Old Things are Passed AWAY...

Well…here we are! The last couple of days of 2011 and I don’t know about you but I am ready for 2012! This has been a long year of transition, testing, and yes…there have been some pretty tough trials. But God brought us to and through 2011 for a greater purpose. It’s time to go higher! It’s time to leave the petty things of this world in 2011 and pick up the triumphant things of Christ. Before the clock strikes midnight on December 31^st, I am going to kill some things and bury them in 2011. How about you?

We are all familiar with 2 Corinthians 5:17 that says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” That is an awesome Word and one that we should all stand on as we go into 2012. But I am challenging you to read all of chapter 5 and apply it to your life as we leave this old year.

The first section is a familiar funeral scripture and assures us of the finished work of the Resurrection as we look forward to being absent from the body and present with the Lord.  It goes on to say that we have to make it our goal to be well pleasing to God so that we are ready when we go before the judgment seat of Christ.  But look at verses 13 – 21 in the NIV.

If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:  that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

We have to be about God’s business in 2012. He wants everyone saved and reconciled to him! The Message Bible translates verses 20 & 21 like this, “We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you. How? you ask. In Christ. God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.

That’s pretty clear! He sacrificed His son – put our sin, sickness, hatefulness, etc. on Him- so that we could be right with Him. How awesome is that?!  I will tell you! It’s so awesome that we should not be satisfied going into this New Year the same way we were in the old one. If you were bitter, kill it! If you were mean, kill that spirit! If you were broke, break the backbone of every spirit of lack! If you carried unforgiveness in your heart, let it go! If you were sacrificing your holiness for someone that wasn’t worth it, take it back! We are about to walk into a new season and we can’t do that carrying the same old mess!

This isn’t a time for resolutions that won’t last past February. This is a time for serious covenant with God. Tell Him that you aren’t going back to the way you used to be. Tell Him that with His grace and mercy, you are going to press toward the mark of the high calling of Christ! WE ARE NOT GOING BACK! WE ARE MOVING FORWARD! And as you begin to move forward, bring people along with you! God said that we are to carry the message of reconciliation. You don’t have to be an evangelist to tell your testimony and how God has changed you. You don’t have to be a minister to tell how God has kept your mind. You don’t have to be a deacon or an elder to live a life that is holy and acceptable to God and an example to others that they can do it. If you are saved, you are a joint heir with Christ and seated in heavenly places with Him. You are the righteousness of God! Share it!

If you aren’t saved, God is willing and waiting! He didn’t promise it would always be easy. But He did promise that He would never leave or forsake you. His love is beyond what you could even imagine! Take God with you into the new year, you will not regret it!

I’m excited about 2012! I’m declaring wonderful things for my family and my spiritual life. Over the next couple of days I will finalize my covenant and ask God to close every evil spiritual gate that has been given access to my life. I encourage you to do the same!  

Thank you all for taking this new journey with me this year. Your prayers and encouragement have been awesome as I was led into this blog. My prayer is that through these words, God always gets the glory. For He is the one that keeps me and teaches me! 

May your life be blessed in 2012 and filled with love, light, favor and prosperity! God bless you and Happy NEW Year!

Thank You, God!!

We serve an AWESOME God! A loving, forgiving, merciful, and willing God! As we come to the end of the year 2011, I just want to love on God!  I NEED to love on God! Have you ever felt like that? Like you just had to get a praise out or you would explode? I am here this week to tell you that God is a keeper. His Word is not just something cute to quote out of ritual or in a crowd where you think it will be well received. It is love. It is food for your soul. It is refuge in a storm. It is power to the weak. It is comfort for the sad. It is the only weapon you need in battle.  If you stand on the Word of God, you can find everything that you need. EVERYTHING! “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) The Word is Jesus Christ and this is why we celebrate him on Christmas.  He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. He put on flesh for me, for you, for everyone. It doesn’t matter what day He was born, it just matters that He was!

So as we go into this Christmas weekend, let’s give God the glory! He loved us so much that He sent His ONLY son! And He sent Him to die…let that sink in for a moment! That’s an awesome kind of love. That’s why I have to give Him glory today. As recently as last night, I wanted to curl up in a little ball and scream and pout and have a little tantrum but I put my earphones in and let the Word minister to me as I slept. That’s why I tell you that you can find anything in the Word…I found rest!  I woke up refreshed and ready to press on for another day.

Just take a moment right now to think about what God has been to YOU this year. Has He been your Jehovah Jireh? Did He provide when you didn’t know how you would pay your bills? Was He your Jehovah Shalom? Did He give you peace in the midst of your challenges and storms? Has He been your Jehovah Rophi? Did He heal your body when the doctor said there was no way? Was He your Jehovah Shammah? Did you feel Him there in all your situations? He is an awesome God! He is Elohim, God ALMIGHTY! Just think… He has been all of this and more!

Give Him praise, friends!! Whenever, the enemy tries to remind you of your situation or your past, you remind Him of all that God is to you! If we submit to God, and resist the devil, He has to flee!!! So let’s give Jesus all the acknowledgement and praise that He deserves in this season! When someone tries to get you to not say Merry Christmas because it’s not politically correct, you remember your right to give your Savior honor! Let’s stand up for Jesus today! He has done so much for us! Are you grateful enough to be a little uncomfortable? Are you grateful enough to stand toe to toe with the enemy and declare His Word? YES! Take the challenge! Stand tall dressed in your full armor and fight the good fight today! God has prepared you…

I pray that you have a blessed and peaceful Christ centered Christmas. Even if you aren’t able to give a single physical gift, you can give the gift of Christ’s love! Many blessings....

AMEN!

To God be the Glory...

To God be the glory! To God be the glory! To God be the glory for the things He has done! To God be the glory! To God be the glory! To God be the glory for the things He has done!

This song just started ringing in my spirit as I sat down to write this morning. I sat still for a moment and thought to myself ‘this can’t be what I’m supposed to write about.’ I continued to sit and then I started humming so I said ‘Well, let me just write it so I can get it out of my head.’ And as I began to write, I realized that God was answering my prayers! He was telling me to give Him the praise for what He has already worked out for me!

Does anyone feel like you've been seeking God for a whole lot lately? The devil has been so busy and people have been crying out for help and sometimes I’ve been hard pressed to help them because I’ve been crying out myself!  But God has been so faithful! Even in the valley….even in the storm, God is doing just what He promised. It’s really just a matter of giving Him glory instead of trying to take control!

We are now in a season of restoration and new beginnings! This is the time we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and the start of His journey to the cross. But at this time, many people are reminded of what they have lost and what they don’t have. But I declare today that in God, we have all that we need. Some of you are looking at the computer screen thinking, “That sounds good, Ebony…but that won’t help me buy presents for my kids or comfort me when I am alone thinking about my mother that I’ve lost.” I encourage you to try giving God glory for the fact that you have life and you can spend time with your family! Or getting a good shout in when you remember that if you live right, you’ll see your family member again! Go ahead! Give God the glory for the great things He has done!

