Daily Devotional – 3/13/17 “Understudy or under studying?”

I’ve recently been named Assistant Pastor to my uncle/pastor whose leadership I’ve been under for ten years. I’m looking forward to what God has for me but I don’t take this role lightly and this is why I’ve been patiently serving as his understudy. See, I wouldn’t dare rush what God has for me, before it was meant for me. And I know the only way I can truly handle this new position is by staying where God placed me, in my old position. And the studying I had to do, started long before I accepted my call to ministry. God sent me to my uncle’s church because it was there, the seed growing within me, would be cultivated. I had no idea it was preaching but I knew God sent me to his leadership in order for me to grow and I couldn’t rush the process because then I’d risk birthing something, prematurely, that wouldn’t survive. I knew that if I hurried this process, it would only hurt me and those I tried to serve. This is why I learned to shut up and listen. And this is also why, I have no problem sitting by his side, it is there I learn. I have no problem gleaning from his harvest, for it is there I eat. I have no issues with drinking from the overflow of his cup, it teaches me not to selfish with mine. I have no problem being the student because it is in this role, I learn how to be patient when it’s my turn to teach.

Why am I sharing this? Because somebody is agitated where you are. You can’t figure out why God hasn’t moved you yet or why every application you put in, for the promotion, gets denied. You can’t understand why your change hasn’t happened yet. Or why you can’t get elevated. But how have you been as the understudy? Are you learning or do you think you know it all? Are you antsy about getting the promotion or are you simply learning until it’s your time? I’m only asking because I’ve found that if you suck at being an understudy, you’ll suck more at being the replacement. Yes, I know you have more years of experience but that doesn’t make you leadership material. I know you think you know it all but that doesn’t mean you’re ready for the role. Yes, I know you rock out as being associate minister but are you learning what it takes to be pastor? In the bible, before Elisha could effectively handle the mantle of Elijah, he had to learn. There was no way Elisha could carry the fullness of Elijah’s mantle without first learning how heavy it was. For the bible says in 1 Kings 19:21, “…Then he went with Elijah as his assistant.” Elisha didn’t set out to take over Elijah’s prophetic garment, right away, but he studied him until his time came. And for you beloved, stop rushing to lead when you’ve yet to master following. Ask yourself the question … Am I being an understudy or am I under study? In other words, am I lacking in areas I should be learning.

Daily Devotional – 3/10/17 “That’s not your fight!”

You’d be shocked, if you really knew the amount of times your name has been mentioned in group messages or the many times your pictures have been screenshot. It would blow your mind if you found out the real number of people who don’t like you. Or the true identity of the folk who sit at your table. But that’s not your fight. You have to understand that there will always be people in the crowd who won’t cheer for you. There will be people who won’t show up no matter how many times you invite them. And even those who don’t like you, regardless of what you do or how you do it. But that’s not your fight. See, we live in a society where folk can bully you on social media but can’t face you in reality. We share the same air as folk who will speak ill of you and then turn around and smile at you, simply because you can open your mouth and demons tremble. We share space with folk who can’t stand you but they’ll copy what you say, how you dress and where you live. Folk, who can’t stand the pastor but will stay at the church and cause more hell because they were there first. People will fight what they can’t understand but that’s not your fight.

Chile, we don’t have the time nor energy to fight meaningless mess when there are souls that need saving. Yea, I could sit and argue with you on Facebook but beloved, there’s some people in bondage who need to be set free. Yes, I can go back and forth with you over the phone but there’s some healing that need to be manifested, some folk who need to be talked down off the ledge, some addictions that have to be destroyed and some hope restored. We don’t have time to fight folk over who don’t like who or who is talking about you? So what! There will always be somebody talking about you whether you did good or bad. This is why you have to pick your battles wisely because you’ll never win fighting folk in the natural. That’s not your fight. This is why the bible says in Ephesians 6:12, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” You have to know when to bow out gracefully from a fight that wasn’t yours to begin with. Know when to fight and when to shut up!

Daily Devotional – 3/9/17 “God’s doing!”

God is going to intentionally place some folk who don’t like you, in your way. He’s going to set you up to be in places, surrounded by folk who look at you like you get on their nerves. He’s going to strategically place you at tables with folk who can’t understand why you’re there. Yep, God is going to methodically place you on jobs where you have to fight more than work. He’s going to meticulously put in you in covenant with some folk who cause your hair to go gray. God, has and will, set your feet within a ministry that has made you second and third guess your calling. He has deliberately set you up all so He can elevate you, when the time comes. What do I mean? Well, God is testing what you can handle. See, God has to be sure you can handle the bad and the good. He’s ensuring you can handle the minor before the mega. He’s testing to see how you handle the one bathroom before He gives you three. God is testing to see how you’ll react to losing some folk and things. God is testing to see how you’ll withstand the rain and how you’ll overcome falling. He’s simply checking to see if you’ll preach to the ten, if you’ll teach the two, if you’ll fight for what you believe in and if you’ll go by yourself.

