Daily Devotional – 9/10/13 “It may be expired!”

You’re sitting there wondering why something or someone won’t work right; well it or they may just be expired. Yea, you’re wondering why you get so full of hell when you walk into the job; well your time there may have expired. You’re trying to figure out why the relationship is no longer working, well it maybe expired. Now, let me explain something here. If your marriage was built correctly from the beginning on God’s foundation and it’s fixable, fix it. Oh, but if you got that man from his wife’s bed or that woman from her man’s arm; she or he isn’t yours anyway. How can you make something work with someone who doesn’t belong to you? Don’t you know the bible says in Proverbs 18:22, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord?” Read it again because it says the man FINDS his wife and not the other way around. Stop looking and let him find you. Stop trying to make things work or stuff taste better when it’s past their expiration date. Do you drink spoiled milk, eat molded bread or sit in a chair you know can’t hold you? Oh, I know you may ride on tires that should have been thrown out a long time ago but every time you do, you put your life and the life of those riding with you in danger. Well, it’s the same way with holding on to things that have expired.

If your church home isn’t feeding your spiritual need, your time there has expired. If your car keeps sucking all the money out of your pocket, your time together has expired. If the medicine you’re taking is no longer helping your ailment, it’s time has expired. If all you do is cry and complain, your hope has expired. If you constantly snoop in other people’s business or search through other folk’s phone, your trust in them has expired. If you have to question God, blame Him for your situation, turn your back on Him or constantly complain; your trust in Him has expired. If you have to pace the floor when you can’t fix the problem, weep in the middle of your woes, place pity where praise should be and worry over small things; your faith has expired. So, what will you do? Will you throw out all the things that have expired or will you stand up and renew your hope, faith and trust in the Master who has never steered you wrong? Will you clean out all the expired mess in your home or will you leave it there to stink up the place? everything has an expiration date. If you don’t believe me then turn your bible to Ecclesiastes 3 and read the following verses. Verse 2 says, “A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,” which means people have an expiration date; it’s called dying and even things that are planted because when they expire, they are uprooted from the ground. Heartache, yes it has an expiration date; it’s called getting over it which is why verse 4 says, “A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” Verses 5-8 goes on to say, “a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” So you see, all things have an expiration date. Bad relationships do, it’s called moving on. Sickness has one, it’s called healing. Sorrow has one, it is called joy. Suffering even has one too, it’s called peace.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1″

Daily Devotional – 9/9/13 “Even he has a praise!”

The song by Tasha Cobbs, “Break Every Chain,” has been in my head since worship service on yesterday. No, it wasn’t the first time I’ve heard the song because I’ve always liked it but on last night my sister sent me a video of my nephew singing a part of the song and it piqued my interest. Why? Well, firstly because he is 4 and secondly because he kept singing “I hear the chains falling,” and he sung it like he knew exactly what he was singing about and who he was singing too. How can he when he’s only 4? How can he know anything about that song? Yea, I know you might say it’s because he heard the choir sing it on yesterday but what if it isn’t just that? See, Proverbs 20:11 says, “Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright,” so isn’t he making his reasons known? Or maybe he wasn’t singing for himself but for those around him. He could have been singing to God to break the chain of pain that he sees my sister dealing with. He could be singing to God to break the chain of stress he sees my mom dealing with. He could be singing to God to break the chains that we don’t even see yet. Yea, too many times we take for granted the things children see and what they pick up on. Why can’t he get his praise on for God at the age of 4? Why can’t his praise reach God’s ears? Why can’t his prayers move mountains or ask for healing? Didn’t Jesus say in Matthew 19:14, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these?”

I get excited when I see small children or children of any age paying attention during worship service because it means they are watching and listening. I love to hear my nephew sing the songs we’ve sang at worship service or mimic my uncle’s preaching once he gets home because it means he’s learning. Will he always be like this? Probably not but the bible says in Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Yea, I hear the chains falling and they are the chains of generational curses, peer pressure, gangs, stereotypes, judgment, bullying, drug abuse, sickness & diseases, teenage pregnancies, molestation, abuse, school dropouts, giving up, rape, social media and anything else that is attacking our children. I hear the chains falling of our children consistently dying by violence or at the hands of parents who are supposed to protect them. I hear the chains falling and I will continue to pray for them to fall in order to give more of our children a praise. Yes, even he has a praise at the age of 4 and if more adults would, couldn’t you imagine how much better things would be? Yes, even he has a praise!

Daily Devotional – 9/6/13 “Continue to call Him!”

Why, you ask? Well, because God says in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”. Yea, God knows that you’re suffering right now. He knows that you’re barely making ends meet. He knows that you’re tired of the pain in your body, tired of folks telling you it’ll be alright, tired of being told you’re next in line for your miracle, tired of being told to hold on and tired of being told to reach beyond your break when you have no more strength yet continue to call Him. Even if you let go of your rope, continue to call Him. Even if your tears won’t stop, continue to call Him. Even if folk have walked off from you, continue to call Him. Why, because Jeremiah 29:12 says, “In those days when you pray, I will listen.” What days? Those days when all you see is darkness even though the sun is shining, when the rain won’t stop yet you see no clouds, the pain won’t stop and you’ve taken all the medicine and the days when it feels like enough is enough! Why continue to call God? Because Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”

