did not come out of that grave but the new Lazarus who knew His Lord. Our old man is buried and our new man, our spirit man is resurrected to glorify Almighty God!!!! Santo!!! Praise the Lord!!!

If you are walking with Christ, take this moment to praise Him for His sacrifice for you and me and thank Him for setting you free. If you don’t know Christ, I ask you this – why would you want to live in chains when you can be set free and live life abundantly? Jesus is knocking on your door, will you let Him in and dine with Him or will you ignore the knocking in hopes that it will go away? Receive His free gift today because tomorrow is not promised and you may not have another opportunity. Don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today. Jesus is calling you by name, answer Him with a “yes Lord” and allow Him to set you free. God bless you!

Experience Grace

2009-03-09T11:27:00.000-04:00

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Ephesians 4:7

We hear about grace all the time in sermons, in books, in songs, and in the Word. Yet what is grace?? How many of us truly know what grace is? Do we appreciate it as we should or do we simply accept it as part of the package that comes with being a Christian? Have we truly experienced grace in its purest form?

The online dictionary (dictionary.com) defines grace as such:
The freely given, unmerited favor and love of God.
The influence or spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them.

So if we paraphrase the above the verses according to these definitions they would read something like this:

For by the unmerited favor and love of God you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the Holy Spirit the gift of God, not of your own actions, behavior or righteousness, lest anyone should take credit for it.

But to each one of us unmerited favor was given according to the measure of Christ’s influence operating in us.

Grace is God’s love and favor lavished upon humanity to the point that He gave His only Son to allow us to receive that grace. It is because God loved us and favored us that He provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him. It is because He loved us and favored us that He chose us, called us, set us apart to do a work for His glory, sanctified us, and called us sons and daughters of the Most High God. It is because He loved us and favored us that His Holy Spirit abides in us and empowers us to continue to press forward in that which He has called us. It is because He loved and favored us that His Son died on a cross and rose again on the third day to become our Mediator, our Lord, our Savior, our Defense Attorney, our Hope, our Prince of Peace, our
Redeemer. Praise the Lord!!

It is by grace that we are saved through faith and not of ourselves. We could not save ourselves from the imminent end that would come to our lives and the eternal suffering that we would have to suffer had not Christ paid the price for us. It was and is the love of God that saved us and continues to save. It was divine favor that appointed a day in our lives in which we would meet our Savior and receive His free gift of salvation. It is because God remembered that we were perfect in our creation but sin made us imperfect therefore He made a way for us to be perfect again when we are with Him. One day, when we go home to our Father, we will be perfect. Until that day we are imperfect human beings striving towards the day that we will be made perfect again as God intended. We cannot take the credit for anything we have done or accomplished in this life because we did not accomplish anything in ourselves but the favor of God is what allows us to do anything, without Him we can do nothing.

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. We have been saved by grace but now we must walk in grace and live in grace as we grow in and mature in the Lord. We each have been given a gift according to the abundance of Christ. I read several versions of this verse in order to better grasp the meaning of the latter part of the verse – the measure of Christ’s gift. One version, called the Easy-to-read version (studylight.org parallel bible) reads: “Christ gave each one of us a special gift. Each person received what Christ wanted to give that person”. This verse deals specifically with the gift you’ve been given by grace according to what the Lord wanted to give you. This gift that enables you to stand out in a certain area was given to you because God loves you and showed you favor. For this reason we cannot boast about our capabilities, gifts or anything else God does through us because it is by grace that we are able to do them. It is because Christ gave us a gift that we are able to operate in a certain way, but all the credit belongs to Him.

To truly experience grace you have to experience Christ. You have to see yourself in your truest form in the eyes of God – human, fallible, sinful, desperately needing Him. Before we come to Jesus, we are a mess that has no way of undoing itself by our own strength, understanding, or power. The mess that we are only Jesus can fix. When we see ourselves in that light, small, insignificant, people capable of making a mess of our lives quite easily, we see that God’s love and unmerited favor has sustained us. We see that without Jesus our lives have no value, purpose, or direction. We experience the need for a savior, but not a human savior because though someone may be able to something better than you, they are still human, capable of making their own mess rendering themselves powerless to save anyone.

The only One with the power to save is Jesus and when you come to the conclusion where you surrender your mess to Him and let Him sort through it to bring the real you out of it, then you have experienced Christ and you have experienced grace. God bless you.

As Far As the East is From the West

2009-03-05T12:29:00.000-05:00

He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities.
As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.
Psalm 103:10, 12 & 14

Many times since I started walking with the Lord, I have thought about where He has brought me from. Truly He has not dealt with me according to my sins. It is good to reflect on the things God has done for us, on who we were before we encountered Christ and who we are now in Him. You can’t help but be grateful and praise His name because who you or I were before did not deserve the mercy that provided a way to be reconciled to God.

The second verse in this chapter says “Bless the Lord O my soul, and forget not His benefits.” This ties into the above verses because when you remember His benefits, you remember where you were the day that mercy came running to you. You remember who you were back then, however long it’s been, and realize He has not dealt with you according to your sins or punished you according to your iniquities. There is a difference between sin and iniquity though many believe them to be the same. To sin is to miss the mark, to break the law of God. Iniquity or to be iniquitous is to deviate from God’s law or live in lawlessness. Where sin is to break the law of God, iniquity is the absence of God’s law in one’s life. We lived in the absence of God’s law in our lives before we found Jesus. Wow! Forget not His benefits.

Though some of us may have been raised in the church, it does not mean that we were not living a lawless life. If you think about it, before you actually made a commitment to accept Christ as your Lord and Savior you pretty much refrained from doing certain things because your parents taught you that it was wrong in the eyes of God. I wasn’t raised in the church and I was taught the same thing. Yet the choice is ours whether or not we will accept God’s mercy and live according to His will or continue in our iniquity. Praise the Lord that many of us have made that decision already and we are FOR Christ. But if you haven’t made that decision yet, don’t wait because tomorrow can be too late!

At the moment that we let Jesus into our hearts verse 12 says that “as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions.” Do you know what that means?! It means that our sins, our violations of His law, our life of lawlessness no longer exist to Him! Our slate is totally clean! We are knew creatures, a new Christine, a new you in Christ Jesus! Bless the Lord O my soul!!!

Verse 14 says “for He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.” I don’t know about you but that makes me want to shout! He remembers that we are not perfect, that we are only human, and that we are prone to sin! He remembers the elements used in our creation when He created us, DUST! He remembers that because we are dust, we cannot be all that He created us to be without His help! He remembers that when He created us, He created us with free will – the right to choose – and sometimes our choices leave much to be desired. He is not our dictator so stands aside when our choices don’t include Him until we ask for help. Our frame….our body…..this flesh or shell that encases our soul and spirit, what a beautiful way to put it! God remembers that we are flesh and has mercy on His beloved creation and sends His only begotten Son as a bridge to fill the gap between Him and His creation – us! What a wonderful, merciful, loving Father we have in our God.

There is always so much to say and little time to say it but I want to leave you with this thought. Sometimes you can fall into the monotony of routine and lose sight of His many “benefits.” I know because I have found myself in that condition on more than one occasion. I have learned though that when your service to the Lord feels like a routine, a duty, a habit or anything but joy, passion, and love for our Father and the desire to please Him – think back to where you were before the day that He saved you. This is not dwelling in the past, it is remembering the wonders that God has done in your life, starting with the salvation of your soul. It is going back to the day when you first fell in love with Him and falling in love all over again! It is blessing His wonderful name despite your current situation because in your current situation He is there with you regardless of what it looks like. The world is a lonely place when you don’t have purpose, when you don’t know what you were created for but when you have Jesus, your purpose is defined and the reason you were created becomes your joy. Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless His holy name. Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all His benefits!

If anyone reading this today does not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life and have not yet experienced the joy, love, and mercy of our Heavenly Father, I invite you today to make the decision that will determine whether your life will be one with a defined purpose or one of no purpose. Jesus loves you and died a brutal death on the cross for you and for me. All you have to do is invite Him in. Confess that you are a sinner and your need for Him to transform your life, believe that He is able and willing to forgive you and wash you clean, and receive His free gift of salvation. The bible says that when believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord, we shall be saved. Experience the joy of the Lord, receive Christ today and begin the journey God predestined for you. He loves you more than you can possibly imagine. God bless you!

Are You Still Without Understanding?

2009-03-02T11:52:00.000-05:00

So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.” Matthew 15:16-20

Let’s back up a little to understand why Jesus asks “are you still without understanding?” Jesus was with His disciples and the Pharisees approached Him accusing the disciples of “transgressing the tradition of the elders” because they did not wash their hands before they ate bread. Jesus in turn asked them a question. “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?” He then turns to the people who were there and speaks to them in parables concerning what defiles a man. Afterward Peter asked Him to explain the parable, and so the question “are you still without understanding?”

The disciples walked with Him, ate with Him, talked with Him, watched Him perform miracles and by that time they should have understood His language even when speaking in parables, but just because they walked, talked, and ate with Him does not mean that they were always in the Spirit. The flesh cannot understand the language of the Spirit; it can only imitate it to create a façade of being something that it’s not. (I hope that made sense.) Let me give you an example of what mean when I use the word façade. There are people who sit in churches today, who sing with us, pray with us, and listen to the word with us BUT they are not walking in the Spirit. They know the word and may even look like they live a holy life, but that’s all it is – show, a façade, what they want others to believe about them. People who walk in the Spirit can see through a façade and are not easily fooled. So back to the disciples, they were still seeing things with their natural eyes and not their spiritual eyes so Jesus had to break it down to them again, yet the question remains “are you still without understanding?”

There is a misconception in the world about what a Christian is. Many people believe that when one becomes a Christian one ceases to have fun. Not true! Others believe that when one becomes a Christian one is perfect. Definitely and absolutely not true! I would say that when you become a Christian you have more fun. Not in the sense that the world considers fun but fun in the Lord. When you become a Christian, you will not be perfect until you are in heaven with the Lord, but you strive for perfection and that is the difference. We WILL make mistakes it’s inevitable but how you react to those mistakes and whether or not you learn from it determine your stage in maturity or your stage of growth. For this reason we must be careful what we inject into our minds. What we watch, read, or listen to goes into our minds and then into our hearts. Once it is in our hearts it comes out in some kind of physical action, usually out of our mouths. The things we say. What we receive in our minds goes into our hearts and determines the kind of person or the kind of Christian we will be. Let me give you an example.

Many of you have heard this analogy before but I will use it anyway. ;) The mind is like a computer. You store information in it and save it for when you need it if you don’t need it at the moment. Half the stuff you learn in school you don’t need it at the moment but later on in life you will. So if you save junk in your computer eventually you will get a virus that will wipe out your hard drive and you will have to start all over again. Ever noticed that viruses are called worms? Some of them don’t damage your computer right away; they worm their way through and then BAM!!! Your hard drive is wiped out. It’s the same way with the mind. When you store junk in your brain, (negative comments said about you, movies that are morbidly violent, sexually explicit, or the language is too graphic, music that does not worship God, etc.) eventually you will start speaking and acting like what you watch and what you hear if not right away. My aunt always used to say (and probably still does) “garbage in, garbage out.”
On the flip side, if you fill your mind with the word of God and APPLY it or practice it, you will speak and act according to the word.

Jesus told the people and His disciples that it is not what enters a man’s mouth that defiles him; it is what comes of out the mouth that defiles a man because out of the abundance of the heart the man speaks. If your heart is full of anger, you will speak angry words and be a violent person. If your heart is filled with bitterness, you will speak misery and be a miserable person. If your heart is full of love, you will speak loving words and be a loving person. So it’s all about what you put in your mind that goes into your heart and comes out of your mouth. Jesus further explains to the disciples that what goes into the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated. Most people go to the bathroom not long after they have eaten; this is the body eliminating what went into the mouth and stomach. But, what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart and from the heart comes all kinds of evil and He proceeds to list these evils: evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. How do these things get into the heart??!! The mind!!!! People wake up!!!! Be careful what you allow your mind to entertain because it may lead you to sin!! It’s like the virus worm in your computer that worms its way into your thoughts and then your heart till finally BAM!! You’ve acted on it or spoken on it and it has cost you dearly. So now I ask you “are you still without understanding?”

Heavenly Father,
Help us to be ever mindful that the things that we speak would not defile us or offend You. If we have believed an evil report about ourselves from someone else and it has caused us to be bitter, angry, or hateful, heal us Father and make us whole again. Remind us of what You say about us in Your word. Father help us to take care of what we listen to – that would not lend our ear to gossip, slander, or any conversation that does not uplift Your name. That we would not lend our ear to listen to music that profanes Your name or watch anything that would invite “junk” into our minds and hearts. Help us to be aware of when that worm is trying to intrude in our thoughts and worm its way into our hearts and not allow it. Help us to pray for one another and uplift each other in the spirit of unity and the bond of peace for that is what Your word tells us to do. Bless all who read this today and remind them of Your word so that they can detect the worm when it tries to come in with negative thoughts, with lies spoken into their lives, with memories of their past. Thank you Father for all that You do, all that You’ve done, and all that You will do for Your children.

In Jesus name,
Amen

Your Body Belongs to God - Guard it!

2009-02-23T11:36:00.002-05:00

Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20

There are those that say that sexual immorality is simply fornication (having sex before marriage) but it is much more than that. Before getting into that though, let’s look at why the Apostle Paul told the Corinthians to flee sexual immorality. Paul preached the Gospel during the first century after Christ and during those days there were many cultures and many pagan religions mixed in with the Hebrews. Corinth was part of the Greek Empire before the Roman Empire and now is part of Greece. Therefore a large part of the population spoke the Greek language and was of Greek descent. Although during Paul’s time the Roman Empire had taken over Corinth, the Romans adopted the gods of Greece changing only their names to Latin to differentiate between the two cultures. The Greeks/Romans had many gods and did not obey or even consider the commandments of the One True God until Paul preached the Gospel to them and they were saved. Before giving their lives to Jesus these people were sexually immoral and needed to know that they could no longer practice these habits because it is sin before God. Paul wanted to correct them as their spiritual father.

