How much can you bear?

Greetings brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray that your day has been blessed so far. 1 Corinthians 10:13

Songs have always been a great source of encouragement for me, so I am going to start posting a "Song of the Day" suggestion with every post! Today's song is

James 1:12

"Blessed is the man that endures temptation, because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him." (be patient, hold on, and God will bless you!)

Matthew 26:41

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The SPIRIT is willing, but the FLESH IS WEAK." (be lead by the spirit and not the flesh!)

James 1:3

"Because you know that the testing of your faith produces perserverance." 

What are you Made of?

Hey hey hey saints of God, brothers and sister in Christ! Today I wanted to touch on something I know a lot of us can relate too, if you are walking this saved and committed life to God, and even if you are not as of yet! (I pray for your salvation and deliverance RIGHT NOW!) SO, I am still in Corinthians (1 Corinthians chapter 3 today), and the verses towards the end of the chapter is a WHOLE WORD! PERIOD! OK, so have you ever been saved before, I mean given your life to God at an alter call, or revival, or may be just sitting in your house alone, WHEREVER! The days after you REALLY gave it a good try, you woke up, prayed and even read the bible a little. You tried not to cuss, had your gospel music playing, tried to be as pleasant as possible. I mean you really gave it a go, going to bible study and prayer service, never missed a Sunday, said "Uh UHH devil, not today" when you were faced with opposition! Tried changing up who you hung out with, changed your scenery, stopped going to the club. Stayed away from negativity, smiled more, closed your legs (no sex), deleted the weed mans number, dumped out the bottles of liquor in the house. After you give your life to God, you are feeling that EUPHORIA, positive thoughts, thankful to God for forgiving you, that light on the inside shining brighter than ever, RIGHT!? God has built a foundation for you, you know what He requires, because you have been reading the word a little on your own, and you have never missed a bible study or Sunday service. After a while of going through this HONEYMOON period, LIFE HITS! BOOM, like a ton of bricks, a situation will arise, a trial by FIRE! You are going through something you think is unbearable, you think you will never get through this! This is where our salvation is TESTED! You see, God lays our foundation, but it is up to us to build on top of it with the right materials and stand strong! Whether we crumble and fall or stand strong depends on the material we built our house with! If our foundation is the word of God and his commandments, His joy and peace, grace and mercy, then what should we build our house with? Our materials should be OBEDIENCE, SACRIFICE, HUMILITY, BEING HUMBLE, LOVE, and really allowing the word to penetrate our spirit and renew our minds! Some of us (me being that person at one time) get saved, and our salvation is on the surface. It's showing up at bible study, but not allowing the word of God to really change us. It's joining every church group (choir, usher board, kitchen ministry, etc), but not listening to the voice of God to get His direction for your life! Going to conventions, making the church program, baking for the bake sale, serving the food in the fellowship hall, but only being changed a little on the INSIDE! Then when we have to deal with life WOES, we start to question if God really loves us, we get angry because we thought that being saved meant NEVER GOING THROUGH ANYTHING! We get angry at God for allowing it to happen, we slowly buckle under the pressure. We start to think, "I was better off when I wasn't saved!" (I used to think that CONSTANTLY a few years ago when I was just simply, GIVING IT A GOOD TRY!) In order to guarantee of victory, in order to stand strong during those times is REALLY knowing the word of God and his promises! We have to really put in the work, not just reading but studying and meditating on the word. It's not just simply stopping the cussing on your own, its allowing God to change your vocabulary. It's about following the direction of the Holy Spirit. (The feeling you get when you are about to make a wrong decision, or say the wrong things! It's that churning feeling in your stomach that screams NOOOO! Some people call it intuition!) Most important of all, you have to build RELATIONSHIP with God, pray without ceasing! That means talk to Him about everything, prayer is just another word for talking to God. You can do that anywhere, anytime! Seek his guidance, follow His lead. Totally surrender to His will for your life! Keep the faith, put all your hopes and trust in Him!

Follow ALL his commandments, not pick and choose the ones you want to follow! God wants to bless us fully, and restore us to greatness!! If we continue to build our house with faulty materials (superficial salvation, not from the inside out), we will fall at the sign of trouble. We will have just enough to bare make it out alive, suffering the great loss of our house, working with ashes! If we build house with sustainable materials, that is, being obedient to Gods word, renewing our minds with the word of God, allowing God to change us from the inside out, surrendering completely to His will, when we are being tried in the fire, we will come out as pure gold! We can rebuild and be restored completely, we can come out not hurt or damaged by the situation, but stronger and more resilient! That is what God wants for us, being saved isn't always just a walk in the park, it's knowing that no matter what GOD IS IN CONTROL! It's knowing that working your faith, obedience, and sacrifice, leads to Gods rewards and blessings! ABUNDANCE! SO, how you live your life for Christ will determine if you stand strong and make it though your trial by fire, or barely make it out alive with your life, having to rebuild yourself from scratch! I was tired of bare making it out with my life, tired of doing things my way, only allowing God limited access to my heart! I went through the same cycle every 2 years, the fire (eviction, and having to live with my mother), no engaging in destructive behavior until I got it together again, then picking everything back up because I thought everything was finally okay! Wash, Rinse and Repeat! God will set you on a solid path, keep you consistent, your response during a trial will be praise, instead of malcontent, and suffering! Just allow God to do it! As the old folks used to say "HE'LL KEEP YOU IF YOU WANT TO BE KEPT!" I love you very much, and I pray that God continues to bless and keep you! GOD LOVES YOU MUCH MORE AND IS WAITING FOR YOUR YES!! ~Amen

