".....Verily, Verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you." John 16:23
God is able! He can and will do what He TOLD YOU that He would do. The above scripture tells us all we need to do is ask in His name, and along with that, you must have faith. Does this mean that God is this magic genie that does everything that you want Him to do? No! He is not. But if God has given you a vision, desire, or promise, and you know it was from God, God will do it. It won't always be in our timing. It won't always happen the way that we want it to. But it will happen. A delay is not a denial. Again I say, A DELAY IS NOT A DENIAL!
Trust in God, Be obedient to His Word, and always know that God is ABLE!
He's Able by Kirk Franklin
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Hateration
"Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong;
for they like the grass they will soon wither, like the green plants they will
soon die away." Psalm 37:1-2
I know that we have all experiences with "hateration." No matter what we do, how nice we are, or what we say... we all are going to have our share of haters. Truth be told, many of us probably have not only been hated on, but have hated on somebody. Jealousy has creeped upon ALL of us sometime in our life. It could be that time when someone got the position that you always wanted, or your sister getting that car you have always dreamed, or how about the attention that your best friend receives that you always longed for. So yes, we all have had experience with "hateration." But if we know who we were in God, we would have no need to hate and know how to deal with those that hate on us.
As stated in the above scripture, we do not have to worry about the haters! God will take care of them. Not that you wish anything bad on anyone, but remember that God is in control and despite who and what comes at you crazy, God has given you the strength to overcome it. Those haters are just making you stronger! In turn, we must keep ourselves in check. We must not allow ourselves to hate on others. Remember, what God has for you, it is for you! You don't want to get so caught up with someone else has that you miss the opportunities that God has for you! Your time is coming.
So,"check yourself before you wreck yourself". Don't let jealousy make you miss out on what God has for your life. And let the haters keep hatin. You continue to be what God has called you to be. Have the attitude of Jill Scott as she sings in her song, Hate on Me:
"Hate On Me, Hater
Now or later
Cuz I’m gonna do me,.."
God In Me by Mary Mary
for they like the grass they will soon wither, like the green plants they will
soon die away." Psalm 37:1-2
I know that we have all experiences with "hateration." No matter what we do, how nice we are, or what we say... we all are going to have our share of haters. Truth be told, many of us probably have not only been hated on, but have hated on somebody. Jealousy has creeped upon ALL of us sometime in our life. It could be that time when someone got the position that you always wanted, or your sister getting that car you have always dreamed, or how about the attention that your best friend receives that you always longed for. So yes, we all have had experience with "hateration." But if we know who we were in God, we would have no need to hate and know how to deal with those that hate on us.
As stated in the above scripture, we do not have to worry about the haters! God will take care of them. Not that you wish anything bad on anyone, but remember that God is in control and despite who and what comes at you crazy, God has given you the strength to overcome it. Those haters are just making you stronger! In turn, we must keep ourselves in check. We must not allow ourselves to hate on others. Remember, what God has for you, it is for you! You don't want to get so caught up with someone else has that you miss the opportunities that God has for you! Your time is coming.
So,"check yourself before you wreck yourself". Don't let jealousy make you miss out on what God has for your life. And let the haters keep hatin. You continue to be what God has called you to be. Have the attitude of Jill Scott as she sings in her song, Hate on Me:
"Hate On Me, Hater
Now or later
Cuz I’m gonna do me,.."
God In Me by Mary Mary
Monday, February 22, 2010
A Battle of Wills
Another great devotional read that I thought I would post!
A Battle of Wills
by Jon Walker
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13
Do you respond to God's direction, even when you don't understand
what's going on?
Part of the strength God gives you to "do all things through him"
is the ability to choose to do his will, even before you know the full
implications of what that means. He will begin to change your
"wanter",developing within you more and more of a "want" to
do His will.
But this is where we often stall in our steps toward being more like
Jesus. We get into a battle of wills with God, wanting him to reveal his
plan first, and only then * when we have a full understanding of his
plan - will we decide to respond, or not.
But that has us walking by sight, and not by faith, the exact opposite
of how God teaches us to walk: "We live by faith, not by sight".
