What is Church without God?
Hi Everybody!
Happy Palm Sunday! I have here a video to bless your spirit today to make us reflect about this season of Easter/Passover. God is Good and we should be forever grateful that it is because of Easter that we are all made to be a new Creation as Joint Heirs with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Be Blessed everybody and enjoy this video!
Merry Christmas Eve Worship: It’s Not Over!
Merry Christmas Eve Everybody!
I realize that although this is a time of family and fellowship for many of us celebrating the season of Jesus Christ’s birth and life, there are people out there that are going through some hard times in this season of celebration. So this song that I’m posting by Israel & New Breed (feat. James Fortune and Jason Nelson) called It’s Not Over is to encourage the lonely, the hurting and the ones who need a song to uplift their spirit. God is with you even when you think He isn’t in your present situation. God is in your situation. God we help you come through whatever trial you are going through because God loves you. He will send you the answers you are looking for even when you think you can’t find them. Many are going through “WHY????” seasons…but God can turn around that “Why?” into a “Because” and be the answer you need while you are asking questions. Though we see dimly the light shines through the darkness and that Light that you seek whether you realize it or not is through our Lord and Savior, JESUS CHRIST. God Bless you everybody and may this song minister to the broken-hearted during this season. God has not forgotten you.
2012 Count Down to Christmas: 6 Days to Go
Hi Everybody,
6 more Days until it’s Christmas! Let us be reminded today of our wonderful Counselor and lifter of our heads, the Lord Jesus Christ. Christmas celebrates His birth, however, we must also celebrate the Lords entire life and remember what He did for all of us at Calvary. Hope you enjoy this video today. God bless you everybody! 
The Seven Last Words
Hi Everybody!
This is going to be rather short reflection today but what I do want to say is that we have to learn to pray for people that offend us. When we look at the times we have offended God with our own actions, you can know for sure that we all deserve God’s judgment in our lives. However, Jesus came in and INTERCEDED on our behalf on the cross as He prayed to the Father and said in His seven last words found in the book of Luke:
Luke 23:34
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.
In the same way, that Jesus interceded for us…we must learn to do the same. Now, I feel like the Lord has been dealing with me on this issue because I am emotional at times when someone wrongs me in an offensive way, but I have to rise above that and overcome evil with God’s definition of good. To intercede effectively, we have to learn to forgive 70×7 times over (Matthew 18:21-23) and let me tell you that it is no easy task, but it can be done when we start to focus on changing how we feel, react and respond to those that offend us.
The battle here is operating with a Spirit of LOVE people.
Love covers a multitude of sin (Proverbs 10:12) as 
demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ, so as Christians, we must learn to do the same and step our game up in the Love department. Let me tell you right now that writing about this was quite difficult since there are some people that still kind of rub me the wrong way so I raise my Hand in that I need a measure of God’s love to increase in me so that bitterness and anger don’t rob me of joy. I believe that God wants to set people free from being offended if we admit that we need His help in the whole process. Repent and be Healed, be delivered and then seek the same for your brothers and sisters who need that same display of mercy, that same display of God’s love in you in action over them so that they can change and be renewed because of your intercession, because of you standing in the gap for them as Christ our Redeemer did for us as well.
Sometimes when we are offended, we don’t necessarily “Feel” like praying for the person that offended us because of how they hurt us….but intercession isn’t based on feelings…it’s based on “LOVE”. God Loved us enough to send His Son Jesus to intercede on our behalf, and now we have to step up and do the same for our brothers and sisters who are in Christ and for those who aren’t in Christ. We all know that Perfect Love casts our Fear (1 John 4:18), and if it is able to do that, then perfect love can delivers us from evil when Love is put into ACTION.
So my Challenge to you today is sit back and reflect on the people who may have offended you in your past or even recently (no matter how grievous the offense) and put into practice, prayer that forgives them for what they did to you, because they probably don’t even know how they offended you to begin with and even if they do know, seek to pray for forgiveness and also that the Lord help them to change their ways and for the Lord to help change how we think about them so that we aren’t grounded by bitterness and anger. I have found that over time when I have prayed over my enemies, and those that offended me in this way, I feel a release in the bitterness department as I re-shelf that room with jars of LOVE. The more Love you put into action in your own life, the easier it becomes to forgive others as Christ did for us when we didn’t know what we did to offend our Lord.
I have a song from Aaron Sledge called Closer. May this song bless you today everybody!
Scriptures to Meditate
1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.
James 5:16
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Wisdom Nugget: What is Your Foundation?
Today’s meditation is a continuing reflection of what it means to FEAR the LORD. Let us look from the book of Matthew 7: 24- 29 where Jesus says:
Build on the Rock
24 “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:25 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.
26 “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: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
What can you learn from this Passage of Scripture?
It is better to build on a foundation that is solid than to have a wishy-washy way of life. Let me just say this, this parable is very helpful if you look at it in the context of the houses that are described here. The houses described from this parable can be looked at from a different perspective as we look at how these houses describe ourselves. Our bodies are described in the Bible as the temple of God which houses the Holy Spirit. So each of us are a house that has rooms for something to dwell there. What is dwelling in your heart? Good thoughts or bad thoughts? Is the Holy Spirit present and working in your life? Have you invited Jesus in your house, which is your Heart and your Mind, Will and Emotions? What governs your house? Is your house built on a solid foundation or a weak one? Think about these questions as you continue to read on.
1 Corinthians 3:16
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
Think about that question for a moment and ask yourself “Is the Spirit of God dwelling in you or not?”. If not, what is? hmm….
Now in knowing this, you must also question what type of house do you presently resemble?
Are you a house built on a rock or a house built on sand? How you answer that will determine your moral foundation or standards that will either lead to a path of a prosperous and eternal life or a path of destruction that often leads to death. Which path are you walking on right now?
What is your moral foundation/standard today?