So what is sexual immorality?? It is: fornication (sexual relations before marriage), adultery (sexual relations with someone other than your spouse), homosexuality (sexual relations with someone of your same sex), prostitution (sexual relations in exchange for money), masturbation (sexual self-gratification), bestiality (sexual relations with animals), sexual perversions (acting out fantasies, role reversal, bondage, erotica), incest (sexual relations with a family member), sexual molestation (sexual advances usually to a minor), rape (forcing someone to have sex against his/her will – the victim is not included in this), orgies (sexual relations with more than one person in one session, usually done in party like atmospheres), ritualistic sex (sexual acts done in worship to demons or Satan), promiscuity (sexually enticing and known to be easily given to physical desires), pornography (sexually explicit images in magazines, or other forms of media for self gratification), and even lust. Jesus said that if a man looks at a woman with lust, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Why? Because with his eyes he saw the woman was attractive and with his mind he imagined himself with her. A desire will first enter your mind as a thought and when entertained enters the heart and becomes a desire.

Paul describes this particular sin as sin against the body. Sexual sin ravages the body in various ways. There are sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies that lead to abortions or worse and fatal sexual diseases. However Paul points out the main reason for Christians to stay away from this practice – your body is no longer your own. Your body was created to be the temple of the Holy Spirit! Whether you are saved or not, your body was created for this purpose, to worship God. There is something that happens when a man and a woman join together sexually. The man becomes the giver and the woman the receptor. Whenever a man and woman are joined in this most intimate of intimacies, the woman is receiving a part of that man and the man is giving a part of himself to the woman. So using this point, if a man gives himself to ten different women in a six month period, wouldn’t you say that that man is not complete? If a woman receives from 10 different men in a six month period wouldn’t it be kind of crowded when she finally decides to settle down with one man? People need to be delivered not only from the bondage of sexual sin, but from the soul ties acquired through sexual sin. God has to come in and heal, restore, and make that person whole again whether it is the man missing pieces of himself or the woman that has too many attachments to know who she really is.

Sex was created for the marriage bed. It was created for the husband and wife to have an intimacy that as a couple or individually they could not have with anyone else. It was created for man and woman to procreate, to be fruitful and multiply as God had commanded Adam and Eve. Today it is something that people hold little regard for and use and abuse their bodies as if they could go to the store the next day and trade it for a new one.

With so much sexual perversion in this world today, Christians especially youth and single people, need to remember that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. It doesn’t belong to you!! It belongs to God!! Therefore you cannot just do whatever you want with your body. Just as you need to take care of the outside by eating right, exercising, and being clean, you need to take care of the inside by abstaining from sexual activity before you are married. Wait for that one person and save yourself for that moment when it will be all worth the wait to have done it right than to pay consequences for satisfying your flesh and doing it when you wanted to. This does not exclude the married couples. Remember that you have children who are following your example, if your marriage is united and God is at the center of it then your eyes will not wander and your hands will not touch what does not belong to you. You will not indulge in self gratification when you have a loving husband or wife who is willing to tend to your needs and you will not have to worry about your children straying from the principles of God because of your bad example because you are giving a good example. Sex and marriage go hand in hand. It is the most beautiful thing God has given a husband and a wife. The husband releases stress and the wife receives comfort in the most intimate way possible. It was only designed for the marriage bed not for just any bed with just any one. Be careful, flee sexual immorality! Stay away from people who seek to entice you and make you fall. Hold fast to your integrity and your faith. Remember that you are to glorify God in your body and your spirit because both are His. Praise God!

Weapons of Our Warfare - Love

2009-02-20T12:41:00.001-05:00

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-7

Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself. MATTHEW 19:19

Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised.
SONGS OF SOLOMON 8:7

LOVE

Love is a choice not so much a feeling. Yes there are many emotions involved with love but love in itself is a conscious decision to care, have compassion, feel concern for the welfare of another as you would your own, to think of the need of another person before you own. (My definition)

This is the last part of the weapons of our warfare series and it is about LOVE, brotherly love to be specific. Jesus told His disciples to love one another and by this they would be known as His disciples.

Where there is love, there is forgiveness and there is no room for contention or division. Peter tells us to love one another fervently because love covers a multitude of sins. It’s kind of like having a little brother or sister who is always getting into something but you can’t hold it against them because of the love you have for them. You would do anything to help them out of every mess they get into.

As a weapon, love helps to keep out derision, contention, gossip, hatred, jealousy, lack of sympathy, insincerity, indifference and many others that don’t come to mind right now. Love is the key to a successful church! To walk in love you must know love, to know love, you must know God because God is love. Love soothes, is compassionate, patient, and passionate, rejoices in the victories of others, feels the pain another feels, cries when his brother cries and laughs when his brother laughs.

Love does not seek to hurt anyone by showing out or trying to make him/herself better than anyone else. Love does not look down his/her nose at anyone regardless of their station in society or in the church. Love does not care what you were in the past, but strives to help you become who you were meant to be. Love understands when you slip and fall and need help getting up. Love is always there to help you up and help you through.

Love heals wounds. There are people in the world that are hurting but there are also people in the church who are hurting because they have not allowed love to heal there wounds. To be filled with love for others we must allow love to heal our hearts from betrayal, tragedy, and lies. We must allow God access to every closet in our hearts because He is love! When we do that His love comes rushing into us like a flood!

When I was in the world, I was broken, unloved, unwanted, and in desperate need of love. Then Jesus came and showed me that I could be loved, that I was loved, and that all I had to do was let Him into those dark corners of my heart that needed healing and so I did. Now I just love on people and I love it! There was a sister in our church who used to say that I had the ministry of hugs because I hugged everyone. I don’t know that hugging is a ministry, I highly doubt it, but giving and showing love is a commandment from God and hugging is how I show love; maybe because there was such a lack of it in my life before God that I am moved to demonstrate the love of God in this way.

A church, a Christian, full of the love of God will not allow gossip, contention and strife to take root in their lives or their church. Love will correct, love will forgive, and love will endure. There is a saying that says it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. It was said in a romantic sense but we can apply it to the church as far as never loving at all. A church that does not love cannot reach new levels in the spiritual realm. A church that does not love, I dare to say, does not know God because the bible says if you do not love your brother, you do not love God, therefore you do not know God because God is love.

My beloved brethren, let us strive to walk in love. To love our neighbor as ourselves. To treat our parents with honor and respect for that pleases God. King Solomon said that many waters could not quench love or drown it! Love is profound and deep. When we make a conscious decision to love our brothers and sisters, regardless of their faults, regardless of their attitudes, regardless if they love us in return or not, we are saying that we know who our Father is and that we are filled with His love. We are telling the enemy, “you cannot come against us with hatred, envy, contention and strife and prevail because we are filled with the love of God and we WILL love our brothers and sisters, neighbors and strangers, as ourselves because our King is love itself and He alone has dominion over our lives!” We are telling the devil that we love ourselves as well as our neighbors because God loved us first! Praise God!!!!

WALK IN LOVE MY BRETHREN! USE THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE THAT ARE MIGHTY THROUGH GOD TO TEAR DOWN STRONGHOLDS TO DEFEAT THE ENEMY’S PLANS FOR YOUR LIFE, YOUR FAMILY, AND YOUR CHURCH!!

God bless you!

Weapons of Our Warfare - Gifts of the Spirit

2009-02-19T09:12:00.000-05:00

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
ROMANS 12:6-8

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
1 CORINTHIANS 12:7-11

THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT

Gifts of the Spirit – distinctive, divinely originated endowments to serve the Triune God for the common benefit of His people, the church. (Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary)

The Bible speaks of nine spiritual gifts in particular, though there are others mentioned in the Bible that can be considered as gifts of grace, whatever you choose to call them, they are used for the service of our God and the edification of the church. These nine gifts are: Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, Healing, Miracles, Faith, Prophecy, Discernment, Diverse Tongues, and Interpretation of Tongues.

If you are wondering why I consider these gifts of the Spirit to be a weapon in our arsenal when they are specifically used to edify the church, well that is precisely the reason why. Let me clarify, the Bible is clear on letting us know that the gifts of the Spirit are to be used to build up our brother and sisters in Christ, therefore it is a weapon against the enemy because when we build up our brothers and sisters they can stand stronger in the battle and so can we. Example: Say for instance you are going through a particular trial and you are giving service to the Lord with your brethren in Christ and God uses someone in the gift of knowledge where that person knows details about what you are going through that only you and God know and is able through the Holy Spirit to give you words of encouragement. You have been strengthened by the Spirit of God to continue to press forward because this person, led by the Holy Spirit, reminded you that God is not unaware of your situation but He is moving in your favor.

On one such occasion I was feeling discouraged about writing these reflections or devotionals, not sure what to call them anymore as they seem to get more intense every day. I know that it is not me or my word, but God and His word and all the glory belongs to Him. Praise God! Anyhow, I was wondering if they were being read, if they were reaching others, if they were ministering to anyone, even though I know that the word of God does not return to Him void. It was a vulnerable moment because as humans we want to see the fruits of our labor and sometimes we don’t see it right away, as we would like. I went to church that night and at the end of the service I approached the sister that preached that night and as she hugged me she prayed for me and began to speak to me about the writing I had been doing and told me not to give up. She did not know that these thoughts had crossed my mind several times but God knew. This gave me strength to continue in my battle against the kingdom of darkness, to reaffirm my battle stance and to again take my place on the frontlines, thank you Jesus!

Another testimony I heard involves the gift of diverse tongues. My mom used to visit a Spanish church in the Bronx and they had a missionary visiting them for several weeks. God would used this woman of God in the gift of prophecy as well and she ministered in various churches while she was in the Bronx. Not too long before she arrived, there was a sister from India visiting her family in the Bronx and she was a Christian and the only church near her was this particular Spanish church. This woman did speak or understand the Spanish language yet she went to all the services she could and someone would translate for her in English. On the day that the missionary was to preach at this church, the Indian sister was there and the Lord used the missionary in the gift of Diverse Tongues to speak to this sister from India! Praise God!! The missionary began to speak in a language she had never spoken before but when she had finished the Indian sister was in tears saying that she had spoken her language and had given her a message from the Lord! God is awesome!!!! This is why the Bible says that we should not neglect the congregation of the saints because when we fellowship the Spirit moves as He wills and uses whom He wills to give us strength, encouragement, and fresh anointing.

Sometimes we receive our calling through the gifts of the Spirit, sometimes we receive healing, sometimes we receive miracles, sometimes we receive faith that believes all things in God, yet all are given from the same Spirit as He wills and our spirits are edified. Our minds are renewed and our faith is increased. Praise God for the gifts of the Spirit. Praise God for His Holy Spirit who leads us and guides us!

The Spirit gives these gifts as He wills and when the gifts of the Spirit are used for the sole purpose of edifying the church, the church is strengthened, the church refocuses on the vision, the church receives a fresh anointing that allows them to continue in the warfare against the enemy of our souls! Many Christians do not know to ask for the gifts of the Spirit but Paul encourages us to do so! We will not all have the same gift, we will not all have just one gift, we will have the gifts the Spirit desires to give us and when we seek God in earnest and ask for those gifts, He will give them to us according to how He desires to use us.

If the church is edified, encouraged, strengthened, with a clear vision and operating in the gifts of the Spirit, the enemy cannot prevail against it! Praise God! Let us desire to please God in all that we do, using our spiritual gifts to edify each other and to overcome the enemy. God bless you!

Weapons of Our Warfare - Worship

2009-02-17T12:05:00.001-05:00

Give to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts. PSALM 96:8

And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” REVELATION 19:10

But the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, Him you shall worship, and to Him you shall offer sacrifice. 2 KINGS 17:36

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 40:31

WORSHIP
If Christianity is the transformation of rebels into worshipers of God, then it is imperative for the Christian to know and understand what constitutes biblical worship. One may always consult Webster's Dictionary for the precise meaning of worship (adore, idolize, esteem worthy, reverence, homage, etc.). Yet truly defining worship proves more difficult because it is both an attitude and an act. (Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology)

Someone very dear to me once said, “Worship is a lifestyle.” Not only is it a lifestyle but it is also a weapon against Satan. You see Satan, Lucifer, the devil, whatever you want to call him, desires that we worship him, but the very first commandment that God gives us in the Ten Commandments is “Thou shall have no other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:3) Therefore he knows that the only way to steal our worship from God is get our focus off of God. He will present us with other things to take our eyes off the Lord. There are many things that people place in first priority in their lives over God and God is a jealous God who will not stand second to anything or anyone.

Jesus said that God is looking for worshippers who worship in spirit and in truth. What exactly does that mean? To my understanding, it means to worship God with all that you are, with everything that you have, with a pure heart, because you know that He alone is God and He has established a relationship and a covenant with you. It is walking in truth, peace and joy. It is knowing and loving the God you serve and living in a way that displays that love and that desire to please Him. The Psalmist David tells us to give the Lord the glory due to Him! God does not share His glory with anyone or anything and when we worship in spirit and in truth, we acknowledge that He alone is God and all things were created by Him. He says bring an offering and come into His courts meaning come into His house with an offering of praise.
Worship goes beyond praise, of course praise is part of it, but true worship comes from within. It is not a feeling; it’s more of a NEED to be in the presence of the Most High. It’s a need to please the One who gave all He had to save us. Having this need met is the only option for the true worshipper. You LIVE to worship, you live to be in His presence, you live to please Him. When you worship your shield of faith is activated and deflecting everything Satan throws at you because when you truly worship, you cannot hear any other voice but the voice of El Shaddai, Almighty God!! This is where worship becomes your weapon because when you are in the presence of the Almighty the only thing that matters is what He says. While you are worshipping Him, He is setting everything in order for you. While you are worshipping Him, whatever traps the enemy had set up for you become unraveled. While you worship Him, whatever chaos surrounds becomes still. It doesn’t exist anymore because you are in the presence of God! Depression cannot reach you then, sickness cannot touch your body, poverty cannot touch your life, temptation will not rear its ugly head your way because there is no room for any of this when you worship the Father!!!

