He's Watching & Waiting On You...

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.

2 Chronicles 16:9

The words recorded in today’s devotional serve a since of comfort in the hearts of all believers as we are reminded that the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth… God has His eye on you and will continue to watch over and protect you… Having His eye on you means that He not only is observing, but that He also knows all your shortcomings and mistakes… As a child of God we must be open and honest with Him as we grow in the knowledge of Him… This can only be accomplished through a (n) open heart and mind in the dealings and communications with our Savior… There are so many of us living in a self inflected bondage because we have not turned all of our afflictions over to Him… God is ready to show himself strong on your behalf; however, you must first acknowledge your weakness and need for His presence… The children of God had experienced much success at the time of this writing; however, their confidence in trust soon became in themselves and not God… In was through trial and hardship that God regains their attention to teach them of His power and perfection… Today, know that God must take priority in your life; you must continue to trust and confide in Him if you want to Experience His power and perfection… This is why the word of God concludes by saying that God does all of these things on behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him… You are not required to be perfect in order to be blessed; on the contrary, you must have a perfect desire to please and adhere to the will of God… This message informs us that the eyes of the Lord are present; however, He cannot move on your behalf until you have a heart for Him… The word of God reminds us today that we are covered and protected by God! Often times in this life we feel exposed, we feel puzzled at the site of the mountains that are planted in our lives… There are days when we feel oppressed and times of despair where we want to give up and just quit; today we should be encouraged, today we should lift our heads in praise to God for we are reminded that even in the dark days God is by our side! We are reminded today that even when trouble seems to have mounted up on every side of us that God is still in the midst of the storm and will see us through… Notice this passage from Chronicles states that He is going to and fro to show himself strong toward those who are perfect toward him!

Again, to acknowledge strength, we must acknowledge weakness; this passage is saying that we will see God’s strength when we become weak… You have to turn your situation over to the Lord, stop trying to fight this battle by yourself, stop thinking that you must handle every situation and recognize that God is waiting for you to invite Him in… So many of us say that we are waiting on God, but this passage teaches us that He is waiting in us… He knows your heartache, He sees your pains and is ready to show up mighty if you are willing to show your futility and turn to Him… There are a lot of things that we go through and have lost hope in and God is saying that these situations are so that you can see my power, so that you will understand that I am at work in your life and that these mountains aren’t overtaken by your actions! He is on the scene and waiting for you to turn every situation over to him, turn your house over to him, relinquish your anger, resentment, or envy over to him… Declare today that you can’t make it on your own power and allow him to manifest his strength in the situation!

He will show up on behalf of those whose heart is perfect towards him! I am truly glad today that God looks at our heart and what we have on the inside today… What He is saying is that I know that you have some situations in life and have made some mistakes, but I know your heart is in the right place so I am going to show up and work things out for you anyhow! Surely we all have fallen short (I can attest to that today), we all have walked down the wrong road from time to time, but God is saying if your heart is in the right place, if you are believing in me and trying to adhere to my calling I will make sure that your darkness becomes light, I will transform you and I will bring your through! The eyes of God are upon every situation in your life, instead of complaining acknowledge your weakness and pray His strength in the situation; after all, his eyes are roaming to and fro waiting for a chance to reveal his greatness! Give him a chance today!

BE BLESSED!!!

Don't Be Anxious; Just Pray About It...

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

A lot of us may be walking around wondering why God hasn’t answered our prayers; we may even be at a point where we find ourselves wondering if He even heard our prayer which we laid before Him… The answer to this question resides in the verses we focus on in today’s devotional… Despite all the confusion and chaos we find ourselves dealing with directly or indirectly within this world; Paul reminds us that the first step which must be taken in walking according to the will of God is that you do not be anxious about anything... Anxiety a (n) nervousness, unease and apprehension about something which will eventually be a bridle within our minds taking captive our thoughts and the direct steps which we take upon this earth…   When we worry we reach a state of unrest and therefore find ourselves tossing and turning until we either get an answer or resolve the situation on our own… This is not of God and this captivating mental state must be denied within us so that we can clearly see God working through us… There are situations that we all face which do concern us; however, when we walk in faith we pray about them and completely turn them over to the Lord… Doing this keeps us from becoming anxious… Knowing that God has heard us and will step in on His time gives us peace of mind over every situation and stronghold that we encounter… How you handle things outside of your control is the best indicator to the depth of your relationship with the Lord… Jesus through all His life and even through all His persecutions never rushed or tried to speed up the actions of His father… You can say that peace was on Him and dwelt within Him no matter the storm or test that was presented… Remember, in the gospel of John, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” This passage comes as Jesus tells them that He will be going away… Knowing that His death is coming, knowing that sin will be thrust upon His shoulders and knowing that He would be betrayed; Jesus lets the disciples know that He is at peace… His peace is derived from a complete trust and faith in His father’s divine plan… This is the mindset that we all should be trying to achieve in this life; knowing that there are things which are simply out of our control, realizing that not everything will work as we planned, we can still be at peace within ourselves knowing that God has a plan and just like it’s written in Jeremiah, His plan is to prosper you and not to harm you; to give you hope and a future… There are a lot of thing in life that we desire to obtain, a lot of goals that we have set in place to reach and a lot of heights we want to climb in this life…

