Daily Devotional – 3/28/13 “Last sayings on the cross – Day 4”

On last night I had the opportunity, along with my spiritual BFF LaShundra Richmond, to speak at our church on this very topic; the last sayings on the cross. If I told you that I am in awe of God’s wonderful power it would be an understatement. See, Shun and I grew up in the church together and it wasn’t until a year or so ago that we touched base again and realized that we connected spiritually, I mean almost like I can feel her and she can feel me. It’s amazing the journey that God takes you on and on last night the Holy Spirit really worked through us, the Tag Team Ministry, we are called. I had to share that because one of the things Jesus said on the cross was to His mother Mary. He said to her, “Woman, behold your son” and to one of the disciples He said, “Behold your mother.” (John 19:26-27)

See, Jesus saw His mother weeping and He knew that she would need somebody to lean on, so He told her to look at her new son which was the disciple who stood next to her. He didn’t want her mourning over Him because He knew that His work was finished so He left her somebody in the flesh that could be there for her. Yea, see I’ve realized that God places people in our lives at the exact moment we need them even if we don’t understand it at that time. God knew this spiritual destiny that He had placed me on would be hard, rough and would sometimes have me wanting to give up so He sent me somebody who understands. It’s the same way with you. If you sit and think about the folks who are supposed to be in your life, you will see the purpose they serve. This is why you should wait for God to send your spouse. This is why you should have your heart in God so that He can distinguish your friends from the enemies who dress in nice clothes. This is why you have to stay prayed up in order to be able to see the good and the bad in folks. This is why the bible says in 1 John 4:1, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Yea because in your natural eyes you’ll see love but in your spiritual eyes you’ll see that it’s just lust. In your natural eyes you’ll see green grass but in your spiritual eyes you’ll see it’s just a patch of dirt painted green. In your natural eyes you’ll see trust but in your spiritual eyes you’ll see God saying it’s just temptation. In your natural eyes you’ll see marriage but in your spiritual eyes God will show that it’s just misery looking for company. This is why you need to value the relationships (marriage, friendships, fellowships, etc.,) you have. Stop taking folk and time for granted because neither one is promised. I’ve said this before but I don’t mind sharing it again… People often say you don’t miss what you had until it’s gone but you knew exactly what you had you just thought you’d never lose it. Behold your life, love and relationships while you have a chance. This simply means look at, observe, see and witness what you already have because they, it, we, us, them and you all have an appointed time to go.

Daily Devotional – 3/27/13 “Last sayings on the cross – Day 3”

I know that today is Day 3 of the last sayings but I’ve chosen today, “I’m thirsty,” John 19:28. Now because Jesus was being crucified and mocked they bought Him a sponge soaked in sour wine. Can you imagine drinking sour wine after all the things that Jesus has been through? It’s like you helping a friend move into their home all day and after hours of working you asks for something to drink and they hand you a glass of vinegar. What would you say? Now, if you would, imagine for a moment someone asking you for help and you turning your back. Imagine someone being hungry and you refusing to feed them even though you’re able too. Imagine saying no to the person asking for change outside the store because you feel like they should get their own. But what if it was you? What if it was you crying “I’m thirsty,” but instead of getting water you got sour wine, a flat soda or unsweetened kool-aid? Oh, but you’re probably thinking that it won’t be, right? Chile, things change in a blink of an eye and today you could be living in your warm home and tomorrow you could be searching for a bed in a homeless shelter. Today you could have your choice of what to eat and tonight you could be eating hospital food. This morning you could be driving your own car and tomorrow catching the bus. All, I’m saying is if someone is thirsty, give them a drink. If someone is hungry, feed them. If someone is in need of clothes, clothe them. If someone needs, help them. Don’t you know the bible says in Luke 6:38, “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?” This says give and it will be given back in the same measure in which you put it out. So, if you give hell out, you shall receive hell back but if you give out help then help is returned. If you give out messy and miserable mess, then you get back messy miserable mess but if you give out God’s message then you get back His mercy multiplied for your making. Yea, if all you’ve got to give is gossip, lies, judgment, criticism, you won’t be nothing sayings, finger pointing, hateful looks, backstabbing hugs, a hand to push me down, a kick to make me stumble, a laugh when you know I’m down, pain, misuse and abuse then you keep it and let me stay thirsty because I know a Man that says in John 4:14, “But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Yea, if your water is tainted with mean, nasty, hateful and good for nothings then you keep it and let me stay thirsty because Jesus says in John 6:35, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” Oh, if all you got to give me is more hell to add to what I sometimes get, more obstacles to go over, more scars to cover up or more cracks in the heart I’m trying to mend then you keep it and let me thirst because I know a Man that says in Jeremiah 31:25, “I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.”

