Sunday, February 22, 2015
You Can Run but You Can't Hide
Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid. ~Basil King
Scripture:
But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. Jonah 1: 3-4 (New International Version)
I once asked a friend, “Why am I compelled to do these messages?” Needless to say, my friend couldn't answer my question but rather said, “I don’t know, but I thank God that you do.”
You see my friends, very often I find it painful to write about some of the things that I do. I sometimes feel that it is a great weight that I carry. No matter how much I try to deviate from writing these messages, I often find myself sitting here with a new story to tell. I realize that I have been given a mission by God and as much as may want to rebel, God will not allow it.
So it is with each and every one of us. God has given each of us a mission. It is our responsibility to carry out that mission whether we want to or not. When we try to walk along a path that is not of God, He will allow things to happen to in our lives that will force us back on the right path. You may be in the wrong relationship, pursuing the wrong job, or maybe you have just ignored the word of God and are following the world instead of following Him.
Maybe just like Jonah, you have been given a directive by God but because you don’t want to do it, you try to run away from it. Maybe you are doing things in your life that God finds unacceptable. Or maybe, you have decided that you just don’t want to listen to what God is trying to tell you.
I just want to let you know, that if there is something that God wants you to do, He will wear you down until you do it. If you are not adhering to His directions, I urge you to pay close attention because God can and will get your attention, by any means necessary.
Be blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Father God, I come before the throne of grace seeking Your face and Your favor. Lord, often times I hear Your voice and tremble. I tremble because I know that I am not doing your will but rather following my own. Forgive me Lord. I pray that You would forgive me for my mistakes of yesterday and I pray that You would find favor with me once again. Lord, I come standing in the gap for my family and friends. I pray for the family who lost a mother and the family who lost a young child. So many need so much. I ask that You would comfort those who are heartbroken, assure those who are at a lost, strengthen those who are weak. Lord, help us to realize just how blessed we are. We may not have all that we want, but you continue to supply all of our needs. Lord, we just want to thank You for all that You have done in our lives and for all that You are about to do. Keep us all in perfect peace and help us to keep our minds and our hearts set on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In His name we pray. Amen.
Scripture:
But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. Jonah 1: 3-4 (New International Version)
I once asked a friend, “Why am I compelled to do these messages?” Needless to say, my friend couldn't answer my question but rather said, “I don’t know, but I thank God that you do.”
You see my friends, very often I find it painful to write about some of the things that I do. I sometimes feel that it is a great weight that I carry. No matter how much I try to deviate from writing these messages, I often find myself sitting here with a new story to tell. I realize that I have been given a mission by God and as much as may want to rebel, God will not allow it.
So it is with each and every one of us. God has given each of us a mission. It is our responsibility to carry out that mission whether we want to or not. When we try to walk along a path that is not of God, He will allow things to happen to in our lives that will force us back on the right path. You may be in the wrong relationship, pursuing the wrong job, or maybe you have just ignored the word of God and are following the world instead of following Him.
Maybe just like Jonah, you have been given a directive by God but because you don’t want to do it, you try to run away from it. Maybe you are doing things in your life that God finds unacceptable. Or maybe, you have decided that you just don’t want to listen to what God is trying to tell you.
I just want to let you know, that if there is something that God wants you to do, He will wear you down until you do it. If you are not adhering to His directions, I urge you to pay close attention because God can and will get your attention, by any means necessary.
Be blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Father God, I come before the throne of grace seeking Your face and Your favor. Lord, often times I hear Your voice and tremble. I tremble because I know that I am not doing your will but rather following my own. Forgive me Lord. I pray that You would forgive me for my mistakes of yesterday and I pray that You would find favor with me once again. Lord, I come standing in the gap for my family and friends. I pray for the family who lost a mother and the family who lost a young child. So many need so much. I ask that You would comfort those who are heartbroken, assure those who are at a lost, strengthen those who are weak. Lord, help us to realize just how blessed we are. We may not have all that we want, but you continue to supply all of our needs. Lord, we just want to thank You for all that You have done in our lives and for all that You are about to do. Keep us all in perfect peace and help us to keep our minds and our hearts set on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In His name we pray. Amen.
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Anything Goes
Everything happens for a reason, nothing lasts forever. Welcome to life, where anything goes. ~ Unknown
Be blessed and be a blessing
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ... 2 Timothy 3
Not long ago, I had a serious discussion with a group of friends as to what may be wrong with the world around us. Both men and women participated and various religious perspectives were voiced. Christians, Atheists and even an Islamic viewpoint were offered up. Each brought very valid points and issues to the table.