(2 Corinthians 5:7)
Am I willing to decide in advance that I will do what God asks
me to do, no matter what it is? Am I abandoned to him and his will,
believing he will strengthen me to do all the things he asks? Or do I
behave as if I believe I am the final judge of what is best for my life:
God, show me the whole plan, wait for me to understand, and then
I'll decide whether or not to do what you ask.
The Good News is that, even if you're not ready for immediate
obedience, God will give you strength to be honest with him. He already
knows about your hesitancy, so he won*t be surprised by prayerful
confession, such as: "Father, I'm not sure I'm ready to do your will.
I don't know if I want to do it or not."
Yet God is gracious and patient. Tell him, "I don't know that I'm
willing to step out in faith without first knowing everything that's
going to happen, but I'm willing to be made willing."
So what?
Build your confidence in God-Each time you take a step of faith,
your confidence in God will increase, as you see that he is waiting for
you on the other side of your decision.
Polaroid vision- Each time you take a step of faith, God will
reveal more of his plan to you. It's what Rick Warren calls
"Polaroid vision": You can see God's picture developing, but
not all of it is visible right away.
Grow into God's vision-You may be frustrated that God hasn't
shown you the whole picture of his vision for you, but he may be holding
it back because he knows you will be overwhelmed by what you see. He's
calling you to a God-sized mission, one that will appear impossible for
you to complete. But that's the point, there's no way you can
fulfill your mission without God and his strength working within you.
Relax in God's will-If you think discovering and following
God's will depends entirely on you, then you'll probably start
getting nervous, wondering, "Am I taking the right step here? Have I
missed something?" God doesn't need you to figure it all out;
he'll provide the answers as you need them.
2007 Jon Walker. All rights reserved.
Calling My Name by Hezekiah Walker
A Battle of Wills
by Jon Walker
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13
Do you respond to God's direction, even when you don't understand
what's going on?
Part of the strength God gives you to "do all things through him"
is the ability to choose to do his will, even before you know the full
implications of what that means. He will begin to change your
"wanter",developing within you more and more of a "want" to
do His will.
But this is where we often stall in our steps toward being more like
Jesus. We get into a battle of wills with God, wanting him to reveal his
plan first, and only then * when we have a full understanding of his
plan - will we decide to respond, or not.
But that has us walking by sight, and not by faith, the exact opposite
of how God teaches us to walk: "We live by faith, not by sight".
(2 Corinthians 5:7)
Am I willing to decide in advance that I will do what God asks
me to do, no matter what it is? Am I abandoned to him and his will,
believing he will strengthen me to do all the things he asks? Or do I
behave as if I believe I am the final judge of what is best for my life:
God, show me the whole plan, wait for me to understand, and then
I'll decide whether or not to do what you ask.
The Good News is that, even if you're not ready for immediate
obedience, God will give you strength to be honest with him. He already
knows about your hesitancy, so he won*t be surprised by prayerful
confession, such as: "Father, I'm not sure I'm ready to do your will.
I don't know if I want to do it or not."
Yet God is gracious and patient. Tell him, "I don't know that I'm
willing to step out in faith without first knowing everything that's
going to happen, but I'm willing to be made willing."
So what?
Build your confidence in God-Each time you take a step of faith,
your confidence in God will increase, as you see that he is waiting for
you on the other side of your decision.
Polaroid vision- Each time you take a step of faith, God will
reveal more of his plan to you. It's what Rick Warren calls
"Polaroid vision": You can see God's picture developing, but
not all of it is visible right away.
Grow into God's vision-You may be frustrated that God hasn't
shown you the whole picture of his vision for you, but he may be holding
it back because he knows you will be overwhelmed by what you see. He's
calling you to a God-sized mission, one that will appear impossible for
you to complete. But that's the point, there's no way you can
fulfill your mission without God and his strength working within you.
Relax in God's will-If you think discovering and following
God's will depends entirely on you, then you'll probably start
getting nervous, wondering, "Am I taking the right step here? Have I
missed something?" God doesn't need you to figure it all out;
he'll provide the answers as you need them.
2007 Jon Walker. All rights reserved.
Calling My Name by Hezekiah Walker
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Don't Quit!
This is a devotional derived from the Purpose Driven Life Devotional; I thought it was so good, I had to post it here. It may get hard...but Don't Quit!
Don't Quit.
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you
will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while,
He who is coming will come and will not delay.
