by

Maturing in faith…

  • What has God told you to do?
  • How has the Lord led you?
  • What instructions have God given you?

I know it may sometimes seem as if what God has said and shown you isn’t going to come into fruition, but that’s no time to go against the grain in which the Lord has led you. I know it may seem as if when you come out of one storm another greater storm arises, but that’s no time to forgo what God’s done, all because things may be a bit uncomfortable. Beloved, God knows exactly where you are and what you’re up against, but He’s urging you to stay the course.

The storms that arise in our lives as we seek to live life trusting, believing, and following God serve a purpose. God uses them to prepare us and position us.

In Mark chapter 4 the story is recorded of Jesus and the disciples taking a trip across the lake in a boat. During this trip, Jesus fell asleep in the stern of the boat and a windstorm arose. The winds of the storm were so boisterous that they beat upon the boat, and it began to take on water. Fear arose in the disciples and they went to Jesus….. “..And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”…Mark 4:38

I know that had to be a frightening experience, and my response may have been the same, but Jesus left this word on biblical record for us today to remind us of some key things as we face the storms of life…

  • Jesus was with them in the boat, in the storm..
  • They had witnessed firsthand the saving, healing, and delivering power of Jesus firsthand….

The same goes for us today as we seek to live our lives in alignment with God’s word and will.

  • The Lord IS WITH US IN OUR STORM…
  • JUST AS WE’VE WITNESSED THE LORD WORK THINGS OUT BEFORE, HE’S WELL ABLE TO DO IT AGAIN…

The storms that we face as we follow God aren’t meant to mess us up, they’re meant to help us mature in faith. So whatever you’re facing or dealing with, keep trusting, believing, and following the directions of God. Don’t let the emotions and feelings of your right now, determine the steps you take, let God continue to order them, and you follow Him…

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way….Psalm 37:23

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths…Proverbs 3:5-6

Beloved, there are blessings too rich and numerous to count, awaiting us, when we follow God. God supernaturally deposits a wealth of wisdom, knowledge, power, and insight into our heart, mind, and spirit that’s not subject to the socioeconomic conditions of the world. Congressional decisions, inflation, Wall Street, high interest rates, unemployment rates, the housing market, and taxes don’t depreciate or eliminate what God gives us, we just have to keep trusting and following God.

“Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD….Numbers 32:12

In the midst of adversity and calamity, Caleb and Joshua stayed the course of God. Even when the blessed promises of God didn’t manifest for years, Caleb and Joshua stayed the course. And because of this, Caleb and Joshua walked right into some pretty amazing blessings, too rich and too numerous to count..

Hold on, Press on, and Don’t QUIT, because God’s on your side, and He’s working on your behalf. Be not dismayed whate’er betide, God will take care of you!

by

The decibel of your faith…

Luke 7 records the story of a certain Centurion, who had a servant, who was near death. Evidently this man not only heard about Jesus, he BELIEVED in Jesus. 

“Now when He (Jesus) concluded all His sayings in the HEARING of the people, He entered Capernaum. 2 And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. 3 So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant…(Luke 7:1-3)

There was something underlying and amazing that had taken place in this Centurion’s heart, that we must not overlook. He BELIEVED in Jesus because he had FAITH in Jesus. He had FAITH in Jesus because he had HEARD about Jesus.

“So when he HEARD about Jesus, he sent…(Luke 7:3)

In this passage we see a divine manifestation of the word of God, that produced a FAITH MUSCLE in the heart and soul of this Centurion, which propelled him into action, (he sent them)

“So then FAITH cometh by HEARING, and HEARING by the word of God…(Romans 10:17)

Beloved, there was something else that was very much alive and at work in the heart of this Centurion. Jesus, the Living Word, was OTJW (on the job working)

“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…(Hebrews 4:12)

BELIEF was produced by FAITH, and FAITH came through HEARING. Both FAITH and BELIEF were nestled in his heart, which yielded a MIRACLE in the body of his servant..