A person who operates with Godly standards is :
1) A Wise person, Faithful, Abides in the Truth and is Humble and Obedient (Matthew 7:24).
2) Has a Solid foundation which is God-directed and Spiritual; it is also permanent (Matthew 7: 25).
3) When they encounter troubles or obstacles analogous to the rain, floods and winds (Storms of Life) that beat at them, they will not fall because they have a solid foundation that remains steadfast, strong, sturdy and unwavering and is able to maintain their Godly standards and is not easily enticed to stray from that standard because they remain confident in what and in whom they believe and they also know who they are in Christ (Matthew 7:25).
1 Corinthians 6:19
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
Maintaining Godly standards in your life will ensure that you walk uprightly, you will walk in wisdom, stature and strength and you will be able to meet all the challenges that you face when you operate with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Faith understands the wisdom of God and follows it and walks in it. When you walk in wisdom, you will be able to discern contrary ideas that defy the standards that you believe in. You will not walk in the counsel of the unwise, the foolish, and the wavering. Where there is wisdom there is also safety because a house set upon a rock will remain unmoved when the storms come to hit it.
A person who operates with loose or no standards is:
1
) Unwise/Foolish; Faithless, Contrary to Truth and is full of PRIDE and is disobedient (Matthew 7:26).
2) Has a Weak foundation which is Worldly-directed and fleshy/carnal/secular; it is also temporal (Matthew 7:27).
3) When they encounter troubles or obstacles in life analogous to the rain, floods and winds (Storms of life) that beat them, they will crumble under pressure and will fall because they have such a weak foundation that causes them to buckle each time they encounter challenges and will constantly waver in their opinion, thoughts and deeds. They are easily swept away with the tides and continue to wonder aimlessly and never hitting the target. They are easily enticed to do things contrary to what is right and are easily influenced by evil counsel. Ignorance is their bed and foolishness is their pillow. They don’t really know who they are as people because of their unbelief and deny Christ in their plans of their life (Matthew 7:27).
1 Corinthians 3:17
If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
When one lacks standards, they are double-minded in all their ways (James 1:8). They lack consistency and run into trouble rather than away from it. Their foundation is so weak morally that they don’t know what’s left or right because they swim in the tides of ignorance. Ignorance is not bliss and that is why a sandy foundation will always crumble under peer pressure, pressures of life, and also due to lack of self-confidence. When a house is swept away, there is nothing left except to build again. However, if one builds on the same foundation that failed them the first time, then that is where insanity sets in (doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result). They don’t take heed to those that build on a steady rock because of their heavy sandbag weights of pride. They do not realize the folly in thinking like this because Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18).
When you consider these two types of houses, it is clear that the house built on the rock is the best foundation. Ask yourself today, What is your foundation? What foundation are you standing on today?
If you want to walk with God, you must understand that He only abides with those that stand on a solid foundation which is His Word, The Word of God – the Godly Moral Standard. Those that don’t take heed to God’s word are like the houses built on Sand; wishy-washy, wavering and unbelieving - they lack standards and have loose morals just like sand. Those that lack moral standards have houses that house different idols (obsessions or possessions) rather than the Holy Spirit (Righteousness and selflessness). If God is your Standard, then your House will have the Holy Spirit dwelling there, but you must continue to make sure that you get rid of all those things that are not meant to be in your house. Think about that today as you consider what it means to Walk in the Spirit and not in the Flesh.
And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.”
Matthew 16:18
And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Last Question and Thought for the day: What is in your house (Your Mind, Will and Emotions)?
Articles for Reference:
Maintaining Standards to Build Integrity
Praises to YOU – In the Fear of God
There is a song I would like to share for this weekend that as we continue to learn what it means to Fear God and Reverence Him because He is the Giver and Taker of life, we must come before Him with thanksgiving for all that He shows us. We are not worthy to be in His Divine Holy Presence and Yet God gave us His Son Jesus, that Whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting Life (John 3:16). GOD BE PRAISED!
This Weekend, bask in the Holiness of God and prostrate yourself before Him because He is so Holy.
The Song I have is by Virtue (feat. Martha Munizzi) called Praises to You. This Song has blessed me so many times and I want to share it here today for this weekend. Give thanks and Praise and Acknowledge the Sovereign God that we serve. Be Blessed Everyone!
Answer to the Call in Your Life – He’s Calling You
Day 17 of 21 Day Daniel Fast - So todays meditation is also a day in advance but I think I’ll just post like this for now since I’m trying to catch up with the things that I have to do with so little time.
It is about analyzing yourself to make a complete turn around in they way you go about your daily affairs. I entitled it Answer to the Call in Your Life – He’s Calling You because that is what is required of us in order for one to fulfill their God-Given Destiny. Do you know what your calling is in this Life? Are you an engineer, a teacher, a preacher, an evangelist, a boxer, an athlete, a business man, etc; whatever it is, God gave you gifts to use in this world to make it a better place and did so with the intention to Glorify You His Son and Daughter in whom He is well pleased, to Glorify Him using our talents and our giftings to answer to the “Call” in our lives. Ask yourself, are you using your gifts right now to Glorify Him? Who is benefiting from your Gifting? Is it the Lost? Is it the World, or is it the Body of Christ? How you answer that will show you at what capacity you are fulfilling your role in this life.
I’m still on my own journey trying to figure myself out but I have a general idea that my gifting lies in helping people through positive motivational speaking and writing. God gave us the creativity to create Change; however, because He is the Potter and we are the Clay, we have to allow Him to Change us into His Image in order to fulfill His Will over our lives.
