Sunday, August 30, 2015
Your Blessing is on the Way
Remember, When we lose one blessing, another is often most unexpectedly given in its place. ~ C.S. Lewis
Scripture:
Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; Deuteronomy 7:9New King James Version (NKJV)
Have you been praying for something to happen for a long time and it hasn't happened yet? Are you wondering when your breakthrough will come? Do you dwell on and think about how long will you have to be in the valley?
The one thing that I have learned since becoming a Christian is this, no matter how bad we want something to happen or how much we pray about it, how much we beg and ask God to change something, it's not going to happen unless and until God says it's time.
Sometimes the things that we have to go through are necessary before we can see the manifestation of God's blessings in our lives. There are things that we may have to go through because that is the only way God can get our attention. Many of the situations we find ourselves in is to prepare us for what God has in store for us. There will be moments in our lives that we have to go through something so that God can show up and show out!
No matter what we have to go through always remember, the Lord is still blessing you right now!
Be blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Father, sometimes it seems like You don't hear our prayers. But we know Lord, that You hear our cries. Father, forgive us for our impatience. Father, we know that even when we aren't faithful to You, You are still faithful to us. Thank You Lord, that You see beyond our weaknesses and bless us anyhow. Lord, teach us patience. Father I come asking that You would touch, bless heal and anoint our family and friends who we have been praying for. Many of our sick and afflicted have been going through for quite sometime. Help us to remain prayerful, even when we can't see You working in our lives. Father, we know our breakthroughs are at hand, because You have already given us the victory through Your son, Jesus Christ, in his name we pray. Amen.
Scripture:
Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; Deuteronomy 7:9New King James Version (NKJV)
Have you been praying for something to happen for a long time and it hasn't happened yet? Are you wondering when your breakthrough will come? Do you dwell on and think about how long will you have to be in the valley?
The one thing that I have learned since becoming a Christian is this, no matter how bad we want something to happen or how much we pray about it, how much we beg and ask God to change something, it's not going to happen unless and until God says it's time.
Sometimes the things that we have to go through are necessary before we can see the manifestation of God's blessings in our lives. There are things that we may have to go through because that is the only way God can get our attention. Many of the situations we find ourselves in is to prepare us for what God has in store for us. There will be moments in our lives that we have to go through something so that God can show up and show out!
No matter what we have to go through always remember, the Lord is still blessing you right now!
Be blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Father, sometimes it seems like You don't hear our prayers. But we know Lord, that You hear our cries. Father, forgive us for our impatience. Father, we know that even when we aren't faithful to You, You are still faithful to us. Thank You Lord, that You see beyond our weaknesses and bless us anyhow. Lord, teach us patience. Father I come asking that You would touch, bless heal and anoint our family and friends who we have been praying for. Many of our sick and afflicted have been going through for quite sometime. Help us to remain prayerful, even when we can't see You working in our lives. Father, we know our breakthroughs are at hand, because You have already given us the victory through Your son, Jesus Christ, in his name we pray. Amen.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Listen
Remember, It is the still, small voice that the soul heeds, not the deafening blasts of doom. ~ William Dean Howells
Scripture:
Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:11-13 (New King James Version)
The prophet Elijah had a personal relationship with God. God often spoke to Elijah and commanded him to do great things in His name. In the above passage, Elijah was running from Jezebel, after he had torn down her altars and killed her prophets in the name of the Lord. He then fled to the wilderness and went into hiding, fearing for his life.
Our all knowing God already knew what Elijah was running from, but asked him anyway, what was he doing. It was during this meeting that God, told him to find Elisha who became his servant and would one day, take his place.
The Lord, our God, is capable of many great things. So often when we are seeking him, we look for the “Big” sign. We want him to perform great miracles for us that we, ourselves can see. There are several instances in the bible that tell of him speaking in a booming, loud voice. However, sometimes, He just whispers the answer to our problem.
