HAPPY FRIDAY!
It's finally here, TGIF! I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying the end of another workweek. I'm doing well, a bit on the sleepy side, but I'm feeling good physically, mentally, and Spiritually, praise God. Although I'm a little sad because I found out that my Pastor will be retiring in January. I am really found of Reverend Laura Swett because she's so inspiring, loving, kind, and strong. When I first visited Fairfax Christian Church, I was intrigued by her style of teaching and her Spirit. She has a wonderful presence, and her entire being says leader and wisdom. I'm honored to call her a role model, friend, and sister in Christ. She is the only Pastor, Reverend, Priest, Bishop, etc. I've ever known who encourages her members to excel by personally reaching out to each individual. I've never had the head of the church ask me if there was anything the church could do to help me. This is the most active church I've ever been involved with, and it's not only because the denomination is "Disciples of Christ", but also because of its leadership. I am saddened, yet excited for Laura as she moves into another journey in her life. I know God is good, and He doesn't make mistakes, so when one season ends and another begin, we must celebrate the newness and change of life. I know this wouldn't be goodbye, but if it is, I'm just grateful to have had time to get to know her. If you'd like to visit our church you're always welcome, service is 11am every Sunday, if you come before she leaves in January, you’ll see what I mean http://www.fairfaxchristian.org/. Have a wonderful weekend, and be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about waiting on the Lord. We must have Hope, as well as Faith, in the things that we're waiting to receive from God. Hope is: To wish for something with expectation of its fulfillment. Faith is: Belief that does not rest on logical proof ore material evidence. These two things are interchangeable, but they go hand and hand. It's written in Philippians 4:6-7: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Patience is a skill that has to be mastered, and only a constant connection with God could help us do that. It says in Psalms 37:23:The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. When our minds or stayed on God, we'll know exactly when to stand still, and when to step out on Faith. Following His will requires patience, understanding, and Faith. It requires a strong bond with our Holy Spirit, because He's our Leader. He helps us determine what to pray for, and helps us overcome worry and anxiety. He calms us and gives us the strength to endure the tests and trails we may face while waiting on the Lord. We all experience times when it seems like we've endured too much, and we just can't go any further. There are times when we cry out to God, and it seems like we're not getting an answer, and things just seem to be getting worst. There are times when we're bogged down with guilt because of a horrible sin we've committed, and it feels like we're receiving this horrible punishment. In those times, we must call upon the Lord, because He promised never to leave nor forsake us. We must keep our hope in His promises, and faith that He'll be right on time. We must have patience with Him, because He moves exactly when need Him to move. A wise person once said, "Everything that looks good isn't good for you". Only God knows what's best for us, and it isn't until we seek His will, will we be able receive that prefect peace we hear so much about. All we need to do is ask, seek, and knock, then "WAIT" on the Lord. Waiting is very, very, hard for me, I guess that's why I don't like to bake. It requires too much patience, but I love all other aspects of cooking (mostly quick and easy). I'm not a very good planner either, and because of that I've never planned a vacation a year or two in advance. If you're anything like me, patience isn't very easy to master. There are times I would pray for something, and then as soon as I get up from my knees I start thinking of ways to solve the issues on my own. As of late, my Holy Spirit has been saying two simple words to me, and that's "be still". Everything is in God's hands and He has the final say. It's best to just allow Him to do it right the first time, because when we do things lead by the flesh, we'll ultimately have to come back to Him to get help correcting our mess anyway. Do you have trouble "being still"? Are you going through something right now that just don't seem like it's going to get any better? I urge you to stand on Hope and Faith, and be Patient. Those three words describes exactly what you need to do to ensure that God will bless you with everything that you've asked for, through the Holy Spirit. Self-evaluation [or taking up your cross] is necessary everyday to see where your relationship with God is. If you don't have a relationship with Jesus Christ then God won't work with you. A prayer to ask Jesus to come into your heart as Lord and Savior will fix that. If and/or when you are saved, a prayer in Jesus’ name will fix everything. My favorite verse today is: Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord. (2 Chronicles 20:17)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455135&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7535875
I love you!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY THURSDAY!
I pray all is well with everyone and you're enjoying this beautiful Friday eve. I don't know about you, but doesn't feel like it should be Friday already? This has been the longest week ever. I'm looking forward to the weekend, can't wait to get some quiet time and get some work done on the book. I'm sure there will be lots of festivities going on, with it being Halloween. My church is having a Halloween party for the kids, I may be able to take my nieces it'll be fun. I stopped celebrating Halloween a few years ago, but a good friend told me about how it originated from All Hallows’ eve, which was started by the Celtics or Irish. It's not all evil as I once thought, and for most people it's all about good clean fun. I guess it depends on how you take it, and it's very fun for the kids to get dressed up and eat candy. If you're going to participate, it's always better to go to a church and fellowship, so that way you know it's a safe and positive environment. Whatever you do, do it for the Lord, and enjoy yourself! Be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about the softer side of God. When you think of God, what do you visualize? God is love, so what do you think love looks like? He is described as precious, pleased, and sweet in the bible, so why do we often keep Him so distant from us? There has to balance with every leader, father, or person of authority. It's written in Ecclesiastes 12:13:... Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. The enemy will have us think that God rules with an "Iron Fist", and there's no pleasing Him. That causes us to have unresolved sin, fear, and a poor quality of life. Let's think about this for moment. If God is love, why would He want us to live our life in fear? He created us to fellowship with Him. He takes pride in us, and is thrilled when we love Him and keep His commandments. When we do, He will reward us, but most of us still don’t believe that God will give answer our every prayer. He’s closer than a brother. Jesus is a living breathing testament of how caring God is. The beauty of the earth is a reflection of His love. The warmth He fills our heart with is an invaluable gift. Have you ever experienced being filled with the Love of God? When that happens it’s almost like a hug from a loved one when you need it the most. It feels your heart with so much joy, that you become emotional and most often will cry. For some people, it makes them dance, chant and speak in tongues. I’m trying my best to explain it, but it can’t really be explained. There are certain moments when God will reveal Himself to us, mostly when we trust Him for something and He shows up right on time. As well as times when we feel alone and afraid, and He’s there to comfort us. Yes, this is the same God that we are to fear, because He will correct us when we’re wrong, and mold us into the people He’s created us to be. He is our “Father” in Heaven, and we should always respect, cherish, worship, honor, glorify, and magnify Him. He’s given us Salvation through Jesus Christ, and a 24 hour nurse, doctor, banker, friend, therapist, healer, teacher, and soul mate. He’s given us food, shelter, sanity, mental and physical health, and strength. His love is oh so precious, and He is lovely, gracious and kind to everyone, especially those who love Him. With love come respect, honor, forgiveness, and thankfulness. God came as Christ to give us the gift of Righteousness, which is the one and only requirement of having a close and strong bond with Him. Jesus is a part of God, and He showed God in everything that He did. God loves us so much that He gave His Son, for us. No matter what we’ve done He’ll forgive us. No matter how far we’ve strayed He receives us. No matter how many times we’ve disobeyed Him, He’ll forgive us. Not only will He forgive us, but He’s always waiting with open arms to receive our love. With Jesus is where we want to be. If you don’t know Him as your Lord and Savior, I’m afraid you may not get to truly experience the softer side of God. You need to pray and ask Him for forgiveness and salvation, by allowing Jesus to come into your heart as Lord. He’s patiently waiting with longsuffering, grace, and mercy, because He loves you, and that’s just Who He is. My favorite verses today is: Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. (Philippians 3:8-9)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455134&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7535875
I love you!
I pray all is well with everyone and you're enjoying this beautiful Friday eve. I don't know about you, but doesn't feel like it should be Friday already? This has been the longest week ever. I'm looking forward to the weekend, can't wait to get some quiet time and get some work done on the book. I'm sure there will be lots of festivities going on, with it being Halloween. My church is having a Halloween party for the kids, I may be able to take my nieces it'll be fun. I stopped celebrating Halloween a few years ago, but a good friend told me about how it originated from All Hallows’ eve, which was started by the Celtics or Irish. It's not all evil as I once thought, and for most people it's all about good clean fun. I guess it depends on how you take it, and it's very fun for the kids to get dressed up and eat candy. If you're going to participate, it's always better to go to a church and fellowship, so that way you know it's a safe and positive environment. Whatever you do, do it for the Lord, and enjoy yourself! Be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about the softer side of God. When you think of God, what do you visualize? God is love, so what do you think love looks like? He is described as precious, pleased, and sweet in the bible, so why do we often keep Him so distant from us? There has to balance with every leader, father, or person of authority. It's written in Ecclesiastes 12:13:... Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. The enemy will have us think that God rules with an "Iron Fist", and there's no pleasing Him. That causes us to have unresolved sin, fear, and a poor quality of life. Let's think about this for moment. If God is love, why would He want us to live our life in fear? He created us to fellowship with Him. He takes pride in us, and is thrilled when we love Him and keep His commandments. When we do, He will reward us, but most of us still don’t believe that God will give answer our every prayer. He’s closer than a brother. Jesus is a living breathing testament of how caring God is. The beauty of the earth is a reflection of His love. The warmth He fills our heart with is an invaluable gift. Have you ever experienced being filled with the Love of God? When that happens it’s almost like a hug from a loved one when you need it the most. It feels your heart with so much joy, that you become emotional and most often will cry. For some people, it makes them dance, chant and speak in tongues. I’m trying my best to explain it, but it can’t really be explained. There are certain moments when God will reveal Himself to us, mostly when we trust Him for something and He shows up right on time. As well as times when we feel alone and afraid, and He’s there to comfort us. Yes, this is the same God that we are to fear, because He will correct us when we’re wrong, and mold us into the people He’s created us to be. He is our “Father” in Heaven, and we should always respect, cherish, worship, honor, glorify, and magnify Him. He’s given us Salvation through Jesus Christ, and a 24 hour nurse, doctor, banker, friend, therapist, healer, teacher, and soul mate. He’s given us food, shelter, sanity, mental and physical health, and strength. His love is oh so precious, and He is lovely, gracious and kind to everyone, especially those who love Him. With love come respect, honor, forgiveness, and thankfulness. God came as Christ to give us the gift of Righteousness, which is the one and only requirement of having a close and strong bond with Him. Jesus is a part of God, and He showed God in everything that He did. God loves us so much that He gave His Son, for us. No matter what we’ve done He’ll forgive us. No matter how far we’ve strayed He receives us. No matter how many times we’ve disobeyed Him, He’ll forgive us. Not only will He forgive us, but He’s always waiting with open arms to receive our love. With Jesus is where we want to be. If you don’t know Him as your Lord and Savior, I’m afraid you may not get to truly experience the softer side of God. You need to pray and ask Him for forgiveness and salvation, by allowing Jesus to come into your heart as Lord. He’s patiently waiting with longsuffering, grace, and mercy, because He loves you, and that’s just Who He is. My favorite verses today is: Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. (Philippians 3:8-9)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455134&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7535875
I love you!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY WEDNESDAY!
Today's scriptures are about our one true God and salvation. The most misunderstood part of life is religion, and what it means to be “saved”. The biggest question is what to believe in. When there are so many different religions being practiced, such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Daoism, Mormonism, Hinduism, Judaism, etc. it's hard to know what to believe. The word Religion has five different meanings in the dictionary and the first meaning has two parts: a.) Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe. b.) A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship. Personally, I haven't taken time to study different religions in depth, but I am a Christian. I only take on the title “Christian” because I'm a follower of Christ. Sometimes we’re guarded when it comes to “religion" or the title "Christian", because we've had a bad experience dealing with certain churches or people who claim to be followers of Christ. I can only tell you what I know, and the one thing that I'm certain of is that there is only one true God! I know this because He walks with, and talks with me every single day. He shows up every time I call on Him. I can feel Him all around me, and there's nothing anyone could do or say that could make me doubt Him. You must be secure in your personal relationship with God as well, because that's all He wants from you. He's not asking you to be perfect, but He is asking for your Love. He wants you to be aware of His presence and to be humble. If you're experiencing doubt because of something or someone, now is the time to lay down those burdens. Let go of all of the judgment that you may face, and stand on His promises. If you're unsure of your salvation, please say the prayer that allows you to have Jesus in your heart. Paul wrote in Acts 17:23-31 that he found this inscribed on an altar, and I think it sums up what God needed to share with you today:
TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.
Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
A friend sent me this today and I was so touched, and I think it fits today's message http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkybh5XwUQk. My favorite verse today is: There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455133&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nl/newsletter.asp?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943547
I love you!
Today's scriptures are about our one true God and salvation. The most misunderstood part of life is religion, and what it means to be “saved”. The biggest question is what to believe in. When there are so many different religions being practiced, such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Daoism, Mormonism, Hinduism, Judaism, etc. it's hard to know what to believe. The word Religion has five different meanings in the dictionary and the first meaning has two parts: a.) Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe. b.) A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship. Personally, I haven't taken time to study different religions in depth, but I am a Christian. I only take on the title “Christian” because I'm a follower of Christ. Sometimes we’re guarded when it comes to “religion" or the title "Christian", because we've had a bad experience dealing with certain churches or people who claim to be followers of Christ. I can only tell you what I know, and the one thing that I'm certain of is that there is only one true God! I know this because He walks with, and talks with me every single day. He shows up every time I call on Him. I can feel Him all around me, and there's nothing anyone could do or say that could make me doubt Him. You must be secure in your personal relationship with God as well, because that's all He wants from you. He's not asking you to be perfect, but He is asking for your Love. He wants you to be aware of His presence and to be humble. If you're experiencing doubt because of something or someone, now is the time to lay down those burdens. Let go of all of the judgment that you may face, and stand on His promises. If you're unsure of your salvation, please say the prayer that allows you to have Jesus in your heart. Paul wrote in Acts 17:23-31 that he found this inscribed on an altar, and I think it sums up what God needed to share with you today:
TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.
Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
A friend sent me this today and I was so touched, and I think it fits today's message http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkybh5XwUQk. My favorite verse today is: There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455133&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nl/newsletter.asp?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943547
I love you!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY TUESDAY!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying this "Terrific Tuesday". I'm doing well, but wishing I could still be at home in bed. It's really gray and raining out, and that's a recipe for sleep. I'm already looking forward to the weekend, as usual. My Dad's birthday starts tomorrow, and ends on Thursday the 29th (long story). He's doing well, really enjoying his job, he and my sister work together, and they help the mentally disabled live a somewhat "normal life", by helping them get jobs, and assisting them through their workday. It's a wonderful and rewarding position to have, and they're both very good at it. It's truly a blessing to have the Spirit of a Servant, which is a character trait of our Lord Jesus Christ. Please pray for my co-worker who's been nursing her sick son over the last few days, he's okay, just fighting a cold/flu. Also pray for another co-worker's Mom, who's sick in the hospital; prayers for a speedy recovery and a good rehabilitation facility. Thanks again for your prayers, have a wonderful day; be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about the healing power of Jesus Christ. We are healed by the magnificent power and mercy of Jesus. There are several accounts of healing by Jesus and His disciples, in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In most cases Jesus asked His followers if they believed they could be healed. Jesus could see right through people, and what He saw was their heart. The act of healing or being healed is a gift by grace. Sickness is a part of life for some people, and we're afflicted because of a direct penalty of sin, fear, or a lack of Faith. In the bible it’s recorded that when people heard Jesus was coming to their part of town, they came from miles around to see Him. It's written in Matthew 14:35-36: And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well. These people had so much Faith in Him, because of what they'd heard He could do, and that Faith and persistence paid off. Jesus is not far away, and we don't have to wait until He comes to town to receive healing, because He lives in our heart. We have the healing power of the Holy Spirit ready to be used anytime we need Him. We have the Power in His Name to heal others, because we are His disciples. We must be sure do our best to maintain our Righteousness. When we sin, we must confess and repent as soon as possible. God cannot look on sin, so it's important to carefully weigh our decisions, and use haste. There are consequences to every action, whether negative or positive. There are some diseases that are "irreversible" according to world, but God is the ruler of all things. When we pray and ask to be healed, we must stand on Faith. We must continue our walk ask if we're already healed. We must claim it in the Name of Jesus and it will be done. In today's world, people depend more on medicine and doctors for healing. As we discussed yesterday, God is above anything scientific. God has the last say, but be very careful not to test Him. Some of us push the limits, and live a reckless life, but expect to be healthy and vibrant. We will pay for our actions, and I speak from experience. A few years ago, I stayed in my doctor's office. I was always in poor health. At one time, I was taking at least 8 different medicines a day. That's a lot for a seemingly healthy 25-year-old woman. I was indirectly killing myself, and God called me to change my ways. I begged to be healed, and He answered my cry, but first I needed to submit. Over the last year, I've noticed that all of my major issues have subsided tremendously. No more pills, and quarterly doctor's visits. God is Awesome! When we let go of self, and take on the mind of Jesus, we'll begin to stand on His promises. We could take some lessons from Job, even when he was afflicted he kept Faith in God. If you don't know Jesus as your Savior, then get to know Him. If you've lost the connection with Him then you cannot receive healing, or heal anyone else, until you rekindle your relationship. You have the power by the blood of the Lamb; the question is do you believe it? Can you imagine the changes we could make, with a little Faith? My favorite verse today is: Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. (Matthew 8:17)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455132&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7535843
I Love You!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying this "Terrific Tuesday". I'm doing well, but wishing I could still be at home in bed. It's really gray and raining out, and that's a recipe for sleep. I'm already looking forward to the weekend, as usual. My Dad's birthday starts tomorrow, and ends on Thursday the 29th (long story). He's doing well, really enjoying his job, he and my sister work together, and they help the mentally disabled live a somewhat "normal life", by helping them get jobs, and assisting them through their workday. It's a wonderful and rewarding position to have, and they're both very good at it. It's truly a blessing to have the Spirit of a Servant, which is a character trait of our Lord Jesus Christ. Please pray for my co-worker who's been nursing her sick son over the last few days, he's okay, just fighting a cold/flu. Also pray for another co-worker's Mom, who's sick in the hospital; prayers for a speedy recovery and a good rehabilitation facility. Thanks again for your prayers, have a wonderful day; be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about the healing power of Jesus Christ. We are healed by the magnificent power and mercy of Jesus. There are several accounts of healing by Jesus and His disciples, in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In most cases Jesus asked His followers if they believed they could be healed. Jesus could see right through people, and what He saw was their heart. The act of healing or being healed is a gift by grace. Sickness is a part of life for some people, and we're afflicted because of a direct penalty of sin, fear, or a lack of Faith. In the bible it’s recorded that when people heard Jesus was coming to their part of town, they came from miles around to see Him. It's written in Matthew 14:35-36: And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well. These people had so much Faith in Him, because of what they'd heard He could do, and that Faith and persistence paid off. Jesus is not far away, and we don't have to wait until He comes to town to receive healing, because He lives in our heart. We have the healing power of the Holy Spirit ready to be used anytime we need Him. We have the Power in His Name to heal others, because we are His disciples. We must be sure do our best to maintain our Righteousness. When we sin, we must confess and repent as soon as possible. God cannot look on sin, so it's important to carefully weigh our decisions, and use haste. There are consequences to every action, whether negative or positive. There are some diseases that are "irreversible" according to world, but God is the ruler of all things. When we pray and ask to be healed, we must stand on Faith. We must continue our walk ask if we're already healed. We must claim it in the Name of Jesus and it will be done. In today's world, people depend more on medicine and doctors for healing. As we discussed yesterday, God is above anything scientific. God has the last say, but be very careful not to test Him. Some of us push the limits, and live a reckless life, but expect to be healthy and vibrant. We will pay for our actions, and I speak from experience. A few years ago, I stayed in my doctor's office. I was always in poor health. At one time, I was taking at least 8 different medicines a day. That's a lot for a seemingly healthy 25-year-old woman. I was indirectly killing myself, and God called me to change my ways. I begged to be healed, and He answered my cry, but first I needed to submit. Over the last year, I've noticed that all of my major issues have subsided tremendously. No more pills, and quarterly doctor's visits. God is Awesome! When we let go of self, and take on the mind of Jesus, we'll begin to stand on His promises. We could take some lessons from Job, even when he was afflicted he kept Faith in God. If you don't know Jesus as your Savior, then get to know Him. If you've lost the connection with Him then you cannot receive healing, or heal anyone else, until you rekindle your relationship. You have the power by the blood of the Lamb; the question is do you believe it? Can you imagine the changes we could make, with a little Faith? My favorite verse today is: Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. (Matthew 8:17)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455132&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7535843
I Love You!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY MONDAY!
I pray all is well with everyone and you're enjoying the beginning of another workweek. I'm doing well; I had a great relaxing weekend. I spent some time with my Grandmother she's doing much better, but could still use your prayers. She's getting a lot stronger, and gaining a little weight, which is always good. Can you believe this is the last week of October? It seems like the month just started, and it's already coming to a close. It'll be Thanksgiving before we know it. This year, I'm looking forward to making a turduckin; it's become a bit of a tradition because I’ve made it the last 3 years. If you have any great recipes to share, don't forget to post them on the forum on my website, www.divinecuisineepc.com, I look forward to trying them and getting good feedback. Have a wonderful evening, and be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about God's Reign. Everything has a reason, and God is in control of all things. It seems as though scientists have an answer for everything, but it all goes back to the who and the why behind it all. A friend read an article about scientist who found remains of person that could be over five million years old. There's a big debate over the amount of years the earth has been in existence, some say according to the bible it’s around 6,000 years old. If that's true, how can scientist have found remains from five million years ago? There's a timeline following all of the “begets” in the bible, which is God’s living Word. Who determines the scientific method on how to determine the age of a fossil? If I had to guess, it was a group of very smart people, which spent a lot of time coming up with formulas to determine the past. However, God has a hand in all of this. Wisdom is given free to all of us who asks, and the mysteries of God are yet to be seen. As human beings we're always going to question our existence, and everything around us, it’s in our nature, but it's important to understand that there is only one true God. God causes the wind to blow, and the seasons to change. He created thousands of species of plant life, animals, fish, and different races, colors and creeds of human beings. Can you truly understand how vast His power is? Only He could answer all of the questions you have of Him. He expects and encourages us to seek Him first, and through prayer make your supplications known. Our Faith in Him holds so much power, because we believe no matter what the world says. When faced with different discrediting reports regarding the validity of Christianity, and the existence of God, we may naturally question of our belief, and second-guess the reality of God and He understands that. At the same time He makes Himself known to us. I was talking to a friend a couple years ago, who wasn't a “believer”, and I asked him why, and he answered "personal reasons". He had some bad experiences with another religion and said he thought that God was this factitious being made up to give people comfort. I have to admit, his argument made a lot of sense, and had I been a "younger Christian” that conversation could’ve shook my Faith. At the same time, I took His arguments under consideration, yet it was my personal relationship with God that allowed me to stand firm on what I know. When asked why I believed, my only answer was, and would always be, "I know God for myself". I know how He has shown up in my life, time and time again. I know God by my relationship with Him, and the way He loves me, and fills my heart with so much Joy. I know God, because He speaks to me through His Holy Spirit, and His Holy Word. God Reigns in my world, and I can see Him in everything. For a lot of people, they still have a veil over their heart, and it keeps them from the truth. It's written in 2 Corinthians 3:16-17: Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. When the veil is lifted, you’ll be able to see God's glory in the process of the leaves falling from the trees and it’s beauty, in opposed to seeing the work of raking leaves. When you look at a bee, you appreciate them for the gift of honey, and not the danger of their sting. When God reigns over your life, and you truly let Him in, you will trust Him without a doubt. Jesus is the beginning of life, and forgiveness of sin. No one can see clearly in the dark. Allow His light to shine in your life, and ask God for the wisdom of His great wonders. A relationship with Jesus starts with confessing to God that you're a sinner, and asking Jesus to be your Lord and Savior. Once you're saved, stay open to the love of God. My favorite verse today is: He changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding. (Daniel 2:21)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455131&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7535847
I love you!
I pray all is well with everyone and you're enjoying the beginning of another workweek. I'm doing well; I had a great relaxing weekend. I spent some time with my Grandmother she's doing much better, but could still use your prayers. She's getting a lot stronger, and gaining a little weight, which is always good. Can you believe this is the last week of October? It seems like the month just started, and it's already coming to a close. It'll be Thanksgiving before we know it. This year, I'm looking forward to making a turduckin; it's become a bit of a tradition because I’ve made it the last 3 years. If you have any great recipes to share, don't forget to post them on the forum on my website, www.divinecuisineepc.com, I look forward to trying them and getting good feedback. Have a wonderful evening, and be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about God's Reign. Everything has a reason, and God is in control of all things. It seems as though scientists have an answer for everything, but it all goes back to the who and the why behind it all. A friend read an article about scientist who found remains of person that could be over five million years old. There's a big debate over the amount of years the earth has been in existence, some say according to the bible it’s around 6,000 years old. If that's true, how can scientist have found remains from five million years ago? There's a timeline following all of the “begets” in the bible, which is God’s living Word. Who determines the scientific method on how to determine the age of a fossil? If I had to guess, it was a group of very smart people, which spent a lot of time coming up with formulas to determine the past. However, God has a hand in all of this. Wisdom is given free to all of us who asks, and the mysteries of God are yet to be seen. As human beings we're always going to question our existence, and everything around us, it’s in our nature, but it's important to understand that there is only one true God. God causes the wind to blow, and the seasons to change. He created thousands of species of plant life, animals, fish, and different races, colors and creeds of human beings. Can you truly understand how vast His power is? Only He could answer all of the questions you have of Him. He expects and encourages us to seek Him first, and through prayer make your supplications known. Our Faith in Him holds so much power, because we believe no matter what the world says. When faced with different discrediting reports regarding the validity of Christianity, and the existence of God, we may naturally question of our belief, and second-guess the reality of God and He understands that. At the same time He makes Himself known to us. I was talking to a friend a couple years ago, who wasn't a “believer”, and I asked him why, and he answered "personal reasons". He had some bad experiences with another religion and said he thought that God was this factitious being made up to give people comfort. I have to admit, his argument made a lot of sense, and had I been a "younger Christian” that conversation could’ve shook my Faith. At the same time, I took His arguments under consideration, yet it was my personal relationship with God that allowed me to stand firm on what I know. When asked why I believed, my only answer was, and would always be, "I know God for myself". I know how He has shown up in my life, time and time again. I know God by my relationship with Him, and the way He loves me, and fills my heart with so much Joy. I know God, because He speaks to me through His Holy Spirit, and His Holy Word. God Reigns in my world, and I can see Him in everything. For a lot of people, they still have a veil over their heart, and it keeps them from the truth. It's written in 2 Corinthians 3:16-17: Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. When the veil is lifted, you’ll be able to see God's glory in the process of the leaves falling from the trees and it’s beauty, in opposed to seeing the work of raking leaves. When you look at a bee, you appreciate them for the gift of honey, and not the danger of their sting. When God reigns over your life, and you truly let Him in, you will trust Him without a doubt. Jesus is the beginning of life, and forgiveness of sin. No one can see clearly in the dark. Allow His light to shine in your life, and ask God for the wisdom of His great wonders. A relationship with Jesus starts with confessing to God that you're a sinner, and asking Jesus to be your Lord and Savior. Once you're saved, stay open to the love of God. My favorite verse today is: He changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding. (Daniel 2:21)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455131&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7535847