Isaiah 64:8
Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
The question is “Are you willing to Change in order to Answer to the Call in Your Life?”. Do you even believe that you need to change? What is your calling in life?If you have no idea what your calling in life should be, then this is the right time to be seeking God for answers during this Fast. You have to keep in mind though that the answer you anticipate may require you to change the habits that hinder you from reaching your full potential. You have to seek God to expose those things that are keeping you from obeying His Will over your life in order to operate in your fullness. God is a God of the Overflow and of abundance. You can reach your answers if you understand what it takes to reach your goals. Your character is the key to answering God’s calling in your life. You must purpose to walk in humility and integrity in order to satisfy the Call.
In order to develop a Character of Integrity, you must:
1) Be Teachable;
2) Be Honest with yourself – this isn’t the time to be in denial zone;
3) Respect the answers that come with further instruction;
4) Purpose to change by making a decisive decision to change what needs to be changed;
5) Act on what you have learned and desire knowledge with understanding;
6) Remain humble to correction;
7) Understand the assignment against your progress to fulfill your dreams;
8) Do not give up when the tough gets going (I personally am working on this one here)
9) Meditate on the Word to Maintain the Focus on God’s Will over your Life; and
10) Thank God for the Answers that He Gives to you as you Receive them – always have an Attitude of Gratitude. <—- That’s very very important.
Sometimes we think “we know it all” but that’s just PRIDE talking there and we must seek to humble ourselves before the great Teacher, Father God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Like I said earlier, I feel like God is showing me many areas that I need to change but “why these areas?”. Sometimes when we don’t get the full picture concerning who we really are in Christ, we try to work things out by our own methods through rationalizing and justifying our bad behavior for not doing what we are supposed to do to find those answers. This behavior won’t help us in the long run if we don’t learn to cultivate a teachable spirit to listen to wise instruction/counsel.
To be a better you, you’ve got to go beyond yourself and seek to throw away your old self that doesn’t know how to move forward. Only through God will you be able to find what you seek because I believe that if we are all Sons and Daughters of the most High God, He is calling all of us to rise up and BE what we’re supposed to BE. We can only answer to the Call in our lives when we seek to be obedient and teachable so that our spiritual ears can Hear what God is telling us to do. What are you going to do when you Hear what He has to say? Are you going to turn a deaf ear or answer to His Call? God speaks to us all the time and yet we complain that He doesn’t hear us when we call out to Him. However, have you ever considered that it could be because we are not trying to hear Him when He calls Us?
John 10:27
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
If you want God to be attentive to you, You also have to be attentive to Him. This is what it means to build a relationship. Humble yourself so that you can receive and Hear what God has to say since He will never leave you nor forsake You (Deuteronomy 31:6; Deuteronomy 31:8; Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:5).
I have yet an amazing song to fill your spirit that fits this message of encouragement. It is also by Donnie McClurkin and it is called He is Calling You. Stay blessed everyone!
Scriptures to Meditate
Psalm 23:5
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Psalm 119:171
May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees.
Psalm 65:11
You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.
Romans 5:15
But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
2 Corinthians 9:12
This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.
Colossians 2:4-6
Spiritual Fullness in Christ
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces[a] of this world rather than on Christ.
John 15:15
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[a] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength
Ephesians 4:4
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;
Hebrews 11:8
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
1 Peter 1:15
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;
14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Surrendering Your All to God ~ Seriously?!
Day 15 of 21 Day Daniel Fast- So today’s meditation comes from the idea of learning how to surrender all. Now, I am not going to claim that I have completely surrendered my all to God because during this Fast, I’ve been feeling like God has been sort of saying to me,
“Give that to me and give that to me and that, that and that…oh and that over there. Give me this stuff that you don’t need because I’ve got something better but YOU have to give me all these things willingly”.
You must be wondering “What in the world is she talking about?” I’m talking about letting go of things that we try to handle on our own based on our level of understanding and allowing God to be the director of these parts of our lives that we have not fully learned to TRUST faithfully with because of deep rooted insecurity, doubt and fear and our need to be “in control” of things we really have no control over. In my personal journey during this Fast, I feel that God has been revealing to me things that I need to curb, things that I need to give up, and things that I need to let go and let God. He has also shown me that there are things that I need to put my 100% trust in Him for, and also in order to continue following Him, there are also things that I can’t take with me along the way because He (Father God) wants to make my Yoke easy and make my burden light, but in many instances I have failed to see it His way because I’ve been doing certain things MY way. Knowing my personality which can be stubborn at times, I can honestly say that God is breaking me down right about now. Just when you think you’re making progress He still shows me areas in my life that need a makeover.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
What I discovered:
What this whole journey boils down to is that if you seriously and I mean seriously in the honest sense of the Word really want to walk with God, you have to seriously reflect on what it is that is holding you back from Trusting Him Fully and by Fully, I mean COMPLETELY. You want to experience the miracles, the blessings, the amazing things that He has in store for you and all that fun stuff but conveniently we forget that all these things we desire always come with a certain prerequisites that are needed to be satisfied in order to achieve what we seek which is letting Go of what we have in our hands and Letting GOD take our hands. This decisive action is not a walk in the park everybody, and this isn’t a “I want to believe” decision either because it’s a Trust issue here. You have to trust God Completely and not merely “want to believe” in Him when you clearly struggle with areas of doubt here and there. You will not be able to satisfy the call to follow JESUS if you cannot accept that you have to get rid of a lot of junk that is holding you back from doing so, namely DOUBT. Admit to it and then get rid of it. Easier said than done but that is what we all have to do if we want to Follow with an unwavering heart.
What I learned from meditating on the Word for the past few days is that Complete Trust takes a measure of Great Faith and I know my measure is not there yet. However, despite that, I want to pursue it anyway with Fear and Trembling *gulp*.
Let’s look at the story of the Rich Boy who claimed he wanted to follow Jesus In Mark 10. Jesus had some stipulations in order for this naive kid to follow HIM.
The Rich and the Kingdom of God
17As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’[d]” 20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
If you look at this scripture, we learn that:
(1) It was about a young man who had great wealth that he had inherited from his family who honestly wanted to “follow” Jesus.
