Daily Devotional – 7/16/13 “If my salvation depended on man’s belief!”

I’d be a tore up from the floor up, good for nothing sinner. If my salvation depended on man’s belief, I would be all that the enemy says I am and all the names they call me. If my salvation depended on man’s belief, I would never see the sun because they’d probably believe I should have more stormy weather. Yea, if my salvation depended on man’s belief, he’d already have my ticket stamped to hell. See, man will see a picture with my arm around a woman and believe I am a lesbian but a Christian will see me as showing myself friendly. Man will see me whispering and believe me to be a gossip but a Christian will see me praying for my brother. Oh, if my salvation depended on man’s belief I wouldn’t ever be good enough to serve God because they’d always find fault in my work. If my salvation depended on man’s belief, I’d never be blessed because they’d rather see me begging. If my salvation depended on man’s belief, I’d never prosper because they’d rather see my pity. If my salvation depended on man’s belief, I’d always be nobody because they’d rather see me down than up. If my salvation depended on man’s belief, my face would always show signs of crying because they’d find pleasure in my tears. Yet, however, but … I am so glad I don’t have to go online to order my ticket to Heaven because John 3:16 tells me, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” I am so glad that I don’t have to fill out an application to be saved because Acts 16:31 tells me, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” I am glad that I don’t have to stand before man and interview for my salvation because Jesus tells me in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Oh, I am so glad that my salvation isn’t based on my word because my bible tells me in Titus 3:5, “he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.”

So, when you see me rejoicing in the rain, when you see me dancing through my doubts, when you see me praising through my pain, when you hear me shout through my situation, when you see my arms waving through my woes, when you see the tears flowing through my faults; it’s all because my bible tells me “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).” Thank you God for saving a wretch like me!

Daily Devotional – 7/15/13 “It wasn’t that bad!”

I’ve been wondering lately why, we as parents, sometimes say we want to give our children what we didn’t have growing up or that we want better for them than what we had but I’ve come to the realization that what we had wasn’t that bad. I mean, if you stop and think; you didn’t have half the things our children do, you couldn’t go to none of the places they go (unless you could sneak out) and you definitely couldn’t wear the clothes they do and you didn’t turn out half bad, did you? We had to be in the house before the street lights came on because children didn’t have any business to tend to when it got late but now the kids can’t leave the house until they come on and we have no idea the business they are tending too. We didn’t have a choice but to share clothes because that was all we had so there was no arguing but now sisters/brothers fight if they find out the other one has their shirt even though they got another one just like it. We didn’t get to choose dinner which means we didn’t go to bed hungry because dinner was chosen for us, oh but now you got the nerve to look back and ask them what they want for dinner and they don’t even have a job. You go out and spend $200 on tennis shoes and then call MLGW for an extension to pay your bill. You spend $150 getting their hair glued/sewed in and then you have to stop them by momma’s house so y’all can eat. You spend $100 taking them out to eat on Friday night and then you’re hiding from the landlord. What in the world is going on?

Growing up, for us, school wasn’t an option because you got your butt up and went but now you wake them up to ask if they feel like going. You didn’t get $10 a day for lunch because you ate what they served or you took a sandwich from home or you didn’t eat. You didn’t wear Polo shirts, Jordan tennis shoes or mac makeup but you wore whatever your sister or brother didn’t, you cleaned off the shoes you’ve been wearing and you had to be a certain age to even wear lip gloss and you went on. You weren’t disrespectful to the teacher because you were afraid of that punishment when you got home now the kids aren’t afraid to talk back because they know you’ll bring your crazy behind to the school acting a bigger fool. I am grateful every day for my upbringing because it’s still bringing me up. How, you ask? Well, I was taught how to be a woman and how to cook and clean at a young age (Still works now). I was appreciative of the few things we had which make me appreciate the big things (Still works now). I appreciated the efforts momma and grandma put into the gifts we got for Christmas because it showed they cared. We played outside on a Saturday morning instead of sleeping late or sitting in front of a TV which means we made friendships that last and we didn’t need cell phones which meant we talked to folk face to face (still works now). We saw the relationships between neighbors who were there for each other no matter what they needed. You saw momma being a mother and daddy being a father. You went to Sunday school, worship service, prayer meeting and choir rehearsal. When momma/daddy left the house you knew the oldest was in charge and you were obedient. I can’t speak for you but my growing up wasn’t that bad and just maybe this is what we need to get back too in order to snatch our children back from this world that’s chewing them up and spitting them out. We need to get back to smothering our children with love and questions in order to know where they’re going and who they’re going with. We’ve got to get our children back and we’ve got to do it before it’s too late.

Daily Devotional – 7/12/13 “Your end?”

I know you’re probably asking, “What’s my end?” after reading yesterday’s devotional but let me tell you.

  • Follow God’s commandments and not man. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

  • Stop allowing past mistakes to cause your present problems. 1 Peter 1:14 says, “So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then.”

  • Love one another. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another, John 13:34.”

  • Help when you can and watch it be given back to you. “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you, Luke 6:38.”

