Daily Devotional – 6/4/14 “True Christians, take your place!”

Everyday news about violence, sickness & diseases, our failing economy, rising healthcare cost and worldly turmoil is on the rise and as people of God, we are losing. Not because God isn’t doing His part but because we aren’t doing ours. Yea, I am aware that church can’t fix everything but shouldn’t everything start at church? I mean, if we as Christians would really root ourselves in Christ, I can only imagine how much better most of us would be. On yesterday I said that our churches are dying and it’s true mainly because we’ve taken away the main focus on what church should be. We spend more time fighting with the pastor than fighting for the pastor. We get so wrapped up in mess that most of us can’t even remember the Sunday message to even share with somebody else. We gossip so much that now folk go to church to find out everybody’s business. Isn’t that a shame? We won’t even be on time for worship and don’t even get me started on Sunday school yet you make it a point to be on time for work or free admission to the club. You give more respect to the boss at your job but not the person God has placed as the shepherd of His flock. You stay until last call for alcohol but get mad when church runs a little long. You can attend happy hour but not bible study. You can get up for a yard sale but not prayer breakfast. Where do our priorities lie? So many of our youth are dying and most of them without a church home but that’s because the parents don’t have one. Children are committing suicide and mass killings yet we claim we don’t understand why but no one thought about that when God was taken out of schools. And still we don’t pray with our children before they leave the house. Folk have found it to be cool to post videos of people fighting each other or of babies cursing but that ain’t cute nowhere. When did we start giving the devil free reign? When did we lose our love for Christ? Where are the true Christians who don’t mind stopping in the middle of a crowded mall to pray for someone? Where are the true Christians who aren’t afraid to post about their love for God rather than their love for man? Where are the true Christians who actually carry a bible to church and take notes? Would all the true Christians please stand up? We’ve got to take our churches back and get our lives together. I’m tired of the churches being empty on Sunday but the concert arenas are packed. I’m tired of bible study being empty but the bars full. And I am sick and tired of our youth filling our cemeteries and jail cells. Our churches are dying because we are allowing them too. All it takes is the effort of Christians to truly love God like we say we do and then work like we know we should. Will true Christians please take your place?

Daily Devotional – 6/3/14 “Follow!”

I revisited the devotional I did on this day last year and it was titled, “Stuck and you don’t even know it.” Now, this doesn’t mean much to you but after bible study on last night, I got excited. Pastor Letcher taught from 1st Timothy 4:6-16 “Preparing for leadership,” and although I couldn’t get my thoughts together last night, the wheels are turning now. See, I’ve come to understand that not everybody who calls themselves leaders are actually worthy of the title. Yea, 1st Timothy 4 talks about good ministers and false teachers because 1st Timothy 4:1 plainly states, “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.” And if the truth shall be told today, most of the ones who have abandoned the faith are in our churches yet no one has the gall to say something to them or even cast them out. Oh but then 1st Timothy 4:6 says, “If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.” Isn’t that something? It’s the pastor’s responsibility as 2nd Timothy 4:2 says to, “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction.” We, as Christians, get so caught up in the roles we play that we forget the role we’ve actually been given. Yea, I understand that you’ve been at the church longer, you might be older and wiser, you know the bible front and back but you still have a role to play. It’s time out for playing church because the church, as a whole, is dying. The devil’s tricks are getting clever and we have to be able to discern the many spirits that flock to God’s house on Sunday and this comes by being prepared to lead but you have to first be able to follow. A pastor can’t be a leader if he can’t follow God the same way you can’t become a member of a church if you can’t follow the pastor. Our churches are dying and it’s our job to save them but we can only do that by following God’s commandments. It’s amazing how quick folk are to confront the pastor but you won’t say nothing to the member who is raising all the hell. Pastors need to get back to anointing folk with oil, casting out demons that are taking over our churches and worshipping God the right way. Christians need to get back to being anointed with oil, casting out demons and worshipping God the right way. Study God’s word for yourself and follow Him which will then allow you to follow those who have been put in charge over you and when you do this, God won’t allow you to be led astray. Follow and follow with respect!

Daily Devotional – 6/2/14 “Just go!”

