 |
 |
| |
Greetings and blessings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, My brothers and sisters, there are times in our lives when we will experience and be made to endure tribulation. We will find ourselves lost and alone in what seems to be the most grave and dire trials. Our sins, iniquities, and transgressions will saturate us and lend the impression of insurmountable grief and sorrow. Hear me today saints: It is never too late to give our Father our burdens. Psalms 55:22 tells us “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to moved.” If the answer is the Lord will deliver us out of our circumstances, then what is the dilemma we face? Righteousness. The real question is how to obtain and sustain righteousness. The answer is: 1. Repentance 2. Restoration 3. Recovering 4. Reconciliation 5. Rejoicing. Repentance is the first step in receiving Christ and is the very essence of the Rhema word of God. As discussed in When God Speaks by Chuck D. Pierce, understanding and acting upon conviction one feels regarding personal sin is to have a Rhema understanding granted by the Holy Spirit. Following that understanding leads to repentance- the act of regretting sin and changing actions so as to not replicate the sin. In Judges 3, the story of Israel’s idolatry renewal is told. Because of their lawlessness, the Lord allowed Eglon the King of Moab to take control of Israel. Under his rule, the people of Israel suffered eighteen years. It was not until the people repented that the Lord delivered them. The Lord sent Ehud to deliver his people: Ehud made a two-edged dagger and slew Eglon. As a result of this, the people of Israel had eighty years of peace. Some of our trials are self-inflicted through our sins; however, repentance is the first step to reverse our situations. By repenting, we cease, banish, turn away from, discourage, and avoid all actions that contradict the will, the laws, and the commandments of God. We must allow ourselves to be trained to recognize sin and the appearance of sin as well as repent to live righteously. Now that we have identified our areas requiring repentance, we can allow the Lord to begin restoring us. There are times when we confess our sins and hurts and repent before the Lord that we will feel a void or an area in our hearts and souls of emptiness and numbness. We need the Lord to impart restoration in us. Take account of the testimony of Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20. He became very ill and the prophet Isaiah was sent to him in the court to deliver the news of his imminent death. Hezekiah wept before the Lord proclaiming his life of faithfulness and truth. He pleaded to be healed. Before Isaiah left the court, the word of the Lord came. “Turn back and tell Hezekiah… I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you.” The Lord added fifteen years to Hezekiah’s life and restored him. If we can vacate the sin in hearts and minds, the Lord can send restoration to take residence within us. Restoration is critical in our ability to grow and achieve righteousness. While we seek repentance and restoration, a re-covering must take place. By that I mean, a divine order must be sought and adhered to. 1 Peter 5:5 (AMP) says, “Likewise, you who are younger and of lesser rank, be subject to the elders (the ministers and spiritual guides of the church)…” In our quest to live a righteous life, we must seek spiritual counsel and covering. In March 2005, I found my divine covering and that was the day that changed my life forever. This was a church that I neither had passed in my daily routine, nor had I heard of it. I was driving with friends when I saw it for the first time. I remember the image of the church being burned in my mind like a brazen sun, so much that I thought of it frequently. About a year passed before I would visit the church. During that time, I was going through great trials- depression, disappointment, anger, loneliness- anything you can think of to be unhealthy emotionally. One day I realized that I had tried everything and everyone but Jesus. I prayed so hard that day in my desolate room. I knew not what to say so I told the Lord how I felt. I remember someone telling me that “the Lord is concerned about the things that concern me.” We are instructed to “cast all of our worries and anxieties upon the Lord because he cares for us affectionately and watchfully.” (1 Peter 5:7-AMP) I told the Lord of my pains and asked him to come for me. My Heavenly Father came right them. He came in the brightest, most beautiful light with peace, love, and comfort. He told me that he was with me and had always been with me. He told me to worship him, to seek him, and he would deliver me. I immediately began going back to church. I say back because I had always attended church; however, I always felt empty. Even then, the churches I visited were good for the service but nothing kept me, nothing healed me or welcomed me. It was not until I visited More Than Conquerors Faith Church in Birmingham, AL that I felt whole. The very second I stepped in, I felt the anointed presence of God in the atmosphere. Once I was seated by the hostess, I heard the Lord say, “Welcome home.” I felt a peace and comfort that I can only pray that you have been favored to feel. My eyes were filled with tears and my heart with praise- all of this prior to the service beginning. Only because of pride and disobedience I did not join the first visit but I did the following Sunday- it was Resurrection Sunday, Easter Sunday that is. That marked my rebirth and recovering. The apostolic covering that I submit to is one so divine and so God-sent that I encourage to seek no less than the same. My Pastor has imparted a voice within me that I am eternally grateful. I bless the Lord for every gift that my Pastor possess, because the enemy will never cease to kill us and declare our defeat and because of the will of the Lord in the purpose of our lives, we must be spiritually covered at all times. Now that we have repented and we have been restored and recovered, we are reconciled. Romans 5:1 tell us “therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
