Daily Devotional – 11/29/13 “Black Friday”

Somebody woke up this morning in tears because they couldn’t afford any of the black Friday sales. You just celebrated Thanksgiving with family and were fed yet you’re still down. You have a place to sleep, healthy kids, TV to watch yet you’re still down. Oh no, you’re not upset because you got bad news from the doctor, your lights are off, car won’t work or death has knocked at your door yet you’re crying because you don’t have money to shop. Are you serious, really? You’d rather stand in a line, in front of a store, wrapped up trying to stay warm just to get pushed and shoved for an $8 toaster or blender when Wal-Mart will have 30 of them next week for $9.99? You’re upset because you want to get that new Xbox game for your son but he’s failing at school. You’re upset because you can’t afford the new cell phone your daughter wants yet she won’t even clean up her room after asking 12 times. Chile, cut it out! If I stopped ten people coming out of Best Buy and asked them if they got what they came for, all of them would probably say no. So why are you rushing to spend money you don’t have anyway? You rather put yourself into debt that’ll take you half of next year to get out off and for what? I don’t think standing in a check-out line for 2 hours is worth the sale price of any item and I’ve never had the desire to get pushed and shoved for a few dollars off anything.

Oh but I wonder how much greater our worship, praise and service to God would be if we dedicated time to God like we do for Black Friday? I mean, you’ll put in a vacation day for this day but you wouldn’t dare miss work for Sunday worship. Haven’t you read Matthew 6:19 that say “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal?” Then may I suggest you slow down and get your priorities straight because Christmas isn’t about the gifts under the tree, the tree nor the decorations and we need to get back to the true meaning of it. Stop taking the Christ out of Christmas because He’ll be the one you’re calling on afterwards when the money is gone. I am not saying don’t spend the money you’ve worked hard for but if you know you can’t afford to then be realistic. There are plenty of ways to give gifts without spending every dime in your pocket and if you honestly look around, there is probably not much your kids need anyway. Be smart this holiday season and get back to the real reason for it because Matthew 6:20 says “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Simply because the blessings and the joy that God has waiting for you can’t be taken away and you don’t have to wait until Black Friday to get it!

Partying for Laquisha’s Benefit

Uly's Benefit

For those who may or may not know, I am a twin. Yes, I have a twin sister and we are identical (although we can’t see it.) However, for the last few months she has been suffering with a condition called, Trigeminal Neuralgia and for those of you who have never heard about it, let me explain. This disease is described as a chronic pain condition that affects the trigeminal nerve, which carries sensation from your face to your brain and with trigeminal neuralgia, even mild stimulation of your face — such as from brushing your teeth or putting on makeup — may trigger a jolt of excruciating pain. The pain is so debilitating that this condition has been called “The Suicide Disease” because many have taken their own lives.

Oh, but God has been keeping her and times when many would have given up; she has held on. When others have called it quits, she has called on God. Her faith has sustained her and I am in awe of her strength. Oh, her faith has withstood because God had to bring her through that in order to get her to her healing and her healing will happen at the hands of a man that God has led her too by the name of Dr. Robert Mericle of HW Neurological Institute in Nashville, TN and God, along with Dr. Mericle, will perform surgery on her on December 17, 2013.

The surgery she is scheduled to undergo is called MVD or Microvascular decompression. The surgery consists of relocating or removing blood vessels that have come into contact with her trigeminal nerve. During microvascular decompression, the doctor will make an incision behind her right ear. Then, through a small hole in your skull, he will move any arteries that are in contact with the trigeminal nerve away from the nerve, and place a pad between the nerve and the arteries. If a vein is compressing the nerve, he may remove it. After the surgery, she will remain in the hospital for 1 to 2 days and then she will have 3-6 weeks of recovery.

The surgery will take place in Nashville, TN and we will be there for at least a week. It is because of this that I am putting together a benefit party to raise money for the expenses that have been and will be incurred. Expenses such as travel and lodging, medicine and hospital stay (that’s not covered by insurance) and to assist with Laquisha’s bills until she is able to get back to work.

