Daily Devotional – 6/26/14 “Saint!”

Yea, you’ve probably being saved ever since you sat on the mourners’ bench at revival when you were 12 yet you haven’t always acted like it. Yea, you probably keep your bible in the car but when you do take it in the house to share the word with your family? You can probably even recite scriptures from memory but are you living by them? Stop acting like you got a Holier than thou card in your wallet because we are all just saved sinners called saints. (Saint = Sinner abiding in new territory) Chile, stop acting like your salvation is greater or better than mine. Don’t you know we are all sinners who have been saved by the same blood? Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” So cut out the act like you don’t sin every now and then because even the bible says in Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Let me tell you this, God doesn’t keep track of the numbers of years you’ve been saved but He’ll ask how many souls you’ve saved since then. God isn’t concerned with that fancy bible you got in that nice looking bible bag but He’ll ask how many times you’ve opened it to share His word with someone else. God isn’t concerned with the make and model of your car but He’ll want to know how many times you’ve given a ride to those in need. He won’t even ask you to recite a scripture from memory but He’ll want to know how many did you share with non-believers. Baby, God doesn’t care about the number of followers on Twitter, the friend count on Facebook or the likes on Instagram but He’ll want to know how many people you invited to church or shared the message with. It isn’t about the brand of phone you have but it is about the number of times you’ve answered it to pray for someone. Does God want us to be perfect? Yes, because the bible says in Matthew 5:48, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect,” but this doesn’t mean we are punished when we make mistakes because if this was the case He wouldn’t have given us repentance.

We are all sinners striving to be better which is why I said we are saints – sinners abiding in new territory. So again, quit acting like the baptism water gave you a higher calling than anyone else because we all have the same road to travel to get to God. Yea, our paths go in different directions but in the end we all have to take the same route, death. We need to get back to saving souls because we are losing too many of them and God isn’t pleased. We need to take the world out of church and take the church into the world. It’s time out for playing fleshly games and get back to kingdom business. We are all saved sinners who should practice what is said in 1 Corinthians 9:22-23, “When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.” It is our responsibility to help one another through the sharing and teaching of God’s word instead of trying to beat the hell out of one another with harsh criticism and hate. We are all sinners, oh but (don’t you love but) Romans 3:24 says, “Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” So, please know, I am no better than you and you are no better than me for we are all saints, “Sinners Abiding In New Territory!”

Daily Devotional – 6/25/14 “Church Covenant”

Have you ever noticed the covenant that hangs in most churches? Have you taken the time to read it? Did you know that when you become a member of a church you are now agreeing to said covenant yet you’ve never read it? How can you hold up your part if you don’t know what it is? My own personal belief is, if more churches would get back to teaching the covenant, preaching God’s word instead of playing in the flesh, anointing folk with oil to get rid of these evil spirits, praying for one another and building each other up; our worship services will be better. If the pastor would get back to doing what he/she was called to do, people were to get back to respecting the pastor as the head of the church, members were to learn their role and stay in their lane and the church as a whole would get back to reaching and teaching folk; just imagine how much better our worship experience would be. But it all goes back to the covenant because when you understand the agreement, you might just do better. So take a moment and read the church covenant below and my prayer is that we will all do better.


“Having been led as we believe, by the spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, we do now in the presence of God, angels and this assembly most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.

We engage therefore by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love, to strive for the advancement of this church, in knowledge, holiness and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality: to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the spread of the gospel through all nations.

We also engage to maintain family and secret devotion; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale and use on intoxicating drinks as a beverage, and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the Kingdom of our Savior.

We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the rules of our Savior, to secure it without delay.

We moreover engage that when we remove from this place, we will as soon as possible unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word.

And now unto Him, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, be power and glory forever. Amen.”

To sum it up, when we become a Christian we become one body in Christ and no one should fall without having someone there to help them back up. We agree to love one another and participate in the up building of the church (studying God’s word, paying tithes & spreading the word to those outside of the church). We agree to teach our children God’s word, devote prayer time to our family, fellowship with other believers, be faithful in all we do, be passionate about Godly business and become our brother/sister’s keeper. It is our responsibility to be an encouragement for one another without judgment and harsh criticism. We agree to carry ourselves in a way that those who maybe wandering without direction can be saved through us but we can’t do that if we aren’t getting along with other church folk. Admit when you’re wrong and apologize, don’t hold grudges and stop running from the church every time you get mad. Baby, running makes you tired and soon you’ll turn away from God when all you should have done was talk to the one who hurt you. I didn’t say stay where you aren’t being spiritually fed but I said stop church hopping. Find a church home so that you can hold up your end of the agreement and when you get there; hold up your end of the agreement!

Daily Devotional – 6/24/14 “Deny some folk!”

