If you want to rest in the Lord, you must first cast all of your cares (worries, reasoning, and anxieties) to Him! I Peter 5:7 tells us, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” The author of Hebrews mirrors this by instructing us to cease from weariness. “Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest of God, to know and experience it for ourselves.” Now then, our definition of resting might be slightly different in terms of not doing anything. Resting is not about being lackadaisical. Resting, exegetically speaking, is when an action is taken between you and God. It is a partnership that you develop with Abba Father. It is entering into Abba’s rest and casting your burden(s) on Him. For example when you are feeling discouraged, get still in prayer (Psalm 46:10), and tell Abba Father that you trust Him to move swiftly and strategically on your behalf. Simply put, in order to experience God’s rest we must a.) cast your cares, release your burdens (Matthew 11:28), b.) surrender your will (Matthew 16:24-25), c.) know that you’re loved (I John 3:1), and d.) place your hope in Jesus (Ephesians 1:18). The only thing that supersedes fact is faith! I know some of you are saying, “What does that mean?!” Let me put this way; Fact is COVID-19 is wreaking HVAOC across the globe but my F.I.G. (FAITH IN GOD) reassures me that HE IS BIGGER and HE WILL put this thing to bed within the appointed time! With that said, we have to find balance in what we are feeding our minds! It’s always a best practice to step away from the chaotic noise circulating on social media platforms and through local/national news broadcasts! Beloved of God, in this season you have to stay prayerful and if you haven’t already, install the YouVersion app and start reading God’s word daily. Ephesians 2:8-9 is a great scripture that says we’re saved by grace through faith. And we walk out our relationship with God and His plans for our lives the same way we receive salvation: by grace through faith. This gift is only offered to us because Jesus made the perfect sacrifice for us when He gave His life, taking our guilt and condemnation and paying for our sins. Through a personal relationship with Jesus, we access God’s divine grace and rest so that we can do what He’s calling us to do. Augustine put it this way, “Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord; and our heart is restless until it rests in Thee.”

Alt Ctrl Del!! CPU users suppress these 3 keys at the same time to terminate an application task or to reboot the operating system (have it shut down and restart itself). Well, in the climate we’re in I believe that’s exactly what God is doing! This 🦠 virus has adversely impacted hundreds of lives and viciously hit all 11 of our stock market sectors: Materials, Industrials, Financials, Energy, Consumer discretionary, Information technology, Communication services, Real estate, Health Care, Consumer Staples, Utilities and don’t forget small businesses, jobs, and churches. I don’t know what your thoughts are, but I believe God hit the celestial alt ctrl del command buttons because quite as it’s kept, life as we knew it a month ago will be forever changed! The Holy Spirit is turning off the regular, routine, and mundane!! He is setting off a reset in our spirits. This reset starts with the heart of repentance and humility. Let all who have ears to hear, let them hear! “Whoever has ears, let them hear.” (Matthew 11:15) The Lord is realigning our hearts and minds to the spirit of Truth! God will be stretching our faith during this pandemic crisis. In one way or another we will all be stretched and I’m not only referring to rationing common resources like toilet paper. We are going to be stretched to do things we’re not accustomed to doing. The Lord is making the Church uncomfortable so that she will truly be all that the Holy Spirit wants her to be for the new glory that is steadfastly approaching! As Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand,” (Matthew 12:13) I believe this is what the Lord is calling us to do today. Don’t miss this point of this passage of text. According to Jewish law this man was not supposed to be healed on the Sabbath but Jesus healed him anyway! Just before this man’s withered hand was restored in vv11-12 Jesus responded to the Pharisees who questioned Him regarding working on the sabbath; “If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you work to pull it out? Of course you would. And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.” The Pharisees was too blind to see that Jesus was stretching their faith by re-calibrating the truth behind the meaning of the Sabbath’s day rest. Ok, look at it from this perspective; over time the weight of life causes us to be misaligned and inaccurate, so periodic resets or re-calibration are needed. You might be feeling like this is a season of loss, but it’s actually a season of gain. Don’t be blinded like the Pharisees! God is moving us back to our original position (who we were meant to be), a correct position (for more healing), and into a new setting (so that the life of God in us can be more easily seen). The Lord is resetting the apostolic and the prophetic to a divine tune-up; to be fully ready and prepared for what is to come.