Chile, God isn’t concerned about how you call as long as you do! However, you’ve got to call Him during the good so that He’ll know your voice when you are calling Him in the bad! Don’t wait until the storm comes, call God now. Don’t wait until the sickness, call God now. Don’t wait until the bills are piled up and the eviction notice is on the door, call God now. Don’t wait until you’re at the point of no return, call God now. I know it seems easy for me to tell you all these things but baby I can only tell you about the things I know about. Will God come when you call Him? Yes, when it’s time. Will God heal you? Yes, when it’s time. Will God open the door you’re waiting on? Yes, when it’s time. Will God send some light in your dark situation? Yes, when it’s time. But when is that time coming and why does it seem like it’s long overdue? Aren’t you tired of hearing, just hold on? Well, you can do one of 2 things. You can hold on and wait for God to show up or you can go ahead and then mess it up and still wait until God shows up. Your choice! Either way, you have to wait but wait with the expectancy of your blessing, your deliverance, your breakthrough, your change, your promotion or your increase. You don’t have to go by my word but trust God because Isaiah 40:31 says, “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Daily Devotional – 9/5/13 “Call God!”

In Jeremiah 32-33, folk had become evil and turned away from what God said and the things He had asked them to do. They were worshipping Baal and other Gods and were walking around like nothing God said mattered. God said in Jeremiah 32:30, “It isn’t as if this were the first time they had provoked me. The people of Israel and Judah have been doing this for a long time—doing what I hate, making me angry by the way they live,” you know how we sometimes do. They complained and turned away from God, refused to listen and even refuse to be taught; again like we sometimes do. Yet, even in His anger God says in Jeremiah 32:37-40, “Watch for this! I will collect them from all the countries to which I will have driven them in my anger and rage and indignation. Yes, I’ll bring them all back to this place and let them live here in peace. They will be my people, I will be their God. I’ll make them of one mind and heart, always honoring me, so that they can live good and whole lives, they and their children after them. What’s more, I’ll make a covenant with them that will last forever, a covenant to stick with them no matter what, and work for their good. I’ll fill their hearts with a deep respect for me so they’ll not even think of turning away from me.”

See, God was simply saying, even after you’ve abandoned me, turned your back to me, continued to sin and judge, chastise folk even though you aren’t living right, hurt folk with the same heart you are supposed to love them with, spoke death with the same mouth that is supposed to speak life, hit folks with the same hand that is supposed to help, push folk down when you are supposed to pick them up, wish bad over folk instead of worship with them, take when you are supposed to give; even after all that I will restore everything you’ve lost if you turn from your wicked ways! I’ll give you a minute to let that sink in. Yea, when you humble yourself even after all the hell you’ve caused; God will restore everything you lost. When you pray and seek God, even after all the mess you’ve stirred up, God will restore everything you lost. When you turn from your wicked ways, God will restore everything you lost. Don’t you know that God says in Psalm 50:15, “And call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me?” Simply put, God says when you are in your trouble, bound to the drugs, pills, alcohol, still lying, stealing, cheating and hurting; I will restore you and everything you’ve lost if you call on Me first, change your ways and honor me! Call God, it’s free!

Daily Devotional – 9/4/13 “After the invitation is received …”

After you’ve invited God in, allowed the Holy Spirit to be ushered in, moved self out the way, rearranged some things that were placed in the wrong position, cleaned out the mess, uncovered the windows, shook out the dust from your prayer mat, dried your tears and released the weight; things start happening. Yea, after God receives your invitation He steps into your home and begins to take inventory of the stuff that you got there. He slowly moves around to see if the things there belong and if they do, He allows them to stay but oh, if they don’t; things start moving. Go with me … See, when God sees that man lying in your bed that isn’t your husband, stuff starts to be exposed. When He sees the TV is big enough to block your view of Him, the picture tube goes out. When He sees the xbox is consuming all your time, you get the ring of death and it plays out. When He sees the children being led by their phone instead of by Him, they’ll crack the screen. When He sees the fast food restaurants are replacing the family dinner time, He’ll take the taste of it from your mouth. When He sees that school is lacking because we don’t have time to check backpacks and homework; He’ll make you take notice. Oh, when the invitation is received; God comes in to shake things up. Why do you think all hell is breaking loose, right now? That’s God removing some things so why are you mad? You did invite Him in, didn’t you? Well, if you haven’t maybe you should.

Yea! Romans 10:9 say, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” That’s the invitation. Revelation 3:20 says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” That’s God receiving the invitation. Revelation 3:21 says, “He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” That’s after you’ve been to hell and back yet you still stand as an overcomer to receive what God has for you. Don’t believe me, then read Proverbs 28:20 which clearly states, “A faithful person will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.” All you have to do is be faithful and wait until God receives your invitation because after the invitation is received, thangs start happening, doors are opened, sickness and diseases are healed, minds are regulated, broken hearts are mended, legs that didn’t work now walk, hands that had no strength now work, eyes that only cried are now dry, no have finally turned into yes, declined change to approve, alcohol turns to water, drugs are thrown away, lying and gossiping ceases, worship becomes real, shouting is done and thankfulness reigns high. Oh, after the invitation comes joy but not just any joy. After the invitation comes that unspeakable joy that gets caught in your throat and all you can do is wave your hand, that joy that gets shut up in your bones and all you can do is shout it out, that joy that makes you feel like running and that joy that makes the tears flow and you can’t put it into words. After the invitation is received, God shows up and when He shows up ….