There will be turmoil, sadness, discouragement but God has promised that He would never leave us or forsake us! So I give You glory, God! Sickness and disease will attempt to attack you and your family. But Jesus bore stripes for your healing! So I give You glory, God! Poverty and lack, layoffs will come but God promised that He would supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory. So I give You glory, God! Our God is greater, stronger, and bigger than any mountain that tries to plant itself in your path!

Whenever you find yourself complaining during this season, look at the prophet Jeremiah. He was constantly going through persecution and trying to get the people to live right.  He even wondered how he could possibly be chosen to deliver God’s word because he was just a boy. But God assured him that He would stick with him because He had holy plans for him. In Jeremiah 29, Jeremiah wrote to the prophets and elders that had been exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon. He wanted to encourage them to not give up. I pray that through these words, you will be encouraged to not give up on God. No matter what may come against you, stand on the Word and give God the glory!

This is God's Word on the subject: "As soon as Babylon's seventy years are up and not a day before, I'll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. ¹²"When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. "When you come looking for me, you'll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed." God's Decree. "I’ll turn things around for you. I'll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove you"—God's Decree—"bring you home to the place from which I sent you off into exile. You can count on it! (Jeremiah 29: 10-14 MSG)

I challenge you to look for the sun in the midst of your storm; to see the growth that you have experienced as a result of your tests.  God has a plan for you and His word does not return void! If you feel like you are out there all alone, you’re not! Remember that you are on God’s mind and his thoughts are of peace!  To God be the glory for the great things He has done! He has not forgotten…

Waiting on the Morning!!

Last night I was determined to go to bed early because it always seems like the minute I close my eyes and get in that deep sleep, the alarm goes off or I hear one of the girls crying or calling my name. I’m always so excited at Day Light Savings Time in the fall when the time goes back. I think to myself “one more hour of sleep for me!” But then the alarm still refuses to be on my side… It’s just amazing how quickly the morning comes. But when you are going through a stormy time in your life, whether it’s physically, financially or spiritually, the night feels like it goes on forever, doesn’t it?

As I have gone through 2011, God has taken me on a journey. He’s allowed some things to happen that I never imagined for myself both good and not so good. At times, the journey has been extremely lonely and at others I’ve felt my “great cloud of witnesses” as Hebrews 12:1 refers to, cheering me on. Even as I’ve been moving forward, the devil has been on the attack and I’ll tell you, the night has seemed mighty long this year. But God keeps drawing me to Psalm 30:5b “…weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning!” Is anybody else waiting on the morning?

Sometimes people assume that because you serve God that your life should be easy. For some reason, they think that you don’t ever go through anything. But God never promised us that this life of serving Him would be easy. People will talk about you. Your family may condemn you and the enemy will definitely attack you.  As a matter of fact, Jesus reminds us in John 15:20 that ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” Times will not always be easy.

But today I want to remind you, that even if you are in the midst of a storm, to praise God right now for the morning. Psalm 30:5 is not a conditional statement. He didn’t say weeping may endure for a night and joy might come in the morning. NO! He say joy COMES in the morning! Its coming, friends! We just have to hold on. My uncle has told me on more than one occasion that ‘the night is always darkest before the dawn.’ So if it seems like everything is coming against you and you can’t even imagine a way out, remind yourself that your morning is on the way!

2 Corinthians 4: 16-18 in The Message Bible ministered to my spirit this morning and I hope it does something for you. It says, “So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever.”  Isn’t that good news?!

There are good times coming, my friends! Keep pressing forward with joy! When you feel down, get into the presence of the Lord through the Word or praise and worship. Psalm 16:11 says in the presence of God there is fullness of joy. When the enemy brings his best shot, declare Hebrews 10: 39, “But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.” We will win, family!

I don’t know about you but I’m excited about my morning! Joy comes in the morning! New mercies come in the morning! God awakens my ears to listen and be taught morning by morning! Psalm 5:3 says “In the Morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation!” So, I encourage you today to look towards your morning with excitement and expectation.

Make this your prayer today, "God, I ask that you restore everything in the morning that was lost at midnight! In the name of Jesus!"  AMEN

Put your game face on, it's time to battle!

For a lot of us 2011 has been a rough season! There have been bad doctor’s reports and financial catastrophes, children and spouses acting out of character.  There has been death, job loss, and even church drama. This has not been an easy time for a lot of people.  But today, we declare that it’s battle time! We are fighting for our lives against an enemy that doesn’t deserve all the power that we give him. God has given us the keys to winning the war; we just have to put them into practice. Today, we declare war on the devil!

Last night, in mid-week service, the Elder reminded us that we need to be on the offensive and not on the defensive with the enemy. We can’t wait for him to attack us, we need to attack him! Are y’all ready? Let’s put our battle clothes on. Ephesians 6: 10 – 18 gives us our armor and our battle plan. I love the King James translation of this because you can really get a picture of how you should be dressed. You can see your breastplate of righteousness and your helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit. Most importantly, the symbolism reminds us that we aren’t fighting against human beings. Verse 12 in the NKJV says “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” We have to recognize that the enemy comes in many forms and he dispatches evil spirits to attach to people and make them act outside of themselves. That’s why we have to learn to attack the spirit and not the person.  And notice all the levels of evil…the devil is bringing his A game...why aren’t we?! We aren’t playing pattycake with the devil, we are fighting!

The Message Bible makes it plain. “And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and He wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and his angels. Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.”

It’s time to take back everything that the devil has stolen from us! You have the sword of the Spirit! When the enemy tells you that you will never have a baby, you declare Deuteronomy 7:14 and say I shall be blessed above all peoples; there will be no male or female barren among us. When your husband is not being the father that he should be, you declare Psalm 78:5-7 and say that God has commanded our fathers to teach the next generation and not forget the works of God. When the doctor says you have cancer, you declare Jeremiah 17:14 and say Heal me, O Lord, and I am healed! Remind that devil that Jesus Christ took 39 stripes for your healing and Isaiah 53:5 says you are healed! When someone you love dies and the enemy tries to convince you to turn from God, you stand strong like Job and say “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” And when your finances are in shambles, you look that devil in the face and declare 2 Corinthians 9:8 and say God is able to make all grace abound toward me! I am a lender and not a borrower! All of my needs are met! My latter shall be greater!

Fight the devil with the Word! There is a solution to every problem or issue in the Bible. When the enemy comes against you, go get your sword and SWING!!! Better yet make sure you have the word buried so deep in your heart that when you just sense the enemy coming, you can go into full battle mode!

Get your battle face on, we are declaring war today! No weapon formed against us shall prosper! We are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus! So…we are going to win the battle if we know what weapons to use! Be blessed today and know that wherever you are today, you have someone in Durham, NC that is on the battlefield with you, fighting for the Lord! To God be the glory! Amen…

Giving My All...

