Friday, June 8, 2012

Personal Testimony

Good Morning Everyone,

No, this is not a typical message but a personal testimony of thanks and gratefulness for what God is doing. Over the years some of you have shared your personal testimonies with me. Some of you have recommitted your lives to Christ while others of you have now come to know Christ. Truly, your testimonies are God's way of showing me that the work He has me doing for His kingdom is not in vain. The testimonies from you are the fruit that God's word is not returning void as said in Isaiah 58. Those of you that have become so fired up for Christ that you are now sharing the messages, I humbly thank you! There are hundreds of you on this distribution throughout the U.S. and internationally. Knowing how many emails our society has gotten us accustomed to, I am honored that you have chosen Get Your JOY In The Morning as part of your life. Do I want you to get the book, Get Your JOY In The Morning? Of course! Not for the sake of sales but for the sake of understanding there is order that God desires in your life and the book gives more order in a way you do not receive in the daily message. It is also my hope that through the book  you understand that I do not wish for any of you to endure the way I had to endure in order for the Lord to get your attention-FOR REAL. But as our Asst Pastor says, "pain causes a conversation." Please feel free to continue to share your personal testimonies with me. Some of you who are now following Get Your JOY In The Morning on Facebook have provided your testimonies there as well and even on Twitter. No matter how you do it, I am grateful and am honored to serve as the glory truly does belong to God.

God Bless You Always!

P.S. You can catch the Get Your JOY In The Morning segment on the Artist to Artist Show with my man V on www.Qliveone.com at 8am CT/9am ET on Saturdays!

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Under Pressure

Luke 6:46
46 "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?"

Jesus used a parable to describe the difference between the person who hears His word and applies and one who hears but doesn't apply it. The difference is used in the form of a house struck by a flood. One will shake but stay standing. The other will collapse. He uses the foundation as the key difference. It's sad that Jesus had to say one will call on Him but then doesn't bother to listen. That's like calling your parents for advice but then when you don't hear what you want to hear, though they told you the truth, you decided not to listen. Yes, you have a choice. But when you call on the Lord and He gives you the answer to your problem, just because you don't like the answer doesn't mean you shouldn't follow it. When the Lord says do something, He never has hurtful intentions like Satan nor does He have hidden jealousy or envy like your "so-called" friends. The Lord genuinely loves you and desires the best for you. Your foundation in Jesus will keep you afloat in all situations. If your foundation is shaky, you'll collapse under pressure. The flood in this parable is the pressure of life pressing against everything you believe.  With enough pressure, a shaky foundation will give way. What pressure are you facing? Are you standing on the foundation of Jesus? Or has your shaky foundation collapsed?

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Passing the Torch

1Kings 2:2-3
2"I am about to go the way of all the earth," he said. "So be strong, show yourself a man, 3and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go,

King David was about to die and God had chosen Solomon to carry on the throne. What a privilege for Solomon but also a huge task. King David had served God and the people with a loving heart. David gave Solomon not only encouragement but also very stern advice that was not really a suggestion but rather a necessity in order for him to succeed in his reign.  It was in verse four that David said to Solomon that by him keeping his advice, God would keep the promise He made to David. What a weight to carry!  Solomon had a lot to lose. Passing on the torch of leadership wasn't just about passing on a title. It was about passing on a way of life and service. There were many kings who didn't follow any of the advice David provided. Did Solomon follow David's advice? In part but not whole. And the only reason the kingdom was not completely torn from their family line was because God remembered the promise He made to David and refused to break it based on the idolatry and lust of Solomon. When parents raise their children and release them into the world, the hope, in most cases, is that they will do better, be better and have more. As much as Solomon had in the way of riches and wisdom, he failed in some areas and he started a trend of unfaithfulness to God. Did Solomon intend to? No. He just thought he could handle what he was doing. Parenthood doesn't come with an exact book of instructions unless based in the Word of God. Leadership comes with some instruction but again, to be a servant leader, based on the Word of God as David advised. How are you passing on the torch? Whether you are a parent or leader, you are still passing on something. So what is it? Are you giving the advice like David, or is your example going to show itself in the next few generations like that after Solomon's? It is not easy and one only hopes that ears and hearts receive but what are they receiving? Are you passing on the torch based on the Word of God?

P.S. Remember to check out my girl Stubbs on the Leap of Faith Network on www.live365.com!

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

The Seed of Progress

Acts 14:5
5There was a plot afoot among the Gentiles and Jews together, with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them.

