Friday, November 30, 2012

Set on a Path

Good Morning Everyone,

No this is not a typical message. God has changed the direction. Today is about a testimony of being set on a path and giving away roses to those that deserve them.

You've read the thank yous I've given to my pastor, Rev. Medric C. Mills, III, assistant pastor, Prophetess Melvinia Williams and my church family recently. But there were others who God has used to put me on the path that would lead to the email devotionals and book Get Your JOY In The Morning! Those of you who have the book know I said I ran from God. Many of you don't know how.

The summer of 2006 I was asked to help out with Vacation Bible School (VBS). I agreed. I was hoping to be placed in the kitchen for dinner duty or the clean up crew. But no, I was placed with the teachers. The first day I knew something was happening in the atmosphere I just didn't know what. I kept saying, "God I feel like you're about to do something drastic but I just don't get it. Something feels really weird." Sure enough, I received a call from the church while at work the next day to say I had to take over the VBS fourth grade class because the teacher had a sudden leave of absence. Panic attack and high anxiety ensued me.  A minster at the education company I worked for, Letita, was there to calm me down. She laughed at me and said, "Get ready because you're being set on a path."  If you all could've heard the self-talk going on in my head at that moment; I was literally crying inside. I kept saying to myself, "What path? Are you serious? Is this a joke? If it is, God, it's really not funny! I knew you were doing something but did you have to do this?"  Letita continued to tell me that she was set on path to teach in a similar way. Truthfully, I didn't really want to hear that. I just wanted to hide. I got through VBS but had no idea it was just a set-up for the call I would received less than two months later.

I remember the day Mrs. Esther Marsh, a principal of Christian school and once head of the nominating committee of a former church, left me a voicemail saying I had been nominated to teach children in Sunday school. Personally, I thought she had the wrong number. I called back and made every excuse in the book for why I couldn't teach. Mrs. Marsh mentioned that everyone took notice of how I handled taking the reigns of the fourth grade VBS class. Like I said, I was set-up! She asked me to pray on it so I did. I was praying that God would change His mind.  Now many of you are thinking, "you worked at an education company so this isn't far fetched."  For years I wanted to work at that particular education company in Baltimore but not as a teacher. I wanted to be in the marketing department. God granted the desire of my heart. There I met a wonderful educator, Mrs. Jerrelle Francois also known as former Commissioner Francois. Ms. Jerrelle, as many of us loving call her, has been an educator for over 30yrs of young children and young adults. She really has the heart of a teacher and mentors many. I went crying to her about what I should do hoping she would tell me I wasn't equipped for it so I could be let off the hook. My hopes fell short. Ms. Jerrelle said, "It's an honor to teach and they're asking you to teach young children. It takes a special person with a lot of energy to keep up with young children. They nominated you so they see something in you."  I love you Ms. Jerrelle but at the moment, I wasn't really happy with you because it wasn't what I wanted to hear. That night I was on my friend, Pastor Atiba's, Bible study conference call and he was teaching on Isaiah 58 and how people ask God for things yet don't want to help meet the needs of others. At the end of the study he said a key phrase, "when you meet the needs in the body of Christ, God will meet your needs."  At the time I was in need of something. And it hit me God had a need and I needed to answer Him.

What does any of this have to do with Get Your JOY In The Morning? Well, God placed me at that particular branch of Zion at that time to bring out of me what I didn't realize was in me, the ability to teach. Three years later, the daily devotionals, which teach God's word through writing, came to pass. To every name I have mentioned in this testimony, I love you and I give you a rose in the spirit to say thank you. The path God has set for each of you reading this is a unique one. It's your path and as much as you may try to run like I did, I hope you see that you can run but you can't hide from God. He will continue to poke and prod away at you til you move on the path He has set for you.


P.S. 
The Leap of Faith Show and the Leap of Faith Network will relaunch in January 2013 so get ready for new music, topics and Get Your JOY In The Morning segments!

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Life Lessons

2Kings 11:1

1When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family.

The royal family was actually that of David's line. After Ahaziah's death, David's family reclaimed the throne just as God promised David shortly after he became king. It was not just a promise to David but it was for our sakes because Jesus was from the line of David. Ahaziah had been king for only one year and was 22 when he reigned. He and his mother were descendants of Ahab. Do you remember Ahab? Ahab was the king who was married to Jezebel. Jezebel did not serve God but worshiped Baal (another term for Satan). Ahab allowed Jezebel to take control when he refused to speak up for himself and murder an innocent man. Jezebel also threatened the life of Elijah the prophet. Ahab who said he served God served Baal to keep Jezebel happy. She used her position as his wife and the one he slept with to control him and obtain what she wanted. She was a king's daughter also. The idea of whatever she wanted she would get. Hence the Jezebel spirit was born for those of you that have heard the term.  As the Word says in 2 Chronicles, Ahaziah walked in the ways of the House of Ahab and his mother encouraged his wrong doing. The same people who advised his father advised him and as the Word says it was to his undoing. Ahaziah's death put Athaliah at a place that she thought she would reclaim her family's position herself but no one can thwart the plans of God.

