Who's YOUR Shepherd?

Shepherd: a person who tends sheep; a pastor (a spiritual overseer)

Surely: with assurance, confidently; without doubt, certainly 

How many times have you said/rehearsed the 23rd Psalms?? Any "regular" church-goer has probably recited this at least a 100 times; but how many of those times have you ever stopped and really thought about what you were saying?

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Do you know what it means to be a Shepherd? A Shepherd is a person who looks after and tends to the needs of the sheep in his flock. He protects them from danger and makes sure that they are where they need to be, when they need to be there. As your shepherd, The Lord is looking after you and making sure that all of your needs are met.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

As your Shepherd, He allows you to get your natural and spiritual bellies fed with the good stuff -- not the dried-up, used-up fields that won't fill us up and keep us properly nourished. Oh no, we get to graze and rest within the hearty green pastures. And He makes sure that there are plenty of times of peace and calm (still waters) in our lives.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Even when we feel beat down and broken, He restores our soul -- He fills us with His grace and peace and He makes us whole again. Like that spiritual GPS we talked about some time ago, He's always guiding us along the path of righteousness to our ultimate destination (by His side).

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Even when we've sunk to what feels like the lowest of the lows and it seems like death is shadowing us, He's right there... and if we will just believe and follow him without question (much like those sheep faithfully follow their Shepherd) we will have no reason to fear -- just ask Ms. Gloria - she's a living testimony! He is with us and He will use His rod and His staff to fend off any evils that try to attack His flock - be that illness, depression, or anything else that might try to come after us.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

In the natural, most of us tend to watch our backs around our enemies... and our so-called "friends" as well! As sheep are cautious of coyotes and foxes; we have to be cautious of anyone who tries to steer us from The Lord. How awesome is the Shepherd that prepares a table for us right smack-dab in the middle of those enemies?! There's no need to watch our backs when our spiritual Shepherd has anointed us with His holy oil and is watching our backs for us!

On top of that - our Shepherd is here to make sure that our cups are running over. Take a quick minute to visualize that -- a cup that's so full that the contents inside are literally spilling out -- talk about having more than you need, right? That can and will be you - if you will just have faith and keep believing. You might feel like the brokest of the broke right now financially-speaking, but stand strong flock and keep following your Shepherd... sometimes it takes a little while to prepare a table! After all, we'll wait <somewhat> patiently for hours for a table at a nice restaurant. Can't we be patient enough to wait for The Lord's perfect time? I truly hope so, because this table and that overflowing cup are certainly well worth the wait!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

This verse is one of those verses that really brings things home for me personally. "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."  Not "possibly," and not "maybe," no, the Word says SURELY -- our definition tells us that means without doubt or certainly -- goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. The next time the world seems against you, rehearse that - "surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life"- and say it until you believe it, because if your Shepherd is with you, who can be against you??

So stay true to your Shepherd and He will stay true to you... and He will dwell within and around you for ever!

With all that said, let the church say amen... and AMEN!                    

It's SO Important that We Forgive!

Forgiveness: To pardon, to give up resentment. to grant as a favor, a gift

You know how we always like to receive presents from people? Well what about giving yourself a gift? I'm talking about the gift of life - Forgiveness.

No matter what we perceive has hurt us or has caused us shame and grief, we must always remember to forgive. Forgiveness is our path to healing, not to mention, it's what God expects us to do.  If we offend someone; we must quickly repent. If someone offends us; we must quickly forgive. Ephesians 4:32 reminds us, "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

Forgiveness is big with God, because it's an expression of His love. When we choose not to forgive, we are putting limits on ourselves... as well as on the Lord. We are holding back on His love, His joy, and His peace that we should be showing one to another - instead we carry around all sorts of unprofitable weight.

Matthew 18:21-22 says, "Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." (In case you were wondering - that’s every 2 ½ minutes.)

Forgiveness is a choice - if we are on the receiving end of someone’s unkind words or if there were unkind deeds that were done to us in the past, we have a choice. We can choose to forgive and move past barriers that will separate us from others (and from the Lord) or we can tie God hands with our unwillingness to forgive. How easy is it for us to forget that we have made mistakes in our life?? Keep that in mind next time you're holding a grudge. We must forgive others so that we can too be forgiven.

We have no excuse for holding grudges; for not forgiving others... while Jesus was hanging on the cross He said, "Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). Surely we can do the same, right? Especially since we're not hanging on a cross! Forgiveness is a gift - one that we can all use and one that we all need.

I read this in my email a couple of days ago, I want to share it with you. Forgiveness is the economy of the heart...forgiveness saves the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, and the waste of your soul.

With all that said; let the Church say amen... and AMEN!

Let's Show Love To..Well...EVERYBODY!

Love: unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another: as the fatherly concern of God for humankind

My friends, as we approach Christmas, it's important that we remember that Jesus is the reason for the season. With that in mind, we should also remember how important it is that we make an effort to take on the nature of Jesus Christ. This means that we need to show love and compassion toward one another and remember that when the Lord blesses us, we should be a blessing to someone else - that blessing could be with our time, our money, or simply by sharing the word of God. Of course, this should be a way of life for all of us, but let's face it - for most of us - it's not!

Before we get tangled up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, let's show the love of Jesus to someone we might not normally show it to. For instance, when we see road construction, let's not get upset about it slowing us down, making us late, or about the dust making our cars dirty - instead be grateful that the road construction is making the roads safer for us. When a car pulls out in front of us in traffic, let's be thankful that they did not hit us. If we can do something special for a neighbor instead of gossiping about them, let's show the love of God to them and do something special to brighten their day.

The Father gave us the perfect gift when He gave us His son Jesus. This is a gift that simply cannot be duplicated. So if we don't get that gift we wanted this holiday season, let's show gratitude instead of disappointment. We don't know the gift giver's situation - that gift may have been the best gift he or she could afford. It's not the gift that's important, it's the reason for this season - Jesus Christ!

Isaiah 9:6 is a good reminder that the Father gave us everything we could possibly need, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace!"

With all that said, let the church say Amen and... AMEN!!

Time Waits For No Man!

Time: the period or moment in which something happens

Time is constantly moving -- it waits for no man. Can you believe that we're about to enter into a new year, when it feels like only a few months ago we were saying the same thing about 2015?! Since time has a beginning and an designated end - and we can't control either - it's imperative that we get busy! This is our journey, and on this journey we have a specific destiny to fulfill. So if you're wondering about the best way to spend your God-given time - a good starting place is to consider how God looks at time and how He wants us to use it.

Since we are accountable to God for how we use our time, we must plan our time around what's really important. Matthew 6:33 says; "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." We must seek God first to get strength, wisdom, and directions to fulfilling our destiny, and then we move forward.

My friends, I think you'll agree when I say that whatever controls our time, controls our life. We can simply look at Jesus for an example of this: He had thirty three years on this earth, and during that time, He was always doing His Father's business. He used His time, strength, wisdom and direction to do exactly what the Father called Him to do - healing the sick, raising the dead, opening the eyes of the blind, making the lame walk, feeding the hungry, and the list just goes on and on. The point here is that Jesus spent His time here doing what His Father wanted Him to do.

