The Beauty and Promises of Psalm 23

Psalm 23 reads:

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

I grew up memorizing the 23rd Psalm. In fact it is my mothers favorite passage. I never really understood why, but as I have gotten older these words have come alive in my soul. For me to fully understand what David was writing here, as well as understanding why my mother loved this chapter so much, I had to go through an experience of my own, in order for these words to spring living water in my spiritual life.

David was an anointed king. David had victories, defeats, trails and tribulations and joy unspeakable while walking with the Lord. It is because of these experiences that David could write these beautiful words.

My mother has had a rather unusual life. She had a difficult childhood, filled with both very good times and very bad times. She has experienced the ugliness of war; laying on the floor of her house, with my father, older brother and unborn sister in her womb as soldiers shot at them from their front yard. And while staring into a barrel of a gun as soldiers threatened to kill them she said out loud Psalm 23.

I have had a rather privileged life. Two parents that care for me, two brothers and a sister that are also my best friends. I have traveled to many countries, lived in great places and went to great schools. When I moved to NY, I came face to face with my spiritual walk and more so on my incapability to take care of myself. I knew God was always there, taking care of me, but somewhere I added myself into the equation. I was the one that went to work everyday, I paid my bills, I bought food to eat and the clothes on my back, I, I, I, I. Well let me tell you something. I have been unemployed for almost 3 months, living in Manhattan and I can say that I am not doing it! It is God! One night I was laying in my bed and I started saying Psalm 23 and the most amazing thing happened; I started to cry. I have never cried while saying those words, but at that point in my life, those words took on a new meaning for me.

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want: God said that He would be our Good Shepherd. A shepherd feeds his flock, looks after it, cares for it, provides for it and protects it. The sheep can do nothing for themselves so the shepherd is the one in control. God provides everything we need. I stress the word NEED. Right now, I have no job and yet I do not want. I have an apartment to live in, food on the table, Divine protection, clothes, means of communication and transportation and so much more. I want for nothing! Everything else is extra, I have all I need! God is Good!

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters: Even with all the uncertainty in life, God makes us to lie down in green pastures. A green pasture is a place of good soil, prosperity and beauty. Green pastures produce beautiful flowers and food. Imagine a sheep, they are always searching for green pastures where they can eat and sleep. The sheep don't have to search for it in this case because the Good Shepherd has brought them to it, and makes them lie down there. Then there is the still waters. Pure peace. No matter what we are going through there is peace in the name of Jesus. Have you ever seen still water? Not a ripple goes through it. That is the kind of God we serve. With all that is going on around us, there is green grass to lay on and still waters. Some scientist have found that the people with less stress in their life are Christians. Why? because our God provides this beautiful peace to us if we just lay claim to it. The 1st verse says, I shall not want, now it says I lay on green pastures and am lead by still waters. Because we do not want, we have nothing to worry about. That is why we can lay in green pastures and by still waters with total and utter peace because he has it all! He is in control! He provides it all he is the Good Shepherd!