If you have to worry about the folks you’ve surrounded yourself with, they aren’t worth being around. If you have to worry about your business getting back to the beauty/barber shop on Saturday, you may need to change your atmosphere. Yea, if you have to be someone other than yourself, you may need to change the place you’re in. And if you’re wondering why God won’t use you then you need to read Luke 14:26 that says “Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one’s own self!—can’t be my disciple.” In order to work for God, you’ve got to first let go of self and then let go of man. Why? Well, I’m glad you asked. When you hold on to self, you’ll start second guessing what God said. When you hold on to man, they’ll have you changing the place God said go to. When you hold on to self, you’ll start pulling away from God. When you hold on to man they’ll make the world look better than worship. When you hold on to self, you’ll make yourself think that sin ain’t all that bad and when you hold on to man they’ll even make you feel good while you’re in that same sin. All I’m saying, you need to let go of self and some folk. Why? Well, thanks for asking. See, you keep allowing “them” to cause you to stumble on your journey but they won’t be the one to blame when the judgment comes, you will. Just because “they” smoke or drink, it doesn’t mean you have too. They sleep in on Sunday and miss worship, manage mess on Monday and miss Bible Study, wild out on Wednesday and miss prayer meeting, drink on two for one Thursday and skip choir rehearsal and now they’ve dragged you right along with them because you’ve yet to let them go. You don’t want to hurt folk feelings but you’ve yet to consider God’s. You don’t want to tell folk no but you are quick to tell it to God. You don’t hesitate to go when they come calling yet you question why when God does. Baby, when will you let go and let God? When will you lead and stop following? When will you stop conforming to their standards?

Don’t you know that you have to be willing to let go of yourself to get that which you’ve been yearning for, deny some folk to declare deliverance, block some things and folk to get your breakthrough, reject some requests in order to receive your restoration, throw away some things to realize your talents, release those that are ruining your righteousness and toss those things that are hindering you from transforming your tribulation into a testimony? Yea, you may want to look at denying some calls, deleting some text messages and discarding some phone numbers in order to get the blessing you’ve been waiting on. Yea, you may want to look at denying some friend requests, deleting some pictures and discarding some old memories in order to get the discipleship God has waiting for you. For Luke 14:33 says, “Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple.”

Daily Devotional – 6/23/14 “We are losing them!”

We are losing our children and it has got to stop! There is a commercial on the radio that says, the biggest influence our children have is us (parents) yet most times we don’t stop to realize that. No, I am not saying that we are responsible for all of the bad stuff they get into but I am saying that we are an influence. We are losing our children y’all! We are burying them and the sad part about it is; most of them don’t have a church home because most of the parents don’t. And even if the parent(s) are involved in church, you get up and leave the children at home on Sunday because you’ve given them a choice on when to serve God. These young boys and girls are trying to handle relationships when a relationship, some time, is even too hard for an adult to handle. Then you add on peer pressure, drugs, gangs, money and violence! Why has it become an epidemic of parents burying children or visiting them in jail? Why has it become common for young men to pose with guns, money and drugs or for young girls with their skirts up to their butts, tongue hanging out or doing stuff they shouldn’t be doing? Why is it cool for teenagers to become parents? Why are we losing our children? They are dropping out of school, drinking, throwing gang signs, sagging their pants, wearing their dresses shorter and being disrespectful and we, as parents, aren’t saying a thing about because we don’t want to hurt their feelings. You’d rather pay someone to cut your grass when you have teenagers in the house or buy something to eat rather than teach your daughter. When I was growing up, in the summer time we got up when my granddaddy’s feet hit the floor because he had things for us to do and once they were done we could play. We didn’t sit in the house all day because grandma would put you out. Oh, but now it’s too hot for the children to play outside. Chile please! Vacation bible school is empty yet the clubs are overcrowded with kids! They play on their phone all during worship service because we, parents, are too busy playing on ours to say something. We don’t take them to bible study anymore because we aren’t going. We definitely don’t read the bible at home because it’s staying in the car (if we even have one). Lord, help us because we are losing our children! We’ve got to take our children back!

