PUSH to be a CONQUEROR

Romans 8:37

37Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

The apostle Paul addressed the church in Rome about suffering through and overcoming. In Romans 8:28 he wrote of God using every circumstance whether positive or not to better those who love God and are called to Him. What Paul said addresses the fact there are problems we cannot hide from but must hit head on with the shield of faith in order to get through. So how can you conquer if you're not willing to fight? You can't. How can you overcome the pink elephant in the room if you pretend not to see it? You can't. How can you hit the home run if you are not willing to step up to the plate and swing the bat? You can't. The word says that faith without works are dead. So in order to conquer and come through anything, you have to be willing to work through and push through it with action and faith. "It's too hard," some say. Do you think it was easy for Christ to take each lash on that whip with it's extensions to dig into His skin? Do you think it was easy for Jesus to take each nail into His hands and feet, stretched as He was? Since Christ suffered through that kind of pain to get to the Father's glory, what do you think will be required of you and I that are followers of Christ? It means that like the soldiers in the film, 300, you don't back down from the fight. You don't shrink. What does it mean to conquer? Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines conquer as 1)to gain by force of arms: win 2) to get the better of: overcome.  You take up the whole armor of God in Ephesians 6 and you stand your ground and push. So I say to you who are dealing with a problem, STAND AND PUSH THROUGH! So I say to you who had a difficult moment, STAND AND PUSH THROUGH!! So I say to you who has been hurt, STAND AND PUSH THROUGH! God is going to work it out for your good if you PUSH TO BE A CONQUEROR!

On Your High Hills

Habakkuk 3:19

19The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills.

The prophet Habakkuk made the choice to still praise the Lord even in the midst of the famine that he and the people of Israel were suffering as the result of the invasion of the Babylonians. The wrath of God was made evident by Him allowing Israel's enemies to attack. God had warned His people for years that the occurrence was coming due to their disobedience. The disobedience was on the fault of both leadership and the people.  He warned through several prophets for years. And then it came. But for Habakkuk to make the choice to praise the Lord and rely on Him to be his strength no matter what circumstance whether blessed with plenty or not showed his true love for God. He asked that God make his feet like that of a deer. The feet of a deer are strong and can move through rough territory including high terrain. The NKJ Study Bible has a wonderful declaration, "sure-footed because he was sure-faithed." True faith isn't seen in the easiest of circumstances. True faith is put to the test during tough times. Walk on your high hills of faith that the Lord will bring you through.

An Attractive Quality

Proverbs 19:22

22What is desired in a man is kindness, And a poor man is better than a liar.

The wise king Solomon noted a quality that attracts people both platonically and romantically. King Solomon was so sought after that even the Queen of Sheba came to visit him. And after she spent a considerable amount of time speaking with him, she appreciated what he freely gave to her and so repaid him with the wealth of her kingdom.  King Solomon was sought after by many for the gift of wisdom that God bestowed to him. And because he freely gave it, many others like Sheba, gave from the wealth of their kingdoms. He showed kindness and generosity with what he had, and so it was returned with great measure. A man who is kind is surrounded by many people and well loved. What is kind? Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines kind as 1)of a sympathetic, forbearing or pleasant nature 2)arising from sympathy or forbearance. Jesus is kind to us always and has a sympathetic nature. During his earthly ministry he attracted thousands of people with his kindness and willingness to freely give the knowledge of God. He even restored the ear of one of the guards who arrested him in the garden of Gethsemane.

Who would've thought that the wealthiest man in the Old Testament would consider a poor man to be better than a liar. A liar's purpose is to deceive. A poor man just doesn't have. Yet, there is more integrity in him than one who lies.

Be Quiet

Genesis 37:5

5Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him even more.

Joseph was already disliked by his brothers because he was their father's favorite. The word says Joseph was Jacob's favorite because he was born to Jacob in his old age. Joseph was the first born by the woman Jacob truly loved, Rachel. So there was dissension already among them. To make matters worse, Joseph shared the dream God gave to him. He was hated even more. Hate is a strong word. But the hate had to be serious for them to trick Joseph and then sell him off.


Not everyone is happy about what God does in your life. Some of the people who surround you are fine with you as long as you don't advance in life. Some are fine with you as long as you do not move forward with what God has given you. For Joseph, it was his own family. It can be family, friends or associates. It does not matter. God revealed to Joseph his purpose in the form of a dream. The word says that you are not to cast your pearls before swine. Meaning that there are some you cannot tell what God has planned for you. Those that are around you may not truly care for you and the opportunity to do away with you and/or attempts to block what God has for you can be made.  God worked it out for Joseph's good anyway but it would've helped if Joseph had kept his mouth shut. Everyone that smiles in your face and says, "hey friend" is not a friend. Everyone does not wish you well. When the favor of God is on you, like Joseph, you need to understand that you have enemies. You may not even know who they are but they exist. Discernment of when to speak and when to be quiet is necessary.

According to Your Faith

Matthew 9:29-30a

29Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you." 30"And their eyes were opened.

Jesus is still in the miracle business! Jesus performs miracles to increase belief in Him and God the Father. When Jesus performs miracles on a person, it is not just for the one receiving it but for those around that they will benefit and increase their belief. During His earthly ministry, Jesus came upon two blind men who wanted to receive their sight.  The ones to whom He performs the miracles already have faith. The blind men had approached Jesus with the faith that He could heal their blindness. Jesus asked if they believed He could heal them. The answer they gave was, "Yes, Lord."   So what is faith? Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The translation of this verse in the NKJ Study Bible also states the Greek word for faith as pistis and it is defined by two words, substance (Greek word hupostastis for "that which stands under") and evidence, (Greek word elenchos for "proof"). And I love this part, "Faith means trust or confidence in what God has promised."  So how do you know what God has promised if you don't know God? Answer, you don't.

The once blind men had already heard of Jesus, heard about His teaching and about the miracles He performed. So by them hearing and seeing what Jesus did for others increased their belief. The blind men sought Jesus because they had faith. The blind men believed in the promise that by Jesus, they could be healed. And so it was according to their faith.

Seven years ago, "According to your faith" was the word my former pastor and friend gave to me after a Tuesday night Bible study call. God showed him a vision of what He was going to do with me but said, "It will be giving to you according to your faith." Within another month, I received another word from another person saying, "your going to be doing a lot of writing." Many of you know how Get Your JOY In The Morning the devotional came to be and then the book. I had no idea about the near death experience that had to come first that would test my faith and the promise that Jesus could heal me. I had no idea that when I started the book and began to recruit my sister, friend and partner, Raiza, that her belief that God had revealed to me my purpose, would lead to her strengthening her faith and her entire household coming to Christ. Standing in a hotel lobby on Saturday afternoon summer 2010, her words were, "You found your purpose! Do you know how many people search their whole life to find their purpose? Many don't find it but you did!" Seeing others come to Christ gives me so much joy! Because I know that when my earthly life is over, no matter who I miss here, I am assured I will get to smile and hug them in the presence of Jesus and God the Father. The mantra of the company Raiza and I started, Get Your JOY In The Morning! LLC, is that it is through faith that one finds purpose.  It is through faith that one finds healing. It is through faith that one can fulfill their dreams. But faith, is the main ingredient by which it all has to happen. Faith in Jesus and coming to know Him is the only way to expose why you are here, how you can be healed and how you can move forward in anything God placed within you. When my pastor continued to say, "you have a writing ministry," I believed him. When our assistant pastor, prophetess said, "this is only the start of what God has for you to do," I believed it. When I was commissioned as a teacher in 2006 at a church, I believed it. When a man of God at our revival said, "you are a teacher and you are doing what you're supposed to do, I had already believed it. He stated it not just for me, but for those around. But again, without faith, none of this could be. My question to you, what do you think Jesus could do for you, according to your faith?

