 In this season, take a moment and away from the hustle and bustle to not just give thanks like you have done in the past. But, Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart. Man looks on the outward, but God looks at the heart. So, what we say with our lips does not matter as much as what we say with our heart. Let your heart's expression be one a deep appreciation for His kindness toward you. No matter where you are in your life, the Lord has done marvelous things.
 Psalms 46:1 assures us that “God is a refuge and a very present help in the time of trouble”. He is near to the broken hearted and will comfort all who mourn. (Psalm 34:18 and Isaiah 61:2) We never know what will befall us. We truly do not know what we will have to face from day-to-day. We can only trust God, Who knows all, to carry and keep us in whatever state we may find ourselves in.
You, oh God, alone can hold us, keep us and sustain our weary souls. Do so Lord…Do so!  This blog is not to dismiss the role of pastors, teachers, evangelist, prophets or apostles that are, by God’s order, sent to equip the church according to Ephesians 4:11. It is to express that at some point we must learn to get our own food. Is this not what the equipping is all about? Spiritual food is what I am referring to. We go for natural goals very easy. We don’t wait for someone to constantly tell us what to do to get ahead, make money, improve life, etc. We further our education, set career goals and do a host of other things to progress naturally. But when it comes to spiritual things, too many times we wait for the Sunday feeding and that is the extent of our spiritual ingestion. In writing this blog, I want to say, “Get Your Own Food!” Food is the natural sustenance for survival. No one will survive on one meal a week. The result would be a tremendous loss of weight and bodily organs will begin to function improperly. Who can eat one time a week and be healthy and strong? Please respond to this blog and let me know. I do not believe the Lord designed the gathering of the church for his people to depend on a “weekly feeding” - eating one day a week and that is all the spiritual food until the next week. It is not his intention that we wait until Sunday morning to read the word, hear the word, sing unto Him new song, lift our hands, pray or worship. For some, this is what they do and they are experiencing spiritual malnutrition.
 Today is the day when our country celebrates our independence. It marks freedom to be independent states. It marked a breaking away of what was binding freedom – British rule. The Declaration of Independence was a written document that in essence said “We Are Free!” This is very important to our country. It demonstrated a resolve and strength to face that which was binding and constraining liberty. For this we should celebrate that someone stood up and said ‘No More!” Today, I celebrate my country and the freedom it affords me to write this very blog without constraint. I am grateful to live in a country where I can voice my opinion as well as share my thoughts and concerns. All may not agree, but that’s ok. Is that not what having freedom is about? We do not have to condemn others because they exercise their freedom to think independently.
Recent events have come to stifle the freedom “to be”. Some want to muzzle the mouth of those who do not believe in their ways by placing a gag order in many subtle ways. Whatever side of the table you are on with the issues of the day, you are free to stay on that side, but don’t stifle and suppress those on the other side. Have healthy debates, but don’t muzzle.  “Lay Down” is a soaking music recording from the music ministry team at Apostolic Training Center where my dear friend and mentor, Apostle Verna Broady, has the honor of God to feed His flock. Soaking is a new terminology to many, but some are very familiar with its meaning. Soaking, simply put, is the same concept of a sponge placed in water. Once the dry sponge hits the water, it is consumed with the water. This is what happens when our dry and thirsty soul contacts the presence of God. We are consumed and saturated with the refreshing water of His presence and absorb his love, wisdom and knowledge to walk this life’s journey that has been set for us. Music has the power to make us excited or subdued. It places us in a place of relaxation to hear and be at peace. This is the purpose of Soaking Music. Singing, prayer and instruments are used to bring us to that place of peace and rest. This is just my synopsis and short explanation. If you would like to order this first of many recordings from the Apostolic Training Center’s team, please click here.
Fathers are very important to the family. No matter how society degrades the value of the father. This does not degrade their importance. If you are a father that has not had any contact with your child or children, take heart and know that you are important and they do need you to speak positive words of love to them. Also, understand that the heavenly Father is the one that created the idea of the father in the family. So, refocus and if you do not know how to be a father, seek the Lord and He will lead and guide you into all the truth necessary to be a godly father. 
 Knowing Truth is the key to freedom and liberty. John 8:32 tell us, “You shall Know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free”. In this passage, the word “Know” means to perceive, understand, to be aware of, be sure and have knowledge. This is powerful, because once you and I have knowledge, understand and perceive truth, we are liberated from fear, doubt, unbelief and other uncertainties that keep us in a state of bondage. The covers are lifted and truth is no longer concealed behind a veil. When liberated we automatically come into realizations and revelations we did not have before.
 Perhaps I should not get All Spun Up about everything that comes into my life. Or, I should reserve that energy for certain things that call for spun up energy. Why do I say this? Because God has my life in His hands and He knows that plans for me according to Jeremiah 29:11. He knows what it will take to get me to that expected end. Therefore, there are paths I will walk that will be both pleasant and unpleasant. I may not understand what I experience in its totality, but I know that my life in in His hands and He will allow what He has approved. I just have to make sure I am not willingly giving the enemy access to my through sin and disobedience.
As I was all spun up about a situation, I thought about Job. You know, Job could not be touched in certain areas of his life because God had a shield of protection around him against the enemy. The only way that enemy could touch Him was through permission from God. The enemy was fully aware of the hedge and he knew he was limited to what he could and could not do to Job. He could only touch Job in the way he did after the hedge was moved. |
Welcome to Bloggin' The Journey @ the E-Place where there will be a variety of blog posts for you to both read and provide wholesome comments for the encouragement of others. Archives
November 2017
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