Place of Worship

Psalm 95:6 "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our make" 

Worship is the best way to sincerely reach God. It's in the most intimate times of worship where God truly sees who you are in Him; the lights are off, the music is off, it's just you and Him. He longs to spend time with YOU; not you asking for anything just acknowledging who He is and how grateful you are for that. Worship is where you establish and grow your relationship with God and often times you grow within yourself as well. God is worthy of all your praise and worship so take time today to truly and intimately worship God for who He is and not what He has done for you. Everybody needs a little one-on-one time...get yours!
What I've learned is that your place of worship changes from time to time. You know how in your relationship you get bored when you do the same ole things all the time and it becomes more of a routine rather than genuine quality time? That's how this relationship works as well so switch up your places of worship to keep the intimacy in your relationship with God. He doesn't want a routine prayer and worship. When you do this I can guarantee you'll have a different encounter with God that you either never had before or haven't had in a long time.

Moving Foward

Philippians 3:14 "I press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ."

While learning how to drive, I remembered being taught to always look ahead and keep my eyes on the road. I was instructed that the rear view mirrors are good to glance at, but the focal point is what is right in front of me. Same logic for driving can be used with this passage. When in motion of life's journey it is important to keep our eyes fixed on where God is leading us to. At times we can look back in gratitude of what God has done and how far He has brought us, but it should never be to ponder at would of or could have happened. What's done is done and no matter what, we should keep pressing onward. If you messed up, so what? Get up and keep going. Life is full of mistakes. We learn and we do better. That's it. Don't surround yourself with people who keep bringing up past failures either. If you want to successfully move forward you will need like minded people as well. The following song explains how God makes ALL things new! He created a new day for all who is reading this post to make it better than any day of your life. Don't dwell on yesterday, last week, or last year. Today is at your grasp waiting for you to explore and conquer. Let's continue to move forward in Christ as He show us The Way! 

Special Thanks For ALL The Well Wishes On My Birthday!!!!

Never Be Same

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" 

Never Be the Same by Shana Wilson and Tasha Cobbs 

Talk about a worship song that gives you chills! God is so amazing in that He has the ability to make you a new creature. Old things pass away and new things come. I love the saying "It's not what people call you but it's what you answer to". Furthermore, when God changes your name He's the only person you are to answer to. Once He's changed you no one should ever be able to say "Oh you're still the same ole *insert name here*". Allow God to change your name which essentially changes your life. Embrace who God has made you don't be ashamed. Paul made the most out of his name change now it's your turn. What will you do for the Kingdom?


Happy Birthday Marissa!!!! 

With all of me

Hey party people! We are going to switch it up this week with a little something different. Instead of just a Word shared through writing, we will give a meditation scripture with a brief Word and also a song that highlights what is shared through the scripture and short message. Music is powerful and one would be surprised the peace and encouragement it can bring to any situation. So now that you know the changes I can get to The Word.

In the Book of  2 Chronicles 15:12, it states "And they entered into a covenant to seek The Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul." Honestly, that whole chapter is a great read, but let's focus on that one verse. They entered into a covenant with God. In the natural sense the only way we can enter is if we are allowed in. That door of opportunity however, is not one that is ever closed. That is God's desire for us to commune with Him. Only reason we are unable to do so is because of disbelief. Them entering is not so much of God opening the door, but them opening the door to let God in which in turn allowed them to seek Him. Deep huh? See God is so deep that us letting Him in is allowing Him to let us into the knowledge of Who He Is. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. So we got the entered part. Now, they entered into a covenant. What is a covenant? A covenant is a sacred commitment in simple terms. They made a vow to The Lord that they will seek Him with all that they have. There was a need that had to be met and they were not going to leave their position until God revealed Himself. In order to seek God we must be still. God wanted to know He had their complete and undivided attention because they had some little gods before Him at first which we do as well if we are honest. He is not going to compete with anyone or anything that HE created. Why should He? In order for us to gain God's attention He must have ours. You want Him to bless you while you are paying more attention to your father, cousin, car, job, money, etc? All of this goes back to the word relationship. He waited on them to be serious about their relationship with Him and once they gave themselves totally over to Him that's when their lives were blessed beyond measures. What gods are you putting before Him? When was the last time you sought after Him with ALL that you have? All God wants is YOU. Can you give yourself to Him? 

Unbothered

John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid"

A fun fact about me is that I have very vivid dreams. Most of the time I do not share those dreams as I feel that God has a purpose in them and until He reveals/confirms that purpose I refrain from sharing. HOWEVER, I had a dream the other night that had a purpose and lesson in it; thus, I must share!

The building I work in has an area on the second floor that is made up of all windows. Every morning we sit in this area to have breakfast and talk about current events. My dream was no different as we were sitting there I looked out of the window and noticed a storm was coming. All of my co-workers know that I have this edginess about tornados so every time the weather looks back I look out for funnel clouds, which are a sign of tornado formation. Before I could even mention funnel clouds I notice a tornado headed our way and suddenly the entire building had turned into the windowed area that we usually sit in. At that point I realized that there was no place to take cover so I just stood at the window watching the tornado destroy every single building around the one I was in. Eventually, the winds had calmed and the storm was over. Everything around me had been flattened yet the building I was in was unbothered.

For days now I have asked God for the purpose, meaning, or lesson in that dream because I couldn't understand #1 Why I just stood there in the most dangerous place I could be and #2 Why my building remained untouched through it all; so here is what He helped me conclude. No matter what is going on around us remember that we are covered by the blood and nothing can harm us as long as we BELIEVE that He protects and controls everything that happens and doesn't happen to us. There is a sense of peace (in which Jesus left as a parting gift) that comes with knowing whose you are and the protection that He provides for you. There is nothing the world  that can override what Jesus has done once you've made up your mind to receive Him. While they're throwing all kinds of things your way you can remain unbothered resting in peace. Understand that Jesus' death not only protects you from your own sins it also protects you from the results of the sin of others. Some of our storms aren't a result of decisions we've made or things we've done, but decisions made and things done by other people.

So, in John 14:27 Jesus says "peace I leave with you" then He further specifies by saying "MY peace I give you". You may ask "well what is the difference?" Recall when Jesus Calms the Storm in Mark 4, the disciples were kind of annoyed that they were in the midst of a terrible storm yet Jesus was asleep in the boat; unbothered. This storm came right after Jesus had fed the multitude with the 2 fish and 5 loaves. After a miracle like that the devil was surely mad; however, Jesus was unbothered. That's the kind of peace we have to have and that's how we must approach our storms. Say "Devil, you can do all you want to try to stop me but know that Jesus still has the power to shut you down AND He will".  Don't lose any sleep during your storm because God is in control so don't be afraid or troubled.

Hi my name is....

So just as Kim stated yesterday in her post we have to understand that it is okay to open our mouths and ask God for things. Whether it be direction, healing, understanding, or whatever you may need we have to remember to do our part in this relationship. Relationship, a word I do not believe is clearly defined when used dealing with Christians. Us humans have this wonderful idea about God and seem to be absent minded when it comes to our role if we profess to be His. Okay let me bring it close to home.

You can't talk to someone you don't know. I mean you can, but how awkward is that? You know like going up to a total stranger asking them for money, to save your ill daughter, or give you comfort. Is that not just a smidge crazy? Who would seriously do that with someone they do not know or have a close relationship with? I know who, we would! We as humans do it every day, unfortunately but it can be stopped. Don't think so? Well, is that not how we treat Jesus? Knowing there is no real relationship established, me being guilty before I got saved, we constantly ask Him for stuff when He is waiting on us to introduce ourselves to Him. Can you imagine God sitting there baffled at us asking Him for the world when we didn't even fully acknowledge that He died for the world? And Jesus on His Right Side asking God to forgive us in our foolishness while we continue to point out everything, but what we need to point out. That's why the scripture asks how can one call me Lord and does not what I say(Luke 6:46)? Anyone who has a relationship with God will honor it by living up to the  His Way of Life and not just ask for stuff dealing with life.

