Good Morning Everyone,
The daily messages started 3 years ago today. While it took a lot for the Lord to get me to a place to obey and do what He said to do, I have come to see it as a privilege and honor to come before you each morning. The Lord has chosen a wretch like me to do His bidding in the earth. From the daily message came a book available at all online bookstores. BLESS GOD!! I thank You LORD and give YOU ALL HONOR, GLORY AND PRAISE! Without you LORD, there is no message!
Many of you do not understand that the title is as it is. The title is based on scripture.
Psalm 30:5 (KJV)
5For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life:
weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
I had to weep a lot before I found any joy and the weeping was from my sin and His anger with it. But I thank God for His favor!!! The JOY stands for (J)esus (O)n (Y)ou. Jesus wants to be closer to you everyday. He makes steps toward you. What steps are you making toward Him?
P.S. Check out my man V on the Artist to Artist Show Saturdays on www.Qliveone.com at 8am CT/9am ET!
Friday, March 30, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
An Unworthy Servant
Luke 17:10
10So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'
Jesus had a frank conversation with the disciples regarding duty. He used the parable of a slave and his master. The slave would not ask for a reward for doing something he was told to do. But many of us look for a reward when we are doing what the Lord told us to do. As Jesus said, we must count it our duty. To be a servant of the Lord is a great privilege as Jesus points out. But many of us think we're doing Him a favor. The Lord doesn't need us but He wants us. Need and want are two different things. He can raise up a rock to do His bidding if necessary. The Lord doesn't have to tell us to do anything but out of His love for us, He desires to see us grow. He desires to see us walk to the next level of faith in Him. He desires the best for us. So doing so may mean simply doing what He says to do no matter what the outcome. But more importantly, it's time we change our mindset. It is the Lord who continues to shower grace and mercy upon us when by right, none of us should be alive. When the Lord tells you to do something, are you looking for a reward or do you see it as a privilege to serve? Better yet, have you done what He said to do? If you don't, He can raise up someone else and you can miss whatever growth and faith builder He has for you. Count yourself an unworthy servant but by grace and mercy.
10So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'
Jesus had a frank conversation with the disciples regarding duty. He used the parable of a slave and his master. The slave would not ask for a reward for doing something he was told to do. But many of us look for a reward when we are doing what the Lord told us to do. As Jesus said, we must count it our duty. To be a servant of the Lord is a great privilege as Jesus points out. But many of us think we're doing Him a favor. The Lord doesn't need us but He wants us. Need and want are two different things. He can raise up a rock to do His bidding if necessary. The Lord doesn't have to tell us to do anything but out of His love for us, He desires to see us grow. He desires to see us walk to the next level of faith in Him. He desires the best for us. So doing so may mean simply doing what He says to do no matter what the outcome. But more importantly, it's time we change our mindset. It is the Lord who continues to shower grace and mercy upon us when by right, none of us should be alive. When the Lord tells you to do something, are you looking for a reward or do you see it as a privilege to serve? Better yet, have you done what He said to do? If you don't, He can raise up someone else and you can miss whatever growth and faith builder He has for you. Count yourself an unworthy servant but by grace and mercy.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Your Desert Journey
Deuteronomy 8:2
2Remeber the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.
Moses wrote to the people of Israel what God had given him. They would soon enter the promise land and the Lord wanted to be sure to remind His people what He brought them through so they wouldn't forget Him when He gave them what He promised. The people of Israel started out very disobedient and with a complaining spirit. So the Lord spent forty years stripping them of the old mindset and replacing it with new thinking so they could receive the new things He wanted to give them. Understand when the Lord desires to bless us with what He promised, we cannot receive it with old eyes, ears, heart and thinking. Everything has to be new because what He is giving is new. So however long it takes to break us of the old things is our desert time. During that time the Lord will still provide the necessities and even a few surprises but what is promised is on hold until the Lord knows we are at a place where we can receive. The catch is not to forget who blessed us when the gifts are released. God is the giver of the gifts and it's not because we have deserved them but because He decided to bless us. We are not to forget to have a heart of gratefulness. Being without humbles us enough so that when we do receive we will appreciate. Where are you in your desert journey? Are you about to enter the promise land? Remember, it's because of the Lord not you.
P.S. Check out my girl Stubbs on the Leap of Faith Show on the Leap of Faith Network at www.leapoffaithshow.com 6am-10am ET!
2Remeber the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.
Moses wrote to the people of Israel what God had given him. They would soon enter the promise land and the Lord wanted to be sure to remind His people what He brought them through so they wouldn't forget Him when He gave them what He promised. The people of Israel started out very disobedient and with a complaining spirit. So the Lord spent forty years stripping them of the old mindset and replacing it with new thinking so they could receive the new things He wanted to give them. Understand when the Lord desires to bless us with what He promised, we cannot receive it with old eyes, ears, heart and thinking. Everything has to be new because what He is giving is new. So however long it takes to break us of the old things is our desert time. During that time the Lord will still provide the necessities and even a few surprises but what is promised is on hold until the Lord knows we are at a place where we can receive. The catch is not to forget who blessed us when the gifts are released. God is the giver of the gifts and it's not because we have deserved them but because He decided to bless us. We are not to forget to have a heart of gratefulness. Being without humbles us enough so that when we do receive we will appreciate. Where are you in your desert journey? Are you about to enter the promise land? Remember, it's because of the Lord not you.
