Sistas Saving Sistas for Christ
Sistas Saving Sistas for Christ
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
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Where Are You?
Not too long ago, I was home sitting upstairs reading and pondering on Jeremiah 29:11 and Jeremiah 1. While looking at Jeremiah 1, I heard someone say, “Where are you? So I got up and was thinking to myself, “Hey, there is no one here. “and then I responded, “Up here.” Thinking maybe Shell or my sister in law was home but no one answered back and I said, “Hello, who’s down there?” But there was no response. So I went down to see who may have been down there and after checking the whole house, no one was there. When I came back upstairs and looked at Jeremiah 1 again. I heard someone say again, “Where are you?” This time I said, while talking to myself, “Wow, He’s talking to me.”
Now lets's take a look at the text in Jeremiah 1: 5-10 Here is Jeremiah at the age of 17 years old. Jeremiah was called to be a prophet who spoke messages to the present that had future ramifications. Jeremiah was a forth teller more so that a fore teller. He was called to expose the sins of the people and to get them to go back to the covenant of God. The thing is Jeremiah did not want to accept the calling initially. Isn’t it funny how many of God’s prophets were not interested in becoming God’s spokesmen. You remember Moses gave the excuse that he wasn’t eloquent enough, Isaiah said that “he was a man of unclean lips. And Jonah being told to go and preach in Nineveh goes in the opposite direction.
There are just a few points I want to make in reference to what God was sharing with me as I read the text.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5
1. We are appointed by God.
God already knew Jeremiah’s strengths and weaknesses. God knew what Jeremiah would possess during this particular time in Israel’s history. You see God has already set Jeremiah apart for this time of his young adult life. Leading up to this point God was preparing Jeremiah. It didn’t happen right away Well, you may be saying, “What does that have to do with me?” Well, we may not all be like Jeremiah but one thing is for sure, God knew us before He formed us. He knew what our weaknesses, our strengths, our abilities as well as what our limitations would be. Rom 8:29, “For whom He foreknew, he also predestined us to become conformed to the image of Hid Son that He might be the firstborn of many brethren.” You might have been given a task by God. Where are you?
2. We make too many excuses.
Jeremiah 1:6 “Then I said, Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “Behold, I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
As you can see Jeremiah was like, “Woe, Lord, slow down here, First of all, I am not that great of a speaker and if you haven’t noticed I am way too young for this position. But little did he know that God knew him better than he knew himself. In more ways than one, Jeremiah was unsure if he was the right person for the job. There are times when we too have felt like Jeremiah making excuses that we are not qualified for the task. God can take your insufficiencies and make them sufficient unto Him. He already knows what we are capable of doing. Making excuses only stifles what God has for us. As Christians, we find all sort of excuses as to not trusting or obeying the voice of God. Isn’t amazing how some people in the world who are not Christians put their faith and belief in what they should be doing without reservations or fear. They just do it and become successful. Where are you?
3. Trusting in God with No Fear
Jeremiah 1:7 “But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.”
God was saying to Jeremiah, “Don’t speak against what I have created you to be and do. Look it’s not about how old, it is more so how much I desire to trust and obey God. He was looking as to what he couldn’t do but it wasn’t about his words to say to the people, but God’s word to him as to what to say to the people. God is trying to let us know where to go and what to say but unfortunately, we tend to put what God planned for us to the side because of lack of trust and fear. We really don’t believe that we have the ability to complete the mission. That my Brothers and Sisters is called not trusting God and by doing so we place doubt in the word of God. When we choose to do what we or man wants rather than obey God’s command we are rejecting His Lordship on our lives.
God has given us a promise just as He did with Jeremiah. He knew, He chose and He appointed him. In other words, God’s promises will allow us to let go of whatever plans that we have and receive His plans without fear. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “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 a hope and a future." So, trust God and the words that He speaks to us.
Once you realize that you have been appointed, you don’t need to make excuses. Start trusting God more because He promised that He will be with you through it all. God always equips those whom He calls. Remember it’s not about what we say or do but what God has empowered in us to say and do.
Til next time,
Minister Washington
Prayer of Faith
Dear Lord,
We thank you for your relentless love. You follow after us so hard when we are not where we need to be. You have your hand on us even when we are far away from you and we love you for it. Help us to return to where we need to be, doing what we were called to do. We want to be a blessing to those you have called us to bless and minister to. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Something Is Waiting for You
"And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” Exodus 3:9-11
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
This weekend I was blessed to attend a Women's Conference from Thursday till Saturday. The theme was "Iron Sharpens Iron". I wasn't really sure what to expect but I was expecting God to show up as He usually does. I was seeking confirmation in reference to some things that God was telling me to do.
The first night of the conference was good but I still hadn't heard from God. The word that night was excellent but it wasn't the word for me. I really can't explain it. There is something about when you hear Gods voice for your specific need. I guess God was giving me a rest because it was the first night and I was tired but let me tell you on Friday afternoon God came through using one of the speakers and I just kept fighting tears that entire day.
The speaker was speaking about being Intentional about whatever you are called to do. She referenced the scripture where God told Moses that he has been hearing the cries of His people and that Moses needed to go to Pharaoh so the people could be delivered.
Brothas and Sistas, she said, "God hears the crying of His people and He has to waste time trying to convince Moses to Go." OMG! that really ripped through me. She said a lot of other things but that sat in my spirit all day. I immediately envisioned people crying and unable to get deliverance because God is still trying to convince me to do what He has equipped me to do. My God!!! The thought that someone is in limbo because I am struggling with fear, doubt etc., instead of just trusting God and preparing for the assignment.
God gives each of us a particular assignment and because we don't see ourselves as God sees us we try to avoid it as if God doesn't know what He is talking about. We act as if God is confused. Brothas and Sistas, if God called you for a particular purpose and He has called each of us for a specific purpose we need to trust Gods decision even if it appears way too big when we look with our physical eyes.
Our assignment is not for us but its for others. Our gifts are for the edification of the body. God made a deposit in us before the foundation of the world and that deposit (gifting) has a destiny attached to it. When we are disobedient it not only affects us but those that the assignment is attached took.
Brothers and Sistas, I plead with you that if you know what your assignment is with the guidance of the Holy Spirit operate in it even if it scares you because someone is waiting for you.
Be blessed,
Gina M
Prayer
Father, God
We ask for forgiveness for every time you have told us to move in a particular area and we've made excuses because of fear or doubt or just lack of trust. Father, cast down any obstacle that the enemy places in our path that keeps us from our purpose. We thank you that you would even use us as part of the plan. Father, prepare us for the people that you have assigned to us and show us how to prepare. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
The Pursuit of Excellence
"Therefore my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lords work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." I Corinthians 15:58
Good morning my Brothas and Sistas,
In order for us to pursue excellence we must first understand the meaning of excellence. Excellence means the fact or condition of excelling, superiority, surpassing goodness. Perfection means the act of perfecting, completion, fulfillment, finishing, ending, impeccability, flawlessness, and faultlessness. It is amazing how we excel in basketball, football, baseball, cooking, grooming ourselves, jobs, and businesses but there is little excellence in pursuing godliness. Instead we pursue perfection in the areas that the world deems important.
Listen Brothas and Sistas, perfection is not attainable and chasing it is pointless. Excellence on the other hand means not letting yourself off the hook, not cutting corners where it counts, and not coping out. It is being extraordinary which requires doing extra....and guess what? Extra isn't always easy. If you want to be a cut above your competition or to be an expert in your field or have a name that stands out among your customers or clients then you must strive for excellence. You have to know when you are giving too much attention to things that don't really matter and when to give extra attention to those that do.
II Corinthians 8:7 says, "But as you excel in everything, in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in all eagerness and the love from us that is in you, make sure that you excel in this act of kindness too."
I Thessalonians 4:1, 11 says, " Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk) that you may excel still more..... So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God." NASB
Matthew 23:37-38 says, "Jesus said to him "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, this is the first and greatest commandment."
Brothas and Sistas, from these verses it clearly shows that God wants us, His people, to abound or excel in both what we are (inward character) and in what we do(behavior or good deeds). It seems obvious that there is no way one can love God with all his heart without seeking to do his or her best to the glory of God. You see the pursuit of excellence is both a goal and a mark of spiritual maturity. However, for this to be true, the pursuit of excellence must be motivated by the right values, priorities, and motives. If we go astray the the pursuit of excellence can quickly become a mark of immaturity and a result of our own obsession with our own significance.
Brothas and Sistas, excellence means being your best. Excellence means being better tomorrow that you were yesterday. Excellence means matching your practice with your potential. Pursuing excellence comes from doing the best we can with the gifts and abilities God gives, giving our best to the glory of God. But it is done without the spirit of competition or seeking to excel simply to be better than others. Excellence includes doing common everyday things but in very uncommon ways regardless of whether people are watching. The reality is that God sees our work and rewards us accordingly.
"Therefore my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lords work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." I Corinthians 15:58
God Bless,
Minister Antonio Washington
Prayer of Faith
Dear Lord,
We praise your great name. Help us to pursue excellence daily. There are times when we want to cut corners or take the easy way out of doing things. The way of excellence can be hard but we know that we can do anything through you who strengthens us. Bless our efforts. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
The Power of Love
https://youtu.be/h5Ua835sudU Slow Jam
"But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” Ruth 1: 16 - 17
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
I was talking to a young lady and I just happened to ask her if she was married and she said, "Yes." But when I inquired about her husband her response was very shallow. So when she inquired about different places she wanted to travel to I asked her, "Who would watch your daughter? Would it be your husband?" She replied. "No, my mother would watch her." I asked, "Is your mother watching your daughter because your husband is busy." She replied, "No." and I said, "I take it that you and your husband are separated." And she said, "Yes." She went on to give the reason eventhough I didn't ask. She said they were separated because he was repeating the same offense over and over. So I asked her "Do you love him?" and she answered, "Yes, I do, very much even to the point where I have reconciled with him four times for the same thing. "
This couple have been together thirteen years but have been married one and a half years. I asked her if she would be willing to take him back again and she said, "Yes." Then I asked her, "Why?" She said, "I love him very much even with his faults."
Brothas and Sistas, eventhough they were going through some issues in their marriage she loved him in spite of this one particular fault. She did not have justifiable grounds according to the word of God to divorce him but she decided to separate so that he can have time to get it together. Most people would have walked away by now but her love for him has withstood the test of time.
Brothas and Sistas, has the power of love in your marriage withstood trials? Has the power of love withstood the test of time in your marriage? Are you in it to win it? “God intends and expects marriage to be a lifetime commitment between a man and a woman, based on the principles of biblical love. The relationship between Jesus Christ and His church is the supreme example of the committed love that a husband and wife are to follow in their relationship with each other.” ~ John C. Broger
Take care till next week.
Minister Antonio Washington
Prayer of Faith
Dear Lord,
Thank you for your commitment to our marriages. Help us to trust you with our marriages. May we fully commit them to you as we stay committed to one another. In Jeus name we pray. Amen.
Should We Love Ourselves As Christ Loves Us
Good Morning Brothers and Sisters,
I hope everyone had a chance to clean out their Tea Cupboards and make room for some new and amazing Brews that God has designed for you and you alone.
Today I feel led to talk about some of the pressures that society places on us, woman in particularly, even more so some that we place on ourselves. Are we to drink of the brew of self love or as I prefer to a call this brew a little something different, The Brew of Loving myself as Christ loves me? I distinguish this brew from brews that are much more worldly. I don't love myself in or by a worldly standard. I am talking about a brew of faith, belief in Christ and who He says you and I are in His eyes.
Brothers and Sisters, lets grab our tea cups as we look at the lives of some women I have known and my own story of lack of self love that plummeted into many pits of despair, darkness, and great sin.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, I have heard just in the past week that several of my beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ who are walking with Him and some that aren't share the same theme in their brew, which involves a sense of worthlessness. They believe that somehow they have done or been or committed terrible things in the brews they have chosen and now have them feeling lost, hopeless, desperate, worthless, unlovable, to messed up to ever have intimacy with the Father or a life partner. So you see they don't see the Father's tender hands and open arms waiting for them, longing for them. He is ready to unleash all the loving comfort and assurance that they need right where they are now, if they would just lift their eyes to see and a heart to hear.
They are each in the need of the brew of Faith, Hope, and God's Truth. God says that once we are His daughters nothing can separate us from His Love. You see Sisters, it doesn't matter how many brews of Sin, Self destruction, Sorrow, Poor Choices, and distance we have drank, the King and Savior of the universe is still with me and you. We must confess our sins to the Lord Jesus and once we do they are cleansed and we are forever more.
I know from personal experience what each of those brews and may other destructive brews can do. Yet I sit here this morning with a heart full of love and hope and I am able to love me; the good, the bad and the sometimes ugly. I'm able to do so because I met the Father and Savior when I finally came to the end of myself. Sisters, I am only able to do this because I began drinking the brew of Christ Confidence and love for me and every one of you. Christ does not desire that any of us would lay in despair without his comfort there for us.
Christ Confidence, what is this brew all about? He designs this brew differently for each us depending on what our defeat and loss of self love for whichever pit we are sitting in. He designs a brew that is exactly what He knows we need to get back to Him. I have learned that this brew can be considered worldly but if you are careful and certain that you are to drink the Brew of Self Love that Christ created and poured for you rest assured worldliness can be poured from the same tea pot that Christ is pouring into our despair. Please know and share with every person you encounter that is in need of such a brew. Be confident that He will brew for them the exact brew they are in need of at that moment.
The difference between the Brew of Self Love that is of this world is one that makes us selfish and desiring only to please ourselves; our "Adam and Eve" complex. When we drink from this cup we are only seeking to serve ourselves not our Lord or the world He created and entrusted to us.
The brew I am speaking of is a brew of Loving acceptance that you are perfect the way Christ, the Lord God made you. And that He created you to be someone that has a life that reveals truth and shines His light of love to a dark and hurting world. Sisters, we will never be taken serious or have the impact that this Brew has the potential for if we don't first love ourselves as Christ loves us.
As I mentioned I have a few dear Sisters that are struggling to find their way to this brew. They are each in different places on the path towards the Tea Cupboard yet they each have their own struggles in reaching it. Some have forgotten what it was like to be enveloped in His amazing Love and being at the center of His will for their lives. Some feel are so alone and have forgotten that they don't recall how VERY MUCH He loves them. Some are a bit further down the path to where this brew awaits them. They may be struggling but they see the steam from the Tea Pot and are headed directly towards it. Others still yet don't know, understand or have ever experienced a dynamic loving all encompassing real relationship with Christ. They have believed but not yet walked with Him.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, there are so many different reasons, trials, failures, loss, defeat, lack of understanding and darkness that Satan pours in to our Tea Cups. These brews need to be replaced with the truths of God and Christ. So here are few to help you find your way on the path to self love, so that you can understand and experience Christ's love for you. Additionally, so that you will have several reference points to turn to when you are in despair the following will help you know without a shadow of doubt that the Father loves you and knows that you are more precious than gold or any other thing that He could choose.
You are His chosen daughters and Love(s) of His Life. Before I list all the promises of God there is one brew that I hold tightly too. That is the Brew that God's love will endure forever and that He loves me besides my sin. He promises that once we are His, He will never stop seeking after us. He promises that His Love will always be available to us. We need nothing more than to seek Him earnestly even in our weakest moments. He will meet us there and pour the perfect brew to fill us with His love, salvation and redemption.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, I pray that you find the strength through Him today to once again allow the Father and Savior, Jesus Christ to love you. To do this you must once again believe with whatever amount of hope and faith you can muster up that you are worthy of His love because you are. After all He created you to love you. He died on the cross to save you and He arose again to give you everlasting life. Take and drink these brews as He brewed them specially and uniquely for each of us.
God's Promises
What can be said about God's promises to us?
1. He has promised to supply every need we have. The Bible says: "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus". That's Philippians 4:19. Now notice, God has obligated Himself only to the extent of our needs. That would include food, clothing, shelter, companionship, love, and salvation through Jesus Christ. It would not include the multiplicity of luxuries that we have come to think of as needs.
2. God has promised that His grace is sufficient for us. (II Corinthians 12:9). in fact, He has made provision for our salvation by His grace through faith. Read Ephesians 2:8. It is through an obedient faith that we have access into the grace of God according to Romans 5:2.
3. God has promised that His children will not be overtaken with temptation. Instead, He assures us that a way of escape will be provided. This promise is recorded in I Corinthians 10:13. Jude wrote: "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present your faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy." (Jude v 24). Darius, King of the Medes, said to Daniel, "Thy God whom thou serve continually, he will deliver thee" (Daniel 6:16). He did deliver Daniel from the den of lions.
4. God has promised us victory over death. He first resurrected Jesus by way of assuring our resurrection. Peter said: "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses" (Acts 2:32). Paul wrote to the Corinthians: "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (I Corinthians 15:3,4). Later on he adds: "but thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (I Corinthians 15:57).
5. God has promised that all things work together for good to those who love and serve Him faithfully (Romans 8:28). It may be difficult for us to see and understand how this is accomplished at times, but God has promised it and He will deliver.
6. God has promised that those who believe in Jesus and are baptized for the forgiveness of sins will be saved. (Read Mark 16:16 and Acts 2:38).
7. God has promised His people eternal life (John 10:27,28).
In closing, let me appeal to you to live so that the promises of God will be yours.
Love,
Tabby
Learning to Let Go
"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 future." Jeremiah 29:11
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
Life's lessons are so hard to learn at times. There are times when I would rather hit the reset button in order to avoid one of God's teachable moments. I do this especially when I know the end result can be painful. And I bet you do to.
One of those lessons just happen to deal with letting go of those whom we love. Brothas and Sistas, I know you must struggle with this too. There are some people that we love and admire so dearly that we are willing to disobey the promptings f the Holy Spirit in order to keep them close to us when He has clearly told us that keeping the relationship is more harmful than letting go.
Brothas and Sistas, we must learn to let go of people not only for our good but for their good as well. Believe it or not holding on is a form of idolatry. Anything or anyone that we cling to over doing God's will we unknowingly put in His place. His will should always be at the core of our Christian walk. It so easy to place people on the throne and develop unhealthy codependent alliances of which we can find ourselves compromising the very convictions that we are supposed to hold high.
Here is the question I pose to you.... How much of God's will are you willing to compromise at the expense of receiving His best because you are holding on to a relationship that He has clearly told you to let go of? Brothas and Sistas, learn to let go. Letting go not only brings you new found freedom but it frees the one that you are trying to hold on to. Amen.
Blessings,
Denise
Prayer of Faith
Thank you Lord for teaching us life's lessons. Help us to let go when we try so desperately to hold on to those you have told us to let go of. May we trust you more than we trust our emotions. We desire to have you and not people on the throne. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Marriage - Am I Responding to My Vows God's Way or My Way
http://youtu.be/YOKq1VmEbtc Old Skool
“Marriage is a total commitment and a total sharing of the total person with another person until death.” ~ Wayne Mack
Malachi 2:14,15 "But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant."
Good morning to you both,
Brothas and Sistas, as we seek to understand the marital vows let's look at the vows concerning "for better or for worse". Brothas and Sistas, what does for better or for worse mean to you. “For better or for worse” is a commitment by the marriage partners to rise-up together against those things that would threaten the marriage covenant relationship such as attraction for/from someone of the opposite sex towards a marriage partner, dealing with rebellious children, blended family conflict, etc.,
Believe it or not, there are some things that we just need to have enough spiritual gumption or perseverance to work through. Brothas and Sistas, it is never an option to bail out at the first sign of trouble or conflict. The Christian life calls us to a life of perseverance and commitment. We must learn the importance of prayer and trusting God when it comes to conflict in our marriages.
The Bible presents marriage as a divine institution. If marriage were of human origin, then human beings would have a right to decide the kind of marital relationships to choose. Marriage, however, began with God. It was established by God at the beginning of human history when He "created the heavens and the earth" (Gen 1:1). As the Creator of marriage, God has the right to tell us which principles should govern our marital relationships.
Commitment is a mindset, an attitude and a way of thinking that will enable you and your spouse to navigate through the still waters and the storms of a marriage relationship. Charles Swindoll (Strike the Original Match) compares working on marriage to remodeling a house:
It takes longer than you planned
It costs more than you figured
It is messier than you anticipated
It requires greater determination than you expected
Sometimes the only thing that keeps us going is hope!
Now Brothas and Sistas, there may be some of you asking the question: What if I am involved in an abusive marriage or a marriage where my spouse continues to commit adultery? Brothas and Sistas, let's make it clear it is never healthy to remain in a relationship with someone that is consistently abusive or commits adultery without genuine repentance. We are not giving you advice to divorce your spouse if this is occurring in your relationship because that is a decision that has to be Spirit led and it is your decision to make.
On the other hand, we have witnessed spouses being told that
they are bound by their marital vows to stay in a marriage even when they have been victims of domestic violence and adultery. They have been made to feel guilty by being consistently reminded that they are called by God to forgive and love unconditionally regardless of how many times their spouse breaks the marital vows.
Brothas and Sistas, does “for better or for worse” mean that you are married for life — regardless of the violations committed against you in the marriage? The answer is No! Nor has it ever meant that. As we have said before, in counseling sessions some spouses have been told that they are called by God to maintain a relationship with someone even when he or she is repeatedly destructive toward them. In other words, "For better or worse."
But is that counsel truly biblical? Are we ever permitted to end a relationship or distance ourselves from someone because of their unchanged sinful behavior? God's love for humankind is unconditional but he does not offer anyone unconditional relationship. He tells us that our sin separates us from him and that without repentance we have no fellowship with him (1 John 1:6). Our sin does not separate us from God’s love (Romans 5:8) but it does separate us from his presence (Isaiah 59:1-2). Jesus distanced himself from certain religious leaders because he didn’t trust them. He knew what was in their heart (John 2:24). Throughout much of the Old Testament, God withdraws his presence from his people because of unrepentant sin. God calls people to a covenant relationship that is like a marriage. He not only wants us to enjoy his love, he wants us to love him back (Deuteronomy 6:5). He not only promises us his faithfulness, he requires that we be faithful in return (Deuteronomy 4:23-24). The book of Hosea is a picture of God’s love for his unfaithful spouse (Israel). He longs for her, but his relationship with her will remain broken until she is willing to change. http://www.leslievernick.com/pdfs/IS-Marriage-SUPPOSED-to-be-for-Better-or-for-Worse-FR.pdf
In this sinful world there is no perfect person and in every relationship there is some brokenness and suffering. That’s why Jesus tells us that when someone sins against us, we are to go and talk to that person so that we can be reconciled. However, he also adds, if they refuse to hear you after you have repeatedly tried to get them to listen, "treat them as you would a pagan and a tax collector" (Matthew 18:15-17). Jesus says, if there is no repentance, the relationship you once had changes. Pagans and tax collectors were not trusted, nor were they friends, although a good Jew would help a pagan or tax collector who was in need, fulfilling the biblical mandate to love one’s enemy. http://www.leslievernick.com/pdfs/IS-Marriage-SUPPOSED-to-be-for-Better-or-for-Worse-FR.pdf
In conclusion, when dealing with the marital vows, "For better or for worse" let's ask ourselves, "Am I responding to these vows God's way or my way?" Brothas, and Sistas, in order for us to have successful marriages we must respond to these vows in a godly way even when conflict arises. Until next time. Take care.
Minister Antonio and Sista Michelle Washington
Let's Pray
Dear Lord,
We praise your great name for the spouses that you have blessed us with. We realize that you have joined us together and for this we are so grateful. Please continue to bless our marriages. Help us to honor you by continuing to love the ones that we are with. May we always honor the marital vows that we made toward our spouses. We pray all these things in your praiseworthy name, Jesus. Amen.
http://youtu.be/qmrrh1kTYvg Dinner Theater Presentation
A Brew of True Riches
Romans 11:33 New International Version (NIV) "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!"
Job 36:18 New International Version (NIV) "Be careful that no one entices you by riches; do not let a large bribe turn you aside."
Proverbs 11:28New International Version (NIV) "Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf."
Isaiah 45:3 New International Version (NIV) "I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places,so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name."
Ephesians 1:18 New International Version (NIV) "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people."
Romans 9:23 New International Version (NIV) "What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory—"
Colossians 2:2 New International Version (NIV) "My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ."
Good Morning Brothers and Sisters in Christ! I pray that this morning you awoke in the loving truth of Christ Jesus and the unconditional love that He has for you.
Let's grab our Tea Cups and head over to the Grand Brew Masters Table and see what He has for us to sip upon today.
Have you ever wondered what "Riches" God is referencing in the bible? Money is mentioned 140 times in the King James Version of the Bible. If we include the words gold, silver, wealth, riches, inheritance, debt, poverty, and related words. As I have mentioned before that if there is word or theme that God chooses to use to teach us through His Good Word and it is repeated over and over then it's one we likely better pay attention too. God uses these words throughout the old testament and the new testament, in my view making the worth of these words even greater.
How would you define riches? What do you think the world and society are telling us and that we are often believing about riches or money? Do you think that you personally may fall into the category of someone with great wealth or riches by the worlds standards? Do you think that your minor children may fall into the category as some of the riches in the world, just based on the allowance you have provided them? Well I was surprised to really get an actual factual understanding of this a few years ago at a Toby Mac and Mandisa Concert. They were supporting a great cause "Feed the Children." During Toby Mac's into for this charity he shared with the audience that we are in the top 1% of the world wealthiest. Then he went onto to share that this includes our minor children here in the USA. This is true even if you are only making minimum wage. Crazy right. Yet are we ever satisfied? Do we always hunger for more money, more stuff, or ___________________. I think to be completely honest I fall into that category of wanting more, stuff, more money, more time, more and more...
Brothers and Sisters, do we believe that stuff, money, power, influence are they these the riches that God speaks of in His word? Are these the riches that He is storing away in the heavenly's for you and I and our families and friends? I don't believe so, I believe that what God wants us to remember and to be sipping in daily is that the only True Riches come out of life devoted to Christ Jesus. A life filled with His Spirit with His Will, and His hand in and upon everything we do.
How is that we are so easily distracted and mislead to believing that earthly things could ever be what complete us and make us whole? To be completely honest it's very easy with the culture and world we live in, especially in the USA. We are taught from the youngest of ages that we must strive to be the best so that we can go to the best schools, get the best paying job and then work hard to live out a life of luxury. Now Brothers and Sisters I am not saying that any of these things alone are bad, wealth and riches, and influence and power can all be used by our Lord Jesus Christ to do and change this world. The dilemma that we face is do we follow the worlds standards and leadings or do we follow Christ's.
This is a heavy brew and honestly a rather bold tea leaves that have been steeped for us today. How do we move forward and receive the true riches that God speaks of desiring to shower us with? Here are a few ideas that I feel the Lord placed on my heart.
1. Ask myself why I am pursing that new job, bigger pay day, bigger house,
car etc..
2. If the Lord blesses me with this bigger, better _________________ who will I choose to say it belongs to me or the Lord?
3. If the Lord were to shower me with financial riches who would I bless or who would I say blessed me with the monies?
4. Am I pursuing heavenly riches that can be stored for eternity or am I settling for man- made man defined riches that will turn sour and bad like Manna in the desert if it were hoarded?
5. Do I sit ever in the quietness of God and thank Him for the abundant blessings He has already provided me?
6. Have I taken a recent inventory of my stuff and resources and asked God who I could bless with overflowing abundance?
Brothers and Sisters, this Brew is not intended to make you weary it is rather to build up and remind you all of the amazing riches you have simply in your salvation and redemption. Keep this truth close to your heart, soul and lip. My greatest riches were bought and paid for me at a price that I could never have compiled all because Jesus loved me first. Remember that even if you had all the wealth and resources of the world at your disposal it still wouldn't be enough to buy or pay for the debt that was paid in full on the cross for you and me.
Brothers and Sisters, I pray that we will each choose to remember where are riches come from and who is the daily provider of them for all of eternity. May we do right by the Savior who gave up the dominion and power, crowns of gold and jewels to come to earth as a human baby. Then to give his life over to death on the cross, only to rise again and save us all.
It's my prayer for each of you that shared this brew with me today that God pours out great blessings and many heavenly riches for all your days.
It's my prayer for each of you that shared this brew with me today, that God pours out great blessing and many heavenly riches for all your days.
Till next week,
Love,
Tabby
Run
https://youtu.be/iliLWUGcJ2A?list=PLbIwq6HuKrKw9-c63LJcynWeuJ6IjxOpx
"Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh! Don't take the Holy Spirit living inside of you, where you will shame His name. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of the light. For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true." Ephesians 5:8-9
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
One thing I know for sure if I don't know anything else....every victory over sin makes us stronger and every time we yield to sin it weakens us. The bible tells us to run from sin. Brothas and Sistas, just remember the devil won't bother you while your living in sin. He will bother you when you are trying to get out of sin.
Here are just a few things we need to avoid in our walk with Christ.
Idolatry: "So my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols!" I Corinthians 10:14
"Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust, instead pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts." II Timothy 2:22
Materialism: "Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. There trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment." I Timothy 6:17
Sexual Immorality: "Run from sexual sin!!! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God brought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body." I Corinthians 6:18-20
Brothas and Sistas, there's no way we can ever win this war against sin in our own strength! Draw near to God! Draw near to His truth and Run!!!! Run from sin!
"We hold the absolute Truth within us through the presence of Jesus, who came to sanctify us by His truth. His word, His truth—purifies and cleanses us—preventing spiritual truth decay" (John 17:17) David Jeremiah
Peace and Blessings,
Renee
Prayer of Faith
Lord, I praise you for being LORD of our lives. There is so much to thank you for, in good and bad times. We will continue to trust you as you help us to run from sin. You have always proven yourself over and over again. You are faithful God in all that you are and do. We praise your righteous and holy name!!! In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
What Does Gods Love look Like
“As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.“ Joshua 24:15a
Good Morning Brothas and Sistas,
As Joshua prepared the children of Israel it was clear who his first priority was;those he had control over; his house and his family. God's love is the first and foremost important thing we can teach our families. The family is the first foundation God created. He created the man first as head of the home and then the wife as his help meet and then the children to follow in the parents' examples and guidelines.
Saints, it is clear God intended for us to learn what His love looks like through the experience of our home life. Sometimes we get frustrated with one another, ridicule one another, judge, scream, holler and use inappropriate language but that's the time we have to pause and show godly compassion to build a strong foundation based on Gods love; always willing to encourage and give praise regardless. We are obligated to carry out God's plan of love in the home just as Joshua prepared the children we must prepare ours.
Love,
Josette
Our Daily Bread/Prayer Time
“As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.“ Joshua 24:15a
Dear Lord,
You are such a great God and worthy of all our praise. We pray that we would be a living example of your faithfulness and integrity to our family members especially our children. May they see Christ in us daily. We pray all these things in your precious name, Jesus. Amen.
Healed But Not Delivered
Those Damaging Soul Ties
"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh" (Genesis 2:24).
Brothas and Sistas, we are going to take a break from our testimony and concentrate on expounding on the issue of family involvement in our marriages. We want to look at the family from God's point of view and talk about a phenomenon called unhealthy soul ties. The bible says, the husband is to leave his mother and father and cleave to his wife so that they may become one flesh. When it comes to the husbands immediate family his wife and children should be his primary focus. Whenever there is a strong connection with the family after holy matrimony has taken place between husband and wife there is a real strong possibility that there may be an unhealthy soul tie present that needs to be broken.
From the very beginning God’s intention has been that the man and woman’s soul ties with their parents should be broken prior to marriage. If this soul tie is not broken before the marriage it can have damaging effects. One problem could be that you are so busy comparing your spouse to your mother or father you can't even enjoy your spouse. Sistas, your husband is not your father. And Brothas, your wife is not your mother; so stop comparing the two.
The definition of a soul tie is the joining or knitting together of the bonds of a relationship. Godly soul ties occur when like-minded believers are together in the Lord: friends, marriage partners, believers to pastors, etc. Relationships that lack ‘God-centeredness’ can result in ungodly soul ties between friends, parents and children, siblings, marriage partners, former romantic or sexual partners, domineering authorities, etc. An unhealthy attachment with another can bring about a psychic control that can adversely affect ones life. Man’s soul consists of his mind, emotions, and will. A soul tie involves the joining of minds, ideas and views, as well as emotional unions in the feeling realm.
There are those mothers that will not let go of their adult children when they marry and become resentful and jealous of their new spouse. This mother will often find ways to exclude the spouse while holding on to and uplifting her adult child. This is meant to create division within the marriage in hopes of causing enough confusion so that the other spouse will become frustrated enough to walk out of the God ordained partnership.
The spouse can be manipulated into being there for the family. Often the invitation will be extended to one instead of both parties. This gives place to the enemy because it makes the other spouse feel left out. There have also been some instances when the spouse's family will shower them with extravagant gifts while on the other hand giving their marriage partner a cheap gift not fit for the neighbors pet.
