Lakisha, the Author

Daily Devotional – 3/28/16 “Disciple or Distracted?”

After Jesus’ resurrection, He left this charge to His disciples in Matthew 28:18-20, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Now, my questions are … Have we been honest in our going forth? Have we been diligent about our Father’s business of making disciples? Are we disciples or are we distracted? See, we’ve become so complacent with going to worship that we don’t take it outside the doors of the church. We get caught up in the rhetoric (empty talk) of religion that we forget about a relationship with God. Oh, we are stuck on “I am the church,” when no boo, we are members of the church. If you were the church, why would God need so many willing workers? This is why we have to study God’s word for ourselves, in order to get an understanding. “God knows my heart,” yes and it isn’t right. We can’t keep using this line as a way to appease our sin because if our heart was right; we’d stop using excuses as to why we can’t serve God in the capacity He needs.

Look, my brothers and my sisters; it’s time we stop pacifying this thang and being distracted by the glitz and glamour of mess. God has needs of us; His people. Yet, we can’t serve in the shape we’re in and the only way we get out of this mess; we’ve got to give our self over to the potter, God. The Savior has needs of us, His people and it’s time we start acting like it. Stop waiting until a funeral to join somebody’s church that you don’t even go back to that Sunday (You’re distracted by your grief). Quit waiting until tragedy strikes your house before you call on God (You’re distracted by the situation). Don’t wait until a holiday to go to worship (You’re distracted by self). Don’t wait until you are laid on your back, in jail, in court, getting scary news from the doctor, standing over a loved one’s grave, coming down from that high of alcohol or drugs or in the midst of your storm before you seek the Lord (You’re distracted by the circumstance). We have a responsibility as children of God to go ye therefore but we can’t do it if we’ve yet to go. I can’t minister to you if I’m still distracted by my mess. I can’t preach to you if I’m distracted by the view from my pit. I can’t encourage you if I’m still distracted by the woes of life and can’t encourage myself. I can’t tell you about a Savior if I’ve been distracted and yet to serve Him. I can’t tell you that God will inhabit your praise if I’ve been too distracted to offer Him my praise. We’ve been left with the charge of making disciples but we can’t do it if we’re still distracted by deciding to be a disciple ourselves. Are you a disciple or are you a distraction?

Stop apologizing for your purpose!

Beloved, look … Stop apologizing to folk because you’ve moved out the hood. Stop saying you’re sorry because you no longer smoke or drink. Stop making excuses as to why you choose not to cuss anymore. You don’t owe anyone an explanation when you reach your goal, get that promotion, meet a new boo, move out, move on, stop answering the phone, accomplish what they thought you couldn’t, do something they said you wouldn’t or be what God has purposed you to be. You don’t owe anyone an apology for living! Chile, stop trying to explain why you got that promotion – you earned it! Stop apologizing when it’s your name called and not theirs – they didn’t see the hell you’ve been through to make it! Don’t feel bad when you can now shout, cancer or dialysis free – you made it! If they can’t rejoice in your blessing, rejoice anyway. If they don’t celebrate you, celebrate yourself. Pat yourself on the back. Toot your own horn. God blessed you, stop apologizing for it. Stop apologizing for what God is doing! I’m not sorry nor will I apologize for the destiny I’m trying to reach. God has given me access, I’m on my way!

Who cares whether or not they like who you’ve chosen to date, do you like them? So what if they don’t support you, somebody will. It doesn’t matter if they never congratulate you, you still made it. Stop apologizing for scoring the point, crossing that obstacle, winning your battle, coming out of your storm, getting that new house or car, spending your money, opening your business or tapping into your destiny. There will always be somebody snaring their nose at you. There will always be somebody saying. “How she/he get that?” That’s ok; just stop apologizing for doing you. You don’t have to boast but brag about God’s goodness. You don’t have to explain simply exalt God. If folk choose not to understand your gifts and accept what you have to offer, the hell with them. You don’t owe anyone an explanation of your anointing, of your gifts, of your talents and especially of your elevation. God did it and if they need answers, let them go to Him. Stop minimizing what God is doing in your life all because you don’t want to hurt folk feeling. And for those folk who consistently say to you, “God told me to tell you,” discern within yourself whether they are to be trusted because even the enemy will use this line.