I Corinthians 3:11-15

"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone build on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet be saved-even though only as one escaping through the flames."

Who God Chooses!

Greetings my brothers and sisters in Christ! I hope and pray that you are blessed, healthy, and happy today. If you are not, petition the throne of grace, and God WILL STEP RIGHT IN! OK! So I am studying the books of Corinthians, I didn't even get past the first chapter before God gave me a word. A few weeks ago I was struggling with my confidence as it pertains to the calling on my life, and who God says that I am! I doubted, felt unworthy, I was really on shaky ground. I stopped believing what God said that I was because I was thinking about who I used to be. I wasn't reading Gods word as much (almost not at all, I was down to just reading the verse of the day on my Bible app), slowly but surely picking up old habits. I lost the peace and joy God had given me, and felt ANXIOUS all the time! Unsure, and hopeless all over again!! I was thinking about how no one believed in the calling on my life (i.e. my mother especially), thinking about how people are talking behind my back, basically cursing who God said I was. You have to be VERY VERY careful who and what you tell people, even if that means family! Most of the time its a family member that will hurt you in this way! It's okay to keep things to yourself, find a close friend and confidant to share with! In 1 Corinthians 1:25-31, Paul touches on the type of people God calls, and it struck me! You see, God will encourage you constantly on this walk! Being an ex-sinner, who has run the gambit on indulging in every whim of the flesh, who has made every foolish and selfish decision there is, who has lied and cheated, stolen, manipulated, abused drugs, fornicated, and everything else in between. The simple breakdown of these verses is, God likes to choose and call foolish and unwise people. In Christ there if NO CONDEMNATION, meaning that He doesn't make you feel bad about what you've done or who you used to be! So if you were an ex-drug dealer or abuser, and God has now called you to preach, BELIEVE HIM! If you were a prostitute, a liar, an adulterer, a thief, a murderer (Paul killed Christians all the time, and then God called him to be an APOSTLE), a drunk, whatever it may be, and God called you in any way to relay His word to other lost souls, WALK BOLDLY! God chooses the low, so that when we are turned around, His saving grace will be evident! God rarely calls high born, or self proclaimed scholars. God chooses the despised, the thrown away, the talked about, the cursed, the lowly! God chooses the weak to shame the strong, He chooses the foolish to despise the wise! God does this so that His name will be glorified above any other! It will be clear that we are not who we are now because of our own deeds, it will be clear that it was nothing but God and God alone! Only God can change the worst of the worst, and make them the best of the best! Do not allow who you used to be, or who you are now (if you haven't made the decision to follow God) keep you from following God. There is nothing to bad, to disgusting, to fowl for God to turn around! People are going to talk about you whether your doing good or bad, and there will be people who say "why him or her", they will constantly try to bring up that old person and throw it right back in your face! REMEMBER WHO GOD SAYS YOU ARE! If you are not saved, please know that God is near to the BROKENHEARTED and saves the CRUSHED IN SPIRIT." (Psalms 34:18) That is really the basis of why we sin isn't it, underneath all sin is heartbreak, and crushed spirits, that goes unchecked and without being dealt with, manifests into self destructive behaviors! THAT'S IT! Just know that broken hearts and crushed spirits are God specialties! You are NEVER ALONE and there is nothing that you have done that is "TOO BAD" for God to forgive!! When God tells you who you are BELIEVE HIM, despite the nay sayers and doubters! Be who God called you to be, and don't let who you used to be trip you up! Boast in the Lord, give Him all the praise for changing who you were into who you are! Let others know that it was because of Him you are saved, free and redeemed! I love you and may God continue to bless and keep you!! Remember, GOD LOVES YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE!!

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 NIV

"Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by HUMAN STANDARDS; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of this world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, let the one who boasts boast in the Lord."

