Daily Devotional – 7/17/15 “I am convinced! “

Scrolling through my timeline, on social media, all I see is Rest in Peace. Looking at the news and all they seem to deliver is bad news story after bad news story. Yet I am even more convinced that God is a deliverer, a provider, a way maker, a restorer, a chain breaker, a healer, a comforter … our all and all! Even in the midst of chaos in our city, I am convinced that God is bigger than it all. Even with the killings, I am convinced that God is still great and He will show up when we call on Him. Yea, I am convinced of the fact that if we would turn from our wicked ways, humble ourselves, pray and seek God’s face; He’ll manifest Himself in the troubling of our waters and calm it. I am convinced! I am even convinced that God will show up in the bottom of our pit and pull us out, if we call Him from there! I am convinced that God can heal us even before we make it to the operating room, if our faith precedes us there. I am convinced that God will feed us, when we’re hungry if we believe in Him. I am convinced that God will open up doors that have been previously shut and He’ll use the same folk that shut them, if we believe enough! I am convinced that God will see about His children. I am convinced that God will keep my tree free from rotten branches which will allow me to grow bigger day by day as long as I stay connected to the true vine, Jesus. Oh, I am convinced! Yes, my world may be troubled, my finances may be low, I may have pain in my body, sickness won’t leave me alone, death has kicked in my front door, family acting strange, folk on the job aren’t right and neither are the folk at church yet I am convinced that my God is greater than it all! It doesn’t matter what I go through because I am convinced that my God will be there with me and with Him, I cannot lose!

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” – Jeremiah 17:7-8

Daily Devotional – 7/16/15 “God does the pruning!”

In closing out VBS on last night, I closed with this scripture:

In John 15:1-8, Jesus that says this, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

Understand this, my fellow brothers and sisters; as long as you are connected to the true vine (Jesus) and you keep your soil good (that’s your mind, your body & your spirit) and you bear good fruit (that’s determined by what you’re sowing); God will prune away anything that tries to interfere with your harvest (that’s what you’re reaping)! –Now, you will only get this if you are in the spirit! Again, John 15:2 says, “… He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.” Prune means to cut away branches to encourage fuller growth! Baby, if you are connected to the true vine, planted in good soil and bearing good fruit; you don’t have to worry about the naysayers, those who are trying to pull you down, those who are throwing oil on your path, salt in your game or trying to rain on your parade because God will handle them! All you need to do is continue to walk in your destiny, continue to bear that which is good, continue to sow, continue to bear and let God handle the rest.

Daily Devotional – 7/15/15 “Stop thinking it!”

Bishop Woodson of Mt. Gilead Ministries said in the closing on class last night, “change doesn’t come when you stop doing it but change comes when you stop thinking it!” Now, this marinated with me all night because many times we think we can change simply by letting go but if we don’t change our thoughts we are simply fooling ourselves. We’ve been held down far too long with generational curses, it’s time to change our thought processes. Our churches are suffering because we have yet to change the thinking of those who are in charge. Yea, what may have worked for grandma then needs to be revised now. Look, we say we are changing our lives by getting out of dead-end relationships but if our mind is still attached to the dead-end him or her, we will wind up back in the same situation. We say we have changed from indulging in childish behavior of arguing with folk on social media yet if all we do is sit up and think about what we want to say to them, we haven’t changed. I’ve told you before; we have to change our thought process. We have to get away from thinking we can’t to now knowing that we can. We have to stop thinking that we won’t make it, to believing that with God, all things are possible. We’ve got to stop thinking that just because momma or daddy didn’t that we can’t when baby we aren’t her or him.

When we change our thinking; we open up the door to possibilities, opportunities, prospects, places and people we couldn’t have even thought of before. How do you change your thinking? Well, Ephesians 4:21-24 says this, “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God–truly righteous and holy.” If that isn’t enough, Romans 12:2 says, “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.” When we change the way we think; we’ll be able to go through the test, handle the times we fall, the sickness, the death in our family, being talked about, being overlooked for that promotion, being denied at the bank and being around hellish folk because then we’ll know it’s just God working on our behalf. When we change our thoughts, things change in our lives for the greater! Change doesn’t come when you stop doing it but change comes when you stop thinking it! Change your thinking to … #IknowIcan #Iwill #Godwilldoit #Itaintmybattle #Mygreateriscoming

Daily Devotional – 7/14/15 “Where are you planted?”

