God Knows

There is so much going on in the world today and so many people are questioning the events that God allows to happen. Every time I watch the news I hear of a new tragedy that has shaken the world, and I see the heartbreak and fear on the faces of those involved. After I turn off the newscast I sit and thank God for being a keeper. During the sermon at my church this past Sunday, one of the elders said, "We are living in perilous times and it's not going to get any better. It's going to get worse" and what he said is very true.

After the tragedy at Sandy Hook last Friday, I imagine that a lot of people are questioning WHY God let something like this happen? But we have to remind ourselves that we serve an omniscient God. This means that He knows all things! This incident was not new to Him, and it did not catch Him off guard. Even though we as a people are unprepared sometimes for tragic events, God is not.

Instead of sitting around questioning God, this is the time to pray for all of those who are affected. Pray for the families who are in mourning, that they may find strength during this time. Pray for the survivors, that they will not be tormented night after night. Pray for our nation, that they will be able to recognize that they do indeed need a Saviour. That the nation will realize that they need to be washed in the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ.

God loves us so much! These tragedies are wake up calls to those of us who are watching on our computer screens, smart phones, and televisions. It is time to share the word of God like never before. Time is winding down...in fact Jesus instructs us in the book of John, "We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work" (9:4; NLT). He was not saying that night time was coming, but referring to His return. Once Christ returns we will not have time to warn others about Christ's return. For it will have been too late. Also, when He returns He is coming as a judge. Now, is the time to repent for our sins. Now, is the time to rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance. He will give us the words to share with unbelievers.

Most importantly, this is the time to walk upright before God. He instructed us to "...Be holy, for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16, NLT). We have to make sure that what we say matches what we do. Lead by example because people are watching you. Don't be a stumbling block, but rather be a helping hand. Share the love of Christ with someone today! My heart goes out to those who do not know of God still during these days. God has so much love for us, and it is not based on any conditions. It is so easy to come to know Jesus. All you have to do is follow the Romans Road (10:9-10) "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (NKJV). But it does not stop there...you have to choose to live for Christ daily. 

God knows everything that has happened and will happen on this Earth. He knew before the foundation of the world was set. He still chose you! He loves you with an everlasting love. Choose Him today, and don't be selfish. Tell someone about this remarkable love.

Be Encouraged,
God's Servant

Also, I wanted to share this video that my Pastors have shared with my church. It is the testimony of a young girl who was shown heaven and hell. She shares what she experienced, and most importantly that they are real. There are many who are on their way to hell unaware. Forgive those who have hurt you, don't allow unforgiveness to separate you from God. This video is worth watching. I pray that you are touched.

What About Your First Love?

It's been a while since I've actually had the time to sit and write a blog, but I have not forgotten about you all. I just want to stress the importance of maintaining your relationship with Jesus. I have found myself swamped with work and most mornings it's a fight to get out of bed, especially because it was only hours before that I finally laid down.

Also, it seems like just about every other Sunday we hear a sermon about not forsaking our first love. For us Christians our first love is Christ. I know that you all remember that sweet peace that you felt as soon as you made the decision to dedicate yourself to the Lord and received salvation. That was one of the best decisions that you could ever make in LIFE. But contrary to popular belief, the buck does not stop there. As a Christian we are given a challenge to go out and witness to those who don't know about Christ. We must remember that as we lift Him up then He will draw all men unto Him (actual verse is John 12:32).

Often times what happens is we give our lives to Jesus and then we become so bogged down in what our lives encompass here on Earth. What do I mean when I say bogged down? We get caught up with work, with our home life, and for those of us in school...those books can be quite distracting! Yes, you should be focused on all of those things, but not to the point that you forget what's MOST important.

I will be the first to admit that I have moments when this life is so overwhelming, but how did it get to that point? How can I be so stressed when Jesus said to cast all my cares upon Him? I'm not using the proper protocol for stress management. In those moments when I feel weakest is the appropriate time to call upon God and stay until I get an answer. There is no shame in casting your cares on Him, that's what He wants you to do. One thing that hurts my heart the most is to see my brother or sister walking around with so much weight unnecessarily. We have so many options available to us that will help us to get through this life. You cannot allow yourself to live at a disadvantage when you have the access code. That code...is your relationship with Jesus Christ.

Or maybe...that's the issue. Maybe you have forsaken your relationship with Christ. Well, I have some good news for you. We are given each day with new mercies (Lamentations 3:23), and they are made new every morning. You are given an opportunity to fellowship with Christ each day that you wake. I will warn you not to take your relationship for granted. There is no worse feeling than being taken advantage of, or seeing that someone has taken you for granted. Now, if that hurts us...why would we treat Jesus like that? That is food for thought.

How much does your first love mean to you? I can personally say that mine means a lot! And I don't want to allow another day to go by where I don't spend time with Him. Just like any physical relationship that you form while on this Earth, your relationship with Jesus requires putting in some time. How else are you going to become to know Him? There is a huge difference in knowing of Jesus and knowing Jesus. Which stage are you at?

God loves us so much! He gave His only begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16) and there wasn't any regret in that. He came to Earth so that we could be free from the bondage of sin and be given an opportunity to live eternally. Take the time that you have been given to know this Jesus!

Be Encouaged,
God's Servant

P.S. Please believe that this blog hit my heart before it came to touch yours. God desires to have a relationship with you! Don't forsake your first love. ♥

I Choose to Worship

I spent a lot of time trying to find a new topic for my next blog, and after a lot of talking with God, He told me to focus on worship. During these last couple of months since I have begun the Journal Challenge and this blog I have had an unquenchable desire to worship Him. I love spending time with Him early in the morning, preparing my heart for the day. Before I always heard people talking about the power of worship and I just nodded like I understood. Now, I have made it a point to worship the Lord.

I’m not sure what type of church you attend, but my Bishop is constantly encouraging us to worship God. There are plenty of songs that talk about the presence of God and how powerful it is, and how refreshing it is...but you never really know what all the presence of God can do until you experience it for yourself. When I was younger I didn’t really understand what all worship encompassed; I saw people crying and lifting their hands, heard some speak in tongues, but it was hard for me to see myself doing any of those things. Even now I’m continuing to see that a lot goes into our worship. First, we must make a choice (a conscience decision) to worship. Worship is defined as, “showing reverence and adoration for (a deity).”  It isn’t about the songs that we sing during the opening of service on Sunday morning or about lifting our hands upon the command of the worship leader, but it goes beyond that to include our lifestyle. We can reverence God simply by the way we live. We must ensure that our worship is authentic. 

