Come out from Amongst Them...

I have been thinking a bit about my life, and how God called me out of what I thought was ‘a good thing’ into something even better. In obedience I succumbed to His will, and since then, I have never looked back. I have seen where my dreams changed from simple to things so big that I know it is with God ONLY that they can be accomplished. I have begun to behave and think in different ways that I could not have before my understanding had been enlightened. It’s all because of  Jesus. To Him be the Glory and the Praise - He alone deserves them.

Last night I was reading about Abraham and Lot and it got me to think more about the decisions we make. To begin with, God called Abram whose name He later changed to Abraham. At the time, he was living with his father Terah, his wife Sarai (later God changed her name to Sarah) and his nephew, Lot (whose father, Haran, had died). Obediently, Abraham left his home and his father’s house to go to a land he did not yet know! The thing is though, he took Lot with him. Now you may be wondering what the big deal is since he took Sarah also. My understanding is that God called him - a man, who is the head of his household, therefore allowing him to bring along his submissive wife. But, God did not call Lot and his house with Abraham. God only called Abraham, where He promised, as evidenced in Genesis 12:1, where He would make him a great nation, bless him, make his name great and by whom all families of the earth shall be blessed. Lot was not apart of this prophesy. When God calls us, we often make decisions to bring along those we love, because we cannot separate from them. We feel, that this love we have for them is enough to qualify them to be receivers of our blessing. In the same way, some of us, when we are called out of the things of the world, we hold on to some habits, things, traditions and customs, failing to see that by being called, we must let them go. As the Word shows us in Genesis 13: 1-12, Abraham had to separate himself from Lot. Verses 14 says, 'And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward.’ The key word is NOW. It was only when Lot went out in the direction of Zoar, that Abraham could be eligible to receive his blessing. How many of us are still dragging along people, and things that God did not call with us? I myself brought along a person when I was called. I kept them with me for almost seven years. Then one day, God whispered to me the word, ‘bondage’ in connection with the person. I knew that God was calling me to separate. As painful as it was, I decided to obey God in this rather than listening to myself or the people around me. I separated myself and disconnected as best as I could from the person. What seemed like an immediate response to my obedience, I began to see the blessings of God rain down upon me. More often than not, I was living in awe of God’s splendor and majesty. Today, I see where even when I thought I was obedient, there were things that I needed to do in my life that would please God. I was living a compromising life by my constant connection to this person. Remember Lot's wife? She compromised by looking back into the world. She was longing for the world, even though God gave her a chance to be saved. We have to show God that we are focused on Him, that we value our salvation. God showed me that if He called me, it was to bless me and my generations to come. I sit back and I reflect. If I had not come out, then life would have been a complete defeat. My children and their children would have been reaping the curses I sowed. Their lives would be filled with failures - academically, financially, in their family lives, their marriages, their careers, their health, their self esteem, their confidence and so many other areas… 

For me, I trust God. When He called me out, and when I separated myself and chose to be a non-compromising Christian, I understood that His plans were to prosper me and give me an expected end. I was assured that He is the author and finisher of my faith. I knew He held my beginning and my end and that my future was secured in Him. Today, I know who my God is and I know that I can rest in Him. Today, I may not be seeing the outcomes to the situations I am facing, but I know that God sees it - and that they are good. Church, I encourage you to drop off the things that you have been carrying around with you that are not part of the blessing God wants to release in your life. I encourage you to separate yourself from the people you love (by not doing the things they are doing in the world) as you demonstrate your obedience unto God. I encourage you to stand in Christ, because He is standing with you. 

May God Bless You Richly.

The Gift of Power!

As we seek God through His Word, we will see that as a son or daughter of God we have been given a great gift - the gift of power, that lives inside of us. In 1 John 4:4 we are told, 'greater is He who lives in me than he who is in the world'. I am assured here that the power to overcome darkness already lives in me - therefore, I am a power-filled being, equipped to take on the enemy at all cost. However, we sometimes do not recognize how much power and authority is in us and we are blinded by the subtlety of the devil. Just imagine church, our Great God created all of the universe, the things we see and so much more that brilliant scientists of our time are trying to figure out. This Magnificent God who put the stars in the sky and knows them by name, who commands the winds and seas, and who painted the colors of the atmosphere - HE LIVES IN US!