I love you!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY FRIDAY!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying the end of the workweek. T... G.... I... F.!!!!! I've never been so happy to see a Friday in my life. It's been a really good week, and I've been very productive. Things are starting to get back to normal, but not really. You ever felt free and complete, even though things in your world aren't going as planned? That's how I feel as of today, like there's a breakthrough coming. I've been spending a lot of time going back through the daily devotionals, to get them edited for the book, and God has spoken to me through them, and it's as if I didn’t write them. It's liberating, and I'm grateful that God choose me. We've been attempting to raise money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure fund raiser at work, so everyone is wearing pink, and it's good see that people are getting involved. This foundation is huge, and prayerfully they will find a cure. My Granny died from breast cancer, so the cause is near to my heart. CoStar will match all of our donations, so if you haven't already, take a moment and donate at least $5, and that $5 will turn into $10 http://www.info-komen.org/site/TR/PassionatelyPink/PassionatelyPink?px=1896835&pg=personal&fr_id=1130. Have a wonderful weekend, and be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about being content with our current blessings. No matter how much God blesses us we always want more. Would you say that I'm accurate with that statement? Personally, I'm never content with anything. Greed is a sin, and it's a sign of ungratefulness. That's the way of the world. The more wealth you have, the more privileges you're afforded. With money comes prestige, power, and in most cases fame. In the Kingdom of God our treasures are stored up in Heaven. We're to be more concerned with our works, and pleasing God then anything we could acquire here on earth. It's written in Luke 12:47-48: And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more. God blesses each of us according to His will, and where we are right now is exactly where we should be. As children of God we’ll always have enough, because He will provide our every need. We must be content with what we have, before we could receive more. God knows are heart, and maybe we're not ready to receive the larger blessings He has in store for us. We must work on maturing in our Faith walk, and strengthening our relationship with Him, in opposed to building earthly riches. God knows where we are in our walk, and He won't attempt to feed steak to a newborn baby. Let's think of it on earthly terms, if you haven't graduated medical school, will you be able to perform an open-heart surgery? If you haven’t gone through any physical training, would you be able to run a 25K marathon. Each day we're given on earth is a blessing, and we must treat it as so. Have you ever tried to give someone something and they said it wasn't good enough? How would that make you feel? We do that to God all the time. We pray for a car, we get a car, but then turn around and say, "I wish I had a nicer car". We pray for a job, we get the job, and then we say, "I wish I made more money". Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with being successful, and working hard to achieve your goals. However, there's a thin line between striving for a goal, and lusting after desire. Hopes and dreams can quickly turn into lust if we're not careful. A friend told me recently that we must celebrate our small victories, and so often we lose sight of those. We must praise God for the simple things, because we take a lot for granted. We're blessed to be able to walk, talk, and see, because those things could easily be taken from us. I watch my grandmother struggle to breathe, and that made me realize how precious taking a breath of air really is. Be careful not to measure your success by your earthly possessions, because being rich in the Spirit is a much greater accomplishment. Jesus was the King of all Nations, but He survived with meager means, and had tremendous peace. Wealth is a blessing, but so is mediocrity at the right time, but life is about growth, so you never know what will happen. Seek God in everything, praise Him often, and be grateful for all seasons of life. Take each day as it comes, and never forget to count your blessings. Jesus is the key to inner peace, happiness, and love. If you don't know Him, please take a moment and invite Him into your life. He's very eager to fellowship with you. My favorite verses today are: Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. (Proverbs 30:8-9)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455128&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7533381
I love you!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying the end of the workweek. T... G.... I... F.!!!!! I've never been so happy to see a Friday in my life. It's been a really good week, and I've been very productive. Things are starting to get back to normal, but not really. You ever felt free and complete, even though things in your world aren't going as planned? That's how I feel as of today, like there's a breakthrough coming. I've been spending a lot of time going back through the daily devotionals, to get them edited for the book, and God has spoken to me through them, and it's as if I didn’t write them. It's liberating, and I'm grateful that God choose me. We've been attempting to raise money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure fund raiser at work, so everyone is wearing pink, and it's good see that people are getting involved. This foundation is huge, and prayerfully they will find a cure. My Granny died from breast cancer, so the cause is near to my heart. CoStar will match all of our donations, so if you haven't already, take a moment and donate at least $5, and that $5 will turn into $10 http://www.info-komen.org/site/TR/PassionatelyPink/PassionatelyPink?px=1896835&pg=personal&fr_id=1130. Have a wonderful weekend, and be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about being content with our current blessings. No matter how much God blesses us we always want more. Would you say that I'm accurate with that statement? Personally, I'm never content with anything. Greed is a sin, and it's a sign of ungratefulness. That's the way of the world. The more wealth you have, the more privileges you're afforded. With money comes prestige, power, and in most cases fame. In the Kingdom of God our treasures are stored up in Heaven. We're to be more concerned with our works, and pleasing God then anything we could acquire here on earth. It's written in Luke 12:47-48: And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more. God blesses each of us according to His will, and where we are right now is exactly where we should be. As children of God we’ll always have enough, because He will provide our every need. We must be content with what we have, before we could receive more. God knows are heart, and maybe we're not ready to receive the larger blessings He has in store for us. We must work on maturing in our Faith walk, and strengthening our relationship with Him, in opposed to building earthly riches. God knows where we are in our walk, and He won't attempt to feed steak to a newborn baby. Let's think of it on earthly terms, if you haven't graduated medical school, will you be able to perform an open-heart surgery? If you haven’t gone through any physical training, would you be able to run a 25K marathon. Each day we're given on earth is a blessing, and we must treat it as so. Have you ever tried to give someone something and they said it wasn't good enough? How would that make you feel? We do that to God all the time. We pray for a car, we get a car, but then turn around and say, "I wish I had a nicer car". We pray for a job, we get the job, and then we say, "I wish I made more money". Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with being successful, and working hard to achieve your goals. However, there's a thin line between striving for a goal, and lusting after desire. Hopes and dreams can quickly turn into lust if we're not careful. A friend told me recently that we must celebrate our small victories, and so often we lose sight of those. We must praise God for the simple things, because we take a lot for granted. We're blessed to be able to walk, talk, and see, because those things could easily be taken from us. I watch my grandmother struggle to breathe, and that made me realize how precious taking a breath of air really is. Be careful not to measure your success by your earthly possessions, because being rich in the Spirit is a much greater accomplishment. Jesus was the King of all Nations, but He survived with meager means, and had tremendous peace. Wealth is a blessing, but so is mediocrity at the right time, but life is about growth, so you never know what will happen. Seek God in everything, praise Him often, and be grateful for all seasons of life. Take each day as it comes, and never forget to count your blessings. Jesus is the key to inner peace, happiness, and love. If you don't know Him, please take a moment and invite Him into your life. He's very eager to fellowship with you. My favorite verses today are: Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. (Proverbs 30:8-9)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455128&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7533381
I love you!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY THURSDAY!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying this gorgeous Friday eve. I'm doing well, but feeling exhausted, as I know many of you are. It's been a long week, but it's been a really good week. I'm grateful that the weather warmed up a bit, and indulged me. I wasn't quite ready for the cold temperatures already. I'm looking forward to the weekend. I don't have anything planned, so I'll get to sleep in, but I do want to get in the kitchen and try some new recipes. I wonder what they will be, but it has to be good. God has given us lots of natural ingredients that can work together to make something wonderful. Let me know if you want to be my taste taster, it'll be a lot of fun! Enjoy the rest of this beautiful day, go outside and take pleasure in the magnificent beauty of God, the clouds are moving out and the sun is moving in. Be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about having our hearts fixed on God. The bible depicts countless stories about some brave people, some of which fought lions, and parted seas with a walking stick. Some were stoned to death, because of their love for God. Then there are accounts of people who were weak like Judas who betrayed Jesus. We don't have to face half of what was faced in the biblical days, yet we still stray, fret, and become weary in our Faith walk. In order to truly live a Righteous life, our hearts must be fixed on God. Let's examine the word "fixed". There are several different definitions, so I'll give you the first three:(1) Firmly in position; stationary. (2) Determined; established; set. (3) Not subject to change or variation; constant. James 1:5-8 says: If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Throughout this chapter James warns us about being "double-minded". He wrote to the church to help them deal with the practical aspects of the Christian faith, and to help remind them of what their everyday conduct should be. James' letters are still valid in today's society. Do you consider yourself brave? The book of Acts is a very interesting read, so take some and study it. It's sub-titled "The Acts of the Holy Spirit", and it follows the lives of the Jesus' disciples, mostly the journey of Peter and Paul. They were two very brave men. They came up against much adversity, but their hearts were always fixed on God. No matter how much they faced, they were still well loved, appreciated, and taken care of. God always supplied their every need, and all they had to do was stay "firmly positioned", and follow the will of God. They never feared death, beatings, or being imprisoned for what they believed in, because they knew their rewards where in Heaven. Humbleness starts when we truly surrender to God. When we allow Him to have total control and trust Him for everything, we're fixed. When we pray without ceasing we're fixed. When every step is taken with Him in mind, we're fixed. Being fixed on God will change our entire way of life, we'll have more peace, joy, and happiness, despite our earthly situations. We'll have more confidence to face the giants of life, and with that confidence we'll be more successful, because we aren't afraid to dream big. Frankly, with the blood of Jesus Christ, and a heart fixed on God, we shouldn't be afraid of anything. When we aren't fixed on God, we're in bondage, and when we finally fall back in line with Him we'll be able to stand firm on Faith. I've attached one of my favorite songs “Stand”, and part of the chorus is: Well, you just stand, When there's nothing left to do, You just stand, Watch the Lord see you through, Yes, after you've done all you can, You just stand. I love this song so much because I sometimes have a hard time letting go and letting God. Some of us go through life trying to take on the world alone, when all we need to do is stand still and wait on the Lord. If you don't know Jesus as Lord and Savior then what is your heart fixed on? Who do you rely on? Where does your help come from? Jesus offers the answers to all of this and more. When you get tired of going through life alone, pray and ask for God's help, and fix your heart on Him. My favorite verse today is: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455127&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7533383
I love you!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying this gorgeous Friday eve. I'm doing well, but feeling exhausted, as I know many of you are. It's been a long week, but it's been a really good week. I'm grateful that the weather warmed up a bit, and indulged me. I wasn't quite ready for the cold temperatures already. I'm looking forward to the weekend. I don't have anything planned, so I'll get to sleep in, but I do want to get in the kitchen and try some new recipes. I wonder what they will be, but it has to be good. God has given us lots of natural ingredients that can work together to make something wonderful. Let me know if you want to be my taste taster, it'll be a lot of fun! Enjoy the rest of this beautiful day, go outside and take pleasure in the magnificent beauty of God, the clouds are moving out and the sun is moving in. Be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about having our hearts fixed on God. The bible depicts countless stories about some brave people, some of which fought lions, and parted seas with a walking stick. Some were stoned to death, because of their love for God. Then there are accounts of people who were weak like Judas who betrayed Jesus. We don't have to face half of what was faced in the biblical days, yet we still stray, fret, and become weary in our Faith walk. In order to truly live a Righteous life, our hearts must be fixed on God. Let's examine the word "fixed". There are several different definitions, so I'll give you the first three:(1) Firmly in position; stationary. (2) Determined; established; set. (3) Not subject to change or variation; constant. James 1:5-8 says: If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Throughout this chapter James warns us about being "double-minded". He wrote to the church to help them deal with the practical aspects of the Christian faith, and to help remind them of what their everyday conduct should be. James' letters are still valid in today's society. Do you consider yourself brave? The book of Acts is a very interesting read, so take some and study it. It's sub-titled "The Acts of the Holy Spirit", and it follows the lives of the Jesus' disciples, mostly the journey of Peter and Paul. They were two very brave men. They came up against much adversity, but their hearts were always fixed on God. No matter how much they faced, they were still well loved, appreciated, and taken care of. God always supplied their every need, and all they had to do was stay "firmly positioned", and follow the will of God. They never feared death, beatings, or being imprisoned for what they believed in, because they knew their rewards where in Heaven. Humbleness starts when we truly surrender to God. When we allow Him to have total control and trust Him for everything, we're fixed. When we pray without ceasing we're fixed. When every step is taken with Him in mind, we're fixed. Being fixed on God will change our entire way of life, we'll have more peace, joy, and happiness, despite our earthly situations. We'll have more confidence to face the giants of life, and with that confidence we'll be more successful, because we aren't afraid to dream big. Frankly, with the blood of Jesus Christ, and a heart fixed on God, we shouldn't be afraid of anything. When we aren't fixed on God, we're in bondage, and when we finally fall back in line with Him we'll be able to stand firm on Faith. I've attached one of my favorite songs “Stand”, and part of the chorus is: Well, you just stand, When there's nothing left to do, You just stand, Watch the Lord see you through, Yes, after you've done all you can, You just stand. I love this song so much because I sometimes have a hard time letting go and letting God. Some of us go through life trying to take on the world alone, when all we need to do is stand still and wait on the Lord. If you don't know Jesus as Lord and Savior then what is your heart fixed on? Who do you rely on? Where does your help come from? Jesus offers the answers to all of this and more. When you get tired of going through life alone, pray and ask for God's help, and fix your heart on Him. My favorite verse today is: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455127&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7533383
I love you!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY WEDNESDAY!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying this truly splendid "hump day". I'm doing well, blessed and highly favored. I'm thanking God for all of the wonderful and supportive people He's surrounded me with. I've received an abundance of love and support, as well as good sound advice that has truly helped me through some rough points. It's important to surround yourself with positive supportive people in life, because we're here to uplift and magnify each other, and by that, we magnify God. Negetivity will get you no where, and it'll only hinder your growth. I love each one of you for who you are. My Aunt Cassey will be celebrating a birthday soon, as well as my cousin Darshwell, I'd like to wish both them a happy birthday. Have a wonderful day!, and be blessed famly!
Today's scriptures are about our inheritance through Jesus Christ. We all know the “real” Christmas story about the Virgin Mary, becoming pregnant by the Holy Spirit, and giving birth to Jesus, God's only begotten Son. Jesus was born and raised as a man, so he considered all of us His brothers and sisters. It's written in Mark 3:31-34: Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.” But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.” Years before Jesus was born, God gave several signs to let people know the "Messiah" was coming. The word Messiah is defined: One who is anticipated as, regarded as, or professes to be a savior or liberator. Jesus’ life opened so many different doors, and gave us so much power. Because of Him we Inherit the earth, Psalms 2:8 says: "Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession". We can do all things through Christ, and that's a reason to rejoice! I'm so grateful for Jesus because He did it all for us. He wanted us to have the opportunity at life. God felt that we'd suffered enough, and He gave us choice, while still being gracious and kind. He still offers guidance, and protects us from harm. He allows us to make our own mistakes and rewards us for doing well. All we have to do is ask, believe, and receive. Did you know that receiving could be a very difficult thing to do? I struggle with it myself, I have a hard time grasping the fact that I am a Queen in the Kingdom of God, and I already have a crown waiting on me in Heaven. The enemy does his part by making us believe that we’re not worthy. When we think along the lines of the flesh, we put limitations on God. However, through Jesus we are worthy. We have all His rights and power, because we share His blood. What is the Kingdom of God? It says several times in the bible that when we're saved, or “turn to righteousness”, we enter into the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom consists of a community of people who believe in God, and have received Salvation through Jesus Christ, or otherwise known as the Church. God is everywhere, and everything on earth and in Heaven is His kingdom, and we inhabit it. We live by the fruits of the Spirit, and not so much the ways of the world. Wealth and Prestige, or lack thereof, don't define who we are. Our faith and works define us. We're all growing together, and our inheritance means that we're now responsible for strengthening each other. We're to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, and God will do the rest. Are you ready to enter the Kingdom of God? If you don't know Jesus as your Savior then pray and ask Him to come into your heart. If you've accepted Jesus, are you ready to live in the Kingdom of God, and rise above the world? Go to God, confess and repent for your sins, and ask for wisdom and guidance, that's all He's waiting for. My favorite verse today is: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one. (John 17:23)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455126&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7532577
I love you!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying this truly splendid "hump day". I'm doing well, blessed and highly favored. I'm thanking God for all of the wonderful and supportive people He's surrounded me with. I've received an abundance of love and support, as well as good sound advice that has truly helped me through some rough points. It's important to surround yourself with positive supportive people in life, because we're here to uplift and magnify each other, and by that, we magnify God. Negetivity will get you no where, and it'll only hinder your growth. I love each one of you for who you are. My Aunt Cassey will be celebrating a birthday soon, as well as my cousin Darshwell, I'd like to wish both them a happy birthday. Have a wonderful day!, and be blessed famly!