CDC recommending hospital staff use bandanas when masks run out. Hospitals are asking the public to sew masks. Here is a physician responding:

Please don’t tell me that in the richest country in the world in the 21st century, I’m supposed to work in a fictionalized Soviet-era disaster zone and fashion my own face mask out of cloth because other Americans hoard supplies for personal use and so-called leaders sit around in meetings hearing themselves talk. I ran to a bedside the other day to intubate a crashing, likely COVID, patient. Two respiratory therapists and two nurses were already at the bedside. That’s 5 N95s masks, 5 gowns, 5 face shields and 10 gloves for one patient at one time. I saw probably 15-20 patients that shift, if we are going to start rationing supplies, what percentage should I wear precautions for?

Make no mistake, the CDC is loosening these guidelines because our country is not prepared. Loosening guidelines increases healthcare workers’ risk but the decision is done to allow us to keep working, not to keep us safe. It is done for the public benefit – so I can continue to work no matter the personal cost to me or my family (and my healthcare family). Sending healthcare workers to the front line asking them to cover their face with a bandana is akin to sending a soldier to the front line in a t-shirt and flip flops.

I don’t want talk. I don’t want assurances. I want action. I want boxes of N95s piling up, donated from the people who hoarded them. I want non-clinical administrators in the hospital lining up in the ER asking if they can stock shelves to make sure that when I need to rush into a room, the drawer of PPE equipment I open isn’t empty. I want them showing up in the ER asking “how can I help” instead of offering shallow “plans” conceived by someone who has spent far too long in an ivory tower and not long enough in the trenches. Maybe they should actually step foot in the trenches.

I want billion-dollar companies like 3M halting all production of any product that isn’t PPE to focus on PPE manufacturing. I want a company like Amazon, with its logistics mastery (it can drop a package to your door less than 24 hours after ordering it), halting its 2-day delivery of 12 reams of toilet paper to whoever is willing to pay the most in order to help get the available PPE supply distributed fast and efficiently in a manner that gets the necessary materials to my brothers and sisters in arms who need them.

I want Proctor and Gamble, and the makers of other soaps and detergents, stepping up too. We need detergent to clean scrubs, hospital linens and gowns. We need disinfecting wipes to clean desk and computer surfaces. What about plastics manufacturers? Plastic gowns aren’t some high-tech device, they are long shirts/smocks…made out of plastic. Get on it. Face shields are just clear plastic. Nitrile gloves? Yeah, they are pretty much just gloves…made from something that isn’t apparently Latex. Let’s go. Money talks in this country. Executive millionaires, why don’t you spend a few bucks to buy back some of these masks from the hoarders, and drop them off at the nearest hospital.

I love biotechnology and research but we need to divert viral culture media for COVID testing and research. We need biotechnology manufacturing ready and able to ramp up if and when treatments or vaccines are developed. Our Botox supply isn’t critical, but our antibiotic supply is. We need to be able to make more plastic ET tubes, not more silicon breast implants.

Let’s see all that. Then we can all talk about how we played our part in this fight. Netflix and chill is not enough while my family, friends and colleagues are out there fighting. Our country won two world wars because the entire country mobilized. We out-produced and we out-manufactured while our soldiers out-fought the enemy. We need to do that again because make no mistake, we are at war, healthcare workers are your soldiers, and the war has just begun.

Please share!

According to the Webster dictionary an enemy is a person who feels hatred for, fosters harmful designs against, or engages in antagonistic activities against another; an adversary or opponent. Ephesians 6:12 remind us, “ For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
With that said, COVID-19 is not the enemy rather, the enemy is Satan. John 10:10 confirms, “The thief’s [Satan] purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My [Jesus] purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” We are facing challenges today that are unprecedented and during these times of uncertainty and adversity, it’s important to remember that the darkest of night comes just before the dawn appears. The days ahead for our Nation are destined to shine brighter because God is faithful even when things are spinning out of control! Our mission, while we are sheltering-in- place and/or social distancing is to stay faithful, prayerful, and obedient to God’s word and like Job at the appointed time we will all receive double for our trouble (Job 42:10). We will see God’s promises manifest in spite of this worldwide pandemic! As we watch from the sidelines, our selfless healthcare professionals and first responders diligently work to combat the spread of this viscous virus and formulate a vaccine we shouldn’t stop declaring, proclaiming, and decreeing the power of God’s word over our nation, states, cities, and communities. God will do what He hears us say! Numbers 14:28 confirms, “So tell them, “As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say!!” You see; when we make positive declarations of faith, we are not denying horizontal facts, instead, we are confronting the facts with God’s vertical Word. So don’t think for one moment that God isn’t active in our current situation. What we need to do is continue declaring God’s words, morning and night, with supernatural confidence and authority. Victory, divine empowerment, and breakthrough has already being dispatched and released to each of us because one thing is certain God’s word will never return void (Isaiah 55:11) nor will He allow one syllable to fall to the ground!

