Daily Devotional – 6/1/15 “New month, half the year is gone …”

New month and half the year is gone – how are those New Year’s resolutions looking? Have you made any changes, done any soul searching, wrote any plans, created any visions or have you simply stayed where you are? Look here … Stop wasting time, it’s not going to wait on you! Stop blaming God; He didn’t get you in the mess you’re in! Stop blaming folk, some of them could care less if you succeed but they sure are happy when you fail. Stop blaming momma nem; when you’ve been given chance after chance to do something different. Baby, it doesn’t matter where you come from; the question now is, where are you going? It doesn’t matter what you used to do, what are you doing now? It doesn’t matter what you used to be called, it only matters now what you answer too. Yea, I know you used to shut the clubs down but if that isn’t you anymore stop allowing people to drag you back there. If you know your Saturdays are now spent preparing for Sunday morning, be alright with folk knowing that. Stop being shy about folk knowing your dance partner has changed. And please, let go of the built up anger and resentment you have for whoever, deal with whatever issue you’ve buried and let go of past hurts.

Beloved, understand this – You cannot continue to live if you are spiritually dead because eventually your rotting decay is going to start to smell and then folk will find out you aren’t all you say you are. Yea! You get dressed up yet you’re torn up on the inside. You draw a smile on your face but inside you’re weeping. You go to church, playing church and leaving worse Sunday after Sunday. You can’t hear what God is trying to tell you because you got so much mess going on. You can’t fulfill your Godly assignment because you are worried about the image folk are seeing. Chile, get your life! God isn’t pleased with the current state of His saints and that’s a problem. When folk have more authority in the church than the pastor, there’s a problem. When saints are suffering yet other saints are only concerned with the weekly gossip, there’s a problem. When parents begin giving children an option on getting to know God, there’s a problem. When parents don’t know God, there’s a problem. We have made it to see half a year gone which means, we have half a year left. It’s time out for playing. Whatever you need to apologize for, do it. Whatever changes need to be made, make them. You may not have the time you think you do!

Daily Devotional – 5/29/15 “He’ll answer!”

My devotional on this day last year was titled, “Don’t hang up,” and I could repost it; word for word here because it fits today. Yea, I mean it fits like a tailored made suit because just as I said last year; I’ve been telling you for the last few days about the benefits of calling on Jesus and in your calling, don’t get weary if it seems like Jesus isn’t answering; just hold on, don’t hang up! Yea, you might have some mess beeping in but don’t hang up, keep calling. Somebody from your past might show up and distract you from your waiting but don’t hang up, keep calling. The enemy may camp around you in the hopes of causing you to give up but don’t hang up, keep calling. Even in the midst of your calling you have to deal with a few storms, some hellish folk, some conniving friends and untrustworthy family members but don’t hang up; keep calling. I shared this last year but it still fits …While you’re calling you may be wallowing in your worries, partying in your pity, drowning in your depression, sinking in sin, bound by bankruptcy, maintaining misery, suffering in sickness, accepting addiction, being held by chains of your circumstance, jailed by judgment, neglected because of your name, guided by grief, cast out because you chose Christ, walked over because of God’s word, discarded because you’re devoted and made to feel guilty because you’re using your gift but don’t hang up! Hold on until Jesus answers but do it with faith that what you’re calling Him for is already on the way!

I get it; I may not understand your dilemma, I may not be in the predicament you’re in, I may not be in the same boat you’re sinking in or walking in your shoes but I know a man who knows a man who can answer if you don’t hang up because when He answers, thangs start happening. Go back and read the previous devotionals because I’ve shared what can happen but know this … When Jesus answers; He’ll turn the tears you’ve shed into your testimony. When Jesus answers, He’ll make the pacing you’ve done into your praise party. When Jesus answers, He’ll make the depression you’ve dealt with part of your dance. When Jesus answers, He’ll make that sickness a part of your sanctification. When Jesus answers, all the hell you’ve been through would have been part of His manifestation process to renew you into the person He needed you to be who is now more willing and able. You don’t have to trust me, just don’t hang up because at the name of Jesus even the demons obey, death behaves, sickness disappears, destinies are revealed, walls are destroyed and rebuilt, giants are defeated, marriages are saved, relationships helped, wandering children are bought home, prison doors are open and wretches like me are saved! Oh, don’t hang up in the midst of you calling on the name of Jesus; He’ll answer.

Daily Devotional – 5/28/15 “At the name of Jesus!”

Don’t you know that at the name of Jesus, demons flee? Don’t you know that at the name of Jesus, battles that are waged against you won’t prosper? Don’t you know that at the name of Jesus, closed doors don’t stop your elevation? Don’t you know that at the name of Jesus, healing can be performed in the midst of your living room? Don’t you know that at the name of Jesus, deliverance can take place on your job? Don’t you know that at the name of Jesus, addictions that you’ve had for 15 years can be snatched from your mouth in the blink of an eye? Don’t you know that at the name of Jesus, He can keep your body intact when it should have been broken in that car accident? Don’t you know that at the name of Jesus, He can keep your mind when you should have been crazy? At the name of Jesus; He can comfort you when feel confused, rock you when you feel like your life is in ruins, shift you when you feel like you’re sinking and carry you when all you feel like doing is crawling. At the name of Jesus; problems no longer persist, anger is annulled, bitterness is broken, resentment finds a resolution and weakness is withdrawn. Baby, at the name of Jesus …

