Sweet goodbyes...

Today has been a rough day for me. I haven't felt good at all and could barely get enough strength to sit up much less write. But before midnight hits on this Thursday, let me leave you with a brief word from the Lord. Ready? Here it goes! Make your goodbyes sweet!

As you get ready to enter the new year, God is calling on you to do it right. He wants you to leave what is old, hard, and wrong in 2016. Why? Because He wants you to walk into your hellos with peace. He wants you to be on His timing and not your own. He wants you to stop trying to figure out how to do what He has already laid out. Are you willing to release control in 2016 so that you don't miss the freedom that He has for you in 2017? I was led to Ecclesiastes 3 immediately and it spoke loudly to my spirit.

 Teacher: For everything that happens in life—there is a season, a right time for everything under heaven:

A time to be born, a time to die;

a time to plant, a time to collect the harvest;

A time to kill, a time to heal;

a time to tear down, a time to build up;

A time to cry, a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, a time to dance;

A time to scatter stones, a time to pile them up;

a time for a warm embrace, a time for keeping your distance;

A time to search, a time to give up as lost;

a time to keep, a time to throw out;

A time to tear apart, a time to bind together;

a time to be quiet, a time to speak up;

A time to love, a time to hate; 

a time to go to war, a time to make peace. (Ecc. 3:1-8, VOICE)

If you are like me, you have looked at this scripture as a way to feel better at a funeral but today, God told me that it's a blueprint to saying goodbye. You see, as hard as it is to move on, if God said it, He planned it right along with a hello. The birth of one thing often means the death of something else, the healing of one thing means something else had to die. But it's okay. Do you see that? Your responsibility is to walk out your goodbye sweetly because there is a hello waiting on the other side. Nowhere in that scripture does it say figure it out. As a matter of fact, it says the opposite.

“and I know God has made everything beautiful for its time. God has also placed in our minds a sense of eternity; we look back on the past and ponder over the future, yet we cannot understand the doings of God.  I know there is nothing better for us than to be joyful and to do good throughout our lives;  to eat and drink and see the good in all of our hard work is a gift from God. I know everything God does endures for all time. Nothing can be added to it; nothing can be taken away from it. We humans can only stand in awe of all God has done.  What has been and what is to be—already is. And God holds accountable all the pursuits of humanity”. (Ecc. 3:11-15, VOICE)

Do you see? Though you have the capacity to look back and forward, you still won't figure out what God is doing. However, He holds you accountable for what you do with what He puts before you. I encourage you to look at what God has told you to leave in 2016 and do it! Tell anger goodbye and say hello to forgiveness! Tell depression goodbye and say hello to joy! Tell procrastination goodbye and say hello to manifestation! Make that goodbye sweet and filled with purpose and love! I promise you that your hello is waiting for you and it's better than you could ever imagine!

Amen…

You have what it takes!

I want you to think about this today. Everything that Christ was going to be on the cross and beyond was in Him on that dark winter night when He was born to Mary. Don’t miss what I just said. All of the purpose, the destiny and the plan of who He was and what He would do was wrapped up in that little baby in the manger. Ok…let that settle. What are you trying to say, Ebony? Well, it’s pretty simple. You already have what you need to do what God ordained you to do. Whether you have decided to accept it, are ready to move forward in it or have identified the fullness of it, you have what it takes.

When you think about Baby Jesus, don’t you automatically think about who He grows up to be? Don’t you think about the cross or the fact that the manger is just the beginning of the story. It’s a natural progression because you know the whole story. So what about you? Why do you not look at yourself right now and know that God has already written your story and knows the end? Maybe if you started to think that way, you wouldn’t be so easily tripped up by what your current circumstances look like.  Maybe if you started seeing yourself as moving towards your purpose instead of stuck in a place or a season, you wouldn’t be so scared to do what God told you to do. You see, you can’t gloss over what the Lord said through Jeremiah because you’ve memorized it. He said, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11, NLT) That means that A – He has a plan and B - It’s going to work out for your good. You have what it takes!