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake: And when doubt sets in and we are weary; when sin starts to hover and we are unsure, here He comes to restore our souls. Telling us, "I have got it all under control, continue to lay in this green pasture, continue to enjoy the still waters". He doesn't just stop there, he leads us in the paths of righteousness for HIS name sake. You see, God is not man that he should lie. When God said, "Come to me and you shall be my people", He meant it! God has to abide by His word. So when we feel doubt or our faith is failing or if sin is trying to attack us, He leads us in the paths of righteousness! He gives us the strength to keep going. He is saying if you follow me, even with a heavy heart and a lowing soul I will restore you and lead you down the righteous path. He promises to, therefore He has to and is willing to. His name and word is on the line so He is faithful to it.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me: When everything seems scary, when it is dark and you can't see, God is still there with His rod and His staff. That is our protection. You must keep the image of a shepherd and a sheep in your mind to understand this. The battle is not yours, it's the Lords! He is there to defend you! It is His rod and staff that will keep you from the enemy. God will protect you and keep you, though ALL things. Look to the rod and the staff the next time you are under attack, or are unsure, I promise it will comfort you.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over: God is an awesome God! Picture this...you just came out of the valley of the shadow of death and are standing in a green pasture. When you look back at the valley, there stand your enemies. All the people, demons and accusers that you came across while walking in that valley. In the opposite direction is a beautiful table God has prepared for you. Your enemies stand in wonderment as God anoints your head. See they are mad because they are your accusers. They are yelling, "They sinned in the valley, they had doubt, they didn't believe, they lied, they transgressed." They are trying to accuse you of all your wrong doings, yet God has prepared a table for you and anoints your head with oil. You see the devil is jealous, because there is no table that will be prepared for him. There is no anointing for him. The devil wants us to be where he is and that is out of the sight of God. But we serve an awesome God, one that promised never to leave us or forsake us. You see God will deal with us but not according to what our accusers say. He deals with us based on His divine will. God anoints us but he also chastises us. He did it to David, Moses, Jonah, Samson and many others, yet at the end of all these stories, the Lord was still with them! That is something the devil will never have and that is why that table is so precious! Then there is more, your cup runneth over. It is never a dry season for us! Our cups will be filled forever more.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever: When it is all said and done, we have God's goodness and mercy with us all the days of our lives! What a blessed assurance! The Shepherd just doesn't leave us outside, He brings us into His house to dwell with him. Can you imagine, an animal that is meant to be on the outside, is now allowed to come inside and dwell with its Shepherd! That is truly amazing!

God is so amazing. These words are a relief to the spirit! I often say some of these verses individually. Wake up in the morning and say, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want" I guarantee you, God has made all your provisions for that day! When you are in a place of turmoil say, "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, He leadeth me beside the still waters" and you will find your peace. God is so good!

Let us pray: Dear Father who art in heaven, thank you for Your words. Let Your words bring meaning to my life. Give me the understanding of Your living words. Let them feed my spirit and strengthen me. Oh Lord, I ask that You make every word alive in my life so that I may lay claim to the promises that You have made to me. Amen

True Stormriders

I receive e-mails that are called "Voice of the Martyrs" which are articles that the crosswalk website makes available to readers. It gives us news about what people are doing in the name of Jesus and their persecutions. I would like to share a short article from the website about some young men in Eritrea standing up for the Word of God.

ERITREA - Students Imprisoned in Shipping Container, Bibles Burned
On August 5, Eritrean authorities locked eight high school students into a metal shipping container and burned hundreds of Bibles at Sawa Defense Training Center.
According to Compass Direct News, the students were imprisoned in the container after they objected to authorities confiscating and burning 1,500 Bibles taken from new students who arrived at the training center for the new 2008-2009 school year. “During the time that the Bibles were set on fire, the Chief Commander of Sawa, Col. Debesai Ghide, gave a warning to all the students by telling them that Sawa is a place of patriotism, not a place of Pentes [Pentecostals]. Eight male students, to whom God gave boldness to speak against the burning of the Bibles, have been taken into custody in one of the metal containers that the military uses as prison cells for Christians who have been found practicing in the center,” Compass reported.
The Voice of the Martyrs provides assistance and encouragement to persecuted believers in Eritrea. VOM supports the families of martyred believers through their Families of Martyrs fund. Pray these students will be released. Ask God to encourage other Christians suffering for Christ’s sake in Eritrean prisons.

Trusting in the Lord and not leaning on your own understanding.

We have been talking about having faith and trusting in the Lord in our past posts. Coming from a personal experience, we have been trying to have that spiritual faith. Moving to a new city and not having a job takes a leap of faith. But instead, I believe we were relaying on our excellent resume, believing that God had our back and everything was going to be a piece of cake. Not! Even though we have a wonderful internship (that we are gaining a lot of experience with), it is unpaid. We have not been earning any income in the past 3 months. It has been rough. Trying to figure out how to pay for certain bills, rent, travel and food has been stressful. We have never been in this position before.

But God is Good! Just when I thought all was lost, he tells me in that small still voice "Trust and give it all to me. I will carry your burdens because my load is light. Believe and have faith in the promises I have for you." The minute I obeyed Him, the burden had been lifted off of me.

