Hey! Wasn’t that you?!

Whenever a new year approaches, people inevitably think about the challenges of the year that is ending and declare that the next year will be different. The world likes to call it making resolutions but church folk usually say things like “this year won’t be like last year” or “I’m not looking back, only forward!” But the Lord asked me this morning about impact. With all the things you won’t do anymore or won’t tolerate, or won’t participate in, sometimes you can forget to reconcile what you already did. It’s easy to see what has happened to you, right? But what impact have you made? What will others remember about you in 2018?

1 Peter 2:11&12 are interesting verses and the ones that the Lord highlighted for me this morning. I read them in 4 or 5 translations, all of which preached a word to me. But I was led to share the Message translation. It says, “Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.” 

You see, it is so important that you don’t get so caught up in operating and living like the world that the unsaved can’t see a difference. What would the people at the grocery store say about you in 2018? What about at work or in the neighborhood? Would they celebrate your God based on how you treated people, reacted to crisis, or made decisions? What impact have you made? It’s time to stop being so casual about your witness and really be like Christ. I recently saw an answer on a survey about the church that broke my heart. In response to the question of why they don’t attend church, they said “because church people don’t act like Christians outside of the church.” Sure, that’s not everyone but someone made such an impression with their behavior or attitude that the person was uninterested in church. What if it was you?

As you go through these last few days of 2018, ask yourself if you are living in such a way that God would be celebrated by the unsaved. Be honest! Is it time to merge your Monday – Saturday life with your Sunday life? Lord, help if Jesus returns on a Thursday! So while you are guarding your heart and your words this year, also guard your witness! Be mindful of what you say, how you respond and where you go.  Be the one that brings folks to Christ instead of running them away. Consider your impact in 2019!

Amen

And the fight goes to...

Hey family!  I just want to encourage you today as 2019 draws closer. Jesus has never lost a battle! That is what I keep hearing on repeat in my spirit. Sometimes when the load gets very heavy, and the war gets long, it can be hard to pay attention to the wins. You get weary, and your focus waivers and you struggle to see the why or the how. But the Lord just wanted me to remind you that He is your strong tower and your great defender. He is capable and willing to fight for you! He is Jehovah Sabaoth – the God who wages war on your behalf and causes wars to cease! He is fighting for you, and He has never lost.

Do you remember the story of Jehoshaphat and the fight against the Moabites and the Ammonites in 2 Chronicles 20? Three nations came together to go against the people of Judah, and it terrified them. Jehoshaphat called a fast and called on the Lord. He gave an impassioned plea, crying out for help. He ended his prayer with, “O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.” (2 Chr. 20: 12, NLT)

The Lord responded, “Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.  Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel.  But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!” (2 Chr. 20: 15-17, NLT)

So, this is often the part that people highlight. I mean, why wouldn’t you? The Lord has assured the people that He is with them and they do not need to fight. Cue the organ music and start the run! Well today, I need you to look ahead to what happens after the Lord has spoken. This is what I want you to hold onto as you prepare for the new thing that the Lord is calling you to in 2019.

“As they sang and praised, the Eternal was ready to cause great confusion in battle for the men from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir (in Edom) who had come to attack Judah. They were utterly defeated, turning on one another.  The Ammonites and Moabites attacked the men from Mount Seir, destroying them completely. Then, the Ammonites and Moabites turned on each other. When all was quiet, Judah looked out of the watchtower in the wilderness and saw a great army of corpses fallen on the battlefield. No one had escaped.” (2 Chr. 20:22-24, VOICE)

Hear me, saints! The battle plan is in place, and it is going to work. The Lord is the master strategist, and He never loses a battle. Do not be confused by the fact that sometimes things don’t work the way YOU think they should. I’m sorry to tell you this, but your plan is not the one on the table. The Lord can make your enemies work together to bless you or confuse them so much that they take themselves out of the picture. He is fighting for you! Do you see that last line? No one escaped! Not one imp or demon, not one man or weapon was able to infiltrate God’s plan. It will work!  You just have to stand on the word of the Lord. You have to trust that His victory is assured. You have to worship and praise. Do NOT be afraid or discouraged! He has everything under control! Therefore, right now I speak strength into your weakness and power into your body. I call out the spirit of weariness and frustration and declare peace into your spirit. You will walk into your future with shoulders back and a raised head. You will live out your destiny with purpose and confidence. And most importantly, you will see the victory and hope that was spoken over your life before you were even born! You win!

