Stand Strong

So, Judges 3:1-6 just blew me away.

These are the nations that the LORD left in the land to test those Israelites 

who had not experienced the wars of Canaan. 

He did this to teach warfare to generations of Israelites 

who had no experience in battle. 

Judges 3:1, 2

God purposefully left enemy nations around Israel to teach them warfare. That right there made me pause and think for a moment.

Could it be that that person, that situation, that circumstance that just won't move is actually there on purpose to teach me how to battle? Could the Lord be training me for something I have no experience in?

See, at this point in Judges, the Israelites were experiencing a time of peace. Joshua and his generation had fought the good fight to obtain God's promises, and now their children were reaping the benefits. This generation didn't know anything about fighting. They didn't know anything about war.

So God strategically kept some enemies around to keep His people strong and to make sure that they would stay true to His will.

These people were left to test the Israelites—to see whether they would obey the commands the LORD had given to their ancestors through Moses. 

So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and they intermarried with them. 

Israelite sons married their daughters, and Israelite daughters were given in marriage to their sons. And the Israelites served their gods.

Judges 3:4-6

The Israelites were tested both physically and spiritually. And they failed both tests.

Instead of pushing out those who directly opposed their God, they married them. Instead of clinging to the one true God who had brought them into their current prosperity, they betrayed Him and began worshipping idols.

Your momma's faith, your daddy's faith, and grandma's faith may have gotten you to your place of peace and prosperity. But God still wants to make sure that you are a strong and faithful warrior for His Kingdom.

Has God left any 'Canaanites' in your territory? Is God trying to train you for battle? Are you being challenged in your beliefs? Have you been tested in your faith?

Don't be like the Israelites and fail the test! As a result of their disobedience, they went from being rulers to servants again. (Judges 3:8)

Hold on to your faith. Stand strong in the face of adversity. Pull out your spiritual weapons and fight the good fight of faith. Don't allow all that you've gained to be lost. Become the strong warrior that God is setting you up to be.

Wednesday's Word: Stick With God!

The Bible instructs us to not get tired of doing the right thing. Yet, in the corrupt and evil world that we live in, it can be challenging to consistently stay on the straight and narrow when it seems like everybody and their momma is kicking it on wide road.

David at one point shared how he was having similar thoughts. It seemed like all the wicked people around him were prospering while he wondered what the use in staying holy. But, by the end of his thoughts David figured out why it was important to stick with the Lord.

Truly God is good to Israel,

to those whose hearts are pure.

 But as for me, I almost lost my footing.

My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.

  For I envied the proud

when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.

 

  They seem to live such painless lives;

their bodies are so healthy and strong.

  They don’t have troubles like other people;

they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.

  They wear pride like a jeweled necklace

and clothe themselves with cruelty.

  These fat cats have everything

their hearts could ever wish for!

  They scoff and speak only evil;

in their pride they seek to crush others.

  They boast against the very heavens,

and their words strut throughout the earth.

  And so the people are dismayed and confused,

drinking in all their words.

  “What does God know?” they ask.

“Does the Most High even know what’s happening?”

  Look at these wicked people—

enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply.

 

  Did I keep my heart pure for nothing?

Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?

  I get nothing but trouble all day long;

every morning brings me pain.

 

  If I had really spoken this way to others,

I would have been a traitor to your people.

  So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper.

But what a difficult task it is!

  Then I went into your sanctuary, O God,

and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.

  Truly, you put them on a slippery path

and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.

  In an instant they are destroyed,

completely swept away by terrors.

  When you arise, O Lord,

you will laugh at their silly ideas

as a person laughs at dreams in the morning.

 

  Then I realized that my heart was bitter,

and I was all torn up inside.

  I was so foolish and ignorant—

I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.

  Yet I still belong to you;

you hold my right hand.

  You guide me with your counsel,

leading me to a glorious destiny.

  Whom have I in heaven but you?

I desire you more than anything on earth.

  My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,

but God remains the strength of my heart;

he is mine forever.

 

  Those who desert him will perish,

for you destroy those who abandon you.