The apostles Paul and Barnabas were so effective in preaching the good news of Jesus Christ that both Jew and Gentile believed and desired to be saved. But the Jews that refused to believe decided they would bring about confusion and negativity to upset the group. The Lord gave Paul and Barnabas power through the Holy Spirit to perform miracles to confirm the Word of God that had been preached. But the Jews filled with anger plotted to harm Paul and Barnabas. God provided a warning so Paul and Barnabas could escape. Have you ever noticed when God is working the enemy is busy? Then enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy. He'll use anyone to do it. He used the closed minds and hearts of the Jews that didn't believe to steal the seed of  belief from those who received the Word of God. It's a classic case. As long as your belief is weak, then the enemy can continue to have his way with you. The minute you begin to grow in your faith, the enemy will attempt to bring you back to where you were. For the Jews and Gentiles that received the Word, they had a heart to receive. Those that didn't were upset. Have you ever noticed the more you grow in your faith, there are those that are not happy about it? Why? Because it means you are no longer partners in crime in the sins you engaged in together. You have surpassed the things you used to do and the ways you once thought. But in order to not feel left out, those that refuse to grow attempt to drag you back down with them. The old "crab in the barrel" syndrome. Your spiritual growth reminds them of where they still are and though they don't want to grow with you, they don't want you to progress. The feelings of inadequacy can run so deep that  they seek to harm you or make you look bad. For Paul and Barnabas, God had used them so mightily, their lives were in danger.  How many times has God told you that you must depart from the group you kept company with that were not growing in the direction God desires to take you? Did you continue to keep company with them or did you flea like the apostles? Keeping company with those God says you must separate from can only leave one result- you'll be back to ground zero and the seed of progress will be taken from you.

P.S. Please note in yesterday's message "Who Are You Consulting?" I meant Leviticus 20:27 not Leviticus 20:7. Remember to check out the Top 5 Countdown on www.churchbeatradio.com!

Monday, June 4, 2012

Who Are You Consulting?

1Samuel 2815b-d:
15"I am in great distress," Saul said. "The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophet or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do."

King Saul was in a moment of desperation so to end his despair and confusion he went to the "witch of Endor" who was actually a medium. Job's friend Elihu spoke about the different ways in which God speaks. Yes, God speaks through the His Holy Word, prophets, dreams, men and women of God who receive a word of wisdom or knowledge to pass on, the preached word, etc. King Saul had decided some time prior that he wouldn't listen to God therefore, God decided to stop speaking to him.  But What is a medium?  A medium is one who allows themselves to be a channel for which the dead will speak through, those that are dead in body but not in spirit. The spirit lives on though our physical bodies die. The medium allows themselves to be a channel for which unholy spirits can come through as well. Remember that God is a spirit and we are to worship Him in spirit and in truth. The apostle Paul references other spirits and principalities of darkness in Ephesians chapter 6. There was a time when there was no evil but Lucifer, also known as Satan, Beezlebub, the enemy of our souls, etc was once an angel of the Lord. He became vain and decided that he should be worshiped and therefore wanted to get the glory so he and his followers were cast out of Heaven and fell below the earth. So evil started with extreme vanity and therefore opened the door for Satan and his many spirits. Why is this important? Many, when in crisis look for answers like King Saul but who are you consulting? God says in His word in Leviticus 20:6 "I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people." God also says in His word in Leviticus 20:7 that anyone who practices as mediums and spiritists leave the blood on their own heads and shall suffer. Now, this is not meant to scare you but to educate you as we are often destroyed for a lack of knowledge in Hosea 4:6. When you are in a crisis, you must seek God for He is the creator of you, the world and everything in it. So to consult someone or something else other than Him for answers is spitting at Him. Now let's be clear, spiritual gifts given by God are to be used as He directs. There are some who have taken their God-given gifts, some knowingly and unknowingly, and have exploited them against God. For instance, those with the gift of prophecy, the gift of discernment and intercessory gifts have been given a doorway to the mind of God and His heart and can sense what is happening in the spirit realm. However, if these gifts are then taken in vanity and/or sold to the public to give them information (psychics, clairvoyants or astrology) then a doorway to Satanic (demonic) forces has begun. Satan is the father of lies and seeks to steal, kill and destroy.  By consulting them you give Satan a doorway to your life to cut off and/or reverse that which God is doing in your life. So why not consult God instead? If God has spoken to you time and time again and you refuse to listen, don't be upset if  He's suddenly silent and don't go to Satan looking for answers. You end up ensuring an ugly fate for yourself when you do. Saul's fate was detailed in

1Chronicles 10:13-14
13Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, 14and did not consult the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

Who are you consulting? Don't lose your blessings by consulting unholy people and answers.

P.S. You can go back and read the scriptures for yourself. If you do not have a Bible, you can access nearly any translation of it at www.biblegateway.com.