Tag: Jesus Page 6 of 7

RELAX! GOD IS DOING IT NOW FOR YOU! JUST CONTINUE IN HIS WORK!
Sunday, May 14th is Mother’s Day, the time of year when mothers everywhere are to be celebrated. Although I personally am not a mother, I truly appreciate Mother’s Day because of my own mother. Throughout my life she has proven how much she loves my brother and me. So, I try to express my appreciation for her as often as possible.

According to Exodus 20:12 and Ephesians 6:2, God expects us to honor our fathers AND mothers. If we’re not careful, we can get so caught up in our own affairs, that we neglect to do so. However, a mother’s role should be appreciated and cherished. And I’m not just talking about birth mothers, but ALL mothers God has placed in our lives—–adoptive mothers, foster mothers, godmothers, grandmothers, aunts, big sisters, cousins, teachers, coaches, mentors, the mothers in the neighborhood who always looked out for us while we were growing up, and spiritual mothers who have prayed for us, encouraged us and taught us valuable life lessons.

Mothers have a rewarding, but tough job, and, therefore, need our prayers, support, and encouragement. So, I personally want to extend a word of encouragement to all mothers to RELAX because God is doing it now for you! In the meantime, He wants you to continue in His work.

DON’T WORRY
Philippians 4:6-7 say:

“6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Verse 6 says to “be careful for nothing”. In other words, just relax! Just rest in God! Don’t be anxious about ANYTHING! You’re not to have any worries or concerns. Although that may seem easier said than done, God doesn’t want you worrying or being concerned about things that are out of your control. To “worry” is to feel uneasy or troubled. Basically, you’re overthinking about what MIGHT happen.

In my honest opinion, as women, we THINK we’re supposed to worry, especially when it comes to our families. If we don’t worry, or if we’re not constantly thinking about a particular issue, then that means we don’t care. But, that’s not true! Don’t allow satan to trick you into thinking that if you’re not stressing out about something, even your own children, then you don’t care. A caring woman understands that she can’t do anything without God. If she doesn’t take care of herself, too, then she won’t be any good for anyone.

According to physicians, worrying can have negative effects on your health. For example, it can cause headaches (I know that first-hand).

It can cause ulcers or other stomach problems. Worrying can cause you to overeat or under-eat. It can cause you to lose sleep. It can lead to the abuse of alcohol and drugs. Worrying can also affect your blood pressure and even your heart.

GIVE IT TO GOD AND MOVE ON
God doesn’t intend for you to be weighed down by ANYTHING! I Peter 5:7 says:

“Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.”

God wants you to give ALL your worries and concerns to Him because He loves you. God knows that things happen. He is aware that situations arise that may overwhelm you. However, that’s what He’s there for. God is available to be your guide, comforter, listening ear, and support.

How do you give a concern or worry to God? After you go to God in prayer about a particular situation or person, praise Him in advance for the victory and move on! Yes, MOVE ON!

God will either handle the situation for you, or He will give you instructions on how to proceed. You can’t pray and then continue worrying! You can’t keep thinking about it…..and thinking about it…..and thinking…..and thinking…..and thinking! Those anxious thoughts you continue to entertain may very well prevent you from truly hearing God’s voice. In essence, you may wind up following your own mind instead of following God, which is the last thing you want to do! II Samuel 22:31a assures us that God’s way is PERFECT. God’s way is complete and flawless, nothing missing, nothing broken.

FOCUS ON THE WORK
Again, women of God, just relax! God is doing it NOW for you! God has that situation worked out! In the meantime, just continue in His work!

Let me tell you a story about a woman named Ruth. Perhaps, you’re familiar with her story.

Following the death of her husband and brother-in-law, Ruth recognized that her next purpose in life was to care for her mother-in-law Naomi. She willingly walked away from everything and everyone she knew, to answer God’s call. Even though Naomi tried to persuade Ruth to go back to her mother’s house like her other daughter-in-law Orpah had done, Ruth said:

“Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” (Ruth 1:16-17, NIV)

Ruth knew within herself that there was a greater purpose with Naomi, and that is what she focused on. She didn’t worry about her husband being dead. She didn’t worry about not yet having children. She didn’t worry about the family and country she had left behind. Instead, she focused on the work God had given her to do, which was to care for Naomi.

Women of God, I want to encourage you to focus on what God has instructed you to do. People are in need of what God has given you to give them. Whatever God has blessed and enabled you to do, DO IT!!! Don’t lose focus with worries and concerns. Remember that there is a greater purpose at hand. God is holding you (and me) responsible. In John 15:16a, Jesus says:

“Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain…”

God has given you a special work to do that will help others and bring glory to Himself. What is that special work? Is it teaching, preaching, singing, writing, dancing, acting, or having a business? What is it?

And are you fulfilling your God-given purpose? Or are you allowing things and people, you have no control over anyway, to distract you?

Ruth didn’t allow herself to be distracted. Rather, she focused on Naomi. As a result, in due time, God blessed her with everything she needed and desired. He blessed her with a new husband named Boaz, with wealth, and with a son they called Obed. As a matter of fact, Obed later became the grandfather of King David. This is the same lineage through which Jesus was born.

Women of God, I encourage you to rest in God. He knows your wants and needs, and as Matthew 6:33 tells us, He’s going to meet them. All He asks is that you continue in HIS work. Your blessings are on the other side of your obedience.

(The Kimberly Joy Show: Relax! God Is Doing It Now For You! Just Continue In His Work!)

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What Would Jesus Do?

By Kimberly Joy

On May 1, 2017

In Jesus

WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?
“What Would JESUS Do?” Recognize that question? “What Would Jesus Do” is a phrase that first emerged in the 1990s. The purpose of the question is to inspire those of us, who are believers in Christ Jesus, to evaluate our everyday attitudes and behaviors. It is to encourage us to really consider the characteristics of Jesus that are laid out in the Bible, and to decide whether or not we are following His example.

At the height of its popularity, “What Would Jesus Do?” or WWJD, could be seen everywhere—-on bracelets,
t-shirts, hats, coffee mugs, etc.

The whole idea was to remind us that we are to be more like Jesus. Personally, I think WWJD was and still is an excellent idea! We live in a world where we are surrounded by evil and corruption every day. So, as believers, we have to remember that, although we live in the world, we are not to be like the world, look like the world, or act like the world.

Worldly ideas, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors, are the opposite of what pleases God. James 4:4 (NLT) says:

“You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.”