True worship gives us strength to continue the battle, Isaiah said that those who wait on the Lord, those who are worshipping Him no matter what their situation is, those who are worshipping Him no matter how intense the battle is, shall renew their strength! We will soar over the situations; we will not waver in the face of the enemy in battle. We will continue marching forward and not be discouraged. We will continue in the labor God has entrusted us with and not weaken, tire, or give up! Praise the Lord!!! The weapons of our warfare are mighty through God!!!!

If you have trouble coming into true worship and using this invaluable weapon, examine yourself. Is there anything in your life hindering you from giving God the glory due to Him? Is there something or someone taking first priority in your life that’s not Him? Are you taking the time to get to know your God through His word and prayer? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you need to reprioritize and allow God the access to those areas in your life that are blocking you from coming into His presence. I guarantee you, once you get there, you won’t want to leave and it will become a need for you as well as a weapon. God bless you.

Weapons of Our Warfare - Unity

2009-02-13T12:17:00.002-05:00

Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. ACTS 4:32

Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. ROMANS 12:16

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! PSALM 133:1

UNITY

The definition of unity in the dictionary is: the state or fact of being united or combined into one, as of the parts of a whole; unification. The biblical meaning is: to be of one mind, one spirit, one accord.

There is an old saying that says there is strength in numbers. Solomon said “though one may be overpowered by another but two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12 By this he meant that if two or more are together in the same mind then they cannot be quickly divided, overcome, defeated, or separated. The unity between them would help them overcome whatever obstacle they confronted together.

How many of you have seen the movie “300”? Did you notice that despite the advantage the enemy had over them, they stuck together till the end? If you haven’t seen it, the movie is about an army of 300 men from Sparta who fight to defend their country from being conquered by a Persian emperor. The camaraderie and unity between these men helped them to withstand the various attacks from the Persian army and defeat them. Most of them died but they accomplished what they set out to do together and that was to keep their country from being governed by a foreign nation.

This is the point I want to get to – just as the Spartans fought together, with one mind, with the same objective to keep their country safe from being conquered by a foreign king, so must the church be united in the fight to keep the church (and by church I don’t mean the building but the body of Christ) from being infiltrated, contaminated, or governed by any foreign entity. The 1st century church understood that this weapon was devastating to the enemy and they strived to remain in unity. In military terms it is hard to breach a united front. They understood that there was strength in unity, that if they were all in one accord, division could not breach their front. The 21st century church, sadly, has not grasped this concept, that is why it is vital that we learn the weapons we are given, how to use them, and BEGIN USING THEM.

Have you ever been in a service where everyone was in one spirit and notice how the presence of God is there in such a powerful way? On the flipside have you ever been in a service where only a handful are truly worshipping and everybody else’s mind seems to be in other places? I have experienced both and I can tell you that when the body of Christ is in one spirit and one mind, united in their worship to the King and united in their battle against the enemy, the glory of God descends among them in a mighty way; but when the body of Christ is not focused and everybody’s thoughts are scattered and there is no true desire to worship because of distraction, worry, and so many other things that can take your mind off of God then the enemy sits in church with us and brings division, gossip, contention and other things in his arsenal that hurt and poison the body. You can literally feel the struggle to come into God’s presence. On the same token, a pastor is the one with the vision, his/her fold should be united with him/her in his/her God-given vision for what the body of Christ in that particular area should be doing. The vision of the pastors of the 1st century church was to preach the gospel to the lost and help the poor and the members of the church or the fold were in one accord with that vision. The vision of the 21st century pastors should be the same! To snatch souls from the enemy’s grasp and bring them to the foot of the cross where they will meet Jesus and receive salvation, healing, restoration and eternal life! The fold of the 21st century church should be united in this vision!

Paul told the Romans to be of one mind towards one another. Don’t think yourself better than anybody else because in the end we are all sinners! We were all lost in our sins before we came to Christ so no one should think himself better than his brother but instead be humble and associate with the humble. Don’t hang out with the proud that will contaminate you with pride and take you out of harmony with your brothers. David said “how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. “ He was talking about the body of Christ in worship to God as one.

The battle stance of the body of Christ should be as one mind, one spirit and in one accord. When we are united in our vision, united in our worship, united in prayer, united in our labor for the Lord, then we are mighty in our battle stance and our defenses will be hard to breach! Church let’s unite as one body, one mind, one spirit, one heart for God and be strengthened in our numbers to fight against the enemy and his wicked army because there are more with us than those against us! Unity is a mighty weapon; let us stand together having done all to stand! God bless you!

Weapons of Our Warfare - The Word of God

2009-02-11T14:11:00.000-05:00

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. JOSHUA 1:8

Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.
PSALM 119:11

And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.” So I ate, and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness. EZEKIEL 3:3

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
HEBREWS 4:12

WORD OF GOD
The word of God builds you up spiritually. It strengthens and nourishes you. For those of us who like to eat (I do!) it is food for our spirit man. Just like the physical man needs to eat, so the spirit man needs to eat. While the physical man would enjoy rice, beans, and pork chops or steak, the spirit man feasts on the word of God. Malnutrition of the spirit man results in death. If you starve your body you will become weak, sick, and depending on how long you’ve been malnourished, you will die. So it is with your spirit, if you don’t feed it by reading and studying the word of God daily, you will become weak spiritually, having no foundation, lacking knowledge and wisdom that comes from the word of God; eventually you will die spiritually. Look at what the Lord tells Ezekiel in chapter 3 verse 3. He tells him to feed his belly and fill his stomach with the scroll that he gave him! The scroll is His word, and He tells Ezekiel to feed his belly and Ezekiel ate and said it was sweet like honey in his mouth. The word of God is sweet like honey and we should feed our bellies with it. Then we will be nourished and strengthened in times of battle.

The Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit. Let’s look at how the Sword of the Spirit works offensively and defensively.

OFFENSE: the definition of offense is the act of attacking or assaulting. In sports it is the means or tactics used in attempting to score.

For the Christian the word of God is what we use to attack the enemy or take the aggressive stance against him. For those of you who teach the word, you are taking an aggressive stance and attacking the enemy when you train others on how to live God’s way and teach them to stand on His promises. Psalm 119:11 talks about keeping God’s word in our hearts so that we would not sin against Him. When we live a life that pleases the Lord it is most difficult for the enemy to penetrate our defenses. For those who are preaching the word you are also taking the aggressive stance and attacking the enemy when you bring the word to those who are being held captive and they are set free. When you choose to live according to the word of God, you are attacking the enemy because you refuse to live any other way than what God commands. To take the aggressive stance you MUST know the WORD. You cannot take the aggressive stance if you don’t know what you are standing for. In Joshua 1:8 the Lord told Joshua that the Book of the Law would not depart from his mouth but that he would meditate in it day and night so that he would observe what is written in it, live it, and keep it in his heart! Why? So that he would be successful and prosperous! Joshua was a warrior and a leader; he needed to successful in leading his people and in defeating his enemies on the battlefield. God was telling him that if he observed His law, he would defeat his foes and lead his people with justice. If we observe the law written in this book and meditate on it day and night, it will be in our hearts and minds and we will be mindful to live according to that Word! David said “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” God’s word guides us, strengthens us, nourishes us, and helps us take the aggressive stance against the enemy to attack.

DEFENSE: That which defends or protects; anything employed to oppose attack, ward off violence or danger, or maintain security; a guard; a protection.

God is our protection. His word is our defensive weapon. When Jesus was tempted by Satan after His 40 day fast, Jesus countered every temptation with the word of God. So must we. To counter the enemy’s temptations in our lives we must apply God’s word to our situations, temptations, frustrations and anything else the devil throws at us. On the offensive we attacked using God’s word to live in a way pleasing to the Lord, teaching and preaching God’s word to others so they are set free and learn how to stand against the enemy’s wiles; however when the enemy attacks us we need to speak the word of God into our battle. Hebrews 4:12 says that the word of God is like a double edged sword – offensive/defensive – it is living and powerful. The word of God is alive, it brings life, it rejuvenates the mind, it has power when applied to our lives and spoken into our affairs. It is like honey to our mouths and refreshment to our weary souls. The word of God pierces to the division of soul and spirit, joints and marrow and is the discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart! The word of God brings conviction to our lives and reflects what we really are apart from Christ – dust! Yet it also tells us who we are IN Christ – a Holy nation, a royal priesthood, coheirs with Christ, sons and daughters of the Most High God, friends of God!!!! I love the word of God. It is medicine to our bones, refreshment to our souls, food for our spirits, and a mighty weapon in our arsenal!! God bless you!

Weapons of Our Warfare - Faith

2009-02-10T12:36:00.000-05:00

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” MATTHEW 7:24-25

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. HEBREWS 11:1 & 6

The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet,And He will make me walk on my high hills. HABBAKUK 3:19

FAITH

Faith - Belief, trust, and loyalty to a person or thing. The Greek translation for the Hebrew word for faith is pisteuein/pistos [πιστεύω/πιστός]. Faith means primarily confident trust based on God's promise as understood through his Word. (Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary)

How is faith a weapon of warfare? Let’s go back to the innocent days of childhood when we believed pretty much everything we were told. If your parents told you they were going to do something for you (buy you something special, spend quality time with you, take you somewhere you want to go, etc.), especially if they promised, we believed them wholeheartedly. Why? Because they are your parents and you trust them. They would not do anything to hurt you or deceive you. You had faith that they would come through with their promise. You believed them, trust them, put your hope in that promise they made, and don’t doubt them for a second.

This kind of faith, child like faith in our Heavenly Father is a lethal weapon in our arsenal because when we believe God wholeheartedly we cannot be moved or swayed by our enemy. We believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is faithful and that He will come through. Faith reminds us that God is not a liar when the enemy tries to tell us otherwise. Faith shuts the devil’s mouth when he tries to sow doubt into our minds. Jesus compared the faith of a child to the faith that we should have in Him. A child believes without doubting and expects to see what it is he/she is hoping for. Christians should already see that which they hope for before receiving it because their hope is in God!

In the first set of verses Jesus compares the person who believes His words and does them to a wise man who built his house on the rock. Why a rock? Well if you ever lived on an island, country, or state where natural disasters are seasonal you would notice that people that have lived there for many years usually would have houses built of cement or have a cement foundation. This is because when these natural disasters such as, hurricanes, tornados, and tropical storms, were in season and the wind and rain began thrashing the house it would remain in tack because it was made of cement. So is the man or woman who has faith! The storms of life will come and trash at you and blow at you but you will not be moved because you have built your house or your faith on the Rock which is Jesus Christ! How wonderful is that?! Praise God!!

The second set of verses speaks directly of what faith is and how you need faith to please God. Faith is the substance, the belief, the hope, the trust of things hope for – you cannot see your blessing, your breakthrough, your healing, or your miracle but you believe wholeheartedly that it is there and you see it in the spirit. The evidence of things not seen – when you believe in the God of whom you put your trust in, you don’t have to see with your natural eyes to know that it is there!! But without faith it is impossible to please God – why? – Because we must believe that He IS! And that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. We must believe that He is able to keep His promises, that He is able to sustain us, that He is able to strengthen us and mold us according to His will and purpose when we seek Him. WE MUST BELIEVE THAT HE IS GOD!!! Romans 10:17 says that faith comes from hearing the word of God. Jesus said if you hear my words and do them. Hearing the word of God produces faith, being obedient to God’s word strengthens your faith, FAITH MOVES MOUNTAINS!!

They devil cannot come against a person of faith and win. Oh he will try! But guess what? You who have faith are taking up your shield that quenches all his fiery darts of doubt and confusion. You who have faith are like the palm tree that bends with the wind but cannot be uprooted. You who have faith are like the wise man that built his house on the rock – you CANNOT be MOVED!!! When the enemy sees that you are standing in your faith despite what he is trying to bombard you with, despite your negative surroundings, despite the gloom and doom that is everywhere around you in these dark times you are standing in the Light of your salvation, he has to slink away back to whatever hole he crawled out of because he cannot overcome you! When you stand in the promises of God and the word of God, when you do what God’s word says to do, when your life is direct response to God’s call and a reflection of His goodness, the enemy cannot knock you down.

Faith my brothers and sisters is a powerful, deadly weapon against the enemy. With faith we believe all things are possible because there is nothing impossible for the God that we serve. He is JEHOVAH JIREH who provides for us when we are in abundance and more so when we are in scarcity. He is JEHOVAH SHALOM who gives us peace when the storm is swirling and raging all around us. He is JEHOVAH RAPHA who heals us when the enemy tells us we are going to die from whatever is ailing our bodies. He is the TRUTH. He is EL SHADDAI God Almighty!!!! Praise His holy name!! Hallelujah!! Believe in the One who called you out of darkness as a child believes and trusts in his/her father to guide and protect them so let us believe and trust in our Heavenly Father who will never leave us nor forsake us and in doing so put out the flaming arrows of the evil one.

The last verse is one of my personal favorites because it describes what it is to have total trust in God. The Lord God is my strength – is a declaration that my trust, my confidence, my life is in the Lord and He gives me strength. He will make my feet like deer’s feet and He will make me walk on my high hills – He will help me dodge the enemy’s bullets, torpedoes, and arrows and He will help me overcome and defeat the giants I face. What an awesome word!!! Oh if that don’t make you want to shout I don’t what will!!!! I am ready to jump out of my seat and shout unto God and give Him praise!!! HALLELUJAH!! Be encouraged and begin to use your weapon of faith if you are not already doing so. Strengthen it by reading the word of God and listening to the word of God. Apply God’s word to your daily situations and watch the Lord give you the victory!

God bless you!

