Blog – Page 178 – Lakisha, the Author

Daily Devotional – 6/16/16 “Do you not remember?”

We are living in a time where the judgment needs to end and Jesus needs to be exalted. You know what gets me? When folk get so saved they forget about the times they weren’t. I mean, folk are so holy, now, they tend to forget the times they were hellish. Folks get so sanctified and forget the times they were sneaking and hiding. I’ve read nowhere in the bible where it says a qualification to be saved is to judge. When did it become easy for folk, in the church, to look down their nose at everybody who isn’t as biblically sound as they are? You become a mother of the church, at 32, and now you condemn the younger girls for what they wear instead of thinking about the times you didn’t know any better either. You get on the deacon board and think you have the right to chastise the younger men who have tattoos, only because yours are covered up/faded. You preach two sermons and now you convict folk for their sexual orientation but what about the things you did at the freaknik in Atlanta back in the day that never got you caught up? Yes, I get it; you’ve turned over a new leaf, you’re walking in line with the word of God and you’re saved but don’t you remember when you weren’t? Do you not remember grandma’s prayers that saved you those nights you stood on the streets dealing drugs? Do you not remember those times you walked the streets out your mind and somebody prayed your healing? Do you not remember the times your marriage was on the verge of ending and someone prayed for your tail to go home? Do you not remember?

Do you not remember the times you thought about suicide after leaving worship service? Do you not remember the times you acted out and did things you weren’t proud of after teaching bible study and God didn’t forsake you? Do you not remember the times you had sex and weren’t married after becoming the Sunday school superintendent and God spared you? Do you not remember the times you smoked that blunt after you became bishop and God didn’t snatch the glory from you? Do you not remember the times you made afternoon lunch breaks at the hotel and it wasn’t with your wife/husband after your title of pastor and God forgave you? Do you not remember or have you forgotten because you’re so holy now? But weren’t you the one praying for forgiveness just this morning? I’m only asking because I could have sworn there is no one perfect on earth even if you think you are. So before you set out to condemn folk, search yourself. You’re supposed to love the hell out of folk instead of finding them guilty by your standards. I’m so glad God doesn’t do us like man does. Because if it were up to man, a lot of us wouldn’t be saved. This is why I thank you God for looking beyond our faults, struggles and flaws, for finding us worthy when man says we’re worthless and for not picking and choosing when to love us! Because I remember the times I fell and you picked me up. I remember the times I was wrapped in iniquity and you cut me out. I remember the time you cleaned up my record and my name. This is why I have no place or power to judge. What about you?

Daily Devotional – 6/15/16 “Read the instructions!”

Have you noticed that every time you buy something, that requires your attention, it comes with instructions? Think about it. If you buy uncooked food, it comes with instructions on the packaging or the can. When you buy electronics, they come with instructions on how to set it up. When you buy appliances, household items, etc. they come with instructions. A book shelf, it comes with instructions. You get my point. However, what you don’t get is this … if you fail to follow the instructions, you sometimes make things harder than what they are. It doesn’t matter if you’ve cooked rice for 15 years, sometimes you need to refer back to the instructions. Yea, you cook pancakes every Saturday yet sometimes you have to look at the instructions just to see how much water goes in. That’s why it’s important to keep the instructions. Yes, I know you can do it on your own. You got this. How hard can it be, right? But that’s until you’ve spent 3 hours on something that should have taken 15 minutes. My point is, God has given us instructions and although we think we can navigate the road of life by ourselves, it’s harder when you try to do it alone. Now, what was supposed to take 4 days has now taken 4 years and you’re trying to understand why. We want to question God but in reality, it isn’t Him. When was the last time you actually studied the instructions of God? When was the last time you dusted them off and opened it? When was the last time you followed them?