Today's scriptures are about our inheritance through Jesus Christ. We all know the “real” Christmas story about the Virgin Mary, becoming pregnant by the Holy Spirit, and giving birth to Jesus, God's only begotten Son. Jesus was born and raised as a man, so he considered all of us His brothers and sisters. It's written in Mark 3:31-34: Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.” But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.” Years before Jesus was born, God gave several signs to let people know the "Messiah" was coming. The word Messiah is defined: One who is anticipated as, regarded as, or professes to be a savior or liberator. Jesus’ life opened so many different doors, and gave us so much power. Because of Him we Inherit the earth, Psalms 2:8 says: "Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession". We can do all things through Christ, and that's a reason to rejoice! I'm so grateful for Jesus because He did it all for us. He wanted us to have the opportunity at life. God felt that we'd suffered enough, and He gave us choice, while still being gracious and kind. He still offers guidance, and protects us from harm. He allows us to make our own mistakes and rewards us for doing well. All we have to do is ask, believe, and receive. Did you know that receiving could be a very difficult thing to do? I struggle with it myself, I have a hard time grasping the fact that I am a Queen in the Kingdom of God, and I already have a crown waiting on me in Heaven. The enemy does his part by making us believe that we’re not worthy. When we think along the lines of the flesh, we put limitations on God. However, through Jesus we are worthy. We have all His rights and power, because we share His blood. What is the Kingdom of God? It says several times in the bible that when we're saved, or “turn to righteousness”, we enter into the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom consists of a community of people who believe in God, and have received Salvation through Jesus Christ, or otherwise known as the Church. God is everywhere, and everything on earth and in Heaven is His kingdom, and we inhabit it. We live by the fruits of the Spirit, and not so much the ways of the world. Wealth and Prestige, or lack thereof, don't define who we are. Our faith and works define us. We're all growing together, and our inheritance means that we're now responsible for strengthening each other. We're to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, and God will do the rest. Are you ready to enter the Kingdom of God? If you don't know Jesus as your Savior then pray and ask Him to come into your heart. If you've accepted Jesus, are you ready to live in the Kingdom of God, and rise above the world? Go to God, confess and repent for your sins, and ask for wisdom and guidance, that's all He's waiting for. My favorite verse today is: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one. (John 17:23)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455126&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7532577
I love you!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY TUESDAY!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying this beautiful terrific Tuesday. I'm doing well, the day started off early for me, so I'm a little tired, but thanking God for the strength to get through it. I've finally gotten back in the gym after a 3-week hiatus, and over those three weeks, I partied like it was 1999, eating whatever I wanted. Now it's time to buckle down and get back into the swing of things. I started working with a Personal Trainer, and he's awesome, I actually saw and felt results after our first session. I highly recommend him, so if you're looking for some help and motivation let me know, I'll get you in touch with him. My book will be out just in time for the New Year, so I pray that you'll consider taking this journey with me, to improve our mind, body, and spirit. All of the details will be coming soon, so stay tuned. Please continue to keep me lifted up in prayer, and I will do the same for you. Be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about delighting in the Word of God. The Holy Bible is God's Living Word, and without it we cannot function properly. When we're born again, our Spirit is washed clean of all sin, and we become as clay, and God is the Potter. He begins to mold us into righteous men and women of Christ, however this transformation requires participation on our part. We're required to turn away from sin, and do our best to live righteously. The Bible will aid us, and it works hand and hand with our Holy Spirit. For some, reading the bible is like trying to read a book written in a foreign language, especially if you don't have a version that you can understand. The King James Version has the "Thou", "shall", "thinketh", "O", etc, and it could be hard to read. At the same time, it doesn't matter what version you have, you will not truly understand it without your Holy Spirit. Ask God to reveal Himself to you through the Holy Spirit. When you do that, you'll find that the Word will come alive. God will speak directly to you through certain verses. We should take some time each day to study the Word, and meditate on it. We do this because everyday comes with a different set of goals and challenges, and we must be prepared to face them. We also do it because that's a part of Loving God with all our hearts. Once again, how can you truly love someone you know nothing about? The more we read, the more we'll discover His awesome love. This will also help us grow in our Faith walk, because we're gaining wisdom from history. The bible takes us on adventures, and helps us understand that we're not alone in our ways of thinking. We face the same trials that were faced thousands of years ago, and God is still the same yesterday, today, and forever. Paul is a very good teacher, and the bible holds accounts of his letters to Nations and Churches explaining how to live Righteously and be encouraged. Paul spent a lot of time in prison or in captivity, and he spent that time reading the Word, and writing what his Spirit revealed to him. The bible holds the answers to any question we could ever have about life. You can learn about marriage, how to raise your children, how to forgive, when to go to war, when to surrender, how to overcome depression, as well as how to praise and worship. We should be excited when we open up our bible, because it's designed to enhance our lives. God's wisdom is more precious than anything we could learn. We read and study all the time, most of us read the Newspaper everyday, or have subscriptions to several popular magazines, but rarely pick up our bible to learn the true ways of life. I want to encourage you to delight yourself in the Lord (Psalms 37:4). It's written in Zephaniah 2:3: Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the LORD’s anger. Take time for the Lord everyday, and He will reveal Himself to you. There are three major ways to properly connect with God, by reading His Word, prayer, and meditation. Fellowshipping with fellow Christians via church services, seminars, and bible study are other ways to seek Him, but building a personal relationship is most important. If you don't know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you're missing the Holy Spirit. Words are words, but God's Word is something totally different. Are you ready to experience life through His Living Word? He's waiting to hear from you. My favorite verses today are: Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass. (James 1:22-23)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455125&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7533385
I love you!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying this beautiful terrific Tuesday. I'm doing well, the day started off early for me, so I'm a little tired, but thanking God for the strength to get through it. I've finally gotten back in the gym after a 3-week hiatus, and over those three weeks, I partied like it was 1999, eating whatever I wanted. Now it's time to buckle down and get back into the swing of things. I started working with a Personal Trainer, and he's awesome, I actually saw and felt results after our first session. I highly recommend him, so if you're looking for some help and motivation let me know, I'll get you in touch with him. My book will be out just in time for the New Year, so I pray that you'll consider taking this journey with me, to improve our mind, body, and spirit. All of the details will be coming soon, so stay tuned. Please continue to keep me lifted up in prayer, and I will do the same for you. Be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about delighting in the Word of God. The Holy Bible is God's Living Word, and without it we cannot function properly. When we're born again, our Spirit is washed clean of all sin, and we become as clay, and God is the Potter. He begins to mold us into righteous men and women of Christ, however this transformation requires participation on our part. We're required to turn away from sin, and do our best to live righteously. The Bible will aid us, and it works hand and hand with our Holy Spirit. For some, reading the bible is like trying to read a book written in a foreign language, especially if you don't have a version that you can understand. The King James Version has the "Thou", "shall", "thinketh", "O", etc, and it could be hard to read. At the same time, it doesn't matter what version you have, you will not truly understand it without your Holy Spirit. Ask God to reveal Himself to you through the Holy Spirit. When you do that, you'll find that the Word will come alive. God will speak directly to you through certain verses. We should take some time each day to study the Word, and meditate on it. We do this because everyday comes with a different set of goals and challenges, and we must be prepared to face them. We also do it because that's a part of Loving God with all our hearts. Once again, how can you truly love someone you know nothing about? The more we read, the more we'll discover His awesome love. This will also help us grow in our Faith walk, because we're gaining wisdom from history. The bible takes us on adventures, and helps us understand that we're not alone in our ways of thinking. We face the same trials that were faced thousands of years ago, and God is still the same yesterday, today, and forever. Paul is a very good teacher, and the bible holds accounts of his letters to Nations and Churches explaining how to live Righteously and be encouraged. Paul spent a lot of time in prison or in captivity, and he spent that time reading the Word, and writing what his Spirit revealed to him. The bible holds the answers to any question we could ever have about life. You can learn about marriage, how to raise your children, how to forgive, when to go to war, when to surrender, how to overcome depression, as well as how to praise and worship. We should be excited when we open up our bible, because it's designed to enhance our lives. God's wisdom is more precious than anything we could learn. We read and study all the time, most of us read the Newspaper everyday, or have subscriptions to several popular magazines, but rarely pick up our bible to learn the true ways of life. I want to encourage you to delight yourself in the Lord (Psalms 37:4). It's written in Zephaniah 2:3: Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the LORD’s anger. Take time for the Lord everyday, and He will reveal Himself to you. There are three major ways to properly connect with God, by reading His Word, prayer, and meditation. Fellowshipping with fellow Christians via church services, seminars, and bible study are other ways to seek Him, but building a personal relationship is most important. If you don't know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you're missing the Holy Spirit. Words are words, but God's Word is something totally different. Are you ready to experience life through His Living Word? He's waiting to hear from you. My favorite verses today are: Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass. (James 1:22-23)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455125&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7533385
I love you!
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY MONDAY!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying the beginning of another workweek. I'm doing well, excited about the sunshine, because the gray weekend was a bit much. It reminded me of when I lived in Portland, OR, it rained and was gray like that for at least 7 months straight. That was so hard for me to endure, because I'm a bit of a "flower child", I need sunlight to survive. They have beautiful summers in Portland, because of all the rain, everything is green and vibrant, and it’s awesome. Have a wonderful day, and be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about having confidence in God's protection. There are so many things we have to face in this life, and leaning on God for strength to endure them is the only way to remain sane. I cringe when I think of how much we allow fear to control us. God promises to protect us from harm, and deliver us from evil, however we must trust in Him to do just that. When you think of stories like David and Goliath, or Daniel and the Lion's den, how can you doubt God's delivering power? We must be willing to go to war for the Kingdom of God, yet we must carry the protection of God through Faith. David was a lowly Shepherd of sheep, and when this giant Goliath threatened to destroy all of Israel, David volunteered to fight him, because he was confident in God’s strength. David told King Saul in 1 Samuel 17:32: "let no man's heart fail because of him, your servant will go and fight with this Philistine". Nobody, not even King Saul, believed that David could do this, but he allowed him to try. David went to battle this man with a slingshot and three stones, and everyone thought he was crazy. Even the Giant taunted him, and thought that this would be a fairly easy defeat. Here's the key to how David destroyed this virtually "un-destroyable" Giant: Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. ...That all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel." David didn't have any confidence in his own ability, nor did he boast about how strong and mighty he was, but He gave all the Honor and glory to God. He came to battle in the Name of the Lord, and that is the only way he was able to win. We face many Giants in life, and the one and only way to defeat them is by Faith in God. We face physical, mental, and spiritual obstacles everyday, and God is with us to help us along the way. It's time to stop running from the Giants of life, and step out on the promises of God. We have Jesus Christ in our hearts, so just imagine how much more powerful that makes us. When we're working for God, it's important not to back down from anything, especially if it questions our integrity and the Kingdom of God. Don't allow anyone to feed you lies about who you are in Christ. You're joint heir of the Kingdom, and He loves you no matter what. We're forgiven of all transgressions by the blood of Jesus, so let's start facing our fears with confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Fate lies in our Faith! If you don't know Jesus as Lord, or have strayed, that's okay. It’s written in Ezekiel 33:17-18: When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it. But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it. I don't know anyone who hasn't been there at one time or another. God's protection is open to all of His children, but only if we ask for it. If you need help with prayer please let me know, we can help keep each other lifted, which in turn will help build our Faith. My favorite verse today is: Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. (Jeremiah 17:7)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455124&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7532591
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
I love you!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying the beginning of another workweek. I'm doing well, excited about the sunshine, because the gray weekend was a bit much. It reminded me of when I lived in Portland, OR, it rained and was gray like that for at least 7 months straight. That was so hard for me to endure, because I'm a bit of a "flower child", I need sunlight to survive. They have beautiful summers in Portland, because of all the rain, everything is green and vibrant, and it’s awesome. Have a wonderful day, and be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about having confidence in God's protection. There are so many things we have to face in this life, and leaning on God for strength to endure them is the only way to remain sane. I cringe when I think of how much we allow fear to control us. God promises to protect us from harm, and deliver us from evil, however we must trust in Him to do just that. When you think of stories like David and Goliath, or Daniel and the Lion's den, how can you doubt God's delivering power? We must be willing to go to war for the Kingdom of God, yet we must carry the protection of God through Faith. David was a lowly Shepherd of sheep, and when this giant Goliath threatened to destroy all of Israel, David volunteered to fight him, because he was confident in God’s strength. David told King Saul in 1 Samuel 17:32: "let no man's heart fail because of him, your servant will go and fight with this Philistine". Nobody, not even King Saul, believed that David could do this, but he allowed him to try. David went to battle this man with a slingshot and three stones, and everyone thought he was crazy. Even the Giant taunted him, and thought that this would be a fairly easy defeat. Here's the key to how David destroyed this virtually "un-destroyable" Giant: Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. ...That all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel." David didn't have any confidence in his own ability, nor did he boast about how strong and mighty he was, but He gave all the Honor and glory to God. He came to battle in the Name of the Lord, and that is the only way he was able to win. We face many Giants in life, and the one and only way to defeat them is by Faith in God. We face physical, mental, and spiritual obstacles everyday, and God is with us to help us along the way. It's time to stop running from the Giants of life, and step out on the promises of God. We have Jesus Christ in our hearts, so just imagine how much more powerful that makes us. When we're working for God, it's important not to back down from anything, especially if it questions our integrity and the Kingdom of God. Don't allow anyone to feed you lies about who you are in Christ. You're joint heir of the Kingdom, and He loves you no matter what. We're forgiven of all transgressions by the blood of Jesus, so let's start facing our fears with confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Fate lies in our Faith! If you don't know Jesus as Lord, or have strayed, that's okay. It’s written in Ezekiel 33:17-18: When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it. But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it. I don't know anyone who hasn't been there at one time or another. God's protection is open to all of His children, but only if we ask for it. If you need help with prayer please let me know, we can help keep each other lifted, which in turn will help build our Faith. My favorite verse today is: Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. (Jeremiah 17:7)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455124&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7532591
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
I love you!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY THURSDAY!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're Friday eve. I'm doing well, but was just a little grouchy this morning. I'm sleepy, it's raining, and the traffic was a nightmare. It took me 45 minutes to travel 2.5 miles, because of a new construction project that has closed down several lanes. I don't think the will construction ever ends, they’re at one stretch of the highway or another, and it puts a lot of strain on commuters. I try to look at it like this, at least they're attempting to do something to try and alleviate the traffic situations, but it seems like it never stops. I try to grin and bear it, but this morning it got under my skin; what can you do about it. Please keep me in prayer for my meeting tomorrow, pray that I get exactly what I need to get the book done. I'm also looking forward to Saturday's program at Pilgrims Baptist Church, I hope to see you there, it starts at 9am. Have a wonderful weekend, and be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about relying on God for strength. Life happens. There's nothing we can do to avoid its ups and downs, but we do have God as our Rock. We should build our lives around Him, because He gives us a strong foundation. Life should have some type of structure, and that structure begins with a foundation. Where we build our foundation is what matters the most. Jesus said in Matthew 7:24-27: “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” My dad told me years ago that God must sit on the throne of our lives, and Jesus sits at His right hand. I had heard that in Church before, but I can still remember the visual I imagined when dad said it. I learned that we should always put God first in our lives and try to live like Jesus lived. It's because of Jesus that we can wear a Crown of righteousness, so the key to living a peaceful life is to do everything with God in mind. We're to ask Him for guidance to get through each day, and He should influence our every decision. This gives us strength to withstand the trails and tribulation we may face. Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians: Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Eph. 2:19-22) In saying this, he gave us the responsibility for living righteous, because so often we leave that type of life to people who are in leadership positions. We are fellow citizens of the household of God, and it’s us up to us to build upon that. We learn the ways of God from our leaders, but it's ultimately up to us to follow those ways as individual. The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10), "A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand.... (Psalms 91:1). We will face trails, and some of us will be hit harder than others, but trouble will come. I think of the story of Job; he was a righteous man, but when God allowed him to be tested, He stood firm on God's promise, and relied on Him to get through it. God gives us the strength that we need to endure, but when we lose sight of Him, we lose strength. The worst thing we could do is turn to the world, because we start to build a flimsy foundation, which is only temporary. If you're going through a storm right not, stand firm on God, because He's our rock. He offers protection, comfort, and deliverance, but we must look to Him to receive it. If you don't know Jesus, then you don't know God. God is the foundation, Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone, and so if you don’t have them, what do you really have? The prayer is simple, confess your sins, invite Jesus into your heart as Lord and Savior, and then receive His love. Once that's done, start to build on His Living Word. It may take some time, and sometimes you might need to tear some things down and start over, but no matter what falls around you, that foundation is still strong to support you in everything you do. My favorite verse today is: The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. (Psalms 28:7)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455120&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7532563
I love you!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're Friday eve. I'm doing well, but was just a little grouchy this morning. I'm sleepy, it's raining, and the traffic was a nightmare. It took me 45 minutes to travel 2.5 miles, because of a new construction project that has closed down several lanes. I don't think the will construction ever ends, they’re at one stretch of the highway or another, and it puts a lot of strain on commuters. I try to look at it like this, at least they're attempting to do something to try and alleviate the traffic situations, but it seems like it never stops. I try to grin and bear it, but this morning it got under my skin; what can you do about it. Please keep me in prayer for my meeting tomorrow, pray that I get exactly what I need to get the book done. I'm also looking forward to Saturday's program at Pilgrims Baptist Church, I hope to see you there, it starts at 9am. Have a wonderful weekend, and be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about relying on God for strength. Life happens. There's nothing we can do to avoid its ups and downs, but we do have God as our Rock. We should build our lives around Him, because He gives us a strong foundation. Life should have some type of structure, and that structure begins with a foundation. Where we build our foundation is what matters the most. Jesus said in Matthew 7:24-27: “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” My dad told me years ago that God must sit on the throne of our lives, and Jesus sits at His right hand. I had heard that in Church before, but I can still remember the visual I imagined when dad said it. I learned that we should always put God first in our lives and try to live like Jesus lived. It's because of Jesus that we can wear a Crown of righteousness, so the key to living a peaceful life is to do everything with God in mind. We're to ask Him for guidance to get through each day, and He should influence our every decision. This gives us strength to withstand the trails and tribulation we may face. Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians: Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Eph. 2:19-22) In saying this, he gave us the responsibility for living righteous, because so often we leave that type of life to people who are in leadership positions. We are fellow citizens of the household of God, and it’s us up to us to build upon that. We learn the ways of God from our leaders, but it's ultimately up to us to follow those ways as individual. The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10), "A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand.... (Psalms 91:1). We will face trails, and some of us will be hit harder than others, but trouble will come. I think of the story of Job; he was a righteous man, but when God allowed him to be tested, He stood firm on God's promise, and relied on Him to get through it. God gives us the strength that we need to endure, but when we lose sight of Him, we lose strength. The worst thing we could do is turn to the world, because we start to build a flimsy foundation, which is only temporary. If you're going through a storm right not, stand firm on God, because He's our rock. He offers protection, comfort, and deliverance, but we must look to Him to receive it. If you don't know Jesus, then you don't know God. God is the foundation, Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone, and so if you don’t have them, what do you really have? The prayer is simple, confess your sins, invite Jesus into your heart as Lord and Savior, and then receive His love. Once that's done, start to build on His Living Word. It may take some time, and sometimes you might need to tear some things down and start over, but no matter what falls around you, that foundation is still strong to support you in everything you do. My favorite verse today is: The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. (Psalms 28:7)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455120&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7532563
I love you!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY WEDNESDAY!
