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Grow In The Crucible

1 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 2 The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. 5 From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had, in house and field. 6 So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate. ~ Genesis 39:1-6

You know the story of Joseph. He was sold by his brothers to the Ishmaelites, who then brought him down to Egypt, where they sold him as a slave to Potiphar. But God was on his side and caused everything that he did to prosper. While serving as a slave in a foreign land, he was accused of attempted rape and sentenced to prison, but even in that, the LORD caused Joseph to prosper and be successful.

No doubt, Joseph was in the crucible. And as I said in our first message, we live a lot of life in the crucible. The fire may not be turned up as hot as it was turned up for Joseph or for Job, but nonetheless, we still live a lot of life in the crucible. And it’s all because of our attitude in the crucible, the amount of time we spend there. The more we resist, the longer we stay. Learn what you need. Purge what needs purging. It will be time well spent.

Therefore, don’t allow the downs to keep you down. Find the good in each and every situation. Find something to rejoice about. Find something to thank God for. Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers. His big brothers, who were supposed to protect him, sold him to Ishmaelites, his cousins. Who then sold him to Potiphar. Joseph had every right to be upset, bitter, and angry, but there is no record of that. There is only one record of Joseph being blessed by God.

This tells me that no matter how difficult your crucible may be, if you will refuse to allow it to sprout a root of bitterness in you, the LORD will bless you. If you will refuse to sin in secret, the LORD will bless you. If you will strive for righteousness, the LORD will bless. The LORD will bless His people who are faithful to Him. Therefore, let your joy continue grow even in the crucible.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Grow In The Crucible.

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No Kingdom For The Unrighteous

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. ~ 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

Paul was writing to the Corinthian Church correcting some spiritual issues that they were experiencing. Amongst other infractions is this one, lawsuits against believers. Paul was trying to get them to understand that just having lawsuits against each other was a sign that they had been defeated already. He said, “Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded than to go to a secular court to sue a fellow brother in Christ? He went on to liken it to being unrighteous. He said, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?” Then, he listed about nine other offenses against God that will keep you out of the kingdom.

He said, “Do Not Be Deceived!” And the first on the list is sexual immorality. That will include sex outside of marriage. Sex with someone other than your own spouse. Sex with several people, even if it is the opposite sex. Sex between the same genders. I know that homosexuality is the law of the land. I understand that it is widely accepted and even celebrated, but God, who everyone must stand before and give an account to, said you must not partake in such actions, it is wrong in My eyes. Not just the sexually immoral, adulterers, and homosexuals, but idolaters, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, nor swindlers will not have a place or a portion in the kingdom of God.

You can’t get any clearer than that. It is God’s kingdom; therefore, He gets to decide what is acceptable and what is not acceptable in His kingdom. It is not up to us, and it’s not up to government and politicians. Do not believe those who present a Gospel that is different than the one we read in Scripture. Beware of teachers who preach a different Jesus than the one portrayed in Scripture. Jesus does not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

So, let us leave off the old self with all of its sins, lusts, and deceitful desires that corrupt, and let us put on Jesus. It is to Him that we must give an account. Jesus died for the whole world. He died for you and for me. Therefore, let us love Jesus and serve Jesus because He first loved us. He came to seek us. He came to serve and not to be served. Heavenly Father, please help me to put off my old self and put on Christ. Help me to turn away from sin and cling to holiness. Give me the strength to resist the devil that he might flee as Your word says. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Prepare For Thanksgiving

[19] And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. [20] They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. [21] The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children. ~ Matthew 14:19-21NIV

Both times, Jesus multiplied the bread and the fish. He never prayed for it to be multiplied. Jesus simply gives thanks for it. He then breaks it and gives it to His disciples to distribute. I want you to notice that there is no record of Jesus praying for a miracle. No record of Jesus praying for the loaves to multiply in order to feed the five or four thousand. The only thing Jesus does before breaking the food and handing it out, is give thanks for it.

Imagine, all Jesus did was give thanks and the food multiplied more than enough for five thousand men plus women and children. Let that sink in. A prayer of Thanksgiving is more powerful than we give it credit for. So many of us pray and pray for things to happen in our lives, but rarely do we see it come to pass. Could it be because we’re to give thanks and then act in faith? I’m not saying that we should stop asking for things, James says we have not because we ask not. Therefore, we must still have to ask for what we need, but this is giving thanks for what they had, and it multiplied to more than they needed.

In other words, if you have money but you can’t pay the bills because it’s not enough, you give thanks and then act in faith. If you have food to eat, but it’s not enough, you give thanks, and you act in faith. Now, I want you to understand that this isn’t a cheat code or a way to easy living. I’m not even saying this is the formula to always get what you have multiplied to what you need. Why? Because giving thanks will only work if your heart is pure and your prayers are heard.