Weapons of Our Warfare - Prayer

2009-02-09T14:38:00.000-05:00

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days. DANIEL 6:10

But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word. ACTS 6:4

PRAYER

In searching for the definition of prayer, I found many but not one specific one that actually defines what prayer is in its entirety. So I am going to attempt to define the word using parts of a few definitions that stood out. Here goes – prayer: A dialogue between God and man; a spiritual communion with God as in supplication, thanksgiving, adoration, or confession; prayer in the Judeo-Christian tradition is often a struggle between two wills—between two covenant partners. And though the two partners are not equal, the human agent is not precluded from the complaining, questioning, and passionate vehemence that characterize true dialogues; to petition God.

We are talking about the weapons of our warfare, so how is prayer a weapon in our arsenal? In prayer we put on our armor, through prayer we intercede for our fellow saints, by prayer we confess unto God our sins and receive forgiveness. Through prayer we maintain a constant communication with our Father. A direct link so to speak. Many old school Christians like to say that the battle is fought on our knees, because our battle is not with flesh and blood and therefore we must pray for God’s covering, we must pray for God’s direction and we must pray for God’s protection and intervention.

In Matthew chapter 6, verses 9-13, Jesus gives us a model for prayer, establishing that prayer is part of a believer’s walk with God. It is what develops the relationship between you and God. Jesus tells us in this prayer that we should pray for God’s will in our lives, we should pray for our provision and we should pray for the forgiveness of our sins and shortcomings. Notice though that in verse 13 he says “lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.” If Jesus is telling us to pray for deliverance from temptation and the evil one then He is telling us to pray for God’s protection and intervention. Notice also in Daniel 6:10, prior to this verse the jealous government officials who worked with him and under him were trying to find a way to set Daniel up and have him removed from his position. I dare to say that most of them if not all of them wanted him dead. They soon realized that the only way to get to him was through his beliefs. They knew that he did not worship the gods of Babylon and that he worshiped his God alone. So they set out to trap him in this way by going to the king and having him write a decree that prohibited the worship of any gods that were not the Babylonian gods. They knew that Daniel would not bow down to their idols and that he would not stop worshipping the One, True God of Israel. The king consented unaware of their plot and Daniel knowing the decree that was written, went to his room and knelt three times facing Jerusalem with his windows open and prayed to God, giving Him thanks and glory.

Prayer is a weapon! The enemy does not want you to pray when under attack or before being attacked. If he can distract you from prayer, then you will be unaware of his pending attack on you. When we pray God speaks to us! God is not deaf and He is not mute! He is the same yesterday, today, and always, and if He spoke to the prophets of old yesterday what makes you think He will not speak to us today?!! God warns us, and when we seek Him in prayer, He gives us the strategies to defeat the enemy. Most times it is on our knees that we fight the battle because God is doing the rest and giving us the victory.

The 1st century church delegated leaders to tend to the needs of the church while the apostles dedicated themselves to prayer and the ministering of the Word. They understood that they had to stay in prayer when ministering the Word because they were going to come up against opposition and they needed God’s covering. Prayer keeps you “plugged in” as I like to say, with God so that you are sensitive to His voice and the leading of the Holy Spirit. It keeps you connected to your ONLY resource. There is much more to be said about prayer but I just wanted to bring a portion on how it relates to spiritual warfare; God has given us access to come boldly before the throne of grace through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Let us pray without ceasing in all manner of supplication with thanksgiving unto God. The next inspiration will be on the weapon called FAITH. God bless you.

Weapons of Our Warfare - Praise

2009-02-05T14:55:00.000-05:00

But it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early, about the dawning of the day, and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. On that day only they marched around the city seven times. And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: “Shout, for the LORD has given you the city! Joshua 6:15-16

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. Acts 16:25-26

Earlier in the week we talked about the weapons of our warfare and the armor that God has given us. Let’s elaborate a bit on the weapons of our warfare. Today we’ll talk about praise. What does the word praise mean? Praise is the legitimate response to God's self-revelation. To praise God is to call attention to his glory. Words that are often used as synonyms or in parallel with "praise, and so help point to its meaning, are "bless, " "exalt, " "extol, " "glorify, " "magnify, " "thank, " and "confess." (Baker’s Bible Dictionary) Why is praise a weapon? Praise is a weapon because our adversary, the devil, does not want us to praise God because he knows that God inhabits the praises of His people. The devil has always wanted to sit on God’s throne. He wants to be praised, worshipped, and wants to receive everything that is due to God Almighty. The devil cannot stand to hear a believer or group of believers praise God. Why? Because when we praise God, we are telling the devil that no matter what surrounds us, what our circumstances are, that in the abundance and the scarcity, in sickness and in health, in good times and through storms, God is still on His throne and worthy to be praised! Hallelujah!! Since God inhabits the praises of His people, the enemy knows that when we praise God, we will receive strength, joy, peace, victory and he has to flee. He has to flee because when God gives us strength, we can resist the devil. When we have joy and peace, we can resist the devil so he can’t steal it. Whatever situation we are going through, when we open our mouths to praise God and lift up our hands to Him, He gives us the victory over the situation, problem or circumstance!

This is why the enemy tries to shut down our praise. He tries to keep us from opening our mouth to bless the name of the Lord. He tries to keep our hands down in defeat. But we are not defeated! We have victory in Jesus! When this happens we have to tell our souls as David did, “Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless His Holy name!” Sometimes we have to tall our souls to bless God! We have to tell our flesh to praise God! Our flesh never wants to do what the spirit wants to do so we have to make it conform to the spiritual desires. Tell your flesh “flesh, I will not give in to your desires but I will praise God and overcome you.” God honors the conscious effort to praise Him despite how we feel. We cannot be led by how we feel; if we do we will live in defeat. Our feelings are fickle, and if we allow ourselves to let our feelings dictate how and when we should praise then we will never see the glory of God! The devil uses that to keep us from praising. He will mess with your mind and tell you that you are tired, sick, sad or discouraged and that you cannot lift up your hands but he is a liar and the father of lies and if you listen to his whispering he will have won that battle over you. Stop listening to his whispering! Resist him! Tell the devil no! No more!!
God gave Joshua the victory and gave him the city of Jericho when the people shouted in praise the seventh time they marched around the city walls. Your praise is a war cry. You are telling the enemy that the Most High God is at the frontline of the battle and He cannot be defeated! Your shout means you have the victory, are in victory, and will walk in victory! Paul and Silas “were praying and singing hymns to God and the prisoners were listening to them” while they were in jail and what happened?? The prison shook, the doors were opened, and the chains were loosed!! The jail keeper got saved and who knows how many others that night! Praise ushers in deliverance! Paul and Silas were saying though they were chained and imprisoned, the God that they served was worthy to be praised and He is mighty to deliver and to save! When Shedrach, Meshach, and Abednego were about to be thrown in fiery furnace they told the king that their God was able to save them and that even if He didn’t save them they would not bow down to the image of the king. After they were thrown in the furnace the king looked through the glass and saw that they were four instead of three and they were praising God! Praise the Lord!!!! I am getting a bit excited but how can I not? We are talking about God’s awesomeness and His worthiness of praise! The fact that we have life, are able to breathe, walk, talk, and send out these messages is reason enough to praise Him!!! Glory to God!! People, do not let the devil steal your cookies! Do not let him steal your joy, your peace, your PRAISE! God has called us to proclaim His praise because He is the Most High God who alone deserves our praise, yet at the same time when we praise Him, we defeat the enemy by letting him know that no matter what our praise belongs to God and God alone. Pick up your weapon of praise beloved, and let the devil know that Christ reigns in your life and through Him, you are victorious.

Weapons & Armor of Our Warfare

2009-02-03T14:27:00.001-05:00

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. Ephesians 6:10-18

In the dark age we live in today, we all must stand and fight. Every Christian will have to warfare at some point in his/her walk no matter if you are a leader in your home or church or not, you are still called to battle. We are soldiers in God’s army. Some of us specialize on the frontlines, some of us specialize in the communications area in the barracks, and some of us specialize in treating the wounded and dying. Whatever your talent is, it is used in warfare against our enemy, Satan. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. The weapons we use in battle do not come from our own strength, our own reserves, or our own resources; they come from God! God is the one who gives us the gifts and talents we have. Whether you are on the frontlines interceding, preaching or ministering, behind the barracks teaching, writing books, or otherwise exhorting others the talents and gifts used to do these things are from God and they are weapons to fight the enemy. Apart from the gifts that Father gives us, He has also provided us with an armor that operates and functions through faith. This is why Paul says “take up the whole armor of God” (emphasis mine). You cannot put on the helmet and not take up the shield, or put on the breastplate and not take up the sword; each piece of the armor works together and not without the other.

Let’s talk about these different pieces of the armor. The helmet of salvation is used to protect the mind. The mind is the battlefield in which the enemy wages war against us by trying to perturb us, impart doubt, confuse us, and make us anxious. The bible says in Isaiah 26:3 that “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You”. We have peace with God through Jesus Christ and when our minds are connected with Him and focused on Him, He will keep our minds in peace. The helmet helps us to “pull down strongholds”, “cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself above the knowledge of God”, and “bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”. Strongholds begin in our minds and then get into our hearts. It starts with a thought and once it gets into your heart it becomes a fortress. God has given us the weapons to tear these down! The helmet works in conjunction with the shield of faith. “Taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one”. If you do not take up your shield to block the darts, your head as well as your body is exposed to the darts. The darts are poisonous, sharp, and very destructive. They are envy, lust, contention, jealousy, gossip, hatred, wrath, lies, doubt, confusion and many others that I cannot rattle off the top of my head right now. My point is that if you don’t have your shield to quench the fiery darts, they can hit you anywhere else and penetrate. You still need your helmet because while your shield is quenching the darts, your mind is at peace, and covered by God because your thoughts are on Him and any other thought cannot enter. Just as the helmet and shield work together, the breastplate of righteousness works with these two as well. We are made righteous before God through the blood of Jesus. The breastplate protects our heart and the upper part of our bodies. The belt of truth goes around your waist and it is the knowledge that every word that comes out of the mouth of God is true; staying founded in the word and applying it to your life daily as truth. The belt also keeps the breastplate in place as well as the sword. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God that cuts sharper than a two edged sword, dividing between the bone and the marrow and the soul and spirit and is the discerner of the thoughts of man. Speaking the word of God in any situation and applying it to the situation is how we use the sword of the Spirit. To use the sword we must know the word of God. Now if you have all this on and do not have on the shoes of the preparation of the Gospel of peace then you are not fully dressed. The shoes protect your feet. If you are in battle barefoot, then you cannot run,(when I say run, I don’t mean run away, I mean run OUT OF THE WAY) much less walk when the enemy attacks. Your shoes keep you ready to dodge the enemy’s attacks. Finally we must PRAY. We must pray in the spirit with all manner of supplication for the ALL the saints. Not just our families, but our church, our Pastors, the church in general all over the globe, Pastors all over the world, saints all over the world. When we do this we are standing in the gap as God spoke to Ezekiel about, fully dressed in our armor, warfaring for other soldiers in the battle that may be wounded or fallen at any given moment. This is the armor of our warfare!! THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE ARE: PRAISE, PRAYER, FAITH, THE WORD OF GOD, UNITY, WORSHIP AND THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT. These are not CARNAL but MIGHTY IN GOD, to bring down STRONGHOLDS!!! You cannot praise if God has not revealed Himself to you. You cannot praise someone or something you don’t know. You cannot pray if you don’t believe that He is able to answer and do what He says He can do. Likewise you can’t have faith if you don’t believe that He is God! You cannot use the word of God effectively if you don’t believe that everything it says about God and you is true. You cannot stand united if you are not all on one accord about what you believe. You cannot worship God if you do not know God, believe God, or love God. You cannot have or operate in the gifts of the Spirit if you do not believe in the Spirit who gives them. Therefore these weapons are mighty in God because only God can give them! God gives every man a measure of faith with which to believe. He reveals Himself to us so that we can believe Him, praise Him, get to know Him, love Him, and worship Him. He gives us His word so that we can live the way He wants us to live, know everything about Him, and know His promises for us and what He thinks and says about us. HE GIVES US GIFTS so that we can edify His church and fight against the enemy!!! HIS WEAPONS ARE MIGHTY AND HE HAS GIVEN THEM TO US FREELY!! PRAISE GOD ALMIGHTY!!! So let’s kick some devil butt because though we live in this body of flesh, “we do not war according to the flesh”, “for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” that want to kill and destroy you!! Let’s stand against the wiles of the devil and fight with the weapons of our warfare; let’s take up the WHOLE armor of God so that we can withstand in the evil day! God has given us the weapons and He has given us an armor, let us be good soldiers fighting the good fight until that day when we will see Jesus face to face. God bless you.

Fasting

2009-01-29T15:25:00.001-05:00

Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. Daniel 9:3-5

What is fasting? No it is not starving yourself because the Bible says you should fast, or because someone you know keeps telling you should fast. It is not a lose weight quick diet. It is not abstaining from food and sleeping until the time you plan to turn in your fast and then wake up and eat. It is not abstaining from food and playing video games or watching TV while you do it. Jentzen Franklin defines fasting as: “abstaining from food for a spiritual purpose” in his book Fasting. You have to have a purpose for fasting. Jesus told his disciples not to fast as the hypocrites do because they were just starving themselves to make themselves look righteous. Instead he says to wash your face and anoint your head so that no one would know that you are fasting and God would reward you publicly.

In the verses from Daniel chapter 9, there are six points I found in these three verses that I want to share with you. It concerns the attitude and posture that Daniel took when he began to fast and what he did while he fasted. First, he humbled himself – then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request. Second he prayed and made supplication. To make supplication is to petition or entreat someone in humbleness. Third he fasted with sackcloth and ashes. Sackcloth and ashes was a sign of mourning or anguish in Old Testament times. When Job lost his family and was afflicted with boils, he put on sackcloth and ashes to display his mourning for his children and his anguish about his situation. Fourth, he confessed. He confessed the sins of his people and his ancestors before them. Fifth, he worshipped and praised God – “O Lord, Great and Awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments.” And the sixth point – he repented. Though he was confessing the sins of his people he included himself in it and in repentance asked for forgiveness for himself and his people. The entire chapter is about his prayer to the Lord while he was fasting and he entreats the Lord on behalf of his people throughout the first 19 verses of the chapter. His answer came that evening and God revealed things to him that were to come.