Brothas and Sistas, these are just a few examples of unhealthy soul ties. We will continue this discussion next week. In the meantime here is a question for you to ponder. Are there any unhealthy soul ties in your marital relationship? See you next week. Take care.
Minister Antonio and Sista Michelle Washington
http://www.newwineonline.com/files/pdf/publications/newwineUST.pdf
Tea Time with Tabby "A Brew of a New Perspective or a Distracted Perspective
Deuteronomy 4:6 (NIV) "Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”
1 Kings 4:29 (NIV) "God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 1 what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. "
Colossians 1: 28 NCV “So we continue to preach Christ to each person, using all wisdom to warn and to teach everyone, in order to bring each one into God's presence as a mature person in Christ.”
1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV) "The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. "
Corinthians 14:15 (NIV) "So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding."
Good Morning Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I pray that you awoke today with a clear view of the love and life that you have in Christ Jesus. Let's grab our Tea Cups and head on over to the Grand Brew Masters Table and see what He has Brewed up for us today. I was recently blessed beyond belief by two friends who invited me and blessed me with a weekend away at woman's conference. I have been too many over the years and the three of us have been to several together. I was so looking forward to going, so excited to spend three days with amazing sisters in Christ and anticipating what God would reveal throughout this time away.
I had so much encouragement from friends and my team at work. I was just filled with anticipation. Those who know me will know that it is very hard for me to leave my work behind, as I love my job and love the amazing women on my team. Yet, I clearly heard God speaking through them and straight into my heart, "Leave them behind and go see what God has for you."
As I prepared to leave I found peace about going without my work phone or my laptop. This is HUGE FOR ME!! I knew this and so did the Evil One... I made a choice to change my perspective and trust God that I had prepared those who work on my team to be able to manage without me, to work as a team for anything simple that would arise. I was leaving them behind with lots of tips and tricks and investment of time in each of them. I was leaving another supervisor with all ins and outs of our team, and situations that were brewing and bubbling over. I chose to put on the perspective that not only did God have them as I had been training them up right, but also I had invested in building trust and relationship with the other supervisor.
I was feeling good, even a bit comfortable with idea of getting away worry free. Oh, but you know just when our Perspective is that we are leaning in and really trusting that we have applied the truths of our salvation and our stocking our Tea Cupboard with Brews of the Fruit of our Trust, Reliance, Hope and Knowledge of our God's Character and Promises someone isn't very happy... "Who?" You may ask. Well, God tells us he comes to steal, destroy and kill.. Satan, himself.
As he would have it he began the attack!!! Attacking my efforts and work done with same commitment to my job. He was attacking my relationships, finances, and stirring up nothing but Brews of Deception, chaos, and what I like to call the Crazy Train Brew. I must admit I fought drinking it in. I knew better than to drink it in. I had my sisters praying over me that I wouldn't drink it and that I would continue to drink in God's Truths. I wish I could tell you that chose to drink in the Brews of Christ in that time, but I didn't. I began sipping in all chaos that he was stirring up.
The old brews of insecurity and loss of perspective of what God had already done and proved to be true and worthy of my trust and faith in Him so many times before. I found myself losing my footing. I felt this brew of chaos taking over not only my mind but spirit and body. I became bitter and angry, self reliant, and with a perspective that God simply didn't want the situation or relationship involved to be any longer. I began sinking into that pit of false perspective; feeling abandoned and alone. I began feeling misunderstood and worst of all feeling betrayed by God. Why betrayed? Because I felt alone and battered from the war that the Evil One had ensued as I prepared for my weekend away.
Brothers and Sisters, I was being battered by old perspectives, others poor choices, mistakes, and mistakes of my own. I was feeling exceptionally battered and confused because the circumstances that this brew had ensued were not fully created by lack of good intent, faithful actions, and honest and real accountability on my part. This brew was taking over and making me very distracted. So I left for the conference with a heavy heart and very distracted perspective. Have you ever found yourself here?
We can get here many different ways, circumstances in our lives that our outside of our control, doing pennants for our own bad behavior or choices or doing pennants due the baggage that someone else brings to circumstances. Sometimes we can't even begin to understand the reasons why our perspective and the Brew we are sipping in are so far outside of God's Promises. Sometimes we think and start to believe if I just change our outer appearance we will get a new perspective. We may think if we move from here to there this distracted or destructive perspective will not be able to follow us. We think if we just get rid of or try to fill the erosion in our souls with some worldly advice or worldly perspectives or worldly choices, it will all change for the better.
Now let me be clear here, there are times that we must make hard decisions about relationships, our locations, and our life choices in order to be back in the ever pouring love and truth of our salvation in Christ. However, what I am also saying is that by simply choosing one or all of these worldly choices WILL NOT GET US BACK TO THE GODLY PERSPECTIVE WE ALL MUST CHOOSE TO WALK IN DAILY.
Sisters and Brothers, as I sat that first night at the conference God spoke directly to me. He told me that I was choosing this Distracted Perspective over the Truth. It hit me hard it was true and this is what I had been doing all day. I chose to put worldly perspectives like glue all over my fractured Tea Cup. I wasn't really trying to receive the gift of prayer and truth of God's word in those early hours after getting on the road. The old lies about who and what I was were starting to become the glue that held my tea cup together. Then our first speaker of the evening spoke and her words weren't fancy or eloquent, no they were so simple and they gave me exactly what I needed for the battle of a Godly Perspective verses one of chaos where I was believing a Distracted Perspective.
The words were "Iron Sharpens Iron and you are sharper than you know." The speaker explained that each of us must help one another out by sharpening our iron with their iron and this will make us sharper than we know. The speaker went onto remind us that "Your Situation nor Your Circumstances Define Who You Are." Also that just because we change our location or our friends, job, appearance etc.. that will not change our situation or our Distracted Perspective without allowing God in first. We must allow Him to be the one and only who defines who, what, where, how and when our challenges in life will be resolved.
Also, just as importantly we must only allow Christ to be our distracter with respect to our perspective. He will do this for each of us through His word, His Character and His Promises. Remember always that our perspective of who we are is rooted in our faith and new identity that we received the day we accepted Him as Lord and Savior. On that day we chose to make Him the Grand Brew Master of our lives in whole with access denied to any others.
I pray that if you are in a season of a Distracted Brew that you will seek His promises and trust in His truth and character. I also pray you will allow only Him to change the view of your Perspective and see that no matter how bad it is or it seems, you are loved. You should also know that you the sharpest weapon in your possession for this battle. It's the full Armor of God. Put it on every day. I have included it below for each of us to dress in daily as we head to meet with the world. This way we know that our Perspective doesn't have to be poor no matter the circumstance our God has given us the provision to be the best us in all circumstances.
As we walk protected by The One True God and have within each of us the Power of Christ to do all things through Him.
Love,
Tabby
Ephesians 6:10-18 New International Version (NIV) "The Armor of God Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. "
Its Time To Wake Up and Get Up
"When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. News of this spread through all that region." Matthew 9:23
Good Morning Brothas and Sistas,
When you find yourself in a life or death situation choose life. Notice that once Jesus told the people that were crying that the girl wasn’t dead and just sleeping they laughed. Take note of Jesus's response, He removed everyone out of the room except His disciples and the mother and father. Why?
I believe Jesus wanted people in His presence who knew who He was and understood the power that He holds. Jesus needed some believers in the midst, people that were willing to trust with their whole heart and lean not on their own understanding. proverbs 3:5-6 Jesus wanted those who believed in What they didn’t see, He needed some "Faith Walkers" on deck. No doubters, nay Sayers or part-time believers in His midst.
Jesus Said that the child was not dead but merely asleep…My God!!! There are some people that seem like they are stuck in limbo. It appears that they are never going to go anywhere but its not what it seems. Remember we serve a gracious God that never gives up on us even when we are napping. The Father just patiently waits for us to wake up.
Brothas and Sistas, on this morning I declare and decree in the name of Jesus that every sleeping person in the body of Christ will not just wake up but Get UP!!!
If most of us are honest with ourselves, we know that God has told us to do something and we still haven't moved. Listen people of God, we are in the last days and there is no time to play around or to even be distracted with doubt. It's time to wake up Wake Up and Walk.
When the little girl got up Jesus told the parents not to tell anyone but He also told them to give her something to eat.
Brothas and Sistas, that sleep was so deep that she needed some nourishment to get her strength back. People of God even if you’re awake and you’re moving you are going to need some nourishment for the journey. I’m not talking about a cheese burger and some fries, I’m talking about digesting the word of God that is life and it will give you life.
The time to sleep is over!!!! Wake Up and Get Up!
Be Blessed,
Gina Murchison
Prayer Time
Father God, we just stand in awe of your grace and your power. We thank you for allowing us to see that you are in total control of both life and death. Father, please help us to wake up from the sleep that we sometimes find ourselves in as we walk in this Christian journey. God we desire to wake up and serve you with glory and honor. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Hold On, Your Season Is Coming
"And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint." Galatians 6:9
Good Morning Brothas and Sistas,
In the word of God we are given so many clues of what is to come. The bible says " Let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly" Paul warns us because he doesn't want us to be suprised when we begin to feel this way.
Brothas and Sistas, ministry is hard work. There is no other way to say it. I can't and will not sugar coat it and neither did Paul. There will be times in our walk with the Lord that we will want to give up and throw in the towel. We will become frustrated and disappointed and feel as though our work is in vain.
But wait a minute, the scripture doesn't just tell us not to get weary it goes on to tell us the benefits of holding on....
"for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint."
Brothas and Sistas , "We Shall Reap" if we don't give up!!! What an encouragement. Don't give up because in the Appointed Season "You Shall Reap" Hold on, Press on and most of all stay before Gods throne because your Season to Reap is coming!!!
Be Blessed,
Gina M
Prayer Time
Father God, we thank you for your word which is truly a lamp unto our feet. God, we thank you for loving us so much that you would allow us to reap. We thank you for the encouragement that you continually express in your word to your people. In Jesus Name I Pray. Amen.
Are You and Your Boo Girded Up - Workplace Drama
Good morning to our wonderful Brothas and Sistas,
"Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers."
I Peter 3:7
Today we are going to deal with what goes on in the workplace and how it can make us insensitive to our marriage partners. I Peter 3:7 says,
"Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers."
Brothas and Sistas, let's start with some things that occurred early on in our marriage when dealing with co workers, differing work schedules, and lack of communication due to lack of bonding. When my wife and I first got married I worked in Washington on the night shift. My wife on the other hand worked during the day. This was very difficult for us both. Although we talked on the phone often we still really needed to take some time to really get to know each other more and be around each other more often early on in our marriage. My wife hated the fact that we did not get to spend a lot of time together. To tell you the truth I did not like it myself. The driving distance, different work shifts, and lack of bonding caused things to surface like mistrust, loneliness for my wife, and a lack of coming together to reason things out when it came to managing the finances, spending significant time together on the weekends and during the week, and making plans together for our future.
There were times when females still called my home and Shell (Michelle) would answer not knowing who in the world they were. Brothas and Sistas, you have to remember I was a bit of a partyer and I had females that still called me to go out from time to time because most of my female friends did not know that I had gotten married. Eventhough I would let them know when they called, the word had not gotten around to everyone. This created some real issues because my wife was always wondering who these women were that were calling me. This brought about concern in reference to the integrity of our marriage. She did not know whether or not I was being faithful or married but still living single. Shell had never partied a lot so she did not realize that they were just females that I partied with.
Another thing that occurred was that I still had females on the job that were still interested in me. I let them know right off the bat that I was married but they still challenged it. Our marriage was already a little strained because our finances were tight and we still had not had enough time to bond the way we needed to. Because of the lack of communication and time spent together my wife was under the assumption that there was an affair going on and that was not true. The organization that I worked for was wide open for any person that wanted to have an affair. It was freedom roll in that place. Eventually I resigned without talking to my wife about it. Brothas and Sistas, the pressure was on and I was not about to leave my wife for another woman.
Well, as I mentioned before the differing schedules were a bit too much and due to lack of communication my wife began to isolate herself. Isolation within marriage is one of the key weapons that the enemy will use to promote division. My wife began to hold things in. She asked for a separation and began dating someone else at her place of employment. She began to seek the things that we lacked at home in someone else. We separated for about a year and the Lord eventually brought us back together and saved us both.
Much later in our marriage the enemy worked through stress and overwhelming commitments in workplace. When my wife went from part time to full time she took a supervisory position that required her to have a cellphone and to be on call. Brothas and Sistas, the place she worked at was very stressful and disorganized. There was no immediate supervisor available for a period of time and to say the least it was crazy up in there. She came home fussing about the job, the people, and she blew my ears up. The enemy would have her work cell ring while we were out trying to enjoy each others company. She was so on edge and she was always checking her messages, texts, and emails. And to top it off I could never carry a descent phone conversation with her like I did before she got the job. She would promise to call me back and because of the demands of her job she never got back to me. I was angry because I was left hanging. Because of her full time job I took on the commitments for the children.
Sistas, as you can see all of these things are what the enemy could have used to bring a wedge into our marital relationship because we were both busy and she was stressed. Notice I said he could have used them but he was not successful because we recognized what was going on and dealt with it accordingly. Sistas, you have to take notice of the things the enemy can use to bring a wedge into your marital relationship. They can be the same things that were used in our marriage such as lack of communication, stress, lack of time spent together which brings about a lack of intimacy and relationships with opposite sex friends. Ask God to give you spiritual discernment and wisdom so that you and your boo can know how to deal with them.
Brothas and Sistas, here are some scriptures to meditate on until next time.
"And "don't sin by letting anger control you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry," Ephesians 4:26
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33
"Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am." John 14:12
We will see you next time. Take care.
Minister Antonio and Sista Michelle Washington
A Brew of Resting and Trusting
Romans 8:28 (NIV ")And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, whohave been called according to his purpose".
Psalm 42:5(NIV) "Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."
Proverbs 4:16 (NIV) "For they cannot rest until they do evil; they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble."
Proverbs 19:23 (NIV) "The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble."
2 Corinthians 12:9(NIV) "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."
2 Corinthians 13:9 (NIV) "We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is that you may be fully restored.
2 Corinthians 13:11 (NIV) Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you."
Good Morning Brothers and Sisters,
I pray that you have awoken rested and restored. Today's Brew is all about how we are to rest when everything seems to be spinning out of control. Let’s grab our Tea cups and head over to the Grand Brew Masters table to sip in the truths He has brewed up for us today.
I sit here today with you I have opened up my tea cupboard and have laid out some tea leaves that tend to keep me from truly resting and leaning into Christ for all that I need to be truly refreshed and restored each day. Let's examine them together as they may just be some of the same brews that keep you from resting and trusting in our Grand Brew Master, Jesus.
· Money
· Relationships
· Work
· Health
Now I am quite sure that there are many more Brews of Unrest and Distrust that lay upon our tables various tables today. So I have just taken the big 4 that I never seem to fully be able to release into the hands of the Grand Brew Master- Jesus Christ. How are we to move from a place of unrest and distrust in regard to these or other matters? As our verses say above it seems so easy and simple to just say I have given this to the Lord and He will now carry this burden for me. Yet He boldly tells us that it will not be that easy.
Have you found in your own life that there are just those certain few things, circumstances, relationships, guilt's, betrayals of trust and diagnosis that you simply don't seem to be able to leave at the foot of the cross no matter how many times you try? You are not alone in that there are things that I know that I simple can't seem to be able to fully forgive, accept, excuse or simply let go of. How about you?
Brothers and Sisters, the GOOD news here is that our Savior Christ, our Grand Brew Masters, knows and understands. He waits so very patiently for us to come to Him, Trust in Him and Remain in Him so that these burdens can be relieved for good.
I offer a bit of hope in this area for you today. I have struggles in these various areas daily. With the challenges of work, a blended family, financial challenges and martial challenges just like many of you. The hope I can offer is that I have experienced real life changes in some of these areas of unrest, by finally completely giving them over to the Lord. I had to learn to take and keep my hands off of these things and in doing so the Lord has blessed me with rest in and peace in some of these challenging brews. He didn’t necessarily change the situation what He changed was my perspective and my need to be in control of the situation.
I want to share with you the visual dream that the Lord gave me to help me see what I was doing and how all of it was winding back up on top of me and making me feel as though I was drowning in all the brews of challenge and heartache in my life.
I had a very vivid dream I was taking the trash out but instead of my regular hefty bags each bag had a name or circumstance or challenge I was facing or had faced, sins of my past and unforgiveness that was in my heart. As I struggled to get all these bags that seemed to keep multiplying I heard the trash truck on my street. As I approached it there was Jesus on the back of the truck with His arms extended yelling to me, "I am here I will take them all no matter what!" As I began to hand them over to Him I began to feel lighter and more free. As I got to the last bag, something switched off in my head and I began taking the bags back from saying things like, "I need to clean this one up a bit before I could expect you to take it Lord." or "Lord this is simply too much for even you to forgive me for, I must keep it." This went on until I was buried in all the bad brews. As I looked up Jesus and the trash truck were slowing driving away. I could hear Him yelling to me that He wasn’t driving away I was driving Him away and that He would always be there when I was ready to finally unload all the garbage and that none of it was too messy or terrible or unforgiveable in His eyes.
Since that dream I have learned that I am one the one who chooses whether or not to find rest and restoration in our Lord Jesus Christ. Here are some of the brews that He has and continues to help me leave at the foot of the cross for Him.
Family and Relationships- There have been countless times when I was either displaced in the physical sense from my family or completely emotionally detached from my parents and siblings as young girl. This went on for years and finally one day the Lord simply opened those doors and restored our family. Now this didn't mend all the pain or brokenness. There is still healing and mending going on 20+ years later. Yet each time I give the Lord one of these matters, and completely remove my hands from it He has restored it and made anew in amazing ways.
Finances-This is always an area that I have struggled with as I am not good with math and can in all honesty be a bit impulsive. However, when I remarried 7yrs ago on a Friday when my then new husband went to work on Monday he was laid off. He remained out of work for 2 yrs. Over these last 7yrs this has happened countless times. This was and continues to be a very challenging brew for me each time it has occurred. However, when I look back over the years and take inventory of the Brews of those years I can see God's hand in all of it, being our provision, being our discipline, being our best and only True hope.
Health- I have battled many illnesses of my own and had a very sick child when he was growing up; praise God he is a healthy young adult now. I battled with endometrioses, depression, anxiety, and infertility to just name a few. I must tell you that during these years the light of Christ was dim in my life, I contemplated suicide more than once. I recall the night that I finally said to God "I can't take this pain, and sadness and sense of loss due to the infertility not another minute." I truly heard Him reply in my heart that my days of joy were coming and that I needed to stop fighting with the past and allow His forgiveness of my darkest sins and unforgiveness for hurts in my life. He went on to say that it is always His desire to give us our greatest hopes and dreams. I can't explain any better than to say that after that very long night I awoke refreshed and encouraged. My health issues were not immediately alleviated and I certainly have had new health matters to face. Yet He did give me my greatest desire of my heart a couple years later; which was to be a Mom.
Brothers and Sisters, as God's Word says there is no easy way to overcome these struggles and that we must be intentional about sipping in the Truth of Rest and Trust in the Lord our God. He boldly tells us that world and principalities of evil who will come against us and intend to destroy and steal our hope, faith, rest and trust in Christ Jesus. We need to band together with other liked minded believers daily to be encouraged and prayed for and praying for and encouraging our Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus, our Grand Brew Master.
Here are a few things I have used over the years to regain my rest and trust in our Lord Jesus Christ. It's my prayer that these help you or that God reveals His plan to lead you back to rest and trust in Him through our Tea Party today.
1. Place an empty chair in front of you and simply tell Christ as if you could see Him before you the challenges and matters of the heart and soul that keep you from receiving this brew and ask Him to guide you and help you. You may need to sit in silence and listen with your spirit for His loving truth to see you through
2. Take a balloon and a marker and write upon it all your hurts, worries, anxieties, unforgiving thoughts, fears etc... Then simply say a prayer and allow the balloon to make its way to heaven. Then ask the Lord to release these matters from your spirit and then trust that He has done what He promises.
3. Take a balloon and write upon all your needs and hopes and dreams and say a prayer and send it to the heavens to our good, good God Then simply say a prayer and allow the balloon to make its way to heaven. Then ask the Lord to release these matters from your spirit and then trust that He has done what He Promises.
Lastly, through this process you must be completely in the mind set of surrender, and you must consciously remain in this place of surrender every time the enemy comes for you, as he will keep coming. How I prepare for these battles is I have index cards with God's truths about the matters I have released to Him. Then as the attacks come fast and furious I am able to pray His words over the attack and His truth will always win the battle.
I pray that we all practice staying present in the moment and being filled with God's leadings in our lives. May we each depart this tea party with as many Brews as we each need for today's battles. May we be prepared and armed with God's Brews of Truth, Hope, Restoration, knowledge and belief that God will be victorious no matter how we feel or what circumstances we are in. As we are never alone and never separated from our Savior Christ Jesus.
Till next week, Love and Rest I pray for each of us.
Love,
Tabby
Trust God for the Resolution
"Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds for you know the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish it's work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything." James 1:2-4
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
It is so true that many times we are hit with trials from out of nowhere. And quite often we wonder where God is in all of it. There are times when we doubt God, especially when going through times of testing. And then He so lovingly shows up on our behalf and we learn how to trust Him in spite of what we see, hear and feel. We have moments of doubt because we desperately want to believe Him.
Brothas and Sistas, doubt is a feeling. Belief is a choice. Choose to believe Him today regardless of what you see, hear and feel. He is well able. "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self discipline."
Brothas and Sistas, are we thinking to much and not trusting in Him enough?" Do we believe in God's truths or Satan's lies? Is He greater in us than he who's in the world? Are we holding to His truths? John 8: 31-32 , says, "To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, If you hold to my teaching you are really my disciples, then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."Fear is crippling. It will have you holding onto that tangible thing. But when you walk in the Spirit, with the Holy Spirit, He will lead you to opening your heart and mind to the infinite possibilities of God.
As believers in Christ we always say, "He's more than able, but don't we all have moments of unbelief and then the Holy Spirit brings back to our remembrance all that He has so graciously delivered us out of? At times when we are so crippled with fear, we feel like we're being punished. Brothas and Sistas, have you ever caught yourself saying, "Oh Lord, why me? What did I do to deserve this?" But God is not the" I'm gonna get 'cha God." He loves us.
I ask you, "What do we have to fear? I believe we give people, situations, and the devil to much power. We have the power of the Holy Spirit within us. "For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith." (Mark 11:23)
Satan will use every tactic he can to consume us with fear. I mean, have you ever been lied upon or lied to? That's just who Satan is, an accuser of the brethren. But as Christian Brothas and Sistas, we know a God who never lies, sleeps or slumbers. "If he be for us than who shall be against us?" "No weapon formed against us shall prosper." - past, present or future. We have to know that devil is a liar straight from the pit of hell! Brothas and Sistas, claim your victory today. James 4:7 says, "Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." That excites me so!
Speak life into your situation and trust God for the resolution!Romans 8:1 says, "Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Amen Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Praise Him in His greatness!
"Trials come our way to make us stronger, so that we may become better and not bitter!"
Prayer for Today
Dear Lord,
Help us to look to the hills for which comes our help. Our help comes from you. Thank you for being our defence and strong tower in whom we can place ALL our cares. We love you Jesus. In your precious name, Jesus, we pray. Amen
Are You A Man or Woman of Integrity?
"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Matthew 10:28
Good morning my Brothas and Sistas,
As I look around at today's Christian men and women, there are questions that ponder my mind often and those questions are, "What happened to having enough courage to do what's right?" Why is it that we don't want to be held accountable? What sacrifices are we willing to make to stand on the truth of God's word? Brothas and Sistas, the real question is, "Where are the men and women of integrity?"
Brothas and Sistas, let's start with doing what is right today. When we see or know something is wrong, as men and women of God we should be courageous enough to share the truth about wrong doing with the person without fear of retaliation. The bible says, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Matthew 10:28
Ezekiel 3:20-21, “Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.”
While I was watching the movie,"Courageous" the character, Javier was told by his employer that he would like for him to take over the inventory department, but in doing so Javier had to count less shipments than were on his report. They gave Javier time to think about it and he was supposed to let his employer know about his decision in the morning. His employer wanted to know if he would be willing to be dishonest.
Well, long story short, Javier told his employer that he could not take the position eventhough he needed the job to take care of his family. He told them that what they were asking him to do was dishonest and he could not be a part of this scheme. Brothas and Sistas, he was not sure if he would even have a job after he gave his employer his answer but yet and still he had enough courage to do what was right. He was displaying integrity. He made it known to the employer without worrying about retaliation. He trusted God to have his back while standing up to these men with the truth, he stood on truth. In the end he got the promotion because he chose integrity over doing what was wrong just to get by.
Brothas and Sistas, what about you? Are you a man or woman of integrity?
"Few things are more infectious than a godly lifestyle. The people you rub shoulders with everyday need that kind of challenge. Not prudish. Not preachy. Just cracker jack clean living. Just honest to goodness, bone - deep, non-hypocritical integrity." Chuck Swindoll
Lord willing, I will see you again next week.
Minister Antonio Washington
Prayer Time
Dear Lord,
We thank you for teaching us to live and walk in integrity. Give us the courage to do what is right daily. We thank you for your loving kindness shown towards us even when we fall short. Guide us in all that we do for you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Fall Down... Get Up -The Heart of A Lion/Lioness
"For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." Philippians 2:13
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
The other night I was watching a TV show and there was a race going on between four women. As fate would have it, one of the women fell after someone stepped on the back of her shoe. She lost her footing and it appeared that all her dreams of winning the race had came tumbling down. On the contrary, to everyone's amazement she got up and began to run the race again. She thought to herself, "I need to at least win some points for my team."
As she began to pick up speed she ran past the runner in next to last place.
She then ran past the second place runner and before you knew it she was running neck to neck with the runner in first place. As she picked up speed she found herself in first place and ultimately won the race.
Brothas and Sistas, there was something within that young lady that would not allow her to let her dream of winning the race die. She knew that deep down within her was a champion just waiting to emerge. She knew that deep down on the inside that there was a lioness within and giving up was not an option.
Brothas and Sistas, giving up on your hopes and dreams is never an option. You may fall down but you are destined to get up. Never allow a temporary set back to cheat you out of achieving your dreams.
Remember: "Giving up on your dreams/visions because of a setback is like slashing your other three tires because you got a flat." Unknown
Brothas and Sistas, Keep It Moving! Don't Give Up! Amen.
Smooches,
Me
Prayer of Faith
Thank you, Lord, for not allowing us to give up on our dreams and visions. We know that without you we can't achieve those things that you have placed in our spirit. Help us to press forward regardless of how many times we fall. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Are You And You Boo Girded Up? Is It Wrong For A Married Christian Couple To Attend Two Different
"But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand." Matthew 12:25
"Can two walk together, except they be agreed?' Amos 3:3
Good morning to our precious couples,
Early on in our marriage when my wife and I reconciled we were both attending two separate churches. I was uncomfortable with the idea of her being at a different church than myself. Eventually, after I was done with listening to my flesh, I decided that I would listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and join the church that she was attending. Initially, one of the reasons for making that decision was not a spiritual decision but it was a natural decision. In other words as a husband I wanted to know who was scoping out my wife while I was at my church.
My jealous spirit initiated the move. But upon attending the worship service at her church I made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior when I was convicted by the word of God that was preached there. This also prompted my decision to become a member.
My wife and I personally believe that Christian married couples should not attend two different churches. We have listed some reasons below:
1. It can cause distrust amongst each other. It can also lead to infidelity if there is an an attraction with another member of the opposite sex that just happens to see one spouse always attending church services alone. "Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." Mark 10:9
2. It can also bring doctrinal arguments between the couple when the word of God was never meant to be argumentative. There may also be times when comparison of doctrine, worship experience, programs etc., are made. There should be no division when it comes to the worship experience. Husbands and wives should walk in unity when it comes to anything involving our Lord and Savior. The primary focus should be on Him. There have been instances where one spouse won't leave the church that their family attends because they don't want to leave their family. So they make the decision to stay there while their spouse attends another church. This is not a godly reason to remain at a church when God is calling you to walk in unity. Therefore, a decision needs to be made to walk as one flesh when it comes to these issues. "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Genesis 2:24
3. If you have children, they will have divided loyalties not knowing which parent they will attend church with. And it can cause more of a riff within the family unit. "But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand." Matthew 12:25
As you can see from these examples that we have come to realize from counseling numerous couples that a couple attending two separate churches is not a good thing. You both need to come to a healthy compromise. When deciding on a church it is best to talk it through. But always keep in mind that the purpose of going to church is for the true doctrinal word being brought forth. You both need to be willing to listen to one another and come to a decision that is best for the whole entire family. "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?' Amos 3:3 The final decision regarding what church you should both attend should fall on the husband. This does not mean that the wife does not have input. The decision should be made by him as the spiritual leader of the home so that he may decide what is best for the whole entire family.
Please take time to pray about this decision with your husband. Amos 3:3 states, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?' Remember Satan's primary goal is to bring division anyway he can. You must be aware of his tactics and walk according to the principles of God's truth so that you and your spouse may remain on one accord. Until next time, take care.
Minister Antonio and Sista Michelle Washington
Teatime with Tabby Brew of the Lord's Power
Genesis 18:18 (NIV)"Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him."
1 Chronicles 29:11 (NIV) "Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all."
1 Corinthians 4:20 (NIV) "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power."
Ephesians 3:7 (NIV) "I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power."
Colossians 1:11 (NIV) "being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience."
Good Morning Brothers and Sisters,
I pray that this blizzard we have experienced here in MD has been nothing more than a nuisance to you and your family. I must give God praise and thanks that my family and I have all been safe, warm, fed and full laughter through this storm. Now this doesn't mean there haven't been storms of life but God has provided even through them in this wintery mess. I must also give Him great thanks and praise for the gift that He saw to it for me to receive a year ago this week. One year ago, He gifted me with a brand new knee, the entire knee. After many years of pain and surgery, swelling, ice, heat, medication and therapy that all failed I received my new knee Jan 25, 2015. Let me share with you a little about how this ties into the brew God has prepared for us today. Let's grab our Tea Cups and seek to understand how in our greatest weakness the Lord's Power can and will always be more than enough to see us through.
As I began to share I have never had strong knees. I always remember them just not being like others. They were knobby and never very strong. Friends could run and run and be just fine, not me. I was the one in gym class that always made everyone run an extra lap because I just couldn't keep up. This was true of me when I was in boot camp too and advanced training for the military.
Now there was one thing that my knees were really good at as a kid. I could tie my legs up in knots and walk about on my knees. I'm guessing now that this may have lead to their demise. Well enough of that.... I want to share with you the great Power that lives within each of us. That is if you have chosen to accept Christ as your Lord and Personal Savior. What follows is one example of how the Lord revealed to me how to tap into that very power that resides within each of us always.
As I said, I am celebrating 1 year with my what I like call my bionic knee. Now it's not actually bionic but to me it is. Through this surgery and recovery I had to learn and decide who was my Brew Master. I had to learn and decide who was I going to rely on to get through what at times I thought was going to kill me. I would be lying if I said that I didn't lay in that hospital bed, on that PT Table, on that bicycle, and at home in my husband's recliner and beg the Lord to take me home. The pain was just that intense at times. Yet, I can sit here now and rejoice in that pain and relish it all. I don't know if you have ever been so far beyond what you, your mind, power and strength can manage or not. It doesn't necessarily have to be physical pain. It certainly can be emotional pain. It's a pain where your soul has no other options but one of these two.
1. To cry out to the Lord and God Creator of your soul, mind and body and completely and totally surrender everything; down to the next breath you need to survive.
OR
2. To completely give up and surrender to the pain and allow the Evil One to direct your next steps and fill your mind, body, and soul with more pain, anger, frustration and blame.
Now Brothers and Sisters, these are two very different outcomes. One you invite the Master of your Tea Cupboard to come in and pour His strength and endurance into you. Two, You surrender to the Brew of Spirit Filled Power. This doesn't necessarily change the circumstances or make everything perfect but I promise you that you will find refuge, release and comfort here. I assure you that this is true. I laid in that bed many nights and days and begged the Father to take me or take the pain. EVERYTIME when I stopped trying to make the pain stop or stopped scheming and planning He took over and I found refuge and relief from the pain and suffering. What a difficult Brew to accept and sip upon but it is worth its weight in sweet surrender.