I pray all is well with you, and you're enjoying this breezy and cool "hump day". I'm doing great, despite the fact that I didn't get much sleep last night. Grandma came home from the hospital yesterday; praise God. She said she's feeling a little better, but still have a little cough. I'm looking forward to the weekend, especially since I'm off Friday. I'm looking forward to my meeting, and mapping out a positive course to get the book completed by the end of the year. That doesn't give me much time to work with, but God willing, I'll get it done. I changed a few things on my website, check it out and let me know what you think, www.divinecuisineepc.com. As usual, I'd like to thank you for your support and continued prayers. I thank God for each of you, because you have or will play some part in my life. If you joined the group (information at the end of each devotional), send you prayer requests, or if you have a thought that you would like to share, be sure to do that. I look forward to building relationships in Christ. Have a wonderful day, and be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about the death of Christ for All. The basis of Christianity is the Passion of Christ. The Passion is a description of what Jesus did for us, when He gave up His life to atone for the sin of mankind. Jesus said in John 6:51: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” Did you notice He said, “I shall give”? Jesus was God in the flesh, so no man could've taken His life, but He willingly gave it. Because of His love for us, He endured enormous heartache, pain, and strife. Can you imagine dying the way that Jesus died? If you saw the movie The Passion of Christ, you can picture some of the tortured He had to endure. People can be so cruel and evil, but Jesus wanted to show us that we, through Him, could rise above anything that the enemy could throw at us. People tried to destroy Him, for no apparent reason, but at the end of it all, He forgave them, and He prayed and asked God to forgive them as well. How awesome is that? Jesus was a sweet, humble, caring, and meek man, that was killed because of His love for us. Through His death, everyone who believes in Him gains Salvation, and He only thing He asks in return is our love. The beauty of this entire thing is that He overcame evil and sin, so we wouldn't have too. He took on that burden to free us, and give us a wonderful life, on earth and in Heaven. No matter what we do on this earth, if we've Confessed Jesus as our Savior, we'll always have a spot in Heaven. We can live our entire life never doing anything good for anyone, but as long as we believe in Jesus, we still have our spot in Heaven. That's a little extreme, but it's true. However, when Jesus comes into our hearts, He starts to transform our life, from the inside out. No matter how hard and evil you may be, once Jesus' love fills you, the transformation will happen. Some people transform over night, and for some it's a daily building process. We each have a personal relationship with Christ that works together to strengthen the Kingdom of God. He even died for the people that don't believe in Him, and curse His Name. He's open to all who will receive Him, so there is nothing we can do so terrible that would make Him stop loving us. When He dropped His head on that cross, and gave up the Ghost, once and for all, it was done. God did all of this for a reason, and we will never know the mysteries of God, until we reach Heaven. He shared some things with John, in Revelations 21:6-8: And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Do you understand what this means? If you've committed any of these sins, but "Overcome" them through Jesus Christ, you shall inherit all things! God said He would give us Life freely; all we have to do is ask. However, is you're cowardly and unbelieving that second death is inevitable for you. Don't take my word for it, but take the living word of God. Jesus is real and He lives, but most importantly, He's waiting on us to come to Him, so He could give us rest. Are you ready to receive peace, love, and joy that exceed all expectations? Well God is waiting to hear that prayer from you, whether it's to accept Him as Lord, or to confess and repent your sins and reconcile with Him. My favorite verse today is: It pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. (Isaiah 53:10)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455119&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nl/newsletter2.asp?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
I love you!
I pray all is well with you, and you're enjoying this breezy and cool "hump day". I'm doing great, despite the fact that I didn't get much sleep last night. Grandma came home from the hospital yesterday; praise God. She said she's feeling a little better, but still have a little cough. I'm looking forward to the weekend, especially since I'm off Friday. I'm looking forward to my meeting, and mapping out a positive course to get the book completed by the end of the year. That doesn't give me much time to work with, but God willing, I'll get it done. I changed a few things on my website, check it out and let me know what you think, www.divinecuisineepc.com. As usual, I'd like to thank you for your support and continued prayers. I thank God for each of you, because you have or will play some part in my life. If you joined the group (information at the end of each devotional), send you prayer requests, or if you have a thought that you would like to share, be sure to do that. I look forward to building relationships in Christ. Have a wonderful day, and be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about the death of Christ for All. The basis of Christianity is the Passion of Christ. The Passion is a description of what Jesus did for us, when He gave up His life to atone for the sin of mankind. Jesus said in John 6:51: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” Did you notice He said, “I shall give”? Jesus was God in the flesh, so no man could've taken His life, but He willingly gave it. Because of His love for us, He endured enormous heartache, pain, and strife. Can you imagine dying the way that Jesus died? If you saw the movie The Passion of Christ, you can picture some of the tortured He had to endure. People can be so cruel and evil, but Jesus wanted to show us that we, through Him, could rise above anything that the enemy could throw at us. People tried to destroy Him, for no apparent reason, but at the end of it all, He forgave them, and He prayed and asked God to forgive them as well. How awesome is that? Jesus was a sweet, humble, caring, and meek man, that was killed because of His love for us. Through His death, everyone who believes in Him gains Salvation, and He only thing He asks in return is our love. The beauty of this entire thing is that He overcame evil and sin, so we wouldn't have too. He took on that burden to free us, and give us a wonderful life, on earth and in Heaven. No matter what we do on this earth, if we've Confessed Jesus as our Savior, we'll always have a spot in Heaven. We can live our entire life never doing anything good for anyone, but as long as we believe in Jesus, we still have our spot in Heaven. That's a little extreme, but it's true. However, when Jesus comes into our hearts, He starts to transform our life, from the inside out. No matter how hard and evil you may be, once Jesus' love fills you, the transformation will happen. Some people transform over night, and for some it's a daily building process. We each have a personal relationship with Christ that works together to strengthen the Kingdom of God. He even died for the people that don't believe in Him, and curse His Name. He's open to all who will receive Him, so there is nothing we can do so terrible that would make Him stop loving us. When He dropped His head on that cross, and gave up the Ghost, once and for all, it was done. God did all of this for a reason, and we will never know the mysteries of God, until we reach Heaven. He shared some things with John, in Revelations 21:6-8: And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Do you understand what this means? If you've committed any of these sins, but "Overcome" them through Jesus Christ, you shall inherit all things! God said He would give us Life freely; all we have to do is ask. However, is you're cowardly and unbelieving that second death is inevitable for you. Don't take my word for it, but take the living word of God. Jesus is real and He lives, but most importantly, He's waiting on us to come to Him, so He could give us rest. Are you ready to receive peace, love, and joy that exceed all expectations? Well God is waiting to hear that prayer from you, whether it's to accept Him as Lord, or to confess and repent your sins and reconcile with Him. My favorite verse today is: It pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. (Isaiah 53:10)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455119&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nl/newsletter2.asp?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
I love you!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY TUESDAY!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying another beautiful "Terrific Tuesday". I'm doing well, a little sore because last night was my first night back in the gym after a 3-week hiatus. I've been so busy with my dad, and other things, I haven't found the time to go. I felt really good while I was in there, and even this morning when I woke up, but as the day goes on... Owwie! Well you know what they say, "no pain no gain", so I have to get back in there and work it out tonight. I spoke to my Grandmother this morning, and she's feeling a little better today, thanks for your prayers. We're hoping she'll be home soon, but she doesn’t want to come home until the infection is all cleared up. We need a miracle, and God is the only One that hands those out regularly, so let’s keep her lifted up in prayer. Dad is making his way around town, but getting lost in the process. Thank God for cell phones! Sometimes getting lost is best because you learn the areas around you, and not just how to get to your destination. Continue to keep him in your prayers as well. Have a wonderful day, and be blessed Family!
Today's scriptures are about God's blessings upon the humble. I was very intrigued by our opening scripture Daniel 10:12. So much so, I wanted to start with it, to reiterate its validity to the message I want to relay today. Here's the New American Standard Version: From the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come. I noticed that I pray as if I deserve God's blessings, and I not with a humbled heart. To be honest, I sometimes pray and not really expect an answer, or am not willing to wait on God’s answer. This first verse touched me because I don't think I'm completely able to "let go and let God" yet. I love the Lord with all of my heart, but I personally have issues with giving up control. It causes worry and anxiety, and in return takes my peace. As of today, I'm going to humbly set my heart on the power of Jesus Christ, because I cannot do anything without Him. Humbleness is somewhat a craft, which should be worked on to perfect, because it's so easy to lose. Especially when we convert to the world’s way of thinking, and lose sight of God. We often become so busy, that we don’t make time for God. How many of us schedule time for God? No matter what, at the end and/or at the beginning of our day, it's important to get centered with God. The scripture says "From the first day...” and based on what Jesus said in Luke 9:23: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me, each day we’re given is the “first day”. We must look to Him for guidance, wisdom, and understanding, and know that He is King. We must allow our flesh to be broken, and allow God to build up our Spirit. When we do that, we're more prone to follow Him, because He’s our focus. God will make sure that our every need is taken care of. Most importantly we'll have that inner peace that surpasses all understanding. We'll have the wisdom and compassion to help our fellow man. We'll see things the way Jesus sees them, and that allows us to live abundantly. In order to truly humble ourselves, we must address the issue of sin in our lives. When we come to God with a heavy heart, acknowledging that we've sinned, and that we understand the repercussions, and try not to sin again, that shows a great deal of humbleness. One day you’ll realize that going at life alone isn't the way to go, because when God is calling you, there is no ignoring Him. You’ll notice that all your peace and joy is gone, and the only way to restore that is to be humble before God, and allow Him to lead. It's written in Psalms 146:8: The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; The LORD raises those who are bowed down; The LORD loves the righteous. We're all at one point blind, but bowing takes more than we could imagine. Everything that God asks us to do is for our good. Everyday you read your devotionals or Bible scriptures He's feeding you, to help you have a better life. Jesus said I call you more than Servants, because a servant doesn't know what the Master is doing, you are a friend. If you don't know Jesus as Lord and Savior, then that's the first act of humbleness that required. Let God know that you need Him, and ask Jesus to come into your Heart as Lord and Savior. Then try your best to live with a contrite heart, because your quality of life depends on it. My Favorite verse today is: Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off. (Psalms 138:6)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455118&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nl/newsletter2.asp?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525
I love you!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying another beautiful "Terrific Tuesday". I'm doing well, a little sore because last night was my first night back in the gym after a 3-week hiatus. I've been so busy with my dad, and other things, I haven't found the time to go. I felt really good while I was in there, and even this morning when I woke up, but as the day goes on... Owwie! Well you know what they say, "no pain no gain", so I have to get back in there and work it out tonight. I spoke to my Grandmother this morning, and she's feeling a little better today, thanks for your prayers. We're hoping she'll be home soon, but she doesn’t want to come home until the infection is all cleared up. We need a miracle, and God is the only One that hands those out regularly, so let’s keep her lifted up in prayer. Dad is making his way around town, but getting lost in the process. Thank God for cell phones! Sometimes getting lost is best because you learn the areas around you, and not just how to get to your destination. Continue to keep him in your prayers as well. Have a wonderful day, and be blessed Family!