Before Jesus was even born, there was an expectation that He would save the world. That expectation had travelled down through several generations so that even though Mary was shocked to be the chosen one, she wasn’t shocked at WHO she was birthing. She knew of the Messiah and what He was to do. Sooooooo…guess what? Your birth and purpose was also proclaimed in the heavens long before you were born. You were expected and you have something to do! Psalm 139: 13 – 16 says, “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.  Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.  You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” (NLT) Did you read that? God has every moment laid out. So even though you’ve had some hard days and you’ve made some bad choices, it’s all leading to purpose. Everything that you’ve been through, everything that you have gained and lost is all contributing to who you were shaped and expected to be. The question is always will you be brave enough to use what you have? You have what it takes!

I wish I could just be writing the lyrics to Silent Night and singing fa la la la but God has been dealing with me about moving forward. He doesn’t want you to go one more day stuck in a dead place because you are unsure of who you are or what you have inside of you. You, my dear, are a writer! You are a pastor! You are a mother! You are a coach! You are a leader! You are a business owner! You are who God says and has been saying that you are! Please don’t let what people say or what fear says dictate where you go? You have what it takes to do what God has purposed you to do. Your debut is expected in the heavens! Your book is expected in the heavens! Your church is expected in the heavens! David said it best in Psalms 138:8a when He said, “The Lord will work out His plans for my life…” (NLT) You have what it takes! The question is will you trust God to carry you to the end of your story?

Will you give Him glory?

I’ve had quite a morning and have struggled for over an hour to do Rhema. As I was sitting here frustrated, I was led to look at the post that I did for this date 5 years ago. I was looking for a date in the general time period of December 15th, only to discover that December 15th was a Thursday in 2011. Who knew?! Obviously, God did and clearly He knows what He is doing. I didn’t quite understand what He was up to but when I found it and started reading, I had to laugh. God knows what you need and He will give it to you, if you just open yourself up to receive it. I’m going to share this word again because it was right on time for me and maybe it will be for you.

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 that we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and the very beginning of His journey to His purpose. But at this time, many people are also reminded of what they have lost and what they don’t have. But I declare today that in God, you have all that you 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 are saved, 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 you or forsake you! So give God the glory! Sickness and disease will attempt to attack you and your family but Jesus bore stripes for your healing! Give God the glory! Poverty and lack, even layoffs will come but God promised that He would supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory. Give God the glory because He 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 great plans for him. In Jeremiah 29, he wrote to the prophets and elders that were in captivity in 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. 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…

Amen…

Goodbye, grief! Hello, Life!

I woke up with this word this morning and have been struggling with it ever since. I heard it in my mind but it seemed to start mid paragraph. No poignant opening question or witty one liner. It was just phrases and sentences that I knew went together but for the life of me, couldn’t figure out how. I’ve started about 3 different posts and erased them all. It was just now as I heard God tell me to just start writing that I understood what was happening. He was showing me in a way that I could understand what grief does to a person. Uncertainty about how to go on without someone that was your guiding force. Feeling like you are re-starting your life even though you really want the life that you knew. Planning a future that doesn’t have the same light because all of the players aren’t present. No easy fixes and no easy laughs. Everything that used to be simple now requires work. Grief.

The thing about grief is that it can be a haunting pain that is just under the surface everyday but intensifies during this time or it can just punch you in the stomach when you look at the calendar on a certain day or participate in something that triggers the pain. So you might be wondering why in the world I would be talking about this now. Come on, it’s the holidays, Ebony! And you would be right! But it means different things to different people. Today, God made me feel those that mourn and He told me to tell you that your freedom is in your release. He told me to remind you that death is not always a verdict of how good or bad someone was. It was pre-determined and your sorrow was covered by Jesus on the cross. He told me to encourage those of you that are struggling to lift your heads and celebrate that He is able and He is present. Sometimes your freedom from grief is in celebrating those that remain. Sometimes your freedom is by choosing to live instead of wearing the grief. Sometimes your freedom is in seeing the death as God’s victory instead of His punishment.

I was reminded of David’s words after the death of his son in 2 Samuel 12. David had prayed and fasted and cried in hopes that God would let his son live to no avail. The child died and instead of doing what people expected him to do, David stopped crying.

