What Are You Dishing Out?

       I learned a very important principle about operating in the ministry of God from a woman back in college. She spoke clearly one night while I was in choir rehearsal and said something along the lines of the following:

"What you take in and entertain during the week is what you will feed to the people when you open your mouth to sing.

Imagine a plate that you have filled with sin during the week and then serving it to those whom you are trying to minister to.

Your 'worship and praise' is tainting the people, not building them up."

       My prayer is to always minister to people with a clean heart, or know when to sit down and be ministered to when I need growth in any specific area of my spiritual walk with Christ.

Teach What God Has Taught You

       The Word of the Lord is powerful and His hand is mighty. After reading God's Word, I blessed God for protecting my family from many disasters seen and unseen. God reminds His beloved children (Israel) that He has brought them through the storm and delivered them safely to the other side when they fled from Egypt and Pharoah's control. Deuteronomy 11:7 [HCSB] states that "your own eyes have seen every great work the Lord has done." The Israelites saw, first-hand, the miracles and wonders that God performed in order to deliver them out of the hands of the enemy. The Israelites' testimony of the greatness of God was to be told for generations to come so that no one would ever forget the commandments, ordinances, and statutes of God. As the Israelites were commanded by God to share their testimony and His Word, we are also responsible for doing the same.

    Many people learn about things by repetition, usually after hearing or seeing them. In Deuteronomy 11:18-21 [HCSB], the Bible states the following words:

"Imprint these words of mine on your hearts and minds, bind them as a sign on your hands, and let them be a symbol on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that as long as the heavens are above the earth, your days and those of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your fathers."

It is imperative that we as adults/parents teach each other and our children about the ways of the Lord. How can we expect children for generations to come to know about the God of all creation if we do not take the time to learn and testify of Him ourselves? My goal, (and I pray this is or will become the goal of those who read this post), is to help set the example in my household of living right in the eyes of God. In addition, I want my future children and generations to come to intimately know the ways of the Lord because of the example that was set before them.

Scripture:

• Deuteronomy 11:1-32

Forgiveness: Loving Past What You See

       When I was younger, I remember being told to go to the person I needed to forgive and say, "I'm sorry." It seemed simple enough because I figured that once it was stated (with emotion or not), I was off of the hook. As a young girl, I felt justified. Now as an adult, I know better and must work to carry myself accordingly. Learning to forgive is not about the choice of words one chooses to speak, but rather a heart issue in which one does not allow what took place to keep him or her in bondage. Simply stated: forgiveness pardons people from the pain or hurt that was experienced by another.

       When I get out of hand, God is always there to love me back to where I need to be. Do you remember the example I gave in my post about "When You Pray For Patience"? I could have easily chosen to get even with the man, and I actually wanted to for a split second. However, God's conviction over me was a great reminder that I needed to slow down, forgive the man in my heart, and move forward. The benefits of doing so were totally worth it versus my own selfishness. Forgiveness involves showing mercy to another, and looking past what you currently see in front of your face while loving with the heart of God.

       The lack of forgiveness is living in bitterness, and this is a self-made prison. It is precisely spiritual imprisonment. People literally gather ridicule, hurt and pain from any memory they can think of and decorate their self-made prisons with them. While forgiveness may seem like a cruel thing for the person who was hurt in the process, it is the only way to be redeemed from the bondage of spiritual imprisonment. The issue may be as small as a person cutting in front of you in line at the store, or as great as someone who broke off a loving relationship with you. Understand that surrendering your heart to God and your willingness to let Him change you will open up doors for you to show mercy to others as well as forgiveness.


Scriptures:

• Psalm 25:18
• Psalm 86:5
• Ephesians 4:32

Making Necessary Transitions

       Psalm 23 is overrated to many people; however, God's Word never changes and is as strong today as it was in the past and will forever be. As I was preparing myself to go to sleep, once again, God began to speak to me. One of our friends (like family) transitioned from one phase of life to another just a few days ago. The walk for our friend had seemed horrific for a short while, but God began to connect people all over the country to pray for protection, grace, and guidance. The end result of fighting through what the enemy thought was a guaranteed lost battle was total victory in Jesus' name! Many of us continued to speak life into his situation as he kept moving forward with God and the angels backing him up the entire way.

