Amazing God

Kierra “Kiki” Sheard has a song out now called “Indescribable” and it has been playing over and over in my spirit since I woke up this morning.  The chorus says, “Indescribable, uncontainable, You place the stars in the sky and You know them by name. You are amazing, God. All powerful, untamable, awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim, You are amazing, God!”  The whole song is a tribute to the awesome and amazing power of God. He is a great, big God that is capable of doing things that our natural mind cannot even comprehend. One of my favorite scriptures is Ephesians 3:20. “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” God wants His people to know that He is bigger than any circumstance, sickness, or personality.

We can often be heard speaking about God as great and awesome but when our circumstances arise, we fall back into what is wrong in our lives and cry out “Why me?!”  But God’s power is indescribable and uncontainable! In chapter 26 of Job, you find one of Job’s speeches to his friends and he beautifully describes God’s power. “God stretches the northern sky over empty space and hangs the earth on nothing.  He wraps the rain in his thick clouds, and the clouds don’t burst with the weight.  He covers the face of the moon, shrouding it with his clouds.  He created the horizon when he separated the waters; he set the boundary between day and night. (Job 26:7-10 NLT) He ends the chapter in verse 14 by saying, “These are just the beginning of all that He does, merely a whisper of His power. Who, then, can comprehend the thunder of His power?” (NLT) Take a moment and think about that.  God performed all of these enormous acts but we wonder if He can heal cancer.

Think about the creation. God spoke a word and plants came, waters ran, and light flashed. That’s a big God! Think about your body. Your brain tells you when to move and you move. You have a complicated system that works together so that you can function. God designed that. That’s a big God. Look at the depths of the ocean, filled with fish and plant life, and animals that most of us will never come close to seeing.  That’s a big God. He is amazing! The same way He designed and created all of those things, He can work out your situations and circumstances…if you let Him.

The book of Zephaniah is a short but power packed book. God’s people are once again in a mess of sin and idols. Judgment is at hand and God is angry. He is ready to take out Moab, Ammon, Philistia and the whole earth. This time He shows how He can use His power to destroy nations and idolatry and ultimately sin. But what I love about God is that even as He talks about the destruction He is going to bring to these sinful people, He still acknowledges the remnant of people that are doing the right thing and honoring Him. He shows one of the most awesome aspects of His power and that is the power to love and restore.  “For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.... On that day I will gather you together and bring you home again. I will give you a good name, a name of distinction, among all the nations of the earth, as I restore your fortunes before their very eyes. I, the Lord, have spoken!” (Zeph 3: 17, 20)

We must look to God as the one who has the power to do anything! His power can destroy the strongholds that are holding you bound and it can restore you and build you back up. His power can create divine opportunities in your life and can stop demonic activity that wants to steal your promises. God’s power can take what seems impossible and make it happen. Remember Paul and the thorn in his flesh. He begged for God to take it away but God said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”(2Cor. 12:9 NLT) Isn’t that what makes God’s power so amazing? When it's hard for us to connect with the big instances of His power like the creation or the parting of the Red Sea , we can see Him lifting our head when we’ve been crying or sending a few extra dollars right when we needed it. That’s a big God! So I sing with a loud voice,” You are amazing, God!” 

AMEN

Journey to Faith

This morning I found myself in Judges 6 reading the story of Gideon. It’s a familiar story but one that really speaks to trusting God in your journey even when you don’t know where it’s leading you. The people of Israel are once again in a desperate situation for being evil and disobedient to the Lord. They are in terrible poverty because of the Midianites. The angel of the Lord appears to Gideon and tells him that God is with him. Gideon can’t understand how that could be possible because first of all, he looks at his people’s situation and has determined that God has abandoned them. Doesn’t that sound like us? We live how we want to and cut up and then the consequences come and we forget what we did wrong but blame God for leaving us.  That’s basically what Gideon is saying.