In teaching VBS on last night, we are in the book of Matthew, chapter 13 talking about the parable of the sower and there are four types of soil we can be planted in. See, a lot of times we get caught up in thinking this parable is about the seed but the seed is the word of God and it doesn’t change yet the area in which we are planted does. Yea, the seed should be watered and nourished but the Word of God does not change. So, where are you planted?

  • Are you by the pathway Christian – as soon as you hear the word of God, the enemy comes and snatches it from you? You leave church and folk don’t even recognize who you are in the car? The same mouth that just song in the choir is now cussing folk out on the street, the same person whose feet shouted up and down the aisles are now walking over folk and the same person who was laid out across the altar is now talking about who he or she was laid up with last night – Is this you?
  • Or are you a stony Christian – you hear the word and it simmers in your spirit for a little while but as soon as trouble comes, you forget all about the word and start focusing on the worry. You get sickness in your body and you no longer study and understand that God can heal you because all you’re focusing on now is the hurt. You see a little rain and you forget all about the God who is your shelter because all you see is the storm. – Is this you?
  • Or are you a thorny Christian – you got the word in you; you even let it show a few times. You post a few Christian statuses and may even go to two services the same Sunday but all it’ll take is for the enemy to send somebody in your vicinity for all of your religion to disappear. You get caught up with Sis. Loud Mouth and she’s choking out the religion in you because you can’t even hear the message for the mess. You’re running to church not for God’s word but for the word on everybody’s business. – Is this you?
  • Or are you a rooted in good ground Christian – you have the word in you and you don’t mind sharing, showing and shouting it. Yea, you may go through some things but you realize they are only momentary so you don’t linger there. You face the enemy because you know God is your strength. You face being talked about because you know God is your joy. You even don’t worry about being lied on because you know that God can change your name. You read and study the word because you want your light to shine and you want to be known by the fruit you bear – Is this you?

I asked these questions on last night to the class; if God were to inspect your harvest, would it be acceptable and is the fruit you’re bearing edible to the unsaved? Where are you planted? Each one of us are planted in one of these grounds, where are you?

Daily Devotional – 7/13/15 “Use your gift!”

You know; I am always in awe of the move of God that happens in my life when I speak, write, teach, encourage or even pray in God’s name. I know it’s not me and I wouldn’t dare take all the credit and even more, I wouldn’t dare sit on this that God has given me. Baby, had you told me years ago that I’d be in this place, I would have smile and shook my head, not believing but this place I’m currently residing in; God had already ordained and He’s maintaining me quite well! It’s not because I’ve been so good and faithful all the time but it’s because I’ve been faithful in what He’s called me to do. I’m using what He gave me, I’m going where He’s sending me and I’m saying what He’ll have me to say. I’m utilizing my gifts. Today, I’m wondering why you aren’t. Why are you sitting on the gift that God has entrusted you with? Why are you hiding in the shadows because you are afraid of overstepping someone else? Why are you fearful of stepping out? Why won’t you at least try? Do you know that each time I get up to speak or teach I am nervous? (I mean shaky type nervous) Or that even when I write devotionals or books, I second guess myself ALL THE TIME? But if I allow the nervousness or the second guessing to win, I wouldn’t be half the person I am today. There’s a purpose to the position we’ve been given to play and we have to play it in order for God’s divine order to come out right. In sports, if all of the positions aren’t filled, the game can’t be played correctly. In a choir, if all of the sections aren’t singing correctly, the song doesn’t sound right. In a dance group, if each person isn’t on the same 8 count, it shows. All I’m saying is; you have a purpose for the play you’ve been given; now you need to play it. Stop wasting that gift you have.

Yea, I know the deacons of the church are set in their ways but haven’t you noticed the church isn’t growing; you’re the shepherd – use your gifts. Yes, I know you aren’t officially the manager but that doesn’t mean you can’t utilize your gift from where you are – you never know whose watching. Yea, I know that folk said it might not work but who are they against the God you serve – He has never failed. Yea, I know there are a lot of folk doing the same thing as you but can’t anybody do it like you! Stop waiting for the right time, there’s never one. Stop waiting to get yourself together, you can’t do it alone. For 1 Peter 4:10-11 says this, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” Don’t wait until it’s too late. The grave can’t use your gift!