In the verse, James referred to these early Christians as adulterers. Why? To be unfaithful to God is to commit spiritual adultery. We are unfaithful to God when we choose to disobey Him. Anything that goes against God’s commandments or expectations is considered worldly. One example is sexual immorality. I use this particular example because sex is promoted almost everywhere——on television, in movies, in music, in books, and on the internet.

According to the world or worldly standards, pre-marital sex is acceptable. In some instances, adultery or infidelity is acceptable. Have you ever heard the term “open marriage”? In an “open marriage”, the husband and wife agree that it’s perfectly okay to have sex with other people. Basically, they are inviting adultery into their marriage. Furthermore, homosexuality and bisexuality are also acceptable now, according to WORLDLY standards. However, according to God’s Word, none of these behaviors are acceptable.

Regardless of our personal views or how good certain sexual encounters make our flesh feel, God still does not approve. For example, “Thou shalt not commit adultery” is one of the ten commandments we can find in Exodus 20. Even though it is a commandment of God, many still engage in it. Nevertheless, just because they engage in it, doesn’t make it all right.

DOES GOD CHANGE?
Anything that is popular in today’s society isn’t necessarily popular with God. God doesn’t change, and His Word doesn’t change. Therefore, we believers have to read and STUDY the Bible. I emphasize the word “study” because it’s important that we meditate on the scriptures and apply them to our everyday lives. Simply READING the Bible is not enough.

We have to obey it. When we fail to do so, we can be easily fooled into confusing worldly standards with God’s standards. Psalm 119:11 says:

“Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.”

God has provided His Word to help us live right. We are to, thus, hold His Word in our hearts. When you hold something in your heart, you cherish it, right? We are to hold God’s Word in our hearts like a treasure. Psalm 119:105 says:

“Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

God’s Word is available to guide us in the right direction—–the direction God would have us to go. When we apply the scriptures to our everyday lives, we will find ourselves doing what JESUS would do. In other words, we will find ourselves obeying and pleasing God.

To be a Christian is to be Christ-like or like Jesus Christ. Want to know HOW to be like Jesus? Read the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. All four books give accounts of Jesus’ time as a man on earth. When we read about Jesus, we learn about His characteristics, which are the characteristics we should strive daily to emulate.

WHAT DOES LOVE LOOK LIKE?
While Jesus lived as a man on earth, He showed LOVE. First, He loved God the Father and spoke highly of Him. He always honored and obeyed God. He also spent quality time with God in prayer. In addition to loving the Father, Jesus loved people, INCLUDING His enemies. For instance, while He was hanging on the cross, Jesus asked God to forgive those who were persecuting Him.

Jesus also showed love by taking time to teach everyone who wanted to hear and receive from Him. When crowds followed Him, He didn’t turn them away. He even fed those who were hungry, like the 4,000 and 5,000.

He healed those who were sick. He showed compassion to those who had been ostracized by other people, like the Samaritan woman He met at the well, and the woman who was brought to Him for committing adultery.

Possessing genuine love, Jesus had no problem being humble. As a matter of fact, He didn’t get into shouting matches with the religious leaders who would publicly oppose Him. He wasn’t concerned about trying to defend or prove Himself to anyone. He didn’t brag about how powerful and wise He was. Instead, He continued giving all the glory to God. All He cared about was doing the will of His Father. In John 6:38, Jesus said:

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him [God] who sent Me.”

IS LOVE YOUR MOTIVATION?
Something that is important for us as believers to realize and always remember, is that, although Jesus demonstrated power through healing the sick, casting out demons, resurrecting the dead and other miracles, like turning water into wine, LOVE was always the motivation.

Yes, we believers can and should demonstrate power like Jesus did. In fact, in John 14:12, Jesus said:

“….He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do…”

So, Jesus said that we’re to do more than even what He did. However, if love is NOT the motivation, I Corinthians 13 lets us know that God will not be pleased.

It’s imperative that we do, what I like to call, self-examinations. What do I mean? Periodically, we need to exam our hearts, using the Word of God as the criteria. For instance, you can ask yourself the following questions:

“Am I lining up with God’s Word?”

“Am I doing what God expects or approves of?”

“Am I following the examples of Jesus?”

Once you ask yourself these questions, if you find yourself falling short, then repent and ask God to help you in those areas.

I want to encourage you to take some time and study the four Gospels. When you do, pay close attention to how Jesus conducted Himself in every situation. Then strive to follow His example in your own situations. Christianity is a lifestyle, and you and I are responsible for doing our part. As we do our part, God will do the rest. Philippians 2:12b-13 (NLT) say:

“12b…..Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.
13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.”

(The Kimberly Joy Show: What Would Jesus Do?)

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Who Is Jesus?

By Kimberly Joy

On April 25, 2017

In Jesus

WHO IS JESUS?
There’s a song that says:
“Jesus Jesus Jesus, there’s just
something about that name.
Master, Saviour, Jesus, like the
fragrance after the rain.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, let all heaven and
earth proclaim.
Kings and kingdoms will pass away,
But there’s something about that Name!”

Another song says:
“‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word,
Just to rest upon His promise,
Just to know, ‘Thus saith the Lord!’
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!”

JESUS! There’s something about His Name…when I speak His Name…when I call His Name…when I pray in His Name……….

Why?

Who IS Jesus?

Isaiah 9:6 calls Him “Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace”

John 11:25 says He is “the Resurrection and the Life”

John 14:6 refers to Jesus as “the Way, the Truth, and the Life”

I Timothy 6:15 says He is “the King of kings, and Lord of lords”

Titus 2:13 calls Him “Savior”

Hebrews 12:2 describes Jesus as “the Author and Finisher of our faith”

Revelation 22:13 says He is “Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last”

JESUS IS HEALER
Another word that describes Jesus is HEALER!

While Jesus lived as a man here on earth, many people, who came into His presence, were healed. According to Matthew 4:23 and Matthew 9:35, He healed every type of sickness and disease. It didn’t matter what it was! When Jesus laid hands on those individuals, they were healed and made whole! Even those, who weren’t in Jesus’ presence, were healed.

Let me tell you a story (Taken from John 4:46-54):

One day while Jesus was in Cana in Galilee, a government official from Capernaum asked Him to come to his home to heal his son. In fact, the man begged Jesus to come because his son was dying. However, Jesus wouldn’t go with the official. Instead, He healed the boy from a distance. Jesus said, “Go back home. Your son will live!” In that moment, Jesus spoke LIFE back into the boy’s body, and the man believed what Jesus spoke.