“But God faced him directly: "Go in this strength that is yours. Save Israel from Midian. Haven't I just sent you?" Gideon said to him, "Me, my master? How and with what could I ever save Israel? Look at me. My clan's the weakest in Manasseh and I'm the runt of the litter." God said to him, "I'll be with you. Believe me, you'll defeat Midian as one man."  (Judges 6:14-16, MSG) This one passage spoke volumes to me. We often get caught up in telling God what He is able to do with us. How many of us have been called to do something and told God that we were too “something” to do it. Maybe you said that you were too old or too young? Maybe it was too quiet or too shy? It’s so easy to say what we can’t do but God’s response is that He’ll be with you.  This is where our faith must kick in. God never leads us to something that He won’t bring us through. It’s often a test of our faith but if He says that He’s with you that’s all that is needed.

Yesterday, I watched an awesome clip of a sermon called “The I AM Factor” by Bishop Tudor Bismark on YouTube. He is encouraging people that whatever we speak about ourselves, the universe has to react because that’s who God is. So when you say “I am victorious!” Victory starts looking for you! Or if you say “I am frustrated!” Every frustrating situation and thing that can will come to bother you. God is the great I AM so we should believe what He says about us! It was inspiring and exciting and really revved up my spirit to make some declarations over my life. I encourage everyone to watch it! As I thought more about it in relation to my journey, the idea of transforming your life with faith really started speaking to me. It wasn’t necessarily a new idea because the topic of faith has come up many times in this blog. But as I combined faith with speaking life, it seemed like a revelation to me in that moment. Faith has to be the essence of “The I AM factor” because in order for you to declare positive, life affirming messages over yourself, you need to believe in a God that is able to make those things come to pass.

In obedience, Gideon does a series of actions that God instructs him to do, most times asking for God to show him a sign that it’s really Him. The more I read the story, the more I asked God if I should change my name to Gideon! You see God has encouraged me to do different things in my life and I would look at my own strength and say, “I can’t do that, Lord. If it’s really you, give me some confirmation!” Does that sound familiar? When I stand on my faith and do what He has told me to do, there is always a blessing. Gideon goes on to defeat the Midianites in stunning fashion with only 300 soldiers. The journey to the victory is the key - He has to fight some rough battles and face some people who don’t respect him. But through it all, He listens to the Lord’s instructions and obeys. In the end, he is victorious and there is peace in the land.

What has your journey taught you? What lessons can you see now that you couldn’t see before? Or if you are in the midst of a storm, what safe places have you found? Even as you look back on this past year, can you see how God has guided you? Psalm 32:8 says “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” Each step on this journey is building your faith, showing you that the God of Gideon is still the same today. He can fight any battle you have and He doesn’t need 10,000 to do it. He can do it with your own strength and His protection. He can transform you from the runt to the giant!

Be encouraged…God is faithful and present.

Any Day Now

I try my best to not watch, listen or read anything before I write my blog entry. I want to hear clearly from the Lord without any influences. This is much easier when I write in the morning! Well, today, I wasn’t feeling well so I stayed home in the bed. When I got up, I was dragging. This was primarily because of the medicine I am taking but partially from a little pity party I was having. So I went against my normal routine and turned on Bishop Noel Jones. I felt like if I could make an exception for anyone it would be him and there was good cause! I listened to the whole sermon and he was inspiring as always but in the last 5 minutes he said a phrase that woke me up. ANY DAY NOW!  Now to some that might not mean anything but if you have been facing any type of trial or struggle in your life that should have made your spirit jump! I know it did for me. So today, we find ourselves in Galatians 6.

Bishop Jones was dealing primarily with verse 9. “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”(NKJV) True, that’s enough to make you shout, isn’t it? If we can just maintain ourselves through the storms that we face, we will reap a reward. It’s certainly not easy to do. Our flesh often wants to convince us to give up or act ugly. But the first part of verse 8 reminds us that “those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature.” We cannot afford to base our future on what our flesh wants us to do. We are waiting on our due season, our “any day now”, so we have to live according to the Spirit, for “those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.”