A deeper look at the Amplified Version reveals “Therefore, since we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp the fact that we] have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Annoited One).” What a wonderful place and understanding to be reconciled, better stated, justified and declared righteous by our Father. We can stand upright and walk in his favor and with his grace and mercy. We have been acquitted of our sins- forgiven, dismissed, and forgotten are our wrongs. Praise the Lord for the peace he grants us in his forgiveness. 2 Corinthians 5:19 (AMP) says, “It was God [personally present in Christ] reconciling and restoring the world to favor with himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses but canceling them but committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favor).” Essentially, we have been redeemed and made new. There are a plethora of passages supporting the Lord’s desire for our reconciliation with him for the very simple reason that The Lord loves us more than imaginable. He sent his son to die for us that we may be saved (John 3:16). All he asks of us is to walk in righteousness according to his principles and not the world’s. Please let me be very clear: rejoicing may be my last topic but its place is truly in the beginning, middle, and end of our circumstances. We are to “bless the Lord at all times and his praise should continually be our mouths, “says Psalms 34:1. We have to trust in the Lord’s will for us even during our night seasons. Sometimes it takes a trial or hardship to acquire the wisdom or revelation that we seek. Some of us who seek financial wisdom may experience some financial strife to grant us the knowledge of better decision making. There may be times that we experience tribulations as a result of our own ill-thought actions. Even in those times, we can find refuge in the Lord if we praise him. The Lord will rescue us no matter the situation or the reason, but we still have to rejoice in his name all the while. Romans 5:3 says, “Moreover, [let us be full of joy now!] let us exult in triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance.” We have to endure our storms and hard times and rejoice simultaneously. My pastors tells us all the time that our breakthrough, our blessing, our deliverance is just on the other side of our praise. My fellow saints, it is never too late to seek the Father for righteousness. He is waiting on us to cast our hurts and pains, our wrongs and sorrow- the full multitude of our grief upon him. It matters not how many times you have started over or even what you have done. What matters is what you plan to do about it now! So in closing, I leave you with two things: a prayer and an expectation. Gracious God, I thank you right now for every circumstance in my life. Father, I humbly and diligently ask for your forgiveness for every sin that I have committed. I stand and walk in the spirit and action of repentance right now. Lord, I ask that you fill me with your love and mercy of restoration. Touch my heart, Father, that I shall be healed. Father, I pray that you impart wisdom into me that I seek spiritual covering. May I humble myself to receive and welcome the instruction and guidance. Lord, I think you for the justifying me in reconciliation. Thank you for removing my shame and guilt that I may be whole again. And Father, I praise you now and forever because I know that you have a perfect will for me and all that I desires and ask is done in Jesus’ name. AMEN. The expectation: Romans 8:35-39 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Expect the Lord to hear your prayer. Expect the Lord to deliver you. Expect the Lord to save you. Expect all that you seek in the name of Jesus to be granted in heavenly abundance.
God bless you all.
|
| |
| |
Good Morning and many blessings to you, Women of God. I have been reminded so very often of how comfortable and complacent we have gotten in our positions as wives. How easy it is to focus on the fact that he did not wash the last load of clothes or fold them as we do? How easy is it for us to complain that he never spends any time with us when the truth is that he has worked all day and fought traffic for an hour before getting home? How easy is it for us to complain that his words seem empty and elusive when the truth is that he has to fight the enemy every second of his life just to keep his job and he needs time to unwind? Proverbs 31 tells us that a virtuous woman is a crown to her husband. The men of God do not need our help in tearing them down. The enemy can do that and will do that all by himself. We must support our husbands. Comfort our husbands. Tell your man of God thank you while you have the chance. Thank you for keeping that job to provide for our family. Thank you for fighting traffic every day to keep that job that provides for our family. Thank you for not telling your boss off even when it seemed that he deserved it. Thank you for your humility when you did not get recognized as you should have for your accomplishments. Thank you for pressing through and praying through every obstacle rather than taking up the world's standards. Thank you for not choosing the counsel of the ungodly to provide a way in the wilderness. Thank you for promoting the sacred covering over our home and life. Even though you may come home and need some time to yourself, thank you for coming home. Thank you Man of God for all that you do, all that you press through, and all that you pray through. May I as your wife compliment you happily and submissively in our time here on earth.
|
| |
| |
THE TONGUE CAN BE YOUR WORST ENEMY!
