Starve Your Doubts

I LOVE this word. The significance of the Israelites struggles is extremely important for us to understand in our Christian walk. Egypt represents sin. The promised land represents a life lived in Godly blessing, peace, and abundance. The desert is the land of unbelief. How long you roam around in the desert is all about how much faith you have to trust God and get out quickly. The Israelites did not have much faith and so they kept creating more need to remain in the desert struggling to get to their Promised Land. Amazing, since the land was promised and if they could only have trusted God to honor His promise they would have probably passed through in 40 days and not 40 years. God is not man that He should lie.

It was unbelief not giants that kept the Israelites from entering into their promise land. God never intended for the children of Israel to quit or settle. Their wavering faith caused an entire generation to die in the wilderness when God had promised to take them safely through.

A doubting mentality will always cause you to give up, surrender, and forsake the dreams and visions that God has birthed in your heart. How you comprehend and view your situation in the midst of challenges will determine your destiny. On two separate occasions the Bible declares that the children of Israel were willing to resign themselves to a life of slavery because they doubted God’s Word.

Our story begins when the Israelites were about to cross over the Red Sea. Reluctantly Pharaoh had agreed to let God’s people go. When the Israelites saw their enemy approaching, they reacted in fear. Satan’s goal is to cause you to DOUBT the power of God.

“And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.”

Yes they were trapped; their backs were against the wall, the enemy was coming against them, and what they were seeing in the natural caused them to get amnesia in the spirit. Why is it when the storms, crisis and disappointments of life come, we forget what God’s already done to deliver us?

When God commanded Moses to send twelve spies into Canaan, it was a doubter’s mentality that caused the Israelites to renounce the promises of God a second time.

“But the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.’” (Num 13:31 NKJ)

Once the Israelites saw the giants, they became discouraged. Satan will use discouragement to cause you to doubt the plan God has for your life. The enemy uses doubt and discouragement to “neutralize” and stop your actions. Discouragement is a tool the devil uses to “cut short” your vision. The devil wants to keep you from moving forward. When Satan desires to paralyze you, he uses doubt to cause you to “conform” to your present situation.
Did you know that how you view yourself in relation to your problems could change your whole future?

Remember that faith is confidence in the integrity of God. He is not man that He should lie. Today, I challenge you to feed your faith and starve your doubts.

Scriptures Of The Day: “And Moses said to the people, 'Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today'" - Exodus 14:13

God also said, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9

Does any of what God says about your life and your situation include doubting...especially doubt to the point of giving up, quitting, or getting discouraged in the work left to do?

Remember these promises to us. And know that what He says is true when He tells us in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a sure future."

FEED your FAITH with scripture. STARVE your DOUBTS with scripture. KNOW God's WORD. Plant it in your heart that you may win! It's powerful stuff!!!

God Can Use YOU!

I awoke a week ago after a restless night filled with something more like crying out to God more than praying. I needed answers to a HUGE question. What the Lord gave me was this message: God Can Use You! I still had questions. God can use me where? here? how? when? Well, within 24 hours I was sent, released, assigned, if you will. Since then my goal is to continue to trust Him when your whole week, month, year, and plan get's re-assigned.

It absolutely thrills me when I think that the God of heaven can actually use me! It blows my mind that I can be an instrument to accomplish His will...just like the land on which abundant rain falls.

Faithful Christians are the tools God uses to do great things that have eternal value. He uses His followers as witnesses to the entire earth to tell everyone about Him and His love. When you stop to think about it, you and I can truly alter the course of history and the world!

Unfortunately, some people are not being used by God because they are either unwilling or unfaithful.

It is said that Leon Trotsky, who was a key part of the Communist revolution in Russia, actually attended a Sunday school class one day during a visit to America. But the teacher of the class was absent that morning, and did not bother to get a substitute. So no one taught the Bible that morning, and as far as anyone knows, Trotsky never attended church again.

What if someone had been faithful enough to show up that Sunday morning? It may have helped to alter history!

