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The Molding of Clay

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 13:09:49 GMT

Jeremiah 18: 1-10

The Potter and the Clay

I am here to Testify that this is truly the way of the Lord. If my life matched anything, it would be this passage with Jeremiah the Prophet. "The Potter", obviously being God and myself being the "Clay". Let's read the passage, then I will share more. Jeremiah 18: 1-10 (NLT) says, "The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” So, I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over. Then the Lord gave me this message: “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned. And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom, but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless it as I said I would."

As twisted as we once were, God can crush us "the clay", a painful reset, but a reset much needed. As God sits on his throne, He is all powerful, immaterial, timeless, matchless in every way. Our understanding is not anything near his.

The Bible says, "My son do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; For whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights." -Proverbs 3: 11-12.

This word "chastening" means just this "humbled or disciplined, often as a result of corrections." In some context, including this story in Jeremiah it means "to refine or purify, like an art style by removing excess or falsities." God is resiliently chastening you, me, and everyone whom he loves. This molding of the clay can be imagined through the Potter taking some "excess" away and also purifying us by sifting the clay for material that ought not be there. God continues to mold us and shape us to his likeness, maybe so that when the living water is poured into us, we have enough strength in our structure we won't break from the pressure. As I spoke last night about Gods glory and faithfulness, I realized that constant pressure from the Lord to be purified and corrected was not only a good feeling but one I need and desire. Our God has brought me a long way; from a hard heart, abuse of Alcohol, a loose tongue, anger, unforgiveness, fear, control, ego, pride, selfishness, even sexual sin.

ALL THIS TO SAY, God smushed me "the clay" back into the pottery wheel and man did that hurt. I lost everything I thought I build, everything I thought was right, everything I thought was mine... All of those "I thoughts" and the pride behind "what I did", God say, "No, my son. I want you to do it my way. I want your heart and trust; I want you to know what I know. As I build this new clay pot, lean into my understanding and all things will be made clear." This showed me that God's plans for my life were and are far more abundant after I was crushed and purified.

Sometimes, we see this as a moment of suffering and condemnation. This has caused us to even blame God and doubt his love for us. The worst part is we usually allow it to create distance between us and God. I need to tell you a little secret,

GOD IS THE ANSWER.

If you feel like you are in this season, that's okay. Embrace it for what it is. Instead of distancing yourself from God, Lean into his hands. God is the Potter and in order for the clay to be formed, the potters' hands must be on it... The only one stopping that is yourself when you create distance from God. If the Answer is God, which it is, ALWAYS... Find ways to press into his correction and love. It will change how you view these seasons and through obedience, you will receive what the Lord is doing in you.

If you know the Lord is the answer, be mindful of what is going on in your life. "The Clay" should not boast in itself on how it looks, performs, or feels.

"The Clay" is still just a pile of clay without "The Potter"

Leaders in the Homes, Let's take this to our families and make this an understood lesson of Gods goodness, faithfulness, and desire to make us like him through love and correction. We can experience this in our families as well. Fathers and Mothers are a supporting hand in molding the clay of their children. Are you doing it with God's help or just laying your hands on the clay, and hoping it is good enough? Use Gods strength and love to resemble him like in Proverbs 3:11-12

God Bless You All!

Freedom in Forgiveness

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 16:14:17 GMT

Colossians 3:13 TPT

"'Tolerate the weaknesses of those in the family of faith, forgiving one another in the same way you have been graciously forgiven by Jesus Christ. If you find fault with someone, release this same gift of forgiveness to them. '

Colossians 3:13 TPT

What breaks unity faster in a relationship more than anything else? Unforgiveness. The sad reality of individuals hardening their heart towards one another, holding judgement, resentment, bitterness all while refusing to extend mercy. When those who followed Jesus wanted answers about the topic of divorce,

Jesus said, “Moses permitted you to divorce because your hearts are so hard and stubborn, but originally there was no such thing." Matthew 19:8 (TPT)

Spouses, family members, friends, people look for excuses to hold onto unforgiveness. They justify holding this debt against the "guilty". They try to be like God, judge... but there is only one True Righteous Judge in Heaven and Earth, God (Lord, Yahweh, Adonai). We must never try to seek vengeance. As followers of Jesus Christ we are held to a greater standard, to be like Him, to reflect His character, His Nature.

Some wise words I heard, "Don't apologize to be forgiven, apologize to repent."

Repentance is when you have a change of heart.

The disciples of Jesus asked, “How many times do I have to forgive my fellow believer who keeps offending me? Seven times?” 22Jesus answered, “Not seven times, Peter, but seventy times seven times!" Matthew 18:21-22 TPT

Jesus' answer was to show that there should be unlimited forgiveness. This is the way of God's Kingdom. This is how we truly show we are little Christ aka Christians.

Jesus gives his disciples an example of "How To Pray " in Matthew 6, He emphasizes the need for extending forgiveness in order to be forgiven. He says, "12Forgive us the wrongs we have done as we ourselves release forgiveness to those who have wronged us." Matthew 6:12 TPT

Forgiveness is not affirming what the wrong doer did was justified, but forgiveness is about releasing the burden of unforgiveness towards someone. This act results in FREEDOM IN FORGIVENESS.

Years ago the Holy Spirit highlighted to me some of Jesus final words on the cross, "Forgive them Lord, for they do not know what they are doing." (Reference Luke 23:34 ) It was then that I truly understood that holding onto unforgiveness was never my job. My only duty was to release the debtor. So, every time I feel my flesh taking over and trying to justify unforgiveness which is in fact A SIN. I submit to the Holy Spirit and pray those exact words. This is how I fight my battles.!!! Forgiving others, allows me to receive forgiveness when I need it. The bible states in Matthew 6:15 (TPT) "But if you withhold forgiveness from others, your

Father withholds forgiveness from you.”

As Christians, we must humble ourselves, acknowledge that we fall short daily, we are all sinners, none of us are blameless, not one! Only Jesus Christ is and that is why He was Able to become the ATONEMENT FOR OUR SINS. BY HIS BODY THAT WAS SHED AND HIS BLOOD THAT WAS POURED OUT, WE ARE FORGIVEN.!!! THANK YOU, JESUS, THE SAVIOR OF MY LIFE! HALLELUJAH!

Confession is crucial in repentance. "1 John 1:9 (TPT)

But if we freely admit our sins when his light uncovers them, he will be faithful to forgive us every time. God is just to forgive us our sins because of Christ, and he will continue to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Today I encourage you to extend mercy and forgiveness to any and all!

Then, confess, repent, and receive forgiveness too! This is TRUE FREEDOM!!!!

Mark 11:25 (TPT) "And whenever you stand praying, if you find that you carry something in your heart against another person, release him and forgive him so that your Father in heaven will also release you and forgive you of your faults."

Reflection:

How can I display forgiveness to those around me?

Financial Stewardship

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 12:11:05 GMT

Managing What the Lord has given you.

Psalms 24:1 NLT "The Earth is the Lords, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him"

The Lord our God is extremely EXTREMELY wealthy. The King of the universe, that owns all things has given dominion over the world to us in Genesis. As we multiplied, we started borrowing from each other, we made agreements to "pay back" in "x" amount of time. We call this a loan, or debt. Has someone ever owed you? "Hey, I'll pay you back I swear!" These instances happen all the time. We now have a competition for the most stuff, or the coolest things. Who looks like they have "Made It". It has gone overboard with borrowing because we have made materialism our idol. People choose things over biblical truth. Proverbs 21:20 AMPC "There are precious treasures and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a self-confident and foolish man swallows it up and wastes it." This means we have a savings; we don't spend so much that we borrow because we ran dry, and we never use all that we bring in. It sad to know, over 70% of American's live paycheck to paycheck. They have no savings and borrow for everyday emergencies. It says in Psalms 46:1 NLT "god is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble." Trouble will come; in this life it happens all the time. We make it much worse when we have to borrow ourselves out of trouble. Realistically, borrowing gets us right back into a different kind of trouble. Proverbs 22:7 HSCB "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is SLAVE to the lender." A new trouble indeed. Slave is a difficult image for us and even causes us to cringe, as it should. Chained down by past decisions, committed to payments after having the item... Tell me if you can relate; I have ended up hating something I bought with debt, before the payments were even done being made. I DIDN'T WANT IT! But I was still paying for it. That is exactly what takes place when you don't lean on the Lord and his provisions. In Genesis 16 Sarai gave Abram her servant to get pregnant because she couldn't conceive. She was impatient with the Lord's provision and by the end of her choice she mistreated her servant because she was pregnant. This might be an extreme example, but it rings true to the cars, and toys, and lifestyle everyone is trying to show case. When you are a slave to the lender and he comes knocking for payment, you go from "looking like a millionaire" to "broke and lost". There is a way out! The Lord is gracious and full of wisdom. Proverbs 6: 2-5 NLT "you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth. So do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go—to the point of exhaustion and give your neighbor no rest! Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids. Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler." RUN! Get out of debt as fast as possible and then STAY out of debt. That is God's wisdom. When the King of the Universe says something, it's worth it to listen. Fight like you are in battle and handle your business! Trust in our God and all his wisdom.

As a certified financial Coach, helping others steward their finances is my specialty. If you would like a FREE consultation, find me on Instagram @StewardshipSolut or, WWW.Ramseycoach.com/Justin-Rogers-Coaching . Let's get you on the road to financial peace.

-Justin Rogers

God Will Lift You Up!

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:05:56 GMT

Psalms 13 TPT

Anguish, Sorrow, Grief...

in this Psalms we read David praying to Yahweh, it's titled Prayer Turns Depression into Delight.

"1I’m hurting, Lord—will you forget me forever?

How much longer, Lord?

Will you look the other way when I’m in need?

2How much longer must I cling to this constant grief?

I’ve endured this shaking of my soul.

So how much longer will my enemy have the upper hand?

Intercession

3Take a good look at me, Yahweh, my God, and answer me!

Breathe your life into my spirit.

Bring light to my eyes in this pitch-black darkness

or I will sleep the sleep of death.

4Don’t let my enemy proclaim, “I’ve prevailed over him.”

For all my adversaries will celebrate when I fall.

5I have always trusted in your kindness, so answer me.

I will spin in a circle of joy

when your salvation lifts me up.

6I will sing my song of joy to you, Yahweh,

for in all of this you have strengthened my soul.