Before the official had a chance to return home, some of his servants met him along the way to inform him that his son was alive and well. He then learned that his son began getting better at the exact time when Jesus had declared he was healed. Due to that experience, the government official and his household believed in Jesus.

Let me tell you another story (Taken from Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10).

One day while Jesus was in Capernaum, a Roman officer came to Him with a request. He said, “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.”

Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.”

But the Roman officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”

Jesus was amazed at the officer’s faith. He even said that He had not seen faith like that in all Israel (amongst God’s chosen people)! Then Jesus said to the officer, “Go back home! Because you BELIEVED, it has happened!” The young servant was, therefore, healed that same hour.

FAITH IN JESUS
Of the two stories, what stands out the most about the government official and the Roman officer?

Their FAITH!!!

Although the official wanted Jesus to come to his home, he trusted Him when He just spoke healing for his son. The officer, on the other hand, demonstrated his faith in Jesus when he asked Him to only speak a word of healing for his servant. He didn’t feel worthy to have Jesus come into His home because he respected His holiness. Full of compassion, more than likely, Jesus wouldn’t have had a problem visiting the man’s home. Nevertheless, He appreciated the man’s faith and honored his request.

One of my favorite healing stories involves the woman with the issue of blood (Taken from Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:24-34 and Luke 8:43–48).

One day while Jesus was on His way to heal a little girl, a crowd of people, as usual, were following Him. In the crowd, there was a particular woman who had been hemorrhaging for twelve years. Although I can’t even imagine what she was going through, I’m sure she was weak from losing so much blood. She tried getting help from several doctors. Unfortunately, instead of being cured, she just became worse and wound up penniless. However, despite her weakness, she found her way to Jesus.

When she got to Jesus, she didn’t ask Him to heal her. Instead, she touched the hem of the garment He was wearing.

As soon as she touched the hem, the bleeding stopped and she knew then that her body was healed.

YOUR FAITH HAS MADE YOU WELL
Why didn’t the woman just ask Jesus to heal her like so many others had?

Maybe it was so crowded that she thought Jesus wouldn’t hear her?

Maybe she thought He would be too busy to notice her?

Maybe she was too ashamed?

Whatever the reason, she still had enough faith to believe that if she just touched the hem of His garment, she would be healed.

Jesus then noticed the woman, and she told Him what had just happened to her.

Jesus replied, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”

Jesus healed so many people, more than what’s even discussed in the Bible. He healed every kind of disease and illness, regardless of the severity.

He healed those who were blind, deaf, crippled, paralyzed and demon-possessed. He even raised the dead back to life.

HE IS STILL THE HEALER
Even though, Jesus’ assignment on earth ended long ago, He is still the HEALER! Isaiah 53:5 says:

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.”

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin entered the world. Along with sin came death. Romans 6:23 tells us that the result of sin is death. And what leads to death? Sickness and disease! Nevertheless, when Jesus was crucified on the cross, He took on the sins of all humanity and everything attached to sin, including sickness and disease. So, when we repent of our sins and believe and confess that Jesus is Lord, He then sets us free.

Therefore, as believers we have the privilege of experiencing healing and wholeness. We just have to believe!
As Romans 1:17 says:

“The just (righteous people) shall live by faith.

If you’re suffering today in your body, call on Jesus the Healer, with no doubt, and watch Him move greatly in your life!

(“The Kimberly Joy Show: Jesus Is Healer”)

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JESUS IS ALIVE!!!!!

By Kimberly Joy

On April 16, 2017

In Jesus

JESUS IS ALIVE
Jesus is alive! Contrary to what some people believe, Jesus lives! Yes, He was beaten! He was nailed to the cross! He was pierced in His side! He wore a crown of thorns on His head! He died on that cross! His body was placed in a tomb!

BUT, three days later, He was resurrected! The tomb was found empty!

And He now lives forevermore!!!

I am saved today because of Jesus! Therefore, I never get tired of hearing the story of His crucifixion and resurrection. In fact, we, as believers, should remember and meditate on the story more than just once a year on Easter Sunday, because it serves as a reminder of His love for us.

HE SUFFERED FOR US
Have you ever considered what Jesus truly went through for us? Have you thought about the pain He endured so that we could be set free from our sins? Can you fathom the agony He suffered so that we won’t have to experience hell and eternal damnation? Can you?

What Jesus endured, no human being would have been able to go through that! As a matter of fact, the Bible tells us that Jesus was tortured before He even got to the cross. He was spit on! He was punched in His face repeatedly! Moreover, He was scourged or flogged! I use those particular words in place of words, like beaten or whipped, because the brutality they inflicted upon Jesus surpasses anything we could ever comprehend.

What is scourging/flogging? Just before Jesus was taken to the cross, they removed His clothes and scourged him. In scourging, a soldier used a whip which was made of leather straps that were embedded with metal and glass fragments with small metal balls sewn into the end of each strap. Each time this particular whip hit Jesus on His bare back, it tore His skin off, exposing muscle, maybe even His very bones.

We can only imagine the amount of blood He lost, as a result! And this happened BEFORE He was even crucified. Bible scholars say that the average person would have, more than likely, been dead from just the scourging.

So, again, NO ONE could have done for mankind what Jesus did! In fact, how many people would have been willing to die for ALL humanity, to take on the sins of the WORLD? I know from history that individuals have sacrificed their lives for their family, for their race, for their religion, for their country, but not for ALL mankind.

THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
Jesus is the ONLY one who has made the ultimate sacrifice. Jesus sacrificed His life for those who knew Him and had spent time with Him, like His disciples, and for those who didn’t yet know Him, like you and me. He sacrificed His life on that cross for those who loved Him and for those who hated Him. Can you imagine giving up your life for people you KNOW hate your guts? Think about it! I can’t imagine doing that! That’s why I’m not Jesus.

Jesus paid the price because He LOVES us! In fact, Jesus demonstrated nothing but love during the whole ordeal. He showed love when one of His own disciples Judas Iscariot betrayed him right into the hands of His enemies for thirty pieces of silver.

Have you ever been betrayed by someone close to you? How did you respond? In Jesus’ case, He didn’t fight back and had no intentions of fighting back. Luke 22:49-51 (NLT) say:

49 When the other disciples saw what was about to happen, they exclaimed, “Lord, should we fight? We brought the swords!”
50 And one of them struck at the high priest’s slave, slashing off his right ear.
51 But Jesus said, “No more of this.” And He touched the man’s ear and healed him.

