From Beginning to End!

One thing we, as humans, tend to do is complain! It's like someone decided to make this the number one hobby to have! On top of complaining about everything, ungratefulness enters the picture. People blame god for their problems. People blame each other for mishaps. Then what takes the cake is when people act like they have never been blessed with anything! Really? You haven't been blessed? I thought to myself, when someone told me something like that, "you just don't know how blessed you are!" Open your eyes!

It's been happening since Adam and Eve, when they had everything and wanted the only thing God told them they couldn't have. ONLY ONE THING!!! King David had everything he could want and wanted more! Be content with your blessings! After all, you've been blessed with certain things for a reason.

Living today, we even have something to we can be grateful for. Look at the little things we have. the movement of our limbs, a sound mind, even good physical qualities! Just being real, some people have been blessed with beauty and looks! Look at this... when have you ever took the time to sincerely give thanks for it? When was the last time that you genuinely thanked God for allowing you to wake up? Keeping you going throughout your day? Your health?

We have to be grateful over what we have. From the grain of rice that kept us from being hungry, to the cars that we drive and the transit cards we buy. You must be grateful over whatever you have and watch and see that you will gain more! Matthew 25:14-29

We are so blessed that we place ourselves in a comfort zone and don't realize how good we have it! People have much less and can be truly thankful but we can't even do a good job faking it! Let's get serious, we were blessed to be born. We are blessed to make it to the point we are in at this moment. Everything, even our trials and hardships, work as a blessing to us. When you think of it from that perspective, Jesus is the silver lining to everything. We know he is a keeper, and we know that His grace and mercy abounds on us. We were blessed in the beginning and will continue to be blessed until the end!

A Need to Ad Lib

I was listening to a sermon at a church one Sunday. The preacher said we, as believers and unbelievers alike, know so much about the world and don't know about Jesus. He said that we know about the world's music, the world's habits, but we don't hear about Jesus. I sat and thought! I prayed quietly to myself, in search of a revelation.

I'm not going to go against the man of God, but I am going to have to disagree with what he said, to some degree. I disagree with the idea that we don't hear about Jesus. He down-played worldly activities, in efforts to make a point that wasn't totally correct! Jesus is plainly out there. He is available to be sought! People know he's there. Keep in mind he was speaking to a sanctuary of church members, there were no visitors present!

We clearly know about the Savior. We know how he died on the cross. We know how he is going to come back like a thief in the night. We are not in the dark on this. The problem lies in the choices that we make. We knowingly choose to do the wrong things. We take advantage of God's grace and mercy. We commit premeditated sin. We chose not to live right! We chose to do the wrong things. In other words, we are choosing to go to hell bound up!

Breaking that down just a lil bit... We play church. We play Christian! We give up what we want to give up and hold on to what we wanna hold on to believing that God's grace will cover us. Think again! What is the point of sacrificing all of that if you're still not going to completely yield to God! You need to realize that when you choose to walk as a Christian, that means devoting your life and your choices to making God happy. Not just giving up what makes you comfortable. You have to either be with Him, or not. There are no healthy in-betweens! Rev 3:15,16

You've got to be serious about this. After all, it's your own soul salvation that's at hand!

TestImony Tuesday!

I thought that it would be cool to create a place for people to share their testimonies. We have overcome if we have a testimony. By sharing what God has done for you, it is possible that a reader may gain some type of encouragement. Maybe they can rekindle the hope they once had. It could possible spark someone to take a closer walk with Christ!

I have a faith testimony. Recently, I was unemployed. For 3 months I was without steady income. When I had income previously, it was not a consistent amount. I prayed and asked God for a way to make my ends meet. I prayed for a job. I mean I really got ugly in front of him. Snottin, sniffin and my boo hoo face! I let him know I was serious. I prayed that there was something that would work with my first job when I resumed it in September. It could not take me from any of my church services. I was firm in my prayer and I wanted a job and wouldn't accept anything but what I prayed for. 2 months past and still no job. Some might say you better take what you can get and pay your bills! I said NO! My God shall supply ALL of my needs. I believed that he would give me a job to my specifications AND it would come JUST in time!

So, bills became overdue. Yet, I still trusted! Food in the fridge got low! Yet, I still trusted! I had no money, zero dollars in all accounts and few pennies to rub together! I STILL TRUSTED GOD! That same trust brought me through the 3rd month and now I have that job that meets all of my requirements and all of my bills are up to date! All that to say, God will take good care of you if you believe he will. I mean believe without a shadow or tiniest amount of doubt. God will take care of you!

So, I've gone ahead and gave my testimony. Don't be afraid to follow suit! Post your testimonies in the comment section and see how God has been moving in our lives!

You Are God, Alone!

I do believe that often times we forget that God is God! We forget what he is capable of doing. We get caught up in our issues and drama, I call them distractions, and lose focus on reality. The reality of it all is at the end of the day, God is STILL God. Situations come and go, but God is the only constant that remains unchanged and will never change.