I could have stopped right there! The reassurance that any day now, I will see the manifestation of God’s promises to me was enough to bring me out of my pity party. But then I kept reading chapter 6 and something really struck me. Paul gives us some key advice on how to continue to maintain ourselves as we wait for our new season.  He reminds us of the cross! This is particularly important as we are in the week after Easter. Often times, we quickly forget what we have just celebrated but Paul gives us a road map of keeping the cross in the forefront of our minds. He says in verses 14 – 16, “As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.  It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation.  May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God.” (NLT)

My “any day now” is here because of the cross! Because of what Christ has done, I am a new person, transformed by His grace and His forgiveness and renewed by His sacrifice. Every day that I wake up, it is my due season because God has shown me grace and mercy to see another day. That’s why we cannot get tired of doing the right thing or worry about what the world thinks about us! We have to just keep our eyes on the Spirit and wait for our next harvest.  So when you start to get weary, and it looks like your storm will never end, think of verse 17. Paul says, “from now on, don’t let anyone trouble me with these things. For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus.” (NLT)

God did not promise that our lives would be easy but He did promise to never leave or forsake us.  “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” (NLT)

Be blessed and encouraged! AMEN

How much do I owe?

Earlier in the week, I received an email from a dear friend that referenced a great way to make Easter real to us as individuals. It was so profound that I asked my work prayer group to do it. It’s simple, really. You just write down your sins, recent or distant, on a piece of paper and then tape it to a cross. We had a tree in our prayer room so we hung the lists on the tree. This exercise is not about condemnation or going backwards but is a real reflection of the magnitude of what Christ did for us on Calvary. I looked at my sins alone and felt a deep appreciation that Jesus took on the punishment for what I did. Now multiply that by billions of people past and present.  Doesn’t that put your relationship with Christ into perspective?

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 says “The love of Christ controls us, because we know that One died for all, so all have died. Christ died for all so that those who live would not continue to live for themselves. He died for them and was raised from the dead so that they would live for him.” (NCV) That sums it up, doesn’t it?  Christ didn’t lay down his life just for us to say our sins have been forgiven and be satisfied with that. He died and was resurrected so that we would take it a step further. We cannot stop with a celebration that our sins are washed away. That’s a great thing but we are then supposed to live like Him. We are to represent His love for us and not de-value His sacrifice.

 When I looked at my list of sins and remembered what Christ had done, I had to acknowledge that there was no way I could repay Him EXCEPT to live a holy and acceptable life for Him. I owe Jesus Christ that much. How about you?

Let’s put this in modern terms. Say you are hiring a maid service to clean your house. When they get done, you check things out and then you pay them for the service that they have completed.  Now apply that same thought to your Christian walk. Is your daily life an acceptable payment for the finished work that Jesus did for you? Not sure? Examine yourself this week. Bitterness is a bounced check! A bad attitude is a decline! Unforgiveness is an insufficient funds charge! Fornication is a late payment! Christ went to the cross and suffered terribly. He could have gotten down at any point but He said no! Now it is our turn to say no. We can say no to everything that the enemy has attempted to burden us with. When you feel the weight of Hell on your shoulders, look to the cross and notice one thing. It’s EMPTY! Jesus Christ took your shame, guilt, sin, and fear and He defeated it. So you don’t let anything defeat you! Live your life so that what Christ did for you on Calvary’s tree is honored.

I pray that each of you are blessed beyond measure and that you take the time to reflect on the awesome and finished work of the cross! God bless…

AMEN

Jesus did what?!

Last night, I participated in a foot washing service at church. It was wonderful. What a humbling experience to put phobias, feelings, and foot judgment aside and follow Jesus’s example of humility and servitude! When I got home, I turned on the TV and there was a reenactment special about the days leading up to the crucifixion and they highlighted the Last Supper and the foot washing. As they showed the various events, I saw something that I had never really focused on before. Jesus washed Judas’s feet too! I literally sat up in my bed and took a huge breath. Wait a minute…I always focused on the fact that Jesus gave Judas the bread as the sign that he was the one who would betray him but I never really thought about the fact that he had to have had his feet washed too.

