Daily Devotional – 10/29/14 “I’ll help you, will you help me?”

It’s Wednesday and someone is wobbling from the weight of the world that seems to have you weighed down but why won’t you sit it down? Why are you trying to carry it all by yourself? I know you want to act like you got it all together but how is that working out for you? You don’t want people to see that you’ve been wounded in your battle, so you’d rather wander around like you’re in the wilderness whispering your witness because it’s now whack instead of seeking Godly wisdom. Well, how long do you think that will last? Don’t you know the enemy is watching and he’s sitting back rejoicing over the fact you’re letting your guard down? Don’t you understand that now you are more vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks because your flesh is weaker than it was before? And yet all you have to do is sit down that weight you’re trying to bear alone. Who said you had to do it by yourself anyway? Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Why as Christians are we so prideful? We don’t want to ask for prayer, don’t want folk to see us cry and, don’t want to go to the altar out of fear that someone may think we need God’s help when the truth of the matter is … we do! Stop being ashamed to ask for help and if you are afraid to ask for help out of fear of what others say then you are around the wrong type of Saints!

See, as Saints, we have to understand … the bible says to help carry one another burdens, not take on! Read this carefully. We are to help one another. It’s like, I see you sitting on the side of the road with two buckets of water. I stop to see what you’re doing and you tell me, you’re drinking water from one of the buckets in order to make it lighter to carry. Now, I can do one of two things. I can either help you carry one of the buckets or I can sit down and help you drink some of the water and take on some of your water weight. (Did you catch that?) The better of the two would be to help you carry the bucket of water and I’ll tell you why. 1. I didn’t take on the excess water I needed to consume to make the bucket light enough for you to carry. 2. You still had water in both buckets which mean you don’t have to make this trip again (before time) which you would have had you drank the water. We have to help one another! It’s our charge as brothers and sisters in Christ for the bible says in Romans 15:1, “Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves.” Because when it all boils down and simmer away; it’s not about us anyway!

Daily Devotional – 10/28/14 “Stop wishing and work!”

It’s Tuesday and it’s cloudy (where I am) and someone’s soul is just as cloudy as the sky because you’re mixed up over some things that you’re experiencing. You can’t seem to figure out why certain things are happening to you. Why can’t you get well? Why does the death angel seem to know your family well? Why is cancer attached to your family’s genes? Why aren’t you being blessed like others? Why can’t you smile like them? Why can’t you this? Why can’t you that? Well baby I’m going to tell you like this … Stop trying to figure out what you can’t fix, stop asking for stuff you don’t want to work for, stop wishing in other folk’s stuff, stop wanting other folk’s blessings and stop day dreaming in other folk’s dreams! You can’t ask for a blessing and then not expect to work for it. That’s like me expecting my check to be direct deposited even though I’ve called in for the last 2 weeks with no time accumulated to cover the time I need to be off. See, I can’t realistically expect God to just freely hand me a blessing without having to work for it when 1 Corinthians 3:9 tells me, “For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.”

Yes, I know you’re tired of being sick and you want to cry out like Paul did asking God to remove your thorn from your flesh but didn’t you read what the Lord said to him in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Yea, I know you’re fed up with visiting the cemetery but baby we all have an appointed time of death. I get it, you’re tired of being without, get up and do something about it. Stop wishing and crying over what others have because it might not be all what they make it seem to be. The enemy can make blessings look just as good. This is why you have to be careful of the person’s blessing you’re wishing for because you might just be wishing for a spirit you can’t handle. Don’t be too quick to wish for my blessing because baby, you might not be able to handle the storm I endured to get the car I got approved for, the same way I might not be able to handle what you had to endure to get the blessing you have. That’s why I’ll rejoice with you for your blessing while rejoicing for mine. Get up out of your pity this morning and stop waiting on something to be dropped in your lap if you haven’t done anything to get anything. You have another opportunity to get the blessing you need and want, if you pray and have faith but the bible says in James 2:26, “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” You have to get up and get it! It’s not dependent on someone else work, faith, and blessing; it’s all on you! Stop wishing and work!

Daily Devotional – 10/24/14 “Saints … help more!”

What if you laid down on last night and didn’t get up? Would your life have been meaningful?

What if you were in an accident and needed someone to care for you? Would you have someone there? Without hesitation, might I add, because you’ve been there for someone else?

What if you were sick and needed someone? Can you honestly say you’ve cared enough about someone for them to return the favor?

If you were broken down on the side of the road and called for help, would they come?

If you needed money and asked to borrow, would they give?

If you needed a place to stay, would they open their doors?

I’m only asking these things because the bible says that in order to get a friend you have to first show yourself as friendly. But isn’t it strange that as Christians we don’t show Godly love to one another like we should and don’t do Christian things to and for one another like we could? I mean the bible says in Proverbs 17:17, “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need,” yet we’d rather walk past each other on the street. We try to figure out if the person who is doing the begging really need what they are begging for, when it’s really not our place, instead of helping them with they ask you for. We either help or don’t but don’t question their need.

See, you have to understand, it’s not about the person you help for the bible says in Luke 6:38, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full–pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” Don’t you get it! Your giving isn’t about the person you’re helping. Your helping isn’t about the act and your serving shouldn’t be for glorification from man because you should know by now that Proverbs 19:17 says, “If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD–and he will repay you!” This all goes back to studying your word. We should be helping one another because it’s what we are supposed to do. This is why I said earlier, we need more Saints! Then we wouldn’t have church folk being all up in church folk business because then church folk would sit their tails down somewhere. Help more and maybe you’d hush more!

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.