Today's scriptures are about God's blessings upon the humble. I was very intrigued by our opening scripture Daniel 10:12. So much so, I wanted to start with it, to reiterate its validity to the message I want to relay today. Here's the New American Standard Version: From the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come. I noticed that I pray as if I deserve God's blessings, and I not with a humbled heart. To be honest, I sometimes pray and not really expect an answer, or am not willing to wait on God’s answer. This first verse touched me because I don't think I'm completely able to "let go and let God" yet. I love the Lord with all of my heart, but I personally have issues with giving up control. It causes worry and anxiety, and in return takes my peace. As of today, I'm going to humbly set my heart on the power of Jesus Christ, because I cannot do anything without Him. Humbleness is somewhat a craft, which should be worked on to perfect, because it's so easy to lose. Especially when we convert to the world’s way of thinking, and lose sight of God. We often become so busy, that we don’t make time for God. How many of us schedule time for God? No matter what, at the end and/or at the beginning of our day, it's important to get centered with God. The scripture says "From the first day...” and based on what Jesus said in Luke 9:23: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me, each day we’re given is the “first day”. We must look to Him for guidance, wisdom, and understanding, and know that He is King. We must allow our flesh to be broken, and allow God to build up our Spirit. When we do that, we're more prone to follow Him, because He’s our focus. God will make sure that our every need is taken care of. Most importantly we'll have that inner peace that surpasses all understanding. We'll have the wisdom and compassion to help our fellow man. We'll see things the way Jesus sees them, and that allows us to live abundantly. In order to truly humble ourselves, we must address the issue of sin in our lives. When we come to God with a heavy heart, acknowledging that we've sinned, and that we understand the repercussions, and try not to sin again, that shows a great deal of humbleness. One day you’ll realize that going at life alone isn't the way to go, because when God is calling you, there is no ignoring Him. You’ll notice that all your peace and joy is gone, and the only way to restore that is to be humble before God, and allow Him to lead. It's written in Psalms 146:8: The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; The LORD raises those who are bowed down; The LORD loves the righteous. We're all at one point blind, but bowing takes more than we could imagine. Everything that God asks us to do is for our good. Everyday you read your devotionals or Bible scriptures He's feeding you, to help you have a better life. Jesus said I call you more than Servants, because a servant doesn't know what the Master is doing, you are a friend. If you don't know Jesus as Lord and Savior, then that's the first act of humbleness that required. Let God know that you need Him, and ask Jesus to come into your Heart as Lord and Savior. Then try your best to live with a contrite heart, because your quality of life depends on it. My Favorite verse today is: Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off. (Psalms 138:6)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455118&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nl/newsletter2.asp?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525
I love you!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY MONDAY!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying the beginning of another workweek. I'm doing well, blessed and highly favored! I had a great weekend, though pretty uneventful. I'm looking forward to the Breakfast Fellowship and Drama Performance this Saturday at Pilgrim’s Baptist Church. The Women For Christ Ministry hosts this event. My Aunt Minister Sabrina Roberts is the Director of the event. If you're free on Saturday morning, please come out and participate, it starts at 9am. I initially thought it was for women only, but I was wrong, men are welcome too. It's free, and there will be Daycare available, so bring the kids if you need to. I had the pleasure of attending last year's event, and it was really nice. Please call 301-873-2500 to RSVP. Actually the RSVP was supposed to be done by Friday, so I guess we better call today. Also, please pray for my Grandmother, she's back in the hospital, the Pneumonia hasn't cleared up completely, but I spoke to her this morning and she's doing well. Have a wonderful day, and be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about peace through salvation. Let's think about relationships for a moment, any type of relationship, whether husband/wife, parent/child, friendships, etc. For any relationship to work, we must have trust. We expect the people we love to always love us in return, and to never hurt or betray us. Does that always happen? Not at all because we're all human and we make mistakes. With this being said, a true and strong relationship is partly built on forgiveness. In a healthy relationship, we try our best to love, respect, and cherish the people we love. We expect the same in return, but the truth is, we will have disagreements, arguments, and someone may get hurt from our actions. In these cases all we can do is apologize and ask that person to forgive us, and move on to strengthen that relationship. Reconciliation can only come through communication. Now, let's think about our relationship with God. We often times treat that relationship as we would an earthly relationship, and that's where we go wrong. God loves us unconditionally, and with humans, there are all types of conditions that come with our love. Even though we sin and often turn our back on God, He's always waiting on us to merely ask for forgiveness, and repent. This wasn't always the case; before Christ, if you sinned, you had to go through a lot more to be forgiven. God got fed up with that, because He saw too many of His children suffering. He came to earth as a man, took on all sin, and shed His blood to cleanse us from unrighteousness. He did that because He loved us, and wanted to give us peace. He wanted to reconcile our relationship, because for years we were separated from Him. Those of us who know Jesus Christ as our Savior have the awesome privilege of being friends of the Most High God. God is here when we need Him, and all we need to do is call on Him, in the Name of Jesus. Whatever we need He provides, because He wants to be closer than a brother. He did His part to rid us of any barriers that may cause us strife, and He said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). Do you ever think that God is upset with us because of something we've done? Have you ever let that deter you from praying? If you have, please don't do that again, because when Jesus was on that cross and dropped His head and said "It's finished" (John 19:30), that's exactly what He meant. Separation from God is finished, penalties of sin are finished, and blood sacrifices are finished. We're one with God, Hallelujah! Don't allow the enemy to keep you away from God any longer, because he's been lying to you far too long. God isn't angry with you for anything, He'll forgive you as soon as you ask Him too. He has a will for your life, and His top priority is making sure you have everything you need to complete that will. If you're at peace, you can better live that abundant life that Jesus died to give you. If you don't know Jesus as your Savior, there's no better time then the present. God has gone through great lengths to bring you back to Him. Say that prayer asking Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, confessing your sins, and accepting His powerful mercy and grace. My favorite verse today is: Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace. (Job 22:21)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455117&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7532581
I love you!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying the beginning of another workweek. I'm doing well, blessed and highly favored! I had a great weekend, though pretty uneventful. I'm looking forward to the Breakfast Fellowship and Drama Performance this Saturday at Pilgrim’s Baptist Church. The Women For Christ Ministry hosts this event. My Aunt Minister Sabrina Roberts is the Director of the event. If you're free on Saturday morning, please come out and participate, it starts at 9am. I initially thought it was for women only, but I was wrong, men are welcome too. It's free, and there will be Daycare available, so bring the kids if you need to. I had the pleasure of attending last year's event, and it was really nice. Please call 301-873-2500 to RSVP. Actually the RSVP was supposed to be done by Friday, so I guess we better call today. Also, please pray for my Grandmother, she's back in the hospital, the Pneumonia hasn't cleared up completely, but I spoke to her this morning and she's doing well. Have a wonderful day, and be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about peace through salvation. Let's think about relationships for a moment, any type of relationship, whether husband/wife, parent/child, friendships, etc. For any relationship to work, we must have trust. We expect the people we love to always love us in return, and to never hurt or betray us. Does that always happen? Not at all because we're all human and we make mistakes. With this being said, a true and strong relationship is partly built on forgiveness. In a healthy relationship, we try our best to love, respect, and cherish the people we love. We expect the same in return, but the truth is, we will have disagreements, arguments, and someone may get hurt from our actions. In these cases all we can do is apologize and ask that person to forgive us, and move on to strengthen that relationship. Reconciliation can only come through communication. Now, let's think about our relationship with God. We often times treat that relationship as we would an earthly relationship, and that's where we go wrong. God loves us unconditionally, and with humans, there are all types of conditions that come with our love. Even though we sin and often turn our back on God, He's always waiting on us to merely ask for forgiveness, and repent. This wasn't always the case; before Christ, if you sinned, you had to go through a lot more to be forgiven. God got fed up with that, because He saw too many of His children suffering. He came to earth as a man, took on all sin, and shed His blood to cleanse us from unrighteousness. He did that because He loved us, and wanted to give us peace. He wanted to reconcile our relationship, because for years we were separated from Him. Those of us who know Jesus Christ as our Savior have the awesome privilege of being friends of the Most High God. God is here when we need Him, and all we need to do is call on Him, in the Name of Jesus. Whatever we need He provides, because He wants to be closer than a brother. He did His part to rid us of any barriers that may cause us strife, and He said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). Do you ever think that God is upset with us because of something we've done? Have you ever let that deter you from praying? If you have, please don't do that again, because when Jesus was on that cross and dropped His head and said "It's finished" (John 19:30), that's exactly what He meant. Separation from God is finished, penalties of sin are finished, and blood sacrifices are finished. We're one with God, Hallelujah! Don't allow the enemy to keep you away from God any longer, because he's been lying to you far too long. God isn't angry with you for anything, He'll forgive you as soon as you ask Him too. He has a will for your life, and His top priority is making sure you have everything you need to complete that will. If you're at peace, you can better live that abundant life that Jesus died to give you. If you don't know Jesus as your Savior, there's no better time then the present. God has gone through great lengths to bring you back to Him. Say that prayer asking Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, confessing your sins, and accepting His powerful mercy and grace. My favorite verse today is: Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace. (Job 22:21)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455117&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7532581
I love you!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY FRIDAY!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying the end of another workweek. I'm doing well, TGIF! Today has been a good day, praise God. It's a beautiful day, filled with sunshine and smiles. God is awesome! I feel a breakthrough coming. Please continue to pray for the success of my upcoming book, and look forward to getting your copy by the beginning the year. I cannot wait to share my testimony. I've been further inspired by Mr. Tyler Perry, when he addressed his fans a few days ago, by sharing a fraction of his testimony. It's amazing when God puts something on your heart, then He leads you to share it with everyone, so that we could see His glory. If you haven't read Tyler's story check it out http://www.tylerperry.com/_Messages/. If you think you've had it rough, there's always someone who's had it a little rougher, but the same thing God did for Tyler, He'll do for all of us. Don't ever doubt Him, and just be still and listen. Be blessed Family, and have a wonderful weekend!
Today's scriptures are about God's grace and keeping of His promises. Everything has its place. I love that concept, because with God, nothing happens by chance. He has an ultimate goal for each of our lives, and He had these goals from the beginning of time. He gave us His living Word, so we'll be able to learn who He is, and what is required of us. He created man from dirt, so our flesh is weak and frail, but at the same time has the potential to bring life. He breathed His breath into man, so His Spirit lives strong inside of us. He gives us all we need to survive, and allow us to find our why. He rewards us for our good, and punishes us for our bad, but allows us the room to learn the difference. When we sin, He needs us to realize that we've done something wrong, and allows us to feel the repercussions. He does this in hopes that we'll learn from the pain, and choose not to do those things again. It's written in James 1:2-4: My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Jesus gave His life for us, and He didn't do it in vain, so when we ask Him to come into our lives as our Savior, He's here to stay. Seeds of light are planted inside of us, and our mindset and hunger to learn His ways, determines how fast that light grows. We'll make mistake after mistake, and God will always be there to pick us up and dust us off. Some of us go through rebellion periods, where we want to do anything but the right thing. God understands that as well, so He allows us to experience longsuffering. However, because of His undying love for us, He'll always answer our prayers, and forgive us of all sins, when we ask with earnest heart, and repentance. The main purpose of pain in our life is to bring us into submission to His will. The bible is an imperative part of God that is filled with His promises. It's filled with promises to love us unconditionally, as well as promises of refinement and longsuffering. Our lives are a series of changing seasons, just as it's written in Ecclesiastes 3. Life is always changing all around us, and just as the minute hand on the clock revolves, the things around us evolve. As I've gotten closer to God, more of His beauty is being revealed to me everyday. From the sheer beauty of the different types of plant life, to the utter tranquility of the way the Potomac River flows, it's all a representation of the Heavens above. How amazing is it that the trees die for half of the year, and blossoms to pure beauty the other half? God has set it up that way for a reason. Even if it's just a testimony that when a situation may look dead, it still has a little life in it, and in God's time it'll be alive and fruitful once again. It's sometimes hard to find the beauty in a naked fruitless tree, but with God there's beauty in everything, and just the fact of knowing that it will one day be beautiful again, is enough to continue to cherish it. The fall is here, and pretty soon the trees will lose its leaves and die out for the winter season. My challenge for you this weekend is to slow down and appreciate what you have, watch the beauty of it's transformation, and thank God for the coming of it's beauty again in the Spring. This goes for relationships, material blessings, love, and just life in general. Tomorrow isn't promised to us, and it's only by the Grace of God that we're here today, so take some time out and thank Him for the winter, spring, summer, and fall of your life. If you don't know God, the only way to establish a relationship with Him is through Jesus Christ. By God's grace your sins will be forgiven, and He doesn't care what you've done in the past, your future in Christ can start today with a prayer. Everything He does, especially this moment, is meant to lead you to repentance. My favorite verse today is: Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. (Joel 2:13)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455114&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7532583
I love you!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying the end of another workweek. I'm doing well, TGIF! Today has been a good day, praise God. It's a beautiful day, filled with sunshine and smiles. God is awesome! I feel a breakthrough coming. Please continue to pray for the success of my upcoming book, and look forward to getting your copy by the beginning the year. I cannot wait to share my testimony. I've been further inspired by Mr. Tyler Perry, when he addressed his fans a few days ago, by sharing a fraction of his testimony. It's amazing when God puts something on your heart, then He leads you to share it with everyone, so that we could see His glory. If you haven't read Tyler's story check it out http://www.tylerperry.com/_Messages/. If you think you've had it rough, there's always someone who's had it a little rougher, but the same thing God did for Tyler, He'll do for all of us. Don't ever doubt Him, and just be still and listen. Be blessed Family, and have a wonderful weekend!
Today's scriptures are about God's grace and keeping of His promises. Everything has its place. I love that concept, because with God, nothing happens by chance. He has an ultimate goal for each of our lives, and He had these goals from the beginning of time. He gave us His living Word, so we'll be able to learn who He is, and what is required of us. He created man from dirt, so our flesh is weak and frail, but at the same time has the potential to bring life. He breathed His breath into man, so His Spirit lives strong inside of us. He gives us all we need to survive, and allow us to find our why. He rewards us for our good, and punishes us for our bad, but allows us the room to learn the difference. When we sin, He needs us to realize that we've done something wrong, and allows us to feel the repercussions. He does this in hopes that we'll learn from the pain, and choose not to do those things again. It's written in James 1:2-4: My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Jesus gave His life for us, and He didn't do it in vain, so when we ask Him to come into our lives as our Savior, He's here to stay. Seeds of light are planted inside of us, and our mindset and hunger to learn His ways, determines how fast that light grows. We'll make mistake after mistake, and God will always be there to pick us up and dust us off. Some of us go through rebellion periods, where we want to do anything but the right thing. God understands that as well, so He allows us to experience longsuffering. However, because of His undying love for us, He'll always answer our prayers, and forgive us of all sins, when we ask with earnest heart, and repentance. The main purpose of pain in our life is to bring us into submission to His will. The bible is an imperative part of God that is filled with His promises. It's filled with promises to love us unconditionally, as well as promises of refinement and longsuffering. Our lives are a series of changing seasons, just as it's written in Ecclesiastes 3. Life is always changing all around us, and just as the minute hand on the clock revolves, the things around us evolve. As I've gotten closer to God, more of His beauty is being revealed to me everyday. From the sheer beauty of the different types of plant life, to the utter tranquility of the way the Potomac River flows, it's all a representation of the Heavens above. How amazing is it that the trees die for half of the year, and blossoms to pure beauty the other half? God has set it up that way for a reason. Even if it's just a testimony that when a situation may look dead, it still has a little life in it, and in God's time it'll be alive and fruitful once again. It's sometimes hard to find the beauty in a naked fruitless tree, but with God there's beauty in everything, and just the fact of knowing that it will one day be beautiful again, is enough to continue to cherish it. The fall is here, and pretty soon the trees will lose its leaves and die out for the winter season. My challenge for you this weekend is to slow down and appreciate what you have, watch the beauty of it's transformation, and thank God for the coming of it's beauty again in the Spring. This goes for relationships, material blessings, love, and just life in general. Tomorrow isn't promised to us, and it's only by the Grace of God that we're here today, so take some time out and thank Him for the winter, spring, summer, and fall of your life. If you don't know God, the only way to establish a relationship with Him is through Jesus Christ. By God's grace your sins will be forgiven, and He doesn't care what you've done in the past, your future in Christ can start today with a prayer. Everything He does, especially this moment, is meant to lead you to repentance. My favorite verse today is: Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. (Joel 2:13)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455114&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7532583