       A new day has come for our friend, and I heard God speak this word tonight: "transition". Right after I heard that, God immediately brought Psalm 23 to my attention and visually showed me a verse-by-verse walkthrough of our friend's transitioning period. I could see him in every verse as he faced and overcame every trial with goodness and mercy following him. The point is that no matter what you are faced with, understand that you MUST go through some trials without faltering in order to see the intended end result. When the battle looks like it is crumbling to the ground, remember God's Word in Psalm 23. Pull up your sleeves and walk through that valley with great anticipation that you will come out with victory in Jesus.

       The storms are there as stepping stones (transition), so do not despise the process. When your physical body seems to be wearing down, your spirit man can always be built up in studying and putting into action the Word of God. In doing so, God will add to your body the strength that you need to go on. His strength is made absolutely perfect in our weakness [II Corinthians 12:9-10]. Just remember that when the storms come your way, use them as a traveling method to get where you need to be all the while knowing that God is transitioning you from pain to glory.

     To my family who witnessed a great accomplishment with the unending guidance of Heaven this weekend: Amen!! We love you and may God continue to do what He does best: miracles, signs, and wonders performed with agape love.

Psalm 23:1-6 KJV
[1] The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. [2] He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. [3] He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. [4] Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. [5] Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. [6] Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

God's Beauty

       God's beauty is breathtaking. Times when I need a Word from Him, He speaks so clearly and reminds me of His love for me. I grew up in an outer-city limits area in which I was surrounded by trees. There was always plenty of room for relaxation, if you knew how to find it. Typically, I would ride or walk to the nearest park with a few of my favorite friends just to get away and have a wide open space to play at. What I noticed then and even now is that God has given us so many beautiful things and places to enjoy if we would only take the time to slow down and marvel in His beauty.
       God's beauty is also seen in how we should treat one another. God showed us the way through His Son Jesus. Everyday that Jesus spent on this earth was done so to prove to us that a greater love existed than what we could find through others. What He did for us is more rewarding than life itself. The same selfless love that He shows to us is how we are to interact with each other. The beauty of seeing God's children in harmony with one another is priceless.
       Take time to stop what you're doing in order to rest in the beauty of God. In addition, allow your lifestyle to be that of a child of God.

Wisdom

     Wisdom is more than having great knowledge of something; it involves using what God has taught you at the proper time coupled with discipline. Here is an old saying that is still somewhat popular: "If a friend jumped off of a building, would you?" Wisdom teaches you that life in Christ is more important than following the foolishness of man. I like how Proverbs 1:1-19 introduces and breaks down what wisdom is.

       It is imperative for us as God's children to hear from shepherds (pastors) whom He has placed in our lives. This does not mean that they know everything; however, as they allow God to lead them, they will pass down whatever news from Heaven is meant for your instruction. Proverbs 1:8-9 (HCSB) says, "My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: for they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck." My husband and I have a pastor and his wife who have been called by God to check on us regularly. My Pastor and his wife are very loving people who do not mind letting us know what the Word of God says about an issue, yet they will teach and guide us with the love of God. Our appreciation for their work in the kingdom of God is great, and it is awesome that they love each and every one of their spiritual children as their own natural children. When danger is around the corner or right upon any one of their sheep, a shepherd (pastor) should fight in the Spirit of God with the same tenacity and courage as David did against enemies that approached his flock. As a father or mother guides his or her child(ren), God has a spiritual shepherd in place who will love and fight to protect you as God leads.