I wanted to share something with you regarding fasting from my own personal experience. When I was just a baby in the Lord, the Lord spoke to me and told me He wanted me on a campaign of fasting. This meant that I had to fast for several days. At the time I knew nothing of fasting except for the fact that you can’t eat. So I asked questions because I also had to work and I had a problem that if I didn’t eat by a certain time of the day I would have a terrible headache. My pastor told me I could fast from 6am to 12 noon since I would be at work most of the time. Anyway I obeyed and I began to fast from 6am to 12 noon with no water and no food. It was not easy because I was at work all week but God gave me strength. Since I didn’t know when I was supposed to stop I did this for almost 2 months everyday and Sundays I would fast in church. Now that I think about it I probably fasted 40 days. I don’t recall the exact amount of days; I know that it was almost two months. During that time I did not see any results though I was seeking the Lord and I was reading the word and my purpose was to get closer to Him. One day before I stopped, I asked my pastor how long I had to keep fasting and she did not know that it had almost been two months since I got that word and was surprised that I was still doing it. When it was over I noticed the changes God had been working in me during that time. I did not see them while I was fasting, but when it was over I was asked to teach the 1-3 year old children at Sunday school. My point is that you may not see the results right away but you will see your prayers answered and you will see God moving in your life when you humble yourself before Him, fast, pray, and give. Fasting and praying go hand in hand, along with bible study. I have had moments of clarity in bible study during a fast. I encourage you if you haven’t tried it yet, to do so. There are different kinds of fasts. You can fast 3 days, 1 day, 21 days, 40 days, or you can fast from sunup till sundown (6am to 6pm). You can abstain from all foods and just drink water and juice or you can do a partial fast where you abstain from meat, sweets, and bread and eat only vegetables and fruits. If you have health problems you can fast from 6am to 12 noon after consulting your doctor. If you want to fast for more than one day make sure to drink plenty of water. The point is you can do it! Fasting breaks chains! Fasting does not make you holy but it makes you sensitive to the Spirit of God. It helps you draw closer to God and make you aware when He draws closer to you. Try it and you will not regret it, don’t listen to your stomach, it will always tell you that you’re hungry. Remember that you have to have a specific purpose for your fast, whether it be for direction, a lost loved one, your church, or a deeper intimacy with the Lord. God answers prayer and when prayer is combined with fasting the atmosphere begins to change and the glory of God is revealed to you. Praise the Lord!

Ambassadors of Reconciliation

2009-01-28T15:15:00.000-05:00

Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21

When I looked up the word reconcile, there were several definitions but there were three that stuck out and that are fitting in relation to these verses. The first is: to reestablish a close relationship between.
The second is: to bring into agreement or harmony; make compatible or consistent.
And the last one is: to win over to friendliness; cause to become amicable – as in hostile persons.
Now the first one describes the desire of God to reconcile us to Himself. The second one describes the Word of God and the Holy Spirit that brings us into agreement with Him and makes us consistent. The third one describes how through Jesus God brings us from hostile to amicable or into a friendship with Him.

Everything belongs to God and when God first created man, He created Him with relationship in mind. He created man to be His friend, to have dominion over the earth that He created and to reveal His plans to. Adam and Eve had that for a little while but then they disobeyed and ate the fruit. Disobedience is rebellion. When man rebelled against God by disobeying His command to not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the friendship they had was severed. God could no longer commune with man and speak freely His plans for mankind because man was now sinful and God cannot look at sin. Ok enough history!

The awesome part of all of this is that God KNEW what man was going to do and set a plan into motion. That plan was to send His only begotten Son into the world to reconcile US to HIMSELF. Can you believe it? God wants us to be His friends and He loves us so much that He sacrificed His only begotten to bring us back to Himself. But wait! It gets better! Now that we are reconciled to Him, those of us that have received Christ as Lord and Savior, we are now given the ministry of reconciliation! How do we do that? By doing what Jesus commanded in Mark 16:15 – Go and preach the Gospel to all the nations. The nations does not necessarily mean that we will travel the world. Some of us will probably never leave the state we were born and raised in but in a country such as ours the nations are here; our neighbors, our families, our co-workers. I think every nationality of the globe has a percentage in the U.S.

Those of you that know me know that I like to look up words so the next word I looked up was ambassador and I found two definitions that fit these verses as well. The first is: A diplomatic official of the highest rank, sent by one sovereign or state to another as its resident representative.
The second is: An authorized representative or messenger. As sons and daughters of God, we are of the highest rank because we are princes and princesses of the King of kings! He is the Sovereign One who sends us to represent Him in this place we call our temporary home. How many know that we are not citizens of this world? We are citizens of heaven! Therefore we are resident representatives here on earth until we go home to be with the Lord. We are authorized representatives or messengers because we have been given authority through Christ. The message we bring is a message of hope, peace, love, salvation and yes, reconciliation! Because He made Him who knew no sin to become sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God through Him!!! Praise God!! Let’s be good ambassadors for we represent the most Sovereign of sovereigns, the King of kings and the Lord of lords!! He wants all to be reconciled and He does not desire that any should be lost. Let’s proclaim the message of the Gospel of Peace that through us God would plead with the lost and the hurting and the hostile to be reconciled to Him.

If by chance you have not been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, let today be the day where you say yes to Jesus who has been knocking on the door of your heart waiting for you to invite Him in.

Love

2009-01-26T13:32:00.001-05:00

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-39

Most of us would vehemently say that we love God, but do we love Him with all our hearts, souls, and minds? Do we love our neighbors as ourselves? For some of us those questions are easy to answer but there are those of us who might find it difficult to answer.

Let’s go back to the time when we first got saved…for some of us from that very moment all we wanted to do was to eat, sleep, and breathe God. For some of us food and sleep didn’t matter we just wanted to breath God. It was like when you fell in love for the first time and all you wanted to do was be with the person you love. Being in love with God is like that and so much more. When you love God with all your heart, soul and mind you live with the sole purpose of pleasing the One who saved you and it shows in everything you do. Being in love with God means you are full of the love of God because it is a relationship where the Father enjoys nothing more than to show you His love for you. Therefore loving your neighbor as you love yourself is a piece of cake! It’s like second nature because when the love of God abides you it has to pour out on others. You just can’t help it! The love just oozes out of you. J My sister calls it a love burst when you feel love just oozing out of you.

Sadly, in these last days, many Christians have forgotten what it felt like to be in love with the Lord and how to display it to others. The Bible says that love covers a multitude of sins. When people are broken, hurting, and a mess, love brings them to the cross. Love heals wounds, love gives strength, love gives the desire to press forward and love shows how to love others. Whose love is this that I’m talking about?? God’s love. The Bible says that God is love, therefore if God is love and you love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, you will reflect that love because when you abide in Him, He abides in you. The only love that is compared to the love of God is the love of a mother. A mother will lay down her life for her children and that is what Jesus did. He laid down His life for us because He loved us.

So how do we find that love again? Go back to the first time you fell in love with Him and fall in love with Him again. Continue to do so everyday. God has been so good to us that it shouldn’t be hard to fall in love with Him everyday. His love will cause you to love others! You will be full of love bursts for others that will help them heal, stand firm, and love in return. I am a witness of the power of God’s love. It has brought beauty for ashes in my life and in the lives of many others. Let’s ask God to fill us with His love everyday so that we can love our brothers and sisters. So that we can love the backslidden and the lost, so that we can love those that have never known, experienced or received love so that they too can love. God has called us to mend, restore, heal, and deliver, but without love, we can do none of these. Paul said though he speak in different tongues, without love it is like a clanging symbol. We must learn to walk in love, give love freely, and receive love from our Father as well as our neighbors. Church, God is calling us to love more and fight less. God is calling us give love freely without expecting anything in return. Yes there will be those who we pour out our love on and they don’t seem to notice, but that’s ok! Don’t be discouraged! You are doing the will of your Father by loving that person no matter how insufferable he/she is. God wants us to love HIM without reserves, to love Him unconditionally. I believe that is the reason why He gives us the choice whether or not to serve Him because He wants us to serve Him because we love Him and want to please Him. He does not want a dictatorship, He wants a relationship! Hallelujah!!! How awesome is that?? I feel a love burst coming on for my King!!! Glory, glory! Church let’s ask God to fill us to overflowing with His love and His mercy for our neighbors that we may please Him in all that we do.

Heavenly Father,
We come before You with thanksgiving and praise that You loved us so much that You gave Your only son to save us so that we could have a relationship with You. Help us Lord, to walk in love and honor You. Fill us with Your love everyday so that we may pour it out on others the way You want us to. Help us to never forget the day we first fell in love with You because You were already in love with us. Father bless all those who are reading this inspiration today and give them a double portion of Your love so that they will be bursting with love bursts for everyone who comes there way. Most importantly Lord remind us to always love You with all hearts, with all our souls, with all our minds and with all our strength.

In Jesus mighty name we pray,
Amen!

Walk in the Vision

2009-01-21T12:38:00.000-05:00

So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:16-17

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:18-19

The church of God is going through a transition. God is taking her to another level and not everyone in the church is ready for it. There are those that would try to oppose it, detain it, or hinder it and God begins to clean house and move the stumbling blocks out of the way. Whenever God is about to take a church, a ministry, or an individual to a higher, deeper level, those you least expect will oppose the change. There are times when God wants to deposit something in you and do something new with you and the people closest to you try to discourage you. They will rise up against you and tear you down with their words. Fear takes hold of those who are not walking in the vision of a church, ministry or individual and they can be easily shaken by the enemy and those who are in opposition of the vision. It is for those that these words are written.

Elisha was a prophet who believed God and did what the Lord told him to do. He had a vision to do God’s will no matter the cost. When the Syrians tried to come against Israel and Elisha, his servant grew fearful because he was not walking in the vision. He was not holding tight to the promises of God nor did he know and trust the God he served. He walked with the prophet but he was not walking in the vision. Therefore Elisha prayed to God to open the eyes of his servant so that he could see that there were more with them than those against them. He was asking God to open his eyes so he could see the vision!

When God begins to clean house and remove those that would hinder His blessing in a church, ministry or individual, it may seem that the enemy has the upper hand. But when you perceive that God is cleaning house – know that a truly great blessing is on the way and God has to prepare those that will receive it. Jesus told Peter that the gates of hell would NOT prevail against the church of God because He knew opposition would come before the blessing but the church already has the victory.

Notice that I included individual as one being opposed because sometimes the opposition is not just in the church or the ministry. It can start with an individual in your own home! And guess what? God will clean your house to remove the hindrance. There will come a time when God will want to do something with you where He will have to move those around you that would distract you, discourage you, oppose you, or hinder you. You may not understand it at the time but the bible says that what you don’t understand now, you will understand later. Just know that when opposition arises it is because God is about to do something so huge that the opposition can’t handle it! If you cannot perceive that God is in the mix of whatever adversity is going on in your life, ministry or church, ask God to open your eyes and let you see that there are more with you than those against you. Ask Him to open your eyes and let you see the vision.

He will raise us up!

2009-01-18T20:07:00.000-05:00

Come, and let us return to the LORD; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight. Hosea 6:1-2

Take a moment to think about these verses. Though Hosea was speaking to the people of Israel at the time, these verses are also prophetic regarding Jesus sacrifice. Think about the reason Jesus came to earth in the flesh to live among men, so that we would return to the Lord. For He has torn, but He will heal us; we must remember that these people were rebellious and idolaters yet they were the chosen of God. They were His special people however when they sinned against Him there were consequences for there sins. God always sent one of His prophets to warn these people, to give them a chance to repent before His judgment was issued upon them. The bible says that the Lord is slow to anger and great in mercy, so He always gave His people the opportunity to repent and correct their ways yet when they didn’t they usually fell into some kind of captivity. So they were torn from there land and heritage yet there were still those who were faithful to the Lord and the Lord would heal His people and restore them to their land when the repented. Jesus was also torn. His flesh was torn for our sake so that we would be healed. His heart was torn for us because we were lost and without hope yet He would heal our wounds and give us new hope. He has stricken but He will bind us up; praise God! Israel was stricken with affliction when she sinned against God but in His mercy He would send His prophets to exhort them and give them words of encouragement when they repented and He would bind them up. Jesus was also stricken with all of our infirmities, with all of our sin, with all of our hatred He was stricken so that He could bind us up to Himself. Glory to Jesus! After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight. I don’t know about you but this part fills me with great joy and a tremendous love for our Lord who loved us first. When Jesus died on the cross, He was buried and in the tomb three days. During that time He went down to gates of hell and snatched the keys of death from the devil and on the third day He rose. After two days He will revive us – Jesus takes the keys of death from Satan and revives us because now He has overcome death! On the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight. When He rose from the grave on the third day He was telling us that we too would be raised so that we could be with Him forever! Whether we rise from the grave or we are caught up in the twinkling of an eye without seeing death, one thing is for certain, we will live with Him for always!!! In His sight! That is a wonderful place to be. In God’s presence, in His sight, in His perfect will. Praise God! Jesus sacrificed everything He had for you and me. He left His throne in glory to walk among us, feel what we feel, hurt how we hurt, so that we cannot say “God you just don’t understand how I feel”. Yes He does!!! He experienced it all. He was tempted just like we are, He was betrayed just like we are betrayed by those we love and those we think are our friends, He felt pain just like we feel pain! He is the perfect mediator for us because He knows what it is to be human. He knows our frame and remembers that we are dust. We are in victory my brothers and sisters because Jesus has given it to us through His life, death and resurrection! Praise the Lord!!!