That’s how Jesus reacted, and He willingly went with them.

As Jesus was being interrogated and ridiculed, He remained calm. He didn’t retaliate. He didn’t even use His words to curse them. When Isaiah prophesied about Jesus’ crucifixion, he said in Isaiah 53:7 (NLT):

“He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet He never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, He did not open His mouth.”

During the ridicule, the beatings, and the crucifixion, Jesus never complained. He never spewed words of hate.

FATHER FORGIVE THEM

Furthermore, as Jesus was hanging on the cross, according to Luke 23:34 (KJV), He said to God the Father:

“Father forgive them; for they know not what they do…”

Can you believe it? In the midst of all the evil being done to Him, He asked God to forgive them! Jesus was pleading with God on behalf of His enemies, on behalf of the ones who had zero respect for Him, on behalf of the ones who despised Him. He was pleading with God to neither be angry with them, nor hold their actions against them. Talk about LOVE!

There’s a song that the worship leaders at our church sing sometimes. It says:

“Jesus went to Calvary
to save a wretch,
like you and me;
that’s love, that’s love.

They hung Him high,
they stretched Him wide.
He hung His head, for me He died;
that’s love, that’s love.

That’s not how the story ends,
three days later He rose again;
that’s love, that’s love.”

That final verse of the song is the most important piece of this whole story. Jesus rose again! Jesus lives! He’s alive! Because Jesus rose again, those of us who have accepted Him as Lord and Savior, now have new lives. I Corinthians 15:20-22 (NLT) say:

“20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.
21 So you see, just as death came into the world through a man (Adam), now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man (Jesus).
22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.”

For those of us who have repented of our sins and believed and confessed that Jesus is Lord, we are new. Therefore, when we leave this earth, we will gain everlasting life.

Now, for those who are not yet saved, you can receive Jesus right now! All you have to do is pray this prayer:

Dear Jesus, I come to You confessing that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I believe that You shed Your blood on the cross and died for my sins, were buried and rose again so that 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!!!!!

I now welcome you to the family of God!

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Easter: A Joyous Occasion

By Kimberly Joy

On April 14, 2017

In Jesus

A JOYOUS OCCASION
Our family has always viewed Easter as a joyous occasion. Each year, for as long as I can remember, I would get a brand new dress, shoes and purse. My brother BJ would get a brand new suit, tie and shoes. My mom, who has always been a very classy and well-dressed woman, would get a brand new outfit, as well.

The church I grew up in was Mt. Olive Holy Temple in Lincoln Heights, a suburb of Cincinnati. Most of us members were related to each other. In fact, my great uncle was the pastor, the late Bishop Timothy Smith. We had such a good time praising God in that little church. Every Easter, we would put on a special program. Each child in the Sunshine Band would recite his or her Easter speech and the adult choir would sing and maybe perform a skit. Even my dad, who was not a regular church goer, would write a skit for my brother and me to perform. The BEST part, however, was when each child received an Easter basket. Those are some fond memories I will always cherish.

Although my brother and I enjoyed dressing up and getting our Easter baskets, our mother made sure we knew WHY we were celebrating Easter—–because of JESUS—–our Lord, our Savior, our Redeemer.

I Corinthians 15:3-4 say:

“3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures…”

THE DAY I ACCEPTED JESUS INTO MY HEART
I get emotional whenever I think about the day I accepted Jesus into my heart. I was young, only in the second grade.

I was going to Landmark Christian School (which is now closed) in Glendale, Ohio. Even though I had been in church from the time I was born and had even been baptized, I hadn’t accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

I remember the day I got saved, as if it were yesterday. Some older students from another school came to Landmark to perform a play for us. I don’t know if they were high school or college students. I just knew that they were much older.

The play they presented took place on an airplane. Some of the passengers were Christians and some were not. During the flight, those who were Christians witnessed to those who weren’t. Some believed and received Jesus, while the others rejected Him. I especially remember in the play a little girl and her mother. After they both heard about Jesus, the girl accepted Him into her heart, but the mother refused.

Later in the play, the airplane started having problems. I don’t remember if there were mechanical problems or if there was a storm. I just knew at the time that the situation didn’t look good. Everyone on the plane started panicking, and eventually, the plane crashed, killing everyone. At the end of the play, those same passengers were either sent to Heaven or Hell. The little girl in the play went to Heaven, and her mother went to Hell.

Once the play was over, there was an altar call for any of us who wanted to give our lives to Jesus. Immediately, kids began going up to the altar. Some were even crying. I didn’t move right away, not because I didn’t want to, but because, at that age, I had a tendency to be shy. However, I could feel Jesus pulling on my heart. So, I eventually made my way to the altar, knelt down and just cried. Then my second grade teacher Mrs. Pope knelt down beside me, put her arm around me and prayed with me.

It was such a beautiful moment that I will NEVER forget! I knew then that Mrs. Pope loved me because she was crying right along with me. Like Mrs. Pope, that’s the kind of heart we, as christians, should have. We should want to see everyone saved.

Some who may hear that story may accuse the school of trying to scare us into salvation. However, that wasn’t my experience. I don’t believe they were trying to scare us to death! Rather, they wanted us to understand why we need Jesus.

As James 4:14 tells us, tomorrow is not promised to anyone. Every day, people from all walks of life are dying. Fortunately, we, who know Jesus and are saved, don’t have to fear death. We are promised eternal life.

One of the first verses I learned as a child was John 3:16:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

THE LOVE OF JESUS
When I saw the play, I didn’t just learn that a person will either go to Heaven or Hell when he or she dies, but I learned about the love of Jesus. In fact, it was His love that pulled me to the altar. I felt His love as I knelt down to pray. I felt His love through Mrs. Pope as she prayed with me. I felt His love when I got home that afternoon and told Mom my good news. I have felt His love throughout my life, even during the difficult moments. Moreover, I feel His love now.

I enjoy reading the stories about Jesus in the Bible because of the LOVE He constantly demonstrated—–His love for God the Father and His love for people. When we read about Jesus, we see that everything He did was out of love. It reminds me of the woman who was caught in the very act of adultery in John 8:1-11.

Early one morning Jesus was in the Temple teaching when the scribes and Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught committing adultery.

