Daily Devotional – 1/27/14 “Be grateful for the crumbs!”

I was reminded, on yesterday, of a devotional I did some time ago that was titled, “Just give me the crumbs” and for some reason it was on my mind once again. In Luke 16 beginning at the 16th verse, it talks about this rich man who lived lavishly, dressed in the finest clothes and even ate the best food yet every day he passed by this beggar name Lazarus, who was laid at the gate of his house. Now get this, Lazarus was a beggar but he only asked him for the crumbs from his table yet each time, the rich man passed him by and all Lazarus needed was a few morsels of the food they were probably throwing out to the dogs anyway yet the rich man ignored him day after day. Then one day, Lazarus and the rich man died and because the rich man had already had his reward here on earth, he was destined to hell; oh but because Lazarus was who he was, going through what he had to go through; he was destined to glory. The rich man, now, in agonizing pain in the pits of hell looks up to see Lazarus and Abraham off in the distance. He then begs Abraham to let Lazarus dip his finger in cool water so that he could cool his tongue. Yea, the same rich man who wouldn’t even give the crumbs from his table is now in need from the poor man he ignored. Isn’t that something? The rich man even asked if Lazarus could go back and warn his brothers who were living the same way yet Abraham answered in Luke 16:29, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.” Please don’t get it twisted, being rich or poor doesn’t finalize your flight plan in the end but it’s your heart that determines your destination.

All I am trying to get you to understand from this today is, be grateful for the crumbs you have. Even if what you have isn’t what you want, be grateful for it. Even if your checking account is low, be grateful for it. Even if your refrigerator is barely full, be grateful for it. Simply put, be grateful for your crumbs because while you are busy trying to store up everything here the bible says in, Luke 6:24, “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.” See, while you are so busy, down here, trying to build up your riches; you are missing the message of the Messiah. While you’re being stingy and won’t help anybody, you’re only placing stumbling blocks in your own way. While you’re being selfish with the blessings God has already given you, you’re blocking any new ones from ever being seen. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t work to be debt free, have money in the bank for the things you want and need, be able to go where you want, do what you want to do but what I am saying is, don’t get to high that you start looking down at folk, walking pass folk who ask you for help or even broadcast it when you do because it’s then that you’ve decided your own fate. Being rich doesn’t make you better than the next person, your heart does. You don’t have to give your all to show God that you’re worthy but sometimes all someone needs is the crumbs that you’re about to throw away anyhow because although the crumbs may not be much to you, they are a whole lot more to someone who receives them. Be grateful for the crumbs!

VIP Sunday with A Secret Worth Keeping

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I have the honor and privilege to share A Secret Worth Keeping with all of the VIPs of BAM’z Boutique in Memphis, TN on their “VIP Sunday” The event will be Sunday, January 26, 2014 from 1pm to 5pm.

BAM’clusively at B.A.M.’z Boutique – 6647 Winchester Rd. ( next to World Overcomers ) – (901) 590-0125

I will be reading an exerpt from the book as well as selling and signing copies. If you have a book you would like to have signed, please bring it with you! Come out and share and shop the fantastic sales BAM’s Boutique will have.

I look forward to seeing all of you!

Daily Devotional – 1/24/14 “Look at you!”

It’s Friday and someone is mad because your check is gone and you just got paid. You’re so mad that you probably haven’t even thanked God for waking your ungrateful butt up when it isn’t His fault your account was overdrawn. You knew you didn’t have it when you spent it but now God gets short changed again. Oh, but I wonder how we would really be if God blessed us based on our service. Most of our names would probably be on a headstone in somebody’s cemetery, on the surgery list at somebody’s hospital, on the warden’s list of inmates in somebody’s jail or on an intake list for somebody’s rehab but look at you, looking like you’re looking. Folk could see you struggling to make ends meet but instead they see you. Folk could see the tear stains on your face but they see you smiling instead. Folk could see you flinching in pain but instead they see you pushing on. Folk could see you heartbroken by the hurt you’ve endured but they see you healing. Yea, folk could see the mistakes you made years ago, last month or even last night but all they see is who God allows them to see, so why are you complaining when you could be looking worse? You could look like the crack head you should have been or you could look like the alcoholic folk said you’d be but look at you. You could look like the abuse he put your through or you could look like all the hell you’ve walked through but look at you. You could look like the sickness you’re wrestling with or the unemployment you’ve dealt with but look at you. You could look like the nobody statistics said you’d mostly likely be but look at you. You could look like the grief others are feeling yet death keeps passing your home but look at you. You could look like the mother who is burying her only child but look at you. You could look like the man who has to sleep on the streets but look at you. You could look like the husband after finding his healthy wife dead but look at you. You could look like the wife whose husband was killed because someone else was driving drunk but look at you. You could look like the parents who received an eviction notice this morning but look at you.

