No Limits......

The focal song (performed by Israel and New Breed) for the upcoming tour that God has given me to start along with In God’s Hands Mime Ministry starts off with these words:  

I’m not a man, I can not lie….

I know the plans, for your life……

I’m asking you to dream again,

believe again.

And take the limits off of me!

The song then goes on to say:

No limits (no limits).

No Boundaries (no boundaries).

I see increase all around me.

Stretch forth, break forth

Release me!

Enlarge my territory!

I quote the song not as a shameless plug for the upcoming “No Limits Tour!” but as an introduction to today’s entry topic: “No Limits.” In Genesis 18:14 a question is asked to Abraham due to Sarah’s unbelief. God asked him, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?” that question is the same question I ask now to believers. Is there anything too hard for the Lord? As I am sure many of you have already mentally answered, no there is nothing too hard for God. But my question then is if we really believe that then why do we try to place Him in a box? Why do we try to limit Him and what He can do? Why do we allow our fears to overcome our faith and cause our faith to be as doubt? If it be true that there is nothing too hard for God and it be true that there’s nothing He can’t do according to His will. Then why don’t we really believe it?

What does God honestly need to prove to get you believe all power is in His hands? How much more does He have to do before you believe that if He said it, it’s so? What else does He have to bring you through before you will accept that He’s got your back? How many times do you need to hit your head against the wall before you realize that you don’t know better than God? This walk, this road, this journey, this life would be so much easier if we just learned the same principal God was teaching to Abraham and Sarah. I (God) can do all things. All power is in my (God’s hands).

We are all the time waiting on God, waiting on some sign from God, waiting to hear a confirmation from God. When the reality is God is waiting on us and won’t move (not can’t move but won’t move) until you move and trust Him. God’s sign was already given to you the moment the thought hit your spirit. God doesn’t need to confirm His word. It’s already confirmed by Him the moment He speaks it to your spirit. Now if you don’t know His voice then that’s a whole other issue and that means you need to get a relationship with Him a real relationship. But for those of you that do know His voice and do have a relationship with Him but are still fearful of moving to where God has called you to move, still afraid to accept the call that God has placed on your life, still afraid to speak the words that He said speak, still holding back when God said let loose, all because you are worried about the unknown. Or you doubtful about the situation you are faced with because it seems insurmountable. Know that there is NOTHING TOO HARD FOR GOD! Cast all your cares on Him (I Peter 5:7) and watch what He does for you. Give it to God, which means pray about it and then stop worrying about it as if it is already done. Step out on faith no matter what the situation is or the call is or the word is because God won’t lead you astray. Even when it doesn’t seem like it’s working out remember Romans 8:28 All things work together for the good. God won’t lead you where He can’t protect you, He won’t have you say what He can’t back up, He won’t allow the enemy to get the victory. Put in God’s hands. Unshackle the chains you put on Him through your doubt of His ability or even you hearing God. Take off the shackles and let God go to work on your behalf. In short in the words of Israel and New Breed

Take the Limits off

Take the Limits off

Release me, to accomplish what I promised you!

Take the Limits off

Take the Limits off

Release me

Release me.

No Limits!

I pray this has been an encouragement to you causing you to take the limits off of God. Remember Grow in God’s Grace and Abide In His Love!

Patience....Just Wait!

Today’s entry topic comes as a result of a request due to an issue a good friend of mine is going thru. In a word what is definitely needed is patience. Patience is defined as an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay. It is also defined as quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence. So basically it is the ability to deal with delay without complaining and being anxious. It is truly a very basic principal of life not just a good Christian walk. So if it is so basic why do we have such a hard time with it? The answer is easy, we are selfish! Selfish, selfish, selfish, as well as very arrogant and conceded. Now I know that may come as a harsh blow to some egos but it is nonetheless the truth. We want what we want when we want it and it doesn’t matter what has to happen in order for us to get it so long as it’s quick. We garner our relationships with people and God that way, we handle our decision making that way, we handle our money that way some much so that we’ve got a commercial screaming about it “It’s my money and I want it NOW!”

So yes we are selfish. That is the place our lack of patience comes from. A deep, dark, selfish, conceded place. It’s even worse for us Christians (so-called I might add). We believe that just because we are Christian and because we believe in the Holy Bible that we should never have to wait for our blessing ever. Oh sure we won’t say that with our mouth but we sure do with our actions and no I am not exempting myself from this. We will sit on our job wanting better (and there is nothing wrong with that) but won’t wait long enough for the instruction on when and how to move. All we need to know or feel is that it is time to go and boom we are done like a finally grilled steak. We don’t seek God’s advice about it we just go and there are even occasions that we won’t go because we are too impatient and want to know how everything is going to turn out. So we will wait even though God said go and go now. We won’t go because we don’t have the patience to endure the unknown of the journey God is trying to have us walk out toward our perfection. So we’ll sit on a job and watch as everything and everyone around us suffers because like Jonah we are in a place we have no business being.

Patience helps define your character as a believer. If you can’t go through this little bit you have to go through in your training for where God is trying to take you then how are you going to deal with the devil when he unleashes hell against you when you get to the place God has for you? If God can’t trust you to move now when He says go and go now but doesn’t show you the complete picture how can He trust you to step out on faith for something He’s trying to give you. Patience in various ways has to show itself forth in every aspect of our walk.  Here’s a harsh reality if you can’t grab patience you can’t effectively serve God. In James the 1^st chapter and 4^th verse we are told to let patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect, entire, and wanting nothing.  But the way patience has its perfect work is through obedience and taking you through things designed to strengthen your patience. God doesn’t just give you patience, he establishes it in you by making you work to get it and work to perfect it by exercising it. It’s like going to the gym to lift weights. As you are lifting your body gets tired and sore. Muscles are being stretched as you are lifting weight time and again. This process can be tiring and at times painful but the thing is you don’t immediately see the results. As a matter of fact most people don’t even know their own strength until they have to use it in the real world outside the gym.