These religious leaders questioned if Jesus was going to follow the law of Moses by stoning her to death (Leviticus 20:10).
Needless to say, they weren’t concerned about keeping the law of Moses. They were attempting to trick Jesus into saying something they could use against Him.

So, how did Jesus respond? At first, He ignored them. Then He announced that anyone who had not sinned could throw the first stone. Instead of throwing stones, each of those religious leaders left one by one. When Jesus asked the woman if anyone had condemned her, she said no. Jesus then said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

THAT is who Jesus is! He’s LOVE. Yes, the woman had sinned. Nevertheless, Jesus gave her another chance. Jesus gave ME another chance. In fact, He has given me more chances than I can count. And He’s ready to give YOU a chance.

YOU CAN ACCEPT JESUS NOW
If you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you can do so right now. Romans 10:9 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.”

All you have to do is pray this prayer:

Dear Jesus, I come to You confessing that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I believe that You shed Your blood on the cross and died for my sins, were buried and rose again so that 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!!!!!

I now welcome you to the family of God!

(“The Kimberly Joy Show: Jesus Is Love”)

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P.U.S.H. Chapter Five

By Kimberly Joy

On April 12, 2017

In Prayer

P.U.S.H. Pray Until Something Happens. As believers in Christ Jesus, we are to be prayerful, all day, every day. When we pray, it should always be in FAITH. To pray in faith means we know God is going to answer those prayers. We don’t concern ourselves with how He will answer, or even when; we just know He will!

Why is faith so important? Hebrews 11:6 assures us that having faith in God pleases Him and moves Him to action. We see it in the stories we read about Jesus. Jesus healed anyone and everyone because of their faith. Having complete faith in God motivates us to pray UNTIL something happens. That SOMETHING is WHATEVER we’re believing God for.

As we continue to pray and serve God, He will answer. Even if God’s answer is no, He will still answer. In some instances, God may choose to not give us what we’re asking for or at the time we want it. In those situations, we really have to trust that God knows what’s best for us. Isaiah 55:8-9 say:

“8 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

IS IT YOUR TIME?
I have prayed and asked God to bless me with some things I wanted right away. However, God said, “No…..Not now….. It’s not time…..You’re not quite ready.”

I’ll give you an example.

All my adult life, I have desired to be married. From the time I was very young, it was instilled in me that every little girl grows up to become a wife and mother. I saw the theme of love and marriage in almost every TV show and movie I watched. I even became a fan of romantic comedies or chick flicks. I assumed that once I graduated from college, I would have my own Cinderella experience: meet my Prince Charming, get married, move into a beautiful house with a white picket fence, have a couple of children and, live happily ever after!

Nonetheless, after living long enough, I now laugh at that idea! I don’t laugh because it’s impossible. I laugh because it wasn’t MY reality. Once upon a time, I thought that was every little girl’s dream and reality. However, I now know better. I now know that not every blessing comes how or when we expect. I also now know that everyone is not meant to take the same path in life. In fact, I’m still waiting to become a wife. It has taken a long time for me to accept the fact that I didn’t get married when I thought I would or when others expected me to. Honestly, there was a time when I questioned if God was even going to answer that particular prayer. I wondered if it was even meant for me to be a wife. I told God that if it wasn’t in the cards for me to be married, then I needed Him to take away the desire. Needless to say, God reassured me that it is still His will for me to be married.

FATHER GOD KNOWS BEST
Second guessing God is a mistake we sometimes make. If He doesn’t answer according to our timeline, then we want to, either give up on the promise, or go outside His will and take matters into our own hands. However, the last thing we need to do is go outside the will of God. He knows what’s best for us. He knows what we don’t know. He sees what we don’t see.

A well-known Gospel singer, whose name I won’t mention, has shared over the years how her first marriage almost resulted in her death. God had told her not to marry her fiance. Even the day of her wedding, God was warning her not to walk down the aisle. She told God, however, that she couldn’t cancel the wedding. “We spent all this money! All the guests are here! How would it look for me to walk away?!”

She, unfortunately, learned the hard way the importance of obeying the voice of God.

Her husband beat her during their marriage. The abuse got so bad that she eventually drove away in her car with only the clothes on her back. She was afraid he was going to kill her!

I am grateful that God didn’t allow me to get into a situation I would have regretted later. I’m also thankful He gave me time to learn and to grow. My time as a single woman has helped build my confidence. More importantly, I’ve learned how to love myself.

Once upon a time, I didn’t truly love me. I depended on relationships and friendships to validate me as a person. In response to my negative thinking, God said, “NO!!! You only need Me to validate you! If no one loves you, you love you!” So, ladies—and gentlemen—we have to love God and ourselves first before we can expect to love anyone else.

WHAT DOES GOD SAY?
Moreover, don’t believe the notion that you have to be married by a certain age. It’s not about what people think or say. It’s about what GOD knows and says. If you’re concerned about having children, remember that with God, nothing is impossible! If He could do it for people in the Bible like Abraham and Sarah and Zachariah and Elizabeth, He can do it for you, too! God can still enable you to have a healthy child.

Also, I want you to consider another possibility. You have a desire to be a parent, right? Have you ever considered that God may have called you to raise children you didn’t birth? Perhaps you’re to be someone’s mentor, godparent, foster parent, or adoptive parent. So many children are in need of love, support, and a home to call their own. You may just be the person to provide that.

I personally know single women of God who have chosen to raise children they didn’t birth. They didn’t give up on their desires to be mothers, but they opened their hearts and minds to the possibility that God had other plans. One of the mothers, whom I’ve known for years, has done an excellent job raising her daughter to be hard-working, kind and respectful. In fact, her daughter is a senior in high school and will be a college freshman in the fall. Although this young lady’s birth parents were unable to raise her, God had a ram in the bush. Perhaps YOU are someone’s ram in the bush.

Whether you’re believing God for marriage, children or something else of great significance, I urge you to not give up praying and believing. God hasn’t forgotten your prayers. You have to trust He knows what He’s doing. Fighting the process will only further delay the blessing. So, allow God to prepare you for the greater that is coming in your life and continue to P.U.S.H.!!!

(“The Kimberly Joy Show: P.U.S.H. Pray Until Something Happens Part 5”)

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P.U.S.H. Chapter Four

By Kimberly Joy

On April 11, 2017

In Prayer

P.U.S.H. Pray Until Something Happens. As believers in Jesus Christ, we are to pray continually. To pray is to communicate with God, to make our petitions (needs and desires) known to Him. Although God knows everything about us, including what we need or want before we open our mouths to ask, He still requires that we come to Him in prayer.