Think about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - he had but 39 years on this earth. In his time, he was busy doing what God called him to do and he made many, many major accomplishments. He made the best use of his time by working toward and accomplishing the things that he knew were truly important.

What we don't want to do is waste time by being disobedient like Lot's wife, for instance. As you likely recall, there were things going on in Sodom and Gomorrah that God was not pleased with. In His merciful way, God gave Lot and his family the opportunity to escape, so they could continue on with their destiny. But Lot's wife didn't want to leave her past, and her time was shorten, as she looked back and turned into a pillar of salt.

Time is so very precious, because by it we have an opportunity to escape everlasting misery, and obtain everlasting life. We may lose things in this life for one reason or another, but it's very possible that we can get back something that's even better than the first thing. However, when time is gone it's impossible to get more. When you really think about it - time is more precious than money, because when our time is gone, we can't purchase it with money; therefore, let's not spend our time chasing money, but rather chasing the will of God!

With all that said, let the Church say Amen and… AMEN!

When It Rain, Sometime It Pours, But Brighter Days Are Ahead!

It may be raining in our life right now, but my friends, I'm here to tell you - the sun is going to shine again!

Sometimes when it rain, it pours - but have no fear - there are brighter days ahead. Psalms 30:5 tells us that "...weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." I realize that this is probably easier said than done, but when the storms of life start raging, we must hold on to God’s unchanging hand. We do that by sending up our praise, our prayer, and by quoting His word back to Him.

You know, sometimes we get a little lazy with our praise to the Lord - we don’t spend as much time in prayer like we use to; we become so busy with other things that studying the word becomes a chore. So the Lord allows a little rain to fall. Mind you, He’s not allowing that rain to kill us - it's just enough so we will bow our knees and give Him the praise that He so rightly deserves. It's also a reminder that we need to put our trust back in Him and not in ourselves. He does this out of love for us.

The Lord allowed some rain to pour in Job's life, but after Job humbled himself and acknowledged God's sovereignty, he came out with twice as much as he went in with. God allowed some rain to pour in the children of Israel life, but when the sun started to shine for them, Psalms 105:37 tells us that they came out with silver and gold and there was not one feeble person among their tribes. Slaves leaving Egypt with silver and gold! Can you imagine that?!

If the rain didn’t fall, we wouldn’t know how to appreciate the sunny days! God also allows the rain to fall to see what’s in our heart; to see if we are in love with the gifts He gives us or if we are in love with the giver. It’s easy to praise the Lord when the sun is shining, but it’s so important to always have the same praise when the rain is falling on and around us.

It's imperative that we remember what the word of God tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, regardless of whether it’s raining or if the sun is shining: "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Also, remember not to get a bad attitude just because it’s raining in your life.  A bad attitude is just like having a flat tire - you can't go anywhere until it’s fixed!

In the days of Noah it poured, but for the ones that were obedient, there were brighter days ahead and the sun did indeed shine! So, be encouraged my friends - the Lord is too Holy, too Righteous, and too Just to allow anything to cross our path that’s not for our good and His Glory... no matter how it may appear to us! When it starts raining, sometimes it pours - BUT there are brighter days ahead!

And with all that said, let the church say amen… and AMEN!

You Can NEVER Be Too Thankful!

In Ephesians 5:20 the Word says, "Give thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Just look at how often we should give thanks - "ALWAYS." Now take a minute to think about what always means. When you got dressed this morning, did you think to give thanks for your shoes?  How many times have you complained about not having "anything to wear" while staring at a closet full of choices? Friends, stop grumbling and give thanks for all things always, so we can create the right environment to keep a thankful heart.

Daniel 6:2-3 tell us, "And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm." Now what do you think made Daniel have such an excellent spirit? Daniel had built the right environment of thankfulness around him and that environment carried an excellent spirit.              

We know that people plotted against Daniel; the King went so far as to make a firm decree that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Despite this decree, Daniel kept doing what an excellent spirit does - he continued to give thanks. The Bible tells us that Daniel opened his window just as he had always done, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God. And we know that Daniel ended up getting cast into the den of lions... but we also know who prevailed in that situation! If we keep building the right type of environment through being thankful, it won’t matter what the test is - we will be in the best place to overcome it!

Being thankful always must be a habit. Of course, when we first set our minds on doing this, we might not be as good at it as Daniel. However, if we can consciously think about it all the time, we'll find that the more we think about it, the more we will do it and we will eventually get to a point where it’s second nature, we'll simply give thanks always without even thinking about it.

Psalms 34:1 says "I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth." We must bless the Lord continually. We must also make a consciously decision to give thanks in everything, so that we can generate this environment of thanksgiving and our God that delivered Daniel, can (and will) also deliver us, because we have learned how to keep a thankful heart! 

With all that said, let the church say Amen… and AMEN!

Give Thanks!

We know that when we want to keep something safe that it's our job to protect it, guard it, and preserve it, right? Well, we need to do the same thing with our hearts. There is so much going on in the world; in our cities; in our homes - and that stuff is trying to keep us SO busy that we won’t have time to have a thankful heart. But what a blessing it is to have a mind to keep a thankful heart! As I Thessalonians 5:16-18 reminds us, "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

We should not mark just a single day to be thankful - being thankful should be an environment we live in; a state of mind - and it should be something that we carry with us daily. If it’s raining outside - we have an umbrella of Thanksgiving. On the other side of that coin, if the sun is shining too bright - we still have that umbrella of Thanksgiving! If the road is too crowded, we have our own lane of Thanksgiving. It’s that environment of thankfulness that we carry around!

You might be wondering - how do we keep a thankful heart? Well, like we talked about earlier, we have to build an environment around it and make a point to be thankful every single day! 

When we get up in the morning and we turn the faucet on and water comes out - we need to be thankful that we have running water! When go to brush our teeth, if we open the drawer and there is toothpaste waiting there for us - we need to be thankful! By doing that, we are creating an environment of being thankful for everything, whether it’s big or it's small AND regardless of whether it makes us happy or sad. 

Now, if you turn the faucet on and the water isn't getting hot fast enough for us and we let out a sigh of disgust or we open that drawer and the toothpaste that's waiting for us isn't the kind we want and we turn around and complain, what kind of environment are we creating?? Let me tell you, we are creating an ungrateful environment all around us. When we get in our car and it doesn’t start right away - especially when we are in a hurry - what do we do? Most of us start complaining, and when we do - what are we creating? A climate of ingratitude, that's what!

What did the scripture tell us in I Thessalonians 5:18?  To give thanks in every thing! Imagine if we started to practice that kind of thankfulness - what would that entail for you today?! Think about how many times you would have been thankful before you got to work; before you started doing whatever you had planned for that day, if you were being thankful for every thing.

What an awesome and powerful way to start each day - with a mighty attitude of Thanksgiving!

With all that said, let the church say amen... and AMEN!