Therefore, we have power and authority in us. We are weapons against the enemy. But, like my Pastor preached recently, if we are not using the gift, we won't see any results. He gave us this example: say someone buys you a car that they parked in your garage for your convenience, but everywhere you need to go you walk or use public transportation - how did the gift (car) benefit you? In the same way, if you already have the power of God in you and the enemy comes and you never use the power, how will you be successful, prosperous, or victorious against the enemy?

The devil is so subtle - sometimes we accept things happening without even discerning it is him. For a couple of weeks I had been hearing what I assumed was a bird on my rooftop making somewhat of a clocking sound. The sound would only be heard at night and was loud and very irritating. I tried to find out where exactly on the roof it was, but I couldn't see. After hearing the message on the power of God in me, I decided to use it. That night after church, I came home and was enjoying a cup of tea. And then I heard it. The sound was loud especially in the quiet of the night. I began to declare in the atmosphere the power that is living in me and I command the evil to depart from my dwelling place. To my amazement, after a couple of tries, the sound stopped. From that moment onward, I never heard the sound again. The devil uses people or animals, or any body he can inhabit. We have to be able to discern him and rise up with the power in us and fight against him. Remember, he has already lost! Victory is ours because our God is victorious! Let's step out now unto the unknown territory God is taking us to. Because He is with us, we can be sure we will only flourish!

Love you all - powerful people of God!

As Humble as a Lamb

Peter was a follower of Christ who was privileged to walk with our King in the flesh... After His passion, Jesus remained with His disciples for 40 days, eating, drinking and sharing Kingdom things with them. When He ascended into Heaven on a cloud, the men who bore witness to this was assured that He would one day return again....and they knew there was much work to be done for His name's sake, until His return.

Our faithful God knew that His people needed Him, and thus, He did not leave us comfortless...He promised that the Holy Spirit, the third member of the God Head, would be with us to guide, counsel, convict, lead, protect, save, unify, teach and correct us, among many other things. But, most of all, I believe that one of the Holy Spirit's gifts to us is to empower us, causing us to be victors like Our Father which art in Heaven!

And so we read in the book of Acts, chapter 3, that a man who had been lame and begging for contributions by the gate called 'Beautiful' was healed by men of God who were empowered by His Holy Spirit. We know that when God performs a miracle in our lives the world looks upon us and marvels. But, how often do we get caught up in the the hype and forget that the miracle was not as a result of our own doing, but it was the work of God? I remember one time I attended a thanksgiving service at a sister's house and was fortunate to be a part of the worship team. After the service, a man came up to me and was going on and on about how great the worship was. I was so proud of myself that I forgot that it was not me at all but the Spirit in me who was using my vessel for His honor and glory! Right here in the scripture taken from Acts 3:12 (AMP), it says, 'And Peter, seeing it, answered the people, You men of Israel, why are you so surprised and wondering at this? Why do you keep staring at us, as though by our [own individual] power or [active] piety we had made this man [able] to walk?' Unlike me, Peter was quick to discern the devil's tactics in an attempt to cause him to become puffed up in himself. He quickly addressed the awestruck crowd letting them know that he was not responsible for the miracle they witnessed but the glory belonged only to God! 

The more I meditate on this portion of text, the more I begin to understand the humility that is required of us. This can only come from true love for God, and true relationship with Him. When we are able to recognize without any flicker of doubt that God is the source of all things and that all things belong to Him, we begin to fathom His value. We begin to appreciate that this God who formed the entire universe, is looking down at us, and attending to our needs. We begin to see our filth before Him because we begin to become familiar with His Holiness and purity. It is only then we can truly understand humility... knowing that all we are - we owe to God.

Let us take pattern from these men who sought after kingdom things, forsaking the flesh. Let us seek to become humble as we serve Christ. After all, the Bible says that those who humble themselves shall be exalted...(Matt. 23:12).

Love you all in Jesus' name!

Faith like a Mustard Seed....