See, I’ve found that it doesn’t matter that man may close a door because at the name of Jesus; He’ll make stairs for you to climb. It doesn’t matter that the enemy tries to block your blessings because at the name of Jesus, what He has for you, it’s already yours. It doesn’t matter that folk talk about you because at the name of Jesus, His word precedes you and He’ll make your name great. It doesn’t matter that you’ve fallen before because at the name of Jesus, it only matters that you get up! It doesn’t matter that folk don’t know your story because at the name of Jesus, they’ll get to see His glory. It doesn’t matter that folk try to throw salt in your game, shade on your vision or obstacles on your path because at the name of Jesus … no weapons formed against you shall prosper! That’s bible! In Luke 10, when Jesus appointed the 72 to go ahead of Him into the towns He was about to go into; the bible says in Luke 10:17, “When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!” Ha! Baby, at the name of Jesus, we have power! Power to cease the enemy, power to shut up the naysayers, power to turn on light in dark places, power to get out of dead-end situations, power to get healing out of death sentences, power to get a case dismissed when it should have been jail time and power to get a yes when we know it should have been no! All we have to do is use the power of Jesus’ name! We have the power to use it if we belong to Him. Do you belong to Jesus? I don’t know about you but I need this kind of power, what about you?

Daily Devotional – 5/27/15 “In Jesus name!”

On this day last year, I wrote a devotional titled “In the name of Jesus,” from Acts 3 (talking about the beggar at the gate called Beautiful). On Sunday, my sermon was, “When Jesus stirs your pool,” from John 5 (talking about the lame man at the pool of Bethesda) and seemingly both of these fit together today. See, there is something about the name of Jesus. There is something about being in the presence of Jesus and there is even something about calling on Jesus that makes everything alright. Well, for me it does. See, in Acts 3, the beggar would be bought to the gate called Beautiful every day to do what he knew to do, beg and on this day he encountered Peter and John. Now they could have given him what he asked for but instead Peter replied, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. (Acts 3:6)” – There’s something about the name of Jesus! In John 5, Jesus comes upon the pool of Bethesda and there lies an impotent man, the bible says who has been that way 38 years. He is there, day after day, hoping that when the water is troubled, today may be the day he beats someone into the water to get his healing but little did he know … Jesus was his healing for it says in John 5:8, “Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk,” and immediately he was healed! – There’s something about being in the presence of Jesus!

See, in the natural, folk see me but in Jesus name they see the work of the man who sent me. In my name, man may say denied but in Jesus name the application is approved before I even get there. In my name folk look at my resume but in Jesus name they look at my worth. In my name, doctors say sickness but in Jesus name, healing is already be manifested through me. In my name, I can’t see how to make it with my paycheck but in Jesus name, He provides a way through every time. In my name, my car should have given up a long time ago but in Jesus name, He allows a car with over 100K miles to still run. In my name, I should hate folk but in Jesus name I can love even my enemies. In my name, I would give up on my marriage when times get hard but in Jesus name, I stick and stay through the good and the bad. Oh y’all, there’s something about the name of Jesus that makes lame legs live again. There’s something about being in the presence of Jesus that can make blind eyes see, weak bodies strong and the dead rise. There’s something about calling on the name of Jesus that calms fears, open doors that folk have tried to shut, give strength when you want to give up and allows you to see a way out when all you see is darkness. All you have to do is try it! I can only imagine how the lame man felt when he walked for the first time, how the woman with an issue of blood felt when she stopped bleeding, how Lazarus felt when he got up, how the blind man felt when he opened his eyes, how the impotent man felt when his body was healed and how you’ll feel when you call on Jesus for what you need and He comes through. Call on the name of Jesus with faith for what you need and see if He doesn’t come through. Acts 3:16, Peter says, “Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed–and you know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes!” Just imagine how better we’d be when we start to believe in the power of the name of Jesus and then use it!

Daily Devotional – 5/26/15 “Be Thankful!”

I woke up this morning and I had to stop myself because I didn’t even take the time to tell God thank you. Even though I woke up in my own bed (it could have been a hospital bed), in my own home (it could have been a jail cell), in my right mind (you do know it can go wrong, don’t you) and with my family doing alright (I didn’t have any missed calls). I looked on the news and heard about the devastation in other cities from flooding and then I looked around and our city, although it’s not at its best, it’s still standing. I got prepared for work and thought about all the folk who are suffering for lack of a job, I could be in that number. I walked around my home and I thought about all the homeless people, it could be me. I got dressed and thought about all the folk who have to rely on someone else, it could be me. I didn’t have to wait on someone to bathe me, to clothe me or to feed me; God is worthy of my thanksgiving praise! I could be the one heading to the funeral home to make arrangements for my momma, I could be sitting beside the bed of a sick spouse, I could have been visiting my only son’s grave on yesterday, my only daughter could be strung out on drugs, one of my sisters could be going through chemo, one of my brothers could have been killed by gun violence, one of my cousins could be the face of another young male gunned down my police or one of my friends could be missing yet God has given us one more chance!

I could dwell on all the things I don’t have, the things I think I need more of or even things I want but baby when I start counting the things I have; I realize I am not missing anything! I could reside in my feelings on things I think could be better but when I take a look around and realize how things should be (based on my merit), everything looks great to me. See, God doesn’t have to bless me like He has because the truth of the matter is; if it was based on me, I’d still be an unwilling wretch wandering, weeping and wasting my worth yet God deemed me willing and He snatched me from the wilderness, wiped my tears, gave me wisdom and told me to go into the world and be a witness! That’s worthy of my thanksgiving praise. You too have worthiness that has been placed on the inside of you and because of that you should give God praise. Stop sitting on your thanks because regardless of what you are facing, God has made you strong enough to endure it. Stop saying what you can’t do, if you’ve never tried to do it. Stop saying where you can’t go if you’ve never tried to get there. Stop saying what you can’t accomplish, if you’ve never taken a step of getting it done. So, on this Tuesday, May 26, 2015; be thankful for whatever it is! Trials come to make us tougher for our testimony and blessings come to make us understand that God has not left us in the midst of our trials. Be thankful!