Patience works the same way. As you go through you are being stretched and strengthened. Your ability and effectiveness are being fine tuned so that when you must use your patience; for example having to be there for a family member or friend who is just determined to do wrong but constantly wants your help, it’s there for you and that with great supply.

Patience is also key to getting the blessing God has in store for you. In Galatians 6:9 we find Paul instructing us to not get weary in well doing for we shall reap if we don’t faint.  A farmer must go out to the field daily; after he has planted the seeds, to water and nurture the seed even though right now all he can see is ground and dirt. Then even after the seed sprouts forth and up comes the plant he still must water and nurture until that plant produces the fruit he first envisioned it being. This process can take years to come to pass but that farmer just can’t stop and say to hell with it. Doing so would ensure he will never have a harvest. He must exercise Patience. This is a principal key to ensuring that you allow God’s will to be done in your life. The truth that not many talk about is that God won’t do a lot in your life without you first allowing it. You must submit to Him even when His ways don’t make sense to you (cause they won’t a lot). Your submission will cause your obedience which will allow Him to develop a track record with you and that positive track record will help increase your faith which according to the book of Hebrew in the 11^th chapter without faith it is impossible to please God. All of that comes from the seed of patience. You say you trust God then be patient and allow Him to work on your behalf. You are not His first client He knows what He is doing. Trust Him, wait on Him, obey Him, and in the end you will see all that God has for you come to pass. I hope that this has been a help to whom it was intended for and to all that read it and share in this topic. Remember as always Grow in God’s Grace and Abide In His Love!

Leave the Past Behind You!

Yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never get here. This is a cliché many people use but truthfully don’t walk completely in. There are a lot of people who have a great concept of the very real fact that you may never see tomorrow but the problem comes in with yesterday being gone. Too many people have allowed their past to have a hold to them. This is a topic that I am writing on today that I struggled to hear to write about today and is a topic that hits very close to home because I am not exempt. My past and things that have occurred in my past like many other people haunts me to this day. I go through every year and have since I was 13 years old gone through what I have now deemed “My Season”. This “season” is a time where the attacks hit me the hardest and go the longest. It usually ranges from Nov 1^st – Feb 15^th of every year. This attack I go through continually deals with incidents and hurt that has occurred in my past. I found as I began to openly expose it that it is something I am not alone in and actually because of how far I have come it’s something that I can help other people with. The one thing about the past is it is just that it’s past. It’s over and there is no going back to do it again or make it different. Whether it be a death of a loved one or a bad break up or something worse there is nothing you can do about it but let it be in the past. I try daily to live by a motto (and am very good at it save for my season) and that motto is the past is the past leave it there. We must understand that no matter what we have gone through it’s over and can’t hurt you again, it can’t effect you again. Yes it happened, acknowledge it (whether it be you’ve sinned and fallen short [which we all do] or someone has hurt you) and begin the process of being healed from it. The devil loves to use the past to keep you stagnant. He’ll put things in front of you that will remind you of your past or cause people to call you a hypocrite because you are no longer your past. Anything to get you to not continue to pursue after the things of God. However, there is a solution and it is found in Philippians 3:13 &14. Paul says I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those which are ahead, I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling which is in Christ Jesus.

What Paul is saying is first of all I don’t have it all yet nor do I have all the answers (neither do I) but this is one thing I do have. I’ve learned and am learning to forget those things which are behind me. Put them away. Don’t pick them back up and continue in the same ole same ole. They happened and I can’t change that but I won’t let it continually keep me from getting to where I am going. I ran track in high school and one thing my coach kept fussing at me about was not to look back to see where my opponent as coming from. He kept saying run your race. You can’t focus on them because then you lose focus on the race you are running. Everytime you look over your shoulder to see the your opponent (your past) you lose a step. The more steps you lose the easier it is for your opponent to catch you. The same is in the spiritual realm. The more you focus on your past the easier it is for the enemy to have a hold of you. Keep looking at the mark. Paul said I reach for those things ahead of me. My coach said it this way, keep your eyes on the finish line (eye on the prize). Beating your opponent isn’t your goal finishing the race is. If you run your race you can win the race. If you stop looking back and allowing your past to take a hold of you, you can win and conquer your past.

The last thing I will talk about in this text is that Paul said he had to press. It’s not going to be easy to let go of your past. It’s going to be a struggle because the enemy as I said earlier will use all tactics to remind you of your past and keep it in front of your face and in your mind. But you’ve got to press on. When you feel those thoughts creeping up and you start to feel the reaction of the emotion of your past hitting you stop what you are doing, rebuke the enemy in the name of Jesus and take back control of your mind. Press on! Press on! Press on! Your past is over and can’t come back but you can push and move forward. It’s not a getting over it, it’s a getting through it. You move to get through the past to move toward where God has you to be. As always Grow in God’s Grace and Abide in His Love!