My enemies say that I have no Savior,

but I know that I have one in you! "

Psalms 13 :1-6 TPT

Hard times are inevitable in this life. " In this life we will have trials, Jesus warns." (John 16:33) Sometimes circumstances seem too heavy. Sometimes we become emotionally burdened, physically depleted, or spiritually oppressed by dark thoughts. We have all suffered in one form or another. Humanity has experienced the fallen world we live in. When sin entered the world, Satan began to occupy this world causing Pain, Fear, Death, Sickness, Loss, and much more. But God is still and will forever be on the Throne! This earth is but a footstool to Him. He holds the whole world in his hands, can you trust Him?

In the Bible, there is a profound amount of character traits that express our God. Beginning and the End, First and the Last, Holy One, Blameless, Creator, All Powerful, Almighty, All Wise, All knowing, Omniscient ,Omnipotent, Deliverer, Defender, Protector, Provider, Righteous One, Just, True, The Way, Love, King, Maker, Master, Ruler , Commander, Savior, Miracle Worker, Healer, The Rock, Mighty Fortress, Firm Foundation, Shield, Redeemer, Rewarder, Glorious, Good, Faithful.

We can learn from King David, to run to God in tribulation, and trails. He expresses his heart in prayer, vulnerable, unashamed of being emotional naked. He cries out and then pleads with God, "Breathe your life in my spirit". This is where the psalm shifts from grief to delight. He begins to focus on God, rather than feelings. He begins to sing in worship of how God intervened and strengthens his soul. He begins to be filled with faith and confidence saying, I know you are my Savior. Joy of Salvation in God, renews him and lifts him up!

Praise is your weapon, Prayer is the key!

Reflection:

Do you run to God or away from God in trials?

Do you cry out to him, or cry to people?

Do you ask him to intervene, and walk with you through the battle or are you operating in independence?

Do you praise him because of who he is, even when your trial is current? Praise is your weapon, Prayer is the key!

Scripture to Meditate on:

1 Peter 4:12-13 TPT

"12Beloved friends, if life gets extremely difficult, with many tests, don’t be bewildered as though something strange were overwhelming you. 13Instead, continue to rejoice, for you, in a measure, have shared in the sufferings of the Anointed One so that you can share in the revelation of his glory and celebrate with even greater gladness! "

Psalms 34:18 (TPT)

The Lord is close to all whose hearts are crushed by pain, and he is always ready to restore the repentant one.

Romans 5:5 (TPT)

And this hope is not a disappointing fantasy, because we can now experience the endless love of God cascading into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who lives in us!

Romans 15:13 (TPT)

Now may God, the fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with his super-abundance until you radiate with hope!

Psalms 42:5 (TPT)

So then, my soul, why would you be depressed? Why would you sink into despair? Just keep hoping and waiting on God, your Savior. For no matter what, I will still sing with praise, for you are my saving grace!

Prayer :

Psalms 130:1 TPT

Lord, I cry out to you out of the depths of my despair !

Psalms 31:2 (TPT)

Rescue me quickly when I cry out to you. At the sound of my prayer may your ear be turned to me. Be my strong shelter and hiding place on high. Pull me into victory and breakthrough.

Virtues of the Kingdom

Sun, 16 Feb 2025 17:12:27 GMT

Revelation 2:19 (TPT)

"I know all that you’ve done for me—your love and faith, your ministry and steadfast perseverance. In fact, you now excel in these virtues even more than at the first." Revelation 2:19 TPT

This was a letter to the church of Thyatira written by Paul the Apostle. He begins by acknowledging the admirable virtues of the church, then following into a rebuke calling out what the church has done wrong. The church has tolerated Jezebel the sexual immorality entered the church through satanic infiltration.

These character traits in the verse above are of the Kingdom of God, we should earnestly desire to walk in them. Love the greatest of all commands. Faith the key to enter the Kingdom and experience it. Ministry the heart poster to serve the church and desire to be in his will above your own. Steadfast perseverance necessary to not quit, not back down, not give up, not relent to pursue God no matter what.

A runner who trains for a race, must acquire a steadfast perseverance. We need the heart of athlete for the Kingdom of God. We need Jesus to prize we pursue. He is the goal. This is a choice and mindset we should desire above anything in this world. In Him, is the fullness of life. In Matthew 6:33 (NLT), "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." If you're looking for a life of joy, seek God. If you're looking for love, seek God. If you're looking for peace, seek God. Everything we need is in Him, and Him alone. When horses are being trained, they are given blinders, these help to keep the eye from looking left or right, rather it fixes the eye to look forward. Isaiah wrote that he will "fix his eyes like flint on God" and this will not lead to shame. (Isaiah 50:7) There is a reward for those who diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 NLT) This pleases God, when we desire to be with God, believe him, and follow him.

We must ask ourselves are we pursuing Gods gifts more than the Gift Giver.

We must ask ourselves are we wanting the healing more than the Healer himself.

we must ask ourselves are we wanting the blessing more than the Blesser.

Our flesh lusts for more pleasure, more things, more experience, more this, more that. When our spirit knowns only Jesus can truly satisfy us.

Reflection :

Will we ask God to develop godly virtues of the kingdom in us? The world offers behavior modification, God requires a heart transformation. Will we let his word transform us. Romans 12:2 (NLT) "Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

Will you allow God to do a holy work in you, to produce a holy life, pleasing to Him?

Reference Scripture :

Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)

"And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him."

Prayer:

God, give me the desire to do what pleases you. Amen.

Eat to the Glory of God

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 20:13:29 GMT

1 Corinthians 10:31

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

Americans are often overwhelmed by the overwhelming information of how to be healthy. As a pre-teen i was made aware of body physic, for over 2 decades I have been mentally tormented by the fear of being "unhealthy". By teenage years I began to extreme diet, low calorie diets, no red meat, veggie substitutions for carbs, in fact I haven't drank any soda since then. In my later 20's, just a few years ago, as I was crying out to God for wisdom on my health, His Word penetrated through my darkness like a beam of light. Paul writes to the Corinth church, "WHETHER YOU EAT OR DRINK, DO ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD." As Christians we can invite God into every area of our lives including health and fitness. God desires for his people to honor our temples. Paul questions the listeners in

1 Corinthians 3:16 (NLT)

Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?

These two scriptures renewed my mind from the social and cultural influences, the demonic fear of becoming unhealthy. Pharmaceutical companies, food companies, Hollywood actresses make multi-billion dollars in revenue every time they create a new product, new food, new drug, new diet, new fad. We must become undistracted and not easily influences by media, magazines, tabloids, tv shows, that promote false promises. We need to seek God in his word for answers, for direction and a lifestyle that pleases God. It glorifies God when we desire to keep our bodies (which houses the Holy-Spirit) pure and set apart for His workmanship. The Holy-Spirit wouldn't want to reside in dirty home. It's our responsibility to cleanse ourselves and offer out bodies as holy temples.

We read early in scripture that God created everything in the world and called it good. Genesis 1:29 (NLT) Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. In Deuteronomy chapter 14:14 NLT "These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, 5the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the addax, the antelope, and the mountain sheep." It then goes into which animals to eat or not eat depending on if they were labeled ceremonially clean. However, in the New Testament under the new law, Peter is convicted or judging the gentiles what they eat. Clearly, we see God created our food, and it was nourishment for our bodies.

I believe God wants us to nourish our bodies with real food created by him. When we began to eat man-made food, health is at risk. Typically, side affects aren't instant, but they evolve over time through over-consumption of something that your body doesn't respond well to. How many Americans would prevent diseases if we just changed our consumption to whole-fresh-real foods.

encourage you to invite God into your health and fitness. If your someone like me who under-ate for years, i encourage you to ask God to give you a healthy relationship with food. Food is fuel. We need fuel to thrive and flourish!

Ultimately God wants us healthy to serve our homes and others well. We must become disciplined people in whatever we do like eating or drinking. We can use our time to eat with our family to strengthen our bodies for God's work.

A Quiet Life

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 19:12:56 GMT

1 Thessalonians 4:11 (NLT)

Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.

(1 Thessalonians 4:11)

Contrast to the social standards of living, the word of God encourages a quiet life, a humble life, a life of serving and working the field that God has given you. California especially Los Angeles, is known to be fast pace aka a rat race. Social media congratulates busy life with success. How many things you can juggle and still look put together is considered to be someone who has “arrived”. “Boss babes” have become a new goal for young woman. Traditional women has become something of the past. Homemakers is less desired and in fact looked down upon. Homemakers are considered an unworthy job. America and other countries took the women out of the home, placed them in the industrial world to work among men, now even competing with men. Men have always been known to work and provide for their home and family. Women would tend to the home, children, garden and animals while the men hunted for food, worked jobs for income, worked the land, fought in wars and protected the home from harm. These traditional roles are complimentary towards one another. The wife lived quietly, and worked hard under her own roof. She labored in love for her family. Why is it that woman are frowned upon working at the home under her husband as her authority, rather than working outside the home for another employer? Some women cringe at the idea of being home with their own children, that they would rather work, and pay a day care, or send them off to public school just to not have to serve their own children. It’s sad. I feel purposeful when I get to teach them myself, cook for them nutritious food, it’s a joy to pour into my family. I believe our first priority and our first ministry is serving those first under our own roof. Our children need hands on parents. Our children flourish when tended to and nurtured. Mothers and fathers have a holy calling. Fathers who leave the house to provide are being sacrificial. However, when fathers come home, and tend to their young they are living true honorable lives.

A quiet life is like a hidden treasure, only those who seek it, gain the reward. A quiet life that is free from distractions, chaos, poor environments, bad entertainment produces a life of peace. Peace is the person of Jesus. Many think they can obtain peace through earthly rewards and treasures. If that was so, why is there a mental health crisis. Why are so many people anxious, depressed even when they are millionaires, or considered financially well off? Why is it that celebrities who have nice homes, nice cars, nice clothing, still lack peace? Social media has become a weapon used against one another to boast about life and vanity. Those who lust after the things of this world gain nothing. Those who envy others are left with bitter hearts. Those who complain about the things they do have are sinning. Many have found their worth in what they do, in their achievements or recognition. But what if the only recognition you get is not from others but those in your own home.