The Bible tells us in Mark 11:24, 'Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have received them, and ye shall have them. Therefore I say to you, Whatever things ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them'. Do you know in this scripture, God was speaking to believers? Yes, to you and me, the saved, adopted sons and daughters of God. He was giving us a glimpse into His Glorious Kingdom by telling us that whatever we want, because we are His, we only have to believe when we ask for it, and it shall be granted unto us! What a love from a generous Father! But, knowing that we are His, knowing that we can ask that the windows of Heaven be opened and His blessing be poured out upon us, still doesn't mean anything if we don't believe it can happen!
Matthew 17:20 of the Amplified version of the Word of God goes like this, 'He said to them, Because of the littleness of your faith [that is, your lack of firmly relying trust]. For truly I say to you, if you have faith [that is living] like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to yonder place, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you'. Again, Jesus was speaking to believers. More interestingly, in this portion of text, He was addressing those most closest to Him - His disciples! These were the men who walked with Him, ate with Him, and performed miracles in His name! These were also the same men who were of little faith! So where does that leave us?
If you are anything like me, then you love God. There is nothing that satisfies you more than the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Yet, when the situations of life come against you, somewhere along the way you become weary.. and the doubt squirms its way into the matter. You say that it will all work out because you serve the One True and Living God, yet, you know you are doubting that the best is yet to come.. 
But, my brothers and sisters, here I am, a living testimony! My life is a series of ups and downs, with twists and turns that I didn't bargain for. But, I am learning everyday that the more I spend time in God's beautiful presence, the more I read and fill myself with the knowledge of who He is, the more I am able to build my faith..
Anna Rountree gives her testimony on www.spiritlessons.com of her experiences with God in Heaven. There, she shares an amazing truth that there are human organs and parts that are stored up in Heaven ready to be released to the sick among us - but we don't believe in His marvelous healing, so they remain there, and we grow more and more sick..
We pray for job promotions, new houses and vehicles, financial breakthroughs, healing, deliverance, marriage partners, and so many other things, but we don't believe that we can receive these things from our God. Therefore, there is no manifestation of His Might for the unbelievers to see..
Today, I just want to encourage you to know that God loves you more than you can ever imagine. Our minds are too limited to process the kind of love He has for us. He wants to give us the desires of our hearts - but we need only to believe...

Be an OVERCOMER!

'You're an Overcomer!' This line was taken from Mandisa's song entitled with that ever powerful word, 'Overcomer!' In this new year, 2015, God wants us to overcome the obstacles and barriers that have ever been plaguing our lives and holding us back from enjoying freedom in Him. He promises that this year will be an exciting one for His people, but we first have to get to that place with Him where there are no boundary lines. But how do we do this?
For me, I had to recognize that everyday I battle with generation curses and hereditary spirits that tackle me from every angle. I had been engaged in warfare, but I was not too sure who or what I was really fighting against. As a result, I begun to study what these things were so that I could better equip myself. Pastor Paula White says that if we examine our families, we would clearly see the patterns that emerge from generation to generation. Some of these curses may include divorce, cancer, alcoholism, depression, fornication, adultery, poverty, accidental and untimely death, particular sicknesses and diseases and many more.. Knowing these curses, means we can now attack the enemy will full force. Bear in mind that we have to be clothed with the full armor of God and have confidence in Him knowing that greater is He who is in Me than He who is in the world! Understand too, that even if the curse was not broken with us, with constant warfare, we can break them from our children's lives - and thus change our generations ahead of us.
The next thing is understanding that God is no man's debtor. Everything we do for God is rewarded. Colossians 1:5 of the Amplified version of the Bible tells us that, 'Because of the hope [of experiencing what is] laid up (reserved and waiting) for you in heaven...' Therefore, we seek to overcome the world knowing without a shadow of a doubt that there are things laid up for us in Heaven that our words cannot express and give honor to!
What is it that you want to see happen in your life this year? Get to a place with God where you can truly connect with Him and thus be able to proceed in His plan for your life. Jesus loves us so much more than human understanding permits us to comprehend. Trust in Him and call on Him to help you overcome the hurdles you are facing - Now!
Be ever blessed.