Eat and Speak

2009-01-13T10:21:00.000-05:00

You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” Ezekiel 2:7-8

If you’ve ever read the book of Ezekiel, you may have noticed that he has a unique style of writing. He is very detailed in his description of the visions he saw and how the Lord spoke to him and how the Lord spoke through him. Ezekiel was called to speak to the northern part of the nation of Israel or what was called in his time Israel. The nation of Israel had divided into two separate kingdoms after Solomon died so there was Israel to the north and there was Judah to the south. Jeremiah prophesied to Judah and Ezekiel prophesied to Israel probably around the same time.
If we look at these verses, they are very direct, and we can relate to them today because we also live in a rebellious, idolatrous nation. America has turned her back on God just as Israel did thousands of years ago. She has compromised her beliefs and her morals and adulterated herself with foreign gods. Money, power, and sex have become objects of desire so to speak and the results of these desires are greed, corruption, adultery, homosexuality, idolatry, and even murder. People have killed for money, power, and yes-even sex. These things become habitual, almost like second nature in the lives of those who pursue it. Such was the state of Israel during Ezekiel’s time. Some of the gods of the Canaanites and the foreign nations surrounding Israel required sexual acts as forms of worship and Israel had begun to worship these pagan gods. They had hardened their hearts to the One True God and put their trust in idols. They even had their own prophets who prophesied in the name of their pagan gods! God was angry with them, yet His mercy is from everlasting to everlasting so He would send out His prophets to warn the people.
When God calls Ezekiel to be a prophet, He warns him not to be “rebellious like that rebellious house” and goes on to tell him to open his mouth and “eat what I give you”. He was to eat God’s word! As I said Ezekiel is very detailed in his description of what he saw, spoke and did. God knew that Ezekiel would be obedient even when he protested. He was to speak God’s words whether they listened or not! Sounds familiar? Is there someone in your life or a few someone’s that God stirs you up to give them word and it seems to fall on deaf ears? God is telling you to speak anyway! Whether they listen or not you must speak what God puts in your mouth. Why? Because if you don’t, you will be held accountable if that person dies in his/her iniquity because you didn’t tell him what God told you to say. God told Ezekiel that he would be a watchman. Watchmen are those that stand on the wall of the city or in a watchtower and warn the people when danger is coming. If he did not speak when he was supposed to speak and a person perished, his blood would be on Ezekiel’s head, but if he spoke and the person perished in his sin then it is no longer Ezekiel’s responsibility. You see we are responsible for speaking what God tells us to speak to people whether they listen or not because when we speak they no longer have the excuse of saying “well nobody told me.” At times you get tired and frustrated of speaking to the same person or persons over and over and over and that person doesn’t get it or those people don’t get it and continue living a godless life. It is sad but your responsibility is to speak what God tells you to speak and the rest is between them and God. God is faithful and will continue to tug at a person’s heart but if the person is rebellious and continues in his ways and ignores God, he will perish and spend eternity in torment. God is not a toy to play with. You can’t pick Him up when you’re bored and when you got what you want or get tired of playing with Him you put Him down. No, No, No! God is saying in these last days that we cannot be like that rebellious house but eat what He gives us and speak what He tells us to speak.

Be Renewed Day by Day

2009-01-12T09:43:00.000-05:00

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Paul suffered through many things on his missionary journeys to the different cities where he preached the gospel. In those days there was no such thing as cars, motorcycles, airplanes, phones, the Internet or email. No text messaging or instant messaging. These people walked, traveled on horses or camels, or traveled by boat. Their forms of long distance communication were letters that took weeks to reach one location from another depending on how far it was. So imagine Paul walking for days on end or on sea for weeks at a time; going through various storms on sea, and suffering heat, cold, rain and other weather hazards on foot. Not to mention that the different places he would travel to had their own dangers. There was the risk of the people not receiving him and stoning him, whipping him, or treating him in an otherwise inhuman way. He suffered physical sickness as well as physical abuse from those who did not want him in their cities. Yet in all this he reminds us that no matter what we suffer for the cause of taking the Gospel to the lost, the broken, and the hurting, it does not affect our inward man. No matter what the body goes through, weariness, sickness, fatigue, abuse, hunger, pain, it is only the outward man that feels these things and perishes. The inward man is being renewed daily through the Word of God, through the Holy Spirit, when we see the fruits of our labor.
We may not suffer the things Paul suffered to carry the Gospel to the Gentiles, but we do suffer because as human beings we feel loss, rejection, pain, and our spirits cry out daily for those that are lost. Yet Paul calls it a light affliction and when you look at it that is exactly what it is. None of us have suffered the things Jesus suffered to save us, so yes, it is a light affliction to be laughed at because you are faithful to God. It is a light affliction to be rejected by your family because you serve God. It is a light affliction when the enemy rises up against you when you try to evangelize a community for Christ. Yes it is but guess what people? It is only for a moment! Maybe not a 60 second moment but before you know it the trial is over, the opposition is gone, the giants are knocked down with their heads chopped off, and the mountains are moved because our light affliction is working for us an exceeding and eternal weight of glory!!
Why?? How can trials work bigger things and eternal glory for us?? Because we look at the things that are not seen, which means we see in the Spirit. We are not looking at the things that are seen because they are temporary. The house is temporary. The car is temporary. The job is temporary. The trial, opposition, giants and mountains are all temporary! They don’t last! But our mansions in heaven are eternal!! They last forever!! So our affliction is light and works for an exceeding and eternal weight of glory because our treasure is not on this earth!! Our treasure is in heaven and it does not perish! Oh brothers and sisters if we look with our spiritual eyes instead of our natural eyes we will see that everything we go through will work out for something greater in the end. Everything we go through brings us that much closer to eternity with Jesus! Praise the Lord! So when you are afflicted, remember that it is light and for a moment for the things we see and look forward to are eternal!

Happy New Year!!!!

Rainbows in the Sky. What do they mean?

2008-12-22T11:24:00.000-05:00

And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.” Genesis 9:12-17

The people closest to me know that I love rainbows. It’s not just the colors or the brightness of it when it comes out right after a sun shower or a rainy day, or the almost majestic way it sits in the sky and seems to stretch so close that you can touch it that intrigues me. It’s what the rainbow stands for that leaves me in awe and the beauty of it is just a perk. Before I tell you what the rainbow stands for (for those of you who don’t know), I would like to share something with you.

On my blog page I have a layout with beautiful mountain scenery and a rainbow that crosses over the front of the mountains. I think its peaceful scenery describes God’s serenity. Well I was showing a friend of mine my page and she asked me about the rainbow and told me what it meant to the world. It so happens that to the world the rainbow is the symbol of gay pride. Needless to say I was beside myself when I heard that and told her what the bible says about the rainbow. When I think about it, it is just another way Satan has tried to take something that God has meant for good and twist it to associate it with something sinful, but he is a liar and the father of them and God is still on the throne and always will be.

The people of Noah’s time had turned their backs on God and were very wicked. The bible says that the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great and the intent of his heart was only evil, and He was sorry He had made man and grieved in His heart. (Gen. 7:5-6 paraphrased) God saw that there was a man who found grace in His eyes. That man was Noah. So the Lord spoke to Noah and had him build an ark for him, his family, and seven sets of every clean animal, bird, and creepy crawly thing on earth and one set of every unclean animal and bird. While Noah built the ark he preached to the people and told them to repent for judgment was coming but the people would not listen and thought Noah was crazy. The day came when God told Noah to take his family and the animals and to go into the ark. Once they did, the heavens opened up and it rained for forty days and forty nights, till there was nothing living left on the earth except for those in the ark. When the rains had stopped and the earth dried, Noah, his family, and the animals came out of the ark and Noah offered sacrifices to the Lord and the Lord when He smelled the sweet aroma said in His heart that would never again curse the ground for man’s sake. Henceforth the rainbow!!

The real meaning of the rainbow my dear friends is the “covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is in the earth.” It is the covenant that He made with Noah and every living creature with him to never again destroy all flesh with flood waters. The rainbow is the sign of promises! Whenever I see a rainbow, I am reminded that God is the God who keeps His word. He is the God of covenants or pacts. When God makes a covenant with you, you can be sure that whatever He promised will come to pass! Hallelujah!! When I see the rainbow, I am reminded of the promises God has made to me and mine and I am filled with gratitude and hope because I know that He keeps His word! Praise God!

My friend suggested that I write a devotional about the rainbow so that whoever comes across my page on the web will not get the wrong idea about me because of the rainbow. I am writing it to let everyone know the true meaning of the rainbow and what it means to me. The word says “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6), and I wanted everyone who comes across this page to know what it really means and that God is a promise keeper! He keeps His word and it never returns to Him void but fulfills the purpose for which He sends it.

My friends, whenever you see a rainbow in the sky, remember the promises God has made over your life and be reassured that they will come to pass and you will rejoice on they day of their fulfillment.

Don't lose Heart

2008-12-17T14:50:00.001-05:00

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18

“If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, in which you trusted, they wearied you, then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?
Jeremiah 12:5

Of all the Apostles, Paul knew what it was to suffer for the cause of Christ. Of all the Prophets, Jeremiah is recorded to have cried and endured the most. Both of these men suffered horrible things to preach the word of God. Paul preached the Gospel to the Gentiles and suffered at the hands of his own people as well as the Gentiles. Jeremiah suffered at the hands of his people because He was the mouthpiece of God and the people did not want to hear what he had to say. Yet when you read these scriptures, you see that there is hope. How you might ask? Allow me to break it down for you.

In Jeremiah 12:5, God is speaking to Jeremiah concerning his suffering and weariness. Jeremiah was getting tired of the rebellion and violence of the Israelites who were worshiping false gods and did not want to heed the voice of the Lord. And he questions the Lord on how long will He endure the wickedness of these people. He asks God why doesn’t He just kill them and be done with them because they don’t have Him to think about. Pretty bold huh? Jeremiah knew that God had the power to knock these people off like flies, yet when God answers him, He shows His infinite mercy by asking Jeremiah (in my words): if you are tired of dealing with these people and they are still in their homeland, how will you deal with them, the enemy, and the things that will happen when they are in captivity? If you are weary of speaking the word and interceding during times of peace, when you thought all was well, then how will you manage when war rises up and it’s time for you to battle and stand in the gap? In other words God is saying if you can’t handle this (and I am not saying that it was easy), how will you manage the ministry that I want to put in your hands? When we complain we need to examine ourselves and remember that God backs up those whom He calls. When He called Jeremiah, He told him that He would always be with him, he would not be alone.

In the same way God uses Paul to encourage the Corinthians. Paul had been beaten, whipped, shipwrecked, and so close to death many times in journeys to preach the Gospel. He faced opposition on all sides, yet he tells these people that what we suffer is but a light affliction! Can you imagine being whipped one lash short of the death penalty and looking at it as a “light affliction”?? But Paul was a man who loved God and was sold out to Him to do whatever God wanted him to do and endure whatever he had to endure to get it done. Paul goes on to say that though the outward man perishes, the inward man is being renewed day by day. Praise the Lord!!! Though our physical bodies are tired and worn out, our brains are drained of thought and our emotions are weary from the battle, the inner man – our spirit man – the one that is born of the Spirit is renewed daily in Christ Jesus!! So why stress it? Every light affliction brings us to another level in glory. Everything that we go through brings ever closer to the Father as we draw near to Him in our afflictions. We are vulnerable and open to what God wants to do with us when we are afflicted or when we are in a trial. That is not to say that we should not seek God or that we don’t seek God when things are good, but there is something about pain that draws you closer to the Comforter, the One who can heal and restore you, the mender of broken hearts. We know that He provides our needs, He protects us, but when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. That is why Paul says that the affliction that is but for a moment is working for us a far more exceeding glory because we are looking at the things of the spirit when we are looking at the things unseen because what we see is temporary. Praise God!

Lord helps us to endure our light afflictions like good soldiers and see the unseen that is eternal so that we will not lose heart. In Jesus name Amen!

Don't be Anxious!

2008-12-10T08:43:00.000-05:00

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Anxiety seems to plague the population these days. How many people do we know or have heard of who are suffering from anxiety, people who suffer panic attacks due to anxiety, people who are stressed out due to anxiety? Some are on medication and others are trying to cope with it, while others are oblivious to the reason for the tension in their bodies. The definition of the word anxious is: full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear of danger or misfortune; greatly worried; solicitous: Her parents were anxious about her poor health. It is derived from the word angere which means to strangle, pain, distress. (www.dictionary.com)

Anxiety is a tool the enemy uses to cause you not to trust God. Jesus used a parable about seeds that were thrown in four different types of ground – the wayside, the stony ground, the thorns, and the good ground. When we become anxious, we forget the promises of God. We forget that God has promised to provide for our needs. We forget that we are children of the King and He is the owner of the silver and the gold. He is Jehovah Rafa our healer. He is Jehova Tsidkenu our righteousness. When we become anxious for our needs or anxious about our future, we become like the seed that was sown among the thorns, that the cares of this world choked its growth. When we become anxious our trust is no longer in God and it affects our health, our finances, our relationships.

Ahhh but when we trust in God and make our petitions known to Him through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, we are guarded by His peace that surpasses all understanding! People may not understand how you can be so calm and your refrigerator is empty or your rent is overdue and you don’t have the money to pay it. They will not understand how you can keep it together when you have just been diagnosed with a terminal disease! The reason you can is because through prayer and supplication, you have made your request for healing known to God with thanksgiving and He has filled you with His peace because you trust Him! You have asked for provision with thanksgiving knowing that He is faithful and He will provide for you! This is the reason why you can be calm and you can keep it together when you are facing diverse circumstances. The God that you and I serve is very aware of our situations and when we come to Him and put all of our trust in Him, He will make a way where there is no way for us! Praise God!! Be anxious for NOTHING, but in EVERYTHING make your petitions known to God. He is never early, never late, but always ON TIME!! Glory to God!! Thank you Jesus for Your faithfulness and Your peace.