Now Brothers and Sisters, I would remiss if I didn't share how often I have chosen the other brew in my lifetime. I have sipped upon this powerful brew that is nothing more than poison too many times. To be completely honest, I am probably sipping on it right now in certain situations in my life. I so desire to pour this brew out. As this brew brings nothing but more heartache, more physical pain, and suffering. The lies begin to swirl in and around in your cup. You can see them curdling your cream. You can feel the burn deep in your soul as you sip this in. Why then do I/we allow the Evil One to serve this up for us? Why do we not simply pour it out and not so much as take a sip?
I wish that I had the answer for that for you and me. It's an answer that I know can only come from the Lord. I am beginning to understand that if I don't want to drink that sour brew I must stop, drop and pray as soon as I see it curdling before me. I can't wait till I have tasted it to be sure that my eyes weren't tricking me. I must trust that small still voice within me. I know that this voice is the Grand Brew Master's Spirit that resides within me and if I choose to listen to it more and rely on it more that it will grow. I know that this voice will become louder than the one that screams out to me, the one who intends to fill me with self righteousness by offering offenses of others such as, "You have been offended." or "You have been hurt."or "You have been abandoned," or "You were given less than quality parts and life." If I/we choose to focus on these swirls in our Tea Cup we will surely turn as bitter as the brew that resides in these words.
Brothers and Sisters, what I want for each of us to take away with us today is to know that the Brew Master of our Souls will NEVER pour sour milk or bitter brews. Life may serve up some bitter brews but the Grand Brew Master can take them and turn them from Bitter to Better and Better to Best. We simply must trust that the Power of the Holy Spirit to change our lives, circumstances, and eternity. We must remember that truth, love, and salvation come to us from only One, Truly Powerful Brew Master, Christ.
Here are some practical ways to be able to tell if the Brew you are sipping is filled with the Power of the Spirit of Christ or the power of the Evil One.
1. Take the circumstance to God and ask that His Holy Spirit reveal to you what this is.
2. Stay in prayer about the circumstance. God will reveal Himself and His plans to you.
3. Have prayer partners praying for the Truth and Power of God to be revealed to you.
4. Most importantly compare the Brew before you to the Word of God. If there is any discrepancies then know immediately that this is not a Brew of the Power of God but rather a deception meant to sour your spirit. Praise God for the storm and continually seek to see His Power and Faithfulness in and through all things.
In closing today, as our Tea Party comes to an end for this week I must thank all the hands and feet of Christ that came and cared for me and my family while I recovered. I must thank the amazing surgeon, team, and all the healthcare workers that got me back to even greater and better than I was a year ago. I must also thank my husband for his love and support throughout this past year. Lastly, I must give all the PRAISE and GLORY to God for gifting me the new knee. Also for the many trials, failures, and success that have brought me to this Brew of Power in and through the one and only True Grand Brew Master, Jesus Christ.
Till next week, be sure you know who is pouring the Brews of life for you. Don't forget where you can go and get the most Power Filled Brew. The Brew of the Power of God that you will always need and can always depend upon. This Brew can always be found at end of yourself and the foot of the cross.
Love,
Tabby
Where Are You?
Not too long ago, I was home sitting upstairs reading and pondering on Jeremiah 29:11 and Jeremiah 1. While looking at Jeremiah 1, I heard someone say, “Where are you? So I got up and was thinking to myself, “Hey, there is no one here. “and then I responded, “Up here.” Thinking maybe Shell or my sister in law was home but no one answered back and I said, “Hello, who’s down there?” But there was no response. So I went down to see who may have been down there and after checking the whole house, no one was there. When I came back upstairs and looked at Jeremiah 1 again. I heard someone say again, “Where are you?” This time I said, while talking to myself, “Wow, He’s talking to me.”
Now lets's take a look at the text in Jeremiah 1: 5-10 Here is Jeremiah at the age of 17 years old. Jeremiah was called to be a prophet who spoke messages to the present that had future ramifications. Jeremiah was a forth teller more so that a fore teller. He was called to expose the sins of the people and to get them to go back to the covenant of God. The thing is Jeremiah did not want to accept the calling initially. Isn’t it funny how many of God’s prophets were not interested in becoming God’s spokesmen. You remember Moses gave the excuse that he wasn’t eloquent enough, Isaiah said that “he was a man of unclean lips. And Jonah being told to go and preach in Nineveh goes in the opposite direction.
There are just a few points I want to make in reference to what God was sharing with me as I read the text.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5
1. We are appointed by God.
God already knew Jeremiah’s strengths and weaknesses. God knew what Jeremiah would possess during this particular time in Israel’s history. You see God has already set Jeremiah apart for this time of his young adult life. Leading up to this point God was preparing Jeremiah. It didn’t happen right away Well, you may be saying, “What does that have to do with me?” Well, we may not all be like Jeremiah but one thing is for sure, God knew us before He formed us. He knew what our weaknesses, our strengths, our abilities as well as what our limitations would be. Rom 8:29, “For whom He foreknew, he also predestined us to become conformed to the image of Hid Son that He might be the firstborn of many brethren.” You might have been given a task by God. Where are you?
2. We make too many excuses.
Jeremiah 1:6 “Then I said, Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “Behold, I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
As you can see Jeremiah was like, “Woe, Lord, slow down here, First of all, I am not that great of a speaker and if you haven’t noticed I am way too young for this position. But little did he know that God knew him better than he knew himself. In more ways than one, Jeremiah was unsure if he was the right person for the job. There are times when we too have felt like Jeremiah making excuses that we are not qualified for the task. God can take your insufficiencies and make them sufficient unto Him. He already knows what we are capable of doing. Making excuses only stifles what God has for us. As Christians, we find all sort of excuses as to not trusting or obeying the voice of God. Isn’t amazing how some people in the world who are not Christians put their faith and belief in what they should be doing without reservations or fear. They just do it and become successful. Where are you?
3. Trusting in God with No Fear
Jeremiah 1:7 “But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.”
God was saying to Jeremiah, “Don’t speak against what I have created you to be and do. Look it’s not about how old, it is more so how much I desire to trust and obey God. He was looking as to what he couldn’t do but it wasn’t about his words to say to the people, but God’s word to him as to what to say to the people. God is trying to let us know where to go and what to say but unfortunately, we tend to put what God planned for us to the side because of lack of trust and fear. We really don’t believe that we have the ability to complete the mission. That my Brothers and Sisters is called not trusting God and by doing so we place doubt in the word of God. When we choose to do what we or man wants rather than obey God’s command we are rejecting His Lordship on our lives.
God has given us a promise just as He did with Jeremiah. He knew, He chose and He appointed him. In other words, God’s promises will allow us to let go of whatever plans that we have and receive His plans without fear. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “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 a hope and a future." So, trust God and the words that He speaks to us.
Once you realize that you have been appointed, you don’t need to make excuses. Start trusting God more because He promised that He will be with you through it all. God always equips those whom He calls. Remember it’s not about what we say or do but what God has empowered in us to say and do.
Til next time,
Minister Washington
Prayer of Faith
Dear Lord,
We thank you for your relentless love. You follow after us so hard when we are not where we need to be. You have your hand on us even when we are far away from you and we love you for it. Help us to return to where we need to be, doing what we were called to do. We want to be a blessing to those you have called us to bless and minister to. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Choose to Live the Life Christ Has Given Us
"For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:5-11 (NKJV)
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
Christ became identified with us in His birth, so that we might become identified with Him in His death. But to enjoy the experience of our identity in Christ we must know what we are in our position in Christ and we must act in faith on what we know. We must constantly count it as true by faith based on our knowledge that "We are dead to sin" and "Alive to God in Christ Jesus." Therefore as we yield to God and to His will, our position in Christ, being dead to sin and alive to God becomes an experiential reality in our lives day by day.
Temptation to sin and the pull of sin is still felt within us, but our union with Christ in His death and resurrection, by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, who places us in the Body of Christ has a freeing impact in our daily life. The old self with its sinful response has been rendered powerless and the passions that swirl and the spiritual death that held us in a unbreakable grip no longer master our lives. We are free to respond to God and choose to live the righteous life He has given us in Christ Jesus.
Claudia
Prayer: Lord, I am crucified with Christ, but I live. I don't live to myself, but Christ lives in me. And the life I live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loves me and gave Himself for me. In Christ Jesus Name, Amen!
God's Plan of Salvation: That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. Romans 10:9, 10, 13
Look Beyond Death to A Risen Savior
"And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread." Luke 24:33-35
"Let every man and woman count himself immortal. Let him catch the revelation of Jesus in his resurrection. Let him say not merely, 'Christ is risen,' but 'I shall rise.' Phillips Brooks
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
In Luke 24:13-35 Jesus appears to two believers on the road to Emmaus (a city 7 miles outside of Jerusalem, which takes about 2 hours by foot). Here Jesus is helping two ordinary people who had a lost hope and fallen into the pit of sadness and despair. First the women discovered the empty tomb and reported it to the disciples. The news had been received with skepticism and with nonsense. And here Cleopas and his companion were either present or heard the news from some other source about Jesus crucifixion. Their hope that Jesus was the promised Messiah had been devastated but in their despair, their thoughts were running wildly, entangled and wondering about the report of the women concerning the empty tomb and the angels. Brothas and Sistas, this is a symbol of despair that grips so many in life today whether it be family trouble, issues with school, pondering one's meaning and purpose, problems with one's profession and acceptance but we must know that our hope is in the Jesus, the promised Messiah.
While Cleopas and his companion walked they communed together and reasoned. They were so absorbed in their despair and talking that thye did not even notice that Jesus was walking right beside them. Notice they did not recognize Him because He was in His resurrected body. It was different enough that they did not recognize Him as Jesus without close observation. In this instant the Lord kept them from recognizing Him as well. Brothas and Sistas, isn't this also true of about us when we are going through. We often do not recognize our Master and His hand in the midst of our trouble. Often He is right there walking right beside us while He is working our issues out.
We will only recognize His hand at times through close observation. We must be attentive to His Spirit.
Jesus goes on to question the disciples. In a sense He asks, "What are you talking about?" What is is that is causing you to look so sad. Brothas and Sistas, the Hebrew word for sad is skuthro-poi which means gloomy, dejected, despondent, sullen, overcast. In other words, Jesus could see this all over their faces. Cleopas was surprised that the stranger did not know what had occurred. Cleopas had to be thinking. "How could anyone not know why we are so sad. Terrible things have happened." But the reality of this situation is that Jesus was concerned about them and their sadness. In the same way He is concerned about us. Even though He already knows about our problems He wants us to share our problems with Him.
The problem with the two from Emmaus, as it is with so many of us today, was that their faith was shortsighted. They struggled with unbelief. They refused to accept the reality of a risen Lord. They could not see beyond His death. They were willing to accept and admire a dead Savior or a great prophet who had been martyred but they had great difficulty in accepting a risen Lord. And the same is true for us today. We are shortsighted in our faith and cannot see beyond His death. Our unbeleif cripples us. One major reason why men refuse to accept a risen Lord is to accept this would mean that they would have to subject themselves to Him and serve Him.
Brothas and Sistas, I have a few questions for you. Will you subject yourselves to Him in fully yielded obedience? Will you serve Him with all that is within you today? Are you willing to accept the reality of a risen Savior and Lord? Would you take a moment to look beyond His death?
"The Resurrection is at the core of our beliefs as Christians. Without it, our faith is meaningless." Joseph B. Wirthlin
Happy Resurrection Sunday!
Minister Antonio Washington
Prayer of Faith
Thank you Jesus for you for your resurrection power. Thank you for getting up so that we can get up and rise above our circumstances. Help us to look beyond your death so that we may embrace new life and walk in obedience to you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
The Ultimate Sacrfice
"When we were yet sinners without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would dare to die. But God commended his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
Jesus loves us so much He died in our place. He gave the ultimate sacrifice, He gave His very life. To give means to deliver in exchange; to yield to another, to surrender. Christ did not lose His life He freely GAVE it. In fulfillment of the Old Testament picture of the sacrifice of the lamb, He yielded His life for us.
Brothas and Sistas, when we were utterly helpless with no way of escape Christ came at just the right time and died for us; the just for the unjust; sinners who had no use for Him. Even if we were good we really wouldn't expect anyone to die for us, though of course that might be barely possible but God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were just sinners. And since by His blood He did all this for us as sinners how much more will we do for Him who has declared us not guilty.
Brothas and Sistas, following Christ example we are to give of ourselves unselfishly - an act of complete yieldedness to God's Spirit. We might not have to die for someone but there are other ways to practice sacrificial giving motivated by love for Him such as bearing a burden, giving of your time, talent, and income to the ministry He has called us too. We can give as much of ourselves as we can and then try giving a little more. When you think of all He has done for us... Is that really to much to ask?
Prayer Time
Dear Lord,
We thank you for your amazing grace. We praise you making the ultimate sacrifice for us. May we willingly make sacrifices for you. In Jesus nae we pray. Amen.
Are You and Your Boo Girded Up Part III
"May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him." Psalm 68:1
Good morning to our lovely Brothas and Sistas,
One Christian article quotes, "Spiritual warfare is always a concern for the discerning Christian. There is never a time when the enemy will not be working to tear down your marriage or your ministry. This is why it is essential to be alert to his schemes and not fall prey to the idea that your marriage will be strong and healthy without any intentional work on your part."http://www.godshelpformarriage.com/spiritual-warfare-what-to-do-when-your-marriage-comes-under-attack/
This morning we are going to begin sharing testimony about the different areas that the enemy tries to wage spiritual warfare in our marriage. He often shows himself in various areas of our relationship. Most of you know by now there are times when the enemy plants seeds of discord within the family, the work place, and the church. We have established the fact that the primary goal of Satan is to bring about division. This week we will tackle the area where he tries to do some real collateral damage, the Christian family.
When I was single I was a person that loved to party before coming to Christ. My family was used to me being around them all of the time because I was the life of the party. Once they found out that I was getting married they were upset that I was not going to be hanging out with them the way I used to and they would comment on it often. I got fussed at and picked on. And my wife was looked at differently because she was not the partying type and just happened to be light skinned and quiet. They had someone in mind for me to marry that just happened to be dark skinned. My wife was frowned on by some family members because of that. Can you believe that? Some had their own opinion of her. After some confusion occurred I finally had to tell them, "If you have a problem with her then you have a problem with me."
There have been times when family members have tried to wreak havoc by trying to get me to live as though I was single again by inviting me out to the clubs and wanting me to come to different family functions. I had to constantly remind them that I could not do the things that I used to do.
When I was single, yes, I could just pretty much jump up and take people places but when we got married things had to change. I could not just jump up and do things like I used to. I had a wife and a son to care for. I had to do things in moderation and check with my wife to see if it was okay for me to do certain things first because we were now one. After going through that for quite some time my wife had to lay down the law and let my family members know that I needed my rest because I worked at night and could no longer run them around the way I used to. She knew I needed to take better care of myself. The enemy was trying to run me down because he played on my desire to want to help others. When I was tired I was irritable and it would interfere with our time together as a couple.
At one time when I was single I could lend money to family members because I had it like that. Once I got married I could no longer just lend money to people at the drop of a hat. I had responsibilities. And sistas, believe it or not they could not understand that. The enemy tried to lay a guilt trip on me with that as well because I enjoyed being there financially for my extended family.
My family was also on my back about visiting them all the time. I would get chewed out for not coming by. They thought that since I was married I was different and trying to distance myself. They did not understand that once I had given my life to the Lord I could no longer do what I used to do. I finally told them that it worked both ways because they could come visit me too. It did not have to be a one-sided deal.
And last but not least the enemy would use our most innocent looking children to try to come in between us. One of our children was used more than the rest to bring about discord. This child would often play us against each other by getting one parent to agree with something that the other parent had already disagreed to. He was a doozy. In the beginning that caused arguments between us until we wised up and challenged him on some things. This same child talked us into letting one of his friends stay at our house that would come in at night when he felt like it and under the influence of Lord knows what. Once when I left town this same friend pulled that on my wife and she put that joker out. Can you imagine my little 5'3 wife bucking up to a 6'3 teenager and telling him to get to steppin' and get out of our house? That child had a nerve to call me while I was out of town on a business trip to get me to go against what she had already put in place which was to put that freeloader out of our house. She did not feel safe with him being there and did not like the fact that he would sneak in when he felt like it.We had young children with disabilities and she did not feel comfortable with people running in and out of our house all hours of the night. This young boy caused confusion and brought about tension within our home for months and he needed to go. The enemy used him for a season until we kicked him out. Satan had his agenda, but my wife had hers too.
My wife would often be awakened in the middle of the night by the Holy Spirit speaking to her about my son's friends. She knew that something was not right about them. I felt that my children could be used as a light in their lives. In the end they wound up turning our children away from Christ no matter how many times I preached to them. You see sistas our children's so called friends can cause confusion in our Christ centered families. And that is the enemy's plan, which is to infiltrate our family structure so that he can tear down some of the things that we have worked so hard to build. We can't just let our children be friends with anyone that has no true interest in serving the Lord. Check out the tree and the fruit of those children that hang with your children. We have the victory in Him when we wise up and begin to do spiritual warfare through consistent prayer for our children as we pray for godly friends for them.
Sistas, next week we will talk about unhealthy soulties and how the enemy uses them to try to bring about discord within the home. Take care sistas, Lord willing we will talk to you again.
Please take time to meditate on the following scriptures.
"But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit." I Corinthians 6:17
"The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” Luke 10:17
"The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work." I John 3:8
Minister Antonio and Sista Michelle Washington
He Gets The Glory Everytime
"So Jacob left alone and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. The man said, "Let me go for it is daybreak." But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go until you bless me." Then the man asked, "What is your name?" "Jacob", he replied. Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob but Israel because you have struggled with God and humans and you have overcome." Gen. 32:24-28
“The strength of patience hangs on our capacity to believe that God is up to something good for us in all our delays and detours.”
― John Piper, Battling Unbelief: Defeating Sin with Superior Pleasure
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
Brothas and Sistas, sometimes when we are faced with many struggles we find ourselves wrestling not only with man but with God, Himself. I love the fact that there is always a blessing on the other side of the struggle once we overcome.
Jacob was a prime example of that when He wrestled with the angel of the Lord. Not only did His name change to one of great honor but he was blessed beyond measure afterwards.
“Life is not a straight line leading from one blessing to the next and then finally to heaven. Life is a winding and troubled road. Switchback after switchback. And the point of biblical stories like Joseph and Job and Esther and Ruth is to help us feel in our bones (not just know in our heads) that God is for us in all these strange turns. God is not just showing up after the trouble and cleaning it up. He is plotting the course and managing the troubles with far-reaching purposes for our good and for the glory of Jesus Christ.” ― John Piper, A Sweet and Bitter Providence: Sex, Race, and the Sovereignty of God
This is also true for us. I believe that when we go through, not only does our name change from victim to victor but our perspective changes on how we not only view our situation but how we view our God. And guess what at the end of our struggle we experience His glory every time! Praise Him!
"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Romans 8:18
Smooches,
Me
Prayer Time
Dear Lord,
We thank you that you use our suffering to bring glory to your great name. We are so grateful that you change our name from victim to victor once we overcome our struggles. You have the unique ability to make all things new and we praise your awesome name for that. There is absolutely none like you! For it is in your precious name we pray, Jesus. Amen.
Teatime With Tabby Br of the Cross
Mark 8:34 The Way of the Cross
"Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said:"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."
Matthew 10:38 (NIV) "Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me."
Luke 9:23 (NIV) "Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. "
1 Corinthians 1:18 (NIV) "Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
Good Morning Brothers and Sisters,
I pray that you awoke with a heart filled with great love and thanksgiving. As we are nearing the greatest of all Christian holidays this week. We are to be remembering, praying and offering up our deepest praise and love to our Savior. As this is the week where He bought us out of slavery once and for all. I don't know about you for as much as I love Christmas and giving of gifts and all the hustle and bustle but Easter is much more my favorite celebration.
As we gather around the Masters table today let us really consider what an amazing sacrifice was given for each of us on that first Easter. Now as I prepare for Easter Sunday I must really examine my heart and my mind. As in our verses today, He reminds us that we need to all in with everything!!! Now that might not seem so challenging but I believe if we looked deeply into our Tea Cups we could each find some tea leaves floating around that shouldn't be if we are truly following Christ.
As I begin to pack for the weekend at the beach with my family, I gather my tea cup and carefully wrap it up in my blanket that my family calls my security blanket at nearly 50 yrs old. Yes, maybe so but when I am preparing my tea cup for this family weekend it surely needs some security and protection. My Tea Cup is not at all like many of my family. Now please note that I am not saying my Tea Cup is more worthy, more acceptable to Christ etc...... No, not at all, the difference is that I am openly sold out to Jesus, and most aren't. For that matter most don't even acknowledge Him at all.
The next difference is that partly for my beliefs and faith, but also because I am labeled the "overly sensitive" family member. There is always the family drama that ensues, over anything really. There will be jabs, pokes, and prods about my faith and disrespect being poured all around from certain family members with regard to my faith in Christ. There will also be jealousy and favoritism from some. One family member will interject into every conversation and do all that they can to manipulate it back to them and all about them, no matter the topic of discussion.
As I am sure you can see that this brew of the Cross is quite similar in a significantly less consequential manner, as no one will actually be crucified. Yet, there parts of my tea cup that will feel that they have been pierced with nails such as Christ. How about you? Now this reality doesn't have to be about family it could be any circumstance that find yourself sipping through day to day. I believe however that the Truth of the Brew of the Cross is our best glue when our Tea Cups encounter these times. If we look back up at our verses for today we will see that the Brew Master warned us that these Brews would be what we encounter.
He told us that we are to guard our Tea Cups. He assures us that if we seek Him in prayer and petition He will strengthen us and encourage us. He tells us that we are to follow after Him to pick up our own crosses daily and carry them with the Truth of His word and promises. (Luke 9:23) Here is where the Tea Cup and Brews we choose to have poured into our Tea Cups meet up with our wills and our faith. Which will prevail in my life and your life?
These circumstances and trials are where we decide individually will we be like Christ and tap into His power to love others like He loved us first. Will we tap into His promises and commands and be loving, forgiving, and generous with ourselves to those who are nailing us to our own cross? I tell you whole heartedly that this is a challenge for me because my flesh wants to come out and in its own unique way believes that by attacking back that its protecting my tea cup. Yet, I know that flesh is full of only self protection not Christ.
Therefore you and I have a choice to make. Do we honor our Brew Master and pick up our cross and walk through the joys and adversities of life with His commands? Or do we allow our circumstances to deface and dishonor what Christ did for us on the Cross? I am sure you are thinking you don't know my family..... Even Christ would understand a little push back and certainly agree with a little tit for tat... No I don't believe that He would be ok with us acting and reacting any differently than He did on the cross. That's not to say He doesn't forgive us for the times we choose to behave in this manner, it's simply not pleasing to Him.
Here is this week's challenge.
1. Draw out two crosses or print out from the internet. Then on the first put your name across the center and all around put all the things you can remember that Christ has forgiven you for. Then spend some time with Christ giving thanks and praise for His salvation and forgiveness.
2. Then with the second cross write the names of those that you feel will try to take you away from the joy and gratitude that your tea cup is swirling in from the Praise Party you and Jesus just attended.
3. Then begin to write the things that you believe will be stirred into you tea cup at your next encounter with each person.
4. Then write the things that you are holding onto that need to be released to Christ and erased from your mind and heart. Write down each disappointment hurtful word etc... Do this not stir up the negative and bad feelings but rather to gather them all together at once. To then bring them to Christ all at once.
5. Then sit with Him and review the list and ask for His help in tossing each of those old painful, fresh painful events, memories, triggers and words etc.. away once and for all. Once you and Christ have completed this cross that now identifies for you the hurts and the healing that took place on the cross for you .
6. Then you will want to put these in a special place where you can go to be reminded that Christ has completed that work in you. That you are no longer are compelled by it. Allow Him to write that upon your heart today.
7. Lastly, ask Christ to guard your Tea Cup today and everyday so that when you are faced with such encounters that you have no memory of wrong doing, but the wisdom and truth of Christ to protect you from all harm. Ask the Holy Spirit to become so relevant and evident in your life that you know have the heart of Christ so that you without a shadow of doubt know that Christ will be with you and see you through any storm of life. Know that you don't carry your cross daily alone that Christ is there with you always. Know that He is your strength, for eternity and that your past, present and future all secure in Him. Stand tall knowing He is your Savior.
Till next week, may we each remember to pick up our cross daily and seek Christ's strengthen to carry it throughout the day no matter what obstacles we may face.
In Christ,
Love,
Tabby
Are You Holding those You Love Accountable?
"Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, & I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul...Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight?" II Sam.12:7, 9a
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
Confrontation can be a real trip at times. Sometimes it can be one of the hardest things in life to do and to tell you the truth most of us tend to avoid it. Question. How many excuses have you made for things you won't confront?
Time after time the Holy Spirit brings things to our attention so that we can deal with them and quite often our response is to lie and pretend as though they don't exist. According to my spiritual father, “An excuse is a skin of a reason stuffed with a lie.“
The truth is we become too familiar and complacent with those things we won't confront in an effort to avoid the inevitable. The truth makes us free. The truth spoken in love makes others free. Amen.
Our Daily Bread/Prayer Time
Dear Lord,
Please help us to speak the truth to those we love so that they can grow from it. You are an amazing God and we trust your word. Give us grace to understand and receive what others may say to us when it is you prompting them to come to us. We pray all these things in your most amazing name, Jesus. Amen.
He Is
Good morning Friends of God,
"BLESSED be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and He In whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me. LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! Or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!" Psalm 144:1-3
Friends, we should be rejoicing in Gods' care regardless of what we go through, whether in times of prosperity or adversity because we are so blessed. Our God is Lord. He is our rock. He is our loving ally and our fortress. He is our tower of safety, Friends. He is the one who gives us strength when we don't have strength to make it through. He is our refuge. He makes the nations submit to us.
Friends, who are we that He should notice us? Are we mere mortals that He should care for us? We are like a breath of air. Our days are like a passing shadow. Lets rejoice and praise our Lord while we still have breath. There is nothing that compares to Him! He is God alone! Amen.
“We should be astonished at the goodness of God, stunned that He should bother to call us by name, our mouths wide open at His love, bewildered that at this very moment we are standing on holy ground.” Brennan Manning
Much love,
Renee
Dear Lord,
We acknowledge you as the one true and living God. You are truly God alone! You are a refuge; our pillar of strength. We run to you because you are our only help! You love and care for us! You are great! We praise you for your endless works! In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
A Work In Progress
"This is the message that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Jeremiah, go down to the potter’s house. I will give you my message there.”
So I went down to the potter’s house and saw him working with clay at the wheel. He was making a pot from clay. But there was something wrong with the pot. So the potter used that clay to make another pot. With his hands he shaped the pot the way he wanted it to be." Jeremiah 18: 1-4
Good Morning Brothas and Sistas,
If you have ever watched a person work with the potters wheel you will notice that he or she never takes their eyes off of the clay nor do they ever remove their hands from it. If the clay starts taking a form or shape thats not pleasing to them they simply smash it and start again.
Brothas and Sistas, God is the Potter and we are the clay. God is always shaping and molding us and reconstructing us. We are so blessed that God is not like man. God takes the time to form and fashion us and He has been doing this even before we were born.
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb." Psalm 139:13"
Brothas and Sistas, there is such peace in knowing that God is not finished with us yet. No matter how bad things are or how messed up we may appear to be, God still has us on the wheel and He never leaves us unattended.
Thank you God,
Gina M
Dear Father,
I bless your holy name. Father, I thank you for being the Potter in our lives and watching over us so carefully. Thank you for never taking your hands off of us. Father, please help us to look at each other as you see us "a work in progress". In Jesus name I pray. Amen
Past Baggage
"Brethren I count not myself to have apprehended : but this one thing I do , forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those thing which are before. I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling which is in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14
Brothas and Sistas , how many of us are guilty of carrying our past baggage around with us like it is a limb, never releasing it so the load of carrying the baggage becomes lighter. The truth is we are so conditioned to carrying it that we are comfortable with it. Brothas and Sistas, let me share a story with you about a man that carried his burdens around because he became so comfortable with them.
Likely no one reading this has ever heard of Reuben Johnson. This man was a notorious criminal in his area of the United States just before the beginning of the 20 century. He had been in the State Penitentiary for nearly 20 years when the commissioners of the penitentiary asked the Governor to pardon 5 men for good behavior.
The governor agreed, but with a special provision. There was to be a 6 month testing period in which none of the 1100 prisoners was to know of this and the 5 with the best records were to be pardoned and released during a visit by the President of the United States. At the end of the 6 months, the President and Governor along with many dignitaries came to the penitentiary for the pardoning, which until that time, none of the prisoners knew about! The president began to tell the story of the testing period and their plan to release the 5 men. However, before he could tell the story, he had to release the tremendous tension in the room by giving out the names of the 5 men to be pardoned.
The first name on the list was Reuben Johnson! His name was called 3 times, but there was no answer! The governor recognized him and asked him why he did not come to receive his pardon. He simply looked behind and around him, thinking it must be another Reuben Johnson! It took 3 times before the truth of his pardon became a reality in his mind! He went to receive his pardon, then sat down and cried!
But this is not the end of the story, Sistas. When the great meeting was over and the other 4 men had received their pardons and had left as free men, Reuben Johnson, by force of habit, got in line with the rest of the prisoners to return to his cell! He had to be reminded that he was free to go! Finally, the truth sank in and he left the penitentiary after almost 20 years, now a free man!
Brothas and Sistas, how much is this like the baggage of our past that we continue carrying around with us many years later?
"Brethren I count not myself to have apprehended : but this one thing I do , forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those thing which are before. I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling which is in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14
http://youtu.be/Elem5DvVvIg Featured in the Dinner Theater
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MZpatXx4V8&feature=share&list=PL7DDF2D348A6FC2E0
Featured in Appetizers For Today
Love,
Josette
Learning to Let Go
"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 future." Jeremiah 29:11
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
Life's lessons are so hard to learn at times. There are times when I would rather hit the reset button in order to avoid one of God's teachable moments. I do this especially when I know the end result can be painful. And I bet you do to.
One of those lessons just happen to deal with letting go of those whom we love. Brothas and Sistas, I know you must struggle with this too. There are some people that we love and admire so dearly that we are willing to disobey the promptings f the Holy Spirit in order to keep them close to us when He has clearly told us that keeping the relationship is more harmful than letting go.
Brothas and Sistas, we must learn to let go of people not only for our good but for their good as well. Believe it or not holding on is a form of idolatry. Anything or anyone that we cling to over doing God's will we unknowingly put in His place. His will should always be at the core of our Christian walk. It so easy to place people on the throne and develop unhealthy codependent alliances of which we can find ourselves compromising the very convictions that we are supposed to hold high.
Here is the question I pose to you.... How much of God's will are you willing to compromise at the expense of receiving His best because you are holding on to a relationship that He has clearly told you to let go of? Brothas and Sistas, learn to let go. Letting go not only brings you new found freedom but it frees the one that you are trying to hold on to. Amen.
Blessings,
Denise
Prayer of Faith
Thank you Lord for teaching us life's lessons. Help us to let go when we try so desperately to hold on to those you have told us to let go of. May we trust you more than we trust our emotions. We desire to have you and not people on the throne. In Jesus nae we pray. Amen.
I Choose to Worship
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
What does the word worship mean to you? The word Latreia is a Greek theological term which means adoration, a reverence directed only to the Holy Trinity. Latria carries an emphasis on the internal form of worship, rather than external ceremonies. Proskuneo means to do reverence to (pros-koo-neh-o’) to drop to the ground; to prostrate; to do homage towards.
Worship means to bow down, prostrate oneself
One might ask , “Well what is true worship?” Well worship is not the slow songs that we sing. It’s not the amount you place in the offering basket and It’s not volunteering in the church. Eventhough these are acts or expressions of worship but it does not define what true worship really is.
True worship is defined by the priority we place on who God is in our lives and where God is on our list of priorities. True worship is a matter of the heart expressed through a lifestyle of holiness.Webster defines worship as to honor with extravagant love and extreme submission. Psalm 96:5-6
Let's look at Daniel 3:16 -18
"Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, "King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty's hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
Daniel chose to worship the only, one true and living God rather than succomb to idol worship!
In the world today we see more and more people walking away from the things of God. We don’t want to come to church. We don’t talk about the goodness of God but most of all. We don’t want to worship Him. Perhaps maybe some don’t know what worship means.
Worship is an active response to the character, the words and actions of God which are initiated by His revelation and enabled buy His redemption. Worship requires 3 things that I believe are in accordance with His will. There may be others but for now these three come to mind.
1. Belief - the mind is transformed- vs. 16 – “We do not need to defend ourselves to you.” Because they chose to worship the true and living God, their minds were already made up. There was no doubt or second guessing or anything contrary to what they believed. They were operating in faith.