The Truth

I decided to go a different route today in my entry. I decided to speak to you in the form of a poem I wrote a while back. Now to be honest (irronic that the poem is about the Truth) if you are a facebook friend of mine you might remember this poem as it is in my notes section on fb. This poem also caused a little stir due to my usage of the word "damn" as an emphasizer to the point being made and to that I say now the same thing I said then "stop being so super holy that you can't even catch the message" so of you will heed that and others won't but the beauty of Real Talk is I'm not doing this for you I am doing this as I have been commissioned to do. My goal is to please God in everything I say, do, and type I could care less if I please you. Because when you seek the Truth for who the Truth is what you will find is that less and less of what people have to say to you will bother you. I pray you enjoy and become motivated to move outside the box and move to hear God and seek Him (the Truth) and don't stop until you find Him. God Bless!                                                                                                                                                                    The Truth by Jesse Jones You want the truth but its like Jack said, "You can't handle the truth." The thing everyone sees, but no one wants to hear. A concept that flows and lives deep in your soul. Its torture, torture to see those things that deceive for what they are. Lies, lies that cut, lies of esteem, lies of religion, politics, and self. Lies we cover ourselves in to mask the ugly imperfection of man, Lies to her, lies to him, lies to we, lies to them. We encourage our kids to just be who you are when all the time no one accepts the unconformed. The individual has died and been buried beneath the inner and outer lies. No one gives a damn to take a stand to be who you are created in the glory and image of Him who is Holy. Ostracized you'll be if you call out the lies you see. Combative, debative you're labeled forever when you chose NOT to agree to the pointless lying banter. Loved ones will turn because you shine a light on them. Hypocrite you are called when you don't lie to cover your own sin. You're working on you while being called to help them. You're going insane cus no one understands you're a truth seer, a truth speaker. But your truth is not theirs, you cant bend or shape it to fit your own whims. It's absolute, it's who you are raw and pure. It's rough and ugly but it's consistent. The truth is in me, the truth is in you. Its time we stand together and take off the clothes of conforming and put back on the clothes of who we truly are made to be. Me being me and you being you. And that's the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

                                                                                                                                                                

I hope that has been a blessing to you to seek the Truth and who He really is! Jesus said "I am the way the Truth and the life." Understand that if you aren't seeking Him there is no way you can have a true identity. Without a true Identity you are living in the falsehood of conformity this poem speaks to. Your identiy the true identity of me being me and you being you is found in the uncompromised identiy of Jesus Christ. People don't like the truth and don't want to  hear it spoken and will cover the total truth up with everything that have. However my mom used to tell me all the time a half truth is a whole lie. But I am a truth teller and truth seeker even at to the rebuke and correction of my own self. I am one of those seemingly rare people that will admitt to wanting to always be right because I have found not being right can send you to hell (some of yall will catch that and some won't). So I as I close today I pray once again that you get on the mission of seeking Truth, the Whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth but in seeing it know you will only find it in Jesus Christ. Remember as always Grow in God's Grace and Abide in His Love!

Relationship or Religion

A few months ago, God had a conversation with me that really blew my mind. Through this conversation He gave me a revelation and insight into the depth of the conversation which is why it blew my mind. God spoke to me and said “Jesse, my people don’t know me. They have forsaken relationship for religion. They claim to be my own but I don’t know them. They would rather perform church work than the work I have put their hands to do. They would rather hear the voice of the Pastor that I am speaking to then learn to hear me for themselves.” It was then that he asked me a question and started to give to me a revelation that completely changed the way I not only deal with Him but how I operate in general. He asked me if I were to want people to know about me would I rather they read a book about me or would I rather them talk with me? My answer was I’d rather have them talk with me. Then He asked me why. My answer was simple, even if there is a book about me it is still not going to contain everything about me. There will be things that unless you talk with me you won’t fully understand. Not only that, but there is insight into why I operate as opposed to just how I operate. And here’s the revelation He gave me. God spoke and said “then why are my people choosing to only read about me and not to talk to me?” That question, that revelation is the essence of this entry today. Some of you all probably won’t agree but honestly I don’t care whether you do or not. Some of you will read this and continue with business as usual, some will think I am waging and ungodly attack on the bible, but hopefully there will be some that just like me will catch this and change the way they operate in order to get a true and deep relationship with God.

We’ve all heard and or quoted the statement everyone that is in church ain’t saved. Some even say it this way, everyone who say they are saved ain’t going to heaven. But do you ever stop to think about where that statement comes from and what it actually means. Well biblically it comes from Matthew 7:22 & 23 which reads:

22.) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord have we not prophesied in Your name, and done many wonders in your name? 23.) And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who work iniquity.

Wow, please note that these people on judgment day are proclaiming to Jesus what great works that they did in His name and yet they still could not enter in. How is that possible? If they were workers of iniquity (iniquity meaning sin) how can they then still have done these works? You’ll find the answer in Romans 11:29 which will let you know that when God gives a gift or places a call on your life He doesn’t take it back. He may render the anointing on your life dormant as He did Samson for his disobedience but He never takes it back. It’s irrevocable. These people who stood before Jesus operated in their gifts and callings but operated in them through the flesh. The most telling thing about that scripture is that Jesus said depart from me for I never knew you. That statement shows they had no relationship with Him. Now we all have had someone who we say that we know but we just really know of. By that I mean you know the vital stats, i.e. name, stature, possibly their address, and maybe a favorite hangout or two but you really don’t know them.

What you know is superficial and a lot of it is probably based off of what someone told you about that person which is exactly how we do Jesus. We sit and listen to our pastors Sunday after Sunday and hear them talk about this great man called Jesus and they use terms for Him like “Lilly of the Valley” that they heard someone else use who heard it from someone else that if you look biblically that is a term used in the book of Song of Solomon with Solomon referring to one of his concubines. This has nothing to with Jesus but yet we say it as if this is a reference to Him. We hear preachers say He is our healer but yet we don’t know Him as that for ourselves, proof of that is everytime we get sick rather than pray being our first reaction, go to the doctor is our first reaction. Don’t get me wrong I thank God for doctors, there is a great reason why they are here but they are not to be my first resort.  But that comes only from having a relationship with Him. We have a religion with Jesus but not a relationship. We do things out of ritual, tradition, and habit which is why it’s religion. One of the alternate definitions of religion is continued practiced of a ritual i.e. going to church every Sunday morning.