Today, Paul reminds us that having desires are fine, but that we must align our desires with the will and direction of God… Paul starts off todays focus verses by saying that we are not to be anxious about anything; I think we all would agree that we live in a “I want it now” society with a “give it to me now” mindset… This approach to life leads many to turn from the will of God and seek their own way through this difficult journey on earth… The bible is filled with many promises, but the fruition of those promises usually takes years and countless hours to be birthed… The Israelites we told that they would receive the Promise Land, but it took over forty years and a lost generation before they settled in the Land promised by God, Job lost all He had and waited countless days and months before the Lord blessed him with double what he had… Paul was struck with blindness by God on his way to Damascus and for three days could not see… God has made promises of deliverance, victory and blessings to you; however, as a child of God you must be careful to allow His will to unfold in your life…If you decide to inquire of God as to when and/or how these things will come about in your life is fine, but you must also remain faithful in knowing that God doesn’t work on your timetable and that there will be times when you may not receive the response your looking for or even get a response from God… What Paul is teaching today is that trying to do things on your own will lead to more problems and conflicts, we must pray about situations instead of acting of reacting, we must lay our request (petitions) before the Lord instead of moving without His guidance and we must always be thankful… The key to making a request to God is to always be thankful for what He has already done in your life and what He is doing… I make many requests to God; however, I make these requests because of the kindness and faithfulness that He has already shown and I am careful to give Him thanks because of His goodness… You may be making a request to God in the form of deliverance, healing or financial freedom today; however, make sure that you recognize the blessings that God has already bestowed, know that you are blessed to simply be able to go before Him and lay your problems at the foot of his throne… When you are careful to avoid anxiety and make a rash decision you allow God’s plan and will to take affect, when you are pray for God’s guidance He will impart it to you, when you are thankful and recognize His sovereignty than His peace will be bestowed into the situation… This peace will give you comfort to sleep, this peace will allow you to stop worrying, this peace will give you confidence to know that even though things may not be happening according your plan, things are taking place and that God is in the midst… He will guard your heart (keep you out of harms way) and your mind (keep you from making bad decisions) as long as you keep your focus on Christ… If you want peace, if you want comfort, focus on Christ and allow God to focus on your problems!

BE BLESSED!!!

Jesus Endured And So Can You...

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Hebrews 12:3

There is no shortcut to reaching the heights and plateau that God has designed for you; there is no way to circumvent the paths and lanes which were uniquely customized for your feet to travel… In today’s devotional we are reminded that we must focus on our source of strength instead of dwelling on our current problem or situation… There are so many of us who daily find ourselves being caught up in situations to the point that we neglect and negate the power and presences of God… When you find yourself on the verge of throwing in the proverbial towel, when you feel like you are at the end of your rope and can’t say any way out, the author tells you that you must consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners… Remember all the snares, trials and hardships that Jesus faced; remember the heartache and spiritual pain that was firmly thrust upon His shoulders and know that in the end He was victorious… You can draw strength from the Lord by simply reflecting on all that He has done in your life and even before you were born… Jesus fought the good fight over 2000 years ago so that you could see this day; He considered it not robbery to leave His home in glory so that you could one day reside with Him… All these things Jesus did for you and indeed did accomplish them and this alone should provide your source of strength and motivation to do the same… The enemy can only defeat you if you allow Him and the proof of this statement is in the words of Jesus Christ recorded in the 4th chapter of Matthew… Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

The passage from Matthew should serve as a great source of encouragement for the weak and discouraged believer… The devil presented Jesus with choices to try and deter His divine destiny; however, Jesus standing firm on the knowledge of God was able to combat Him and prevail… Today, know that the enemy will present choices in your life; He cannot defeat you, but will try to get you to ultimately be your own worse enemy and thus defeat yourself… Jesus drew strength from the words It is written; you can draw that same strength from Him today and not allow the enemy to overwhelm you to the point that you give up on your divine calling and destiny… All these things which Jesus endured was not only to bring Salvation into reality, it also was to display the Lord’s victory over sin so that you will not grow weary and lose heart… So many of us would have bailed and given up if it were not for the story of Jesus being spoken to us… We would have ran from our calling and not stood in faith if we didn’t know about a man from the town of Bethlehem and how He overcame every device of the enemy to fulfill the prophetic words of old… Jesus opened the door to rekindle our relationship with the father and also left us with a rod of reinforcement to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel… This life is filled with ups and downs; the minute you think you have peace of mind is the same minute you find yourself on the verge of pulling out your hair… There are many trials and tribulations that we are too fast and the word of God declares to us that we are assured to encounter test and opposition… The beginning of the 12^th chapter of Hebrews starts off by saying, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus conquered what people thought was unconquerable (death) and is not sitting at the right hand of God making intercession for us… He is a living example that things are not always what they same and even the most trying situations can produce the most fulfilling results… Keep your hand to the plow; the field will produce the harvest which will make the sowing all that more enjoyable…

BE BLESSED!!!