Warning: the following viewpoint is mine and mine alone. Any resemblance to the word of God is strictly coincidental and the names cannot be changed because there is no innocent.
Somehow the very foundation on which this country was built on “THE WORD OF GOD” has been removed from our children’s lives at the very point they will begin to develop the character traits that will define who they will become. We tell them all bets are off and that ANYTHING GOES. They can openly practice Satanism, Hedonism, and that is perfectly okay to be in love with someone of the same sex.
Covering their bodies with tattoos and piercings is the right thing to do and that if it feels good, do it. Sex, drugs and drinking alcohol to the point of passing out is cool. And let us not forget that the disrespectful movies, games and music we watch and listen to, is simply our way of expressing ourselves.
As a single mother who tried to do what was right in the sight of God to raise my sons with basic Christian values, it brings me to tears to know that I may be fighting a losing battle. One of the best quotes I have ever heard was;
The greatest trick the Devil ever pulling was convincing the world he didn't exist.
Be blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Jesus wept. Amen.
Sunday, February 08, 2015
Making the Right Choice
Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved. ~ William Jennings Bryan
Scripture:
To the discerning all of them are right; they are faultless to those who have knowledge. Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Proverbs 8:9-11
Many people would like to believe that they can’t control their own destinies. They believe that destiny is something that just happens. Not so. Our destinies are based upon many of the choices that we make. That is why it is so important that we make the right choice, because they will eventually determine your destiny.
When it comes to making life altering choices, like whom are we going to marry? What kind of job will I be stuck in? What kinds of friends will I have? Too often we depend upon how we feel rather than what we know.
As I have grown older, I realize that many of the things that have gone wrong in my life were because of bad choices. Too often, I acted upon how I felt about a certain thing as apposed to what I really knew about something. The word of God tells us that if we seek first the kingdom of God, that everything else will come.
Now I realize that sometimes the choices that we have had to make seemed like the best choice at the time, or maybe we felt that we didn't have a choice in a particular situation, but I realize that far too often I didn't seek God’s council BEFORE I made my choice.
Saints of God, when it comes to making the right choice about any and everything, we must first stop and listen for a word from God. If something in your spirit is telling you no, or making you hesitate, maybe that’s not what God wants for you. If something is delaying you in your decision, it might not be just a coincidence.
We must all learn to seek God first, be still and listen to what He is trying to tell you.
Therein lays your true Destiny!
Be blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Father, as I am faced with another day in my spiritual life, I ask that You would guide and direct me in all that I do. Help me Father, to be still and listen to what it is that You may be trying to tell me. Lord, I realize that I can’t change many of the things that have happened in my past, but what I can do, is learn to depend upon You for my future. Order my steps Holy Spirit. Guide and direct me down the road that You would have me to travel. Help me to develop a spirit of discernment as I try to make better choices in my life. Father God, we ask that you would bless our friends, our families and our loved ones who have asked for prayer. Bless my sisters who are looking for jobs and my brothers who are trying to provide. Keep them all in perfect peace. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Scripture:
To the discerning all of them are right; they are faultless to those who have knowledge. Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Proverbs 8:9-11
Many people would like to believe that they can’t control their own destinies. They believe that destiny is something that just happens. Not so. Our destinies are based upon many of the choices that we make. That is why it is so important that we make the right choice, because they will eventually determine your destiny.
When it comes to making life altering choices, like whom are we going to marry? What kind of job will I be stuck in? What kinds of friends will I have? Too often we depend upon how we feel rather than what we know.
As I have grown older, I realize that many of the things that have gone wrong in my life were because of bad choices. Too often, I acted upon how I felt about a certain thing as apposed to what I really knew about something. The word of God tells us that if we seek first the kingdom of God, that everything else will come.
Now I realize that sometimes the choices that we have had to make seemed like the best choice at the time, or maybe we felt that we didn't have a choice in a particular situation, but I realize that far too often I didn't seek God’s council BEFORE I made my choice.
Saints of God, when it comes to making the right choice about any and everything, we must first stop and listen for a word from God. If something in your spirit is telling you no, or making you hesitate, maybe that’s not what God wants for you. If something is delaying you in your decision, it might not be just a coincidence.
We must all learn to seek God first, be still and listen to what He is trying to tell you.