(2) Jesus gave the young man some ground rules (stipulations) in order to satisfy his request to follow Him.
(3) The prerequisite was too much for the boy to let go despite his earnest desire to follow the “great Rabbi”.
(4) Jesus was able to discern what the young fella lacked in order to follow Him and tested his character with a word of instruction in verse 21.
(5) The young man was distraught that Jesus was able to expose his weakness, which was the very thing holding him back from “LETTING GO and LETTING GOD”.
After reading this story, I thanked God for the revelation and the slap of truth that He had unveiled to me about myself. I have had to ask myself “What is holding me back from following Jesus COMPLETELY?”.
Do you have anything that you have not completely surrendered to God about? This question was a painful one for me, but I want to expose the truth of it no matter how agonizing this truth encounter was for me. God is gracious in that He loves people enough to point out what we need to work on in order to satisfy the call to follow him without anything holding us back. This is what I’ll be praying and repenting for in this last week of the Fast.
Consider that when God reveals to you your weakness, it is not intended to put you to shame, but to reveal to you with Love what you need to let Go and give to Him so that He can give you something far better than whatever it is that’s holding you back. LET GO and LET GOD. SURRENDER YOUR ALL TO HIM.
I have two videos to encourage both you and I today, to think about what we have to do to really allow God to rule over our lives. Hope you enjoy the Vids. Be blessed today everyone!
This other video was done in the Year 2009 but the message is so relevant to what I just spoke about. Hear it and think about what is being said so that it resonates with your spirit.
Scriptures to Meditate
Luke 14:27
And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
John 10:27
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
John 12:26
Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
Matthew 10:38
Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
Matthew 19:28
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Mark 8:34
[ The Way of the Cross ] Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
Mark 10:21
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
4 Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
John 8:12
[ Dispute Over Jesus’ Testimony ] When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Your Faith has Made You Whole
Day 14 of 21 Day Daniel Fast - So today’s meditation is about the attitude of Faith. Jesus healed a bunch of Lepers one time and only one came back to thank Him. A woman with the issue of blood touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and it was her GREAT FAITH that made her WHOLE. Our faith is intended to make us whole, so my question today is are we walking around like fragmented beings because of 
our lack of it there of??? Faith is supposed to make us Whole and we have to pursue a greater measure if we want to walk as completed beings walking in the manifested Glory of God. So my encouragement today is walk knowing that you have the ability through your FAITH to become whole. You don’t have to accept less than what is God’s best for you. Reach out for the Hem of God’s garment, step out into the Water, Pursue Him seeking even for the crumbs left over after a meal. Pray more, meditate more, praise more, do whatever you have to do to get your breakthrough miracle from the Lord. You have the ability to become WHOLE in Jesus’ Name. Think about the story of the woman you had the issue of Blood,, she suffered that issue for 12 YEARS. Now, if you ask me, 12 years is a long time but she never gave up hope in finding her answers. A blessing of healing delayed is not a blessing of healing denied. Sometimes, it takes what seems like forever to achieve our goals but we have to have a persevering spirit in order to receive our promises. Be unrelenting and be determined and never back down until you get what you deserve. The persevering is that Faith working in ACTION. It’s that level of Faith that we need to tap into in our daily lives to achieve the dreams that we have in our heart.
Let’s look at Mark 5:24-34
24So Jesus went with him.
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. 30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his 
disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ” 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
It’s amazing isn’t it that it took that level of unrelenting FAITH to heal the woman with the issue of Blood that she had for 12 long years! It was not just any type of Faith, but Faith in our Lord Jesus to receive her breakthrough miracle. What are you placing your faith in?Is it in science? Is it in philosophy or metaphysics, is it in the stock market, your politicians? Is it in your doctor or your friend, your wife or husband? Who or what has the answer that you seek? What you put 
your faith in will determine what answer you will receive back. If you put your faith in an inanimate object to protect you, and you still end up in an accident, you have to ask yourself is your faith misguided? You must Trust in something that doesn’t fluctuate or is unchanging. Put your Trust in the Same Yesterday, Today and Forever, Jesus Christ; He is the answer that you seek.
John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Each day I feel like the Lord is showing me how much Faith we as people need to increase on a daily basis. It is our Faith that we put in Jesus that can make us Whole, or make or family members whole by proxy as we intercede on their behalf. We need to increase so that we can experience the manifest presence of the Lord in our lives. Our Faith is what makes us, who are fragmented people, become Whole in Jesus’ Name. Faith draws us closer to the answers that we seek for our own issues. The answer is Jesus. How much do you believe that He can do for you? Throw away your doubts and skepticism and start to believe that you will indeed receive your answers from GOD. This is something I’m working on on a personal basis so this is my encouragement for today. Stay Blessed everyone!
Scriptures to Meditate
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Psalm 20:7
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
Matthew 17:20
He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Luke 17:6
He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you
Deuteronomy 7:9
Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.
Psalm 89:8
Who is like you, LORD God Almighty? You, LORD, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.
1 Corinthians 1:9
God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Hebrews 3:6
But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.
Galatians 4:6
Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”
11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with 
his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.
Psalm 150:6
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.
Preparing for the Overflow – Don’t Settle for Less than the Best that is Yet to Come
Day 3 of the 21 Day Daniel Fast – Today’s meditation is about Preparing our hearts for receiving the overflow. I believe that there is a great outpouring of God’s Spirit at this time when we choose to consecrate ourselves before Him as we seek His face during this Fast. Some will receive and some won’t based on their personal level of expectation. What are you expecting during this season of Spiritual Warfare? Do you want your family members that are far from God to be saved? Do you want restoration in your marriages, in your finances, in your relationships with your friends and families? Do you seek healing from a disease or sickness? Do you seek answers for many of the questions that You are seeking from God? What are you expecting from God??? Do you even believe that you WILL receive your answers??? Will you be mature enough to handle the answers as they come down to your address??? What is your level of expectation in this year of DIVINE GOVERNMENT???