All Loving God

Jesus Culture's newest album, Unstoppable Love features a song named after its title. One line stands out foremost in my mind...."All the while You're shouting, My Love You're Worth It All". God is so unfathomable! His love is so indescribable. His majesty is so powerful. His glory is so unavoidable. God's Word, from cover to cover, describes in grave detail His amazing love for us. Sometimes we face situations, trials and challenges where we feel trapped into responding negatively. The outcomes are nothing we are proud of. We feel broken on the inside but walk around with a puffed up attitude as a way of telling the world that we are justified in the things we did. However, God's love for us covers our multitude of sins, washing us and cleansing us and wrapping us in His undying, unending love. Some of us have been through things that leave us feeling worthless, unloved, ridiculed, ashamed, timid, and rejected. I myself have gone through several situations where I have been treated with disdain and contempt. I sank so low into depression and wallowed in self pity and even self hate. But, it was then that I felt the arms of God wrap me in His embrace, shielding me from it all. It was in those circumstances I recognized that God's love was nothing compared to our love. His love has no limits, and goes so deep that we could never be capable of loving like that because we are not love itself.
God created us and He sees the worth of His creation. He is satisfied with us and doesn't blame us for the things we have done, but reaches out with love to bring us back to that place of originality. While we are there finding faults in ourselves, God is there shouting out that we are worth all His love, all His attention, all His thoughts, all His time, all His affection, all His blessing... And it was because of all this love He has for us that He died on the cross for us..
God is real. He is alive. He hears and He sees. He is ready to help. Most of all, He wants us to know that above all else, He LOVES us.

Who or What is your number 1 priority?

It is easy for us to get caught up with the things of this life, our children, our jobs, our spouses, relationships, dreams, hopes, music and so many others. We have even become slaves to religious practices that teach us to worship everything except God Himself. We have fallen face down to habits and hobbies that we spend most of our time on. When we take time to analyze everything, we spend hours thinking about the person who is stressing us out, or the person who is abusing us in any way. We focus all our efforts on the problem and neglect God. The child or relative on drugs or alcohol, the financial difficulty or lack, job instabilities, sicknesses, the internet, music, movies and more...all these things are taking first priority in our lives. We meditate upon it, night and day while fainting in our faith. The more we sing songs in our minds and hearts that lift up people, emotions and things, we do nothing to build closeness in our relationship with God.
God is calling us now to get back to that place with Him. The scriptures show us that NONE of these things that constantly take up all of our time IS ABOVE GOD - no husband, wife, child, job, amount of money, song, person, hobby etc, is higher than God. He created all of it. None of these things should be our number one priority when we know God should be. Hebrews 1: 3 tells us that God formed the world - it wasn't formed by the things we see in it. Psa 33:6 tells us by the Word were all things made. John 1:1 tells us that the Word was and is God. John 1:3 shows us that absolutely nothing was made without Him. Gen 1:16 tells us that He created the sun and moon, while vs. 21 - 25 explains that the animals of the land, sea and air as well as plants were created by Him. Furthermore, Gen 1:26 shows us how God created us - mankind. We do not have to worship each other or the things that we see in our world, because God is clearly the maker of it all. Why would we worship creation itself when the one who created all of it has His hands open before us, waiting for sweet fellowship with us? Let us examine ourselves and come back to that place with God. Let us search within us and see the things we have placed above all else in our lives. Let us be honest and ask God to help us to make Him our number one priority....

Facing the Giants

The story of David and Goliath is outlined in 1Samuel 17. It tells of an adolescent David challenging the feared giant of the Philistine army, Goliath. To the story reader, it appears that with just a sling shot and a stone David was able to annihilate his enemy. But, when applied to life as we know it today, this story metaphorically symbolizes the giants we face everyday. On a daily basis we deal with strongholds such as pride and lusts and situations that overwhelm us like financial difficulties, marital stress, demands on the job, family instability and or dysfunction, different types of abuse, alcohol and drug misuse and so many other things. But we can always draw from the Word of God which is expertly designed to bring us comfort in this time. Relating to the story, King Saul was so impressed when David decided to go up against the giant because he was confident that his God was with him, that the king took off his battle gear and put it on David as he sent him on the field. But, the king was fearful for this young teenage boy, like we are when we face the giants of life. Fearless David on the other hand went forth in boldness knowing that anyone fighting against the people of God was heading for defeat. So, David threw off the battle clothes that was weighing him down and leaned on the armor of God that he was already clothed in and slew his enemy. Therefore, if we follow pattern, we will stand up to our giants, not letting them intimidate us as we declare our victory over them. We too, like David, have to become fearless and bold against them in the Spirit. A man of war only wins battles by using strategies that the enemies do not expect. Goliath did not expect any Israelite to stand up against him, just like the devil does not expect us to stand up in our darkest moments and declare our victory. Like Goliath, the devil has no defenses prepared for us because he thinks he will automatically win.
David's secret to his victory was that he was allowing God to prepare him while he was building a relationship with our Father, daily. Every time he attended to the sheep I believe he was not alone, but was enjoying the sweet fellowship of Christ. Daily, he was able to see God in the things he did. He fought against lions and bears who tried to take away his sheep, not knowing that God was preparing him for the battle with Goliath. When the time came, David had no doubt that the same God who stood with him to protect his sheep was indeed with him in that very moment.
So, in this season of our lives when we are called to face giants, let us clothe ourselves with Spiritual armor, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, your feet shod with the gospel of peace, your shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God! We cannot fight against the enemy with physical armor. These just weigh us down. Let us prepare ourselves with the armor designed to win in the fight against the evil ones. When we come in the name of the Lord, no enemy, no job, no person, no financial lack, no habit, no sickness or disease, no enemy, nothing can stand before us and have success.
Success is for us...let us arise and claim it in the name of Jesus!

The earthly minded cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.

Adam was the first man created by God. He was a physical body, a shell, a vessel, empty and lifeless until the breath of life was breathed into him, making him a living soul. Since he was made from the earth, the Amplified Bible tells us in 1 Cor. 15, that he was earthly minded. The second Adam the scripture says, is Christ. He was not created from the earth, He made the Earth! He is from heaven, and thus remains heaven-minded. As we read on, we are taught that flesh and blood is a perishable 

commodity, and thus if something could perish, it cannot enjoy an everlasting inheritance! 

The living soul within us is from God, and thus cannot die. Therefore, our soul, this imperishable part of us, is the part of us that can inherit the kingdom of God. We have to now seek to align ourselves with God to gain entry into His mighty Kingdom. 

The flesh seeks after worldly pleasures that are temporal. However, when we can renew our minds daily in the Word of God, we begin to think with more wisdom. We then go after things in the Spirit and watch for the manifestations of these things in the natural world we live in, for this is our inheritance.

Wives, submit yourselves to your husband..

Ephe 5:22 says, 'Wives, be subject (be submissive and adapt yourselves) to your own husbands as [a service] to the Lord'. This is such a powerful statement to me. I was raised to be an independent woman, who in no way was ever supposed to cater to the every desire of a man, unless it pleased me. Even more so, when I found Christ, I did not believe this verse applied to me because although I was a Christian, my husband was not. How wrong was I!As I began to seek God more, I recognized that I had fallen victim to another one of society's tricks which caused my ultimate enslavement. It didn't please God for me to be selfish, and to be above my husband in the authoritative way I had grown accustomed to. To my surprise, God wanted me to be the person for my husband that will love him enough to encourage him, and become a help meet to him. I was startled by this, but again thought to myself, that I would do this when my dear husband got saved.... Again, wrong! My own stubbornness kept me from seeing the truth behind what God intended for me, and my marriage.It took a conversation with a church sister of mine for me to recognize that in this scripture, God was talking to all wives who had ears to hear. He was telling us that we as the women in our households, need to submit ourselves to our husbands, being that help meet to him, who will be there to encourage and support him in all his endeavors....and then it hit me - whether he is saved or unsaved!I felt so guilty at that point... for so long I had been pointing fingers at him when things didn't go my way. I thought to myself often that I am the saved one, so therefore, I know better. All this time, I was the one pushing my husband away because I had built up walls of resentment, unforgiveness and even bitterness that separated us from each other. I was not submitting myself to my husband. I was denying myself this service unto the Lord, which only had benefits for me. I was walking away from the abundance of blessing that was getting ready to be poured out of the heavens for my life, because I was living in disobedience.But, I thank God. I thank God for His Word, and for revelation and wisdom to do better now. I am thankful that I can now rely upon God to change my very mindset from the pre conditioned ways of thinking, to newness that reflects His saving grace. I am thankful that everyday I have a new opportunity to learn how to be a submissive wife... a ministry that will only develop over time as I continue to seek the Lord. Wives, submitting to our husbands is not lowering our self worth in any way. We are not doing that to be slaves to the men we are married to. We are doing a service unto God. We are taking our stands as righteous women of God who live everyday to please Our Father which art in Heaven. We are teaching our daughters how to live, grow and develop with Christ like character that pleases God. We are learning everyday, and for that, we will be blessed.May God bless you all and may your marriages be filled with love, peace, joy, compassion and romance... God is love. When we love, it pleases God.