No Weapon Formed Against You

2008-12-09T21:21:00.001-05:00

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
Isaiah 54:17

We all know this verse and most of us quote it frequently but usually we only quote the first part of the verse. What about the rest of it? This happens to be my brother’s favorite verse and one morning we were sitting at the table, having a conversation and he began to quote this verse but only the first part of it, and I quoted the rest and he said “there’s more to that verse?” He had not committed to memory the entire verse because he thought that was all of it. Sometimes we focus on part of a verse and not the whole verse because we see the promise in that part but the promise is actually in the whole verse. For example James 4:17, many focus on the part that says resist the devil and he will flee from you. But the first part says submit yourselves therefore to God, and then you read the promise. For this verse in particular, you can not resist the devil if you don’t first submit yourself to God. In Isaiah 54:17 the promise is no weapon formed against you shall prosper AND every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall condemn. THIS is the heritage of the SERVANTS OF THE LORD, and their righteousness is of me, says the LORD. What is the promise? The promise is no weapon formed against you shall proper and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. So what’s the catch? You have to be a servant of the Lord! The heritage is for the servants of the Lord and their righteousness is of me. In other words He makes His servants righteous. It is a wonderful promise to know that when we serve the Lord, nothing that the devil tries to do to us will prosper! When he uses people to speak against us, to tear us down, to judge us wrongfully and criticize us, we shall condemn them! Why?? Because it is not us that they are speaking against but the Lord whom we serve, when they come against us with hostility and hatred for what we stand for, it is not us they come against but the Lord we serve. He fights the battle for us and with us. See, the devil hates the image of Christ in us. He hates us because we have something that he can never get back and that is a relationship with God the Father through His Son Jesus Christ. He knows that if Christ is in us and we are faithful, that nothing he throws at us can keep us down, but he won’t give up which is why we have to remain alert. Praise God for His mighty power, because He is like a powerful giant in front of us and at our side in battle. If you look at the last part of the verse, it says their righteousness is of me. We are not righteous by our own right but He makes us righteous through Him that saved us! He puts His righteousness on us and calls us His, this is the heritage of those who serve the Lord! Praise God!! Let us remember that no matter what comes against us that no weapon formed against us shall prosper and those that speak against us are not fighting us but are fighting God and we shall condemn them because woe to him that tries to harm any one of God’s little ones! His righteousness is our heritage. God is awesome!!

Abundant Faith or Lack of Faith – Which do You Have?

2008-12-03T14:29:00.002-05:00

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

Faith is an interesting concept but what is faith exactly? Hebrews 11:1 says “now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. The dictionary (http://www.dictionary.com/) has several definitions but the one that stuck is this one: the trust in God and in His promises as made through Christ and the Scriptures by which humans are justified or saved.

So how do we obtain faith? What you believe and what you put your faith in is up to you. The Bible says that faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God. You have to hear the word of God to obtain faith in Him and once you have obtained that faith, you have to strengthen it continually through the word of God. If you are hearing and believing anything that is not the word of God, then your faith is misplaced and you have believed and trusted in lies. When we come to Christ, the measure of faith with which each one of us believed may vary. For some of us, we have believed wholehearted and continued to strengthen that faith by soaking up the word of God. We are feeding our spirit with the word and our faith gets stronger. For some of us we may have believed with a mustard seed of faith and struggle to develop it as we should because maybe we don’t know that our faith grows as we soak up the word. If that is the case, let me encourage you. You can strengthen your faith in God and see His glory in your life. Spending time in God’s word and in prayer are essential to your spiritual growth. If you have a hard time understanding the Bible, no worries, you are not alone! None of us understand the Bible the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 10th time we read the Bible through! It takes time, meditation, guidance and illumination from the Holy Spirit and determination on your part to keep reading and memorizing even when you don’t get it. One day you will sit down to meditate and study the Scriptures and a light bulb will go on in your mind and spirit and you will say “Wow! I must’ve read this verse a hundred times and now I get it!” As you memorize Scriptures and you speak the word of God, you are reaffirming your faith and establishing the word of God in your life. Make it personal! Apply it to yourself and your situation and see what happens! Praise God!

The second verse today is in Hebrews 11:6 – but without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. When we were God’s enemies (living in sin) we could not please Him because our faith was not in Him, we didn’t care much about the consequences of our lifestyles because we were pleasing our sinful nature at the time; but once you come to Christ, it is your responsibility to seek God, pray, study His word, and build yourself up in faith. If you neglect these things and you have a mustard seed of faith, it is quite possible that that seed will shrivel up and you will find yourself back where you started because you could not believe. Friends, God wants intimacy, friendship, and trust from His creation. When we believe that He is who He says He is we are showing trust in Him. When we commit our lives to Him and are obedient to Him and do what His word says to do we are saying that we trust Him, we believe Him. When we trust Him, we love Him. He knows what we are made of. He knows what we are going to think before we think it, what we are going to say before we say it, He knows what we are going to do before we do it. His plan for us was written before we were born, everything we do and go through in this life does happen without His knowledge. He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him! If you seek Him daily you will find Him! God is infinite, He is everywhere but He longs for us to invite Him in. To humble ourselves before Him and seek His presence, His counsel, His love, His conversation, sometimes just His ear! If you seek Him you will find Him! You have to be persistent and consistent. Don’t get discouraged because you sought Him today and you didn’t get the answers you wanted, or you didn’t see what you wanted to see. God does things in His time and He will reward you for being diligent in your pursuit of Him by answering your petitions, by speaking to your heart, by comforting you, by whispering in your ear, by revealing Himself to you. But He does everything in order and if you are not ready for what He has for you, He will wait till you are and you have to keep pressing on. Let us take up our shield of faith that can only be activated and exercised, used effectively, when our faith is grounded and founded in the word of God. Praise the Lord! As the Lord told Jeremiah to eat the scroll, I tell you eat the word of God! Eat the book and feed your spirit! Of course I don’t mean literally eat it but read it, study it, meditate on it, ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate your mind and bind all spirits that would try to keep you from feasting on the word of God, because when your mind is soaked up in the word your faith is strengthened and you are able to take up your shield of faith and quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. Hallelujah!!

Soar Like an Eagle

2008-12-02T22:42:00.001-05:00

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. Psalm 103:1-5

This is one of my favorite Psalms. It expresses the gratitude that is in my heart for all the Lord has done for me. When I am going through a trial, I think of the first verse and tell myself, regardless of what my surroundings look like, I must bless the Lord with all my soul. I can’t forget where He brought me from, all that He’s done for me, how He placed my feet upon a rock. Some of us were born and raised in the church and that in itself is a blessing, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t experience things that people who weren’t raised in the church experience. For this reason we cannot forget all His benefits. We can’t forget how He saved us, washed us, restored us, healed us, gave us a new name. We cannot forget these things because though we are saved and Holy Ghost filled, we are human; and as humans we are prone to imperfection. We are prone to forget the good things God has done for us. We are prone to forget that because He loved us, we should love others. We are prone to forget that He who called us is faithful to deliver us from anything and everything. You see, we forget sometimes that God is with us when we are struggling. We forget that He is with us when we fall and don’t know how to get back up. He is right there with His hand stretched out saying get up, I got you. When I think about that it fills me with awe, gratitude, and amazement that God is so patient with His children. I would’ve lost patience with myself a long time ago, but God is not impatient. He continues to love us, lead us, correct us, and mold us into the people He has chosen us to be; a holy nation and a royal priesthood. That is who we are to Him. He forgives our sins; He heals our bodies, souls, and minds. He redeems us from the price we should have paid for our sin. He crowns us with loving kindness and tender mercies! He is awesome!!! He is ever loving and merciful towards us, even when He is correcting us; He does it with mercy and love. Hallelujah!!!

Bless the Lord Oh my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name!! Glory to God!! I get excited when I think about what He’s done for me. He gives us good things and when we are tired and weary from the battle and the struggling, He gives us strength to fly like eagles. The word says He satisfies our mouth with good things so that our youth is renewed like the eagle’s. God is just amazing! To renew us like the eagle is to strengthen us so that we can continue will full force like the eagle when he soars in the sky. There will be days when we will soar in the glory of the Lord. When we will be so high and full of Him, that we may think nothing can touch us and we praise Him. But there will be days when we will be weary and we will have to battle and on these days we need to praise Him even more because He is the one that renews our youth in those times. Praise be to God Almighty!!

Return to the Lord

2008-11-28T11:59:00.001-05:00

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

2008-11-26T14:03:00.001-05:00

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?

2008-11-24T09:16:00.000-05:00

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

2008-11-23T21:59:00.000-05:00

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?

2008-11-20T15:07:00.001-05:00

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....

2008-11-19T11:26:00.000-05:00

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

2008-11-18T14:36:00.000-05:00

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

2008-11-17T09:54:00.000-05:00

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!

2008-11-16T22:54:00.000-05:00

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

2008-11-15T18:52:00.000-05:00

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

2008-11-14T13:27:00.001-05:00

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

2008-11-13T14:58:00.000-05:00

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?

2008-11-12T10:36:00.001-05:00

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!!

2008-11-07T14:10:00.001-05:00

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

2008-11-06T15:15:00.001-05:00

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

2008-11-05T14:17:00.001-05:00

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

2008-11-04T14:35:00.000-05:00

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

2008-11-02T21:00:00.000-05:00

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?

2008-11-01T23:50:00.001-04:00

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!!

Hold Fast, Stand Firm

2008-10-27T23:58:00.003-04:00

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Hebrews 10:23 – 25

This is an awesome word! We all know (or at least I hope we do) that we are living in the last days and that Christ is coming sooner than we imagine. Many things will rise up to shake our faith. When we look at the news everything is about death, violence, misery and lack. Quite depressing, I don’t even like watching the news, but we have to stay current with what’s going on around us. These things can shake our faith. There will be those who will try to provoke you and take you out of character and still other wiles of the enemy that will try to seduce you back into the pit God pulled you out of. HOLD FAST THE PROFESSION OF YOUR FAITH! GOD IS FAITHFUL!! Do not be deceived by what is going on in the world, what the enemy tries to bombard you with, or what he tries to seduce you with. These things do not mean your demise, but his! When we look at what’s going on in the world, it’s sad, but it brings us ever closer to being caught up with our Lord! That is exciting!! Yes I am excited this morning when I think about. This may be a little longer than usual but I want to point something out about all this.

One thing the enemy uses against the church is division. A church can only be divided when they don’t walk in love. Brothers and sisters, we must walk in the love of God as Jesus walked in it to be a united church. The Scripture says: Consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. Do you know what that means? Of course you do, I was just asking to see if you’re awake. To consider one another to provoke love, is to pray for one another, fellowship with another, pray together, encourage one another, get to know one another and LOVE one another. When we love one another we look out for one another and we don’t let anything come between us. We fight for one another in the spirit realm. We protect one another. That is why it is so important to congregate! I confess that sometimes it has been hard for me to love. I am not proud of it, but I ask God everyday to give me more love so I can love like He does. We all should pray this way because there are some people we will meet that we will have a hard time showing the love of God to. Not that we don’t want to but God has to deal with us. Speaking specifically for myself, He has to deal with me. But the congregating of saints is a beautiful thing when the church walks in love, there is strength among the brethren. The church is like the emergency room. When you get there, you have something broken, something cut, or just a splinter but when you allow God’s love to minister to you through His vessels under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, you will come out healed and restored. You will realize that there are people who have gone through what you’re going through and are still standing!! They are standing because God brought them through and this will encourage you and strengthen you to hold fast to your faith because God will bring you through too! Praise God!!! As the day approaches, when our Lord will come for us, let Him not find us lacking. Let Him find us walking in love and all of His fullness till we see Him face to face.

Heavenly Father,
Bless my brothers and sisters this morning. Show us what it is to truly love and lay down our lives for our friends. Father fill us with your love more and more everyday so that we may love as You do. Unconditionally, compassionately, with no prejudice, so that we will be found without blemish when You come for us. Your word says that love covers a multitude of sin, as Your love covered our sin when you gave Your life for us, let our love cover the hurting, wounded, and dying, that You may bring restoration, healing, and wholeness through Your children. Thank you Father for loving us.
In Jesus name,
Amen

In the Eye of the Storm Part 2

2008-10-24T01:42:00.000-04:00

The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore. Psalm 121:5-8

When we are walking in the desert, that place where many lessons are learned and loneliness seems to be our constant companion, the Lord is our keeper. He walks with us in that dry place, He holds us close, He keeps us no matter what. In the dry place, where there seems to be no refreshing for our souls, the sun does not scorch us or strike us in the high noon and the moon does not bother us at night. In that desert, snakes and scorpions cannot touch us, vultures will encircle us but never taste our flesh because though we are going through a painful season and there seems to be no end, he does not allow any evil to touch us. We are the apples of His eye and no matter what we go through, we must keep in mind that He allowed it for a reason. The reason may be to teach us to depend on Him. It may be to show us how to endure and be joyful. It may be to take us to the next level in what He has planned for us. But whatever the reason, He has allowed it and He will bring us through. He preserves our soul. He preserves our going out and our coming in. Wherever we go, He preserves us, He watches over us, He makes sure no harm comes to us that would try to destroy us. The awesome part is that He promises to preserve our goings and comings today and forevermore!! Praise the Lord!! Let us remember who keeps us when we are going through situations we don’t understand and would seem to tear us apart. Remember that He will preserve us from all evil because He has our backs and He is our Father. No matter what you go through, trust God to be there with you through it all and to make a way for you in the midst of it.

In the Eye of the Storm Part 1

2008-10-24T01:21:00.000-04:00

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. Psalm 121:1-4

During the hardest and darkest times of my life since walking with the Lord, these verses have reminded me constantly of where my help comes from. In times of sheer desperation these verses have given me comfort and strength. There are times where all you will be able to do is look up and call on the Lord. Moments where the pain is so immense and so intense that you have no choice but to cry out to God in order to get through it. What’s so comforting about that is that He hears you, comforts you, and strengthens you. He will not give you more than you can bear because he knows what you can handle even when you don’t. He knows what you’re made of and He knows that when you come out of the trial that you will stronger, better, wiser. You will be in a position for Him to take you to another level and use you in a way you never thought possible. He does not sleep and He watches over you and keeps you in the palm of His hand especially in the trial and pain. When you are going through a desperate situation, remember that He who keeps Israel, He who keeps you does not slumber nor sleep. He is well aware of your situation. As a matter of fact, He is right there with you in the midst of the trial and He will bring you out of it ready to do things you couldn’t do before this time. Praise Him in the stormy trials, praise Him in the heat of the fire, praise Him when the waters try to drown you because though you go through the fire, the flames will not scorch you; though you go through the flood, the waters will not drown you and in the stormiest of storms He is the only One who can calm the storm and bring peace.