2.Trust - The heart is renewed – vs. 17 “If you throw us into the blazing furnace, the God we serve or worship is able to save us from the furnace. He will save us from your power O King.” v. 22
How many of you know that when you choose to worship the true God that He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we could ask or think. Ephesians 3:20 By faith God covered the boys before they were thrown into the furnace. How is it that the soldiers were killed the moment they threw them in and yet the boys were still untouched by the flames? Trust says my heart is renewed day by day by what God is able to do in my life.
3.Obedience – actions surrendered. In other words I surrender myself of obedience that I will not act a fool but instead be still and know that He is. Vs 18 “but even if God does not save us. We want you, O King to know this, We will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” You see when you choose to worship the true and living God your obedience to God will allow you not to waiver or become fearful but know that His word will never come back void. He said for those that choose to worship God that “He will never leave nor forsake you!.” Hebrews 13:5
Do you know there is healing in the midst of worship that whatever you are going through He is in the midst but you and I must choose to worship. I dare you right now, right here, no matter what it is, I dare you to begin to worship Him. I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalm 34:1
“I will lift up mine eyes to the hill from whence comes my health. My help cometh from the Lord." Psalm 121:1
Brothas and Sistas, our prayer should be “I’m going to lift myself out of that despair, I’m not going to lay here and die, I need you Lord. I’m seeking you O God. No matter how wounded you are or how broken you may be right now, make it known that “I Choose to Worship!”
Come here Job, you lost your livestock, you lost your family and yet you chose to worship God for you said “For God I live, for god I die.” So Job chose to worship rather than sulk in despair.
Come here Joseph, didn’t do anything but tell a dream and became hated upon, accused, jailed yet in all that he went through he chose to worship. What am I saying, “No matter what goes on around here I’m choosing to worship!!!”
In worship, there is healing!
In worship, there is power!
In worship, there is deliverance!
"Worship changes the worshiper into the image of the one worshiped!" Jack Hayford
God Bless,
Minister Antonio Washington
Prayer of Faith
Father, no matter what we go through we wan to worship you. In good time and in bad times we want to worship. We choose not to put any other gods before you We know that you are the only true and living God. Help us to live wholeheartedly for you daily. In Jesus name we pray. Amen
Come Out From Among Them
https://youtu.be/kKxfyipJwpo?list=PLbIwq6HuKrKw9-c63LJcynWeuJ6IjxOpx
"And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for you are the temple of the living God; as God has said, I will dwell in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye, separate saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and you shall be My son's and daughters, saith the Lord God Almighty." II Corinthians 6:16-18
Good morning Friends,
The church is the temple of the living God, therefore we as believers are not known as a building but as those whom the Spirit of God lives in. The church is not where we as believers go, it's who we are. That means God is always with us. What a sobering yet comforting thought. Hmmm. How does your behavior reflect the God you represent??
Separation from the world means more than keeping our distance from sinful practices. We definitely have to stay close to God, how do we spend our time and money. God understands that we can't totally separate ourselves from all sinful influences. But as Christian believers we should resist the sin around us, without giving up, or giving into them. When you understand what God wants you to do, you can make a clear and clean break away from sinful practices. Come out from among them. Something to think about!!!
Prayer of Faith
Dear Lord,
We thank you for separating us from the world through renewing our minds with your word. As we spend time with you, may we reflect the God we represent through our behavior. Help us to walk in holiness and live by your standards so that the world may know we serve a true and living God. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Are You Prepared for Christ Return?
"And he said to me, do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. He who is Unjust, let him be unjust still, he who is Filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is Righteous, let him be righteous still; and he who is Holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last." Revelation 22:10-12 (NKJV)
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
We prepare for many things such as entertaining engagements, kids for college, weddings, etc., but are we preparing for Christ's return? Revelation 22:10-12 gives (4) states of people. Which state are you?.....Unjust, Filthy, Righteous or Holy? Don't be stuck in a state wherein there is no change and you are left behind!
Ask yourself these questions:
(1) What did you do with God's Son? Did you accept Him as your Savior, Lord and& Kng or did you reject Him?
If you accepted Christ, God's Only Son.....................................
(2) Did you seek Him, the gift Giver, to know the gift He gave?
(3) Are you using His gift for the church, in which it was given?
Only you can answer!
Jesus said, "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work."
"Christ's Return is Imminent! Prepare yourself! Prepare for His return!
(Spiritual Gifts Scriptures: Psalm 68:18; Acts 2:4, 33; 10:44-46;11:17; Rom 12:3-8; 1 Corinth 12; 13:2; 14)
“When He returns is not as important as the fact that we are ready for Him when He does return.” - A.W. Tozer, Preparing for Jesus' Return: Daily Live the Blessed Hope
Blessings,
Claudia Wright
Prayer of Faith
Dear Lord,
We anxiously await your return. Help us to get our houses in order. May we give ourselves over to you so that we may be assured eternal life and peace. We thank you for all that you have dnoe for us. You are so wonderful. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
So What Are You Doing to Stop the Enemy's Chatter in the Midst of Suffering
"So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective." Colossians 3:2
Good Morning Brothas and Sistas,
Brothas and Sistas, my 12 year old daughter can be a certified whip at times. It is hard to keep that child from talking so much. Just when I think she's about to shut up, here comes that mouth just a flappin' again. The funny thing is I never knew girls could talk so darn much. Before she came I was more experienced with two less than social boys and two other children that are non verbal. I mean there are times when I am cooking dinner and because of her constant chatter I find it hard to recollect whether or not I have left out an ingredient. We have deemed her the official chatter box of the family. We love her to pieces but we know it's easy to misplace our focus when she's on a roll. That kinda reminds me of how often we misplace our focus when we allow ourselves to get caught up in the constant chatter of life which is defined as busyness.
Satan also uses this same chatter to get our focus off of those things that God is calling us to. He knows that if He keeps us distracted long enough we will miss out on the main ingredients involved in the Master's cuisine for our lives. Brothas and Sistas, what are you doing to remain stable in the midst of the enemy's and world's constant chatter? "We must focus our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." Heb. 12:2
"Make sure of your commitment to Jesus Christ, and seek to follow Him every day. Don't be swayed by the false values and goals of this world, but put Christ and His will first in everything you do." Billy Graham
Prayer Time
Dear Lord,
We thank you for helping us recognize the enemy's constant chatter. Help us to remain focused so that we don't get distracted from our destiny. May we keep our minds stayed on you so that we will remain in perfect peace. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Are We Responding to Our Marriage God's Way or Our Way?
http://youtu.be/YOKq1VmEbtc Old Skool
“Marriage is a total commitment and a total sharing of the total person with another person until death.” ~ Wayne Mack
Malachi 2:14,15 "But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant."
Good morning to you both,
Brothas and Sistas, as we seek to understand the marital vows let's look at the vows concerning "for better or for worse". Brothas and Sistas, what does for better or for worse mean to you. “For better or for worse” is a commitment by the marriage partners to rise-up together against those things that would threaten the marriage covenant relationship such as attraction for/from someone of the opposite sex towards a marriage partner, dealing with rebellious children, blended family conflict, etc.,
Believe it or not, there are some things that we just need to have enough spiritual gumption or perseverance to work through. Brothas and Sistas, it is never an option to bail out at the first sign of trouble or conflict. The Christian life calls us to a life of perseverance and commitment. We must learn the importance of prayer and trusting God when it comes to conflict in our marriages.
The Bible presents marriage as a divine institution. If marriage were of human origin, then human beings would have a right to decide the kind of marital relationships to choose. Marriage, however, began with God. It was established by God at the beginning of human history when He "created the heavens and the earth" (Gen 1:1). As the Creator of marriage, God has the right to tell us which principles should govern our marital relationships.
Commitment is a mindset, an attitude and a way of thinking that will enable you and your spouse to navigate through the still waters and the storms of a marriage relationship. Charles Swindoll (Strike the Original Match) compares working on marriage to remodeling a house:
It takes longer than you planned
It costs more than you figured
It is messier than you anticipated
It requires greater determination than you expected
Sometimes the only thing that keeps us going is hope!
Now Brothas and Sistas, there may be some of you asking the question: What if I am involved in an abusive marriage or a marriage where my spouse continues to commit adultery? Brothas and Sistas, let's make it clear it is never healthy to remain in a relationship with someone that is consistently abusive or commits adultery without genuine repentance. We are not giving you advice to divorce your spouse if this is occurring in your relationship because that is a decision that has to be Spirit led and it is your decision to make.
On the other hand, we have witnessed spouses being told that
they are bound by their marital vows to stay in a marriage even when they have been victims of domestic violence and adultery. They have been made to feel guilty by being consistently reminded that they are called by God to forgive and love unconditionally regardless of how many times their spouse breaks the marital vows.
Brothas and Sistas, does “for better or for worse” mean that you are married for life — regardless of the violations committed against you in the marriage? The answer is No! Nor has it ever meant that. As we have said before, in counseling sessions some spouses have been told that they are called by God to maintain a relationship with someone even when he or she is repeatedly destructive toward them. In other words, "For better or worse."
But is that counsel truly biblical? Are we ever permitted to end a relationship or distance ourselves from someone because of their unchanged sinful behavior? God's love for humankind is unconditional but he does not offer anyone unconditional relationship. He tells us that our sin separates us from him and that without repentance we have no fellowship with him (1 John 1:6). Our sin does not separate us from God’s love (Romans 5:8) but it does separate us from his presence (Isaiah 59:1-2). Jesus distanced himself from certain religious leaders because he didn’t trust them. He knew what was in their heart (John 2:24). Throughout much of the Old Testament, God withdraws his presence from his people because of unrepentant sin. God calls people to a covenant relationship that is like a marriage. He not only wants us to enjoy his love, he wants us to love him back (Deuteronomy 6:5). He not only promises us his faithfulness, he requires that we be faithful in return (Deuteronomy 4:23-24). The book of Hosea is a picture of God’s love for his unfaithful spouse (Israel). He longs for her, but his relationship with her will remain broken until she is willing to change. http://www.leslievernick.com/pdfs/IS-Marriage-SUPPOSED-to-be-for-Better-or-for-Worse-FR.pdf
In this sinful world there is no perfect person and in every relationship there is some brokenness and suffering. That’s why Jesus tells us that when someone sins against us, we are to go and talk to that person so that we can be reconciled. However, he also adds, if they refuse to hear you after you have repeatedly tried to get them to listen, "treat them as you would a pagan and a tax collector" (Matthew 18:15-17). Jesus says, if there is no repentance, the relationship you once had changes. Pagans and tax collectors were not trusted, nor were they friends, although a good Jew would help a pagan or tax collector who was in need, fulfilling the biblical mandate to love one’s enemy. http://www.leslievernick.com/pdfs/IS-Marriage-SUPPOSED-to-be-for-Better-or-for-Worse-FR.pdf
In conclusion, when dealing with the marital vows, "For better or for worse" let's ask ourselves, "Am I responding to these vows God's way or my way?" Brothas, and Sistas, in order for us to have successful marriages we must respond to these vows in a godly way even when conflict arises. Until next time. Take care.
Minister Antonio and Sista Michelle Washington
Let's Pray
Dear Lord,
We praise your great name for the spouses that you have blessed us with. We realize that you have joined us together and for this we are so grateful. Please continue to bless our marriages. Help us to honor you by continuing to love the ones that we are with. May we always honor the marital vows that we made toward our spouses. We pray all these things in your praiseworthy name, Jesus. Amen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA1GSIHUEiM&feature=share&list=PL70F1D845BB3D2A21 Marriage Today
http://youtu.be/qmrrh1kTYvg Dinner Theater Presentation
Tea Time With Tabby
“A Brew of how to Forgive what can’t be forgotten.”
Matthew 26:28- 28 This is my blood of the[a] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Acts 26:18 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
2 Corinthians 2:5 Forgiveness for the Offender- 5 If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely.
Luke 6:37 Judging Others- “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Matthew 6:15
But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Luke 5:23- 24 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So, he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”
Good Morning Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I pray that are all well this day and that your families are safe and healthy. May we pray? Lord, I pray that you will reveal what you have on your heart today for us with this Brew. Its certainly not a brew that I have mastered. Lord take over and share your revelations here today, Thanks be to God. Amen
I thought that since we are in Easter Season and for some who celebrate the Season of Lent that this Brew was timely. Yet is not only timely for those reasons as I just began reading a book call “Forgiving what you cannot forget” by Lysa TerKeurst. A friend suggested the book as we will be doing bible study by this author that is tied to this book. Its always amazing to me how God will put such opportunities into play when I am struggling with specific area of my faith. He drops hints, puts up signs, and provides multiple opportunities for me to practice what I am supposed to do as Christian woman. I find this irritating at times as I am not always ready to practice what I know I need to improve upon. Yet when I finally stop being my bullheaded self and submit to my Lord and God, I find that I am forever changed and grateful.
As some of you know I am going through an exceedingly difficult end to a 10yr marriage. Honestly one that I should have left many years ago but did not believing then that I was doing what God wanted. However, thanks to God’s persistent pursuit of my heart and what He wants for me I finally made the decision to leave the abusive relationship.
So how does forgiveness work when we have been so violated, and lost everything, to include our self-worth, our home, our independence, our financial security, our heart etc.…
To be perfectly honest I am still trying to figure this out. What I can share is that several of the things that I felt that I had lost in aftermath of this devasting circumstance, were not lost to me at all. They were simply buried under the rubble of emotions, pain, and oceans of tears and fears.
I found that I can choose what was utterly lost, and what I am willing let go of, and what I am willing hold onto. I am learning that if I allow the offender to have the power over my emotions, my memories, myself worth, then I am still in that abusive relationship. This is simply not where I desire to be anymore. It is certainly not where God desires for me to remain either.
As I am reading this book and I am not even ¼ way through it I am seeing tools that God has in His Word to help me navigate this category 10 storm that I am in. I am learning that I do not have to do it alone, and that yes there will be casualties to the storm, friends lost, homes lost, finances lost, but those things do not have to define who I am, who I was or who I will become.
There is an exercise that a therapist has Lysa do to work on forgiving the things she simply cannot forget. It really is a 2-part process. You must first forgive the deed, the specific offense. Then you will need time to forgive the emotional storms that come and go often from the smallest triggers.
We must also understand right up front that when we say forgive that is not saying the behavior or incident did not happen, that it was not wrong, that it does not and should not have consequences. What we are saying is that we are no longer going to allow the offender to have the power over our lives. That we are going to trust in God’s Sovereign Word and His Sovereign Justice, as He is the only Rightful Judge.
The exercise that her counselor taught her with much resistance she explains was to simply take some index cards and carefully write out on every specific offense. Then she laid them out on the floor and took red felt to represent the blood of Christ and said a simple prayer over each. As she would approach each index card she says _______is forgiven for ______. Then lay the red felt across it. Then she would say God I trust you and your grace to help me deal with emotions that this ________ still stirs in my soul. That the Blood of Christ can cover this offense as well.
Now Lysa was truly clear that this was not a once and done scenario, that as she walked through the healing, she often had to remind herself she had forgiven ____________. Then as new triggers or emotions rose in and through this season she would once again turn to God and those index cards and practice this process.
The other most valuable piece of insight that I got from this is that there is timeline, no deadline where we should be like ok your emotions have had time to be healed. Emotional scars take much longer to heal. Yet we must be responsible for how we choose to manage them. If we are not choosing to manage them then the offender still has all the power over, you and me. None of us will get it right every time. We will all be triggered and lose the battle, but we must focus on the victories not the imperfectness. The enemy of our souls would much rather us sit in our anger, depression, anxiety, lack of self-worth. He would rather us to be sipping and seething on Brew of Bitterness.
We must remember that no other person on this earth has the right or privilege to determine our self-worth, or to control our emotions and how we choose to process them. Only Christ can determine our worth and He has already determined we are worthy. He went to the cross and innocent perfect man to die for our sins. So, let us not de-value His sacrifice by not following his example of forgiveness.
I pray that you will each find value in this brew and that God will lead you on the journey of forgiveness so that you too can find peace and redemption.
Love, Tabby
Hold On Your Season Is Coming
"And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint." Galatians 6:9
Good Morning Brothas and Sistas,
In the word of God we are given so many clues of what is to come. The bible says " Let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly" Paul warns us because he doesn't want us to be suprised when we begin to feel this way.
Brothas and Sistas, ministry is hard work. There is no other way to say it. I can't and will not sugar coat it and neither did Paul. There will be times in our walk with the Lord that we will want to give up and throw in the towel. We will become frustrated and disappointed and feel as though our work is in vain.
But wait a minute, the scripture doesn't just tell us not to get weary it goes on to tell us the benefits of holding on....
"for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint."
Brothas and Sistas , "We Shall Reap" if we don't give up!!! What an encouragement. Don't give up because in the Appointed Season "You Shall Reap" Hold on, Press on and most of all stay before Gods throne because your Season to Reap is coming!!!
Be Blessed,
Gina M
Prayer Time
Father God, we thank you for your word which is truly a lamp unto our feet. God, we thank you for loving us so much that you would allow us to reap. We thank you for the encouragement that you continually express in your word to your people. In Jesus Name I Pray. Amen.
Building Up One Another with An End In Mind
"From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." Ephesians 4:16
Good morning my precious Brothas and Sistas,
In my study time this morning I found that nearly every building that is custom designed and constructed, often requires a long time to complete. There are so many intricate details that are not only involved in the planning process but there are intricate details involved in watching the actual building take form. It is an often slow and tedious process. Often in ministry we get so frustrated when we tend to concentrate too much on where we perceive our Brothas and Sistas to be. The difference between us and Jesus is that he always focused on what and where His followers would one day be. That's why He changed Abrams name to Abraham, Sari's name to Sarah, Saul's name to Paul, Jacob's name to Israel, and Simon's name to Peter. Jesus saw and still sees amazing potential in all of His followers. If Jesus just concentrated on where they were or what they were when He found them he would have never spoken possibility into them.
My husband is an amazing encourager within the body and he often speaks possibility into the people that are around him. He will lovingly takes people who are at their lowest point in life and begins to pour positive into them. He is so extremely patient with people. I can remember when our kids where younger he would sit them and their friends on the living room chair and pour God's words into them and tell them about the amazing potential that they have in them. Many of them looked like they were going to pass out or kill over because he would have them sitting there for at least 2 hours at the least. Brothas and Sistas, you know how preachers are, they love to talk.
Many of those teenagers would often take part in our family vacations and God would give him opportunities to pour into them some more. After years of him ministering to them, many of those teenagers are beginning to do some positive things with their lives. They still deeply respect my husband today because of all that he did for them when they were younger. They always make it a point when they stop by and he asks them how they are doing, where they are with their future goals and their current accomplishments.
You see, when he first started pouring into them many of them did not know what they wanted to do or be beyond what they had been doing which was stealing, going to jail, cussing, getting high etc., I believe that those words that my husband spoke into them are bringing forth seeds of greatness as we speak. My husband has done the exact same thing with me.
Last weekend I heard a story about Pastor Ron Barnett of the Dream Center in Los Angeles and how he often meets drug dealers, prostitutes, people in prison etc., and he often speaks words of life into them by telling them that they will one day be one of his deacons, worship leaders, ushers, or youth pastors even before he actually gets to know them. Do you not know that very often those people that he speaks life into become the very things that he has spoken into them? That pastor does not call them what they are but by faith he calls them what they will one day become.
In Ephesians 4:16 we are told that we are to edify each other in love. The word edify means that we are to build; to establish; to improve enlighten or uplift. The Greek word for edification is oikodomeo or okedome which is defined as the act of building. This word means to promote Christian character. Ephesians 4:16 also says that we are to be "fitly joined together."
Fitly means proper size and shape for, suitable time or proper suits a given time, purpose, occasion or condition. There are times when the Brotha or Sista that we are ministering to may pluck our last nerve and we may think "Lord you must be confused. This IS NOT, IS NOT the right one that you want ME to minister to, to build into, to establish, to improve, to enlighten, or to promote Christian character in. Lord they are not right for me. They don't fit the bill of what I would expect them to be. This is not the right time, occasion, and they are not in the right condition for me to deal with them. Lord, you must be trippin'."But, Brothas and Sistas, as I mentioned to you in the beginning just like with any building project that requires a lot of time and effort, so does building into our Brothas or Sistas. It requires dedication and commitment on our part.
We have to see this process through. We must keep in mind that God is using us because He is building us all up. Build is defined as the act process art or occupation of constructing. Jesus is the master builder. He is well versed in the art of constructing His daughters and sons. He sees so much phenomenal potential in all of us. He is always involved in the intricate details of each one of His building projects and can see the finished project well ahead of time. He is building up other Brothas and Sistas through you because He has a desired end in mind. So please don't stop planting those seed of hope. You never know how far the power of an encouraging word will go. Praise Him!
Prayer Time
We love and adore you. thanks for all the times you encourage us when we are down. Help us to encourage our Brothas and Sistas the way you encourage us. May we be patient with them as you are with us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Are You Willing to Let Go
"Why is there fighting and wars among you (us)?" (James 4:1)
Good Morning Brothas and Sistas,
Wow! Just last night I watched a television show about how two enemy pilots were flying in the same space. The Russian pilot knew that the American pilot was in trouble and flying into enemy territory so he safely guided Him out of enemy territory on his wings. In the end the American pilot said, "We are all the same (soldiers) but we keep fighting each other." Saints, the same holds true for us as Christians.
Isn't it amazing how prolonged bitterness and unforgiveness can distort our view so much that we actually begin to view each other as enemies when we are the same. Question. "Why is there fighting and wars among you (us)?" (James 4:1) ; when in essence it is not who He fashioned us to be? Why does the body fight against the body when we are from the same platoon?
Brothas and Sistas, we preach forgiveness but do we actually live it? Let's make a vow today to no longer be a part of "Friendly Fire" and save our ammunition for the real war against our true enemy, Satan. Amen.
"To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you." C.S. Lewis
http://youtu.be/bHVbvB-gv1E Dinner Theater Presentation
Prayer Time
Dear Lord,
We thank you for your giving us the supernatural ability to forgive those who have offended us because there is such freedom in letting go. Help us to realize that we are all on the same team/platoon. We are all waging war against our enemy, Satan. We are not one another's enemy. We pray that brokenness will come to those of us that are not willing to forgive as you have forgiven us. Help us to heal and then become an instrument of healing through continued forgiveness. We pray all these things in your awesome name, Jesus. Amen.
"Be still and know I am God." Psalm 46:10
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
God is trying to tell you something? Are you still enough to listen? Stillness is defined as the state or instance of being quiet and calm. Consistent busyness leads us astray from the voice and heart of God. We have to learn the value of being still so that we can hear Him
"In the silence of the heart God speaks. If you face God in silence, God will speak to you. Then you will know that you are nothing. It is only when you realize your nthingness, your emptiness that God can fill you with Himself. Souls of prayer are souls of great silence... Listening is the beginning of prayer." Mother Teresa
A silent heart creates an obedient spirit. Whenever God is up to something great "His eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth to shew himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect towards him." II Chronicles 16:9 Question is... Are you willing to avail yourself for greatness?
Our Daily Bread/Prayer Time
"Be still and know I am God." Psalm 46:10
Dear Lord,
Thank you for allowing us to walk in greatness when we walk in obedience to your Spirit daily by tuning into your voice. We have come to the awesome conclusion that we are nothing without you.You have made us and not we ourselves and we realize that we must completely rely upon your Spirit. We thank you showing yourself strong on our behalf when our hearts are perfect towards you. We pray all these things in your great name, Jesus. Amen.
Because You Loved Me
"Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 2That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh." Genesis 2:22-24
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
God has established marriage for the welfare and happiness of mankind and it is sacred under God. The plan was with God and only with God in our lives can we work anything out with joy. Brothas and Sistas, your joys are doubled since the happiness of one has become the happiness of the other. You can now divide the load of your burdens because you share them.
To my Brothas, you are blessed as the head of the home. He has blessed you to provide and will sustain you under pressure. May your strength be her protection, your character (who you are) be her pride and may you so live that she will find in you the haven for which the heart she truly longs for. Also my friend, love is for more than having sex with your wife. She needs all around love, affection, understanding, listening, caressing and communicating. When she is hurting give her a hug to show her you care and to assure her that everything will be alright.
To my Sistas, may God continue to give you the tenderness that will make you great, give you a deep sense of understanding, and a great faith in God. May He (God) give you that inner beauty of the soul that never fades; eternal youth that is found in holding fast to the things that never age. May you love your husband with understanding, love him with appeal, when he's tense caress him with your whispers of love, encourage him when he's weak, and pray for his decision making and leadership for the family.
Brothas and Sistas, understand that marriage is not living merely for each other, it is two people joining alliances to serve God. Purpose in your hearts to give each other a great spiritual purpose in life. May you both seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all the other things shall be added unto you both. (Matthew 6:33) Please don't expect of each other the perfection that belongs only to God. May you minimize each others weaknesses (bad habits or things that annoy you). In other words, don't be so critical of each other. Brothas and Sistas, be quick to praise encourage, and magnify each other's strengths. Learn to see each other through a lover's (the way you met each other) kind and patient eyes.
As God prepares a work for you in His will, learn to develop your character as you walk together in Christ Jesus. You will endure enough tears to keep you tender, enough hurt to keep you humane and enough failure to keep your hands clenched tightly in His. And my friends, enough success to encourage you both in your walk with God.
Brothas and Sistas, never, ever take each other's love for granted, as we so often do, but faithfully serve God and one another until you both may rest in the loving arms of Jesus. This is my charge to you both, husbands and wives. Amen.
Till next time take care.
Minister Antonio Washington
Prayer of Faith
Thank you, Lord for giving us the gift of marriage. May we never, never take our spouses for granted. Help us to walk in love and look beyond each others fault. May we surrender ourselves to you and one another wholeheartedly so that you may be glorified in our marriages. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Healthy Fear vs.Unhelathy Fear
GM Friends of God,
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind." II Timothy 1:7
I will be sharing my testimony with you about how I struggled with fear.I remember all the times I lived in fear, whether it was of things I imagined or real circumstances. I had fear of living alone and what could happen, fear of change and not knowing what to expect, and many more fears. I'm so glad I'm free from ALL fear. I have been free for many years now; never to go back to those unhealthy fears.
Friends, are any of you living in fear? If so God wants to set you free. I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears. (Psalm 34:4) He did not deliver me from a little fear or some fear, but all of my fears and He wants to do the same for you.
Did you know a moderate sense of fear may be considered normal, even healthy? An awareness of danger; a defense mechanism is considered healthy fear. Even when your heart is pounding fast or you have sweaty palms because you maybe called on to do a speech at a meeting or in class is considered normal fear.
God's word tell us, "The fear of the Lord Is the beginning of wisdom." (Prov. 9:10). It's a trustful, worshipful attitude that removes all other fear! Jesus said we are not to fear, we are not to be anxious and we are not to worry. The Bible teaches that this type of fear is sin. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you ....Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.'' (John 14:27) Friends, I will be continuing this topic on fear for the next two weeks because a lot of us as Christians are still living in fear. Amen.
"Fear is born of Satan and if we only take time to think we would see that everything that Satan says is founded upon falsehood." A. B. Simpson
Much Love,
Renee
Dear Lord,
Thank you for your wonderful word that comforts us through our anxieties. Thank you for delivering us from all fear. "You have not given us a spirit of fear; but of power and of love and of a sound mind." II Timothy 1:7 We praise you for giving us courage to face things. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Hearken To His Voice
"The sacrifice God wants is a broken spirit. God you will not reject a heart that is broken and sorry for sin." Psalm 51:17 NCV
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
Throughout the bible each man or woman God used had a heart that was responsive to hearing and obeying His voice. What I'm saying is we must be sensitive to His Spirit. I know sometimes we may think that it's our ability or talent that allows us to be used by Him, but Brothas and Sistas, that is not the case. What God wants is a man or woman who has a broken and contrite heart.
Psalm 51:17 says, "The sacrifice God wants is a broken spirit. God you will not reject a heart that is broken and sorry for sin." In other words God is looking at the heart and what condition it is in. I like Jeremiah 17:10 which says, " I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind." You see when I as an ordinary person with all my faults I came in contact with God; the extraordinary comes from Him.
One of the things I need to ask myself is, "Am I available to be used by God? In order to be used by God my character needs a consistent spiritual check up. David said in Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me Oh God and know my heart trust me and know my anxious thoughts, see if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting."
Brothas and Sistas, my check up keeps me on point, but if I don't heed to the warning signs that may be given then spiritual sickness will spread, my heart will weaken, and soon fail. You see God's Spirit will ask me to stop before I go any further and deal with a particular issue in my character or behavior.
I remember someone telling me to read Psalm 15 which says, "Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? That scripture pretty much deals with the heart issue. The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others; who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the Lord;who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken."
You see this chapter truly shows me the condition of my heart.
We must keep in mind that God places us in situations that line up according to His will and purpose for our lives. In other words, whatever we do has to be unto the Lord because Christ is Lord over our lives. Whatever we do is from the heart and not because someone tells us. Do you not know that as a man of God He puts us in places where we can make a difference as a servant of God? Remember our reward is from the Lord not men.
Listen Brothas and Sistas, if you are faithful over a few things God will be able to trust you with more. God is involved in every area of our lives whether we recognize it or not. God is so good that He will take the ordinary circumstances we face in life and use them to help develop our character.
Until next week. Take care.
Minister Antonio Washington
Prayer of Faith
Thank you for speaking to us. Help us to discern your voice and obey accordingly. May we want to do your will more than anything. Give us a heart like yours. In Jesus name we pray Amen,
Never Take Each Other for Granted
"Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 2That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh." Genesis 2:22-24
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
God has established marriage for the welfare and happiness of mankind and it is sacred under God. The plan was with God and only with God in our lives can we work anything out with joy. Brothas and Sistas, your joys are doubled since the happiness of one has become the happiness of the other. You can now divide the load of your burdens because you share them.
To my Brothas, you are blessed as the head of the home. He has blessed you to provide and will sustain you under pressure. May your strength be her protection, your character (who you are) be her pride and may you so live that she will find in you the haven for which the heart she truly longs for. Also my friend, love is for more than having sex with your wife. She needs all around love, affection, understanding, listening, caressing and communicating. When she is hurting give her a hug to show her you care and to assure her that everything will be alright.
To my Sistas, may God continue to give you the tenderness that will make you great, give you a deep sense of understanding, and a great faith in God. May He (God) give you that inner beauty of the soul that never fades; eternal youth that is found in holding fast to the things that never age. May you love your husband with understanding, love him with appeal, when he's tense caress him with your whispers of love, encourage him when he's weak, and pray for his decision making and leadership for the family.
Brothas and Sistas, understand that marriage is not living merely for each other, it is two people joining alliances to serve God. Purpose in your hearts to give each other a great spiritual purpose in life. May you both seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all the other things shall be added unto you both. (Matthew 6:33) Please don't expect of each other the perfection that belongs only to God. May you minimize each others weaknesses (bad habits or things that annoy you). In other words, don't be so critical of each other. Brothas and Sistas, be quick to praise encourage, and magnify each other's strengths. Learn to see each other through a lover's (the way you met each other) kind and patient eyes.
As God prepares a work for you in His will, learn to develop your character as you walk together in Christ Jesus. You will endure enough tears to keep you tender, enough hurt to keep you humane and enough failure to keep your hands clenched tightly in His. And my friends, enough success to encourage you both in your walk with God.
Brothas and Sistas, never, ever take each other's love for granted, as we so often do, but faithfully serve God and one another until you both may rest in the loving arms of Jesus. This is my charge to you both, husbands and wives. Amen.
Till next time take care.
Minister Antonio Washington
Prayer of Faith
Thank you, Lord for giving us the gift of marriage. May we never, never take our spouses for granted. Help us to walk in love and look beyond each others fault. May we surrender ourselves to you and one another wholeheartedly so that you may be glorified in our marriages. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
The Brew of Provision
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
Thanks for being so patient with us. Vistaprint was experiencing some issues with their digital marketing yesterday so we were unable to air Tabby yesterday, so here you go.
Nehemiah 13:31 (NIV) "I also made provision for contributions of wood at designated times, and for the first fruits. Remember me with favor, my God."
Romans 5:17 (NIV) "For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!"
1 Kings 8:21 (NIV) "I have provided a place there for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.”
1 Chronicles 29:16 (NIV) Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you."
Good Morning, Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I pray that you awoke today understanding and cherishing the Provisions that are bestowed upon us every day. Let’s grab our Tea Cups and head over to the Grand Brew Masters Table and see what He has to pour into each of our Tea Cups today.