 We have practiced something for so long and taught our kids to practice something for so long we have no idea why we do half the things we do. I heard a story that is so appropriate for this entry. A mother and daughter were preparing thanksgiving dinner when the daughter of the daughter comes in the room and sees her mom cut a ham in half put one half in a pan to roast it in the oven and the other half she throws away. The daughter perplexed by this asks her mother, mom why do you do that? The mother (who is the daughter cooking with her mom) says I don’t know ask your grandmother. She goes over to her grandmother who is cleaning the vegetables in the sink and asks her. Grandma, why do you cut the ham in half, cook half and throw the other half away.  The grandma says to the little girl, I don’t know I got it from my mom; go ask your great grandma she is in the living room watching t.v. The little girl goes in and says nana, I asked my mom and my grandma and no one can tell me, why do we cut a ham in half cook half and throw the other half away they say they got it from watching you. The great grandma looks at her great granddaughter and says I did it because I didn’t have a pan big enough to hold the entire ham so I had to cut it in half and had to throw the other half away, I’m not sure why they still do it.

Do you see the point of that? We have done somethings for so long that we have no clue as to why we do them. People are operating under a spirit of religion as opposed to the spirit of God. You’ll hear them say things like that’s the way it’s been and that’s the way it’s going to stay. You’ll hear them buck against things they think aren’t of God not because those things aren’t anointed or are truly not of God but because they don’t like them. Seasoned and younger Christians do this. They do it because they don’t have a true relationship with Jesus Christ. They have a relationship with their bibles and read them on a daily basis even (some of them). But they still aren’t doing what that Holy Bible says to do: “Study to show yourself approved unto God” (II Timothy 2:5) Studying is more than just reading the bible. You’ve got to take what you read and ask God to give you a revelation on what you read, you’ve got to put what you’ve read into practice so that you can see if it works. Reading your bible alone won’t get you into heaven that’s the equivalent of the question God asked me. All you are doing is reading about Him instead of getting to know Him. How much time do you spend in prayer and meditation with him throughout the week? How much of your prayer time is you talking and not listening. Remember prayer is a conversation if you do all the talking and no of the listening you didn’t pray, you didn’t converse with God you vented. Get away from strictly religious practice and get to a place where you begin to get a relationship with Him. Don’t allow yourself to be one of those who on judgment day will say all of the things you did in His name and He still say but I never knew you. Wouldn’t it be a shame to have given up all that you have and gone through all that you did just to be like Moses and not enter into the promised land to dwell with Jesus forever? Put down your denominational doctrine, I don’t care if your Baptist, COGIC, Apostolic, A.M.E, Methodist, Non-Denominational or whatever you claim to be. Stop claiming to be it and start claiming to be a child of the King, a Christian, a member of the body of Christ. That’s what you need to be but the only way you get that is to get a relationship with Him for yourself. No one of you have a relationship with someone through someone else. Someone else may have introduced you to that person but you don’t only know them because of whomever introduced you to them. You don’t go that person’s house and hear them talk to you about them. No, if you do you have lost your mind. Well if that won’t work in the natural then why would you think that would work in the spiritual? He longs to have a one on one relationship with you not a 3 way with you, your pastor, and Him. Don’t forsake your relationship for religion leave your religion and walk toward a relationship with Him. It’s the only way you’ll hear Him say, “Well done my good and faithful servant, you’ve been faithful over a few things, now I’ll make you ruler over many, enter into the joy of the Lord!” (Matthew 25:21) Remember as always Grow in God’s Grace and Abide in His Love!

Dating 103....Communication

I was recently involved along with my wife in a conversation with some friends that turned into a couple’s counseling session. The theme for the counseling session started out being how to keep the spark in your marriage but turned into a serious lesson in intimacy and communication which ironically is the exact way to keep the spark in your marriage.

I’m going to talk in terms of relationship dating but also try to parallel this to married couples as well (especially being that the type of intimacy we were talking about only married people are authorized by God to do). The single biggest reason relationships go stale is because you do. You stop asking questions of your mate and you stop listening to them. Your ability to hear your mate and push to learn new things about them is absolutely paramount to the success of your relationship. One thing my wife does a very good job at when talking to our daughter (who is not allowed to date yet) is she teaches her how to make herself attractive to a man without trying to use her physical attributes. (Men reading if I were you I’d pay close attention to this as well because the same thing applies to you). She tells our daughter that the best way to get a man interested for the long haul is to take an interest in him and the things he likes. I’m a huge wrestling fan (yes I’m a wrestling fan), it is a complete turn on that my wife can on occasion get into wrestling (especially if it’s live and especially if Randy Orton is wrestling). She goes on to tell her about how she was never a real sports fan but she knows most men are so she began to take an interest in sports, she did the same with cars, chess, and other things that people she dated at the time were interested in. Doing so gave her a strategic advantage over other females who may have been interested in her man. The advantage was that she could know communicate to him on a level that set her apart from others pursuing him. She was able to communicate to him and just as importantly as her talking (because sometimes some women can talk too much) she also was able to actively listen (which men we need to learn how to do better).

Now understand there is a difference between actively listening and just listening. When you actively listen to someone you are engaged in the conversation, your face and eyes show that you are interested in what is being talked about. Please believe that the person you are listening to can tell if you don’t want to talk about that subject they may not care that you don’t want to talk about it but they sure can tell. Your face and eyes will give it away every time. But not only do you appear to be engaged you can comprehend what is being talked about so that when your turn to speak comes you actually have something to say. Active listening is a lost art in communication. Nowadays we humor people in conversation. We allow them to speak what’s on their mind and tolerate their audacity to do so. Instead of actually hearing them and taking an interest in them. The worst thing for a relationship and the quickest way to kill it is to tolerate the conversation.