Hebrews 10:36-37
If you're discouraged because of God's delay in answering your
prayers, understand the delay is NOT a denial. Just because the answer
or the miracle hasn't come yet that doesn't mean God isn't
going to answer or that he's forgotten you or that he doesn't care
about you. It simply means not yet!
Spiritual maturity is knowing the difference between no and
not yet, between a denial and a delay. The Bible tells us,
He who is coming will come and will not delay.
The delay may be a test of your patience. Anybody can be patient once.
And, anybody can be patient twice. And, just about anybody can be
patient three times. So God tests you patience over and over and over.
Why? To see how patient you are?
No, he does it to show you how patient you are. So you'll know
what's inside of you, and you*ll be able to know your level of
commitment. God tests you so that you can know he is faithful, even if
the answers you seek are delayed.
If you're discouraged, turn it around by remembering God teaches you
patience during delay. Ask him to transform your discouragement into
patience.
You may be going through difficult times right now and feel like
dropping off the planet. You're discouraged because the situation you
face seems unmanageable, unreasonable, or unfair.
It may seem unbearable and inside you're basically saying, God, I
can't take it anymore. I just can*t take it anymore!
But you can.
You can stay with it longer because God is with you. He*ll enable you
to press on. Remember, you are never a failure until you quit.
Don't quit. Resist discouragement and finish the race God has set
before you.
2008 Purpose Driven Life. All rights reserved.
I Told The Storm By Greg O'Quin N Joyful Noise
Don't Quit.
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you
will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while,
He who is coming will come and will not delay.
Hebrews 10:36-37
If you're discouraged because of God's delay in answering your
prayers, understand the delay is NOT a denial. Just because the answer
or the miracle hasn't come yet that doesn't mean God isn't
going to answer or that he's forgotten you or that he doesn't care
about you. It simply means not yet!
Spiritual maturity is knowing the difference between no and
not yet, between a denial and a delay. The Bible tells us,
He who is coming will come and will not delay.
The delay may be a test of your patience. Anybody can be patient once.
And, anybody can be patient twice. And, just about anybody can be
patient three times. So God tests you patience over and over and over.
Why? To see how patient you are?
No, he does it to show you how patient you are. So you'll know
what's inside of you, and you*ll be able to know your level of
commitment. God tests you so that you can know he is faithful, even if
the answers you seek are delayed.
If you're discouraged, turn it around by remembering God teaches you
patience during delay. Ask him to transform your discouragement into
patience.
You may be going through difficult times right now and feel like
dropping off the planet. You're discouraged because the situation you
face seems unmanageable, unreasonable, or unfair.
It may seem unbearable and inside you're basically saying, God, I
can't take it anymore. I just can*t take it anymore!
But you can.
You can stay with it longer because God is with you. He*ll enable you
to press on. Remember, you are never a failure until you quit.
Don't quit. Resist discouragement and finish the race God has set
before you.
2008 Purpose Driven Life. All rights reserved.
I Told The Storm By Greg O'Quin N Joyful Noise
Friday, February 19, 2010
"Total Praise"
"I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore."
Psalm 121
Thank You Jesus! God is good! Look what He does for you! Even when you did NOT deserve it. He deserves all the praise! Thank you Lord!
A Touching Performance: Fantasia Singing Total Praise
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore."
Psalm 121
Thank You Jesus! God is good! Look what He does for you! Even when you did NOT deserve it. He deserves all the praise! Thank you Lord!
A Touching Performance: Fantasia Singing Total Praise
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Have No Fear....God Is Here....
For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 5:7>
We all have a fear of something. It may be a fear of spiders, snakes, or closed spaces. If not those things, a lot of us fear things that are tied into our emotions...such as, fear of losing a loved one, the fear of poverty, fear of being alone, or fear of failure. Many times, we do not follow through with what God has called us to do because of one thing... FEAR. God lets us know in His word that we do not have to fear these things because He has not given us a spirit of fear. It is only through Him that we can overcome those fears that haunt us.