All that God asks of us is to make ourselves available to Him. Tell the Lord today that you want to faithfully serve Him, to be like the land in today's verse that is a blessing to others and is blessed by God as a result.

Who knows what wonderful things might happen when you are faithful to the Lord!

All that God asks is for you to make yourself available to Him!

Scripture Of The Day: "For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned." - Hebrews 6:7-8

3 Spiritual Keys To Success

Many of us, when confronted by difficulties, struggle to maintain the victory -- of spirit over flesh…faith over fear…and the truth of God -- over the lies of the enemy of our soul. Sound familiar?

Here are three strategies, that I learned while here studying at Without Walls, under Pastor Paula White, in Tampa, Florida. These three keys will bring about daily spiritual renewal and transformation through the power of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit:

#1: Stop Dwelling on Past Failures and Injuries. Failure is a part of life. When you fail, the most important thing is to pick yourself up and choose to move forward. At the same time, recognize that those around you have shortcomings and will fail, and possibly cause you pain, from time to time as well. Don’t get stuck in moments of failure – yours or theirs. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 7:3: “And why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye, yet pay no attention to the log that is in your own eye”? Ask God to forgive – and help you forgive --what needs to be forgiven, and ask the Holy Spirit to give you insight on how to move forward. KEY: Forgiveness is a spiritual necessity to unlocking your own blessings allowing them to flow freely. Whatever and whomever you are holding in unforgiveness I implore you to stop right now and forgive them, and ask God to forgive them too, in Jesus name. The moment you do you will begin to feel the weight of that past failure or injury lighten allowing you to move freer and more victoriously.

#2: Remain Open to Change. Everything in life changes. Only through learning how to navigate transition will you be able to bend – and not break – when upheaval, loss, and change occurs in your life. Don't be afraid of change. Accept change as good. Ask God to help you “change your mind” about change…read God’s Word to learn how Jesus counseled His followers on the changes it would be necessary to make to achieve their destiny and enter God’s kingdom…and listen for the counsel of the Holy Spirit as you prepare for the new opportunities change will reveal!

#3: Keep an Eye Out for New Opportunities Each Day. God will send you opportunities. Expect them! Be open to new ideas – and don’t get stuck in a preconceived notion of how God is going to answer your prayers, or bring about the accomplishment of the goals and destiny He calls you to pursue. As those new opportunities appear, because of the change in your spirit and/or your environment remember to make the most of each one, as the Bible says. Pay attention to the leading and counsel of the Holy Spirit as you maintain an open and willing mind and seek new opportunities in your life. Remember: God’s objective is for you to be transformed, restored, and perfected into the likeness of Jesus Christ a little bit more each day.

Use these strategies to achieve the daily renewal, transformation, and freedom through Christ and the Holy Spirit that God intends for you. Your best is yet to come!

JOHN 20:30 or The Purpose Of This Book

Today, quite by accident I read John 20:30. It is a small part of a bigger chapter but has its own sub heading, signifying it's importance. It explains that "Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples which are not written in this book." (referring to the Bible of course in which this scripture is found.) It goes on to further say "these are written so that you may come to believe (I guess He knew we'd need proof) that Jesus is the Messiah, The Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in His name."

I was dumbstruck with the epiphany that hit me square in the eyes as I thought of the naysayers and the non-believers, many of whom I know and love. I thought of how people say the Bible is written by a bunch of different men, implying human manipulation, inconsistency, and well....lies. I thought of so many things said against the truth of the Bible as God's Word; even that there are other books not included in the Bible that have been found and these ancient works must contradict the actual truth of the Bible because, after all, they aren't included probably because they are in some way adding or subtracting from what is included and that must mean conspiracy to try and make the Bible say what evil men want it to say with the ultimate goal of controlling the masses. Whew!!!! I mean the rationalizing and justifying that takes place to just prove it wrong is insane.