       Here is my testimony of learning when to use the wisdom that God has given to you. My family was recently delivered from a place of bondage in 2014. We faced disappointment time and time again as we searched for spiritual liberty in what should have been a place where God resides. One day, (after praying for God to lead us into liberty), God spoke clearly to me that He had released me from being in a certain position within the church. As soon as I heard it, I relayed the message to whomever needed to hear it and got out of the way. My husband was notified (as I submitted to God and then my husband) and he was more than happy for God's will to be done. I allowed God to give me the command and I followed quickly. I did not want to miss the opportunity to be released because there is nothing like missing your season and having to start all over again. After my family continued to pray, God released my husband from his position within the church. Talk about a spiritual breakthrough!!!!! During all of this, the enemy was sending all types of foolishness our way to make us feel as if we were in the wrong for what was taking place. I will tell you from the heart: he never received the victory. God was and still is with us through it all. Those who prayed with us are witness to this. When God told my husband and I to speak, we spoke. When He instructed us to be still and quiet, we did as He commanded. There was no compromising.

       Now, we did not stop praying. A few weeks after God released both my husband and I from serving in leadership at church, He spoke clearly to my husband and said that it was "time to move". Let me tell you something: when God says "move", you do not have time to waste. It would be very wise to hear Him and step in line with every word He speaks. God led us to exactly where we needed to be the entire time we were elsewhere. Upon arrival to the place where He led us, the Spirit of God began to minister to our current pastor about our lives. Our pastor loved us with the love of God. He was neither harsh nor a dictator; our pastor just loved us as Christ loves the church. Even today, our pastor and his wife speak life (not death) into our hearing and they pray for us as they do every other sheep that God has sent to them. If one is broken, doing well, having the best day of their lives, or battered, our pastor and his wife consult God first about the issue then minister every word that God speaks. That is the way a shepherd is led...by God and only Him.

       Remember that knowledge and wisdom are different. It is one thing for a person to have a knowledge of leading a group of people; it is another thing when someone leads a group of people with wisdom which is only given by God. That person must be led by the Spirit of God in all things in order to know when to move, where to move, how to move, why a certain thing must be done, and what to do when guiding a flock. If you do not have a pastor in your life who you can call a spiritual parent, I urge you to seek God in prayer and ask Him to guide you to finding one. Having a pastor who will speak life into your heart and soul and help lead you away from what is harmful (Proverbs 1:10-19) is awesome. In case you want to know the heart of a pastor and what to pray for, go to the verses that are listed below. Know that a pastor follows after and is led by God Who is the Chief Shepherd.


Read:

• Psalm 23: all verses
• Jeremiah 3:14-15
• Psalm 1:1-3

The Body of Christ: The Church

     Can the arms on a body move without the help of joints and cartilage? Is anyone able to see without the eye or speak without the vocal cord? Ok, I know that some of you are thinking about medical improvements that this world has embraced. Even then, the original setup of the human body and its functions helped the doctors to see how artificial body parts should work. In the same manner, the body of Christ is made up of various parts (i.e. people and gifts) that uplift His kingdom. We all have a purpose as children of God to operate in what God has divinely placed upon us.

     Each person has a supernatural gift from God - the thing in which His anointing flows through and changes lives. Our recognition of these gifts is only found through seeking God for our purpose in life. For example, God has anointed me to minister through songs, and to encourage people who are going through spiritual storms. Another person is anointed to teach and break down the Word of God (the Bible) to others so that they may have a greater understanding of what is being read. Simply stated: everyone has a purpose in which he or she should walk in daily. Not all of us will do the same thing and that is perfectly fine. With the Spirit of God as the Head of our gifts, it will all tie in perfectly. In I Corinthians 12:4-11 [HCSB], we are reminded of this very truth.

"Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different ministries, but the same Lord. And there are different activities, but the same God activates each gift in each person. A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial:

to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit,

to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit,

to another, faith by the same Spirit,

to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit,

to another, the performing of miracles,

to another, prophecy,

to another, distinguishing between spirits,

to another, different kinds of languages,

to another, interpretation of languages.

But one and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as He wills."