How does one get properly introduced? Well, for starters greet  Him like you would anyone else. It really is not as hard as we think it is, you know salvation. The problem is we do not want to let go of what is familiar to us by trusting God. A general conversation(prayer) could go like this, "Hey Lord, I realize that I am unable to go through life without You. I heard that You died for me, ME! I would love to get to know You more by giving you my life now. I want to know Who You are for myself! I need You!" Something like that is a great opener to the heart of God and ground breaker for your relationship to begin in Him. Acknowledging we are useless without Him,  and that we are grateful He died for us. Without truly acknowledging what He did for us because of who we are there will be no relationship. Just us repeatedly asking for stuff to a complete stranger and we don't want that because whoever He does not know will not see Heaven(1 Cor. 6:9). Rightfully so, we don't let strangers in our own homes so why should He?  All God wants is a genuine intention of getting to Know Him, period. No gimmicks, no games, no personal glory, just you and Him going through life, TOGETHER. So have y'all been properly introduced?

Ask, Seek, Knock

Matthew 7:7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" 

About a month ago my grandmother and I were conversing about my life and things that have happened as well as things that are presently happening. Somewhere in the conversation I remember telling her the desires of my heart and how those things have not come to pass. She then replied with "you have not because you ask not Kim." In that moment her advice didn't mean much; in fact, I thought "YES Grandma I know the scripture and I'm not trying to hear that right now!" Little did I know she had planted a seed that finally bloomed this week.

Matthew 7:7 was the very first scripture I learned as a child, and my grandmother was the one who taught it to me. On a more simplified level this should be the basis of our faith and how much we believe in the power of the God we serve. God was silent in my life and I didn't understand why (crazy huh? being that He's been using me through this blog) . One night as I was in bed thinking it all made sense. Sometimes God is silent because you are silent. Maybe God isn't showing you anything (signs, direction, etc) because you aren't seeking. Perhaps God isn't opening doors because you're not knocking. When you belong to God you have access to all that He has to offer and most importantly you have access to HIM. God doesn't withhold anything from us yet we withhold our issues, our desires, our needs, our love, our sin and etc. from Him. He gives us full access to His Word through the Bible and He gives us full access to Him through our worship. We hinder ourselves by thinking we aren't deserving/worthy of His blessings, His forgiveness, or His love.

Alternatively some of us don't ask, seek, or knock because we expect God to do and know every thing. And you're right He does; the famous saying is true the Lord knows our hearts, but God doesn't interfere where He is not invited. We have to be sure that we invite Him into our hearts and our lives DAILY. He'll know your sin, but if you don't go to Him for repentance and forgiveness He'll say "That's none of my business". Similarly, He'll know your desires, but if you don't come to Him to ask He'll say "That's none of my business". Communication is key. After all this is a relationship; THE MOST important relationship of your life. You expect your significant other to know your desires yet you still communicate to them to be sure they understand right? RIGHT! God is no different and actually He may need you to ASK so that He knows that YOU understand the desires He has given you. He may need you to SEEK to make sure YOU'RE looking in the right area. He may need to you KNOCK to be sure YOU'RE at the correct door.

So, as I realized God and I were in a staring match (me looking at Him waiting on answer and Him looking at me waiting on me to ask) I submitted to Him and things started happening. I started receiving, I started finding, and doors began to open. Is your silence also your hinderance? Is your fear to ask God for whatever it is you need keeping you from the fullness of His glory? Is your laziness keeping you from finding your treasure? Does your misguidance have you knocking at the wrong door? God is waiting! Speak up!

#FearlessFAITH 

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Dead ends good or bad?

I was clipping my ends earlier this week and oddly enough, God brought an eye opening comparison to me. Some women hate cutting their hair because they may like the current length and are fearful of cutting any ends off. Then there are some who will gladly take the scissors like myself and snip snip away! Understanding that dead hair is exactly what it is dead hair. There is no life in it and it actually makes a perosn's entire head of hair look bad because of a few dead or split ends. However once cut, your hair has a new shape, form, and style. It looks vibrant, healthy, and strong. Where am I going with this?

Okay in life we will experience some dead ends so to speak. There could be something we are holding on to that we want so dearly, but in actuality needs to be cut off. It could be those Debbie cakes we crave, a person that needs to get cut loose, speaking out of emotions, certain behaviors, addictions, whatever could be keeping us from healthy productive lifestyles. It is amazing the things we hold on to because of fear for change or because we may STILL enjoy them. We begin to tell ourselves we need it when the very thing we think we need is ruining our spiritual makeup. Just like dead ends can ruin a perfectly good hairstyle, not cutting off certain things in our life can kill our spiritual walk with Christ. What are dead ends? Dead ends are lifeless things, actions, habits, people that can prevent growth in your life. Just as the scripture states a little leaven leavens the whole lump. People can look at me going to church, Bible study, writing posts every week, but notice I have a smart mouth or my temper is bad, or I'm unforgiving. All of those are dead ends that need to be cut off. See dead ends do not stop growth because hair grows from the root. Even though hair grows from the root if the dead ends are not cut off they will eventually prevent the growing process and the longer it takes the more you have to chop off. In relation to our spiritual walk we can still grow in other areas in our walk. No, we will not have mastered every little thing. However, when we know we should cut something off we should do it quickly with The Help of God instead of putting it off because the longer we wait the harder it will be for us to do it.

I see it like this, the quicker I can release the quicker God can proceed! Holding on to dead ends can defer what God has planned for me. God's Plan will always be fulfilled, but I dare not tarry the time because of what I think I want or need. God knows best! He is our life's Hairdresser. He knows what "hairstyle" works for us and when to trim our ends for growth and newness. What are some dead ends in your life? Are you overdue for a trim?

Women ARE Loyal

Ruth 3:11 "And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest; for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman" 

Who is a virtuous woman? If you ask this question to any man or woman, without hesitation or thought they will quickly reply by referring you to Proverbs 31. Indeed a virtuous woman is defined in Proverbs 31; however, Ruth is an example of who/what a virtuous woman really is. MEN: Keep reading because just as we, as women, need to know how to exhibit the characteristics of a virtuous woman you, as men, need to know how to recognize those characteristics.

So what makes Ruth a virtuous woman? Ruth exhibits loyalty, commitment, kindness, character, and integrity. Ruth's life can easily be paralleled with the definition given in the book of Proverbs. A woman like Ruth, who leaves her family to go to a foreign land with her mother-in-law, is rare and priceless vs. 10. This must have been a characteristic that her husband saw in her when he married her (vs.11) thus the reason he left his mother in her care. In present day women can barely tolerate their mother-in-law for a weekend WHILE their husband is present. It is highly doubtful they'll care for her when their husband has passed away. This act alone can easily qualify Ruth as a virtuous woman, but there's more. Verse 12 says "She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life" did you catch that? All the days of HER life! That means before she met him, while she was with him, and now that he has passed away. While his life has ended Ruth knows that she still has a duty to her husband ALL the days of her life, which in this case is being there to care for his mother. When thinking in terms of marriage remember, God created this man just for you and from him God created you; therefore, you are always a reflection of him. Show him respect by respecting yourself and do good to him by doing good to yourself. 

When Naomi and Ruth reached their destination Ruth went straight to work (in a foreign land) to survive and provide for herself and her mother-in-law vs.13-20. We generally skipped or rush over the fact that the virtuous woman doesn't start at the top. She is a woman that has respectfully worked her way to the top. It was Ruth's work ethic that got Boaz's attention, not her body nor her beauty. He praised her for her faithfulness, kindness, and selflessness towards her mother-in-law and in return showing her favor. 

