Thursday, January 17, 2013

What Are You Dispensing?

Proverbs 18:4

4The words of a man's mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.

The wise king Solomon spoke with wisdom, wrote with wisdom and shared it with those he came in contact with. His wisdom was a gift from God himself. The gift or message of wisdom is actually a spiritual gift given by the Holy Spirit that  the apostle Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 12. God poured out His gift onto king Solomon. And king Solomon did not withhold his gift from the world. The NIV Study Bible states that the wise person's words are refreshing and are a source of life. Simply put, wisdom gives one strength and power to move forward. Age is no guarantee of wisdom. There are some in this world who believe that one can only be wise if they are older. But Jesus himself was full of wisdom even at the age of 12 and had the attention of those in the temple. Yes, everyone should walk in a certain level of wisdom from life experience but that's assuming one has learned from it. This scenario is not always the case. Here's a question. What are you dispensing? When you speak and interact with others are you dispensing life and strength? Are you speaking with wisdom? Proverbs 18:21 states that the power of life and death lie in the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruit. Whatever you are dispensing to others will either be a source of life or a source of death. You are what you speak. So if you do not speak with wisdom then you can only be speaking with the opposite of wisdom, which is ignorance and foolishness. If you do not believe you possess wisdom, then seek it like king Solomon did, from God who freely gave it. Give life and refreshment/encouragement by walking in wisdom and sharing it with others. Do not dispense death with ignorance and foolishness.

P.S. One final note about my family's struggle. God can use even the most dismal of situations to bring life. The homegoing service of one cousin brought new life. Nine family members asked for the prayer of salvation and six stepped forward publicly to declare their new life in Christ. As Jesus stated in John 12:24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains a single seed.  But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

The Power of Prayer

James 5:15

15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.

This scripture is very important to me. Many of you read in November of the trials and attack of sickness over my family. Many of you were made aware that on the day before Thanksgiving my family laid to rest one who lost her battle with cancer as another family member came out of the hospital all on the same side of the family. What you don't know is the day of the memorial service we learned that yet another was in ICU. So after the repast, another family member and I went to the bedside of that cousin and prayed. God had also placed on my heart to petition a group of prayer warriors in addition to my church family that had been praying since I became aware of what was happening. By the grace of God, that cousin came out of the hospital alive. THANK YOU JESUS! There was another cousin on the same side also battling cancer and in chemo therapy. Right before Christmas we received the news that the tumor had shrunk and the cousin was eligible for surgery. The surgery was Monday and my cousin was released yesterday. The doctors removed the entire mass. I PRAISE GOD for what HE has done! I, another family member, as well as my cousin who knows that prayer warriors were called upon offer sincere thanks for those who petitioned God on my family's behalf. You don't know how much I really love you and thank you for the prayers offered in faith for my family. As I write this, I cannot stop the tears of joy. I am forever grateful. To my church family, City of Restoration Christian Center, I love you more than words can express for all you have done on my family's behalf.

No one can ever tell me that prayer does not work and that God is not a healer. Not only has He healed me physically and spiritually, but He is working on my family one by one. Never doubt the power of prayer. Do not take lightly being asked to pray. Your prayer may be the tipping point of what God needs to hear to turn what looks like a hopeless situation around.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY FOREVER AND EVER!!!


P.S. Lookout for the relaunch of the Leap of Faith Show on the Leap of Faith Network in February with my girl Stubbs Mon-Fri 6am-9am on www.leapoffaithshow.com and listen out for new Get Your JOY In The Morning segments!



Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Where Is Your Faith?

Luke 8:25

25"Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples.

In the case of his disciples, Jesus had just calmed the winds and the raging waters. Jesus had been asleep when the fierce storm came over the lake. Water was filling the boat but Jesus was still asleep. Can you imagine twelve men panicking in a boat while Jesus is sleep? Jesus was unmoved because He knew the storm would not destroy them no matter how fierce it got. After being awakened and accused of not caring, Jesus simply rebuked the storm and it died down. Did you just hear that? Jesus spoke to the storm and it died down!  And then Jesus asked only one question. "Where is your faith?" Has Jesus ever asked you, "Where is your faith?" Just as Jesus was in the boat with the disciples, so He is with you and where you are right now. The problem, your faith isn't with Jesus but with the storm. You fear the storm so much to the point that you have more faith in the storm's destructive power than you do in Jesus' ability to remove the storm or even bring you through the storm unharmed. Why is that? Is it because you do not truly believe what Jesus can do or is it that those you are surrounded by have taught you to fear everything but the one who can actually do something about it? Did you know Satan has to have permission to mess with you as he did with Job? Did you know that Satan's purpose is to shake your faith and show the Lord that you only believe when you get what you want, when you want and how you want it? Did you know that the Lord allows the storm to get close enough because He has faith in you that you still believe in who He is and what He can do in your life? If Jesus has more faith in you than you have in Him, is that not one sided? Yet, He does not have to prove himself to you but still does over and over again. Where is your faith? Is it in what you fear the people will think if you walk in faith the way Jesus is instructing you to do? Here's a thought, when the storm comes close to the boat, will those you are worried about be able to simply speak to the storm the way Jesus does? People come and go but Jesus will be the one in the boat with you no matter where it's sailing. Again, where is your faith?

P.S. Remember to check out the Top Ten Countdown on Church Beat Radio on www.live365.com!