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Tag: Trusting God

I Still Believe

By

On November 14, 2016

In Faith

http://https://youtu.be/Y-lKMslZ3qg

“I still believe” are a few of the most important words I jotted down in my notebook. On that particular night several years ago, as I lay in bed attempting to sleep, my mind kept racing and I could feel myself becoming discouraged. I could feel a “woe is me” moment approaching and decided to be like King David and encourage myself in the Lord (I Samuel 30:6). Although it was bedtime and I had to get up early the next morning for work, I jumped out of bed and sat at my dining room table with a pen and notebook. I could sense depression circling my bedroom like an eagle on the brink of landing, and I wasn’t having it! So I did what I’ve done before; I began to write. In fact, I’ve come to realize that some of my best work are birthed during such moments. Bible study lessons, sermons, poems, blogs. On that sheet of notebook paper I reminded myself that no matter what my circumstances may try to tell me, I must still believe. Believe what, you ask? Believe GOD!

Like any human being, sometimes I may encounter a situation that leaves me feeling disappointed, discouraged, sad, angry or even scared. However, in those moments God will whisper in my ear, “Trust Me.” It can be hard to trust God, at times, when what I see and hear is the opposite of what He has promised me. Nevertheless, I have to yet abide by Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” I have to trust that the One Who created me, the One Who knows me better than anyone, has my best interests at heart and will not leave me in the dust.

Recently, I had an experience that has elevated my faith in God. It was a Thursday evening around 6:30, and I was driving home from the gym. As I drove, my car started acting strangely. The battery light came on, the interior lights dimmed and the radio, including the clock, went off. Then my car began making noises, and the power steering suddenly stopped working. Since it was difficult to steer the car, at that point, I thought about pulling over. However, once I drove into a nearby parking lot, I decided that it might be in my best interest to try to get the car home. As I continued up the road, the traffic slowed down due to rush hour. While sitting at a traffic light, my car completely shut down. To make matters worse, I couldn’t remove my key from the ignition. Feeling helpless and scared, tears began streaming down my face. Within a couple of minutes, a few people stopped to help me, but were unable to. I found myself becoming frantic and knew I had to calm down and THINK. That was when I remembered that my car insurance includes roadside assistance. Just as I was about to make the call, an older gentleman stopped to also help. Remember the old saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”? Well, I immediately judged the man based on his physical appearance and car. He claimed to know what was wrong with my car, and I thought to myself, “You don’t know anything!” Fortunately, I was wrong! The man, whose name is Jim, turned out to be a mechanic who also tows cars. Within twenty minutes, he had my car operating efficiently enough for me to get it home. Not only did he turn out to be a mechanic, but he also happens to live near me. So, he offered to follow me home just in case I had any more problems along the way. By the grace of God, I was able to pull into my driveway just before my car shut off again. Mr. Jim then agreed to repair my car, and two days later I was back in business!

I share this story because through that particular experience, God reassured me of His protection and provision for my life. Even as I lay down to sleep that night, with tears in my eyes, I continued thanking God for taking care of me. Reflecting on that evening’s happenings, I recognized how God was with me every step of the way. For one, God did not allow my car to shut off while I was on the interstate. Also, just as I was about to pull over in a parking lot, I quickly changed my mind and kept going. God would not allow me to stop in the parking lot because He knew that Mr. Jim was coming down the road. If I had pulled over, Mr. Jim would not have seen me. In addition, Mr. Jim just so happened to be a mechanic, who tows cars and lives in my neighborhood.

None of what I just described was a coincidence. God, the Father, the Almighty, sent the RIGHT person at the RIGHT place at the RIGHT time to help me at the RIGHT price! Oh yeah, did I mention that Mr. Jim also saved me a lot of money? If I had taken my car to an auto repair shop or the dealership (as I’ve been known to do), I would have paid more than what I could really afford. God reminded me that very night that, no matter what I may be going through or facing, He ALWAYS has my back! Even as my car began shutting down right before my very eyes, God was yet whispering in my ear, “Trust Me!” Soon after, He indeed proved, as He’s done so many times in the past, that I can trust Him, and that’s why I can truly declare, “Yes Lord! I STILL believe!!!!!!!”

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I Am Whom GOD Says I Am

By

On October 24, 2016

In Love Yourself


I am whom GOD says I am IF I believe what GOD says!
In order to believe what God says, we have to have knowledge of what He says, and that comes from learning His Word. The scripture says in II Timothy 2:15 to “Study to show thyself approved unto God…” Everything God wants us to know is in His Holy Word. However, God’s Word is no good to us if we don’t believe it. Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Although the scripture seems pretty self-explanatory, I find that there are times when we as Christians fail to do what it says. Instead of leaning on the Lord, we lean on what WE understand. We lean on what we see with our natural eyes, what we hear with our natural ears, what we understand with our human minds.

