God Has Ya Back!

I was thinking the other day, after talking with someone who wasn't exactly thankful for the holidays, and I had to share some enthusiasm for someone that may need it. This person was having problems on the job, problems using the money he earned to make ends meet and having family problems. I really couldn't promise him everything was going to be alright. Reason being that I don't know where his faith was and how he believed. What I did tell him is that God has his back if you have his!

He looked at me confused, as if he didn't know what I was talking about. I explained to him what God expected from us. A tithe of our income. He passionately expressed how he just told me he strained to make what he had to cover his expenses. I told him, I have been in places, hard spots and difficult situations and I kept tithing! I went without only because I believed that God would supply all of my needs! Philippians 4:19 It might be hard for a moment, but if you're faithful over the little he asks, its sooo worth it!

"What about my family", he asked. I told him to hold his peace. "But they try me on the reg man", he commented. Just pray man. You have got to pray. "Man all of this religious stuff isn't for me!" I told him I can't force you to do anything you don't want to do. Then stated that I could promise him that if you tried God, and stay with him, it will be the best choice he'd ever make!

Hesitantly, he said he'd think about it. I stressed that if you would just try god he will have ya back! I've been through so much, death, health issues, unemployment, strained family relationships, relationship trouble, love trouble and much more! I put my hand in the hand of the man and haven't regretted it since! Yea, I get in my ruts, but I remember sooner and sooner where my help comes from! I smile my way through hard situations. I know God will take care of me as long as I keep on praising, keep on praying, keep on worshiping and giving God the Glory. I invited him to join me in church and he said he'd come. I said if you step out and meet God halfway He'll meet you and bring you the rest of the way! Trust and believe that God has ya back! Isaiah 26:3

Blessed From Beginning to the End!

I'm just going to put this out there just to inform you on exactly how I was blessed.

In all of my wrongness, God was still looking out for me. Times were hard and my money situations was not what it was supposed to be. I dropped my car insurance. I simply couldn't afford it. Without it, I would be able to afford the remainder of my bills. So it was 5 months of not paying my car insurance and without being pulled over. Situations in my life were becoming better, I began catching up on unpaid bills and had intentions of getting car insurance back. Lo, and behold, I get pulled over, for making a seemingly correct but wrong right hand turn, the week I declared to get the insurance on my car! I found out that My license was suspended, along with my registration, and I didn't have car insurance! I was screwed! They coulda took me in, towed my car, and God knows what else! That night, I was blessed and allowed to drive away! I got tickets for no insurance, license and registration! He didn't even give me a ticket for the turn!

I'm getting my documents right at the moment and calling numbers and paying parking tickets. I found out that my license was never suspended. I paid a fee to restore my registration. I got cheaper insurance than my last policy. When i went to court, he threw out all the tickets and violations I was charged with and gave me a fine for not having my insurance card with me, which is a lesser charge! I was faced with possible jail time, more than 500 in fines plus more! I tell you I walked outta that courtroom with my license and only having to pay $173! The goodness of God!

I'm not condoning what I did, I'm only thanking God for his outstanding grace and mercy for allowing the situation to overcome me and be unbearable!

He worked it out for me! I believe he can work just as greatly on your behalf! I dare you to trust God!

Rising From Ashes!

Some one very close to me, told me about how he likes the phoenix. While the phoenix is mythological, the story behind it is what intrigued me. This amazing bird is said to set itself on fire in a bed of twigs and then is reduced to ashed. Then, a new phoenix is reborn! From nothing but ash comes something so beautiful!

Some of us are in something that is wearing you down. Some are about to go through something that will try them. Others have gone through and are there to give you hope for a better tomorrow! Some things will reduce you to nothing, literally nothing at all! Loss of money, possessions, health, emotions and more! There is nothing left to you but that faith you have gives you hope.

God can heal. God can deliver. He can mend your brokenness! God just can, if only we trust him we could see these things come to pass. You can rise from your depression. You can rise from whatever sickness you may have. You can be set free. You can have the victory over your situations. You can do more than what you even know you can do! You can rise from the ashes, looking more beautiful than ever! Remember who enabled you to be reborn. Remember who lifted you from those ashes. Remember God gets the Glory!

Isaiah 58:1-8

1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward.

Its A Mind Thing

It used to be a time when you would be able to tell the difference between an ordinary Christian and an unbeliever. You still should be able to tell in this current day! Can you really tell? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:2

We have to stand out from what the world views as a normal person. We are anointed by God. Whether you just accepted Jesus as your savior or you're the head of the church or anyone else for that matter, you are anointed by god to do the best you can do in that position! In order to do the best you can do, you have to be the best that you can be.

This starts by getting your mind right! You have to loose yourself of the sin that holds you down. Repent and be renewed. You need to have a clean plate to start with and repenting for your sins does this. Now, you have to have a mind fixed on God. Fixed on what would please him. Focused on doing all you can do to live a holy life, which is only living as Jesus lived. Isaiah 26:3 Once you do that, you will receive peace of mind. That peace is a marker and can be seen in your face, speech and actions. This is the beginning of the visible evidence.

The fowl words that come from our mouths make us the same as everyone else. Not to mention them being very demeaning! This includes racial slurs as well. We have got to be better than that! We are different! We are a peculiar people and we need to start acting like it and being an example! 1 Peter 2:9 This includes everything that unbelievers do! If we do everything that the unbelievers do, how can we be told apart? How can we effectively witness to people that need it if we can't even be spotted?

I know, that limits many things. Some will say we can't do this and we can't do that, but look at it like this. When you're picked out from a group and you are that example of positivity, representing Jesus, that soul you've just saved will make it all worth it!

If we are Christians, we represent Christ Jesus. As you go along with your day, just think about some of the things you do. Do you think Jesus would be thrilled? Its a mind thing, get your mind right and the rest will follow.

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