MOVE!!!

This morning the Lord just told me to write what He says as He says it. I’m sorry in advance if this feels piecemeal or choppy. I’m way outside of my comfort zone with this one but I’m going to be obedient because He is taking me somewhere and I’ve decided that I’m going with Him. So here goes…

Believe what God has shown you and move. Stop asking yourself how and why and simply obey what He has said. Some of you are so caught up in the opinion of man that you are behind by 10 years. Your business should already be in place. The book should already be written and your family should already be saved. God said stop being afraid of what “they” will say and worry more with what He is saying. It’s time to separate from the old things that have held you back and push forward into your new season. It’s time to take the bull by the horns as the old saying goes and do whatever your “it” is. For some of you, it’s going back to school. God said to stop making excuses about not getting into one program. Find another one! For some of you, it’s starting a business or stepping out on your own. He said stop talking about how much it will cost and ask Him for the provision. You’ve been so focused on what you don’t have that you haven’t asked God to show you the stream of resource.

This is the year that God wants to bring dreams into reality but He won’t go past your free will. He won’t do what you aren’t believing is possible. All He is waiting for is your yes. You see your yes is just the beginning. Once you say it, He will take it and transform it in to fruit. He will take it and move it into breakthrough and deliverance. He said all He is waiting on is you! So what are you going to do with that? Are you going to move forward? Are you going to stop using your age or station in life to dictate where you are going next? Are you going to continue to limit God to your neighborhood and your church? Are you going to hold the word you got last year close to your heart but not move in it? What are you going to do?

My challenge to you today is to stand up and move. You don’t have time to waste anymore because people are waiting on your action. People are waiting for you to get over yourself and do what He is calling you to do. That daycare that you’ve been envisioning for single mothers is not going to get done if you haven’t been working on your certifications and preparing your house for the first baby.  That building is not going to manifest if you haven’t been walking the grounds and saving the money for the first payment. That job isn’t going to find itself. You have to be open to what God wants to do and also have a resume ready. Come on now! It’s time to move. It’s time to act. It’s time to stop making excuses about what happened the last time you tried. It’s time to stop hanging with those folks that are holding you back. It’s time to TRUST and OBEY.

God, I thank you for whoever is reading this post. I thank you that you have great plans for their life and are just waiting for their yes. I thank You that we can’t even imagine Your best because its beyond anything we have seen. I thank you that because you are the Great I AM, every request can be handled. Clear our hearts, focus our vision, strengthen our spirits to press forward and move in obedience. Thank You in advance. In the matchless name of Jesus, I pray…AMEN.

You HAVE to finish!

If you have ever been around me before a trip, or you know that I'm horrible about packing. No matter how much notice you give me, I will still pack the night before. Y’all pray for me! This trip was no different except for the added responsibility of packing for the girls too. Help, Lord! Needless to say, it was a struggle and I got very little sleep. I barely made it, Saints! But I am happy to report that I made it to the airport and to my destination. There were a couple of times during the night that I wanted to give up on the packing and just lay down but I knew that other people were depending on me to finish what I had to do. So later after I reached my destination, I asked the Lord what He would have me to share with you. He reminded me of my troubles during the night and said, “keep pressing because someone is waiting on you to get to your destination.”

I just want to encourage those of you that have faced a lot of opposition in your life recently. It could be in your family, on your job, even in your church. God has purpose for your life and you need to get to it. Don't let what anyone else is doing stop you from walking out your assignment. Don't let fatigue keep you from finishing your assignments. 2017 is a year that you are going to have put your shoulders back and press or fight through whatever comes your way. You have way too much to do to stop. You will want to cry, scream and ask why but you cannot stop! Why? Because someone is waiting on your pass the test. Someone’s life depends on your yes. Someone needs to hear your testimony in order to move forward.

Can I just be transparent for a minute? I've had plenty of times in the last 8 or 9 years that I wanted to go somewhere and live by myself. A hermit!  I was tired of people and their mess. I was tired of being held accountable while others lived however they wanted. I was tired of losing things and struggling. I was tired of attacks. But one day, God told me that I had people that He had assigned to me. People that I had to mentor and pour into and I was selfish if I gave up on what He told me to do. It hurt my feelings but it woke me up. This journey that I have been on is not all about me. There are people that are waiting for me to get to where I'm going and people that need to watch my process. I say the same to you!

Woman of a God, stop hiding behind tradition and routine, and be who God has called you to be. Man of God, stop letting labels hold you in bondage and walk in your truth. It's time out for letting the opposition cause us to quit or be quiet. It's time to press! It's time to fight! It's time to win. So get up, brush yourself off, and get going! Somebody is waiting on you to finish…

“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal in us later.” (Rom 8:18 MSG)

Amen.

There's still joy!