You see, I was trying to figure out how God was going to work it out. Was he going to give me a job or a paying gig? Was the money going to be divine and on my door step. Does God want me to play the loto and win the money? Am I going to find the money on the sidewalk? Does He want me to sell some of my items? All of these questions were going through my mind and it was driving me crazy. I started to go into a mini depression. Why wasn't God moving in the way He normally moves in my life? Why weren't the blessings coming? Like, doesn't he know my wants and needs? Yes, He has provided for the last past months and allowed us to survive without a means of income but when will it end? When will I be comfortable again and have a sense of security?

Than I had to take a step back and look within myself. I realize with the aid and revelation of the Holy Spirit, that I was being arrogant. How dare I question the Lord about how he was going to provide for me. Why was I second guessing God's faithfulness and His mercy? Why didn't I just trust in the fact that he is working behind the scenes, putting people in places and opening doors for my benefit? Yes, I said I was trusting in him but I was actually leaning unto my own understanding. In Proverbs 3:5 it says "Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding."

A leader in our church broke it down like this. If we are trusting in God than we are wrapping ourselves around Him. Trusting that he will never leave us or forsake us. With that said, if we are wrapping our arms around Him, than we can not lean. We will not be able to bend or fall unto our own understanding. God gives us reassurance all the time. We just have to trust in His word. God is not man that he should lie. He keeps his promises.

So one night, my spirit was restless and I was worrying about certain situations. The Holy Spirit told me to wrap my hands around my pillow. I started to wrap my hands and I told the Lord, "I trust you. I am not in control. I give it all up to you. I will not question you with the Who, What, When, Where, How and Why. I want you to work it out for me."

Jesus said in Matthew 6:26, "Look at the birds in the sky. They don't plant or harvest or gather food into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. You are more valuable than they are, aren't you?" This is what I had to understand. My Father will supply all my needs. Not just some, but all. He is so wonderful that sometimes He blesses you before you even ask!

This weekend I made the effect to forget all my problems and I told myself that everything is already taken care of. The Lord blessed me with free travel this weekend to visit my mom through my close friend. He blessed us with money from a family member and friend that we were not expecting. I mean he blessed us with blessings that he had given others. What an awesome God we serve! He has revealed so much of his love and kindness in these 3 days that have been so amazing.

So my follow stormriders, when times get hard and you do not know what to do; trust in the Lord. Give all to him. He has it for you and he is just waiting for you to receive it. The door is open and all you need to do is step in.

Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you so much for your precious word. You are so good and your mercy endures forever. We shall never want because you supply all our needs. We just praise your Holy name and we honor you. We thank you for your promises and the covenant you have with us. Please continue to give us understanding and speak to our hearts. We know that you are working behind the scenes and that you have our best interest at heart. No more will we worry or be afraid. We will trust in you and know that the work is finished. All praise be to the Most High God! In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Flesh Faith vs. Spiritual Faith