If You Believe

2008-10-21T15:38:00.002-04:00

Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” John 11:40

Those are powerful words! This question which is more like a statement was asked of Martha after her brother Lazarus died. Prior to this question, Jesus had told Martha that her brother would live and naturally she assumed that He was talking about the resurrection of the saints. She had not fully understood that her brother’s death was to glorify God and bring others to faith in Jesus Christ. She did not know that Jesus was talking about literally resurrecting her brother at that moment. It must have blown her mind to see her brother walk out of that tomb very much alive!

There is nothing impossible for God; the key is to believe it. Do you believe?
Let me tell you a short story that will motivate you to believe the impossible is possible if you just believe. Recently, I received answers to two very important petitions I had before the Lord. One of them was to one day see the son I had given up 19 years ago and the other was for the salvation of my husband. Over the years I had imagined how things would play out. I knew that I would see my son and that my husband would be saved. I believed it with all my heart. What I didn’t know was when and how it would happen. In August of this year I got the double whammy! The double portion, the double blessing, two gifts at once, however you want to call it, I got it! My son, who had been looking for me, found me, received me, and is now home with us, and my husband had a true encounter with the Lord and received salvation. A week prior to my son contacting me, my husband took a step of faith and gave his life to the Lord and it is his testimony that the way that God orchestrated the reunion between my son and I, has reaffirmed his faith. He saw the glory of God in how it came about. It is amazing just thinking about how it all happened but the point of this story is that if you believe you will see the glory of God! Praise the Lord!!

There are times when doubt will try to infiltrate our minds and hearts when we are believing God for the impossible or what seems to be the impossible. Doubt will try to weasel its way into our minds when we are believing God for something we’ve been waiting a long time for but when that happens, when that weasel tries to make you falter in your faith, reject and rebuke those doubtful thoughts and remember that if you believe, you will see the glory of God.

Heavenly Father,
We thank You for the many blessings You have bestowed upon us. We ask You Lord to strengthen our faith and help us to believe the impossible so that we would see Your glory. Jesus help us to overcome when fear and doubt attack our lives and try to make us waver in our faith. Help us to stand firm and hold fast to our faith that we may be like the palm tree that bends but is never uprooted in the storm. Let us see Your glory Lord.
In Jesus mighty name,
Amen

Don't get Discouraged, God is with you!

2008-10-20T13:33:00.003-04:00

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Joshua 1:9

This is my all time favorite verse of the Bible. It amazes me how God reminds us that He is with us wherever we go. When we are headed in the wrong direction, He gently lets know. So how can we be strong and of good courage when we go through dark times? He reminds us that He is with us wherever we go, even in those dark places where we think He is not with us. Praise God! That is comforting to know especially when you are in a desert season and you think God doesn’t hear you or that you are alone. The devil would have you think that you are alone, and things are going to get worse before they get better; but he is a liar and the father of lies and God’s word is true and He is faithful. If He says that He will be with us wherever we go then you can be sure that He is there in the middle of the dry desert with you. Let us walk today in courage, encouraged, and let us not be afraid of what is ahead because God is with us and He prepares the way. Be strengthened in the Lord this morning and know that all things work for good to them that love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. He is with you wherever you go.

The Lord has spoken to me through this verse on many occasions and I have been truly blessed by it. I hope you are too.

Heavenly Father,
If anyone reading this is struggling with loneliness, anxiety, fear, doubt, or depression. If anyone reading this is going through a battle they think they cannot win, Lord let them know that You are always with them. Let them know that You are with those whom You call, those whom are called Your children. Father let them feel Your loving arms around them that they may know that You are closer than they can possibly imagine. Father strengthen them and deliver them from the whatever is tormenting them that makes them think that You are not aware of their situations. Lord I ask You to bless them as only You can and give them peace.
In Jesus mighty name,
Amen

Healing for Spiritual Leprosy

2008-10-19T21:41:00.002-04:00

When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Matthew 8:1-3

I don’t know how many times I’ve read this account of Jesus healing the leper and I can’t remember when I’ve read it and didn’t see it as God’s way of showing us His healing power. A couple of days ago I read this passage and received something else from this word. We all know that everyday God reveals something in His word and Monday night when I was reading this passage, I not only saw God’s healing power but also God’s saving power through the blood of Jesus. I will explain – how many of us know what leprosy is? We probably all have an idea of what it is from the biblical accounts and anybody who’s studied medicine knows what it is in the medical field. Leprosy is a disease that attacks the flesh and the nervous system. Lepers as they were called in the Bible had no sense of feeling in some parts of their bodies, the skin would ulcerate, and the flesh would rot. In biblical times lepers were considered outcasts, they could not live among the people because they were considered unclean, apart from the fact that it is contagious. These people lived in parts of the city or country designated for lepers; most of the time they had to beg to survive because they could not work, and they could not live with their families. So what am I getting at? From the saving perspective, I reflected on what the soul looks like when we come to Jesus. Our souls were rotting, our hearts had no feeling, our minds, emotions, hearts, and souls were ulcerated. And one day someone told us that we could be healed, we could be saved, we could be saved through Jesus Christ and our leprosy would be healed. When we come to Jesus and receive Him in our hearts we are saying Lord if you will, you can make me clean. And He will say I will, and come in and make us new. But there’s another thing I understood from these verses. Sometimes we become spiritually sick. We get caught up in things, people hurt us and we don’t give it up completely to the Lord, or there are issues within us that we are not necessarily aware of or ignore and they cause us to be stagnant or stuck in one place with no growth. This is a form of spiritual leprosy. The spirit is ulcerated and if we don’t ask the Lord for healing or allow Him to heal us, our spirits lose the nerve endings that cause us to feel and our hearts grow cold and hard and soon it reflects on the outside and we begin to rot from spiritual leprosy. But Jesus is still the Healer of our souls, spirits, bodies, and mind! If we ask Him, He will say, I will! And He will heal that leprosy in our spirits and make us whole! Praise God for He is awesome! At first I only saw the aspect of when we first come to Christ full of sin, but even when we walk with Christ, anytime there is a foothold for the enemy to grab on to and there is room for sin we are in danger of spiritual leprosy. Let us guard our hearts from unforgiveness, envy, pride and other things that can desensitize our hearts and make us spiritual lepers. Don’t let things said or done to you penetrate your heart to where a root of bitterness can grow. Always give it to Jesus who restores all things and heals us completely and makes us whole.

Stand United

2008-10-18T12:18:00.002-04:00

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Ephesians 4:1-6

Why do we forget that we are one body? Why do we forget that the very same Spirit that dwells in me, dwells in you? We are not all on the same level in our walk with the Lord, but we are all serving the same God, we share the same faith, and the Spirit that abides in one, abides in all who believe in Jesus Christ and have given their lives to Him. You see, the day that you opened your heart to God with all sincerity and asked Him to come in, was the day that you received the love of God in your life. It was the day that you experienced love on a whole new level. Real love. Whatever you thought was love before Christ does not compare to what love is in Christ. God is love therefore we must be humble, gentle, patient, bear each other's burdens in love. We have to be united and be peaceable. Jesus said that a house divided could not stand. He's talking about a family divided cannot stand. A church divided cannot stand. A ministry divided cannot stand. We all have to be on one accord. He has not called the church to be divided. What purpose would we serve in division?? Division is a tool the enemy uses to tear apart lives and we should not allow him to come into our home, our church, our ministry, our jobs, and try to divide what God has called to stand united! When Paul talks about bearing each others burdens in love, he is not talking about being in each others business. He is talking about helping each other during the difficult seasons of our lives with love and patience. I can tell you it is not easy dealing with different characters and emotions on a daily basis. It is not easy to deal with people when they are going through the process that God puts us through and resist. It can get downright ugly! But God has called each of us to be at peace with each other. To help each other lovingly, not with attitude or misgivings. "Well I'm going to help her because the Bible says I should but I really don't want to." God does not honor that attitude. Even though you are doing what the Bible says, you are not doing it in love and God cannot honor it. Bearing each others burdens in love involves praying and interceding for each other. It involves ignoring sarcastic remarks, and pressing forward to help someone even when it seems they don't want your help. It involves encouraging others when you feel you need encouragement yourself. How can you do these things? I can tell that on your own accord you will not be able to do it because your old self will not allow you to, but the Spirit of God empowers you to love, forget, ignore hurtful words, and press forward and not give up on others. We need to stand united in these last days because the devil is working overtime and doubletime to distract the church and divide the church because he knows his time is short and he wants to take as many as he can to where he is going for all eternity - the lake of fire. We cannot give him room or allow him to sneak his way into our lives, our families, and our churches.

Father,
We give You glory, honor, and praise for Your word today. Your word that exhorts us today to stand united and to bear each others burdens in love. We ask You today, Lord, that You would give us the strength to stand united in You and that You would fill us with Your love on a daily basis because love covers a multitude of sin. Love suffers all things and bears all things. That we would be the church, the families, the people, You have called us to be and that Your love would shine through us as we stand united. In Jesus name we thank You Lord.
Amen.

Reconciling Differences

2008-10-17T14:17:00.000-04:00

Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Matthew 7:5

There are times when we are offended by something someone said or did and we focus on the offense and don’t realize that our reaction to the offense may be more offensive or just as offensive and we hurt that person with our words and with our actions. I have been guilty of this on several occasions. The worst part of it is that I feel justified in my behavior because as we used to say when we were children “He/She started it!” or “He/She hurt me first!” Those reactions are just that, childish. It is not easy to admit when we are wrong even when someone else has hurt us. I would say especially so. I have learned though, that if you allow the Holy Spirit to guide you, you will realize your error and attempt to correct it if in fact you want to be obedient and are repentant about your behavior. I thank God for His Holy Spirit who convicts us when we are wrong and gently nudges back in the right direction. For some of us it takes a little more than nudging because we don’t want to admit we are wrong or we simply don’t realize that we did or said anything wrong and that is dangerous. When you offend someone and that person brings it to your attention and you disregard it simply because you don’t feel you did anything wrong, or you don’t like the person’s approach about it, you hurt that person more. Now the offended feels that you don’t care how they feel and retaliate in a worse manner. This verse was spoken by Jesus to the Pharisees, who criticized and thought they were better than the common Jew because they did not have to beg to eat, and they were “religious leaders”, they were so called “high society” who treated people poorly and criticized others because they didn’t have, not caring how they made these people feel. What do you think happens when you offend someone and don’t correct it or ask their forgiveness even when you don’t think you did anything wrong? You leave the door open for gossip, slander, anger, discord, and chaos, because now that person is upset and will talk to others about your behavior. This affects your testimony as a Christian as well as the offended person’s because you failed to show love and reconcile the situation rather than let it get out of hand. Both are trying to remove a speck from the other’s eye yet still have a plank in their own. You have to step back, look at the situation and remove the plank from your own eye first so that then you can go to the offended person and ask their forgiveness and by doing so you remove the speck out of their eye. We must try to live as examples to others. We are not perfect and won’t be perfect until we are in glory, but with the Holy Spirit guiding us and helping us, we can overcome and be victorious. I hope I made sense in this devotional, know that God first ministered to me through this word and I know it will minister to you.

Heavenly Father,
I pray that this word would minister to every soul that reads it. I thank You because it has ministered to me and I ask You to keep me as well those reading this, sensitive to your Holy Spirit and sensitive to others. That we would be mindful of what we say, how we say it, and how we approach others. Bless all those who will read this today Lord, and if they are going through a similar situation, give them the strength and the love to reconcile whatever differences they may be experiencing. Lord I thank You for Your word and the priviledge to share it with others. Fill us with Your love everyday that we are on this earth so that we can love others as we love ourselves. In Jesus name.

Amen

Preparation

2008-10-16T13:36:00.000-04:00

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. Isaiah 55:8

Human beings do not and cannot understand God. Even Christians cannot claim to understand God. Man was created with a mind that can think, reason, create, and solve problems. However, though it is an intricate part of the creation of man and was formed beautifully by the Master, it is finite, which means it is limited. God’s mind on the other hand is infinite. It has no limits. The thoughts that He has for us, we cannot begin to imagine or comprehend. His way of doing things is far better than our way because He knows all things and we don’t. When we think that things aren’t going to get any better, God thinks they can ONLY get better. When our situation looks like a dead end and we think there’s no way out, God thinks there IS a way out. When we think we can’t do something because we’re not sure of ourselves, God thinks you CAN do it because I have given you what you need to do it and I will help you. When we think we are alone, God thinks you are NOT alone because I am always with you. Do you see how contrary our thoughts are compared to God’s? We cannot pretend to know God’s thoughts but we do know that His thoughts for us are good. We do know that He wants the best for us. As only a father can want the best for his children so God, our Father, wants the best for us. Our Father planned our future before we were even thought of by our natural parents and everything that we ever experienced, are experiencing, and will experience is preparation for that future. The future doesn’t end when you get married and have children, no; it’s just the beginning because children are part of your training for those who have them, part of your preparation. For those who don’t have them, that is part of your training too. When negative thoughts come to mind and you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. When you can’t think straight and don’t see how things are going to get better or how things are going to change. When you can’t see past the pain you feel and think there is no end to it and nothing good will come out of it, remember that God’s thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not His ways. Remember that He has a future planned out for you and that whatever your situation it is just part of your PREPARATION for your future in Him. Praise God for His infinite mind, His infinite love, and His infinite mercy.