  • Stop being angry all the dang time! Matthew 5:22 says, “But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca (worthless), shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.” Oh, I know this says angry without a cause but baby, if the reason you’re angry happened so long ago that you can’t even remember it now, it’s time to let it go. If it’s over something you can’t change anyway, let it go. If you know they were right and you’re just mad they told you, let it go. If you’re still married to, living with or sleeping with the person you’re angry with; let it go because obviously you’re still choosing to deal with it. Hold up your end by letting go of that anger.

  • Stop using repentance as a way for you to continually sin. Matthew 18:9 says, “And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.” Mark 9:43 says, “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.” Simply stating, whatever or whomever is causing you to continually repeat the same sins needs to be cast out, thrown away, dumped, ran from and overlooked before your seat in hell is completed.

  • And finally Be you! “To be made new in the attitude of your minds (Ephesians 4:23), “To put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24) and “find out what pleases the Lord (Ephesians 5:10) and do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. (Ephesians 5:17).”

Simply stating the facts! Hold up your end and God will surely hold up His!

Daily Devotional – 7/11/13 “Hold up your end!”

If 2 people are carrying a, let’s say, couch and one of those people are not holding up their end, doesn’t it put an extra strain on the other person making them work harder to cover the part you’re letting slip? If not, then I would think the couch would fall, right? Well, I wonder how God feels every time we allow our end to slip. I wonder how He feels knowing He has to work extra hard to make up for the things we consistently do, even when we know they are wrong. Yea, I know that with sin comes repentance but this doesn’t mean you should keep committing the same sin over and over; haven’t you learned anything from that mistake yet? Oh, it just feels right lying in the arms of someone else’s spouse, right? Well, when will you want your own? Oh, maybe you feel like that store has plenty of clothes so they won’t miss the items you still every time you go in there, right? Well, when will you stop stealing and start buying? Oh, I got it, you enjoy being hateful, spiteful, mean, a feeling hurter, a backstabber, a liar, untrustworthy and a fun snatcher; is that it? Well, when will you grow up and let go of all that anger that has you angry and not worth being around? When will you finally hold up your end from slipping? When will you finally put your back into it and stand up and raise your end? When will you stop acting like somebody owes you something because all I owe you is to love you? That’s what Romans 13:8 says, “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” When will you stop being lazy and hold up your end? When will you stop oversleeping and actually go to church? When will you stop being bitter and love instead? When will you seek God’s kingdom instead of trying to be a baller down here? When will you stop thinking it’s all about you and make it all about God’s word? When will you stop going to church being a part of the mess and go for the message? When will you stop gossiping about folk whose business ain’t none of yours anyway? When will you stop hating on what other folk got and start praying for what you need? When will you hold up your end? When will you stop with the pity and throw in a little praise? Ok, so your child got sick, your job laid you off, your car starting acting crazy, your spouse acting like they’re hitting the sauce, your kids acting brand new, your friends haven’t really been there like you think they should, doctor looking at you strange, the scale keeps adding instead of subtracting, you keep going but you’re almost out of gas, you’re tired but can’t sleep, cried out but the tears won’t stop and feeling like you’re drowning even when you’re not in water but what now? You’ve read the scripture in Job 14:1 that says “A person who is born of a woman is short-lived and is full of trouble,” haven’t you? Then stop acting like it’s only happening to you and hold up your end, do your part, pray more, fast sometime, encourage yourself most time and trust God all the time. Hold up your end because when it falls, it may just land on your foot and then what will you do? Hold up your end and God will give you the strength to carry on!

Daily Devotional – 7/10/13 “No signing bonus!”

Why, as Christians, do we act like God owes us a signing bonus for accepting Him? We think that because we get baptized and confesses our belief in Him that all of our problems will magically disappear. Yet, when they don’t we have the nerve to get mad at Him. Yea, I know the big athletes receive these outrageous signing bonuses when the head coach is trying to get them to sign but if you’ve watched the news; most times they don’t pan out too well. Recently a football star was signed and given a bonus of $12.5 million only to now be sitting in jail accused of murder which means the team is out of that money and the coach is without a player. Oh but God gives you eternal life, breath in your body, a fresh anointing every morning, repentance for the chance to erase the sins you commit over and over, prayer to ask for the things you want when most times you forget about the things you need, gifts that you may or may not use, life that you take for granted and blessings that you aren’t even thankful for and you still act like He owes you a signing bonus. Question, why should God give you a signing bonus when you are signing with someone else’s pen? Let me explain. Most times we get baptized at a young age usually because someone else is, you’re at revival and it seems like the right thing to do or because you’ve reached a certain age and you think it’s time; yet you don’t fill your spiritual shoes until you get to be an adult and it finally clicks that this spiritual thing is what I need; that’s signing with someone else’s pen. You go to church because you’re trying to impress somebody; that’s using someone else’s pen. You go to church because you want something; that’s using someone else’s pen. Yea, any time you go to worship service with the intention of getting something other than the message and fellowship with God then you’re signing with someone else’s pen. So then, why should God give you a signing bonus? Didn’t He do enough when He says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9)?” Doesn’t He give you enough when He said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28)?” Didn’t He do enough when He said, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past (Isaiah 43:18)?” Didn’t He do enough when the bible says, “he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5)?” Didn’t He do enough when He sacrificed His only Son? Yet you still want more? Why though? Why do you need want more when you aren’t even holding up your end?