I don’t know about you but life is hard enough, without anything else added to it. This is why the bible says in Proverbs 8:33, “Listen to my instruction and be wise. Don’t ignore it.” Yet often times we do ignore it. Proverbs 19:20 says, “Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life.” Yet we think we know it all. When the fact of the matter is, you can never get too much instruction. Every time you read the bible, you see something differently than you did the last time. It’s not because the word changed but it’s because, the more you read; the more spiritually in tune you become which then allows you to understand more. And it’s then you begin to see things differently. When you understand, you don’t give up like you used too, you now hold on to God’s unchanging hands. You used to get angry and shoot off but now you’re slow to speak. You used to think God was ignoring you but now you have patience to wait on Him. You used to think the world was against you but now you understand it’s just a temporary moment that’ll fade. This change happened because you referred back to the instructions. And now your waiting period is shorter and you understand the reason for your storm. It’s now you read the instructions and comprehend and you realize it’s not so bad. Please know this …“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.2 Timothy 3:16-17”

Daily Devotional – 6/14/16 “The playing has to stop!”

With so many things going on in the world, we’ve got to stop playing! No, for real; it’s time out for playing spiritually, socially, economically, mentally; all of it. Yes, we’ve been getting away with the little cute worship and the soft altar prayers but some things are about to change; spiritually. How much longer will God allow His people to wander aimlessly by complaining, whining, groaning, killing, stealing and playing? You may not believe me but God is about to shake some stuff up. No, I don’t mean by way of mass killings and destroying nations but He is about to dismantle a lot of so-called religious leaders and worship places. He will no longer tolerate the safe, cute preaching you are used to. He isn’t going to continually allow the lying in the pulpit and the sinning in the pews. God is about to deal with a lot of us ‘Christians.” Those who shout but won’t study His word. Those being led astray because you are too busy looking at the preacher instead of looking at the word. Those who show up just to raise hell and show out. Those who preach for profit. God isn’t pleased! Oh, I know you are probably saying, “but it’s been working.” For who? Baby, can’t you see the hell that is happening in the worship places? Wives are against husbands, children disobeying parents, deacons sabotaging the pastor, mothers and missionaries at odds and folk still mad because God called women to preach! This is why it’s time out for the same old comfortable preaching, “Jesus died on Friday, stayed dead all day Saturday and on Sunday, He got up with all power!” Yes, we know this but what else? It’s time out for the whooping and hollering and for these revivals that aren’t reviving anything, spiritually. It is time for the calling out and destruction of the enemy!

Yea, you look cute on your flyer but are you casting out demons of perversion that’s attacking the deacon board. Yes, you look nice in your suit but what about casting out demons of hatred that’s attached to the children’s ministry? Yea, the new building is gorgeous but are you breaking strongholds that have taken over families? Yes Bro/Sis pastor, your church is packed but can they pray themselves out of bondage? Are you praying on the altar until the noose attached to marriages, is cut? What about allowing the Holy Spirit to flow instead of cutting it to align with your time constraint? What about preaching the hell out of folk? What about saying amen, pew member? Have you tried actually supporting the vision of the pastor instead of scrutinizing everything he/she does? It’s true, the church can only do so much, but when the move of the Holy Spirit is directed by time, the deacons and trustees, there’s a problem. When you show up at church because you’ve been there longer than the pastor, there’s a problem. And a lot of churches are dying because the glory of God has left it due to all the foolishness taking place. Why do you think these strip mall/store front churches with 35 members are thriving and those that have been standing for over 50 years are dwindling? It’s because God’s glory can’t get through the thickness of mess to come in. We’ve got to stop playing and starting inviting God to worship! Start at home and let it carry over.

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:1-6

Daily Devotional – 6/13/16 “We all fall short … Who are you to judge?”

Stop being so holy that you forget the times you weren’t! See, many times when tragedy strikes, like the one in Orlando, holy rollers want to make it out as God’s wrath. When in fact, it was someone hateful whose sole intent was to do bodily harm that caused it. Think about it, if God allowed over 100 people to be shot because of their sins, what were the sins of all those babies killed at Sandy Hook? There are no satisfactory answers to truly justify these things but what I can say is; it is the evilness of people who causes these disastrous attacks, not God’s wrath! This is why some folk need to keep their mouth closed! This is why, WE, as Saints of God need to consult God, study the bible and pray BEFORE we open our mouth. I can only imagine how displeasing it is to God when folk, who supposedly follow Him, speak foolishness such as this. I just don’t understand how you can justify hundreds of people being killed as God’s wrath. Oh, it’s Sodom and Gomorrah all over again. LIES! READ your bible. There were many evil things going on there, not just homosexuality. Not only that but the bible says in John 3:16-18, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” God sent Jesus, after Sodom and Gomorrah, as a way to offer light in a darken world, not destroy it by mass killings.

