Daily Devotional – 7/23/15 “It’s not about your title!”

On last night, Pastor Brian Bartlett preached from the subject of “What do they call you?”- Chile!! He said on last night that many times as people of God, we tend to get caught up on what we are called by. Yea, we get away from doing the duty of our Father because we get tainted by the titles, distracted by the designations and labeled by the labels when we ought to be moved by the message. Of course, I know you worked hard for the title of Dr. to be in front of your name but if I happen to leave it off the program, charge it to my head and not my heart yet should your message change? Oh, I know that you’re pastor now and not just reverend anymore but if I don’t acknowledge that fact, is your calling any less worthy? Okay, pastor made you head of the Christian board of education, so that means I have to call you dean now? You were chairperson of one program and now you want that to be on every program? Yea, I know you’re the head deacon but your first name is …

All I’m saying is; stop getting caught up in titles when it’s about God’s word! Don’t you remember who you were when He saved you? Let me jog your memory … You were a filthy rag that should have been thrown away but God dipped you in His blood and you came out clean enough to use and He used your name! Do you remember who you were when He called you? Let me refresh your thoughts … You were a nobody, running scared, afraid of this thing called the anointing, wasn’t worthy of His favor, didn’t know how to use your gift but God strengthened every weak place you possessed, deemed you fit for the assignment and He used your name! Beloved, get this … your driver’s license don’t have titles and neither does your tombstone. It isn’t about titles because your favor should be seen and heard. If God is on the inside of you, He’ll show on the outside. And if you be who God called you to be, folk will know of you by your anointing and not your title!

Daily Devotional – 7/22/15 “Enjoy the ride!”

When you are favored by God, all you have to do is fasten your shield of faith and prepare for the ride of your life! Yea, you’ll pass some places on your journey that you knew you shouldn’t have stopped at but you made it out alive count it as a lesson learned. Yea, you’ve fallen asleep and missed some moments you should have been paying attention but thank God, He gives second chances. Yea, you stopped in some places you knew didn’t fit your spirit, ate in some places that didn’t agree with your stomach, slept in some places you knew you would regret later and overstayed in some places that diminished your destiny yet you made it through; count it all joy! Oh, if you’re alive that means you’re still on this ride called life and if you’re of God; He’s still your guide; you should have something to rejoice about.

Nobody ever said it’ll be easy. Can you name a road you’ve driven down that wasn’t bumpy? Even a new road sometimes has a few rocky places, so why are you complaining? If it was easy, you wouldn’t need a Savior to save you. If it wasn’t a mess every now and then, you wouldn’t need the Messiah’s message to motivate you to move. If you weren’t sick, you wouldn’t need God as your Healer. If you didn’t have trouble, you wouldn’t need Him as your Protector. If you didn’t go through something, sometimes; you wouldn’t need Him as your Deliverer, Redeemer or like grandma calls him; way-maker, burden bearer, heavy load sharer, tear wiper, midnight company keeper, comforter and mind regulator. Ma’am, sir; you’re alive and you’re still riding and you’re still in the best hands which means, He has you covered. When you’re in the world, man will say you’re healed; you had a good doctor but then you can correct them and say, no I have a great God. When you’re in the world, the judge will say case dismissed and he’ll say; you had a good lawyer but baby when you’re in the Lord, you can correct him and say, no I have a great God and He has me favored! Enjoy the ride because favor makes the labor worth it!

Daily Devotional – 7/21/15 “When God speaks … “

I have been having a hard time sleeping the last few nights. I could chop it up to it being hot yet I know that’s not the case when my husband keeps it like a freezer in the house (i.e. the sudden jump in our electric bill) so I know it’s something wrestling in my spirit. I don’t know what it is but it’ll manifest itself soon enough so I’ll wait. See, I’ve found that I’d rather be woken from my sleep by the Lord than with mess or terrible news. Yea, when He wakes me up it’s usually with His word. When He shakes me from my sleep, it’s normally something that stirs my spirit. When the Lord sits with me in the early morning hours, He manifests a message through me; so I am okay with being woken up! When the Lord rouses me in the wee hours of the night, it’s for my benefit so I listen. Again, I don’t know what the message is yet, but I’m waiting and listening; for I cry out to God every day like Psalm 25:4-5 says, “Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.”

Yea, I may not get it right all the time but I’m listening. I may not do it the correct way the first time but I’m willing to change. I might not say it exact when I’m supposed to but teach me and I’ll learn. Oh God, tell me because I’m all ears! For John 8:47 tells me, “Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.” So, I’ll ask the question to you today, are you listening to the words of God? For when God speaks … Chile, when He says it, that settles it! It does not matter what your flesh wants to do, what your mouth wants to say, where your feet want to go or where your heart leads; listen to God. It doesn’t matter what folk say, how they’ve treated you, how you think they should have treated you, the position you think you should have been in or even about what folk owe you; baby listen to God because what He says settles it. Who are you listening too? If things aren’t going the way you planned, check whose talking and who you’re listening too.

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.