I have had the Chance to speak with this artist one on one. I have to say he is one of the realest and most approachable artists I have met yet. He speaks to you and your problem in his music. His latest album is called "Thirsty" and it speaks volumes to you in every work of every song! I thought I would share this with you!

Easy on my ears!

Cruising down the highway, with the radio pumping out what makes a ride seem short, we're feeding our ears. Taking the metro in our morning and evening commutes, we feed our ears. In our homes, with our TVs, we feed our ears. When we're around our friends we are feeding our ears! With what? The weather perhaps. The latest news maybe. Gossip corner anybody? Listening to friends slander someone else's name! It happens, whether you know it or not!

We will listen to anything we want and justify it be saying "they're my ears!" I'm not going to sit here and type this like I haven't done it myself! The point is why can't I listen to something wholesome that will prosper me! Who listens to quality things? I can probably call out every single one of my friends that loves to listen to Wendy Williams! Not going to bad mouth her, but she always has some kinda gossip about somebody! That's not productive. It's intrusively informative at somebody else's expense!

Once things enter our ears they enter our spirit whether we want it to or not! You heard a song playing in the background at work and the following week you know all of the words, backwards and forwards, and you have no idea how! You had great diction, and an expansive vocabulary and all of a sudden a cuss word is flying out of your mouth every other word! It comes from what we subject ourselves to listen!

When God tries to speak to us, our ears are so plugged up with filth that you can't hear Him speaking to you! There are going to be distractions. We have to keep a focus on what is necessary. You have to be easy on your years. When you need to listen to a word from the Lord, you want to hear what he has to say! 1 Kings 19:12-13

Right Here With You

Too scared to move, nowhere to hide. Feeling confused and all crazy inside? The sky is falling in every area of your life! You can't seem to stretch out your hands and arms to keep things up. You've been brought to your knees. Things just are not working out for you and you don't know what to do. The matters of your heart are stressing you down. You are looking for love and can't find it. you've found the wrong person to love and you're miserable! You are troubled on every end! What do you do?

Let's try casting all of your cares on Jesus! It's great to know that despite what you seem to face, Jesus always extends that loving and caring hand of compassion towards us! 1 Peter 5:7 With that said, get rid of everything that bothers you! Shake it off! Leave it where you stand and walk away from it! There is no need to go on carrying things that you know are going to hold you down. Holding things that you're fully aware will hold you back from reaching your full potential! Just put down the things that will slow you down! You'll find that life will become much easier once you've laid down those weights! Hebrews 12:1-2

Press on with life. Knowing that despite all that you go through God is there right by your side! He said he will never leave us, nor forsake us! Hebrews 13:5 That's a promise to us! He will always be there! Not only that he said until the ending of the earth! Matthew 28:20

I listen to radio broadcasts, watch tele-evangelists and this and that and they all seem to preach prosperity. They're not telling you how to get there! In order for these things to work, you need to be giving God some of your time! If you want God to have your back, show God that you care about him! Don't just call on him when the chips are tough but daily seek his face! Let him know how your day went! Thank him and show appreciation towards the little things! This is how you build a relationship with God by being real with him and trying to live as he wants us to live! Romans 12:1-2

Just remember this scripture when it all seems so very gray: "...lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Matthew 28:20

The realness of real!

I talk with many people that would belong to the 20 and younger crowd. I hear from them that they don't get anything from church. I get that they have no idea what the preacher is talking about. It's all too common for me. These kids, and some my age and older are all telling the same story. They don't understand. They seek advice and the elect men and women (pastors elders, deacons, missionary evangelists, etc) all tell them things that they need a dictionary to understand. They don't look into it and then the next thing from these elect people, they're backsliders and heathens!

I had to gain a understanding of what was happening here. I had to test the water. I believe in seeking counsel and advice from my pastor and immediate family. They have the most insight on me and my situations. I ventured outside to see what all was the real issue. I received the same confusion these needy and thirsty received! That's a problem!

I'm not going to talk specifically to the saved and anointed, nor will i keep it from the unsaved and inquiring mind. If some comes to you with a problem, you must keep it real with them. You have to get on their level and make them understand where you are coming from! You can have all the credentials in the world and then some but how can you expect to explain something to someone that has no clue! The same thing happens when we don't want to be bothered. We place ourselves so far up on a pedestal and have ourselves together, sometimes we brush off everybody else! Not right!

You have to examine the fact that when people approach you for any thing at all, there is a reason! It's a cry out for help and attention. There's something that you have experienced and/or are knowledgeable about that you can provide assistance! Jesus kept it real for us, way back when! He came down and experienced life as we know it. He experienced hardships and was even beaten and tortured. He served as that light for us, why can't we shine our light amongst the few people we come in contact with? Matthew 5:16

We've got to remember that everyone is not going to be on the same level as we are. They may be above us and need us to remind is that we're the same. They may be below us and not have our level of understanding and seeking knowledge and clarity. Keep it real with them. You can help them through a great deal if you would just be honest. Get off of that high horse. take off that crown. Open up yourself to others that you may be a blessing to them!

