Monthly Archive

John 8:4 (NLT) “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. 9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

Jesus is the physical embodiment of grace. According to the law of Moses, Jesus had every right to condemn and stone this woman who was caught in the act of adultery but, He did not. Although she deserved death, Jesus did not condemn her and he allowed her to live.

This is true today. We were once a part of the world and we deserved death. However, because of grace through Jesus Christ, we are not condemned and through Him we are allowed to live.

As ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, our job us to lead the hurting, the confused, and the lost to the embodiment of grace, Who is Jesus Christ.

Praise God for Jesus Christ Who provides life without condemnation!

Psalm 91:16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

God guarantees us long life. What exactly is long life? Genesis 6:3 says long life consists of 120 years.

Within these 120 years, God will satisfy us. We have 120 years to fulfill the will of God for our lives. We have 120 years to live the blessed life and to be a blessing to others. We have 120 years to lead others to Christ. We don’t have to live in regret and we don’t have to live in fear. Satisfaction is guaranteed.

A long satisfying life is a promise from God. The question is, how many of us will receive this promise?

Jude‬ ‭1‬:‭22‬ And on some have compassion, making a distinction;

When was your last compassionate moment? When was the last time you reached out to help someone, not expecting anything in return?

As time moves forward into the last days, the Bible says people will be lovers of themselves. With this notion, we (the believers) have to be intentional about being compassionate towards one another. We have to be diligent in finding someone to help. There are people out in the world who need to know God exists and He loves them. How will they know about God’s love unless we show compassion towards them and tell them about His love?

Make an effort to find someone to love. Have compassion towards the people God has called you to.

I John‬ ‭4‬:‭8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

After becoming saved, being Christ-like is first accepting that God loves us as we are, flaws and all. Once we truly have an understanding of the depth of God’s Love for us coupled with the level of our imperfections, we want to share God’s Love with others. But, people don’t embrace condemnation; they embrace love.

So, let’s be expressions of God’s love for people. Show love even to the undeserving, and watch as God works through you to save lives. And, don’t think that we will go unrewarded, because God has already promised to reap a harvest of what we have sown. Love people.

Psalm 108:12 Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless. 13 With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.

When you’re in a difficult situation, who do you turn to first? Do you immediately go to your friends or family, or do you try to deal with the problem yourself? Or, do you turn to God?

When we first turn to people, including ourselves, we let God know we trust human wisdom over His wisdom. Another problem we face when we first turn to people is people don’t always give sound advice. Some of their advice comes from things they went through and not necessarily the Word of God.

Turning to God will provide the best solution possible. At times, God will use people to help us in our difficult situations, however, it’s best when we first come to Him. Coming to God first guarantees our victory.

Choose God over everybody and walk in victory.

“God’s Word won’t come to pass in your life” is the main thought that Satan wants us to believe. When there is a delay or it appears that the problems are becoming worse, those satanic thoughts speak louder and louder. Here is a verse that will help us and encourage us during these difficult times.

Jeremiah 1:12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.”

God is the One Who ensures that His Word is fulfilled in our lives. With this knowledge, we can be at peace to know that every promise we declare shall come to pass. In fact, it’s already done in the spirit realm. Those promises need our faith, without unbelief, to manifest in the earth.

Rest easy and be at peace and know that if God is ensuring that our promise comes to pass, we don’t have to worry or be in fear, believe that it’s already done.

Jeremiah 1:6 Then said I: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.” 7 But the Lord said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak.

Jeremiah made excuses regarding being a prophet. We should consider this one thing: if God called us to do something, He has already given us the talent, skills, and ability to perform whatever He has called us to. Philippians 1:6 says it this way, He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

If we read the additional verses in Jeremiah 1, we will see that God did all the work. God gave Jeremiah instructions, visions, encouragement, and He told him what to say. All God needed was a willing participant to do His will.

This is still true today. God has called each of us to do something spectacular in a certain field. God will provide all the necessary tools to perform that work. All God needs is a willing, obedient, and fearless participant.

Starting today, let’s eliminate our excuses and be obedient to God because in this earth, we are all that He has.