“When I think of the goodness of the Lord and all He’s done for me, my soul cries out…Hallelujah! Thank You for saving me!”

 When I sat down at the computer to write today, this phrase was ringing in my spirit. You know when you really feel something; you might a get a tingle? Well… I felt that thing, y’all! But then I was waiting for the next step. Where do you want to go with this, God? So I waited and it came so clearly – It’s time to take the routine out of our praise! Wooooooo, God! Okay…

Most of us have heard this line so much growing up that we don’t even have to think about it. It just rolls off our tongues without a thought. We have a lot of sayings like this one in the church, phrases that we call on depending on the situation or the preacher might use when they want to get a response. We use them so much that even the world knows them and uses them in movies or sometimes when they are mimicking the church. But what happens when we really think about what we’re saying. Have you stopped lately for a check in with God? Have you just sat alone and thought about what the Lord has done for you in 2011? Last year? Your whole life? If you haven’t…stop right now! I bet if you just think back a few minutes, you can see something that God has done for you.  But that phrase says, ‘when I think of the goodness of God and ALL He’s done for me!’ That’s enough to send routine running out the door!

God is looking for true worshippers, those who will give Him their very best. John 4:24 says those that will worship Him in spirit and in truth. It doesn’t get farther away from routine than that, does it? Worshipping in spirit and in truth is giving it your all. John 4:24 also reminds us that God is a spirit so this passage is telling us that we have to meet God in His realm! Spirit to spirit! There’s no room for playing church when you are a true worshipper. When God has brought you from some hard places, only authentic praise will do! I often think about the old Ebony. She LOVED to party! She could get to the club and give it all she had…shut the party down! It was a rare occasion if she and her friends weren’t still there when the slow song came on and the house lights started flickering on. I know there are some witnesses out there! I had to get the most out of her experience and I usually did! After all, what was the point if you didn’t go all the way?

So now…how would I look if I give God a halfway praise? What sense would it make to say that I am too ashamed to jump for God or run if the Spirit says so when I wasn't anywhere near shamed in the world? It doesn’t… God has done too much for me to keep my praise in a box and pull it out routinely when a preacher reminds me to think about God’s goodness! If I could give the devil my best, I’m certainly going to give God my ULTIMATE!

On this Thanksgiving Day, let’s pledge to be true worshippers! Let’s decide that from here on out, we are going to be thankful EVERY DAY! Psalms 100:4 says “Enter His gates with thanksgiving AND His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.” Notice that not only are praise and thanksgiving partners but enter and give are in the present. That means whenever we read this verse, we should be entering in and giving thanks! 

So next time you hear one of those good old church phrases, really think about what they are saying and give God an unusual praise! Isn’t He worthy of you stepping outside of your box?

When I think of the goodness of the Lord and ALL He’s done for me, my soul cries out Hallelujah!

Be blessed, everyone and  Happy Thanksgiving! 

Peace be with you...

This has been a crazy day! I’ve been going since 4:00 this morning and it’s now well after midnight. Every time I thought I would have an opportunity to write, something would come up to distract me. I’ve been sitting here for almost an hour trying to still my mind enough to hear what God was saying. Finally, I heard the word, ‘keep your mind stayed on me and I will give you perfect peace.’ I felt my whole body relax. I exhaled. It was a healing word for my soul. Sometimes, we get so busy doing this or that and when the day has passed, we can’t even remember what we did. God wants so much to spend time ministering to us but we have our minds on everything but Him. Will you turn your attention to God today?

I’ve talked to so many people this week, struggling with decisions or battling the enemy for their family or healing from a broken relationship. All of those people were seeking one thing - peace. When Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6 to “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God", he isn’t giving us something to write in greeting cards. He is telling you how to get the peace of God. It’s a peace that surpasses all understanding. How many of us are really going after peace? Its time out for allowing the enemy to send you to the hospital with chest pains because your family members are acting crazy. Lay your concerns at God’s feet and that perfect peace will come. Will you trust God to handle your brokenness today?

Far too many of us as Christians are walking around bound up in worry or frustration, not understanding why we are in certain situations. But instead of casting our cares on God because He cares for us, we carry them around, wearing them like a coat.  God is waiting for us to let go and allow Him to rain peace on us. Isaiah 53: 5 tells us that Jesus took care of all of our concerns on the cross. The Message Bible makes it very clear, “He took the punishment and that made us whole.” So why do we feel the need to become best friends with our worry? Why do we pray for deliverance only to turn right back to the same attitudes? Jesus went to Calvary and suffered so that you could have peace. Will you give away all of your old burdens today?

Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be our comforter. Do you think He meant only on special occasions? No, He meant when your child is unrecognizable to you because of their behavior. He meant when your heart is broken and you think it will never be healed. He meant when you’ve believed God for a breakthrough but it takes longer than expected. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 says “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation...” (NLT) That says at all times! God is willing and able to give you a peace that heals and restores and keeps you, if you will keep your mind stayed on Him. Will you focus on God today?

Don’t let the enemy or your family or any outside circumstance have your peace! Determine in yourself that you will keep your mind stayed on God. When you feel your peace slipping, encourage yourself knowing that God is the ultimate keeper. And when nothing else will do, remember the words of Christ in John 14:27. “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”(NLT)  That’s good news, family! Stand on it…

My prayer for each of you is that you will have peace! AMEN…

Enough is Enough!!!

I woke up this morning and got mad with the devil! I know what you’re thinking. Is there a theme going here? She keeps writing about the devil. Well, there is a theme of sorts because the devil is working like a theme. Just like in writing, you decide on a topic and that’s what you focus on. Well the devil picks up on a target and that’s what he focuses on. First, I have to acknowledge that everything is not the devil. Sometimes we make decisions and we are just dealing with the consequences of those decisions. But I’m not talking about those things. I’m talking about that lying, destructive, evil being that walks the earth looking for who he will devour.  Fear comes from him. Guilt comes from him. Shame comes from him. Sickness comes from him. Deception comes from him. You see where I’m going with this?

Well, this morning I said enough is enough! As I was praying, I heard so clearly – STOP RELINQUISHING YOUR POWER TO THE DEVIL! Woooooo! Okay, God! Then it was so plain to me. We give Satan most of his power. Don’t get me wrong, He has his own kingdom of demons and imps whose sole purpose is to kill, steal and destroy. But how many times have you spoke death into your own situation? How many times have you opened the door to Satan by doing something that is contrary to God’s word? How many times have you thrown your faith out the door as soon as a storm rose up in your life and instead let fear come in? That’s giving Satan power! And guess what? He doesn’t deserve it!