Helping Others

Brothers and sisters in Christ, I pray that you are having a great day so far! I was talking to the Lord this morning about being obedient, and how I take the calling on my life seriously, because of the lives that may be connected to the call and anointing. The best way to serve God, is to SERVE OTHERS. You see, God doesn't need anything from us, He requires us to first LOVE one another, and then be of SERVICE to others! Once we have accepted God into our lives as our Lord and Savior, it is up to us to share His love and His word to others. That is what God wants from us! As I was talking to God about being obedient to the call, I thought about the people who I have listened to who had a calling on their lives, musicians, pastors, evangelists, church mothers. I thought, what if they weren't obedient to their calling, what if they chose to do what they wanted to do, take their own path, where would I be right now! Now I am not saying that God couldn't save me without those people, what I am saying that in my times of distress, loneliness, hurt, and disparity, there have been songs and sermons that I listened to, and advice from others that I referenced in my head. Have you ever been feeling a certain kind of way, or REALLY going through something, and you put on a song to try and make yourself feel better? Or have you ever listened to a clip of a sermon (those are always on Facebook and Instagram) and it related to what ever you where going through and it touched you? Do you have a "go to" song for your morning drive into work so you can deal with your coworkers and boss? If you are saved, was there a certain sermon, or song that pushed you in the right direction, or made you feel the overwhelming love of God? Same goes for the unsaved (but still loved by God, don't forget that!) readers, even if you weren't raised in church, there is an inspirational gospel song that you like, that make you feel as the kids say "all the feels"! Our lives where attached to their calling, because God ordained it to be so! That is why He gives us a calling and a purpose, to serve and help others on their path. To help lead others to Him, no matter where they are in life! There isn't a particular calling that is more important than the other, it doesn't matter what it is. You could be the kind face a person needs when they come pick up there coffee, you could be the voice of reason to a couple needs sitting on a train. It can be your words of encouragement to someone who is down on themselves and lack self esteem! Being of service to others has MANY different faces, not just preaching and singing! Every interaction we have with another person can be vital to them, you never know. God may have called us to different purposes, but the calling we all have in common is to LOVE ONE ANOTHER! A simple kind word or deed for someone could restore their faith and hope. A smile to someone who woke up feeling worthless, could brighten up their day just a little to keep them going! If you are called to write music and sing, do it! Your songs could minister to people right where they are! If you are called to preach, walk in that calling, that may be the only source of the Word of God a person gets all week! Serving others is a condition of the heart, it is worship unto our God who has brought us out so many times, who has forgiven us, who provides fresh grace and mercy everyday that He wakes us up! So, be that light for someone else today, no matter what your going through. It could help you as well if your having or had a bad day! God bless you, and I love you very much! GOD LOVES YOU MORE THOUGH, MORE THAN YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE!

Colossians 3:23-24

"Whatever you do, at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

1 Corinthians 12:7

"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good."

Hebrews 13:15-16

"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of our lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with other, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."

Romans 12:13

"Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality."

Hebrews 6:10

"God is not unjust, He will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them."