Yet, I sat on a Saturday afternoon in Florida where my son is in training and in his last year of high school, at IMG Academy, reading quite by accident the above scripture. It dawned on me quite amazingly and miraculously that what was written carried a profound truth. John was telling us waaaaay back then that Jesus did ALOT of things in front of him and his friends but what would come to be included in the Book was for us to believe and have life in His name. In that moment I knew that THIS Bible really is the exact, true, Word of God leading us to, and affirming, a belief in Jesus and his mission here on earth. I have never been more convinced that every word, every sentence, and every paragraph made its way into this book because God knew that thousands of years later it would equal the proof needed for the existence of Christ; God on earth.

Scientists have broken down even the numerical equation of every word and letter in the Bible to come up with the same mathematic equation no matter how you divide the number of books, names, people, letters, and paragraphs. This is a fact I discovered a few weeks ago, while honeymooning in Santorini, Greece. It stuck with me because it went on top of a long list of scientists and former non believers whose work and research keeps validating the existence of Jesus, the truth of the Bible, and the total fact that God and his work through Jesus must be real because there is no way any human, group of humans, corporations or mass conspiracy theory or theorist, could have actually, over thousands of years, without ever meeting or knowing each other, manipulated the choosing of which books would mathematically and in every other scientific and prophetical way speak to the details concerning the coming of, the birth of, the life of, and even the death of the Son of God; Jesus. It's just not possible that the Bible is not the Word of God helping us understand the truth and love and life giving power found in the belief and acceptance of the reality that Jesus was, and is, real. In a small scripture that I never paid attention to until today when something supernatural moved me and sleighed me in a deep, profound way, I got it: God KNEW exactly what Gospels, and Words, and prophetic and seemingly entertaining stories to put together so that throughout thousands of years man could come to see, and test, and ask, and examine, and understand...that Jesus was, and is, real.

And, then what made me cry was the even deeper, more profound, truth that existed in the overwhelming feeling of reality that struck me when I totally got that He, GOD, did all this manipulating and calculating and arranging of equations and people and truths and prophecies and events and predictions of what we will encounter in this world and what we will receive when He returns...because He LOVED us. Every discussion, debate, and argument about His truth only further validates the truth that He existed and he died for us. With all that He has done to assure that thousands of years later we could have some proof of what to believe in, we should KNOW how much He LOVES us. He truly LOVED and LOVES us; even knowing how miserable and wretched and devoted we are to not acknowledging, or dealing with, or even taking time for...Him in return. HE loves US.

So, I know without a doubt, that He, great, almighty, all-seeing, all knowing HE, knew who and what I am, and would be, and still loved me anyway.

Wow. Now that's God. Thank you. I love you too; never as much as I should, but I do.

The Four Seasons Of Promise

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away. The first son went in winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son went in the fall. When they had all gone and returned, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said the tree was ugly, bent and twisted.

The second son said it was covered with green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful. It was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each only seen one season in the tree's life. He told them you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season. That the essence of who they are, and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from life, can only be measured at the end when all the seasons have passed. If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, and the fulfillment of your fall. Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. Don't judge life by one difficult season. Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come in time.

Aspire to inspire before you expire. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. And leave the rest to God. Happiness keeps you sweet, trials keep you strong, sorrows keep you human, failure keeps you humble, success keeps you growing, but only God keeps you going.

Thank you CLAUDIA, who sent this lesson, for being a very important part of the seasons of my life.