Brothers and Sisters, do you come to the table feel despaired, tired, anxious, empty…. Well, I must be honest I come this morning feeling, anxious, frustrated, tired and grateful. Now that may not make much sense to many people but if put on the right perspective we can find gratitude for our King and Savior in every circumstance. Now I don’t deny that finding that in many of the spoiled brews of life is more than challenging. Also, some of the sour and curdled brews we don’t find the gratitude in them till well after they are poured out. After the Lord has swept in and dumped out the sour and curdled brews in our Tea Cupboard. Yet I come to share to today the Brew of Provision.
Provision in the bible was often so amazing, God providing the Noah with the Ark, providing David the sling and a rock to take out a giant. There are so many more amazing examples of God’s provision throughout the bible. This week I would like to share with you how He took a rather Sour, Bitter, Curdled Brew that was poured into my life these past few weeks. How He has provided me with all the Provision I need, and the Shelter of His Loving truths.
The Lord provided me with my home, a condo about 10 yrs ago following a very painful season in my life where I had to become completely dependent upon Him, His provision and plan for my life. I simply had no other choice. Then a few years into this new season I met and married my now husband. He and his boys lived just about 45 minutes away and my condo wasn’t large enough for my new family. I decided to rent it out to a friend and I moved to my husband’s house. Well about 2 months into this I get a call from my tenant and he says the condo is flooding. Well a water main broke in the wall and there was a lot of damage to my home. Now here we are 7 yrs later, all the children have moved out and my husband and I are back living in my condo.
Things are going well. I love living back in my little condo. Then strange water was appearing in my kitchen for about 2 weeks or so. I kept thinking I was spilling water on the floor when cleaning up the kitchen, as my rug in front of my sink was soaking wet. No leaks that I can see so I concluded that I was messy. Then suddenly water started coming up through my floor and flooding my kitchen and dining room. So, now I am stressed. I am mad that it wasn’t fixed right the first time and now my home is unsafe. We were told that our home has severe mold damage and we must leave and they don’t know when we can return. Additionally, the entire front part of my condo had to be gutted. Do you feel my stress and anxiety and upset....? I had a beautiful kitchen just redone 2 years ago….
Oh, but this doesn’t end there. I was sitting on my couch moping and feeling sad and angry about all that mess when I felt a stirring in my spirit. At first I wasn’t listening. I was sitting and wallowing in my own selfish pity. I couldn’t figure out how I could pack up my home and where would we go... what about our pets and on and on. Till I finally listened. God reminded me of His Ppomise to always be with me never would He forsake me. Slowly I started to realize that there had to be something good that would come out of this mess… and that God is for me and He loves me fiercely.
As I began to rest in His truths and love, I found that I wasn’t alone in this and that if I stepped back took a breath that He would lead me to the Provisions that I needed. Here below is a list of the provisions He has provided me just in the past few days.
1. He provided a company to come and pack out my home anything I wanted packed they did, and they encouraged me to simply sit back and tell them what I needed done
2. He provided a pod for our belongings
3. He provided an amazing caring group of people at our Home Owners Insurance that orchestrated all this for us. They listen to all our questions and never make us feel like they are rushed.
4. He provided housing for us and our furry children.
5. He provided reimbursement for nearly all our food expenses through our insurance.
6. He provided all the repairs to our home and replacing things that were ruined in the flood through our insurance.
7. He is providing through our insurance a replacement kitchen and it will be just like it was before the flood.
8. He has provided me the opportunity to get to know my neighbor better and to minister to her and share my faith.
9. He provided the opportunity for me to invite her to church where she hasn’t been in many years since the loss of her mom and she wants to go back.
10. He provided me with a so many caring and loving friends who have offered to do anything we need.
As you can see He is providing for me in so many ways, I can’t begin to be thankful enough. He has taken my anger, frustration, anxiety, and wrapped them up in Him and there is great comfort in the provision of His love.
Lastly, we must not forget to be boldly reminded of the greatest provision God has ever provided to His people. Jesus Christ going to the cross for our sins and receiving our punishment. He did this so that we would never have to be separated from Him. This my brothers and sisters is the greatest Provision of all.
I pray that over the next week you take some time to consider the Provisions that God has put in your life and give Him some praise and thanksgiving. Remember its all about our perspective and even if we can’t see it. We must believe that its coming. As God never goes back on His word.
Till next week, may you find yourself basking in His provision for you and your life.
Covered by His Grace and Grateful for His Loving Provision,
Love,
Tabby
Genuine Faith
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxwC5ic-s6M&feature=share&list=PL83E8B245976AFF22
"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6
"Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe." Augustine
Good morning,
Brothas and Sistas, genuine faith in God lives it out before Him. Faith is entrusting ones life to God. It's when we are trusting, depending, believing, sharing, fellowshipping/conversing with God and are diligently seeking God, we discover that true faith purposely lives before Him in prayer and devotion. When we do this on a consistent basis we are given the things that we hope for. And as a result we learn to trust God more and more as we grow in faith.
However, there is one thing to remember. And that one thing is God is not going to reward sinful, carnal so called hope. Nor is He going to reward a doubting Thomas. There is nothing worse than when we become double minded, "having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof", because we refuse to believe God, especially when we have seen His faithfulness time and time again.
For you see if He were to answer a doubting Thomas' prayers or carnal hope then those of us who are carnal or tend to doubt Him would begin to think that the life that we are living is acceptable to Him. Remember Hebrews 11:6 says, "For without faith it is impossible to please God." God does not approve sinful and carnal living no more than He approves a doubting heart. James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded."
"Our faith must be a genuine, living faith. After all is said and done, "Christ will always accept the faith that puts its trust in Him." Andrew Murray
I will see you next week, Lord willing.
Minister Antonio Washington
Prayer Time
Dear Lord,
We thank you for this brand new day. Please help our dear Brothas and Sistas, to walk in genuine faith. We pray that they will not choose to live a carnal life just wishing and hoping that you will come through for them but that they will trust you wholeheartedly. Help them to rely on how you have come through for them in the past so that they can know that you are truly a reliable God. We pray all these things in your precious name, Jesus. Amen.
Words of Encouragement - Brothers and Sistas, Calm Down
Correcting Unchecked Sin Within the Body
"Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted." Galatians 6:1
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
What do we respond when sin continues to go unchecked within the body of Christ? What if a brother or sister has been consistently warned in love about their lifestyle and refuses to do anything about it?
Let's look at the problem Paul faced in I Corinthians 5. As we see in our text the Corinthians were full of pride and were not confronted with their sin until Paul wrote this letter. People who held high ranking positions within this local assembly openly and unrepentantly committed and flaunted their sin of fornication. It was a known fact that they were sleeping with one another and nothing was done about it. This was Paul's second time coming before the Corinthians about their sin and he was heart broken. Paul was sent by God to give counsel and instruction on important issues of Christian faith and conduct. In other words God used Paul to clean house. There were serious errors of doctrine and practice that threatened the well being and even the survival of the Christian community there. Does that sound familiar? Of course it does...It is happening in our churches today. Paul was led by God to deal with the sin within the Corinthian church just as we should.
Sin is not only a slam against the character of God, it can be a millstone around our emotional and spiritual necks. Paul was talking to those who wanted to ignore this church problem not realizing that allowing blatant sin to exist in the church affects all it's members. Paul was not expecting anyone to be sinless because all believers struggle with sin on a daily basis. Paul reminds us that even when we try to do good evil is always present. But instead he was speaking against those who deliberately sinned felt no guilt and would not repent. This kind of sin cannot be tolerated in the church because it affects others. The church as a whole must deal with flagrant sin among it's members.
Church correction however is never to be vengeful. The Lord says, "Vengeance is mine I will repay." Instead it is intended to bring about a cure. This is not an attack on the brotha or sista overtaken by the sin but it is meant or designed to bring the brotha or sista to repentance. For you see unchecked sin within the body is a disease that spreads and affects many members within the body. If the cure is not appropriated the disease of sin can wipe out an entire congregation. For you see we are linked together and what we do affects others. Even when we sin it affects our children. When our children sin it affects us. In other words, NO man is an island.
If we take a look at verse 6 he relates the body of Christ to baking bread and he describes leaven which is yeast as sin which makes the bread dough rise. Do you see how a little bit of yeast affects the whole batch? In other words blatant sin left uncorrected confuses and divides the congregation. So many times when we see a brotha or sista in sin we think to ourselves"Well what they do is their own business. They are grown and what they do is between them and the Lord." Just as Paul had to hammer out the difficulties to bring about peace and conviction, so must we apply the principles of God's word and not just hear them.
Ecclesiastes 12:14 says, "For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing,Whether good or evil." and James 2:22 says, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."
The Corinthian church had a specific sin in their midst but they refused to deal with it. Instead of trying to ignore the situation Paul told them that they had a responsibility to maintain standards of morality found in God's word. God does tell us not to judge. This is true (He does not want us to be so judgmental measuring everyone else sin without first seeing our own.) But He also tells us not to tolerate flagrant sin that opposes His holiness and has a dangerous influence on others.
Some may says, "We we are under grace so why should it matter?" If forgiveness is guaranteed don't we have the freedom to sin and do as we want? Romans 6:1-4 says, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" And then it goes on to say, " Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." As we see in Romans 6:1- 2 Paul says, "Absolutely not! with force. Such an attitude, deciding to take advantage of God shows that a person does not understand the seriousness of sin. God's forgiveness of son does not make sin less serious. Jesus death on the cross shows us the seriousness of sin. The availability of God's mercy must not become an excuse for careless living and moral laziness.
We have allowed sin to invade our churches. The church is in the world and the world
is in the church. We need to raise our standards and get back to God's standards. This is the only way a cure can come about. Amen.
Lovingly submitted,
Denise Cole
Prayer Time
Dear Lord,
We thank you taking such good care of us. Help us to move toward correcting unchallenged sin within the body. We want to walk in unity but we must agree and walk in new life to do this. We must deal with our sin. We love and adore you, Lord. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Because You Loved Me
"Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 2That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh." Genesis 2:22-24
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
God has established marriage for the welfare and happiness of mankind and it is sacred under God. The plan was with God and only with God in our lives can we work anything out with joy. Brothas and Sistas, your joys are doubled since the happiness of one has become the happiness of the other. You can now divide the load of your burdens because you share them.
To my Brothas, you are blessed as the head of the home. He has blessed you to provide and will sustain you under pressure. May your strength be her protection, your character (who you are) be her pride and may you so live that she will find in you the haven for which the heart she truly longs for. Also my friend, love is for more than having sex with your wife. She needs all around love, affection, understanding, listening, caressing and communicating. When she is hurting give her a hug to show her you care and to assure her that everything will be alright.
To my Sistas, may God continue to give you the tenderness that will make you great, give you a deep sense of understanding, and a great faith in God. May He (God) give you that inner beauty of the soul that never fades; eternal youth that is found in holding fast to the things that never age. May you love your husband with understanding, love him with appeal, when he's tense caress him with your whispers of love, encourage him when he's weak, and pray for his decision making and leadership for the family.
Brothas and Sistas, understand that marriage is not living merely for each other, it is two people joining alliances to serve God. Purpose in your hearts to give each other a great spiritual purpose in life. May you both seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all the other things shall be added unto you both. (Matthew 6:33) Please don't expect of each other the perfection that belongs only to God. May you minimize each others weaknesses (bad habits or things that annoy you). In other words, don't be so critical of each other. Brothas and Sistas, be quick to praise encourage, and magnify each other's strengths. Learn to see each other through a lover's (the way you met each other) kind and patient eyes.
As God prepares a work for you in His will, learn to develop your character as you walk together in Christ Jesus. You will endure enough tears to keep you tender, enough hurt to keep you humane and enough failure to keep your hands clenched tightly in His. And my friends, enough success to encourage you both in your walk with God.
Brothas and Sistas, never, ever take each other's love for granted, as we so often do, but faithfully serve God and one another until you both may rest in the loving arms of Jesus. This is my charge to you both, husbands and wives. Amen.
Till next time take care.
Minister Antonio Washington
Prayer of Faith
Thank you, Lord for giving us the gift of marriage. May we never, never take our spouses for granted. Help us to walk in love and look beyond each others fault. May we surrender ourselves to you and one another wholeheartedly so that you may be glorified in our marriages. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-BH3VQoeEc
Tea-Time with Tabby
A Brew of L.O.V.E.
Longingly- Openly- Voluntarily- Eternally
Exodus 15:13 13 "In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide themto your holy dwelling."
Deuteronomy 30:16 "For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess."
Romans 5:6 "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
John 18:20 “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret."
Isaiah 55:7 7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon."
John 17:3 3 "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."
Psalm 119:89 8 "Your word, LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens."
John 3:1 "that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son."
Good Morning Brothers and Sisters,
I pray that you awoke today in anticipation of the Brew of L.O.V.E. that the Lord our God has ready to pour for you today. May we pray? Lord I ask that this Word that you provided me with will be received and poured and shared many times, as its your L.O.V.E that is all that any of us
need. Please take the words and in my mind and mold them till they reveal Your truth and heart.
Brothers and Sisters,
Since this is Valentines Week, I thought I would share the best, most precious and most importantly life and eternally changing L.O V. E. with you each today. That is the Love of Christ Jesus.
Now I know for many this is nothing more than a Hallmark Card Holiday, especially for those of us that are not in a relationship or have been hurt by relationships. Yet Brothers and Sister’s there is one most essential relationship that we can and should be cherishing, nurturing, and growing deeper in every day of our lives. This relationship is the one with our Creator, our Heavenly Father, our Eternal Salvation-Jesus Christ.
Let us break this L.O.V.E. down and see how God is demonstrating this for us since the moment He created the world we live in and since He breathed life into each of us.
Longley- Christ Longs to be our Savior, hope, joy, peace, encouragement, and friend. Christ pursues are hearts and minds at every twist and turn in life. In every joyful moment He desires to celebrate with us. With every tragic moment He is there to hold the pieces of our lives, hearts and souls together. In the everyday mundane day, He is there revealing the wonder an amazement for our pleasure of creation and hope for a new day.
Openly- Christ is an open book. His truth is freely available to all. His love is freely given to all that seek it. His wisdom and grace our abundant. His peace is offered freely to any that open their hearts and minds to receive it. The plan for Salvation is open to any that will ask for it.
Voluntarily- Christ gave up the life of a king to be born in the filth of a manger, and to be born into scandal. Christ then again went the Cross for all the worlds sin, past, present and future, when He knew no sin Himself. He was nailed to cross as personal choice to save you and I and every generation since the day of creation.
Eternally- We have each been given the greatest gift since the day of creation in the gift of eternal life. We each can choose to accept this gift. He has given us a chance to be adopted into his family and become members of the Heavenly Community where we will be loved, able to love, adore and Praise Him throughout eternity. We just must choose to lay our burdens at His feet, confess our sins, and accept the gift of Salvation.
Brothers and Sisters, I pray that this way of thinking of Valentines Day or Day of Love will change not only your perspective but mine as well. That we will remember that we are all in the most important relationship of all with Christ Jesus. Remember He is gentleman and will never force Himself upon us. Also please remember you are a son or a daughter of king and that makes your worth and value priceless. So, stand tall single, married etc. lavish all those you love with the kind of Love Christ shares with each of us, yesterday, today and eternally.
Till next week,
Love,
Tabby
So What Really Matters?
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
There are many things the world tells us that are important. Many of these things tend to take us away from the will of God. And in the end we realize that these things don't really matter.
So what really matters? There are two things in this life that are most important, and they are:
1. Our Personal, Intimate Love Relationship with God through Christ Jesus our Savior and Lord [John 14:6; Romans 5:1, 2, 6-8; 6:1, 6, 11-14, 16-18, 22, 23; 8:1-11, 14 10:9, 10, 13];
Abiding in Him [John 8:31-36; 15:1-5, 7-9; 2 Corinthians 5:17, 20, 21] and
2. Building God's Kingdom [Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15].
Brothas and Sistas, that's what really matters!
"Life is wasted if we do not grasp the glory of the cross, cherish it for the treasure that it is, and cleave to it as the highest price of every pleasure and the deepest comfort in every pain. What was once foolishness to us—a crucified God—must become our wisdom and our power and our only boast in this world.” - John Piper
"God is Always Ready, Willing and Able to make Miracles Happen Everyday and Salvation is a MIRACLE!
"Enjoy your day; Trust God and have a great day, In Christ Jesus Name, AMEN!"
Love,
Claudia
Learn To Receive
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" Romans 8:32.
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
The hardest thing for us to do as givers is to receive. We are so used to giving to others that when someone wants to bless us we often feel as though we are undeserving. We forget that God has promised, "Give and it shall be given unto you. A GOOD measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use will be measured unto you." Luke 6:38
You see I am convinced that God looks out for those who look out for others but when it comes to me being on the receiving end I always feel as though someone else is so much more deserving than I am or may need it more than I do. This past Christmas I had the opportunity to have someone gift my family with a monetary donation to help with Christmas but because I thought someone else needed more than I did I passed the blessing along. Brothas and Sistas, eventhough I was out of work it never dawned on me that that could have been an answer to prayer for my family. I felt as though another family needed it more and God would make a way for us. Lol! The Lord dealt with me after that letting me know that there is nothing wrong with me being on the receiving end sometimes. And I have to be honest there has never been a time in my life that God has not supernaturally shown up when I prayed to Him in sincerity knowing He would indeed come through for me.
As givers we have to remember that we have a heavenly Father who gets great delight in answering our prayers when they line up with His will for our lives. "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! "Matthew 7:11 Our heavenly Father has already promised to" graciously give us all things" "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" Romans 8:32.
Brothas and Sistas, We can experience some of the most awesome miracles which come as a result to answered prayer when we purpose in our hearts to be the givers that He already ordained us to be. We just have to be open to receive!
"The more you give, the more comes back to you, because God is the greatest giver in the universe, and He won't let you out give Him. Go ahead and try. See what happens."
- Randy Alcorn
Prayer of Faith
Lord, we bless your name for your manifold blessings. You are such an amazing God and we love you. Help us to be willing to receive all that you have purposed in your plans to bless us with knowing that it is an answer to prayer. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
TAKE TIME
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
I was recently reminded of how fragile life is and that tomorrow is not promised to us. On February 01 2021, my co-worker Juan was on a routine Security patrol. Officers are required to routinely report to the command center while on patrol. After a 3-hour period the base Officer realized that Officer Juan had not called in since 7:16 am and he could not be seen on the cameras anywhere. A frantic search of the building found officer Juan laying on the ground in the stairwell and unresponsive. Officers began to preform CPR on him, but it was too late. We lost a very good God-fearing friend that day.
So, I leave you with this poem called, “Take Time”.
Take time for now.
This is the only moment you are sure of.
Take time for family.
You will miss them immeasurably, when they are gone.
Take time for friends.
They are the ones who will help you through those worst times.
Take time for you.
For if you keep dividing yourself, what will be left.
Take time for God. You have to be thankful for all of your praise and blessings that He honored.
Take time to understand.
That we cannot save time, because time belongs to God and when it’s your time He decides to take, be sure to know, that your time was well spent.
Maurice Craig
My Prayer
Heavenly Father, we know that time is not ours to save and we know that what time we have is precious. So, Lord we ask you to prepare use for the coming week and take away our worries and our regrets. Lord, recharge our minds and our souls, to understand that you are still in control. So, Lord we thank you for the life you’ve given us and into your hands do we commit our lives. Heavenly Father, we ask that you be with us and within us, walk beside us, before us and behind us. Lord, help us to find comfort in you, knowing that You, Lord are in control of our time. We thank you for keeping us in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Truth or Consequences
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8;32
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
4
Many married couples do not reveal all truth within their relationship. For most couples give the impression that everything is going well and they have nothing to hide. But in all actuality it may be the small things that we overlook or think that is not a problem can become an issue. The problem is that if we don't disclose everything to our spouse's especially from our childhood to adulthood it may come out later on in our marriage relationship. This in turn can cause what one may think is nothing minor to become something major.
These things are sometimes revealed over a period of time. What we may not see someone else does see. And when we are asked about it or if our spouse addresses it don't be so quick to dismiss it. The reason why is because our spouse may take it as though we did not reveal the whole truth and left certain parts out on purpose. Some of us do this because we fear losing the one you love may not want to continue to be with you.
Brothas and Sistas, we have to be transparent with our spouses regardless of the consequences. Not telling the whole truth can cause additional consequences because it gives the enemy a chance to use our past against us and bring a wedge between us and our spouses. Trust God for the outcome and be transparent. And remember the truth makes us free and brings healing not only to us individually but it brings healing to our marriages.
"Great marriages don’t happen by luck or by accident. They are the result of a consistent investment of time, thoughtfulness, forgiveness, affection, prayer, mutual respect, and a rock-solid commitment between a husband and a wife.” – Dave Willis
Blessings,
Minister Antonio Washington
Prayer of Faith
Lord, we thank you for our spouses. They are gifts from you. Help us to be as transparent as you would have us to be. For if we are transparent in telling the truth about our past the enemy can't use anything to come in between us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Tea-Time with Tabby
“A Brew of Belonging”
Deuteronomy 29:29: "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we
may follow all the words of this law."
Mark 9:41 "Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward."
John 15:1 "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."
Romans 7:4 "So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God."
Romans 8:9 "You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ."
Philippians 2 "Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."
Colossians 1 "being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."
Good Morning Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,
I hope and pray that you are fully aware today and everyday of whom you belong to and who paid the ultimate price for your life, but even more importantly how very much He loves you, not as an owner but as you’re our Redeemer and Savior.
May we Pray? Dear Lord, I pray that you will use me to share your message of how belonging to you is the greatest opportunity of our lives. May these words on this page be yours and not mine. Thank you in advance for your intercession.
Brothers and Sisters, have you ever sat and pondered or even simply felt as though you don’t belong to anyone, you don’t fit in, your not cool enough, or not____________ you fill in the blank. I can assure you I feel that way most days of my life. I find myself feeling awkward or uncomfortable in many situations. In this technological world we reside in and social media crazed world its easy to feel that we aren’t enough, or that we don’t have the right stuff to fit in. If we go through life looking through the lens of the world’s standards and expectations and suggestions on how we should, look, act, feel, be, we will never feel that we are enough to belong.
The great news is that our God doesn’t use those same lenes to determine who belongs to Him. He makes it so very easy to become a part of His eternal family. He simply asks us to come before Him with an open heart and lay down our idea of what love, and life, and acceptance are all about. He asks us to open our hearts and minds to a new and different way of looking and seeing the worth of ourselves, and others, and the world. He asks us to be honest about the fact that we are sinners, and that without a Savior we would be condemned to the ideas of this world, and not ever be able to belong and have eternal life with the one who created us and loves us more than we could ever understand.
I believe there are a few simple shifts we must make in our minds, hearts, and spirits to become fully aware and fully engaged in our new identify, new life, and new understanding of truly belonging to the one who will never stop loving us, pursing a relationship of truth and hope, and belonging.
1. The first shift we must make is to humble ourselves to our God and ask Him into our lives, to fully let go of the misconceptions we have about God, and ourselves. We must spend time in His word to develop that relationship and understanding of His true character and nature.
2. The second shift we must make is to understand that God loves all His children that includes those that we feel we are better than, those that we hate, those that we don’t care to know, and those that we feel are worse than us. We must understand that all of mankind’s sins were nailed to that cross with Jesus, and that means we all were ransomed for the same price and therefore we all have the same worth.
3. The third shift I believe can be one of the most challenging to make of all. We must fully accept that Christ loves us as we are, we don’t have clean up the dirty rags that have become our clothing from the paths we have walked in and through in this world. We need to come down from our High and Mighty attitudes and allow Him to place us on His highest mountain of esteem and adoration.
4. The last shift we must make is about our attitude. We must take on the attitude of Christ, remember that God sent his one and only son to be born in manger, and to die on a cross for all the sin of the world, past, present and future. Christ did all things with a humble heart and with the attitude of service. He didn’t grumble and complain about how unfair it was that He the King of Kings would become flesh and be abused and beaten, tortured, and disrespected beyond our ability to understand. He simply said that if this is the Father’s will for the love of all His children then let me obey. Life will not always seem or even be fair but as long as we are seeking Christ first and foremost and living a life that represents His Life and Love for us, we will always be the better for it.
Brothers and Sisters,
I hope and pray that you know that you are loved beyond measure, and that you belong to King of Kings, and that you are LOVED, CHERISHED AND THAT YOU ARE A MEMBER OF HIS FAMILY AND HE WILL ALWAYS RUN TO YOU WITH OPEN ARMS. You simply must answer the knock on the door of your soul and heart as its Him knocking and asking to come in. He is a gentleman and won’t force His way into your heart and soul so I pray that you will answer the knock today and become or be renewed in the belonging to our Savior Jesus Christ.
Till next week,
Love,
Tabby
What Will It Take?
"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Acts 2:21
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
While I was on a charter in P.A. we had a situation with one of our coaches. Some of us, drivers, were trying to help a fellow driver get some heat on his coach. While we were trying to locate the valves underneath the rear of the coach one of the drivers said that he would try to bend down on the floor of the coach and look for the valves. Well, needless to say that while he was trying to locate the valves he got his arm stuck and it was wedged in pretty tight. He was unable to move it.
All of a sudden we heard someone crying out for help. His arm was so far in that it was hard for us to get it out. We called for help and the paramedics tried for 45 minutes with no relief. Because he was losing blood flow to the rest of his arm they anticipated cutting it off. As I stood there watching I began to pray for him aloud and he said, "You must be a preacher. Will you stay with me and if I pass out do not let them cut my arm off...Please, I beg you?" I said, "Okay." and continued to pray and recite several scriptures. Soon a mechanic came and used some axle grease and his arm was free but there could have been some possible damage to his arm.
Praise God Brothas and Sistas, I saw him the next day and his arm was okay. I had a chance to witness to him and you know what?..... He gave his life to Christ! All the glory goes to God! Amen! Hallelujah!
God had a plan that day. It took all of those events for one soul to come to Christ? Brothas and Sistas, what will it take for you?
Prayer of Faith
Dear Lord,
Thank you for using all of those events to bring that Brotha to Christ. You take our most challenging moments and make them into something beautiful. You truly make all things work together for good. I pray for those of us that have not given their lives to Christ to do so today. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Good morning Brothas and Sistas.
Jesus, the Prince of Peace
Watch "Because of Who you Are-Vicki Yohe" on YouTube
As children of God; children of light & of the day; not of night, nor of darkness; [John 12:35, 36; Eph 5:8-16; 1John 2:9-11] Jesus told us, "In Me you may have Peace. In the world you WILL have tribulation; BUT be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." [John 16:33]
"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. [John 14:27]
Without Christ, there's turmoil, confusion and chaos because man is not able to remedy the heart and soul of man; ONLY God, the Creator of man can change the heart; [Jeremiah 17:9, 10] heal and satisfy the longing soul of man. [Psalm 42:1, 2; 63:1; 84:2] Life is filled with trouble [Job 5:4; 14:1] for oppression under pressure leads to chaos.
But until man gets back to God thru Christ, [John 14:6] we will continue to have adisorder, turmoil and chaos in the world. IF man would submit to God, resist the devil, he will flee from him. IF man would draw near to God, He will draw near to him. We all must cleanse our hands and purify our hearts before our holy God; humbling ourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift us up. [James 4:1-10]
Life is not easy. We all have to cry sometimes, but trouble don't last always. For our hope is in the God of our salvation who gives us Life, Hope and Peace in Christ Jesus.
"Trouble in my way; I have to cry sometime. I lay awake at night, but that's alright; because I know Jesus, HE WILL FIX IT, after awhile!!"
Jesus, the Prince of Peace, keeps us in Perfect Peace. If we KEEP our minds STAYED on Him. [Isa 9:6; 26:3, 4] As the Psalmist said, "I would have lost heart; fainted, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. WAIT on the Lord, be of good courage, and He WILL strengthen your heart: Wait I say on the LORD!" [Psalm 27:13, 14]
"Jesus Christ has given us His Promise of Peace. Receive it, Focus on it and Thank Him for it daily; in Christ Jesus Name, AMEN!"
What Do You Believe
"While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.” So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples. And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour. When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him. But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. And the report of this went out into all that land.Two Blind Men Healed. When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Matthew 9:18 - 28"
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
Brothas and Sistas, how do we handle situations and circumstances in our lives? Do we get angry with God or do we believe what He says will soon come to pass? As we look at our text prior to that Jesus was just finishing with His response to John's disciples in reference to the question,"How is it that they and the Pharisees fast often but Jesus disciples don't?" Just as He concluded with them, here comes the synagogue leader, whose name by the way is Jairus, who kneels before Jesus and says, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.”
There are three points I want to bring to your attention. Let's take a look at the first point.
First point
1. Positive - vs.18 "But come and put your hand on her and she will live." In times of uncertainty we must remain positive. Just like Jairus came to Jesus with a positive attitude believing what Jesus could do without doubting so should we remain positive in our uncertainties. Jairus having the faith as small as a mustard seed believed Jesus was able to bring her back to life and Jesus did just that." Matthew 17:20, Luke 17:6
Second point
2. Persistent - vs. 20 - 22- For 12 years this woman had an issue of blood, but she didn't give up. The bible says, "She came up behind Him and touched the edge of His cloak. " She also said, " If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made whole!!" There are times when we may be praying for deliverance in some areas of our lives and yet it seems as though deliverance may never come but I encourage you to be like this woman. Be persistent and don't ever give up nor give in. Just because God hasn't come at the time we think He should doesn't mean He won't come at all. It took this woman 12 years before she received her healing and for some of us it has been weeks, months and perhaps years but God always comes on time. Philippians 1:6 says, "Being confident of this very thing, He who has begun a good work in you shall perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."
Third point
3. Personal - vs. 27 -28 - Here we see the two blind men following Jesus saying, "Have mercy on us Son of David!" Now notice they didn't stop either because they went in behind Him and Jesus asked, " Do you believe that I am able to do this?" And they answered, "Yes, Lord." When Jesus turned to them and posed the question in a personal way He already knew the answer. He is asking the same of us today. Whatever your need is, Whatever you are seeking God for...He is making it personal to you today. DO YOU BELIEVE I CAN DO THIS?
Our God is in the business of believing. He doesn't have a problem but we do? My question to you is....What do you believe?
Minister Antonio Washington
Prayer Time
Dear Lord,
We thank you for answering our every prayer whether is in one week, one month, one year, or many years we know that you are faithful. Lord, help us with our unbelief during those times when it looks as though you won't come through for us or you are just simply by our standards taking too long. May we walk in faith daily. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Looking Out for One Another
"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
The holidays can be a trying time for many couples. It is especially trying for those of us who have lost loved ones. In last year alone my wife and I have witnessed many people that we know and love lose someone near and dear to them. Losing someone so close can take a toll on couples.
When your spouse is hurting it is not the time for you to become resentful, distant or inconsiderate. The most important thing we can do for our spouse's is be there for them. When our spouse is hurting we should be hurting but comforting. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says, "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."
You see when our spouses' are going through depression or sadness it can be overwhelming. The enemy will sometimes use our depression to overpower us. When one of us is weak it is the other spouse's job to come along side of them and help them through the process.
"The happiness of married life depends upon making small sacrifices with readiness and cheerfulness." John Seldon
Sincerely,
Minister Antonio and Sista Michelle Washington
Prayer of Faith
Thank you Lord for being there for us. Help us the genuinely be there for our spouses especially when they are hurting. Help us to live selflessly when it comes to our spouses just as you do for us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Teatime With Tabby "What will be Written on Your Tea Cup When Your Last Day is Upon the World"
Good Morning Brothas and Sistas,
I pray that you each have awaken with the knowledge that today is a new day; a gift from above and one that is to be used to glorify the Lord, our God. I attended a "Last Lecture" last night at Loyola College as a friend from church was retiring after teaching there nearly forty years. He had three colleagues that were retiring or stepping down from administration and returning to the classroom. Each gave a fifteen minute last lecture to inspire staff and students for the future.
These lectures gave me thought about what if today was my last day, either eternally or at my job, or in some other role I play. I began to think " Did I make a difference, that Christ would have written on my Tea Cup?"
Now obviously this answer is going to be different for each of us, some of us may have only a few words on our Tea Cups; but they could be very powerful and life giving words. If you ever look at the prayers and even most of Jesus conversations, you see they were short but powerful.
For some of us our Tea Cups will be covered in words related to the works we have done in our feeble attempt to gain God's grace, love, and mercy by works, rather than by faith. Some of us may only have in those last breathes, "My life was given to Christ." Praise God for not only second chances but last minute chances. Many of us will have tea cups filled with words of affirmation; names like mom, daughter, sister, dad, son, brother or child of God. Good and faithful servant.