One thing that I love about worship is that it is something that we cannot fake. It must be genuine and come from our spirit. John 4:24 says, "For God is spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth" (NLT). So be honest with yourself...before you enter into worship make sure that you have asked forgiveness for any sins that you have committed knowingly & unknowingly. We can't allow ourselves to think that it's okay to go before God unclean because it definitely isn't. 

Every time I pray lately I have made it a point to ask God to clean my up, so that when I offer up praise & worship to him that I do so with a clean heart. And then I ask Him to accept my worship. It is getting to the point where all I want to do is worship. Instead of allowing my circumstances to dictate how I feel, I begin to go before the Lord.

Even in trying times you can go before God. I feel so at peace when I enter into God's presence. Take advantage of the opportunities that you have to worship. If you're one of those people that refuses to lift your hands during praise & worship begin to lift them. Begin to open your mouth and declare the goodness of the Lord. Once you begin showering Him with praise and you push past how you feel, you will find yourself leaving changed. I am so thankful that I finally understand how important worship is. I pray that you will too. 

Be Encouraged, 

God's Servant 

P.S. Take a listen to this song...it's really powerful! And let's you know just some of what worship can do. 

Open Your Eyes

There is a lot of talk in the world about what we can and cannot do as Christians in order to make it into heaven. My heart was deeply disturbed when I read an article in May's issue of Ebony entitled, "Single, Saved-and Having Sex." Honestly the title alone bothered me. I just pray that no one has allowed themselves to fall because of this article. I just want to scream, "Open your eyes!" Can't you see that this goes against the word?! It's time to stand up for righteousness! It's time to address those closet issues that the church chooses to ignore.

Sex, before marriage is one thing that God clearly addresses in the bible. Everywhere that I've read about it in the Word speaks against it. Now, for this article to tell Christians that it's okay for them to fornicate (have sex before marriage) and that they will still make it into heaven is an outrage. In fact, one of the persons quoted says this, "I strive to live a righteous life. Just because I have a Bible on my nightstand and condoms in the drawer doesn't mean I love God any less or that He doesn't love me." Now you can still love God, that is true. But you are in fact loving Him less because you aren't walking according to what He commanded. He says in John 14:15 "If you love me, obey my commandments" (NLT). That scripture is very clear, so if you're walking contrary to God's word you are not loving Him. That is not to say that you won't mess up, but let's be clear if you are unmarried and confessing to be a Christian, and continuing to have sex then you are wrong.

Fornication, is a dangerous sin to become trapped in for many reasons. One of the main reasons is because it is sinning against your own body. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 says, "Run from sexual sin! No other sin clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body" (NLT). Here Paul is addressing the church at Corinth, but it still applies today. This is one of the main sins that can affect your body, just think of all of the STDs (now called STIs) you can get, HIV/Aids which is a huge epidemic, and unwanted pregnancies that are physical outcomes of fornication. And add onto that the ungodly soul ties that are even more dangerous to your spirit man.

A soul tie is often formed during sex, the two become one not only because of a physical act but because their souls have become connected. 1 Corinthians 6:15-17 say this: "Don't you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute. Never! And don't you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, 'The two are united into one.' But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him" (NLT). So if anyone has ever told you that you can just have sexual relations without any type of attachment forming they are lying to you. Any time you sleep with someone you are becoming one with that person. Also, you are sleeping with whoever they have slept with in the past. So when you find yourself struggling with depression, rage, jealousy, anything out of the ordinary you might be dealing with what those other people before you struggled with. Just imagine if one of the others was carrying a disease, you have now become susceptible to that. Mind you, I want you to concentrate on the spiritual reality of the situation. You are weakening your relationship with Christ by fornicating. Paul says that those who are joined to the Lord are one spirit with him, but if you are joining yourself to others then you are blocking your connection line to Him.

When we allow our flesh to rise we are blocking our communication line. The flesh is something that we have to deal with until we leave this earth; there is no way around it! But what we must do is kill our flesh daily, by the renewing of our minds. Then, we will be able to hear clearly from God. 

The article went on to talk about how Christians are "foregoing abstinence" while in the church. This is dangerous because the Bible clearly warns against this. There is no way to argue around the situation. At a few points in my life, I contemplated my stand on abstinence but I never swayed and I'm so glad I didn't. I have been wearing a "True Love Waits" ring since the age of 13/14, and although I faced many circumstances where I came close to giving up, I held tight to my decision to wait. In the back of my mind I always knew that fornication was wrong. I thank God for a youth department that decided to speak the truth and tell us what the word had to say about being pure. It's not impossible to remain abstinent in this day and age. You must be persistent and confident in your choice because there will be some who try to challenge you, but stand tall. When you look at all that God has to say about fornication, you will realize that waiting isn't that bad. You are giving yourself completely to God, mind, body, and soul until the day when it comes time for you to become one with the man or woman that He has provided solely for you. There is something so beautiful about waiting for God, that I couldn't imagine choosing to do otherwise when I know better. Especially when I know that God only gives me His best.

Now, I understand that a lot of my brothers and sisters have fallen to fornication. But that is not the sole issue, the issue is lying there and not attempting to get up. We all sin, we all fall sometimes, but we must ask God for forgiveness and turn away from that sin. God is our keeper, and He has given us a guide through His Holy Spirit. You must also allow yourself to be planted and rooted in a church that is preaching the word of God (without any additions or deletions) and let Him grow you while you're there. If you are struggling with sexual sin you need to ask the Lord to help you. He will not abandon you and leave you to fight that spirit of lust by yourself. Find an accountability partner! This is very important, although you might be able to handle some things on your own...you can't handle everything on your own. Find someone who is stronger than you in the faith, and ask them to pray with you and to help you remain faithful to the Lord's commands. Before you choose this person make sure that you pray and ask God for confirmation. There is nothing worse than trying to find an accountability partner and finding yourself mixed up with someone who is just trying to spread your business through the church. In all things...PRAY. Never stop seeking God. Ask Him to allow you to see yourself as He sees you. Open your eyes, and begin to see sin through God's eyes.