Who You are to Me

Oh Lord Im so glad I found You

Theres none like You

You fill me with courage, 

You lift me on wings of hope

Out of darkness, You captivated me 

With the marvelous warmth of your light

Jesus, You are everything

My second chance of living

You are my One and Only God

Who is like You Lord

Everyday, my heart chooses You again

In your presence I could feel Your breath cover my existence

Holy are You, 

You fill me with your blessed assurance

As I stand on your grace

I am renewed..

Don't give up on them!

Last night I saw a testimony online that shook the very core of my insides.  The clip was entitled, "Atheist died, went to Hell, Came back". In his testimony, Mr. Reagan disclosed that he used to 'cut and shoot' people, was very angry, was a womanizer and had a heart that was stone cold. He said when he was nine years old he was given a lamb that he took home. He watched as his father beat the lamb to death, blood spilling everywhere. He cried and cried and vowed from that day onward that he was never going to be hurt again, but he would do the hurting! Since then, he lived life being a slave to sin. He robbed, he killed, he watched as people were raped. He was shot, had been stabbed, cursed and fornicated. He was sinking deeper and deeper into an unsatisfactory life. He had a wife and kids, but was quickly losing them to the lifestyle he preferred. One night he remembered so clearly, that as he was going into a store with his 5 year old son, a man exiting the store at the same time pushed the door as he did it. He became so angry that he began beating the man in front of the child. The man, who appeared equally violent, got up and reached for something. He began to stab Mr. Reagan about the body. As the testimony continues, Mr. Reagan recalls that he knew he had been in an ambulance which somehow appeared to have caught on fire. He saw himself falling into an open crater volcano, where people were burning, begging him to go back and not come to a place like that. He says he didn't want to experience what they were experience and was fighting desperately to get back. When he awoke, he found himself on a hospital bed with his wife by his side. He didn't forget the voices of the people wailing in the fire. This he said, caused him to turn his life around.
Wow! Tears came to my eyes. Jesus had been with him. Jesus saved him. He was fortunate to visit hell to recognize it is not the place he wanted to be. God had a plan for him even though he had been rejecting Him for so long. Today, he is a Pastor of his own church and has preached in all continents around the globe.
How foolish I have been. My unsaved loved one seems to be a servant of evil. The more I pray, the more things got worst. As strong as I like to believe I am standing on the Word of God and on His promises for my household, I get weary and I faint. But, many are the afflictions of the righteous, and God delivers us out of them all. God saw my weariness and He saw my sadness that my loved one is living such a defeated life. And so, I come across a video like this one; One where a man who loved sin so much, who did everything pleasing to self and to the enemy, who was blind to spiritual things, ran into the arms of the Living God. What a mighty God we serve! My hope was renewed in the moment it wavered. 
Sometimes dear friends, it takes time for people to finally choose Jesus. But, it also takes time to build up a powerful testimony. Our loved ones, like we once did, would have to go through some things that when they are able to see truth, they will know without a doubt that it was only God who saved them. All glory will go to Him only. He deserves all that we are and so much more. Have Faith today. Believe that you and your household shall be saved. Believe God at His Word. Believe that man, woman, or child whose salvation you are praying for, has already been saved. God has heard our petitions and He is faithful to answer. Believe and Receive in Jesus Name! 

Love One Another, As I Have Loved You

What a scripture! It is commanded in John 13:34, 'love one another as I have loved you'. It appears to be one of the simplest verses in the Bible and yet one of the most complex. I myself have lived a life out of Christ for so long where hate became a part of my normal reality. I hated. I hated people for hurting me, for judging me, or for simply not doing the things that I expected them to do. But then Jesus found me. He took me out of utter darkness and illuminated my life with His brilliant light. This was my first experience with love. Since then, the number of experiences have indeed multiplied so much so that I am able to love me, and love others today. However, as much as I want to say that loving people is very easy for me at this point in my Christian walk, I cannot. I hear preaching of how my life is supposed to portray the gospel to the world since they are not opening the Bible to read it for themselves. I am supposed to live in such a righteous way that the people who are slaves to sin would be ministered to because of my uprightness in Christ. I am so far from that. Just this week I was facing a situation in my home where I was hurt and downright upset that certain scenes seem to be reoccurring in my life. I didn't immediately run to my secret place where I could meet with God to deal with the matter. Instead, I decided to handle things my own way. I said what I wanted to say, and then I gave the silent treatment. The day after I was still dropping words here and there, and then retreating into the silence.