Amen

Packing 101

Happy Thursday, Rhema friends! Time is winding down in this year and it is a time of great reflection. It is a time to identify what you do not want to take with you into the coming year. In fact, I challenged you last week to be intentional and focused on that very thing. Well, today, I want to do the opposite. I want you to consider what you do want to take into the new year and be just as intentional on doing it. You see, it can be just as challenging to accept the new, as it is to let go of the old. You have to have a renewed mind that speaks the forward thinking of Christ. It has to have an “old has passed away; behold the new has come” type of mentality to be successful at this challenge. I believe you can do it! What about you?

Let’s get started! One of the things I know about the Lord is that He is a planner. He is not scrambling at the last minute to put equipment or resources where it is needed. Nope, He has placed exactly what is necessary for every situation in you, ready to be used. You just have to tap into it. You have to call it out. Think about it! Have you been called on at work or church to do something at the last minute and you think you will pass out and not be able to accomplish the task?  However, when you get up, the words flow and all goes well. Why do you think that is? It’s because it is already in you. The Bible says in Psalm 139:16, “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). He is already prepared for every moment that you will face, you just have to trust Him enough to walk in what He put in you.

So what is my point? Take into next year the authority to call your gifts into action when you need them. Take the spiritual boldness to make your election sure and walk powerfully in your calling. Take with you the memory that God knew who you would be before you were born and put you together perfectly for what He has called you to do. Come on, saints of God! This is a call to action for 2019. This is a challenge to step out of the weariness of 2018 and into the refreshing of a new year. Take a renewed energy and a fresh forgiveness towards those that you struggled with this year. I have seen too many people dying suddenly for me to worry with old grudges and past hurts. Therefore, here’s my public announcement to any and all that need to see it! If you are still mad at me in 2019, you’re on your own! If you are still offended by something that I don’t know about, might as well throw it up! If you need to get something off your chest, please schedule it before 11:59pm on December 31^st because old things are not on my list to take with me. I am jumping off the rollercoaster ride and stepping peacefully onto firm ground. God has big things for you and me next year. Do not miss it with pettiness!

Alright, everyone got it? Take with you what is edifying to your spirit and cleansing to your soul. Take joy, peace, and freedom. Take boldness, power, and authority. I am getting excited now! Why? Because I am picturing a whole army of soldiers that are empowered to take the world back for the Kingdom. I see pastors, apostles, evangelists, prophets, and teachers taking their rightful places with boldness. I feel the upward call of God in Christ Jesus covering what lies behind and pushing you forward to what lies ahead. Yessssss! Its time! Come on, 2019, I’ve got something for you!

Amen

Hey, 2018! Got something for ya...

Happy Thursday, family! There are 25 days left in 2018 and I want to offer a reminder to you. It is probably something that you think about at the end of every year but somehow do not always manage to accomplish. This year I want to encourage you to do it. What is it that I am asking you to do? Before the clock strikes midnight on January 1, 2019, intentionally and consciously leave what hurt you, offended you, and hindered you in 2018. Everything that this year challenged you with can go in the books with 2018, if you will let it. Now, this might be difficult for you because it means that you can’t dwell on the people and things that did you wrong. You cannot replay the conversations and try to interpret what was said and the motives behind it. You can’t even take your right to be right and use it to downplay your role or lack of response. You see, today the Lord is calling you to do what He did. Put all of the mess on the cross and leave it.

“Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because He never lost sight of where He was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—He could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now He’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.” (Hebrews 12:2 MSG)

Will you do me a favor and read that verse again? I want you to pull something from it as you make this journey over the next 3 weeks. First, Jesus finished the race so you can safely follow His lead without wondering if this will work. Some of you struggle with following your leader because something in you reminds you that they are human. Therefore, we can alleviate that concern and go forward to what I want you to see. Jesus never lost sight of where He was headed so everything that happened to him paled in comparison to His destination. It is time for you to look ahead to your destination and stop living in your past. The hurt, the shame, the heartache, the offense, or anything else you have endured, cannot stand up to what God has In store for you UNLESS YOU LET IT. Look at the verse! Because He endured and kept moving towards glory, He is THERE now. Did He get weary? Yes! Did He get frustrated? Yes! Did He question God? Yes! However, at the end of the day, He moved through all that was done to him and came out on the other side.

Saints, will you do a self-examination of your heart and see what is taking up space in there that does not belong? Will you put your eyes on the best example and place all of those things at the cross so that you can move into your 2019 without the weights of 2018. I mean it! Leave 2018 with all its mess and the mess of any other year. Leave it! Why? Because you have a THERE to get to and you need to have room for what the Lord has waiting for you. Come on! You have some stuff to drop off at 2018’s door. Let’s go!

Amen

Who's in your ear?

Hello all! I have been trying for a while now to put into words what the Lord just told me. Wait, I take that back. I have been trying to do this deep explanation so that it would make sense to you instead of just saying it. Clearly, He just wants me to spit it out so I will!

 God is speaking to you and you need to make sure you understand what He is saying. It is time out for interpretation by way of gossip, Facebook, and Google. Rather it is time to get in the position to hear HIM and stay there until you know what God is saying to you. So many of you are missing God because your flesh is speaking louder than He is. Well, actually, it’s just that you have the volume set louder on your flesh. Listen, God is speaking to your future. He is calling you out of old patterns and cycles, and calling you into a new thing. Do not miss it because it is uncomfortable. Do not miss it because it doesn’t go along with your carefully constructed plan. Sometimes, you can feel like God took you on this major side journey, when in fact, it has always been His plan to allow you to experience some challenges so that the responsibility He is preparing you for does not break you. I have been there! I had to experience the pain of bondage, rejection, pain and struggle so that I could pull someone else out of it. But here’s the thing. I had to be willing to go through it. I had to LISTEN to what God was saying and not what my flesh or emotions were saying.

Isaiah 50:4-7 slapped me awake today.  

The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue,
    to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning,
    wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.  The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears;
    I have not been rebellious, I have not turned away.  I offered my back to those who beat me,
    my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face
    from mocking and spitting.  Because the Sovereign Lord helps me,
    I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint,
    and I know I will not be put to shame. (NIV)

Okay, you might have to read that again! Pay attention to what Isaiah is saying. The Sovereign Lord – the one who controls everything and knows everything is about the business of equipping His people for what He instructs them to do. If you are not hearing God the way you need to be, go back and ask Him to “waken your ears to listen like one being instructed”. Ask Him to speak to your spirit so that you will obey without rebellion and fear. Ask Him to remind you that He is with you no matter who comes against you. Isaiah said that he obeyed God through suffering and mockery because He knew that because the Lord was with Him, He would not be disgraced or put to shame. Can you say the same? Is your face set like flint because you know that God will do what He said?

Listen, friend, don’t you dare make another move out of fear or emotion! Don’t you go one more day without listening to what God is saying to you about your future. And PLEASE, don’t let someone else’s fear or perceptions make you do something that God did not speak to you! If you have ears to hear and eyes to see what the Lord is saying, you will get through every challenge on your way to destiny.  You will grow through the hard place and advance through your obedience. You have what you need! John 10:27 says, “My sheep respond as they hear My voice; I know them intimately, and they follow Me.” (VOICE) Come on, saints! It’s time to stop being led by your flesh and listen to the right voice.

Amen

More than you thought!

Happy Thanksgiving, family! I pray that this day is a blessed time for you and yours. I wanted to be able to share a whole entry centered around giving thanks and being blessed but it just isn’t what I got. Sigh…why me, Lord? So instead of all that thanksgiving joy, I woke up with the phrase “stranger in the land” floating around in my spirit. What does that mean?! So I went on a search and found quite a few scriptures that mentioned a similar phrase but the Lord highlighted a passage that seemingly had nothing to do with anything. As I kept reading, I began to understand why. Normally, I don’t do this but I am going to put the whole scripture here for you.