I love Heather Lindsey's ministry, and here is a status that she posted just yesterday via facebook concerning abstinence. "It blows my mind that the enemy can have a virgin thinking that there's something wrong with her because she hasn't had sex yet or a "real" boyfriend. Sis, you just saved time, energy, 30 seconds, medicine for STD's, a broken heart, unplanned pregnancies & so much more! You're RARE in this society & God would love to use you to encourage others to honor God with their body. Don't run off to give yourself away to "feel normal"- you don't want that kinda "normal"- its dysfunctional, empty & will have you so messed up. You're one-day husband is going to be honored that you waited. You belong to Christ & no other human deserves your body until they pay the price for it called marriage. Stay focused. ❤" I just love this because she is so real! And this is something that needs to be said especially when the world is trying to tell you otherwise.

Be Encouraged,
God's Servant

Are you being REAL?

Appearance is important to a lot of people. And whether you realize it or not, appearance goes way beyond dress to include how we act in front of others.  Unfortunately, I've found that a lot of people, even in the church, seem to be two separate people the majority of the time. While at church they act one way, and when they get home they are someone completely different. One thing that my Bishops and Pastors have always asked is: "Does your audio match your video?" In other words are your speech and actions lining up and matching each other? More importantly are your speech and actions lining up with the Word of God and His plan for your life?

This is a heavy charge that we have been dealt, but it isn't impossible to fulfill. We just need to insure that we purpose ourselves to walk right everyday and that we ask for assistance from our willing helper, the Holy Spirit. I wake up every morning (at least I try to) and during my time in devotion, I ask the Holy Spirit to give me the words to say and to lead me where I should go. There isn't a point in my day where I want to act as just Shaneeca. Not only would I be allowing my flesh to reign but I would be ignoring whatever mission God had for me that day. So if there ever is a time (and trust me there will be), when you are tempted to say something that you know is completely wrong you need to cast that thought down. It is out of the character of a Christian and you need to consult God, and ask Him to give you what to say. It's not like God will ignore you. He will give you what He wants you to say, and also He will let you know if you should be quiet. Your main question should be: "Are you be pleased with my talk?" And the same goes for our walk. Our desire should be for God to be pleased with everything that we do.

Colossians 3:23 says, "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than people" (NLT). So everything that you are doing should be for God and not man. You are not working just to receive man's approval, don't be fooled! The only one that matters is God! He is the one who holds your very breath in His hands, and He is the one who can take it away. Even if others try to rise against you, the weapon will not prosper unless He allows it. So let's get to the point here, it is essential that we are real with others. Why, you may ask?

Whether you believe it or not, people are looking at you! And not only are they watching, but they are looking for examples of righteous living. I'm not saying that you should walk around like you are as holy as they come, but people should be able to look at your lifestyle and know that it is possible to live without compromising. As a Christian you are a living example of God's word, at least you should be. When Christ was here He was an example of righteous living. He wasn't saying one thing and then doing another. I'm not trying to point the finger at anyone, but it is important that we live what we preach!

There have been quite a few times that I have had to deliver apologies to friends that I may have led astray because of my actions, but thank God He opened my eyes before they were lost completely. God places people in our lives for a reason. A lot of the time people are merely watching you and the things you do. They don't always need to hear something from you, but seeing you working without complaining is a testimony of God's word. When they witness you talking the same inside and outside of church that is a testimony of God's word. Whenever someone sees you helping your brother or sister, that is indeed a testimony of God's word. It's time out for saying one thing and doing the complete opposite. It's like you can't make up your mind about what you want to do! And God doesn't find any glory in that. In fact, Revelations 3:15-16 says this: "I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!" (NLT). So be very careful about acting funny! We have to make sure that our attention is fixed on God.

When we shift our attention back to God and His acceptance then appearance becomes less important. It is then when our actions will start to look the same no matter who's looking. Because then we will only care about the one who sees at all times...GOD.

I believe with all my heart that we are living in the last and evil days, and that the Lord is soon to return! It's time out for playing church. This is the time to form a relationship with Jesus for yourself. I can honestly say that getting closer to God has been the best thing for me. Before I took the time to read my word everyday, and have quiet time with God I felt like something was missing. Now, I was saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. But I wasn't giving God any of my time, instead I was looking for things that I could busy myself with. Now, more than ever I am looking for His approval before I move out. I don't say things just to say them, but I can honestly say that I am being REAL. Not just with myself, but with others. One of the worst things you can do, is confuse someone on this walk and be the reason they do not make it to heaven. Please, don't be that person! Be real, and show your brothers and sisters that it is possible to make it in. I want to hear my Lord say, "Well done, my faithful servant!" not "Depart from me, for I know you not!" What will He say to you on that day? That is what it's all about...it's not about how good you look on Sunday; how well you can sing, or dance; but it's about making it into heaven where you can live eternally.

Be Encouraged,
God's Servant

P.S. Greet the Holy Spirit every morning. He was sent here to be our comforter and helper. So much changes when you choose to acknowledge Him, and begin to ask for the help that you need! Walk in love, and be an example of righteous living. Be REAL.

Stand Guard

I don't know if you realize it, but everyday we live we are in a battle. But what's so important about this battle is that we cannot fight it with our hands, instead we are fighting against "evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against might powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). So this is why it is very important that we are standing guard, and that we prepare ourselves for battle. As I continue on this journey and get closer to God I have realized that I am finally doing my part in preparing for battle. When you begin to seek God on a daily basis and delve into His word you are able to find strength and encouragement to sustain you in the midst of the battle.


One thing that we can be sure of is that we will be attacked by the enemy. Now mind you that everything that happens in your life is for a purpose, and you can't go around blaming everything on the enemy. Just blame him for the things that he is truly responsible for. Instead of trying to figure out where to point the finger, we must pay attention and ensure that we are battle ready.


One reason why I say is God is so awesome is because He has provided us with armor so that we can be protected. Again, this armor is not physical but it exists in the spiritual. Ephesians 6:13-17 tell us what makes up our armor, and this armor covers us from head to toe so nothing is left out. "Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (NLT). Take out some time to do an armor check. Soldiers can't go to battle improperly dressed and expect to be successful, and since we are a part of God's Army we must ensure that we are properly equipped.


 You have probably heard this multiple times before, but don't take this lightly! We are living in a day and age where we need to make sure that we make a conscience decision everyday to cover ourselves, that way we don't allow the enemy a foothold in our lives. In ourselves we are weak, but through God we are made strong. We must make sure that when we are preparing for battle that we are constantly praying that God's will be done. Also, remember the scripture calls the Word of God our sword. 