Satan was one God’s beloved angels! He was set apart but he decided that he wanted to be greater than God. The Bible says his wisdom was corrupted by splendor.  So he had a certain amount of power and authority as one of the angels but God cast him down out of heaven. Ephesians 2:6 says that we are seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. Now…if we are seated in heavenly places with Jesus and He is seated far above principalities and powers (Ephesians 1:21), what does that mean about us?! It means that we are seated above Satan and his foolishness! Stop allowing the devil to be on equal footing with you!

1 Peter 5:8 says “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” He is looking for someone that is not paying attention. Someone that he can overwhelm! The Message Bible says someone he can catch napping! That tells me that if we are alert and paying attention, we can stop Satan in his tracks. Verse 9 says stand firm in your faith. Faith is your weapon! Knowing who God is and what He has done in your life should give you power! Knowing, not just reading and thinking it’s nice, but KNOWING that God is the same yesterday, today and forever, and what He did for others He can do for you gives you POWER!!

I am not giving the devil one more ounce of power over me! I am more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus! No weapon formed against me shall prosper! I want everyone that reads this blog or devotional or whatever you want to call it, to stand up and tell the devil that he is defeated! God reigns in me! I have power over you, Satan and you will not win! Thank you God for victory! Thank you God for healing! Thank you God for peace! Thank you God for joy! Thank you God for power! I am who You say I am and not what the devil would have me to think. No matter what my circumstances are I will go forward because You said that I am a joint heir with Christ!

THE DEVIL IS DEFEATED!!!! We are taking our power back!!!!!!

AMEN

It's Mine and the devil can't have it!

Is anyone out there tired of the devil?! I know I am! He has been running to and fro looking for who he can devour. And truth be told, he’s had a lot of success. I have been going through a season in my life and family where it seems that the devil has put a photo up of us and he looks at it every day for what he can stir up in our lives. Little attacks, big attacks, frustration, irritation, doubt, fear – they all come from the devil and they are designed to throw you off of your course. We all have a purpose and calling that God has put inside of us but the devil doesn’t want us to find out what that is and he certainly doesn’t want us to get to it! But guess what he doesn’t hold the power over your life! The devil only gets away with what you allow him to.

Remember Sampson?  He was anointed with supernatural strength from his mother’s womb to deliver the Israelites from the Philistines and the devil was determined to find out how to stop him. Sampson was a thorn in the Philistine’s side. He burned up their fields, killed their men, and kept them guessing. They wanted him gone and tried a number of times to take him down. They finally decided to send Delilah. You know the story…how she did all that she could to convince Samson to tell her where the secret source of his strength lay. She basically worried him to death, begging him to tell her but to no avail, every time he lied. Then one day, he finally had enough and he told her everything. She then got him all comfortable on her knee and rocked him to sleep. Delilah called for someone to come and shave him. That quickly his hair and his strength were….GONE.

So what is the story of Sampson telling us? The devil doesn’t know your strength until you tell him! He’s basically sitting there throwing darts hoping to hit the target because he doesn’t know exactly what will be your weakness. Our problem is that we usually tell everything we know. All the devil has to do is send someone or something that looks or sounds good and we are ready to give all of our secrets away. Instead of going to our secret place and telling God our concerns and issues, we tell Facebook or our coworkers or friends. We all need support but don’t give the source of your strength away! Think about it. If the devil had known how to defeat Samson, he would have done it from the beginning. The Spirit of the Lord was with Sampson even at times when he made mistakes, showing him mercy. But when he told his secret and his hair was cut, the Spirit of the Lord left Samson. He was out there on his own and the Philistines gouged his eyes out and captured him.

Have you let the devil capture you lately? Because when he does, he will torture and torment you and it’s unnecessary. The Philistines made Samson grind grain in prison and had him perform in front of them for entertainment. The devil wanted to make a mockery of God. He wanted to show that he had taken one of God’s most beloved and captured him. Read the story in Judges 16 of how the Philistines rejoiced that their god had delivered Samson to them. Have you given the devil the power to make you his showpiece? When we choose to go against what God has put inside of us to do, that’s what we are doing. We are saying, “Hey Devil! Take me and use me!”

But aren’t we grateful for a merciful God?! Even after all of that the Lord restored Samson. His hair grew again as a sign of God’s mercy. And when he asked God to allow him the strength to take vengeance on the Philistines one last time, God did it. Samson pushed over the temple and killed more people in that moment than he had killed in his life!

But we don’t have to go through all of that. Stop allowing the devil to have the power in your life! Determine in your mind today that you will walk in the power and gifts that the Lord has anointed you with. Determine that you won’t give those gifts away to things and people that don’t deserve them. You will not allow the enemy to make a mockery of God! When the devil comes trying to tempt you into doing something that you know is not of God, tell the devil NO!!! You are more than a conqueror and you are one of God’s beloved.  If you have fallen, get back up and ask God to restore you. He is faithful and just to forgive.

AMEN

Have You Died Today?

We are living in a world that is abnormally concerned with self. Everything is about my plans, my successes, my failures, my life. Even when we go to church, we are often concerned about what God can do for me and not others. We’ve been conditioned by the world to think of ourselves first. Think about some of the shows that you’ve seen on TV. A lot of them work on the theme of chasing something so that you can be happy or successful, whether it’s money or a man/woman, or weight loss. The ultimate goal is fulfilling self. The problem with that goal is that it goes against all that Jesus taught us in His ministry. We are to die to self every day of our lives.

Whoa, Ebony! What are you saying to us? I know that God wants me to have the desires of my heart and be happy. Yes He does! Absolutely He does…but did you make note of the whole verse? Psalms 37:4 says “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart”. Did he say delight in your happiness? Delight in your money? Delight in fame? Nope! He said delight yourself in the Lord! Delight means to give pleasure to or be pleasing to; to hold spellbound. Doesn’t that sound like God wants you so wrapped up in Him first before He focuses on giving you what you want? Okay, okay…so maybe you don’t think that’s a very clear example.

Galatians 2:20 in The Message Bible says, “Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” It’s time for us to stop living for ourselves. If Christ lives in us, our life is not our own so our first thought cannot be what is going to please us. It has to be would this be pleasing to God. When Christ died on the cross, He died to self. He SUFFERED, I mean really suffered, for our sins. He could have gotten down off that cross and called legions of angels to come and help Him but He said what God has sent me to do is more important than any plan that I could have.  He isn’t even asking us to hang on a cross, He’s just asking us to kill that part of us, our flesh, that wants to control everything. Let Him be in control.

This is a daily struggle for me but my prayer is always, God I submit my will to you. It’s my daily prayer because I was the queen of trying to fix things on my own. Then when I had messed everything up, I was running to God for Him to get me out of it. Clearly, not the way to go! So I have to say, God, I die to myself today. You take control of my life, my plans, my ideas because there is nothing that I could think of that could come close to You.  I had to make Isaiah 55: 8-9 one of my life verses, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.  “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  It reminds me of my place in the grand scheme of things.

So here is the final thing, Luke 9:23 and it’s something that a lot of us as Christians do not want to hear. “And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”  If you are going to follow Jesus, you have to do it. Kyle Idleman, in his book, Not a Fan, talks about how this verse is the difference between being a fan of Jesus and a follower. It’s not comfortable for us to deny ourselves. We want to live the good life!  But Luke 9:24 tells that “Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.”

And that’s the key, though you are dying to yourself, you are gaining a way better life! One that is eternal and secure. No temporary highs here…just joy everlasting and unsurpassed peace.

So my question for you is….Have you died today?

Be blessed…

Where are you going?

In recent days, I‘ve been hearing a lot of teaching on Heaven and Hell. God has been calling for repentance and He’s been calling for holiness. He ultimately wants everyone to go to Heaven but the fact of the matter is everyone is not going. There will be deacons, preachers, sweet little old ladies, teenagers, mothers, and fathers going to Hell. The question of the day for all of us is, if you died right now, where would you go? And we have to realize that this is reality. Death can come to any one of us at any time. We have no idea. We also don’t know when Jesus is coming back. The Bible says that no man knows the day nor the hour. It could be in 5 minutes, 5 days, 5 years – we don’t know! The key is to be ready NOW!

Let’s think about this! You’re living your life and having a good time. You go to church on Sundays and maybe to bible study but your life outside of the church is filled with sin. Are you in right standing with God? Will you make it to heaven because you went to church and bible study even though you just had a few” outside things” that you participated in? Jesus in Matthew 7:21-23 makes it pretty clear and I am using the Message Bible because I want everyone to understand. "Knowing the correct password—saying 'Master, Master,' for instance— isn't going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, 'Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.' And do you know what I am going to say? 'You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don't impress me one bit. You're out of here.'

Do you want to hear that from Jesus when you go before God for judgment? Remember that God was sick of us! He was ready to throw in the towel on the world but instead He loved us so much that He sent Jesus. Now how do you think He feels that He sacrificed His ONLY Son and we treat the gift like garbage? Because that’s essentially what we are saying to God when we go do our own thing! Your sacrifice wasn’t worth it to me. It’s not worth my extra time, it’s not worth my weed, it’s not worth my obedience, it’s not worth my abstinence, it’s not worth my money. It’s not worth the game. It’s not worth my all. Can you imagine what that feels like to God? How would it feel to you if one of your loved ones said that to you? After you have given your all to them – they turn to you and say I found something better to do with my time than spend it with you?

I know that you probably wanted an uplifting word today and MY intent was to feed my own needs and give you one but this is what has come forth. It’s about obedience now! That’s what it comes down to – doing what God says to do! When you have the opportunity, read about Saul in 1 Samuel 15:22 - 31…he wanted to do what he wanted and he lost his kingdom. 1 Samuel 15:22 says obedience is better than sacrifice.  Time is short and there is no more time for games.  We have to stop picking and choosing what we want to follow in the Bible. No more rationalizing our sins to make it fit what we want to do. I was the queen of that! But I asked God to show me Ebony and He has.  

This is not just for the unsaved! Yes, God wants everyone to be saved but once that happens, He wants us to be obedient to His word! In order to make it into the kingdom, we have to live a life that is holy and acceptable to God. That doesn’t mean that you won’t sin because we all have and will again but we have to repent and live according to His Word. We have to stop using Romans 3:23 as a crutch! Yes we all have sinned and fallen short but now we move forward…we don’t stay there!

Time is short. Get in the word and do what it says. Then the next time the question is asked, if you died right now where would you go; you will be able to answer with a resounding voice…HEAVEN!

To God be the glory for the great things He has done!

AMEN

Overcomer!

Have you ever had a week where it felt like you were the top target on the devil’s hit list? Everything that could come at you does – people on the job acting crazy, money looks funny, sick in your body. You’re looking around, shaking your head, wondering why now? Because it always seems to happen when you have something to do, right? Of course, it does and do you know why? There is something that God wants you to do. He has an assignment on your life and it’s the devil’s main mission to stop you from accomplishing it.  If this is you right now, I want to encourage you! The devil is defeated and God is exalted!

All this morning, I have been hearing word that encourages us to keep going in the midst of a storm. You see, Satan has come to kill us and destroy our lives but Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. First, we have to recognize that the devil attacks to distract us from God’s purpose for our lives. It gives him great pleasure if we give up when faced with pain, lack, and hurt because they come from him. But it’s time to give the devil a black eye! He needs to know that like Job, we will endure all his attacks but we will not turn around, go back, or give up on God! I don’t know about you but He’s done too much for me to give up on Him.

Don’t look at your circumstances or your life with your natural eye. Look beyond the drama at the morning! The bible says “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning!” When it seems the darkest in your life, start praising God for the morning! Revelations 12 talks about the Great War when Michael throws Satan out of Heaven. Verse 11 of that chapter says “they overcame by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony.” In other words, no matter what the devil has planned for you, he cannot win against the blood of Jesus Christ and the words of your witness! You have so much power but the devil doesn’t want you to know it or remember it. That’s why we have to stay in the Word of God so that we can tell him where to go.

Today, I want you to fix in your mind that no matter what the enemy tries to throw at you, you are MORE than a conqueror through Christ Jesus and NO weapon that’s formed against you shall prosper.  But WAIT… you need to know that there is something that you have to do! You need to be saved! In order for us to have all this power and victory, we have to give our lives to Christ and BELIVE! If you are already saved, make sure that you are a follower and not just a fan! Make sure that you are living a life that is holy and acceptable to God. He is so faithful to us, let’s be faithful to Him!

James 4:7-10 gives us a perfect lesson on how to be covered and protected from the devil.

So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet.(The MSG)

If you didn't get anything else out of this, hear the words of Jesus Christ in John 16:33! "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Its already done!

Be blessed... I love you with the love of the Lord!

In the Middle

I wondered this week if I was getting it all wrong with this blog. The devil kept telling me over and over that I am not who God says that I am. He played on an old issue of mine – the need to be acknowledged. He tried to attack my mind and for a minute I started to give in to those thoughts. Nobody is reading it. Maybe I wasn’t hearing from God. Maybe I haven’t drawn as close to Him as I thought. Maybe, maybe, maybe…But even through the attack, my spirit kept crying out to God and contradicting what the enemy was saying. I made up in my mind that I was going to praise my way through. So whenever the enemy said something, I gave God the praise and glory! I rested in His Word and this morning, I felt the breakthrough!

I kept feeling an urgency to turn on the TV. The girls are usually watching The Wiggles or Mickey Mouse in the mornings so it was strange that Sanai wasn’t focused on the TV at all. So I turned it on and Joyce Meyers was saying turn to Romans 5:3. I did and I knew that word was for me! “There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!” Romans 5:3-5 (The MSG)

Then I remembered that a couple of weeks ago, God sent me a word through a strong woman of God that I had to keep writing in season and out of season. I didn’t know how soon that would come up because at the time I felt great about writing. But isn’t it awesome how God will prepare you. He knows the end from the beginning so He won’t allow Satan to sneak up on you. The key is seeking God regularly so that you are open to receive the preparation. I had to remember that I am on assignment to share God's word and give Him glory so why wouldn't Satan want to stop me?