Things could be worse but watch God. Things should be worse but watch God work. If it depended on man, things would be worse but watch God work this. Oh, if it depended on some of our own family and friends things will be worse but watch God work this thang. Yea, if it was up to us and our service to a Man who has been nothing but great, things ought to be worse but watch God work this thang out! Not only will God work this thang out but He works it out in our favor, EVERY TIME! Oh, but we got the nerve, the audacity, the guts and the gall to act like we’re entitled to every blessing we received. Baby, you better open your eyes and see that it’s isn’t about us yet God makes it look like it every time we open our eyes to see another day. So, look at you looking like you’re looking because from where I’m sitting, it’s looking pretty doggone good!

Daily Devotional – 1/23/14 “Sacrificed to Serve”

Yet most of us aren’t servant material. Yea, God sacrificed His only Son for us and most of us aren’t even worthy of being called His servant. Most of us know the commandments yet we don’t follow them. Most of us go to worship service yet we leave worse than we came. Most of us go to bible study but it’s out of habit so we aren’t learning. Some of us serve in leadership capacities but it’s only to be recognized by men when the bible says in Colossians 3:23 “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” Some of us only serve when we are asked so that we can stand out amongst the crowd but it means your service isn’t sincere when the bible says in 1 Samuel 12:24, “Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.” I mean, how can you honestly serve God when you hate the folk you see every day? How can you serve God when you can’t even help the folk who live with you? How can you serve God when your attitude is so rude, no one ever dares to call you? How can you even open your mouth to proclaim to be a servant of God when you won’t even serve? Luke 12:35 says, “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning,” which simply means always have your light of God shining so that He’d recognize you when He comes looking and it shouldn’t matter when God comes because your light should be shining at all times!

Let me make it plain … Being God’s servant, here on earth, is like taking care of the house while momma is gone. See, when she leaves she gives everyone their perspective task to handle that which will keep the house running. The oldest person is in charge and they are responsible for taking care of the house. Then there’s someone who is responsible for making sure the house is together (cooking, cleaning, bathing; you know). Then there’s someone else who may be responsible for helping with the learning (helping with homework, etc.,) and then there are the babes who aren’t fully capable of doing anything so they crawl around and play. Well, in this Christian journey it’s the same. This is why God left everyone with an assigned task or calling that allows us to serve Him in our different capacities. Yes, some of us have the same gift but we use them in a different way because no 2 people are just alike and just like babies, there are some babes in Christianity who don’t fully understand their responsibility so it is up to the older servants to teach them. This is why we have to be capable, responsible and faithful servants because Isaiah 43:10 says, “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.” God made the ultimate sacrifice for us; the least we can do is serve Him but serve Him the right way

Daily Devotional – 1/22/14 “If?”

God is not a man who lives on if, don’t you know that? Then why do you keep saying, “If the Lord never does anything else for me, He’s done enough,” because we all know that’s a lie. Yea, I am appreciative, grateful, ecstatic and forever indebted to God for what He has already done in my life but I will never ask Him to stop. Don’t you know that when you use the word if, you’re actually showing doubt which means you really aren’t sure the person who you’re asking can do whatever it is you’re asking them for? When you say, “Lord, I want you to heal me, if it’s your will,” you’re really saying Lord, heal me if you can but hasn’t He already made His will plain? God is a healer, the only thing that is different about our healing is the time it’s actually done. God doesn’t work on if. In Mark 9:22, a father brings his son to Jesus to heal yet he says, “…But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” Oh but then Jesus makes it plain and simple in Mark 9:23 when He answers, “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” ANYTHING is possible if you believe. You see the difference in the way if is used in this sentence? That’s because if is only supposed to be used in conjunction with something else to let you know that this has to happen in order for that to happen.

Let me break this thang down for you! God says, you can have it if you ask for it but then we turn around and say, if you bless me. God says, it’s yours if you believe but then we say, if it’s your will. God says, you can move mountains if you have the faith the size of a mustard seed but then we say, if it’s my time. Baby, if it’s left up to you, you’ll never get out of your storm, get out of that valley, climb that mountain, stop crying, stop allowing yourself to be hurt, be delivered and set free and be made new in God’s likeness because you’re still living in a “if” moment but if you change your mindset, you’ll change your living. When Lazarus died, God had to make it known to Martha when they doubted His ability to raise the dead by reminding her in John 11:40, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” What will it take for you to believe this? God doesn’t work in “ifs” because all you have to do is trust Him to do what He says He’ll do but it’ll only work if you believe!

** Please don’t forget to vote for Doses of Devotion for the DIVA Award for best inspirational book for January. VOTE HERE**