Fervent Prayer Of A Righteous Man Availeth Much...

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

James 5:16

Problems derive from faults not being confessed or mistakes made being shown through love… Today’s devotion reminds us of the importance confessing one another’s faults to each plays in the processes of healing… There are a lot of people walking around in life with open wounds; these wounds are infected daily because bitterness has not been removed and anger continues to fester like bacteria with oxygen… This same principle applies to the offender and the offended; as the offender, often times we will deny wrong doing which will allow a spirit of pride, self righteousness and an egotistical mindset to be rooted in us and drive us further from the truth… In order to have closure in your life which gives way to healing, you must either acknowledge your wounds or confess your actions which lead to someone being wounded… This acknowledgment must not only take place, but must also be prayed over; this is why James goes on to say that not only must we confess our faults, but that we must pray one for another… Recognizing the mistake you made or the offense that someone committed to you is the first step; however, until you seek a resolution and closure through prayer this issue will not and cannot be resolved… In understanding the importance of prayer, I am lead to reminding you that the issues you face in life are not meant for you to handle but to teach you to turn them over to the Lord… There are so many problems that could’ve been resolved and so many issues that could’ve been handled differently if we gave way to the plan and move of the Holy Spirit… Prayer is essential to being healed because it removes all the infected items (you and the other person) from being involved and thus making the matter even worse… When you carry envy, jealousy, anger and strife; you are infected and will do nothing but infect everything that you come in contact with… Healing can only be found in and through the hands of God… The bible declares that Jesus was presented with a situation after being transfigured before James Peter and John about a boy who as possessed and the disciples were unable to cure him… At the command of Jesus the was emoved and the boy was whole; in their astonishment, the disciples asked Jesus why they couldn’t heal him, Jesus declared that this could only be done by praying…

A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer. This passage simple shines light on the fact that we must have a prayer life and must stand in prayer throughout our daily struggles knowing that it is only through our relationship with the Lord that we can overcome any situations presented before us… Prayer is a must and will produce results; this is why James concludes by saying that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much…

You must pray, but you must also be covered in the righteousness of Jesus Christ… As a child of God, one of the most important assignments we have is to lift up one another through prayer and fellowship… We need to be in support of one another in the body and cease gossiping or any kind of malice towards each other! James tells us to confess your faults one to another, confession brings healing, it brings true love and reconciliation; but, we must make sure that we live a life that will allow someone to confess things to us. There is a lot of hurt and pain that often times is bottled up inside someone because they have no one to talk too. As a child of God we have a duty to our fellowman to make sure that we create an atmosphere of love and openness that will bring others to Christ and not have them guarded about what they say towards them! Not only is it important to confess our faults so that we can be lifted up within the body, but we must also remember to pray for each other… The bible tells us that we are to pray without ceasing, we should be constantly in prayer for one to another lifting up the faults that are confessed to us to God and not to other parties through gossip… Prayer to God will ultimately bring healing into our lives, when we confess our sins we cause a multitude of people (who we have confessed too) to lift us up in prayer… The bible says that where two or three are gathered I will be in the midst! Jesus will come into your situation; he will be there right by your side and will deliver you out of your circumstances! When we pray, we must be sincere, we must be genuine and we must be honest… The effectual fervent prayers of the righteous availeth much; seek him while he may be found, open your heart to God and know that through Faith he will answer your prayers! Surround yourself with people who understand the power of prayer and will seek God in humility, prayer is not about boasting; it is not about rambling, but about standing before God and emptying your pitcher before Him! So cleanse your heart of all envy, anger, resentment, evil and lust when standing before the thrown and watch what he can do!

BE BLESSED!!!

Serve The Lord; He Shall Bless Thee...

And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.

