Daily Devotional – 10/23/14 “Church folk!”

The question is always asked, “Why are church folk so critical of church folk” but I have to ask the question, “Why are church folk always the ones doing the things for other church folk to be critical about?” Please get this and understand, I am in no way saying that we are to judge, criticize or condemn anyone for making a mistake but when church folk are the ones doing most of the wrong, it’s time other church folk say something; don’t you think? It’s time out for sweeping stuff under the wrong and covering stuff up when our churches are dying and Saints are suffering and dying too. You got more Christians doing wrong than worldly folk and you wonder why they won’t come to be saved. How can the unsaved come into God’s house when the saved are acting just liked the unsaved, they can’t tell the difference. Something has to change! What the sense of the unsaved coming into the church when they can get what the church is selling on the street? (I’m just saying) We’ve got to do better because God isn’t please with the mess that’s going on.

Church folk have to be critical to a point, don’t you think? Oh but get this … You can’t be critical if you aren’t right yourself. Matthew 7:5 says, “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Don’t sit up and tell me how I should treat my marriage, oh pastor, when you don’t respect yours. Don’t tell me, sir deacon, how to handle my child, when you’ve fathered a few in the church you didn’t raise. Don’t tell me, madam usher, to discipline my child, when you can’t even handle your own that is disrespectful. Please, oh missionary, assistant minister or evangelist; you can’t possibly think I’ll listen to you tell me what “thus said the Lord” when I just saw your Saturday night club pictures posted and you were drunk and grinding on the dance floor. It ain’t happening! As a Christian, you don’t have to stop living but you have a duty to do everything decently and in order. I’ve said this before but I don’t mind sharing it again. Jesus said to have wine, it’s good for the stomach and other ailments but don’t get drunk. The bible says to dance, have fun and enjoy the fruits of your labor but when you get to the point where you are out of character, you’ve gone too far. So yes, sometimes church folk have to be critical to a point because church folk are the ones doing the things to be critical of. It’s alright to be a Christian/Saint and still have fun but you accepted God into your life because you said you were ready. Yes, we all make mistakes but we should learn from them and not make the same ones over and over. And if you didn’t know this please understand that Ecclesiastes 12:14 says, “For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”

Daily Devotional – 10/22/14 “Stress makes us strong!”

I write a devotional titled “Saints needed” on yesterday and then the enemy attempts to attack me and man!! I don’t mean attack me in physical things but in my physical body because my attitude by last night was jacked up…Yea, to say the least. We’re getting ready to move, need a new car and everything seems to be hitting me at once and for a moment it almost had me. (I can be real, I’m human) but then I bounced back. I had a moment because I am in my own right to have one but then I had it, got over it and bounced back. See, I had to realize the enemy was getting glory out of me being angry, he was sitting back enjoying me having a woe is me moment hoping it lasted longer but as soon as I bowed my head I prayed to God for forgiveness. I couldn’t tarry in that place because I didn’t like how it made me feel. It made me feel like I was out of my protection of God’s promise. It made me feel like I had been removed from God’s anointing of mercy. I am not saying I will never have another moment like this again because I will, I’m simply saying I don’t like them.

It’s moment like these that should make us thankful for the good. I’ve even found that a little stress is sometimes necessary in our lives because it is then, when we go through, that’s makes us appreciate what we gain after we come out. Think about it, if everything was easy to get, would you appreciate it? I’ve shared this before but it’s worth mentioning again. A little stress makes you tough enough to endure the storms you’ll face in this life. It’ll give you strength to stand in the midst of the enemy attacks with your battle gear strapped and loaded. Yea, you’ll face stress and probably more than you want but it’ll make you stronger and wiser and in your strength you’ll gain salvation from the Holy Spirit who resides with you daily and in those moments when it seems like the stress is winning, the Holy Spirit intercedes on your behalf. In those times when it seems like the stress is getting the best of you, the Holy Spirit is there because the bible says in Romans 8:26, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” Don’t allow the stress to win, take a breath and release it; pray and don’t worry. If you can’t find the words, don’t worry about it, bow your head and allow the Holy Spirit to intercede on your behalf. Grandma said sometimes you have to moan about it because when you moan, the devil doesn’t know what you’re talking about but God does. Release it so that God can handle it.

Daily Devotional – 10/21/14 “Saints needed!”

Be careful what you ask God for because the bible says in Mark 11:24, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Be careful what you speak for the bible says in Matthew 12:36-37, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Be careful what your heart says (your heart does speak) for Jeremiah 17:10 says, “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” As Saints of God, we go crying out in prayer asking Him “Lord whatever you’re doing in this season, don’t do it without me” yet this is the season for kingdom building and we’re lacking on your post. Where you at Saints? Now, Saints; by definition is one of God’s chosen and usually Christian people or a person who is officially recognized by the Christian church as being very holy because of the way he or she lived; is this you? You were the one that ask God to not leave you out, weren’t you? Where are you? Oh but you are a diehard Saints or whatever team football fan and you can’t wait to plaster social media with that mess but will you rep your home team of God? I don’t mean just for a few minutes on Sunday morning but I mean at all times through the life you live? It should be evident by the way you live, not just by the status you post!