What does OUR understanding look like?
OUR understanding may look something like this:

“I UNDERSTAND that I was mistreated as a child, abandoned, called names, ridiculed, belittled, rejected, abused, molested, raped…..

I UNDERSTAND my hurt was caused by family, friends, classmates, teachers, coaches, law enforcement, employers, missionaries, church mothers, ministers, deacons, pastors, church folk, and so…..

I UNDERSTAND myself to be ugly, poor, worthless, unloved, undeserving, stupid, and as a result…..

I UNDERSTAND that I am ashamed, confused, hurt, lost, angry, discouraged, sad, depressed, indifferent, lonely, bitter…..

That’s what I UNDERSTAND!”

What does GOD say?
My brothers and sisters, I hear your pain! But again, what does GOD say?

“Trust (rely on, depend on, have confidence in, believe) the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto (do not depend on) thine own understanding,” (Proverbs 3:5).

OUR understanding is knowledge outside of God, knowledge that doesn’t come from God. Instead, this knowledge may come from negative experiences involving jealous, bitter, ignorant, confused, hateful, wicked hearts. Consequently, we believe such experiences more than we believe God. You may not agree, and I don’t blame you. Once upon a time, I didn’t believe it either when God first pointed it out to me. I said to God, “Oh no! That’s not true! I’m saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost! I BELIEVE!” However, it wasn’t about my conduct during a Sunday morning service. When the service was over, I demonstrated my lack of trust in God by the choices I made, by my actions, by the words I spoke, by the thoughts I had about myself. I came to the realization that I was believing my circumstances–past and present–more than I was believing God’s Word, all because I was holding onto MY understanding.

God wants us to trust in Him with everything, to trust Him with our lives and His decisions for our lives. However, in order to do so, we have to relinquish OUR understanding.

How do we let go of OUR understanding?
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, and MORE PRACTICE! We practice what we want to become, which should be what GOD wants us to become. We practice or exercise Biblical principles.

James 1:21-25:
“21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the Word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

22 But don’t just listen to God’s Word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

23 For if you listen to the Word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.

24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.

25 But if you look carefully into the Perfect Law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.”

As the book of James states, it’s not enough for us to just read the Bible or even recite scriptures from memory. We must practice God’s Word until it becomes a part of us, much like athletes who practice before playing in a game. Having raw talent and knowledge of the game is not enough. They have to practice how they want to perform against the opposing team. As a ninth grade track runner, I was privileged to be on the varsity 400 meter relay team. Although I was excited, I was still nervous at the same time. Being a freshman, I didn’t want to let the older girls on the relay team down. The first time I ran with them I did a great job. Everyone, including the boys track team, congratulated me. So, when I ran the second time, there were high expectations for the four of us. We were only worried about beating one team in order to win first place.

Unfortunately, this particular race had a different outcome. When I passed the baton to my teammate, in a flash that same baton was on the ground. Quickly as possible, she swooped down to pick it up. This mishap took us from first place to sixth place! I was so ashamed and embarrassed that I refused to return to the stands with the rest of the team. My father eventually found me hiding underneath the stands with my face wet with tears. Later the coach said that the baton dropping wasn’t my fault but that of the other girl. However, now that I’m older and have more knowledge, the baton mishap was due to a lack of practice! We weren’t even taught the proper baton exchange until the day before the meet. But, anyone who is familiar with sprint relays understands that baton exchanges take practice. A successful relay team is not based on having the fastest runners, but having runners who have MASTERED the exchange!

When a person accepts Jesus as Savior and Lord, some ungodly habits are easy to give up, while other habits take a little more time and effort. I’m not just referring to the obvious like alcohol, drugs and fornication, but I’m talking about inward struggles. For instance, I possessed what many would describe as low self-esteem for years, even into adulthood. I was constantly comparing myself to others.

“I wish I was pretty like she is!”

“I hate my skinny legs!”

“I’m not as smart as they are! Why am I even in this honors class?!”

“If only I had her personality, maybe then I would have more friends!”

I had to allow God to build my confidence by learning to see myself through HIS eyes. I could no longer depend on people to make me feel beautiful, special, and important. I had to know that I was all those things whether or not anyone else believed it.

Speak God’s Word
In addition to practicing the Word of God, we must also speak His Word and words of LIFE that promote positivity, hope, and strength. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” We can choose to speak death or life. The classroom behavior and school performance of a child who is verbally abused at home is, more than likely, going to differ from a child who receives love and praise. The old adage says, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!” I have to disagree with this saying. With the right medical attention, a broken leg or arm heals. Whereas, hateful words can cause mental and emotional damage for years to come.

God knows the pain you’ve suffered, the lies you were told, the words of death that were spoken over you. You can be dead inside while still breathing and walking about the earth every day. That’s exactly why God has given us His Word, for us to speak it and live it. Speak the Word until you believe it and know it to be true, even if you have to stare at yourself in the mirror while doing so. The Bible tells us to profess the things we want to happen (Romans 4:17) and to encourage ourselves just as King David did (I Samuel 30:6). Encouraging myself was a skill I had to learn to master. Prior to that I was accustomed to throwing pity parties. But, who wants to be around a person who is always “pitiful”?