My wife is trying to teach my daughter these principles that will help her establish a great relationship with her future husband. But as I said before men, we are not exempt. We can not expect them to listen to us, watch our shows, and talk about our days when we ignore them on that level. I know more about Bridezilla (which actually is a pretty decent, funny, yet sad show) and David Tutera world famous wedding planner than I probably should. But that is because I took time to sit down and watch these shows with her. I took the time without her asking me because I saw that she was excited about them. Before I talk about my day when I see her when I get off work I ask her about hers because she had a day to. My wife is working too. As her husband and as her mate I should be interested in what’s going on in her life. Not because I am trying to check up on her because I don’t trust her no. I do it because I am genuinely interested in what is going on in her life (and yes I trust my wife). Everything in our marriage shouldn’t revolve around me nor should it revolve around her. We are in this together so we both have to actively participate in this.

The other key to communication which will help you establish and cement a great relationship is being open to talk about things you like and don’t like. I have a saying I use all the time in my house. “If I don’t know it’s broke how can I fix it?” That statement is so true. I can’t fix or change what I don’t know is bothering you, similarly I can’t know to continue doing what you don’t tell me you like. This is not just a sexual reference. This reference goes to every area of the relationship. How can you get to know what is truly apart of someone’s character and what is just a characteristic they have taken on if you aren’t honest enough to tell them what you like and don’t. My good friend and spiritual sister Dana and I were talking and she said it’s crazy how many relationships end because of unvoiced expectations. I promise you that is so true. Allow me to present an extreme case example. Let’s talk a man who was raised in a house almost as if it were straight out of the Old Testament. Let’s have that many marry a woman with a new millennium mindset. Now here’s the extreme part of the example some of you still will miss. Let’s say she comes home from work on a day he had been off from work and she finds him in their bed with another woman in the act of coitus. She gets crazy angry at him and is ready to divorce him. Throw your spiritual hallelujah Jesus minds out the window for a second. If you can place that aside; who is actually wrong in this scenario? I can see internal argument going now. Most of you will say he is wrong because he is married and shouldn’t be sleeping with someone who isn’t his wife. Some of you are probably saying she is wrong because you assume this is a trick question and just don’t want to be wrong. The rest of you don’t know and wish I would shut up and tell you the answer already. Well ask and you shall receive……..they both are wrong. There is an expectancy assumed by both parties. She assumes because of how she was raised that it is a common thing to expect your husband to be faithful. He assumes because of how he was raised that she knows he is going to have concubines. Those assumptions led to nothing being discussed and that lack of a conversation led to an expectation that was never communicated. Now I know some of yall are too holy to get with that example but look at it in your own life. A lot of the disagreements and arguments you have had with your significant other have been because you got upset at something you assumed of them but you never took the time to talk about. If you don’t communicate it, it’s very unfair to get angry about it. Communication can at times breed behavior and characteristic change. Meaning that I will cease from doing this thing that bothers you because I love you, I will also start doing this thing you like more often because I love you. These things you can do that with are characteristics. There is nothing wrong with taking away from or adding to your characteristic. You character is who you are, your characteristics are what you do.

This type of open and honest communication is the door to phenomenal intimacy. That type of intimacy (married couples) will lead to greater intimacy and passion in the bed room as well. Remember your intimacy isn’t just in the bed room. Intimacy has a great little saying with it. It is said that intimacy is simply in to me I see. That isn’t just the bedroom that is the living room, the car, the amusement park, on the phone. That type of intimacy keeps the spark in the relationship and will ultimately keep it going. If you are dating that type of communication will spark desire or just as important will cause you to realize this person is or is not for me which then allow you to move forward with little reservation or cut it off more quickly so that you aren’t wasting your time or your heart. Communicate and listen actively and see if your relationships don’t get better. God bless you thank you for reading and as always Grow in God’s Grace and Abide in His Love!

Are you sanctified?

Joshua 3:5 “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will work wonders among you!” That is a statement that continually rings in my ear as I prepare myself for High Praise Ministries and In God’s Hands Mime Ministry’s “No Limits Tour”. I continually hear this and am beginning to focus in on the statement that is being made by God to Israel by way of Joshua. This scripture is all about preparation and anticipation. There was a work that they needed God to do for them. They were in need of God to do something they couldn’t do themselves. And as Joshua began to seek God and hear direction from Him, he knew that in order to get His attention Israel was going to have to do something that was much needed anyway. So Joshua stood firm and said to the people Sanctify Yourselves.

What does sanctify mean? What is sanctification? Unfortunately this is a term not usually heard in churches anymore. People stop preaching about the process of sanctification because it means that they also have to clean up their lives. I mean their secret lives as well. Because in order to truly instruct the people of God to be sanctified you as a leader need to be sanctified. Joshua couldn’t have the people seeking God for an answer and he was laid back relaxing, No. As a leader his job is to lead them to where they need to go so he needed to be the first person to seek God for answers. But what then is sanctification? Sanctification in its most basic and general definition means to be set apart and to be cleaned up. It is the process of Holiness. Sanctification changes your lifestyle because it causes you to consecrate yourself to God (wholly). We as Christians have this misnomer about us that once we are saved (born again) we are good but the devil is a liar. Salvation is just the start, it is the key to getting in to see Jesus and live with Him (which should be our ultimate goal). But salvation and being covered under the blood of Jesus Christ can only guarantee your spot into heaven as long as you continue to walk in the obedience of Christ, as long as you continue to set yourself apart and away from the lust of the flesh and the fulfillment thereof. As long as you make the conscious effort and choice to walk in Holiness and His Righteousness then your ticket to heaven is solidified. Salvation is free but it costs you your life. You must begin the process of being made clean and separate from the what generations past used to call the “old man” and draw closer to what they called the “new man”  for he who is in Christ is a new creature old things are passed away and behold all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

