Tag: Instagram

Be Committed

On January 22, 2019

THE KIMBERLY JOY SHOW: Commit To Telling Others About Jesus

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE COMMITTED?

God wants us to be committed to Him. In other words, we are to be wholeheartedly dedicated or completely loyal to serving God. In order to be truly committed to God, we must first accept His Son Jesus into our lives. Now, some may ask, “Why do we HAVE to accept Jesus? Why can’t we just bypass that part of the process?” According to the book of Genesis, once Adam and Even disobeyed God, sin, which is defined as wickedness, wrongdoing, or transgression, was then allowed to run rampant. As a result, man became spiritually disconnected from God.

HOW IS JESUS OUR MEDIATOR?

Because of the separation between God and mankind, Jesus had to step in and serve as our Mediator. What is a mediator? I Timothy 2:5-6 (New Living Translation) explain it well. The verses say:

⁵For there is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. ⁶He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone.

Imagine you are in court to prove your innocence. Jesus is your mediator or defense attorney because you have chosen to repent of your sins and confess Him as your Lord and Savior. He stands before God the Judge, on your behalf, declaring that you are innocent of all charges!

“I find the defendant NOT GUILTY!“

DO YOU HAVE TO BE A PREACHER TO TELL OTHERS ABOUT JESUS?

Once we commit to God by accepting Jesus into our lives, God then wants us to commit to telling others about His love and gift of salvation. Just before Jesus left His earthly ministry to ascend back to Heaven to sit on the right hand of God the Father, He said to His disciples in Matthew 28:19-20 (King James Version):

¹⁹Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: ²⁰Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

I know what you’re thinking! You’re not like the men who walked with Jesus. You’re not a preacher, pastor, or prophet. You’re just a regular church-goer. That’s perfectly okay! You don’t have to hold any of those clergical positions. You may not have a church, a television ministry, a radio ministry, or an outreach ministry, but what you do have is a STORY! That’s right! God wants you to tell YOUR STORY!

Tell someone your story

For instance, perhaps you were once addicted to alcohol, drugs, or both, until Jesus saved you and set you free. Maybe you endured abuse while growing up, but Jesus came into your life and healed you mentally and emotionally. There might have been a time in your life when you struggled with suicidal thoughts, like so many people today. Fortunately, by the grace of God, you have been delivered from those ugly thoughts of death and now see yourself through God’s eyes. Perhaps, like me, you used to feel lonely and insecure, but when you put all your trust in Jesus, He turned your life around and gave you a newfound purpose for living!

WHOM DO YOU TELL ABOUT JESUS?

Whatever your story is, God wants you to share it! With whom do you share your story? You share your story with those around you, like family members, friends, neighbors, co-workers, classmates, the person you’re sitting next to in the waiting room at the doctor’s office, and SOCIAL MEDIA! Although some use social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter in a negative light, the internet is a perfect tool for spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ! In fact, I personally believe that we, as believers, should focus more on posting the positive, rather than the negative, simply because we should always represent Jesus. Non-believers should be able to recognize that we are Christians by our conversations, behavior, and treatment of others.

People pay attention to what we do, more so than what we say. For example, after accepting Jesus into my life at the age of seven, I strove to live a godly life at a young age amidst peer pressure. I can recall periods in my life when I only listened to Gospel music and carried my Bible in high school. Because of my decision to be devoted to God, I didn’t have many friends, and I even felt alone. I sometimes questioned if being a young Christian was worth sacrificing my social life. Needless to say, I got my answer my senior year of high school. Since it was our final year before venturing into adulthood, it was customary for us to sign each other’s yearbooks. When classmates signed my yearbook, I was amazed at some of their comments! Here’s an example:

“Kim, I really admire you! You never gave into peer pressure. Stay the same. Never change. Keep carrying your Bible and going to church. God bless you!”

I came to realize that those moments of loneliness and feelings of rejection were all worth it, if it meant being an example or role model to someone. I am grateful for my experiences and wouldn’t go back and change a thing!

My aunt, my mother’s eldest sister, Pearlie I. Ealey-Forrest, a.k.a. Aunt Inez, has dedicated her life to telling others about Jesus. She is the author of several books, including Are All of the Children Inside?, a biography of their father Jeremiah Ealey, and God Knows The Way That I Take, a book about her own personal journey. Both books can currently be purchased on amazon.com.

AMAZON.COM

Most recently she has written another book, which I had the pleasure of helping to edit. In the book, she shares her many experiences of leading people to Jesus Christ. Once the book is published, I will encourage everyone to buy it, as well. It provides much needed spiritual enlightenment and inspiration!

BE COMMITTED

In this brand new year, another year God has blessed you to see, I encourage you to be committed, to be wholeheartedly dedicated to God. Be committed to sharing your testimonies with others, so that they too will recognize the goodness of the Lord. Jesus said it best as He delivered His sermon on the mount in Matthew 5:16 (KJV):

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

THE PRAYER OF SALVATION

If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you can do so right now. I then encourage you to find a good Bible-believing church that will help you grow in your relationship with the Lord.

Romans 10:9 (New International Version) says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Please pray the following prayer:

Dear Jesus, I come to You confessing I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I believe You shed Your blood on the cross and died for my sins, were buried and rose again so I could be free! Please forgive me for my sins and the life I have lived. I confess You Jesus as Lord and accept You as my own personal Savior. According to the Word of God, I am now saved! Hallelujah! I AM FREE!

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY OF GOD!!!!!