Lately I have been reading a book from a church I have been attending for 4 weeks now. The book is called “The New Covenant Unveiled”, by David Wilkerson, the Senior Pastor and founder of Times Square Church. It has definitely been an eye opener and has revealed to me the understanding of the New Covenant that God has made with the Body of Christ. One of the subjects that stood out to me was the difference between flesh faith and spiritual faith.
Now you might ask yourself “faith is faith right?” How is it possible to have faith of the flesh?” Well I felt the same way until I read this passage in the book. “Death to all my striving to please him. And most of all, death to my past flesh-faith (p.54).’ Leading up to this passage Pastor Wilkerson was talking about death in Christ. When we are born again, we have a spiritual death in the world and now we abide with Christ in the spiritual realm. Now you forsake the flesh and live a spiritual life.
In the next couple of sentences Pastor Wilkerson goes into an example of flesh faith. “How many times have I struggled to muster up faith and tried to pump it up with promises? I repeated over and over, ‘Lord, I believe, I do believe, I really believe, I really truly honestly believe.’ But it didn’t work.” Have you ever done this before? You try to convince yourself that you are putting it all in God’s hands. You walk around saying “everything is going to be alright” and than it is followed up by “I hope so.” That is what you call flesh-faith(p.54).
Another point that Pastor Wilkerson made was that “you can always tell a request that’s of the flesh, because it comes with a deadline (p.54).” He goes on to say, “we give God what we consider a long enough time to act – but when he doesn’t perform on schedule, our so-called faith turns into ugly unbelief (p.54).” This can become a very dangerous practice for Christians to do. It can cause a lot of confession and one loses the authority that has been given unto them.
I have been there and sometimes I still go through it. It’s like I can believe God can work a miracle for someone else but when it comes to me it is a different story. I believe in the signs and wonders God did in Egypt. I believe that He parted the Red Sea and had manna fall down from heaven. I believe God heard Elijah’s cry and raised the widow’s son from the dead. I believe the Lord delivered Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the fiery furnace. I believe in all the signs, wonders and miracles that Jesus did here on earth. I believe in the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit that allowed the disciples and apostles to work in the name of Jesus. These are all things that I have not seen but I still believe that they happened.
At times, we feel like, well if God doesn’t answer my prayer, it’s ok because he has more important things to deal with. Or sometimes you just feel like it’s something you can do on your own. Well let me tell you, they are all lies from the enemy. You must know who you are in Christ. I use to believe those things but now I know I can’t do anything without the Father. I have to give everything up to him. That is what spiritual faith is all about. Removing yourself out of the equation and allow God to do it for you. I always say “Lord here is the situation, I can’t do it myself, I give it all to you. It’s not for me to wonder how you are going to do it or when. You know the when and how it is going to happen. You are just waiting for me to lose control of the situation and give it to You to handle.”
What a heavy burden to be lifted of one’s shoulders. God knows all and He wants the best for us. Sometimes we think we know what’s best for us and it just leads you down a path that you could have avoided. So my brothers and sisters, faith is an important and powerful tool that we have. It is the foundation of our walk with Christ. Without it, it is impossible to have a relationship with Him. Why would Jesus want a relationship with anyone that does not trust in His Word or does not believe in the authority that He has given unto you? In short you are basically calling Him a lair. And we know God is not like man to break promises. Jesus said in Matthew 17:20 "Because of your lack of faith. I tell you with certainty, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
I pray that this will encourage you in your spiritual walk and that you will exercise in the power that has been given unto you in Jesus’ name. I recently read the book of Colossians and it addresses all areas of the Christian life. I suggest that you read it so that it motivates you to keep up the good fight and become a Strom Rider. God Bless

Resolving Issues According to Christ

We all have disagreements, with family, friends and co-workers. The bible talks about how to resolve your issues so that your actions honor God. In Luke 17:3 Jesus says, “Watch yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.” Exactly what does this mean? We must first examine the word “brother”. If you are a believer and a member of the Body of Christ then you have entered into a spiritual family in one accord with Christ. Likewise, your brother can also be considered your friend. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of “friend” is,

• a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.
• a person who gives assistance; patron; supporter:
• a person who is on good terms with another; a person who is not hostile:
• a member of the same nation, party, etc.

We are all these things to each other within the body of Christ. You and your brother therefore must be in one accord. The 1st part of the verse states “If your brother sins, rebuke him!” Now the sin can be against you, the body of Christ or another party. Remember you must only rebuke the person if he is your brother, which means technically he should know better, because he knows the Word of God. On the contrary, you can’t rebuke someone who is not your brother, because they are not in the body of Christ, and therefore does not adhere to the Word of God. This simple fact forces you to re-evaluate the friendship. Is it wise to be friends with someone who is not in the body of Christ? Better yet, can you blame someone that sins against you if they do not know that Word of God? At the heart of it all, you must decide if you and your “friend” are of one accord.

The 2nd portion of the verse states, “…if he repents, forgive him”. Now your brother should have no issue repenting because he knows the Word of God! This should be easy right? Well, what happens if your brother does not repent? The beautiful thing about Christ is that he has the perfect solution for every problem.

In Matthew 18: 15-17, Jesus says, "If your brother sins against you,[a] go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'[b] 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector”. The verse is pretty much self-explanatory, but lets pull out the major points.