If you would like to donate, you can do so through paypal (ljohnson133@comcast.net) or email me at ljohnson133@comcast.net. No amount is too small. Even if you can’t donate money, your prayers are sufficent enough for us both.

Daily Devotional – 11/27/13 “Do not quench the Holy Spirit!”

I am not sure who this is for but I simply stop by to share with you what the bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:19, “Do not quench the Spirit.” Now, in order for you to fully understand what this means, you have to first know that quench means to suppress a feeling completely or (catch this) to put out a fire or light. Simply put, stop putting out the fire of the Holy Spirit and the light of God that is within you. Yea, if you’re always complaining then you are quenching the light. If you sit on your praise then you are quenching the spirit. If you talk more than you teach, you’re quenching God’s light. If you sin more than you shout, you are quenching the spirit. If you’re always angry just because you’re always angry then you’re quenching God’s light. If you hinder those around you from praising then you are quenching the spirit. Baby, if you get up on Sunday morning, get dressed in your Sunday best, drive all the way to church for Sunday school just so you can raise hell about what ain’t going right, you are quenching the spirit.

The bible says in Mark 1:8, “I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit,” but many of us are dipped in the spirit but won’t put the spirit on. Yea, you allow the water to touch your flesh but you won’t let it seep into the crevices of your spirit because although you may look like a Christian on the outside, the inside is filled with nothing but hell. But you do know that your flesh means nothing to God, right? Well Jeremiah 17:10 says, “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” So while you’re trying to quench the light of God that should be burning like a torch on the inside of you, you might not have a chance to lite it again. And while you are trying to quench the Holy Spirit, you might want to recognize that the Holy Spirit works on your behalf more times than you probably even know. So don’t put out the fire that is burning because you may just find that you like how it feels.

Daily Devotional – 11/26/13 “Hold your peace …”

Yea, I know that sometimes this is hard to do but what’s the sense in shooting off when your emotions are on overload? Don’t you know when you’re mad you say some stuff that you really don’t mean? Well, actually you say stuff that you mean but you may say it in the wrong way and at the wrong time which is why you should cool off and keep your peace. The bible says in James 1:26, “If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.” Besides, why are you trying to fight a battle you aren’t prepared to win anyway? Didn’t God tell you that He would fight for you? Well, my bible says in Exodus 14:14, “The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” Oh, but you got the nerve to stand up and argue with your parents when God say respect your mother and father. You wondering why no one is asking you to pray for them but aren’t you the one that keeps saying, “Folk is going to make me lose my religion?” You can’t get promoted because you’ve cursed out all the managers and you’re not asked to lead nothing in church because you’ll act a plum fool there too yet you’re the one complaining. Baby, hold your peace. What are you fighting for anyway? The 3 Hebrew boys didn’t fight and God showed up for them in the midst of a fire. Daniel didn’t fight yet God shut the lion’s jaw. The woman with the issue of blood didn’t fight against those who couldn’t help her yet she was healed. The blind man didn’t fight those who had cast him aside yet his sight was restored.

Oh, but you fight with the children and you’re the adult. You fight with your spouse after you’ve gone looking through their stuff. You fight with folk on the job because you can’t hold your tongue. You fight with family because you’re always in someone’s business. You fight more than you love simply because you can’t hold your peace when Psalm 34:13 says, “keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.” If you can’t hold your peace then you need to read and repeat Psalm 141:3 that says “Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips,” because Proverbs 21:23 says, “Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.” Hold your peace and you keep peace. Holding your peace gives you time to ponder your problem preventing you from proceeding without patience that can provoke a punishment you’re not ready to pursue. So hold your peace and pray instead!

New Cover Photo

Cover photo

Check out my new cover photo for Facebook that was created by Ron Jackson of RWJ International. (I love it!) Now, you too can have your very own custom made cover photo, business ad, business cards, postcards, banners, flyers, letterheads or whatever you need. You can visit their website at www.rwjinternational.com/ or their Facebook page, RWJ Int. You will not be disappointed!

Contact Info:

Call them at 901-347-2453
or
Email Us at: rwjinternational@gmail.com