Homemakers are very impactful when they serve their offspring. Through guidance and wisdom mothers build independent children who will one day grow up and have responsibilities and duties as an adult. In our home, we try to simply life through eliminating kids using electronics, minimizing tv time, monitoring tv shows, playing outside as a priority, homeschooling the children to keep their innocence and purity, making board games, card games, books entertainment. We try to include the children in home responsibilities like picking up after their selves, help with setting the tables, making their beds. We believe this gives them appreciation for their house and their belongings. As a wife I desire to give my husband and my children an environment where they feel peace, security, and calmness. The desire to live a quiet life, has helped us to priorities the things that matter, like our faith and relationship with Jesus, our family togetherness and unity, aspiration to harmonize as family members. We have grown together through quality time spent. Culture tries to divide the family through work, distractions, media, money. It’s time to go against the grain, and fight for family not against it.

Reflection:

We should consider is more money worth leaving your home.

Is your debt-to-income ratio too high?

Is public attention more important than personal relationships in your home?

Are you trying to build your kingdom or God’s?

Do you find worth in things or in God?

Is your family worth fighting for?

References:

Proverbs 31:27 (TPT)

She watches over the ways of her household and meets every need they have.

1 Peter 3:2 (TPT)

For when they observe your pure, godly life before God, it will impact them deeply.

Proverbs 17:1 (TPT)

A simple, humble life with peace and quiet is far better than an opulent lifestyle with nothing but quarrels and strife at home.

FLOURISH IN GOD

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 20:14:26 GMT

Psalms 92:12 TPT

Yes! Look how you’ve made all your devoted lovers to flourish like palm trees, each one growing in victory, standing with strength!

Psalms 92:12 TPT

God the creator of heaven and earth and all its living organisms grow live according to his will. He speaks life and creation is formed. In Genesis we see God speaking all things into existence. In the Gospels, we see Jesus speak death, and a fig tree is cursed, shriveled up and dies. At the sounds of Our Creator's voice, demons tremble, mountain shake, sickness is healed, deaf can hear, dead are raised. God hold all Power and Authority in heaven and on earth. Here in this scripture, the psalmist shares God's ability to Flourish those who love him.

According to the online dictionary flourish ( verb) - (of a person, animal, or other living organism) grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a particularly favorable environment.

God desires for those who are devoted to him, through word and deed to flourish like the palm trees. He delights in his beloved children's growth, victory and strength. He declares with his mouth according to his will LIFE over us. Such a GOOD GOD! Matchless God! God rejoices in our love toward Him. He loves to hear our praise, our worship and our adoration. He pours out his favor upon those who love him, with a sincere heart.

Like Jeus the bridegroom loves to watch his bride (the church) radiate in glory. The bride longs to make herself worthy to adorn, worthy to proclaim to be His, worthy to become one with Him. The Bride of Christ devotes her love to Him and only Him. Revelation 19:7 (TPT) "Let us rejoice and exalt him and give him glory, because the wedding celebration of the Lamb has come. And his bride has made herself ready. "Revelation 21:2 (TPT) I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, descending out of the heavenly realm from the presence of God, like a pleasing bride that had been prepared for her husband, adorned for her wedding .

These promises of the bride in the book of Revelation, is only for the remnant, the bride who loves her Bridegroom with all of her heart, mind, and soul. This is the greatest command. We enter into a covenant with our Bridgeroom, that provides an inheritance that is nothing like this world can offer, it's abundant, and everlasting, above all you can ever hope, think or imagine.

Reference :

John 3:29 (TPT)

He is the Bridegroom, and the bride belongs to him. I am the friend of the Bridegroom who stands nearby and listens with great joy to the Bridegroom’s voice. Because of his words, my joy is complete and overflows!

Matthew 22:37 (TPT) Jesus answered him, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with every passion of your heart, with all the energy of your being, and with every thought that is within you.’

Titus 3:7 (TPT)

So as a gift of his love, and since we are faultless— innocent before his face— we can now become heirs of all things , all because of an overflowing hope of eternal life.

Ephesians 3:20 (TPT)

Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you.

Prayer:

Set me apart for you, my bridegroom. I want to be your devoted lover. Set my heart ablaze for you. Grow me into the bride that you died for and that you are coming back for. I want to be your flourishing beloved.

I Want to Be Different

Sun, 19 Jan 2025 14:35:01 GMT

Romans 12:2 (TPT)

"Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes." Romans 12:2 TPT

A cry of my heart for years now is a song written by Micah Tyler, Different. The lyrics are:

I don't wanna hear anymore, teach me to listen
I don't wanna see anymore, give me a vision
That you could move this heart, to be set apart

I don't need to recognize, the man in the mirror
And I don't wanna trade Your plan, for something familiar
I can't waste a day, I can't stay the same

I wanna be different
I wanna be changed
'Til all of me is gone
And all that remains
Is a fire so bright
The whole world can see
That there's something different
So come and be different
In me

And I don't wanna spend my life, stuck in a pattern
And I don't wanna gain this world but lose what matters
And so I'm giving up, everything because

I know that I am far from perfect (oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh)
But through You, the cross still says I'm worth it (oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh)
So take this beating in my heart and
Come and finish what You started
When they see me, let them see You
'Cause I just wanna be different, yeah

The truth is humanity likes comfort. Our flesh is easily persuaded to resist change. Change to many is like a bad word. Change brings so much insecurity towards their comfort and peace of mind. But what if we perceive change as metamorphous. Like a caterpillar going through metamorphous to change to a beautiful butterfly. Wings didn't grow in a day, it's a process. The caterpillar must consume lots of food, before it chooses to go into its crystalis stage. This stage is similar to a term we are more aware of such as hibernation, aka seclusion. God is a gentleman he won't force you to consume his WORD (BIBLE), and then lock you in a house and demand that you transform over night. Rather He will inspire you be the Holy Spirit to desire him and his word, detach yourself from people, places, and things that are of this world and this culture, and begin to conform you. God has given us free-will draw near to him, and he will draw near to us. (James 4:8)

Change begins to occur when you yield to the potter's hand, like clay we begin the process of transformation. Scripture says

in 2 Corinthians 4:7-9,"We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 8We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed but not driven to despair. 9We are hunted down but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies."

Many Christians love the idea of salvation,

redemption and restoration. But few like the process of sanctification and

purification. Our flesh is being crucified, when we say yes to God and obey his

word, his voice, and his ways. God's kingdom is contrast to the world. It's

righteous, it's pure, it's holy, it's just, it's true, it's light. Like dirty

clothes that have been stained, they go into the washer, hot water, soap, and

intense spinning begin to pull out the impurities. We must allow the Holy-Spirit

to pull out our impurities. The psalmist cries out ," Search me, O God,

and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in

me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life."

Psalms 139:23-24 (NLT) We should take the time for self-reflection, look in the

mirror and begin to have God show you the areas in our lives that are not

pleasing to him. He is so merciful and forgiving. He gives us the ability to do

what pleases him through his grace.2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT) "Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works

best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the

power of Christ can work through me."

Jesus is the master at creating masterpieces.

He can take a black and white canvas a create something beautiful. About 6

years ago, i had a dream of a male's thumb dipped in colored paint stroking

color onto a black and white canvas board. God reminded me that he's not done

yet, he is making all things beautiful in his time.

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) For we are

God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the

good things he planned for us long ago.

Prayer:

Dear God, I want to reflect your Son Jesus.

Purify me Lord. Renew me till all of me is gone, and all of you remains. I want

to be DIFFERENT.

References:

Ephesians 4:24 (TPT)

And to be transformed as you embrace the

glorious Christ-within as your new life and live in union with him! For God has

re-created you all over again in his perfect righteousness, and you now belong

to him in the realm of true holiness.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (TPT)

We can all draw close to him with the veil

removed from our faces. And with no veil we all become like mirrors who

brightly reflect the glory of the Lord Jesus . We are being transfigured into

his very image as we move from one brighter level of glory to another. And this

glorious transfiguration comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Romans 12:1 (TPT)

Beloved friends, what should be our proper

response to God’s marvelous mercies? To surrender yourselves to God to be his

sacred, living sacrifices. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights

his heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship.

The Fight For Family

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 18:37:08 GMT

Mark 10:9 NLT

8And the husband and wife will be joined as one flesh, and after that they no longer exist as two, but one flesh. 9So there you have it. What God has joined together, no one has the right to split apart.” (Mark 10:8-9 NLT)

The nuclear family, is God's original design, husband and wife coming together as one flesh, multiplying offspring and becoming a unified family. It is clear God designed marriage to be a lifetime. He never intended there to be division. It says that Satan the thief comes with a purpose, " is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." (John 10:10 NLT) God's purpose is opposite he came to bring union through his love. Union of family members provides a satisfying and rich life. Disunity of family members affects the quality of life in negative ways.

When a family is supportive, harmonious, connected, and collaborative it builds a structure like walls that guard the enemy from invasion.

Think of your home, with a wall of fire around it. The Lord gave me a scripture that gave me vision on how to pray for my family. In Zechariah 2:5 (AMP)

“For I,’ declares the Lord , ‘will be a wall of fire around her [protecting her from enemies], and I will be the glory in her midst.’”. The fire is the Lord, our protector. When we as a family are surrounded by “enemies” this could be relational conflict, physical challenges and attacks like illnesses, financial scarcity, emotional attacks like depression, anxiety. We can trust God to be our Glory in the middle/midst of the spiritual war around us. In these moments, we must run to God and seek him believing that his glory (manifested nature) will encounter us and breakthrough. Jesus didn’t promise that we wouldn’t go through trials but what he does promise is his nearness and comfort in the midst of trials. “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NLT) Our heart must become steadfast and fixed on the Lord Jesus, who is our Victory. We must pursue Him who has all grace and all sufficiency to provide all we need to endure through trials. We must not divide in the midst of enemy attacks. We must fight for togetherness no matter the cost, sacrificing everything to keep the bond of family.

For the Fight for Family:

Separation in arguments, disagreements, chaos, troubles is never the answer. Remember these words from my wise husband, “I am not the problem. You are not the problem. The problem is the Problem. Let's come together to fight the problem.” We are aware that communication takes time, so agree to unite to talk within a reasonable time that day to problem solve and reconnect. Often times we give too much room for the devil to come and bring offense, or feelings of defeat. Instead pursue earnestly to reconcile as fast as possible. Remember, every family member is entitled to opinions, the goal is not to “win” the fight, rather it's to create collaboration to gain new strengths, and understand weaknesses of one another to build together and grow together. Take time to actively listen, take time for the other person to speak before interrupting, take time to personally reflect. “Life is fragile, handle with prayer” is a quote we have in our home. The truth is prayer alone and prayer together gives us wisdom on how to handle life difficulties. Often when trails come, I began to pray for HELP from God. I acknowledge my need for God’s wisdom, his love, and his truth to overcome the darkness that surrounds me. Prayer is essential! We must not let a day go by without asking for God to protect of our family, our hearts, our minds, and our physical body. When an individual in the family is under attack, join forces with one another, lay hands, and intercede on their behalf. This is the power of unity and faith.

