Loosing Lazarus!

“And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”” John 11:44 NKJV

People of God, this is a call to action! It's time to stop standing around watching your sister and brother struggle with the things that have them bound. When Jesus called Lazarus out of the grave, He made sure to let us know how he came out: bound hand and foot! 

Because I don't believe God does anything haphazardly, I believe there is a message in this for us as well. You see although Lazarus death was a physical one, it stood for so much more than that. Lazarus represents all of us and his state after the awakening only serves to emphasize the struggle we are sure to face when we decide to accept the call to become a follower of the Lord. I say this because so many of us come out of the baptismal pool bound. Our struggles with the things of this world and the spirits we've allowed to have rule in our life continue long after the yes. 

And this is why I believe Jesus commands us to loose him and let him go! You see without the help of those around him, Lazarus, although alive, would have still been bound. 

Unfortunately, there are many Lazarus' in our midst today. People who need those of us whom God has made free, to use our freedom to set them free. I don't know how or when we started believing that the responsibility of loosing our brothers and sisters belonged to someone else, but this nonsense ends here. 

Hopefully by now it's all starting to make sense. You are starting see how important you are to the mission; and you are making a decision to do things differently. 

Jesus commanded those in Lazarus immediate vicinity to "Loose him and let him go," and this is the same command He has for us. You see the chains, you smell the stench and you recognize the need for spiritual food. Now it's time to do something about it. It's time to loose him and let him go!

Why We Must Die

In my very first blog, I testified of how grateful I was that a word spoken to me several years ago had finally come to past. That I was not only to operate in the teaching ministry God had purposed for me, but I was also to birth yet another ministry: a writing ministry. 

To say that I had solely embarked upon this journey to glorify God would not be the truth. Like so many others, who have used the gifts God has given them to profit them, I too dreamed of Social Network fame. I imagined the readers of my blog, the viewers of my Periscope broadcasts, and the likes on my Facebook and Twitter accounts expanding into the thousands in just a matter of months. Surely this is what the call of God would produce for the called, right? Wrong. 

Nothing God has given me, was given to elevate me or be used for my gain. My gifts have a Kingdom assignment and yours do too. When Jesus in Matthew 4, was led into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted of the devil, He revealed this truth to us: gifts are not for personal gain. 

But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" Matthew 4:4

Let me put it another way, Satan asked Him to do the very thing, I and so many others are guilty of. He asked Him to use the power (talents or gifts) that resided within Him to meet His own need. 

The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Matthew 4:3

But that would not be the case, Jesus would not allow His flesh, despite its cravings, to lead Him out of the will of the Father; and we must not either. The cost of giving in, of letting our flesh take the lead is too great. No matter how convincing the flesh maybe, we are to yield to the Word of God if we are to stay in His will. For it is only through our obedience that we are made effective. 

Beloved, it is my prayer today, that you too will see the light. That you will confess your sin and that you will begin the difficult process of killing your flesh daily. Today, I declare and decree that you will not use your gifts and talents for personal gain. That in times of testing you will, after much preparation, remind the enemy of Matthew 4:4. You will speak this Word with such conviction that it will cause the enemy to flee. That your life, both public and private, will glorify God and that the yoke to be known of men will be lifted off your life. 

Making the Most of Your Sunday Meal

The reality:

Every week Pastors across the world spend countless hours studying, fasting, praying and seeking God for their Sunday morning message, only to discover that the benediction is truly the end of the message. In other words, for many of us our presence at the table is only as long as our Sunday morning worship service. Hence the reason for this post! 

The charge:

Fourteen times the word meditate is used in the King James Bible. We are told that this is the habit of the blessed man in Psalm 1:2; the only option of the seeker in Genesis 24:63;  and the hope of the believer in the midnight hour in  Psalms 63:6. 

So why is this not true for the believer today?

The reason we don't:

There are many reasons given for why we don't continue to explore the word brought forth Sunday morning. And below are listed just a few of them:

1. I am not that deep. 

2. I got it the first time. 

3. I don't know where to begin.

4. It don't take all that.

5. I don't have time. 

The truth of the matter:

We can't expect to live the life God has called us to unless we spend time in His Word. And I don't mean just reading it, I mean studying it. Becoming so familiar with what God has to say about a situation that your decision to follow its lead and do what it says becomes automatic. So automatic is your response that you don't even have to think about it. 

The point of it all:

Whether you realize this or not, your Pastor, the Under Shepherd, has been given an awesome and weighty responsibility. He is responsible for equipping you for the work of the ministry and for the edifying of the body of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-12 

That means the messages he or she brings forth each and every Sunday morning is not to be taken lightly. It is a word in season just for you. Whether that season is now or at a later date, God is showing Himself faithful. The work YOU are called to do depends on you being fully and properly nourished. 