Here are eighteen little truths you need to remember about the God we serve. 1.) God knows you! 2.) God Chose you! 3.) God loves you! 4.) God restores you! 5.) God sustains you! 6.) God helps you! 7.)God rescues you! 8.) God shields you! 9.) God heals you! 10.) God provides for you! 11.) God reconciled you! 12.) God delivered you! 13.) God forgave you! 14.) God sealed you! 15.) God redeemed you! 16.) God predestined you! 17.) God justified you! 18.) God in Christ died for you, rose for you, and have prepared a place for you! This is a short list compared to the vastness of God’s love for us in Christ Jesus! When you really sit back and reflect on how good God is and how good He has been to us, our hearts should be overflowing with immense joy! There is a scripture to support each of these truths, but I am not going to list each of them; you can look them up for yourself! My point in this message is to remind you and myself that a spirit of gratitude will positively impact our attitudes despite our circumstances! If the joy Jesus promises are real and we believe Him, there’s no circumstance that can truly steal our joy!! So today, remember these truths and “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Trust simply means to have a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. With that said, we trust in God for a few reasons. 1.) We trust God just because of who He is! 2.) We trust God because of our faith in Him. 3.) We trust in God because of what He has done in our personal lives or in the lives of other people! Proverbs 3:5 reminds us to, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to our own understanding…..” Hence the dilemma! I believe we don’t have a problem trusting God when we can articulate every fine detail of the where, what, why, when, and how. But, let an ounce of obscurity blind our vision; we are quick to start leaning and relying on our own understanding! The blunt truth is that we can’t always fathom the unfathomable and God programmed it that way (Isaiah 55:8-9). Trust is more acutely focused on total reliance on something greater than what we can mentally articulate! So; we trust in the Lord because He and He alone is truly trustworthy. His Word is trustworthy (Psalm 93:5; 111:7; Titus 1:9), His nature is faithful and true (Deuteronomy 7:9; Psalm 25:10; 145:13; 146:6), and His plans for us are perfect and purposeful (Jeremiah 29:11). Although life’s circumstances may knock the wind out of faith and we may stumble, but “though we stumble, we will not fall, for the LORD upholds us with His mighty hand” (Psalm 37:24). Here’s the good news; when we are faithless (trust-less), He remains faithful (trust-full) because He can not deny Himself (2 Tim 2:13)!

Today is the day the Lord has made so, we will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24)!! Having said that, I have a challenge for you! Would you like to know what it is? Find a reason to smile! If you can’t find at least one reason then get a bigger shovel and start digging! Your smile is the wall that safeguards you from all the negativity that circulates in the world and percolates in your head!! Make note, I’m not talking about a cheesy fake smile rather, a genuine smile that reflects a genuine heart of happiness! Proverbs 15:30 “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health.” I get it!! There’s really not much to smile about however, smiling through adversity does have a few health advantages like lowering your blood pressure, it relieves stress, lessens pain, and strengthens your immune system. I will submit to you that smiling is more contagious than the COVID-19 and it might aid in flattening the curve😇!! Proverbs 17:22 says, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but depression drains one’s strength.” Therefore, if all you have to smile about today is the fact you’re living and breathing that’s all you need! Proverbs 15:13-15 reminds us that, “A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit. A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash. For the despondent, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.” Look at this way, the most beautiful smile is the one that struggles through fears and tears!