In 2001, I decided that it was time to become the woman God says I am. However, I understood that this transformation had to begin inwardly. So, I wrote a letter of affirmation filled with scriptures and words of life that I read aloud to myself daily. In order to become, I first had to believe. In order to believe, I had to hear. In order to hear, I had to speak. The following are some scriptures I professed and am still professing today:

“…I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” (Psalms 139:14)

“… [I am] more than a conqueror through [Christ] who loved [me].” (Romans 8:37)

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (II Corinthians 5:17)

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (I Peter 2:9)

“I can do everything through Christ, Who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

In addition to professing scriptures, I have also learned to profess words of life:

“I am a child of God.”

“I am blessed.”

“I am intelligent.”

“I am successful.”

“I am healthy.”

“I am holy.”

“I am righteous.”

“I am………………..”

You will find that as you declare God’s Word and speak words of life, your beliefs, thoughts and actions will change, and you will become the person God has already said you are!

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PUSH! Your Blessing Is on the Other Side of the Door!

By

On September 26, 2016

In Prayer

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PUSH! Your blessing is on the other side of the door! Yes! That’s right! P.U.S.H! Pray Until Something Happens! The first time I heard that phrase, it truly resonated with me! Oftentimes, we give up on God AND on ourselves too quickly! However, some blessings take time. We’re on God’s schedule, not our own. Recently, I was afforded the opportunity to minister on this topic at my church. This is some of what God had me share with the congregation.

P(ray)USH
It’s safe to assume that many people, at least, know the dictionary definition of prayer. 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. If we go back to the beginning, we see that God created the first man Adam to have open communication with Him. Adam’s bond with God was so tight that when he and his wife Eve chose to disobey God by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they felt compelled to hide once they heard God’s voice. They recognized God’s voice because of the relationship.

Genesis 3:7-10:
“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 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!

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 relationship with God through His Son Jesus, we have direct access to Him. Therefore, God expects and WANTS to hear from us. John 10:27 states, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” However, in order for any of us to KNOW the voice of God (like Adam and Eve did), we must spend considerable time with Him in prayer, worship, and studying His Word. Throughout the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, we see how even JESUS spent time alone praying to God. He acknowledged His Father and never did anything without His consent. So just like the Savior of the world, God EXPECTS us to talk to Him. Philippians 4:6 says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.” God always wants to be the FIRST one we consult.

PU(ntil)SH
Now that we understand that we must pray, how long should we pray, perhaps about a particular situation or person? We pray UNTIL! 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, the Bible says that we are to “pray without ceasing,” (I Thessalonians 5:17). As I stated earlier, some blessings take more time than others, or a greater PUSH!!! For instance, my brother and his wife have three children who are all blessings! In fact, I was fortunate to be present at the hospital the day each of their two sons were born. Although both sons are indeed blessings to their parents, the oldest required a greater PUSH. My sister-in-law went into labor on a Friday afternoon. However, the baby didn’t make his entrance into the world until approximately 4 AM Saturday morning. When she went into labor with their second son three years later, I assumed it would be a similar experience. Upon arriving at the hospital soon after receiving the call that my brother was taking her there, I was shocked to discover my sister-in-law already holding the newly born infant. So again, even though both of my nephews are a tremendous blessing, one required a longer wait and a greater PUSH. This doesn’t imply that the eldest child is more special than his brother and sister; it’s just the way God set it up. We don’t always understand everything God does. But, we don’t have to understand, we just have to TRUST Him!

PUS(omething)H
That “something” is whatever we’re believing God to do. Now, if that “something” is not in God’s plan, He’ll let us know. If and when He does, we shouldn’t fight it! Stepping outside of God’s will is a risk none of us should take. Rather, we should trust that the Creator of all mankind knows what’s best. He assures us of that truth in Jeremiah 29:11. “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'” However, if God confirms that what we’re praying for is in His will, then we dare not give up!

PUSH(appens)
Why do we sometimes have to wait for the blessing? In the process of waiting, God is building and preparing us inwardly for what is on the other side of the door. Just because we strongly desire a particular blessing doesn’t mean we’re ready to receive it. For example, I may have a vision to own my own business and be my own boss. However, God may not allow that door to open yet because He knows I need a little more knowledge and patience. If He let’s me start a business prematurely, I may lose it due to a lack of preparation. God loves us so much that He’s willing to cause a delay to insure our protection and future successes! Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” So, keep praying! Keep praising! Keep declaring God’s Word and promises! Keep persevering! Keep preparing! Keep obeying! Keep BELIEVING……until you PUSH the door OPEN!!!!!

The following video clip is an excerpt from the message I preached “PUSH! Pray Until Something Happens!” You may visit my youtube channel to hear more of the message.

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