So now what:

If you are reading this post on the day of publication, then that means you are only two days past this week's meal and five days shy of the next one. Your meal is still fresh! You can still dive in and see what more the Lord wishes to share with you about the matter. 

Bon appétit!

The Blessings of Brokenness

Brokenness is something we do not wish to experience, because it hurts and it doesn't feel good. In the natural, brokenness is a very lonely place; and it is a lonely place because only you know the depth of your pain. And if you are like me, you have found that sharing it with others only relieves you for a moment. The true work of brokenness requires more than just a sharing out. You must change your way of thinking, your way of seeing, your way of doing and your way of existing. Beloved, these are not easy things to do, as you have been living under the rule of your thoughts and this world for a very long time; and as with any stronghold, they refuse to go down without a fight. Therefore, you must find yourself in His Word. You must begin to both speak and apply the Word to your every circumstance. His Word must be your weapon of choice and you must use it to slay every thought that tries to exalt itself against the knowledge of God. David said in Psalms 51:17, "the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart- these, O God, you will not despise."

David could say this because he had experienced brokenness. He did many things that were displeasing to God and his actions had negatively effected those he loved most. But because of God's love for Him, He could not leave David in this state. He would use the brokenness in David's life to not only restore David, but more importantly, He would use it to glorify Himself. Many had counted David out (Psalm 3) and many say the same about you, your health, your finances, your marriage, your job, etc. but God has a Word for you and your naysayers. God wants you and the world to know that He is not through with you yet. And this, like David shall be a great testimony unto Him. He shall be glorified in your situation and you shall know that He is the One true living God.

The world would have you to believe that there is no blessing in brokenness. That your brokenness is evidence of you being outside of the will of the Lord. The truth is, you are exactly where He wants you. You are in the exact place, posture and position for a breakthrough, for a reconstruction, for an exaltation. Therefore, be thankful in the midst of brokenness. Be thankful for the fiery trial which has come upon you, to prove you and to glorify God. And never forget, there is a blessing in brokenness; for brokenness leads to humility, which leads to repentance, which leads to restoration! Amen

The true posture of brokenness.

A Peaceful End

Beloved a new season for your life is fast approaching. But in order to be ready for your next level you must be sensitive to my leading. That means you can't let what use to be trap you into staying. I have more that I require of you, more that I have purposed for you in this season. A more that can only be obtained by letting go of what was and what currently is. And so, I beseech you brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is that good and perfect will of God. Amen (Romans 12:1-2)

A Lesson from Some Very Wise Men

I hear the Lord saying today, beloved, don't you dare let the circumstances of this temporary and extremely fragile life speak louder than the promises I have shared with you. Observe the example of the wise men in Matthew 2. They came from afar off to worship Me and to bring Me the best of their resources. They did all of this, despite what they had found upon their arrival. I was not in the palace and I was not being attended to by a great and mighty wait staff. Yet, when they found me, on the outskirts of town, in a small house, in the presence of the mother who gave birthed to Me; they worshipped Me. They did not let what it looked like, choke out or steal the word I had given to them, and I beseech you to do the same. It is written and it has been proclaimed: The King of the Jews is born, now go and worship Him. Amen

Before the Test!

Many people describe Jesus' experience in the Garden of Gethsemane as a time of great testing, and this is true. Many say He didn't want to go to the cross and that is why He asked that this bitter cup be taken away from Him, and this is true. While both are reasonable explanations for what we read about in the four gospels, I have to wonder if this is all there is to it. I say this because I believe that everything Jesus did was to be an example for us. And I believe with all my heart that this experience is no different. 

The Gethsemane experience shows us how we are to respond in times of great testing. In times when we feel like everyone we have  loved and held dear has forsaken us. Times when the enemy's advance is both direct and out in the open. 

And so I ask, what is the lesson for us in this experience? What are we to do in times like this? We are to pray, of course! We are to pray and ask God to remove that which has us low in spirit. But here's where it gets tricky. You see after we make our request, we are to respond as Jesus did. We are to end this same prayer with these words, "nevertheless, not my will but thy will be done." 

Seems easy enough right?Wrong! Especially when the prayer is a matter of life and death: death of the body or death of a relationship. I mean honestly, can you, like Christ say, though I've asked for my healing on this side, I will accept your will to do on the other side. 

I don't know if you are following me right now, but we like Job have to havemade up in our mind that we will accept both the good and bad God has for us. We have to have purposes this in our hearts before the test because sometimes God does not remove the bitter cup. Sometimes His answer to our prayers will be no and our response to that no will testify of our heart's condition. 

Will you respond as Jesus did? Will you go quietly to the place He has for you or will you go kicking and screaming. 