Withstand the Temptation

Good day my brothers and sisters in Christ. I'm just going to jump right in! For the past couple of days, especially yesterday, I have been overwhelmingly DISTRACTED! I didn't even blog yesterday, I didn't sit still long enough to get a word from God. I allowed myself to be distracted with the laundry I had to go do, and everything else on MY agenda and schedule yesterday. I couldn't hear from God at all. My mind was FULL of everything else that was not important. By the end of the day do you know what I was thinking about, SEX (because that is the first thing the devil throws at me!!), and then drugs! Now, I am not saying that going to do laundry, or any other errands will cause you to sin! That would be ridiculous! What I am saying is, because I allowed myself to be distracted that morning, instead of studying the word, and hearing from God, the devil saw that as an opportunity to try and knock me off course! I just read yesterday, just to be reading, just to say I read. It didn't even feel the same! So, sex first (the devil tries me there first, because I ain't gettin' none!), then I found myself thinking about weed! Now, I used to be a person who would try and find a LOOP HOLE! If I was ever given a directive, I would find a way to do what I wanted without directly breaking the rule! So, I decided to say into my phone, "Hey Google, can I get high off of CBD oil." That is the so called inactive ingredient in marijuana! There is a place literally a five minute walk from my apartment that sells it, I found myself on there website, browsing. Now, I know what your saying, CBD oils and products have healing properties, and this and that! I am not disputing that! My thought process wasn't healing pain or anxiety, trust me. I was looking for the most potent oil I could possibly find. I wanted to feel something similar without actually smoking weed, but THE DEVIL IS A LIAR! One thing would have most definitely lead to another! If I would of walked into that place this morning (like I planned to) who's to say I wouldn't of found exactly what I was REALLY looking for, what I was originally craving in the first place! Where there is one, there is another! I have bought weed from corner stores, so I wouldn't put it past this place to have some on the low, or even have a guy there that sells it! I recognized the trap of the enemy this morning, and PUT him UNDER SUBMISSION!!! You see, I gave him the opening to try me like that. CHOOSING not to clear my mind, and really read the word of God, allowing it to take root in my spirit for the day, I left my spirit WIDE OPEN and vulnerable! That's how fast it happens, living for God and being saved is a day to day process! Having a relationship with God is one of the most important things for this lifestyle! If I didn't have a relationship with God, if I didn't allow the Holy Spirit to take charge and help me make the right decisions, I would be on my way to destruction RIGHT NOW! I thank God for the Holy Ghost! I had to tell the devil this morning that my mind if made up, NO TURNING BACK! I had to let him know that I am MORE THAN A CONQUEROR, FULLY COMMITTED, SAVED, FREE FROM THE BONDAGE OF DRUGS AND ALCOHOL! I told that devil IF GOD BE FOR ME WHO CAN BE AGAINST ME, I AM DELIVERED, I HAVE THE VICTORY and that he had NO PLACE IN MY LIFE AT ALL! God has given us the power to put the devil under our feet! To grind him into the ground where he belongs, PERIOD! Day by day, if you spend time with God, read His word, the more powerful you become. You will recognize when the devil is attempting to take you out, you will be aware when he is trying to set a trap for you! In the end, its all about CHOICES, once the Holy Spirit tells you the right thing to do (its that feeling in your belly and your heart, it feels like a mixing and pulling, like a WARNING SIREN), it is up to you make the right decision, or give into the flesh! God doesn't force us to do anything, He is not a tyrant or a dictator! He wants us to choose the right path because we love Him, and want the best for our lives and the lives of others! You CANNOT STAND against the attacks of the enemy without a relationship with God by reading and studying His word (the Bible), and prayer. Prayer keeps an open line of communication (which is healthy, and a great thing in ANY relationship), and reading the bible, allowing the scriptures to take root in your heart and spirit will ensure your victory! Our relationship with God, prayer life, and Gods word will give you a strong foundation! If your foundation is strong (and if you reinforce it daily by prayer and the word of God, letting it take root by obedience) you won't fall for every trick of the enemy! Please remember, the devil cannot take away what God has promised to you, or the calling on your life, he can ONLY DISTRACT you and CREATE SEPARATION between you and God! Distracting and delaying are the extent of his powers! DO NOT give that devil more power of your life than he has!!! I love you and may God bless and keep you always. GOD LOVES YOU MORE THAN ANYONE OR ANYTHING!!

2 Thessalonians 10:4-5

"Bur the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one."

Ephesians 6:10-11

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."

1 Peter 5:8-9

"Be alert and of SOBER mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. RESIST him, standing firm in the faith because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings."

James 4:7 

"SUBMIT yourselves, then, to God, RESIST the devil and he WILL FLEE FROM YOU."

1 Corinthians 10:13

"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when your are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."

Name Drop

Sooo....Good morning, afternoon, or evening brothers and sisters in Christ. I hope and pray this little word blesses you right where you are. I know that most of you reading this have heard the expression "There is power in the name of Jesus!" If you haven't, than you have just stumbled upon some VERY IMPORTANT information, and it was because God has lead you to read this blog post! Have you ever needed help with something, and a friend, family member, or acquaintance told you to go to a particular place, talk to a specific person, and they will give you some sort of discount, and assistance if you told them who sent you! You go and NAME DROP, and boom, instant access to a "Special kind of deal", or "Free goods!" That is how it is when we CALL ON THE NAME OF JESUS! By calling on the name of Jesus, we gain access to God, and His saving grace! When you find yourself in some sort of trouble, or predicament, what is the first thing that usually flies out of our mouths, we usually on impulse call the name of Jesus! Jesus is the most powerful name that we could ever speak, we cannot access services like salvation, grace and mercy, blessings, and deliverance without it! At the name of Jesus DEMONS TREMBLE AND FLEE! Now I know we have heard that one! Demons literally run in fear when they hear that name, knowing they are powerless, and defeated! That is why Jesus gave His life for us, so that we can have access to the Father. I don't know about you, but I am hear today because of that precious name. Calling on the name of Jesus breaks the chains of addiction, generational curses, pride, anger, depression, anything you can ever think of or go through that is terrible. The name of Jesus has ultimate power, His name is above all other names! You cannot call out your pastors name and be healed, you cannot call out your mothers name and be saved! You cannot call out your neighbors name and be delivered, or cast out demons! The name of Jesus is the only way to gain eternal life! That is why his death on that cross is so important! Without that, we wouldn't even be able to use the name of Jesus! So whenever you find yourself at a loss, in a dark place, or sick in you body, or struggling with afflictions of the mind and spirit. Whenever you find yourself overwhelmed, frightened, hurt, betrayed, lost, abused, beat down. If you feel like there is no way out, like your drowning, and you can't see the light, please know that you can CALL ON THE NAME OF JESUS!! Calling on the name of Jesus will bring you that comfort and clarity that your looking for! That access to God is what will save your very life! No demon in hell can compete with the name of Jesus! There is nothing too hard for God to solve, just believe that He can do it, give Him the opportunity to come in and change things in your life! Give your life over to God, make that commitment to follow His will and way for your life. Think about it, even when we are deep, deep, in our sins, when we call on Him, doesn't he come through! "Won't He do it" is another popular phrase! The things that God has rescued us out of as sinners, the grace and mercy that he extends to us EVERYDAY, that is because of Jesus. Now imagine if you gave your life to God, if you were obedient to His word. Being saved gives you access to MUCH MUCH MORE than just a quick rescue here and there. Do you want a consistent way of living, to be rooted and grounded, to wake up everyday with the peace and joy of knowing that God is in control of your life! Or do you want to live that roller coaster, topsy-turvy, lost in the woods with no direction, inconsistent, barely keeping your head above water type of life! When the woes of life hit you like a ton of bricks, being saved you know that you can call on the name of Jesus, and He will lead and guide you. It is knowing that God will never leave you or forsake you. It is knowing that you can make it through the fire and come out as pure gold because God has given you the victory. As opposed to being lost in sin, and calling on the name of Jesus for a quick rescue, bound to repeat and go through the same woes, be hurt by the same people, to find yourself in the same destructive situation OVER AND OVER again! God gives us a choice, its one way or the other. We can't have it both ways, we can either have peace, or constantly be worried. We can have joy, or constantly live with hurt, pain and unforgiveness. We can either be rooted and grounded, or be blown over by every contrary wind that life gives. We can either have a sound mind, or war constantly with our emotions and thoughts! I pray that you make the right choice for your life, because when you are blessed, the people around you are blessed! JUST CALL ON THE NAME OF JESUS!!!! Remember, He will always be there, it's just up to you if you want a QUICK RESCUE, or ETERNAL HELP, a quick way out or the power to stop the devil before he attacks, a quick resolve or the power to walk through all your trials and tribulations knowing you will be victorious! God bless you and I love you! GOD LOVES YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE!!