FACEBOOK, DATING, GOD, AND ME

OK, I am officially horrible at blogging. My dedication and focus are completely hampered by my busy schedule and lack of motivation to talk about life while I am actually in the thick of LIVING it. I guess that's why I've NEVER been able to figure out how to TWITTER. My son started my twitter page and that's as far as it has gotten. People hit me saying they're following me and I wonder WHAT they are following because I am not entering anything. And, FACEBOOK, while easier to navigate is still a bit of a confusing world to me. MNy son promised to show me how to increase my privacy settings because I am not really thrilled with the friend requests from people I don't know. It really weirds me out especially when I send a message saying politely "I am sorry but do I know you and the reply is, no I am attracted to you." Great. I am engaged and not looking for a relationship of ANY kind on Facebook or ANYWHERE else. My interest in FB is that it allows me to interface with my young nieces and nephews, of which I have 13, and to say hello to people I haven't seen or heard from since elementary and high school. I am open to God using me as a vessel of ministry in that way and I think we should all see our growing world of electronic communication as a greater opportunity for outreach for God's purposes. Not to find a date. That seems rather meaningless to me. Unless, of course, you're single and I get it.....but honestly, if you are single here's my word for that:

Give it to GOD! Not FACEBOOK. I was single. I actually loved being single when I got confident in my own journey. I always had boyfriends or a boyfriend and I have always been able to have the attention of guys....BUT...when God's not in it what is it? It's a man made relationship, based in flesh, that I promise will not satisfy the deepest need of our souls to be truly connected to someone with a deeper purpose in life than the flesh allows. Our flesh doesn't allow for deeper purposes. Only our spirits rooted in God can do this. It is the deepest connection we have with someone once the deeper purpose of a relationship is solidifed in Christ.

I used to hear people say that there should be 3 people in a marriage, You, Me, and God, and now I get it. Without the Lord at the center of our relationships nothing will ever really stick or bind or satisfy. When you know that you share a common faith and you both submit to that common faith God can do miraculous things in your union, your household, and your family. That's why the enemy, Satan, the Devil, call him what you will....has so bastardized the male-female relationship today. He has made sex casual, easy, and justified it in our minds as truly something simple to obtain. He has given us drive through commitments, just as easily entered as gotten out of. He has given us FACEBOOK and the internet and a whole of of misuse of the medium by predators and idiots truly living in the flesh. And, if you are married, he has made cheating and adultery OK and even glamorous. Look at Brad and Angelina or my girlfriend Cynthia, whose husband AROD cheated with Madonna, and as long as he has a good season at bat, no-one ever says 'Boo you liar, adulterer, and jerk.' No, The famous hubby moves on to the new girl and the world forgives, applauds, and cheers...literally. Satan has completely deceived us into believing a lie.

God created sex for marriage. And, anything less is taking pieces of yourself and throwing it in the trash. You will get sick with loneliness, emptiness, sadness, and pain eventually. That guy or that girl will not show up when you really need them at the times you really need them because 9 times out of 10 he or she didn't sign up for the real deal; they signed up for the fun deal. In the beginning it will feel good. The game is exciting and fun and the thrill of the chase is like a drug. In the end you will experience all of the former; drama and disappointment. And, in some cases, with the whole world watching.

Remember this: Hell ALWAYS feels like Heaven when you're walking in the front door.

So, the next time you are tempted to FRIEND me on Facebook and you are just a single guy with some weird attraction to ANYTHING other than Christi in me... PLEASE spare me the email clutter, because unless you are rooted in the Lord and His Word, or looking to be rooted in the Lord and His Word and in that case call a Pastor first, I am not interested in being your friend.

Annoyed Black Female signing out for now! Peace, from your resident Hip Girl on her road to a deeper spirituality for her FACEBOOK community of friends.

"Be Still And Know That I Am God"

OK, It's been a couple weeks. Sorry. I've had a birthday, a trip to the Caribbean, and a general onslaught of being busy trying to plan a wedding.

In the midst of all the BUSY NOISE the Lord told me to be still a moment. Of course, once I was I felt the Spirit that brings me a peace that truly does surpass all understanding. God is so good and faithful.

Now to switch gears I woke up with the devil at my back. Following me. Trying to invade my home. We prayed him out but why was he there in the first place? My prayers indicated that perhaps I'd opened a portal of entry via a Jackie Collins book I am reading. Sounds nuts I know but it's not. You must pray those doors closed and be willing to recognize when something so silly as a worldly book may be a powerful tool of entry in the realm of spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6..." We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities from the dark world." Food for thought.

