The Wrong Wind

Acts 27:13

13When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete.

I give all glory and honor to God when He highlights scripture my eyes may have glazed over in the past. GLORY!! Obtaining what "you thought" you wanted often turns out to be more than you bargained for. Yes, we have covered this story before but.....God! The wind, represents whatever blows into your path. Not everything blown into your path is of God. Sometimes it's a decoy to see if you can be taken off course from what God has for you. But many get stuck by thinking that what is blown in the path is what God wants. When really, it's not. If you NEVER seek God to see what He wants for you, then you are subject to chasing anything especially the wrong thing!! What happened to the ship? It sailed right into the storm which was actually God's judgement as noted by the NIV Study Bible. The apostle Paul was on the ship to help them navigate safely out of the storm. God sometimes sends someone to help you get out of what you were never supposed to be in. He sends the way out, "the alternative" but you have to recognize it when it shows up. What good is hope if not utilized? What good is the open door God sends if you don't take it? What good is it for God to have hope present for you to navigate out when you still are choosing to do it your way? Isn't that how you got into the storm in the first place? You did it your way when had you tuned into the REAL NAVIGATOR, you would've let that wind pass. GLORY TO GOD!! What storm are you in right now? Did you follow the wrong wind because you thought that's what you wanted? Chasing the wrong thing...whatever it may be!! Sometimes our eyes and ears hear what we think is right because we are deceived by our own selfish desires but what presents itself as gentle is actually leading you in for a bumpy ride. Let the Lord guide you out without loss of life even if cargo has to be thrown overboard as what happened with the ship Paul was on.  Paul told the centurion ahead of time they were headed in the wrong direction but  he didn't listen to Paul. He listened to the pilot because "he had experience."  The pilot's experience still could not detect what was coming. God's wisdom sees beyond man's experience. God always warns but His warnings are often ignored.

Remember to check out my man V of the Artist to Artist Show Mondays on www.Qliveone.com and listen for the Get Your JOY In The Morning segment! My interview with Stubbs on the Leap of Faith Show has been postponed for a later date.

Source of Strength

Psalm 29:11

11The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.

How many times have you been through blows by life? How many times have you had "the wind knocked out of you"? While you were down, did you call on the Lord?  No one outside of the Lord can give you the strength to get back up, not even you. There will be blows so heavy that by all accounts, you shouldn't get back up and the world wouldn't expect you to do so. AHHHH BUT GOD!! When the Lord is the source of your strength, you will rise again. Proverbs 24:16 says though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again. The only way to be righteous is to take on the righteousness of the Lord. And in doing so, you can rise again. You got up so give the Lord total praise! The song in my spirit is Richard Smallwood's Total Praise.

"You are the source of my strength."
"You are the strength of my life."
"I lift my hands in total praise to you."

I don't care where you are reading this but when you finish, just lift your hands in total praise to the Lord and tell Him thank you because obviously, He is the source of your strength. Whatever blow you were dealt, you got up!! GLORY TO GOD!!!


Join me Columbus Day (this Monday) as I will be on the Leap of Faith Show with my Girl Stubbs between 7:30-8:30am ET by logging onto www.leapoffaithshow.com and click Listen Live!

In Conflict

Galatians 5:17

17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

The apostle Paul was having a very frank conversation with the churches of Galatia about living life in the Spirit as opposed to living life in the sinful nature or "flesh". They are opposites or opposing views. The same way God represents good and Satan represents evil. It is not an easy road to travel and ALL of us have messed up somewhere along the way. Some may not have been caught yet with visible consequences while others have. Here's the deal.  Your spirit will always want opposite of your flesh if you are a follower of Christ. The key is letting the Holy Spirit dominate your life and your flesh so that each time you attempt to go the way of the flesh, the Holy Spirit's convicting power will cause you to think twice and repent. Spending more time with the Lord, in prayer, listening, reading and studying His word and learning to trust Him are ways to get you there. Okay, so your flesh issues may not be with idolatry, witchcraft, sexual immorality, drunkenness, etc. but it could be with words, it could be with your thoughts, it could even be with jealousy, envy, hatred, quick temper, gossip, overeating or whatever. If you are actively working in your faith, then it is a process. THANK YOU JESUS FOR GRACE AND MERCY!!  It doesn't help though if you "make provision for the flesh." Or shall we say, set yourself up knowing there's potential for a situation that is not of the Holy Spirit to occur, then you are truly stirring a recipe for disaster. But if you really desire to live by the Holy Spirit, then the Lord will create a way out as said in 1Corinthians 10:13. Just remember to take the way out when you see the open door.

Longing for Something More

 Ecclesiastes 1:18
18For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.

King Solomon is noted in the Old Testament as the wisest man. He had more answers to questions then most could fathom. But one thing Solomon learned as he gave accounts of his life and all he tested and did, he understood as the NIV Study Bible says that wisdom without God leads to grief and sorrow. What good is it to obtain every piece of information there is without God who is the true author? What good is it to have everything at your fingertips when there is still no joy in your heart? True joy is from the Lord. To test the theory you need look no further then the news and Internet of people who seem to have everything in the world, but to them, they had nothing and ended their life. Without the Lord in your life, no matter what you obtain, the peace of God is the only thing that sustains. As you go through this life striving for whatever it is "your eyes desire" as Solomon said in chapter 2, know that without God, without understanding His purpose for you, you'll still be longing for something more.

Remember to check out my girl Stubbs on the Leap of Faith Show on the Leap of Faith Network Monday-Friday from 6-9am ET on www.leapoffaithshow.com and listen for the Get Your JOY In The Morning segment!

Even the Simple Will Comply

Proverbs 19:25

25Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke a discerning man, and he will gain knowledge.

Oh the wise King Solomon. He knew so well how the proud and arrogant see themselves. When they think the sun rises and sets upon them or at least desire to be the center of attention, if they are disciplined for something they quickly learn how to be more discreet about what they do. But one who actually is willing to see the difference between right and wrong will actually learn the knowledge necessary not to make the same mistake. So the question is are you proud and arrogant? Or are you a discerner? To discern means to know the difference between right and wrong, good and evil, what is true and false. The answer to your question is determined by how many times you have to go through the same mistake before you get it. If you have truly learned from a mistake you made, you won't do it again. If you haven't then you will. Or if someone fails to call you out on a mistake, you may do it again before you get the lesson you need to learn. So where does this apply in your life? Don't be simple. Be a man or woman of true knowledge.

Remember to check out the Tuesday Top 10 Countdown with DJ Ambermay on Church Beat Radio and Black Friday with J. Black on www.live365.com!

Setting the Stage

Proverbs 14:26

26He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it be a refuge.

You never really think about the things you do until you are responsible for others. It is then that you realize your every action is studied, followed and even mimicked. When you walk, those who follow you walk behind you in your footsteps. The wise King Solomon talked of the fear of the Lord being a fortress. A fortress is simply a fort but it is considered a fortified place. According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary to fortify something means to 1)strengthen by military defenses 2) to give physical strength or endurance to 3) encourage 4) to strengthen or enrich with a material <~bread with vitamins>. So in essence, the fear of the Lord gives you strength, it encourages you and it's a place where you can go to be protected and nourished. So if you as a parent or leader fear the Lord, you're setting the stage for your children or those under your care to have some place to go when they need shelter from the world. It's hard to think of things like this but God forbid you leave those under your care too soon. What then? Where will they find strength if they do not have the proper foundation and understanding of the fear of the Lord? Where can they find refuge if you've never even showed them there is such a place? They will be subject to finding the vices that the world looks to such as gambling, drug and/or alcohol abuse, sex addictions, robbery or murder. These are the vices of the world that are not a true source of strength nor do they give life and nourishment. These vices actually cause problems in the body, pocket and mind.  But such a fate doesn't have to be if you are willing to walk in the ways of the Lord. If you are willing to show the way, those behind you will follow you.


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

Babylon is a Temporary Place

Micah 2:10

10Get up, go away! For this is not your resting place, because it is defiled, it is ruined, beyond all remedy.

The land had been filled with false prophets and Micah was called by the Lord to reiterate Israel and Judah's judgement and eventual restoration. Israel and Judah's judgement was to be driven from Jerusalem and held captive in Babylon. But eventually, they would be restored. God's wrath is not forever. THANK YOU JESUS!! If it were, all of us would've been terminated long ago. Our Heavenly Father has a heart. And for His people who were captive, the word Micah received was for them to leave Babylon after their time was served. It was a defiled place. "Beyond all remedy" means that there was nothing that could be salvaged from it. But that God's people were to return to the place they were to call home, Jerusalem. Babylon was a temporary place that was defiled by pagan ways. They couldn't take possession of anything in Babylon because God never intended for them to stay. For Israel and Judah they were to return to the land that God says was theirs.

Have you ever been in a place you thought was permanent?  When God says it's temporary, it's just that. If it's not a place to call home, then you are not to get comfortable there. You are not to be complacent. When God says Get up, be ready to get up. If He says there's nothing you can go back for, then trust, there's nothing there but ruins. Ruins are nothing but feeble remains of what used to be. Ruins are not to be rebuilt in any way. If there's something in your life that was a Babylon, which is a place of punishment and lessons, once the lessons are learned, God expects you to move from that place. It served its purpose but to stay there means you are holding up the restoration process God has for you. You are telling God you do not desire the loving kindness He wants to offer by bringing you out. By staying in Babylon beyond your allotted time, you're defiling yourself. Let it go and let God bring you back to what is yours.


Remember to check out the Tuesday Top 10 Countdown on Church Beat Radio on www.live365.com!