Since the Word is our main weapon we have to make sure that we are reading it on a daily basis. I pray that you get to a point in your life where you just want more of God. Then in that moment your main desire will be to sit at the feet of Jesus, like Mary did in Luke 10:39 (We'll go into further detail in a later discussion). In your prayer time ask God to show you which spots in your armor are weak and need to be built up. Are you walking in confidence that your armor will be able to resist the fiery darts of the enemy? If not, then there is room for improvement. Stand guard! 


Be Encouraged,
God's Servant

Do You Really Believe?

There seems to be so much going on in the world today. I mean there is so much turmoil in the news on a daily basis. But are you praying? More importantly, do you believe that God will answer the prayers that you are sending up? I know that we've heard it plenty of times...but we are indeed living in the last & evil days. Children are turning against their parents, and vice versa. Sexual abomination is covered in the news and has made its way into the churches, but more disturbing than that we are living in the midst of an uproar and it appears that we (the church) are silent. Now, I'm not saying that you need to be running around like John the Baptist, screaming out and telling everyone to repent (unless God instructs you to do so). But if you're not openly sharing the good news with others, or walking this thing out  then we should be praying. During Bible study this past week we were discussing walking in authority and it was mentioned more than once that, "silence is compliance." Even if we are not led to say anything verbally we can still send up a prayer, even silently and you are not being compliant. But we must believe in God, that He will answer that prayer.

So many of us Christians claim that we have faith, but we send up prayers that we don't even believe in. When you look at all the people that Jesus healed in the Gospels the key to their healing was their belief. One case is found in Matthew 8:5-13, the passage is called "The Faith of a Roman Officer" in some versions, in my bible (Life Application Study Bible, NLT) it is called "A Roman Officer Demonstrates Faith."Here we are able to see just how powerful our faith has the potential to be. Now, in the case of the Roman officer he came to Jesus pleading on the behalf of one of his servants who had fallen ill. And even though Jesus said, "I will come and heal him" (Matthew 8:7b, NLT) the Roman officer said no. He felt unworthy to have Jesus come into his home...but he didn't leave it at that. He said, "Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed" (Matthew 8:8). Because he believed in Jesus his servant was healed that same hour (verse 13).

Unfortunately, a lot of us are like the opposite of the Roman officer. Instead of understanding and believing that God can speak a word from where He is, and the situation will be changed we are too busy waiting for Him to come to where we are whether it be at home, or on the job and perform a miracle. Then when God does answer us, or acts on our behalf and He comes in a completely different way than we expected we have the nerve to be upset with Him. But if we really believed in God like we say we do then we would know that He is more than capable of answering our prayers.

I worry that we have begun to utter prayers out of habit, instead of with expectancy. When you expect God to do something then you actually believe in Him. If we really believed like we say we do, then we would be able to speak the word in any situation. Instead of presenting God a laundry list prayer, then our prayers would be filled with His word. We would recognize that what He speaks won't return to Him void, but accomplish everything that He sent it out to do (Isaiah 55:11).

The key to answered prayers is faith! Hebrews 11:1, "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see" (NLT). The note in my bible says this: "The beginning point of faith is believing in God's character: He is who he says. The end point is believing in God's promises: He will do what he says. When we believe that God will fulfill his promises even though we don't see those promises materializing yet, we demonstrate true faith (John 20:24-31)" [Life Application Study Bible, NLT)]. So again, do you really believe?? Can you stand on God's word to be true? Then we must begin to walk as such. It's important that we believe in the power of God! Then we will be able to testify of His greatness to those that are unaware. And we will be able to take the world by storm. The church will not be overtaken by generational curses, illnesses, and poverty because not only will we speak the word over our lives but we will believe that it is true!

Be Encouraged,
God's Servant

Progress Check

As I continue on this path to a closer walk with God I have to make it a habit to stop and evaluate my progress. It is my desire to grow in God so much that I begin to take on more of His characteristics and lose myself. I don't want to spend all of this time with Him and have nothing to show for it. I am a firm believer that you cannot continue to come into God's presence and leave unchanged. We serve a God who is more than capable to heal, set free, and deliver anyone from anything. There is nothing that He can't do! So while you are on this journey with Him, you should be able to see some change coming forth.

This past week I was searching and searching for a topic, and finally I just asked God! I should've started there, right?! I know :) But this week, was all about progress. What I love about God is this, He'll show you where you came from, but remind you that you still have quite a way to go. He is just so good and SO BIG...you can never learn all that there is to learn about Him. That is just mind boggling to me. So if you were ever wondering if you would know everything about God, the answer is no! And I thank God for that. That gives us even more reason to respect Him.

When you checking your progress the most important thing to keep in mind is that you want to line up with the Word of God. Everything that I do, is for the glory of God and not to man. Ephesians 3:17 says, "And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father" (NLT). So if you find yourself doing anything where you are more concerned with pleasing man than God, then it is time to reevaluate. I've found myself drowning in people's expectations and I've had to stop and say, "Is God glorified?" If my answer was no, then I had to change how I was doing things. I never want to put anyone above God, even in the little things.

Another thing I check is my attitude. This is a true testimony of my growth because as a young girl I had a horrible attitude and I would have won ribbons at rolling my neck. The sad part was I didn't realize how ugly that made me look! Now, that God has changed my life, and cleaned me up in so many areas I can honestly say that I look beautiful through God. There are some moments where I have to bite my tongue, and keep myself from rolling my neck. Also, instead of constantly focusing on the negatives that life deals me I begin to concentrate on all of the blessings that I have received. Not just material things, but the unconditional love that God continues to pour out on me and my family.

What areas do you want to check? Can you look at your life and see obvious change? If you cannot see differences between the saved you, and who you were as a sinner then something is wrong. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" (NLT) So now your life should be a testament to the transformation that God orchestrated on the inside of you. We must allow God to renew our minds and crucify our flesh daily in order to be fully transformed.