We must learn not to look for the “Big” sign, but rather to listen for His still small voice.
Be Blessed
Prayer:
Father, may we always hide Your word in our hearts. Father, may we learn to be still, listen and hear Your still small voice. Father God, help us to learn to be obedient to Your word. Your word, which is the same today, yesterday, and forever more. Your Word, that spoke the world into existence. Your Word, that soothes our souls when nothing else can. We come thanking You today for Your word. We come thanking You today, for Your hedge of protection. We come giving You our love and adoration for all that You do for us and our loved ones. But most of all we thank You for the greatest gift that could ever be given. The gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Lord, we just want to say thank You for Your word. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Scripture:
Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:11-13 (New King James Version)
The prophet Elijah had a personal relationship with God. God often spoke to Elijah and commanded him to do great things in His name. In the above passage, Elijah was running from Jezebel, after he had torn down her altars and killed her prophets in the name of the Lord. He then fled to the wilderness and went into hiding, fearing for his life.
Our all knowing God already knew what Elijah was running from, but asked him anyway, what was he doing. It was during this meeting that God, told him to find Elisha who became his servant and would one day, take his place.
The Lord, our God, is capable of many great things. So often when we are seeking him, we look for the “Big” sign. We want him to perform great miracles for us that we, ourselves can see. There are several instances in the bible that tell of him speaking in a booming, loud voice. However, sometimes, He just whispers the answer to our problem.
We must learn not to look for the “Big” sign, but rather to listen for His still small voice.
Be Blessed
Prayer:
Father, may we always hide Your word in our hearts. Father, may we learn to be still, listen and hear Your still small voice. Father God, help us to learn to be obedient to Your word. Your word, which is the same today, yesterday, and forever more. Your Word, that spoke the world into existence. Your Word, that soothes our souls when nothing else can. We come thanking You today for Your word. We come thanking You today, for Your hedge of protection. We come giving You our love and adoration for all that You do for us and our loved ones. But most of all we thank You for the greatest gift that could ever be given. The gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Lord, we just want to say thank You for Your word. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Stand Strong in the Face of Adversity
Adversity is another way to measure the greatness of individuals. I never had a crisis that didn't make me stronger. ~Lou Holtz
Scripture:
Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:20-21 (New International Version)
Adversity can be described as a series of unfortunate events. Just when it seems that things are going right in your life, something can happen to change your perspective. It can be something as small as failing a test or something so overwhelming like death that just rocks your world.
Sometimes when we are confronted with adverse situations, we may want to throw up our hands in surrender. At other times, we just say “oh well” and keep on keeping on. And then there will come times, when you want to give up and give in. It is in those times when what we are made of, will surely be tested.
Whether you realize it or not, adversity in your lives is sometimes necessary for your spiritual development. There will be times when it becomes inevitable for us all to truly see just how strong the word of God is embedded in our everyday lives. Or, it may be a necessary process in order for us to move to the next level in our spiritual growth.
It is at those times that we must learn to depend on God even more than we already do. The reality of most individuals is that when things are going well in our lives, we become content with where we are. That is not where God necessarily wants us to be. Being a part of the Body of Christ is being willing to be stretched so that we become more like Him and less like the world.
It is at times like these, that we must learn to stand strong in the face of Adversity.
Be blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Father God, we come before the throne of grace with praise and thanksgiving on our tongues and in our hearts. We come asking Lord, for peace that passes all understanding. We come asking for strength to stand in the face of adversity. But most of all, we come asking with humbled hearts and minds, that You would hear our prayers and our petitions. Master, we need You to speak to the winds of adversity that are blowing against us, peace be still. We come asking that You hold on to our hands as the storms of life toss us about. We come asking that You would hide us under the wings of Your salvation as the roaring lions draws near in an effort to devour us. Lord, we ask that You would keep all of our families, friends, co-workers and brothers and sisters in perfect peace this and every day. Bless us right now in the name of Jesus. Our prayers are not complete until we let You know just how much we love You. Our prayers on not complete until we sing songs of praise to You alone. Lord, we lift Your name on high, we give You all of our love, all of our praise and sing songs of praise all the day long. Thank You Lord for one more day. Bless You Lord. Hallelujah, Praise God thank You Jesus, in his name we pray, Amen.