What does this story mean for you? There are at least four life lessons from this incident.  First, parents are supposed to encourage their children to walk the right way, the ways pleasing to God and teach them. If parents refuse and the sons and daughters decide they don't want to know God, it's to their own demise. Second, here's a classic case of generational problems and the spirits that can exist in a family. The only way out from under them is to serve God with a whole heart. Third, whatever in your life that is not of God MUST GO, including people. It's not just for your sake but for the sake of those you are responsible for. Ahaziah as a king surrounded himself with the wrong people and that's a bad choice. Fourth, what God puts in place will not be thwarted by anyone. One can attempt to delay it but know that anyone who fights God is in a losing battle. God is sovereign, meaning He has ALL power and authority.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

What Spirit Is It?

Mark 5:9

9Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?"

Jesus and the disciples had just entered the region of Gerasenes when a man possessed with a demon addressed him. When one refers to the spirit realm please note there are many spirits. The Holy Spirit is not the only spirit that exist. The problem is just as the Word says in Hosea 4:6, we perish from a lack of knowledge. Not only are there other spirits besides the Holy Spirit but just as the Holy Spirit can dominate someone, so too can another spirit. Anything other than the Holy Spirit is an evil spirit. Yes, Halloween is real folks and it's not a game. The door to these other spirits is the sin in one's life, innocently worshiping those things that are not of Christ, a severe neediness to fill a void in one's life, as well as generational issues that folks have not been delivered or set free from. The closer one gets to Jesus in their walk of faith, the more these unclean spirits will be revealed and can be removed. There are many who don't even know they are carrying them. But the biggest thing is to know what spirit is in operation. Believe it or not, God has given us that ability through discernment. Every person who calls Christ their Lord and Savior has been given a level of discernment. Discernment in the simplest form is to determine right from wrong or good from evil. Some have more of it than others. It's important to understand because everything that looks right with the natural eye may not be right when looking from spiritual eyes. Too many in the body of Christ have been walking around with their spiritual eyes closed and/or underdeveloped. The Word of God is for real and is just as true today is it was when it occurred and was written. King Solomon said himself in Ecclesiastes that there is nothing new under the sun. So what is in the Word of God is common to man. Stop taking the Word of God as just a good story-telling piece and really look at it from an instruction/teaching guide for your life. That way, when you encounter those spirits that are not holy, you can easily call them by name.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

It's Beyond You

Proverbs 15:27

27A greedy man brings trouble to his family, but he who hates bribes will live.

King Solomon gave so many tidbits from the Lord that we can hold close to our hearts. When many engage in greed they usually cannot see past themselves at the moment and/or the family is used as the excuse to engage in it. But what many fail to understand, every action one takes is beyond just them. It also has the ability to effect each person's lives they touch. How so? The NIV Study Bible gives reference to Achan. Do you know who Achan is? Joshua had become the leader of  the Israelites after Moses died. The Lord had given Joshua the command for him and the Israelites to overthrow Jericho. The Lord gave specific instructions that no one was to take any gold possessions or such. Achan did. He did and thought no one knew. Israel was seen as a corporate entity overthrowing the land. When Joshua was leading the group to defeat Ai, they were defeated. Joshua couldn't understand what happened.  The Israelites had always defeated their enemies. When Joshua inquired, it was then that the Lord revealed someone didn't heed the Lord's instructions. Joshua had to confront the whole group to see who would confess. Achan finally did. And he and his whole family perished. So not only did he effect the entire unit he was part of, his family suffered for his mistake. God always sees and always knows what each of us does even when no one else can see. God may not bring it to light at that moment but eventually He will. But as the Word says, if you operate with the premise that bribes will do you no good, you don't have to worry about anything. Accepting bribes are the result of greed and wanting more than what the Lord has released to you. But the price you pay and those around is far greater.


P.S. Remember to checkout the Tuesday Top 10 Countdown on Church Beat Radio at www.live365.com!

Monday, November 26, 2012

Rebels Without A Cause

Psalm 2:2

2The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.

New leadership was put in place by the Lord and the nations rebelled. The Zondervan NIV Study Bible puts it as plain as it gets, "to rebel against the  Lord's anointed one is to rebel against the One who anointed him." This may hurt but when leadership is placed over you it's for a reason. And to not heed or respect the leadership placed over you by the Lord is to say that you do not respect the Lord himself. The Lord's Anointed One refers to Christ as well as any earthly leadership placed over you. The Word says in Psalm 2:1 that those who conspire against the One the Lord appoints does so in vain. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean you don't have to respect it. God is not concerned with if we like it or not. what He is concerned with is His will being carried out. As the Word says in Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways declares the Lord. There are many who disregard God's will and do not understand that God's will covers everything we can't and don't want to see. When a new president is elected, respect it and get with the program. When a new supervisor is placed over you, respect and get with the program. When you have a new leadership in the church, respect it and get with the program. When you have a new step-parent/parent, respect it and get with the program. Rebelling only causes more headache and wasted time for you. The leadership is not leaving so unless you plan to leave the country, the job, the church, organization or get your own place, you must follow the leadership. And if God hasn't told you to do so, it's still out of order. Why do you rebel? What is your cause? Is it really honorable or is it about your personal feelings?

P.S. Remember to check out my man V of the Artist to Artist Show on Mondays on www.Qliveone.com and listen for the Get Your JOY In The Morning segment!