Some people can be satisfied with settling for just enough to get by and by even though our God is a God of the overflow, a God of more than enough. We are often taught not to settle for less than the best as we grow up but I want to challenge you and say don’t settle for JUST ENOUGH and pursue MORE than ENOUGH because the more you receive, the more you have to give and the more your generation and future generations will get blessed. Let me be clear and say that I’m not saying to be greedy, I’m saying seek above your expectations so that when you are blessed you will have enough to bless others, Comprende? Do you see where I’m driving at here? Pursue Generational BLESSINGS. You were born to be blessed to be a blessing!
When your cup overflows in Faith it is so that you can share it with others. Much like Wealth, Faith is not to be hoarded, it is to be shared.When you empty your flow, you can receive a new downpour of fresh Revelation from the Lord. That is what I mean by the overflow. I am expecting an overflow from the Lord this year not for just myself, but for the church I attend where I minister in my Church Choir and for my fellow bloggers who follow my journey of self-discovery at WordPress and for whoever I encounter in my life. We are ministers wherever we go if you believe in the God you serve. The idea here is that I am not satisfied with my level of Faith. Are you satisfied with Yours??? I don’t care how man measures my level of Faith whether they deem it high or low, I personally am NOT satisfied with my level because it is not God’s level for me. I want more of Him so that I can look more like Him in this Life. I want an overflow of Gods presence in my life, don’t you?????
A NATION that fears GOD is what I desire in my personal meditation this year so that the land and its in habitants can be blessed. When wickedness reigns in political realms, it is the people that suffer. We must choose to fight back and drive darkness out of the Land or wherever you live. You don’t have to accept the current status quo! Through prayer and Fasting, we can drive darkness to flee and make the light of God’s Word shine brighter on the Land. I want to believe in the blessings of humbling ourselves before God so that He will Hear from Heaven and Heal our Lands. Don’t you want the same thing? When the Land is Healed, families are healed along with it and propserity begins to manifest as a great Harvest and presentation of the Glory of God. Pursue the greater blessings so that your future and the future of your family is blessed along with it.
Prince Michael the Angel
Like the voice of the one crying out in the wilderness prepare the way for our Lord! Right now as Kings are being dethroned in this world, the Wealth of the wicked have been laid up for the Righteous and for the purpose of Making GOD SOVEREIGN. When the Body of Christ unites with this same focus, God will perform His wonders. I truly believe that. However, He has to prepare His people to receive His government in order to Rule in the World. So during this Fast, Focus on your relationship with the Lord and incline your ears to Hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying to YOU the CHURCHES. The church isn’t a physical building, YOU are the CHURCH. You will be able to rule in your families with wisdom, in your workplaces with prosperity and in any sphere of influence that you have when you make God the Head and Lord in your Heart, in your Mind and in your Spirit.
The Overflow will flow and some will be blessed by it and some will drown if they are not ready for it. God won’t give things to people who cannot be trusted with little. So ask yourself, can God Trust you with the Outpouring???? What must you do NOW to be prepared for it when it does start to Pour. The Harvest that He has are for those who are prepared. Prepare and do not be like the lazy man that doesn’t prepare for winter and ends up begging during the time of Harvest. PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE.
Scriptures to Meditate
Guide us by Your Spirit Lord
Proverbs 3:10
So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.
Joel 2:23-25
23 Be glad then, you children of Zion,
And rejoice in the LORD your God;
For He has given you the former rain faithfully,[a]
And He will cause the rain to come down for you—
The former rain,
And the latter rain in the first month.
24 The threshing floors shall be full of wheat,
And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.
25 “ So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,
The crawling locust,
The consuming locust,
And the chewing locust,[b]
My great army which I sent among you.
22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.
Proverbs 20:4
The lazy man will not plow because of winter; He will beg during harvest and have nothing.
Psalm 26:2
Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart.
Jeremiah 17:10
I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.
Matthew 22:37
Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
1 Samuel 7:3
Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”
1 Kings 17:8-16 Elijah and the Widow
8 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”
12 So she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” 
13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’”
15 So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah.
1 Corinthians 2:16
For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
Hebrews 10:16
“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,”
Matthew 25:23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
Luke 16:10
10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.
2 Chronicles 7:14
if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
I have a song that I love listening to and would like to share it so that we get stirred up in your Spirit to continue meditating on the Word and gain more revelation of it. It’s from William Murphy III called Ignite My Fire. Hope you like it and be blessed today with worship in your Heart.
Bread of Heaven – The Living Word
For this post I remembered a song that fills me each time I think about Jesus and what He means to us on a personal basis. Since the Year 2011 is nearing a close I wanted to thank God for giving us weapons of warfare that are not carnal but are mighty in God for the pulling down of strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4).Remember this scripture as you start your 21 Day Daniel Fast. This Fast is quite intense in its own way and I know that I’ve started to feel like I have to prepare my mind for it. Knowing that I am not participating on my own is a big encouragement. I expect from God to Reveal to us more of Himself during the New Year and to Increase my level of Faith. What are you expecting from God in your Fast? Always remember that you must have a focus and an expectation of receiving answers from God when you Fast and Pray. If you participate in such an spiritual exercise with no expectations whatsoever, then you will do things in Vain. Never do things in vain and never do things for the sake of doing it just because everybody else is doing it because that’s foolishness. You must have resolve, purpose and drive to do the things you do. If you are planning to participate with your church during this Fast, remember that You have to build that level of expectation to increase your Faith level. Throw away your cups of doubt and skepticism and bring your cups of Faith to recharge and refuel. This Fast is intended to build you into spiritual maturity so increase your expectations in order to receive from the Lord.
Things that you can focus on during your Daniel Fast:
Pray for your Political Leaders, Law Makers, Businesses,Workplaces, Education, Health, Family & Friends, the Unsaved to find Christ this Year and don’t forget to Pray for yourself.