We ask God to deliver us from our sins so that we can serve Him and then we get up and go the opposite way. We ask God to remove obstacles that are blocking us from doing His will and He does and then we still don’t do it. We ask God for a car to get to church and now we got another excuse as to why we can’t get to church but we go everywhere else. We get locked up, find God (who by the way isn’t lost), get Holy, learn a few scriptures and swear before God and momma that as soon as you’re released you’re going to church and you’ve been out 7 years and not one church has seen you yet (other than a funeral). Why are we, as Saints of God, lacking on our posts? Why are we slacking on our jobs? Why are our areas suffering? I’m sick of hearing “God knows my heart” when baby; your heart should have been made over by now. Stop making excuses for why you can’t get right when God has made left a choice. Stop allowing our children to suffer when we have bibles but they don’t. Take the phones away and give them bibles or at least show them how to find the bible on the “smart” phone they have. God won’t keep being pleased with the way we, as Saints, are doing things. We asked for healing over our bodies in order to serve Him yet we aren’t serving. Keep speaking negative, hurtful things with the mouth God keeps blessing, He won’t keep blessing. Aren’t you fed up with the way things are? God has given me power to speak life, I shall. God has given me power to defeat the enemy, I shall! I don’t know about you but I am sick and tired of fighting the enemy every time I look around so I want to give him a taste of the hell he gives me so he’ll think three times before trying me.

Daily Devotional – 10/20/14 “A true worship!”

It’s something about having a real praise and worship experience with the Lord that’ll change your outlook on some things. Yea, I’ve found that a true praise and worship experience with God will have you seeing clearer, make you understand better and above all things fight the enemy harder. You don’t have to believe me but try going into worship service with your heart and mind set on having a true worship experience and I can guarantee that you will and afterwards, your week will be better. Please understand this, the enemy will be standing at your door post on Monday ready to wreak havoc but if you don’t forget the worship experience you had on Sunday, you’ll be able to knock the hell out of him and walk on by humming, “As long as I got King Jesus!”

Baby, all you’ve got to do is make up in your mind that you want to have a true worship experience with God and you can. You don’t have to wait until the designated times that have been set aside at your place of worship because I’ve found that my living room works just fine to get my praise on, the stall in the bathroom at work has worked on many occasions, the front seat of the car, the hallway, the stairwell … anywhere you are able to praise God; make that your worship place for God is worthy to be praised at all times, isn’t He? For Psalm 145:3 says, “Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness.” Job 9:10 says, “He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles,” isn’t that worthy to be praised? Try changing the way you go into worship service and see if it doesn’t change your week from weakness! Change your attitude about your worship and see if it doesn’t change your fear to favor. God is worthy of a true worship experience and we should give Him just what He is due every time we get the chance especially since He continually gives us chance after chance.

P.S. Here is the link from my first sermon on yesterday, “Called but not cursed”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BXDgMV6S7o

Daily Devotional – 10/17/14 “Update and restart!”

Its Friday y’all! Praise the Lord with me! Even though I have to work on tomorrow, I still look forward to my weekends. But as I sit at my computer, it is prompting me to restart (after installing some updates) and if I don’t catch this little box thing every now and then to postpone it, it’s going to restart on it’s own and I’ll be screwed because it’ll restart in the middle of me working. Now, ok … Y’all know me but as I was sitting here I was thinking, how, as Saints, if we would upgrade our knowledge of God’s word every now and then and restart ourselves how much better we would be for the up building of God’s kingdom. I mean, just think about it. We update our computers, telephones and electronics with the latest updates yet we don’t update ourselves with the latest knowledge of God because if you’re a seasoned Saint you think you know everything and if you are a young Saint you think you know everything. But do we, really? Every scripture can be interpreted a hundred different ways to a hundred different people on a hundred different days but not if you don’t know them. Yet, how can you be taught a scripture if you haven’t read it for yourself?

If you’re wondering why your hope is falling short pick up your bible for Romans 15:4 tells us, “Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.” 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” Every now and then, update the software inside of you and restart and see if it doesn’t make a difference in your life. See if it doesn’t make your shine better. See if it doesn’t make you run a little faster. See if it doesn’t give you a boost of energy to fight the enemy off harder than before. Stay up on your game because the enemy sure in hell stays up on his. Update and restart because you might just find it was what you needed after all.