Life Is NOT Promised!

Posted on February 15, 2018 by #4GIVEN

In an intellectual sense, we all know that life is short. But how many of us actually live our day to day lives like we’re really going to die one day? It’s certainly in our best interest not to waste a moment of our lives on pettiness! Life is way too short not to be enjoying, loving, caring, and sharing. We often talk about killing time when in reality time is actually killing us! Our greatest commodity becomes our greatest weakness. Why?! Mainly because we view life through expendable lens knowing that we should never take life for granted, but always be thankful, joyful and prayerful, growing in wisdom every day! David was spot on in Psalm 90:12 when he said to God, “Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” Our lives are only precious & beautiful when we commit our lives into the hands of the One who wrote everyday of our lives even before one came to be (Psalm 139:16)! So today i/l/o living life to the fullest try loving life to the fullest and live like there is no tomorrow!

Posted in Ministry | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

RAISE THE BANNER OF VICTORY!!

Posted on February 14, 2018 by #4GIVEN

In Exodus 17:8-16 we learn an empirical truth; worship is one of our keys to accessing the power of God! Worship is not defined in our posture rather it’s defined by the state of our hearts, minds, and spirits! Worship has to deal with our innermost being and it requires being born again, having a entered mind, and a pure heart. I doubt very seriously that Moses, Aaron, and Hur minds were not centered on God during the battle with Amalek! Y’all know the story!! Moses hands were held up untill sundown while Joshua and the boys defeated Amalek! Now, we may not be waging a physical war with Amalek but everyday we face a raging spiritual war with the various Amaleks in our lives. Amalek is nothing more than our adversary who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy our love, joy, and peace. But when our hearts, minds, and spirits are centered in Christ according to John 10:10, despite the fiery arrows meant to harms us we will experience the abundant life that Christ died to give us! On that day, ‘back in the gap’ Moses and dem built an alter and they named it ‘JEHOVAH NISSI’; THE LORD IS MY BANNER! In the 21 century translation: WORSHIP is our banner of VICTORY! So today commit to worshipping God steadily, unswervingly, unapologetically, and raise the BANNER OF VICTORY OVER YOUR LIFE!!

#StayFocus

Posted in Ministry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

GOOD MORNING!!

Posted on February 13, 2018 by #4GIVEN

Posted in Ministry | Leave a comment

He Who Stands Before God with Me is Faithful!

Posted on February 12, 2018 by #4GIVEN

For those in Christ (The Savior/Redeemer) One thing you can count on is Jesus (The Son of God) standing with you before God in Heaven. Hebrews 7:25 of the MSG says, “Earlier there were a lot of priests, for they died and had to be replaced. But Jesus’ priesthood is permanent. He’s there from now to eternity to save everyone who comes to God through him, always on the job to speak up for them.” I don’t know about you but for me, the only One I need to speak up for me as the days of my life are accounted for and played back before a righteous God is the One that conquered death and is seated today at the right hand of the Father.

Posted in Ministry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Is Your Faith >Doubt?

Posted on February 9, 2018 by #4GIVEN

Remember when the Israelites tested God at Massah in Exodus 17? As God was leading Moses and His people toward the Promised Land, they camped at a place where there was no water. The roller coaster faith driven Israelites’ immediate reaction was to grumble against God and quarrel with Moses. In fact, they was so upset they wanted to kill him!! Their lack of trust in God to take care of them is evident in their accusations toward Moses: “They said, ‘Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?’” (Exodus 17:3). The Israelites were obviously in a situation where they needed God to intervene. The point at which they tested God, though, is when doubt and fear overtook them and they came to the conclusion that God had abandoned them (see Exodus 17:7). They questioned God’s reliability because He was not meeting their expectations. How many times have we questioned God’s reliability in our lives? ___________(FITB)

Beloved of God, faith by definition; takes risk and it when true faith is present, obedience follows. God doesn’t prove Himself in our doubts rather, He proves Himself by our faith!

Posted in Ministry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Clarity, Wisdom, Strength

Posted on February 8, 2018 by #4GIVEN

Clarity, wisdom, and strength doesn’t come from the pages of a horror-scope aka horoscope; rather it comes from God through the pages of His infallible, inherent, and incorruptible spoken word. So if you are looking for a word from God; you don’t have to go very far to find Him-He lives in you!

Pray with me:

Lord, why do we worry and fear so much when we are the dear children of the One who is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresence. Father God strengthen me today with the promise of Your power, the transparency of Your clarity, and the pouring out of Your wisdom in Jesus’ name, amen!