As I pondered this I wondered what my Tea Cup would say if today was the day I was to take my last breath or if today was the day that God moved me from one significant place in my life to another. What legacy do I want left on my Tea Cup?
It's my prayer that my Tea Cup shows the attributes of Christ and that it is written upon by Jesus Christ such words as a Daughter of King, a Child of God, Giver of the truth of the Lord, a Mom that loved her children, a Son of the Most High God, a Dad that nurtured or cared for his children and raised them to know the Father, a husband who provided for and protected his beloved wife, a wife one who trusted God fully with her marriage and reaped the harvest that came from putting all her faith in Christ. I pray that my Tea Cup says that she was a Sista to all who claim Christ as Lord and Savior.
So Brothas and Sistas, how do we go about ensuring that our Tea Cups are no longer blemished and that they reveal to the world that we are each Children of God and Daughters and Sons of a King? I believe it's easier to do than what we might first think. We have the handbook that tells us step by step how to not only have our Tea Cups repaired when they are chipped or shattered. Also within this same handbook it tells us how to ensure that we are always pouring Tea that will reveal our true identity in Christ. It tells us exactly how to ensure that Christ Himself is writing upon our Tea Cups words of affirmation; words of love, grace, forgiveness, and all that we need individually to be who God created us each to be. This handbook is called the bible.
Brothas and Sistas, I pray that you will each spend some time with our Heavenly Father this week and ask Him to reveal any blemish that He wants to wash away in love and peace. Also ask Him what words and titles has He already written upon your Tea Cup that can never be washed away. Then go deeper with Him and really step out in faith with Christ and see where He may be asking you to go or to do in order for Him to be revealed to a broken world; a world that so needs a Savior, yet still has blinders on and can't see His hand reaching out to each of them no matter how blemished their tea cup is and no matter how chipped and broken it may be. Maybe He is asking you to help someone remove the blinders and enter into the Sistahood and Brothahood of daughters and sons of the King of salvation.
I'm going to end today with a reminder of what Jesus told us is the most important commandment. I believe if we choose to make this our life's motto our Tea Cups will not only have incredible words of affirmation from those we encounter in life but it will also be written in the blood of Jesus Christ, Himself never to be washed away.
Mark 12:28-44 - The Greatest Commandment
"One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important? The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Brothas and Sistas, I believe if we put these two commandments to practice in our everyday lives in every situation we encounter we will have Tea Cups that Christ, Himself is revealed through and that will be a blessing to you and to everyone you encounter. You never know you may just be the person that helps someone realize that their tea cup is in need of repair and some Jesus tarnish remover.
I pray that we will each seek to live our lives and allow Jesus to continually fill our Tea Cups with more love and thanksgiving for Him and the sacrifices He made for each of us. I also pray that we will be having Tea Parties with our neighbors, family friends, and enemies so that Jesus has a chance to pour into their lives as well as ours.
Till next week, may God be pouring out of all His goodness and may you he pouring that same love, grace, hope and joy onto everyone you encounter. May your Tea Cups be tarnish free, thanks to our Savior, Jesus Christ. I also pray that Jesus Himself is writing upon our Tea Cups, "Good and faithful servant.".....and much more.
Till next week prayers for all, Much Love in Christ's Glorious Name,
Tabby
Prayer Is A WEAPON
Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power]. James 5:16
Good Morning Brothas & Sistas,
God has given us so many weapons to use in spiritual battle and prayer is one of those weapons. Prayer is the master key that activates all of the other weapons. Prayer has the power to build up defense mechanisms and build up spirits. Prayer encourages and strengthen the hearts of people. Have you ever prayed for someone or someone prayed over you and afterward you actually saw or felt the power of God move in your spirit. You know that feeling that everything is going to be alright even when you can't see it but you have peace. Brothas & Sistas thats the power of prayer.
Prayer can also tear down Satans kingdom. Oh yes we have the power that when we pray from the heart with persistance and cancel plans that the enemy has set up.
Brothas & Sistas when you are feeling down or a little hopeless begin to talk to the Father. Tell God all of your concerns and pray His word back to him be Intentional about your prayer be specific and watch God move. If you don't believe me start writing your prayers down and date them and meet with God on a regular basis be serious about using this powerful weapon and watch the list of prayers that you record get smaller and smaller.
Recently, I was watching a movie and there was a women on the edge of a building holding on to a pole the negotiator was trying to get her to come down and just when he reached out his hand to grab her she released the pole and jumped. Brothas and Sistas the Holy Spirit said to me what if someone is holding on to a pole feeling hopeless waiting on your prayer to deliver them.
How many people or situations are waiting on us to use the powerful weapon of prayer? Who is just barely holding on waiting for a prayer to change their life? Brothas & Sistas it's time to bring out this weapon Full Force and it will "Accomplish Much"
BE Blessed,
GM
Father, we thank you for giving us everything we need to build up and to tear down. Please help us to understand how to use what you have given us effectively and teach us to be persistant and to trust you while we wait for it to manifest. In Jesus name I Pray.....Amen
Change Your Mind, Change Your Perspective, Change Your Life
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
Yes, it's true, there are times we can become weary from all that Satan sends our way to try to defeat us. During these times we are tempted to walk around with a defeated mentality but the bible tells us in Rom. 8:37 that,"We are more than conquerors. "I like that phrase "more than", it indicates a quantifier meaning greater in size, amount, extent, or degree. Brothas and Sistas, there is no situation that we don't stand to come out on top. There is positive in even the seemingly most negative situation because we all acquire growth from it.
Everything within God's classroom is a teachable moment for us all. We grow most and experience His power most in the hard places. The songwriter says,"If I never had a problem I would have never known that my God could solve them." That is so profoundly true.
Brothas and Sistas, you may just need to change your mentality. "I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal (to make like new : restore to freshness, vigor, or perfection) of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].
Brothas and Sistas, it's all based on your perspective. Never look at your past failures or current situation as a tragedy because God is in it and it is all good. We have the victory in all things through Him. Praise Him
!
Love,
Denise
Prayer Time
Thank you Lord for these beautiful minds you have blessed us with. Help us to maintain the mind of Christ. May we walk in victory daily regardless of what comes our way. As we change our mentality and ultimately change our perspective on life. And once we change our perspective we have the ability to change our destiny for the better. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Perfect, Peace and Comfort
"Hear my prayer, O LORD, listen to my cry for help; be not deaf to my weeping. For I dwell with you as an alien, a stranger as all my fathers were. Look away from me, that I may rejoice again before I depart and am no more." Psalm 39:12-13
Good Morning Brothas and Sistas,
God is a prayer answering God. There are times when we have been praying for something a long time. We must remember regardless of whatever it may be, God hears each of us and will always answer in His perfect timing.
I understand that waiting can be hard, but I also know that God is always up to something in our lives while we are waiting. Brothers and Sistas, continue to stand strong and wait patiently for the LORD. He hears your cry and will answer.
Psalm 39:12-13 says, "Hear my prayer, O LORD, listen to my cry for help; be not deaf to my weeping. For I dwell with you as an alien, a stranger as all my fathers were. Look away from me, that I may rejoice again before I depart and am no more."
Brothas and Sistas, we must be like the widow in Luke 18. She was persistent! She continued to go before the judge, bothering him, and wearing him out. How much more will a holy and just God who is not bothered by us coming to Him over and over again hear and answer our prayers? I tell you Brothers and Sistas, He will answer us.
My mom gave me this card a few years ago. I just wanted to share it with all of you...........
Have You Taken It To Jesus?. Have you taken it to Jesus? Have you left your burden there? Does He tenderly support you? Have you rolled on Him your care? Oh, the sweet unfailing refuge, of the everlasting arms; In their loving clasp enfolded. Nothing worries or alarms. Have you taken it to Jesus, just the thing that's pressing now? Are you trusting Him completely with the when, and where and how? Oh, the joy of full surrender of our life, our plans, our all; Proving far above our asking that God answer when we call. Have you taken it to Jesus? Tis the only place to go if you want the burden lifted and a solace for the woe. Oh, the blessedness to nestle like a child upon His breast; Finding ever, as He promised Perfect comfort, peace and rest.
Brothas and Sistas, take it all to Jesus. Amen!
Much peace,
Renee
Prayer of Faith
Awesome God,
We thank you for the privilege of being able to come to you in prayer. Thank you for teaching us the importance of persistent prayer. Help us to wait on you for answered prayer because you are indeed a prayer answering God. Thank you for your consistency and moving on our behalf. For it is in the wonderful name of Jesus that we pray. Amen
http://youtu.be/UjmAOLhzUPM The Spoken Word
https://youtu.be/6jOg7kPB94c?list=PLCC882FDD48B99F33
"The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Genesis 2:18
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
As I pose this question the first thought that could come to the mind from most couples is, "He is talking about sex." Sorry to burst your bubble but, No, I'm referring to being satisfied with one another as husband and wife. You see there are some who base their marriage on compatibility. The problem with that is that we tend to look for someone who fits our profile per say. We think or say things like, "You know I like what I like,.." and so forth. He or she must look a certain way in order for us to be interested.
Brothas and Sistas, when we settle for compatibility we are basically settling for what we want rather than what we need. Genesis 2:18 states, "The Lord God sais, "It is not good for man to be alone. I (which is God) will make a helper compatible for him, but "suitable for him". As I ponder Genesis 2, I've noticed that Adam had God to talk with and yet God says that Adam is alone. This made me realize that eventhough he had God he was still alone. That's how some of our marriages are eventhough we are married we are yet alone.
So how satisfied are you? We put up a front in spite of the ongoing daily and weekly activities. Some are still alone and not satisfied. Is it possible that our choice at the time of marriage was based on compatibility rather than
what is suitable. Listen Brothas and Sistas, we have all heard the saying he/she is my helpmeet. If we believe that then it should also mean that our spouses make us suitable to do the will and service of the Lord.
Minister Antonio Washington
Prayer of Faith
Thank you for your great wisdom that you give us in your word regarding our marriages. Help us to apply your word to our relationships. May we never walk in fear of choosing our mates according to your will so that we can carry out your will and serve you with our whole hearts. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Tea Time With Tabby "A Brew of Boundaries or Boundless Exhaustion"
Psalm 74:17 New International Version (NIV) "It was you who set all the boundaries(A) of the earth; you made both summer and winter."
Acts 17:26 New International Version (NIV) "From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands."
Titus 2:12 New International Version (NIV) "It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age...."
Proverbs 23:4 New International Version (NIV) "Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness."
1 Corinthians 4:6 New International Version (NIV) "Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other.
Good morning Brothers and Sisters,
I hope you have awoken after a restful nights slumber and that you are excited for what the Lord has for us today. Let's grab our Tea Cups and head on over to the Grand Brew Masters table and see what He has brewed up for us today. May we first give Him thanks for being so generous with new mercies everyday!
As I have spent time with many close church friends recently there seems to be this theme, one that I can certainly find myself swirling in as well. It always seems like a tight rope walk where I am either and expert or failure. This concept of boundaries and godly boundaries doesn't only apply to our sin nature or the sins that are so prevalent in our day and time. They are easy to name, not always easy avoid but not the ones that the Lord has prepared this brew about today.
Most know the story of the two sisters that are so excited that Jesus is coming to their home for the afternoon meal. One sister prepares the food, tidies the house, gets fresh water and perfume to wash Jesus' feet, and on and on. This sister's name is Martha. Then there is Mary who prepares for his arrival very differently. She prepares her heart and mind to be fully open and free of distraction to sip in every drop of the brews that He will share that day. Martha asks Jesus why He doesn't correct his sister for not helping her. Jesus asks her why she worries and why she doesn't sit at His feet as her sister. Martha is confused and Jesus assures her that all things earthly are much less important than all the truth that He has come to teach and share.
Now this would seem to many that being a Mary is better than being a Martha. But I don't believe that is what Jesus was teaching, possibly in that moment it was best to be a Mary and not a Martha. However, sipping that portion of the truth can be just as boundless as Martha's excessive tiding, cooking and perfecting every detail.
God gave us this concept and I believe a directive to have boundaries. Some boundaries are very clear. God is first, family is second, church and the world is third the and then so on...Yet, us humans can even get this one mixed up on the receiving end and also on distributing end. I believe we generally are either a giver or a receiver, a Martha or Mary in most church and life circumstances. Even if we are the opposite in our more worldly lives.
Have you ever examined this idea for yourself? Have you ever looked out over the congregation and just looked about to see if you can identify the Martha's and the Mary's? Can you see who you most often are?
Now there is a third type of person. This is the cruiser they have a knack or appearance of being either being able to dip and dodge from becoming a Martha or a Mary at least from our perspective. Many I believe are in this place unintentionally and without mal-intent. Yet if we were able to truly see this as the church body and begin to have the conversations about how all three sides can either grow us as a body of believers or completely stifle us as a body. This is also true for our own personal walk of faith. How does this look from an outside perspective?
Martha's tend to look and find all the things they see need support or where things have been left undone or are not being done to their standard or hear a need and feel that they are compelled to be the ones to take it on. The irony here is that often they spread themselves so thin that they can't do any of it well. Often they trying to do things with excellence that are outside of their spiritual gifts or outside of what God has called them to do and be for His church.
Mary's tend to find themselves spending their time solely waiting on God or someone of authority to tell them exactly what the need is before they take on anything. This is not them being lazy or selfish. They are so focused often on hearing and being 100% certain that this is what God has designed for them to complete and fulfill that they don't see that God calls us all to do what is before us or they must have a "perfect" plan in place before taking action on the matters that will bless and grow God's Kingdom. What is so easily missed is that often these requests are not that big, they don't need a lot of intercessory prayer and direction from the Holy Spirit or a ten page action plan and step. They are just simple needs of the body.
Cruisers are individuals who often don't know how or who to connect with to determine how they can best serve. They often don't know what areas of ministry are in need or would be a best fit for them so they coast along hoping for a Martha and or a Mary to reach out to them and help them find their place of service in the body. In certain seasons of life, I believe God calls us to this, to recoup, recover and receive His rest. Therefore, always evaluate this through prayer and wise counsel.
As you can see we have three very different parts of the body that make up the church and we all at times will move between the three in different seasons of life and different seasons of the fellowship of which we belong. What I am seeing in and around my Christian friends of late is that they are either drowning in their Martha, Mary, or Cruiser life. How are they drowning? They either feel as a Martha that they are simply expected to do the work of 100% of the body but they are only the 10%. Then there are the Mary's that are feeling like as the 10% that makes up leadership they must make decisions that fit their needs or their tendency to fall into the Martha or cruiser role.
Therefore, when another Mary has an idea or plan for the body that doesn't line up with theirs, they rally others to support their thoughts or they veto the idea. Then when another presents the same idea but differently perhaps or they trust that they will be able to draw the 90% into it better than they are eager and willing to support it. The Martha's are wearing themselves out trying to please everyone and trying to meet the needs of the whole body as individuals feeling that all that needs to be done must be done by them. That others must know what the needs are and they simply aren't interested in helping. Then the coasters are feeling that their input isn't solicited, they look at all that needs to be done to make ministry work, are overwhelmed and see no clear path to interject or support and assist.
Brothers and Sisters, I must be clear there is NO fault or blame being made or insinuated here. This is simply human nature. What is being said is that we all must at times step back, evaluate and step into what can be foreign land for us. We must remember and hold tightly to the truth that God will never lead us anywhere that He is not prepared, made a way for , and see to it that we will end up on the other side with Him. This doesn't always mean the path will be smooth, easy or comfortable . Yet, He promises no matter what to see us through.
I would hope that this brew may help you to evaluate who you are in these three very different roles. None have greater value or greater reward they are all worthy of the God. I simply suggest that we all spend some time with Lord and seek His heart for this matter. Seek His wisdom and leading from His Holy Spirit in our walks of faith. I strongly suggest seeking wise counsel from a fellow believer or church leader if you are struggling with where you are in either of these three and feel that your faith is just coasting and not growing or enriching others faith.
I pray that this Brew of Boundaries or Boundless Exhaustion will bless, grow your personal faith but also your fellowship with other believes, and the BIG "Church."
It's my personal prayer today that we all find the balance of boundaries so that we are not overwhelmed or underwhelmed in our faith, homes, relationships or churches.
Till next week,
Love and Prayers,
Tabby
Suffering for the Cause Of Christ
"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy." 1 Peter 4:12, 13 (NKJV)
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
The word trial here refers to "persecution", which is why we, the children of God, ought not to view it as some strange thing that happened to us. We can't pick and choose where, when or how the fiery trial will come but we can determine how we view them. Our loyalty to Christ will bring suffering but all suffering is not the result of godly conduct, even though God allows some suffering to strengthen our faith.
Don't let our suffering be as a result of a murder, being a thief, an evildoer, or a busybody in other peoples business. (1 Peter 4:15) If our suffering is for the name of Christ, we are "Blessed," because the Holy Spirit of glory and of God is upon us. On their part God is blasphemed, but on our part "God is Glorified"!!! (1 Peter 4:14) But if we suffer as "Christians", don't be ashamed, glorify God, because He is glorified and the Spirit of glory is upon us.
When we suffer for our godly Christian conduct and character, we are in good company with Christ, for Christ suffered also. The Lord understands and He will be with us all the way as we commit our lives to Him. "Its All for the Glory of God"!! Amen!
Other Scriptures to encourage your heart: Genesis 3:1; Acts 5:41; Romans 8:17; 1 Corinthians 3:13; 2 Corinthians 1:5, 7; 4:10; Philippians 3:10; Colossians 1:24; 2 Timothy 2:12; James 1:2, 12; 1 Peter 1:5-7; 4:19; 5:1,10; 2 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:9
Prayer of Faith
We appreciate your presence in our lives today, Lord. You are the most high God who shows Himself strong on our behalf. Thank you for all the times we have suffered because of our faith in you. We know that you were right there in the midst of it. And for that we praise you. May we never falter under pressure of persecution but help us to look to you for strength and victory in each and every situation. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Happy Martin Luther King Day
Declare What He Has Done
“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him. Romans 8:39
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
In Romans 8 there was a man that was possessed by a legion of demons this man suffered for years, the people in his town knew him and were well aware of his sufferings. The bible says that he didn't live in a house but among the tombs (the places where dead things lie)he didn't wear clothes and they would try to restrain him with chains and shackles but he would break free and the demons would drive him into the desert.
My Brothers and Sistas when this man was in the prescence of Jesus the demons had to obey. They knew who Jesus was and they asked for mercy!! What peace there is knowing that the demons have to obey God.
Jesus healed this man that for years had a legion (several demons) inside of him and once this man was healed he didn't want to leave Jesus side he wanted to stay with him but Jesus told him to "Go Home and declare how much God has done"
Jesus sent this man out to minister with his testimony. This mans testimony was going to change so many other people lives. It was a reason he said "Go Home" in other words Jesus wanted him to spread the news of his deliverance to those that knew his story, to those that had talked about him, to those that had forgotten about him, to those that had canceled him out. Jesus wanted this man to be a living example of the power that God holds over everything even demons.
Brothers and Sistas, when God does miraculous things in our lives we need to get on the "Bull Horn" and Declare What He has Done!!! Our test becomes our testimony and with that testimony others will come to know the Power that the All mighty God Holds. Don't be afraid to tell your story someone may be in bondage waiting for you to open your mouth and plant a seed of hope in their life this means that we have to be transparent so others can see the manifestation of God on earth.
Be Blessed,
G.M.
Prayer
Father ,we thank you for the miracles that you perform in our lives daily and we thank you that you use those miracles to bless others. Father, help us not to be ashamed of what we have done or what we have been through. Please allow us to be bold enough to "Declare the Things That You Have Done"
In Jesus Name I Pray...Amen.
Labor for the Lord
"Matthew 9:38, "Jesus told his disciples, pray ye therefore the lord of the harvest, that will send forth labourers into his harvest."
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
What is God looking for? He is looking for workers. Are we willing to be workers in the gospel? Brothas and Sistas, when we pray for God to send laborers out in the field sometimes He is calling US to go out and rescue those that are lost and perishing.
One of the most important jobs as Christians is to go out and seek and save those that are lost. That is part of laboring. How many of us are working in the fields; out there sowing into the lives of others instead of just talking about it? Too many times I hear Christians talking about what they are going to do but never actually do it.
I remember the story of the servant Isaiah. In Isaiah 6:8, Isaiah cried out "Here I am...Send me." When God asks who He can send we have to have the same spirit as Isaiah, willing to be obedient to go out in the field to serve. We were saved to serve. So how many of us will answer the call when God is ready for us to go out in the fields to work. The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.
Brothas and Sistas, let's make up our minds to to be that worker that will go out and labor for the gospel while we have time to do it.
Prayer of Faith
Lord, many carry your name but often will not commit to ministering to others who are in the world. But we have been called to be a light in the world because we bear your great name. Please do a work in our hearts so that we will be convicted to carry out the Great Commission. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Marriage - "Am I Responding To My Vows God's Way or My Way?"
http://youtu.be/YOKq1VmEbtc Old Skool
“Marriage is a total commitment and a total sharing of the total person with another person until death.” ~ Wayne Mack
Malachi 2:14,15 "But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant."
Good morning to you both,
Brothas and Sistas, as we seek to understand the marital vows let's look at the vows concerning "for better or for worse". Brothas and Sistas, what does for better or for worse mean to you. “For better or for worse” is a commitment by the marriage partners to rise-up together against those things that would threaten the marriage covenant relationship such as attraction for/from someone of the opposite sex towards a marriage partner, dealing with rebellious children, blended family conflict, etc.,
Believe it or not, there are some things that we just need to have enough spiritual gumption or perseverance to work through. Brothas and Sistas, it is never an option to bail out at the first sign of trouble or conflict. The Christian life calls us to a life of perseverance and commitment. We must learn the importance of prayer and trusting God when it comes to conflict in our marriages.
The Bible presents marriage as a divine institution. If marriage were of human origin, then human beings would have a right to decide the kind of marital relationships to choose. Marriage, however, began with God. It was established by God at the beginning of human history when He "created the heavens and the earth" (Gen 1:1). As the Creator of marriage, God has the right to tell us which principles should govern our marital relationships.
Commitment is a mindset, an attitude and a way of thinking that will enable you and your spouse to navigate through the still waters and the storms of a marriage relationship. Charles Swindoll (Strike the Original Match) compares working on marriage to remodeling a house:
It takes longer than you planned
It costs more than you figured
It is messier than you anticipated
It requires greater determination than you expected
Sometimes the only thing that keeps us going is hope!
Now Brothas and Sistas, there may be some of you asking the question: What if I am involved in an abusive marriage or a marriage where my spouse continues to commit adultery? Brothas and Sistas, let's make it clear it is never healthy to remain in a relationship with someone that is consistently abusive or commits adultery without genuine repentance. We are not giving you advice to divorce your spouse if this is occurring in your relationship because that is a decision that has to be Spirit led and it is your decision to make.
On the other hand, we have witnessed spouses being told that
they are bound by their marital vows to stay in a marriage even when they have been victims of domestic violence and adultery. They have been made to feel guilty by being consistently reminded that they are called by God to forgive and love unconditionally regardless of how many times their spouse breaks the marital vows.
Brothas and Sistas, does “for better or for worse” mean that you are married for life — regardless of the violations committed against you in the marriage? The answer is No! Nor has it ever meant that. As we have said before, in counseling sessions some spouses have been told that they are called by God to maintain a relationship with someone even when he or she is repeatedly destructive toward them. In other words, "For better or worse."
But is that counsel truly biblical? Are we ever permitted to end a relationship or distance ourselves from someone because of their unchanged sinful behavior? God's love for humankind is unconditional but he does not offer anyone unconditional relationship. He tells us that our sin separates us from him and that without repentance we have no fellowship with him (1 John 1:6). Our sin does not separate us from God’s love (Romans 5:8) but it does separate us from his presence (Isaiah 59:1-2). Jesus distanced himself from certain religious leaders because he didn’t trust them. He knew what was in their heart (John 2:24). Throughout much of the Old Testament, God withdraws his presence from his people because of unrepentant sin. God calls people to a covenant relationship that is like a marriage. He not only wants us to enjoy his love, he wants us to love him back (Deuteronomy 6:5). He not only promises us his faithfulness, he requires that we be faithful in return (Deuteronomy 4:23-24). The book of Hosea is a picture of God’s love for his unfaithful spouse (Israel). He longs for her, but his relationship with her will remain broken until she is willing to change. http://www.leslievernick.com/pdfs/IS-Marriage-SUPPOSED-to-be-for-Better-or-for-Worse-FR.pdf
In this sinful world there is no perfect person and in every relationship there is some brokenness and suffering. That’s why Jesus tells us that when someone sins against us, we are to go and talk to that person so that we can be reconciled. However, he also adds, if they refuse to hear you after you have repeatedly tried to get them to listen, "treat them as you would a pagan and a tax collector" (Matthew 18:15-17). Jesus says, if there is no repentance, the relationship you once had changes. Pagans and tax collectors were not trusted, nor were they friends, although a good Jew would help a pagan or tax collector who was in need, fulfilling the biblical mandate to love one’s enemy. http://www.leslievernick.com/pdfs/IS-Marriage-SUPPOSED-to-be-for-Better-or-for-Worse-FR.pdf
In conclusion, when dealing with the marital vows, "For better or for worse" let's ask ourselves, "Am I responding to these vows God's way or my way?" Brothas, and Sistas, in order for us to have successful marriages we must respond to these vows in a godly way even when conflict arises. Until next time. Take care.
Minister Antonio and Sista Michelle Washington
Let's Pray
Dear Lord,
We praise your great name for the spouses that you have blessed us with. We realize that you have joined us together and for this we are so grateful. Please continue to bless our marriages. Help us to honor you by continuing to love the ones that we are with. May we always honor the marital vows that we made toward our spouses. We pray all these things in your praiseworthy name, Jesus. Amen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA1GSIHUEiM&feature=share&list=PL70F1D845BB3D2A21 Marriage Today
http://youtu.be/qmrrh1kTYvg Dinner Theater Presentation
Teatime with Tabby “A Brew of Blossoming into Who Christ Intended us to Become”
Habakkuk 3:17-19 "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails, and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to tread on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments."
Isaiah 18:5 "For, before the harvest, when the blossom is gone and the flower becomes a ripening grape, he will cut off the shoots with pruning knives, and cut down and take away the spreading branches."
Isaiah 27:6 "In days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit."
Hosea 14:5 "I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots."
Hosea 14:7 "People will dwell again in his shade; they will flourish like the grain, they will blossom like the vine— Israel’s fame will be like the wine of Lebanon.
Good Morning Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I pray that each of you have awoken with the Hope of Christ in your heart. May we pray? Lord I thank you for the gift of today and I thank you for the word that you put in my heart and mind this morning. I ask Lord that you edit the pages as I enter them to be shared today. May what is shared be pleasing to you and honoring of your good works. Amen
Brothers and Sisters, with the new year many will choose to set new goals for themselves or news years resolutions. I for one have not ever been one to do very well with this concept. I am certain that over the years I have made several and likely did not make it into the first week of the year with determination to see it through.
While listening to the radio recently a local radio personality shared about a different idea for this. She had heard of this from a book she read from a local author, and the concept was to seek God and seek out one Word that you could use intentionally in your everyday life over the upcoming year to grow yourself in all aspects of life. As I have pondered this thought over the past couple of weeks after hearing her speak of it several times and speak on how she is going about being intentional with this in daily practice in her life, it really started to resonate with me.
I asked God if this was something, He was calling me to this year, was there a specific word or phrase or thought He wanted me to ponder on? Then over the next several days the same kind of image started coming to me. Now God tends to show up in some of the most unique ways. So, please bear with me here. I had been gifted a very generous gift card for Christmas from a friend very unexpectedly, so I purchased myself a new comforter set for my bedroom. This then had the creative side in me to decide I needed to update my art in my room, which I made much of myself. This is when God began planting this thought into my head. You see the bedding is flowered of sorts. So, I began looking for art projects I could do myself to go with it.
Then as I began, He started whispering words of encouragement. So, I started looking at quotes that I could add. As I did this I kept coming back to same thing, "Blossoming." I must be honest I did not understand so, I kept on researching and I found this quote “I love the woman I’ve become because I have fought to become her.” Then the next quote that I found was “Look at the Blossoms blooming as you become the woman who God intended you to be always. “ Then the 3rd quote that He led me to was “Enjoy the Blossoms of the heart as I bless you and grow you into the woman, I have always intended you to be “
As I have sat and pondered these quotes and asked God what it was that He was trying to encourage me in? What I believe I have heard Him say to me is, "Its never too late to start over. It's never too late to find your worth in Christ Jesus. It's never too late to stop and see all the beauty of creation and take stock in wreckage of our lives and see the beauty that God make out of our messes."
You see Brothers and Sisters, God loves a messy a life it gives Him the creative freedom as the God of the Universe to make the ugliest, most devastated, sad and broken parts of ourselves into a masterpiece that only He could ever create, sustain, and be pleased with. So, the purpose of the brew today is to remind me and you that we are never too broken for God to make us His Masterpiece. So, I encourage you to go to the Father today with all your broken pieces and find your word that God can use to show you how you can blossom into the person He has always intended you to be.
Till next week,
Love,
Tabby
The Gift Giver
"Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a
stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good
things to them that ask him?" Matthew 7:9-11
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
There many promoters who attempt to increase sales and the consumers knowledge of a commodity/product being offered will often promise things that lead them to believe that they will obtain FREE /GIFTS or GIVEAWAYS such as FREE VACATIONS, FREE CARS, FREE FOOD, and FREE CASH. They would even go so far as to have consumers believe that they are now multi millionaires because out of a billion sweepstakes entries their names were the one’s chosen to win the sweepstakes drawing.
The goal is to draw us in so that they will actually believe the world’s lie that it is possible for us to get something from them for nothing. Why should we look to the world’s lies when our heavenly Father has already promised and has delivered on His promise to FREELY give us all things? “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” Numbers 23:19 Our Father is not like your traditional one night stand where He will make good on all promises before He gets YOUR GIFT, for whatever God says He will do, we can bank on it. “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” II Corinthians 1:20
Only Jehovah Jireh, the Lord God our Provider can make good on everything He says He will GIVE to us. Matthew 7:9-11 says, “Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” He is not like that absentee father who makes empty promises or who will just give you any old thing or gift just to get you off of His back. He liberally gives to each and everyone of His children when we seek His face.
Give is defined as to present voluntarily and without expecting compensation; bestow, to hand to someone, to place in someone's care. Most promoters will promise us something to get something in return from us. On the contrary, our Father in heaven promises His children GOOD (of high quality; excellent) things we ask Him for without reservation, compensation, or hidden cost. Antonyms for good are best and better. Our Heavenly Father gives us His very best because He knows that we can do so much better. That’s why there is no need for us to worry. He’s got our back! Our Father is the giver of all good gifts! Amen.
Prayer Time
Dear Lord,
We thank you for the many gifts you bestow upon us. You make good on all of your promises and we praise you for that. May we take hold of your promises and move into those things that you have called us to. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.Amen.R
God's Grace and Tender Mercies
Watch "Mix - James Fortune & FIYA - I Trust You" on YouTube
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=RDrRwQy2eQbJM
Good Morning Brothas and Sistas,
The trials of life are extremely difficult at times and sometimes they can become unbearably painfully, to say the least but God's Unfailing Love. All-sufficient grace in Christ towards us and His tender mercies that are new every morning brings us through each day. (Lamentations 3:22-26; Ephesians 2:4-9) He's able to bring us through the fire, without being burned. He's taking us through and only He can bring us out!"
Jesus. our Savior is in us by His Holy Spirit. He's with us when we're rejected. He's in the midst of our suffering and He is with us thru all of our pain and sorrow; (Romans 8:18) for He promised He will never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)
Humility is when we humbly come to realize we're not self-sufficient in meeting our needs but accept by faith, totally relying and depending upon our All-Sufficient and All-Knowing God in His Unfailing Love towards us through His Only Begotten Son, our Savior Jesus Christ to meet ALL our needs in every area of our lives. (Psalm 34:9,10; 107:9; Philippians 4:19)
Only God through Christ our Savior and Lord is Keeping us! As we hold to Him through prayer (1 Thess 5:17); Seek His face in His Word; Trust and Take Him at His Word. We come to learn and know He is truth. His Word is truth and He's all we need to carry us through these difficult and trying times. We're not self-sufficient but All-Mighty, All-Knowing, Self-Sufficient God through Christ Jesus our Savior and Lord is keeping us and He's able to bring us out according to His Will; His Plan and His Purpose, for His Glory!" (Rom 8:28-30)
HOLD to God's unchanging hand! PRAY without ceasing! Trust Him with all your heart and don't lean to your own understanding! [Prov 3:5, 6] God is working and He's working all things together for good to them that love Him and are the called for His purpose and glory! [Romans 8:28] "Despite all these things we're experiencing; Overwhelming Victory is ours through Christ Jesus, who Loved us." (Rom 8:37; 1 Corinth 15:57)
Blessings,
Claudia
Are You Confronting Those You Love
"Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, & I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul...Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight?" II Sam.12:7, 9a
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
Confrontation can be a real trip at times. Sometimes it can be one of the hardest things in life to do and to tell you the truth most of us tend to avoid it. Question. How many excuses have you made for things you won't confront?