Exodus 23:25

The first step that we must take in walking according to the will of God is to serve Him wholeheartedly… When Moses was given the 10 commandments on mount Sinai, the 20^th chapter of Exodus starts of with these words; And God spoke all these words: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me.” This first commandment given to mankind was to make sure that God has priority in your life amongst all other things which may serve as detractors or snares throughout your journey… This first commandment echoes today’s focus verse which calls for us to server the Lord you God… Life is full of decisions; from the time that you open your eyes decisions are being made at a rapid pace… You decide when and/or whether you are going to get out of bed; you decide what to wear and what’s for breakfast… If you have a vehicle to travel in, you decide how fast you want to drive (tickets could be an issue) and how you are going to interact with your co-workers or fellow students… Just about every second we are making decisions and all the decisions that we make carry consequences with them… Today, we are reminded that deciding to serve the Lord unlocks the ability to have all our needs met… Notice that the word of God says He shall bless thy bread, and thy water, but this will happen after we choose to serve the Lord… The blessings that God has prepared for you can only be received when your approach to life isn’t about things of this world but of the things of Christ… There are so many of us being plagued by the visible things in this world that we are missing out on the blessings that God has designed for us… You are caught up with the worldly perspective of what success means and so you find yourself adhering to false pretenses that are depriving you from reaching your God given destiny… The world says that services is a sign of weakness, it is a debilitating position which can produce unwanted comments and insults being hurled toward the person occupying this role… We look down on being a servant when we have the mindset and share the opinions of this world; however, in looking down on services we actually are looking down on God as if we are too good to bow down and get on our knees which in turn is a direct result as to why you aren’t blessed in the manner that you wish you were… The bible says that without faith it is impossible to please God… I reference this scripture to make the point that faith requires an ability to serve… Jesus took the lowest position on earth because of the faith He had in the plan of the father… You can willingly submit and humble yourself before the Lord in service knowing that He will exalt you in due time… In thinking about service, I am so amazed at how much we may reject this ability when in fact our life is filled with serving others… We work a job to serve a duty to the those who employ us and can’t be faithful to God and serve Him when He created us… These instructions given unto the Israelites are instructions that we should adhere to today in our daily walk…

First and most importantly, we shall serve the Lord thy God; so many people attend church every Sunday, usually come out to bible study and think that this is serving the Lord! To serve in this since means to give out… Yes you are giving of your time, but are you really giving of yourself! Have you begun to alter you lifestyle, have you made changes in your life to reflect God’s influence and will for your life! If I am attending church, but the church doesn’t live in me than I am not serving the Lord! When we serve we are humble, we honor, we respect and we appreciated the things that God has done and has promised to do… The Lord told the Israelites that He would bless thy bread and water; He said that He would take sickness away from the midst of them… In Christ, you can rest assured that your service in not in vain… The things you do will be rewarded and the actions you take will not go unnoticed… Understand that bread and water are vital to our life; God will supply all your needs (not wants because what you want may not be what you need) according to His riches in glory… Service is a two-way street, when we serve the Lord He in turn serves us… This can be something as small as saying your prayer before you lay down at night and praising God through prayer when you awake, service could be speaking kind words to one another as oppose to tear each other down… When we are in service for the Lord we are honoring His name with our living and in return He honors us with His blessings and compassion…God made several promises to the Israelites, from delivering them out of slavery to giving them a Promise Land flowing with milk and honey… Note the facts of promises that God has made in your life, in the book of Malachi we are told to test the Lord in giving and that when we do, He will shower down blessing upon us, the bible also tells us that we can cast all our cares upon the Lord and that He will deliver us… He has promised to purge you and sanctify you so that you may become the vessel that He molded you into from creation! We must understand today that God hasn’t drop the ball when we look at the standing of this world, God has not abandoned us nor has He made promises that He cannot keep! We have messed up, we have screwed up, and we have tried to take our lives into our own hands! Let us focus now on serving God, praising God and worship God! This is the key to turning our lives around and more importantly, impacting this world and letting everyone know that He reigns forever! If you are sick, serve the Lord… If you are weak, serve the Lord…Those who find themselves in storms, obstacles, hardships, trials and tribulations need to serve the Lord… Your answer can only be found in service for the Lord… The bible says that those who humble themselves shall be exalted; the last shall be first… This means that when we recognize the Lord and submit ourselves to him (service) we will then be lifted up and blessed according to His will and promises…

BE BLESSED!!!

I Am Not Ashamed Of The Gospel...

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek...

Romans 1:16

How much is your faith proclaimed verbally verses being displayed spiritually and physically…? There are a lot of us who put forth great signs of faith when we are around other believers and followers of Christ; however, these same people cower when a situation presents itself for them to stand in faith amongst the darkness within this world… This is the message that is being presented through today’s focus verse, Paul starts off by saying that despite what people may say or dear to even think about Him and His past, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ… You have to have a mindset that people will talk and you just have to stay the course and stand in faith… The bible declares in the 13^th chapter of Matthew a principle that we must apply to our own lives… It is in this text that we must come to know that there are a lot of people in the body of Christ which will not make it to the eternal resting place called heaven… Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.  When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. ^“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from? ^“An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?” “No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.” I reference this scripture just to make the point that the enemy has planted weeds which are sprouting amongst the wheat planted by the Lord and they will be separated when the proclamation of the gospel comes forth…  You can tell wheat from weeds when faith comes into the equation… Wheat says For I am not ashamed while weeds will be manipulated and controlled by their surroundings… The message today is clear, the word of God is the deliverance that paves the way to Salvation in Christ… You have to have the word in you if you want to see the path that God has paved for you…This is why Paul says it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth…  You have the ability to unlock endless possibilities in your life… You can’t be ashamed because if you are, you will be subject to confusion and misdirection’s in this life… 