To be able to pray to God—the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Creator of all mankind, the Creator of every living being—and share what’s on my heart and mind, is a privilege! I’m honored to know that God wants to hear from me. I’m even more honored when I hear from Him.

Let me give you an example.

Early one morning back in January, I was driving to work, while having my regular praise and worship session in the car. During any typical morning session, I may pray, sing a worship song or listen to my Gospel music. On this particular morning while I was worshipping God, I heard Him say, “I love you!” I must say I was pleasantly surprised!

Now, don’t get me wrong! I don’t doubt God’s love for me! He shows me every day in so many ways that He loves me! It was just a special moment to have the Father—the Creator, the God of all—tell me He loves me!!! As a result, I immediately began crying tears of joy. Just hearing God say He loves me reminded me of how AMAZING He is! I could then feel His loving presence even more in the car.

Moments like that particular morning only make my faith in God even stronger. Moreover, I can now hear God’s voice more clearly because I’ve learned the importance of, not only talking to God in prayer, but LISTENING to God!

HOW LONG SHOULD WE PRAY?
As people of God, we understand that we must pray, that we need to pray, that God expects and desires to hear from us. However…..how LONG should we pray? How long should we pray about a particular situation or for a particular person?

UNTIL!!!!!

According to the dictionary, until is defined as “up to (a particular time); used as a function word to indicate continuance (as of an action or condition) to a specified time.” In other words, I Thessalonians 5:17 (KJV) says:

“Pray without ceasing.”

To pray without ceasing doesn’t mean we’re to pray continually for 24 hours. We still have to go to work and take care of our families. We still have to live our lives! Nevertheless, while we’re living, we should consistently keep God number one.

God should always be the first one we consult with any situations we face. In addition, when we go to God in prayer, we must do so in faith, trusting and knowing He’s going to work His PERFECT plan in our lives and in the lives of those around us. I describe God’s plans as PERFECT because GOD is perfect and makes no mistakes. Jeremiah 29:11(NLT) says:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

When God works His perfect plan in our lives, He does it in His own timing. He knows WHEN we’re ready to receive what we’re praying for. For example, consider the youth, particularly teenagers. Some teenagers want to be grown before their time. They want to hurry up and get out of high school. They want their own homes and vehicles. They want to be able to come and go as they please. They want to live like adults because they THINK they’re ready. Since they can now wear adult clothes, grow facial hair or even have a baby, they think they know everything.

However, the truth is they don’t know everything, and they’re not ready for adulthood. So, if they’re pushed out into the real world before they’re prepared, it may be detrimental, even costing them their very lives. Runaway teenagers, for instance, are easily targeted and persuaded into engaging in criminal activities, like drug dealing and prostitution, because they don’t have enough knowledge, understanding, training or strength to make rational, mature, adult decisions.

PREPARE YOURSELF
Therefore, just like a teenager is not ready to be an adult, there are some things you may not be ready to receive from God. Just because the desire is strong doesn’t mean you’re ready. God may show you in a vision what He’s going to do in your life or send one of His prophets to give you a word, but it still doesn’t mean you’re ready. God just wants you to be aware of what lies ahead and to prepare yourself. A huge part of preparing yourself is continuing to pray!

I know it seems like certain prayers aren’t being answered. However, truthfully, the prayers ARE being answered! They’re just being answered according to your readiness. God knows you better than you know yourself! Therefore, He knows if and when you’re ready for certain things to manifest in your life.

Just because some prayers aren’t answered as quickly as others doesn’t mean you and I should stop praying. God still expects us to pray because while we’re praying fervently and consistently, He is working His PERFECT plan. He’s taking us through a process to get us ready spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically, and financially to receive those blessings. The beauty of it all is God does that for us simply because He loves us!

Personally speaking, I appreciate God making me wait for some things. I never thought I would get to a point in my life where I would make such a bold statement. However, I now have a greater understanding. In my waiting, I mature and gain more knowledge. I become stronger, wiser, and better prepared for what I’m about to receive. Plus, I have a greater appreciation for what I receive! In fact, I find that we, as human beings, tend to appreciate some things more when we have to wait and work for those things. Whenever a person isn’t ready for a particular blessing, he or she may very well lose it as quickly as it was received.

So, I encourage you to keep praying, praising, worshipping, fasting, attending church, studying God’s Word and obeying God! Allow God to mold you, shape you and make you into the person He has created and called you to be. Don’t fight the process of prayer, but work through it and continue to P.U.S.H!

(“The Kimberly Joy Show: P.U.S.H. Pray Until Something Happens Part 4”)

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P.U.S.H. Chapter One

By Kimberly Joy

On March 7, 2017

In Prayer

As you continue on your journey in 2017, I encourage you to P.U.S.H.!

Yep! That’s right!

P.U.S.H.!

Pray…Until…Something…Happens!
I love that phrase! To some it may seem like a cliche, but to me it’s the truth! The first time I heard that phrase, it truly resonated with me! I find that as children of God sometimes we give up on God AND on ourselves too easily! However, what we must understand is that some blessings take more time to manifest than others. We’re on God’s schedule, not our own.

2 Peter 3:8-9:

“8 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.
9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake.”

So, we may think God is taking too long, but He says He’s right on schedule!

PRAY
The first word in the acronym (P.U.S.H.) is pray.
What does prayer mean to you personally? In other words, in your heart, what does it mean for you to be able to pray to God? Personally speaking, to be able to pray to God means I’m not alone. I can always talk to Him, day or night. How do I know?

Psalms 121:4:

“Indeed, He [God] who watches over Israel [God’s people] never slumbers or sleeps.”

So, I don’t have to feel bad about disturbing God’s sleep when I need to talk. He’s already alert, watching over me.

To be able to pray to God also means I have someone with whom I can share my deepest secrets. How important is that?! And when I share my secrets, I don’t have to worry about being judged or ridiculed. More importantly, when I share my secrets with God I know without any doubt that He won’t tell my business. He won’t get angry with me one day and broadcast what I shared with Him to the entire neighborhood! I can trust Him completely. With God I feel safe.

Let’s consider the dictionary definition of the word pray. I think it’s safe to assume that many people know that to pray means “to communicate with God; to make our petitions (our needs and desires) known to Him.” To take it a step further, as Christians, prayer is part of our covenant relationship with God. In the beginning, we see that God created the first man Adam to have open communication with Him.