More food for thought. We are often asked to be 'of service' in ways great and small. The great ways we notice but the small ways, which may be more significant sometimes, we must not overlook. I write. My church newsletter needs written content. This is a small way that I can be 'of service.' I help people with the encouragement of my testimony of faith and perseverance in the face of great challenge. I am being asked to contribute from my experience and I am aware that God is working with me to prepare my involvement in church in these ways. My testimony involves my son and I am prudent and prayerful in knowing that he must feel comfortable in ways that I am already comfortable sharing. We are all works in progress and I'd ask you to pray that my son sees that the good in my sharing outweighs any bad.

But for you my reader I ask you today to think about the 56 days that have passed since 2010 began. By the end of this week 60 days will have elapsed. Are you closer to God? Are you further along on your path to being a more spiritual girl? Are you seeking God's purpose for you and following that purpose? He has given you gifts and talents to use. Are you striving to use your gifts and talents for His glory? I ask because I overlook my areas of progress and often feel that I have so far to go. But, my fiance, reminded me that on a personal note, the past couple months have brought great growth in my son's life and this has been a direct result of my own spiritual work. I am producing more fruits of the Spirit and this is affecting my household greatly. We are often focused on the fruits of our hard work which we want evidenced in career success, however, the fruits of the Spirit are to be worked for first. After all, they are the most worthy and from them flow real and lasting successes.

Reminder then...the fruits of the Spirit are found in Galatians 5:22-23 "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control."

I PROMISE that if you live in the Spirit you will be MUCH more successful. Success will hunt you down, find you, and shower upon you. Winning situations are drawn to a person whose Spirit is this powerful. People, in general, want to be around people such as this. They want to experience the greatness they themselves feel in the presence of someone whose Spirit is this in sync with God, the Almighty. Even non-believers are drawn into submission to a person whose Spirit fruits are operating at full force. So where are you nearly 60 days in with this most worthy pursuit of the Hip Girls Guide To Spirituality? Getting stronger every day I hope!

As your resident hip girl it is often easy to feel like a really great bundle of potential with no real clue as to how to use it. On days like this...BE STILL AND KNOW THAT HE IS GOD. Get quiet. Go to the Source. He is the source of peace, answers, strength, clarity, insight, and faith.

Like Macy Grey sang...there is a conversation I need to have with me. It's just a moment to myself. Let's try something. Whoever is reading. Sit for 15 minutes in total silence looking up and being in God's presence. Ask Him and only Him to speak or lead or fill you with whatever He wants to fill you with. Acknowledge the voice, the leading, the Spirit. Then write me your comments. I really wanna know what God brings out of your moment of being still with Him.

Pastor said in church that the baby is inside of you. I have known this spiritual truth since I first got saved. Birthing the miracle in your life is like a human pregnancy. It takes a set period of time. In this case 9 months. There is nausea and discomfort involved. And, just at the moment of birth, the moment of victory, there is the greatest pain you've EVER experienced in those 9 months and probably in your life. At that very moment you must be very focused on one thing; PUSHING THAT BABY INTO EXISTENCE! Push, breathe, struggle, ache...but push that dream into the world and give birth to not only the fruits of a better Spirit but the fruits of a better life.

For now....I gotta go burn my Jackie Collins book. To many gratuitous curse words and glorified sexual situations that perfectly illustrate why real relationships between men and women are so screwed up today. The celebration of the worldly, and the dismissal of the spiritual, has turned our entertainment into a reflection of the decaying insides we are all struggling to overcome. At least those of us 'cool' enough to have decided to surrender to living and doing things God's way.

If that sounds elitist it should. I want us to start a new club of hip people; those who love Jesus and really live the way He instructs. If you wanna join the club then you'll have little time to judge others because you'll be so busy realizing that the books and movies and music and films and situations you watch and entertain daily are all working against the fruits of your Spirit, growing and defeating your life in a myriad of subtle ways.

Peace out.....