Remember the story of Job, God had to give Satan permission to “consider” him. And when Satan attacked him and killed all of his children, what did Job do? He fell to the ground and worshiped God! “Naked I came from my mother's womb, naked I'll return to the womb of the earth. God gives, God takes. God's name be ever blessed.” (Job 1:21) All of his children were dead but He blessed the name of God! How about you?

Are you in a storm right now? Have the circumstances in your life built up to the point where it’s hard to see around them? Praise your way through! In the middle of the storm, give God praise for the victory! You see, the enemy wants to keep you in a place of bondage. He wants you to give in to those circumstances and throw in the towel but the thing is, if you are saved, all Satan can do is want because Isaiah 53:5 says that the chastisement of our peace was upon Him. The Message Bible puts it this way, “He took the punishment, and that made us whole!”  Doesn’t that make you want to shout?! You don’t have to let the status of your bank account cause you to walk around with your head down. Your unsaved husband doesn’t have keep in you tears. Your crazy boss doesn’t have to raise your blood pressure.  Believe in your promise and not your reality! And give God praise for the promise!

My prayer for you today is that you would live and not die! That you remember that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. Remembering that when you praise God in the midst of the storm, you are taking the power away from the enemy and giving God the glory! Thank you, God for the victory…Amen!

Who's Who

While I was praying this morning, the phrase “it’s not fashionable” dropped in my spirit and it kept popping up all morning as I got ready for work and during my drive. Okay, God, what do you mean by that? What’s not fashionable? Well…I prayed and prayed asking for some revelation because I was completely blank. I sat down to write, still with nothing, when the title of a book that I just received from a friend, all of a sudden came into my memory. The book is called Not A Fan – Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus. AAAHAAA! Okay, God!  I got it!! We’re not on this journey for the world’s fads; you want us to be classics!

We are living in a world today that focuses on how a person looks and lives, especially famous people. In order to be seen as successful you have to look a certain way, drive a certain car, etc. Children at school are often judged by how new and “in style” their clothes are. Unfortunately, we don’t seem to outgrow that because adults are still being judged similarly. The question is, however, what will God look for when He ultimately judges us? Will He care that you had the hottest new Coach bag or the baddest Brooks Brothers suit? No, He will be looking at your heart. 1 Corinthians 4:5 says, “…wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.”

And just as the world has judged how we look, it has tried and convicted holiness. It has made people think that if you are living for God that you’re doing something wrong and outside the normal. You’ve heard it before or maybe even said it about someone that you know - radical, holy rollers, “it doesn’t take all of that”. In other words, it’s not fashionable to be sold out for God. But God says in Leviticus 11 to be holy because He is holy.”  Doesn’t get much plainer than that, right?

Maybe this will help, since people sometimes look at going to church all the time in the same light as trying to live a holy life.  It may be hard for you to imagine why it’s necessary to go to church any other time besides Sunday. I mean, that’s the main day, right? As long as I give God those 2 hours, I am covered! Nope! God is an all knowing, loving and PRESENT God. He is always waiting to talk to us.  So why would He want you to limit your time with him to one 2 hour period on one day out of the week? What if your breakthrough is waiting for you on a Wednesday night? Do you want Him to hold on to it until you get there on Sunday? I’m not saying that you have to be at church every night to connect with God. But are you seeking Him at all outside of what tradition says? Are you chasing after Him, anxious to learn more and grow more? It all comes down to this: Who are you trying to please?

God doesn’t want us to base how we live our lives on the world. He is calling for us to step out of our fear and walk in power. 1 Peter 4:16 says “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.” If you want to be fashionable to God, walk in love! Tell someone about how Jesus saved you, forgave you and cleaned you up and that He can and will do it for them!  Present your body has a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. He will replace all of your old habits with new experiences. He will give you the strength to put down those burdens that you have been carrying around like a suitcase. Let’s change the whole definition of style! Let’s show the world that being a Christian is not something that we put on when it’s convenient, like a jacket in the fall. I promise you that if you turn your focus from the world and towards God, you will be blessed!

I challenge you today to stop worrying about what the world has to say and seek out what God has to say! On that note, I will close with 1 John 2:15 -17 in The Message Bible.

 Don’t love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.

Be blessed! AMEN

Cross Encounter

I have been doing a lot of reading lately trying to dive deeper into the Word and draw closer to the Lord. It’s been a journey and I definitely still have a long way to go. As I’ve been reading and studying and listening to different sermons and teachings, there’s been a common theme of repentance lately. I even noticed how much that has been reflected in my last few blog entries. God obviously wants the message to get across to the saved and unsaved that the time for playing games and living any kind of way is over.  But I wondered out loud to God recently,  “Why is it so hard for people to give up the world?” Why does it take some of us years and years and often something traumatic to come to a place where God is at the forefront of our lives and we want to live the way God has called for us to live? The answer came to me a couple of different ways this week while I was on a business trip and had the chance to spend some uninterrupted time with the Lord.  The Cross hasn’t become real to some of us yet.

I have to admit to being a bit floored! What do you mean, Lord? That’s the first thing we confess when we get saved. How many Easters have we celebrated the fact that Jesus Christ died on the cross and God raised Him from the dead 3 days later. I mean, when the preacher says “Early Sunday morning, He got up with all power in His hands”, that’s when everyone starts shouting, right? So how can it be possible that anyone could miss the meaning of the cross?  You’re going to have to clear this up for me, God!

Then I got it, it’s not that people don’t honor the fact that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again. But until you’ve have had what T. Austin Sparks calls a “Cross Encounter”, it is just words to you. Have you ever had an experience where you felt like you were out there all alone? Your family didn’t seem to quite understand. You were being talked about, you were hurt or you were just plain lost? You might have even felt like God had left you and wasn’t answering your prayers as He had in the past? But then the sun started shining again. You could get through a whole day without crying. God brought you back from a dark place and gave you a peace and joy that you didn’t understand. Then all of a sudden when you read Isaiah 53, it hits you at your very core because you realize that Jesus Christ died on the cross for YOU! That He laid down His life KNOWINGLY for your lying, hateful, gossiping, fast self!  Or that He took the punishment so that you could have peace!  That’s a cross encounter! When you’ve experienced something that shook everything that you thought was you and you got back up. That’s a cross encounter!

It can’t just be words that we read out of habit. It has to be real! It’s when we really come to see that we are only here because of God’s grace and sacrifice. Sometimes all it takes is really thinking about what we were and I mean really examining ourselves and realizing that Jesus took on ALL of our sins so that we could be new creatures!