There are a lot of people who pretend and actually think they can pull the proverbial wool over Gods eyes; Paul makes a declaration today in his letter to the Church of Rome, he says that he is not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ; it saddens me today, because I believe that there are far too many people who are faithful behind closed doors, but silent amongst the people of the world… They have a closet religion, the only time God is praised and honored is when they feel by themselves and that no one else can see them; Paul gives us the reasoning behind why we shouldn’t be hiding our walk with God! He states in this scripture that it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, it is by the word of God and the good news of Jesus Christ’s’ death that we have the ability to live, it is by His offering that we are no longer offered unto death and sin! Christ thought it not robbery to leave His home in glory and take on the form of man, we shouldn’t deny our faith when we understand the He is faithful and has already begun a work in us that He will see completed! The fact that we should be dead right now, the fact that we should have had access to heaven denied and the fact that we are born sinners should be enough to profess your faith in Christ! Knowing that Jesus paved the way should be enough for you to come out of your hiding spot, knowing that He cared for you when no one else did should be enough for you to stop concealing your true worth on the account of others… Through Christ you are free, through Christ you are healed, through Christ you are delivered and the world needs to know your story! The world needs to know that God saved you; the world needs to know that you have a companion, who is closer than any brother or sister that you have ever known; the world needs to hear your testimony of God’s goodness and the light that He has shined upon your life! I know who saved me; I know who never turned His back on me, I know who is always by my side, I know who comes and checks on me in the midnight hour and I know who is coming back to receive me unto Himself and take me back to my eternal home in Glory! If you know the things that have been said today are true, than just as Paul said, we should not be ashamed!

BE BLESSED!!!

God Was With Him...

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Acts 10:38 

You can do nothing without the power and presence of God…Even though the world declares to us that we can do a lot of things if we apply ourselves, the word of God informs us today that even Jesus Christ had to be anointed and aided by the Holy Ghost in order to do good and heal all that were oppressed of the devil… Notice that that today’s devotion declares that we need the anointing of God not to just perform miracles but simply to do good… Sin is naturally apart of our being, we are filled with filth and a strong desire to fulfill the lust of the flesh… Doing good embodies so many actions of our daily lives; we need the presence of God in our lives to speak kindness amidst gossip and betrayal, we need His anointing to extend a helping hand to our adversary and enemies… When we are of this world we focus on trying to get ahead using whatever means necessary; however, when we are under the anointing of God we have faith that we will reach new heights and are willing to extend a hand to those we pass along the way… We all have probably heard the saying “what would Jesus do” and after reading this question I am left posing the question how did Jesus do it…? How is it they He could allow Judas to kiss Him in betrayal, how could He heal the ear of the guard, how could He keep quite while all the lies were spoken about Him and how could He endure the cross knowing that His life was lived without blame… The answer lies in the words of this passage; God anointed Him and the Holy Ghost guided Him… This same principle must be applied to your life; you won’t be able to do what Jesus did if you don’t have the same in dwelling spirit that He did… In short, you must come to know the Father and allow the father to be within you so that you then can accomplish the most possible on this earth… In the world you will experience some success when displaying a hard work ethic; however, under the anointing of God you will experience great success while working hard and will also be able to  accomplish things that were deemed impossible (miracles being signs of God’s presence in your life)…  Today we understand the power that God imparts within His children; we come to the realization that we have been given a (n) ability to defeat the devil through the power of God’s anointing and Holy Spirit… Acts tells us that God anointed Jesus and He went about doing good and healing the oppressed; the vision of Jesus life was already in place, but now God imparted the tools needed to fulfill His divine destination! 