• Just between the two of you – Never discuss your issues with a friend with anyone but that friend. This is very important! Out of respect for that person and respect for the Word of God you must not speak about your discrepancies with anyone other than the person that has offended you. Why is this so important? If you decide to tell your side of the story to someone other than the person that offended you, you have done several things wrong. 1. you have exposed your friend to outside judgment and have caused others to look at them in a non-complementary light. 2. you have dishonored your friend and the Word of God. 3. you have inadvertently gossiped about your friend, which is a sin. You must now repent for this because you too have sinned against your brother
• Bring counsel – Now if your brother does not listen or repent, you are allowed to bring two or three others to counsel. It is better to bring those that are in the Body of Christ, but if the majority of your friends are not in the body of Christ then you are in quite a predicament. This is why it is important to keep fellowship with equally yoked people. Make sure that the parties involved are not bias. This is also another reason why you should not talk about the situation, so that the parties that will come to help council will be hearing the problem for the 1st time and can give an honest opinion.
• Take it to the Church – Now do you understand why it’s important to fellowship with members of the body of Christ. You can’t take a non-believer to church! A non-believer sins because they are in the world, so how can they be aware that they have wronged you if doing wrong is a part of their life?
• The last resort – After all these things have passed and your friend still won’t repent, then they have lost the Word of God. They are not heeding to the Word nor are they honoring God. They have stepped out of the Body of Christ and therefore; you must treat them as such.

Friendships are a hard thing to manage, but if you heed to the Word of God, the solution to fix your strife is readily available to you. I ask you to please fellowship with equally yoked people. This does not mean that you should only fellowship with believers, for even the darkness needs light! If you have shared the gospel with unyoked friends and they still reject the Word of God, you must then decided if you are willing to still remain friends with that person. Managing friendships is very difficult, but let us thank the Lord for providing us with instructions as to how we should conduct ourselves in the mist of argument with our friends. Let us pray. Our Father who art in heaven, please teach me to forgive and likewise please teach me to repent. Show me how to deal with friendships in a way that honors your Holy Word. As you have forgiven me; may I learn to forgive others. In Christ name, Amen.

The Dark Knights' Dark Hour

We recently saw the film Dark Knight starring Christian Bale and the late Heath Ledger. We enjoyed the 1st installment of Batman Begins and were excited about the next film. But our excitement turned into grief as we realized that we were watching the demise of a man.
Heath is a method actor, as is Christain Bale. Method acting is an acting technique in which actors try to replicate real life emotional conditions under which the character operates, in an effort to create a life-like, realistic performance. This is contrasted with a more abstracted, less involved style of acting in which the actor himself or herself remains an outside observer of the character he or she is portraying (wikipedia). Although it is termed method acting, there is more than "one" method used to channel these "realistic" performances. Channeling is a common method used by "method" actors. Channeling is performed by someone opening themselves up to other forces, supposedly of those who have long been dead, and are supposedly benevolent, helpful and kind "spirits." Channeling is done for the purpose of obtaining "helpful" information to "guide" humans along the road of life, or to contact a dead relative or friend. Some actors that use channeling are:

Oprah Winfrey: On the movie Beloved: "Every morning, before my scenes, I lit candles and said the names of these slaves. I prayed every day to the ancestors." "Sometimes the epiphanies carry the voices of Negro slaves-Joe and Emily and Dara; Sue and Bess and Sara. Winfrey says that she has come to know each of them personally and calls them in at will to guide her in her work.
Denzel Washington: On playing Malcolm X "I just tried to make a spiritual connection," he says. (Another section of the article reads, Given the scope of his research, that he would feel close to Malcolm is understandable. But what about that spiritual link he so fervently hoped for? Did he ever feel the connection? Washington picks up his cup and takes a long pull of coffee. When he sets it down, his voice is barely above a whisper. "I really don't like to talk about it," he says turning away and staring out at the New York skyline. read more)

We believe that Heath was so troubled by the character he played that it caused his death. Heath described the Joker as a,“psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy.” It is said that Heath locked himself in a room for hours trying to channel the spirit and characteristics of a deranged killer.

After reading an article from the Good Fight website( read the entire article here) about Heath, we realize that we had to repent for seeing the film. We totally joined in with the world to watch a man die, who was deceived by the devil be lifted up. We also aided in the funding of those who are profiting from his death. It's a sad world we are living in but we have to remember we are not of this world. And we should not engage in the world's rituals, norms or lifestyles. We should stand for righteousness and holiness. I just wished we would have decided to do that before we went to the movie. Please take the time to pray before you decide to do something that might glorify anything else but God.