This is why you have to understand your test because not every test is of the enemy. It’s like when Jesus tested Philip before feeding the 5000. The bible says in John 6:6, “He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.” And just like Philip, God already knows us too. What will you do? Will you do like the bible says in 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves? Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you–unless, of course, you fail the test?” Or will you buckle under pressure? Please understand, failing the test doesn’t mean you fail the course, it simply means you have some work to do. So now beloved, it’s time you get back to the drawing board by pulling out the book and studying. For just like Paul, my prayer for you is this; “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.” — Ephesians 3:16-21

Daily Devotional – 3/6/17 “Are you ready for what you’re grasping for?”

In a meeting this morning, one of the attendees said, sometimes you can reach for more than you can grasp. But is this true? Can we, as children of God, reach for more than we can hold? Can we seek for something bigger than what we can understand? Can we move outside of what we can effectively comprehend? The short and quick of it is, YES. Now, this isn’t because we aren’t entitled to it but it is because we aren’t ready to handle what we’ve gotten a hold of. We can sometimes ask for things, spiritually that our weak flesh can’t handle. It’s like seeking a pastoral position when you can’t even handle having your feelings so easily hurt nor control your own house. It’s like asking for a leadership position in the church but you’ve yet to get a handle on your mouth and attitude. You want to work with the church’s finances, when yours is in disarray. You got the nerve to be counseling folk when you ought to be stretched out on somebody’s couch. You want a husband or wife but you’ve yet to prepare yourself for one. You’re grasping for stuff you aren’t ready for. And when God says no, you get in your feelings and run. Sit down somewhere and be groomed. Get connected to some oil and get cultivated.

I know this because I was in the same position. Three years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to handle where I am now because my mindset hadn’t changed which meant, I wasn’t ready. Yea, I thought I was but I wasn’t and that is why my life turned into a constant struggle and fight. Oh but when I changed my mindset, my life changed too. It was then I began to truly understand what Romans 8:5 meant by, “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” See, when I allowed flesh to lead, I failed but when Spirit took over, I soared. When flesh was in charge, I miscarried but when Spirit took over, I carried to term and gave birth. When flesh was the captain, I started drowning but when Spirit took control, I could float. When flesh was the coach, I kept losing but when Spirit replaced him, the wins began For it was then Galatians 5:17 started ringing in my ear, saying, “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”

Daily Devotional – 3/3/17 “Don’t break what needs to be destroyed!”

I’ve learned, through some trials and circumstances that some things need to be destroyed and not just broken. See, we can cry and ask God to break some chains but sometimes, broken stuff can be repaired, mended or reattached. What I need God to do is destroy some stuff. I need Him to destroy the chains of curses, the lock of lust, the trap of debt, the snare of sickness, the torment of low self-esteem, the hand of abuse, the breath of racism and intolerance, the failing educational systems, the money hungry prison systems, the unleveled hands of justice, the weakened state of Congress and the many false doctrines being preached under the premise of Godly wisdom. I don’t need these types of things broken but they need to be destroyed as destroy is defined as putting an end to the existence of something. Toxic relationships, the abuse of our children and elderly, cancer, diseases, tearing down of folk just to build someone else up, senseless killing of our children, youth suicides, spousal abuse, homelessness, lack of education for all, unemployed yet can’t get unemployment, lack of government assistance for those who actually need it, generational curses and treating worship places like a worldly business … all these things have to be destroyed and not broken!

An addiction needs to be destroyed but a broken heart needs to be mended. An abusive relationship needs to be destroyed but a broken spirit needs to be restored. A demon needs to be destroyed but a broken relationship needs to be fixed. And today, I pray that whatever needs to be destroyed in your life will be because the enemy has held you captive long enough and it’s time you were set free. Stop allowing the demons of your past to hold you hostage and stop breaking the things you know need to be destroyed because if you don’t, you’ll leave the broken pieces on a shelf, only to go back later to try to repair. Don’t do it. What’s the sense of keeping the shattered pieces of a plate when you can buy five more just like it? What’s the sense of looking at pieces of yourself through a broken mirror when you can see the whole you in a new one? What’s the sense of patching up a car that keeps breaking down? Or what’s the use of picking from the barrel of broken dreams? It time you moved on, beloved. And it’s time you destroyed what needs to be destroyed and fix what needs to be repaired.

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