It's Vital That We Pray for One Another!

Vital: very important, essential to life.

Pray: to address prayers to God; to ask or request.

Prayer is always to most valuable thing that we can do for ourselves and for others. One thing prayer is not -- a waste of time. When we pray for people, God, in all His mercy and grace, will turn those prayers around and pour them back into our bosom. Of course, we shouldn't pray for people simply because we are looking for something in return! We do it because we are showing forth the love of God and God commands that we pray one for another.

When we pray we are having a long or short talk with a great God. It’s how we communicate with Him. We should never make praying for others a chore, instead we should do it with joy as Paul did in Philippians 1:3-4. Paul says; "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with Joy." Now, here is Paul - in prison, with chains on and chained to a Roman guard - praying for others! He wasn’t complaining about his situation; on the contrary - he was praying for others with Joy!

We can also take a look at Job 42:10: "And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before." Even though God is ultimately responsible for others - it's still very important that we pray for others. That's the opportunity He gives us to contribute - the person we are praying for gets their needs meet and we get blessed in the process! Remember, our love grows and we grow, as we pray for others. Just because we see people with a smile on their face outwardly, it doesn't mean they are truly happy and smiling on the inside, so as a part of our daily walk, let's do pray for one another.

The Word does not tell us to just pray for the ones who are good to us. "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."

We are ambassadors for God in this world and He never ceases to love and care for us. In turn, He wants us to have that same kind of love and spirit toward others.

With all that said, let the Church say Amen… and AMEN!                            

Rest in the Lord!

Rest: to stop work, peace of mind or spirit, free from anxieties.

There is nothing like being one of His - just a sheep in the pasture where we don't have to worry about providing the way. We don't have to worry about providing the pasture (food), or providing the stream (water), or anything else. When we learn that we are just a sheep in His pasture, we are free to feel rested and secure. That's the way it should be - we don't have to worry about what's going to happen today or what's going to happen tomorrow. All that is in God hands. Now, if we were the boss, we would have to worry. I'm so glad that I can turn it all over to the Lord and just rest as I walk along with Him. We should be enjoying our journey, not trying to control it.

God promised to give us rest - we don't have to buy or borrow it - we just receive it as a gift. Matthew 11:28-30 tells us, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

We can't burn the candle at both ends - either we are going to rest in God or we are going to try to fix things ourselves. The Lord will let us wear ourselves out to the point of total exhaustion on the inside until we finally see the light and give that situation to Him. Once we do that, He will give us rest and He will refresh and comfort us.

When our children are doing things that we know they shouldn't be, we have to give it to the Lord and rest in what He has said in His word. If it's our spouse, our job, or anything else, we must learn to cease from our actions. God said in His word that He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Isn't that awesome?!

I don't know about you, but if I could fix things on my own - I would start with myself! But I can't fix me or anyone else. I'm not in control and it's not my responsibility. It's imperative that we learn to trust God to fix things and that we learn to rest in Him.

Our responsibility is to sit still, in quietness and in confidence, and believe that He can help, save, and deliver in our most urgent need. Remember - we are not the boss, nor are we in control. Psalms 37:7 says, "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him." If we don't see our prayers answered today or even tomorrow, that doesn't mean it's never going to happen. Again my friends, I say wait on the Lord and rest in Him!

With all that said, let the Church say Amen... and AMEN!                   

It Takes Time to Serve the Lord!

Serve: To render obedience or homage to; to perform the duties of

I once heard an elderly lady say that it takes time to raise children... and as those of you with kids can testify - that is a true fact!

I certainly thank the Lord for His patience in raising me. Most of the time, I want to go my own way, and do what I want to do; when I want to do it. But one of the dangers in doing is that there are so many things we are not simply aware of. We start out as babies in the natural, just as we start out as babies in the spiritual, so we have to be taught how to do things and that takes time.

My grandmother once told me that going on for God is like climbing a ladder - you don't step on the first step and suddenly you're at the top. No, you have to go one step at a time. And what happens when a baby first begins to walk? They inevitably try to go too fast and end up falling down. We're like that spiritually sometimes. I can't stress enough that we must spend time with the Lord in prayer and in His Word, so that He can teach us.

Babies in the natural don't stay the same size - as you feed them, they grow; as you teach them, they learn. It's the same with us. As we feed on God's Word, we grow and we learn. We just have to slow down, be patient and spend time with the Lord. In reality, we're not just spending time - we're actually investing time and investing in Jesus pays the best dividends you'll ever get - Eternal Life!

So remember, when we come before Him, we should never act as if it's a chore. Instead, we should come with out minds made up to serve the Lord with gladness! Just as Psalms 100:2-5 tells us, we must "serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations."

With all that said, let the church say Amen... and AMEN!

God's Merciful and Gracious Names!

Merciful: full of compassion, favor, tender mercy, pity

Gracious: showing kindness, full of compassion, to bestow God blessing upon us

As you may know, names speak of nature. By "nature" I mean, ones own character or type. "Merciful" and "Gracious" always work together to bestow God's nature and blessings upon us. Friends, that's just who God is; He's not some mean God that sits on the throne just waiting to beat us over the head when we do something wrong. No, the God we serve was merciful before sin; He is merciful during sin; and He will still be merciful after sin. He is the same today, yesterday, and forever.

Exodus 34:5-7 tells us "And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation."

The Lord stood by Moses and proclaimed the names of the Lord. He wanted Moses (and He wants us) to learn and get familiar with His names or His nature, so that when we are in the midst of our storm, we can just call on the name. When we need God's mercy, we must call on His merciful name - in Hebrew, that's Jehovah Khaw-oom. When you do, His mercy is going to show up and keep those things back that I so rightly deserve. When we need grace, we should call on His gracious name - Jehovah Khan-noon - and He will show up and graciously give us what we don’t deserve. If you are not familiar with His Hebrew names, just call on "mercy" and "grace," God knows His names (even if we don't). However, we must call on His name with believing-faith and He will show-up and show-out on our behalf.

Let me share with you a testimony of my own: my formal pastor went to the doctor with his daughter, who wanted to have a specific procedure done that day. The nurse at the doctor's office said, "no, we can't do that procedure today; you'll have to wait another month." He and his daughter left, but while they were on the elevator he asked his daughter if she really wanted to have the procedure done that day. Of course she said yes. Guess what they did next? They called on the merciful - Jehovah Khaw-oom - and the gracious - Jehovah Khan-noon - names of God. When the elevator reached to first floor, he told his daughter, "let's go back up." So, they did just that - they went back to the doctor's office and told them again what she wanted to have done. You better believe that the second time the nurse said, "Can you come back this afternoon? We will do it today." That's what I mean about "believing faith." God's names are powerful; all we have to do is use them. They are full of compassion and tender mercy!

With all that said, let the Church say Amen… and AMEN!

God's Protection Covenant! (Part Three)

Today, we will conclude our study on God's Protection Covenant from Psalms 91. There are some awesome promises in here and fortunately for us, God is committed to them all!