“Father, I come petitioning your throne this morning on behalf of our children. God, right now I am praying that you guide their minds because we are losing them at a rapid rate. God, I ask you to destroy the chains of suicidal thoughts, gangs, drugs, violence, unprotected sex, STDs, rape, molestations, bullying and peer pressure and cast them back into the pits of hell. Bind the attacks satan has sent out to destroy our children. God, I need you to protect their feeble minds and surround them with a hedge of your protection. Cast out any demonic, evil spirit who has attached themselves to our children and remove the enemies who have surrounded them looking like friends and destroy the choke hold that social media has placed around their necks. Oh God I need you to heal those children who are fighting sickness and diseases. God I need you to replace depression with your deliverance, gangs with your grace, violence with your voice, hurt with your Holy Spirit, suicidal thoughts with your sanctification and anger with your anointing. For the child fighting with their sexuality or being abused and hurt by someone who is supposed to love them, I ask that you send help and protection to them now. Then God, I need you to strengthen the mothers and the fathers because even when we think we are winning this battle of raising children we are still losing. For the parent who has buried their child or those making funeral arrangements; comfort them. For the parent who is sitting next to the bed of their child and the doctor says there is no hope and for the parent who has to visit their child in jail; strengthen them. And for the parent who doesn’t know where their child is, for those who child is on drugs, in a gang or even fighting an addiction; I ask God that you send them the hope they need to see them through. Lord, as I stand in the gap today, I ask that you cover our children and parents so that we lose no more! I need you to do these things as I humbly submit this pray in your name. Amen”

Daily Devotional – 6/20/14 “Don’t you get it?”

Why do we only praise God when things are going good? Isn’t God worthy of our praise no matter what season we’re in? So many times we take time for granted until we realize there is no more time to grant. We stay shut up in past hurt that we allow time to slip away before we take advantage of it. We stay so bound in our mess that we don’t even see how quickly time is passing right before our eyes. But don’t you know that God still covers you even when you’re covered in filth? Don’t you understand, yet, that God still loves us in spite of us? Don’t you get it! God isn’t concerned about those scars of your past abuse because He says if you give them to Him, He’ll heal them. God isn’t worried about the tear stains on your face because He says if you point that same face towards Heaven, He’ll wipe it clean. God isn’t bothered by the many times your heart has been broken because He says He’ll replace it with a new one if you give Him the old one. God isn’t concerned with the names folk call you because when He calls you everything that was attached to that old name is cast into the sea of forgetfulness. Don’t you get it? God is worthy of our praise and thanks and we shouldn’t wait on Sunday morning to put on a fake show to Him because it’s time now to take off the mask, release whatever demonic spirit that is attached to you and praise God. Don’t you know that you can praise those chains of abuse, that bondage of past mistakes, shackles of angriness and yokes of depression free? Yea, instead of burying all the mess that you’ve held for show long, shout it out so that you can break free from it. Instead of pushing your past into the closet to hide it, tell somebody I was once that yet God has now made me this.

Even in my momentary moments of thinking I’m not good enough, my gift isn’t being used enough or could I be doing more; God calms my spirit and says, girl I got this. When I was a mess, God favored me; when I thought I was nothing, God made me into somebody; when I was in the midst of my sins, God saved me; when I thought I couldn’t go on; God pushed me harder; when I thought my storm would claim my life, God covered me; when I thought I’d drown in my sorrows, God pulled me out and cleaned me up; when I thought my grief would consume me; God comforted me and when I thought my nights of pacing would tear me down; God stepped in and gave me rest. Yea, I may have looked broken to man but to God I looked blessed! (Insert a shout here) Don’t you get it? If God can take me; a tore up from the floor up, raggedy, not fitting to live yet not ready to die sinner, snatch me from the pits of hell, clean me up, give me a new heart and spirit, make my hands and feet look new, a new set of eyes and ears, a new mouth, a brand new body that doesn’t show the scars on my legs from being dragged to hell and back, scars on my back from being used by folks who said they would love me, stepped on by folks who said they’d help me and abused by folk who said they had my best interest at heart; surely He has something greater for me. After all, He did choose me for a purpose! Now, if this isn’t for you, then move out my way while I thank Him now for the next promotion I’ve yet to even apply for, the healing that’s on the way, the deliverance that’s right around the corner, the light at the end of my tunnel, the silver lining in my dark clouds, the debt free status I’ll soon claim, for making my enemies my foot stool, for my books to be in bookstores and churches across many states (I’m claiming this thang!), for the increasing of my gifts that will enlarge my territory, for the healing of my family and friends, for the doors that He is about to open in their lives and for the things I’ve yet to even think of! Yea, I’m even thanking God in advance for the things He has yet to do for you. For the healing of your sickness or disease, your new career, your new home, your new car, your spouse, your deliverance, your debt free status, your new heart, your joy that’s on the way back, for your hope bucket that’s about to be filled, for your tears that’s about to stop, for your spirit that’s about to be renewed, for your regulated mind and for your peace. (And this is for somebody – that new kidney you’re waiting on) I’m thanking him for making your business successful, for enlarging your territory, for increasing your gift and for the anointing He is about to place over your life! (And this is for somebody else – for that ministry you’re being praying for) Oh, I’d better leave this thang alone! Yet, I thank you God right now! I praise you God right now because you are worthy! Don’t you get it? Your praise to God can make all your problems seem petty!