One can not continue in the things you used to do once you have gotten saved and been chosen by God. There must be a strive for continued change. Sanctify yourselves was the statement that Joshua made, but as I told you this was a scripture about anticipation and preparation. Not only did Joshua say sanctify yourselves but he declared that when you do the Lord will work wonders among you. There is the anticipation of it. Here’s the catch, see Joshua told the people to sanctify (today) and (tomorrow) God is going to work wonders. Today is the preparation for the anticipation of what God is going to do tomorrow. The problem with us is that we want God to do something for us and we aren’t in position because we haven’t sanctified. We are still doing the same old crap and we expect God to bless our mess. We want to hold on to our past and the habits and people that were in them but wonder why we are stuck and living paycheck to paycheck and our health is fading our children are acting like they have no sense. The best part is we have the audacity to blame it on the devil and it’s our ignorant selves that have caused the mess in the first place because we don’t want to let go. We don’t want to remove ourselves from the things that are familiar to us. The devil has nothing to do with it. You have everything to do with it. If you are looking for God to do something for you, you must first being to sanctify yourself. That’s the other part of this. Joshua didn’t tell the people to allow God to sanctify them. I’m so tired of this ignorant, trifling, ungodly ideology that teaches people that God is going to wash you clean and make you whiter than snow. That you can’t get right on your own. Yes it’s true you need Jesus to cover you with His blood but even then you have to ask for it. But you have to do the work; you have to recognize you are as a filthy rag before God and need to be clean. You have to recognize that the things you are doing aren’t pleasing to God and then simply let them go. My daughter Ashley has a statement she made once about a member she saw at the church we attend. She watched this person go up every week to be prayed for, she watched her every week cry out before God, she watched her break down in front of everyone. EVERY WEEK! My wife, daughter, and I went out for dinner one Sunday afternoon and my daughter asked the question why does that person continually hold on to her demon, it’s like she is holding it hostage. Even the demon wants to leave because of the power of God but no she keeps holding it and holding it. She brings it to church for it to be beat up by God so that it can leave her and her family but she keeps holding on it’s almost like she is in an abusive relationship with her demon. Why won’t she just let it go? My wife and I sat astounded at that observation by my daughter because she was absolutely right. This member was holding her demon. But this is what we do all the time we hold on to what we are supposed to let go of and that’s the reason we aren’t blessed like we should be. That’s the reason we don’t have the power we should. That’s the reason we aren’t as effective as we ought to be. The anointing has been stopped up by our mess that we refuse to let go of.

So Joshua said sanctify yourselves. You do it today. You begin to let go of the mess that isn’t Godly. You begin to allow the power of God to take full effect in your life. You begin to make yourself ready and prepare through the process of sanctification. As you begin to do make yourself ready and you begin to clean yourself up and you start today. As you stop making excuses for your sin and stop lying and saying you are waiting on God to do something He told you to do. As you do that today, God today is making and preparing His wonder to be unleashed in your life as a present tomorrow. He’s ready to make your life different but first needs to see your commitment to Him. Will you love like He’s called you to love, including loving your enemies? Will you forgive no matter what has been done to you? Will you pray for mercy to those who have wronged you and are deserving of the Lord’s justice. Will you begin to truly live for Him and not just with your foul lip service but with your life? Because once you sanctify yourself which is to consecrate and set yourself apart, once you sanctify yourself, tomorrow the Lord will work a wonder among you. God bless and remember as always Grow in God’s Grace and Abide in His Love!

Many are called but few are chosen!

Matthew 22:14 you will find an all too familiar passage of text that usually is dealt with in a capacity of saved vs. sinner. The Holy Bible proclaims that many are called but few are chosen. Today’s insert is dealing with that scripture not in a sense of sinner vs. saved but in a sense of your choseness vs. your call. This will sound kind of similar to the post entry dealing with your passion vs. your purpose because your choseness is your purpose. It’s that thing that you have been designed and created to do. That void that can not be filled by anything other than itself. No matter what career path you pursue, no matter what road you travel it is still there until you decide that I will not run from my purpose any longer. Christians are forever talking about the call. What you are called to do. I’m called to this and I’m called to that but my question is not what are you called to do but what are you chosen for? See the difference between a call is that when you are called to do something, it is a gift that you have and can operate in and sometimes just a talent that has been given to you or that you studied to acquire. The problem with a call is that if you don’t do it you can be replaced and someone else can and will step up in your spot to fill that void. It’s like a ringing phone anyone can answer it even if it isn’t their phone. A person can pick it up and say hello and take the call even if the call wasn’t intended for them but because they were in the right place at the right time they got the call. That’s the many part. Now please keep in mind I’m not talking to the unbeliever in this respect. I am talking to the believer. God has called you for something and if you run from it, He might look for you but He won’t look too long. If you mess up He might help you through it but He doesn’t have to keep trying to feed wisdom to you He’ll just replace you. Think about Moses, God suffered with Moses and all the mistakes he made for years and then God had enough and said look Moses you can see the promised land but you will not enter there in. I am replacing you with my servant Joshua who will pick up where you left off even though you are still alive and well enough to do it. God did this because Moses was called to lead the people into the promise land. The thing is, is that that same Moses was chosen to lead them out of Egypt. See, when you are chosen everything sits on wait until you walk in that chosen arena. The Hebrew slaves couldn’t be free from Pharaoh until Moses stepped up, came on the scene and commanded him to let God’s people go. It couldn’t have been just anyone, it had to be Moses. Why? Because he was fashioned formed and created for just that purpose. Some of us have levels of purpose where we are to fulfill a task at this level and when we have done so God moves us to the next thing to fulfill another task all of which are our purpose individually but work together for a purpose as well.