None of what Ruth did was for a reward. Everything she did was out of the kindness of her heart and honoring her late husband. It's amazing how God rewards those who aren't expecting anything for their submission, obedience, love and work. Ruth stayed true to who she was by exhibiting all the characteristics of a virtuous woman and because of this Boaz had no problem making her his wife or "putting a ring on it" as we so often say. He recognized the rare jewel she was only because she carried and presented herself as such. Ruth didn't let her situation change her character instead her character changed her situation. She was faithful to Naomi and in turn God was faithful to her. While our situations may be totally different from Ruth's we can definitely find ways to incorporate and exhibit these characteristics is our life. Essentially these characteristics are the fruits of the spirit from Galatians 5.  So, ladies if you're not like her get like her and men if you find one like her keep her!    

Is there a wrong side to love?

1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear is torment. He that fear is not made perfect in love."

Love has been so tainted over the years. In my generation and further down people are literally giving up on it. In high school I can remember tee shirts with "love sucks" or "love is for suckas." There are popular sayings that, "it is better to have love than lost than not to have loved at all or love will get you killed!" When I was a teenager I asked myself was any of this true? The way I grew up told me otherwise, but not knowing Christ for myself I began to buy into the worldly view of what love is and what it can do. There are so many people hurt and scarred because their love was not returned that they begin to shut down internally which shows externally. No one can get in which means no feelings can get out. Is this biblical? The answer is, no.

So the scripture states that there is no fear in love. When hurt by someone you truly cared about most people tend to lock up their feelings. They feel like that will keep them from getting hurt again not knowing they are only massaging the hurt instead of letting it go. Love is tied with the word giving. As Christians when we give, it is freely. Of course, it is appreciated and good manners to reciprocate the love that is shown towards you, but if a person does not that does not mean you give up on loving people as a whole. Our lives are to exemplify Jesus not just on Sundays or when we are treated nicely, but through the tough times as well! That is why real love does away with fear because the ability to love is powerful and rare. Love is consistent and unfailing! Love can be shown in the midst of hate and overpower it. Love can save a life, LITERALLY. Did it not save ours? Love is unable to operate in fear because Love comes from God. If our love is coming from God there should be no reason to fear love because we know its beauty and essence. We are not suppose to love with strings attached. That type of love is conditional, will fade away, and worldly. Now it states that fear causes torment. This is where my generation comes in to play. Love will not get you killed, but you may willingly die for someone. Jesus willingly died for us no man took His Life. We have to know the difference to live the difference! Okay someone did not appreciate your love. Does that mean you give up completely on loving people? Of course not because as much as we want others to love us back whether it be family, friends, people at work, significant other it does not always happen. Pray for that person and move on with your life. Meaning, do not dwell on the fact they have not receive it but love them irregardless. Jesus does it every day with us humans! Love does not get tired because you are not doing it for recognition. That is what we are called to do as people of God. We can't run from love but towards it every day looking to go deeper because its depth is endless and infinite! Also, we must be careful about how deeply we may love someone because there are levels to it. Someone that God did not design for you should not get the same amount of love as a future spouse. That I believe is where people go wrong including myself. But that's another post on the levels of love.

So he that fears is not made perfect in love. Ouch! Now that is a toe crusher. Especially since Jesus said they will know that you are Mines by your love. Love is not safe meaning it takes risks. We have to leave our comfort zone and our easy chair to really love people. It is work that is applied daily to love people in general. If we believe in Love and that we are saved by Love then we should be able to distribute that love towards others. How? Because The Distributor lives within. Our love is not dictated by how others receive it, but how we react when people do not. Jesus does not give up on anyone. People just simply reject Him. He does not change because He is talked about or denied because that Is Who He Is, LOVE! So it is better to have loved than to not loved because it shows that you are capable of loving which is very rare these days. There is no wrong side of love because love is ALL good. Yes there will be people who will treat you badly and there are also people that will appreciate you. Our love should come from God. God will perfect His Love in us daily if we allow Him. So declare today that you will operate in the fearless Love. The love that does not change because of how you are treated, but is consistent with The Word of God. That love that will not fade, but will grow each day. The love that can change lives starting with yours! #FF14

What Now?

1 Peter 5:10 "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you."

The book of 1 Peter is written by Jesus' disciple Peter in order to offer encouragement during a period of suffering and discouragement among the Church. During this time God's people had been driven out of their home in Jerusalem following the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Each and every one of us are in a season right now. Whether it be good or bad, neither will last forever therefore we have to prepare ourselves for whatever is next. I particularly want to speak in terms of the bad season, the season of drought, the season of lack, the season of confusion, and etc. The season where everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. You may have lost your spouse, your house, your job, a loved one, your sanity, and nearly lost your faith and hope. Your question to God is "What now?" You've hit a low that is so low that all you can do is look up. Being able to look up in your low shows that your faith is still there and you haven't lost hope. You know, as a follower of Christ, that your help comes when you look up (Psalm 121:1). Looking up to the hills you should also be reminded that your Father owns cattle on thousand hills which means you shall lack no more. The trials that you've experienced during this season has determined how genuine your faith is. How so? Because you never lost it! You worshiped and praised Him in the midst of your suffering and troubles...when there was no advantage showing yourself approved.

So what now? NOW after you have suffered a while, according to the scripture above God himself will restore you. One thing we have learned about God on our spiritual journey is that He giveth and He taketh away. The story of Job is definitely one to reference in that aspect. When God restores you He enlarges your territory. He'll give you what you had before and more. Also, according to the scripture above God will confirm, strengthen, and establish you. Confirmation is such an important aspect of being able to move forward in Christ especially after coming up from an extreme low. Knowing what God wants you to do gives you the strength you need to build upon the foundation that He has laid to reestablish yourself after the storm. We know that we can do nothing in our own strength, but with God's strength we can do everything. After all, how do you think you made it through your struggles? It surely wasn't by anything you did, it was God's grace that kept you and that will keep keeping you. Rest assured knowing that God is always with you. There is nothing wrong with asking God, "What Now?" Let Him know that you know that He is still and always will be in control of your life.

So start this new week with asking God "What Now?" and spend this week listening and looking for confirmation of your next move. By the grace of God walk into your new season where God has strengthened and established you.

#MotivationalMonday #FearlessFAITH 

Suited & Booted

2 Timothy 2:3"Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."

Have you ever really thought about what it takes to be a good soldier? I mean really? Did you think that well The Lord will fight my battles, shrug, and go about your daily routine? Yes, God will fight His children battles, but we also have a responsibility. Our responsibility is to stand tall in this life. How does one stand tall? One stands tall by enduring whatever comes his or her way. When first hit with trials, it will take much out of us. Most will begin to question as babes in The Faith and depending on the hit maybe some on meat will question as well. I'll give you that much, but we should never just stop there. Our ending should be allowing God's Strength to hold us up in our proclaimed Faith. Peter took a hit, but he finished strong! Saul certainly started out badly, but God changed his name to Paul and no one could shut him up.

That's how we should be you know; strong in The Word, we go to church and hear, teach, & read. How must one be a good soldier? Well walk down to Ephesus and read the letter Paul sent them in the book of Ephesians 6:10-18. Paul urges them to cover themselves with the WHOLE armour of God. Leaving just one item of war apparel off can lead to a casualty. Even in the earthly army, soldiers must have the proper equipment on when going to battle. They must be efficient in using their weapons as well to defeat their enemies. What? You didn't know? Christians are waking up to an ongoing war every day. The war between flesh and The Spirit, satan and God, the cares of the world and the purpose from God all hit us every day throughout the day. 