11-12.  For He shall give His Angels (messengers) charge (a special assignment from God) over thee, to keep (to preserve) thee in all thy ways. They (the Angels) shall bear thee up in their hands; lest (for fear) thou dash (destroy) thy foot against a stone. In these two verses, God makes an additional promise of protection. At some point in our lives we all can recall a close call in which we escaped a tragedy, where there is no explanation in the natural. The spiritual explanation was that God's Angels were standing guard over God's children. It is so awesome to me that God would give His Angels a special assignment to protect me and you and to hold us in the palm of his hand and not allow us to so much as dash our foot against a stone!

13.  Thou shalt tread (walk) upon the lion (devil) and adder (serpent) the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample (injure or destroy) under feet. As Christians, we have been given the authority over the enemy; he does not have authority over us. Luke 10:19 says, "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." What awesome coverage we are provided under God Protection Covenant!

14-16.  In he remaining three verses, God is speaking directly to us. In these three verses, He gives seven promises. When we set our hearts, minds, and love on God, these promises comes into effect. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

I believe that Psalms 91 is a covenant - a spiritual agreement that God has made available to His children. In these difficult times we are living in - we truly need it. May the Lord bless each of you!

With all that said, let the Church say Amen… and AMEN!

God's Protection Covenant! (Part Two)

Today, we will continue on with part 2 of God's Protection Covenant, which is found in Psalms 91.

5 and 6: Thou shalt not be afraid (overcome with fear) for the terror (extreme fear) by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor from the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. Verses 5 and 6 cover an entire twenty-four hour period -- day and night protection. The Lord continually reminds us not to be afraid, because it is through faith in His word that we are protected. Being afraid comes when we think that we are responsible for protecting ourselves. Fortunately for us, His protection is already there - it has already been provided - we just need to receive it. The terror by night that's talked about in verse 5 refers to all those things that are happening around us in our every day life - like robbery and murder. However, if we abide close to the Lord in the shelter of the Most High and believe His promises, there will be no reason to fear. Remember, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).

7: A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. What a wonderful statement! God wants us to know that there shall be a thousand falling by our side and ten thousand at our right hand, so while there will be destruction, but it will not approach us, because we have chosen to believe and trust in Him! By doing so, we are hid under the shadow of the Almighty.

8: Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward (recompense) of the wicked. When the children of Israel left Egypt, they were under the protection of the Almighty God and where able to crossed the Red Sea on dry land. However, but the wicked ones who were not under the protection all drown in the Red Sea. Moses told the Israelites whom ye have seen today, ye will never see them again. Just as He did for the children of Israel, he will do for us. God will protect His own! 

9 and 10: Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, (shelter) even the Most High, thy habitation; (a place of residence) There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague (disease) come nigh (near) thy dwelling. After God repeats our part of the condition in verse nine, He re-emphasizes the promise in verse ten - no plague will come near your dwelling place. What an awesome God! When our hearts are truly steadfast and we are trusting in His faithfulness, He will fulfill His promises!

Next week we will conclude God's Protection Covenant, so be sure to check back next Wednesday!

With all that said, let the Church say Amen… and AMEN!

God's Protection Covenant! (Part One)

Covenant: a formal binding agreement, a promise

In Psalms chapter 91, we find one of the binding agreements that God has made with man. This covenant is just as reliable in a time of trouble as it is in a time of peace. Of course, we must have faith in that covenant and believe that our God is going to perform all of His promises just as He said He would.

Over the next few weeks, I would like to break this Psalm and covenant down for you so that you understand what God has promised us.

1. He that dwelleth (lives) in the secret (hidden) place of the most High shall abide (stay) under the shadow (protection) of the Almighty. Under this protection plan we shall be treated as God's guest. You know whenever we are visiting family or friends, we are their guest. And when we come under the roof of anyone who truly cares about us, they tend to take our protection seriously - just as they would their own flesh and blood - and they do everything in their power to make sure that no hurt or harm comes to us. The Lord does the exact same. Even if we are walking along the road, we can simply ask for the performance of this promise. Even though God is up there and we are down here, if we speak the word and believe, we will instantly be in the secret place of the most High; covered and resting under the shadow of the Almighty.

2. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge (Shelton) and my fortress (defense): my God; in Him will I trust (have total confidence). We all know that when you go to a shelter, it's intended to be a place of safety. This piece of the covenant tells us that the Lord will be our defense, regardless of the storm that's going on in our lives. Have you ever seen the old western movies with the army posts? Everyone is usually inside the fort and they have big gates with tall walls and men walking to and fro with weapons. Those men make sure that no one comes in and that no one goes out without some sort of protection; everybody who's inside the fortress feels safe. It’s the same way with God - when we are under His shadow, Angels are continually walking around protecting God's people.

3. Surely (not liable to fail) he shall deliver (rescue) thee from the snare (trap) of the fowler (haters of God's love and light) and from the noisome pestilence (people that try to bring us their darkness). These noisome pests can be just like mosquitoes that buzz constantly in your ear. The good news here is that as long as we are covered under the Almighty's protection, those pests will have to go through God before they can get to us. However, the choice is ours, we can choose to stay under the light of God's protection or we can listen to those noisome pestilence, which might lead us astray. God leaves that choice up to us. 

4. He shall cover (conceal) thee with His feathers (feathers in the spiritual speaks of love) and under His wings shalt thou trust; His truth (trustworthiness) shall be the shield (defensive armor) and buckler (something that surrounds a person). You might be familiar with how a mother hen hovers over her chicks and if anyone comes along trying to mess with or take her babies, she’ll peck them! That mother hen sits right there covering her chicks with her feathers of love and under her wings. God will hover over us just like that mother hen and will peck anyone who tries to harm us!

I'll be back next week with more on this awesome covenant; until then --

With all that said, let the Church say Amen... and AMEN!

There's POWER in Your Words!

Words: a message, a brief talk or command

Powerful: possessing energy or great force; having authority

Let's go back to the beginning where God created the heaven and the earth; since He created everything with words. If you look at Genesis 1:3-6, each scripture starts with "and God said," "and God said," and so on. God created everything simply by speaking it into existence. Since His word tells us that we are made in His image and He created with words, in a way, we can also create with words. Now, don't get me wrong - this is not to say that we have the same power as God (not even close!), but there are some things of Him within us. Proverbs 18:21 says; "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." In other words, we will eat death or life with just our words. Our words are powerful, so let’s make sure that we're speaking life.

I remember this time when one of my friends was angry with their supervisor, who was scheduled to go out of town for the weekend. In that moment of anger, my friend said; "I hope she ends up with two flat tires!" Wouldn't you know it - that’s exactly what happened! Words are like seeds - you plant them, water them, and they grow. That's why it's crucial that we plant seeds of life, because they have power. So, let the weak say "I am strong;" let the poor say "I am rich;" let the sick say "I am healed!"

If we want to change something in our lives, we should start with our words, because words can hurt you or they can heal you. I've often heard this saying; "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never harm me." Well, I'm here to tell you that is not a true statement; words are powerful and they can sometimes cut deeper than a knife. If those words are sharp enough, it's likely that you will never forget them. Even though you may forgive the one(s) that spoke them, they are always in the back of your mind.