Taking a Position

I want to express that everyone is born with a purpose. Everyone has a place to be at a certain time. I guess you could call that an appointment. You are placed with a purpose in this life. I think most would agree with that!

Introduce the problem:

Everybody thinks they should be doing the same thing! Looking at it from the natural view, everybody can't drive Bentleys! Everybody can't have the house on the hill! Everybody can't be making 8 figures a year! It is not for everybody and everybody can't handle it! From the spiritual side, everybody can't be the Pastor, everybody can't be a Minister, everyone cannot be an Elder! There are those who are called to be average and some that are called to be great! You can be just a regular person and have such a great purpose being as regular as you can be! You can be in charge of sweeping floors and have such an impact over someone's life!

From the Left Field:

You can be called to the position of anything but it does not have to be the season for this to transpire. You can be set up to have a stylish Lexus, but what might happen if you get it before it is time for you to get it? Things begin to go wrong. Unfortunate things begin to happen! Then the next question out our mouthes is "God Why"!

In whatever you do, make sure it's for you to do. It never hurts to check with God, and never hurts to check twice! There is a time and a place for everything. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 In due season you will reap what will be yours if you faint not! Galatians 6:9 Just hold on to your prayer, hold on to your fasting, hold on to your faith and don't be discouraged. Take your position when it is time to take it!

I'm Going Through For You

I've heard time after time, and even said myself on occasion, people question why they go through the things they go through! I mean sickness, misfortune, and trials of every sort come and slap us square in our faces! Some even come to us in the most inconvenient of times. Then you ask someone why and the first thing from their mouths is that you have to trust in Jesus! The next thing to follow is that He'll work it out! I WANT TO KNOW WHY!!!

People have to realize that we are tested and tempted. The tempting comes from our surroundings and from our enemies, and can very well be ourselves! The tempting can lead us to the test. The test is what comes from God! The test tries our faith, tries our endurance, tries our long suffering, tries our happiness and our joy. It shakes our love and our peace. If you gather up all of your determination you can make it through! Surviving the test strengthens your relationship with God and gives you a testimony!

There are some situations that we go through, as individuals, that have nothing to do with us. They have to do with us using our experiences to strengthen somebody else's walk with Christ. In other words, there are some things that you go through that have nothing to do with you! The purpose of you going through, is so when you come out on the other side of your situation, you can share your experiences to help somebody else!

This is the good part. Some people just don't realize why they are going through. They simply cannot apply their testimony to them! Other than the fact they went through it! There will be someone that will cross your path you will need to share this testimony with. There is someone that needs to hear what you have to say! It could of been something that you came through years prior, you will have a use for it!

Just as Jesus went through it for us to look to him for help, we go through to be a help for someone else. Go through your test and endure through temptation with mindset of "I'm Going Through For You"

The Power to Change God's Mind

You can be great, or you can be just the regular guy or girl on the corner. Regardless of what you are, there are things that you must do. You still have to abide by the law of the Lord.

You have this great king, King Hezekiah. He built a great temple for God! He restored worship in the land. He tore down idols and rid them from the land. There were things that were not in order with him and his house. Scripture says that The lord spoke to a prophet to say to the King to "set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live." Isaiah 38:1 You have this great King that is supposed to be close to God, but he had to hear what thus saith the Lord from a prophet! Something was just not right!

The king turned to the wall and began to pray. Isaiah 38:2 Turning to the wall symbolized that it was him turning away from all distractions and problems and he placed himself before God. He was sickly and on his death bed and did not accept it. He pleaded with God. He prayed! Not the kind of prayer that you say what you want and its over, he placed him self in the presence of God and wept before him! The Bible says "O Lord, I beseech thee..." Isaiah 38:3 He made an urgent request of God and was very serious! He meant business! He wanted to hear from God!

The word then came to Isaiah to give word to the king that "I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years. AND I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city." Isaiah 38:5,6 God will let you know that he has heard you and what he will do. Not only did he promise that he would add years to his life and he would not die then, but he also promised deliverance! How Good is God?

We have the power to change God's mind! We have to power to go before him and make our requests know in faith! Matthew 21:22 says "all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." You have to believe when you go before God! You have to bring all of your faith and some to let God know you mean business and you really expect a move from him!

Don't be fooled! Don't think you can be doing any thing that you want and decide to go before God and expect miracles. IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY! You have to have your house in order! You have to be living right! You have to be treating your brothers and sisters right! You need to be doing all that you can be doing to live a life just like the life of Jesus!

Be Blessed!