God has to know you want to win and that you want to be on His army. That is why we willingly and not robotically read His Word and spend time with Him. Without knowledge we will perish(Hosea 4:6). Good soldiers do not just blow bubbles in down time before a war. They are trained. Being a Christian we never have down time. Satan is always scheming to kill us. Yes, kill us. It is that serious. So what is your training? How can you grow to be a good soldier! Well, honestly we will forever be learning, practicing, and training to be a good soldier because we are still working with this body suit of sin, but surround yourself with godly people. Be eager to hear sound doctrine. Read God's Word for yourself  and pray on using your gift(s) to bring glory to Him. We all are blessed at something. Earthly soldiers are stationed where there expertise can shine and better help the whole army. God's Army is the same way. So be strong, be encouraged, & be prepared to persevere through whatever comes your way by being spiritually suited and booted for battle!   

Slow Down

Philippians 4:6-9 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanks giving, let your request be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus"

Anxiety is a very serious disorder that can affect your physical and mental health in ways that you've never imagined (google it). We live in such a fast paced world where everything HAS to happen quickly; right here right now, making it easy to be uneasy and overwhelmed by anxiety. Why must everything be so rushed? We desire to be the first, the best, or whatever at something which drives us insane in the process.

I was speaking with my supervisor the other day about how the news outlets are not as reliable anymore because everyone is so anxious and in a hurry to be the first to report it thus giving us misinformation. Just because it's the first report doesn't mean it's the best. I would rather you take your time to report accurate information than to rush and have to re-report.

Generally things tend to go terribly wrong when we are anxious, overwhelmed, and rushing so we must be careful in our actions. "Be anxious for nothing" to me means to SLOW DOWN, take a breather! I can remember as a kid being so excited and anxious to tell my parents what happened at school that I rushed over all my words and they didn't have a clue what I had said. My mom would say "stop, take a deep breath, now take your time and tell me what happened". That's what Paul is telling us here...slow down, take a deep breath and humbly go to God in prayer. There is no need to be overwhelmed by a situation and there is no need to rush a situation that's what God is there for. Although He already knows what's going on He asks that you make your requests known to Him. He wants to help you. He wants you to make good sound decisions in which you can only do when you are dependent on Him and in His timing. His purpose for you is still for YOU, you don't have to rush to it because no one else qualifies for it.

God has not been known to rush. Look at when He created the earth...He could've done it all in one day but he took His time and did it in 6 days resting on the 7th. He promised Moses that He would lead him to the promised land and He did just that, but it took 40 years. That's another thing, we have to understand our promise. If you've read the story of Moses you'll know that He did not cross into the Promised Land with those he had been leading. Why? Because God promised to LEAD HIM TO the Promised Land He didn't say he would ENTER INTO or LIVE IN the Promised Land. Even still when God promises you'll spend some time in the wilderness (Jesus did and we surely aren't better than Him) and you may not fully understand why you're there. Always remember while you are there God is also there with you so slow down, take a breath, pray, then listen!

God's Wrath

Romans 1:18, 32 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."

It is hard for most maybe even all to understand the wrath of God. It could be that we try to plant this idea that since God forgives and is merciful that He will overlook everyone's sin and hell is not a real place. Another idea we could possibly have is we are not that bad and begin to compare our lives with others instead of lining it up with The Word. We get so caught up in deeds we may forget the actual reason why the deeds are being done which should be for our love for Christ. Because Jesus loves me so much, He voluntarily died for me and I will return the favor by living for Him. That should be our reason, but sometimes with some people we tend to lose that along the way. Thus the reason we should be careful because God's wrath is real and for good reason. It's like this, the fact that God is Good is the reason for His wrath. He would not be considered Wise or Just if He just allowed anybody into Heaven. Okay, we all can agree that we are elated that God kicked Satan and his crew out of Heaven. Nobody is mad at that, but turn the deaf ear when we are also told that we can't live the way we choose and still spend eternal life with Christ. Is that not a double standard? That war in Heaven between God with His angels and Satan with the angels on his side was a prime example of God's Wrath. Satan being kicked out showed that if we do not obey God that there will be consequences. Satan wanted to do what he wanted to do and enjoyed not listening to God which is part of that leading incerpt.

So it states that we all know one way or another that our choice of lifestyle will not get us into Heaven. God will send His Word to all nations whether it be by email, mail, a person, preacher, or social media we all will know that there is ONLY one way to Heaven. Now whether we accept it or not is on us. I mean if you think about it can you blame Him? God basically created this beautiful earth for us to have dominion over and we taint the vision He had for us by disobedience in the garden, yet He forgives man. Throughout scripture we are terribly disobedient and He sends His Son Jesus Christ to die for the world so that we may have an opportunity to live with Him. Even now still progressively getting worse in sin Jesus still talks to God for us so that we may have forgiveness from The Father and we still choose to deny Him. Why would He allow people who blantly disrespect Him into Heaven? Jesus said I am gone to prepare a place for you. To prepare takes thought and time. Think if you prepared this amazing party not caring how many people came, but if they were going to get a seat they would have to RSVP. Exclusive parties require a RSVP. The person will have to dress a certain way and tell the person who invited them that they are coming beforehand or they will not have a seat. Same mind frame with God and Heaven. We have to obtain a certain attire before we enter Heaven. We should be clothed with The Blood of Jesus(Romans 5:9). There is no getting yourself ready while in line for judgment. When God sees us He can't add us on The List of Eternal Life. We can't be fashionably late. We must RSVP ahead of time by giving our lives to Him while we still have breath in our bodies! Jesus said I must work while it is day because because when night comes no man can work(John 9:4). God's Wrath is real and it is for people who know to do right and choose to remain in their wickedness because of selfish enjoyment. I read on twitter that God's Word is not to scare us, but to prepare us.  Do not get caught in His Wrath, but in The Rapture! We were fearful when our parents use to punish us. How much more concerning God's Punishment for the disobedient?

Getting In OR Fitting In?

Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." 

Yesterday one of my Facebook friends posted a picture that said "If we don't teach our children to follow Christ the world will teach them not to".  I couldn't agree more with that statement. In fact, my co-workers and I conversed about this earlier in the day. It still amazes me that God literally has a Word for every situation we will face. The above scripture is perfect for parents, teachers, older siblings, and etc. Back in the day people used to say "it takes a village to raise a child"; actually, my Pastor still says it at all baby dedications. We fail to realize that EVERY adult that a child comes in contact with affects their life in some way. Question is, how?

As adults and more-so as Christians we should lead by example. I can't tell you how many times I've heard "Oh that's okay now, times are changing" or "Accept it, that's the kind of world we live in". Yes I'm aware that the world is changing, but according to The Word I'm not supposed to conform to this world. That Word is timeless so no matter how much the world or the things in it change we must remember that the Word and all of its principles remain the same. THAT is the foundation we should stand on, THOSE are the standards we should live by, and THAT'S what we should teach our children; not because we say so but because we do so. The ways of the world are very confusing because the world is confused. God is not a God of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33) His Word is very clear and if you feel/think differently ask Him for understanding. Be a person that a child looks at and says "I want to be like that when I grown up" versus the person a child looks at and says "I DON'T want to be like that when I grow up" Solidarity is needed in the village that it takes to raise a child, we must know the Word well enough to live it and teach it to our children.

I remember back in the 90's "W.W.J.D (What Would Jesus Do)" was a popular phrase. There were necklaces, t-shirts, and bracelets and EVERYONE had one. Guess what though? You can't know what Jesus would do if you don't A) Know who Jesus is and B) Know what Jesus did. Jesus did many things one being LEAD and He did so because we were a misguided people. God couldn't get through to us with our sinful thoughts and ways of the world so He sent His Son to lead by example. Jesus showed us what God wanted from us. Jesus showed us that yes there will be storms (Mark 4:35-41) but God controls that and yes the devil will tempt you (Matthew 4:1-11) but the long term benefits of being obedient to God outweighs the temporary "benefit" of falling into the temptations of the devil. Ultimately Jesus lead us to the cross where He died for every single one of our sins. He didn't go against God to fit in in this world He went against the world to get in to heaven.

So are you getting in or fitting in?  