John 14:6

Jesus said unto them "I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except through me"

Romans 10:13

"and whosoever will can on the name of Jesus will be saved!"

John 14:13

"Whatever you ask in My name, that will i do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son"

John 16:23
"In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly I say unto you, if you ask the Father for anything in my Name, He will give it to you."

John 16:26-27

"In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not tell you that I will ask the Father for you. For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have come to believe that I came from God."

Broken for a Purpose

Soooo..Hello my brothers and sisters in Christ, as always, the Lord has taught me something this morning. There is not a day that goes by, that I don't learn something new reading Gods word! I read and study out of a 'Study Bible', it explains what the versus mean at the bottom to give you a better understanding of what is being said. Today, at the bottom, there was a phrase, "Numerous people throughout Christian history have been 'BROKEN' only to reveal the great power of the Spirit of God!" I said, WOOOOOOOOWW! How true is that! Have you ever gone through a situation where you feel like you have been broken into a millions pieces? You feel like you cannot and will not get through it! I didn't even realize the calling on my life until I was broken, and gave my life over to God! Most of us wouldn't even call on the name of Jesus until we are broken, I was one of those people for sure. It wasn't until I made the decision to follow Christ, to follow the path He has laid out for me, that I realized EVERYTHING I have been through made me the person I am today! I had to be BROKEN first, and believe me I broke in MAJOR way. I found myself broken by drug and alcohol abuse, being evicted, living with different family members, and then finding myself suddenly homeless with my 3 children. No car, not a dime to my name, no where to go, my cousin driving us around looking for a shelter who would take us! I had given my life to God, and he delivered me from the drug and alcohol abuse, we were living with a relative, but all of my past sins caught up too me. You see, God forgiving you, and forgetting about everything you've done doesn't AT ALL mean that people will, that is when I found myself homeless, kicked out of where we were living, throwing what we could into garbage bags and leaving. That was by far the lowest point in my life, I was so hurt and afraid, but I knew deep, deep, down that God was going to make a way somehow! This was literally a situation where my faith was tested in a big way! I had just blogged about having ABRAHAM FAITH that very morning! (see the November 13th blog post) How God told Abraham to sacrifice his own son, how he took him up that mountain, gathered the materials, laid his son out on that alter bound. Abraham even had the knife raised in the air about to slay Isaac, when at the LAST MINUTE God stopped him, and gave him a ram in the bush! The word from that morning is what kept me together, because I knew that God always comes through, even when it seems like He will not. When it seems like its too late, or He won't show up on time, BOOM, God steps right into your situation! I just looked up some random shelter, come to find out it was an adult shelter that did not take children, but the lady volunteering that night worked for the organization that placed families in shelters! (Insert the power of the Holy Spirit in the midst of my brokeness, Gods favor on my life!) She was able to call a family shelter, and get us in, she even arranged for a taxi to drive us there. From that night, Gods power has been EVIDENT in our lives. We were placed in a shelter, but we got to live in a unit by ourselves, and not with a bunch of other families. God has given me the opportunity to go back to school, and has been a provider! MOST IMPORTANT of all, He has shown me what my purpose is! He has given me a calling, a calling to be an evangelist! This is a calling that I would have never walked in, been exposed to, or even believed if I hadn't be BROKEN! I would have never known what God had for me and my children if that shattering hadn't taken place. I would have been complacent, not grown or matured in Christ AT ALL, and I guarantee I would have relapsed and been right back to the person I used to be! FACTS! God doesn't have us go through these things to torture or punish us. (in Christ there is NO CONDEMNATION see Romans 1:17) It is to grow and mature us! It is to ultimately show His true and awesome power! If we go through our broken times the right way (i.e. praying, in worship, believing and trusting that Gods word is true, casting all your cares on God, putting all your hopes in God, following His word, having FAITH FAITH FAITH), it will reveal our PURPOSE! In order for us to live the great life God wants us to live, we have to first be BROKEN off from the old us, we have to BREAK off old habits, we have to be BROKEN off of our old way doing things! We have to allow God to BREAK the chains of addiction, and sin! We have to BREAK ourselves off of our own fleshly desires, and allow God to mold and make us! The more things that BREAK in us, the more we see the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. If you allow God to come into your life, renew your mind, and BREAK some things the better your over all life will become! You won't even have room to receive what God has for you! Please remember, God is with you in the fire, like the three Hebrew boys who were thrown in the furnace! You are never alone, go through those broken times with a praise on your lips, and a grateful heart, because you will come out as PURE GOLD! That is Gods word, that is His promise to us! God is not a man that he should lie!! Let God BREAK you so He can MAKE YOU!! I love you but GOD LOVES YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE! Be blessed!

2 Corinthians 5:17

"Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature. OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY behold ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW."

Psalms 34:18

"The Lord is close is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Psalms 51:8

"Make me to hear joy and gladness. Let the bones which You have broken rejoice."

Psalms 147:3

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

Psalms 51:17

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise."

2 Corinthians 3:17

"Now the Lord is that Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is LIBERTY"

Unforgiveness = Satans Advantage

Good morning, afternoon, or evening (whenever you are reading this) brothers and sisters in Christ! I wanted to touch on something that may not be too popular a subject, but is the cause of most of our woes, and lack of relationship with God, UNFORGIVENESS! Unforgiveness can eventually cause a COMPLETE disconnect from our Savior! When you hear people say "Forgiveness is for you, and NOT FOR THE OTHER PERSON," that can't be further from the truth! Forgiving someone doesn't mean they get away with what they have done to you! I REPEAT, FORGIVING DOES NOT MEAN THE PERSON GETS AWAY WITH WHAT THEY HAVE DONE TO YOU!!! PERIOD!!! Forgiving someone is for you and you alone! God will take care of your enemies, He will avenge you! Most of the time He will allow you to witness it! Unforgiveness in our hearts only gives satan the advantage! Having that in our hearts makes us VERY VULNERABLE to the attacks of the enemy! The devil plays on our emotions heavily! That is his favorite mode of attack, and unforgiveness is almost like a guarantee that he will succeed in his attack! It is the breeding ground for hate and anger, and one thing leads to another! That is what he is hoping for! Unforgiveness is like having on the full armor of God, and there being a piece of the armor CUT OUT AROUND YOUR HEART missing! So every other part of your body is covered, and your heart is COMPLETELY EXPOSED!  The heart is the most VULNERABLE organ in the human body, because its what is keeping us ALIVE, right. Our blood flows through our heart, it is our motor, it keeps us running throughout everyday! It's the same way spiritually! Unforgiveness is a HEART CONDITION! If a heart problem goes unchecked, it WILL kill us! If the unforgiveness in our hearts goes unchecked, if we keep nurturing it with our thoughts and feelings of revenge. If we allow ourselves to replay the incident over and over, obsessing about the GET BACK, instead of the healing, we will eventually DIE SPIRITUALLY! The devils job is to create separation between us and God, PERIOD! Unforgiveness is just the fertile soil he needs to make that happen! Things like CHURCH HURT, is one of his favorites! That literally prevents people from serving God, and going to church! Forgiving people who have hurt us (usually the people closest to us), is another piece of the puzzle! Forgiving OURSELVES is sometimes the hardest of them all!! That is why we have to ask God to soften our hearts, and then ALLOW HIM TO DO SO! Simply saying that you forgive, or saying I WILL forgive does not work! We have to allow God to come into our hearts, to take away our hearts of stone and replace it with a soft fleshy heart! We will be UNABLE to forgive if we do not allow God to change us from the inside out! TO COMPLETELY SUBMIT that part of ourselves to Him! God will take that hurt and pain, and replace it with JOY and PEACE! He will take the betrayal, and replace it with His LOYALTY! God will take the sorrow and pain, and replace it with LOVE and HAPPINESS! Forgiveness is a posture of the heart! It nurtures every good thing that is going to keep our spiritual heart healthy and pumping! Forgive others like God has forgiven us! Imagine if He treated us like we treat people who have done us wrong. If God can forgive us our sins, then we MUST forgive others! We should forgive, so that God can continue to forgive us DAILY! LET GO AND LET GOD! PRAY WITHOUT CEASING! GIVE IT TO GOD! The word of God was not lying when it said in Psalms 23 in the first part or verse 5, "Thou preparest  a table before me IN THE PRESENCE OF MINE ENEMIES!" That will ONLY HAPPEN.......IF WE FORGIVE!!!!! God bless you and I love you DEARLY!! Please remember GOD LOVES YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE!!!

Us forgiving OTHERS

Ephesians 4:31-32

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, FORGIVING each other, just as Christ God forgave you"

Colossians 3:13

"Bearing with one another and, if any one has a complaint against another, FORGIVING EACH OTHER; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must FORGIVE"

Luke 17:3-4

"But I say to you who HEAR, love you enemies, do good to those who hate you!"

(This is a VERY hard one, if you make it hard! Believe that God will BLESS you beyond what  you are able to handle!!!)

GOD FORGIVING US

Hebrews 10:17

"Then he adds: Their sins and lawless acts I will remember NO MORE!"

Daniel 9:9

"The Lord our God is merciful and FORGIVING, even though WE HAVE REBELLED AGAINST HIM"

Luke 6:37

"Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; FORGIVE and you will be FORGIVEN."

Tearing down Strongholds

Sooo....Good morning brothers and sisters in Christ! I really loved what God has taught me this morning! You know that popular verse, that almost everyone can quote, "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds." (2 Corinthians 10:4) The meaning of a stronghold in the Old Testament means 'a strong fortress' that keeps an enemy OUT, but the meaning of the word in this verse means a fortress in the MIND that keeps the ENEMY IN! Every brick of that fortress in the mind is built up by the enemy to keep in ungodly thoughts! Thoughts that totally contradict the truths that are found in the word of God! The Greek meaning for the word stronghold is "echo"...........that stronghold in the mind echos those ungodly thoughts over and over again. Have you ever wondered why you can't get over a past hurt, or why you still are unforgiving. Have you ever tried very hard to get an evil thought out of your head, to stop thinking about things that you have done, or tried to get rid of shame and guilt! Despite your efforts, those things that have happened, and the things you have done, and certain feelings and ungodly desires still well up, like a rewinding and playing of a movie that you just want to stop watching! Those things are still repeating (echoing) because they are housed behind the bricks of the STRONGHOLD in your mind. The ONLY source of relief will be the DESTRUCTION of that stronghold! Prayer and the renewing of your mind with the word of God is the ONLY answer to this problem! Those are our weapons, PRAYER and GODS WORD! Reading the word of God daily, allowing the Holy Spirit to tear down that stronghold, brick by brick! God wants us to know in that scripture that we on our own cannot tear down that stronghold, with things of this world (carnal), but it can ONLY be destroyed THROUGH HIM! The devil doesn't want you to be at your best, he wants you to repeat the same destructive behaviors that have ruined your life, caused depression, thoughts of suicide, feelings of guilt and shame and unforgiveness! God wants you to live your best life, He will give you the desires of your heart, if you would just pick up your cross and follow Him! Imagine waking up everyday with peace and joy! With a clear mind, ready to face the world knowing that God is in control, FREE! That is what is guaranteed when you give your life to Christ! Now, I am not saying you won't face trials and tribulations, or even hard times, because that is apart of life, PERIOD! What I am saying is you won't have to face it alone! You will know that whatever you are going through, God is in the midst of it! If you know that God is in control, then you know that your victory is GUARANTEED! He will provide for you and keep you during these times! His favor will be on your life! That line in the chorus of En Vogues song "Free Your Mind" just popped into my head, hahaha! It goes 'FREE YOUR MIND, AND THE REST WILL FOLLOW!" That is so true when it comes to what God will do in your life! Allow God to free and renew your mind, and there will be nothing the devil can do to drag you back down, the devil will no longer have a foundation to build up that stronghold! God Bless you, and I love you very much! Please remember that GOD LOVE YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE!!!

2 Corinthians 10:4

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of STRONGHOLDS"

2 Corinthians 5:17

"Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things have passed away, behold all things are become new!"

Out truth the Devil!

