Daily Devotional – 8/19/14 “Turbulence means transition!”

Baby, why are you worried about that shaking you’re feeling in your midst? That’s just the turbulence during the transition of things happening. Yea, I know you felt that rocking and you thought all hell was breaking loose around you but hold tight, it’s just God getting ready to take you higher. What, you thought this journey would be easy? You thought there would be bridges over your troubles, a faucet to fill your valley with water to swim you out of your circumstances or a rope for you to climb out of your despair? If it was that easy, what would you work for? Yes, there will be turbulence during transition, if you’re moving. Yes, there will be some turbulence during YOUR transition, if you are moving. But baby, it ain’t even about the turbulence. It’s ain’t even about the transition. It’s about what comes afterwards. See, if you’re facing turbulence, that means you’re transitioning and if you’re transitioning that means you’re moving and if you’re moving that means your position is changing. Now, that alone ought to be enough to make you want to shout because turbulence usually happens when you are going up. (Still don’t get it?) If you are experiencing turbulence in your life right now, (a sudden change of conditions, an unexplained change in the way things are happening in your home, all hell breaking loose, children acting crazy, folk on the job talking foolish, spirit seems unsettled, etc.,) then you may be going through a transition period and the devil is trying to stop you from getting to your triumphant target but hold on; the turbulence won’t last … Praise your way through it.

If you are experiencing turbulence right at this moment, fight on, it’ll soon be over and you’ll realize that everything you’ve experienced during the ride; from the knock downs, the names you’ve been called, those wanting to give up moments, the heartaches, the closed doors, the sickness, the let downs, the addictions, the could haves, the should haves and even the woe is me moments made it all worthwhile once you hear the captain say you’ve reached your final destination at triumph! Don’t let the turbulence turn you away from the flight that just might change your life. This could be the answer you’ve been waiting for just not in the way you’ve been looking for it. Turbulence means transition which means you’re moving and if turbulence means I’m moving up, I’ll take it any day.

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 1 Peter 4:12-13”

Revenge and Sex … Let’s talk about it!

Hey now … I will be joining my fellow label mate Author Saundra on the airwaves as we discuss Revenge and Sex on Writing Royalty Radio with AaronBebo and Lissha Toni on Wednesday, August 20, 2014 at 7:30EST/6:30CST.

Visit the link HERE and don’t blame us for the things talked about!

ASWK Cover

Daily Devotional – 8/18/14 “Favor takes away the labor!”

Donald Lawrence said something on Sunday Best last night that stirred something in me and he simply said, favor takes away the labor. Baby, when you’ve been favored by God, that favor will take away the labor of trying to get to a place than man can’t put you. When you’ve been favored by God, you’ll walk into places you’d never dreamed your feet would walk. When you’ve been favored by God, you’ll travel to places you’d never even heard of. When you’ve been favored by God, you’ll speak in front of people who’ve never heard your name before that day but will never forget it afterwards. When you’re favored by God, you’ll reach heights ordinary people can’t reach. When you’re favored by God, there are no limits because God sets no boundaries. Now, let me make this known; favor takes away the labor of you getting there but you have to labor to stay. Oh, that’s going to pass over a few heads but let me say it again. The favor you’ve been given will take away the labor of you getting to where you need to be but it doesn’t mean you won’t have to labor to stay where you’ve gotten. See, your favor got you to the table that has been so nicely prepared for you in the presence of those who said you shouldn’t even be in the room but now you’ve got to labor, which means you’ve got some work to do now that you’ve taken your seat. Yea, your favor got you in that CEO chair but you’ve got some laboring to do, which means it’s time to roll up those sleeves and get to work and show them the knowledge they didn’t think you had. Yea, your favor is what got your ministry started but now it’s time for your labor to make sure it remains ministry based.

How do you get God’s favor? It’s simple. You have to be righteous. Don’t take my word but take God’s because the bible says in Psalm 5:12, “For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield.” Of course, I know it’s hard to be without sin, all the days of your life, but repent when you do wrong yet try to do right most of the time. If favor can take away the labor of getting me places that blows my mind; then favored living is what I am striving for. “Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. Ephesians 1:11”

Dailly Devotional – 8/15/14 “Spiritual Recharge!”

