Make no mistake, no matter how much good we do, we really don’t deserve God’s love.

I know some of you are frowning right about now, however at first glance, such a statement may appear discouraging. But in truth, this should be the most freeing and liberating declaration you’ve heard all day, maybe all year, or perhaps in your entire life.

Undoubtedly, the Bible clearly teaches that God’s love is undeserved. If I still have your attention, I asked that you consider Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Did you catch that 5 word phrase “while we were still sinners”? God sacrificially perfected His love for us while we were still His very enemies.

Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”

My brothers and sisters, we were dead in our sins and there’s absolutely nothing we can ever do to earn God’s love, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love…” saved us. Read that again. God saved us because He loves us, He doesn’t love us because we are saved or sanctified. He loves us because according to I John 4:8, He is the very “essence of love”.

Simply put, we can’t earn His love because we already have it. And we can’t lose His love because we don’t deserve it in the first place. The quest to attempt to earn God’s love is utterly futile, and its only accomplishment is turning those who undertake it into self-righteous hypocrites or self-loathing failures, neither of which exemplify the Christ-like servant God calls us to be.

At the end of the day and top of the morning (as Noel would say), we can fully and wholeheartedly believe that God’s love is faithful, committed, unchanging, wholly unconditionally, and justifiably undeserved.

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#DontGetItTwisted

Prayer is critically and crucially important for our spiritual life, yet we discover in the Gospel today the power that results when our prayers are grounded in the humility that recognizes our own weaknesses, shortcomings, and sins.

Unfortunately, humility is a dying virtue because it is misinterpreted as weakness, fragility, and meekness. It is in contrast to the Western cultural ideals of individualism and unrestrained capitalism. Its demise is unfortunate because humility comes with many benefits.

We all know the Bible often contradicts Western cultural ideas. In James 4:10 we are encouraged to, “Humble [ourselves] before the Lord, and He will lift you up” and I Peter 5:6 also encouraged us to, “Humble [ourselves], therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.”

Moreover, on an individual level, humility has a positive effect on self-awareness. Humble individuals accept that they have blind spots and look for ways to improve. They are open to receiving feedback from others. They avoid the trap of prideful-overconfidence which clouds judgment and decision-making.

On an interpersonal level, humility strengthens social bonds because humble individuals are quick to accept responsibility and apologize for their mistakes. High-quality apologies are extremely effective at reducing conflict and repairing relationships.

My brothers and sister, those who humble themselves find God’s favor: “Though the LORD is great, He cares for the humble.” Therefore, I invite you to join me in this humble prayer and may we all continue to humbly amd fervently call upon the Lord in our spiritual journeys.

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#PrayerOfHumility

After months of anticipation, in October 1995, the “Concord” Air Jordan 11 released at retail to absolute pandemonium. I vividly remember scores of people lining up outside the mall at 5:30am just for the opportunity to purchase this pair of sneakers before they sold out (by 9:30 am). The retail sticker price with tax totaled $151.54 and for the avid ‘sneakerhead’ MJ fan it was definitely worth the weight in gold and time just to purchase a pair on the day they were released.

Let me be clear, back in the day I was the one selling the sneakers because if you know me then you know that I’m way too cheap aka frugile to spend that kind of money on a pair of sneakers. However, I wander how patient and/or excited we are when it comes to waiting on God to follow through on one or more of our prayer requests.

We live in a world where we want what we want when we want it. Some people refer to this as a “microwave society”. That said, it’s fair to say that waiting patiently on God can be difficult, but failing to wait upon the Lord can bring about disastrous consequences. First, when we do not wait, we get out of God’s will. Second, we delay God’s planned blessing for us. Because we move ahead of His steps, we get out of cycle and miss God’s blessings in His time. Third, we bring pain and suffering upon ourselves and others. Throughout Scripture, we can see the resulting pain people endured from getting outside of God’s will and doing things their own way. Fourth, we’re prone to making snap judgments that quite often turn out to cost us significantly in terms of finances, emotional energy, and relationships.

Additionally, when the Lord tells us to wait on His will, He always has a very clear reason, and that reason is without exception for our benefit. Waiting is essential in living the Christian life, walking in obedience to God, and receiving the best of His blessings. Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Unfortunately in our lives, it’s very common to grow weary while waiting when we become confused as to who’s managing the clock – us or God? It never fails…when we think we’ve waited long enough, there’s more time on God’s clock. And just when we feel like giving up or throwing in the towel, suddenly the miracle appears. My brothers and sisters, God already knows this about us and He knows our very thoughts, our feelings, all of our desires and all of our needs – and when to deal with them. He knows we don’t like to wait, which is why He places lessons inside every circumstance to teach us something.