One final thing that I like to check is my fruit. Fruit? Yes, my fruit. Matthew 7:20 says this, "Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions." (NLT) So we should bear fruit; in other words, we should be doing something in the kingdom. God didn't save us to just sit...we have been given a charge. Whether or not you have an official title, you are a minister of the Gospel of Christ. Matthew 28:19-20 is the great commission, which basically commands us to go forth and make disciples of all nations. So we have a great work to do! Take some time today and check the progress that you are making. Is there anything different about you from when you were first saved? If not, then you need to ask God to show you what needs to be worked on. What things do you need to let go of and leave at the feet of Jesus? A progress check is necessary from time to time, but make sure that you use your results to help you improve your walk with Christ.

Be Encouraged,
God's Servant

What’s Love Got to do with it?

On this journey to a closer walk with God I have found myself constantly reevaluating how I do things. It’s a good thing to be active in your ministry (talking about your church home) but it’s not good when you complete your tasks with a bad attitude. You might think that God doesn’t have anything to say about your attitude, but I’d like to argue otherwise.

In Philippians, Paul instructs to “Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you.” (2:14-15a, NLT). Even though this was Paul’s message to the Christians at Philippi it is still applicable today. Have you ever had someone give you a ride somewhere, and he complained the entire time you were in the car about what he had to do once he got home? How did that make you feel? Well, most people would feel disheartened and would not ask that person for another ride, so imagine how God must feel when we do something and complain the entire time.

I remember when I was growing up there would be times when my mom asked my brother and I to do something for her. Sometimes it meant that we had to stay up a little longer in order to help her put a shelf together, or using a Saturday morning for a project around the house instead of watching our regular TV shows. While we worked with her often times we would get tired, or just plain annoyed. Then we would begin to complain about all that we could be doing.  A few of those times she actually sent us away, and told us that she would rather do it by herself. What if God was like that? What if He decided that when we wanted to act a monkey while completing an assignment that He would rather do it alone?

That would be an utter and complete shame. In fact, we should never fix our mouths to complain (and this goes for me too) when we are given an assignment. Why, because most of the time when we are completing an assignment we are just as blessed, if not more, than the person we were helping! I am so blessed when I see that my brothers and sisters in Christ are growing, and succeeding at what God has called them to do.

We cannot allow our flesh to dictate how we operate. Again, when we ask, “What’s love got to do with it?” The answer is EVERYTHING. The true definition of love is God. 1 John 4:7-8 says, “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (NLT). That is the key right there! First and foremost God is love, and we are commanded to act in love. John even goes on to say that if we do not love, then we do not know God. Hold on let’s pump the breaks right there!

Have you ever witnessed someone acting out of love? Even though the person they were helping was entirely disrespectful and out of order? I have, and I just thought to myself, man that had to be God! When we act out of love we are able to look past the nasty looks we might get, or poor attitudes. Also, when we realize that we are serving God and not the man, then our love for God and our desire to please Him drives us. We just have to be mindful that without love we are nothing. What a revelation. Without God we are nothing. And if we don’t love others we are nothing. 1 Corinthians 13 is the famous love chapter in the New Testament. Most people read starting at verse 4, which covers all of the characteristics that define love, but the first verses are equally important. They say this: “If I could speak all the languages of the earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it, but if I didn’t love others I would have gained nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

You can do all the good deeds you desire, but if you don’t act out of love you aren’t gaining anything. Also, this shows that you don’t really know the God that you claim to know because He is love. I have started to read Crazy Love by Francis Chan and it is a powerful book (even though I am only in the first chapter) that I suggest to anyone trying to get closer to God. We serve a God that loves us like crazy as Heather Lindsey says on her blog, and it is a very powerful and true statement. Throughout this week, just look at how you operate. Is there any love behind the things that you are doing? If not, then you need to take another look at what’s driving you.

Be Encouraged,

God’s Servant 

The most important commandments that we were given were (1) "And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength." (2) which he said was "equally important," is to "Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these." Show some love today! 

HEY!! CAN YOU HEAR ME UP THERE?!

Have you ever prayed and felt like you didn't get an answer? Or sat and listened, for what seemed like forever, waiting on a response but didn't get one? I have. And it does not feel good. One thing that bothers me is when I feel like I'm being ignored. But as frustrating as these [quiet] times are we must remember that God does everything in His timing. And we must rest in the fact that He will never leave us, nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). That alone should encourage us because we know that we serve Jehovah, the Most High God. This Jehovah is the same God who spoke the world into existence. Really, there is no problem too small or too big for Him to solve.

BUT just in case that wasn't enough encouragement, let me help you some more (and in the process, I'm helping myself) :). Sometimes, when I can't hear God I allow myself to get a little shaky. But that isn't how God wants us to be. He wants us to continue to walk this walk with boldness and confidence. As long as we are continuing to lift Him up, and we are being obedient to His commandments we don't have anything to worry about. It's when we begin to slack off in our calling (whatever it may be) and drift away from spending time with Him daily that we should worry. You might wonder why you should continue to read your word everyday if you can't hear God. Well, we have to deal with something called the flesh on a daily basis. The flesh is constantly warring against our spirit. The flesh has its own desires, and if we don't renew our minds daily then it will rise up. We renew our minds by reading the word of God, and applying it. If we stop reading our word simply because we feel that we can't hear God, then we are setting ourselves up for failure. It is during the quiet times that we can build our knowledge of the word even more.

And in case you thought you were alone, I am here to let you know that you are not! Every Christian goes through a period where God is silent. Psalm 102:1-2 is an earnest cry to the Lord, the writer is pleading with God to hear his prayer. The verses encompass the feeling of distress that many of us face during the silence. We become so distraught that we cannot hear God that we may begin to lose our appetite (vs. 4). Don't think that if you can't hear God it is only because of sin. Sin is one reason that we stop hearing His voice because God cannot dwell where sin is. But, another reason God is silent is to give us time to grow in our faith. But be careful! Faith without works is dead (James 2:20). So if you are believing that God will do something in your life, while you are believing you also need to walk like it is already done (in fact, it is!). Don't say that you are believing God for a job, but you aren't filling out any applications or going to any interviews. I'm not saying that it's not possible because we serve a God who works the impossible, but you have to put some work in- in order to get the results that you want to see. This is how we find strength in the quiet times.