  But as for me, how good it is to be near God!

I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter,

and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

Psalm 73 (NLT)

Afternoon Ti: God's Peace

This world is filled with unrest. There are so many things going on from wars to rumors of wars... violence in our streets... political unrest... economic decline... not to mention the everyday problems that plague our personal lives.

But I love the promise that God gives us in Philippians 4:7

...you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds 

anything we can understand. 

His peace will guard your hearts and minds 

as you live in Christ Jesus. (NLT)

As believers, we have the opportunity to experience God's peace. Peace that will keep both are hearts and minds settled and at rest. People in our world today would pay for any kind of peace, let alone God's peace!

Yet, so many of us miss out on our benefit of God's peace. Why? Because we forget all about Philippians 4:6

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. 

Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. (NLT)

We are told not to worry. We are to replace worry with prayer. Often, that is our initial and greatest error. We worry. We think about all the wrong that's going on, all the wrong that can happen, and the wrong that might happen, and we begin to stress ourselves out.

Then, we combine our worry with prayer. We come to God concerned, and we plead with Him for His help. We finish our prayer still with our worries. Instead of leaving them there with the Lord, we burden ourselves with our troubles again, and leave His presence worrying still.

Yet, Paul clearly instructs us to talk to God, tell Him what we need, and thank Him. That's it. Point blank, period. It's only then that the supernatural peace of God can reign in our lives.

True prayer - talking to and hearing from the Lord - can only lead to peace in your spirit. Coming to God, acknowledging Who He is and all that He is capable of, will diminish any problem that was looming large in our lives. Recognizing the power, wisdom, and love that God has will only serve to comfort us where our situation is concerned. It's when this happens that we can't help but be thankful before Him. We can't help but have gratitude for His willingness to hear and help us.

And we can go on full of His peace.

Today, don't allow the cares of this world to overtake you. Get before God and talk to Him. Allow Him to impart to you His peace.

Verse of the Day: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27

Days of Purpose & Destiny

I hope everyone has had a chance to purchase my new book! If you haven't you can purchase the book HERE. Recently, I was interviewed on Big Gospel Express 1570, and I have uploaded some snippets for you to enjoy.

Have a wonderful day of destiny!

Looking with the Eyes of the Spirit

The Samaritan woman at the well was just trying to get some water. Yet, her conversation with Jesus caused her spiritual thirst to be quenched with the eternal living water of the gospel. (John 4)

The lame beggar at the temple was just trying to get some money to live. But one encounter with Peter and John got him healed of his illness altogether. (Acts 3)

The Ethiopian eunuch was just riding along the road reading the Scriptures. But a talk with Philip opened his eyes to the revelation of Jesus' saving power that those Scriptures pointed to. (Acts 8)

Jesus, Peter, John, and Philip were able to recognize opportunities to minister the gospel. Jesus was able to look into the heart of the Samaritan woman and see all the troubles that she wrestled with. Peter and John knew that a few coins would not help the lame man in the long run. Philip heard the discerned that the Ethiopian eunuch was trying to find his way to God's Truth.

All of these men looked with eyes of the Spirit and was able to see each person where they were and allow the power of God to meet their every need.

How often do you look at those around you with the eyes of the Spirit? Do you just see people passing by, or do you look closer and allow the Lord to show you their needs? Once you see what is wrong, do you step out on faith and allow God to use you to meet that need?

We have been given a command to go into the world and share the gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 16:15). Sharing that gospel can start with just an awareness to our surroundings.

That person looking for a handout has a greater need than some money. Your friend who is agonizing over their marriage needs more than your words. The neighbor's child needs more than just an interested mentor.

They need the power of Jesus Christ.

You hold that power.

Don't let it go to waste.

Verse of the Day: And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 2 Corinthians 5:18-20

My Everything

Check out my post this month for EmpowerMoments!

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.  Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:4, 5 NLT)

It took me a minute to figure it out. I was used to being at the top of my game; I wasn’t a stranger to losing, my life was blessed… I had no reason to think otherwise.