But God sees us in our afflictions and delivers us out of them all. God corrected my behavior through a message He prepared. My Pastor was preaching with so much fire on the topic of putting the old man and the old ways to death with Christ so that we can be resurrected with Him. Here, I learned that I had old ways in me that were not dead yet. This means there is evidence of the old man being alive in me still. If God is calling me to love, unconditionally, wholeheartedly, without exception, then it means in the midst of all circumstances I am called to show forth a daily attitude of love. 

Sometimes, we struggle with walking right, daily. By this I mean that we can think that today covers us for tomorrow failing to see how the study and prayer we put in today is only sufficient for today. We have to be able to renew ourselves in God everyday by spending time with Him. When we are able to do this, responding the way He expects us to will become easier in the trials we face in our lives. 

In the end, we recognize that He is love and thus fills us with His love. His love does not discriminate or is available only as a result of good works. Therefore, if we are showing forth Christ's love in us, we are called to love in the same way. We are called to love even those who hurt us, without exception, and not depending on how much times they do it. We are simply called to Love...

Weakness Produces Power

Today was one of those days where I had to make a decision - I was either going to react or respond to the situation at hand. I had to remind myself that I am a new creation and that my decision shouldn't please me, but it should please The Lord. In God's Word, it says that we are weak, but are made strong with Him (2 Cor 13:4) and that God's strength is perfected in our weakness (2 Cor 12:9). It is therefore in our infirmities, our distresses, our persecutions, trials, reproaches and necessities that we are weak... Here is when God can come in and produce power through these weaknesses so that we can have strength. The Bible tells us that we have to glory when the situations come...when we are laughed at, called names, ridiculed, or persecuted for righteousness sake, because to the world we appear to be weak, but we are actually being used by God to produce power.

Today, I was being persecuted and truthfully, I didn't glory since all I felt at the time was hurt and even some anger. But, I had to constantly remind myself of the scriptures on which I base my life. Attending a bible study tonight, the Spirit of God was teaching on this same topic. How awesome is our God who sees the situations we face and step in to help us. God takes pity on us. He saw me in my weakness today and tonight He was teaching me that the thoughts I had of throwing in the towel and retreating into myself was not His intention for me. 

Dear people of God, we carry within us the Excellent Spirit of God that is going to cause us to stand out and get noticed weather we want to or not. This means that people of the world are going to see us and not like us for where God has placed us. They are not going to question where we came from, but they know they are uncomfortable when we sit in the position of the head and not the tail. 

When you are placed in such situations of weakness, remember to glory in them, for it is through them that power ( the same power that raised Christ from the dead ) is produced!

Women of Confidence

I take comfort in knowing that God is with me and that he never pulls Himself away from me because I failed to please Him. I need Him so much. I let my mind drift ever so often to the times when I talked to Him, but never really understood that He was actually hearing me... I used to believe that I was worthless, insecure, nothing, nobody...

Today, my life is so different and I owe it all to Jesus! He is teaching me how to be a woman of confidence. He showed me that this confidence He is speaking about is not in myself, but rather in Him. He wants me to rest assured in His promises that He made regarding everything concerning me. He wants me to recognize that I am unique, a masterpiece, an original and I cannot compare myself to others. He wants me to know that I am beautifully and wonderfully made. He wants me to put away worry because He is in total control.
Like most women, I often work myself out when the situations of life come flooding in. Martial problems leave me feeling depressed and even rejected at times. Dealing with the issues with the kids usually result in sleepless nights. Work related issues equal to even more weariness. However, God is reminding us ladies that He is in the midst of everything. He remains our solution. As long as we rest everything in His hands, we cannot be disappointed.
Do not be bothered anymore about the problems that are weighing you down. Run to God faithfully. Rest assured in His word. You are a Miracle. You are loved. You are special. You are in the palm of His hands. He catches every tear you cry, because He is in love with YOU! Draw near to Him. Let Him wrap you in His presence now.....