Also, keep working. We cannot stop working simply because we do not hear Him. Do you think that He wants us to quit working? How will anything get done? Exactly...it won't. Also, don't stop praying. Continue to pray to God. In time you will receive an answer. This is also a test of patience. If you're like me, and I'm getting better everyday (Thank you Jesus!!), I like to have an answer right away. But we have to realize that we are not in control of God. We have to surrender our will to His. Once we surrender our will to His, then He can begin to work in us. I found out that it was a lot easier to walk in my calling once I surrendered my will. When I began to seek God early in the morning, it set the tone for my day. There will be days and periods where you won't hear anything, but that does not mean to give up. And it definitely doesn't mean that you should walk in the opposite direction.

When it is time for God to speak, believe you me, He will speak! And it will be so clear that there will be no way to confuse His message. Just listen to what He has to say. Don't expect God to come to you a certain way either. He's known for operating in the unexpected! But stay prayed up, and ask for discernment so that you can distinguish the voice of God. My prayer is that God will open my eyes so that I can see what He sees, to keep my heart soft and guarded so that it will line up with His word, and to open my ears so that I can hear clearly.

This song, "I Just Want to Hear You" by Deon Kipping, is exactly how I feel! I don't want to be overwhelmed by the stressors of this life, or my trials and tribulations. I want to hear God. The songwriter goes on to say that God can speak from where He is, and things will be done! Now, isn't that awesome?!

God sees all and knows all, so what makes you think that He doesn't hear you? He hears you, now just sit and be patient. His response is coming. But it will come in HIS timing. NOT in YOURS.

Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?" (NLT). Take joy in this! We don't serve a man-made God, and we don't serve a man. God does not change His mind about the things He has told us. When He said He would grant us the desires of our heart He meant it. But He never said anything about giving us things in our own timing. We do not control God. Wait on the Lord. And while you're waiting remain strong in what He has already spoken to you. Keep your mind stayed on Him, and you will remain in His perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). Don't grow weary in the silence, but remain strong in the Lord.

Be Encouraged,
God's Servant

Follow the Leader

This past week while I was thinking about my blog and how it has become more than I could have ever expected [just how God does things, right! :)] I kept hearing "Follow the leader!" And who is this leader, well I'm glad you asked, our leader is Jesus Christ. When the disciples began to walk with Jesus He told them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" ["make you fishers of men" NKJV] (Matthew 4:19). The disciples would become witnesses to the world, and learn how to share the goodness of the Lord with others, essentially, claiming lost souls for the kingdom.

Something to ask yourself daily is, "Who am I following?" and if you cannot clearly answer "Christ" then something is wrong. Like the original 12, we are called to be disciples of Christ. How are we like the disciples? Well, a disciple in the biblical sense is simply a follower of Jesus Christ. They walked with Him, communed with Him, and sat at His feet and learned of Him. As Christians we should be doing these same things. That is why it is important to work on your relationship with the Lord daily. In order to walk with Jesus we have to pick up our cross daily. In Matthew 16: 24 Jesus gave specific guidelines for becoming one of His followers, "...'If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me" (NLT). By taking up your cross you are making a "true commitment," come what may that you will stick with Christ. When you turn from your selfish ways you are able to maintain a focus on Him. That is one of the most important things in this walk. We cannot allow our focus to be taken of Christ; in Philippians 3:12-14 Paul says that his goal is Christ. He says that his focus is not on the past, but he is pressing forward toward the "heavenly prize" (NLT).

As followers of Christ we cannot live in the past. This means that we should dismiss our sins that we have been forgiven for just as God forgets them. Psalm 103:12 says, "He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west" (NLT). So after God has forgiven us our transgressions, it's important to let those things go! You cannot try to live in the present if you are stuck in the past. Also, if you're stuck in the past you can forget about seeing things that God has for you in the future! In order to follow Christ wholeheartedly your focus cannot be compromised. About a month ago my mom preached a powerful sermon entitled, "Eliminate the Distractions." There is so much going on around us in our everyday lives, but we cannot allow our jobs, families, friends, etc to distract us from what God has called us to do. When you answer the call that God has placed on your life you HAVE to stay focused on Him.

If we are focused on Him then we will be able to see how He will transform our lives. Once we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior we are made new (2 Corinthians 5:17), and our old man is now dead. Now this doesn't mean that we won't have some struggles, especially since we will still be dealing with our flesh. But if we renew our minds daily, and take some time out daily to fellowship with Him, then it will be easier to keep our focus which will make it easier to follow Christ. He was the best example of how to live for God. Always in tune with God, and obedient to God's commandments. That is how we should be, and just how Jesus was our example, we serve as examples to others. But ensure that when people are looking at you that they are able to see that Christ dwells on the inside of you.

If we are really following after Christ we should be displaying Godly characteristics. When people look at us they should notice a difference between our actions and the actions of those who are still in the world. Remember that a good tree can only bear good fruit, and a bad tree can only bear bad fruit, so what kind of fruit are you bearing? (Read further: Matthew 7:15-20) We cannot go through everyday life thinking that we are living only for ourselves. We have been called to witness to souls that are lost and in need of a Savior. So as you walk through this life make sure that you are following the true leader, and make sure that you are keeping your focused. Eliminate those distractions.

Be Encouraged,
God's Servant

P.S. Who are you following today? Say yes to Jesus today, and begin to follow hard after Him! It's the best decision that I ever made, and I promise it'll be the best one you make too.

God...Where is my Peace?!

These past few weeks I have been praying so hard for God's people. There is an overwhelming cry for peace going forth, and God has been placing scriptures in my spirit about peace. I know that we all have our storms to go through but the question seems to be, "Why can't I have peace in the storm?" And you know what...you can!!!

BUT in order to experience God's peace, we have to understand how the process works. In Philippians 4:6-7 we are given the "process," now make sure you pay careful attention to how it works. The scripture says, "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus" (underlining and red are mine). Now that you've read it once, go back and read it again...but slowly.

