How Bad Does It Stink?

Acts 8:3

3As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every home, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.

Saul was the man who stood in agreement with the stoning of Stephen the Deacon who was wrongly persecuted and turned over to the high priest by those in the church with jealous spirits. But an intervention by Christ changed all of it and then Saul became Paul, one of the greatest Apostles of the early church. The behavior he once engaged in he later disapproved  for himself as a man in Christ and from time to time referred to himself as one not worthy but grateful for the love of Christ. We are like Paul in that we have had some terrible habits and ways but an intervention with Christ brought us out. And once we saw how ugly those things were, we no longer wanted them for ourselves.

A natural example. My neighbor has been a smoker for 20+yrs. I hadn't seen her out on the porch lately. We spoke the other day and turns out she quit smoking 5months ago. She never smoked in the house because her son has asthma. But the neighbors on the other side of her still smoke and she can smell it when her windows are open. She said, "I didn't know how much cigarette smoke stinks until I quit. It smells awful." (This is not to pick on smokers but just to illustrate). My neighbor had no idea how bad her habit smelled until she was no longer in it. And she did it for more than 20years. In the spiritual this act is a modest example of deliverance which means to be freed from, brought out, to come out of the something.

We are all continued works in progress as our faith will not be complete until the day Christ returns. So is it time for another intervention with Christ in your life? Are there some bad habits and ways that Christ is about to interrupt and reveal to you just how much they stink?

Check Your Heart

2Samuel 24:1

1Again the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, "Go number Israel and Judah."

Have you ever wondered why something is happening that seems so incredibly off that you know is not in line with God? Just as we know to be true and how the NKJ Study Bible also quotes in the translation, "God is still in control." The Lord was upset with Israel. But He allowed Satan to move on David that he would conduct a census. Now David had won many battles but he won because the Lord was with him. Conducting the census implied that David's victories were based on the strength and number of men not God. Now a few scriptures later, David is convicted in his heart about his actions and looks to the Lord for forgiveness. 

The NKJ Study Bible makes the following statement, " There is a difference between what God causes and what He allows. For those of you who are unaware, this is the difference between God's perfect will and His permissive will. There are times when God allows situations to reveal what is in the heart of man. In this case, it was David's pride which is a sin. Satan loves pride but God disdains it and brings a man low who is prideful as said in Proverbs. Remember Satan plays on ignorance and what already exists. In the film, "The Devil's Advocate," Satan (Al Pacino) tells the same thing to Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) who blames him for what happens. And even Satan reveals that he only played off of what was already in Kevin's heart.

P.S. Remember to check out my girl Stubbs on the Leap of Faith Show Monday-Friday from 10am-12pm ET on www.lofnetwork.com and listen for the Get Your JOY In The Morning segment!

And it Came to Pass

Good Morning Everyone,

Today is not a typical message but valuable none the less.

Over the weekend I reconnected with two women at an event I each had not seen in exactly five years. In Biblical numerology, the number five stands for God's grace. I knew the women individually but was not aware that they knew each other. I first met each woman at a church just not the same one. The first woman, whom I will call, D,  I knew through the church where I was baptized but we had also worked together in Baltimore. The second woman whom I will call, V, I knew through the church where God developed the gift of teaching He placed in me. I used to interact with V's son. In each of their testimonies, God's grace was evident. V expressed wanting to write a book with her son chronicling his journey as one in need of a kidney transplant. And D and I had lunch five  years ago just before I became ill. D recalled our last conversation the moment I said I am now an author. In our last conversation five years ago, I expressed my desire to get back into writing. And it came to pass. And when V and I spoke, I immediately said to her, when you are ready, let me know and I will help. Each woman had experienced miracles over the last five years. And both D and V received tickets last minute. D said, "Our blessing is at this event. I can't tell you what it is, I just know we have to go."

When God allows you to accomplish something, never take the mindset that it is all about you. You are to help encourage others to move forward. It may not be the same purpose you have but whatever it is, encourage that they move forward the way God has designed for them.

P.S. Remember to join me this coming Saturday, June 15th at Caribou Coffee House at 2638 Chapel Lake Drive in Gambrills, MD from 3-5pm for the Pre-Release Book Signing & Reading of my new book, Shh Don't Tell. Copies will be available for purchase.