Please check out my feature in the Fresh Touch Publicity’s online magazine for their Women’s Month Edition of HERoine Legacy! Click here – Lakisha’s Magazine Feature

Daily Devotional – 3/24/16 “Stop apologizing for what God is doing!”

Please check out my feature in the Fresh Touch Publicity’s online magazine for their Women’s Month Edition of HERoine Legacy! Click here – Lakisha’s Magazine Feature

Daily Devotional – 3/23/16 “Does God fit in your religion?”

“I’m so glad I got good religion,” but baby do you have God? Yes, I know you got religion but where does God fit in? I mean religion is people’s beliefs and opinions but God is your choice so again I ask where does God fit. See, our religion keeps us tied to old traditions that don’t have a scriptural backing but God keeps us tied to Him which allows us to save those lost even if it means changing what you’re used to. Religion pumps us up to think we’re in charge but having God lets us know we’re not. Religion places discord in the church, God deals in deliverance. Religion lets junk move about the church, God causes joy to abound. Religion will have you gossiping whereas God will have you girding your mouth. With religion you pick and choose your worship days but having God, worship is continually on your lips. Religion makes you feel authorized, God makes you feel anointed. Religion makes you think you have your own pew but God lets you know you have purpose. Having religion gives you the audacity to put your mouth on the man or woman of God but having God, you have the knowledge to know when to shut up. Yea, I know you have religion but where is God?

Many times as Saints of God, we get caught up in seeking religion that we forget about serving God when Matthew 6:1 says, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” Chile, we get so overwhelmed by titles that we forget the teaching. We get so caught up in ‘tradition’ that we lose the real purpose of our calling. For the bible tells us in Matthew 28:19-20, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” We cannot do this being stuck in our religious practices. What may have worked for grandma may not reach the unsaved today. Please understand, it has nothing to do with the word of God because it never changes but it has everything to do with rethinking your traditions. Singing those hymns means nothing to the youth & young adults if you’ve yet to teach them the hymn. Doing responsive reading is fine if you let them know the reason behind it. You cannot continue to let Betty who is 82 run the youth department; she’s out of her league and era the same way Bro. Deacon who is 77 is out of his. Everything has a season including people in positions in the church. This is why we’ve got to get back to God and throw out some of this “religious” stuff. Yes ma’am, yes sir; your religion fits you well but where does God fit?

Daily Devotional – 3/22/16 “Your puzzled life!”

Growing up, my momma would buy puzzles and we’d all sit around trying to put all 500 pieces together in order to make it look like the box. We’d start by pouring all of the pieces on the table and then scattering them around in order to organize them in some sort of way. It was pure chaos but it was all worth it when the finish product was complete. Then we could stand back and admire the work that our hands have now accomplished, the puzzle looking like the picture on the box. Well, this started me to thinking of the ultimate puzzle put-togetherer (I made that up). See, I’ve realized that God has to put us back together sometimes and in order for Him to do this; some things have to happen first. What do I mean? Well, He has to pour us out, scatter those emptied out contents around, put them into some organized piles and then put us back together again. Oh but instead of looking like the image on the box, we look like the image of Him for the bible says in Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Somebody shall get their deliverance today.

See, I know you’re trying to figure out why it seems like your life is chaotic right now. You’re wondering why it seems like your mind is scattered in a million pieces. Your spirituality is getting weak and your faith too. You’re trying to make sense of it all but it’s making absolutely none; baby, that’s God working and He’s putting the puzzle of your life back together. Trust the process. No, it doesn’t feel good but it’s worth it. Yea, you may lose some folk during this process; they didn’t fit the image; trust the puzzle assembler. You may have a piece stuck somewhere you didn’t think it belonged (being sent to another church, leaving that abusive spouse, starting a new job, letting the car get repossessed, filing bankruptcy or simply taming your tongue); it’s part of the process. You may get turned around and pointed in a direction you didn’t think fit (that man you didn’t like you now love, that girl you couldn’t stand and now you can’t stand without her and that church you said you’d never go back to ended up saving your life); it’s part of the process. Oh but baby in the end, when all the pieces have been placed; God stands back and gazes at the masterpiece that He’s carefully put together and He’s pleased. He brushes off the dust that may have come from the box you were once in and He smiles. He runs His hands over you one last time before He presents you faultless and favored. Now all you have to do is trust in the fact that the pieces have been placed by the right hands and they won’t fall out again. They may bend but they won’t break for God says, “That’s my work and it is good!”

Joel 2:25, “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.”