Then the trials came, the testing began, and God began to allow His purifying fires to burn. I started to lean to my own understanding. I trusted in my own strength, my own intelligence and my own knowledge to get me through. Yet, all that I had by myself was not enough.

And when I inevitably came up short, I grew frustrated. When I failed, I was depressed. When I missed the mark, I got angry. When I took wrong turns, I lost precious time.

Like I said, it took me a while, but I figured it out. Once I figured out that I had to make God my source, it all fell into place. God had to be my main source. Read the rest here!

Salty?

I love to cook. I love to watch cooking shows on television. I like reading cookbooks and picking out recipes that I'd like to try one day. I follow a bunch of food blogs. I especially love to eat really good food.

One thing I've learned in my food explorations is that seasonings make a world of difference. Get the wrong flavors on your ingredients, and you mess up the meal. One of the best and most simplest seasonings a cook can use is salt. It's presence magnifies flavor bringing joy to the taste buds. It's absence is often quickly noted and sends one searching for the remedy.

Jesus called His followers the "salt of the earth". (Matthew 5:13) We are called to be a desired presence in the earth. We are called to permeate the world around us and change it for the better. The effects of our witness should be openly known.

Yet too many of us are hiding our flavor. We don't want to be judged, persecuted, or labeled as strange. So, we try to assimilate with the world around us. We don't go against the grain. We overlook what disagrees with God's Word. We shy away from openly standing up for godly principles.

Oh, we're okay being "salty" around other saints. We can preach, sing, and serve in the church. Our "amens" are loud and clear in the sanctuary. Our flavor is turned all the way up when we get in the church walls.

But, this behavior is ultimately defeating. No one eats salt by itself. No one has ever enjoyed a nice big ol' bowl of salt.

Salt is always used to affect something else. It flavors any type of food you can bring to the table. It's The same principle applies to your Christian walk.
effectiveness is only realized when it is applied.

If you aren't flavoring the world around you, you're not accomplishing what Christ wants you to do. In fact, Jesus says that a flavorless witness is "good for nothing". (read Matthew 5:13 again)

Are you being the "salt of the earth"? Is the world being impacted by your presence? When you show up, does change take place?

Don't let your Christianity be "good for nothing"!

Verse of the Day: Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Matthew 5:13 (KJV)

Check That One Off the List!

The very reason I started this blog was to become more diligent with my writing. And, as an added bonus, I have been blessed to finally complete one of my life's goals: I have written a book! I'm so happy and excited about it all. God is truly showing me how blessed it is to walk in His calling.

It's finally here!

Days of Purpose and Destiny is a 21 day devotional encouraging you to live a life of divine purpose. You can check out more information HERE ON THE BOOK'S WEBSITE.

The book will be on Amazon/Kindle shortly.

BUT....

For those of you in the Chicagoland area, I would like to invite you to the book's launch party on this coming Saturday at the Washington Park Refectory from 2-5pm. I will be there selling ($10) and signing the book and there will be food, music, and giveaways as well.

Thank you all for being such an encouragement to me with my writing. I'm so grateful to all of you for your support. Even if you never commented or emailed, your reading of this blog has truly been a blessing.

Closer to God

Check out my article that is posted on EmpowerMoments today!

From the earliest I can remember, I have loved to learn. I was a voracious reader and read any and everything I could get my hands on. I was the child who wanted summer break to be over, so school could begin again. I read through encyclopedias and highlighted new words in dictionaries. I just wanted to know everything!

My spiritual journey has reflected the same characteristics. Even at a young age, I took notes on Sunday sermons. If something interested or intrigued me, I would research it more on my own time. My father, who was a pastor, would be the recipient of all of my curious questions on Christianity and the Bible. I loved attending conferences and workshops, and eventually my quest for knowledge led me to seminary.

Although we serve a majestic, holy and awesome God and will never be able to tap into the fullness of Who He really is, we have the privilege of getting to know more about Him every day. Our God does not stand off looking down on us. Through Jesus Christ, we are able to come close to the Lord and get to know Him intimately... CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST!