Let’s store up words of love and words of peace, because we express our feelings with them. We can inspire ourselves and others; we can build ourselves and others up, or we can tear ourselves and others down. Our words have power, so let’s speak life; such as, "I’m blessed and highly favored by the Lord;" "I’m blessed in the city and out of the city;" and "I’m the head and not the tail." We must use our words wisely, my friends, because while they can be forgiven, there's a great chance that they may never be forgotten.

With all that said, let the Church say Amen… and AMEN!

Whose Approval Are You Seeking?

Approval: favorable opinion or acceptance.

So often we seek the approval of others instead of focusing on getting the approval that really counts. We seek to get the approval of others in the way that we dress, the cars we drive, and the way we think. We even try to gain a favorable opinion from others by the decisions we make. My friends, this should not be the case! Especially if it means that we neglect to get the approval of God, our Father. If we're not careful, we will find ourselves using all of our energy trying to please others and trying to be accepted by them and in the process of all this, we'll end up being totally miserable, because we wind-up outside of the will of God. First, let's seek God for His approval, before we worry about anyone else's. After all, His opinion is the only one that really counts.

In 1 Samuel 15:3 God told Saul, "Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass."  Just a few verses later, we find that "...Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them." Instead of being obedient after receiving the word of God and seeking His approval, Saul listened to the people and allowed them to do what they wanted to do in order to be accepted by them. As a result of his actions, Saul was rejected from being King. Now, if you were in that situation, knowing what you know, whose approval would you be seeking?

Life would be awfully miserable if we spend it trying to please everybody else, so lets not lose focus by trying to get the praise of man more than we seek for the praise/approval of God. If we allowed it, people will tell us how to live our lives, how to raise our children, and will even tell the pastors how to run the Church. We must remember to seek God's opinion in all things and be the people that He has called us to be in order to fulfill our destiny. While we may disappoint man, we should seek the approval of God and make every effort not to disappoint Him.

With all that said, let the Church say Amen… and AMEN!                     

The Lord Wants Us to Thrive!

Thrive: To flourish, to prosper, to be healthy.

Jesus said in His word, "I am come that they (we) might have life, and that they (we) might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).  The Lord doesn’t want us to simply exist - He wants us to thrive!  There are so many people out there that are simply existing - they're murmuring and complaining and blaming others for their misfortunes. What those folks don't realize is that, in all actuality God is the head. He wants us to come into agreement with Him and confess that where we are is His master plan. He wants us to be successful both naturally, spiritually, and financially. Let’s stop complaining and start thriving.

Jeremiah 29:4 tells us, "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon." As the scripture continues, verses 5 and 6 reminds us that God is telling us to thrive - regardless of what our situation may be, we must thrive; "build houses... plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.... take wives, have children, give your daughters to husbands, and your sons to wives that they might have children that we may increased and not diminished." Whatever your case (or situation) may be, don't forget that the Lord has allowed it. He allows things to bring us down just so He can take us higher -- but we must be mindful to praise Him and be thankful in all those situations.... after all, there is always something to be thankful for even when it doesn’t appear to be!

The Lord didn’t want them or us to just exist in the land, He wanted them and us to flourish, to prosper, and be healthy. We must leave off the pity party and start thriving right where we are.  When those things come up to interrupt our day, you should immediately start praising God because that’s another opportunity to thrive in order for the Lord to take us higher.

Just a few examples of how God wants us to flourish: Abraham was blessed greatly, he had flocks, herbs, silver and gold (Genesis 24:35); Boaz, a mighty man of wealth (Ruth 2:1); God gave Solomon wisdom, knowledge, riches and honor (2 Chronicles 1:12). These men thrived, they were in good health, and died a good old age. 

My friends, remember that God is the head over all things and all situations. You and I might not be planting gardens or getting married; but we are here doing something and whatever it is, God wants us to thrive right here where we are!

With all that said, let the church say amen... and AMEN!

He is The Potter; We are the Clay!

Potter: One who makes earthenware vessels.

Clay:,Earth that is pliable when moist but hard when fired.

There are many different ways the Lord uses to describe His relationship to His people. Today, I want to share with you how He’s the Master Potter and we are the clay and to inform you that the Potter has a mission! This mission is to take worthless clay and turn it into vessels of honor, which means that He has to mold it, shape it, and transform it, in order for it to be useful to Him. Isaiah 64:8 says it best; "But now, oh Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand."

It doesn’t matter what condition we're in when He finds us; God is more interested in taking the worst of us and changing us into the best He has to offer. Like the clay at first, our condition is initially worthless - it must be shaped, molded, and transformed, so that it can be used. We were worthless to God in our sinful condition, but thank God, He saw the vessels we could become. But first we must invite Him into our lives as our personal savior; at that point, God can begin His process.

When clay is first brought in from the fields it is unusable; it is usually hard and full of impurities. As the clay must first be refined, so must the Christian first be refined before we can be shaped into a vessel by the Master Potter. The clay has to be put into the kiln and expose to fire to be harden. We  too must be tried by fire in order to be strengthened. Look at Joseph for instance - Joseph was sold into slavery and imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. When he was tried by fire, he maintained a positive attitude toward the Potter, became a vessel of honor, and was made the second most powerful man in Egypt.

Jeremiah 18-6 says; "O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? Saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel." In other words, just as the clay yields itself to a potter, we as Christians must submit to the authority of God. He’s in complete control and whatever the fire is that He puts us in has been tailor-made just for us.

With all that said, let the church say Amen… and AMEN!            



                                                                                                    

Long-Suffering God

Long-Suffering: Patient; slow; to be slow to anger; tarry long

The Lord does not hasten to punish us, instead He patiently presents us with many opportunities to retrace our evil steps. Our long-suffering Lord is the one who has unlimited patience with His creation (that's us, just in case you were wondering). He’s the one who puts up with us and gives us ample time to use the energy, movements, and powers that He has given us to be used according to His master plan and will. Therefore, He grants us patience and time, again and again.

Our long-suffering Lord wants us to take on His long-suffering nature and to "...walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:1-3). 

Let's use the children of Israel as an example of how the Lord is slow to anger: He wanted the children of Israel to be a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation (Exodus 19:6), but what He got was a murmuring and complaining group of people - even after they had seen His miracles and wonders.  Despite all they had seen, they got off track. Regardless, every time they cried out to Him, our long-suffering Lord delivered them.

The Lord suffers long with us because he does not want any of His creations to be lost. In Ezekiel 33:11, the Word tells us that He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Our Lord is not some mean God that sits on the throne just waiting to beat us over the head when we do some thing wrong. Instead, our longsuffering Lord takes exquisite pleasure in waiting for us to gain the victory in the fight and to struggle against the temptations that come into our lives (using all of those tools He's already provided us with, of course). What an awesome long-suffering Lord!