Time after time the Holy Spirit brings things to our attention so that we can deal with them and quite often our response is to lie and pretend as though they don't exist. According to my spiritual father, “An excuse is a skin of a reason stuffed with a lie.“
The truth is we become too familiar and complacent with those things we won't confront in an effort to avoid the inevitable. The truth makes us free. The truth spoken in love makes others free. Amen.
Our Daily Bread/Prayer Time
Dear Lord,
Please help us to speak the truth to those we love so that they can grow from it. You are an amazing God and we trust your word. Give us grace to understand and receive what others may say to us when it is you prompting them to come to us. We pray all these things in your most amazing name, Jesus. Amen.
Bringing Sexy Back to Your Marriage
Acts 24:3 (NIV) "Everywhere and in every way, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with profound gratitude."
Colossians 3:16 (NIV) "Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts."
Philippians 2:5(NIV) "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Romans 12:2 New (NIV) "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Good Morning Brothers and Sisters,
It's so great to be back with each of you. I pray that we can each enter into our time together with this brew that often is not so sweet or can often be spoiled by our choices in mindset. So let's go to the Grand Brew Master's table and humbly open up not just our Tea Cupboards but also all the hidden places where we store what can ruin a great brew once we stir it into our brews. As what we put into the brew we are sipping and sharing is often as equally if not even more important than what brew has been prepared for us.
Brothers and Sisters, as I have shared before I just love Paul. He reminds me so often of just how easily it is to get off track when you really aren't paying attention to how and what your mind is focusing on or not focusing on. It's so easy to allow the standards and the unrealistic views, perceptions and expectations that this world places in our minds. Have you ever considered why we at times get annoyed with the dumbest of things? Here are few of mine that I know I need to own and get beyond.
· The printer simply won't work, and it I need that document now to get to where I need to be 5 minutes ago.
· The TV is blaring and I am trying to work why can't the door just be shut by the person whose watching TV.
Now sure we are all going to get unnerved, frustrated and certainly we all have some of these annoying characteristics and probably more that others find annoying about us. Yet, is this the attitude of the heart that Paul calls us to have. Is this the renewing of our minds that Paul shares with us that is so beautiful and transforming if we would simply choose to stay focused there? The world tells us all the time in so many obscure and blatant ways that we should never have to put up with other peoples "stuff". Okay, so if we all chose that mindset then wouldn't the world simply stop working? If we all simply retreated and didn't deal with anyone else how would anything every be accomplished?
You see Brothers and Sisters, my struggle is all in the mindset and the attitude. I allow the dumb stuff to build up and it becomes a bitter brew that I find myself trying to sweeten up but all I do really is pour sour milk and curdle the Brew even more. Paul reminds us that our minds are ours to protect and to direct. He tells us that we must choose what we allow to take up residence in minds. If we don't walls start being built and before you know where there was once shelves of amazing brews filled with Christ's love, redemption, sanctification and blessing can no longer be seen or found. They are no longer shelves. They have been corrupted now they are walls. These shelves have been built over with bitter timber and piercing nails of negative, false, unkind, and ungodly whispers that are now what and who you have become. We are no longer hope to the world, light in the dark places because we too have become a bitter brew.
Here are some simple ways that we can each practice daily to ensure that we are renewing our minds and living our lives for Christ and through Christ in this world each and every day.
A "Blessings Jar" or journal sticky note. Make a point to find a way to bless someone else each day. This is free and is not just good for the other person(s) soul but yours as well. Example: Say thanks to a cashier, thank the cleaning person at mall or office, send a note or email or text with a few kind words of encouragement.
You can do a random act of kindness for someone you know or a perfect stranger.
Spend some time with God just thanking Him for the first things that pop into your head.
Blessings and thanks for each of you. Please know that I am forever grateful to each of you for our Tea Parties with our Savior each week.
Love,
Tabby
Harden Not Your Hearts
"If you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." Hebrews 13:8
"The human heart is like the millstone in a mill; when you put wheat under it, it turns and grinds the wheat into flour. If you put no wheat in, it still grinds on, but then it is itself it grinds and slowly wears away." Martin Luther
Good morning my Brothas and Sistas,
Today we will look at not hardening your heart towards God as we stay on course with our discussion. Hebrews 13:8 says, "If you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." This scripture reminds me of Stephen in Acts 7 where he calls the people of God a "stiffnecked people" because they refused to bow down to the Lord, but they rebelled against Him instead.
A hardened heart can bring a great deal of harm to your spiritual life. Some of the things that can cause you to harden your heart is rebellion, independence from God, resentment, pride, bitterness, and anger. But hold on my brothas, there is a remedy to hardening your heart. And that remedy is to repent and give your entire lives over to God.
Ezekiel 11:19-20 says, "I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God."
Brothas and Sistas, why can't we yield our hearts to God? Is it because we have other gods that we worship among us that keep us from yielding to the true and living God? The truth of the matter is that we keep making excuses for it. Do you know what the urban definition of an excuse is? It is "the skin of a reason stuffed with a lie". Oh yes, my Brothas that is what an excuse really is. When we don't yield, we won't be truthful about our real reason for not yielding and we will make an excuse to cover the truth about our rebellion.
"The most tremendous judgment of God in this world is the hardening of the hearts of men." John Owen
Think about what's just been said and make a decision today to "harden not your hearts". Until next time have a blessed day.
Minister Antonio Washington
We Can Depend on God's Strength
""God Is" (1979)- Rev. James Cleveland" on YouTube
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
We can't depend on ourselves to supply our need let alone depend on our human strength to make it in this life. Why? Because human strength runs out, it fails. Human strength comes to an end. It leads to total depletion and exhaustion! The strength we need that keeps us to remain stable and maintain in life comes from the Lord.
God specializes in weaklings! When we are weak, He is strong. He operates in full strength. We can count on God's strength. His strength it inexhaustible. It never fails and it never runs out!
Paul prayed three times asking the Lord to take away the thorn in his flesh, that apparently kept him weak and dependent on the Lord, and the Lord replied, "My grace is sufficient for you. For My Strenght is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:7-10) Isaiah said, "Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, faints not, neither is weary? There is no searching of His understanding. He gives POWER to the faint and to them that have no might He increases strength; Even the youths will faint and be weary, and the young men will utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk and faint." (Isaiah 40:28-31)
So what's weakening and taking your strength? What's depleting you? Maybe just maybe God is allowing whatever it or that is to stay right there to keep you and me from depending on ourselves so that we may totally trust and depend on Him so that He can fulfill His divine purpose in and through our lives, in His full strength for His Glory!
"The LORD is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The LORD IS THE STRENGTH OF my Life, of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1)
"Give Thanks with a grateful heart; Give thanks to the Holy One; Give thanks for He has given Jesus Christ, His Son. And Now let the weak say I am strong; let the poor say I am rich, because of what the Lord has done for us, Give thanks!"
Lovingly submitted,
Claudia
A New Year - Moving Forward
Moving Forward - Israel Houghton.avi
Philippians 3:12-14 (NLT), “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
We made it. Wow! IT is 2020! Where did the year go? If your year was like mine, it’s a complete blur! There were ups and downs, but most of it went so fast, I can barely remember it. That’s probably a good thing. But it’s now time to plan forward.
With everything going on in life, sometimes it’s hard to see forward. However, looking backward is not an option. There’s nothing there but lessons to be learned, not opportunities or victories to be gained. To dwell in the past is to lock yourself out of your future. Things happen in life that make us pause for a moment, but we can’t stop. We must “keep it movin’” or we will fail.
The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 3:12-14 (NLT), “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Paul speaks of the things that await him in Christ.
That’s a wonderful way to look forward. Has Jesus promised you anything? Do you have a purpose to fulfill? Are there people you need to lead to Christ? Who do you want to bless?
See, you do have a reason to look forward to tomorrow. Let today be the day you plan to live better in the new year. The plans of today become the reality of tomorrow if you persevere and don’t give up. I’m cheering for you! You can do it! Don’t stop now! Give it all you’ve got! God is with you!
Sis. Audrey
Prayer:
Father, please help me to see forward from all the pain, hurt and disappointments of this year and to appreciate all that You still have in store for me. Help me to forgive those that have attacked me in any way. Help them to become all that You would have them to be. And use us to be vessels of light in this dark world. Prepare us for service and propel us into victory for Your kingdom. For we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Experiencing the Power of God in 2021
https://youtu.be/U8wOTV1vktw?list=PLbIwq6HuKrKw9-c63LJcynWeuJ6IjxOpx
"As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after thee." Psalm 42:1
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
As we embark upon a new year. We would like to encourage you to run hard and deep after God. Make Him your number one muse. Psalm 42:1 says, "As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after thee." Psalm 42:1
The word pant means breathless. Yes, Brothas and Sistas, we must allow Him to take our breath away. Every waking moment with him should be one of total exhilaration and filled with expectancy for those things that He has in store for us. There is never a dull moment with Him when we follow hard after Him.
In 2020 allow Him to be the guiding force in all that you do. He desires you to be enveloped with His presence. "Long ago the LORD said to Israel: "I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself." Jeremiah 33:1
As you draw near to Him He will draw near to you and your once tattered and chaotic life will be filled with a peace that is indescribable. Please don't allow the cares of this world to take you away from Him any longer. Choose Him over the world and all of it's enticements. And then and only then will you experience His favor, joy, power, and peace.
On behalf of my wife and I, we pray that. We believe that God has great things in store for you. We hope that all of you were encouraged and blessed from the devotionals this year. We believe that God is able, awesome, and marvelous and He will do exceedingly, abundantly above all that you can ever ask or think." Ephesians 3:20
My wife and I have seen the power of God in more ways than one. We have heard how God has blessed so many people in different ways. As the year, comes to an end, may we allow God to make us clean, connected and carefree in 2021. "Happy New Year to all of you, and may you enjoy a blessed 2021.
Minister Antonio and Michelle Washington
Prayer of Faith
Hallelujah! Thank you Lord for making our lives so much richer even in the trials and chaos that we experienced in 2020. We could not have made it through 2020 without you. We promise to trust you more in 2021. We desire to make you our all and all by following hard after you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Tea Time with Tabby “A Brew of New Beginnings”
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creaon has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Ezra 9:9 9 "Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and he has given us a wall of protecon in Judah and Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 31:2222 "How long will you wander, unfaithful Daughter Israel? The LORD will create a new thing on earth— the woman will return to the man.”Romans 6:44 We were therefore buried with him through bapsm into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."
Revelaon 3:1212 "The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new
Good Morning Brothers and Sisters in Christ
I pray that you all had a Christmas that was filled with joy and blessing. May we pray.
Lord, I come before you this morning with the hope and intent of sharing what you have put upon my heart. May I honor you with my words and thoughts and may you transform them to the true message you desire to be heard today. Amen.
Brothers and Sisters, as we look forward into the new year, many of us will be grateful to say farewell to 2020. It came in with great anticipation and excitement but for many 2020 turned quickly to a nightmare that we many hoped they would have awoken from by now. There was great tragedy in this year we are closing but as I have shared previously there were great blessings too. As we look forward to a new year, I would like us to focus on the possibilities that this brings us. I would like for each of us to pack up the struggles of the year past and gather the blessings and lessons learned in this year before we step into 2021.
You see we can take the lessons learned through the hardship and the blessings and personal growth we have gained through rely more deeply on Christ in building an even better 2021. I cannot promise you that COVID19 will be eradicated in 2021 or that civil, racial, and political unrest will be solved. Yet I can remind you of a promise from our Creator and Savior. New Mercies come in the morning every morning. Therefore, we can choose to do our part in sharing the truth and love of Christ with all we encounter. Change does not occur in an oval office in Washington DC. Change begins with God’s people standing up for one another, standing in the gap for the less fortunate, praying for and doing for our enemies.
Real change in our world will only come when we remember we are one human race, we are loved, and cherished and created equally by the same one true God. I believe that we can make a difference in this world by starting out making a difference in own homes, neighborhoods and cities. God is the author of change, and love. Therefore, if we start making small changes to our own mindset, our own reactions and interactions, our God can use that to multiple peace, healing, and love. We must remember we are each given a measure grace every moment of every day that none of us deserve. We must begin to do the same for our brothers and sisters.
I feel the Lord leading us back to a simpler time in life, meeting in big church buildings with all likeminded and theologically minded folks does not seem as much as an option or way of life at least not for the foreseeable future. So maybe we need to open our bibles and remember how the church started and re-learn what an incredible impact the church had on lives, and societies of the time of the Acts Churches.
I feel God calling us to get back to the basics, do church as a family; as neighbors, share a meal, share your understanding of the theology of Christ, and hear, and listen to the perspective of your neighbor. Choose to build on those similarities and differences. I believe we can grow much deeper in our relationships with Christ and one another by opening our hearts and minds. Now I must caution you here that we must always be vigilant in ensuring that what is being taught and believed matches up with God’s Sovereign Word. We must never depart from teaching or believing or seeking to understand what God has provided us in His living and Breathing Word- through the Bible.
Brothers and Sisters, I just hope and Pray that we will all find New Spiritual Growth in this upcoming year and that we will each be purposeful and mindful about sharing the truth, love and grace of God with a world that so desperately needs a new beginning. A world that so very much needs to know that we can all choose to be new in and through Jesus Christ our Savior and Redeemer. Please share this message as everyone deserves to know and all need to know that there are none too far gone for God’s grace, love, and redemption, all can be made new through Christ the Lord.
Till next week,
Love and Hopefulness for a New Year in Christ Jesus,
Tabby
Trusting God for What is To Come
"Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
This is a message of hope to you. This year may have been challenging for you. 2020 was a year of surprises and Covid did not help. We just found out my father in law's cancer is back. My mom has been struggling with dementia, my wife lost her job and her mom was diagnosed with and had surgery for breast cancer. We were faced with many trials. This has been a year of uncertainty for us but He brought us through.
I pray that next year will be a year to move forward" Philippians 3:13 says, "I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Brothas and Sistas, start trusting God for what is about to come. Don't give in and don't give up. The truth is the enemy wants you to give up but don't succumb to his whispers. Learn to live out loud. Enjoy the life and the blessings that God has given you. Don't focus on the negativity that goes on around you or the negative thoughts that bombard you on a daily basis. Learn to see and experience blessings in every situation, good or bad, because in the end it's all good anyway.
In other words, change your perspective for the coming year. Your hope is built on Jesus Christ so trust Him for what is to come and don't lean to your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5, 6) God bless you all.
As always blessings to you until we meet again.
Minister Antonio and Michelle Washington
Prayer of Faith
Dear Lord,
Thank you for this crazy year of 2020. We are so excited to grasp the new year and all that you have to offer. Help us to move forward with anticipation and to no longer dwell on those things that hindered us this year. You are an amazing Father. We know you have great things in store for us and we love you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Divine Connections
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
A socket holds power all by itself but when the plug is connected to the socket the power that you couldn't see is now seen. The power becomes activated in the physical. We can't see electricity until we plug the TV cord into the socket. It's at that point that what was invisible becomes visible for all to see.
Brothas and Sistas, in order for us to thrive as children of God we must stay connected to the power source. Jesus says that He is the vine and we are the branches. We are an extension of the One that we are connected to. If we are disconnected from God we will not produce any fruit. In other words growth will not take place. Without Him we can do NOTHING.
Brothas and Sistas, for those that are loss they need to see our fruit. It's in the fruit that they will come to see the manefestation of a God that they can't see. We have a responsibilty to produce. As a matter of fact, we were created to be fruitful .
Brothas and Sistas, stay connected to the One and Only Truly Living Power Source. Your development and the development of others depends on your connection. Amen.
Be Blessed,
Gina M
Prayer of Faith
Dear God,
We thank you for being our power source. We thank you for giving us the privilege to be connected to you. Father, please help us to understand the importance of our connection to you. We thank you and praise you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Why Do We X Out Christmas?
"This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorceher quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us." When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus." Matthew 1:18-25
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
There used to be a time when we would say, "Merry Christmas." freely and joyfully to one another. Over the years we have began to slowly but surely withdraw from saying, "Merry Christmas." to just saying, "Happy Holidays." as if we are afraid to say the word Christmas. It has even gotten to the point where Christmas has been replaced with X-Mas which is to say that Christ is not the reason for the season.
My Brothas and Sistas, it is sad to say that even we as Christians are unaware that we are conforming to the world by saying, "Happy Holidays." rather than "Merry Christmas." Christ came as the second Adam to redeem the world of sin. He became the ultimate sacrifice and because of His sacrifice we now have eternal life. Those who accept the X in Christmas do not want to acknowledge that Christ is Lord and they don't want us as Christians to mention His name or what Christmas represents as well. So far the enemy is doing just what he wants us to do and that is taking Christ out of Christmas. So let's make sure that we say it loud and proud to everyone we see "Merry Christmas." for there is joy in knowing that Christ is our Savior.
Have a blessed holiday!
Minister Antonio Washington
Prayer of Faith
Dear Lord,
We praise you for being who you are. Help us to glorify you and be faithful in being witnesses for you by proclaiming you as Savior and Lord especially during this season. Help us boldly proclaim, "Merry Christmas." so that we may keep You in our Christmas. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
The Best Gift of All
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." I John 4:11
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
As the season for Christmas quickly approaches, I trust that we are expressing love toward one another. Eventhough Christmas is supposed to be a blessed time of the year it is also known to be the season when people tend to be very irritable and lack in showing love to their fellowman. I mean people truly forget what the true meaning of the holiday is about.
Due to my job I am on the road a lot so I tend to see more accidents and road rage during this time.
Brothas and Sistas, rather than getting involved in the hustle and bustle of the holiday, which can cause us all stress, try keeping it simple. Pray about it and only do what you can or feel the Lord leading you to do. Don't get yourself so focused on the materialistic aspect of the holiday that you forget to show love to others.
Trust me there are some people right in your circle or someone that the Lord is laying on you heart to show the genuine love of Christ to. Don't allow the cares of Christmas to make you insensitive to the needs of others. What Shell and I have decided to do this year and even throughout the year is open up our home to those around us, feed them, show Christ love to them, minister Christ to them, and fellowship with them. Sometimes people just need you to invite them in so that they can feel the warmth of genuine love. Some of those people may be getting stressed thinking about or trying to figure out how they can afford a gift or what they should get for someone for the holiday.
Brothas and Sistas, I tell you the truth if you want to give a gift, ask God to send someone to you that does not know Jesus Christ and give them the gift of eternal life, the plan of salvation. You may be the only Jesus that they see. So let your light shine. Remember Jesus is the reason for the season.
Enjoy your holiday.
Minister Antonio Washington
Dear Lord,
Thank you for the awesome gift of Jesus. Help us to show the same love to others that you have shown to us. May we see the need of others during this holiday season. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Good Morning Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I hope this morning finds you well and full of anticipation and celebratin as we prepare to celebrate our
Saviors Birth later this week. May we pray.
Lord, I pray that you will allow your humble servant to share what you have placed on my heart today may the text be divinely put to paper. May the thoughts and words be all from you. Praise be your holy name.
Today, I wanted us to think about the meaning of Christmas and what the real gift is that we can all afford to share and hopefully are all willing to give and receive. I believe that Christmas is time where we can all give the following gifts and they cost each of us no money at all. The three things I believe we should be willing to give and receive on Christmas are Peace, Hope and Love.
Peace - The gift of peace is such a precious gift and I believe this year moreh than many of our recent past is one that is needed even more than many. I believe that the gift of peace this year would be the greatest gift for all to
open on Christmas morning. You ask how I can wrap up such a gift?
I have a few suggestions. Maybe there is discord in your family or your circle ofr friendship. This thing or situation or feeling that has taken the peace out ofy our family or friendship is it worth loosing peace over. I remember some
wise words shared with me when I was expecting my son. I was told thateeping peace in the family is a great gift, so before losing that ask yourself is this mountain that I am willing to die upon alone and without peace. If it is
not, then nd a way to make peace with the situation. This does not mean compromise your morals or values but nd a way to make peace. So, I suggest that we each examine our hearts and seek out the Peace of Christ and and ways to make reconciliation and give the gift of Peace and receive this most wonderful gift for yourself this year as well.
Hope - Hope what a wonderful gift, this was in my opinion one of the greatest gifts that we each received when Christ our Savior was born. We were each given the gift of Hope that day as through Christ we each have the opportunity of life eternal with Christ in the Heavenlies. How can we give
the gift the hope? One of the easiest ways to share this gift this Christmas Season is share the Truth and Love, and Story of our Saviors Birth. To seek out those who do not know the truth and assure them each of them that its
never too late to put your life and hope in the hands of Christ. Share the salvation prayer with a lost soul and pray for them to and their way to the only true source of Hope, Jesus Christ our Savior. Take this same counsel too your own heart, mind a spirit and renew and refresh your own fountain ofh ope deep down in your own spirit and mind and heart.
Love -This is the first commandment from Christ, love one another as I have loved you. This I believe is the most compelling truth of who God is thatH e was willing to step out of heaven, become baby of less than meager
means to demonstrate His immense love for his beloved children. I believet his is the true meaning of the gift of Christmas. The gift of love in concepts eems so simple. Yet I believe that for many of us it is one of the hardest to give. In order to give the gift of love, we must first be willing to open our hearts and accept the risk that we may not receive in return what we so eagerly giving away. I understand this more than you can know. Many people have said to me that I am one of those people that wears my heart on her sleeve, and therefore its not very well protected. Yet brothers and sisters if we are sharing love with those in our circle of in/uence and beyond then wer ae wasting this precious gift. You see God is so very generous with His love for us that for our measure of love that we pour out to those we know ando love, and every encounter we have with a stranger; He refills us with a Godly measure beyond what we poured out. So, by giving the giving the gift of love to others God is gifting us with 10-fold of His love. This is truly the gift that keeps on giving. How can we share this gift this Christmas Season? That is easy ensure that those you love know how you feel, not with store boughtg ifts and such but with the expression of your love in words or kinds deedso for them. Or by simply spending quality time with them no distractions byw ork, or responsibility true devoted intentional time spent listening, praying,p laying. How can you share this with the world use your social media time tos hare a word and good cheer, smile and say hello to that neighbor thatm akes cringe. Thank community service worker for the gift they are to you every day.
In closing Brothers and Sisters, I pray that you will each and, receive and share these most impactful and wonderful gifts of Christmas Season. I pray that this Brew provided you with each of these gifts and may your Christmas season be Blessed, and full of true meaning of Christmas.
Till next week,
Love, Peace and Hope
Keeping Jesus in Christmas
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:6
I love, love, love Christmas! It is my favorite time of the year. I love everything that Christmas represents from the birth of our Lord and Savior, the wonderful nativity scenes, the beautiful lights, unusually nicer people, having extended family time etc., Now I have to be honest with you lately it has taken me a little longer than normal to get into the Christmas spirit. You know how it is. Sometimes life gets a hold of you and tries to squeeze the significance of the season out of you.
But you know what I am learning? As busy as life gets we can't allow the demands that it brings to squeeze Jesus out. And we certainly can't allow it to squeeze Him out of Christmas. So how do we make it our priority to keep Jesus at the center of the season.
1. We can honor His birth and the significance of it by not focusing so much on the hustle and bustle.
2. We can love, adore, worship and honor the giver of every good and perfect gift, Jesus, the gift of God to us, instead of making gift giving the highlight of the season.
3. We can spend as much time as we can with our loved ones because next Christmas is not promised to us.
4. We can reach others for Jesus. People need to be filled with the hope of the Savior especially around Christmas time.
My prayer for you today is that you will take hold of the significance of the season, allow the light of Jesus and the reason for the season to shine brightly through you, and slow down long enough love up on the gifts of all gifts, Jesus. Have a blessed holiday!
Smooches,
Sista Michelle
Prayer of Faith
Thank you, Lord for coming into the world to save us. There is none like you. We worship and adore you, the King of Kings and Savior of the world. May we make you a priority this season. You are so worthy of our adoration. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
God's Grace and Metcy Is Keeping Us
Watch "Donnie McClurkin- I'll Trust You" on YouTube
"He will never leave us nor forsake us." Hebrews 13:5
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
The trials of life are extremely difficult at times and sometimes they can become unbearably painfully, to say the least. But God's unfailing love; all-sufficient grace in Christ towards us andHis tender mercies that are new every morning brings us through each day. (Lamentations 3:22-26; Ephesians 2:4-9) He's able to bring us through the fire, without being burned; He's taking us thru and only He can bring us out!"
Jesus our Savior is in us by His Holy Spirit; He's with us when we're rejected, He's in the midst of our suffering andHe is with us thru all of our pain and sorrow; (Romans 8:18) for He promised He will never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)
Humility is when we humbly come to realize we're not self-sufficient in meeting our needs, but accept by faith, totally relying and depending upon our All-Sufficient and All-Knowing God in His Unfailing Love towards us through His only begotten Son, our Savior Jesus Christ to meet aLL our needs in every area of our lives. (Psalm 34:9,10; 107:9; Philippians 4:19)
Only GOD through Christ our Savior & Lord is Keeping us! As we hold to Him thru Prayer (1 Thess 5:17); Seek His face in His Word; Trust and Take Him at His Word; we come to Learn and Know He is Truth, His Word is Truth and He's all we need to carry us through these difficult and trying times. We are not self-sufficient; But All-Mighty, All-Knowing, Self-Sufficient God through Christ Jesus our Savior and Lord is keeping us and He's able to bring us out according to His Will; His Plan and His Purpose, for His Glory!" (Rom 8:28-30)
HOLD to God's unchanging hand! Pray without ceasing! Trust Him with all your heart and don't lean to your own understanding! [Prov 3:5, 6]
God is working, and He's working all things together for good to them that Love Him and are the called for His purpose and glory! [Romans 8:28]
"Despite all these things we're experiencing; Overwhelming Victory is ours through Christ Jesus, who Loved us." (Rom 8:37; 1 Corinth 15:57)
Walk in The Spirit. Test Everything Before Its Time.
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
There's so much going on in the world today, but we must remain mindful in the midst of it all, because we are Blessed. We are a CHOSEN generation; We are a ROYAL priesthood; We are a HOLY nation, the Lord's own special people. We are to go forth and proclaim the praises of the LORD our God through Christ Jesus our Savior who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light; because we once We are not a people of Go but are now "the people of God who had not obtained mercy But now have obtained mercy through Christ Jesus our Savior and Lord."
Therefore, we're reminded that this is not our home. We are not of this life. We are as aliens just passing through. So let us abstain from fleshly lusts that war against our soul and maintain a conduct that is honorable among those who are not children of God, so that when they speak against us as evildoers, that they by seeing our good works may give Honor to God when He comes to judge the world. [See 1 Peter 2:9-12; 2 Peter 1:10, 11; 2 Corinthians 13:5 and Deuteronomy 7:6]
And let us live according to our New Life in Christ and walk in the Spirit, so that we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and the two are contrary, in opposition to one another, so that we do not do the things we normally do in the flesh; but seek to please God being led by the Spirit. [See Galatians 5:16, 17]
Everything in life is either of works of the flesh [Galatians 5:19-21] or of the Spirit [Galatians 5:22-26]
Therefore, we must test the character of everything because its either to push us closer to the Lord or pull us away from Him. Examine Everything!"
Let the Word Strengthen and Encourage Your Heart
The Psalmist said, "I once was young and now I am old; YET I've never seen the righteous forsaken, nor seen their seed begging for bread." (Psalm 37:25)
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
The Psalmist said, "I once was young and now I am old; YET I've never seen the righteous forsaken, nor seen their seed begging for bread." (Psalm 37:25)
"Be strong and very courageous so that you may observe and be obedient to the word. Don't turn away from it; not to the right hand or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go. Do not let the word of God depart from your mouth, bur meditate in it day and night observing to do all that is written in it. Then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success be strong and of good courage; do not be discouraged nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:7-9)
"Be doers of GOD'S WORD and not hearers only." Because if we are hearers only of the word of God, and not doers of the Word, we deceive ourselves." (James 1:22)
"But he who LOOKS into GOD'S PERFECT WORD OF LIBERTY and CONTINUES in it, and is not a forgetful hearer, but a DOER of the work, THIS ONE WILL BE BLESSED in what he does. (James 1:25)
"ALL the Promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us." (2 Corinthians 1:20)
"Trust God; Take Him AT HIS WORD (Proverbs 3:5, 6); He will do what He said He will do, in Christ Jesus Name, Amen
Love Claudia"
Pride: The Root of All Sin
https://youtu.be/ySa3Vu4FUW8?list=PLOwSo8kHs4XSN2s8VwHGf64nW960MJ-u0
"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall!" I Corinthians 10:12
Read Jeremiah 13:1-11
"I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom,and thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be?" Jeremiah 13:23
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
Brothas and Sistas, pride will hide a man's faults to himself but magnify them to everybody else. Don't you find it strange when everybody else sees what you won't see. If you don't deal with pride it will intensify until it is irreversible.
We have to first understand what was going on during Jeremiah's day and what the linen cloth represented. First of all linen, was a garment worn by the Priest. The linen belt was symbolic of the intimate relationship between God and Israel. This was indeed a different time, but the principle is still the same today.
As the belt became dirtier it symbolized the sins of the people as they continued to do evil rather than obey God. Many times God wants us to seize the light of His glory but too often we won't. Even when pride gets in the leadership it will cause the whole house to be carried away captive. And when we don't yield to the Spirit of God He will let everyone see the shame of our pride. The bible tells us in I Corinthians 10:12 "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall!"
Brothas and Sistas, lying, fornication, adultery, perverseness, homosexuality, covetousness, fornication, etc., these are just a few symptoms of the main problem; PRIDE. All of these sins get their root from PRIDE. The world ought to see the glory of God in us. His power honor and praise should be our radiance in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:" I Peter 2:9
Question(s): Brothas and Sistas, will thou be made clean? When shall it once be?
"There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which every one in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians ever imagine that they are guilty themselves….The essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil; Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind…As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you." C.S. Lewis
Take care until next time.
Minister Antonio Washington
Prayer Time
Lord, we are grateful that you are more than able to set us free from sin once we confess it to you. Help us to repent of the root of our sin which is pride so that we may walk in your grace and mercy daily. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Naked and Not Ashamed
https://youtu.be/KSd_6tHn4CU?list=PL0E73013E6BB36F36
"And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."
Genesis 2:25
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
Here we have two individuals, a man and a woman, created by God with no clothes, standing in front of each other naked, not concerned about the weather for God has controlled the elements. Think about it, Brothas and Sistas, they didn't conceal any parts of their body from each other, just naked, no shame, no guilt on their mind, not worrying about defects or faults; no anger or frustration or criticism towards one another, no folks just naked and ashamed.
The defintion of naked is unclothed, uninhibited, or nude. Naked in the Greek is defined as absolute nakedness. The texts speaks of them both being naked and this is how our marriages ought to be; naked and unashamed. Brothas and Sistas, it's the same as having your mate as your best friend. As best friends you tend to share everything. You have no secrets with one another, you share dreams together, you share your hurts, your problems, your burdens and so forth.
In our marriages their shouldn't be anything that we don't know about one another. We shouldn't have any secrets or hidden agendas. A lot of our marriages are filled with a lot of seek and find which means we are not transparent enough for our mates to see us for who or what we are.
Brothas and Sistas, we all come with baggage or issues. We bring these things into our marriage. Marriage actually reveals what you each struggle with. God put your mate in your life to expose your weaknesses. God reveals your weaknesses between the two of you so that they can be dealt with. God allows the husband to help the wife work through her weaknesses as well as the wife helping the husband through his weaknesses. This is how we compliment one another. When these weakness are exposed and dealt with our marriages look more like Christ and His bride, the church. Brothas and Sistas, in order for us to have successful marriages we must make it a point to be naked and unashamed.
Take care until next time.
Minister Antonio Washington
Prayer of Faith
Dear Lord,
We thank you for your many blessing especially our spouses. May we learn the importance of being transparent with them so that we can be better friends and lovers as we move towards becoming more Christlike. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Warning Stay Away from Spiritual Hitchhikers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sc2Z6hoWMg&feature=share&list=PL4088D41FA8C2CBA0
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" I Peter 5:8
Good morning,
Have you ever been driving along a dark road and noticed a man with his thumb stuck out? This person is commonly referred to as a hitchhiker. As a Christian you want to pick him up, but common sense and spiritual maturity says, “No!”