We too must understand that God has given us the vision for our lives and He has and will impart within us the tools that we need to succeed… This passage teaches us today that we truly must be under the leadership of the Lord in order to overcome the ways of the devil… Too many of us have tried to take on Satan with our very own hands and have continued to lose the battle, Luke is informing us today that if we want to be victorious our life must line up with the word and will of God! It was the anointing that God gave, the approval that God stamped upon the life of Jesus (from the time of His birth, through His baptism all the way to His resurrection) that not only paved the way to Him sitting on the right hand but also allowing us a chance to inherit Eternal Life… The bible tells us that when Jesus was Baptized the Spirit of God descended upon Him in the form of a dove and then the voice of God hidden in clouds said this is my Beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased… Shortly after Jesus Baptism the bible says that He was led into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil… God had given Jesus the mission and the strength to fulfill it, so when tempted of the devil He not only refuted Him, but dismissed him from His presences… When we align ourselves with the will of God we are able to overcome any obstacles that may be presented before us… Paul says “Who can separate us from the love of Jesus…?” He then goes on to say that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me…” We can draw strength from Christ because He drew it from God… Every time Jesus went into the wilderness to pray He was being strengthened by God; every time He knelt down in prayer He rose with a little more power within Him, and these times prepared Him for His greatest task, the cross… Let us keep this in perspective today, that we must continue to pray and continue to seek the Lord in all that we deal with, knowing and understand that we draw strength from God to carry out the mission that our lives have been given! There are people who need to see your walk, there are children that look up to you, there are elders that are waiting to smile in the atmosphere of your success and overcoming spirit! So continue to seek Him while He may be found and understand that He is the only way to plow through these trying times and come through on top!

BE BLESSED!!!

The Growing Pains of Life...

Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

Psalm 51:6

I am pretty sure that we all can recall several things that we have done in this lifetime that quite simply we are not proud of… I know that there are many decisions that we have made which we wish we could go back and change; however, today’s message teaches us that we must learn from these mistakes, accept them as mistakes and lay them before the Lord in the form of repentance… A lot of us have delayed and/or missed our calling because we have allowed the mistakes of yesterday to limit our ascension of today… The vice which has held you, the chain which has restricted you can be broken today if you confess to the Lord knowing that He wants to change and transform you… I find it sad to see so many people with so much potential who have allowed their destiny to be defined by their past failures… David shows us today that we can overcome the darkest secret and become the light which God has called us to be despite the darkness we once dwelled in… God wants you to know that He isn’t concerned about yesterday as much as He is concerned about today… You can right your wrong, you can convert your negative into a  positive; this doesn’t mean having the ability to go back in time, but rather to acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ because of your past so that He can ignite your future… The enemy wants to keep the millstone tied around your neck; however, David teaches us today that the Love of God is pure and without limitations… The Lord can reach you wherever you are, wipe whatever filth from you and use that skeleton to impart things in you so that you shall know wisdom… Paul teaches us in the 13^th chapter of his letter to the Church of Corinth that, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” Paul reminds us that there is nothing which separates Gods love from His creation and David teaches the same thing even in the greatest of misfortunes… God is not worried about the things on the surface of your being, but that the seed which is planted in you has the fertile grounds needed to sprout… Today’s passage reminds me of how some many individuals find themselves living a double life simply because they don’t deal with the ugliness that dwells inside of them… Your beauty is not developed on the outside but within and this is why the psalmist says thou desirest truth in the inward parts… The bible tells us that when Saul was rejected as king, God sent Samuel out to anoint the next in line to take the thrown of Israel… Samuel was lead to the house of Jesse and appeared to him to anoint the king to be… When Samuel set his eyes on Jesses’ first son he said this must be the one whom the Lord has chosen; however, God informed Samuel that this was not the one to replace Saul and said that man looks at the outward appearance but that God looks at the heart…

After passing through all Jesses’ sons, Samuel finally called for David (the youngest son) whom was the one that God had selected to be the next king of Israel… This passage displays the importance of being the true desires of God in exalting his creation… David was anointed king because of the heart he had to serve the Lord, it was not David’s appearance, it was not his stature, but the willingness he had to be transformed by God… Today’s psalm was written by David at a point in time in his life when he had made some bad choices, this psalm was written at a point in time when he had made some mistakes and we see through this psalm what must be done in order to be healed from your past choices and failures… Understanding that God looks at the heart of man lets me know that we must accept the sinful nature we are born with… This acceptance is not related to willfully doing wrong, but knowing that is exists within us… David says, “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts…” God desires to purge you of the sinful nature, He desires to transform you by the renewing of your mind, and God desires to cleanse you from the evil that lies in the inward parts… There are a lot of mistakes we have made and a lot of skeletons in our closet (inward parts)…. If you want to be made whole, if you want to be filled with the word and will of God you must acknowledge the inward parts of your life that need to be cleansed and repaired… David writes this psalm after committing adultery, impregnating a woman (Bathsheba) and killing a man (Uriah) to take his wife from him… The child that Bathsheba bore was removed from the face of this earth by the Lord and this obstacle in David’s life lead him to write this psalm… There are a lot of obstacles in our lives that have come upon us because of the mistakes that we have made; however, the choice is ours whether these obstacles will become stepping stones or stumbling blocks… David repented in this psalm unto the Lord and received another son from Bathsheba named Solomon who would become the wisest man to ever live… God desires truth to live within you; this can only come about when you acknowledge your life of sin (David writing this psalm) and accept the disciplines of God as a corrective measure to place you on the right road for your journey… When the truth is in you all lies are cast out, when the truth is in you all deception is gone, when the truth is in you God himself resides within and your purpose for life becomes clear; obstacles become stepping stones and you learn from your storms and mistakes which in turn become wisdom that you can pass on to your offspring and anyone you encounter…

BE BLESSED!!!