Genesis 3:7-10 (This scene takes place after Adam and Eve chose to disobey God by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil):

“7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the VOICE of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard Thy VOICE in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

When God created Adam and Eve, they automatically had an intimate connection with God. So, when they disobeyed God, they felt compelled to hide once they heard God’s voice. They recognized God’s voice because of their relationship and because they had spent time talking with Him. I compare it to a mother who knows her baby’s cry in the midst of other crying babies or a husband who recognizes his wife’s voice in the crowd.

When Adam and Eve sinned, it caused a rift between God and man and brought sin and death into the world. Nevertheless, we can be thankful for Jesus coming to this earth to serve as our Mediator and for bringing us back in right relationship with God our Father!

A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP
II Corinthians 5:17-18a:

“17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
18a And all of this is a gift from God, Who brought us back to Himself through Christ.”

For those of us who now have a personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus, we have direct access to God. Therefore, God expects and WANTS to hear from us. In fact, He loves it when we spend time with Him.

John 10:27:

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

In order for any of us to KNOW the voice of God, we must spend considerable time with Him in worship, in studying His Word, and in prayer. If we know God and His voice, then when another voice (like the serpent or Satan ) tries to speak to us, even just through our thoughts, we’ll know it’s not God! That’s why spending time with God in prayer must include LISTENING! Prayer is not a time to present a Christmas list to God as if He’s Santa Claus.

EVEN JESUS PRAYED
Matthew 14:22-23:

“22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.
23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.”

Just like in the above verses, throughout the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, even JESUS spent time alone praying to God. He always acknowledged His Father and never did anything without His consent. As believers, we should follow His example. We must never get to a place where we think we don’t need to pray all the time or pray at all. Even if everything is going well, we should still honor God in prayer because, again, prayer goes beyond just asking God to bless us. Rather, prayer is a time to also listen to God. I believe Jesus spent time alone with God sometimes just listening. That’s how He stayed connected and in tune with God.

SHARPEN THOSE SPIRITUAL EARS
I know from personal experience that spending time with God in prayer sharpens our spiritual ears. For instance, several years ago I was informed by my doctor that I had to have surgery, which included a six week recovery period. However, there was one problem! I had just started a Statistics course as part of my Masters program. In fact, it was my FINAL class! There was no way I was going to be able to attend class, if I had to be on bed rest! The only logical explanation was to drop the course and pick it up the next quarter which would delay graduation. I didn’t want to delay things, but I couldn’t prolong the surgery. The night before I was going to drop the class, I asked God to tell me what to do. If there was any possible way I could stay in the class, GOD would know! That night as I slept I heard the voice of God say, “Stay in the class. There will be people who will help you.”

When I attended the Statistics class the next day, I informed my professor of my situation. He was extremely understanding and suggested I collect email addresses from some of my classmates, so they could assist me while I was out recovering. Not only were they willing to help me, but the professor decided to allow the class to take the midterm and final exams at home, which meant that I could use my books, notes and receive help from classmates.

I’ll never forget that experience! It blew me away to know that I heard God’s voice that clearly! More importantly, not only did I hear His voice, I obeyed Him. Although I didn’t know how things were going to initially work out, I had to trust Him anyway!

KEEP LEARNING
Furthermore, how do you build solid relationships and friendships? You spend time together engaging in meaningful conversations. That’s how you learn each other.

Just like in human relationships, when we spend time with God, we learn Him! To learn God is to know God, and to know God is to love Him even more!

(“The Kimberly Joy Show: P.U.S.H. Pray Until Something Happens”)

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It’s Not Always Easy…But It’s Necessary

By Kimberly Joy

On January 23, 2017

In Faith

(“The Kimberly Joy Show: Drawing Nigh to God is Not Always Easy”)

It’s not always easy to draw nigh to God, but it’s necessary. God loves you so much! He has numerous blessings in store for you. He has blessings for you that you probably can’t even fathom, that you may think you don’t deserve. God wants to use you in ways you can’t imagine. Jeremiah 29:11 says:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

However, in order to receive everything God has for you, and to fulfill the purpose for which you were born, you must draw nigh to God.

As I discussed in my previous blog post “I Choose to Draw Closer to God,” drawing nigh to God is a CHOICE. James 4:8a says:

“Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you…..”

In other words, you and I have to make the first move. God may use His servants to minister to you. God may use people to preach to you, teach you, pray for you, and encourage you. He may even speak to you one-on-one like He did the apostle Paul while he was traveling to the city of Damascus (Acts 9). However, He won’t force you to serve Him. God will extend the invitation, but you must have a WILLING heart to submit.

Once you WILLINGLY submit to God, He then takes you in His hands like a potter. A potter is an individual who creates various objects from clay, like bowls, pots and vases. Jeremiah 18:1-4 say:

“This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you My message.” 3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. 4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.”

Just like a potter, when you WHOLEHEARTEDLY draw close to God, He can then shape you into the person HE desires you to be.

Considering the work that goes into making pottery, it’s not always a smooth transition. I’ve never taken a pottery class, but I’ve seen it done. During the process, the clay experiences pressure. Since clay is an inanimate object, it feels no pain while it’s on the potter’s wheel.

However, we as human beings are NOT inanimate objects. So, while God is shaping you on His potter’s wheel, you will experience pain from time to time. When I speak of pain, I’m not necessarily talking about physical pain (although that can happen too), but emotional, mental, and financial pain.

Why does such a loving God allow us to go through pain? Well, think about it! What if your life were perfect? What if you had everything you want? What if everything were to always go your way? Would you pray like you should or even pray at all? Would you crack open your Bible and study the scriptures? Would you give God the praise He deserves? Personally speaking, I hope I would. Although I can’t truly say what I would do in such a scenario, GOD knows! Even if I am committed to praying, worshipping, and studying the scriptures, God knows if I need to go deeper. He knows if I need to give Him more of myself.

I have found that, as believers, we can become stagnant. For instance, you may be at a place in your life where you just follow a routine. You read your daily devotional every morning. You say your prayers afterwards. You make sure you attend church faithfully every Sunday. You do the same thing day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year.

Although your routine seems “good”, God is nowhere in it because you’re not allowing His Spirit to guide you. For instance, God may want you to pray throughout the day, instead of just in the morning. God may want you to study beyond the daily devotionals, and go deeper in His Word. There may be more He wants to show you. There may be more He wants to tell you. And even though He has spoken to you about this, you choose to stick with YOUR routine because it’s easy, and you figure that it’s better than not praying or reading at all. So, now God has to shake things up in your life to get your attention. God has to allow you to experience some sort of pain in order to get you to draw nigh to Him.