Therein lays your true Destiny!
Be blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Father, as I am faced with another day in my spiritual life, I ask that You would guide and direct me in all that I do. Help me Father, to be still and listen to what it is that You may be trying to tell me. Lord, I realize that I can’t change many of the things that have happened in my past, but what I can do, is learn to depend upon You for my future. Order my steps Holy Spirit. Guide and direct me down the road that You would have me to travel. Help me to develop a spirit of discernment as I try to make better choices in my life. Father God, we ask that you would bless our friends, our families and our loved ones who have asked for prayer. Bless my sisters who are looking for jobs and my brothers who are trying to provide. Keep them all in perfect peace. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Sunday, February 01, 2015
I Won't Complain
The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails. ~ William Arthur Ward
Scripture:Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 2 Timothy:3 12-14 (NKJV)
Personally, I love the word of God. I love to hear the word, for myself. I love to read the word, for myself. And I love reading and hearing the word preached by others. Every now and then, I read or hear about someone teaching something about the word that just isn't true.
Unfortunately, you hear about some who teach that if something bad happens to you, you deserve it. If something goes wrong in your life, you deserve it. If you lose your job, your finances, your spouse and/or anything else, you must have done something wrong and you are reaping what you sowed.
Sometimes, even we as Christians will say things to make people feel as though they deserve the trials and tribulations that come against them. Not long ago, I heard a story about a preacher who refused to help someone in his own congregation who was faced with financial difficulties. This man of God said "The church didn't get you into your mess, so it's not up to the church to get you out."
Now let me preface this with, this is hearsay, and I would pray that no church leader would actually say something like that to someone who has come to them seeking help. It is our duty; no it is our responsibility to help others, and not just our immediate families and friends.
Saints of God, as Christians, trials and tribulations will come against you. Things will happen to you that sometimes just don't make any sense. We can be doing well today and lose it all in the blink of an eye. Just like Job. It is up to each and every one of us to remain faithful and stand on the word of God.
Just like the song says; but when I look around And I think things over All of my good days Outweigh my bad days I won't complain.
Be blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Father, Thank You for Your word. Even though trials and tribulations come against me and sometimes it seems as though I can't hold on any longer, Your word sustains me. Lord, we know and recognize that life will come against us and that there will be both good and bad times, but we know that You are with us even when it seems all hope is gone. Thank You Lord, for keeping me. Father, continue to touch, bless, heal, anoint, deliver, strengthen and comfort Your saints for whom we pray. Continue to cover us under the wings of Your salvation. Thank You Lord. Bless You Lord, as we pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Scripture:Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 2 Timothy:3 12-14 (NKJV)
Personally, I love the word of God. I love to hear the word, for myself. I love to read the word, for myself. And I love reading and hearing the word preached by others. Every now and then, I read or hear about someone teaching something about the word that just isn't true.
Unfortunately, you hear about some who teach that if something bad happens to you, you deserve it. If something goes wrong in your life, you deserve it. If you lose your job, your finances, your spouse and/or anything else, you must have done something wrong and you are reaping what you sowed.
Sometimes, even we as Christians will say things to make people feel as though they deserve the trials and tribulations that come against them. Not long ago, I heard a story about a preacher who refused to help someone in his own congregation who was faced with financial difficulties. This man of God said "The church didn't get you into your mess, so it's not up to the church to get you out."
Now let me preface this with, this is hearsay, and I would pray that no church leader would actually say something like that to someone who has come to them seeking help. It is our duty; no it is our responsibility to help others, and not just our immediate families and friends.
Saints of God, as Christians, trials and tribulations will come against you. Things will happen to you that sometimes just don't make any sense. We can be doing well today and lose it all in the blink of an eye. Just like Job. It is up to each and every one of us to remain faithful and stand on the word of God.
Just like the song says; but when I look around And I think things over All of my good days Outweigh my bad days I won't complain.
Be blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Father, Thank You for Your word. Even though trials and tribulations come against me and sometimes it seems as though I can't hold on any longer, Your word sustains me. Lord, we know and recognize that life will come against us and that there will be both good and bad times, but we know that You are with us even when it seems all hope is gone. Thank You Lord, for keeping me. Father, continue to touch, bless, heal, anoint, deliver, strengthen and comfort Your saints for whom we pray. Continue to cover us under the wings of Your salvation. Thank You Lord. Bless You Lord, as we pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.