Avoid relationships that will pull you away from God

Yesterday I received a phone call from my ex-boyfriend. To give you a little back-story, we haven’t talked in 6 months. We had a very bad argument and I decided to cut him off. We had been dating on and off for 7 years. I went through a lot in that relationship. I was 19 when we started dating. I was also going into my second year of college and was very optimistic about school, my career and whatever the future had in store. He was my childhood crush and I never thought we would be in a relationship together. Well be careful what you wish for because trust me, someone is always listening. I guess what I mean is that the devil will find a way to postpone, what the Lord’s purpose is for your life or try to defile you and pull you out of our Creator's arms. I am not saying that my ex was the devil. The enemy can use people in our lives to distract us from what’s important, our relationship with Christ.
When I was in my relationship, I did things that I never thought I would do. I totally gave myself to a person that was not worthy to be in my company. We had different up bringings and our faith was not on the same level. I will not go into the details of my relationship but let's just say it did not coincide with the Word of God.
I started to worship my ex and our relationship was the only important thing in the world. Boy was I in for a shock. I was so consumed with my relationship that I forgot what was important. As our relationship started to fall apart, I would ask God why is he treating me this way? Why doesn't he love me like I love him? I did everything for him and he still used me and abused me. Finally the Holy Spirit revealed to me, the same way my boyfriend was treating me was the same way I was treating my Heavenly Father.
It was such a revelation that I started to cry and repent for what I had done. I totally neglected my God. When this was revealed to me, I started to think about a sermon from my pastor. It was about how the Lord revealed himself through his prophets. One of them was Hosea. So in order for me to prepare for this blog, I decided to read a couple of chapters in Hosea. Just to give you a quick synopsis of the passage, the Lord told Hosea to marry a woman from a heathen nation that departed away from Him, Hosea 2:2-3. God told Hosea that his wife will stray away from him and go after other gods and become a harlot, Ch 2:2-7. Even though she turned her back on her husband and family, Hosea still loved her. Does that sound familiar? When Hosea’s wife was sold into slavery, The Lord told Hosea to go and purchase her, Ch.3. Hosea told his wife that she will stay with him and no longer be a harlot and she shall no longer belong to another man.
Hosea's life represents, how much the Lord wants us to Himself and how we allow distractions or own interest to separate ourselves from Him. Even though Hosea’s wife went whoring after other men, gods, money, and material things and self-worshiping, Hosea still loved her. She totally violated their marriage and found herself alone and sold into slavery. Little did she know her redeemer was coming to deliver her. You see Gomer, Hosea’s wife, did not need to go through all those things. If she just humbled herself, turned her back on ungodliness and trusted in her husband she would have been just fine.
Well that’s how I felt. God never left me and even though I gave myself to someone that He did not have for me, he still loved me. I praise the Lord everyday for His mercy and grace. Friendships, boyfriend and girlfriend relationships that take up too much of your time are not healthy. When ever you feel like you are being pulled into something that goes against the word of God, stop and pray for strength. My advice is to even run because we are made of flesh and flesh is weak but the Spirit is willing. If you are single, focus your time on building your relationship with Christ and doing His will. Do not let anything postpone your destiny.
Ok so back to my phone conversation with the ex. I was still angry about what happened but I had to forgive him and move on from the situation. We made amends and he apologized. I know not to get to close because their are still feelings there. I don't want to go back from where I came. I like where I am now, which is giving myself to Christ. Denying myself and giving everything to God. He is my Master and Creator. And who knows you or wants the best for you but your Father.
Let us pray. Our Father in Heaven give us understanding of what You want from us. Please do not allow the enemy to stray us away from You. We need You and we love You. We desire You and only You. We worship You and praise You alone. Please let the Holy Spirit guide us and give us wisdom, so that we may live a holy and righteous lifestyle. We want to be able to dwell with You all our days and be in the Heavenly Realm. Thank You so much for loving, saving and redeeming us. We give the entire honor and glory in Jesus’ name Amen.
God Bless and remember to keep Him first!

Reaching Your Full Potential can only be Postponed but never Stopped!