Here’s what I mean. Jesus prayed every morning, regardless of how early it was or how late He went to bed the night before. It didn’t matter. Jesus got up early before His day’s work and prayed. I’m willing to bet He never prayed for less than an hour. He would never hold Prayer to a higher standard than He held Himself. Therefore, every morning Jesus prayed at least one hour. Then, every night, Jesus prayed. It didn’t matter how long of a day He had or how tired He was, or how late it was. Jesus secluded Himself and prayed. And when He prayed, He didn’t sleep. He didn’t get distracted. Jesus prayed.

How many of us can say that we do the same thing? How many of us can say we’ve followed in His footsteps? I know for myself, I can say with utmost confidence that I have not. I pray when I get up and I pray before I go to bed, but my prayers aren’t an hour in length. And if I’m really tired, I’ll fall asleep, wake up, and then have to apologize to God. While my spiritual growth has grown, I’m not there yet.

If we want to do miracles like Christ did and even greater ones like He promised, our spirit man has to be stronger. Our spirit man can’t be weak and our flesh control our lives. We have to be strong in the LORD. Our flesh has to be crucified each and every day. Our prayer life has to be strong. Our worship has to be strong. Our faith has to be strong, and the only way to strengthen our faith is to read the Word of God. Therefore, the time we spend in the Word has to be strong. Our walk with Christ has to be strong. Our good fruit-bearing has to be strong.

We can’t allow ourselves to think too much of ourselves than we ought, or we’ll never grow. We have to look at ourselves with honesty. These things need to change, so let me start with this one. And we tackle it one step at a time so that when we are in a situation where we need our bread and fish to multiply, our prayer of Thanksgiving will be heard by God and answered when we act in faith.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Prepare For Thanksgiving.

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A Lie Of A Parasite

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. ~ John 10:10

Today is National Sanctity of Life Day. This day was first proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 to honor the sanctity of human life and to mark the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade on January 22nd, 1973, which legalized abortion in the United States at a Federal level. Today, even though Roe v. Wade was overturned on June 24th, 2022, the life of the unborn is still not counted as a life worth saving or even as a life, period.

If you walk around any secular college today and ask them their view on abortion, they will tell you they’re not only for it, but it is a human right because the fetus inside of the woman is a literal parasite. Imagine, the living baby inside of its mother’s womb is a parasite to this up-and-coming generation.

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, a parasite is:

(Biology) An organism that lives and feeds on or in an organism of a different species and causes harm to its host.

Does that sound like the journey of pregnancy that each and every one of us experienced to get here? No. No, it does not. But this is what is being indoctrinated into our young people today. But why? Why is abortion being pushed on our society so aggressively? I believe it is because there is a darker, more sinister evil behind the scenes guiding those in power.

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.

John 10:10a

According to God, we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:14). We are knitted together and formed by Him in our mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5). No unborn child in their mother’s womb is a parasite. This lie is pushed by the enemy in order to demean and lower the value of human life, so that he can more easily convince us to help him destroy humanity as a whole.

Therefore, today, let us spend a little extra time in prayer for all the unborn children that are at risk of being aborted. Let us pray for repentance of all of the millions of unborn children that have already been needlessly aborted. And let us pray for an awakening and change in our society, so that we, as a nation, might see that all life starts at conception.

Dear LORD, I pray for forgiveness for our people and all of the innocent blood that has been shed on our land. I pray that You would have mercy on America and forgive us for allowing this unnecessary bloodshed to continue for so long. I ask that You would heal this land and send conviction over the land, that we might turn away from the altars of self-indulgence, and instead, turn our eyes back to You. Please help me to stand for righteousness regardless of where I am or who I am around. Help me to never cave to evil, but to always stand for good. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Sweet Deceitful Lips

[9]  How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? [10]  A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, [11]  and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. ~ Proverbs 6:9-11

Just as I believe there are good spirits, like the spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, and knowledge, I also believe there are evil spirits. Such as the spirit of fear, depression, suicide, and also the spirit of slumber. And the spirit of slumber has to be one of the sweetest evil spirits to every live. Here’s what I mean.

The spirit of slumber will whisper into your ear, you’ve had a rough night, go ahead sleep in a bit. Or you’ve had a long day, go ahead say a short prayer tonight. It’ll play into the desires of your flesh in order to stunt your growth.

Yes, sleep is a necessary part of your physical and mental health. It’s when your body heals and rejuvenates, but just like anything in excess, it can be bad for you. So many of us give into this spirit of slumber, myself included, and we miss out on things. We get behind on our goals, our spiritual life suffers, and we struggle to provide. When I look at successful people living out their dreams that werent born into that success but worked to get there, they all have something in common, none of them slept in. They all got up and got what needed to be done regardless of how tired they were. They got up and they worked and they worked until the day was done.

