Saturday, November 19, 2011

Special Event TODAY, Saturday, November 19th

If you're in the MD/DC/VA area today, November 19th, join me at John 3:16 Christian Bookstore in Lanham, MD from 1-4pm ET for a book signing, hugs and pics courtesy of Photographic Expressions! Get Your JOY In The Morning is a wonderful Christmas gift for a friend or family member!!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Turn It Over

Psalm 39:1
1I said, "I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin;
I will put a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence."

David suffered for his sins but he also knew how to ask the Lord for forgiveness. When David backslid or was disobedient to the Lord, the Lord taught him through sickness and pain to reach out for Him. David was of course also before his enemies. His response to them was to keep quiet so they wouldn't catch wind of his tongue. There are times when we must be quiet. No matter how easy it may be to speak, if God has declared we must be quiet, then we must. David instead turned his attention to the Lord when he could no longer contain his anger. Only the Lord could fully address his pain and only the Lord could calm the anguish he felt for his enemies. Do we know when to keep quiet? Do we know when it doesn't pay to open our mouth in the presence of our enemies? When we are facing the level of anguish that David was feeling, we ought simply to turn it over to the one who can take it away. Lashing back would only cause more harm. David was already suffering and he needed to focus on being restored.

P.S. Join me this Saturday, November 19th at John 3:16 Christian Bookstore in Lanham, Md from 1-4pm for their anniversary celebration as I will be signing books and hugging necks!! Photos will be taken by Lisa J. Monroe of Photographic Expressions. It's a great gift for friends and family!!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

A Crumbling State

Revelation 18:4
4Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
"Come out of her, my people,
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive any of her plagues;

At the fall of the once mighty empire Babylon, the Israelites were not to be present. The Lord freed them from captivity before he brought judgement to Babylon. But if they chose to stay, then they would have suffered the same fate.  John did not encourage the worship of emperors. So to deter he reinforced the prophecy given by the Old Testament prophets on what would happen if idol worship continued. Walking as the world does gets one result, death. The death can be physical and spiritual . If we continue to live like the world then we reap the consequences of the world. If we live as the Lord calls us to live, then we reap abundant life. We always have a choice but the choice we make determines our outcome. If we want better outcomes, make better choices. There are things and people we must let be. If not, we go down with them just as the prophecy states. The idols can be anything but we are never to make them more important than our Lord. He is jealous and by right. He created us for His pleasure and anything that takes away from it He has a right to crumble it. He crumbled the great Babylon which was once considered the most powerful. He can bring anything to a crumbling state.

P.S. Join me this Saturday, November 19th at John 3:16 Christian Bookstore in Lanham, Md from 1-4pm for their anniversary celebration as I will be signing books and hugging necks!! Photos will be taken by Lisa J. Monroe of Photographic Expressions. It's a great gift for friends and family!!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

It's Official

1Chronicles11:3
3When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, he made a compact with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel, as the Lord had promised through Samuel.

Man had finally recognized publicly what God had done with David long before. Though David had fought many battles and led armies of men, he was only recognized as "one day" becoming king. That day had finally come. For David, the burial of Saul and his family line was the final confirmation that it was time for him to walk in his appointed role. It was bittersweet because he loved them all in spite of the death threats. The elders of Israel had no choice at that point but to recognize who the Lord called David to be and anoint him in agreement. This action made it official. What has God promised you? Has there been a "changing of the guard" in some area of your life? Is there a confirmation that God has provided to you as to what you are walking into? Are there people in your life like David, that now recognize what God has already said about you?

P.S. A huge THANK YOU to www.churchbeatradio.com and the entire Church Beat Radio Family for their support of Get Your JOY In The Morning! DJ Ambermay gave away 2 copies of the book during the Top 10 Countdown! Tune into www.churchbeatradio.com for Worry Free Wednesday with DJ Moonbaby at 2pm ET!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Who's Watching Over You?

Acts 12:11
11Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating."

The early church survived many persecutions from kings. Peter was to stand trial before his execution. But that night, the angel of the Lord came and walked Peter right past the guards and out of the prison. Peter honestly thought he was just seeing a vision but when he realized he was at the gate of the city, the angel was gone. Peter then came to acknowledge that the Lord sent an angel to rescue him from certain death. Do you know that God has assigned angels to each of His people? Yes, there are angels that watch over us and even fight on our behalf when we are near the enemy's snares. The Lord keeps watch over us and His assistants, the angels, tend to our needs as the Lord deems. How many times have you been in danger and when it seemed like you wouldn't get out, the Lord made a way? Like Peter, did it seem like the Lord walked you right past your enemies? The Lord and His angels always know our whereabouts. And when we are knee or even throat deep in sinking sand, He has the ability to pull us out. But remember, the angels watch over the Lord's people. Who's watching over you?

P.S. Please join me this Saturday, November 19th at John 3:16 Christian Bookstore in Lanham, Md from 1-4pm for their anniversary celebration as I will be signing books and hugging necks!! Photos will be taken by Lisa J. Monroe of Photographic Expressions. It's a great gift for friends and family!!

Monday, November 14, 2011

Good or Crafty

Proverbs 12:2
2A good man obtains favor from the Lord, but the Lord condemns a crafty man.

King Solomon noted a good man. Jesus even asked "why do you call me good"?  We hear this word used a lot but what is good? According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, good has many definitions but to name a few: sound, wholesome, kind, loyal, virtuous. One that seeks favor from the Lord is considered virtuous. In other words, one whose primary goal is to please the Lord is considered virtuous and wholesome. So just as there is a virtuous woman as referred to in Proverbs 31, so there is a virtuous man. One that seeks the Lord is looking for the best way to live and be guided. If the actions of a man are seen as favorable to God, not only will God bless them but it will be for all to see. But one who is crafty is deceitful and always scheming. One who is crafty is always looking for how they can "get over" or "have their way". The Lord detests such a characteristic. Quite frankly, so should we. If we do not, we are subject to be either a co-conspirator or the prey of such. To be condemned by God, the one who determines where our soul resides, the one who showers blessings, is like being locked away in prison. It's not only a physical prison but a prison for the mind and spirit. The prison is different for each depending on what one sowed but in essence craftiness or deceit is based on a serious degree of selfishness and greed that harms others. By the Lord condemning, he is allowing the crafty one to reap the consequences of their actions. Who would you rather be? Good or crafty?

P.S. Please join me this Saturday, November 19th at John 3:16 Christian Bookstore in Lanham, Md from 1-4pm for their anniversary celebration as I will be signing books and hugging necks!! Photos will be taken by Lisa J. Monroe of Photographic Expressions. It's a great gift for friends and family!!