I’ve come to realize and understand that sometimes God tells us to do things just to see if we will. Yea, I understand now that God didn’t have a purpose for telling us to go, He simply wanted to see if we would. God didn’t even have a specific thing for us to do when we got there but He wanted to see if we would get there. I know it’s been said that if we go for God, He’ll go for us but I’ve found that even if we don’t go, God still does. See, it isn’t about us because God knows we are lazy, stubborn, hard headed and selfish yet He still goes for us. God knows we lie when we say we won’t sin again yet He still forgives. Yes, God does know our heart yet He still loves us. God knows we don’t always pray, say grace over our food and thank Him for waking us up in the morning and allowing us to make another day in this crazy world yet He still covers us. God knows we don’t always do what we say we will, go where we should, do what we know is right and love everybody like He commanded yet He still loves us. Despite everything we do and don’t do, God still goes for us. I said all of that to say this …just go! I don’t know who this is for but go. You don’t have to understand God’s plan to know it’s a good one. You don’t have to know every detail just know that God always deliver. So go on wherever God is about to send you because He has a purpose for it. Please know this; God won’t ever take us to a place that He hasn’t already prepared with a way out. He won’t take us down a road that doesn’t allow for road side assistance and he won’t ever back us up against a wall without space enough to shout our way out of. Just go! Trust God enough to know that He’ll be there waiting when you get there. “Though you have not seen him, you love him. And even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:8-9

Daily Devotional – 5/30/14 “Psalm 23”

“You Lord are my Guide and I want for nothing. You allow me to rest my weaken spirit in green pastures and lead me to peaceful waters to drink when I thirst for your word. You restore my weary soul while leading me along the right path to honor thy name. Even when I have to walk through dark valleys, I shall not fear because you are always near to comfort me with thy rod of comfort and staff of protection. You prepare a table for me in the midst of my enemies that fill my spirit, you raise my bowed down head with your anointing and fill my empty cup with blessings. Surely, your love and mercy will follow me as long as I follow you and I shall dwell in your house forever.” (Lakisha’s version)

So tell me again why you are worried? God is your guide, follow Him. God gives you rest and He even quenches the thirst you have for Him, take it. God can restore your soul, let Him. If God is there when you have to go through, why aren’t you going? God prepares a table with a feast of everything you need and then lays it out in front of your enemies to show them who He is, why haven’t you taken a seat? God fills your spirit so why is it empty? God raises your head, why do you insist on bowing it down? God fills your cup with blessings but you have to turn it over. Don’t you know that God’s love, mercy, guidance and grace follows you, then why are you looking back? All you have to do is believe in Him and allow Him to be your guide. Once you do this, everything else falls into place. God has his part; accept your role, learn your lines by studying His word and then play your role.

Daily Devotional – 5/29/14 “Don’t hang up!”

Yea, I’ve been telling you the last few days about the power in calling on the name of Jesus but please understand this … when you call on Jesus, the enemy hears and it’s his job to make sure you hang up before Jesus answers. You know how it is when you call someone but you hang up after the second ring because you get impatient and don’t want to wait, well it’s the same way when calling Jesus. You get impatient while the call is going through because you expect Jesus to come the minute His name leaves your mouth. Oh but it doesn’t work like that. See, in the midst of your calling, you may have to go through some things. In the midst of Jesus answering, you may have to deal with some folk. Yea, 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 to your faith while you wait on Jesus to answer. Yea, the fights with the enemy get harder but don’t hang up. You may even be fighting in your own home but don’t hang up. Folk on the job may be acting crazy but don’t hang up. Children looking and sounding like strangers but don’t hang up. Bills outweighing your money, don’t hang up. Getting paid and it seems like you’re paying them to work, don’t hang up. No matter what you do it’s never good enough, don’t hang up. Your name stays in someone’s mouth with lies but don’t hang up. See, when you hold on until Jesus answers (like I said on yesterday) things start happening. When you hold until Jesus answers, everything you’ve been through would have been worth it. Sickness would be worth it to get to your healing. Falling would be worth it when you stand back up brand new. Crying would be worth it because it has now washed the dirt from over your spiritual eyes. Lied on is worth it because you’re now lifted. Being talked about is worth it because it’s your testimony now. Don’t hang up because the fighting is getting harder, it just means you’re favored.