Psalms 66:8 Oh, bless our God, you peoples! And make the voice of His praise to be heard,

When anything good happens in our lives, God deserves our praise. He not only deserves our praise when we’re in our rooms by ourselves but, He deserves our praise openly.

The scripture says His praise should be heard. This means, someone should be hearing our praise report. When we get a raise on our jobs, praise Him. When we get a close parking spot, praise Him. When we make a good grade in a class, paise Him. It’s not bragging. It’s giving God His deserved praise.

Don’t be ashamed to give God His praise that He truly deserves. Let’s begin to praise Him privately and openly.

Be Blessed!

Luke 19:2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”

We will pay $80 or more for sporting events or concert tickets. On the night of the event, it may be raining and cold. Because it may be a big event, there may be lots of traffic and people everywhere. Yet, most of us would still go the extra mile to attend the event.

Unfortunately, when it comes to the things of God (church, bible study, life groups), the conditions have to be perfect for some of us to attend. We have to mentally, physically, and emotionally “feel” like going. If we do attend church, it’s a strain for some of us to give $20.

God has been too good to us for us to put Him behind entertainment. Honestly, the things of God can do more for our lives than entertainment could ever do. We can go to church and hear a Word from God that directly pertains to our situation. We can go to bible study and be delivered from a 10 year addiction.

Zacchaeus was a sinner but, he went the extra mile just to see Jesus. Because of his efforts, he spent the day with Jesus and salvation came to his house (v. 8).

There is nothing wrong with attending concerts and games, but if we’re willing to go the extra mile for an event, we should be willing to do the same and more for God.

Inspired by the teachings of Joyce Meyer

Psalm 91:11 For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

God has His angels protecting or guarding our lives. Angels are not commonly visible to our natural eyes but, God has them protecting us. Protecting us from what? Our unseen angels are assigned to protect us from seen and unseen dangers. There are opposing demonic forces that are assigned to deceive and destroy our lives. We know this because in 1 Peter 5:8 it says, Satan is seeking someone to devour.

Daily, angels fight on our behalf protecting us from demonic forces, they obey the voice of God’s Word (Ps. 103:20), and continually minister to us (Matt. 4:11). With this understanding, we don’t have to live in fear. We have unseen partners fighting on our behalf.

God’s angels are not mythical beings we hear about in passing. God’s angels exist and are on assignment and the bulk of their assignment revolves around us. Praise God for another avenue of protection through our angels.

Proverbs 12:1 Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, But he who hates correction is stupid.

When we’re in tuned with the Spirit of God, God Himself downloads instruction, knowledge, and correction directly to our spirit. This heavenly download is great, however, God will also use our parents, teachers, ministers, friends, and family to provide the same heavenly instruction, knowledge, and correction to us.

These instructions and corrections are sent to make us better people, but it is up to us to gladly receive those corrections. God may use the least likely person to provide instruction, knowledge, and correction. We can’t minimize their words because of their past behavior, age, or our opinion of them. We have to realize that these instructions and correction are all God sent and are given to us out of love.

When we don’t receive correction, the Bible calls us stupid. Don’t be stupid. Take a step back, receive God’s instruction, knowledge, and correction, and let’s allow Him to make us better people.

Inspired by Pastor D @thencfc.com

Proverbs 12:4 An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.

We are living in a world where marriage is no longer held in high honor. Both, women and men, disrespect the concept of marriage. People are choosing to have live in boyfriends/girlfriends for the rest of their lives. People are choosing to live the worldly single life where they have the opportunity to sleep with whoever they desire without being attached. God did not intend for us to live this way.

For those who desire to take a step of faith and become married, Proverbs 12:4 are instructions for both men and women in marriage.

Women, you should desire to be excellent for your husbands. Not because of what he’s done but, because God called you to excellence. Like a crown, your presence alone should cause your husband to stand out and you should complement his existence.

Men, a crown is something that should be proudly displayed. We shouldn’t hide the fact that we’re married. Our wives are a gift from God. Also, we should not be ashamed of our wives. No matter how old or tarnished our crown becomes, this is the crown God gave to us. It’s partially up to us (the husband) to maintain its appearance.