Daily Devotional – 3/26/13 “Last sayings on the cross – Day 2”

Could you imagine standing before a crowd of people who you thought loved you only to have them spit on you; what would you say? After all you’ve done for them, they turn around and curse and call you names; what would you say? They tie thorns together and place it on your head so that it digs into your scalp until you bleed; what would you say? They mock your name as King, nail your hands and feet to a cross and still have no charges to convict you but they found you guilty; what would you say? Even after they shouted, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One;” Jesus was still working on behalf of His Father. It didn’t matter that He was hung between 2 criminals, one of whom had the nerve to mock Him, yet the other one said “Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” And because He stood up for Jesus, Jesus stood up for Him by saying, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise,” Luke 23:43 (That’s the second saying) See, you don’t have to be ashamed of the Man you serve because He surely isn’t ashamed of you even after all the many times you’ve sinned. Yea, if you take a moment and think back over your life you get ashamed just thinking about some of the things you did back then and probably even last night yet God continues to stand up for you. However, we step in His house with the audacity of being quiet with our praise, too scared to shout in our new shoes, clap the hands that still work even with arthritis or use the voice that could have been taken from us. We constantly pray for a car and then won’t drive it to worship service because you don’t want to add too many miles. You get a man or woman and stop fellowshipping with church folk because they don’t want to go. Well baby, I refuse to let a rock cry out for me because it wasn’t the rock that woke me up this morning, gave me a reasonable portion of health and strength and even anointed my feeble mind but it was that Man who hung, bled and died just so I’d have a right to the tree of life! Yea, I won’t be ashamed of the Man who rocks me to sleep when the pills won’t work, dry my tears before they soak my pillow, mend my hurt after being broken so many times, heal my body after the doctors says they’ve done all they can do, be a friend after your best friend walk off, provide when the job lays you off, light your path after you’ve been walking in the dark so long and make you first after all you’ve known is last. Oh, I just wish I had a few folk who aren’t ashamed of this Man!

Daily Devotional – 3/25/13 “Last sayings on the cross – Day 1”

For the next 7 days, I will attempt to write on the last sayings from Jesus as He hung on the cross. Now, most focus on seven but as I studied on yesterday, I learned that there is more than this so I will allow the Holy Spirit to intercede with me and tell it however it comes.

I’ll start today with Luke 23:34 in which Jesus spoke to his Father saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” See, even after He had been found guilty for committing no crime, He still asked His Father to forgive them. Yet, we stay in the house with folk, sleep in the same bed, under the same roof, share the same bathroom, eat the same food, ride in the same car and attend the same worship service and we won’t forgive them for stuff they did 10 years ago. You’ve worked with the same person for 10 years yet you won’t forgive them for something they said, even though it was right, 5 years ago. You won’t forgive because you’re still mad at daddy for leaving when you were 4 and now you’re 44. You won’t forgive the cousin that borrowed some money from you last year and didn’t pay you back although you’ve never missed a meal. You won’t forgive the Pastor for making a mistake yet you still sin every day. Chile, you better wake up. If Jesus can ask for forgiveness for the folk who mocked Him, spit on Him and cast Him out to be crucified surely you can forgive those who have hurt you. And yes, in forgiving you have to also forget because if you don’t then you won’t truly forgive. Why not, you ask? Because each time you think about the hurt, pain, abuse and lies that person did you get mad about it all over again which means you have to start the healing process over. However, if you forgive AND forget; you don’t think about it again and that anger that would have been present isn’t there anymore which means the devil has no place to reside because you do know that every time you get angry you give the devil a foot hole to stand in, don’t you? Forgive folk for the things they’ve done to you. You don’t have to do it for them but do it for you because Matthew 6:14-15 says, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” That alone should be enough.

Daily Devotional – 3/22/13 “Prayer for life!”

Our Father in Heaven,

As I petition your throne this morning I must first thank you. Thank you, God, for breathing life into my body so that I may see this new day. Thank you, God, for giving me a reasonable portion of health, for renewing my strength, for regulating my wandering mind, for uplifting my soul and for refreshing my spirit. Thank you for not treating me like I sometimes treat you and thank you for continuing to forgive the sins I sometimes repent for over and over again. Oh God, I just thank you even for the hell I sometimes go through, the setbacks that don’t take me out, the temptations that don’t ruin my life, the enemies that mean me no good, the sickness that tries to weaken me, the doors that have been closed in my face, the no I sometimes hear and even the obstacles that I have to climb over. Thank you for the bad times because they make me appreciate the good times. Thank you for the good times because they make me strong enough to endure the bad times. Now, God, I need you to touch the person reading this. I don’t know what is going on in their lives but I don’t have to in order to pray for them so I ask that whatever is ailing them, give them the strength and the courage to get through it. For the person struggling with their marriage, help them today. For the person dealing with grief over the death of a love one, comfort them today. For the person whose account is still in the negative even on payday, provide for them today. For the person whose body is racking with pain, heal them on today. For the drug abuser and alcoholic, deliver them on today. For the person who is in an abusive relationship, set them free today. For the person sitting at the bedside of a sick relative, speak to them on today and let them know they are not alone. For the person who cried all last night, dry their tears today. For the person who paced the floor due to heartache, mend their broken heart today. For the sinner who has yet to repent for their bad ways, cover them today. For the backslider who feels too ashamed to come back to you, whisper in their ear that your arms are still open to welcome them back. For the person who is angry over things of the past, release those demons today. For the person waiting on a heart, liver, kidney or whatever kind of transplant they need to live on, be all they need until it’s their healing time. For the child or person being bullied, surround them with your protection and then repair the heart of the one who feels the need to be the bully. For the child or person who is missing now, send them home safely. For the person lying on their bed of affliction, send their healing whether it is on this side or your side. Lord God, I need you to hear this prayer and heal, deliver, set free, release chains, open doors, rain down blessings, restore hope and increase joy. Somebody is calling on you in the midst of their storm, be their strength and light to go on. Do it God like I know you can. Do it God like I know you will. Bless right now. Heal right now. Deliver now! I know that you’re able to do it because you’ve never let me down. Thank you God, in advance, before the blessing comes and even before this prayer is answered. I believe in you and your infinite power because you’ve done it before. I submit this prayer now on the faith that you’ve given me believing that it shall be done.

In your name, I pray. Amen