The bible provides a recipe for a harmonious home. Read Colossians 3:12-20. There are many bible verses, and books that I have read that has inspired me to fight for family the biblical way. Live a lifestyle of forgiveness, continue to extend mercy to others, ask mercy from God, and desire to live at peace. Holy living establishes God's Kingdom here on earth. You and Your family display the Goodness of God, and the power of the Cross through your daily lives and actions.

Reference:

James 1:12 (AMP)

Blessed [happy, spiritually prosperous, favored by God] is the man who is steadfast under trial and perseveres when tempted; for when he has passed the test and been approved, he will receive the [victor’s] crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

1 Peter 1:7 (AMP)

so that the genuineness of your faith, which is much more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested and purified by fire, may be found to result in [your] praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

James 1:3 (AMP)

Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace].

Ephesians 4:32 (NLT)

Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Prayer: Dear God, help me to walk in love and unity with my family. Teach me your ways, help me to extend mercy and forgive as often as needed. Give me courage to fight for the unity of this family. Unify us, transform us, till we look like you. Amen.

The Sovereignty of Time

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 16:26:50 GMT

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

"1 For everything there is a season,

a time for every activity under heaven.

2A time to be born and a time to die.

A time to plant and a time to harvest.

3A time to kill and a time to heal.

A time to tear down and a time to build up.

4A time to cry and a time to laugh.

A time to grieve and a time to dance.

5A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.

A time to embrace and a time to turn away.

6A time to search and a time to quit searching.

A time to keep and a time to throw away.

7A time to tear and a time to mend.

A time to be quiet and a time to speak.

8A time to love and a time to hate.

A time for war and a time for peace.

9What do people really get for all their hard work? 10I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. 11Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. 12So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. 13And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God. 14And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him. 15What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again." [Ecclesiastes 3:1-15 NLT]

Solomon was described to be one of the wisest men who ever lived. In this book Solomon writes about the sovereignty of time. In 2021, I personally was going through a season of hardship, I had been a single mom with two daughters, and divorcee for a few years. During these years my relationship with God was growing, I read God's word and held onto many scriptures that I found in the Word of God as personal promises from God himself. Although life through many curve balls, I was confident in who God is. His character and His nature were more real to me than ever before. However, there would be times that I would experience the "dark night of the soul". Loneliness, and despair had begun to creep in at my door. In my spirit, I knew and was confident that God was and forever will be enough. However, in my mind I was being oppressed by ungodly spirits, that spoke these lies causing despair. But God's truth and light broke in through the darkness one day. I received a revelation of Gods truth, that silenced the lies once and for all.

The Lord brought to remembrance an encounter I had in my prayer closest during the early days of marital infidelity in 2018. Around 3.m. in the morning, when I couldn't sleep, I began to pray with tears and cries. Then I encountered Jesus through a vision. I had seen the silhouette of Jesus, holding a baby girl in the palm of his hands, I was given the knowing that it was me. Then the scene switched to the back of Jesus' silhouette wearing a white robe and sitting on his lap was a young girl, I was given the knowing that it was me. Then the scene switched to a woman, laying against Jesus' chest comforted by his heartbeat. I had a knowing it was me. Then the dream ended. God reminded me that day once again that He has always been with me, and He never left me. This led me to repent on behalf of my soul that agreed with the lies of loneliness. Through repentance of agreeing with the lie, loneliness lost its power and I was liberated and set free once and for all. Rejection, abandonment and loneliness tried to break me, but God used what the enemy meant for evil and turned it around for good and His glory. (Romans 8:28)

Those four years was hard. A marriage died. There was much grief. There were many tears.

But, that season didn't last forever. Rejection, abandonment and loneliness tried to break me, but God used what the enemy meant for evil and turned it around for good and His glory. (Romans 8:28) Crying out to God, I asked for hope for the future once again, I had this epiphany "God is time. God created time. Why wouldn't I trust him with time?" Instantly, a new hope arose within my spirit, "I trust In God's plan." There was so much comfort in the unknown future. No matter what the future held, I know God holds the future. As began to murmur up a melody to myself a childhood Christian nursery rhyme, "He has the whole world in His hands."

Fairytales aren't real, and life isn't always perfect, we are informed by Solomon the writer, that God has a time for everything. The most important thing we can do is stay with God, remember he has not abandoned you, and trust in his will, his time, his sovereignty.

In Summer of 2021, I began to use my time to grow. I focused all my energy on becoming a disciple, raising mini disciples, gaining wisdom, sustaining my health, build friendships, and enjoy fellowship with the body of Christ. That year, I entreprenerd as a women's life coach, and faith blogger. I began to use my time to help other woman, mind, body, and spirit. Anxiousness and impatience of experiencing an "ideal future" no longer consumed my mind. I relinquished my will for Gods. I began to be content where I was and therefore embraced the journey of each and every day as a blessing. Early 2024, God said it was time, Justin and I divinely crossed paths. We both felt the Lord affirming it was his will, his time, and his way. God uses life trials to mold us, shape us and transform us. Embrace the journey, trust God's process.

Reflection:

Perhaps you're waiting for God to "do" something for you or for things to change for the better. I encourage you to ask God, "where you trying to teach me in this?

Reference:

1 Peter 4:12 (NLT)

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.

1 Peter 1:6 (NLT)

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.

Romans 5:3 (NLT)

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.

John 16:33 (NLT)

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Romans 8:28 (TPT)

So we are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together for good, for we are his lovers who have been called to fulfill his designed purpose.

The Good News & New Life

Sat, 04 Jan 2025 17:49:20 GMT

The Good News

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:28 ESV

The truth is, "'for we all have sinned and are in need of the glory of God. "Romans 3:23. Born into sin, because of the great fall that took place in the Garden of Eden, Eve and Adam was tempted and lost the right standing with God. The GOOD NEWS is God is so merciful; he didn't leave us that way. We read in, Romans 3:25-26 " Jesus’ God-given destiny was to be the sacrifice to take away sins, and now he is our mercy seat because of his death on the cross. We come to him for mercy, for God has made a provision for us to be forgiven by faith in the sacred blood of Jesus. This is the perfect demonstration of God’s justice, because until now, he had been so patient holding back his justice out of his tolerance for us. So, he covered over the sins of those who lived prior to Jesus’ sacrifice. And when the season of tolerance came to an end, there was only one possible way for God to give away his righteousness and still be true to both his justice and his mercy—to offer up his own Son. So now, because we stand on the faithfulness of Jesus, God declares us righteous in his eyes!"

Thank you, God, for sending Jesus, the atonement for out sin. Our debt of sin has been paid once in for all, by faith we can receive his blood as a sacrifice and payment to cover us. The blood of Jesus washes away all our sin. Hallelujah!

Prior to Jesus, the Jews practiced Jewish law, they received forgiveness once a year, by going to the temple, and the high priest would burn an offering (often a spotless lamb) to atone for the sins of the people. Now, we no longer need to receive forgiveness through a "holy man" but directly through the Lamb himself, Jesus the Messiah.

Repentance is needed in order to receive forgiveness. Repentance takes place in the heart. The condition of the heart must be sincere remorse. Repentance is when you change your mind, and the direction of where you were once going. True repentance looks like making a 180 degree and choosing to no longer follow sin. How we think, effects how we live. When we truly regret sin, and decide to follow Jesus, we are promised the gift of the HOLY Spirit. In John 14:26,"But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you." The Holy- Spirit is also referred to as the helper, it is the spirit of Jesus that dwells within the believer to empower the believer to live a life pleasing to the Father. The Holy-Spirit's work is to bear fruit in us. "22But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT)

Galatians 5:16 (TPT) " Let me emphasize this: As you yield to the dynamic life and power of the Holy Spirit, you will abandon the cravings of your self-life." Galatians 5:17 (TPT) When your self-life craves the things that offend the Holy Spirit, you hinder him from living free within you! And the Holy Spirit’s intense cravings hinder your self-life from dominating you! So then, the two incompatible and conflicting forces within you are your self-life of the flesh and the new creation life of the Spirit.

There is a baptism that takes place in the spiritual realm, our old life is crucified with Jesus Christ, and our new life begins. Jesus and his followers like John the Baptist, and other disciples encourage water baptism as a public sign of crucifying our old life of sin and becoming a new. We have been made righteous through faith, its a free gift. Not by works, can we become righteous. "Yet through his powerful declaration of acquittal, God freely gives away his righteousness. His gift of love and favor now cascades over us, all because Jesus, the Anointed One, has liberated us from the guilt, punishment, and power of sin!"(Romans 3:24 TPT)

God love us so incredibly much, that he sent his Son to reconcile us back to him, giving us a right standing, and closing the gap of separation sin caused. Now we receive our great inheritance, to call God, ABBA our heavenly father, who promises us a life of eternity with him, forever and ever. John 3:18 (TPT) "So now there is no longer any condemnation for those who believe in him, but the unbeliever already lives under condemnation because they do not believe in the name of the only Son of God." Today, i encourage you by the Holy-Spirit, to not let one more minute pass you by, "For this is the day of Salvation"

Reference:

John 3:16 (TPT)

For here is the way God loved the world—he gave his only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life.

2 Corinthians 6:2 (TPT)

For he says, I listened to you at the time of my favor. And the day when you needed salvation, I came to your aid. So can’t you see? Now is the time to respond to his favor! Now is the day of salvation!

Prayer:

Dear God, thank you for sending

your Son, to take the penalty of sin and death from me, by the blood that was

sacrificed and poured out. I receive your blood as an atonement. Thank you for

washing me white as snow. Thank you I am raised to life and am a new creation

in you. I receive you to be my Salvation and Lord. Thank you for your Holy

Spirit, guide me into all truth. Amen.

Spiritually Fit

Thu, 02 Jan 2025 16:27:02 GMT

1 Timothy 4:8

"For athletic training only benefits you for a short season but righteousness brings lasting benefit in everything; for righteousness contains the promise of life, for time and eternity."