Here is the process:
1. We have to cut out all the worrying. Yes, I know it's hard believe you me I've had my share of worries and it's definitely a lot easier said than done but you will be all the better for it. Once you have stopped worrying ("being anxious" in some translations) begin to pray. Have you ever been able to rest easy while worrying? No, because your mind is in overdrive trying to figure out what to do next. We have to take God's word to heart and begin to cast our cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7), and the important  part is to leave those cares in His hands. We mess ourselves up by praying over and over again for something that we should have never picked back up.
2. Place the issue on the alter, and the key here would be to leave it there. Once again, our faith comes into play. We will not solve any problem by sitting and worrying over it. That will only make us feel worse. Once you pray about it have faith that God will honor His word. Remember what faith is (Hebrews 11:1), it doesn't have anything to do with seeing in the physical. We have to believe even when we cannot see the results.
3. If you begin to pray to God, and catch this...start telling Him about the things that you NEED...and not what you WANT you will feel relief. When we are walking in God's will we won't have any trouble realizing that God already knows what we need. We must trust that He will supply all of our needs (Philippians 4:19) according to HIS riches and glory in Christ Jesus. So don't worry, He is going to take care of you. Matthew 6:30 says, "And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?" (NLT)
4. After we talk to Him about what we NEED, then just begin to thank Him for what has already been done. Those things that you have/haven't seen, the bible says to "be thankful in all circumstances..." (1 Thessalonians 5:18). We have to be confident in the fact that we serve a God who will take care of us. He won't leave us hangin'.

AND THEN...
You will be able to experience God's peace. This peace is so great that it is mind-blowing-it "exceeds anything we can understand."

So in your everyday walk stop worrying about everything, but begin to give those worries and cares over to God. And while you are waiting begin to praise Him! I am a firm believer that once you grab hold to the process and begin to praise God even before you see what He's done then you will be able to rest in Him and experience His peace. Don't allow the problems of this world to overtake you, nor the enemy to wreak havoc in your life. You CAN live in peace!

Be Encouraged,
God's Servant

Don't be Fooled, You are not Alone

Whether we realize it or not every Christian goes through a lonely period. This past year I have been more lonely than I was willing to admit, and the sad part was that I didn't realize that it was God's way of setting me apart. When God places a calling on our lives He separates us in order to teach us how to become more dependent on Him than people and things. This is important because once we begin to walk in our calling we can't rely on people, but we have to rely on God. He is the one who provides us with instructions, and who keeps us!

One HUGE piece of advice for whenever you are feeling alone is to use that time to draw closer to God. Recently, I have begun to reestablish my relationship with God through the help of Heather Lindsey's awesome blog and ministry. I have joined the journal challenge, and I think that everyone who decides to join (and commits to the challenge) will be blessed. I'm constantly learning that God knows us more intimately than we give Him credit, and He desires to have a close relationship with us. Psalm 139 tells us exactly how well God knows us. He knows our going down and getting up, our thoughts way before we think them, and the same goes for what we say. He knew us before we were formed in our mother's wombs, so why do we look for others instead of Him when we are lonely? God knows exactly when and how it will appear-the feeling of loneliness, that is. He's ready to comfort us, but we have to look to Him.

WARNING: People will let you down! Don't get caught up looking for people to comfort and guide you because no one can do that like God can. Whenever I found myself calling friends instead of talking to God those would be the times when they were the most busy, and in most cases didn't even answer the phone. If I ran to Skype instead none of my friends were online. If I just happened to run to Facebook there wasn't anything interesting in my news feed and the friends I usually talked to weren't logged on. Do you know why it happened that way? Because God wanted me to spend some time with Him.

Now that I have finally caught on, I run to His throne! Whenever I'm feeling down or alone I begin to cry out to God with determination. What makes this time different is that I long to hear an answer from Him and I am able to find the most relief. I begin to read His word, and to journal, all a part of my communication with Him. And this is the BEST I have felt in a long time. So whenever you are feeling lonely look to God instead of people. Begin to read your Bible and find out what He is trying to tell you. If you don't have a scripture on your heart when you start, go to Psalm 139 first and look at what He says about knowing you. And if that doesn't help, look at verses 17 & 18, "How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!" (NLT). So even when we begin to feel like we are alone, it is then that we need to realize that we are not. We can't even begin to imagine the thoughts that God has for us...but more importantly, we need to see that He is always there with us.

When we realize just how much God loves us, there is a slim chance of becoming complacent in loneliness. Within Psalm 139 David says that there is nowhere that we can go to escape God's presence. Let me repeat that, NOWHERE we can go to escape His presence. Sin can separate us from God if we allow it, but that doesn't mean that He no longer cares for you. God loves us in spite of our wrong, and He wants us to come back to Him when we are in our sinful state. I say that because everyone falls sometime, we are indeed human, but don't use that as an excuse to sin. In Romans Paul addresses taking advantage of God's grace. Romans 6:1-2a  says, "Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not.." We have to realize that when we do fall that there is an opportunity to get back up and get it right with God.

Lastly, I've started reading an empowering book, The God who Sees You: Look to Him When You Feel Discouraged, Forgotten, or Invisible written by Tammy Maltby. It has helped open my eyes to how loneliness affects our walks, but more importantly how to conquer it. The enemy would love to get us in a place where we feel that we are on our own and that we have no one there to help us. BUT let him know that he is a liar and the father of all lies and recognize that the opposite is the truth. We serve a God who will NEVER leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). The issue is that we allow certain situations, whether it be sin, or life situations, to drive us away from the cross. My cry is for the Lord to keep me near His cross daily so that I don't forget all that He has done for me, and that as I draw closer to Him that He will honor His word and draw closer to me (James 4:8). I challenge you to run to the throne when you're lonely, and I promise that your life will be forever changed.

Be encouraged,
God's Servant.

P.S. Listen to the song if you get a chance. It is called "The Question" by Vaughn Thompson, Jr. and I pray that it blesses you just as it has blessed me.

The Renewal Process

Ok, so now that you are trying to get closer to God and find out how to walk in your calling, the next question is how do I get there? Something that is very critical to the Christian walk is renewing our minds on a daily basis.

Why is this important? Well, I'm glad you asked. In order for us to function fluidly in our calling we have to be in tune with the Holy Spirit and the instructions that He is giving us. In fact, I must warn you that when you decide that you are going to walk in your calling the enemy is going to turn up the heat in your life, and your flesh will try to rebel against you. Especially since the flesh wants to satisfy itself, and not the spirit. Romans chapter 8:6-7 says, "So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's will and it never will." (NLT; red is for emphasis)

There are multiple scriptures where we are strongly advised to crucify our flesh, and to renew our minds so that we can focus on the things of God. Whenever something is repeated throughout the Bible it is important that we pay attention and take note. In Colossians chapter 3 we are told to "kill off everything connected with that way of death..." (The Message), the things that are listed are sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, and they even go so far as to say "grabbing whatever attracts your fancy" now if that isn't all about the flesh I don't know what is. In order to effectively minister to others our flesh can NOT run us!