I love you!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY THURSDAY!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying another beautiful Friday eve. I'm doing well, but eagerly awaiting the end of this workweek. I thought Friday would never get here. I haven't worked a full week in such a long time; I almost forgot what it feels like. Well this is a 6-day workweek for me, so I'll really feel it, but what a way to comeback, and come back strong. It's supposed to be 84°F tomorrow, and I think this will be the last "hot" day of the year. If you get a chance to go out and enjoy it, have enough fun for me. My Grandmother is doing very well, thanks for your continued prayers. I called yesterday and she had gotten dressed and went out. She hasn’t done that in awhile, so that's a tremendous victory. Every time I see her she's getting stronger and stronger. Maybe I can get a card game going tomorrow night. The beef stew and bread pudding definitely has to be made this weekend, I've been putting it off for too long. Have a wonderful evening, and be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about living a fearless life. The one thing that a lot of Christians don't understand is that as long as the blood of Jesus covers us, we shall fear no evil. Our physical bodies or only temporary, and when we suffer with Christ, we also received the rewards of Christ (Romans 8:17). Fear hinders us from truly giving our all to God, because we're more concerned about what the world thinks, then what God instructs us to do. How many times have God instructed you to do something, and you didn't because you were afraid? I was reading the book of Acts, and it depicts the life of Jesus’ disciples, mostly Peter and Paul. These men traveled the world preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, without fear of what anyone thought or said. In some places the mentioning of Jesus’ Name could get you killed, but all of these men went out and done it anyway, because that’s what God instructed them to do. They faced the world with the heart of Jesus, because the Holy Spirit was instilled in them. They knew that after this life, they’d face an Eternity of greatness. They wanted that for others as well, so they couldn't stop what they were doing out of fear of being hurt or killed. When Jesus comes into our heart and our Spirit begins to grow, we take on His attitude and love, and drop the selfish desires of our flesh. When that happens, we're more aware of the presence of God, and we naturally care about the salvation status of our fellow man. This process is called refinement. Knowing this, the devil plants False Evidence Appearing Real (FEAR) in our hearts. We can only be overcome by fear, when we're not yet at a point in our lives were we truly trust God. How do we begin to build up trust? You know the saying, "Practice makes perfect"? Well it's true in this case as well. We must practice casting our cares on the Lord and trusting Him. He'll begin to reveal Himself to us, and once we truly accept His love, we'll start to understand that following God, pleasing Him, and strengthening His Kingdom is our top priority. While we're going through life, we must be aware that we're helping our neighbors strengthen their lives as well. To do that, we mustn't be afraid of telling anyone about the love of God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, no matter where we are, or who's listening. Some people keep their relationship with Jesus quiet until they get to Church on Sunday morning. The rest of the week, Jesus' name never comes out of their mouth. Are you a “Sunday Christian”? Would you tell someone about Jesus while waiting in line at the grocery store? Jesus said: But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:33) When it comes to following the Will of God, the only thing you should be afraid of is what will happen if you don't. Just keep in mind that no man can take away our Heavenly dwelling place. Death will come to everyone, but eternal life in Heaven will not. We must do our part to make sure that as many people hear the Gospel of Christ as possible. We do have to follow earthly laws and be courteous to one another, so please do not test God. However, when the opportunity arise for you to help save a lost Soul, please don't allow fear to hinder you. Are you honestly doing all that you can for God? I'm sure the answer is no for most of us, and God understands that, however, He wants us to try. Each day we should focus on helping someone get to know Jesus. Drop all the fears and excuses, such as “I can't drive here, or fly there, I'm not good enough, I might mess up, I don't have the resources, I'm not a very good public speaker or writer,” etc. If God called you to do something, He'll make sure you have all of the resources to do it. Don't forget what Dr. Stanley said: "Obey God and leave the consequence to Him". If you don't know Jesus as your Savior, please contact me; I'll be happy to pray with you. It won’t take more than a few minutes of your time to do. My favorite verses today are: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (Romans 8:35,37)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455113&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7532567
I love you!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying another beautiful Friday eve. I'm doing well, but eagerly awaiting the end of this workweek. I thought Friday would never get here. I haven't worked a full week in such a long time; I almost forgot what it feels like. Well this is a 6-day workweek for me, so I'll really feel it, but what a way to comeback, and come back strong. It's supposed to be 84°F tomorrow, and I think this will be the last "hot" day of the year. If you get a chance to go out and enjoy it, have enough fun for me. My Grandmother is doing very well, thanks for your continued prayers. I called yesterday and she had gotten dressed and went out. She hasn’t done that in awhile, so that's a tremendous victory. Every time I see her she's getting stronger and stronger. Maybe I can get a card game going tomorrow night. The beef stew and bread pudding definitely has to be made this weekend, I've been putting it off for too long. Have a wonderful evening, and be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about living a fearless life. The one thing that a lot of Christians don't understand is that as long as the blood of Jesus covers us, we shall fear no evil. Our physical bodies or only temporary, and when we suffer with Christ, we also received the rewards of Christ (Romans 8:17). Fear hinders us from truly giving our all to God, because we're more concerned about what the world thinks, then what God instructs us to do. How many times have God instructed you to do something, and you didn't because you were afraid? I was reading the book of Acts, and it depicts the life of Jesus’ disciples, mostly Peter and Paul. These men traveled the world preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, without fear of what anyone thought or said. In some places the mentioning of Jesus’ Name could get you killed, but all of these men went out and done it anyway, because that’s what God instructed them to do. They faced the world with the heart of Jesus, because the Holy Spirit was instilled in them. They knew that after this life, they’d face an Eternity of greatness. They wanted that for others as well, so they couldn't stop what they were doing out of fear of being hurt or killed. When Jesus comes into our heart and our Spirit begins to grow, we take on His attitude and love, and drop the selfish desires of our flesh. When that happens, we're more aware of the presence of God, and we naturally care about the salvation status of our fellow man. This process is called refinement. Knowing this, the devil plants False Evidence Appearing Real (FEAR) in our hearts. We can only be overcome by fear, when we're not yet at a point in our lives were we truly trust God. How do we begin to build up trust? You know the saying, "Practice makes perfect"? Well it's true in this case as well. We must practice casting our cares on the Lord and trusting Him. He'll begin to reveal Himself to us, and once we truly accept His love, we'll start to understand that following God, pleasing Him, and strengthening His Kingdom is our top priority. While we're going through life, we must be aware that we're helping our neighbors strengthen their lives as well. To do that, we mustn't be afraid of telling anyone about the love of God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, no matter where we are, or who's listening. Some people keep their relationship with Jesus quiet until they get to Church on Sunday morning. The rest of the week, Jesus' name never comes out of their mouth. Are you a “Sunday Christian”? Would you tell someone about Jesus while waiting in line at the grocery store? Jesus said: But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:33) When it comes to following the Will of God, the only thing you should be afraid of is what will happen if you don't. Just keep in mind that no man can take away our Heavenly dwelling place. Death will come to everyone, but eternal life in Heaven will not. We must do our part to make sure that as many people hear the Gospel of Christ as possible. We do have to follow earthly laws and be courteous to one another, so please do not test God. However, when the opportunity arise for you to help save a lost Soul, please don't allow fear to hinder you. Are you honestly doing all that you can for God? I'm sure the answer is no for most of us, and God understands that, however, He wants us to try. Each day we should focus on helping someone get to know Jesus. Drop all the fears and excuses, such as “I can't drive here, or fly there, I'm not good enough, I might mess up, I don't have the resources, I'm not a very good public speaker or writer,” etc. If God called you to do something, He'll make sure you have all of the resources to do it. Don't forget what Dr. Stanley said: "Obey God and leave the consequence to Him". If you don't know Jesus as your Savior, please contact me; I'll be happy to pray with you. It won’t take more than a few minutes of your time to do. My favorite verses today are: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (Romans 8:35,37)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455113&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7532567
I love you!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY WEDNESDAY!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying another beautiful "hump day". I love days like this, when there's a little crispness in the air, the leaves are being blown all around, and the skies are sunny and blue. I have to stop and take a moment to enjoy it, because I've been complaining so much lately. My Aunt, Minister Sabrina Roberts, is having the annual Woman's day program at Pilgrims Baptist Church in Washington, DC, next Saturday, October 17, 2009 at 9am. I had the pleasure of attending the workshops last year, and it was a wonderful program. If you're in the area, and would like to attend, please contact me, and I'll give you more information. This is an awesome opportunity to bond with your fellow sisters in Christ. There will be childcare available, so bring the children if you need to. There will be workshops, Christian Drama and more. I'm very excited; I've been waiting for this all year. I heard that my Dad got the job praise God. He's only been home for two weeks today, and God has been blessing Him ever since. Thank you for your continued prayers, things are going to workout well for all of us. Thanks are to God; be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about the blessings of the meek. There's something unique about a person who is meek, because in today's world, there aren't a lot of people that poses that type of heart. Jesus was very meek and humble, so much so that He often washed the feet of His followers. During the time Jesus was here, they didn't have nice running or walking shoes. They only had a thin peace of material, either leather or wood. They had to walk through desserts, climb mountains, and hike rough terrains, because they didn't have paved highways or sidewalks. Can you imagine how sore and dirty your feet could get, after walking 20 miles? It was a privilege to wash your feet after a long journey. Jesus, the Son of God, and King of all Kings, humbled Himself to wash His servants feet. Jesus was (and is) a true role model for Meekness, and He calls all of us friends, as it's written in John 15:15: No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. Jesus is the most powerful man that ever walked this earth. So much so, that every knee shall bow in three realms when His name is mentioned, yet He took it upon Himself to wash someone’s friends feet. That is the epitome of meek. As Christians we're so quick to pass judgment on each another, instead of stepping our out of our comfort zone and helping. God called us to be Servants in His Kingdom, and He can work with us more efficiently if we humble ourselves enough to listen to Him. We don't know it all, and we never will. God has setup our lives so we'll have to depend on Him, because He has all of the answers to life. A few nights ago, I was feeling a little anxious about some things, because I often plan to do elaborate things, but get tripped up by the enemy, and I lose my focus. I prayed and asked God for guidance, and when I opened my bible the first thing I read was this: As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” (Psalms 42:1-2). After reading these first two verses, I immediately dropped my head and asked for forgiveness, because at that moment I realized that my soul wasn't thirsting for God. I wasn't seeking His input on "Everything" in my life. I was trying to figure things out on my own, and in that regard I failed. Being meek is just that, thirsting for God, and realizing that we cannot, nor were we meant to do things on our own. Being meek means that our biggest agenda in life is pleasing God, by seeking His guidance and completing His works. Being meek means trusting in God enough to wait on Him, and praising Him every chance we get. God always bless those who are meek, because it shows a tremendous amount of love for Him. Would you consider yourself meek? Take a moment to think about your answer. No matter it may be, God knows your heart. Take everyday and strive to be meek, just like Jesus was; Paul wrote that He dies daily, and each day he’s given a clean slate. If you don't know Jesus as your Savior then you're in luck. He's waiting to hear from you, because He's still meek, patient, and understanding. He's laid down His life for you, and is waiting for an invitation to be a part of your life. Prayer always work, but it must start with that initial prayer accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. After that you can ask God for anything, and He'll give you an answer. Make turning to God for all things a priority and not a choice. My favorite verse today is: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (James 1:5)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455112&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7532567
I love you!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying another beautiful "hump day". I love days like this, when there's a little crispness in the air, the leaves are being blown all around, and the skies are sunny and blue. I have to stop and take a moment to enjoy it, because I've been complaining so much lately. My Aunt, Minister Sabrina Roberts, is having the annual Woman's day program at Pilgrims Baptist Church in Washington, DC, next Saturday, October 17, 2009 at 9am. I had the pleasure of attending the workshops last year, and it was a wonderful program. If you're in the area, and would like to attend, please contact me, and I'll give you more information. This is an awesome opportunity to bond with your fellow sisters in Christ. There will be childcare available, so bring the children if you need to. There will be workshops, Christian Drama and more. I'm very excited; I've been waiting for this all year. I heard that my Dad got the job praise God. He's only been home for two weeks today, and God has been blessing Him ever since. Thank you for your continued prayers, things are going to workout well for all of us. Thanks are to God; be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about the blessings of the meek. There's something unique about a person who is meek, because in today's world, there aren't a lot of people that poses that type of heart. Jesus was very meek and humble, so much so that He often washed the feet of His followers. During the time Jesus was here, they didn't have nice running or walking shoes. They only had a thin peace of material, either leather or wood. They had to walk through desserts, climb mountains, and hike rough terrains, because they didn't have paved highways or sidewalks. Can you imagine how sore and dirty your feet could get, after walking 20 miles? It was a privilege to wash your feet after a long journey. Jesus, the Son of God, and King of all Kings, humbled Himself to wash His servants feet. Jesus was (and is) a true role model for Meekness, and He calls all of us friends, as it's written in John 15:15: No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. Jesus is the most powerful man that ever walked this earth. So much so, that every knee shall bow in three realms when His name is mentioned, yet He took it upon Himself to wash someone’s friends feet. That is the epitome of meek. As Christians we're so quick to pass judgment on each another, instead of stepping our out of our comfort zone and helping. God called us to be Servants in His Kingdom, and He can work with us more efficiently if we humble ourselves enough to listen to Him. We don't know it all, and we never will. God has setup our lives so we'll have to depend on Him, because He has all of the answers to life. A few nights ago, I was feeling a little anxious about some things, because I often plan to do elaborate things, but get tripped up by the enemy, and I lose my focus. I prayed and asked God for guidance, and when I opened my bible the first thing I read was this: As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” (Psalms 42:1-2). After reading these first two verses, I immediately dropped my head and asked for forgiveness, because at that moment I realized that my soul wasn't thirsting for God. I wasn't seeking His input on "Everything" in my life. I was trying to figure things out on my own, and in that regard I failed. Being meek is just that, thirsting for God, and realizing that we cannot, nor were we meant to do things on our own. Being meek means that our biggest agenda in life is pleasing God, by seeking His guidance and completing His works. Being meek means trusting in God enough to wait on Him, and praising Him every chance we get. God always bless those who are meek, because it shows a tremendous amount of love for Him. Would you consider yourself meek? Take a moment to think about your answer. No matter it may be, God knows your heart. Take everyday and strive to be meek, just like Jesus was; Paul wrote that He dies daily, and each day he’s given a clean slate. If you don't know Jesus as your Savior then you're in luck. He's waiting to hear from you, because He's still meek, patient, and understanding. He's laid down His life for you, and is waiting for an invitation to be a part of your life. Prayer always work, but it must start with that initial prayer accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. After that you can ask God for anything, and He'll give you an answer. Make turning to God for all things a priority and not a choice. My favorite verse today is: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (James 1:5)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455112&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7532567
I love you!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY TUESDAY!
I pray all is well, and you're enjoying this "Terrific Tuesday". I'm doing well, looking forward to the weekend already, as usual. I'm trying to group the recipes that will be included in the book, and am trying to with stay healthy and low-fat meals. That's never been my forte, because in my French Culinary school, I was taught that "fat is flavor". How do you substitute the flavor of fat, but still have flavorful food? I have some ideas, but most aromatic vegetables, and fresh herbs will do the job. Cooking with wine and stock, adds lots of flavor as well. My Grandmother asked me to make her some beef stew. She's on a low sodium diet, so I'll have to find a way to make it rich, without a lot of salty additives. Do you have any good recipes to share? This time of year, I start to crave comfort food, like potpies, stews, beans & rice, breads and biscuits, potatoes etc. My mother makes the best pinto and great northern beans. They're so good with rice and cornbread. Can you tell I'm a little hungry today, but I miss food, and I'm ready to get back into it. I don't like to bake, but my Aunt made a lemon Bundt cake on Sunday, that makes me want to bake one every weekend. It's a good thing I don't know how. I'm going to go get something to eat now, so be blessed family, enjoy the rest of the day.
Today's scriptures are about trusting in the Lord to take care of all things. Take a few moments to think about how vast the world really is. Now, take a moment and think about how vast the Earth is. When we think about the elements earth, wind, fire water, and human beings and all that we're made-up of, it seems a bit overwhelming doesn't it? Well God created All things, including heaven and earth, and everything in them. He's so powerful that He can be anywhere at anytime, and knows all things. Can you grasp that description? It's hard to imagine controlling everything at once, and never missing a beat. We can’t imagine having that type of power, because we’re only human. God knows our every want, need and desire. He can read our thoughts, and He knows what's in our heart. He loves each of us individually, with a love so strong and true, that it could never be broken. Not one cry from us goes unheard, nor any prayer unanswered. Without Him we're empty, and when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, He fill's us with His Spirit. I honestly have to be reminded of that daily, because I am a very self-sufficient person and it's hard for me to trust anyone, or give up control. I somewhat believe that things won't get done properly unless I take it upon myself and do it. I sometimes forget that God is always in control, and I'm His child. Whatever I need He'll provide. I've read His promises to never leave nor forsake me. I know, “Ye though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me...“ However, at times I still lose focus and try to solve my problems using my own ability, instead of casting my cares upon Lord, and allowing Jesus to see me through. God is our rock and provider; there is nothing we can do without Him. Jesus is our Savior and intercessor, and He walks with us all the days of our life. The Holy Spirit our Helper and He lead and guide us, helping us discern between right and wrong. Knowing all of this, why do we still worry and fret when we serve the one true God? Why do we still doubt Him, when He created the entire universe? Jesus said in Matthew 26:41: "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, so we must always keep our connection to God through prayer, meditation, and studying His word. I can never say this enough, because Jesus warned us that we'll be tried and tempted, but God will never allow us to take on more than we could endure. God gave us one very important book, the Holy Bible. You may try to read it in one year, but that's not where it stops. The bible is God's "living word", and every time we read it, He reveals something new. It's so important to stay in it everyday. He will never lead us astray, so trust Him; He knows what He's doing. If you don’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior, then you’re still lost. God is a God of forgiveness, healing, peace, love, joy, happiness, etc. However, if you don’t know Jesus, you don’t have access to these things. If you know Jesus, but aren’t close to Him, then you’re missing out on the full bliss that is God. In the words of Pastor Cooper, “If you don’t believe me, try Him out for yourself”. My favorite verse today is: Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. (Psalms 20:7)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455111&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7532571
I love you!
I pray all is well, and you're enjoying this "Terrific Tuesday". I'm doing well, looking forward to the weekend already, as usual. I'm trying to group the recipes that will be included in the book, and am trying to with stay healthy and low-fat meals. That's never been my forte, because in my French Culinary school, I was taught that "fat is flavor". How do you substitute the flavor of fat, but still have flavorful food? I have some ideas, but most aromatic vegetables, and fresh herbs will do the job. Cooking with wine and stock, adds lots of flavor as well. My Grandmother asked me to make her some beef stew. She's on a low sodium diet, so I'll have to find a way to make it rich, without a lot of salty additives. Do you have any good recipes to share? This time of year, I start to crave comfort food, like potpies, stews, beans & rice, breads and biscuits, potatoes etc. My mother makes the best pinto and great northern beans. They're so good with rice and cornbread. Can you tell I'm a little hungry today, but I miss food, and I'm ready to get back into it. I don't like to bake, but my Aunt made a lemon Bundt cake on Sunday, that makes me want to bake one every weekend. It's a good thing I don't know how. I'm going to go get something to eat now, so be blessed family, enjoy the rest of the day.