(The pic illustrates a great ministry 💡)

Posted in Ministry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Prayer for Strength

Posted on February 7, 2018 by #4GIVEN

Father God, how wonderful to know that You have provided all that is necessary to live a godly life in Christ Jesus. Your grace truly IS sufficient to supply whatever needs and necessities we may have to face, and thank You that no matter how difficult the circumstances that arise in our lives – nor how lonely the path may be, Your grace is sufficient for Your strength is made perfect in our weakness. Lord God, I pray that You would provide all that I need to face today and that You would renew my spirit within me as I rest in Your love. Strengthen me in every way I pray – emotionally, physically and spiritually and thank You Father for Your wonderful promise that they that wait upon You shall have their spirit renewed and mount up with wings like eagles. Thank You Lord and praise Your holy name that You are my strength and my God, in Jesus name I pray, amen and amen!

Posted in Ministry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Thirsty?!!!

Posted on February 6, 2018 by #4GIVEN

God thirsts for His people to know Him, love Him, and remember Him. St. Augustine tells us that “God thirsts that we might thirst for Him.” Thirst indicates a life sustaining desire, a deep internal yearning that leads us to what is needed for survival. And God thirsts that we might thirst for Him, because we are created by God, and for God. It’s a hard concept for our finite minds to grasp, that God created us for Himself and He never ceases to draw us toward Him. Yet, when we sin, we are turning away from God. We are quenching that thirst with that sin, or the pleasure of that sin, and in essence no longer longing for Him, but for the things of this world that will allot us only temporary happiness. This world can’t fill us with the joy and fulfillment our hearts truly desire. Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust [thirst] in him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” So are you really thirsty for the God of the universes and galaxies? J. Hampton Keathley, III gives us a execellent illustration about thirsting for God. He wrote: “In an ancient tale from India about a young man who was seeking God. He went to a wise old sage for help. “How can I find God?” he asked the old man. The old man took him to a nearby river. Out they waded into the deep water. Soon the water was up just under their chins. Suddenly the old man seized the young man by the neck and pushed him under the water. He held the young man down until the young man was flailing the water in desperation. Another minute and he may well have drowned. Up out of the water the two of them came. The young man was coughing water from his lungs and still gasping for air. Reaching the bank he asked the man indignantly, “What did that have to do with my finding God?” The old man asked him quietly, “While you were under the water, what did you want more than anything else?” The young man thought for a minute and then answered, “I wanted air. I wanted air more than anything else?” The old man replied, “When you want God as much as you wanted air, you will find him.”

Posted in Ministry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pursue Humility!

Posted on February 5, 2018 by #4GIVEN

The world teaches us to be ambitious, competitive, and proud. However, God desires that we pursue humility, brokenness, and submission. Colossians 3:12 says, “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience…” Don’t mistake my point; yes, I am striving to be great on earth but being great in God’s eyes is completely different to man. Jesus said in Matthew 20:26-27, “If one of you wants to become great, then he must serve you like a servant…..” You see, greatness is not found in position. Greatness is not found in the exercise of power. Greatness is not found in being served. Greatness is not found in commanding others. Greatness is not found in wealth. Greatness is not found in intellect. In Jesus’ Kingdom, greatness is found in serving and that my friend is why God desires that we pursue humility, brokenness, and submission. So today remember Jesus gave us the cross to remind us that the path of obedience, the path to greatness, the path of glory is only found in serving others while serving God.

#StayFocus

Posted in Ministry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

He is Irresistible!!

Posted on February 4, 2018 by #4GIVEN

We only resist what we don’t understand. Jesus doesn’t nor has He ever manipulated someone to turn their lives over to Him. Once a person’s eyes are opened and the ‘Christ’ in Jesus is revealed they will always choose Him….no matter what!! Why you ask?! It’s simple, He is simply irresistible! Eugene Peterson penned the eloquence of Jesus’s irresistibility in John 6:37, “Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever. I have told you this explicitly because even though you have seen me in action, you don’t really believe me. Every person the Father gives me eventually comes running to me. And once that person is with me, I hold on and don’t let go. I came down from heaven not to follow my own whim but to accomplish the will of the One who sent me.” Beloved, I got good news, in Christ we no longer hunger for acceptance and we no longer thirst to understand our existence.

In Christ’s irresistible love, we discover that we are divinely placed on this earth to follow and accomplish God’s will, plan, and purpose in our lives through the aid and direction of the Holy Spirit!

Posted in Ministry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment