Who is Filling Your Jar?

John 2:7

7Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.

Jesus had not yet revealed to the public his true nature and mission. Jesus was at the wedding banquet which his mother and the disciples were attending. They were the only ones who knew Jesus' true nature. Yet, even they did not fully know. During the wonderful celebration, it was found out that the wine ran out. Mary immediately went to Jesus. She knew Jesus could fix the problem. Jesus of course wasn't looking to be involved but Mary opened the door. So Jesus said to fill the jars with water. And once they were filled, Jesus said to draw or pour some out for the master of the banquet. At the pouring out, it became tasteful wine which was better than what they had.

How many immediately go to Jesus to fix the problem? Remember Jesus prefers an invitation, you must first open the door. The servants did not fill the jars a portion of the way they filled them to the brim. They filled the jars til there was no more room. According to the NIV Study Bible, the reason there was so much water present was because the water was for ceremonial washing. Remember the Pharisees believed that if one washed or poured water on their hands, they would be made clean. But the word "filling" takes on greater importance in this scripture. Though it was a simple miracle Jesus demonstrated in the miracle what He later said to the Pharisees. What went into the jars was clean and fresh water. Therefore, what was poured out or came flowing out was better than what everyone had received prior. Filling your jar when Jesus says to fill it and filling it with what Jesus says to fill it with, is a guarantee that when He gives you the order to pour out, to speak, to move forward, you will do so and it will be the best of the best. Who is filling your jar and with what? Who you turn to in order to fill you will determine what comes out.

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

Surpassing Enemies

Habakkuk 3:19

19The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.

Habakkuk the prophet made a petition or request to God. In his prayer which was much like a psalm, he recounted God's wonderful deeds including his ability to save His people many times from the wrath of enemies. Each time the enemies of God's people thought they were ahead and were going to win, God showed up in a mighty way. Habakkuk also talked of rejoicing in the Lord no matter the situation, even while the enemies attempt to attack, even when it does not look like there is hope. The Lord provides strength. And Habakkuk describes that strength to that of the feet of a deer.

According to the Wikipedia encyclopedia, deer can range in weight between 20-1,000lbs. Their bodies are compact and they have long, powerful legs. They are excellent jumpers in terrain and swimmers. Deer live in woods, large forest and mountains. Their powerful legs and feet allow them to move to great heights. As enemies approach, the Lord gives us strength to move like a deer to surpass enemies. It may not look like it right now but rejoice anyhow. Because surely God will deliver you.

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

Don't Be Afraid

Matthew 14:27

27 But Jesus immediately said to them, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.'

During the night Jesus walked on the water to get to the boat the disciples were in. The disciples swore they were seeing a ghost because no man could walk on water. Jesus is no mere man. To calm their nerves Jesus told them to take courage and to not be afraid. For it was only Him, the one they knew. As much time as Jesus spent with the disciples performing miracles on the sick and feeding 5,000, it took  a midnight hour event for them to believe Him as the Son of God. And it is says they worshiped Him.

Has Jesus ever performed a midnight hour event in your life? With all that Jesus has done for you, was it the midnight hour event that caused you to believe that Jesus was and is in your corner? Did you worship Him then? Has Jesus repeatedly told you to not be afraid? Has He said, "It is I?" When Jesus says to you, "don't be afraid", it's not mere empty words. He says it because He has you no matter what you see around you.

Be At Peace

Proverbs 14:30

30 A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

The wise king Solomon talks about the condition of one's heart and emotions and the effect it has on the body. A peaceful heart allows a person to be happy and they have life in their body and it even shows on the face. Yet one whose heart is filled with envy and unhappiness not only destroys the heart but it begins to weigh on the body, the mind and destroys a person from the inside out. Jesus said what comes out of the mouth is in the heart. So eventually what is in the heart begins to come forth. If a heart is peaceful then the words will be soft and full of life. If the heart is filled with envy then the words are filled with anger and hatred. The anger and hatred however are misdirected. Envy is defined by Merriam-Webster's Dictionary as a painful or resentful advantage one has over another. The anger or hatred is often because one has failed to apply themselves and instead of the person being upset with their own lack of movement to the point they are motivated to move forward, they remain stuck and focus on the person who is moving. This anger or hatred eats away at the person it consumes til they destroy themselves. As you move forward in life, it always better to be happy for others. The Word says that we are to rejoice with our brothers and mourn with them. We are to rejoice in their happiness and mourn with them in their sorrow. So rejoice when one you know moves forward because that means you have the ability to move forward as well if you are willing to apply yourself.

"Men are anxious to improve their circumstance yet unwilling to improve themselves. They therefore remain bound." ~James Allen

It's Elementary My Dear

Genesis 2:7

7the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

There are some scientists who spend their careers looking for scientific ways to prove God's existence and others spend it to disprove. And atheists say there is no God. How God created man was so extraordinary! He took dust or as Merriam-Webster's Dictionary puts it, particles from the ground, to create man. So we were made from dirt. What do we spend every morning doing? Washing off what? Dirt. Any HVAC mechanic that comes to clean your air ducts, furnace, etc will tell you that the dust that has accumulated in your vents is from you. The dust around your house are also particles from you.

God gave man the ability to breathe by first breathing into him. What we take in every second is air. When someone stops breathing, what do we do? We give them mouth to mouth resuscitation. In other words, we breathe into them and pump their lungs in order to get them to breathe. We make man made attempts to do what God does. So why all of this? The elementary science and the beginning of the Word of God go hand in hand.

It is amazing however, how people can arise everyday and decide that they are not going to acknowledge who God is when we as living beings cannot even breathe or wake up without God's assistance. That alarm clock did not wake you up this morning. How many times have you slept through that alarm? Someone who dies no longer hears an alarm nor can take air. It may be elementary but it sure is magnificent!

P.S. Remember to check out my man V of the Artist to Artist Show on Mondays and Saturdays on www.Qliveone.com!

Remember Me

Luke 23:42

42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

There were three men nailed to crosses on Calvary. Crucifixion was considered the most horrible death for the most horrible criminals. Our Lord hung in between two thieves. The words uttered by one thief were full of unbelief and taunting hurled at Jesus. But the other, reminded the first thief that they were getting what they deserved but that Jesus was innocent. Usually, the guilty don't admit their guilt. But that indeed was the first difference of the one thief. He recognized that he was wrong in his actions that caused him to be where he was. And once he did, he asked Jesus to remember him. And Jesus said in verse 43 "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

The thief's humility is exactly what it takes for us to come to Jesus. There needs to be enough humility to say you have been wrong, made wrong choices, that you don't have all the answers. And when you do, no matter what you have done, even the most horrible of crimes, you can say to Jesus, "remember me."  And Jesus, our Lord and Savior, King of kings and Lord of Lords will remember you and take you in.

P.S. Remember to check out my girl Stubbs on the Leap of Faith Show on www.leapoffaithshow.com and listen for the Get Your JOY In The Morning segment!

Listen and Obey

1Samuel 13:13

13"You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.

As the word says, King Saul was thirty years old when he became king and reigned for forty-two years. King Saul had been given specific instructions by the prophet Samuel who was assigned to him during his reign. Saul became impatient because his men became fearful before battle. Samuel gave instructions for Saul to wait for him and he would give the burnt offering to the Lord on Saul's behalf before battle for him to have the Lord's favor. But Saul, afraid his men would not stay, decided not to wait. When Samuel learned what Saul had done, he reminded him that he was given specific instructions. Those instructions were actually the Lord's. Samuel was God's mouthpiece. For that is what a prophet is. God's mouthpiece to provide direction and guidance from the Lord regarding His will. Yes, we have the Holy Spirit today for our guidance but the Lord has not done away with the office of prophet as Jesus himself was every ministry office. Not obeying the word of God from the mouth of a true prophet is the same as disobeying the Lord himself both then and now. So for Saul, it cost him a kingdom and a legacy for his children.

What does this mean to you? When the Lord speaks whether through the Holy Spirit or through one the Lord sends it is the same. Your obedience is key. You have no idea what may be at stake. Whether you know what is at stake or not, the key is to listen and obey the word of the Lord. It is not for sport. Jesus said His purpose for returning to heaven was to make a place for us and He would send us the Holy Spirit to comfort, teach and guide and even convict us because the Holy Spirit knows all things. So Jesus took great pains for us. The least you and I can do is listen and obey.

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Get Your JOY In The Morning! The writing ministry God has assigned to me is now four years old as of this past weekend. Thank you Lord for entrusting me with such a task. I talk in my book, Get Your JOY In The Morning on how it all came to be. Thank you to all of you for your support!