“ When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such GREAT FAITH, not even in Israel. 10 And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick...(Luke 7:9-10)

  • What does your faith, beyond your words, say to God?
  • We say we believe, but does God see that we believe?
  • Jesus was able to measure the decibels of the Centurion’s faith!

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him…(Hebrews 11:6)

by

And it came to pass…

We live in a time where people still operate in the NOW…

  • We want promotion NOW.
  • We want blessings NOW.
  • We want success NOW.
  • We want breakthrough NOW.
  • We want spouses NOW.
  • We want children NOW.
  • We want the difficulties we face to be over NOW.
  • We want the house NOW.
  • We want the vehicle NOW.

But what if our NOW doesn’t align with the set or appointed time of God. If I may be completely honest, I want the NOW also, but I’ve learned to embrace God’s NOT YET. I’ve learned to accept the process of God, because no matter how much I want it NOW, I know that His timing is absolutely perfect and His process serves a purpose. (EMBRACING THE PROCESS OF GOD IS EVEN A PROCESS) What’s helped me is the fact that I’ve seen God help me to surrender my NOW, helped me to embrace the process of His NOT YET, and I’ve seen Him perform miracles. He’s literally done the exceedingly, abundantly and above whatever I could have asked, thought or imagined. Beloved, when God finished doing what HE wanted to do, and finished leading me where and how HE wanted to lead me, I was in complete awe because His NOT YET superseded my “now”. This isn’t new place for God, it’s a different place for us. It’s a different place for us because our NOW or microwave mindset, and way of living can be and often times is, a major hindrance in us walking in the will of God. Let’s look back and see…

“And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt. So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea….(exodus 13:17-18)

I believe that if we were able to interview the “survivors”, those children of Israel who made it into the promised land, they’d encourage us to “LET GO AND LET GOD!” They’d encourage us to let go of the reins of our everyday lives so that God could reign, and so that we could walk in kingdom victory. I believe that if we were able to talk to some of them they’d affirm that the process and journey following God isn’t always easy but it’s worth it. They’d even tell us that sometimes God doesn’t set our feet on the shortest and the most comfortable path, and in fact, sometimes He leads us the the longgggg wayyyy. Moses had to encourage the children of Israel to keep trusting God and endure the process. He had to remind them that the trials that they faced were temporary, and that God still had them on His radar…

“Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”…..(Exodus 14:13-14)

I believe that Moses would give us an updated version of this today, saying, “Beloved, Get out of your feelings and stop tripping, because God’s got you. He’d probably remind us of the victories we’ve experienced in Christ before saying, “The Lord, Who did it and worked it out for you before, will do it again. Moses would probably whisper in our hearing that, “whatever you’re facing or dealing with today, you’ll NEVER have to deal with or face it EVER AGAIN, so STAND STILL and watch God…

Beloved, that shouting news right there, because God just encouraged us to press beyond the pain. He just said rest in Me because I got you, and cruise right out of that uncomfortable place. We may not get there overnight, by next week, or next month, but as long as we follow the directions of God, He’ll get us there. I don’t know where your “there in Christ Jesus” is, but I do know that it’s nestled in His purpose and in His will, and it will come to pass…

#trustGod #enduretheprocess

by

One Way…God’s!

one_way_sign_right

In this journey called life, whether we realize it or not and whether we want to accept it or not, God has a purpose and God has a plan for ALL of us. Beloved, it’s of great necessity that we find out what God’s purpose and plan for our lives is, and it’s even more important that when we find them, that we walk therein…

For the greater majority of my life, I lived with God in my rearview mirror. All of our vehicles now days have rearview mirrors, and we use these mirrors intermittently as we journey from here to there, but they aren’t the main source of our navigational journey. Yes, they serve a purpose, but if we didn’t have them, we could still make safely to our destination.