Scripture:
Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:20-21 (New International Version)
Adversity can be described as a series of unfortunate events. Just when it seems that things are going right in your life, something can happen to change your perspective. It can be something as small as failing a test or something so overwhelming like death that just rocks your world.
Sometimes when we are confronted with adverse situations, we may want to throw up our hands in surrender. At other times, we just say “oh well” and keep on keeping on. And then there will come times, when you want to give up and give in. It is in those times when what we are made of, will surely be tested.
Whether you realize it or not, adversity in your lives is sometimes necessary for your spiritual development. There will be times when it becomes inevitable for us all to truly see just how strong the word of God is embedded in our everyday lives. Or, it may be a necessary process in order for us to move to the next level in our spiritual growth.
It is at those times that we must learn to depend on God even more than we already do. The reality of most individuals is that when things are going well in our lives, we become content with where we are. That is not where God necessarily wants us to be. Being a part of the Body of Christ is being willing to be stretched so that we become more like Him and less like the world.
It is at times like these, that we must learn to stand strong in the face of Adversity.
Be blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Father God, we come before the throne of grace with praise and thanksgiving on our tongues and in our hearts. We come asking Lord, for peace that passes all understanding. We come asking for strength to stand in the face of adversity. But most of all, we come asking with humbled hearts and minds, that You would hear our prayers and our petitions. Master, we need You to speak to the winds of adversity that are blowing against us, peace be still. We come asking that You hold on to our hands as the storms of life toss us about. We come asking that You would hide us under the wings of Your salvation as the roaring lions draws near in an effort to devour us. Lord, we ask that You would keep all of our families, friends, co-workers and brothers and sisters in perfect peace this and every day. Bless us right now in the name of Jesus. Our prayers are not complete until we let You know just how much we love You. Our prayers on not complete until we sing songs of praise to You alone. Lord, we lift Your name on high, we give You all of our love, all of our praise and sing songs of praise all the day long. Thank You Lord for one more day. Bless You Lord. Hallelujah, Praise God thank You Jesus, in his name we pray, Amen.
Sunday, August 09, 2015
What is Faith Without Works?
What is faith without Works?
Faith without works is like a bird without wings; though she may hop with her companions on earth, yet she will never fly with them to heaven. ~ Francis Beaumont
Scripture: What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:14-26New International Version (NIV)
Growing up in the church and being a student of the word, I have come across this passage of scripture on several different occasions. Many Christians have heard a multitude of explanations of what it's actual meaning is. Before I dive in and make my point, please indulge me a moment as a share a bit of doctrine. The bible is divided up into various sections. The two main parts are the old and new testaments. And then those two sections are further broken down into sections. In the old testament they are:;The Pentateuch - Genesis to Deuteronomy History - Joshua to Esther, Poetry and Wisdom - Job to Song of Solomon and the Prophets - Isaiah to Malachi. In the new testament we have; History -Matthew to Acts, Letters - Romans to Jude and Apocalypse – Revelation.
The book of James comes from the section entitled letters. The letters were a group of books that were actually instructions given during the early formation of the Christian churches that these newly forming churches should follow. Now the book of James was considered a book of Wisdom. And as a matter of fact, the section that this passage comes from has often been subtitled as “Wisdom to be sought by God.” Now that we have that out of the way, let me return to my previously scheduled message.