-1 Timothy 4:8

The analogy of fitness physically to spiritually is used often when bringing context to the struggle and fight that it takes to achieve the goal that was placed before training starts. I would say that the goal of overcoming the cursed life we were placed in after Adam sinned is a struggle and fight to overcome. Our First Birth was born into sin, but our Second Birth is one of Victory. When it comes to hard things, people often shy away or fear the failure looking back at them. They bring doubt and anxiousness into the equation and freeze at the start line. For those brave enough to start, buckle up! Training takes discipline and over-whelming desire to stay the course. In 1 Timothy, the message is consistency and discipline in the right direction brings the ultimate reward. We can look to our physical training in the same light as spiritual training. The demand for righteousness is large, but the reward through the struggle is Salvation in Christ! Stay the course! Flee from wrongdoing and embrace the Lord for true strength will be found in him.

For it is not just of the body we offer fitness, but Faith Fit is for your consistency and discipline to condition and strengthen your faith through prayer and pursuit of the real almighty strength, Jesus Christ.

This World Needs Fathers

Fri, 27 Dec 2024 16:11:45 GMT

1 Timothy 3:1-4 TPT

1 Timothy 3:1-4

1If any of you aspires to be an overseer in the church; you have set your heart toward a noble ambition, for the word is true!

2Yet an elder needs to be one who is without blame before others.

He should be one whose heart is for his wife alone and not another woman . He should be recognized as one who is sensible, and well-behaved, and living a disciplined life. He should be a “spiritual shepherd” who has the gift of teaching, and is known for his hospitality.

3He cannot be a drunkard, or someone who lashes out at others, or argumentative, or someone who simply craves more money, but instead, recognized by his gentleness.

4His heart should be set on guiding his household with wisdom and dignity; bringing up his children to worship with devotion and purity. 5For if he’s unable to properly lead his own household well, how could he properly lead God’s household?

The biggest epidemic in America in my opinion is the fatherless households. Research has proven that a household without a father has great detrimental impact to the overall wellbeing of the family. Single moms are more likely to live in poverty, adolescences are more likely to use drugs and alcohol, gang affiliation, engage in fornication resulting in teenage pregnancies, decline in academics and less likely to graduate from high school. This should break our hearts and give us a desire to fight for flourishing families. Families are barely surviving, nearly 70 percent of marriages are ending in divorce in America. The reality is you can maintain a marriage and beat statistics, or you can aim even higher and have a godly marriage that defeats the possibility of becoming a statistic. Ecclesiastes sates, "that a three braided cord is not easily broken", this symbolizes the strength of a husband wife with God centered (Ecclesiastes 4:12). My husband and I have both walked through divorces. We wish it upon no one. However, there are so many life lessons we learned God must be our foundation. Being single for 7 years, prior to meeting Justin, I was on pursuit to learn what it takes to have a successful marriage and family. I pursued a bachelor's in Christian psychology emphasizing in Family and Theology the study of Scripture. In my pursuit of truth, God's word made it clear that marriage is so sacred. God delights in the family unit. He designed marriage to look like Jesus the bridegroom, and the church as the bride. All throughout scripture, we read about the agape "unconditional" love God has for his church the bride. God is relentless to pursue the church with a desire to love, protect, provide, and sustain her.

Husbands are called to be the head of the household, it's a holy calling to lead the home. This leadership flourishes when the husbands lead from a servant's heart and who choose to become the "spiritual shepherd" of his home. A spiritual shepherd cares for his flock, not only physically but spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. A spiritual father provides his flock with a covering. His devotion to Christ and his family releases the favor of God and generational blessing through his obedience and sacrifice.

In Ephesians , Paul writes about relationships, "

21And out of your reverence for Christ be supportive of each other in love. 22For wives, this means being devoted to your husbands like you are tenderly devoted to our Lord, 23for the husband provides leadership for the wife, just as Christ provides leadership for his church, as the Savior and Reviver of the body. 24In the same way the church is devoted to Christ, let the wives be devoted to their husbands in everything.

25And to the husbands, you are to demonstrate love for your wives with the same tender devotion that Christ demonstrated to us, his bride. For he died for us, sacrificing himself 26to make us holy and pure, cleansing us through the showering of the pure water of the Word of God. 27 All that he does in us is designed to make us a mature church for his pleasure, until we become a source of praise to him—glorious and radiant, beautiful and holy, without fault or flaw.

28Husbands have the obligation of loving and caring for their wives the same way they love and care for their own bodies, for to love your wife is to love your own self. 29No one abuses his own body, but pampers it—serving and satisfying its needs. That’s exactly what Christ does for his church! 30 He serves and satisfies us as members of his body.

Fathers have the opportunity to lead children to "The Father God" not by words alone but by action and communication. Children are like sponges, the soak up the environment around them. They pick up what they see. They are influenced very easily. When a father loves his wife, he is demonstrating godliness and providing and example of a healthy relationship. When a father disciplines out of love he is setting a standard of morals, and values that will add virtue and character to the child. In Proverbs 3:12 (TPT), it states ,"For the Father’s discipline comes only from his passionate love and pleasure for you. Even when it seems like his correction is harsh, it’s still better than any father on earth gives to his child." In Hebrews 12:7 (TPT) it states, "Fully embrace God’s correction as part of your training, for he is doing what any loving father does for his children. For who has ever heard of a child who never had to be corrected?"

Fathers can empower and encourage their children to develop good character through demonstration. As children are spiritually guided and nurtured by their parents, they can beat the odds that are against them. Fathers we need you. Your role is irreplaceable. Take you position! Heaven is cheering you on.!

A Christian Household

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 14:41:32 GMT

Colossians 3:18-20 TPT

18Let every wife be supportive and tenderly devoted to her husband, for this is a beautiful illustration of our devotion to Christ. 19Let every husband be filled with cherishing love for his wife and never be insensitive toward her. 20Let the children respect and pay attention to their parents in everything for this pleases our Lord Jesus.

A Christian Household involves mutual submission. For a wife this means willingly following her husband's leadership in Jesus. For the husbands, this means putting aside his own interests in order to care for his wife. When both husband and wife follow Christ and live like Christ submission to one another this strengthens a relationship and bring spiritual harmony within the home. Together the two create a one-ness, neither has become a tyrant nor a doormat to be walked on. Instead, they create marital bliss, and satisfaction when they desire to devote themselves to the overall good for one another. Men are called to be the head of the household. When a man is first submitted to God, he leads by the Holy- Spirit making decisions that align with God's word, and God's character. This should include caring for her, as he cares for his own self. When a woman submits to her husband out of reverence for Christ Jesus, she is displaying honor and respect towards her earthly King as unto the Lord. Submission is when we put our own desires to the side and begin to live a life serving one another with care. The life of Jesus displays a bridegroom, who cares for his bride (the church) through serving which requires sacrifice. May our lives be an offering of worship to God as we demonstrate his love for another.

[Read Ephesians 5 for context- " 21And out of your reverence for Christ be supportive of each other in love. 22For wives, this means being devoted to your husbands like you are tenderly devoted to our Lord, 23for the husband provides leadership for the wife, just as Christ provides leadership for his church, as the Savior and Reviver of the body. 24In the same way the church is devoted to Christ, let the wives be devoted to their husbands in everything."]

As wives, we should display support towards our spouse. For we have been created to become each other's helpmate. A suitable helpmate serves and builds up. We can provide unconditional love, infused by grace towards our spouse. When we display virtues, we are creating an atmosphere of glory on earth. Devote yourself to become a servant in your marriage and in your home. Choose to labor in love for those God placed around you. To be like Christ in our relationships and in our family, is to bring the Kingdom of heaven here on earth. Through a holy marriage, children develop recognition of what is good. This develops a standard of morals, and values our children need before they enter into the world outside the home. Our home should create a sacred refuge for each member of the family. This world we live in is evil in all its ways, and we must become intentional to make our homes safe havens that contain the presence of God. God abides where he is welcomed. God looks for a holy habitation he can dwell.

Have you dedicated your home to the Lord?

have you dedicated your marriage to the Lord?

have you dedicated your family to the Lord?

I encourage you to take Colossians 3:12-17, and apply it to your life. Ask God to help you.

" 12You are always and dearly loved by God! So robe yourself with virtues of God , since you have been divinely chosen to be holy. Be merciful as you endeavor to understand others, and be compassionate, showing kindness toward all. Be gentle and humble, unoffendable in your patience with others. 13Tolerate the weaknesses of those in the family of faith, forgiving one another in the same way you have been graciously forgiven by Jesus Christ. If you find fault with someone, release this same gift of forgiveness to them. 14For love is supreme and must flow through each of these virtues. Love becomes the mark of true maturity.

15Let your heart be always guided by the peace of the Anointed One, who called you to peace as part of his one body. And always be thankful.

16Let the word of Christ live in you richly, flooding you with all wisdom. Apply the Scriptures as you teach and instruct one another with the Psalms, and with festive praises, and with prophetic songs given to you spontaneously by the Spirit, so sing to God with all your hearts! "

Reflection:

What virtues need to be developed, that would bring forth a holy home?

Forgiveness?

Grace?

Kindness?

Patience?

Devotion?

Submission?

Meekness?

Compassion?

We Harvest, What We Plant

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 04:29:14 GMT

Galatians 6:7-10 TPT

7God will never be mocked! For what you plant will always be the very thing you harvest. 8 The harvest you reap reveals the seed that you planted . If you plant the corrupt seeds of self-life into this natural realm, you can expect a harvest of corruption. If you plant the good seeds of Spirit-life you will reap beautiful fruits that grow from the everlasting life of the Spirit.

9And don’t allow yourselves to be weary in planting good seeds, for the season of reaping the wonderful harvest you’ve planted is coming! 10Take advantage of every opportunity to be a blessing to others, especially to our brothers and sisters in the family of faith!

[Galatians 6:7-10 TPT]

Every day we have the opportunity to be a blessing to those around us, to live a life pleasing to God, to display God's goodness, and fulfill the will of God. Through our actions, our thoughts and our words we have the ability to produce good things. Every choice we make is a seed, that gets put into the ground. The seeds that are given water, and sun, develop into a little seedling, eventually growing a crop, this is symbolic of good deeds produced by the Holy Spirit. There are seeds that are placed into the ground, the soil is hard, lacking nutrients, and never develops into a seedling, it dies. This is symbolic of wick deeds produced by the carnal flesh.