Forgiveness and Trust

Matt. 18:21-22 Then Peter came to Him and said Lord how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Til seven times? Jesus said to him, Until seventy times seven."

Now there is a difference between forgiving and trusting a person. Just because you forgive a person of a wrong act towards you does not mean that particular person deserves to hold the same position in your life prior to the hurt or pain he or she my have caused you. I want to make sure the difference is clear because people will guilt you into thinking you HAVE to allow someone back in one hundred percent once they have wronged you. Granted this is a free country and you have freedom in Christ to do whatever you want but is that wise? The answer is, no. Forgiving does not necessarily mean you are agreeing to trust someone nor does it mean you have to be buddy buddy with them.

Peter asks Jesus how often should we forgive someone who has done evil against us? Jesus said in a nutshell as many times as it takes. Our forgiveness should be endless, but our trust limited for the Bible says to Trust in The Lord not man( Psa. 118:8). When we have been wronged it is not the best idea to allow a person back in your life as if the matter never happened. They may get 20% of your trust but they should not get the whole 100% just because you forgave them. Forgiveness is releasing yourself from the hurt that was done unto you. Where does it say you have to be best friends again? Given some relationships are more complex but the concept is still the same. A person has to earn trust but they do not have to earn your forgiveness. That is something we look to God to help us do. God forgives us every day. He doesn't care if you are a sinner or a saint. He forgives you, but does He trust you?

If He did then everyone would go to Heaven but that's not the case. How can He trust someone who stole from Him, was selfish, hated Him, hung out with His enemy(satan), lied to Him, called His Name in vain. I mean would you trust someone like that? Would you let someone into to this unimaginable place of pure perfection knowing they constantly slapped you in the face, stabbed you in the back and so forth? No you wouldn't and that's the difference in that scripture. We are commanded to forgive, but be careful who you trust! The only person we can fully trust is Jesus because He IS Perfect, but we tend to doubt Him more than man, but hey we can talk about that on another post. Everyone can't be held to the highest regard. So word of advice, forgive unto death and trust cautiously. Be blessed!

Can't Touch This

Daniel 3:16-17 Sadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to him, "King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty's hand?"

Here we have a King, Nebuchadnezzar, who obviously mistakes himself for being THE King. He has built this huge gold image (an idol so to speak) commanding everyone to fall down and worship it at the sound of all kinds of music or be thrown into a blazing furnace. For most it was an easy decision to do as he had commanded, so at the sound of the horn and all kinds of music they fell down and worshiped the image. For whatever reason Sadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were singled out for their failure to worship this idol god made out of gold. Why? Because they knew the commands of God which trump any other given command. They stood firm in their faith which is seen in the above scripture remembering Exodus 20:3 and Deuteronomy 10:12-13. King Nebuchadnezzar says with amusement, if you don't fall down and worship it you'll go into this furnace then what god will rescue you? The boys do not budge from their previous decision to stand firm in God. Their firmness upset Nebuchadnezzar so much so that he had the furnace temperature increased seven fold while getting the strongest soldiers to tie up and take them to the furnace. Due to the extreme temperature of the furnace those "strong" soldiers died uptown throwing the boys into the furnace. King Nebuchadnezzar, who had been looking at and anticipating the gruesome burning of these boys, jumped to his feet in amazement in that FOUR boys were loosed and walking around the fired; untouched and unbothered. Nebuchadnezzar yelled in for them to come out of the fire and they came out with not even the smell of smoke on them. That's what you call FEARLESS FAITH!!

What's my point you ask? As believers and saved souls we will be singled out and persecuted for our beliefs. As we have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord into our lives we've welcomed all that comes with that. The more things change the more they stay the same; they didn't like or accept Him over 2000 years ago! Our personal persecutions may not be as severe as these three Hebrew boys, but just as God was with them in the fire He'll be with you in yours. You may feel like you're in hell; fire all around you, but guess what...it can't touch you! When people come against you look them in the face and THINK "Can't Touch This".

Think about it...the strongest soldiers died while putting the boys into the furnace showing us how much stronger God really is and also showing how God will handle those who come against us. The church as a whole is under attack. The world supports social groups for what they believe; allowing them to speak, protest and whatever else, but persecute the church for having opposing views. Always remain true to your faith. Remember we never know when God is going to drop in for an inspection. Sadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were ready and for that they were delivered! In order to be saved by God in the fire you must be willing to die for God in it as well. Be willing to allow God to use your persecution as proof that He is real, He delivers, and He will always be with you.

God's favor will leave you untouchable. He did it for David, Samson, these three boys and many more! So whatever type of furnace you're in and what ever is trying to come against you say "Can't touch This" and do a little dance because God ensured us that no weapon formed against us shall prosper. Believe that! #FearlessFAITH

O give THANKS!

I Chronicles 16:34 "O give thanks unto The Lord; for He is good; for His Mercy endures forever.

What do you have to be thankful for? Is God looking out for you? I remember watching a television show called, "Undercover Boss." The point of the show is to open the eyes of what corporate does not see when running the business. It is funny because corporate America is dumbfounded when they find out what all has to be done to make sure their company is ran appropriately. They get all dressed up or down rather in disguise as a new hire to see what the "little people" do to make sure the well oiled machine keeps moving onward. So, I see this one particular episode where this woman was so cheerful. Her smile was seriously contagious. She was happily showing the fake new hire his duties and he was impressed. Mister Corporate in disguise asks her in their down time about her life and she explains how she is homeless. Of course he is shocked, because this woman has two kids. This family has been living in shelters and out of a car for years, yet she still finds Joy in the midst! Later on in the show, he gives her a huge pay raise and a down payment on a house for her family. Now, I am going somewhere with this; just hold tight.

That woman's story is a story I will never forget. I knew she was saved, not by her toting a Bible under her arm or because of a fancy Cross necklace. It was her Joy through the midst of everything she was dealing with. Can you imagine being homeless with mouths to feed? No matter what she went through she decided, get that, DECIDED to smile anyway. Smiling in the midst of a trying time shows gratitude to God. We are letting God know even in hard times we are thankful because not being thankful will get us nowhere. In actuality it will only make matters worse. Being thankful is good for the heart. You didn't know that? Don't believe me? Well I'm no doctor, but I can guarantee you that a heart of gratitude is better than a heart of bitterness and anxiety. So, David has this song of Thanksgiving written in the passage. For it states, to give thanks. Why? because HE IS GOOD! God does not stop being Good just because a problem occurs. It is written that man's days are full of trouble so if you think you can get into an imaginary bubble and hide from bad occurrences then keep dreaming. It is not for us to have a fanciful outlook that life is dandelions and roses, but for us to keep our minds on the fact that God is AMAZING, GREAT, EL SHADDAI, insert whatever you need. That is what will keep us in the right mind frame and thankfulness ALL Christians should be in!

David now ends that verse with His Mercy endures forever! I was so tired from this past week and saw this scripture and it gave me so much life. There is nothing for me to complain about because of God's Mercy! His Mercy kept me from going to hell. His Mercy is allowing me to write this post. His Mercy is giving me strength. His Mercy is keeping my enemies away. His Mercy allowed me to live through two fatal car wrecks without so much as a scratch. What do I really have to complain about? Seeing how it is Monday, I believe this is a great way to start the work week or the week period by encouraging you and myself to be thankful! America has a bad outlook on Monday's and life in general. We rather focus on the bad and think God deserted us than focusing on Who God Is. If we continue to learn and meditate on Who we claim we love then we will choose to give God our own song of praise than an unwanted complaint. 

Enjoy your week! Tweet @fearlessfait14 what you are thankful for and post to Fearless Faith- Art of Faith on FB.

Ready for Inspection?

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 "An now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul"

As many of you may not know, I am a Microbiologist currently working in the public sector. With my position we are required to adhere to certain regulations to continue in operation. There are inspections every 2 years in which we are generally not informed about until a few weeks prior. As our inspection nears we are are frantically making sure all regulations and requirements are being followed and logged in accordance with recommendations given years prior.