Your words, your dreams, and your thoughts have power to create conditions in your life. What you speak about, you can bring about.
If you keep saying you can't stand your job , you might lose your job. If you keep saying you can't stand your body , your body can become sick. If you keep saying you can't stand your car , your car could be stolen or just stop operating. If you keep saying you're broke , guess what? You'll always be broke. If you keep saying you can't trust a man or trust a woman , you will always find someone in your life to hurt and betray you. If you keep saying you can't find a job , you will remain unemployed. If you keep saying you can't find someone to love you or believe in you , your very thought will attract more experiences to confirm your beliefs. If you keep talking about a divorce or break up in a relationship , then you might end up with it.
Turn your thoughts and conversations around to be more positive and power packed with faith , hope , love and action . Don't be afraid to believe that you can have what you want and deserve .
Watch your Thoughts , they become words. Watch your Words , they become actions. Watch your Actions , they become habits. Watch your Habits , they become character. Watch your Character , for it becomes your Destiny .
The minute you settle for less than you deserve , you get even less than you settle for . Thought I would share this with you.
In the search for Me , I discovered Truth. In the search for Truth , I discovered Love. In the search for Love , I discovered GOD. And in God, I have found Everything .
Be Blessed
Watch how your circumstances and situations begin to change when you change the way you speak .
|
| |
| |
| Good Morning in the name of the Holy Trinity. I pray that this message has found you in a blessed state of mind and being. I have a Word from God to share and may your hearts and minds be opened to receive it. Today marks 40 days until Pentecost. In my meditation and prayer time, God shared with me vital information for this time period:1. We are in a time of consecration, specifically a time of SEPARATION. God wants us to separate ourselves from the world right now so that He can commune with us. He brings the scripture “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2 KJV) We need to be mindful of every influence upon us, whether it be TV, people, books, internet, etc… This is time where God needs our whole minds and hearts to deliver His will to us. Evil must flee from us. God needs us in prayer and praise right now.2. Obedience vs Submission. God is drawing attention to these two things because most of His people do not know the difference. This will prove to be key in your success in ALL areas of your life. Obedience refers to the action that you asked or expected to do. If you do it, you are obedient. Submission deals with the attitude of how you do it. You can be obedient without being submissive. If your pastor asks you to teach Bible study or your boss asks you to help someone complete a task and you first complain about never having any time to yourself and complain that other members/employees do not do as much as you do but ultimately you complete the action, you are not submissive. You did what you were asked but you did not do it willingly. Our attitudes are being checked. Remember that statement “your attitude will determine your altitude?” Be mindful of this relationship and balance in this season.3. Remember the Word that I sent from Hebrews 11:6? “He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” We are in a season where corporate blessings may be few but individual blessings will be abundant but only to those who seek the Father. God is definitely separating those of us who are ‘sometimes obedient and submissive worshippers’ and ‘always obedient and submissive worshippers.’ God is seeking those who are seeking Him. We are in a season where your spouse can not praise for you. Your parents can not praise for you. Your friends can not praise for you. You have to praise for you. This time is a time of closer communion with the Holy Spirit. We need to sow. We need to fast. We need to pray abundantly. Whatever your sacrificial offering is, be diligent in it. God will see you and bless you.4. In doing all of these things, be extremely vigilant to the enemy’s wiles. He sees you praising. He sees you praying. He will stop at nothing to erase your favor. God is telling me that enemy is mad and will use every source he can to diffuse your grace and favor. Warfare during this time will be heightened to places that you have never been spiritually. It will look as if it is coming from all ends. Jealousy and envy and hate and anger and deception and road blocks will be all around you. BUT, you have already won. The victory is already yours. Do not loose it by getting off track. Continue to pray. Continue to praise. Continue to sow. Continue to seek God. CONTINUE TO BE ENCOURAGED. God will see you through the fire and into Glory. For the next 40 days, including today, be exceptionally mindful of these things. Speak life and grace and favor over yourself. The enemy is defeated (he just doesn’t know it)! If you have a hard time praying for yourself or getting active in worship or you are just plain DIScouraged, find someone(s) who can help you. Get your friends together and have prayer night outside of church. If somehow you get this email and you don’t know anyone to help, email ME and I will get with you. I do not want anyone to miss out on what God is about to do. If you are in a great place with God, find someone who is not. Find someone who needs your spirit to get started. Find someone who just needs a light in this season. Encourage each other. Pray for each other. We are our brothers (and sisters) keeper. I love you and most importantly, God loves you. Be Blessed.