Our long-suffering Lord is forever giving patient consideration to our weakness and underdevelopment, because He knows our weaknesses can be brought to greatness if we would simply surrender and willingly be obedient to the merciful and gracious, slow to anger, long-suffering Lord. If we would just do that, we can also achieve mature moral development, because the Lord is long-suffering and patiently waiting on us.

With all that said, let the church say amen... and AMEN!

We Can Have Everything and Still Have Nothing!

Everything: all; something that is extremely or most important

Nothing: naught; something or someone of no importance or significance

My friends, have you ever realized that we can have everything that money can buy and still have absolutely nothing of true importance? What I mean is, we can have all the food we can get; all the most beautiful and expensive clothes; and just about everything else that our hearts desire, but if we don't have Jesus - well then, we still have nothing. We all have a place in our hearts that only Jesus can fill and without the spirit of God living there we are empty, miserable, and have no peace. There are so many restless people out there that want more and more, who never stop to realize that what they are really longing for is the Lord our God.

I once worked for a lady who had millions of dollars, beautiful cars, a big beautiful home, and more clothes than she could ever possibly wear. Even though she had all those things and was in good health, she still had no joy. Her house was filled with people every day, but she still felt empty. She was so unhappy that she drank alcohol all day, every day. She had everything the average person would ever want, but yet she had nothing. The ingredients that were missing in her life were Jesus, His word,  and His peace. You see, you can have all the material things that money can buy, but if you don’t have Jesus in your life as your personal savior -- well then, you have nothing.

Take Pharaoh for instance, he had every material thing a person of his day would want - men servants, maid servants, even slaves to build his cities - but yet he was so wicked to God's people. He had it all, but still he had nothing. He did not have the love for God or the word of God ruling in his life.

Friends, God is more than anything we could ever possibly have. When it seems like you don't have anything, remember that if you've got the Lord, then you have everything you could possibly need! People, places, and things won't fill that empty void in your heart - only Jesus can!

With all that said, let the Church say Amen and…AMEN!







 

Our Life Preaches a Sermon!

Denise's ABCs For Success! (Part Two)

Last week we went over Denise’s ABCs for success from A –M, this week we will continue with N –Z.

I pray that her ABC’s has blessed you in some way!

N:  Be like the Needle in the haystack -- not necessarily something easily spotted upon first glance, but sharp and to the point nevertheless.

O:  Obey the Lord’s will for your life. His will always takes you higher than your own.

P:  Pray and give Praise in all situations.

Q:  Be sure to set aside some Quiet time for yourself. Use this time to figure out who you are, where you want to go, and what it will take to get you there.

R:  Remember to ALWAYS Respect your parents. As bad as they may seem now, they really do love you and want the very best for you. Keep in mind that you only get one true set of parents, so make it count. Don’t alienate them now, as you may come to find that, besides Jesus, they are the only people who will love you unconditionally. Show them the Respect they deserve and should demand. As one of my favorite people often says, "You'll need them long before they will need you."
      Another ‘R’ I try to practice – Remember to Ring (call) your parents once a week, every week! That way when you call for money, they can't say that you only call when you need something!

S:  Know and believe that Jesus is and will always be your Source of Strength. Things get rough out there. When they do, know that He can carry you and your heavy load.

T:  Always have a Testimony. If you don't share all that the Lord has done for you, you may be prone to forget yourself.

U:  Take the time to Understand what people are telling you, in hopes that they will do the same for you. Don't just listen – Understand.

V:  Keep in mind that the Victory can be yours. Like the song says, "If I hold my peace and let the Lord fight my battles, Victory shall be mine."

W:  Watch out for those quick to steer you toward the things you know are Wrong.

X:  Accentuate the positive in every situation. Okay – I know that this isn’t a X word, but just work with me on this one!!

Y:  Be Youthful – when you are blessed with children, remember that you were young once. Keep in mind that things look different in the eyes of an eighteen or nineteen year old than in those of a forty-year-old.

Z:  Be Zealous in all that you do!

With all that said, let the Church say Amen and… AMEN!

Denise's ABCs For Success! (Part One)

Denise was the speaker for the youth program at church many years ago. Her ABC’s were written for the youth, but I thought it would be good for the adults to hear as well, because this is something we can apply to our lives as well:

A:  Always be Appreciative of what you have. There is always someone out there who would be glad to trade places with you.
B:  Be ye not Boastful. No one who really loves you cares about how much you have, what kind of car you drive, or how many pair of Nikes you own.
      An Alternate B: Be on time!

C:  Courteous, Cautious, and Considerate. These three characteristics alone will take you farther in life than money ever will.

D:  Make clear, well-thought out Decisions. Take the time to really consider all of the factors before making a hasty decision.

E:  Strive for Excellence in each and everything that you do.

F:  Forgive and Forget. Seventy times seven is the number of times the Bible says that we are to turn the other cheek. So don't hold grudges!       
      Another great F word is Friends. Find out who your friends really are and hold on to them for life. Friends are always great things to have. Like a mind, a true friend is a terrible thing to waste!

G:  Practice Goodwill. Give to those who are less fortunate than you with love and joy in your heart and the Lord will make sure that it comes back to you ten-fold!

H:  Happiness is fundamental to success. But not just your happiness, be sure to take into consideration the lives of others whose life you may have an effect on.
      An even better H is to Hold on to God's unchanging Hands. He will never leave nor forsake you.

I:  Identify and define who YOU are. Don't be afraid to be an Individual. Just because all of your friends are doing something, that does not mean that you have to jump on the bandwagon too!

J:  Most importantly, know, trust and depend on Jesus. As I said before, He will never leave you hanging. But don't just know Him. Anybody can just know someone. However, it takes a special person to develop a personal relationship.

K:  Keep your eyes, noses, ears, and mouths out of other people's business. Make sure that your own house is in order before talking about others.
      Also, (this one is especially for the younger folks) – Keep those pants up, those skirts down and Keep focused.

L:  Learn to Love, Live Life to the Fullest and always Look before you Leap.

M:  Mind your Manners. A little "Yes Sir," "No Ma'am" never hurt anyone and it may get you closer to what you want than "naw" and "uh huh" ever will.

Be sure to tune in next week for part two of the ABCs.

With all that said, let the Church say Amen and... Amen!

The Precious Blood of Jesus!

I thank the Lord for His precious blood! The blood is one of the provisions that was left for us to help us get back to the Lord. The blood has never lost its power; it is able to do whatever the Lord sends it forth to do. With so many unfortunate things going on in the world today, we should never leave home without asking the Lord to cover us, our spouses, and our children with His precious blood. Here are four reasons why:

1) The Blood Cries Out for Us: Did you know that we don’t have to lift a hand when someone wrongs us? We don’t have to pay them back; we don't have to plot revenge. If we would just plead the blood every day; it has a voice and that voice will cry out for vengeance on our behalf. 



Take Cain and Abel in Genesis 4:9-10 (KJV) as an example: "And the Lord said unto Cain, where is Abel thy brother? And he said I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? And He said, what hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground."