As I've been writing this blog I've looked for God in EVERYTHING. So, as I was at work preparing for this inspection I thought; What if God did an inspection on our lives? What would He find? Am I living up to the requirements that He set for me? Am I pleasing Him? Do I even know what He requires? What recommendations would He leave me? What can I do better? In a previous blog I noted that the Word has an answer or rebuttal to every situation and every concern, with little surprise God led me to Deuteronomy which is an old testament book written by Moses reminding the Israelites of God's laws (requirements). This reminder comes right before the Israelites were entering into the promise land.

Think it not strange that God has to remind us of His laws and requirements before He blesses us abundantly, moving us into our promised land. Again, as I stated in a previous blog it is very easy to forget to give God praises AFTER we walk into our blessing. But it is outlined here for us to Fear the Lord your God, Walk in His ways, Love Him, and Serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Seems easy right? WRONG! These are requirements that aren't represented by the words you speak, but instead are represented by the actions you take.

So when the inspector (God) comes to you (and there will be no forewarning) what will He find? Are you in compliance to all that He requires of you?

I can't hear you

Psalm 38:13-14 "13 But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.14 Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs."


Man I absolutely love these two verses. As a matter fact, I use these verses when someone or multiple people start talking reckless to me or doing wrongful things towards me. It is basically called picking your battles. See, this  is a very enlightening passage because it shows self control and submitting to God. When you know who you are in Christ and Who you belong to there is no need to retaliate. Yes, it would be nice to walk around with a human remote controller muting people all willy nilly, but that is not possible. What is possible is muting ourselves in submission to God. See, David committed some sins and is going through a period of heaviness. He has people talking about him. In search of finding friends or family in this time of despair, he finds himself alone.

David talks about how the people he holds close to him are far away in his time of despair. Ever been in that place where you look for people to be there and...well they weren't? I'm sure you have and if you have not then bless you; you will! Anyhow while his homies so to speak or dear friends were not there for him he has to deal with his enemies devising plans for his destruction. Like good grief my people are not here for me then I have to worry about my enemies plotting against me? He said they spoke evil things and conjured up evil thoughts all day! You get that? I said all day in their mind, his enemies, stayed on destroying his life. Guess what? He did not let that bit of information get to him because he knew where His help came from. I say bit of information because what satan uses to knock us down is NOTHING compared to what God uses to help us up!  David was unbothered because he was covered by His Father in Heaven! 

This passage teaches us temperance! It takes strength only distributed from God to keep a closed mouth amongst a conspiracy about you. People plotting against you AND your loved ones are nowhere to be found can make a person go off. For some of us it does not take much anyway to get started, but again when you know who you are it does not matter what people say or who satan is using to keep you off track. Just have your little kindergarten moment and say, " I can't hear you.." David did. Tell that mean boss, "I can't hear you," or that thought telling you that you won't make it, "I can't hear you." Play dumb so to speak and wise up knowing that God has your back, ALWAYS, no  matter what you have done. So let them talk and you tune them out with His Word. Enjoy your weekend! 

Who's Winning?

Ephesians 6:12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places"

Everyday is a new challenge and every new challenge is a new battle. Daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly we find ourselves in battles; some big and some small. The individual battles we face are part of a much bigger war in which two people (God and Satan) are fighting for your soul! Well, you may say "Why are they fighting about me, little ole me?" I have an answer for that!

What I've learned throughout my twenty *coughs* years of life is that when two people fight it's because one possesses something the other wants,  one knows something the other wants to know, or one is trying to prevent the other from doing something or getting something. God has an amazing plan for your life, the devil knows the reward you will get if you submit to the will of God and he doesn't want you to have what he can't have. Battles are ongoing, there is always someone fighting for something physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Don't let the battles distract you, stay focused on the reward even if you don't know exactly what it is.

So, who's winning this war? Yes, ultimately God has already won; however, I'm asking you more personally who's winning your soul? Are your battles fighting against the devil or against God? You have to pick a side. Matthew 12:30 says "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he that does not gather with me scatters abroad". Please be aware that if you are not for God you are against Him lost, scattered abroad, and all alone. Once the devil has won you over from God he has nothing else for you, there is no reward for your labor. He has literally used you and thrown you away to wander about lost and filled with regret (thankfully you don't have to stay there, but that's a totally different post).

So, if you're going to fight in this war, on God's side, you must be prepared for battle. Ephesians 6 tells you how to do so beginning in verse 10. It says "be strong in the Lord" ha! First things first, you can't fight in this battle with your own strength, you'll lose every time. The devil is stronger than you, but He isn't stronger than the Lord. Listen to God's direction and follow His instructions! Here He has told us everything we need for battle. Here's the catch it's nothing that you can go purchase, but more so it's something that the devil nor anyone he uses to come against you can't take from you. God gives you these things when you seek Him (Matthew 6:33).

Don't settle for the losing team because it APPEARS they are winning. Your reward can not be redeemed here on earth it's waiting for you in a heavenly place that your opponents will never see!

It's a celebration!! Thank You

WOW!! It's Thankful Thursday and boy to we have something to be thankful about! We are celebrating an amazing milestone in the life of our website and blog "Fearless Faith"! You are reading our 100th blog post and for that we owe a Big BIG thanks to our God, our Savior as well as you, our supporters, for joining us on this journey. Humbly I give thanks to my sister in Christ, Marissa, for partnering with me selflessly and without hesitation to help fulfill this assignment. I'm so excited about everything God has done and is doing. Faith is truly the foundation of this blog and our lives. I'm a firm believer that if you're going to be used by someone let that someone be God! So, although writing is sometimes very challenging it is our pleasure to serve you as God intended. We hope you will continue on this journey with us; supporting us, growing with us, and sharing the Word that God has so graciously given us. We are real women, with real issues, serving a real God!  -Kim
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I just want to say thank you to Kim, who diligently honors her commitment to allow God to use her each week since this past Spring bringing encouraging and life changing words to a mobile phone or computer screen near you and me. I would also like to thank you guys. Thank you for being open to read and digest His Word and not just keeping the good news to yourself, but spreading His Word which is what we are all called to do. Last but most definitely not least I would like to thank God, my Friend, Father, literally my EVERYTHING for enabling me to write what He gives me even when I do not have strength to do so, He makes a way. Kim and I both have gone through and will forever go through trials while trying to relay God's Message to you all. It has been a great journey so far and has strengthen us both in ways I know I thought I could not reach. This blog is not only a blessing to you, the readers, but to me as well. I am also encouraged by these posts because it is not I or she that encourages, but The Spirit of God and for that I am soo grateful😁 It's our 100th post people! Turn up!!! Okay now on to the post for today....

Ecclesiastes 4:9 " Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labour." 

So we have Mr. Solomon telling us that two is better than one because they will be rewarded for their work. I can definitely agree with that verse because I see it in this blog. God saw fit that Kim started a outlet for God's Word to be broadcasted. See last year which she had already shared, was a small group on GroupMe in which a few of us got together to uplift one another in Christ. We shared testimonies, The Word, and asked for prayer. Even though we were on the right track, God wanted MORE. Now, look at what God has done! His Word is now being shared throughout cyberspace. He didn't want Kim to just keep it at an intimate group, but for Kim to think bigger!

She first asked me to write I honestly was nervous. Kim and I always sent our notes via text or talked about certain things God would lay on our heart, but I was too afraid to share them. That is why I love the Title of the blog, FearlessFaith because it is a lifestyle. This blog has helped me in so many ways. If anyone would have told me how strong and dependent on God I would become through this then I would of started a long time ago! Working with Kim through this blog has been such a great reward spiritually! Solomon goes even further to say that if one may fall the other will be there to help. Which is very true. We may not physically be there for each other but spiritually we know we can count on each other no matter what! Do you have someone like that in your life? Are you that help for someone? It is good whether it be family, friends, significant other, spouse, or church member to be there when one is down because we do need each other.