Seek: Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Increased Spiritual Discernment, Wisdom to carry out wise courses of action, Divine Revelation of the Word, Deliverance, Healing, Familial Salvation, direction in your destiny, increase in Faith and understanding of the Word.
Do not forget: Read the Word, Pray with the Word, Meditate on the Word and Live by the Word.
When you do all this, you will become sharp and God will increase your capacity to receive supernatural downloads of His Goodness and Mercy on your Life. Your character will be shaped by this level of discipline. Be encouraged and motivated by this Fast and see how you transform during the 21 Days.
Suggestion: Journalize each day to see how the Lord is changing you. I have never done it before but one of my favorite blogger friends called Nadie is thinking of doing it and I think it’s a great idea. I might end up doing this just to see how I’m growing during this fast. It’s only a suggestion so consider it an exercise to monitor your progression during the Fast.
This song I am posting is by Fred Hammond called You are the Living Word. May it encourage you and bless you.
Let Your LIGHT shine in ALL the Earth
This is a video that has been inspired by my earlier post Beauty that overshadows the real War inside. We should truly reflect on what it means to Shine our LIGHT in this Dark dark world.
John 8:12
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
John 9:5
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
John 12:46
I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.
Philippians 2:14-16 (NKJV)
14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
John 1:4-5 (NKJV)
4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend[a] it.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!! God Bless You ALL in Year 2011
MERRY CHRISTMAS Everybody and a Happy NEW YEAR to you. It’s been a wonderful countdown to this lovely day. I know you’ve been looking forward to this last video but I figured since it’s just a Glorious Day, I’ll give you not just One but Two Videos to bless you today. Remember that JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THIS SEASON!
2 Days until Christmas Video Countdown – Dec 23, 2011
2 Days left in the very last week before Christmas Day. I will post a Christmas Video each day to maintain the focus of this Season. JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THIS SEASON! Stay blessed Everyone.
3 Days until Christmas Video Countdown – Dec 22, 2011
3 Days left in the very last week before Christmas Day. I will post a Christmas Video each day to maintain the focus of this Season. JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THIS SEASON! Stay blessed Everyone.
6 Days until Christmas Video Countdown – Dec 19, 2011
6 Days left in the very last week before Christmas Day. I will post a Christmas Video each day to maintain the focus of this Season. JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THIS SEASON! Stay blessed Everyone.
7 Days until Christmas Video Countdown – Dec 18, 2011
I figured that since we are now in the very last week before Christmas Day I will post a Christmas Video each day to maintain the focus of this Season. JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THIS SEASON! Stay blessed Everyone.
Children are Precious – Protect that which is Precious
“ Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
Children are precious and I know there is a lot of broo ha ha about those that are pro-choice versus pro-life debates in the US and all around the world but I think that these debates silence the voices that go unheard which are often the voices of the innocents, the unborn children. I know that children born from a sexual assault situation face rejection from the moment that they are conceived but even Jesus was rejected by the world the moment He was conceived. King Herod decreed an unjust law to kill all the first born male children of the Jews which was a tyrannical law that many Jewish families suffered since his real agenda was to seek out to kill baby Jesus, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, SAVIOR of the World.
Women, it doesn’t matter what circumstances lead you to deciding to have an abortion because there is no condemnation in Christ. Christ died for us so that we may live free from guilt and shame for our wrongdoing, our weaknesses, failures, mistakes, and our sins. Don’t allow the devil to leave you feeling such a deep regret for making such decisions…Jesus wants you to have life and live it more abundantly. The devil steals your peace by leaving you to feel such regrets and self-condemning thoughts that torment you into depression that can lead to suicidal thoughts that lead to death.The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. [Emphasis added]
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. [Emphasis added]
“ Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” [Emphasis added]
MATTHEW 2:1-18 (NKJV)
Wise Men from the East
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
6‘ But you, Bethlehem,inthe land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”[a]7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”
9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.The Flight into Egypt
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”
14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”[b]Massacre of the Innocents
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
18“ Avoice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weepingforher children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more.”[c]
A worried woman went to her gynecologist and said:’Doctor, I have a serious problem and desperately need your help! My baby is not even 1 year old and I’m pregnant again. I don’t want kids so close together.’So the doctor said: ‘Ok and what do you want me to do?’She said: ‘I want you to end my pregnancy, and I’m counting on your help with this.’The doctor thought for a little, and after some silence he said to the lady: ‘I think I have a better solution for your problem. It’s less dangerous for you too.’She smiled, thinking that the doctor was going to accept her request.Then he continued: ‘You see, in order for you not to have to take care of 2 babies at the same time, let’s kill the one in your arms. This way, you could rest some before the other one is born. If we’re going to kill one of them, it doesn’t matter which one it is. There would be no risk for your body if you chose the one in your arms.’The lady was horrified and said: ‘No doctor! How terrible! It’s a crime to kill a child!”I agree’, the doctor replied. ‘But you seemed to be OK with it, so I thought maybe that was the best solution.’The doctor smiled, realizing that he had made his point.He convinced the mom that there is no difference in killing a child that’s already been born and one that’s still in the womb. The crime is the same!
If you agree, please SHARE.
Together we can help save precious lives!
Love says, ‘I sacrifice myself for the good of the other person.’ Abortion says, ‘I sacrifice the other person for the good of myself.’
The Devil would rather have every woman kill off every child’s destiny through abortion because he knows that every Child is born in the image of the Lord and has the power to destroy his works against all mankind.Scriptures to meditate on as a Last Word:Romans 16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
Revelation 12:17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring–those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus Christ.
REMEMBER: YOU AND I WERE BORN TO BE BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING!