Please understand, I am in no way condoning sin but that still doesn’t negate the fact, people didn’t deserve to die the way they did. Will they all go to Heaven? Only God knows. The same way He is the only one who will know if you will. Just because you look and sound holy, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are. And just because you are up front about the things you do with the disclaimer, “God knows my heart,” it still doesn’t mean you will be on the train bound for the golden highway. This is why you have to shut up and stop the foolishness! This is why you ought to be in God’s word instead of conforming to the standards of this world, jumping on every bandwagon or thinking you know God’s thoughts. It doesn’t matter that you have an ordination certificate, an Associate in Biblical Studies, a Bachelors in Bible, a Masters of Divinity or a Doctorate in Ministry; it doesn’t matter if you are a pew certified bible scholar, minister, reverend, pastor, evangelist, apostle or bishop; you still fall short a lot of days! It is not up to us to decide who God loves and who He doesn’t. He loved you when you were an alcoholic, drug addict, whoremonger, liar, back biter and sinner but I guess you don’t remember those times, huh? Why don’t you pray instead of talking because there is a city of families mourning and they don’t need your judgment?

Genesis 8:21, “And the LORD was pleased with the aroma of the sacrifice and said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent toward evil from childhood. I will never again destroy all living things.”

Daily Devotional – 6/10/16 “Disconnected to connect!”

“Often times God will disconnect you from your Familiar, in order to connect you with your Future” – Warren B. Perry

Here I am sitting at my desk, waiting on God to drop something in my spirit to tell you and I just so happen to see this on my Facebook timeline. Bro. Perry doesn’t mind because I’ve borrowed his thoughts before (plus I told him) but I had to share this with somebody on today. You’re trying to figure out why God is telling you to move out of your comfortable place, this is it. You’re trying to make sense of why God is telling you to leave the only church you’ve known, this is it. You’re trying to wrap your head around why God is telling you to quit your job, this is it. You said it doesn’t make sense that God will tell you to end your ten-year dating relationship, this is it. You couldn’t make heads or tails on why God told you it was time to change your beautician, this is it. Beloved, God gives us some strange orders but it’s only to set us up to receive a significant overflow. I know you’re wondering why we have to move from the familiar to get it but that’s because if we stay connected to what we’re comfortable with, we will never get used to doing something unfamiliar in an uncomfortable place. You have to understand, you are not meant to stay where you are. Everything we go through is an assignment that will end when God gets ready to reassign us. Is it always easy to readjust? No but how will you know if you stay where you are?

Let me explain … If you happen to stay around familiar folk, they might not ever tell you that you’re capable of doing more. Why not? Well because they are used to seeing you do the same thing. But if you happen to get out from around them, others will be able to see that the talent you have is more valuable and useful. Why do you think most children thrive in college? They are away from the familiar. There they learn to wash their own clothes, cook for themselves and survive because they’ve now been disconnected from the familiarity of momma who did it for them. Think about it. You didn’t shout until you went to an unfamiliar church. You didn’t think you’d ever eat something different until you went outside your comfort zone and tried a new restaurant. You didn’t think you could wear that dress or that color suit until someone, other than who you’re familiar with, complimented you. You wouldn’t have met your husband had you not went into a new place you normally wouldn’t have. You wouldn’t have met the HR manager of the job you’d been seeking had you not attended that function you were afraid to go to. This is why God has to disconnect us from familiar places and people. Sometimes staying in a familiar place around familiar people limits your access to resources you never even knew existed. That’s why you have to realize that you are on assignment, so don’t get comfortable because when God gets ready to move us, it’s on His time and not ours. All you have to be is willing to go. Don’t look at where it is, go. It doesn’t matter that you don’t know anybody there, go. God is only removing you from your comfortable, familiar place because it has gotten too small to handle the abundance of things He is about to do in your life. Trust Him!

Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”