Whatever You Give

Proverbs 19:17

 

17He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, And He will pay back what he has given.

 

Jesus said in the Word that when you give to the least of these you give to Him. Remember, Jesus gave up His heavenly wealth and riches and became poor on earth for our sakes. So Jesus has a special understanding and compassion for those who are poor. Remember, Jesus would occupy the home of those who lived in the town where He was traveling to. It is not always about giving money if you do not have money to give. It may be about opening your home or utilizing car for their needs or maybe even a word of encouragement, prayer or healing. When Peter and John were going to the temple a lame man was there begging. Peter turned to him and said, "silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you" and then Peter proceeded to proclaim the man's healing in the name of Jesus and the Lord restored his ability to walk.

 

One morning a couple of months ago I was on my way somewhere. I wanted to stand but God said to go sit where a man was. I was listening to my music on my headphones. I spoke and the man spoke. Shortly thereafter, he turned and asked what I was listening to. He was of a different color but I didn't expect or assume that he would know the artist but I said CeCe Winans. He said he had never heard of the artist. Then he asked if it was gospel. When I said yes, he said, "I could sure use some right now. Can I listen?" So I took my earphones out and I sang along getting my praise on. Before I knew it, tears were rolling down his face. I learned the man had just been released from jail the night before, with no where to go and had lost a lot as a result of being falsely accused. He had just been exonerated for a crime he didn't commit but it took a while. He shared how he was a believer in Christ but when God didn't come right away, he lost heart. What God enabled me to give was some encouraging words about enduring and continuing to praise God no matter the circumstance. The songs and atmosphere of praise was needed.

 

Whatever you give with sincerity, God will return it to you. One day you may be in need of whatever it is you may have given.

Much is Required

1Samuel 16:14

 

14But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him.

 

Saul took for granted the Spirit of the Lord that was upon him. He delighted in disobedience and half truths. Eventually, the Lord showed Saul just how displeased He was. He not only took His Spirit from Saul, but the Lord anointed someone else to be king that would be willing to serve God's people and not just himself. The man to be king was David. Saul, took for granted the presence of the Lord in his life. Saul took for granted the favor of the Lord in his life. Saul took for granted the blessings he was given. And then, the Lord took them away. Saul was so angry that he even murdered those who were called to be priests. Poor David had to endure under the misdirected anger of Saul. Saul was angry with God but also with himself. He couldn't stand that he lost the favor of God and it being given to another. Saul had favor but at the time he had it, it didn't mean much to him. But as the Word says, God uses everything for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. God used the situation as a training ground for David. It taught David to go deeper into the presence of God. David kept his poise under pressure by the grace of God because he sought God. Saul unfortunately didn't understand how much he lost until the end. He struggled to hold onto the kingdom and lead God's people without the Spirit of the Lord. But God had already blessed David, it just hadn't been formally announced to the entire kingdom. When Saul truly considered all he lost, it was the night before battle when his death had been prophesied by the Prophet Samuel's spirit which was awakened by a witch through divination. Saul was not to trust in anyone but God. However, the entire downfall of Saul was because he trusted in everything but God. Saul had so much. As the Word says, to whom much is given, much is required.

 

What has God given you? Have you lost anything God gave you because you took it for granted? Have you watched the Lord transfer blessings to someone else? Have you delighted yourself in half truths for the sake of pleasing yourself?  Have you received much but given God little?

No Constraints

Acts 10:44

 

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.

 

The people who 'heard' and 'received' the Word of God while Peter was preaching had not yet been baptized by water. But God released the Holy Spirit to descend upon them. How so? God can do anything. And His purpose was to show those who were circumcised that they could not put constraints on God and who He will give His spirit to. And how He should orchestrate a service. For those who question whether the Holy Spirit can descend while one is preaching, the Word gives proof. The Word says it is a sin to deny the Holy Spirit. But as a body of Christ, the Holy Spirit is denied each time we limit what we are willing to give God. He is denied each time we make doing something else more important then giving God His praise and the Word He desires for us to receive.

 

This morning, God was showing me all the times that there were no constraints on the preached word and how the Holy Spirit worked throughout the service. We call my Pastor at City of Restoration Christian Center (CRCC) "superman" because when the Holy Spirit gets hold of him during his preaching he leaps not just in the Spirit but physically as well like superman "he leaps in a single bound."  I remember when we fellowshipped with another church because he was asked to preach at their men's day. That church wasn't used to seeing freedom in the Holy Spirit. And when my pastor jumped from behind the pulpit, the congregation was astonished, yet it was normal for us. We started out breaking up the ground with worship and praise. We went in as a body of Christ with no constraints and the Lord had His way in that place. The motto at CRCC is "the order of service is subject to change by the Holy Spirit." 