I challenge you today to have a personal encounter with the Cross. Take some quiet time and just remember what Jesus Christ has done for you. He did it just for you because He loves you. How much of ourselves can we give back to Him? Isn’t the Cross enough to strive to be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God? I’m a witness that once I had an encounter with the Cross, I couldn’t live the same old way anymore. I wanted more and more of God and that desire overwhelmed the need for the things of the world. It’s not always easy, nor do I always get things right but it's worth it because of what He did for me.

I want to leave you this week with Isaiah 53 in The Message Bible translation. I pray that it blesses you as it blessed me! To God be the glory for the great things He has done!

 ¹ Who believes what we've heard and seen? Who would have thought God's saving power would look like this?

^2-6The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling,
a scrubby plant in a parched field.
There was nothing attractive about him,
nothing to cause us to take a second look.
He was looked down on and passed over,
a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.
One look at him and people turned away.
We looked down on him, thought he was scum.
But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—
our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
We thought he brought it on himself,
that God was punishing him for his own failures.
But it was our sins that did that to him,
that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!
He took the punishment, and that made us whole.
Through his bruises we get healed.
We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost.
We've all done our own thing, gone our own way.
And God has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong,
on him, on him.

^7-9He was beaten, he was tortured,
but he didn't say a word.
Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered
and like a sheep being sheared,
he took it all in silence.
Justice miscarried, and he was led off—
and did anyone really know what was happening?
He died without a thought for his own welfare,
beaten bloody for the sins of my people.
They buried him with the wicked,
threw him in a grave with a rich man,
Even though he'd never hurt a soul
or said one word that wasn't true.

¹⁰Still, it's what God had in mind all along,
to crush him with pain.
The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin
so that he'd see life come from it—life, life, and more life.
And God's plan will deeply prosper through him.

^11-12Out of that terrible travail of soul,
he'll see that it's worth it and be glad he did it.
Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant,
will make many "righteous ones,"
as he himself carries the burden of their sins.
Therefore I'll reward him extravagantly—
the best of everything, the highest honors—
Because he looked death in the face and didn't flinch,
because he embraced the company of the lowest.
He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many,
he took up the cause of all the black sheep.

AMEN!

Heart Fixer

It seems that everywhere I’ve turned recently, people are speaking of repentance and bringing people into the Kingdom of God. In a time of political correctness and “feel good” enabling, God is urging His people to be real, get it right and share that news with the world. He wants people to know that Hell is real. It’s not a party place where people go that didn’t want to live holy. There are people that actually think that! I saw a whole conversation on Facebook a while back where people were basically signing up for hell because that’s where all the fun people would be. I was stunned! There will be nothing fun about hell! Eternal torture and suffering is more like it. I don’t know about you, but that’s not my idea of fun!

So God is really urging His people to witness to people about His goodness and His grace. He created us and wants us to return to Him, not be condemned to Hell. Last night, as I was sitting in church, God dropped the words Heart Fixer into my spirit. This was immediately after receiving a strong word about repentance. God wants people to realize that He doesn’t have a list of qualifications and requirements for salvation. You don’t have to be sober and clean to come to Christ. He wants you to come just as you are and He will do the cleaning!

I’ve heard so many times from people in my family and friends circle that they will get saved when they’ve gotten themselves together. You don’t have to do that! If you are an alcoholic, God is the ultimate AA counselor. If you are addicted to marijuana or cocaine, God is better than Betty Ford or any detox clinic. If you are a liar or a gossiper or a molester, whatever you are, God is the HEART FIXER! He can restore you like no one else. The key is to confess it, repent and GIVE IT TO HIM! You can’t get clean, holding onto it.

Even some of us that are saved are holding onto old habits and addictions that we have not fully released. It is time to let them go…now…TODAY!  God is waiting to take your hand and perform a complete detoxification on you. Lay those weights that you are carrying down. 1 Peter 5:7 says to “Cast your cares on him, for He cares for you.” Jesus did not die on the cross, for you to keep sleeping with someone that you aren’t married to. He died on the cross for you to be free of that.

Romans 5: 6 – 8 in the Message Bible sums it all up! “Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.”

There is nothing that you have done or are doing that is too bad for God! He is waiting! Don’t let Satan convince you that what you are doing is alright, if its not. If you aren’t sure, read the Bible. If you don’t know where to go in the Bible, ask someone that you know that has a relationship with God and is living it.

 I want everyone that reads this blog and everyone that doesn’t, to go to heaven! I won’t be satisfied until I’ve done all that I can to tell you that there is a fullness of joy in being with the Lord. I am telling you this as someone who had a full experience of what the world has to offer. My friends and I were the party crew! We drank while we were getting dressed for the club, at the club, and maybe after and we shut it down! But it was a temporary high…when we woke up the next day, we didn’t always feel so good. But I can tell you, that when I finish praising God, it’s a real high that lifts me and stays with me!

If you aren’t saved today, I invite you to give Jesus Christ your heart and let Him fix it! Seek out godly people who will pray with you and support you on your journey.  If you are saved and are struggling with some things, I encourage you to return to your first Love. Let Jesus love on you and bring you back into fellowship with Him. He’s such a forgiving and merciful God and He’s the ultimate Heart Fixer!

God bless you and AMEN!

Don't Just Speak About It...

Recently, I’ve been really seeking God for direction and for confirmation and clarity on the purpose and calling that He has for me. It’s been an uncomfortable journey and the answers that He has given me have truly shocked me! I mean mouth open, eyes big, shaking my head shock! I’m still trying to find my footing and walk in what He would have me to do. In this experience, I’ve had to do some soul searching and repentance and really walk in truth. I have had to examine myself and be honest about my shortcomings and sins. I am still a work in progress but am confident that He who has begun a good work in me will complete it...

Well, Monday night, I was flat ironing my hair and very clearly heard “Tell them I am about to start uncovering some things”. If you have read this blog any amount of time, you know that I am real. So y’all know I was looking around like WHAT? I said God? My spirit next heard don’t just speak about it, be about it! I started shaking my head and I said, I cannot write about that. Who am I to tell somebody that? I can’t keep doing these preachy blogs, Lord! I have struggled with this since that night and every day since, God has sent some confirmation that I needed to address it. I prayed again this morning hoping that He would take this from me but on the way to work, another confirmation. So here I am.

In the end, what I think about you doesn’t matter. I am not your judge and neither is any man or woman that walks this earth. Only God can judge you and He is the one that counts. John 4:23 says “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” We have to worship Him in spirit and in TRUTH! How can we do that if we aren’t telling Him the truth? He already knows our every thought and move. But yet, we will pray and not acknowledge and repent for things we are doing that we know are not right. For example, when I was in college, I sang in the Gospel Choir but would get super drunk and/or be somewhere I had no business being the night before I sang or went to church!  I didn’t want to give that up so I just didn’t acknowledge it. I knew I was wrong but I didn’t want to expose myself to God. What I was missing was that He SAW me!  Now…don’t get caught up on what my sin was or the fact that I was in college because what you believe about drinking is not the point. I was willfully sinning. I knew it was wrong and felt that I was stepping outside of what I knew to be right but I kept doing it because I wanted to. Alot of people get messed up because they rationalize their sins and come up with all kinds of reasons why its okay...never mind...that's a whole other conversation!