So how do we keep it under control? By renewing our minds DAILY. In Romans chapter 12 Paul tells us not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. "...but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."(NLT) But it's not until we begin to spend time with God that we will have an understanding of his will for our lives.

We must protect our gates. We cannot listen to secular music and expect our mind not to wander, and the same goes for television shows and books that are heavily imbedded with sex, and other activities that would be gratifying (pleasing) to our flesh. Then we are opening ourselves up for our flesh to want it's own satisfaction. Instead, begin to listen to music that is full of scripture--worship music. I'm not going to advise you to listen strictly to Gospel or Contemporary Christian, but just be mindful of the message of the music that you are listening to. Make sure to read books that are building up God's kingdom and enriching your spiritual walk with Christ. Lastly, so many television broadcasts and movies that are Christian based are available to us that it would be a shame if we didn't take advantage of them. We need to make sure that we are feeding our spirit man and NOT our flesh! Take some time out to read Romans chapters 7 and 8, and see all that they say about our flesh and spirit.

So how much time do you spend in His presence? How often do you talk with Him throughout the day? Do you only talk to Him at home, or do you carry on conversations with Him wherever you go? It might seem like I have it all figured out now, but trust me I don't. I'm still trying to get this thing right! But one thing I do know to be true, is that starting off your day in God's presence is the best feeling in the world. I have to talk to Him first thing in the morning, and no my flesh does not agree with me. I value my sleep, but I know that if I don't get up and talk to Him that I won't feel right. So I charge you to begin setting out time to talk with God at the beginning of your day (and throughout), read your word, and allow Him to speak to you! Don't get up from prayer without listening for what God has to say. Communication is a two-way street. After sending a message, wait for the reply. I promise that you won't be disappointed, and that it will only improve your relationship with God for the better. Most of all you will feel renewed and revived.

God's Servant

The Inevitable Question: Why ME?

I think there comes a point in everyone's life when they stop and begin to question God. It might be due to a tragedy, a death in the family, or a call on your life that you feel there's no way you can carry it out (which is true, you can't do it on your own but through God). Regardless of how it happens you just cry out and begin to ask, "Lord! Why me?"

I began to question God both before and after I received my call to ministry. Short testimony :) I was 18 when I answered God's call to minister the Gospel and began to walk in that calling fresh out of high school. In the fall of 2008 I left home and began my freshman year of college at Howard University. I was completely unaware of the tests that were getting ready to come my way. I was young and I'll admit very naive. I was able to hold my little world together for the first two years (with little turbulence), but my third year was by far the roughest.

My junior year of college I found myself doing things I never desired to do before. I was compromising my witness left and right, or so it seemed. In efforts to fit in I found myself drinking and partying, but in my head I was always asking myself if I was happy doing so. The answer was, "No, I'm not happy! And what do I need to do to get back on track?" One night I found myself on the bathroom floor and hating myself for falling off (especially in spending time in God's word), and pleading with God to just "get me out of this one." I wanted to know why things had gotten so out of hand? Why did he allow me to walk down this path? After every venture outside of His will I would find myself in church the following Sunday, at the alter in tears because I knew that I was neglecting the call on my life.

You want to know what I realized?! God already knew that I was going to have a moment of bumping my head before I saw that He had a better life in store for me. Now it was hard for me to accept God's forgiveness and let go of what I had done. But what was even harder to accept was that I had dropped the ball when it came to witnessing to my friends. The main thing is this: God puts people around us for a reason; it's not by circumstance it is purposed. Since I was not witnessing to the people God had surrounded me with I was not fulfilling my calling. The most important call that a Christian has is to LIVE outloud. 1 Peter 2:9 says, "But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."(NLT; italics are mine) For some we are the only Bible that they will see...what are they seeing/reading when they look at your walk? My prayer since then has been to cover anyone that has fallen away from the safety net of Christ because of my actions, and for another opportunity to show them His love again.

So back to the original question: Why ME?
Often God's response is Why NOT you? Why do you think you're so unfit? Don't you realize that God equips those He calls? What if Moses hadn't listened and accepted the call? Who would have went before Pharaoh? In fact, God fixed the situation up so nicely, like only He can. Since Moses was so concerned about speaking before the people, He allowed Aaron to be Moses' spokesman, so now there was no excuse for Moses not to carry God's message (Exodus 4). There are many other cases throughout the Bible where God shows how He prepares his servants, and they all show that we don't have an excuse! God doesn't call us to do what we're confident in on our own, but He calls us to do things outside of our comfort zone that force us to rely on HIM. Then we begin to walk in Philippians 4:13, "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." (NLT) I challenge you to stop asking God, "Why me?" and start saying to yourself, "Why NOT me?"

Remember: Matthew 22:14 "For many are called, but few are chosen." (NLT) If God calls you He will prepare you for your mission. If you're unsure of how, then you need to draw closer to Him. Take time to talk to Him DAILY. It's alright to ask Him questions, but be confident in His answer and his decision to call you. God knew you even before you were conceived. He knows us so intimately that He knows every thought we think before it even crosses our minds. Just look at Psalm 139 to see what I'm talking about. Now, who wouldn't trust a God like that? Know that He will prepare you to walk in your calling, no matter what it is! Be encouraged.

God's Servant 

Reclaiming My Calling

I have been blessed to hear the voice of God so strong today. And I am ready to acknowledge what I have been afraid to look in the face for so long. It's funny, sometimes when God calls you to something instead of accepting it and growing in it you walk around like you never knew it was there. Thankfully, God continued to give me multiple chances to walk in my calling. So starting today I receive the words that have been spoken into my life. I refuse to allow another day to pass by without spending quiet time with God.

I am so grateful that I have been given an opportunity to lift others up before the Lord. I repent for the souls that have been tormented because of my negligence. It is a humbling calling by far. But I know that God would not put more on me than I can bear. Especially when I remember that I am to cast all my cares upon Him. If we grab a hold to that scripture, then there is no excuse for GOD'S people to be burdened and heavy-laiden. We should not be holding on to any cares at all. What a revelation!

God I just want to serve you with my LIFE. My prayer and desire is that my thoughts will fall in line with the will that you have for my life. Indeed you have a plan, one that is "not for disaster, to give [you] a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11). So how do I get there? Lord, lead me in such a way that I will hear your voice clear. Let there be no confusion!