Do you often wonder if you are on the right path; if you are reaching your goals? There are so many times I sit and think about where I “should” be in my life, or if I’m anywhere close to reaching my goals. I often see the roadblocks in my life and wonder how I am going to break them down. Sometimes I get distracted and lose my way. So often the enemy distracts us from reaching our goals and our full potential in Christ Jesus. As always, there is good news. You see, the devil can only postpone you reaching your goals and potential, but he can’t stop it. The enemy has no power over your destiny! He will try long and hard to delay your destiny, because if you reach your goals and full potential in Christ you will be “bad for business”. God has the final say and God has already proclaimed your blessings and orchestrated you reaching your goals! It is done and inevitable that you reach your goals! You see before we are born, God proclaims our purpose and destiny in heaven. Now, once the enemy catches wind of it, he starts plotting and scheming anyway he can to prevent you or delay you from reaching what the Lord has proclaimed. If you fail to reach your goal then that is by your own doing. You see it has already been declared and promised, you just have to make sure you seek God and all your blessing will be added to you.

So how does the enemy try to postpone us reaching our goals and our full potential in Christ? There are several ways and they can come in various forms. Here are just a few;

Unhealthy Relationships: These can be romantic or even just friendships. Do you have a friend that is constantly putting you down or holding you back? Is your significant other demanding or abusive. It is no coincidence that certain people exit and enter out lives. Ask the Lord for the gift of discernment and ask God why that person has come into your life. Make sure to evaluate all your relationships and make sure that they are healthy and contribute to your growth both spiritually and mentally.

Finances: This is a big one for many people. Sometimes we feel like we can get ahead if we just had a little more money. Sometimes the enemy orchestrated certain things in our lives that effect our finances. A cruel boss that is setting to get you fired, a too good to be true scheme that a “friend” is pitching to you. God has asked his people to be the Lender not the Borrower! Remember that! Learn how to manage your finances and pay your bills! Don’t let something so small as finances stop you from reaching your goals.

Complacency: This one is rather deceiving! Sometimes we find ourselves in nice comfortable lives. We do the same thing everyday and it feels good right? I mean the bills are paid, there’s food on the table, we’re around our friends…everything is swell! Or so you think. Often when we find ourselves in complacent situations, we begin living mediocre lives. God says that we are far from mediocre! Don’t stop reaching for more! We are so fooled by images of average American life. Well you are not average!!! Sit down and think about all the things you wanted for your life, all your plans and start working towards them! You will find that life is more fulfilling when you aren’t wondering “what if”.

The Media: There are so many distractions around us that we don’t even consider. The media plays a huge part. I have a cousin that says she doesn’t watch much tv because it ruins her creativity. So often the media dumbs down the viewer. How many times have you made productive plans and then you find yourself sitting in front of the TV, computer (Internet), video games etc. The enemy wants you to sit down and be unproductive! Get up and do something! You may find that you discovery talents that you never knew you had. Or, you will find that you are spending more time with God! Remember spending time with God is a sure way to ruin the enemy’s plans.

Sleep: Oh yeah! This is going to upset some people. I know it upset me the first time I found out. Sleeping is a good thing, a great thing, but too much sleep is not good for anyone. My brother says that “ Sleep is the cousin of death”. I love this statement! God does speak to us during dreams and gives us visions while we sleep. Too much sleep however, makes one unproductive and too little sleep makes one angry, cranky and anxious. Plan your days so that you give yourself enough time to get things accomplished and sufficient sleep.

Remember that you have been given the power to choose! Always consult God and remember that your destiny can never be stopped by the enemy only postponed! By spending more time with God you can avoid distractions and begin to uncover the ways to achieve you goals and potential in Christ!

Below are some other tools the enemy uses. Please feel free to add to the list by leaving a comment.