     There are people whom get caught up in believing that just because they carry a certain position, this should allow them to take on the role as a prophet, a teacher, or someone who can interpret tongues. Let me be more clear: if I were a lieutenant general in the Air Force, I am automatically fit to be as effective as a high school teacher, a pastor of a congregation, or a financial broker. I can do and get whatever I want because I rank very high. (???) Do you see how that does not make sense? When God anoints a person to do a thing on this earth, that person is able to do it with more grace and style than another who is not anointed to do so. Also, the results are greater when you have been anointed to operate in a specific area. Never get caught up in the game of believing that you can do something just as well as another person when God has not called you to operate in what is contrary to His will for you. You will become frustrated and burned out if you do so.

     God's gifts to us are not for personal gain; they are given to show others to Christ and edify the body of Christ, which is His church. In I Corinthians 12:21-26, the Bible states that we are not to act as if we do not all have a greater purpose, or as if we do not need each other. If one suffers, we all suffer along with him or her. If one rejoices, we all rejoice as well. We are all needed and should seek God on what He wants us to do with our gifts. If you are not sure of your gift(s), continue to ask God to reveal this to you.

Scriptures:

• I Corinthians 12: all verses

When You Pray For Patience...

     People of the world, I am learning that when I ask God for patience, He allows me to see just how much I do not know about myself. You know how that can be, right? We tend to think to ourselves that we are pretty much as patient as we can be because "back in the day I used to ____ but I thank God for deliverance". Well, God is loving enough to show us that we do not have it all together, but that He can show us to a greater way: Him. He is Patience [Galatians 5:22]. He does not reveal our imperfections to us to be mean but He longs to guide us as the loving Shepherd that He has proven to be over and over.

     Patience does not mean that you have to have the biggest smile on your face and run through the fields of flowers with no struggle. I had to burst that bubble. Patience is the act of enduring through hardship, or difficulties. What is a gigantic thing to overcome for one person may be feasible for you. In this case, patience feels like a walk in the park with just a few pebbles to kick out of the way. Alright, now take that same situation but now deal with the gigantic issue. Yeah, I know...it does not feel good to even think about it. Someone else is probably thinking that your situation is ridiculous and not worth the effort you're putting forth. The understanding that they do not have is the spiritual effect that this "thing" is having on you. This "thing" is an actual hurdle for you; although not impossible to overcome with God, it resembles a miniature version of the Great Wall of China: it seems like it can both go on forever and is impossible to climb over...or knock down.

     How about that beautiful example of what I endured a few hours ago? As I was preparing to turn into the parking space for our home, a man who just could not wait for me to get out of the way decided to pass me on the left and pull straight ahead into his parking spot. All the while, he was driving and holding a cell phone to his ear. My face ----->   :| Instead of doing what I really wanted to do, which was cut him off by straddling the drive-in, I decided to tap the brakes and let him pass. OH THANK GOD THAT I DID THAT! I'm guessing that you want to know why? When he got out of the car, a piece of me wanted to "give him the business", or in other words, tell him how reckless of a driver he displayed of himself. As he emerged from the car, I turned to face him and let him at least see what I was thinking. (Don't worry because God convicted me quickly about that one, too. Let's just say that I changed my attitude quickly). I then saw him get one of his children out of the backseat of the car. At that moment, my heart dropped as I thought about how I could have cut him off and possibly risked injuring that child that was on that side of the car! Ya'll know how HUGE of a heart I have for children. All I could say was, "Thank You Jesus." Because I chose to let God rule in that situation over my own decision, He saved us all from having to deal with a car accident and a possible injury or death of a child.

    The lesson is that we cannot make situations go faster nor slower to fit into our idea of perfection. We have to endure through many things in life, and rely on God to show us how to overcome them the biblical way. We have to wait on God, allow Him to guide us, and learn how to sit down somewhere and relax. When He shows you what you need to have worked out of your life, please let Him. It is better to be taught now and learn the lesson than to repeat it multiple times and get a worse result each time.