Let’s establish and maintain a positive, healthy, God-ordained marriage.

Matthew 15:13 (Jesus Speaking) But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father has not planted, shall be rooted up.

As we go through life, there are certain metaphoric plants we obtained that our Heavenly Father did not plant. For instance, if we grew up without a father, we may have obtained the plant of rejection. Or, if we’ve been emotionally hurt by someone in a relationship, we may have obtained the plant of fear or a lack of trust in relationships. Finally, if we were highly influenced by someone teaching us non-biblical based things, we may have received those plants into our souls. An example of being highly influenced is if we have a favorite uncle who tells us not to give our money to the church because the preacher is going to use our money to live an extravagant life. Now, some of us are missing out on God’s best because we’re not tithing and giving offerings.

These are some examples of things our Heavenly Father did not plant. The promise we have from God is an uprooting of all the plants He did not plant. God is not going to forcefully uproot these plants, however, if we submit ourselves to God, He guarantees to uproot everything He did not plant. Every wrong thought, belief, or previous pain, God promises to uproot.

Take the time to seek God about those things He did not plant in your life and allow God to uproot it all.

Acts 28:3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, “Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 However he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.

Paul was saved, impacting and advancing the Kingdom of God and yet, a snake bit Paul’s hand.

Some people believe that because we’re saved and doing the will of God, we’re immune to problematic situations. That’s not true. Jesus informed us we will have troubles (John 16:33).

The good news is that when we (the righteous) face difficulties or problematic situations, we have victory. Just like Paul, when we get bit by the issues of life, if we truly trust in God, those issues won’t internally or externally affect us.

So, if you get that nail in your tire, don’t attempt to recall your behavior to see where you have sinned. Trust God for the resources to pay for the flat tire. If you become sick, don’t think God is punishing you. Thank God that through Jesus’ stripes you are healed. When your funds get low, don’t cry or complain. Understand that God is your provider and He will sustain you.

Don’t let the issues of life affect your joy and your peace. Like Paul, just shake it off and keep it moving.

Nahum 1:7 The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows them that trust in Him.

We can say we trust God but, God knows our hearts and He knows those who truly trust Him. God knows those who trust Him entirely, trust Him partially, or don’t trust Him at all. Our lack of trust can affect our faith. How can we have faith in someone we don’t trust? Hebrews 11:6 says, without faith, it is impossible to please Him. With this understanding, we can conclude that our lack of trust displeases God.

Let go and let God take control of your life. Start pleasing God by placing your total trust in Him in everything and for all things.

Let’s trust God.

Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

There is a personal mark or goal we all should be striving for. However, we can’t go towards our goal looking back to our past. Some of us live in regret thinking on the mistakes of our past or thinking on things we could have done better. We can’t allow our mistakes to determine our future. Focus on God for our future.

Another type of reflection focuses on the emotional pain from a friend or family member. Some of us have been rejected, abused, or unloved. The person who hurt us may have asked for forgiveness, moved on with their life, or died but, we’re still holding on to our pain from our past for a number of reasons.

Regardless of what we’ve done or what we’ve gone through, we serve a God Who knows our future and He has already made provision for us to come out on top regardless of our past. Let go of your past and focus on your future to obtain the goal God has for you.

Hebrews 11:1 NOW faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith is present tense which means it’s right now. Faith is not in the future. When we pray for, declare, or desire a certain thing, we should do so in the present tense. For instance, a person should say, “Father I ask for and receive my new car right now in the name of Jesus.”

Once we’ve made our request known to God, we must take it a step further. The next step in faith is thanking God for our desire(s) in the past tense. If we truly believed that we’ve received the desire we have asked for, we should genuinely thank God for the desire we’ve received. We genuinely thank God in the past tense because we know we received our desire once we prayed (Mark 11:24).

Using the same example from above, until the person receives the manifestation of the new car, that person should continue to thank God for the new car as if it’s bought and paid for and in their garage. We shouldn’t wait to physically see our desires to thank God for them. Let’s take it a step further and start thanking God now.