Seeking Validation in the Wrong Places – A Love-Starved World
I think at times we don’t really understand why some people do the things they do because we tend to judge them before learning to understand them and their circumstances. I find that even I get caught up with that behavior in that I too sometimes judge a person by first impressions…but I have to take a step back and ask myself ”Do first impressions always give you a full picture concerning that person?” I have come to realize that it’s not always the case so I have learned to take time to assess people and always give a person a benefit of a doubt before I reach a conclusion about a persons behavior and character as an individual. Sometimes people act up during the first meeting because of a situation that arose earlier in their day before they came into contact with you and it may give you a lasting impression, but it may not necessarily be an accurate impression of them either because it may have just been an emotional outburst as a result of an earlier confrontation and yet we write these people off so easily, but GOD doesn’t.
I think that if we want to understand people we have to learn to listen to them to avoid misunderstandings and develop a level of compassion that allows us to give people a chance to show us who they really are inside. I know that I have spoken a lot concerning sharpening your discernment in some of my posts, but it’s not always about learning how to discern who your enemies are from your friends; sometimes it’s about discerning the root issue of someones behaviour that manifests in their character. This level of discernment is beneficial to us in that it helps in terms of mentoring someone or counseling someone effectively to receive healing and deliverance in their situations provided that we have a level of patience and compassion with dealing with these personalities. We shouldn’t put people into a box and categorize them as write-offs when God never wrote you off when you were cantankerous and rude and not with it.
Love covers a multitude of sin (1 Peter 4:8).
I often reflect on the different personalities that I encounter in my daily life such as those who are quiet, shy, talkative, narcissistic, arrogant, clingy, needy etc, and I find that they all have one thing in common, and that is that they all seek some level of validation in many different ways from people. I’m not going to over- generalize and say all these personalities do this; however, I do find that with the ones I have encountered in my walk, they display many of these traits born out of some level of personal insecurity that they are dealing with. Their need to be validated is manifested by their actions, typically displayed in their treatment towards themselves and others; most of which manifest negatively in feedback.
Examples of this could be:
A gang member who feels that need to confront anyone violently who stares at them the “wrong way” (from their perspective), or the woman who brags about her possessions to others, or the young girl who gives herself away to any man willing to give her attention, or the young boy smoking drugs with his friends in order to “fit in” the crowd, or the man who competes in conversations to prove that he is “right” or more knowledgeable than his peers about a topic, or the child that is “acting out” by being overtly disobedient to instruction as a means of seeking attention and the list goes on.
These are different examples stemming from that level of insecurity exhibited by negative behavioural actions rooted from that general need of validation from others. I do recognize that there are exceptions to the rule, but for the sake of this post I’m just listing these as potential examples regarding the relationship between insecurity and the need of validation from people.
Some of the reasons that come to my mind as to why such insecure individuals do things by pursuing activities or groups to find that validation could be factored by a number of things.
To name a few, it could be because:
1. They have not experienced True Love at home or at anytime in their life;
2. The have experienced Rejection on multiple occasions;
3. Victimization – they have suffered abuse in their life – mental, physical, sexual, spiritual; or
4. Suffered Abandonment - from family members or friends or significant peers/mentors.
5. They are Bitter because they have not forgiven or received some sort of closure acceptable enough to let go of the past.
Although this isn’t an exhaustive list, these factors are things I have noticed with the people I have encountered in my walk. At some level, I am able to identify with some of these areas on a personal level which is why I think that we have to learn what it means to cultivate an attitude of compassion, empathy and most importantly LOVE.
Jesus commands us to “love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12), but we all have developed ways of being selective in who we display our love to. I know that I’m a guilty party to this so I won’t hide that or excuse it. On the other hand, I do come across some challenging individuals that really test me and you know, it’s at these times that God calls us to really reflect His image towards such people and that is something I’m still working on. I know I have my own baggage and I have come to realize that I’m not the only one who is carrying bags. Whether you are a minister in church at any capacity or just an ordinary Joe on the street going about your business, I challenge you to be an example of God’s Love for people, Starting Today.
I remember this saying that comes from a well known song: “We are known to be Christians by our LOVE”.
Love is an attitude displayed by both Actions and Words.
1 Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV):
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. [Emphasis added].
Many atrocities continue in our world today because we lack compassion to bring about change. A quote that comes to mind in reflection of this is that: “For Evil to Triumph, all it needs is for Good men/women to do nothing”. I don’t want to reflect this truth. Let’s stand against the grain and be the change that this world needs to see. Let’s admit that we live in a LOVE-STARVED world. Let’s feed this Hungry world with LOVE. We can start by showing love one person at a time. Set aside your prejudices and allow acceptance to welcome those different from yourself into your life. God accepted us as we are, we should do the same to others. Many people experience rejection because they are not accepted for their differences and weaknesses by others. Let’s not judge people too quickly for their appearances and look at the HEART of the individual.
Love doesn’t discriminate, it is an acceptor of ALL persons (Believe it or not).
We have a general tendency to judge people by their appearances and negate that it’s the heart that we need to reach. I know that this is hard to believe, but God loves everyone including wicked people. Jesus healed the ear of the servant of the High Priest that was cut off during the time of His arrest while knowing full well that it was Judas who had betrayed Him (Luke 22:47-51). This story always challenges me every time when I meditate on it in that I know I have to get to that place to set aside bitterness, hatred, and anger and learn that Jesus could still Love someone who was his closest companion and yet was the very same one that betrayed Him for only thirty pieces of silver coins (Matthew 27:9). I know that people tend to forget this part of the story, but Judas later on committed suicide because of the guilt and shame of what he had done against his friend, Jesus (Matthew 27: 3-5). I often wonder, had the disciples forgiven their brother Judas Iscariot and sought him out to minister their forgiveness, would such a tragedy have been prevented? It is NOT God’s will that any should Perish but have everlasting life (John 3:15-16; 2 Peter 3:9).