I wonder how much better our lives would be if we would start connecting to our spiritual recharge source when we get low on energy the same way we do when our phones, ipads, kindles, and other electronics get in the danger zone of going dead. You know how you see the red bar on your battery and you start looking for an outlet to plug in your charger or how you’ll almost wreck trying to plug in your car charger. Well, I’m just wondering how it’ll be if we would start having that same fire to get our spiritual life recharged. I’m just imagining with my spiritual imagination just how awesome worship services would be every Sunday if Saints came in with that same fire if we would be ready to be plugged into the everlasting power source that never lost power. See, we don’t have to worry about plugs that work sometime because there is no plug. We don’t have to worry about going to Walgreens, the corner store or even the apple store to get a cord that works because we won’t need one. We don’t have to worry about finding an outlet because the outlet is the building. And power surges, well they are called they Holy Ghost here. And the time it takes to charge you up. Baby, you’ll feel the power in your body the minute you step in, if you plug up the right way. The bible does say in John 4:24, “God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

Yea, every time your hope starts getting in the red zone, grab the bible and plug into Psalm 34:17-19 and let it refill you for it reads, “The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time” Every time your purpose starts to go low, plug into 1 Peter 2:9-10, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” When you doubt God’s calling on your life, plug into 2 Timothy 1:9-10, “He has saved us and called us to a holy life–not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” Take the time to plug in to get your spiritual life recharged and watch the difference it makes. Stop putting it on the back burner. Give it as much time as you give your phone, as a matter of fact, give it more because your phone can’t save you. God deserves more. Give yourself a spiritual recharge and you’ll feel the difference before you see the difference.

Daily Devotional – 8/14/14 “Get in your place!”

I was scrolling through my previous devotionals and I came across one I did on 3/31/14 titled, Get in your place. Now, this one caught my eye because I was speaking about this book that Evangelist Sandridge (at our church) gave me to read and I didn’t know it then but she was preparing me to get in my place. (Wow) See, Evangelist Sandridge is my uncle’s assistant minister and she’s been sick and her presence has been missed since she hasn’t been at the church. Our church is a small church is Hollywood, MS (near Tunica) and it doesn’t come with 5 associate ministers to carry on Sunday school and bible study when uncle Larry isn’t available and I didn’t know it then but I get it now, she was preparing me to get in my place. I get it now. God will send folk to us to prepare us for the position we are about to fill and if we don’t pay attention, we miss it. Isn’t that something? Here she was, the whole time preparing me to stand in for her while she recovers yet it never dawned on me. Her she was, the entire time, preparing me to get in my place and I almost missed it. Had I not been in tuned with my spirituality, had my own personal relationship with God, had my own study time with the bible and on my own journey to understand the calling God had over my life, I would have surely missed this. Oh but I am thankful for God for sending folk like Evangelist Sandridge who is faithful in her work and who, even at 80 years old, is still favored in this life. I am grateful that she saw in me the calling God had already placed over me and she wouldn’t let me forget it. I am yet praying for her and I know that whatever God has in store for her, it shall be done.

And for you, my brother or sister; you who are wavering in this fight today because the world is beating you down and it seem like you are fighting in vain; fight on! Yea, I know it seems like God placed you in the middle of a war zone but get in your place. Don’t you know that God won’t place you anywhere He hasn’t already been? Yes, your surroundings are unfamiliar and the people are looking at you funny but get in your place. You might not fit in but get in your place. Your voice may be shaky and you may have butterflies in your stomach but get in your place. You may not even feel like you belong there but you won’t be there long, it’s just a stepping stone so get in your place. Get in your place, you got work to do. Don’t allow fear to keep you from getting in your place. Don’t let folk stop you from getting in your place. Don’t even let you stop you from getting in your place because you’ve got work to do. Minister, Pastor, Preacher, Bishop, Dr, Evangelist; get in your place! It’s time out for pacifying the gospel to satisfy the season saints when we need to save those who are yet to be saved. Young folk are dying every day and many don’t know God and that’s a problem. If most of our young men are in prison then let’s go there. If most of our young ladies are in the streets, then let’s go there. We’ve got to get outside the 4 walls of the building we worship in because not all of the lost can make it there. We’ve got to get in our place to minister and it isn’t in a pulpit all the time. Get in your place and do your job! Stop worrying about me, get in your place. Stop worrying about him, get in your place! Stop worrying about her, get in your place!