“As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”” (Mark‬ ‭4:35-41‬ ‭NLT)‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

You might have to read this again because I want you to get this. Put yourself in the place of the disciples so that you don’t make the same mistake. This scene take place after many parables and much teaching.  Jesus decides that it is time to go to the other side. There is no discussion or questions, He makes the call and they go. On the way, He goes to sleep on the way hoping that what He had taught the disciples was enough to sustain them until they got to the next place. We see that the disciples were unsuccessful because they looked at the storm and forgot what they had with them and they fell apart.

Many of you are going through seasons of transition and you may be struggling through it.  Trust me! I get it because I’ve been there. It can be scary and unsettling when you know you are going somewhere but are unsure of whether you have what it takes to get there. Here’s the thing though. You are not by yourself on the journey. Not only is Christ with you, everything that He has poured into you is with you too. I believe Jesus got so frustrated with the disciples because not only had they gotten the teaching He gave to the crowds plus additional explanation, they had access to Him. He was constantly teaching them.  But instead of standing on what they knew, they jumped to fear. They reverted to how they used to handle things instead of remembering the power that was with them. They forgot that whatever came against them could be handled with a word.

Listen, everything around you may look different. Your next might feel like your last and your now might feel like never but today I am calling on you to step out of your emotions and trust in the facts. You see, the Lord showed me that the idea of being a stranger in the land wasn’t about being lost or scared but rather of being different from where you started. What you are stepping into has already been prepared for you. The land is the other side. Even if you are unfamiliar with what is waiting for you, the process of getting you there has been intentional and strategic. You have been poured into, taught, and equipped for where you are going. Never let what comes up on the journey take you outside of what you know to be true. Everything must bow to the Christ who is with you. So go forth to the other side. You have the Man who controls the winds & the waves with you!

Amen

Still the same!

Transition is a funny thing. Its ultimate goal is to take you to a new place but it often feels like the hardest journey you have ever taken. Whether you are leaving a home or changing positions, the temptation to stay is always so strong, even when you know you are doing the right thing. There has been a lot of transition and shifting in my life over the last 2-3 years. I have been called out of just about every comfortable and familiar place that you could imagine. It has been challenging and I have cried many tears but I am still here. In fact, I am still here and much stronger. I realized why this morning after hearing Shana Wilson Williams sing this one line in my head over and over again. “You stay the same.” It was on constant repeat. Finally, the Lord asked me if I had gotten it yet. I realized that I had. No matter what is going on in my life, He doesn’t change. The Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever. I know, I know! That’s one of the churchiest phrases there is. But guess what? It is the Word and it is a promise!

Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” It is snuggled in between a verse about remembering your spiritual leaders, and not being taken in by new ideas because your strength comes from God’s grace. I don’t think I have ever paid much attention to what was around that verse before. I just liked the idea that Jesus was consistent so I focused on that. However, today it made sense to me why that verse would be smack dab in the middle of a chapter that gives advice about everything from hospitality and marriage to how to serve and be in relationship. It is because your stability is in Christ. It is the best kind of visual for an English major like me! It’s all about being able to identify the most important theme or lesson in the midst of many important ideas. Listen! No matter what you are being challenged with, facing, or trying to overcome, the Lord does not change. Whether your entire life flips 180 degrees tomorrow, Jesus will still be loving you the exact same way – fully and completely.

It is so important that when you are going through some sort of transition, you dig down deeper into your relationship with Christ. You have to in order to survive. Which explains why the old saints sang “on Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground Is sinking sand” with such conviction. Everything can shift but Christ will be a constant support. People of God, transition is not so scary when you realize that the important things are still the same. My prayer for you today is that you allow the consistency of Christ to carry you through the ups and downs of change. I pray that you seek Him more and more and believe Him when He responds. I am going to leave you with verse 3 of the great hymn by Edward Mote, The Solid Rock.

His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

He stays the same even when nothing else does.

Amen