Then David stood up, washed, anointed himself with sweet-smelling oils, and changed his clothes. He went into the house of the Eternal and worshiped. Then he returned to his house and asked for food; and when it was brought to him, he ate. Servants (to David):  We don’t understand. When your son was alive, you wept and you refused to eat; now that he is dead, it is as if nothing is wrong—you are up and about and eating. David:  While my son was still alive, I wept and fasted with all my being because I thought to myself, “Who knows? There is still a chance that the Eternal One will have mercy on me and let my child live.”  But now that he is dead, why should I continue without eating? Will that bring my son back to life? Someday when I die I will go where he has gone, but he will never come back to me here. (VOICE)

I was a little taken aback because I wasn’t sure that David’s words were all that comforting. But I realized that God wanted me to speak to your future. He wanted David’s words to remind you that the one that has gone can no longer be who you want them to be or come back and change what is happening in your life. But you have the opportunity to live in such a way that you see them again. You have a chance to embrace what IS rather than being held captive to what WAS. Isaiah 53:4a says that “For sure He took on Himself our troubles and carried our sorrows.” (NLV) What does that mean? It means that He was thinking of you on the cross as you miss your mother. He carried you in His heart, as you grieve your father. He bore your pain when you cry for your child. But He also wants you to understand His desire is for you to walk in freedom in every part of your life.  It is not that He doesn’t know your mourning because Jesus said “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matt. 5:4) The thing is, He wants you to allow yourself to be comforted. He wants you to not mourn like those that have no hope but rather be able to stand and rejoice in a future hope. During this holiday season, may the joy of the Lord be your strength. May the peace of God surround you and hold you up. And may the thought of Jesus bearing your sorrow give you just what you need to press forward with victory. Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning! (Ps. 30:5)  Goodbye grief, my morning is here!

Amen

Victory Dance

I just need to encourage someone today that you have the victory! I know it sounds cliché and overly churchy but it’s true. Nowadays, people talk about victory so casually that the power behind the meaning and message has dulled. So I looked up the definition of the word victory and I understood even more why you have to really feel it! Merriam Webster says it is “the overcoming of an enemy or antagonist; the achievement of mastery or success in a struggle or endeavor against odds or difficulties.” Nothing about that definition says easy or without pain but the end result, after the struggle and difficulties, is success! And it comes because you have the best weapon on your side. God is fighting for you and He has never lost a battle! I need you to get this in your spirit and keep it close when the enemy tries to distract you.  I need you to understand this when your circumstances say loss. I really need you to KNOW this when you attempt to derail yourself. YOU WIN!

I woke up singing Todd Dulaney’s “Victory belongs to Jesus”. I mean it was on repeat in my brain and in my spirit! I couldn’t get away from it. I love the song and the message but I started asking myself if I really believe it. Do I function and respond to circumstances and trials that come up like I know that He has the victory? Do you? It’s easy to look at facts and circumstances and become fearful or doubt that things will work out in your favor. But God is calling on His people to rise up now more than ever and trust who He is. He is calling on you to look at His track record and trust that what He did before, He will do again. He is challenging you to really believe what you’re quoting instead of allowing doubt to set in as soon as you walk out of the church on Sunday.  James 1:12 says, “blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.” (ESV) Are you doing your part and walking in the victory that God has promised?

Well, Ebony, how do I obtain victory when there is so much hell and attack coming towards me? It sounds good to say I win but I have some big stuff coming against me! I hear you and I understand. Who hasn’t had this conversation with God at some point? Who hasn’t looked around at their situation and wondered how God could possibly work it out? Well, Moses gives a great battle plan in Deuteronomy 20 that the Lord highlighted for me this morning.

When you go to war against your enemy and see horses and chariots and soldiers far outnumbering you, do not recoil in fear of them; God, your God, who brought you up out of Egypt is with you. When the battle is about to begin, let the priest come forward and speak to the troops. He’ll say, “Attention, Israel. In a few minutes you’re going to do battle with your enemies. Don’t waver in resolve. Don’t fear. Don’t hesitate. Don’t panic. God, your God, is right there with you, fighting with you against your enemies, fighting to win.”

You got it? Don’t fear what you see, how big your problem is. Instead, look at the God that brought you out many times before! Just as you are going into battle, seek the Lord and what He is saying. Pray, seek wise counsel and be encouraged. When you go against these big situations and challenges, understand that it’s war and you have to be prepared and act accordingly. Go in without fear, hesitation or panic, knowing that God is fighting with you and He is fighting to win! Act like you have the victory, saint! Go into every battle with the mindset that you already know the outcome. When your marriage is attacked, you win! When your health is attacked, you win! When your finances are attacked, you win! “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 15:57 NKJV) Do you understand? There is no battle too hard or enemy to big that God can’t handle it. YOU WIN!

Amen