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Inside Strong

By Kimberly Joy

On December 10, 2018

In Inner Strength

(THE KIMBERLY JOY SHOW: Inside Strong)

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE INSIDE STRONG?

Paul, the apostle, said to the people to whom he was ministering at this particular time:

“…..I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in Heaven and on Earth. I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit,” (Ephesians 3:14b-16, New Living Translation).

2018 is almost over! As you embark upon a brand new year, remember these two words:

God says, “You must be INSIDE STRONG!”

My personal motto is:

KNOW YOURSELF!
BE YOURSELF!
LOVE YOURSELF!

Sounds good, doesn’t it? Sounds pretty inspiring, don’t you think? Sounds easy, right? NOT! I’ve come to realize during this journey called LIFE that living out my personal motto or declaration can only be achieved if I am INSIDE STRONG!

What does it mean for an individual to be INSIDE STRONG?

INSIDE – the part within; inner man; inward nature, thoughts, and/or feelings; within one’s heart, mind, and spirit

STRONG – having great physical, intellectual, or moral power (morally sound, doing what’s right)

As followers of Christ, it’s necessary to be strong within our hearts, minds, and spirits.

WHAT DETERMINES THE COURSE OF YOUR LIFE?

Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) says:

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

Wow! That’s a very powerful statement, isn’t it? As the scripture states, we are to guard or “protect, nourish, and care for” our hearts. I believe “heart” in this verse has two meanings. For one, we must take care of the heart or that organ that pumps blood throughout the body. We do so by eating right, exercising, sleeping, and relaxing.

Secondly, we must take care of ourselves mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Why is this so important? How well you protect your “heart” determines the person you will be and the life you will live. Imagine the life of a person whose heart is filled with anger, unforgiveness, hatred, or even depression. On the other hand, imagine the life of an individual who has allowed God to heal his or her heart and is, therefore, now filled with joy, peace, and love!

DO YOU NEGLECT THE INNER MAN?

Some, including Christians, unfortunately, neglect the inner man. I know because I’ve been guilty! Why, you ask? Our primary focus is the outer man. We spend more time on our outward appearance, like our clothes and hair. Now, don’t get me wrong! I like to look nice just as much as the next person, and I keep my regular hair appointments. Nevertheless, it becomes a problem when you’re willing to stay broke spending money in boutiques and Nike outlets and on cars and houses you really can’t afford just to keep up a particular persona.

In fact, the fashion industry alone is worth billions of dollars. Coresight Research, a research network of global retailers, brands, and innovators, estimates that the worldwide clothing market is worth approximately $278 billion thanks to those of us who use clothes and shoes to make up for what is lacking on the inside.

There are those who fail to protect their hearts because they’re too busy performing for others. What do I mean? Well, let’s consider social media. Personally, I believe that sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter can be very beneficial when it comes to connecting on both personal and professional levels. However, I find that one of the downsides to the internet is that some people use it to portray themselves to be something they aren’t. Although I don’t believe it’s necessary to display all your dirty laundry via the internet, I don’t think you need to lie either. For example, several months ago, an individual I know fairly well, announced their new marriage on social media. The announcement was news to me. I wasn’t even aware this individual was dating anyone. When I did further investigating into the matter, they revealed that they only made that particular post to impress their “friends” and followers. Initially, I laughed it off, but when I think about it now, I think it’s sad that a person feels the need to embellish the truth just for “likes” from people who don’t even know them, let alone care about them.

What people think about you is not important. I’m not talking about putting your best foot forward in a job interview or performing your duties at work to the best of your ability. Rather, you don’t need to go out of your way to make others accept and like you. This is a lesson I had to learn. If people like you, they like you. If they don’t, then they just don’t. What matters is that God loves you, and the Bible let’s us know that He, indeed, loves you and me! Therefore, He is the one we must focus on pleasing.

WHAT DOES MAN SEE VS. WHAT GOD SEES?

One day, God told the prophet Samuel to stop mourning for King Saul because He had chosen to remove him as king of Israel due to his disobedience. God then instructed Samuel to go to a man by the name of Jesse (who was later identified as an ancestor of Jesus) and his sons because one of them would be the next king. When Samuel met with Jesse and his sons, he immediately thought the next king was Jesse’s son Eliab. Why? He was the oldest, and it only made sense for God to select the first born. Just when Samuel was about to anoint Eliab as the next king, God said NO! God said to Samuel:

“….Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart,” (I Samuel 16:7b, NLT).

In fact, God said no to all seven of Jesse’s eldest sons. To everyone’s surprise, God chose the youngest son David to be the next king of Israel and instructed Samuel to anoint him while his father and brothers looked on (I Samuel 16).

Again, as children of God, let’s not be concerned about impressing people. Rather, let’s be most concerned about impressing God. How do we impress God? We impress Him by first repenting of our sins, accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and building a relationship with Him through worship, prayer, and obeying His Word. When we focus on pleasing God, that’s when we become INSIDE STRONG!

THE PRAYER OF SALVATION

Romans 10:9 (NIV) says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Please pray the following prayer:

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY OF GOD!!!!!

If you find value in this article, please share.

To subscribe to The Kimberly Joy Blog and receive new articles by email, please leave your email address in the box marked SUBSCRIBE TO BLOG VIA EMAIL provided at the end of the article.

If you would like to make a donation to help with my mission of spreading spiritual inspiration, you may donate to The Kimberly Joy Show via Cash App, Venmo or paypal.me/thekimberlyjoyshow.

Please follow The Kimberly Joy Show on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.