 

When the ladies of God's Chosen Vessels (GCV) went to Action Chapel Virginia we saw there were no constraints on God. And therefore the Holy Spirit fell upon the people during the preached word. They started out breaking up the ground and ushering in the Spirit through the music ministry. The Holy Spirit was so in that place that when we looked up and the service was over, it was about the midnight hour. The same happened on our recent Tea & Talk with Minister Tanya Matthews. There were no constraints. And when we were done, it was the 23rd hour.

 

When I had my first visit to a Kenyan church years ago when Samuel Yego was asked to preach, I was in for a new experience. At that time, Samuel was the deacon assigned to me by the church we were members of at that time.  I had heard Samuel preach before and even that sermon before. But myself, the young lady present and his wife, Hellen, noticed that something was different. See, the church broke up the ground and they had no constraints on them with their worship and praises to the Lord. And that day, I saw no constraints on Samuel and the preached word was received. When we looked up, it was later in the day.

 

Putting constraints on what you will give to God or how you think God should operate during a worship service puts constraints on the receiving end too. Maybe not for everyone but certainly for you.

Are You On Top?

Psalm 30:6-7

 

 

6Now in my prosperity I said, "I shall never be moved." 7Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong; You hid Your face, and I was troubled.

 

Psalm 30 is called "The Blessedness of Answered Prayer." The NKJV Study Bible says it is a dedication of the house of David. It cannot be taken for granted that God answers prayer. What if God didn't answer you? Where would you be? David specifically said  "now in my prosperity I said I shall never be moved." When you are top you profess a lot of things. When you have it all, you profess a lot of things. But what about when the storm comes? In Proverbs the Word says that one who trusts in his riches will fall. Why? Number one because the Word says riches are fleeting and like a bird, they sprout wings and fly away. You can't always buy your way out of something.  Only God has the power and authority to save. God determines how long your days shall last. And the Word talks about the one who is strong until adversity comes has little faith. Again, when you are on top, it is easy to say how much faith you have. But where is your faith when trouble arises? David admitted that whatever he had, God did it. And he also admitted that the moment trouble came, he was troubled because it felt as though the Lord hid his face. David fell very ill but when his prayer was answered he was grateful. Many know of the last portion of verse 5. "Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning." Get Your JOY In The Morning is actually based from Psalm 30. But the entirety of verse 5 is what is important. His anger is but for a moment. And yes, God can get angry. Favor is mentioned twice between verses 5-7. Anything you and I have is because of the Lord's favor. And for me, verse 5 is personal. Because I wept a lot during my near death experience. I cried out before the Lord on my knees begging and pleading for my life. But just like David, I knew that I had not done right before the Lord and wanted a second chance and needed Him not to turn His face from me. See, the JOY in the title of the devotionals stands for Jesus On You because it is He and only He that brought me through. And it was His desire for the Word to go forth. The Word says that the joy of the Lord is your strength. The Word says to delight in the joy of His salvation. Seeking the joy that comes from knowing the Lord keeps you sane when things get insane. Are you on top? Do you know that what you have is because of the Lord's favor? Have you ever hit a storm? Where was your faith in that storm? Have you ever wept through a storm? Did it seem like God hid his face from you?

The Second Coming

Luke 17:36

 

36Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.

 

I had been studying the scriptures yesterday morning and later shared with a co-worker. The Lord wouldn't let this rest in my spirit until it was written.  Jesus talked about the coming kingdom. He talked about the separation between the righteous and the unrighteous at His return as the NKJV Study Bible explains. Remember Jesus told the disciples He would come back for His sheep. Some may think this is just another parable because Jesus taught in parables. However, if you go back to Genesis, you will find that a man was taken up by God while still alive, Enoch. Enoch was a righteous man and "walked with God" as the scripture says. Enoch did not have to suffer physical death before going to be with God. The same is true of the great prophet Elijah. He also "walked with God." Elisha witnessed Elijah being taken up to God. He received a double portion of Elijah's anointing/mantle which he asked for because God allowed him to be present when Elijah was taken.

 

I recall the first time I became acutely aware of 1Corinthians 15. It was during the eulogy for my great grandmother in March 1999. I knew her death was coming because God showed me something different about the dream I had regarding her. I warned my mom that her death was coming. See, grandma was a very resilient woman. She survived so much including being shot, several strokes, one of which I witnessed and a host of illnesses. But something was different in my spirit. I had been to other memorial services before but it was the first time I was not overtaken by grief so much that I could not receive the message. God's warning to me gave me time to be at peace. In 1Corinthians there is a verse that says, "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed." It is often heard or referenced during many eulogies. Sleep in the context of this scripture means death. That's right, not everyone will have to see death before meeting the Lord. So again, this go back to the scripture above. Jesus said there would be many signs that time was nearing.  "The change" referred to in 1Corinthians references the righteousness His people will be clothed with. The apostle Paul talks of how we cannot see God face to face in the flesh that we are in so we must see Him in our "incorruptible" selves. In the book of Mark, Jesus was transfigured or changed into His pure form while meeting with Moses and Elijah, the great prophets who had gone to be with the Lord. Moses had died in order to go be with the Lord but Elijah had not. Remember Jesus had to die a physical death for our sakes but arose again and walked the earth then was taken up to be with the Lord. They were each preparing Him for what He had to face. Peter, James and John again were witnesses to this awesome moment.

