Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day (Tuesday 03/01/2011)

Divine Connection

Genesis 39:4-6 (New Living Translation)

⁴ This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. ⁵ From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the Lord began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. ⁶ So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat!

            Just recently I began to pray that God would align me with the right people, and the right relationships for what He desired for my life.  I began to speak with my brother about some things that I had desired to do.  As I began to share my thoughts and what I felt in my heart was God breathed and ordained, he shared with me a friend of his had been reading some of the devotionals and felt that we should meet.  I said okay, and did not think much else of it.  Some weeks back I went with him to a performance to see this individual perform; my thoughts were how extremely talented they were.  But I also felt an intrigue and a connection of sorts, with this individual.  Again, I placed it to the side.  We met again a few days ago, for a sit down, to exchange thoughts and get to know one another.  I was absolutely blown away, by them.  We had some of the same experiences, and desire to help.  We laughed and talked like old friends.  It was a strange partnering, but what I felt a divine connection.  As I began to share with her, a prophecy from years ago, it became clear that God again had set me up, and was about to do some great and wonderful things through this connection that He was establishing.

            All too often we take for granted the people we meet and the connections that we make along the way.  We do not allow God to establish what He desires; instead we take the lead and either scratch people off of our list before God can reveal who they are supposed to be and how they connect to His plan.  The other option many of us take, is to get to know people a bit, but when they make us feel uncomfortable or take us out of our comfort zone or challenge us beyond our little limited box we discard them, run and hide or use them, while it suits our agenda, and then move on.  But what about what God desires from us?  What about what God says the relationship is supposed to be?  What about the fulfillment of His promises through us?  For too many of us that is not a thought or a factor in how we live.  We are so consumed with us, and what we want, what we see our future, becoming and who we see as suitable; we do not take the time to ask God why people have come into our lives, and what their purpose is.  When we don’t let God reveal the totality of His plan in our lives we will miss Him, we will miss our destiny and we will do things that are counter-productive to His will. We will also never see the value in people that come into our lives because we are seeing with natural eyes, and through the vehicle of comfort and past experiences, and we will always lean towards things that are easy.

            Are you open to hear from God?  Are you open to see who God says is suppose d to be in your life?  Are you open to submitting to the will of God for your life? Even when it does not line up with your agenda? For many of us the answer to these questions is no, because we are not willing to move out of God’s way.  We are so busy blocking God from moving in our lives, with our bad attitudes, selfishness, and one sided agendas that we miss the best things that God has for us.  We don’t open ourselves up to new people, environments and experiences, because we are so afraid that people are going to look at us a certain way, or someone may ask us about our past, education, demographics, or socioeconomic status. But what about God, would you rather be right in your own eyes, in the eyes of others, then to be in the will of God?  If so, you will never see the fullness of the destiny in your life, and God will never be able to pour into your life through the vehicle of connection.  A closed door you cannot walk through. But an open door you can, it represents opportunity and movement.  So are you going backwards, standing still, going in circles, or are you allowing God to connect you with the right people to move you forward?

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Monday 02/28/2011)

Today’s Devotional Written By The Voice Of One Proclaiming The Gospel: Mrs Tracy A. Dixon

 With or Without You........

James 4:4 (New Living Translation)

 4 You adulterers![a] Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.

           

Today's message in the music comes from the title of Michael Jackson's song, "Can You Feel It".  Last week the blog was about the people of Egypt standing up for their rights and how it was time for Christians to do the same. Well, in a matter of days other countries and even a state in America began to hold rallies and marches to fight for their rights. Its as if Egypt started its own epidemic of hope and courage.

            In the spirit realm, God is starting His own epidemic. Can you feel it? There is a call from Heaven to get ourselves in position for the promises of God, that are getting ready to come to pass. Can you feel it? God is requiring much from us, in this season that we are requesting much from Him. This is not the hour for the soft and afraid believers, but this is the time for those who have been faithful in the fight. God is getting ready to move faster than we realize, but for some He will only be removing.

            Like the people who have gotten tired of being tired, God is getting ready to overthrow some of our personal dictatorships. He is about to show us that He is God, and He is bad all by himself. We like to tell God when to come, how to come, and for how long He can stay, but God has got some plans of His own. God is getting ready to bring about a spiritual Earthquake that is going to separate the true from the fake. The dedicated from the deadbeats, the praisers from the perpetrators.

            God keeps coming back to this message because some still have not got it. Don't make the mistake of thinking God will wait on you forever. Get your affairs in order. Get your walk on a straight path, be it to hell or to Heaven. Get your finances right, meaning come flood or fire you give God His FIRST. Get your homes in order according to God's word, and not man's wishes. Get your jobs in order, work as unto the Lord and let Him deal with your enemies. Get your life together, and either be with Him or against Him. Don't waste time trying to fool the world because despite what the media says, God still controls the world: notice any strange weather patterns lately? God is speaking.......are you listening? God is moving with or without you.....can you feel it?

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day (Friday 02/25/2011)

Let The Words Of My Mouth And The Meditation Of My Heart

Psalm 19:14 (New Living Translation)

¹⁴ May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you,
      O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

            Some things have been occurring in my life, with some individuals.  I could have gone off, lost it on them or lost my temper in such a way that people could have seen a side of me that I put away years ago, and most people that know the scenarios and the stories surrounding these things, not one of them would have said I was out order, but it was not the opinion of people, or for that matter my own feelings that mattered most, I immediately thought if I react in a certain way, how would God see it?  What would God think of my words, or the thoughts and feeling that would resonate within my heart as a result of people’s treatment of me, if I had just unloaded or said I told you so, or pointed out the issues that seem so evident?  But as I sat meditating on God and His will for my life, my heart was full and my words were silent.  I sat in the quietness of my room thankful, for control, restraint and most of the Holy Spirit that is my teacher and guide and had meet me at the point of my issues and quiet my spirit and calmed my fears and apprehensions.  He took away the pains of the moments and caused me to think rationally and to consider what really was happening, that maybe these events had little to do with them, and all to do with me.