I recall a sermon from Bishop Joseph Walker of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Nashville, TN when I think about the topic overcoming fear. It was such a powerful sermon, that I have to reiterate his 7 ways to overcome fear. Anytime that fear tries to creep up in your life, remember these things:
1. I've been chosen
2. God is with me
3. Sovereign God is my Lord
4. God will strengthen me
5. God will sustain me
6. God will help me
7. God will hold my hand
It was also reiterated in this sermon, that God has given us the POWER to do what He has called us to do, the LOVE to embrace what he has for us to do, including loving the unlovable, and the SOUND MIND to handle it ALL. So, what do we have to fear?
I leave you with excerpts of Psalm 27:
v. 1 The Lord is my light and salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?
v 5. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me, he shall set me upon a rock.
In My Name
We all have a fear of something. It may be a fear of spiders, snakes, or closed spaces. If not those things, a lot of us fear things that are tied into our emotions...such as, fear of losing a loved one, the fear of poverty, fear of being alone, or fear of failure. Many times, we do not follow through with what God has called us to do because of one thing... FEAR. God lets us know in His word that we do not have to fear these things because He has not given us a spirit of fear. It is only through Him that we can overcome those fears that haunt us.
I recall a sermon from Bishop Joseph Walker of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Nashville, TN when I think about the topic overcoming fear. It was such a powerful sermon, that I have to reiterate his 7 ways to overcome fear. Anytime that fear tries to creep up in your life, remember these things:
1. I've been chosen
2. God is with me
3. Sovereign God is my Lord
4. God will strengthen me
5. God will sustain me
6. God will help me
7. God will hold my hand
It was also reiterated in this sermon, that God has given us the POWER to do what He has called us to do, the LOVE to embrace what he has for us to do, including loving the unlovable, and the SOUND MIND to handle it ALL. So, what do we have to fear?
I leave you with excerpts of Psalm 27:
v. 1 The Lord is my light and salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?
v 5. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me, he shall set me upon a rock.
In My Name
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
"Can't Help But Wait"
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:4>
> >
Recently, I heard this song R&B song by Trey Songz called "Can't Help But Wait". In this song, he is singing about how he is hoping for an opportunity with this young lady who at the time, has a boyfriend. He talks about how he will be better, do better, and love her better than the man that is in her life at the time. So he sings on how he "cant help but wait" until that time comes.
In James 1:3-4, the scripture lets us know that we must...absolutely must, have patience in this life. Like the scripture says, if we wait patiently for God, we won't want for anything. The problem is...we usually DO NOT wait patiently for God and do our own thing. And in doing our own thing, we can bring upon ourselves a lot of unnecessary pain, hurt, confusion and most of all.... emptiness. I am sure that God has spoken many things into our lives; things He is going to do, things that He is going to deliver us from, things He is going to bless us with, and we may wonder, when is it ever going to happen. A day passes, a month passes, a year passes, a few years pass and we begin to doubt God. We begin to do things our way. Then that is where we mess up. We MUST utilize patience in order to receive all that God has for us.
As hard as it may be, let us be like the person in the song and "Cant help but wait" for what God has for us in this life. It is only through Him where can have that ultimate opportunity and ultimate fulfillment in our lives.
Wait on the Lord by Donnie McClurkin and Karen Clark-Sheard
>
> >
Recently, I heard this song R&B song by Trey Songz called "Can't Help But Wait". In this song, he is singing about how he is hoping for an opportunity with this young lady who at the time, has a boyfriend. He talks about how he will be better, do better, and love her better than the man that is in her life at the time. So he sings on how he "cant help but wait" until that time comes.
In James 1:3-4, the scripture lets us know that we must...absolutely must, have patience in this life. Like the scripture says, if we wait patiently for God, we won't want for anything. The problem is...we usually DO NOT wait patiently for God and do our own thing. And in doing our own thing, we can bring upon ourselves a lot of unnecessary pain, hurt, confusion and most of all.... emptiness. I am sure that God has spoken many things into our lives; things He is going to do, things that He is going to deliver us from, things He is going to bless us with, and we may wonder, when is it ever going to happen. A day passes, a month passes, a year passes, a few years pass and we begin to doubt God. We begin to do things our way. Then that is where we mess up. We MUST utilize patience in order to receive all that God has for us.
As hard as it may be, let us be like the person in the song and "Cant help but wait" for what God has for us in this life. It is only through Him where can have that ultimate opportunity and ultimate fulfillment in our lives.
Wait on the Lord by Donnie McClurkin and Karen Clark-Sheard
>
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