This scripture makes me think of The Body of Christ. Everyone has a distinct place and it takes all of us to in our rightful place to make sure The Body is functioning properly. No man is idle and neither are our body parts. The head needs the neck and the knee needs the thigh. Two is better than one because more can get accomplished and quicker when there is more than just one person handling things. Be careful not to be the person who thinks they have it all together on their own and does not need anyone because that is not true. Someone can always do your job better and faster. There is strength in unity! Even looking at our salvation, can't we all agree that God's Help is better than us trying to do things on our own? He is ALWAYS there to help us when we fall, guide us through our night seasons, and comfort us in our pain. Two is better than one & our reward will one day be in Paradise. Eating, praising, and living in perfect harmony with the other angels giving glory to our Lord Jesus Christ. Be thankful today and every day that you have people whom you can depend on and A Great God Who Helps you in EVERY way possible! #ThankfulThursday #100thPost 

     

In Spite Of

Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were sinners, Christ died for us"

We have all had times or will have times when we are faced with or placed in challenging situations (good and bad). Whether it be from day to day, week to week, or month to month we all have something to deal with. How we approach those situations define the level of our faith. When we are in atonement with God our approach to any given situation is directed by Him. Then at the end of the day no matter how good or how bad He gets all the glory, honor and the praise.

As difficult as it may be we must praise and worship Him in spite of what we're going through. Do you know why? For starters worship is the way to access God; acknowledging how much you love Him, how much you trust Him, and How much you depend on Him. Then secondly, He loved you in spite of your sin; therefore, you should worship Him in spite of your situation. He protected you in spite of your wreck-less and careless behavior, He provided for you despite your unwillingness to tithe faithfully, He gave His only Son for you in spite of your undeserving, ungrateful, sinful ways, and etc. Being saved doesn't mean everything will always be all good but I thank God that it's not all bad either.

Your faith is tested by the situations you are faced with (which is why I love our motto "face your fears with faith" you can replace "fears" with whatever fits your situation). We aren't expected to be perfect, but we are expected to be faithful. And that isn't relevant just in hard times, believe it or not most people tend to stray or forget about the goodness of God in the good times. Either way you're being tested! Will you pass or fail? You have to love, worship, and praise God in spite of the good times or the bad ones. In spite of your sickness or your health. In spite of your wealth or your lack thereof. In spite of your brokenness. Whatever your case may be; whatever you're going through know that you're going THROUGH which means it won't last forever...you'll be out soon.

Your faith cannot be situation-based; however, the basis of your faith should speak to your situation. Don't be afraid to boldly face what you're going through with the Word of God. I can assure you for every situation there is a Word that speaks directly to it! You have to open your eyes, your ears, and most importantly your heart to receive it. He's not ignoring you, you actually may be the one ignoring Him. Don't keep God waiting...get up and praise Him anyway, in spite of it all. Don't give God nothing less than your best because that's what He gives you. Psalm 34:1 says "I will bless the Lord at all times and His praise shall continually be in my mouth" live by that...FEARLESSLY!!

Just Help Me!

Psalm 30:10 "Hear, LORD, and be merciful to me; LORD, be my help."

       Heeeeelllp! Heeeeelllp! Lord, I need your heeellp! Some of you may know that chorus from Erica Campbell's song titled, Help. Lyrics the writer above knows all about and I am sure some of you can agree to have been or may be in a place where you need H E L P! It may be to finish school, to deal with the loss of a loved one, to stop living from paycheck to paycheck, or whatever the case; when it all boils down each and everyone of us need God's Help. So David pleads for God to hear him and show mercy. Then concludes that he needs The Lord's Help. Let's talk about that.

           It is funny that we do not start appreciating people until they leave. Someone may move, be terribly ill, or die for us to realize how much we need them. When we should learn to appreciate those around us every moment we get. Same mindset when thinking about God. God has been helping us before we were even created. Monday night at VBS(vacation Bible school) we touched on how God created the world. He made sure we had everything we needed BEFORE we were here. See God is always thinking about us which was so comforting to me and God enlighten me on a whole new revelation once helping go over part of Genesis with the children. Then we get here, mess it up, and He sends His Son, Jesus, to die for us so that anyone who believes in Christ will be in Paradise. Again, Him being our Help! So in actuality we do not call on God's Help because we are helpless, but because we know where our help comes from. David knew where God was, Who He Is, and how to reach Him just as we should. 

            God wants us to be confident in our relationship with Him. I want you to know that no matter how hard it may seem or blurry the picture may look that is your future, God cares! You wouldn't be here if your future was obsolete. You are alive for a reason. There are lives that still need to be touched through Him using you. Whatever you are going through is very important to Him and He WILL come through. Later on in the book of Psalm David looked back and said it was good he went through what he went through because of the spiritual gain that came with his tribulations(Psa. 119:71). Some of you may be singing, pleading, praying, Lord Help me but He already Is! Work with His Help and not against it by staying rooted in His Word, surrounding yourself around His people, and not giving up. Your Help is not on the way...It Is The Way, The Truth, & The Light! Jesus is a PRESENT Help in times of trouble(Psa. 46:1). We are not waiting on God to Help us. He is waiting on us to realize He IS Helping us, Faith! Faith can't see the outcome, but it believes The Promise! 

What is it Good For?

2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work"

Why is the Word so important? What is it good for? God knew we would have questions surrounding the validity and the purpose of His written instruction so He addressed it before we could. Paul is writing to Timothy "his beloved son" informing him of the challenges that he would face and how to approach them. He forewarns by saying mark my words there will be terrible times in the last days. Look around my people, we are definitely in the last days as everything that follows in 2 Timothy 3 has come to pass.

The Word has purpose and honestly not all of it is something that will make us shout for joy and dance around. If you read 2 Timothy 3 in its entirety you'll definitely feel some type of conviction or shame that needs correcting. I won't sit up here and act like I'm a perfect Christian because some of the very things addressed here I have been guilty of. The correcting portion of the Word is something we tend to avoid which is an injustice to us all. We go to church to "feel good" about ourselves and not to actually face our faults which in turn is detrimental to our spiritual health. We can't grow closer to Christ if we continue to feed the desires that keep us away from Him. We're feeding our flesh and starving our spirit man. For many of us it's not that we aren't getting the Word it's that we aren't digesting it; it's as if our Spiritual being has bulimia, preventing spiritual growth. Psalm 34:8 says " O taste and see that the Lord is good" in order to taste you must eat! Stop starving yourself!

The Word is good for teaching us about life as a believer and follower of Christ. We live in a society that works overtime to convince us that their way is the right way and God has now conformed to this  day and age. WRONG! In fact, God warned us not to conform to it in Romans 12:2 so why would we think He has? Times have changed but God and His Word has not...it's supposed to correct us when WE change and get out of His will. That's why it's so important to know the Word for yourself...you have to know it to live it. Do not let the world distort what is clearly written in the Word which is God-breathed as stated in the above scriptural reference.

Again I ask, What is it good for? It is good for challenging you to be who God designed you to be, not who the world wants you to be. It enlightens you by teaching you His way, correcting you when you are wrong, and leading you to the righteous place that He has long prepared for you.

I got your back

I Samuel 23:16 " And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God."


            Who has your back? Who do you have in your corner praying for you to succeed in this thing called life? Here is another question for you. Whose back do you have? Is it all about you and your goals? Exactly who do you pray for that God may bless or protect from danger? Everyone looks at David's and Jonathan's friendship when speaking of a natural true friendship. It was so pure and genuine. They were down for each other which some may not even experience in these terrible days and times. I remember when I first got saved in college, learning about this admirable friendship. One of my roommates at the time had our own reenactment of it in the car one night. So, we were at a gas station and to make a long story short I said I would slap her. Our mutual friend was looking crazy like, you are going to let Marissa slap you? And she said nothing not covering her face. I rose my hand and smiled saying I wasn't really going to slap you. She replied smiling I know and we both said wow we had a David and Jonathan moment. Well, theirs was more intense than a slap, but the point was still the same.