For the last several years, I have enjoyed how to garden in my own backyard. It is not as easy as it looks, but it was so rewarding to see growth. Before planting seeds into the new pot, I had to make sure the soil was fresh and new removing the old before the new seed was planted. The pot symbolizes the heart, daily we should come to God for his cleansing, asking for forgiveness of anything that would hinder growth. Next, i would make sure the pots had a hole for drainage, i learned that you can easily overwater plants and that water has no ability to drain out. Water symbolizes the Living Water, the Holy Spirit. We need to allow Jesus to flow through us, not to become a holding tank of his word that then loses its freshness and becomes dormant but a vessel that his spirit can provide all that we need each and every day when we get washed by the Word of God. This allows a filtering system, the old is removed and the new is emerging the seedling. Next, each plant would require sun, I found that temperature and climate have an overwhelming effect on whether the seedling flourishes or barley becomes a plant. In the right temperature the plant thrives. The sun symbolizes Jesus the Son, as Christians we need to be in contact with our Savior. We need to be under his cascading light. We need his light to shine through us, giving us the nutrients to grow vigorously.

It's important to take note that each seed, has an approximate germinating time till it begins to develop into a seedling. Paul reminds us in the verse above, "to not get weary in well doing." As gardeners of our heart, we must tend to the seed day in and day out. A beautiful garden doesn't grow in one day. We must build character of perseverance to continue doing what is right, and what is necessary, to receive a harvest. God is more concerned of the condition of the heart. Time is in God's hand. Trusting the process of sowing and reaping, knowing God is faithful to reward those who diligently seek him and his ways.

For the believer, this looks like, daily prayer, daily bible devotions, character building, loving and serving others, practicing gratitude, becoming a disciple and sharing the gospel, etc. There are many ways we can sow seeds of righteousness. For the spouse, the way we sow positively into our spouse effecting their growth. For the parents, we can sow positively into our children. For the employee/ employer we can sow positively into the work environment. For the citizen, we can sow positively into the community.

Reference:

Matthew 13:38 (TPT)

And the field is the world. The good seeds I sow are the children of the kingdom realm. The weeds are the children of the Evil One,

Hebrews 11:6 (TPT)

And without faith living within us it would be impossible to please God. For we come to God in faith knowing that he is real and that he rewards the faith of those who passionately seek him.

Proverbs 11:18 (TPT)

Evil people may get a short-term gain, but to sow seeds of righteousness will bring a true and lasting reward.

Today pray with me:

Jesus, help me to sow seeds of righteousness from a pure heart, willing and ready to bring you glory and knowing you will produce the harvest. Amen

True Worship

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 17:55:24 GMT

Romans 12:1 TPT

Beloved friends, what should be our proper response to God’s marvelous mercies? To surrender yourselves to God to be his sacred, living sacrifices. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights his heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship. [Romans 12:1]

Genuine worship is when we live a life pleasing to God.

It's not merely words spoken with music notes playing in the background. It's not a performance nor a record label. Rather it is sincere adoration toward God, that is displayed through action. Surrendering to God by volunteering your life, to become all who God called you to be. It is a heart posture of reverence and honor towards God for all He is, all He's done, and forever He will be. True worship starts by what you look at, what you behold (focus on). Idolatry happens when we worship anything more than God. If you begin to behold God, Christ Jesus, His Word, the Holy Spirit, you open up your heart to Him, then we can worship God by adorning his goodness. God is all good. There is not one blemish in Him, therefore He is Holy!

"The Lord Most High is astonishing, awesome beyond words! He's the formidable and powerful King over all the Earth. [Psalm47:2]

"For God is the triumphant King; all the powers of the earth are his, so sing your celebration songs of highest praise to the glorious Enlightened One. [Psalms 47:7 TPT]

"There are so many reasons to describe God as wonderful! So many reasons to praise Him with unlimited praise! [Psalms 48:1 TPT]

"Lord, as we worship you in your temple, we recall over and over your kindness to us and your unending love."[Psalm 48:9]

Worship is not a time slot at church, it can happen the moment you open your eyes and wake up.

You can start by saying, "Thank you God for _________".

My worship often starts like this... "Thank you God for a new ay, thank you god for salvation. Thank you Jesus for your redemption, for saving me. Thank you, Jesus for the blood, thank you Jesus for the blood that was shed for me. Thank you God for reconciling me to yourself. Thank you for new life in Christ. You are worthy of my worship. You are worthy of my praise. You are worthy to proclaim. You are the King of kings, you are the Lord of Lord, there is no god like you, you are perfect in all your ways. Thank you for your love and forgiveness. You are faithful, you are kind, you are merciful. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for your promises for me are Yes and amen. Thank you for your Word. Thank you for your Holy-Spirit. You are my Lord, my King, you deserve all the glory. Let my life be worship to you.

Amen."

I pray you begin to allow your vision and meditation of your mind and heart to Behold the King.

In prayer.

At church.

In nature.

As your lying down.

As your driving.

Anywhere, Anytime!

Jesus said in,

John 4:23-24 " From now on, worshiping the Father will not matter of the right place but with a right heart. For God is a Spirit, and he longs to have sincere worshipers who adore him in the realm of the Spirit and in Truth."

Seek to Serve

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 16:09:14 GMT

Mark 10:45 TPT

"For even the Son of Man did not come expecting to be served by everyone, but to serve everyone, and to give his life as a ransom price for salvation of many." [Mark 10:45] As Christians we are commanded to love. God has called us wives to be the helpmate of our husband. A biblical wife finds delight in serving her husband. And a biblical husband finds purpose in serving his wife. Together two servants can create an atmosphere of glory within the walls of a home. Creating a household built on servitude needs the help of the holy spirit to empower the believer. It says," we love, because He (Jesus) first loved us". [1 John 4:19] Through the inspiration of God who is love [1 John 4:16], and the Word who is God (John 1:1) has given me perspective towards my purpose as a woman of God. Yet as a daughter of God, I still wear many hats such as a wife, a mother, homemake r, member of the body of Christ. However, I acknowledge that apart from the Holy spirit at work in me, I could do no good thing, it's Jesus who enables me to love and serve in a manner that fulfills scripture and the law . This has become my first ministry, to labor in love for those around me. If I preach the gospel to those around me but had not loved, I am but a clinging symbol. [1 Corinthians 13:1-8]

In the book of Ephesians 5:21-24 it states, " 21 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

22 For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. 24 As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything."

Before I could become a submitted wife, I first had to learn how to submit to God. God's word carried weight. The reverence and honor I submitted to the Lord would then be given towards my husband. In my seven years of singleness, I desired to serve the Lord, I began by involving myself in children's ministry at the church, hosting a small women's bible study, helping the food ministry, I then began using my education in Christian Psychology to create biblical resources to help women grow in their faith through social media. To serve the body of Christ and the Church has been life changing. My heart became overwhelmed by the joy I received in giving and serving.

I learned how valuable the ways of the Kingdom of God were.

The Kingdom of God is contrast to the ways of this world.

The World promotes pride, the Kingdom promotes humility.

Love requires sacrifice.

Love requires selflessness.

Love is a choice.

Love is expressed through action.

In August 2024, I became a wife. As a wife, mother and homemaker I get to practice daily how to be like Jesus. How to deny myself, pick up my cross, and follow Jesus. [ Galatians 2:20] How to love without conditions, how to serve without hesitation, to become a utensil ready for God's work. [2 Timothy 2:21 NLT] Each day is a gift from God to be like his son Jesus who laid his life down for all. He became the sacrificial lamb for all humanity. He took upon himself our sins and nailed them to the cross. [1 Peter 2:24] His life is the perfect example of love. On the night that Jesus was betrayed, him and his disciples had their Last Super, Jesus kneeled down and washed his disciple's feet. [John 13:1-17] Jesus expresses " 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."

Whether its mundane things like cooking, cleaning, job duties, household duties, teaching children, taking care of children, etc., we can ask God for his love to infill us and empower us to do these things with honor, and joy. Not grudgingly, or bitterly, not complaining or self-pit. But to serve with the same heart as our Lord and Savior.

Reference:

2 Timothy 2:21
If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.

1 Peter 2:24

He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.

Reflection:

How can we begin to demonstrate servitude for those around us? Are there mindsets that need to be renewed? Will you ask the Lord today for humility, to take the position of a bond servant? Will you begin to find opportunities to offer your life to help those around you?

Prayer:

Lord, pour you spirit in me. Infill me with your love, so I may look for opportunities to serve like you do. I want to become a pure utensil ready for good work.

Amen.

Parents: Be the Messenger

Sat, 30 Nov 2024 17:47:17 GMT

Deuteronomy 11: 18-21 NLT

18 “So, commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 19 Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 20 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. 22 “Be careful to obey all these commands I am giving you. Show love to the Lord your God by walking in his ways and holding tightly to him. [Deuteronomy 11:18-22]

As Christian parents we have all been hit with the question, "How do I develop my child's faith? I know I have. I was a young mother, who was on a quest to deepen my faith so that I could share with my child the eternal gift of life in Jesus. I knew faith was not inherited, rather it's a personal choice to believe in God the father, and Jesus the Messiah.

So, I did as the bible wrote, I committed myself to the Word of God. I began to wake up in the middle of the night to read, to watch TBN and hear testimonies and preachings. As an infant, I began to sing her hymns and worship songs, I read her bible stories, and prayed with her and over her, I taught her how to say, "thank you Jesus, and amen", and took her to church weekly. I was dedicated to raising her in the things of God. At about 6 months, I did a baby dedication on a Sunday Morning at our church. This was a public declaration that as a parent I was dedicating my life and her life to God. I was committed to lead her in the faith. Many Catholics believe in baby baptism; however, Christians emphasize baby dedication. We believe baptisms should be done at an age when the person can make their own decisions to make a public decision to follow Christ.

This verse is simple instructions for parents to follow. It simply just requires action to be the messenger of the word to our offspring.

As parents we are the first representation of Christ ambassadors. are we living the example well, or are we causing them to turn from Christ?

It's not too late to start! you can start today! You can begin by sharing your testimony, a scripture, a story, watching a bible series like Chosen on a platform, take them to Sunday School.