Under the New Testament doctrine, the laws that had been set before the people to obtain grace and favor in the Old Testament had been eliminated and we were justified and saved by grace through the Blood of Christ Jesus. Unfortunately, some people think that by taking away the law, there were certain obligations to , God that we do not have to follow. WRONG! There are still expectations from Christian or in the body of Christ that have to be met. Yes, we believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior and that he died so that we could live. Yes, we believe there is nothing that we have to due to earn favor, grace and mercy.
However, No matter how much faith we have, if it is not put into action to help not only ourselves but also to help others than it does us no good. We must stop living in world that only looks out for itself. We must stop believing that the ills of the world are not our problem. We must stop thinking that it is every man or woman for him/herself. We must start to make a difference in the lives of others by gestures both big and small!
A few days ago I posted a plea for help for a young man who needed help to get back into college. This young man had to leave college two years ago not because of bad grades or bad behavior or the other sad reasons our children have for leaving college. He left because he had to come home and get a full time job to take care of his mother who had a stroke and his siblings. And now that his mother is feeling better, he is simply trying to get back to the goals he had set in his own life. I have shared his story with over a hundred thousand people who are moved by it, but apparently not moved enough.
His story has been shared fifty-eight times but only four people have contributed. He doesn't need a lot, just more than I have. (And no, this is not my child or even a family member). Even if the one hundred thousand people on Facebook who this story has been shared with had given him one dollar, his goal would have been met tenfold. Even if the four thousand nine hundred and ninety-two people who are my friends gave a dollar, we would have more than doubled his need. Even if the fifty-eight people who shared his message had given twenty dollars, he would be halfway there by now.
Please Help.
Be blessed and most of all, be a blessing!
To find out more about this young man's story or to help, simply click on the go fund me link below.
http://www.delmarvanow.com/story/sports/basketball/2015/07/16/trevante-morris-college-basketball/30272377/
Sunday, August 02, 2015
Learning to Let Go
I
think God leaves me alone to let me find my own strength because no
one else can give it to me. Sometimes it is very lonely. But I know
the lonely times teach me the most. I must let go in order to let
anything in.
Scripture:
So he
said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now
I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t
found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ “Sir,’
the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig
around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If
not, then cut it down. Luke 13:7-9 New International Version (NIV)
These
past few years have been full of changes and reflection for me. I
underwent life altering surgery and have been faced with other
debilitating and long term health issues. And because of the changes
in my physical health, there are new rules and regulations I must
live by if I want to live. I remained isolated during the biggest
part of my healing and I quite honestly, I didn't know or understand
why I would choose that path. However, it would soon become evident.
I
would soon learn that in order to make certain changes in my life, I
have to remove myself from certain situations in order not to fall
victim to past habits. I am also learning to be still and listen more
intently for the word of God. You see, when we are in constant
motion, we may not be able to hear
Whatever
it is He wants to say to us. I am also learning to become more
observant.
But
one of the most important lessons I am learning is to listen to the
still small voice inside of me that helps me to see things as they
really are and not as I wished for them to be. There are things in my
life I had been holding onto that were not healthy for me or my
well-being and it is those things, people and situations I have to
learn to let go. I am learning that it takes more strength to let
certain things go than to hold on to them.
Saints
of God, sometimes we must learn and understand that wanting something
or someone to bear fruit in our lives is not going to happen no
matter how much we want it to be so. We plant those things in our
lives we hope will become a blessing but soon realize that no matter
how much time, energy, or resources we invest in the crop, there will
be no harvest.
We
must learn that in order for good things to come to us, we must let
go of the bad.
Be
blessed and be a blessing
Prayer:
Father
God, thank You for the clarity and vision You have given me to see
both the good and bad in my life. Help me learn to accept those
things I cannot change, let them go and to move forward in faith.
Heal the void in my life with Your presence and to know that change
can be painful but change is also necessary if we are to grow and
move forward on this spiritual journey. Thank You Father for fresh
grace and mercy and for favor. Thank you Lord, for Your Son, Jesus
Christ. It is in His name we pray. Amen.