Happy Thursday, family! I just wanted to quickly encourage those of you that have been battling in 2017. I want to speak to those of you that have faced challenges from 12:01 a.m. on January 1^st until today. You know, those of you that have faced struggle from your flesh and conflict in your relationships. God told me to tell you that there is still joy. I don’t know what you are trying to get to the other side of – grief, financial struggle, divorce, marital strife, suffering in your body. I don’t have the answers or the specifics but I can assure you that your struggle is not your ending. There is joy in your press and in your progress.

I found myself in Romans 5 this morning as God encouraged me to encourage you. I love the book of Romans because the Apostle Paul spoke so much life and strength into the people of God in this letter.  I hope these words minister to you as you continue to walk forward in spite of what you see in your path.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.  And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.  And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. (Romans 5: 3- 5, NLT)

What you are facing does not define you. It’s how you respond to it. It doesn’t matter what the enemy tries to bring against you, God isn’t surprised or affected. If you stand in front of that challenge with joy and rejoicing, God can take it and transform it into endurance and ultimately hope. Even better than that, we are assured that the hope will live up to its purpose because of God’s love and the Holy Spirit.

I need you to prepare yourself for the other side.  I need you to walk into every situation knowing that the joy of the Lord is your strength and your victory is assured. Why? Because through Christ, you always win! So I’m looking at you, woman of God! I’m challenging you, man of God! Tell grief, there’s still joy! Tell your bank account, there’s still joy! Tell that diagnosis, there’s still joy! Why? Because you serve a God that makes all things work together for your good. So “don’t run from tests and hardships, brothers and sisters. As difficult as they are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line—mature, complete, and wanting nothing.” (James 1: 2-4, NLT)

Amen…

It's time for action. It's time to move.

I have something really simple to share with you today from the Lord. Ready? Here it is. Less talk and more action! That’s it…that’s what He told me. Too many people are talking about what God has told them to do but not taking any steps toward bringing anything to pass. God didn’t give you that assignment to hold and babysit. Nope! He gave it to you so that you could be His feet and hands. He gave it to you so that you could bring Him glory through your obedience. The world is steadily dying and some could be saved, if you would answer the call. Someone on the verge of committing suicide would put the gun down, if you ministered to the veterans like God told you to. Someone would make a better choice for their children, if you would tell your testimony to single parents as God instructed. Someone would know that they can make it, if you would write your book. Do you see what I’m saying? Singing “You Deserve It” and shouting doesn’t accomplish anything outside of a good praise, if you aren’t willing to use your life to give Him the glory and praise that you are singing about. It’s time for action. It’s time to move.

Psalm 144:1 says, “Blessed be the Eternal, my rock. He trains my hands for war, gives me the skills I need for battle.” (VOICE) Hmmmmm…that’s a pretty powerful statement that David made. It’s a call to action and a battle cry. It’s giving you a clue about what you need to be doing. You see, if God intended for you to just float through life without action, would He equip you with battle skills? Would He give you the full armor to protect you in spiritual warfare? My guess would be no. And I don’t believe this is about personality. While David was certainly a man of war, I believe this word is just as relevant to the person that prays in their closet or is introverted. You have been equipped to war whether it is out in the world or tucked safely in your room.  You see, there is a real burden on my heart for action in 2017. I believe that God is challenging His people, me included, to stop saying what could be done and actually do something. He is calling for obedience and trust, even in the face of uncertainty. It’s time for action. It’s time to move.

Let me say this one last thing before I close. As I was writing this entry, God showed me a vision. In the vision, He gave me the plans for a house. It was a beautiful house, with multiple floors and space for gardens and a pool and just about anything else that you could think of. He said, “Everything you need to build this house is available – money, crew, materials and land. All you have to do is take the plans and build it.” I couldn’t believe it and stood looking at the plans. I put them away on the shelf and promised to come back to them once I was really ready to build. I had a lot going on and didn’t think I could commit the time or energy to it at the moment. It seemed like years passed in the vision and I came back to get the plans. As I was reaching for them, I saw God pass the plans to someone else and they were eager to get started. I watched the person run off with the plans to my house. I heard the Lord say that His plan will come to pass, whether we get on board or not.

Don’t let your house be built by someone else because you have been finding excuses. Don’t let your dream sit in your journal one more day without making a move. Don’t let fear or circumstance stop your progress anymore. God's will and purpose will be done whether we want to participate or not. Don't miss your window. Today is your starting day!  It’s time for action. It’s time to move.

Amen

Take off your grave clothes...

 

This morning the Lord told me to speak to the dry bones. I wasn’t quite sure what He wanted me to say, especially since that’s all He said. So if you have been a reader for a while, you know I had questions. My thought was that it’s early in the year and folks have been fasting and praying, having fresh starts and declaring things over their lives. I wondered about the timing of such a message and thought about it most of the morning. Then the Lord instructed me to read the entirety of Ezekiel 37 and see what I saw. Initially, all I saw was a familiar story and message about renewal and being restored by God’s spirit. But then one line in verse 9 caught my attention.