He Will Exalt You In Due Time...

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

1 Peter 5:6-7

Humility is the characteristic that if handled correctly will unlock the divine will and plan of God for your life… I say that it must be handled correctly, because humility can also unlock destruction in chaos in once life if you are humbling yourself to the wrong authority… This is why Peter says Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God; your humility can either be used to promote or tear down and it must be handled carefully… The meek temperament shown through humility allows someone to be molded, shaped or fashioned for a specific purpose… In the beatitudes, Jesus Christ declares “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” When you allow yourself to be molded, you then can be transformed to go to another level in Christ which will in turn open up doors in your life to inherit things that you never thought you would be able to obtain… A meek person is submissive; they are complaint to the authority in their lives and are mild mannered… I can reiterating this point because it is of the utmost importance that we understand how humility unlocks Gods favor but can also lead us down a path of darkness and destruction if we submit to the wrong things… A lot of us become frustrated with the will and plan of God; we don’t see Him moving as we desired and so we find ourselves submitting to the desires of the flesh or of this world…  This is why Peter says that we must first submit to the mighty hand of God and then proceeds to say that this must happen so that he may exalt you in due time… You have to know that just because you submit to the will of God doesn’t mean that He is going to act in your favor or own your behalf right away… So many of us are looking for a big miracle and God is simply paving avenues to your divine destiny which are not bordered in gold… Your faith and humility are stable when your foundation is knowing that God will move in due time… The things of this world which teach that results should be instant do not flow with the design of the very will of God… The bible declares very clearly that “his ways are not our ways nor his thoughts our thoughts…” God has plan being carried out and you must learn today that your humility can not be deterred based on when you see results… Being accountable is the key to experiencing the purpose that God has for your life… Peter says that we must humble ourselves under the might hand of God… The truth of the matter is that we can do nothing on our own, when we try to live according to our own standards and priorities we end up in a world of hurt and pain…

God wants you to leave all your thoughts and cares with Him… He wants you to walk around knowing that He can and will take care of you… This is why humility is key, if you aren’t humble than you will never be compliant to the will of God because you will try to handle every situation on your own… When you are humble, things roll off your back because you take them to the Lord and leave them there… Look at your life and the results that you have seen when it comes to choices that you have made without seeking the guidance of the Lord… In acts of humility we recognize that we need Gods help and that we are full of flaws and mistakes… God will deliver you, but you must be accountable to admit that you need deliverance… Once we accept that humbling factor, we must have enough faith to not give up when situations aren’t changed or corrected in the time in which we desire… How strong is your faith? Think about it as we examine these scriptures taken from 1 Peter the 5^th chapter… The fact of the matter is that God knows what you stand in need; He sees your aches, your valleys, and your mountains! He knows all to well the course of rocky plains and hurdles that lay before you, the question is do you truly believe that? To humble yourself is to sacrifice your focus and shift to the authority of another! Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God; go through the trials and tribulations, face the storms that rage and intensify knowing through Faith that God is with you, knowing that trials come and serve purposes in our lives and as the psalm writer said, believe that “we will understand it better by and by…” There will be many things that don’t make sense, many problems that we don’t want to face, but it is through these circumstances that God is asking the first question, how strong is your faith? Before you can be blessed, God must be assured that you are ready, before you can be exalted God must be assured that you are ready for exaltation! He must be assured that you are accountable to your own sins and know that He is the way, the truth and the light… Growing involves growing pains, maturing involves spiritual and physical adjustments… We were made in His image, and He is trying to bring His image out since it has been clouded by our own desires! You will be exalted in due time, your breakthrough is coming, your victory is assured, and your triumph has been ordained under the heavens! So don’t become weary, don’t give up, don’t settle, but press toward the mark, hold your head up, and keep the faith! Cast all your cares on the Lord, when your struggling, Pray; when your hurt, Pray; when your back is against the wall, Pray, when you feel alone or isolated, Pray…. Cast all your cares upon him. Everything that is on your mind take it to the Lord in prayer, knowing that He hears you, but more importantly, believing that He will step in, in DUE TIME!!!

BE BLESSED!!!

He's Revealed Through Your Trials...

Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Isaiah 40:4-5

Every stumbling block you face in your life is guaranteed to become a stepping stone when you walk according to the will and plan of God… As a child of God we have to have the mindset that trouble will arise; however in and through it we will not only come out, but we will be better than we were when we first went in… The word that came to Isaiah informs us today that Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low…  A valley is a low area of land usually found between a hill or mountain; on the other hand, a hill is a raised area of land (a mountain being a little higher than a hill)… I clarify these things to make the point of what Isaiah is saying to us today, the things in your life that appear in one form will be flipped and transformed into another form when you walk by faith and not sight… There are areas of you life that you think are low points and God wants you to know that He can lift; there are situations that you face which you think cannot be conquered because they are to high and steep, the word of God for you today is that He can make them manageable so that you can cross over… No situation is too hard for our God; even when things seem to be spiraling out of control in your life, know that the crooked shall be made straight… The things you face in life are challenging you to display your faith and not just speak about it… This is why we are assured to have trials and tribulations, hardships and despair… There is a greater work being performed in the midst of the storm you face and you can maintain your standing in Christ by knowing that the glory of the Lord shall be revealed… For something to be revealed, it must first be concealed… The things in your life that are concealing your destiny and God’s grace are serving the purpose of setting the stage for you and the hand of God to be revealed in the lives of others… Despite how daunting this Christian journey may appear to be, there is good news for you and I to hold on to… There are many people of this world who appear to be succeeding and many phases of life, many who don’t walk according to the will of God; however, they seem to be living life to the fullest… Isaiah informs us today that we must be careful not to get caught of in the way things appear or seem to be because “…the glory of the Lord shall be revealed…” God is revealed in the most uncertain situations, it’s when you know that you can’t handle it or that you don’t have the authority over it that God is revealed in and through it… This is how the beauty and majesty of the Lord is revealed in your life… You face valleys, hills, mountains and crooked paths so that you know and others see that God is the only one who can transform, lift and overcome… Make no mistake about it; in the end, God will be exalted… He will be recognized as Lord of Lord and King of Kings and you should find courage today in your walk because you know that when His glory is revealed you will be as well… Thos who think they are mighty will become weak, those who think they have plenty will not have enough and it’s good news for all those serving in whatever capacity that God desires of them to know that “…all flesh shall see it together…” Everyone will come to know your path and see how God has kept you and secured you… His glory is revealed when people come to know that it wasn’t anything that you did, but the grace and mercy that God deposited in your life that has been your crutch… There are times in life when circumstances aren’t what you desire them to be; situations that seem unfair and unjust; times when the trials and tribulations, the storms and rain just are too much to even comprehend.

Again, this passage taken today informs us that the glory of the Lord will be revealed. This is encouraging to me because I firmly believe that God has our best interest at heart, He never said that the road would be easy, but He did say that His glory would be revealed. That means that we will behold His majesty, we will see His omnipotence and feel His favor. Some things take place in your life so that you will understand that only God can deliver you, some things happen so that you will increase in faith in the Lord. This text tells us that all flesh will see it, those who persecute you will see His goodness; those who rob you of your joy will see His mercy upon you. Those who think that they are full will be empty, and pride will be humbled, because as Isaiah says, “…the Lord hath spoken it…” Jesus was taken to trial, beat, mocked and spit upon… He carried His cross through the streets and a man named Simon helped Him along the path due to the punishment and pain that His body had endured… As Jesus hung on the cross with insults being hurled upon Him the bible records that in His final moments the earth shook violently and the Vail of the temple was torn in two, one observer of the crucifixion takes note of Jesus and is recorded in Matthew 27:54 saying, “When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!" In the midst of Christ’s hardships the glory of the Lord was revealed to these individuals; likewise, in your life know that the glory of the Lord will be revealed in you and through you… Today commit your life to His will, come to the realization and understanding that God doesn’t make mistakes… Understand that Job lost it all, but gained double what he had (his later was greater than his former)… Joseph was imprisoned but soon sat over the land of Egypt… David lived in a cave fleeing the hands of Saul, but was later the King of Israel… There will be dark days where people will see your sorrows, but know that this is the time where God is manifesting His will, this is the time that He is instilling His plan, this is the time where He makes sure that His name is exalted by your deliverance…, Hebrews 12:11 says, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” The bible says that we all will suffer for the name of Christ, Jesus said keep in mind that they hated Him first, God said that we will be persecuted for His name sake, He said that no persecutions seem joyous at the moment, He said that weeping may endure for a night; He also said that joy comes in the morning, He also said that trials mold you and perfect you to come forth as pure gold, God said that no weapon formed against you shall prosper … What God is saying through the prophet today is that we don’t mourn as a people without hope, what God is saying is that you should consider it pure joy whenever you face trials and tribulations… What God is saying today is that your trials allow people to see His glory! Sometimes the trials that you face aren’t meant for you, but you have to go through them so that you may show others your faith and God may show the world His faithfulness… He said He would never leave you nor forsake you; God said it, I believe it and that settles it!!!!!!!

BE BLESSED!!!