I have been blessed with 4 children; my youngest 2 I just got the privilege of being their mother early this year. I felt as if God hand selected me to represent Christ in their little life as a godly role model. So, I had to start in the mundane everyday life. Following this scripture as the template for motherhood. We talk about Jesus all the time. From the rising of the sun to the setting of the moon. This allows faith to grow! Romans 10:17, "So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ."[NLT]

Christ's Soilders

Thu, 28 Nov 2024 18:57:02 GMT

2 Timothy 2:4-5

4For every soldier called to active duty must divorce himself from the distractions of this world so that he may fully satisfy the one who chose him.

5An athlete who doesn’t play by the rules will never receive the trophy, so remain faithful to God ! [2 Timothy 2:4-5 TPT]

We have been predestined to become children of the King of Kings. When he drew us to himself, and we said "yes" to the call to follow him, we became enlisted soldiers of God's army, the Kingdom of Light. The kingdom of light is hostile to the kingdom of darkness. We are now engaged in a spiritual war. Christ followers who are filled with the Holy-Spirit vs. those who have an Anti-Christ spirit. The apostle Paul enlightens us with the battle surrounding us. We cannot ignore it; we cannot deny it. The spiritual realm is just as real as the physical realm we live in. The book of Ephesians states in verse 11 of the 6th chapter,"11Put on God’s complete set of armor provided for us, so that you will be protected as you fight against the evil strategies of the accuser! 12Your hand-to-hand combat is not with human beings, but with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly realms. For they are a powerful class of demon-gods and evil spirits that hold this dark world in bondage. 13Because of this, you must wear all the armor that God provides so you’re protected as you confront the slanderer, for you are destined for all things and will rise victorious."[Ephesians 11-12] I encourage you to read the whole chapter for greater understanding.

This world is full of many distractions, deceptions, and lusts that will lure our soul in to become entangled by its dark web. We must resist. We must cling to the Word of God. We must separate ourselves from all unrighteousness. Our soul born into sin longs to crave its flesh. We must not entertain darkness. As born-again believers we should desire the spiritual fruit of self-control. According to the Webster's dictionary self-control means to have restraint, exercised over one's own impulses, emotions, or desires. There is a powerful and supernatural work of the Holy-Spirit within the believer that empowers to live a holy life and resist the enemy. Timothy writes to the church to divorce the affairs of this world. This involves a distinct separation of union between you and the world. We are called to be set apart and different from the world. We are called to be hot for the things of the Kingdom of God, not cold, nor lukewarm. Some become lukewarm when they began to compromise. However, if we are told to become soldiers of Christ, you cannot win victory of a battle by playing both sides. We must choose to be al in, sold out on fire, burning with love and devotion of Jesus.

Today let's adopt the mindset of an athlete who is training to win the prize. This prize is eternal, and the reward is Jesus.

Pray this with me: " Lord, I’m longing for more of your salvation, for I want to do what pleases you. " Psalms 119:66 TPT

Make me a self-controlled solider who burns with a desire to follow you and abandon this world, amen.

Reference: Self-control Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

Long Life In the Land Your Lord is Giving

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 16:45:33 GMT

Deuteronomy 4:40 (NLT)

" If you obey all the laws and commands that I will give you today, all will be well with you and your children. Then you will enjoy a long life in the land the Lord you God is giving you for all time ." (Deuteronomy 4:40 NLT)

According to the Webster Dictionary, the word condition is explained as:

: a premise upon which the fulfillment of an agreement depends : stipulation

obsolete : covenant

: a provision making the effect of a legal instrument contingent upon an uncertain event must meet the terms and conditions of the contract.

Reference: https://www.merriam-webster.com

Moses the author of Deuteronomy, the prophet, and the leader of the Jews stood between the people and God as a mouthpiece for the instructions of God to be delegated. Moses' encountered God as blazing fire on the mount of Sinai receiving the commandments of the Lord written on stone tablets. This glorious encounter was watched by the people from a distance as they trembled with the Fear of the Lord and his mighty power.

The people were given promises of God that were conditional if they choose to obey. Theses stipulations, laws, and regulations would give promises from God if and only if they revered Him and separated themselves from and idols and ways of Egypt. Prior to this great encounter at Mount Siaini the Jews experienced God's miraculous signs as the people journeyed on the great exodus out of Egypt, by the parting of the Red Sea, being able to walk across the sea floor and head toward the promise land that was given to our ancestors Abraham, Issac and Jacob. We can reflect on God's faithfulness all through Genesis, Exodus, and now Deuteronomy as He faithfully leads God people through his Word. God is a gentleman; He will not make people obey Him. He gives free will to all. We have the ability to obey or disobey. Through obedience we can and will receive the rich inheritance of promises. For all God's promises for his children who obey are "yes and Amen." There is a secure future for God's children. We don't have to be like nomads, lost wanders in this world. We are like Jacob, given a birth right of lavished love from our Abba (Father). If we don't understand our true identity as children of God, then we live from a place of an orphan spirit. Rather today you can TRUST that the Lord you God will keep His Promises when you obey because He is a good father.

Today, we read from the bible passage, that through our obedience our children will receive the generational blessing, of an enjoyable life. We can live in a place of peace knowing our hope in the Lord will not lead us to disappointment. "And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." Romans 5:5 NLT.

I am grateful, that I have the ability to influence my children through the life I live in Christ Jesus. As I steward my children, to follow and obey the Word of God, surely, I will reap what I have sown. This is the way of the kingdom. Jesus' disciples were intrigued with Jesus preaching about the Kingdom. Yet, they had not understood exactly what He meant just yet. Below we can read their dialogue to gain better understanding.

(reference)

Parable of the Mustard Seed

18Then Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate it? 19It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches.”

Parable of the Yeast

20He also asked, “What else is the Kingdom of God like? 21It is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”

(Luke 13 :18-21 NLT)

We can see that tiny faith like a mustard seed can grow into an enormous tree, that gives life to those around it. We can also imagine our good works like a little yeast that spreads through an entire batch of dough, so that it multiplies and expands the flour.

I want to encourage you to never stop pursuing the Lord our God. He is worthy to follow. He is the highest prize you and your children can ever go after.

He is God eternal.

Enjoy a long life in the land the Lord you God is giving you for all time. He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

Adorned Modestly

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 17:55:10 GMT

1 Timothy 2:9-10

" And that women would also pray with clean hearts, dressed appropriately and adorned modestly and sensibly, not flaunting their wealth. But they should be recognized instead by their beautiful deeds of kindness, suitable as one who worships God." 1Timothy 2:9-10

Timothy is writing to the church, to express the expectation of godly conduct for women of the faith. As women of the faith we shoud be recognized and known for the beauty within. There is a delight and a pleasure that woman can leave on others when we are clothed appropriately, speak kindly, display the fruit of the spirit, and reflect Jesus. Women of the world cloth themselves with golds and jewels, name brands, fancy clothes and handbags, minimal clothing hoping to attract others to be drawn to them. In contrast women of God, have found their identity and worth in God, they practice clothing themselves in grace, meekness, and humility, not drawing attention to their possesions or themselves but their character and good deeds. As an American young woman, I remeber the constant brain washing of Hollywood and media such as magazines and television influencing my idea of a "beautiful woman".No one ever showed me what a Christian woman should look like in scripture or in conversation. I grew up in the church but lacked the knowledge and application of the word in my life. I was caught in bewteen what the world was influencing and the conviction of "what would my dad think of my outfit". As a young woman I often would reflect on whether or not my parents would be pleased. This was the beginning of the Holy Spirit giving me discernment through small thoughts. Little did I know, my heavenly father was using my relationship with my earthy father to guide my decisions. Would this please my dad? and now as a more mature believer, i ask myself "Does this please my Heavenly Father? The holy spirit provides the truth. And it is my responsibility to obey or disobey. As a woman of God, we should heed to God's voice and his standards over any other voice in this world. We should cloth ourselves in modesty not allowing our bodies to cause our brothers in Christ to sin over us. For we will be judged for everything we do. My heart cringes for the times I disobeyed and became a slave to my flesh. I rationalized carnally and not spiritually. I allowed my insecurities in self-worth to gain validation by compliments of others. It's shameful to look back at the moments when I purchased clothes I should have never, wore heavy makeup to look fake, emphasized the importance of material possessions over who i really was without all the coverups. However, the desire for modesty didn't happen overnight, it was the gentle voice of God who spoke love over me again and again reminding me that I am loved, I am adorn, I am his workmanship, I am his daughter, I am his beloved. I eventually stopped craving the attention from others, because I was finally confident in who God made me. This God-fidence began to empower me to desire coverage, to take pride in keeping my body for my husband. I learned that my body was not mine, scripture says that our bodies are the temple of the living God. God lives inside the believer. Why would God want to dwell in a heart that is adulterous to Him? Why would God want to share this body with the world? Why would God want to dwell in a temple that was impure? He desires a holy habitation, a holy temple, a cleansed heart, a undefiled body, a sanctified and redeemed person.

When one begins to find their identity in God, the nature of God can then permeate through the individual. The holy spirit begins to display his fruit; love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and self-control. This is the adornment we should desire. The goal is to be pleasing to the Lord in all that we do (mind, body, and soul).

So today, I encourage you to reflect on this verse. Ask yourself am I causing others to sin? Is this pleasing to God? Am I idolizing material possession over God?

The truth is, this is the life of a believer. We are called to grow in the Lord, to become sanctified saints, disciplined disciples. It is a process and a journey, its God's grace writing your story.

Pray this with me:

Dear God,

Help me to find confidence in who you say I am, remove the desire to fit into this world and its beauty trends. rather influence me by your holy spirit to reflect your beauty in this dark world who needs the light of Christ in me. Give me the desire to do what pleases you alone. Amen.

"Charm can be misleading, and beauty is vain and so quickly fades, but this virtuous woman lives in the wonder awe, and fear of the Lord. She will be praised throughout eternity." (proverbs 31:30 TPT)

Beautiful Believers

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 09:26:38 GMT

Acts 15: 28- 29

"For it pleases the Holy Spirit and us that we not place any unnecessary burden on you except for the following restrictions: stay pure from anything sacrificed to a pagan idol, from eating what is strangled or with any blood, and from any form of sexual immorality. You will be beautiful believers if you keep your souls from these things, and you will be true and faithful to our Lord Jesus. May God bless you." Acts 15: 28- 29

As Christ followers we are expected to be set apart from worldly pleasures, lusts, acts of abomination, and unholy customs. The apostles and elders of the early church wrote this Letter to non-Jewish people to simplify how to become a beautiful believer . First, we must address the soul. Our souls (mind, free-will, and emotions) are entangled with the world, we must detach ourselves from ungodly worldliness through the process of sanctification. When we believe Jesus is Lord and have received Him as the eternal sacrifice for our sins, we have been justified by faith, cleansed by the blood and now given a right standing with Him . But in the bible, we are given an exhortation that believers are to work out their salvation with fear and trembling. " How can one stay pure? The bible says that the one who hides thy words in thy heart, will not sin against Him. The Fear of the Lord is the holy reverence towards God, that convicts the soul of living a life separate from God.