#SmileToday

#BeEncouraged

#GodDontEndOnNegatives

#InTheEndJesusWins

“There is a demonic exploitation of the coronavirus:

1. Shutting down churches.
2. Stopping worship gatherings
3. Stopping essential conferences
4. Slowing mission outreach
5. Spreading fear and panic
6. Amplifying greed, hoarding and exploitation
7. Making democratic governments seem weak and foolish.
8. Making dictatorships look good and wise.
9. Making the aged and disabled seem totally disposable.
10. A spirit of death that comes to steal, kill and destroy.

Therefore I choose to pray the following warfare prayer:

I call on the Throne of God to rebuke, bind and judge, all powers, principalities, thrones, dominions and demons behind COVID-19 and its spread.

I call on God, in the name of Jesus, to shut down this virus, to disable and forbid all its evil effects, and to cast out all spirits of fear, panic, greed, anger, infirmity, murder, and control.

I call on God to protect the weak, the elderly, the infirm, the homeless, the poor and the vulnerable from COVID-19.

In the name of Jesus, I ask God to remove the control of human hearts and minds that these spirits have and declare that creative solutions will be found and will be implemented and will not be hindered in any way. There will be no more mistakes, no more confusion, and no more errors in the way the outbreak is managed.

Wisdom, love, reason and kindness shall prevail. Governments, doctors, nurses, scientists and researches shall be given the wisdom of God in abundance, freely and without rebuke. Churches will be given the courage of God. The Holy Spirit will show us how to pray and the Throne of Grace and Mercy shall be opened to us at this time for a world that is need of the Lord! Amen.”🙏🏾

(Repost)

What God is going to do through you is already living inside of you! God has equipped you with everything you need to fulfill your destiny through His word! Henceforth, you are more than able to do what He has called you to do (Romans 8:37)! Therefore, you will accomplish your goals and fulfill your dreams! You have the ideas, creativity, and God given talent to be successful! I am speaking life into someone that wants to quit the assignment God gave them because they don’t believe they can do it and/or they can not overcome the obstacle presently standing in their pathway!! Hear me clearly, “DO NOT QUIT THE ASSIGNMENT GOD GAVE YOU BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN ARMED AND EQUIPPED WITH STRENGTH TO WIN EVERY BATTLE IN YOUR LIFE!” So, stay focused on who you are becoming in Christ and God will get you where you need to be! In Jeremiah 1:5 God tells Jeremiah that before he was born God set him apart and appointed him as a prophet to the nations and he still faced some challenges. However, God will never ask you to do something He has not already equipped you to do! So, stop focusing on the obstacles and start speaking life over your life. You have been pre-built/pre-wired with a manual on how God designed you to operate and only God himself can help you understand how to operate in your gifting, your purpose, and your destiny!

#WontHeDoIt

Father God, loving and merciful God, we worship and adore You. In faith, we come before You asking for mercy and forgiveness for our sins against You and Your creation. Father God, in this time of fear, anxiety, ambiguity, and distress, we lift up to You the COVID-19 outbreak that is creating national and international HAVOC-2020 across your world! Abba Father, we beg You to halt the spread of this virus and to grant healing and comfort to those adversely afflicted. Please cover everyone with the Precious Blood of Your Son, Jesus and protect all of us, especially those in the medical field and all first responders from any contamination, infection, and harm. Lord Jesus, we beseech You to grace government leaders and medical experts with wisdom and knowledge to combat the spread of COVID-19 and to find a serum antidote! Holy Spirit Lord, please breathe comfort, peace, strength, and hope into your people during this time of great uncertainty. Help us to discern that a PANDEMIC is not necessarily a call for us to PANIC! God You are acutely aware of what’s going on and you are working out a plan far greater than our minds can comprehend! Father, In the meantime grace us with a strong sense of social responsibility to do the necessary, and to be prudent and considerate in our actions. Bless all people to work together as one family of God and to be compassionate to one another. Lord Jesus, we believe in You and we place all our hope in You. You are our strength and our shield; in You our hearts trust; so we are helped, and our hearts exult, and with our song we exalt and give thanks to You. Father God, because we know nothing is impossible for You to do, we choose to PRAISE You in advance of the cure, remedy, or antidote and we declare that is already done in the all life delivering and restoring name of Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the One who was, who is, and who is to come, amen and amen and amen!!