P.S. Check out my girl Stubbs on the Leap of Faith Show on the Leap of Faith Network at www.leapoffaithshow.com 6am-10am ET!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
For Who You Are
Luke 23:8
8When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been waiting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a miracle.
How interesting is it that a man who had been wanting to kill Jesus for some time wanted to see him perform a miracle? Pilate sent Jesus to Herod because he didn't want to kill to Jesus. He knew that Jesus had committed no crime. Herod had wanted to kill Jesus for a long time because he feared that Jesus was and is who He claimed to be. He feared that he would lose his control over the people and they would revolt against him. But Herod still wanted to see Jesus perform a miracle. Jealousy and fear of losing control were Herod's reasons for eliminating Jesus. How could a man that desired to kill Jesus still want to see him perform miracles? Herod feared Jesus to be true. His desire to kill was never about Jesus being false.
What does this have to do with you? Sometimes people hate you for who you are and the threat you pose to their plans, not because you're saying you're someone you're not.Those that hate you may actually know who you are or have a pretty good suspicion. So if they can get rid of you before anyone else discovers who you are then their plans are kept in place. If they can distract everyone's attention long enough to get you out of the way, they believe no one will know. But God! God reveals ALL things done in the dark. GOD ALWAYS KNOWS!! Herod had no idea that he was actually part of God's plan. It was God's plan for Jesus to be sacrificed. That's why He came, to save you and me.
8When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been waiting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a miracle.
How interesting is it that a man who had been wanting to kill Jesus for some time wanted to see him perform a miracle? Pilate sent Jesus to Herod because he didn't want to kill to Jesus. He knew that Jesus had committed no crime. Herod had wanted to kill Jesus for a long time because he feared that Jesus was and is who He claimed to be. He feared that he would lose his control over the people and they would revolt against him. But Herod still wanted to see Jesus perform a miracle. Jealousy and fear of losing control were Herod's reasons for eliminating Jesus. How could a man that desired to kill Jesus still want to see him perform miracles? Herod feared Jesus to be true. His desire to kill was never about Jesus being false.
What does this have to do with you? Sometimes people hate you for who you are and the threat you pose to their plans, not because you're saying you're someone you're not.Those that hate you may actually know who you are or have a pretty good suspicion. So if they can get rid of you before anyone else discovers who you are then their plans are kept in place. If they can distract everyone's attention long enough to get you out of the way, they believe no one will know. But God! God reveals ALL things done in the dark. GOD ALWAYS KNOWS!! Herod had no idea that he was actually part of God's plan. It was God's plan for Jesus to be sacrificed. That's why He came, to save you and me.
Monday, March 26, 2012
A Lost Crown
Lamentations 5:16
16The crown has fallen from our head.
Woe to us, for we have sinned!
The people of Judah recognized their sin and asked God for His forgiveness and restoration of their once glorious state. In order for the Lord to forgive you of sin, you have to admit out of your heart and mouth to Him that you committed it. Without out admission, there is no repentance, forgiveness nor restoration. Judah lost its crown. It lost the delight of the Lord due to sin. What is a crown? According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, a crown is 1.mark of victory or honor, esp : the title of a champion in a sport 2. a royal headdress 3. the top of the head. There are more but the focus is the first definition. Judah had a mark of victory or honor and admittedly lost it. It is a sad day when the Lord takes away that which identified you as great. When the Lord removes His favor from you, it hurts. But thank God you can call on Him, admit your fallen ways and ask for forgiveness. Then comes restoration. He can restore everything He allowed to be taken from you for disobedience. He can restore a lost crown but you have to admit you lost it first.
16The crown has fallen from our head.
Woe to us, for we have sinned!
The people of Judah recognized their sin and asked God for His forgiveness and restoration of their once glorious state. In order for the Lord to forgive you of sin, you have to admit out of your heart and mouth to Him that you committed it. Without out admission, there is no repentance, forgiveness nor restoration. Judah lost its crown. It lost the delight of the Lord due to sin. What is a crown? According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, a crown is 1.mark of victory or honor, esp : the title of a champion in a sport 2. a royal headdress 3. the top of the head. There are more but the focus is the first definition. Judah had a mark of victory or honor and admittedly lost it. It is a sad day when the Lord takes away that which identified you as great. When the Lord removes His favor from you, it hurts. But thank God you can call on Him, admit your fallen ways and ask for forgiveness. Then comes restoration. He can restore everything He allowed to be taken from you for disobedience. He can restore a lost crown but you have to admit you lost it first.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
No One Greater
Psalm 103:10
10he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
David recounted God's love. One thing is for sure, if God were to truly pay us for our sins when committed, there would be no one left in this world. All of us would be dead. The wages of sin is death. Death is the true payment for sin. So we have all been spared. That's love. If we had been punished for every single sin our punishments would be unending. The Lord has such a forgiving heart that all we have to do is call on Him and He hears our cries. Yes, much like a natural parent hears the cries of their child and runs to their aid, so does our God. He loves us just that much. He loves us so much that He sacrificed for us. When you truly love someone, you're willing to give your all. God loves us so much that He gave up His only son, Jesus. To give up a life, in exchange for the multitudes so you and I would not die of our sins as long as we believe and confess with our heart that Jesus is the son of God is beyond comprehension. God's love is magnificent because He gives so much of Him to each and everyone of us as if we were the only one in a room. He shows us each day how much He loves us. There really is no one greater.