The Good Steward

Romans 12:6-8

6Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy. let us prophecy in proportion to our faith; 7or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8he who exhorts in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

The apostle Paul was addressing the church in Rome about serving God with spiritual gifts. God has placed within each person gifts to be used. Paul spoke of this while talking about the body of Christ and equated the body of Christ to a physical body of a person. Each person has an important role just like each body part you possess. Along with each person having an important role, the gifts God has placed within you have a role as well. Paul specifically talks about serving God with the gifts. Giving back to the one who gave to you shows appreciation. Many equate giving to God with just giving God money. But when God says to serve Him, it goes beyond money. Giving to God means with your time and talent as well. When you love someone, you give. When you appreciate someone you often want to give to them. The parable of the talents which Jesus talked about is often used to display being a good steward of what is given to you. Most only consider the talents as money but if you look deeper and understand that the word talent was used as a lovely play on words demonstrated by Jesus. What is talent? Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines talent as 1)an ancient unit of weight and value 2)the natural endowments of a person 3) a special often creative or artistic aptitude 4)mental power: ability 5) a person of talent. It list synonyms as genius, gift and faculty. Notice most of the definitions do not refer to money. God wants all of you but He wants you with a glad heart. He wants you to enjoy serving Him.


For example, I write, teach, lead, sing, dance, help, exhort( encourage/inspire), etc. I am doing all these things for the Lord either within the walls of the church specifically or doing so to edify the Lord wherever He allows me to go whether it is in your inbox, speaking engagements to encourage others to grow in Him to understand their purpose or on radio, etc, encourage co-workers, people in the elevator, etc . This is not to boast but to show when God blesses you, He wants you to bless Him by sharing with others and making Him the focal point as much as possible. As my pastor says, "It's not about you or me but it's about Him."  Many people say, "you have a lot of gifts." The more God gives you, the more you are expected to give out. And if you understand the parable Jesus gave on the talents in Matthew 25, then you will understand that God gives even more gifts to the one who makes good use of what He has already distributed. Are you a good steward? Are you using your gifts or did you bury them in the ground? Are you serving God with your gifts?

P.S. You should already have your invite for the November 10th book signing event at Barnes & Noble in Baltimore, MD for my newest book, Shh Don't Tell.

Consult the Counselor

Proverbs 12:25

25Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad.

The Word of God literally addresses every human and  heart condition that man can experience.  The wise King Solomon was assured by God in Ecclesiastes that "there is nothing new under the sun." Though the Bible is old, God's word still stands and is always timely. Right now many are suffering. God's word says that anxiety causes depression. So for any one facing depression, here is the root. But what is anxiety? Merriam-Webster defines anxiety as 1)painful uneasiness of mind over an anticipated ill 2)abnormal apprehension and fear often accompanied by physiological signs (as sweating and increased pulse), by doubt about the nature and reality of the threat itself and by self-doubt.

There are key words stated in the definition: mind, fear and doubt. So when you have anxiety you are playing over and over in the mind whatever you think can go wrong because of doubt in a situation and in yourself. So your mind refuses to rest because you keep playing in your head what you think can happen,  usually focusing on what can possibly go wrong and therefore you become tense and send your mind into a downward spiral. The uneasiness leads to lack of sleep but after a while the body is forced to sleep as the sadness sets in. The apostle Paul stating what he did in Philippians 4:6-7 makes even more sense. It says "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." So basically, a person with anxiety attempts to control a situation but in reality, because they are not God, they will NEVER have all the answers. So the only way to have any peace of mind and not to fall into a depression is to go to the source, which is God since He is the only one who knows what WILL happen. Going to the source means thanking God in advance believing that He will answer and reinforce with good words.

Yes, anxiety and depression are real conditions and it is not being said that they should not be treated professionally. Just remember, Jesus said in His word that He was leaving to us a wonderful counselor, the Holy Spirit which searches all things and knows all things. Consulting God is a medicine that should not be overlooked.