 

Yes, this is deep and a lot of information but the belief as followers of Christ is not a fairytale and not to be taken lightly. Let your yes be your yes as Jesus said. Be who you claim to be in Him and follow Christ if you have already said yes. Did you say yes to making Him Lord of your life? If you are not a follower of Christ, do you desire to be saved?

His Strength

Psalm 21:1

 

21The king shall have joy in Your strength, O Lord; and in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

 

King David wrote the psalm on the "joy in the salvation of the Lord." How powerful is it for a man to rule over an entire kingdom? Many would be beside themselves with arrogance with such a position. Some would let it go to their heads a little bit too much. My pastor calls it "the watermelon or balloon head." But a man who ruled over an entire kingdom realized the strength of his body was nothing compared to the strength of the Lord. The NKJV Study Bible gives the translation, "the triumph of faith is portrayed." David had a lot of authority as a king but what he had was still no match for the Lord. Delighting in the Lord's strength to overcome battles, illness, enemies and even "frenemies" (those who pretend to be your friend but do not like or truly respect you). David took joy in knowing no matter what he may suffer temporarily, the Lord still had the victory. The translation of the verses talks of how Jesus uttered a psalm of victory in Matthew 27 which we went over before in, "Victory Song." David too had a victory song. His victory song consisted of joy.

 

Are you recognizing His strength is greater than yours? Are you recognizing that only the Lord can fight your battles? Are you recognizing the joy in having faith in Him?

GOD Still Gets the Victory

Matthew 26:56

 

56But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.

 

All week long I have been listening to Wess Morgan's version of "You Paid It All" and even watching the YouTube video.  I was watching it with the remembrance that Jesus knows what it means to be betrayed. Jesus knows what it means to be left utterly alone. I know I have referenced the life altering dream I had in November 1991 just one month after I became a baptized believer in Jesus Christ. I was sixteen and had not been raised in "the church." I believed in God long before I gave my life to Christ but I was not raised as a devout follower of Christ to forsake the ways of the world. The ticking clock on the wall that kept being inserted throughout the dream, standing on the far side at the top of a city watching the midnight black sky and young people destroying themselves and dead bodies of youth lining the city skyline and a voice saying with great arrogance, "you cannot save them all" and the ride I was on where I was utterly alone, no family and no friends on the way to my death is something hard to forget. I remember awaking with such fright that put a Bible underneath my pillow the way my late grandmother used to do. Not understanding at the time that just having the Bible present wasn't enough but I had to speak the Word over myself and the fear I felt. At the time, the enemy of my soul knew something about a call on my life and purpose I had no knowledge of yet.

 

I know what betrayal feels like because I have experienced it more times then I care to count. And I am not just talking about from the perspective of abuse. As you walk into your purpose in life, you begin to understand that people you thought understood where you are going and what you are doing actually cannot see all that God has shown you and even if they can, their belief in you to carry out what God has shown you becomes the defining moment as to whether they stay by your side or leave. Up until recently, I had not listened to Bishop T.D. Jakes entire sermon on "the gift of goodbye." It's actually very powerful with the premise that some people in your life are not meant to stay and it's not they have done anything wrong, it is just their time in your life is complete. Yet, the sermon still does not negate the episodes of betrayal that lead to goodbye. When I FINALLY realized that God wanted me to turn the daily devotionals into a book, it was August 2009. The person that was to be a conduit to assist me was short lived. We would both take separate paths to complete what God gave us. Rejection led them going to the path of self-publishing. God said, He had a different path for me. I was heckled for following the path God directed to me because of the fear of rejection. God told me I would know by the end of 2009 who my publisher would be. God is not a man that He should lie as the Word says. He showed me things that person could not tell me and it angered them to the point that it was posted on my wall on Facebook in a tone that God showed me was not sincere. Comments were constantly made to me and they attempted to discredit what God told me. Trust me, after having a near death experience in 2008, I had to learn very quickly that listening to God is ALWAYS in my best interest because He says what I cannot see. As the book was released in 2011, their comments faded and slowly and then we drifted to the pointed that we would no longer speak. They had no idea that I was supporting their book and sending their information to others because the topic was of importance. Eventually God separated us completely. I wished them well. And then God sent to me five people for me to help. I did not search for them. But they were hungry and they knew they had a passion deep within them to complete something bigger than them. I appreciate now all that God has done in ways I cannot explain. As the word says, He uses everything for our good. So I BLESS GOD even for the episodes of betrayal. Because God still gets the victory.