Songs:

• Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus / Oh To Be Like Him / Face-to-Face - Judith McAllister

• Healing Stream / We Wait On You - Judith McAllister

Husbands and Wives: Submission

     What does the Bible say about husbands and wives? Why is it so important to read God's Word (the Bible) about our marriages? Husbands and wives have a responsibility to allow God to lead and grow their marriage. Let me state that this is where many have fought God; people want to control how their marriage should look and feel. This is not God's will for husbands and wives. So then the big word that many (including myself) have run away from is "submission". Yeah, I said it. Submission has been viewed as the big, bad word that ruins relationships for many years now; however, this should not be so.

     Submission, (in my own words), is standardly defined as obeying the command of those who have authority over you. Now, the biblical explanation of the word "submission" in regards to husbands and wives can be found in the following verses amongst many others:

• Ephesians 5:22-33
• I Corinthians 11:3
• Colossians 3:18-19
• Titus 2:3-7
• I Peter 3:1-7

     Typically, the wife can be the one to feel as if she is just another doormat for her husband to use as necessary. In some cases, the husband may feel like his wife will listen to the words of others before considering his point of view. In either circumstance, we have to realize that God never created submission for the purpose of one being in "control" of the other. Being submissive requires the willingness of one person to take care of the needs of others before him- or herself [Romans 12:13, Philippians 2:3-4]. We must realize that we all have a responsibility to love, honor, and respect each other as if Christ Himself were standing right in our midst.

     Let me give you a real example that just took place not too long ago. My husband and I were out looking for household goods. There were likes and dislikes that he and I both had about various items. When purchase time came along, we began to feel the pressure of whether or not we were making the right decisions. He wanted one thing, and I wanted another. Finally, we collaborated and ended up wanting the same household items. Guess what? Another pressure began to come down on us. Now that we had decided upon which household items to purchase, we began to bump heads about the color pattern, price range, etc. Eventually, the entire conversation came down to me stating that I would support whatever decision he made because I trusted him to not lead us astray on the size of the purchase. Check this out ya'll: as much as I wanted to go on and on about how this and that was not right, I decided to shut my mouth and try a better approach...trust my husband. Understand that his knowing of my trust in him opened his heart and mind up even more to allowing me to pick out the household items that I wanted. Not only that, but God made it to where what I picked was what he wanted as well...color and all!

     Submission is not about doing right for a second so that you may do whatever you want later for a season. It is about doing what is right in God's eyesight: period. When we submit to Him and His way for us, every thing will work out better.

Target: Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church [Ephesians 5:28-32]. Wives, submit to your own husbands as unto the Lord and respect him [Ephesians 5:22-23, 33].

Peace in Our Lives

     Tonight, I focused on a marriage devotional that reminded me of how important it is for husbands and wives to place and keep God as the center (focus) of their marriage. God promises us that "He will keep us in perfect peace if we keep our minds on Him" [Isaiah 26:3]. As simple as this is, why is it that many husbands and wives struggle and are overcome with the pressures of life? Stress. Yes, one answer is stress, (or more correctly stated), a life without God as the center point.

     Too many demands from life are placed on us that we may sometimes forget to do what is simple and more than reasonable: stop and allow our bodies and minds to relax. The time that we spend "doing the most" can be refocused on sitting down somewhere and reading The Word of God, praying, listening to holy music, or just plain ole' sitting still to allow God to speak into our hearing. When He guides us in our daily activities, things will always go more smoothly than when we place our "two cents" into the mix. When I was growing up, my parents were always spending Saturday afternoons and evenings on the couch, in the yard relaxing, or playing board games. Now, it was a task to get chores done earlier most mornings, but once the afternoons and evenings came, it was game on for...relaxing as a family.

     Fast-forward to 2015: what is relaxation??? Yeah, that's how I feel sometimes but God's Word is very real for the past, present, and future; His Word does not change. Our lives should never be centered around what the latest fads are; keeping up with the Joneses is not as therapeutic as people may feel. We have to refocus our lives on Who really matters: God. He will work out every other corner and specific of our lives when we place life in His hands.

Target: Begin and end each day with prayer, quiet time with God, and reading His Word (The Bible). In addition, playing soft praise and/or worship music in the background is not a bad idea.