But so much is happening now…there have been fires, hurricanes, tornados and an earthquake in the space of a couple of weeks. It’s time to stop playing games. God is not just warning unsaved people. He is talking to His people as well!  If we are professing to love God, and still hating people, then we have a problem. If we are telling people that the wages of sin are death, but we are still committing adultery, then we have a problem.  How can your prayers be answered if you have “secret sins”? We have to get this thing right! It’s not about being perfect but it is about being honest – with yourself and with God.

Jesus warned the disciples of this very thing in Luke 12: 2,3. “He said to them, "Watch yourselves carefully so you don't get contaminated with Pharisee yeast, Pharisee phoniness. You can't keep your true self hidden forever; before long you'll be exposed. You can't hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known. You can't whisper one thing in private and preach the opposite in public; the day's coming when those whispers will be repeated all over town.”(MSG bible)

God knows our hearts and He wants us to be fruitful and blessed. Let’s be sure that we are living what we are speaking. Let’s be sure that when we go to God, that we are honoring Him with our honesty. God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness if we will repent!! That’s good news!  Be real with Him before He has to deal with us. In Luke 12: 4&5, Jesus warns us about worrying about man and having no fear of God. “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. ⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!”

Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” If you know better, please do better! If you aren’t sure, seek God for guidance and help. Read your Bible and pray that God forgives you for the sins you know about and the ones you don’t! Once we know something, we are responsible for that knowledge! Let’s show the devil just how little we think of him!

The devil is defeated! God is EXALTED!!

Amen

Speak Life!

Proverbs 18:21 is my favorite scripture and what I try to base my life on. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Many of my friends can attest to the fact that I will tell them that in a heartbeat when they come to me with problems or issues. It applies to every situation that you will face in your life. 

Have you ever encountered someone who was facing a serious illness but whenever you asked them how they were doing, they always said they were blessed or doing great? They were speaking life! It’s easy to say I’m sick, I’m broke, or I’m lonely. But it takes a focused and determined mind to say I am healed, all of my needs have been met, and thank you God for your love.  The fruit of those statements is joy, expectancy, and relationship. She may not know this, but my mother inspired my love for this scripture. At one time in her life, she faced a difficult situation but when asked about it, she never spoke death. She believed all of the promises that God had made and she walked in that. The fruit of that faith and life speaking was that God did just what He promised!

Sometimes I listen to people talk about the hardships that they are facing in their lives and how it will never get better and how there is nothing that can be done about it. What if Jesus would have told the man that was blind from birth, “You are blind and have been for a long time and I just don’t see how you’re going to ever see again?” NO! He said that sin was not the cause but that the man was blind so that the works of God could be revealed in him. He told the disciples that He was the light of the world. He spit on the ground, made clay and anointed the man’s eyes.  After rinsing his eyes in the pool, he came back seeing!

What if He had told Mary and Martha that Lazarus was dead and that was the end of it? No! He said that Lazarus was asleep but He was going to wake him up! And He did just that! Jesus was the ultimate life speaker because He is the way, the truth, and the LIFE!

If we are going to be like Christ, we HAVE to speak life! The world is watching us to see how we respond to controversy, false accusations, and sickness. If we speak death over our situations, how are we any better than the world? God gave us power and He gave us Jesus as the best example. Next time, you are faced with a difficult situation, don’t throw negativity at it! Overcome that situation with life! Tell that cancer that you are healed by the stripes of Jesus! Tell that class that seems especially hard that you can do ALL things through Christ that strengthens you! Tell that debt that God promised to supply all your needs according to HIS riches in glory! Tell that friend that comes to you for advice that they are more than conquerors through Him that loves them!

Watch what you say! You have power in your tongue to change any situation towards life or death. If you know that’s something that you need to work on, start today!! Catch yourself if you hear negativity coming out. Eat the fruit of a life speaking tongue!

I declare that each person that reads this blog today will be blessed and victorious!! AMEN!

“Words kill, words give life;
                they’re either poison or fruit…you choose.”
                                Proverbs 18:21 (The Message Bible)

God Loves You...

I have been singing the song How He Loves Us (written by John Mark McMillan) since last week. It’s been constantly in my head and I’ve watched probably 20 different versions of it on YouTube- even a Spanish version! They even sang it in church on Sunday! I didn’t know why but today I understood.

This morning when I woke up for prayer, I was asking God’s forgiveness for making a stupid choice despite all of the opportunities for escape that He gave me. They say that hindsight is 20/20 and it’s true! You can always see what you should have done after the fact. I found myself really beating myself up. It was almost like I was condemning myself so God wouldn’t have to say anything. I was stuck in it for a long time. It took over my prayer and was taking away from where my focus should have been. Then the words of the song started playing in my head.

He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh! How He loves us,
Oh! How He loves us,
Oh! How He loves.

We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…

He loves us,
Oh! How He loves us,
Oh! How He loves us,
Oh! How He loves.

And I realized why God had put this song in my spirit. He knows that guilt and condemnation are some of Satan’s most powerful weapons. He knows the end from the beginning so He knew that I was going to be in this place on this day and He prepared me. He told me that He loved me. God loves me so much! And He loves you and your husband and your friend and your mama. He loves us all. Even after we ignore Him and live our lives the way we want to. Even after we get mad because we don’t have what we think we should have. Even when we feel like we are nothing. He loves us!

I started to think about people who commit suicide or contemplate it. We often hear them say or read in their letter that they felt that no one loved them. That what they had done was so bad or what had happened to them was too hard to come back from. Even some of us who know God, have thought, even if just for a minute, that it would be easier if you just weren’t here anymore. That’s a trick of Satan!  God wants you to know that He loves you! 

Romans 8:1 & 2 in The Message Bible says “With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.” God loved us so much that He gave us Jesus who took condemnation with him to the cross and freed us of it.

When all this was coming into my spirit this morning, I told God that I hoped I could remember all this for Thursday but He said now! Somebody needed to hear today that God loves them. When you feel like you can’t go on, focus on God’s love. It’s an everlasting, unconditional love. There is nothing that you can’t come back from with His love. He doesn’t remind you of what you did wrong. He picks you up, brushes you off and wraps you in His arms. You don’t have to fix yourself or your situation first. Let Him do it! Just go to Him and let Him love on you.

I pray now that God’s love would surround each person reading this blog. That it would heal your heart and uplift your spirits. I pray that the evil voice of Satan would be silenced by the sound of God’s word and that the chains of old feelings of depression would forever be broken by the power of God’s love.

Amen.