When you are chosen for something that means you are fashioned and formed for it. You are picked out to do something specific that only you can do. Michael Jackson was the greatest entertainer of our generation. Performing like he did was his purpose, now granted on the surface God didn’t get the glory out of his life but if you look deeper you’ll see God did because God always gets the glory when a person operates in their purpose (oh I know some of yall didn’t like that). All MJ needed to do was turn what he did and outwardly give God glory. Give him glory in more than just the fact that he is performing but use the platform that he gained as a result of walking in his purpose his choseness to lead people to Christ. When you chose to walk in your choseness and not run from it, the Holy Bible proclaims He will make your gifts make room for you and bring you before great men (Proverbs 18:16). Operating in what He has called you for is so key to being fulfilled, being prosperous, but most importantly building the Kingdom of God. Too many people are walking in just their call and not being as effective as they could be or not being effective at all. But if you stop looking at what others are doing and start concentrating on what God has chosen you for, stop fearing it (as fear is not of God) your life will begin to change instantaneously. Your choseness is where God wants to get you to. Because very few if any can do what you do like you do it but everyone has a chance to try and pick up your phone. Walk in your choseness not just your call, pursue purpose and not just passion, seek God and His righteousness and not worldly gain for in you do those things you will never loose. Many are called but few are chosen. Grow in God’s Grace and Abide in His Love!

Do you really love God?

Do you love God? No do you really love God? No I mean do you really love God? This is a question that some Christians will immediately and without thought answer yes to. This is a question in which not only will they lie (yes I said lie) and answer yes to but will be offended if you ask them more than once. And don’t you dare do what I just did and say that they are lying when they answer yes. You’ll get responses like; “How dare you say I don’t love God, you can’t judge my love for Him?” And my answer to that continually is yes I can and I will take you to the word of God to prove it. Jesus said in John 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Very plain and simple. If you love God soooooooooooooooo much, than why is it you (we) have such a hard time keeping His commandments. Why is it we worship ourselves as God and don’t even recognize that we have put ourselves above God? Oh sure we don’t do the what we call big sins but please understand there is no such thing as a big sin in the eyes of God. Also please understand that all sin is disobedience. Either God told you not to do something and you did it or God told you to do something and you didn’t do it. Disobedience. You can dress it up however you want to but it is still just that. And as you see if you are disobedient than you obviously don’t love God like you say that you do. This entry isn’t to condemn anyone because God knows I am far from perfect myself, but it is intended to help us see how far off the mark we really are.

One of the first and most important areas we fail in, is the subject that has been taught at my church all year long……love. We don’t love God’s way therefore we don’t really show love as commanded so we are being disobedient. I Corinthians 13 outlines what love is and how without true and real love everything we do is in vain. Let’s take verse 5 of chapter 13, “Love is not rude.” Think about how many times you’ve been rude to others even your own spouse. Remembering that Jesus said the 2^nd greatest commandment was to love your neighbor you’ll find that in 3 of the 4 gospels (Matt 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27). But if you have behaved rudely to others you haven’t shown them God’s love because His love isn’t rude. Love is the greatest key to obeying God as the greatest 2 commandments instruct you to love.

Another area we fail in is forgiveness. Man this is another tough one. It’s tough because forgiveness doesn’t ask how you feel about the situation. Forgiveness doesn’t ask if you like the situation. Forgiveness simply says you release the person of the burden of the aught they have committed against you, while releasing yourself from remembering it. Forgiveness Jesus said we ought to do continually. I know people will be like no it’s 70 x 7 which is 490. That number is true however that number is a day per person and if you have the patience and time to count how many times a day you forgive each individual person than you need to go back to the previous paragraph and deal with love again because when you love someone as yourself you will treat them as you would like to be.  Forgiveness is on top of love. I love you enough to forgive you for the wrong you have done to me whether directly or indirectly. Forgiveness is defined to grant pardon for or remission of (an offense, debt, etc.); absolve.  Which means it’s as if it never happened. But yet we don’t forgive and many of us won’t touch the issue at all in order to walk through forgiveness. Past hurts from parent for punishment we got for things they said we did wrong we really didn’t do, old boyfriends or girlfriends that broke up with you or cheated on you, husbands or wives that have offended you at some point. Whatever it is you have to deal with the situation and forgive the person. The worst part of that is without forgiving you can’t be forgiven by God. That means you are walking around saying you are saved and born again but really aren’t because your sins aren’t covered under the forgiving blood of Jesus Christ. You are hell bound, sorry to tell you but you are hell bound. Understand forgiveness isn’t so much for them as it is for you. Forgiveness allows you the peace of being forgiven and the freedom from carrying the burden of hate (opposite of love so we are back to the first paragraph) and bitterness. You must forgive it is essential to this Christian walk.

There are so many others that I could name but I think that you get the point. And the point is this, we need to re-examine daily our true love and commitment to God and how we keep His commandments. Because it is impossible to be a Christian a true lover of God and you are busy sleeping and cheating with the devil by doing things the wordly way.  I pray that this has been a help to someone and encourages us to love God as we are supposed to by keeping His commandments no matter how hard they may seem. Remember, Grow in God’s Grace and Abide in His Love!