“Next he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath! Prophesy, human being! Say to the breath that Adonai Elohim says, ‘Come from the four winds, breath; and breathe on these slain, so that they can live.’” (Complete Jewish Bible)

I looked through so many translations and particularly to this one that really captures the meaning of the Hebrew words. I saw a word that I don’t think I had ever paid attention to: SLAIN. It’s the past tense of the word slay and it means to kill violently, wantonly, or in great numbers; to strike down. God was speaking to a people that had literally been taken out by sin, disobedience, separation, and life. They had reached a point that their very essence was taken from them. They had nothing left but the shell of who they were. God had to come in and take them from nothing and rebuild them. From the ligaments that allow them to move to their flesh that covers them to their breath that allows them to actually live. He was making an important statement about His power. He was reminding them that He has the power to resurrect and to restore, even what circumstances, disobedience and sin have killed.

 

Maybe this sounds crazy to you but as I was reading, God began to show me you. He began to talk to me about how people have caused some of you to lose your passion and your purpose. He showed me how sin, disobedience and bad choices have made some of you stray so far from the relationship that you once had. He even showed me how the enemy has worked so hard in your life, that your breath is suspended. You literally have to work to breathe. You have been slain spiritually; killed and left to dry out. But today, God has told me to told me to speak to your dry bones and breathe life on your sadness. He has told me to breathe life on your stagnation. He has told me to breathe life on your fear. God is telling you to rise up, woman of God and get about His business. Stop letting individuals shape your dream. Stop allowing men to dictate your progress. Stop marching around a mountain that I told you to speak to. God is telling you to stand up, man of God and lead your family. Stop letting what “the man” has given you dictate how far you go. Stop letting your children find you on the couch on Sundays while they are heading out to church. Stop letting your pride keep you from asking for help. Receive the breath, dry bones!

 

I don’t particularly like when God gives me groups of people to speak directly to like that because others take it as a sign that God isn’t speaking to them. But here’s the thing! Today, God was so serious with me. He said it’s time for all of you to live. Not just exist and do what you are comfortable in doing but really LIVE. Life in Christ means loving people when it’s hard. Life in Christ means being obedient when He tells you to do the challenging thing. Life in Christ means that you don’t stay at the point of your crucifixion but you get up again to live.

 

In Ezekiel 37:12 -14, God says “Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel.  Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people.  I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it,” declares the Lord.’” (NASB) Do you get it? God is telling you to get up out of that grave so that He can place you where you need to be – your own land! He’s making you stop feeling sorry for yourself. He’s making you stop wasting time. He’s making you stop waiting on your situation to change and do what He said. He’s making you get off your high horse and acknowledge that you don’t know everything. GET OUT OF THAT GRAVE! That’s when you will know that He is Lord! That’s when you will know that you are alive again. That’s when you will know that the Lord spoke it and did it!

 

So what are you going to do? Are you going to stay in that dead place, feeling sorry for yourself? Are you going to keep wondering why this happened to you? Why they had to leave you or they had to die? Are you going to write that book? Are you going to start that business? Are you going to be a better spouse? What are you going to do? God has sent me to your valley and instructed me to get your attention. He’s told me to speak to your dry bones and send fresh air your way. Why? Not because I’m so special but because He’s ready to use you to do great things in the earth and none of it will get done from the grave. Get up, dry bones! It’s time to take off those grave clothes and live…

Amen

 

Think it not strange!

When I woke up this morning, I kept hearing the phrase, “think it not strange” but I couldn’t remember what scripture it went with. I knew it was one of those churchy phrases that folks like to use but I couldn’t get the context. It just kept repeating over and over again in my head. When I finally found myself in 1 Peter 4, I just about ran down the hall at my office. Today, God wants to encourage you! He wants you to know that He is watching and nothing that you are going through has gone unnoticed. You see, some of you have had some rough roads to travel and some hard situations to deal with. You have been attacked and somewhat surprised by the actions of those that should know better. But God said to tell you this morning that He knows what He is doing and He has it under control! There’s glory on the other side of what you’re going through.