When I lived with God in my rearview mirror, I used Him intermittently:

  • When I felt like I couldn’t handle things on my own and I needed Him…
  • When I thought about Him..
  • When I was in a difficult situation..
  • When my back was against the wall..
  • When I had a special prayer request…
  • When my money was looking funny and my change was strange..
  • When I was relationally our of sorts..
  • When all hell was breaking loose…

When I lived with God in my rearview mirror, I knew “of God”, but I wasn’t intentional about seeking to live this journey called life through Him. I knew “of God”, but He wasn’t my main source. I knew “of God”,  because I’d always do what I wanted to do FIRST, and when that didn’t work out, I’d opt for MY plan B, and then MY plan C, and so on. If I can be totally transparent, a lot of this misdirection, we learn from the world. The world in so many ways, shapes, forms and fashions, teaches us to GO FOR THE GUSTO and DO US, with no regard for God, His word, and His will for our lives. Because of this, I truly believe that’s why many of us struggle with so many things.

“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death…(Proverbs 14:12)

Beloved, we’re in that season where it’s high time that we switch gears and switch focus, before we get left behind. The whistle of the train bound for glory is blowing, and if you’re alive and breathing and reading this message, I pray that the Lord uses this message as a mirror for you to take an honest look at your life, to see where you stand with Him..

  • Are you living with God in your rearview mirror..
  • Is God an intermittent part or piece of your life…
  • Do you seek the wisdom of God in decision making..
  • Is walking according to the will of God the MAIN THING…

Oh by the way, take a look at where the rearview mirror is and what it does. “A rearview mirror is a small mirror attached to the windshield, and it provides a view of  a vehicle, the road, or whatever is behind….

Let’s start looking forward by looking unto. Let’s start moving forward by living every facet of our lives through Christ, and being led by the Holy Spirit….

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God…Hebrews 12:2

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus…Philippians 3:14

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD…Isaiah 55:8

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me…Philippians 4:13

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God…Romans 8:14

#livebeingled

 

 

 

 

 

by

Hold onto what God purposes and has promised….

Faith Card

The journey following the Lord doesn’t always feel good, nor is it the most comfortable, but it’s WORTH IT..

  • It’s worth it because God has a purpose for everything we face.
  • It’s worth it because God knows the end of a thing from the beginning.
  • It’s worth it, because if God said it, you can rest assured that He’s going to do it.
  • It’s worth it because no mater what we face along the journey, God will deliver.

“ For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. 20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee…(2 Corinthians 1:19-22)

It doesn’t matter whether you’re reading about the children of Israel’s journey following the Lord in the Old Testament, or the disciple’s journey following the Lord in the New Testament, there’s one constant to hold onto: What God purposes and promises ALWAYS came to pass!

Many times the children of Israel faced situations of uncertainty and circumstances that seemed as if they’d be totally consumed or destroyed, but God DELIVERED! The disciples in the New Testament often times faced situations that looked and felt as if they were going to come out on the short end of the stick, but God always GAVE THEM THE VICTORY!

Beloved, there was a catalyst at work in the hearts and minds of the children of Israel and the disciples, for the journey to which they’d been called. This catalyst was the reason that they didn’t quit or throw in the towel. This catalyst was a supernatural “measure of faith“, which God dealt into their hearts and minds, and they tapped into it…

FYI/PSA…..God has dealt all of us a supernatural measure of faith, we just have to tap into it.

“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith…(Romans 12:3)

Did you read that? God has dealt every man, woman, boy or girl (ALL OF US) a measure of faith, we just have to use it. Have you ever sat on the sideline watching a person play spades, who had all the trump cards, but didn’t know they were trump cards, and didn’t know how to play the trump cards? Guess what, that can be said of us as well, when it comes to our walk with God. We’ve been dealt the supernatural “measure of faith” card, and it’s in our hands (hearts), but we don’t know how to use it, and we’re not using it..

Beloved, God has some promises on layaway for all of us! You can say YES and AMEN to that because they’re  ESTABLISHED, ANOINTED, SEALED, GIVEN and GUARANTEED and by God!

  • For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us…
  • Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God..
  • who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

selah