In The Valley

We’ve all heard (I’m assuming) Psalms 23 from the time we were kids, but there is one thing that has continually stood out to me especially in recent years. That thing that stood out is in verse 4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death”. That statement right there is one that has really stayed in my eye everytime I read that Psalm. I know many of us key in on the table that is prepared before us and some concentrate on the oil anointing our head while others deal only with goodness and mercy following us, but me I key in on the valley. Let me just be honest and raw (as always) with you. This has been a week from hell. I have been hit and blindsided with more attacks than I have in a long time. Really it’s been this month but especially this week. A good friend of mine has reminded me of all the feedback I’ve been getting from this blog since its January inception. All of the people emailing or contacting me via Facebook to let me know how much I have helped them in their lives or relationships (all glory to God).  After she reminded me of that she reminded me that with that kind of reach that I have been having, I’m definitely pissing the devil off. I tell you he has truly let me have it something fierce. I’m getting attacked in ways I never saw coming and to be quiet honest I am very weary. That’s where God reminded me of a message I preached about the valley so please know that more than ever this entry is as much for me as it is for anyone who may read this.

God reminded me that He has already shown me that contrary to popular opinion the valley experience is not a completely negative thing. People often associate a valley with death (like the valley of dry bones) and even the wilderness. However, if you actually look up pictures of a valley they are quite beautiful and plentiful usually. Let’s first examine what an actual (natural) valley is. A valley is defined as an elongated depression between uplands, hills, or mountains. Since we are talking this particular scripture let’s also go ahead and define what a shadow is but keep that in your back pocket for now. A shadow is defined basically as an image that is cast by an object blocking light, or being hit by light. The valley of the shadow of death. As I said earlier the valley isn’t a negative thing (at least in this scripture) once you understand what is going on. In the previous verses you see that you are allowing the Lord to lead you and where He leads you is to green pastures where He restores you and gives you rest (makes you lay down). He also leads you beside still waters (meaning they are settled and no real current, i.e. peaceful). He’s going to lead you in the path of righteousness for His name sake. All this leading that the Lord is doing and all of a sudden you are in a valley of the shadow of death, or are you?

See what God began to show me is the valley is necessary because if you look at geographically where a mountain is (inbetween 2 high places usually mountains) you’ll see that He doesn’t all of a sudden lead you in the valley of the shadow of death. You are already there. See still waters are an indication that the water is settled and I don’t know about you but I have never seen water flow uphill so the still waters can’t be on the mountain top, it’s gotta be in the valley. Where there is an abundance of water grass and landscape can grow healthy and green (green pastures). So therefore the green pastures are also in the valley. Now if the green pastures and the still waters are in the valley and that is where He is making you lay down and restoring your soul. Your restoration has to take place in the valley. Now let’s talk about this shadow of death. Understand that a shadow isn’t real, it’s only the image of something real. So the threat of death is around you but it can’t harm you because its only a shadow as long as you keep your hand in the hand of the Lord who you said was your shepherd (verse 1, the Lord is my shepherd). Now if you keep your hand in His hand, you’ll come to see that after He has replenished you He begins to walk you and lead you on a path called His righteousness and on that path death which is around can’t get to you (which is why it’s merely a shadow). Death is stalking you, trying to get you distracted and cause you to let go of the Shepherd’s hand. But the Shepherd is too wise for that see because he has a rod in one hand and a staff in the other. The shepherd’s staff has a hook at the end that is used to yank dumb, disobedient, trifflin, scary sheep like us back to His hand so that death can’t get to us and why is it that death can’t get to us, it’s because in His hand is also that rod (which is also the rod of correction), that He will use to help correct you or fend off the attacks from the devil. Death is aware that the Shepherd has that rod so death will stay at bay (again that’s why you only see the shadow). Your situation (my situation) that you (I) go through is only a shadow. A distraction used to try to pull you from the hand of the Shepherd. But keep your hand in His hand because once you do you’ll see something else that takes place in the valley. That anointing of your head with oil is the preparation for you to be elevated to the mountain top. You can’t go to the mountain top till you have been found worthy and endued with power by the anointing which comes from God (the Shepherd). Oh and all of those haters, all the ones that you encountered in the situations you were going through. The ones this scripture refers to as your enemies. They get to sit at the table which in monarchy times which was the beginning of a ceremony. They have to sit and watch you be blessed (the table being prepared in the presence of your enemies). They have to watch you being anointed and elevated. They have to watch you being sent out because see once you are anointed the Shepherd will let go of your hand and send you off but He won’t send you alone, He tells goodness and mercy to follow you everywhere you go. He tells them to stay with you as you ascend to the mountain top where you can then be seen.

See the valley; while a place that the devil may try to send some attacks after you’ is a place of hiding and preparation. Once you start ascending to the mountain top (going forward in the purpose of God for that level) there is no more hiding. You are out there and prime target for the devil but remember the Shepherd sent goodness and mercy to follow you all the days of your life so that “No weapon formed against you can prosper”. Prior to that God was fighting your battles but now that you are prepared the Holy Bible tells you in the book of Isaiah 54:17 that you have to condemn every tongue that rises up against you in judgment. You have to rebuke it, you have to set the enemy to flight. You have been prepared because you got your training, your energy, your anointing in the valley. I am in another valley experience because every level you go to has a valley experience to prepare you for what is to come. I am in another valley experience but the distraction of the devil won’t cause me to miss out on my preparation for this level. I pray that your situations don’t distract you from your level and what you are called to do in it. The thing I like the most about this scripture is you don’t just sit in the valley, you go through it which means there is an end. The question is how will yours end. Will it end with you being a part of the death that casts a shadow or will you keep your hand in His hand and allow Him to do everything needed in the valley. You can’t escape it, you can’t run from it, so if you have to go through it you might as well go through it. But I promise you and I am speaking encouragement to myself as well. Your deliverance and blessing isn’t going to happen on the mountain top it’s going to happen in the valley. God bless and as always remember Grow in God’s Grace and Abide in His Love!