|
| |
| |
| Good Morning Saints! In this season, it is already abundantly clear that God wants to communicate with His people. Through dreams, inaudible and audible voices, visions, and spiritual murmurings, God is talking. He is awakening every gift of the Spirit in His prophets. The gift of the prophet is not for his/her own benefit but to the benefit of all of God’s people. Yes, God will reveal things to that particular prophet about themselves but as a whole, the prophet’s gift is for the profit of the Kingdom. Having said that, I must share another message from this morning’s meditation. Before I get to it, I must say that it is surely a product of direct contact with a saint with a heart after God and pure obedience to the Spirit. We would be surprised and amazed at what our obedience to the Holy Spirit, and not the world, produces for us in both places. Think about that. God does not want to be obedient to the world’s standards but to His. BUT, being obedient to God will manifest not only in spirit but in the world as well. So please accept this as a word of encouragement as I stand as a witness to the power and living of Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” As we embrace the new season upon us, God has a three point Word for us to take hold of. The first is greatly explained by 1 Peter 5:7 (AMP):“Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.”The reason that God wants us to remember this is because He sees that we grow weary with worry and anxiety. We are sad and depressed about our burdens. Our families have forsaken us. Our employers are hindering our advancement. Our friends are compromising our faiths. The enemy is at work in every aspect of our lives and we need a lifeline. We think God has forgotten about us. We think that God is not moving for us. We think that we are being punished for past transgressions. The devil is a liar! God is a forgiving God. God is a caring God. God is a healer, a friend, a father, a mother, a lawyer, a judge, a BREAKTHROUGH! Be not afraid of the enemy’s work. Walk in victory knowing that God cares about everything that you care about, large and small. Go to Him. Seek Him. Tell Him what’s wrong and believe He has heard you and will deliver you. The reason that God wanted us to remember 1 Peter 5:7, is because He is preparing us to AVOID a Luke 19:44: KJV “And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.” AMP “And they will dash you down to the ground, you [Jerusalem] and your children within you; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, [all] because you did not come progressively to recognize and know and understand [from observation and experience] the time of your visitation [that is, when God was visiting you, the time in which God showed Himself gracious toward you and offered you salvation through Christ].”We can not be down-trodden with our worries because we will miss our time of visitation. Through me, God has told you that He is changing your season. He is doing a new thing in our lives. BUT, we will miss it if we do not keep ourselves. Keep ourselves lifted. Keep ourselves encouraged. Keep ourselves from self-destructing pity. Keep ourselves from being overcome with grief. Keep ourselves from the spirit of fear. Keep ourselves in His Word. Keep ourselves covered in His Glory. God is saying that he is about to visit us. He will visit the very site or heart of our issues. If it is a promotion you need and claim, God is visiting your job. If it is your family that needs deliverance, God is visiting your home. If it is a broken vehicle that you have, God is visiting a dealership on your behalf. If it is more money you need, God is visiting your bank. Error in your favor! If the spirit is not moving in your church, God is visiting your church. And believe that God is visiting just you too. That brings me to the last point. The enemy can see God moving too. The enemy is getting scared and he knows that he is losing ground. He is losing territory as God is visiting us to reclaim what was lost to the world. God is taking back our entertainment. God is taking back our schools. God is taking back our joy. God is taking back our peace. God is taking back our families. God is taking back our jobs. God is taking back our prosperity. God is taking back what was never the enemy’s to have in the first place and He is doing it by force. God is intervening on our behalves and the devil is mad. The devil will stop at nothing to keep you in a spirit of defeat. He will lie. He will cheat. He will steal. He will kill. For these reasons, carry Isaiah 54:17 in your heart:KJV “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.” AMP “But no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall show to be in the wrong. This [peace, righteousness, security, triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord [those in whom the ideal Servant of the Lord is reproduced]; this is the righteousness or the vindication which they obtain from Me [this is that which I impart to them as their justification], says the Lord.”Study the amplified version of this scripture and take note of the word vindication. You see, sometimes we get convicted in the world due to the bad information of the enemy. The gossip he has spread. The rumors he has started. The reputation he made for us. The lies he told. But God in heaven is saying that he will vindicate us. That means that He will justify us. He will prove us correct. He will prove us right. He will maintain us. He will DEFEND us. He will SUPPORT us. He will not only erase all that has been done against us but also make it known to the world that we are blameless. We will be exonerated of all of the enemy’s charges! So, I tell you to speak DEATH to the weapons of the enemy and LIFE to the power of the Lord! God Bless you all and I am excited about what God is doing in all of our lives.
|
| |
|