Though our experiences are different, we all face seasons of waiting at some point in our lives. If you’re walking through this struggle now, and you haven’t heard from God yet (or maybe you haven’t come to terms with His answer), I hope this message will bring you comfort, hope, strength, and peace. Our God is forever faithful and He has a plan for you, even if it feels like you’re stuck somewhere you didn’t want to be in the first place. Hold on to His word and “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” (Romans 12:12).

No matter how long it takes…when God is at work, it’s worth the wait!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#waitingonGod

In Matthew 14:22-33 we read about the time Jesus walked on water. This miraculous early moment event was not an isolated incident but rather a testament to the extraordinary nature of His awesome ministry.

That being said, this particular story also serves as a powerful reminder of Jesus divinity, authority, and the importance of unwavering faith. Through this miraculous event, Jesus revealed His authority and power over nature not to mention He teaches a valuable lessons about faith, trust, overcoming doubt and fear, while solidifying His role as the Son of God.

If Peter was being interviewed today he would agree with these 3 takeaways from his very brief walk on water experience:

1. Keep Your Eyes On God: Just like Peter took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the storm around him, we often get distracted by the challenges we face in life. We need to remember to keep our focus on Christ during difficult times.
2. Trust In God’s Power: When Peter first stepped out of the boat onto the sea, he trusted in Jesus’ power. However, when he started sinking, he doubted that power. We need to have faith in God’s ability to help us through any situation.
3. Choose Between Belief And Doubt: The disciples witnessed firsthand both the power of belief (when Peter walked on water) and doubt (when he began sinking) while they were with Jesus Christ on the sea. We must choose whether we will believe or doubt God’s promises.

My brothers and sisters, as we navigate the storms of life, I hope you find solace in Jesus’ example and draw strength from His unwavering and unfailing love. Lastly, don’t forget the true miracle is not us walking on water, rather it’s trusting in the One that did!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#UnwaveringFaith

There is so much uncertainty in life. Just when we think things have calmed down and we settle into our normal, life sends us a curveball. We deal with unexpected struggles such as a pandemic, health struggles, relationship struggles, daily struggles, and even moment to moment struggles.

That said, I know sometimes it’s easier said than done, but we can place all of our trust in God! He is our forever dependable and everlasting rock! When no one and no thing in this life can be counted on, God can. He knows our yesterdays, our today, and all of our tomorrows. He has plans for us. Good plans. Plans we can count on.

Isaiah 26:4 reminds us to, “Trust in the Lord forever, because in the Lord, the Lord Himself, is an everlasting rock!”

Undoubtedly, we’ve all been let down. Let down by people and circumstances. BUT GOD will never, ever let us down.

If you’re struggling with trusting God, I invite you to remember who God is, remember God’s heart and intentions for you, surrender all control over the outcome, and be patience.

My brothers and sisters, the blessings of trusting God with your life is always fruitful when you choose to trust Him. So never forget that God’s timing is perfect and you can always trust in His perfect timing even when you believe your time has expired!

BeStrong

TGBTG

NAP

#TrustGodsPlan

#TrustGodsTiming

#TrustGodAlways

#TrustGodPeriod

When I was a young child I use to watch my Momma (Debbie Pinnock) praise God! I vividly remember hearing her singing to the greats: Sam Cooke, Mahalia Jackson, Shirley Caesar, and more. Back then, I didn’t really understand the brevity and depth of what she was doing, but as I began to grow in my own personal relationship with God I quickly discovered that praising God comes at cost known to Him but unknown to others.

Hebrews 13:15 confirms that our praise to God should be sacrificial and the author of this passage said, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.”

My brothers and sisters, you don’t know the cost of my praise much like I didn’t know the cost of my momma’s praise and let me add, I don’t know the cost of your praise. A lifting of hands and a joining of voices to exalt God and extol His virtues at church in corporate praise and worship is a good thing and I amen that all day. However, the singing of songs and the clapping of hands is a very small part of what it means to offer praise.

As the author of the above passage says, praise involves sacrifice! It costs us something! King David understood this when he said that he would not give to God that which cost him nothing (1 Chronicles 21:24). Don’t get it twisted praise is not just about running, clapping, singing, lifting hands, and shouting. Our praise costs us dearly. It demands that we deny ourselves as we follow the way of Jesus. The way of the cross.

Indisputably, unequivocally, and irrefutably Jesus offered the highest form of praise on the cross. He showed us how to offer a sacrificial praise. Our hearts, like His, offer sacrifical praise when we are silent when we are accused, downtrodden, ridiculed, beaten, shamed, falsely accused, disenfranchised, hurt, misunderstood, and broken. Our sacrifice of praise is most spiritually real and authentic when we deny ourselves, pick up our cross, submit to God and follow Jesus!

Thank you Momma for demonstrating to my brothers and I the true meaning of sacrificial praise! Though we didn’t know the cost of your praise back then and now; God did and He still does!

It’s praise time y’all!!!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#TheCostOfPraise

We’ve all heard it said, “You only LIVE once”, but I am inclined to re-write that script with saying, “You only LOVE once.” So, stop taking your family, friends, people, and life in general for granted.

