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Showing posts from June, 2018

Vision for your life

Do you have a vision for your life or do you just go with whatever the flavor of the day is? Do you just flow with whatever comes your way? I ask you this, because we all have a vision and we all have a purpose. None of us are here by accident. God knows what He's doing and He wants greatness for us. Are you willing to get all He has for your life? You have a divine right to do so.  We must know why we're here or we are just walking the earth with no real direction or we think we're going somewhere and we're not.  Proverbs 29 :18 says that without a vision, the people perish. Live your vision and support another's person vision. There's room for all of us to enjoy the life the Lord God has for us. 

Your testimony means something

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Do you know God wants you to take everything you went through to show people who He is? Do you know your testimony means something to somebody and your life means something too? Do you know your struggles were not just for you, but to help people get through their pain? It's all to show people how God brought you out of despair and how He can and will bring others out of their low too. If you went through it, God has a bigger message for you to bring others through it too.  Yes you.  God wants to use you.  1 Peter 1:6 /7 says, " In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."  In other words, God still wants us to be a model for Him f

Jesus, the Healer

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. "Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there. Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them. So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel" ( Matthew 15 :29-31). What do you need from the Lord today? Whatever it is, do you know He can heal whatever ails you? It doesn't matter if it's emotional, mental, or physical, Jesus can do it. He did it for the lame, the blind, the mute, the maimed and many others and He can do it for you too. Yes, He did for those people when they probably written off -- when people may have looked at their situation as dire and beyond repair -- when people more than likely underestimated the power

Spread out, think big

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. In  Isaiah 54 , Isaiah speaks to how the Lord God is going to redeem Israel. The scripture starts with the barren woman, which describes Israel and its failure after failure and turning its back away from God. God gives them another chance though, to get things right with Him. He wants to pour out blessings to them and He wants to redeem them. He promises that He will bring life to them from a dead and unfilled place. God's love for them never changed and He's telling them He will never be angry with them again. They have been forgiven and they have nothing to fear. Just as God told the Israelites all of that, guess what? He's telling us the same thing. He's also for us. It doesn't matter what we've done and where we've been. Isaiah 54: 11-15  says: “Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with lapis lazuli. I will

A steadfast move

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Steadfast -- that's a great word for the people who are determined, unstoppable, unmovable, and unshakable when it comes to having faith, serving, and staying true to the Lord God. We can't let life's struggles, pain, challenges, hurt, setbacks, and sorrow stop us from knowing God doesn't give any of us more than we can handle. He's with us every step of the way, because He still has a great plan for our lives  ( Jeremiah 29 :11).  Being steadfast is another term for being faithful and also believing that God is not going to leave us in a state of despair, despondency, or a place of helplessness. No, just the opposite. He loves us and He wants the best for us so He wants us to be victorious. Do you believe it? You have to believe it, because God acts on faith, which is our belief and trust that He will do everything He said He would do. He will do all the great things He said He would do in our lives

I will give thanks

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. "I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High" ( Psalm 9 :1/2). That scripture is not too hard to follow, is it? Yet, we can sometimes make it so if we're not careful to give God all the glory and all the praise. For His is worthy to be praised. When I think about all that Jesus has done for me -- for us -- I know how blessed we are to be in the most wonderful and splendid kingdom in the world. Nowhere else does such a kingdom exist. It doesn't matter how majestic and awesome it is, God's kingdom is most awesome in its magnificence, power, and might. No other will ever come remotely close to matching it. So, yes I say, " "I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing

Jesus, the Restorer

Just in case you may be wondering, Jesus can fix, heal, repair, restore, or reclaim anything that you are in need for Him to do.  If He can do it for the blind beggar He passed by, He can surely do it for us. In  Luke 18 :41:43 , Jesus asked the blind man what it was He wanted Jesus to do for him and the blind man said he wanted his sight recovered. And Jesus said to him,  “recover your sight; your faith has made you well"  and immediately he recovered his sight and the blind man followed Jesus. It was just that quick. The blind man didn't care who was around or what people were saying. He knew he needed Jesus of Nazareth. Now, what do you think it was that made the blind man call out to Jesus? I think it was simply that he was tired of being blind and wanted to be healed, so he figured, 'hey Jesus is passing by, this is my opportunity' and it paid off. It was clearly his eye-sight, but let's not forget to where it is we have come from. We were once blind to

We have control

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Do you know  2 Timothy 1 :7 gives us the right to have control over ourselves and our lives? Yes, it's true. God gives us free-will to chose how we behave and what we think and say about ourselves. There is so much scripture I can cite, but no need, because we have to know for ourselves what thus says the Lord. We have to take the time to look up the scriptures and stand on them . Then we have to continuously speak them over our lives. Then we have to walk them out . We have to believe what 2 Timothy 1:7  says about us -- that  the spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-control/self-discipline. Look at that verse again. It says power, love and self-control, which means we have the ability to have an abundant and rich life. God's Word says so. We have the choice to make regarding what type of life we will lead. And we have the choice to keep the people around us who bring out

Walking by faith

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. When we walk with God, we’re walking powerfully. Although our walk with God is not for the faint-hearted and sometimes a challenging walk, it's so worth it in ways beyond our scope of imagination. Faith is a large part of it, because faith is believing and trusting God as God and that He will do what He said He would do. Faith should not be a struggle if we really trust God.  None of us will ever fully understand God's ways, but we must know His ways are better than our ways. And it's ok to not understand why God allows certain things and certain events, but I can assure you that it always works out the best for our good. 2 Corinthians 5 :7 says, "For we live by faith, not by sight."  Knowing that is important to our walk with God, because God is at work on our behalf, always. And life is so much easier when we walk like that. Not perfect, just easier.  

Possible mountains

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. This goes out to everyone who has gone through something, who is currently going through something, or who will go through something. Guess what? You are able to move mountains. That's right, yes, it is possible and it ain't over 'til God says it's over. In  Matthew 17:20   God says, " Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."   Your victory is won, period, end of story. And let me tell you this, God will move mountains and He will slay giants on our behalf, because there's no doubt He loves all his children no matter our circumstances and no matter our mistakes. The past does not matter. Yes yes yall. I am living proof of that, I'm telling you. It's amazing how God has moved in my life during some painful and trying times -- totally amazin

Not ashamed of the gospel

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes." That is what Paul said in Romans 1 :16 when he was writing to the believers -- God's friends -- in Rome. He went on to say in verse 17, "For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” I'm sure many of us understand what Paul was saying here -- that he was standing strong in his faith and he was encouraging others to do the same. Paul was resolute in what he believed and he wanted to encourage other believers to stand strong in their faith. We should and could be as bold and confident in our faith, as well. And we should not let any person, place, or thing come against that. God is too valuable. What God has done and will continue to do, is too great. Some will

The Word is Power

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Do you know that when you have the Word of God in you, you have power? That's right, if you know any scripture, it is sharper and more powerful than any two edged sword. Yes, Hebrews 4 :12 says that  "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."  It doesn't matter how much time goes by, the Word of the Lord remains the same. It's the most powerful word in all the universe and it will stand throughout time. Uh huh and guess what else?  Isaiah 40 :7/8 says, " The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." What all that means to me is that although we will fall short and although we are far from perfe

God will not forsake his saints

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Psalm 37 :5/6 says, "Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday."  Don't give up when you're so close. W e have to roll during the good and the challenging times -- the sweet and the bitter. That's life and only the fittest survive to the fullest. We have to want more than living a mediocre ho-hum life, right? We should desire a great optimal life, because God promises us the desires of our heart. Psalm 37:4 says that when we delight in Him, He will delight in us. So, it's up to us how we live and how much we are blessed with. When we aim high we will go high as long as we're willing to climb. It's a decision God has given us to make.  He's directing our lives when we let Him (free-will). He will not forsake His saints. He knows what He's doing. When we let Him orchestr

Tower of power

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe" ( Proverbs 18 :10).  We are free and welcome to embrace the Lord in all His splendor. He is our resting place, our refuge, and our safe place to dwell. He's a strong tower for sure, but not literally, because that would be too small for His majesty. Spiritually and figuratively, He's King of all kings and Lord of all lords, plus much more. No one can really explain Him in His entirety. He's just that awesome. Walking through life without Him would be like being lost in space.  Just know He's there for His children anytime. His spirit and His light never runs out. His presence is everywhere. Anyone who wants His covering, only has to ask Him into his heart and  believe and confess with one’s mouth that He is Lord and was raised from the dead. Then ask for His forgiveness and He will allow anyone to start anew. That’s it. 

Safe with God

There's something about a name, isn't it? Especially the name of Jesus. Why is it that people speak in His name? Well, that's easy to understand. It's because there's power in that name. Proverbs 18 :10 says, "the name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe."   Why wouldn't anyone want to be safe? How sad, the ones who don't know Him. I used to be of them. There was a time when I had nobody to run to during anytime in my life. Now I know God’s power for sure and I have something to be thankful for. Now I know I’m safe with God. Any of us can know Him when we open our hearts to Him and ask Him to come inside. Any of us can find safety in His arms. They’re always open. 

Comfort to the weary

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. “Comfort, comfort my people,”   says your God " ( Isaiah 40 :1). Did you know,  God " gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak", as well? That's in Isaiah 40:29.   Oh yes, and if he does that, that means there is no reason to be down or to stay down. God is saying to us that we need to lift our head up, God wants to comfort us -- His people. Yes, there are things going on that are challenging and it may seem like God is not there, it may seem like He doesn't hear us or see us. But let me tell you, God is here and He's there, and He's everywhere. God is aware of our needs, all of them and when it seems we're on the brink of shouting, " Lord  help me!", He is right there. He was all along.  Consequently, He won't ever leave the people who love, praise, and worship Him in spirit and in truth. Every last one of His promises will come true when we c

Reverence of God

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. 16  Proverbs 15 :16  says,   "better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil" and Proverbs 15:33  says   "the fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.” So it's all about having reverence and healthy fear for the Lord .  Some synonyms for fear are reverence, admiration, adoration, loyalty, esteem, respect, awe, devotion, love, worship, praise, and honor. Yes, all in the name of the Most High, Jesus Christ. It's about seeing God for who He is. It's about knowing Him as the ruler and guider of our lives. When we understand  that, our walk and talk are obvious. We are kingdom citizens. We operate in faith, praise, and worship for Him continuously. All because of who God is. All because of the spirit of God in our lives. And all because of our love and honor of the Lord Jesus, which all leads to a better way of life.  

Spiritual blessings in Christ

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. I like what Ephesians 1 :3-10  says, because it's a reminder of God's love for us and all the great things He has in store for us even before we were born. Yes  Jeremiah 1 :5 says  "before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." That means we have power that the Lord has given us. Power to make change. If we really knew who we were in Christ, we would be amazed by how much God has placed in us. He has a purpose for us, He really does. Ephesians 1:3-10 says: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of

Shout for joy!

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Psalm 33 :1-9  speaks to the steadfast love of the Lord. Some synonyms for "steadfast" are: loyal, faithful, committed, devoted, dedicated, dependable, reliable, steady, true, and constant. So this is just a little reminder that the Lord is worthy to be praised and He is worth having in our lives. Psalm 33:1-9 is proof, yet again, that He will never disappoint His people.  Psalm 33:1-9 " Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. He gathers the wa

God's system

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. The one thing I know about the Lord, is that His Word is true and we are assured to win when we put all our "bets" on Him. Let me tell you this, the lottery doesn't work like that. We put our money into that system and the only thing that's true is that there's a high probability we will most definitely lose our money. It's a losing system. The odds are stacked against us with such a system. Would you agree? It's just the opposite in God's system. God's system is a winning system and no other can ever touch it. When we put all our faith in Him  it's a done deal. Hebrews 11 :6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." Yet I'm not saying that everything will line up perfectly by simple faith, All I'm saying is that if we will just have fait

Praise the Lord

Psalm 150 is easily digestible scripture, isn't it? It's clear what David was conveying here and we can imagine how he felt as he gave praise (and worship) to the Lord in all the majestic splendor of the Most High. We, too, can be just as thankful, enthusiastic, and excited about the true God and all He has done, is doing, and will do in our lives. Don't think for a minute that He has forgotten about you, because He hasn't and never will. Today, let's praise the Lord and His holy name forever and ever, amen. Psalm 150: "Praise the Lord.. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,  praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Prais

I will bless the Lord

In Psalm 34:1-10, David encouraged himself in the Lord and he blessed the Lord although his troubles and challenges were piling up. We can take a cue from David that no matter what we're going through, no matter what we've done, and no matter what we will do, God is a forgiving God, He is with us, and He will never forsake us.  Psalm 34: "I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the Lord, you his

PUSH (Pray Until Something Happens)

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. That's right, PUSH through. Don't stop praying and don't stop talking to God. Continue to seek Him and hear His voice of direction. We have to continue on with your relationship with Him. Yes, that's how we strengthen our walk in the Lord. We have to PUSH ! PUSH is the acronym for Pray Until Something Happens. Keep doing that and then watch God. Jeremiah 29 :12 says, "then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you." What else do we have if we don't have a prayer life of some sort? I'm not talking about comparing ourselves to others' prayer schedules. I'm talking about our individual relationship and communication with our Lord and Savior. He is your Lord, He is my Lord, and we can each have a special connection to Him that only we know about. Just as having a great relationship with the people we love and care about brings us joy and fulfillment, God

Doing well brings opportunity

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Galatians 6 :9/10 says, ' Let us not become weary in well doing, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.'   What  a hopeful scripture. Would you agree? It's telling us that if we will just keep going -- just hang in there, a harvest is coming to us. Then we will have the opportunity to help others. That's great news! Surely we can push ourselves to do well. Surely we can encourage ourselves to plough through. We must, because a harvest awaits us -- a harvest to do great deeds in a world that really needs us to do our part. Yes, a harvest is a-coming. Do you see it on the horizon? Remember, one of my recent blog posts and podcast episodes? They talked about believing what God tells us -- picturing ourselves there. That's what we have to do, we have to b

Zoom in

Daily Devotional Podcast. Follow along with blog post. Zoom in, focus, and stay committed to whatever it is you're doing for Him. Why? Because the Lord is still going to use you to do what you born to do. Do you know that? Isn't that great news? It is, so, zoom in, stay committed, and focus on what God says you're going to do in your life and don't ever stop. You're a warrior and the strength of the Lord is on you -- the Lord is on your life. Oh yes.  Psalm 107:1-3 says,  " Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south".  So look, as the Word says, let the redeemed say so. You're going to do mighty works for the Lord and you're going to have a story to tell. You're going to help many people because of your walk and your testimony. So stay zoomed i