Oh How We Need Him

We are meant to live all of life enjoying abundance, increase, prosperity, good health family life and so much more. God is a just God. He wants us to know that we can lean on Him at all times. He is not seasonal. He is not temporal. He is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. He is an all consuming fire of life and love. He is a powerful force that transitions us from nothingness into beautiful beings. He longs for sweet fellowship with us. He is ever looking at us, waiting to hear from us, waiting to move mightily through us. 
Jesus gave everything to save us so that we can return to heaven and dwell in the places He has prepared for us as we live together in perfect unity. We need to be able to give up our own understanding of things. We need to reach out to Him in every season of our lives. We need to remove everything and everyone else who is seated on the throne of our hearts. We need to give Him full control.....
Cry out to Him. Lean on Him. Go deeper and deeper with Him. Love Him.

My definition of Love (+The Holy Bible of Love)

At the beginning of this new year, this new year of the turn around and year of double favor, I had been reading the Word of God and asking Him to teach me more of who He is. He led me to 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. There, I found such a lovely explanation of what love is. More specifically, what God's love in us really means.

I found out that love endures until the very end - that no situation or circumstance, no distraction or problem can turn us away from the ones we love. I saw that love is being kind and patient even in the most trying of circumstances. It is never supposed to have us being jealous or envious because the ones we love are accomplishing in areas of their lives where we are not. We are not supposed to be boastful because of our achievements so that the ones we love might feel inferior or beneath us. We are not supposed to be puffed up with pride (the feeling where we are better than everyone else) if we love. It is not selfish / self-seeking. If we love with a pure heart then we are not permitted to be about self, but about others. Love affords us the opportunity to pay no attention to a suffered wrong. It does not cause us to be happy and rejoice when our loved ones are suffering, even if we think its their own fault. It causes us to believe in people and strengthens our hope in the things we believe in. Love endures everything and remains without weakening. It is not subject to conditions and most importantly, it never fails! When we love with the love of God in us, we can endure hardships, hurts and pain without loving the wrong doer any less. 

We are not blameless. Many times a day we hurt God...we fail Him. But, He does not love us any less. The love He has for us is pure. It is not based on conditions, that is, if we do everything right to please Him. His love for us never weakens even though we continue to succumb to our flesh. This is the kind of love we should have towards each other. Pure and untainted love.

The Trees Worship

I look out the Window as the car drives by. Everyone continues to live life in the same ordinary, routined way,  myself included.  As I lose myself in a conversation with God,  I see trees.  As I continue to examine each one as the car continues to drive by I was struck by a most awesome revelation.  Each tree branch was uplifted towards the heaven. .. It didn't matter if the tree looked vibrant and healthy or if it had been burned in a bush fire - their branches stretched forth toward the high places. They appeared to be in constant worship as if they somehow knew who created them and placed them where they dwell.  If only I could remain in worship,  always recognizing that I have to find my help above and not below. ....

Untainted Love

There used to be a time in my life when problems, situations, trials, tribulations, challenges and circumstances always prevailed. I was lost, confused and unwanted. I struggled to get by and longed for something better. I was hurt over and over again. But, through it all, I loved love. I loved with my whole heart, and was so deeply pained when the love was not returned. Then I met someone.
I was again in one of my countless turmoils. I heard my heart crying within me and all i could do to keep my sanity was to scream out like an deer caught in a trap. Then in the midst of the storm, I heard a voice. It was still, small, mighty and strong. It was loving, caring, kind and filled with compassion. I was startled, but somehow, I wanted to hear more. I listened for a while and waited. I was comforted and consoled, and accepted by a man whose power and authority cannot be fathomed. I felt as if a whirlwind had picked me up and was taking me to an unknown world, that seemed so familiar.
I was directed to a book - the guidebook of life as it was referred to. The book was called the Bible and it was written by the greatest author, the Holy Spirit. There I found Him. His name is Jesus. He showed me love like I have never known before. He showed me that all the bad things I did or ever will do will never separate me from the love He had for me. He showed me that although many had rejected me, He accepted me. He showed me that even though I could not love myself, He saw something in me that He loved. He told me that His love was not like human love. There was no conditions under which He could love me, but He loved me just as I am. I am in awe of Him. I long for more of Him. He is my everything.