God knows me better than I know myself. God knows you better than you know yourself. Isaiah 55:8-9 say:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

God knows His purpose for your life. He created you with purpose. Moreover, He knows what it will take to get His purpose fulfilled. I share my personal motto, “Know Yourself…Be Yourself…Love Yourself,” as often as possible. In order to live out your God-given purpose, I believe you have to know whom you are, which can only be discovered through the eyes of The Creator. You have to then embrace and love your unique self. It’s sad when an individual spends more time trying to be someone else, instead of appreciating his or her distinctive qualities. I understand how miserable that can be! Once upon a time, I didn’t truly love myself. I thought I was ugly, and in many instances, I didn’t think I was good enough. I was very insecure, and, therefore, constantly compared myself to others.

Fortunately, I learned how to overcome my insecurities by drawing nigh to God. I realized that just being saved wasn’t enough. I had to get closer to God. So, I started pursuing God through my praise and worship. In fact, I would praise God like a crazy woman. Many didn’t understand my praise. However, the Holy Spirit was guiding me. I was praising my way through. I was, in a sense, fighting for my life. Through my praise I was fighting the fears and insecurities that were plaguing my mind. In addition, I drew closer to God by searching for scriptures that dealt with my particular issues, and I latched onto those scriptures. I memorized and recited them. I even taped them to my wall so I could see them every day. Those scriptures became the medicine I needed!

As I look back, I realize that if I hadn’t endured such pain, I wouldn’t have seen the need to draw nigh to God. If I hadn’t drawn closer to God, I wouldn’t be the woman of God I am now. I wouldn’t know how to encourage and pray for those who are going through what I went through.

I want to encourage you to draw nigh to God like never before. What is God telling you to do that you haven’t done yet? Is he telling you to let go of certain habits? Is He telling you to walk away from some people? What is God telling you to do that is causing you pain? Whatever it is, I encourage you to trust God and just do it. Ask Him to give you the strength you need, and He will! What you THINK you’re losing now, is worth what you’re about to gain. As Paul says in Philippians 3:8:

“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.”

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I Choose to Draw Closer to God

By Kimberly Joy

On January 16, 2017

In Faith

(“The Kimberly Joy Show: Drawing Nigh to God is a Choice”)

As I continue on the path of this brand new year, I choose to draw closer to God.

Although I have been a born-again believer for a long time, I recognize that there is always more to learn and to receive from God. It would be arrogant of me to think that I have arrived! Besides, I sense an inner pulling from the Holy Spirit to DO better and to BE better. I’m not talking about being perfect because only God is perfect. I’m talking about simply doing what I know God is telling me to do.

How about you? Is God telling you to draw closer to Him? Is God requiring that you pray more? Is God expecting you to do further study in His Word? Is God dealing with you about your attitude? Is He telling you to correct your conduct? Are you treating people the way God expects you to?

LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE:

Maybe you are quick-tempered, and God has told you to cast down your anger and give it to Him. However, instead of doing what He has instructed you to do, you make excuses for your behavior and continue to fly off the handle. As a result, your anger has damaged your relationships with people. Your anger has gotten you written up at work. Perhaps, your anger has even gotten you arrested. To make matters worse, your anger has dimmed your light. What do I mean? People don’t respect you as a Christian. One minute you’re giving God praise, and the next minute, you’re cussing someone out.

Whether it’s anger or something else, why do we have a difficult time relinquishing certain behaviors or attitudes? It’s comfortable! Even if it brings negative consequences, it’s still comfortable! It feels good! It’s familiar! Therefore, we have to put all our faith in God. We have to just trust God and draw even closer to Him by CHOOSING to obey Him.

Drawing nigh to God is a personal choice each of us has to make. When God created man, He created him with a free will. God instilled in each of us the ability to choose how to act or behave. In Genesis 3, although God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, He didn’t force them to obey Him. Adam and Eve knew God’s expectations. In fact, Eve informed the serpent (Satan) of God’s expectations. Nevertheless, in the end they chose to disobey God. So, like Adam and Eve had a choice, we have a choice to draw nigh to God. God desires that we come closer to Him. He even commands that we do so, but He doesn’t force our hands.

LET ME TELL YOU A STORY (Taken from Matthew 19 and Mark 10):

As Jesus was heading towards Jerusalem, a man came running up to Him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus asked the man, “Why do you call me good? Only God is truly good.” Jesus then said, “But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.”

The man responded, “Teacher, I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”

Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. He then said to him, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Since this man was very wealthy, he just left disappointed. After he left, Jesus then looked at His disciples and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!”

I believe the rich man initially approached Jesus because he sensed that he needed to DO better and BE better. However, he CHOSE his possessions over having a closer relationship with God. He CHOSE his wealth over becoming the man God called him to be. He made his CHOICE, and God didn’t force him.

I want to encourage you to draw closer than you ever have before to God, even if it means letting go of those things that give you comfort. God is speaking to you. Do you know why? He CHOSE you. Think about that! God chose YOU! It reminds me of Mary the mother of Jesus. Out of all the virgins, God chose her to carry the Savior of the world. Although a virgin being with child was unheard of, by FAITH, she accepted God’s assignment for her life.

Now, Mary could have allowed doubt and fear to take over and told God no. And what if she had rejected God’s assignment? Would that have stopped His plan? Absolutely not! God would have chosen someone else, and Mary would have missed out on a tremendous blessing.

So again, just like Mary was chosen, God has chosen you. John 15:16 says, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you…” First, God chose to save you from your sins. Now He has chosen to use you to share His Good News of salvation with others.

Like the rich man, you have the choice to say no to God’s calling. But, I want you to consider something. How can you say no to such a loving, merciful, and gracious God? How can you say no to a God who believes in you more than you believe in yourself? How can you say no to a God who loves you more than anyone? How can you say no to a God who gives you life every day? How can you say no to a God who is willing to forgive you of your sins, to heal you, and to deliver you?

Think about THIS! You’re where you are because somebody, somewhere said YES to God on your behalf. That person said YES to praying for you when you were sick. Another person said YES to blessing you when you were in need. A few said YES to encouraging you when you needed it the most.

So, again I encourage you, starting right now…today…CHOOSE to draw nigh to God and turn that no into a YES!

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