So many of us let life pass us by as we enjoy a nice sleep. As I stated earlier, I’m not excluded from this either, I love to sleep. I could just spend the whole day in my warm, comfy bed sleeping. I love to sleep, but what would that profit me? What good could that do for me? Nothing. The spirit of slumber will try to coerce you to take another five minutes because you’re really tired, just another five minutes because it was a rough night, then boom, it’s noon and your entire morning is gone.

Yes, we need sleep, but even if we miss out on getting enough the night before, it’s better for our bodies to get up early than to sleep in late. The spirit of slumber will tell you it’s better to sleep, but it’s been tested and proven that it’s better to get your body in a routine of getting up early regardless of how tired you are. This isn’t easy. This is a rough stronghold to tear down, but once you begin to tear down slumber, it’ll give way to other strongholds that were holding on through it. Because if you’re always tired or you’re always sleeping, then you’re unable to grow spiritually.

So, each morning when you’re too tired to get up, pray for strength and then get up and go. If you’re truly exhausted, get up and take a short nap later in the morning so that your body gets into a routine and can truly recover. But whatever you do, don’t listen to slumber’s sweet deceitful words.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Reject Slumbers Pillow Talk.

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Control The Inner Words

[5] We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. ~ 2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV

As I continue this journey of growth and self-awareness, I found that words aren’t as important as I once held them to be. Let me explain. See, I felt like if I just kept my mouth shut and didn’t speak, then that was enough. But you know what I didn’t take into account? My thoughts. See, our thoughts are direct connector between our words/actions and our hearts. Out of our hearts come all things. So, even though my words were being kept in check, my thoughts weren’t being as regulated.

My thoughts allowed for bitterness, resentment, rejection, anger, depression, and anxiety to not only dwell inside of me, but to grow. Why? Because I allowed the thoughts that I’ve been wronged to continue. Thoughts aren’t just insignificant, as Daddy puts it thoughts are words you say to yourself. And he’s right. We’re quicker to check the words coming out of our mouths, rather than the ones coming into our minds. In fact, the thoughts of mankind was the reason for the flood. Now, I know it’s popular to believe that the flood was because of the angels and women having children and the Nephilim, but the Bible never once says that. In fact, it specifically tells us why the LORD flooded the earth.

[5]  The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. [6] The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. [7] So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.”

Genesis 6:5-7 ESV/NIV

It was the thoughts that come out of the heart. It wasn’t the actions. It wasn’t the words. It was the thoughts. Your thoughts are a direct reflection of your heart. Why? Because it’s more honest than your mouth. Our words can be good sounding, but they have no meaning behind them, so they are meaningless.

[8] These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. [9]  They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.

Matthew 15:8-9 NIV

Our thoughts are more of a reflection of who we are than our words, because our words people can hear and judge, so we will filter. Our thoughts, however, aren’t as filtered because we know no one else hears them, but us. But this is a false feeling of security because even though no one else can hear our thoughts, our soul and our spirit hear our thoughts. And those words directly impact them for either good or evil. For either building up or destruction. So, we must take Paul’s words to heart and put them into action because

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

Romans 8:37 NIV

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Control The Inner Words.

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Pray For A Modern Day Miracle

Luke 17:6 NIV

[6] He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

Today is Pro-Life Sunday, the Sunday before National Sanctity of Life Day. The creation of National Sanctity of Life Day was rooted in response to Roe V. Wade. Today, however, Roe V. Wade is no longer in effect and has been overturned. I would say that this event, the overturning of Roe V. Wade on June 24, 2022 was nothing about of a modern-day miracle.

This Pro-Life Sunday, don’t forget to continue to pray for modern day miracles. Our God moved in the past, therefore He will move now. So pray in faith for the protection of all the unborn babies still in harms way. And pray that one day, abortion will no longer be legal. That mothers will no longer sacrifice their children on the alter of self.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Pray For Modern Day Miracles.

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I’ll Never Forget You

15 Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. 16 Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. ~ Isaiah 49:15-16

I know some will say that this portion of Scripture was written to the Jews and for Jerusalem, and they are right. Jerusalem was destroyed, and the Jews living there, along with the king and the royal family, and all the nobles, were taken into captivity. Through all the destruction and sorrow and pain that they suffered, despair began to set in. Zion, another name for Jerusalem, started to complain that the LORD had forsaken them, that their God had forgotten them. So, God sent them a reassuring promise.

