On yesterday, I asked the question; where’s the witness because I am still trying to figure out why we’ve gotten away from testifying on God’s behalf in this day and time. Yes, I know you say you don’t want folk all in your business but I know that couldn’t possibly be it when you post everything to social media. So, what’s the real reason? This is how I see it. Going through storms, tribulations, falling moments, stumbling situations and all the hell you’ve endured was your interrogation and after coming out of it, why not testify about it? I mean, you do know that you’ve been granted the ultimate immunity by the ultimate judge; don’t you? You do know that nothing you done, in your past, will be held against you, don’t you? Then why not witness? During the interrogation you may have lost a few friends and family members but you made it through. During the interrogation, the clouds may have become dark and hung a little low but can’t you see the sun peeking through? During the interrogation, you probably shed a lot of tears, had some sleepless nights, moments of not being able to make ends meet, days of having no food in the refrigerator and thoughts of wanting to give up but didn’t you make it out? During the interrogation you may have had some pain in your body, some sickness the doctor said you’d probably not make it through or some disease that made man shake their head yet you’re alive today; aren’t you? During the interrogation you may have even been addicted to the bottle, the feeling you got when you shot that stuff in your veins, the high you thought you’d never come off of or the excitement of doing you but look at you now; clean and sober. Isn’t God worthy of your witness? Didn’t you make it through your interrogation with your integrity? Didn’t you come out of your interrogation with your inheritance increased? Didn’t you come out of your interrogation with God inhabiting your inward places? Then why can’t you witness? Didn’t God keep His promise of protection, providing, healing, peace that surpass your understanding and gifts that’ll make room for you all during your interrogation? Then where is your witness? You may even be in the midst of your interrogation now but take notes because when it’s all over with and those doors are opened, you’ll be able to walk out with freedom and a clean past. God has a purpose for the things we go through as long as we go through with Him. Don’t count yourself out because of the hell you’re going through now, that’s just your interrogation and soon you’ll have the opportunity to witness by saying, “I can remember when” because then you’d be delivered from it!
Daily Devotional – 5/22/14 “Where’s the witness?”
Isn’t it crazy how God will bring us through stuff and we won’t tell nobody? Why has it become hard to be a witness when God has set you free? I don’t understand how you can go through the trial (sickness, disease, addiction, abuse, hurt, etc.,) be found not guilty (by being delivered) and not tell anybody. That’s like the defense attorney standing before the court calling your name and the judge asking, where’s the witness? I just don’t understand. Why has it become so hard to tell somebody about the goodness of the Lord? You do know that you’re the bible to unbelievers, right? You’re the one an unbeliever sees and your life is what they read, so how can you not share? How can you get me to believe that God can heal me if you can’t tell me how He has healed you? How can you make me believe He will love me through my mess if you can’t tell me a little about the mess He loved you through? How can you make me believe He can pick me up if you can’t tell me how He picked you up? Where is the witness? Weren’t you the one who survived that abusive relationship? Weren’t you the one who was healed of cancer? Aren’t you the one with kidney disease yet you’re still living? Aren’t you the one who used to walk but now you own a car? Aren’t you the one who was once homeless but now a homeowner? Weren’t you the one who was in the gang but now you’re preaching God’s word? Weren’t you the one who used to break up marriages but now you’re happy in yours? Weren’t you the one who tried to commit suicide but it didn’t work? Aren’t you the one who was shot but it didn’t claim your life? Weren’t you the one who was given ten years in jail but only did two and now you’re free? Where’s the witness? Hasn’t God been good enough to you to cry out like the song of David in Psalm 22:22, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you?” Can you say like Psalm 40:9, “I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD?” Where is your witness? When will you tell your story? I don’t know about you but I don’t mind sharing God with you for I’ll scream it from the mountaintops and even from the valley like Isaiah 6:8 says, “Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.”” Where’s the witness? Here I am, with my hand on the bible saying, I promise to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth about our God and His wondrous work! Is it easy? No. Is it worth it? Every day!
Daily Devotional – 5/21/14 “God’s undercover operation!”