Self-Involvement
Low Self-Esteem
Health
Generational Curses (will be discussed in another blog)
Death (family or friends)
Divorce
Family Situations
Addictions
Guilt
Popular & Traditional Culture
Poverty/Wealth (deeper than just finances, will be discussed in another blog)

Having a Spiritual Experience

On my way to my internship last week, I had an amazing spiritual experience. I was listening to "Breathe Into Me" by Fred Hammond on my sister's mp3 player. I've always like this song but that day it hit me so hard that I wanted to weep. It was like my spirit wanted to leap out of my body and start praising the Lord. It is such a powerful song and one can really relate. Whenever things get hard or when the enemy tries to put doubt, fear, or a spirit of heaviness to prevent you from being in that Heavenly Realm; just call upon the Lord. Ask him to make you strong and to lean on Him. "The flesh is weak but the Spirit is willing." That experience just set the tone for an amazing day and the Lord blessed me with many things that I needed without even asking. I think, well I know, that everyone should be filled with the Holy Spirit and to praise, worship and pray in the Spirit. It is so very important in your walk with Christ. Here are the lyrics to the song. I hope it brings you peace and motivates you to keep up the good fight.

Breathe Into Me By Fred Hammond

When the battle makes me weary

It seems that I lost ground

It’s so hard to hear your voice Lord

With distractions all around

I try to lift my hands to give you praise

But then a spirit of heaviness

Tries to shield your face

Chorus:Breathe into me, oh Lord

The breath of Life

So that my spirit would be whole

And my soul may rise

Breathe into me, oh Lord

Day by day

So that my heart is pure before you

Always, always

Onto thee, oh Lord, do I lift up my soul

It’s only by your hand

That I can be made whole

So Lord, breathe on me

And revive my spirit within

And I’ll never be the same-

Chorus -

Condemnation tries to hold me like a prisoner in chains

And the weight of my burdens, is calling out my name

That’s when I lift up my voice to worship you because

I know, You promised you would wash me white as snow

Onto thee, oh Lord, do I lift up my soul

It’s only by your hand

That I can be made whole

So Lord, let your breath revive me again

And I’ll never be the same

x3- Chorus -

Prayer Opens Heaven

You always hear that prayer is powerful, but you never truly understand the power of prayer until you experience it. To truly unlock the power of prayer, you must learn how to pray. Having an open heart, understanding the Word and having faith all help to better your prayer life.

An open heart: God honors an honest and open heart. Remember you can not fool God. He knows your every thought and the intention behind it. Before you pray, you should ask yourself these questions:

1. What am I praying for?

2. Why am I asking God for this?

3. What is the intention of this prayer?

If you can answer these questions honestly and have deduced that your prayer is not for selfish gain or for something trivial then you are on the right track.

Understanding the Word: You must understand what the Word says in regards to praying and requests. God has already made many promises to his children in the Bible and some of these promises involve things that most people pray for. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says "Come to me, all of you who are weary and loaded down with burdens, and I will give you rest". This tells us that Jesus is ready and willing to take your burdens but you must do your part and "come to him" which is usually done through prayer. We must remember that God needs us to do our part and that includes asking and most of all believing. But asking w/o believing will not yield results. In Ephesians 6:18 Paul writes, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints". When we have been redeemed, the Lord said that he would send us a Helper (The Holy Spirit). Ask the Holy Spirit for the words to speak in prayer. Before you open your mouth ask the Holy Spirit for the utterance, so that you may pray by the Spirit and pray effectively.

Have Faith: You must learn to trust God for what he is doing and will do in your life. One of the many ways that you can have faith is by thanking God before you even see the outcome of your prayer. Trusting God for an open and honest prayer is a golden key for a strong prayer. In Matthew 17:20 Jesus said, "Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. This is a very powerful statement. Faith is power! It is by faith that we have been redeemed and it is by faith that we go to our heavenly Father in prayer.

We would like to share a recent example of prayer in our lives. Earlier this week, our Uncle was admitted into the hospital. According to what we understand, a doctor used unclean tools on him during a check-up. He was running a high fever, and had to stay in the hospital for a couple of days. About 2 days later, we learned that the hospital had quarantined him. The only thing we could do was pray. My sister and I prayed in the Spirit and with authority that God would heal him. We knew that if we believed God for a miracle that he would grant our request. We prayed a very specific prayer asking for him to be released from the hospital and for a total healing. The day after we prayed, we received a call from our mother telling us that he had been released from the hospital and was resting at home. All we could do was to praise Him for His works!

*Just a thought: If you have received the gift of tongues, we suggest praying in tongues to the Lord. You may not understand what you are saying but the Spirit understands and it is one of the most powerful prayers you can pray.