This really caused me to think and pray! I got my bible and began to read John 13 again. There are several references to the fact that Judas has already betrayed Jesus. For instance, verse 2 says “The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.”(NIV) Though Jesus mentions that not everyone is clean, it does not say anywhere that he didn’t wash his feet. Look at verses 10 -11, “Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”  For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.”

Why would Jesus not only break bread with His betrayer but also serve him by washing his feet? My flesh was saying rather loudly that I couldn't have done that! “No way, it’s enough that Judas is even in the midst but now wash His feet?! Don’t think so!” Isn’t that how we do when confronted with an enemy in our midst? We turn our hearts and minds away from what the Lord requires of us and do what we want to do? I know I’m guilty of that! But wait…aren’t we then putting ourselves on the same level with them when we act ugly? I had to stop, examine myself and re-read. Jesus Christ didn’t go into the situation blind. He knew exactly who and what He was facing and He stayed true to what He had taught in Matthew 5:44 “…love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” He acknowledged that Judas would betray him and that he was unclean but He served him anyway.

As I strive to grow in the things of God, dealing with enemies or people that hurt or betray me is something that I am still working on. So I know that God highlighted this for me for a reason. If Jesus was able to humble himself before Judas, surely I can do it. Judas wasn’t just some outsider. He was in the inner circle so this is a betrayal that would have cut deep. But He did it anyway.  Jesus reminds us in verses 15-16 that He has set an example for us and that we should do for others as He has done for us. 

This entry won’t be for everyone. It’s not funny or light hearted or exciting. But if you are entering this resurrection season with the desire to leave old weights behind, this might be for you. If you no longer want to allow the enemy to pull you down to his level, this could be for you. Or if you are like me and don’t want to let past hurts hold you back any longer, this is for you. Jesus Christ gave us a powerful example of how humility wins. If we follow His example and always walk in humility no matter what the enemy confronts us with, we will win. Don’t believe me? Jesus finishes this teaching with a wonderful and powerful statement in verse 17. “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (NIV)

Be blessed…AMEN!

There IS a Word from the LORD!

Have you ever been in a dry place and you knew that if you could just get a Word from the Lord, everything would be alright? Have you been faced with a storm or a trial or a circumstance and no one else would do…you needed to hear directly from God? After I woke up this morning, I clearly heard the phrase, “There is a Word from the Lord!” I felt an immediate jump in my spirit because it was a confirmation and answer to many of my recent prayers.  

 You know, sometimes, we think when God doesn’t move immediately that He isn’t present. Or in those times when we pray and the answer is not instant that He is saying “No”. I’ve gotten myself into plenty of trouble by interceding on my own behalf instead of waiting on a Word from God. Isn’t it funny how we think that our fast result will equal or trump God’s timely response? We often can be heard quoting, “He may not come when you want Him but He’ll be there right on time!” But do we really believe it? It sounds like just a good lyric to some but it’s the truth.

 Habakkuk 2 is one of my favorite passages of scripture and has carried me through this particular time in my life. Habakkuk has laid some concerns out before the Lord in chapter 1. He isn’t cute with it or quiet, he comes boldly before God with questions about why there is so much violence and evil going unpunished. He wants understanding. They have a full conversation and Habakkuk says that he’s going to get in position and wait for a word from the Lord.  Well…God answers in verse 3 and I believe it’s so relevant for us now as we go through various battles! The Amplified Bible says, “For the vision is yet for an appointed time and it hastens to the end [fulfillment]; it will not deceive or disappoint. Though it tarry, wait [earnestly] for it, because it will surely come; it will not be behindhand on its appointed day.”  If God has told you something and you have grasped hold of it, wait on it! God does not lie and though it may not come on your schedule, it will come and it won’t disappoint!

We are often so busy trying to plot out our own lives that we don’t listen long enough to hear from the Lord. But He is saying that there is a Word. In Luke 11, Jesus does a lot of teaching about getting what you need from the Lord. He teaches the disciples to pray, to ask so that you can receive and about keeping your house clean of demons so that you don’t have to contend with a returning evil spirit. But right in the middle of the chapter in verse 28, He says something that sums this whole entry up. A woman tells Him that the woman who gave birth to him is blessed.   “Jesus replied, "That's true, but the people who are really blessed are the ones who hear and obey God's message!"

There is a Word from the Lord, friends! The question is “Are you listening?” God is always speaking and wanting to commune with us but if we never stop talking, how will we hear? If we never stop controlling, how will we hear? If we never stop analyzing, how will we hear? God wants to do mighty and wondrous things in each of our lives but even more, He wants to fellowship with us. In those tough times when we’re searching for answers, He wants to whisper the solution in your ear. In those chaotic times, He wants to speak peace into your spirit.  In those painful times, He wants to speak healing to your heart.  Are you willing to wait? For there IS a Word from the Lord!

AMEN!

Hello....Who's in control here?!

As I have prayed and reflected this week, God has really been asking me a serious question. Have you really given up control of your situations?

Whoa! Isn’t it crazy when God kind of knocks you backwards with a question? Well…that’s what happened with me.  And interestingly enough, He brought many situations where I had to ask that very question to others. It’s easy to say that we have given up control and stopped getting in God’s way but it’s another thing to actually do it. Raise your hand if you have said, “I am giving it ALL to God”! I know I have and at the same time I was still trying to fix whatever circumstance I was in. During this past year, God has made this real to me. He has showed me time and time again that if I just let Him take care of things, they will work out. One day, while trying to figure things out on my own, I clearly heard him say, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). From that day, I have really tried to examine whether I was really trusting God to make a way.

Some of us have been looking to other people to satisfy us. Hoping that our parents, spouses, and friends could make everything alright and finding no answer. It’s only when we truly yield to God that we are able to find peace and ultimately the solution to our issues. Isaiah 2:22 is a powerful scripture and one that made me pause. “Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem?” (NIV) We have to come to a place in our lives where God is our first stop! It’s certainly true that God can work through man so that’s not what I’m talking about. I am talking about when you look first to your girlfriend before you seek God. I mean when you call your mama, before you go into prayer about a situation. I mean running to your brother for the answer when the altar is the other way.

If we truly give our circumstances and situations to the Lord, He will work things out for us. Sometimes, we have to be still and wait. He is not on our schedule but He is faithful and on time. 2 Chronicles 20 is a great chapter about the power of praise and fasting but it also speaks to letting God have control and handle your situations. Verse 17 says, “You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” (NKJV) Isn’t that powerful?! You do not have to do anything, just position yourself and let God fight. Let God lead. Let God do His work.

I challenge you to look at your life and see if you have really given God the reins. Is there any situation that you need to take your hands off of? Give God your children, your marriage, your career, your finances…whatever you are trying to “handle”. Let God be God.

I found this prayer online and I want to leave part of it with you. I hope it blesses you today!

Dear Jesus,
Please hear my prayer. I go along each day, trying to run my life my own way. I forget to let go and give You control. I wonder why things aren’t going the way I want them to go. I forget to stop and ask what You want, Lord. Please help me to give You control, Jesus. I want to follow You. I want what You desire for me. Help me to realize that when You close one door, you open the one You want me to walk through. Help me also to realize that what I desire may not be what is meant for me, or what is best for me. Maybe it will lead me away from what Your great plan is for me. Lord, let me accept each day as a gift. Let me follow the path You choose for me. Help me to be thankful for what You give me and not to worry about my needs. I trust You will take care of all my needs. Remind me that my role is to care for those around me and focus on those who need my help. Help me, dear Jesus, to be who and what You want me to be. Give me strength, faith and hope, and most of all, give me guidance each and every day. I let go and give you control. In Jesus name, Amen.