I wonder how many churches would be closed down if God was to do an undercover sting operation. I mean, would he find illegal activity happening in the place we’re supposed to worship Him? Would God, in His undercover sting, find that money is being misused, folk are being abused or taken advantage of or that His word isn’t being taught the way that it should? Would God find the church to be a nuisance? Would He shut down the altar because it’s more sinning going on there than on a dance floor in the club? Would He bolt the door of the pastor’s study because of the mess happening behind closed doors? Would He shut down the pulpit because it is harming the public’s health? I just wonder. Then what would you say if you had to be interrogated about your part in the mess? Would you be guilty of turning folks away because you gossip too much instead of spreading God’s word? Would you be able to save yourself by reciting a scripture besides John 3:16 or is your bible still in the window of the car where the sun has turned the pages yellow? Would you be guilty of lying when you say you’ll pray for folks and you don’t really mean it? Would you be guilty of spending your tithe money on worldly things? I just wonder.
We are supposed to avoid backbiting, being angry, judging folk, using alcohol to get drunk, drugs to get high, sex as a means of keeping folk, lying as a way of pleasing folk and hating on one another; yet we do and then have the audacity to say, “God knows my heart.” Chile please! Oh, I won’t even get started on the club clothes that double as your Sunday best because it definitely ain’t. However, how can the children learn when we, as parents, aren’t any better? We can’t help them because half the time we aren’t spiritually right. All I am saying is we’ve got to do better. We have to get back to treating our places of worship as the sanctuary they were meant for before God comes in and shuts them down! Isaiah 55:7, “Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.” Isaiah 1:16, “Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong.” I don’t know about you but the only thing I want to be found guilty of is doing the right thing.
Daily Devotional – 5/20/14 “I can’t question God!”
I find it ironic that on 5/20/13 my devotional was titled “Why are you questioning God?” Now, I said that because the way things have been happening lately with sickness attacking my family, I could have questions slipping off of my lips to God but I can’t. I can’t question God because whatever will He has, it’ll be done with or without my questions. But with that being the case, it’s still not the reason I can’t question God. I can’t question God because who am I? Yea, I could have some why us God, why me God, why my family God but I can’t because why not us, why not me, why not my family? We have to go through just like everybody else. Yes, I understand that sometimes our flesh takes over and we want to question God. I mean, I get it (a little), I understand (some of it), I’ve had my share of pain (it hurts), I’ve been where you are (not exactly where but), I’ve been through something similar to you (I’m still here), I’ve had my share of hurt (It sucks) but guess what? You either deal with it or you don’t. I won’t live my life questioning God when He doesn’t question me. When I was lost and thought this flesh of mine had sealed my fate, Jesus told me in John 8:15, “You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one.” When I thought I couldn’t be saved because of my past, Isaiah 43:18 tells me, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past,” for 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” When I sin and I repent, God says in Isaiah 43:25, “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” When I am sick and need healing, lost and need guidance, temporarily out of funds and need providing for, down and need to be picked up or at the door and it’s locked; God tells me in Matthew 7:7, “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” Even when I think sickness is too much and death may one day come, my bible tells me in Romans 14:8, “For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” So you see, I can’t question God because He’s already left me the answers. #thatsenough
Daily Devotional – 5/19/14 “God’s already told you!”
So why are you waiting on folk to confirm? If God has already opened the door, why are you waiting on people to tell you to walk through it? I don’t understand why we, as Christians, need three or four confirmations to take God at His word when the last time I checked He was the ultimate approver. So tell me again, why do we need to hear it from the mouths of folk who can tell a lie so quick? Haven’t you realized yet that not everyone who says they are for you are actually for you? Yea! That same friend you keep running to for advice on your marriage hasn’t told you that hers is on the brink of divorce. That same friend who you call to always share your good news maybe the same one wishing you’d fall. Baby, not everyone who says they are praying for your healing is actually doing it. Someone in your circle could be the same one secretly wanting your spouse. Someone close to you is probably the same one that keeps stabbing you in the back. Someone close to you, yep that same one you need confirmation from, is still trying to figure out why doors keep opening for you. Someone close to you, yep that same someone you keep abreast of all the information, maybe the same one trying to figure out why your gift is anointed. This is why the bible tells us in 1 John 4:1, “Dear friends, stop believing every spirit. Instead, test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Just because folk say, “God told me to tell you,” it doesn’t mean it’s true. All you have to do is check their references (that’s their life) and if it doesn’t match the way and will of God, keep walking. If they are speaking about the Holy Spirit and you’ve never seen them be affected by the Holy Spirit, keep walking. If they’ve been praying for your healing yet you’ve never seen them sick and praying for their own, keep walking. If they claim to know that God is a provider but they can’t be called as a witness, keep walking. You don’t have to wait to hear confirmation from man because John 8:47 says, “Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” Check your membership because if you ask God, He’ll tell you and when He tells you, He confirms it!
Lakisha, the Author 