In 1 Peter, the Apostle Peter is talking to the churches in Asia Minor that are suffering religious persecution and he is reminding them to maintain their faith in spite of the persecution. Chapter 4 is particularly powerful as he reminds the churches of their connection to Christ and His suffering. He reminds them of what they gained by leaving their past behind and embracing Christ and to keep pressing and using the gifts that God has given them. This morning,  God used “think it not strange” to bring me to a section of chapter 4 that I believe will bless you. It reads,

Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner. If you’re abused because of Christ, count yourself fortunate. It’s the Spirit of God and his glory in you that brought you to the notice of others. If they’re on you because you broke the law or disturbed the peace, that’s a different matter. But if it’s because you’re a Christian, don’t give it a second thought. Be proud of the distinguished status reflected in that name! It’s judgment time for God’s own family. We’re first in line. If it starts with us, think what it’s going to be like for those who refuse God’s Message! If good people barely make it, what’s in store for the bad? So if you find life difficult because you’re doing what God said, take it in stride. Trust him. He knows what He’s doing, and He’ll keep on doing it. (1 Pet. 4: 12-19 MSG)

Can I just remind you that God is present in your life? He is not taken by surprise when things come against you or challenge your faith. No! He is right there and He is ever ready to protect and keep you. This passage is an encouragement to you to keep doing what He says despite opposition, conflict, and downright evil. The NKJV says, “do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you…” Don’t be surprised that you are being attacked or mistreated because you are doing what He said. Instead, recognize that the test is to grow you and push you to your destiny. That challenging relationship is to build you and transform you for your purpose. It isn’t by accident and it isn’t going to kill you! Nope, it’s to prepare you for the glory that is coming after it. Oh and you don’t have to take judgement or punishment into your own hands. God is not only watching over you and the situations that you face, but He is paying attention to those that He loves that aren’t living up to His word or representing Him well. He will handle it. Take your hands off! In 2017, God is moving you and changing your strategy. He is shifting you out of how you have always done things and birthing creativity out of your obedience. Think it not strange, when the enemy tries to stop you. Just know that He doesn’t have the power to do so…unless you let him.

Amen.

On the other side of the glass...

Imagine yourself standing at a big window in your house. As you look out, you see lots of green fields that stretch for miles and miles. There is lots of beauty and life in those fields, every color imaginable. You think to yourself just how beautiful it is and you wonder what it would be like to go outside and walk amongst those fields. It’s a bit of a struggle to act on that desire because it is nice in your house. The temperature is just right and you know where everything is. You don’t have to search for food or water. You just have to live. What do you do? The Lord showed me this very vision and then He said, ‘sometimes your opportunity is on the other side of the glass’. Okay, God!

Isn’t it easy to get comfortable? You have a great routine, regularly scheduled date night, daily workout time, good seat at church. But what if God is calling you to something new, something challenging, something different? What if He is presenting you with green fields but it requires you to leave the safety of your warm house? What do you do when opportunity comes calling?

I thought about Noah. Noah walked with God. He was perfect in an imperfect world. As a matter of fact, the earth was a mess at the time of Noah. God was sorry that He had even made man. The King James Version says that God repented for making man and His heart was grieved. (Gen. 6:6). It doesn’t get any worse than that, does it? Well, you know the story! God tells Noah to build an ark because He is going to destroy earth and everything on it with the exception of Noah’s family and 2 of every creature, a male and a female. Noah is faced with a choice in that moment. He can trust God and build this boat on faith or he can risk death but stay in the comfort of what he knows to be true…what he can see. He chooses to follow God’s commands. Hebrews 11:7 says, “By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn’t see, and acted on what he was told. The result? His family was saved. His act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. As a result, Noah became intimate with God.” (MSG) How many times have you let what you couldn’t see stop you from believing God?

What about Abraham? I mean, he was the poster boy for walking out on faith, right? God promised him descendants numbering more than the stars if he would leave his native land and follow Him. What would you have done? Maybe a better question would be have you had an Abraham moment? Has God been speaking to you about stepping out from the familiar? Has he called you to a new place that requires you to trust Him like never before? I remember when I left my home church. It was a devastating time for me. I had to leave all that I knew…my family, my friends, my position. To some, it seemed like an easy move for me. But I was crushed, my spirit was crushed and I was lost. I couldn’t understand how the Lord could make my comfortable house uncomfortable. I couldn’t even see the green fields outside of the window but I had to trust Him. It was difficult but in stepping out in faith, I found parts of me that I didn’t know were there. God didn’t promise me easy but He promised me opportunity and life. “By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God’s call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going.” (Heb 11:8 MSG) How many times have you let the unknown stop you from moving at God’s instruction?

God has a plan and vision for your life that is sure and beneficial. Though He doesn’t always give you the full layout and it isn’t always easy, you can be assured that it will work for your good.  Folks, you have to remember that your idea of timing and opportunity is not always the same as God’s. He may present something to you that seems so foreign but turns out to be exactly what you need. The whole point is to trust Him and not miss what He has for you because you can’t see the ending or you are scared. For some of you, God has been showing you the outside of the window for a long time. “I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, “Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I’ll handle the works department.” Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove.” (James 2:18 MSG) Maybe, just maybe, it’s time to walk out of the house…

God bless…AMEN