Reference:

"But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1:7 (NLT)

"And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength." Deuteronomy 6:5 (NLT)

" I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." Psalms 119:11 (NLT)

Being aware of things the bible proclaims as unholy, allows us to recognize that there is a standard of living that has been given to us. The elders of the gospel are not emphasizing the law and circumcision as a command, rather holy lives influenced by a pure heart. Religion says fix the exterior alone, Jesus preaches clean the inside and the outside will be cleansed. Jesus wants our whole heart, our whole mind, and our whole soul.

Reference:

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too." Matthew 23: 25-26 (NLT)

"If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work." 2 Timothy 2:21 (NLT)

If you are having a hard time separating yourself from the things of this world, you must check your heart. The bible states, " choose this day in which god you will obey", will it be God or gods of this world? the Bible then goes on to state, we cannot serve 2 master's at the same time. For believers, you will encounter no peace when and if your heart is divided, when you choose to follow God and God's way alone you will enter into eternal peace, because you are in right standing with God the eternal judge.

[Read Joshua 24 for more context]

What are some things the Holy Spirit is revealing to you to let go of?

People. Places. Things. Ideas. Traditions.

Jesus wants to empower you to become a true and faithful believer , meaning a devoted follower. To be devoted is to put your whole being into the faith of Jesus. No doubt. No separation.

Like a father, God places boundaries and commands to protect his children out of pure love. Because God is holy, his love is pure, without flaw. He desires for us children to be set apart.

"But you are God’s chosen treasure —priests who are kings, a spiritual “nation” set apart as God’s devoted ones. He called you out of darkness to experience his marvelous light, and now he claims you as his very own. He did this so that you would broadcast his glorious wonders throughout the world. For at one time, you were not God’s people, but now you are. At one time you knew nothing of God’s mercy, because you hadn’t received it yet, but now you are drenched with it!" 1 Peter 2:9-10 (TPT)

Take a moment to pray these words:

"Keep creating in me a clean heart. Fill me with pure thoughts and holy desires, ready to please you." Psalms 51:10 (TPT)

Amen.

May We Flourish in our Faith.

"And all who focus their hope on him will always be purifying themselves, just as Jesus is pure." 1 John 3:3 (TPT)

Motherhood Empowered by the Holy Spirit

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 19:05:49 GMT

Proverbs 31:26 & 27 (TPT)

(v26) "Her teachings are filled with wisdom and kindness as loving instructions pours from her lips. (v27) She watches over the ways of her household and meets every need they have." (Proverbs 31:26-27 TPT)

To be a mother is not just a gift given from God to birth offspring, and to have a child that carries your DNA. It is so much more, it is a holy calling to raise, nurture, teach, discipline, empower, protect, provide safety, comfort, wisdom, understanding all through the fruit of the Holy Spirit of love. In order for us mothers to be able to extend love, we must first know love. In the bible we read, "God is love"( 1 John 4:7-8). As we abide in God, God permeates us with his nature, and character. As we submit to God, his Word, his Spirit of Council, we become more like Him, and less like our the sinful flesh. Every day we have the privilege to represent Our Savior Jesus in our homes and towards our family. For children, parents are the first introduction to God. Through our actions, and through our words we have the opportunity to represent Him. As the children grow, we can began to introduce our faith through a theological explanation giving them the ability to understand why we follow Jesus. Motherhood comes with labor, serving is necessary and vital for children to develop healthy minds, healthy bodies and healthy spirits. From the time a baby is born, mothers began feeding, changing, washing, clothing, holding, soothing, comforting the baby, this requires sacrifice. A mother now begins to give up time to do other things for time to tend to child. As the infant begins to develop the mothers begins to teach language, instruct mannerism, build the child's skill set, encourage independency, etc. No matter what age your child or children are a mother's presence, words and actions hold impact. This is labor, but a labor of love if and when you ask God to fill you with his strength to mother. I purposefully will awake earlier than the children just to spend time with the Lord by reading His Word, and asking Him to fill me up so that I can overflow. Parents cannot overflow from an empty cup. We need Jesus, the living water to fill us so we can become a well.

It's important to not allow selfishness to discourage you from tending to your children, your husband, and your home. Discouragement and lack of love cause many women's hearts to grow faint in motherhood. Many women in America today don't find fulfillment in the holy calling of motherhood, because they are looking for self-gratification somewhere else outside of the home. For Christian parents, home should become our first ministry. We should look at each day as an opportunity to advance God's kingdom through our labor. We should look for ways to serve one another as an act of worship and offering unto God. Parents must become intentional to raise children in the ways of God, if not the world will raise our children.

[Ask yourself: Do my words and actions represent God?

Am I allowing the Holy Spirit to flow through me?]

Some ways my husband and I have created an atmosphere for the Holy Spirit to come into our home and inspire godly parenting is by,

A. Daily husband and wife devotional time ( a.k.a bible study)

B. Daily prayer as a couple, and prayer as a family

C. Putting worship music on in the house as often as possible

D. Taking communion as a family (weekly)

E. Prioritize church to grow in God (several times a week)

F. Read bible stories with the children & prayer before bed

G. Disciple then Discipline (W.W.J.D?)

H. Engage with conversations that are centered around God

In John 10 :11 it says, " I am the Good Shepperd who lays down my life as a sacrifice for the sheep. " Today, I encourage you to become like Jesus, willing to lay your life down for your children, for your marriage, and for your family. Becoming a servant is the highest calling of all. It's a holy calling, and God purposed us for this.

Sanctity of Marriage

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 09:26:40 GMT

"Honor the sanctity of Marriage and keep your vows of purity to one another, for God will judge sexual immorality in any form whether single or married." (Hebrew 13:4)

Marriage was designed by God. It is a holy covenant between God, man and woman. God designed man for woman and woman for man. In the book of Genesis, we read that God created woman as a "suitable helpmate". (Genesis 2:18-25) A helpmate that would help him obey the commands of God given to Adam in the Garden of Eden. "Be fruitful, and multiply. Fill the earth and govern over it..."- God (Genesis 1:28). Scripture then goes to explain' "this is why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united as one."(Genesis 2:24) This act of joining is what marriage is today. It is a binging of two individuals. Through this union they are given not only physical togetherness through a sex, but they are also given spiritual togetherness.

This leads us to the subject of purity and keeping the sanctity of marriage. As Christians we are commanded to be abstinent (refrain from sexual) until marriage. This is God's loving boundaries that are placed so that we will not reap the repercussions of sin. Sex outside of marriage is in fact sin. No matter if culture today tries to justify man and woman sleeping together outside of marriage. To refrain from sex requires the help of the Holy Spirit, we must walk as disciplined individuals and use the spirit of self-control.

Justin and I both were convicted with the idea of sex before marriage. We both desired to honor God with both of our minds, body, and soul. We knew the blessing of abstinence until we exchanged our vows in the presence of our God. Together we devoted ourselves to God, his Word, and chose to honor Him above our desires and temptations.

I personally would meditate on this thought, " If I love him, I will not allow him to sin against our Savior." We read in 1 Corinthians, "Love is patient, and love does not seek its own."

Without the Word as a standard of living, we can easily stumble and fall. Meditation of the Word of God sanctifies us and washes our soul (mind, will emotions). When we abide in God, his Spirit enables us by his grace to walk worthy of the calling to be Christ- followers.

Men and woman must be warned when we engage in sexual conduct we open the door to sin, we spiritually create a "soul tie" with the other person. Now this is very dangerous when a " soul-tie " is created outside of marriage". Singles are then spiritually and soulfully attached to another human that is not their spouse. Many wonder why breakups cause emotional pain. Well, this is why!

When a husband a wife has intercourse a healthy soul-tie is created and the binding of two become flesh. It is by far the most beautiful, and intimate gift you and your spouse can give to one another. In marriage sex is pure and God created it for enjoyment and pleasure.

There are many ways to keep yourself and your marriage pure.

First, begin by repenting of past sin, walk in purity, abstain from "sexual" things such as pornography, rated-R movies, sexual songs, lusting after a man or woman, pretty much anything and everything that would cause you to stumble. Consider seeking accountability partners such as a parent, leaders, spiritual advisor such as a pastor, etc.

Next, ask the Lord to give you a pure love for your spouse. Whether you are married or desire to be married. A pure love starts in your heart now and will affect every relationship in your life.

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The Molding of Clay

Jeremiah 18: 1-10

The Potter and the Clay

Freedom in Forgiveness

Colossians 3:13 TPT ﻿

Financial Stewardship

Managing What the Lord has given you.

God Will Lift You Up!

Psalms 13 TPT

Virtues of the Kingdom

Revelation 2:19 (TPT)

Eat to the Glory of God

1 Corinthians 10:31

A Quiet Life

1 Thessalonians 4:11 (NLT) ﻿

FLOURISH IN GOD

Psalms 92:12 TPT

I Want to Be Different

Romans 12:2 (TPT)

The Fight For Family

Mark 10:9 NLT

The Sovereignty of Time

Ecclesiastes 3 ﻿

The Good News & New Life

The Good News

Spiritually Fit

1 Timothy 4:8

This World Needs Fathers

1 Timothy 3:1-4 TPT

A Christian Household

Colossians 3:18-20 TPT

We Harvest, What We Plant

Galatians 6:7-10 TPT

True Worship

Romans 12:1 TPT

Seek to Serve

Mark 10:45 TPT

Parents: Be the Messenger

Deuteronomy 11: 18-21 NLT

Christ's Soilders

2 Timothy 2:4-5

Long Life In the Land Your Lord is Giving

Deuteronomy 4:40 (NLT)

Adorned Modestly

1 Timothy 2:9-10

Beautiful Believers

Motherhood Empowered by the Holy Spirit

Proverbs 31:26 & 27 (TPT)

Sanctity of Marriage

Colossians 3:13 TPT

1 Thessalonians 4:11 (NLT)

Ecclesiastes 3