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 11:7-9 [paraphrasing included], “[It is good to be alive.] Nothing on earth is more beautiful than [the gift of] the morning sun. [Don’t take a single day for granted. Take delight in each light-filled hour.] Even if you live to be a ripe old age, you should try to enjoy each day, because [you will die and then] darkness will come and it will last a long time [You will be dead much longer than you were alive. And after you are dead you cannot do anything. So, enjoy life while you are young.] Be cheerful [and happy and relish your youthful vigour. Follow your impulses and do whatever your heart leads you to do.] Do what[ever] you want and find pleasure in what you see. But don’t forget that God will judge you [and you will have to answer to God and give an account] for everything you do [in your life].”

In Matthew 22:36-40 Jesus said the first and greatest commandment is, “to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And the second commandment is this: Love your neighbour as yourself.”

My brothers and sisters, we are all in need of community because in the blink of an eye everything can change. So choose to forgive often and swiftly. Love everyone with all your heart and take no one or nothing for granted because you never know what may happen in the next 5 minutes more or less tomorrow!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#YouOnlyLoveOnce

In the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus found in Lule 19:16-31 Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet. The rich man also died and was buried, and he went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’ “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’ “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’ “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’ “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’ “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

What a mind blowing story and contrary to some contemporary thought, the Bible does teach that both heaven and hell are real places. Each person who lives will spend eternity in one of these two places. These two destinies are portrayed in Jesus’ story. While the rich man had lived for the day and only focused on life here on earth, Lazarus endured many hardships while trusting in God. So, verses 22 and 23 are significant: “So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”

If you didn’t know, Jesus was the and still is the greatest storyteller to walk the face of this planet and a parable is a simple story using earthly components to express a spiritual or heavenly truth. Therefore, Jesus’ use of the term “Abraham’s bosom” was yet another example of His collection of parables that focused the minds of His hearers on the fact that our choices to seek God or disregard Him here on earth literally affect where we spend eternity.

At the end of the day my brothers and sisters, I firmly believe that if the living knew what the deceased knew, the entire world would unequivocally follow Jesus Christ—-hands down!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#ToLiveForChristIsGain

Pray with me:

Father God, thank You that I can call You “Father”! It’s absolutely amazing the I can know You by name, and call You by Your name. What an amazing gift that I don’t deserve. Undoubtedly and unwaveringly, You never fail me, You always love me, and You give me dependable assurance and confidence for my future. Holy Spirit, thank You for consistently keeping me and never turning Your back on me. This is why, I am able to freely bend my knees and lift my arms to give You all the adoration, glory, honor, and praise that rightfully belongs to You, my blessed and most beautiful Father! In Jesus precious and righteous name, Amen and Amen and Amen!

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#StayingPrayedUp

Australian evangelist Christine Caine once said, “Sometimes when you find yourself in a dark place you think you’ve been buried, but you’ve actually been planted.” Boy did she hit the nail on the head with this profund truth.

Undoubtedly, you nor I are completely immune to struggles or hardships in life. And when we experience these difficult times, it can feel like we are trapped in darkness with no hope or escape. The quote above suggests that what feels like being buried in darkness may actually be a seed being planted – ‘an opportunity for growth’.

When we are “in a dark place,” we often feel overwhelmed and unable to see an illuminated path forward. The darkness can feel suffocating, debilitating, and inescapable, as if we have literally been buried alive. Even though it can feel stifling or confining at the time, like we have been “buried,” in reality we’ve actually been “planted” and our difficulties have created fertile ground for professional, familial, and spiritual growth-‘germination’.

Remember that when a seed is planted in soil (darkness) it may not yet see the sunlight, but it contains within it the possibility of sprouting and becoming a bew creation; much like the butterfly that lies dormant in it’s cocoon. Even in our darkest moments, we hold within us the seeds of positive growth and change.

My brothers and sisters, as faithful Christians our eternal perspective on struggles, difficulties, and hardships should always be: “We do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16–18).

Here’s an idea, in lieu of seeing struggles as a permanent burials, we can choose to see them as an essential planting that allows us to grow stronger. Difficult times strengthen our roots, forcing us to dig deeper within ourselves to fully trust God. And just as a seed must remain in the ground for a time before it can emerge as a new plant and a caterpillar in it’s cocoon, we too must remain in the “dark place” long enough for transformation to occur.

Dark times are an inevitable part of life (John 16:33), but they do not have to mean the end. They can instead signal the beginning of something new, if we remain open to growth during our struggles instead of throwing in the towel. The darkness may be what we need to transform and blossom into a better, stronger version of ourselves.

So, if you are in a dark place and you feel “buried,” remember that you have actually been “planted” – now all you need to do is wait on God’s time, light, water and nutrients for growth.

#BeStrong

#TGBTG

#NAP

#YouHaveBeenPlanted