All Are Welcome

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely…

Revelation 22:17

You have an invitation from the Lord today to have your life transformed and taken to another level… There is a door that is open unto all mankind and that door is defined in the bible through the word come… It doesn’t matter the mistake, the decision, or the flaw, God reveals to John that He desires you to come… It doesn’t matter how far you have fallen or how much you have messed up in your journey of life, God wants you to know that all is not lost, stumbling blocks can become stepping stones and the missteps of yesterday can be corrected by your decision today to come before Him… The spirit of God knocks at the door of your heart seeking for you to come unto the will of God and to experience the pleasures and delights that He offers… The Bible tells us that every good and perfect gift is from above; you must realize that the good gift you need, the perfect gift you desire can only come from God… You must align yourself with the will of the Father, you must put yourself in a position to seek the savior, and you must turn from the desires of mankind and focus on things eternal… Look at the call that is placed in John’s revelation written in this 22^nd chapter… “And let him that heareth say, come. And let him that is athirst come…” People all across the world are dealing with different types of issues and hardships… The call is not unique to one particular problem, but to all that don’t know Christ… The person who has heard the ways of this world can now hear the good news of Jesus Christ's bloodshed on Calvary… The person who has thirsted after the successes of this world can now drink from the rivers of life and never thirst again… Wherever you are today, know that God loves you; understand that the call has gone forth and that He desires for you to “come…” 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

God Has An Expected End

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 

Jeremiah 29:11-12

Though things appear dim or the chances seem slim, take courage in knowing that God has a plan… Even though things may seem to be on the verge of destruction, we must have enough faith to stay the course knowing the plans and desires that God has for us… Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet, he lived during the bondage that the Israelites encountered under the hand of the Babylonians and witnessed the oppression of God’s children… Even while in captivity and seeing the hand of the enemy prevailing, Jeremiah records this message that we all can live by today… Jeremiah records that God knows the thoughts that He thinks towards you, He knows the path that He wants you to travel; He knows the levels of greatness which He wants to see you reach! His thoughts toward you are thoughts of peace (tranquility, happiness, and joy); not of evil or wickedness! He has an expected end for your life… 

Here in the midst of trials and tribulations, Jeremiah is reminding the people of God that the Lord has not forgotten about them; he is preaching to the masses that even though storms have entered your life, understand that God is still there and He will deliver you… This scripture has a two-fold meaning; the first is that God has thoughts of peace for your life; He wants to give you the best… However, the second is that your bondage is a result of the choices that you have made…Often times we want to blame God for the snares we face, and we want to question God’s authority when we face trials, but Jeremiah reminds us today that God wants nothing but the best for you, your family, and your life, but just like a parent, He must allow you to learn from your mistakes and sometimes you will have to take the rough road and rugged terrain of hardships to experience the promises of God… Don't lose sight, either path (smooth or rocky) can lead to God's expected end for you!!!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

A Godly Woman Is Priceless

Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

Proverbs 31:30

 

What is your motivation as you get up from bed and prepare to head out to your occupation or school…? Are you focused on catching the attention of your peers or are you focused on conducting yourself in a manner that is pleasing to God regardless of the environment with which you are entering… The intent of your actions reveals more about you than the actions themselves… This proverb reminds us today that you can have all the physical tools that a man or woman desires (nice hair, skin, figure, etc…) You can be the kind of woman who turns heads everywhere you walk or constantly receives compliments on how you carry yourself, but this passage reminds us of the emptiness that lies within a person who is not under the authority of God. This verse starts off by saying Favor is deceitful, this means that you may have many compliments, and you may receive many gifts, but those who are on the giving end may be expecting something else in return (motives that are not Godly), those who are praising you may be the same ones that are trying to stab you in the back or cause you harm. In the same vein, you can favor one person over another and end up regretting your decision… 

There are so many relationships that fall by the wayside because people have favored looks over humility… This is why we must come to know that favor is in fact deceitful as it will lead you down a road of empty promises, regret, and mistreatment... Not only do we need to know that favor isn’t what we should seek from the eyes of mankind, but the writer goes on to say that beauty is vain; this tells me that a woman of character isn’t just about looks. This implies to me that there must be something more that the woman brings to the table other than her body. I have seen many relationships that revolved around a physical attraction and within months it is over. I have known women who look beautiful but are weak within, they don’t have the strength to withstand temptations or hardships so they so they lure people in with their physical beauty; however, inwardly they are so ugly and dark that this soon leads to complications and heartbreak…  Beauty is vain because looks fade, beauty is vain because the stress of life alters your appearance; it is an ineffective resource that people use as a crutch for far too long… Favor and beauty are what derailed Sampson with Delilah, and favor and beauty is what derailed David when he saw Bathsheba; however, the fear of God is what kept Joseph from accepting the invite from Potiphar’s wife to sleep with her, it is also what allowed Esther to stand on behalf of the Jews before the king… Learn to appreciate what God thinks and not man; when you do that, you will come to know what this proverb also says 20 verses earlier, and that is that you are WORTH MORE THAN RUBIES!!!!

 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

We Are Not Worthy Of His Grace

John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.

Luke 3:16

As a child of God we all must make a decision in life, this decision is the choice that we make to live our lives according to the will of God instead of adhering to the designs and plans of the world… Baptism is a result of the decision that we just looked at in the above verse; when one is baptized, you are displaying not only your faith and acknowledgment of your sin but also showing that you have a changed outlook and mindset internally. This is shown and declared by the visible steps you have taken which are outlined by being baptized… It is a privilege and indeed an honor for one to be able to be baptized… Through baptism, God has allowed you a golden opportunity to be transformed from your life as a sinner and be molded into the child that He specifically designed you to be… Remember that Jesus made His mission and assignment clear in John 10:10 when He said I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly… This is the fire and Holy Ghost that we receive when baptized by the one who is mightier than John… We indeed can decide to be about the work of God; however, you must have the indwelling Holy Ghost to serve as your comfort and guide along the way. Not only does the Holy Spirit comfort and guide, but it is also by the spirit that we ignite the flame of faith which will allow us to overcome storms and obstacles that are meant to break and deter… The only way to reach your divine destiny is to be baptized into the divine will of God… This step can only be obtained when you are under the guidance and rule of the savior… John the Baptist himself was not able to define the purpose and plan of a believer which is why he classified Jesus as the one, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose… Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. The Bible declares that there are two paths in life, one is broad and one is narrow. In order to travel the narrow path that leads to fulfilling the purpose and plan God has for you, one must commit to following and aligning with God's will. One of the first steps in this process is baptism...

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Stay Focused On Jesus

But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

 Jude 1:20-21

 

The key word for today’s devotional is maintain; Jude reminds us today that as we grow in Christ, we cannot allow our maturation process to be hindered by a lack of focus and remembrance… Oftentimes the struggles we face as Christians derive from our unwillingness to focus on Jesus Christ and place Him as the number 1 priority. We allow the things of this world or day-to-day activities in our lives to put Christ on the back burner. As a result of not putting God first, we often neglect to seek Him in every aspect of our lives and only turn to Him as a last resort... This is why Jude says that we are to build up ourselves on our most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost… When situations arise or storms approach, you cannot neglect your faith; as a matter of fact, this is where your faith is of the utmost importance and this is why Jude says that we must build upon it… Satan was mad when you turned to Christ and he will stop at nothing to alter your path and change your mind… Understanding the desires of the enemy allows us to gain an understanding of how important our foundation is… Jesus once spoke a parable regarding two men, one built his house upon a rock while the other built his upon sand; when a storm approached, the house built on a rock was the only one left standing… I incorporate this parable today to make the point that we all (no matter the foundation) will encounter storms; however, if we maintain our faith and hope in Jesus Christ, we will be able to survive and overcome the most daunting challenges… As a child of God, the first thing we must do is make sure that our foundation is secure in Him… 

 ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Open Your Heart Not Your Mouth

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

1 Peter 3:9

 

Just the other day we looked at the gospel of Luke and how we are called as Christians to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, and pray for those who despitefully use us… Today, we examine other aspects of our walk that lead to growth and display our acceptance of Jesus as the model for our lives… Peter was a man who faced many challenges, from the time he wept in the courtyard to standing before the courts of the Pharisees, Peter saw many trials and tribulations… It is in today’s reading that he reminds us that we can’t act like everyone else in the world, we can’t conduct business the way people conduct business and we cannot stoop to the levels of society that would lead us to straying away from our walk with the Lord… Peter was known as a man who didn't care for too many shenanigans; many scholars speak of Peter as being the kind of guy who would make you think twice before messing with him… All these things lead me to believe that Peter had a very quick temper; however, under the guidance of the Lord Peter teaches us today that we can’t be reactive, we can’t jump to conclusions, we can’t be like everyone else… How hard is it for you to turn away from somebody who has done you wrong? How hard is it to walk away from a person who has insulted you and/or gotten under your skin…? Peter reminds us today that as a child of God, we show our faith by taking these actions! Despite how we may have reacted as a product of the world, today we are reminded that we must have a different approach as a child of God… Quite frankly there are things in our lives that we use to do which will not be accepted nor tolerated in living a life that is pleasing to our Lord…

 

I know that biting your tongue can be difficult, extending a loving hand to your adversary may be challenging, and turning the other check can be a daunting task; however, the words from Peter are not only that these are things that you must do, but that these traits are obtainable when walking under the authority of God… Understand that by walking away you will inherit blessings; this is not a sign of weakness but maturity… As Christians, we all need to remember that God didn't repay us for our evil and sin, He responded with a blessing in the form of Jesus Christ… Blessings poured out in times of evil reap a harvest of glory and honor to God! Jesus didn't repay the Roman soldiers who hung Him on the cross, He sought for them to be forgiven and then bowed His head; now He sits at the right hand of the Father and all power has been placed in His hands! Let us draw strength from His example. Let us live our lives according to the will of God, when evil arises in your life, pour out the spirit of blessings that God has poured out on you… Speak a kind word to your enemy, and lend a hand to someone who has betrayed you… When you do these things, you rebuke Satan’s attack and store up more blessings from God in heaven… God has promised that you will be exalted in the face of evil (thou preparest a table for me in the presences of mine enemies…) so stand on faith in God and don’t take matters into your own hands… The Lord knows how many times you keep quiet and don’t overact; He will do the talking for you and will reward you openly with blessings…

 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Love In Spite Of

But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

Luke 6:27-28

As we have studied the last couple of days, today’s devotional deals with the fact that as Christians, we are held to a higher standard or way of living… Today’s message echoes our focus this week which elaborates on the fact that you are to love your enemies and do good to them which hate you… Understand today that how you handle people is a direct example of how you feel Christ has dealt with you… Remember today that you were undeserving of His love, grace, and mercy just like the people who irk your nerves; however, we have to model Christ and continue to love others even if they don’t know how to love you in return…  Again, as we have studied throughout the week, know that as believers in Christ, we are held to a higher standard… We must go the extra mile and extend hands of kindness to those who may not be grateful… In this journey of life, we must speak words of encouragement to those who may be gossiping about us and we must stay focused on exalting God through our living… Jesus gives us instructions that we are called to live by today; we are not called to extend helping hands to just believers in Christ; we are called to see each and every moment in our lives as a chance to display our faith and God’s faithfulness… We give not expecting anything in return, we give showing that we are of Christ and that we want to bring praise and honor to the name that is above us… Remember the grace that God bestowed upon you when you were His enemy and bestow that same grace upon your enemies as a child of God…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!