National Day of Prayer

Today is the National Day of Prayer in America. Thousands of churches, ministries, organizations, families, and people are making a special group effort today to pray. With so many issues plaguing our world... so many challenges facing our nation... so many troubles impacting our communities... so many crises capturing our minds... prayer is definitely in order.

I encourage you to take time yourself to pray today. Take some time to go before the Lord to intercede for this nation. Talk to Him about what's going on in your part of the world, ask Him for His wisdom and guidance with the issues that are impacting your sphere.

In addition to that, I would like to encourage you to pray daily. I don't mean rattling off a list of wants and needs, but intentional, purposed, faith-filled prayers. So often we (yes, me too!) pray for all the wrong reasons. We pray to get something, we pray out of habit, we pray out of duty...

Yet prayer can do so much when it is done correctly. ...The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. (James 5:16b NLT) Our prayers have power! Our prayers can change things for the better!

It was prayer that helped Moses navigate the Israelites through the wilderness to the Promised Land. Prayer sustained Jesus through His time of ministry and prepared Him to go through His crucifixion. The united prayer of the apostles created an atmosphere for the Holy Spirit to arrive. Prayer raised people up from their sickbeds, revealed the hearts of man to believers, rescued men from prison, and caused the foundations of our faith to be laid.

How has prayer impacted your world lately? Let's keep our hearts and minds in communication with the Lord not just today, but every day.

Verse of the Day: Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Working to Progress

In striving to be like Christ, sometimes I feel that the bar is set impossibly high. Yet, God's word instructs us to make Jesus our ultimate example in how to lead our lives. (1 Peter 2:21-25)

One facet of Jesus' character has be weighing on my mind lately. With the coming of Easter, I have been reflecting on Jesus' journey to the cross, and His response (or lack thereof) has been challenging me.

Jesus was falsely arrested. He was mocked and beaten by Jewish leaders. He was deserted by His disciples. He was questioned by rulers. Crowds, who just days before had heralded Him as their king, screamed for Jesus' death. Jesus was whipped, forced to carry His own cross, and nailed to that cross. All the while, He was being mocked, berated, and cursed.

He never said a word in anger.

He never opened His mouth in rage.

He had no accusing words, hurtful retorts, or vengeful speeches.

Jesus was nothing but respectful and gracefully went through the trial that He faced. He kept the end goal in mind, and remained true to His destiny.

Often, we go through trials and attacks - mind you, no where near the level of attack that Jesus faced. Yet, we "forget" who we are and say things out of character. We arm ourselves with vengeful weapons and go into defense mode. We snap and say things we don't mean. We hurt those who hurt us. We do things that we regret.

We are called to be like Christ. We are challenged to be more like Him.

I am working on having Jesus' character in the face of an attack. I'm working on keeping my mouth closed to nonsense and only speaking words seasoned with grace and respect. I'm working on recognizing the enemy and not giving him any ground in adverse situations. I'm working on keeping my end goal in mind, and staying true to my God-given destiny.

We are all works in progress. Let's just make sure we're working to progress!

Verse of the Day: For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. 1 Peter 2:21

God Is So Good...

The story of 10 year old Willie Myrick has touched me so much! This young boy was kidnapped, but his song of praise led to his release!

I don't even care for the song "Every Praise", but the words are impacting me as I think about where this young boy could have ended up. God is truly our Savior, Deliver, and Healer. Every praise belongs to Him!

To read Willie's testimony CLICK HERE.

Don't Believe the Lies!

Today, I have a post featured on the EmpowerMoments blog. Below is an excerpt....

Ever since the fall of Adam of Eve, the devil has been trying his hardest to trick mankind into believing his lies. Every chance he gets, he whispers his falsities into our ears. And, it’s no wonder he keeps it up, we fall for his tales more often than not.

We continue to live in fear. We envy the lives of those we admire. We believe the lie that we are not worthy. We worry and stress ourselves out feeding into the story that things will not work out for us. We keep our dreams locked away thinking there is no way we will ever attain them.

All because of the lies of the devil. Lies we choose to believe over the Word of God....