         When we have friends we should make sure they will help us and not cause harm. Even when given the opportunity to do evil or say evil against us they should turn away from such vile behavior. Likewise we should too. If we are un wanting of a loud go tell it on the mountain friend, then we should not behave in the same manner either. There should be a love and respect to honor each other to the highest regard. See how Jonathan strengthened David in The Lord? That is what type of friend we need and should exemplify. Leandria Johnson came to MS last month and it was confirmation for me on some people in my life. She said, "We are living in a day and time that we have to forsake some people. All these best friends we think we have, if they are not telling us what thus said The Lord then we need to get rid of these so-called best friends." My eyes were opened and I took inventory of who I called friend. As Christians we need someone who will have our back not by buying us things or giving us a ride to the club, but with prayer and uplifting us when we are down or in danger.

              Literally, just woke up from dreaming about praying for another person. This person needed deliverance and I prayed, then someone else started praying, then the person we were praying for started praying and boom, deliverance; then I woke up. Ever been to a point in your life where you couldn't even pray for yourself or encourage yourself, but the strength in God came when others were praying for you? The person we were praying for gained strength through our prayers to not just sit back and watch us pray, but eventually joined us in prayer. See what good friends can do for you and what being a good friend can do for someone else? Jonathan knew David would be the king and he was not jealous, but helpful in this knowledge. Do you have friends that are helping you be a "king" so to speak or are they jealous of your royal priesthood? Is it all about them? Well, that next verse is a whole other post, but one thing those two had was a love that came from God. Without the Love of Christ and growing in Christ  no man can be a friend to you. See I separate that because we do have stagnant Christians who started out strong and are now doing their own thing but that's another post too. So who has your back and whose back do you have? Take inventory of who you call friend and your own behavior as one. 

        

The Temple, YOUR Temple

1 Corinthians 6:19 "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom  you have received from God? You are not your own" 

Life is viewed differently among the various types of social groups. Many of them have "slogans" for lack of a better term. For example "You are what you eat" "Life is what you make it" "You define your destiny" and so on. Many of us believe that we can do whatever we want to our bodies claiming it as our own. We enslave ourselves to our own fleshly behavior stripping away the freedom Christ gives us when we devote our lives to him.

It amazes me how people have the ability to change their persona based on their surrounding. I believe you, as a part of the body (that is the Church), should change your surrounding. Romans 12:2 warns us to be conform to the ways of the world. We are walking temples and we should act as such. The Word should radiate from you, people should be drawn to you, and you to them. Just as Christ, we should be the same yesterday, today, and forever more no matter where we are or what the situation is.

A couple weeks ago I went to get my very first facial. It was an amazing experience and I wish I could tell you how the facial felt, but I can't because the entire time we engaged in a spiritual conversation. God moved in that room in a way that I was not expecting and we both just let Him have His way. She said "I feel like I'm in Church" which helped me to interpret this scripture in a completely different way. We don't just go to church we are the church; therefore, everywhere we go is Holy ground. Everywhere we go is an opportunity to spread the gospel and help bring people to Christ. Everywhere we go is an opportunity to serve the people of God.

The church is sacred and so is your body...take care of YOUR Temple! 

Independence Day

"Romans 6:18Being then made free from sin, you became the servants of righteousness."

         Today America celebrates the national holiday known as Independence Day. Just for reminding purposes or in case some may not know, America declared freedom from Great Britain regarding thirteen colonies on July 4, 1776. The famous John Hancock is known for his stylish signature on The Declaration of Independence which made the thirteen colonies independent. Okay, now I am done with the history lesson. I don't know how many people actually take time to think about the freedom people fought long and hard for us to live the way we live now. I know I do not think about it as much as I should because if it were not for them who knows where America would be and how it would be operating now. I mean it is not perfect now, but we are better off than what we use to be, right?

         Now, I would like to correlate the scripture with Independence Day because we too as Christians have gained freedom, but in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior! So, the leading scripture states since we are made free from sin(bondage) we in turn are now servants of righteousness. Chapter six of Romans talks about the newness of life and how our way of thinking should and will change in regards of sin. Paul was really passionate about this chapter which is necessary because the discussion of sin is very important. The point was made clear that being followers of Christ we are free from the enslavement of sin. It is now a choice to do wrong or right because we have ALL the resources to do good since A Good God is dwelling within us. No, again not perfect but progressing. He explains that since we are free in the liberty of Christ that no longer are we serving ourselves, flesh, lusts, enticements, vices, but are now servants of righteousness! Jesus has put His John Hancock on us by dying on The Cross allowing all nations the opportunity to be free in Him if they choose to believe. The papers have already been signed we just have to accept and believe. 

      Reading that chapter gets me excited because I know I am no longer a victim of my own will. No more being controlled by the media, secular music, sex, wild partying, cheating, lying, and profanity. I am now in control by allowing God's Spirit to override my fleshly tendencies and Satan's temptations. I'm free to serve God whole heartedly. See at first I had no choice. There were times I wanted to stop having sex and cursing, but couldn't. But God, He changed my WHOLE life and for that I am thankful. The fall of 2009 was Independence for me! Be proud in your independence not only for this nation but for your spirit. You are now separated from satan and free in Christ!  So enjoy your 4th and feel free to post on FB(Fearless Faith-Art of Faith) or tweet @FearlessFaith14 your independence day as a Christian! Enjoy your holiday and be safe people! 

Your Glory, Your Demise

Judges 13:5 "For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines."

 Your glory is what distinguishes you in God's eyes. Essentially it's a secret weapon that can only be used by you for the good of the kingdom. Judges 13:5 is the foretelling of the conception of Samson who was, in his time, the strongest man on earth sent to once again deliver God's people out of the hand of their enemies. God's plan and purpose for our lives are put in place before we are even conceived (Jeremiah 1:5). The fulfillment of those plans are dependent on our obedience to His commands. Listen to God and He will in turn listen to you especially when you're confused about His instructions. Samson's parents are an example of a godly marriage. They sought after God together for instruction; confirming that they were operating in His will. With that instruction they understood that their son belonged to God before He was even born and they raised him as such.

As long as Samson was obedient to God He retained his strength and God provided the provisions to fulfill his purpose. No weapon formed against Him prospered, no force that came up against Him was strong enough to over take him, and no chains were unbreakable for him. The moment he got caught up in his own desires things took a turn for the worse. Samson fell out of the will of God when He fell in love with a woman named Deliah, who in turn deceived him leading to his demise.
  

Each of us are given a gift, something special from God; however, we must be careful who we expose our secret weapon to. Some people don't want to be "down with you" they just wanna see you down. God's purpose is greater than any personal goal that you have set for yourself. No man or woman can love you or favor you as God does, God trumps EVERYthing and EVERYone. We need His glory, but we have to be careful that we use it as He intended or it will be our demise. Stay in the will of God...don't let anyone use you other than Him, besides He created you to use you.

Your glory may not be your hair, but there is something unique and special about you that God has given you to use for the Kingdom. Remember the saying "Keep your friends close and keep your enemies closer". Be careful who you call friend, be careful who you share your heart and your thoughts with, and be careful who you let your guard down around. You see what that did to Samson. People are jealous of God given gifts, they see what you have and they either want it or just don't want you to have it. If they have an idea of where you got it from they know they can't purchase it (as Simon tried to in Acts 8:18) so they try to destroy it. They'll entice you in anyway necessary to take what you have; therefore you must protect your glory at all costs and don't let it become your demise.

#FearlessFAITH