We all know how the story goes: Cain slay Abel because the Lord rejected his offering, but accepted the offering of Abel. The scripture tells us that Abel's blood was crying out for vengeance. If we want the blood to cry out on our behalf, we must plead the blood over ourselves every day. We must get ourselves clean daily by repenting and let the blood do the rest.

2) The Blood Protects Us: We need the blood of protection, so that we can be protected from the enemy. When Satan sees us going on for the Lord, he wants to destroy us, but the blood will cry out for our protection, just as it did for the children of Israel.

Exodus 12:7 says, "And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the house..." Verses 12 and 13 continues with, "For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the house where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt." Oh how we need the blood upon our heart and down both sides of us!

3) The Blood Pardons Us and Give Us Peace: The blood also justified us; it cleans us as though we had never sinned. Roman 5:9 tells us, "Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him."

The blood has special power to pardon and save us, so it's essential that we live under this blood. Remember, for this power to pardon us, we must spend time repenting. Repenting will allow the blood to justify and cleanse us as though we had never sinned.

4) The Blood Delivers: The blood delivers us from the full stature of Lucifer, it makes a way of escape for us and draws us closer to the Lord. Ephesians 2:13 says, "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." The blood will deliver us - if we want to be delivered. 1 Peter 1:18-19 reminds us that, "For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."

My aunt sings this song all the time that says, "I'm going to stay under the blood; I'm going to stay under the blood; and the devil can't do me no harm." Now we know why the devil can't do us any harm when we stay under the blood - because it cries out for vengeance, it protects us, it pardons us and it delivers us! Stay under the blood, my friends!

With all that said, let the church say amen...and Amen!               

Forgiveness!

Forgiveness: To pardon, to give up resentment. to grant as a favor, a gift.

You know how we always like to receive presents from people? Well, what about giving yourself a gift? I'm talking about the gift of life - Forgiveness.

No matter what we perceive has hurt us or has caused us shame and grief, we must always remember to forgive. Forgiveness is our path to healing, not to mention, it's what God expects us to do.  If we offend someone; we must quickly repent. If someone offends us; we must quickly forgive. Ephesians 4:32 reminds us, "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

Forgiveness is big with God, because it's an expression of His love. When we choose not to forgive, we are putting limits on ourselves... as well as on the Lord. We are holding back on His love, His joy, and His peace that we should be showing one to another - instead we carry around all sorts of unprofitable weight.

Matthew 18:21-22 says, "Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." (In case you were wondering - that’s every 2 ½ minutes.)

Forgiveness is a choice - if we are on the receiving end of someone’s unkind words or if there were unkind deeds that were done to us in the past, we have a choice. We can choose to forgive and move past barriers that will separate us from others (and from the Lord) or we can tie God hands with our unwillingness to forgive. How easy is it for us to forget that we have made mistakes in our life?? Keep that in mind next time you're holding a grudge. We must forgive others so that we too can be forgiven.

We have no excuse for holding grudges; for not forgiving others... while Jesus was hanging on the cross He said, "Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). Surely we can do the same, right? Especially since we're not hanging on a cross! Forgiveness is a gift - one that we can all use and one that we all need.

With all that said; let the Church say amen... and AMEN!                

Bloom Right Where You're Planted!

Bloom: To flourish

Planted: To put or set in the ground for growth

Most seeds bloom exactly where they are planted. That's because the sustenance it needs to survive is provided above the ground right where it was planted. Beneath the ground, the plant is also provided with nutrients which allows it to take root. Once that plant takes root, it tends to flourish, right there where the seed was planted. We can be just like that seed -- meaning that we can bloom exactly where we have been planted -- but we must have something to work with. As the plant gets nutrients beneath the ground to help it take root, grow and bloom; we must use what's beneath our surface (or what's inside of us) to help us bloom. In our case, our root system is our foundation and it's our foundation that anchors us. We must have a vision inside of us that's set on victory, so when situations pile up on us, we can easily push through them and blossom right where we have been planted.

Of course, we know that everyday isn't going to be a good day. Without a doubt, there will be all kinds of unpleasant things going on all around us - we may get bad news about a loved one or we may lose our job. Though we may feel like we’ve never had such difficult struggles, if we can just keep on believing, keep on hoping, and keep on pulling from the sustenance we get from above, our God will see that we are going to bloom right where we have been planted and He will turn the situation around!

Paul and Silas are a great example of this. Paul and Silas were planted in jail, beaten with many stripes with their feet in stocks, but still managed to blossom right where they were. In spite of their situation, Paul and Silas didn't complain. Instead, Acts 16:23-25 tells us that at midnight they prayed and sang praises unto God. Now, that’s what I call blooming EXACTLY where you have been planted! There is a light in every situation, we just have to choose to see it and act on it!

Remember, when struggles come our way - we are not buried in that spot - we are simply planted, so we can bloom!

With all that said, let the Church say Amen... and Amen!                                 

The Two Best Dads

It's so easy to pick up the phone and say all kinds of sweet things to Moms, but it's also important to do the same with our Dads. You know, everybody enjoys hearing nice words like "I love you," and "I appreciate all the wonderful things you did and are still doing for me." Those words are precious to a Dad, just as they are to a Mom. I’m sure all the Dads out there wouldn’t mind hearing, "thank you for working long hours to provide for me," "thank you for making sure there was food  on the table and clothes on our backs." There would be no you or me without a Dad.

Just as it is in the natural, so it is in the spiritual. Let us not forget about our Heavenly Father - the one who was, is, and always will be - without Him there would truly be no you or no me! With all that said, I will leave you with a poem from our resident poet, Ms. Shonta Alexander.

The Two Best Dads

Happy Father's Day to the men I love
My earthly father and my Father above
The best two dads I've ever had
Handed down from the other, I'm so glad
Blessed is how I feel to have you in my life
Because of you I've grown to be a virtuous wife
I've learned to give thanks in all of my prayers
I've learned to hand over all of my cares
I've learned the Word of God from both of you
I've studied for myself because you told me to
You've instilled so much when things got tough
Can't express my love and appreciation enough
So HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to my two dad's
The best two dads I've ever had!

With all that said, let the Church say Amen... and AMEN!

Don't Wait To Be Blessed, Be a Blessing!

Blessing: a beneficial thing for which one is grateful; something that brings well-being.

So often we want to be blessed. Our fleshly nature always wants to know, 'if I go out of my way to do that, what’s in it for me?' More often than not, if we can't see the silver lining in something for us; we are not real anxious to do it. We must keep in mind what the Word of God says, "it's more blessed to give than to receive." Also, whenever we are a blessing to others, we don’t have to sound a trumpet just to make sure that everyone knows!

Our ultimate example (Jesus) didn’t come to be served - He came to serve. God is so faithful that He will not allow any of our acts of kindness to go unnoticed. If we could learn to look to the Author and Finisher of all things, we would realize that it's okay to be a blessing rather than always wanting someone to bless us. You see, man is limited, but God is not! When He blesses you, you are truly blessed!