1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. [Emphasis added]
Likewise, we have to increase our Faith level to develop our Love level for people to produce HOPE in this Love-Starved World.
Suffering can be diminished when we increase our capacity to care for others as we love ourselves. Let’s start changing ourselves to become the Loving image of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s put a stop to evil and overcome evil with GOOD.
Suffering in Silence – Abused by Indifference
This poem I have written is dedicated to all the men, women & young children who have suffered abuse at any stage of their lives, be it sexual, physical, emotional or spiritual. It’s been something that I have wanted to write about for a long time and I know of a few people who have suffered these abuses and one of them was a friend of mine. Some things don’t have to end up in tragedy if only we spare our time to show people that LOVE does exist in this World. Emotions stemming from a broken heart shouldn’t be pacified with indifference. When you want to cry, cry… I will lend my shoulder, when you hurt, I hurt, when you are sad, I am sad. Jesus is the same in that He sees your suffering and wants to heal you of all your afflictions. God sees all, knows all and sends key people into your life to be representations of His divine Love that He has for you.
YOU are NOT alone! NEVER FORGET THAT!
John 15:11-13 (NKJV)
11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. [Emphasis added].
Some feel abandoned by those they hoped would be near them in their time of need and for those that stick with you during such storms in your life, they are the ANGELS in your lives so let them embrace you as they comfort you in your Pain. You will find healing from the least of these and those that you never paid a second glance are the ones who will stick close to you more than a brother, sister, father or mother. Allow yourself to be freed by the Love of a stranger that is an Angel in disguise. Let your friends Love you, Let your family Love you, Let God LOVE you. Don’t suffer in silence…don’t enter the devils play ground….he is the one that locks you up in bondages that can’t accept
Love…do not be tricked, do not be robbed of happiness, do not be robbed of liberty, for Whom the Son sets free, is free indeed (John 8:36). Run to Jesus…His arms are wide open…run to Him and He will set you free! Run towards the gates of Freedom from anguish, hatred, regret, bitterness, pain, depression, sadness, grief, despair, hopelessness, loneliness, guilt and shame. Run towards God, run and don’t look back…be freed and receive Joy in exchange for all that sadness….Receive Love! Let the Lord carry your burden!
Psalm 55:22 (NKJV)
Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. [Emphasis added]
1 Peter 5:7 (NKJV)
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. [Emphasis added]
I have also added a Song to brighten the message and I hope that it ministers to you before you read the poem below.
2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Comfort in Suffering
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. [Emphasis added].
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Suffering in Silence
Her voice is choked,
Her tears are flowing,
but no one sees, that her heart is breaking.
She looks into space,
Darkness lies there…
She closes her eyes,
Darkness follows her there…
She opens them again and sees nothing’s there.
She hears nothing, feels nothing,
more and more, she feels nothing
and yet something is there,
something is there,
Her mind is screaming,
is there anybody there?
Her soul is fearing that no one is here,
Only her and it,
the darkness that lies there.
When will that moment of fear leave her chest?
When will that hand that reaches her lift her off this mess?
When will the light she longs to see through this night,
come beaming down and torture her fright?
She silently gazes into the gloom,
where the doom that awaits her…
where love has no room,
where saddness has now become her groom,
That enraged bitter wound,
no longer wants to fester, that suffered in silence
no longer wants to fight
because she is tired, tired of this pain
tired of the hatred, tired of the blame.
“Set me FREE!” she finds her song,
she finds her voice, she finds her soul.
The wondering spirit that felt abandoned there,
felt as if that’s all life had to share,
That simple place of darknesss and lonliness,
that single crusted level of phoniness,
No more silence, “NO MORE! I don’t care!”
that’s all the torture she could bear.
(c) 2011 Sherline N.T.
The Gift that Keeps on Giving
I initially made it a thought of the day but have since decided to make this into a posting for today. So today I was thinking about how December seems to be the most stressful time of the year. I mean for me I enjoy it to some extent and for other reasons I dread it because the focus during this last month of the year is always about shopping like madness to scramble for “deals” to stuff we can buy for our families and friends because it’s Christmas. It is supposed to be a wonderful time of year but I think that over the years we have made it more commercialized than it should be and have missed the point of Christmas by a large extent. 
Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ who came to save us sinners from eternal damnation. I know that that sounds harsh and I couldn’t quite figure out a way to say it “nicely” so that you could sleep well at night. The Savior of the World that was the Greatest Gift that the Lord gave to us. We scorn Him, we shun Him, we act like He doesn’t exist, and Yet He still promises that He will never Leave you nor Forsake You despite our pathetic attitudes.
Deuteronomy 31:6 (NKJV):
Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
I’m not saying that everyone is like this but I find that here in the West, there is more commercialization of Christmas than the rememberance of the whole reason behind it all. We forget our salvation was packaged through the coming of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
I think of all that He has done for us and I know that none of us can out do God, none of us can out give what He gave us at Calvary; however, we can do something that is just as wonderful as what Jesus has done for us and that is by showing that same level of compassion and love that He showed us to those that haven’t received that Gift that keeps on Giving.
Let us think of ways to give to those in Need this Christmas. I always keep clothes that I buy and haven’t worn for this time of year to give to those in need. Look in your closets and you’ll notice the pair of shoes you only wore once or that gown you wore at the prom and never will wear again, or that suit you wore and have outgrown or that toy you no longer use or play with and have outgrown. It doesn’t matter how old you are, you can still give because you were meant to be BLESSED to be a BLESSING. Everybody who has something has the ability to give to another that doesn’t. So this Christmas, as you go about your shopping sales madness, think of those that do not have. Remember that if you have at least $1.00 in your pocket you’re richer than the next man. The Dollar store has stuff that kids can participate in getting stuff for others. It’s all about the HEART of Christmas. 
Become the Gift that keeps on Giving. Let’s not miss the point and think outside the gift Box.
Acts 20:35
I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” [Emphasis added].
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