Read the rest of this post HERE.

The Voice of the Lord

Recently, I've begun a study on the voice of the Lord. I'm interested in the intricacies and power that the Lord's voice has.

It was the voice of the Lord that created our universe. Think about it. God's voice alone formed our world! Whatever He spoke, happened. It was His voice that formed the planets, the stars, the trees, the birds, the oceans... Just His voice.

When God speaks, His words go into action.

His voice was revealed to Elijah as still and small. (1 Kings 19:12) Yet, it has made eternal impacts. It was the voice of the Lord that established the covenant with Abraham. His voice created the Law that became the foundation of Jewish life, and reflected the sacrifice that His Son would one day give.

What has the Lord spoken over your life? What words has He released for you?

No matter how things may look right now.... no matter how you may wonder how it could happen... no matter what circumstances are trying to come against it... God's word will prevail. He's said it. You can count on it.

In addition to that, the voice of the Lord may have been calling your name recently. Are you running to hear His voice? Are you making your way to get into the Lord's presence? Or, are you hiding from Him like Adam and Eve did? (Genesis 3:8)

When God wants to talk with you, it's imperative that you hear what He has to say. The same voice that created our world wants to talk to you, and you don't want to hear it? Don't let your fear, shame, or sin keep you from the presence of the Lord. Allow the Lord's grace and mercy to keep you under the sound of His voice.

Verse of the Day:

The voice of the LORD echoes above the sea.

The God of glory thunders.

The LORD thunders over the mighty sea.

The voice of the LORD is powerful;

the voice of the LORD is majestic.

The voice of the LORD splits the mighty cedars;

the LORD shatters the cedars of Lebanon.

He makes Lebanon’s mountains skip like a calf;

he makes Mount Hermon leap like a young wild ox.

The voice of the LORD strikes

with bolts of lightning.

The voice of the LORD makes the barren wilderness quake;

the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of the LORD twists mighty oaks

and strips the forests bare.

In his Temple everyone shouts, “Glory!”

Psalm 29:3-9

Stand Firm

First things first: Can I just ask for you all to forgive me? I apologize for leaving you blogless these past few months. It was necessary in the beginning, and then I just lost my mojo. I have no words. I am ashamed. I have prayed. God's forgiven me. Will you? I thank you in advance for your mercy.

On another note, I've missed blogging. I'm not sure if I will return to daily posts, though. But, I don't want to give up the blog totally. I will, however, be posting more regularly moving forward. I'm still figuring out how to make things work.

So, on to today's inspirational moment.

It seems like every single day there is news about how the church is being challenged to give ground to the world and accept the world's way of doing things. The church is consistently being asked to compromise what the Bible says for what is the current views of the day. And, far more frequently, the church is giving in.

I can only assume that many believers don't want to be seen as bigots or hateful or crazy or unreasonable. We don't want our friends, family members, co-workers, or society in general to place us in an unflattering light.

So, we find little ways to compromise. Maybe we misinterpreted that scripture on fornication. Perhaps a child really doesn't become a human being until a certain point during pregnancy. There are pastors who are gay now, so maybe the original thoughts on homosexuality were incorrect. God is so loving perhaps there are multiple ways to get into heaven.

Little by little, we keep giving in. Yet, how long until we have nothing left to stand for?

When Daniel was torn away from everything he knew and was chosen to serve a new king, he purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the king's provisions. (Daniel 1:8) There were other Jews who were taken into captivity as well. But Daniel was the one who chose to remain true to the Lord's will. He stood up for what he believed in. And the Lord showed him favor. Because of his stance, the Lord blessed Daniel with wisdom and insight far greater than anyone else in the king's service. (Daniel 1:19, 20)

Are you allowing the world to make you compromise what you know is right and holy? Are you standing for righteousness? Can the Lord count on you to stand firm in the midst of complacency?

Today, purpose in your heart to follow after God no matter who around you is giving in. Don't compromise what you know is right for the popular view of the day. The Lord will bless you and show you favor because of your faithfulness to His Word.

Verse of the Day: But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 10:33