God said, “Look, can a nursing mother forget the child of her womb?” Normally, a good mother will never forget the child she bore. But God continued, “Even if she does, it’s highly unlikely, but even if she does forget her child that she is nursing, whom she just gave birth to, I will never forget you. I can’t forget you, because I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” This is referring to Jesus’ crucifixion. The nails that were pounded into the palms of His hands, bursting through blood vessels and coming out on the other side, and then driven into the wooden beams of the cross, imprinted or engraved our names on the palms of His hands.

That is how I know that this promise is for us as well. Because Jesus did not die such a horrific and cruel death as death on a cross for the Jews of Jerusalem, only, but for us as well. Therefore, if our names were imprinted or engraved on the palms of His hands as well, how can He forget us? And if He cannot forget us, that means we are ever in His sight and on His mind.

There is nothing that you are going through or are experiencing that God does not know about. It may seem like you are in it all alone, and by yourself, but that is a lie from the enemy. Your God is there with you to shield you and to protect you. Yes, you may experience the storm. Yes, you may experience the earthquake, but God is right there just in case you stumble so that you will not fall. He will catch, He will lift you up. So, rejoice and be glad, for your God has not forgotten you. He is coming back one day to get us—all of us who have kept His commandments and who are waiting for His great return.

Father, thank You that You have not forgotten me. Please see the situation that I am in and give me peace in my storm. Speak to it so that it may calm. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.

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Shift The Focus To Yourself

John 15:1-2 CSB

[1]  I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. [2] Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit.

As I continue my journey, I found focusing on myself and less on others an instrumental part of growth. Now, on the surface, that sounds selfish, so let me further explain. When things happened, such as an argument or hurt feelings, or any negative situation, when I prayed about it or thought about it, everything was focused on what the other person did to me and their behavior. This just caused more and more resentment and anger in me. Why? Because I was focusing on that person and their actions instead of focusing on myself.

See, you can’t control how someone else will act, respond, or even treat you. You have no control over anyone but yourself. So, instead of my thoughts and prayers focused and centered around the other person, I make myself the center. If I’m hurting, I say, “LORD, I’m hurting. Please comfort me.” If I’m angry, I breathe in then out and say, “LORD, I’m angry. Please calm my spirit.” I don’t focus on how I’ve been wronged or mistreated. Instead, I focus on moving forward and the first step is fixing my mood. So that’s exactly what I do.

The more I do this, the more I feel genuine joy, peace, and comfort. Why? Because I’m no longer dwelling on how I’ve been wronged. Instead, I’m turning the other cheek, forgiving, letting go, and moving forward. Matter-of-fact, I find myself not getting angry, upset, annoyed, frustrated, or hurt by things people do that used to really bother me. The more I focus on me, the more God fixes me. The more God fixes me, the more I feel His love, and in return, the more I love. The more I love Him, the more I love life, and the more I love those around me.

This life we have is very short. It can all be over in the blink of an eye, so don’t live it focusing on the wrong that’s been done to you. Use it to focus on yourself and how you can love so that your life might consist of more love, joy, and peace.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Shift The Focus To Yourself.

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Let God Live

20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ~ Galatians 2:20NIV

Lately, I’ve been trying a new approach at life. I’ve been letting go of me, and welcoming in more of God. In other words, I’ve been putting up more of a fight to allow Christ to live through me, instead of allowing my flesh, feelings, emotions, etc. to dictate my life. Now, this is much easier said than done, but it has been working significantly in my life.

When things would become difficult and overwhelming the screams of “give up” “you can’t do it” “you’ll never succeed” used to blare so loud I could only panic and give up. Or when I was hurt shouts of “you’re never good enough” “no one cares about you” “you’ll never be enough” “no one really loves you” would get so loud depression would begin to sink in. Now, I simply pause.

I take a moment no matter where I’m at. No matter what I’m doing and I just pause. In that pause, I refuse to listen to any voice, and I just pray. I lift up that exact situation and my exact feelings to God and pray for peace. Throughout my day, I sing worship songs to keep me in a state of worship. When I feel anger or resentment begin to try to grab a hold of me I pause, breathe, and remind myself that this life isn’t mine. I was bought by a price. It’s no longer I who live, but Christ who lives through me. Therefore, if I have been wronged, Christ will defend me. Christ will vindicate me. My role is to simply forgive and keep going.

This hasn’t been an easy journey to get to a place where I feel genuine joy, even in stressful and overwhelming situations, but it has been a journey that is worth it. Each day, I wake up laying my whole life in the hands of God. I lift up things I’m stressed about before Him, and I leave it there at His feet. When it wants to try to stress me out because it hasn’t happened yet, I tell myself, no, God hasn’t failed me yet, so He won’t fail me now. And I keep moving. Every night, I thank Him for His mercies and His grace. I thank Him for all that He has done for me. Then I lay each and everything weighing me down, and I lay it at His feet. And then I just allow His love and His peace to consume me as I drift off into sleep.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Let God Live.

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