In Lamentations 4, there was a great famine in the land. People were starving. Mothers were cooking their children, children were not eating, and it was better for people to die from a sword than of hunger. Why did this famine take place? What was the reason behind God’s fury?

We find our answer in Lamentations 3:42 which says, “We have transgressed and rebelled; You have not pardoned.” Because the people rebelled and transgressed against God, God removed His covering from them and caused their enemies to triumph over them and a famine to take place in the land.

This was the punishment for those who rebelled in the old covenant. In the new covenant, we have an Intercessor in Jesus Christ Who intercedes on our behalf. When we sin or rebel against God, His wrath does not directly impact us. Jesus is literally informing God He has already paid the price for every one of our sins and rebellious acts. Can you imagine Jesus speaking to God saying, “No Father, don’t hurt them. I have paid the price for all they have done and will ever do wrong.” What an awesome Savior. Praise God for Jesus, Who is our Intercessor.

Romans 8:34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Isaiah 61:7 Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy a double share of honor. You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.

Some of us have made mistakes in our past that affected our present and possibly our future. Every time we attempt to push forward it feels like our mistakes are holding us back. During this time, some of us get discouraged, give up, and knowingly go down the wrong path because of seeing no way out.

Be encouraged today! We serve a God Who specializes in impossibilities. Just because we don’t see how we’re going to get out or how it will work for our good doesn’t mean God is not able. From the foundation of the world, God knew we would get ourselves in that negative situation and He already developed a plan to get us out. All we have to do is trust Him.

Trusting is easier said, than done. For some, it may be difficult to trust a big, unseeing God with every detail of our personal lives. It may be hard for some to let go of the steering wheel of their lives and release it into the hands of God but, that’s the only successful way out. Today, let go of fear, pride, and worry and give ALL of your life (mistakes and shortcomings) to God.

Let your shame turn into glory.

There is a well-known children’s song called “Jesus Loves Me.” The first line states, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” Whether we realized it or not, this song encourages children to believe based solely on the Word of God. Children learn to believe that Jesus loves them without any sensory knowledge of His existence. They are taught to believe because the Bible tells them so.

Unfortunately, due to life’s experiences, some adults have forgotten how to believe or refuse to believe based solely on the Word of God. Some need to see it before they believe it. In addition to Jesus’ love for us, there are so many other promises in the Word of God for those who believe.

Some of those promises include: Jesus loves us (John 13:34), we are healed (1 Peter 2:24), we are victorious (1 Corinthians 15:57), we are blessed (Genesis 12:2), and all of our needs are met (Philippians 4:19).

If we would dare to believe the Word of God without any sensory knowledge, we will receive the manifestation of every promise found in the Word of God.

Mark 5:36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he said unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

James 4:6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

It’s great to know that when we sin or miss the mark, we have grace, through Jesus Christ, to keep us in right standing with God. It not only keeps us in right standing but, it continues to allow the blessings to flow.

For the longest time, I believed that when we sinned, we had to repent and start all over in earning our blessings. This thought only brought guilt and condemnation. Grace allows us to repent and stay in right standing with God. Because we’re under grace, in the eyes of God, we have never sinned. This message is not to encourage anyone to abuse grace but, it’s great to know that grace has the ability to remove the shame and guilt from our lives.

If there is a need or desire that you have but, you have sinned, continue to stand in faith for that desire. God has not abandoned you because of your sin. Lean, trust, depend, and rely on grace because He desires to fulfill His Word in your life.

Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.” And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some. ” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. (‭John‬ ‭21‬:‭3-6‬ NKJV)

Jesus’ disciples fished all night and they did not catch any fish. Jesus encouraged them to cast their net on the right side of the boat. When they obeyed, they caught a great number of fish.

I could only imagine the thoughts going through the disciples’ minds when Jesus told them to cast their net on the right side of the boat. Some possibly were thinking, what difference will it make if we cast our net on the right side? Or, I’m tired and I don’t feel like it. Finally, some were possibly in doubt. Regardless of their thoughts, they obeyed Jesus and reaped a great harvest.

The Holy Spirit will have us do some illogical things but, if we obey the Spirit, we too will reap a great harvest. Let’s not allow logic to govern our lives. Be led by the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 1:27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.