Today's scriptures are about trusting in the Lord to take care of all things. Take a few moments to think about how vast the world really is. Now, take a moment and think about how vast the Earth is. When we think about the elements earth, wind, fire water, and human beings and all that we're made-up of, it seems a bit overwhelming doesn't it? Well God created All things, including heaven and earth, and everything in them. He's so powerful that He can be anywhere at anytime, and knows all things. Can you grasp that description? It's hard to imagine controlling everything at once, and never missing a beat. We can’t imagine having that type of power, because we’re only human. God knows our every want, need and desire. He can read our thoughts, and He knows what's in our heart. He loves each of us individually, with a love so strong and true, that it could never be broken. Not one cry from us goes unheard, nor any prayer unanswered. Without Him we're empty, and when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, He fill's us with His Spirit. I honestly have to be reminded of that daily, because I am a very self-sufficient person and it's hard for me to trust anyone, or give up control. I somewhat believe that things won't get done properly unless I take it upon myself and do it. I sometimes forget that God is always in control, and I'm His child. Whatever I need He'll provide. I've read His promises to never leave nor forsake me. I know, “Ye though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me...“ However, at times I still lose focus and try to solve my problems using my own ability, instead of casting my cares upon Lord, and allowing Jesus to see me through. God is our rock and provider; there is nothing we can do without Him. Jesus is our Savior and intercessor, and He walks with us all the days of our life. The Holy Spirit our Helper and He lead and guide us, helping us discern between right and wrong. Knowing all of this, why do we still worry and fret when we serve the one true God? Why do we still doubt Him, when He created the entire universe? Jesus said in Matthew 26:41: "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, so we must always keep our connection to God through prayer, meditation, and studying His word. I can never say this enough, because Jesus warned us that we'll be tried and tempted, but God will never allow us to take on more than we could endure. God gave us one very important book, the Holy Bible. You may try to read it in one year, but that's not where it stops. The bible is God's "living word", and every time we read it, He reveals something new. It's so important to stay in it everyday. He will never lead us astray, so trust Him; He knows what He's doing. If you don’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior, then you’re still lost. God is a God of forgiveness, healing, peace, love, joy, happiness, etc. However, if you don’t know Jesus, you don’t have access to these things. If you know Jesus, but aren’t close to Him, then you’re missing out on the full bliss that is God. In the words of Pastor Cooper, “If you don’t believe me, try Him out for yourself”. My favorite verse today is: Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. (Psalms 20:7)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455111&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7532571
I love you!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY MONDAY!!
I pray all is well with everyone and you're enjoying the beginning of another workweek. I'm doing well, happy that things are finally getting back to normal. God is always good. We had an awesome weekend, my dad got a chance to get a lot of things done, and he has a job interview tomorrow, so please pray for him. I saw my grandmother yesterday, and she looks very good, so much better than last week. She's breathing better, and is able to get around the house, thanks for all of your prayers; I'm sure they all mattered. Please continue to pray for her lungs to be healed, because "All things are possible through Christ", so if He brought Lazarus from the dead, then by His strips grandma can be healed, and so can all of us by Faith. God has given my family so many testimonies to share this year, there have been many ups and downs, but He's been in the mist of it all. I can't say that I'm surprised, because He only does what He promises to do. Be sure to share your testimonies, you never know who will be inspired. Be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about calling upon the Lord in times of trouble. The human mind is a very complex and spectacular thing. We're capable of doing a lot of things, when we put our mind to it. In times of distress we can develop superhuman strength, and do some awesome things. There have been instances where a mother lifted a huge boulder to save her child, and firemen had to lift a car to save someone who was trapped. It's said that once our adrenaline is pumping, we're able to withstand tremendous amounts of pain. We're able to accomplish great things, however, we can never do anything as great as God. We know how the flesh works, but just imagine, if we call upon God in our times of need, how much more we could accomplish. A lot of us are self-sufficient, and forget that God has promised to give us everything that we need. Sometimes we think that our problems are too small for God. Other times we're guilty because of something we've done, and are afraid to go to Him and ask for help. We often think we're smart enough to figure it out on our own. However, Paul wrote in 1 Corinthian 1:20-21: Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. God works differently than anything or anyone in this world. When we take on the Spirit of Jesus Christ, we posses His power by His blood, through Faith. God never guaranteed us a perfect stress-free life, but he does promise to be there for us whenever we call on Him. It's written in John 15:4-5: "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." We must take on the fruits of the Spirit and humble ourselves enough to trust in and rely on God with our whole hearts. There is nothing that could separate us from Him, and whatever sin we commit, He'll forgive us as soon as we ask. We're His children, and He wants what's best for us, so He's always there when we need Him. He's our strength and comforter, and can give us what no other person on this earth could. So when, and if, you’re struggling, before you run to your best friend, parent, teacher, or therapist for help, go to God. He's a simple prayer away. You don't need a telephone, e-mail, or an appointment to talk to Him, because He's always waiting to hear from you. Whenever your struggling, hurt, angry, or afraid, cry out the Lord and He will give you comfort you instantly. Pray without ceasing, and leave the rest to Him. If you haven't accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, then you're on your own. You may be getting by, because as a human (one of God's greatest creations), you have a certain amount of strength, but you can only get peace and rest through Christ our Lord and Savior. Jesus offers Salvation, and through salvation, you'll have the strength to move mountains. You'll have the almighty God, creator of all, waiting to be gracious to you (Isa. 30:18). Take a few moments and cry out to the Lord, and ask for forgiveness, and salvation through Jesus Christ. I'll be happy to pray with you if you need help. My favorite verse today is: For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. (Psalms 86:5)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455110&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7532593
I love you!
I pray all is well with everyone and you're enjoying the beginning of another workweek. I'm doing well, happy that things are finally getting back to normal. God is always good. We had an awesome weekend, my dad got a chance to get a lot of things done, and he has a job interview tomorrow, so please pray for him. I saw my grandmother yesterday, and she looks very good, so much better than last week. She's breathing better, and is able to get around the house, thanks for all of your prayers; I'm sure they all mattered. Please continue to pray for her lungs to be healed, because "All things are possible through Christ", so if He brought Lazarus from the dead, then by His strips grandma can be healed, and so can all of us by Faith. God has given my family so many testimonies to share this year, there have been many ups and downs, but He's been in the mist of it all. I can't say that I'm surprised, because He only does what He promises to do. Be sure to share your testimonies, you never know who will be inspired. Be blessed family!
Today's scriptures are about calling upon the Lord in times of trouble. The human mind is a very complex and spectacular thing. We're capable of doing a lot of things, when we put our mind to it. In times of distress we can develop superhuman strength, and do some awesome things. There have been instances where a mother lifted a huge boulder to save her child, and firemen had to lift a car to save someone who was trapped. It's said that once our adrenaline is pumping, we're able to withstand tremendous amounts of pain. We're able to accomplish great things, however, we can never do anything as great as God. We know how the flesh works, but just imagine, if we call upon God in our times of need, how much more we could accomplish. A lot of us are self-sufficient, and forget that God has promised to give us everything that we need. Sometimes we think that our problems are too small for God. Other times we're guilty because of something we've done, and are afraid to go to Him and ask for help. We often think we're smart enough to figure it out on our own. However, Paul wrote in 1 Corinthian 1:20-21: Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. God works differently than anything or anyone in this world. When we take on the Spirit of Jesus Christ, we posses His power by His blood, through Faith. God never guaranteed us a perfect stress-free life, but he does promise to be there for us whenever we call on Him. It's written in John 15:4-5: "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." We must take on the fruits of the Spirit and humble ourselves enough to trust in and rely on God with our whole hearts. There is nothing that could separate us from Him, and whatever sin we commit, He'll forgive us as soon as we ask. We're His children, and He wants what's best for us, so He's always there when we need Him. He's our strength and comforter, and can give us what no other person on this earth could. So when, and if, you’re struggling, before you run to your best friend, parent, teacher, or therapist for help, go to God. He's a simple prayer away. You don't need a telephone, e-mail, or an appointment to talk to Him, because He's always waiting to hear from you. Whenever your struggling, hurt, angry, or afraid, cry out the Lord and He will give you comfort you instantly. Pray without ceasing, and leave the rest to Him. If you haven't accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, then you're on your own. You may be getting by, because as a human (one of God's greatest creations), you have a certain amount of strength, but you can only get peace and rest through Christ our Lord and Savior. Jesus offers Salvation, and through salvation, you'll have the strength to move mountains. You'll have the almighty God, creator of all, waiting to be gracious to you (Isa. 30:18). Take a few moments and cry out to the Lord, and ask for forgiveness, and salvation through Jesus Christ. I'll be happy to pray with you if you need help. My favorite verse today is: For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. (Psalms 86:5)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455110&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525&ct=7532593
I love you!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY THURSDAY!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying another beautiful Friday eve. It's officially fall; I had to warm my truck up this morning, and wait on the windows to defrost before I took off. I'm not looking forward to the cold weather, but it's inevitable. I guess I better change my attitude and start bundling up. Tomorrow is Friday Night Lights, and my brother has a game at PG Sports and Learning Complex, against DeMatha High School, at 7pm. The Gonzaga/DaMatha games are somewhat a rivalry, so it's going to be exciting. DeMatha is known for their football team, the coaches recruit heavily, and is known to have a wonderful training regimen. I'm excited, and am praying that the boys have fun, and stay healthy, and of course win. This game is like Redskins/Cowboys for me, and I'm always routing for the Redskins. Go GONZAGA! Eagles all the way! My Grandmother is home from the hospital today, praises to God. She has a lot of rehab to do before she's back to full strength, so please continue to pray for her. Thank you for your continued prayers, have a blessed day family!
Today's scriptures are about having temperance. The word Temperance has two meanings: 1) Moderation and self-restraint, as in behavior or expression. 2) Restraint in the use of or abstinence from alcoholic liquors. Today's scriptures touch on both. We're created in God's image as His children, and we're expected to conduct ourselves in the ways He's taught us. He’s described as being slow to anger in the bible. It's written in Palms 103:8: The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. When we take on the mind and attitude of Jesus, we receive a sense of inner peace, and that peace allows us to be slow to anger, quick to forgive, which helps us avoid most temptations. However, this isn’t an easy skill to master, because patience is something that builds as we grow. Everyone has a different story, personality, and outlook on life. The devil knows our weak spots, so He often use different people or things to anger us, and make us sin against God. We’ll never know when God is testing us, so it’s important to show His love to everyone we come in contact with, no matter how much they push us. I've worked in customer service for over 10 years, and I’ve learned that it's very hard to be patient with some people. We have to deal with people from different social and educational backgrounds, etc. and everyone looks at life differently. Every situations requires more patience than you could imagine, but it helps teach us how to read people, and most importantly not to take things personally. I always try to take myself out of the equation, and find God’s will in every interaction. This allows me to stay calm and try my best to correct the situation, without becoming angry. We must truly take on the mind of Christ, by praying for the people who personally attack us, and mean us harm. Jesus said in Matthew 5:11-12: “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Jesus warned us that these things would happen, so when we're having a bad day, we should pray without ceasing. A lot of people use drugs and alcohol to unwind, and deal with daily pressures, but those “Spirits” inebriate us. When we’re in that state of mind, we’re not able to be alert and ready to do God’s work at any moment. That’s very dangerous because everything we do has a consequence. At any moment, Jesus will return to receive those of us who are saved, so we must always be prepared. When we're not practicing temperance, or the other fruits of the Spirit, then we're most likely sinning. When someone makes us upset and we pick up a cigarette, have a drink of alcohol, or resort to trying to hurt that person in some way, we may get instant gratification, but in the end we end up disappointing Jesus. He paid a great price for our Righteousness, so we must always respect His constant presence in our lives, and do our best to avoid all sin. If you don't know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then you aren't prepared for His return. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Matthew 24:44) You don’t have to think about it another day, and you need to make sure you’re saved. It's a simple prayer, which only requires sincerity. Don't allow anyone to steal your shine, because you're a child of God. Are you ready? My favorite verses today are: Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world: looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:12-13)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455106&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nl/newsletter2.asp?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525
I love you!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying another beautiful Friday eve. It's officially fall; I had to warm my truck up this morning, and wait on the windows to defrost before I took off. I'm not looking forward to the cold weather, but it's inevitable. I guess I better change my attitude and start bundling up. Tomorrow is Friday Night Lights, and my brother has a game at PG Sports and Learning Complex, against DeMatha High School, at 7pm. The Gonzaga/DaMatha games are somewhat a rivalry, so it's going to be exciting. DeMatha is known for their football team, the coaches recruit heavily, and is known to have a wonderful training regimen. I'm excited, and am praying that the boys have fun, and stay healthy, and of course win. This game is like Redskins/Cowboys for me, and I'm always routing for the Redskins. Go GONZAGA! Eagles all the way! My Grandmother is home from the hospital today, praises to God. She has a lot of rehab to do before she's back to full strength, so please continue to pray for her. Thank you for your continued prayers, have a blessed day family!
Today's scriptures are about having temperance. The word Temperance has two meanings: 1) Moderation and self-restraint, as in behavior or expression. 2) Restraint in the use of or abstinence from alcoholic liquors. Today's scriptures touch on both. We're created in God's image as His children, and we're expected to conduct ourselves in the ways He's taught us. He’s described as being slow to anger in the bible. It's written in Palms 103:8: The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. When we take on the mind and attitude of Jesus, we receive a sense of inner peace, and that peace allows us to be slow to anger, quick to forgive, which helps us avoid most temptations. However, this isn’t an easy skill to master, because patience is something that builds as we grow. Everyone has a different story, personality, and outlook on life. The devil knows our weak spots, so He often use different people or things to anger us, and make us sin against God. We’ll never know when God is testing us, so it’s important to show His love to everyone we come in contact with, no matter how much they push us. I've worked in customer service for over 10 years, and I’ve learned that it's very hard to be patient with some people. We have to deal with people from different social and educational backgrounds, etc. and everyone looks at life differently. Every situations requires more patience than you could imagine, but it helps teach us how to read people, and most importantly not to take things personally. I always try to take myself out of the equation, and find God’s will in every interaction. This allows me to stay calm and try my best to correct the situation, without becoming angry. We must truly take on the mind of Christ, by praying for the people who personally attack us, and mean us harm. Jesus said in Matthew 5:11-12: “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Jesus warned us that these things would happen, so when we're having a bad day, we should pray without ceasing. A lot of people use drugs and alcohol to unwind, and deal with daily pressures, but those “Spirits” inebriate us. When we’re in that state of mind, we’re not able to be alert and ready to do God’s work at any moment. That’s very dangerous because everything we do has a consequence. At any moment, Jesus will return to receive those of us who are saved, so we must always be prepared. When we're not practicing temperance, or the other fruits of the Spirit, then we're most likely sinning. When someone makes us upset and we pick up a cigarette, have a drink of alcohol, or resort to trying to hurt that person in some way, we may get instant gratification, but in the end we end up disappointing Jesus. He paid a great price for our Righteousness, so we must always respect His constant presence in our lives, and do our best to avoid all sin. If you don't know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then you aren't prepared for His return. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Matthew 24:44) You don’t have to think about it another day, and you need to make sure you’re saved. It's a simple prayer, which only requires sincerity. Don't allow anyone to steal your shine, because you're a child of God. Are you ready? My favorite verses today are: Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world: looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:12-13)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455106&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nl/newsletter2.asp?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5492525
I love you!
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