            My prayer of recent has been God place a guard by my mouth.  I have realized that everything that I want to say and maybe even could say, is not good for me to say, or is not conducive to the edification of another individual.  We get so consumed with us we never think, about the fact if we let certain things come out of our mouth how damaging we can be to another human being, and if we allow certain things to resonate within our hearts, how detrimental and destructive our thoughts and feelings that are being held in heart could be to our relationship with God and to our own spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical health.  If we were to focus more on our words, and our hearts conditioning pleasing God we would often reserve comments, criticisms, and outburst, because we would understand that those are not an attribute of God, it kills our witness and it will often separate us from God.  We can be so self-absorbed that we miss God trying to prove a point, have our say, or put someone in their place.  God is not in that, and the devil wins.  If we thought about all the things that we don’t get right in a day, and all the issues that we are laden with, we would be more apt to humble ourselves and ask God to deal with us, and create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit than using our mouth as a weapon and our heart as a storehouse for emotions that are contrary to God’s divine order.

            Why is it that we want mercy, but we seldom give it?  We want people to watch how they talk to us, but we will not do the same.  Why is that we want people to feel good about us, but we will are quick to harbor ill will and ill feelings?  These are not the words and the meditations that are acceptable in God’s sight.  If we are to have words that are acceptable in God’s sight and a heart that pleases Him, we first must deal with us, not with others.  We first must let understand that we need to humble ourselves in the presence of God, yes, the presence of God; if He never leaves us or forsakes us He is ever present, and we need to realize He is there.  Our words should be a echo of the voice and Word of God, our should reflect the heart and will of God, not our own.  Lord let the offerings of my mouth and the mediations of my heart, be not only acceptable in your sight, but let them be a light in the earth and an encouragement to those who I encounter!

Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day (Thursday 02/24/2011)

Living And Loving Through Rejection, Misuse And Pain…

Colossians 3:23-25 (New Living Translation)

²³ Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. ²⁴ Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. ²⁵ But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites.

            I was approached by someone that had been in a relationship and this individual had bent over backwards to accommodate the individual that they were involved with.  They had been understanding of past hurts, pains, discomforts and was sensitive, loving, long suffering and caring in every way that was possible.  When the individual they were involved with faced a few crises, they were there to help provide support, aid and to encourage.  No matter what the issue, they nurtured, fortified, prayed for, and always tried to speak with care and concern.  Admittedly, this individual says they were not perfect, but they put forth a lot of effort to ensure the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health of the individual that they were committed to, and in love with.  The question that I was asked, was how can it be that you can love someone and go out of your way and they treat you so grimy and with such disrespect and disregard.  I looked into their eyes, and said if I knew that, I would have the answer to a lot of my own encounters and past issues.  The only thing I could offer was the fact that woman are made to love, and men are drawn to love and that she with open heart, and spirit loved openly and freely gave without reservation, because she walked with God, but he could not because he did not and was in a place of condemnation because of what she had done for him, feeling guilty for whatever reasons, whether past experiences or encounters.

            As I sat in church tonight I realized that although what I had spoken earlier was truth, I had missed something a major piece of the puzzle, and that was anything that we do, we should be focused on doing it as unto Christ.  We should never engage in behaviors, activities, or expressions of love and care to gain anything but the accolades of our Father God, because we are acting in obedience.  In most cases if we are looking for people to appreciate us and recognize our value, we will be sorely disappointed, and end up hurt and in despair.  I personally have been there, loving people that did not love me back, or at least the brand of love that they gave was far from what I was giving, it didn’t even look like it was coming from the same pile of attributes and characteristics.  The other thing that is important for everything we do for people we have to release it and let it go, understanding that we may never see an act, returned to us as we have given it, and we may never have the love and affection returned upon us in the manner in which we gave it.  Now before you want to crucify me, I did not say that this was right or healthy, I just said it was factual. We have to learn to love in spite of what we get back, or in spite of what is done, but that does not mean we need to stay engaged in that scenario if the individual does not repent, and turn for those damaging behaviors.  God requires us to love, and to treat people kind, and with thought for them.  In Luke 6:32-33, it says, “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! ³³ And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much!”   If we can see that God credits us when we love those who do us wrong, but when we love those and celebrate those who love us back, that is no major feat, because even people that do not know Christ do that.

            One of the hardest things to do is keep loving and living after you have been betrayed, misused, hurt, disrespected damaged or mishandled.  It feels like you have been laid bare and that you have had your insides turned outwards.  But loving those who are unlovable, loving our enemies, and praying for those who use us are a part of what God commands us to do.  Many of us Christian, rolls off the tongue nice and easy, almost like a warm cup of cocoa, slides down the throat.  But living out Loud and loving even when it hurts and continuing to pray for people when they have used you and hurt you is more like chocking down a whole grain cracker with no water.  It about makes you choke.  God does not just want us to say we follow Christ but He wants us to actually do it, even when it is uncomfortable.  But it will become less cumbersome and uncomfortable when we remember that our living and our obedience to love is an offering to God, and when we love those who have established themselves as enemies or ones that have hurt us, God will bless us, and He will also handle the individual that has done the infraction. Live out loud, through a love that will give understanding that we are giving ourselves away for God to use us in spite of who appreciates us or what we do or not.  Do what you know is right and let God will handle the rest!