SOOOO.....Good morning brothers and sisters in Christ. I want to just jump right in. During my devotional reading this morning, right at the end was a quote that stuck with me! The writer said "When it comes to the enemy, we don't have to OUTFIGHT him, we just have to OUT TRUTH him!" That line right there put so many things into perspective for me. The Devil is the father of lies and confusion, he knows everything about us. He knows where we are weak, and where we are strong. He knows what buttons to push and when to push them. Sounds like he is ahead of us right, like he can lay traps ahead of us, hoping that we will run right into them! DON'T give him that kind of power, he is not as smart as he thinks he is. He cannot stop or take away what God has for us and our lives, the only thing he can do is try to delay it. The only thing he can do is insert doubt and LIES!! That's why we have to OUT TRUTH him, and we can do that by KNOWING the truth about ourselves, and what God has said in His word. If you trust, believe, and know Gods word, then you can combat the lies of the devil with those truths. So when the devil tries to tell you your weak, your response should be, "Where I am weak, God is stronger! I a MORE than a conqueror!" When the devil says that you can't do or succeed in anything, you say "I can do ALL things through Christ that strengthens me! Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world!" When the devil rewinds and replays your past sins, hurts, shames, and guilt, I want you to remember that in Christ there is NO CONDEMNATION! Meaning, when you give your life to Christ and make that commitment, God doesn't make you feel bad about what you've done! His memory is WIPED clean of all you mistakes! God doesn't hold your nastiness over you head! Remember that you are free from shame and guilt! You have to recognize the lies of the enemy, so that you can counter with the truth! The devil cannot change what God has ordained to be, but he will try to distract you, knock you off course, and create separation between you and God! DO NOT allow any kind of separation from God, once there is the slightest separation, the devil will attack stronger and more often! Stand strong with the truth, let the devil know that you are a child of God, and not just someone he can beat up on! Let that devil know that he is a liar DAILY! "THE DEVIL IS A LIAR" is not just a popular quote to be thrown around! IT IS THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH!! Remember who you are, AND WHOSE YOU ARE!

2 CORINTHIANS 5:17

"If any man be in Christ, he is a NEW CREATURE! OLD THINGS are passed away, behold ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW!"

You are not the same person, you are not who you used to be, you are not your past sins and mistakes! 

CONFIDENCE in your CALLING!

SOOOO! It feels really really good to be writing this morning! I haven't in a long while. I have always seen myself as a VERY confident person, in social settings, expressing myself, standing up for myself and others, not being afraid of too many things, people or situations! All of that is good, but only to a certain extent! I have ALWAYS been confident in the FLESH, but quite the OPPOSITE when it comes to walking in the spirit, in the calling that God has put on my life! I have allowed my own doubts, and the judgement of others have an adverse effect on me and what I think about myself spiritually! God has called me to be an evangelist,  PERIOD! I have been given this word on SEVERAL occasions in my life! I would accept the word, feel really good about it, thanking God for the assignment, and within a couple of days COMPLETELY DOUBTING THE CALL! I start thinking about what others will think if I told them, and not regular people, but FAMILY! Others outside of my family see it, and are encouraging, but the ones closest to me (with the exception of my children), NOT SO MUCH! I worry more about what is said behind my back, than focusing on what GOD has said. I spend time imagining how I am going to SHOW THEM, instead of diving even harder into the Word of God! I let anger creep in, instead of listening to the Holy Spirit! I was constantly thinking about arguing with the person who's words create the doubt, instead of putting the ENEMY (the DEVIL) and his lies INTO SUBMISSION! Forgetting about the power God has given me (us) to fight the devil spiritually! The bible says that our fight is not in the flesh, we cannot fight, argue, or GET BACK at people to solve problems, but only with prayer and affirmations can we regain and have confidence in the spirit! It is a SPIRITUAL WARFARE! It's not the person (flesh), it's the opposing spirit using them to distract you, to throw you off, to get you to doubt yourself and who GOD says you are! NEVER allow the opinions and grumblings of others take the wind out of your sail! Stay routed and grounded in Gods word. If You know what the calling is on your life, ask God to give you the strength, and CONFIDENCE to walk boldly in that calling! Write a list of affirmations, yours may vary because God has called each of us to different things, but the ones that pertain to us all are "I AM REDEEMED!", "I AM WORTHY!", "I AM DELIVERED!", "I AM FREE!", "I AM LOVED BY GOD!", "I AM CALLED!" Pray without ceasing, and stay in the word!! I love you, but PLEASE know that GOD LOVES YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE!! PUT ALL YOUR TRUST AND HOPE IN HIM!

2 CORINTHIANS 10:4-5

"THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE ARE NOT CARNAL, BUT MIGHTY THROUGH GOD TO THE PULLING DOWN OF STRONG HOLDS. CASTING DOWN IMAGINATIONS THAT EXALTETH ITSELF AGAINST THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, AND BRINGING INTO CAPTIVITY EVERY THOUGH TO THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST!"