P.S. Check out my girl Stubbs on the Leap of Faith Network at www.live365.com or www.leapoffaithshow.com. Also check out my man V of the Artist to Artist Show on www.Qliveone.com Saturdays at 8am CT/9am ET.
10he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
David recounted God's love. One thing is for sure, if God were to truly pay us for our sins when committed, there would be no one left in this world. All of us would be dead. The wages of sin is death. Death is the true payment for sin. So we have all been spared. That's love. If we had been punished for every single sin our punishments would be unending. The Lord has such a forgiving heart that all we have to do is call on Him and He hears our cries. Yes, much like a natural parent hears the cries of their child and runs to their aid, so does our God. He loves us just that much. He loves us so much that He sacrificed for us. When you truly love someone, you're willing to give your all. God loves us so much that He gave up His only son, Jesus. To give up a life, in exchange for the multitudes so you and I would not die of our sins as long as we believe and confess with our heart that Jesus is the son of God is beyond comprehension. God's love is magnificent because He gives so much of Him to each and everyone of us as if we were the only one in a room. He shows us each day how much He loves us. There really is no one greater.
P.S. Check out my girl Stubbs on the Leap of Faith Network at www.live365.com or www.leapoffaithshow.com. Also check out my man V of the Artist to Artist Show on www.Qliveone.com Saturdays at 8am CT/9am ET.
Unmarked Graves
Luke 11:44
44"Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without knowing.
In Jewish tradition, one was not to touch anything that was considered unclean because it would automatically leave the one who touched it ceremonially unclean. Examples are dead bodies, women on their menstrual cycle, those with leprosy, etc. Anyone considered ceremonially unclean was not allowed to take part in the Sabbath and had to be separated. This information can also be found in the book of Leviticus in the Old Testament. Jesus' reference to graves was because for one, a grave was considered unclean because it housed a dead body. Per the NIV Study Bible, the Jews whitewashed their tombs so no one would accidentally touch them. So why would Jesus refer to someone as an unmarked grave? The Pharisees, though they were considered the leading Jewish teachers, unfortunately led many astray from God's true teaching. So the Pharisees were like graves because their ideals were not about teaching God's ways but about being in the limelight and seeking all the attention. Their way of operation led to spiritual death. Anyone following them was unfortunately being made unclean, spiritually blind and dead, without knowledge of it.
The cost of the misinterpretation of the word of God and religious leaders who are not truly operating in the will of God certainly brings about their own spiritual deadness but also leading others in the same direction. Jesus said we would know them by their fruit. The apostle John said we are to test the spirits to see whether they are from God in 1John. When you get that stirring in your spirit that something is not right, you must pray and ask the Lord to reveal to you the true nature of what was said. Even if it does seem right, ask the Lord anyway. The Holy Spirit will discern it for you. Read the Holy Bible for yourself. All scripture is God-breathed, therefore the Holy Spirit is within it and gives revelation. There are many Pharisee-types walking around. Do not give way to your spiritual death walking amongst unmarked graves.
44"Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without knowing.
In Jewish tradition, one was not to touch anything that was considered unclean because it would automatically leave the one who touched it ceremonially unclean. Examples are dead bodies, women on their menstrual cycle, those with leprosy, etc. Anyone considered ceremonially unclean was not allowed to take part in the Sabbath and had to be separated. This information can also be found in the book of Leviticus in the Old Testament. Jesus' reference to graves was because for one, a grave was considered unclean because it housed a dead body. Per the NIV Study Bible, the Jews whitewashed their tombs so no one would accidentally touch them. So why would Jesus refer to someone as an unmarked grave? The Pharisees, though they were considered the leading Jewish teachers, unfortunately led many astray from God's true teaching. So the Pharisees were like graves because their ideals were not about teaching God's ways but about being in the limelight and seeking all the attention. Their way of operation led to spiritual death. Anyone following them was unfortunately being made unclean, spiritually blind and dead, without knowledge of it.
The cost of the misinterpretation of the word of God and religious leaders who are not truly operating in the will of God certainly brings about their own spiritual deadness but also leading others in the same direction. Jesus said we would know them by their fruit. The apostle John said we are to test the spirits to see whether they are from God in 1John. When you get that stirring in your spirit that something is not right, you must pray and ask the Lord to reveal to you the true nature of what was said. Even if it does seem right, ask the Lord anyway. The Holy Spirit will discern it for you. Read the Holy Bible for yourself. All scripture is God-breathed, therefore the Holy Spirit is within it and gives revelation. There are many Pharisee-types walking around. Do not give way to your spiritual death walking amongst unmarked graves.
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