Ruth was a good example; she was such a blessing to her mother-in-law. When Naomi lost her husband and both of her sons, Ruth did not leave her, she went back to Bethlehem with her. When she went to the fields to glean ears of corn so they could eat, Ruth wasn’t looking for a blessing - she just wanted to be a blessing to Naomi. Boaz, who was a mighty man of wealth, saw Ruth gleaning in his field and inquired about her. After hearing how she had been such a blessing to her mother-in-law since the death of her husband and sons, Ruth quickly found favor in Boaz's sight. To make a long story short, Ruth became the wife of a mighty man of wealth simply because she was willing and able to be a blessing to someone else.

The word says to give honor where honor is due, so I want to give honor to my dear sweet Aunt, who does SO many things for other people without ever looking for a blessing - just simply wanting to be a blessing. When our mother passed away some years ago, she stepped in and became a mother, a friend, and a sister to me and to my siblings. She visits people in the nursing homes, in the hospital, and has been known to take on small children as her own grandchildren. On top of all that, she also ministers in what ever capacity that she can to her other nieces and nephews; and carries the elderly to the bank, to the grocery store, and to their doctors appointments. When my husband's mother passed away, she took him on as well. We love you and we thank you Auntie Lorine for being such a wonderful blessing to each of us and never looking or expecting to be blessed!

The Lord is our great and mighty rewarder, so let’s be a blessing to someone today and not wait to be blessed!

With all that said, let the Church say Amen and... AMEN!                     

Let's Serve The Lord With Gladness and Thanksgiving!

Gladness: Being happy, being willing to help, grateful, joy and pleasure.

Thanksgiving: An expression of one gratitude, a celebration.

I realize that there is a lot going on in this world today, in fact, it’s enough to blow your mind, but I think it's important that we keep in mind that we didn't start those things and we can’t finish them. Of course, that's not to say that we shouldn't pray for our country - we absolutely should - especially as we see murder, sickness, and flooding going on in the world - and that's just the short list! However, after we have taken those things to Jesus, we must leave them at His feet. This allows us to move forward and serve Him with gladness, with joy, and pleasure as His Word has instructed us to do. We should never allow serving God to become a chore. Instead, let's strive to always serve him with an attitude of gratitude.

In the amplified version of Psalms 100: 1-5, David gives us some amazing advice:

"Make A joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come before His presence with singing! Know (perceive, recognize, and understand with approval) that the Lord is God! It is He who has made us, not we ourselves (and we are His)! We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name! For the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting, His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations."

Serving the Lord with gladness and thanksgiving is easy! We can accomplish this by mentioning His Name to others and by acknowledging all the wonderful things He has done for us. Our God is awesome and truly worthy to be praised, so my friends I invite you to magnify the Lord with me, and let's exalt his name together!

With all that said, let the Church say Amen and … AMEN!                    

Tend to Your Own Garden!

Garden: A place for growing things.

We can't spend all of our time tending to other people's garden and leaving our garden unattended. Of course, I'm speaking of our Spiritual Garden here - our hearts. We don't always mean to get wrapped up in other people's gardens, we're usually just trying to help - by trying to comfort, give advice, or just lend an ear a little more than we should. What we're forgetting in those moments is that the Lord doesn't need our help - everything and everybody is in the Lord's eyesight and under His control. We must allow God to fulfill His great purpose in their lives, and stay focused and pray that He will do the same in our lives. I'm not saying that we should NEVER get involved in other people's lives, because it's wonderful to help others - when appropriate. What I'm saying is that we shouldn't get consumed to the point that we neglect spending quality time with the Lord getting those un-Christ-like things out of our hearts.

Let's take a look at Moses; Moses spent so much of his time in the camp among the people trying to work out their issues. The word tells us in Exodus 18:13, "…that Moses sat to judge the people and the people stood by Moses from morning unto the evening." He spent so much time working out their issues that he didn't deal with his. These same people caused him to miss going into Canaan's land and some of them got to go in! Moses missed it because he was so angry with them, he disobeyed God. Numbers 20:8 tell us how the Lord told Moses to "speak ye unto the rock," but Moses lifted up his hand, and with the rod he smote the rock twice. Perhaps if he had spent more time working in his garden (his heart), pulling out the weeds of anger, things might have gone differently. Think about it for a minute - some of the people he spent his time helping went into the promise land and all he got to do was look over into it. That's not to say that Moses wasn't a good leader - because he definitely was - it's just an example to let us know that we should not spend so much time taking care of other people's gardens and leaving ours undone.

It's imperative that we stay focused on our gardens, so we don't allow anger, bitterness, and evil thoughts take root and start growing. Just like in the natural, if we don't keep our gardens chopped and well-tended to, weeds, wild vines, and grass will take root and grow all over the place. Remember, God is a Sovereign God. He knows exactly what others need, as well as He knows what we are in need of. Let's be sure to set aside some quality time and energy to nurture our relationship with the Lord.

With all that said, let the Church say amen… and Amen!

God Always Has a Ram in the Bush!

My friends, trust me when I say that God ALWAYS has a ram in the bush! A ram in the bush is that moment when unexpected help shows up right at the time you need it; just when you think there is no hope. God always has a ram in the bush. Our job is to have the trust (complete confidence) in God that Abraham had.

Most of us know the story of when Abraham was asked to offer his son up as a burnt-offering. Verse 3 of Genesis 22 says; "And Abraham rose up early in the morning... and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him." You don’t see anywhere in the scriptures where Abraham questioned God, he simply did what he was asked/told to do. The story continues in verse 9: "And they came to the place which God had told him of, Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood." as Abraham stretched forth his hand to slay his son, verse 11 tells us, "the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. and he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him." Imagine the relief when "Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt-offering in the stead of his son." Don’t you know that was just when Isaac thought there was no hope, God had a ram in the bush. Just as He provided the ram for him, He will do the same for me and you.

Another example is Moses. Exodus 2:2-9 tells the story of when Moses was born. When his mother saw that he was a goodly (beautiful) child, she hid him for three months. "When she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river brink." His sister stood afar off, to see what would be done to him. At the perfect time, the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and she saw the ark among the flags, and sent her maid to fetch it. When she saw the child and he wept, she had compassion on him, and said, this is one of the Hebrews children. Imagine the relief  when Moses' sister saw this and said to Pharaoh's daughter, shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child and Pharaoh's daughter told her to go. Moses' sister was then able to go and called their own mother to nurse him. Now, look at how good God is! His mother was able to nurse and care for him and Pharaoh's daughter paid her to do so! Moses' ram (and his mother's) was Pharaoh's daughter. Despite the fact that Pharaoh had said, "every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive," Moses' life was spared and his very own mother was able to tend to him.

We all know this, but sometime we need a little reminder: God is omnipresent. He will be there for you just in the nick of time and right on time to provide you with whatever kind of ram you need. Your ram could be your friend, a stranger who's kind to you in the grocery store, your neighbor, or even your very own mother - just have faith and trust that whatever you have need of, God always has a ram in the bush!

With all that's said, let the Church say Amen... and Amen!