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”

Isaiah 53:7 KJV

“The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:”

Acts 8:32 KJV

Beloved it is my prayer that you receive have a made up mind. That you have purposed in your heart to take the good, the bad and the ugliness of your path. That you will hold fast and stand on the testimony Paul in Romans 8:28. 

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Don't Abort Your Baby!

Jacob, the dreamer, as he was lovingly called by his brothers has taught those of us whom God has conceived a promise in one thing: be careful who you share your dreams with.

Not everyone connected to you has the ability to understand or appreciate the plans God has for you and your life. Especially if what you are pregnant with has the ability to effect what they have going on in their lives. 

Joseph shared with his brothers two visions. Visions that clearly revealed that he would one day rule over them. Unwilling to accept the plan that God in all His Sovereignty had set in motion, Joseph's brothers set out to kill him. And believe it or not my beloved, there maybe those closest to you who desire to kill what God has conceived in you. But fear not, God's word does not and will not return to Him void. 

So why the warning? Because if we are not careful we will assume the wrong posture when the attack comes.  When the enemy sets in motion the plan to destroy your seed. How will you respond? Will you go quietly as Jesus, like a lamb to the slaughter? Or will you go kicking and fighting. 

It is my prayer that you will assume the right position. That despite what's being thrown at you or how you are being hindered, you will not forget what God has told you. You shall deliver your baby! Amen

Disconnecting, So my family can Reconnect!

It's with me 24/7 and I have even turned around my car when I realized I've left it. One click and I've found it. It's my calendar, my personal assistant, my secret keeper, my photo box and my go to when ever I'm in doubt. I bet it didn't take you long to realize I'm talking about my cell phone. 

I use to scoff at those who couldn't seem to live without it, especially those whose face seemed to be glued to the screen. Now I am her and she is me. I am the present but absent wife who finds her Facebook timeline more interesting than her husband. I am the mother who can't seem to fully comprehend the request of her children because of my most recent text. I am she, who waist hours in an already time capped life span, living vicariously through the posts of others. 

Well today I say, enough of this nonsense! It's time for me to power down so my family can reconnect and I can get back to living the connected life God meant for me to have. 

From this day forward, I will power down when I get home. This means my phone, my IPad, my Apple Watch and any other electronic device will be shut down and I will focus 100% of my time on those before me: my family. The time I spend with my face in my phone can never be recovered and in the process I will have missed my children grow from boys to men. I will have missed my husband's desire to just be the most important person in the room to me at the time.  

According to a recent study completed earlier this year the average adult spends eight hours and 41 minutes on an electronic device. That's more than some adults sleep at night. Not to mention that four in ten adults will wake in the middle of the night just to check their phone. And that not all, we will spend more time at the table on our phone than eating dinner, breakfast or lunch. In short, it is the first thing we do, what we do all day and the last thing we do before we go to bed. 

So what does all this mean? It's time to power down. Cell phones have replaced authentic connectedness with an artificial one. People no longer talk to each other at dinner. Instead we text those not in attendance. The family room is now empty as our children skip off to their respective places in the house to chat with the many friends they have connected with online. While mom and dad sit next to each other in bed playing with their phones. Stopping occasionally to share a post or video they found interesting. 

Will it be difficult? Of course! I have lived this false sense of existence for far to long to think that overcoming it will be easy. But I will, and I will no because I do not have to go at this alone. I will pray and invite Jesus to help me. 

Will you stand with me on this? Will you disconnect, so that you and your family can connect? 

Getting in Our Own Way

The temple in Jerusalem had several courts and each court was reserved for a particular group of people. If you were a Gentile, you belonged to the outer court, which was the very same court others used to gain access to their particular court. 

When Jesus came to the temple, He found the people buying, selling and cheating the brethren in the outer court. The very place reserved for the Gentiles. What was His response? He cleansed the temple! 

Why? Because His house was to be called a house of prayer for ALL NATIONS! Unlike those, who were of the seed of Abraham, the Gentiles were in a bad place. They could not pray and offer sacrifices to the Lord in their court and they could not go into the court of another to do so. 

Do you see the problem with this? The people could not do what they had come to do. For them the temple wasn't the house of prayer that they heard it would be; and it was all because of the activities of those who were already members of the Lord's family. 

Today our churches are have become the modern day temple of Jerusalem; filled with distractions that neither edify nor instruct God's people. The people come Sunday after Sunday in search of a Word from the Lord and leave empty handed. And as a result of this, they cannot go any further. They cannot experience the power that resides within Him. 

God is saying, enough of this madness! It is time for you to return to your first Love. It's time for you to get reacquainted with Me. There is so much I have to show you and so much I have need to do through you, but you're distracted. 

Therefore my beloved, pray for a revival. Pray that the people turn from their wicked ways. Pray that the people will go further in Me and as a result, experience the healing, delivering, yoke breaking power that only I can bring. Amen