But let’s just say you did stop, what do you think this man would say? He probably would ask you “Are you going my way?”
If you are like most people, you would probably say, "Get in.”
This is exactly what most of us do when choosing a mate. For some reason we don’t stop to think about that question and we immediately agree to take this person on a journey to nowhere. We let this stranger that we don’t know into our car (life) and then we proceed to take them where they want to go, instead of finding out if they are heading in the same direction that we are.
Too often we make all sorts of detours for this person to ensure that they arrive at their destination, but we negate God’s prescribed course for us. They get in our cars (lives) knowing that they are going west, while we are going east. They tell us all kinds of sad stories and before we realize it, we have made a complete U-turn for them and now we are headed backwards to our old ways. Then we lookup years later to realize that we are so far away from where we are supposed to be and we wonder how we got there.
You were detoured, and now you’re off course. It wasn’t intentional on your part, but the devil had a definite detour in mind for you. He wanted to get you away from the will and plan of God so he deliberately sent a spiritual hitchhiker to distract and detour you away from God’s purpose for you. Now God has to spend years undoing the damages that have occurred because you tried to help someone, who was sent to harm you.
We have to understand that we don’t pick up strangers on the side of the road, and we don’t allow a wayward man to lead us astray. Too often most hitchhikers are running from something. It could be something they did wrong, or something wrong that was done to them; but either way, they are lost and fleeing hurt. Don’t let this person attach their hurt to you.
Just like a natural hitchhiker a spiritual hitchhiker can do just as much harm to you if you are not careful. They come as angels of light presenting themselves as the answer to your problems, when they are in fact a bigger problem. Know how to discern spiritual hitchhikers so that they won’t be able to infiltrate your family and establish another lost generation.
When God was teaching me about the values of family life, one of the most important lessons I learned was that a family is built, “one member at a time.” I always looked back at my grand-parents as the source of family construction, but God has revealed that the family begins with the man. Genesis 2:20-23 states, “But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”
From the man He created the woman and together they created children, as the children begat children, grand-parents were created. So it is clear to see that the family is created by God, through the man, who He considers to be the head of the family. “Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God” (1 Corinthians 11:3).We see that God creates families one member at a time and He always begins with the man. This is a critical point in the building of families because we need to understand that God has a prescription for building Holy families and it is called; suitability.
Suitability does not come from our view of who is good, but from God’s view of who is good. Remember 1 Corinthians 11:3 and Genesis 2:20-23, indicates His version of a suitable mate.
A man or woman is only considered a suitable mate when they are walking with God, not just speaking about Him. Not everyone that talks about God knows Him intimately. Some have heard of His greatness, but have not intimately experienced it for themselves. They are still walking in darkness, but attempting to emulate light. Beware of these spiritual hitchhikers who have been sent to detour you.
Now that we understand that it is the head that God uses to create the family, not the helper, We have to stop picking up strangers off the side of the road and letting them lead us astray. These men and women that we think we are trying to help are not suitable mates. They have been placed in our paths to detour us, rob us of our blessings and frustrate our purpose. So remember; God never uses the woman to establish the family, and we must stop chasing after men. Be aware of who a suitable mate is so that when he approaches you, you will recognize him and with him, in holy matrimony, you will be able to create a holy family.
Love,
Sista Audrey
Prayer of Faith
Dear Lord,
Thank you for making us aware of spiritual hitchhikers. Help us to wait on you for a suitable mate. Give us spiritual discernmeent so that we won't be lead astray. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Jbb
A Brew of Who God Is To You
Psalm 42:8 NIV "By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life."
1 John 4:8 [Full Chapter] "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."
Genesis 48:15 New International Version (NIV)
Then he blessed Joseph and said, “May the God before whom my fathers
Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully, the God who has been my shepherd
all my life to this day,
1 Corinthians 1:18 New International Version (NIV)Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
Ephesians 1:14 New International Version (NIV)
Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory."
1 Timothy 4:10 New International Version (NIV)
"That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe."
Colossians 3:12 New International Version (NIV) "Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."
Good Morning Brothers and Sisters in Christ and all those that have joined us today for our Tea Time. Today I want to talk our Reflection of who God is to a world that so desperately needs our Savior. Let’s pray. Lord we so need to have an accurate reflection of all you are to this world. May You be the reflection in this Brew, take me out of it or use me to reflect your character accurately.
We are doing a series on, “Did the Bible really say that?” Then our Pastor made a statement that just won’t leave me alone, “How you think about Jesus is often you show others who Jesus is.” Ouch!!!! Now, I know all of us know this is true and I am sure we often believe we are doing just this. Yet somehow those words continue to resound in my mind.
God has been pouring these words over and over to me. He has been reminding me that I often forget the truth of who He is in my and likely your day to day mundane life. Now that’s not to say when the big things come that we don’t recall His truth and His word. However, in the small ordinary moments of life do we all ourselves or intentionally reveal His good, and perfect character to the world we are in?
Our Pastor shared a perfect example of one of God’s characters that we often in this world don’t represent well at all. God is Patient. How often do we have to pray for patience? How don’t we pray for patients when that is exactly what we should be reflecting in the situation. The example our Pastor shared is one that we all can relate to: We are in the line at the store and we have only a few items and the person in front of us is having some sort of trouble with their order. It could be wrong price, coupon issues, money issues, no price tag….. How do we in that moment when we are late for something, tired, grumpy, hungry…… reflect the truth that our God is patient?
Now let’s flip this, you are in a situation in your life where you have wonder off from the Truth of God or you are just living your life trying to be the best Christian you know how to be, checking all the boxes that you believe lead to a righteous life. Do you walk without sin in or with less sin, or less offensive sin then your brother or sister that has walked away from the life of Christ? No, you don’t God sees all Sin as Sin and non-is greater or lesser in His eyes. Yet we so often judge others and have no patience or time for those we see as greater sinners. Do we not make these judgments so easily in our minds repeatedly throughout our day to day lives?
Can you see now how your reflection of who Jesus is to a world that desperately needs to see Him for the loving God, the redemptive God, the forgiving God that He is?! Brothers and Sisters, we will never win a soul for Christ Jesus if don’t reflect is greatest characters to a hurting and fallen world. We must first show Patience and Love to attract anyone to truth of who our God is. It’s not our place to determine their judgment for their past or present sin. We must reflect the cross for its truth, Christ took not only the sin of the believers to the cross but all sin and darkness so that His Light could be accurately Reflected by those who call His Savior. To draw a fallen world and all that are fallen and in need of a Savior that free them from the darkness.
Our Pastor told another true story of person who came to him after a service and told him he likely wouldn’t return, that he didn’t like the message. The person went on to say that he didn’t feel bad enough upon the conclusion of the service. He didn’t feel rebuked and beaten down with God’s wrath for his sin and life. He was asking for great judgment and harshness from the Pastor to leave feeling unloved and unforgiven. The person said that without that he didn’t know who Christ was or how to try to do better. I tell you when our Pastor shared this story I had a chill from my soul to outer skin head to toe. My heart broke for this man. Pastor said he hasn’t seen him since but asked that we all pray for him to find the Truth of Christ.
Brothers and Sisters, in this brew we have seen how the Brew we share can accurately reflect and attract others to the Love, Forgiveness, and Righteousness of Christ, as well as leave others thirsting for the truth.
In closing today, it’s my prayer that we will all ask the Lord to be what is seen, heard, known, remembered, defined as our lives to be a True Reflection our Savior. One that I am grateful a God that is slow to anger, and quick to forgive, and clearly very patient and most certainly loving. Our Lord desires to redeem His entire flock every person He has given breath of life to He seeks to Sheppard them home. Will you be, will I be, an accurate revealer of these truths to a dark and hurting World?
It’s my prayer that as we go about doing life this week that we reflect on these Truths and put them into practice not only in the big things in our lives, but every small act. That we apply them to what we see as the least important interaction of our days as that may just be the one that our God uses to bring another into His Flock of Redemption.
Till next week, go in patience and kindness, love and joy in the truthful biblical love and patience of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Love,
Tabby
What's Hindering Your Spiritual Growth?
"being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart. Ephesians 4:1
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
I'm reminded of the time my wife and I went to visit Luray Caverns while on vacation at Massanutten Resort. If you have never been to Luray Caverns, it's truly a wonderful sight to see. While we were in the caverns we noticed that there were so many different forms and shapes of rock formations and it was interesting to know how they were formed. We found out that the rocks were formed from the minerals within the water and over the years they form such a beautiful marble appearance of cones which are called stalagmites and icicles which are called stalactites.
What was most intriguing was that throughout the tour there were signs which said, "Do not touch the rocks." When someone asked, "Why?" the tour guide showed us what happens when you touch the rocks. The minerals that flow through the rocks stop and the rock becomes dark and dies.
Brothas and Sistas, as I pondered on what the tour guide said, I thought about those things that may have touched us as Christians when we were once flowing smoothly. Something or someone touched us in such a way that it caused us to slowly darken, harden and eventually drift away from God. In some cases some of us have turned a deaf ear to the Spirit of God and are moving towards spiritual death.
Brothas and Sistas, it is amazing how just the fingertip of the of a human being can vastly affect and contaminate the minerals within the rocks and stop the process of it's growth. It has been known that one false step can upset thousands of years of peace and quiet. The oil on human hands creates a barrier making it impossible for water to reach the rock. Brothas and Sistas, is there something or someone that has become a barrier in your life, stopping the flow of your fellowship and vitality of spiritual life?
Examine Yourselves.....to see if you are truly spiritually alive or spiritually dead, take Paul’s advice in 1 Corinthians 11:27-32: “So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.” If we don’t examine ourselves before we partake in the Body of Christ (the Lord‘s Supper or Communion), we can “eat and drink judgment” to ourselves. That is why Paul was warning the church at Corinth that “many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep [meaning they have died!]. What can a spiritually dead person do? “If we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.” Paul’s imperative command, not a hope-you-will-do-this saying, is that we examine ourselves, abide in the Vine (Jesus Christ and His Word, the Bible), bear much fruit, and then and only then, can we “ask whatever [we] wish, and it will be done for [us]. That is to say our prayers will be answered. And what better evidence is there that we are spiritually alive than God answering our prayers.
Take care until next time.
Minister Antonio Washington
Dear Lord,
Thank you for spiritual life. Help us to stay close to your life giving power. May we forsake those things and people that are hindering our spiritual growth because we have made contact with them. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Faith In The Midst of Trials
"Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds for you know the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish it's work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything." James 1:2-4
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
It is so true that many times we are hit with trials from out of nowhere. And quite often we wonder where God is in all of it. There are times when we doubt God, especially when going through times of testing. And then He so lovingly shows up on our behalf and we learn how to trust Him in spite of what we see, hear and feel. We have moments of doubt because we desperately want to believe Him.
Brothas and Sistas, doubt is a feeling. Belief is a choice. Choose to believe Him today regardless of what you see, hear and feel. He is well able. "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self discipline."
Brothas and Sistas, are we thinking to much and not trusting in Him enough?" Do we believe in God's truths or Satan's lies? Is He greater in us than he who's in the world? Are we holding to His truths? John 8: 31-32 , says, "To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, If you hold to my teaching you are really my disciples, then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."Fear is crippling. It will have you holding onto that tangible thing. But when you walk in the Spirit, with the Holy Spirit, He will lead you to opening your heart and mind to the infinite possibilities of God.
As believers in Christ we always say, "He's more than able, but don't we all have moments of unbelief and then the Holy Spirit brings back to our remembrance all that He has so graciously delivered us out of? At times when we are so crippled with fear, we feel like we're being punished. Brothas and Sistas, have you ever caught yourself saying, "Oh Lord, why me? What did I do to deserve this?" But God is not the" I'm gonna get 'cha God." He loves us.
I ask you, "What do we have to fear? I believe we give people, situations, and the devil to much power. We have the power of the Holy Spirit within us. "For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith." (Mark 11:23)
Satan will use every tactic he can to consume us with fear. I mean, have you ever been lied upon or lied to? That's just who Satan is, an accuser of the brethren. But as Christian Brothas and Sistas, we know a God who never lies, sleeps or slumbers. "If he be for us than who shall be against us?" "No weapon formed against us shall prosper." - past, present or future. We have to know that devil is a liar straight from the pit of hell! Brothas and Sistas, claim your victory today. James 4:7 says, "Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." That excites me so!
Speak life into your situation and trust God for the resolution!Romans 8:1 says, "Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Amen Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Praise Him in His greatness!
"Trials come our way to make us stronger, so that we may become better and not bitter!"
Prayer for Today
Dear Lord,
Help us to look to the hills for which comes our help. Our help comes from you. Thank you for being our defence and strong tower in whom we can place ALL our cares. We love you Jesus. In your precious name, Jesus, we pray. Amen
He Is There
"God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too—your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful—I can’t take it all in! Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you’re there! If I go underground, you’re there! If I flew on morning’s wings to the far western horizon, You’d find me in a minute." Psalm 139:1-11
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
There is not a second, an hour or a minute that our God is not there. He is ever-present, omnipresent - everywhere, Jehovah Shammah - The God who is there, Immanuel - God with us. I like the way Hebrews says it, "I will never leave you nor forsake you. " Hebrews 13:5 Dueteronomy 31:6 says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
Brothas and Sistas, it does not matter how grim our situation looks..... it does not matter how we feel, it does not matter how much the enemy whispers in our ear and tells us the Lord has abandoned us.... He is still there. Through every test and trial He makes Himself known to us. If we can't see His face we experience His hand orchestrating each detail of our lives leading us to a place of sweet surrender, peace, and victory.
Never, ever doubt His presence in all that you are going through. Brothas and Sistas, remember when you are going through your trial and you wonder where God is in the midst of the mess, always remember that the teacher is at His quietest during the test. He Is There! Amen.
Prayer Time
Thank you Lord for always being there for us. You are so wonderful! Your presence is felt and your hand is seen in everything we are going through. Lord, we never want to doubt you because we know you will never leave us nor forsake us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Are We Holding Each Other Accountable?
Old Skool
"As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." Prov. 27:17
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
Brothas and Sistas, accountability is so vital in every aspect of our marriages. It's sad to say that even though the bible speaks candidly about the relevancy of holding each other accountable, very few of us as Christian couples practice it. The truth is, we may feel as though we are parenting each other or have one another on a tight leash but the word of God says, "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." Prov. 27:17
Brothas and Sistas, there are many things that can cause us to lose our spiritual edge & become dull to the subtle promptings of the Spirit of God. Just as scissors, an ax, or a pencil needs to be sharpened we need to be sharpened by our mates. We need feedback from our mates in the form of counsel, checks and balances.
There may be an area that we may need to experience spiritual growth and God has allowed the test to come to get our attention. These are times, my Brothas and Sistas, where we need to be transparent enough to go to Jesus first and then go to our spouses to confess our shortcomings so that He may bring healing and restoration to our soul, mind, spirit and if need be, our marriage (s). "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9
The first step to healing is acceptance and confession. There is no need to lie about it, deny it, or try to cover it up. "If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us." I John 1:10 God wants to use deliverance from our shortcomings for His glory and to help bring our spouses who may be experiencing some difficulties out of the miry clay. Nothing is void of being used as a teachable moment by Him. This is why we so desperately need accountability from one another in our marriages because if the truth be told we don't always get it right.
You should be willing to tell someone about most of your innermost fears and sin patterns. If there is anyone that we should be transparent with it should be our spouses. There are grades or levels of transparency which are appropriate with certain people in certain situations. For example, I would not walk up to a man on the street and tell him some of the things I tell my wife. But I do not tell my wife about every sinful detail that floats through my mind.
http://www.counselingsolutionresources.com/?p=4709
I have levels of transparency:
1. God knows everything about me
2. My wife knows more things about me than any other human
3. My pastors, small group
Brothas and Sistas, lets talk about accountability a little bit more.
First, complaining is not confronting. Complaining about another’s behavior is not the same as confrontation, & certainly is not the same as holding someone accountable. Complaining is just that—complaining. Unfortunately, if your mate is familiar with your complaining, it will have little to no real impact. Second, complaining is irritating & corrosive. If complaining has any effect, it’s effect is one of negatively corroding the bond between you & your mate. Complaining, & idle threats, do not change behavior.
Third, for real change to occur you must accurately & honestly talk about the problem.
Fourth, when you reach the point of having a ‘severe confrontation’ this will naturally lead to conviction and then consequences. A ‘severe confrontation’ indicates that at least one partner refuses to continue enabling a destructive process. At least one partner refuses to stop colluding (winking) at a destructive process. Finally, accountability means you will act differently in the face of violated promises.
Finally, accountability means you will act differently in the face of violated promises. You will not slip back into ‘normalcy,’ which reinforces the troubling behavior, but will insist on depth change. You will expect, as Scripture supports, restitution and restoration for violations to your personhood. You expect change. You expect honorable, mature behavior that is pleasing to God. Firm boundaries and expectations will encourage growth—and that is healing and life-giving to any relationship. http://www.crosswalk.com/family/marriage/doctor-david/accountability-the-missing-link.html
Here are some steps to holding our spouses accountable.
1. Pray before, during, and after one says what must be said. "Pray without ceasing," I Thessalonians 5:17 We need guidance from the Holy Spirit before opening our mouths. Our spouse is on the brink of choosing spiritual life or death. We must remember the integrity of his/her actions are on display before others. We are doing spiritual warfare not only for the reputation of the great name that he/she carries (Christ); but we are there for him/her to make sure that nothing hinders him/her from reaching her full potential in Him.
2. Make sure God wants you to say anything at all.“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29 ESV). Sometimes our ego or pride will have us to say something when all we need to do is pray. Some of us have an ulterior motive. Could it be that our insecurities are pushing us to exalt ourselves while belittling our spouse? If what you are saying is not meant to build your spouse up, please don't say it. Check your motives.
3. We should have a solid relationship our spouse. "Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses." Proverbs 27:6 Developing a relationship with your spouse creates an openness in which you will more likely be heard. It must be a relationship that allows you to say what you are going to say. Your spouse should sense that you are speaking out of love for him or her.
4. We should attempt to conduct the conversation with our spouse alone. If additional accountability is needed rely on or get a mentor involved. Mat 18:15-17 "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. "But if he will not hear you, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' "And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector." Your spouse is more likely to have a reasonable conversation when there are no crowds around. Many times, if crowds are present, it becomes more of an opportunity to show off than to have an honest heart-to-heart discussion. The worse thing you can do is correct your spouse in front of others. As was mentioned before, we are not confronting anyone just to boost our own ego; our desire should be to help our spouses."
5. What we say must be the truth. We should not confront them based on innuendo or things we have imagined or concocted in our minds. "Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others" Philippians 2:1-4.
Brothas and Sistas, we must be sure that what we are about to say is what God wants us to say. There are times when we confront our spouses with things that we have heard and it may not necessarily be truth. We should be convinced that it is God approved, as it were. Much prayer should be prayed before any words are uttered. We must not use this as an opportunity to attempt to manipulate him/her. (Philippians 2:3). Remember, our goal is to share the truth, and help them to understand it.
6. We must make sure we are speaking from an attitude of love. "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:6 Many times we say we are speaking to our spouse out of love when they are merely using that as an excuse to blast someone.The entire encounter must be done out of a motive of love and carried out in the spirit of love. It cannot be a heavy handed, holier-than-thou, confrontation that does more harm than good. We should be seeking to help the one with whom we have a covenant with. We should never use biblical accountability as an excuse to injure, use nonbiblical correction, or use spiritual abuse against one another. We must seek to build the person up and glorify God at the same time.
7. We must guide our spouses back to God, and the Bible. "As it is written:“There is no one righteous, not even one" Romans 3:10 Our opinions and feelings must not guide our discussion. Neither do we simply want to make them feel better. The reason we are confronting the person in the first place is because God has laid a truth on our hearts concerning our spouses beliefs or actions that need to change. Merely, turning our spouses focus in on himself or herself, instead of toward God, is not helpful. We should not promote a cure that consists of fixing the symptoms to make our spouses feel better without addressing the real problem. A doctor would not be very effective if he/she merely covered up the symptoms of an illness while never addressing the actual illness itself. This would be deception of a most dangerous kind. Let us apply this to spiritual things: How much more dangerous to convince our spouses that they are innocent, or good enough, in God’s eyes when in reality they are guilty and deserving of His judgment?
Brothas and Sistas, the love of Christ is shown through those who take the time to tell us the truth about ourselves. We need to come along side of one another and help one another on this Christian journey. Brothas and Sistas, our prayer is that you both would lovingly hold each other accountable. Lord willing we will see you again next week.
Prayer of Faith
Dear Lord,
Thank you for our wonderful spouses. Teach us to love them as you have first loved us. Help us to hold our spouses accountable. May we always speak the truth in love. May they lovingly receive our accountability as we should receive theirs. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Tea-Time with Tabby
“A Brew of the Importance of How We Spend Our Time”
Ecclesiastes 3 A Time for Everything
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace."
Psalm 9:9 The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 Final Greetings Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you."
Good Morning Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I pray you have awoken today with the joy of the season in your heart. May we pray. Lord, I pray that the brew that is to be shared here today is yours. I pray that the words and intents are pleasing to you and honoring of your word and truth. I thank you in advance for the privilege and honor to share what you have put upon my heart today.
Brothers and Sisters, I do not know about you, but this season of the year always gets me thinking about time and how very precious it is and how particularly important it is that we spend it well. I am not sure I am not just getting more nostalgic as time passes with each new Christmas season or not. It is not a melancholy that I feel, its more an excitement of the time we have here. The opportunity to make memories that will surpass the test of time.
For me at least, this year has really impressed upon my spirit that we really all do have limited time in the hourglass of life and that is not only true for ourselves but for those we love and cherish. I am not sure if it is hitting my heart more intently this year since we lost my dad earlier this year or if it’s the fact that the cancer seems to be stealing a bit more of mom away each time I see her. She is still fighting no doubt about that but her energy is greatly reduced.
As I sit and speak to our Heavenly Father of my breaking heart, He reminds me that her timeline is not ending that it will continue just on the other side with Him as my dad awaits for her there. God reminds me that every day we have this side of heaven counts and that we must do all that we can to make it count.
How do we go about making it count. Well, the world would surely have their own definitions of how we make each day count. The world would tell us to make a name for ourselves, to build our own personal empire, to get and keep all the biggest and best toys etc. However, that is not what I believe God calls us to do with our time.
I believe that with each precious moment we have this side of heaven we are to make it count for Kingdom matters. Have I shared a smile with stranger as that one smile could be the smile that keeps that person from feeling unloved, unseen, and unnoticed? Did I listen to that person, friend, child, family member that was having a tough day or did I just nod and respond. Did I share the truth and love of Christ with 1 person today? Did I take a minute to look at the beauty of the sky or the trees today that God placed there for my personal view? Did I use the gifts and talents that God has built up in and through my life’s experiences, trials, hardships, and blessings to bless another person today?
Brothers and Sisters, the time we have here on this earth, we are called to share the love and grace of Jesus Christ. I pray that we will each especially this Christmas Season take time out to notice and make every day count. This year has been more than challenging as a nation and as a human race. We have encounter trials and struggles that have not impacted us for many generations. There are so many hurting and disillusioned in our midst that we could have a kingdom impact if simply stepped out of our personal strife and choose to put on God’s Eyes for moment and chose to do What Jesus Would Do for another.
Brothers and Sisters, I encourage you to be the Jesus to another in your midst today and every day. I pray that you will find your heart more inclined to making memories and making a difference over building your own personal empire. Seek out God’s wisdom and council He will lead you safely to bless another, and I promise you that every time you choose to set out to bless another, God will bless you in a manner you would not expect. We serve a Good God and One who deserves to be shared with the entire world. What I know to be true is that if we as the human race chose to do this our world would become a much better place for all of the Human Race. It is easy enough to do all we must do is invite Him to be a part of our day each day.
May God bless and keep you and your family safe. May you find a way to bless another today then another the next day. Remember it does not cost us a penny to share the love, and grace, and hope of Christ!!
Till next week,
Love, Tabby
Don't Twist theTruth
"Therefore seeing we have this ministry, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost." II Corinthians 4:1-3
Good Morning Friends,
When we give the gospel to others let's be very careful not to twist, add or take away from the word of God. Remember we are standing in the presence of a Holy God and He hears every word. We all know that in this fallen world today there are some that do this. They twist scripture in their attempt to motivate audiences. Others take scripture out of context to promote their own views.
Friends, let's be very careful not to distort the message to please your audience. Just proclaim the truth of God's word. The word of God is revealed to everyone, except to those who refuse to believe; those people have been blinded by the god of this world Satan. His work is to deceive and he does it well. As for us Christian believers, just stick to the truth of God's word and the Holy Spirit will do the rest! Amen!!!
Be blessed,
Renee
Prayer of Faith
Dear Lord,
We thank you for your word which is a lamp unto our feet. Father, please help us to not twist your word or use it out of context. Please help us not to seek approval from man but only from you. Please help us to allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us into all truth. We love you and we give you praise. In Jesus name I pray....Amen
Always and Forever
Bonus Old Skool Song . Brothas and Sistas, Guess which one it is? This is Me and My Boo's Favorite Love Song.
"Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
Mark 10:9
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
Brothas and Sistas, there are many times when we become majorly busy with the kids, our homes, or our jobs and we fail to give each other intimate time. Let's talk for a minute. When was the last time that you and your boo went away for a weekend or spent some quality time away from it all?
Believe it or not the atmosphere away from the home takes the relationship to another level. It allows you to see and appreciate what you really have together. It allows your sensual desire for each other to grow. It gives you a chance to get away from the mundane routine of life and do something different so that you can enjoy an intimate rendezvous with each other. It relights the spark that somehow grows cold when it's smothered by worldly cares.
And don't be so overly concerned about doing things big. The small things can be more precious at times. Don't worry about spending a lot of money. Going away does not have to be expensive. It also does not have to be somewhere far away. It can be somewhere close to home. The key is enjoying the precious moments in life with each other. Your focus has to be on one another not on being extravagant.
Brothas and Sistas, learn how not to be distracted with the cares of this world so much to the point that you stop spending time away with your Boo. Keep your eyes on Christ first and then each other. Keep in mind that "life is like a vapor." (James 4:14) It is soon to pass. Keep the flame lit and enjoy life with each other in Christ, always and forever.
http://youtu.be/vvNM1YHuxfE Praise dance featured in the Dinner Theater
http://youtu.be/Eh5hoPjMWw8 Brothas and Sistas, this is too funny; but oh, so true. Enjoy.
Minister Antonio and Sista Michelle Washington
Prayer of Faith
Dear Lord,
We praise you for our marriages. Help us to keep the flame lit by making time for one another. Help us to fall in love with one another daily by allowing your great and unconditional love to take precedence in our marriages. May we stay committed to one another no matter what comes our way. We pray all these things in your wonderful name, Jesus. Amen.
Teatime with Tabby
A Brew of Peace Offered Do We Accept it
Daniel 10:19 "And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”
John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."
Good Morning Brothas and Sistas,
It is with great joy that I get to bring you this Brew this morning. This is a brew that can be so amazing and transforming in your life as it is in mine. This happens when we simply remember to allow Christ to be our Brew Master of Peace as His peace transcends all understanding. The is Brew of Peace is one that we must brew moment by moment in this world.
Let's be honest, this world is full of trouble as we are warned in the book of John, one of our verses for today. This world is becoming more and more chaotic daily. I only saw about 5 minutes of the news last night and in that short time, I heard of a child being shot while watching the fireworks. In this instance the bullet was meant for his father. In another newsbrief I heard of a child being handcuffed to a chair and beaten to death. Why?.... you may ask... because he didn't get permission from his mother's boyfriend before eating a piece of birthday cake. Lastly, I heard of a mother leaving her infant in a car seat on the side of the road, while fleeing from her boyfriend who was beating her up. I do believe that just this 5 minutes of news completely confirms what Christ shared with us about His peace and how this world will surely gives us trouble.
Now let's look at the passage from Daniel and how he choose to use the peace of God to strengthen him and grow him nearer to God. Daniel was choosing to Brew Peace daily. Daniel speaks to us and reminds us that God is always listening and that when we choose to commune with Him our mind body and souls are strengthened. God rewards us with strength, courage and peace.
I have experienced this kind of intimacy with God that Daniel speaks so strongly of. If I look back over my journey with Christ as my Savior there are so many times when I chose to trust Him and not my circumstances then courage and peace were my companions. We do have examples of this in our world too. They can be harder to find and sometimes we must seek them out.
I often see examples of this kind of love and peace within my church. When our church is going through growing pains, shrinking pains, or need to make a huge decision that will affect the whole church body I see our leadership seeking God and finding peace through faith in His Word. When things look like they may go south our Pastor demonstrates courage and peace by abiding in Christ.
I have personally experienced this when my life is on a roller coaster that seems to have flown off the track. When I choose to rely on Christ for my strength and my peace I am washed over with courage and peace.
Brothas and Sistas, I am sure you are asking yourself, "How do I get to this place where I am seeking Christ for peace, strength, and courage. Well, here is a little way to take that peace with you."
P- Pray asking God to transcend your mind, body and soul.
E- Even when you want to give up remember Christ never gives up on you.
A- Abide in Christ choose to rest in His peace, plans, and love.
C- Christ must be first in all you do and are.
E- Enjoy the love of the Savior by basking in His word as that scripture is life breathing and can give you the peace you need.
It's my prayer that you will each seek Christ today. Trust Him with the little stuff and give Him the big stuff. He is a big God and He can handle anything and everything that we choose to trust Him with. He is our strength, courage, and Peace Maker for our souls.
Here's a challenge for this upcoming week:
Take a few minutes and really sit in your "stuff" and write down all the things that take away your peace. Then simply pray over each situation or circumstance and ask God how you are to seek His peace, strength and courage. Then every time those circumstances arise, speak to it and remind yourself that you released that and are trusting God with it. Then ask Him in the MOMENT to give your His Peace. I assure you He will not leave you. He will grant you peace to see your way through the situation because all things work together for the Good of our Lord and Savior.
May we each remember how important this Brew is to have at the ready when life and emotions and circumstances try to steal from us our peace.
May I be hidden in Christ.
Love,
Tabby
A Wonderful Shepherd
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." Psalm 23:1
Good Morning Brothas and Sistas,
I absolutely love Psalm 23. As I began to read the first verse it hit me like a ton of bricks. This verse said so much. It spoke volumes to my spirit in such a way. Of course I've read this verse so many times in the past but this time it was as if the light went on. I love when the Holy Spirit illuminates in this way. It's as though He allows you to see through fresh new eyes.
The Lord is my Shepherd (one that feeds, guides, and protects).
I began to look up the meaning of Shepherd and how it relates to our Heavenly Father. The Shepherd takes excellent care of his sheep. He feeds them ,directs them and watches over them so they don't get devoured by wolves.
Brothas and Sistas, the Lord is truly "our shepherd". He covers, nourishes and directs us in the right way. And because God is our Shepherd...wait for it.......We Shall Not Want!!!! Every need that we have God can handle it. Every situation that we find ourselves in God is already on board. As a matter of fact if He wasn't with us we would not survive it.
Remember this verse and make it personal, apply it to your life..
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." Psalm 23:1
Be Blessed,
Gina M
Prayer of Faith
Father God,
Thank you so much for being our Shepherd. Thank you for watching over us the way that only you can. Thank you for making us feel secure because of the love that you have for us. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Watch "Faithful Is Our God - Hezekiah Walker" on YouTube
He Never Changes
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
Paul wrote, URGING us in Christ Jesus, because of the mercies of God, to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service. And being not conformed to this, but being transformed by the renewing of our minds; which is our way of thinking, so that we may 0what is that good, acceptable and perfect will of God!" (Romans 12:1, 2)
As we cling to God, holding to Christ and trusting Him Who never changes, we can be confident that this good, inside God started; He will continue to perform and to complete until the final finished day when Christ Jesus comes back again."
(Philippians 1:6)
Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was I AM." (John 8:58)"But to the Son, GOD says: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions. And You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; and they will all grow old like a garment; like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail." (Hebrews 1:8-12)
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever!"
(Hebrews 13:8)
We ought to be changing all day everyday, from the inside out. In our minds, our hearts, our soul and in our spirit becoming more and more like Christ because of this GOOD WORK, the Lord God IS WORKING IN US.
"What's going on, on the inside, shows up on the outside!" For our Savior & King Jesus Christ is Coming soon and "HE never Changes!"
Enjoy your day, because we are Blessed!!
Claudia
He Is There
"God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too—your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful—I can’t take it all in! Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you’re there! If I go underground, you’re there! If I flew on morning’s wings to the far western horizon, You’d find me in a minute." Psalm 139:1-11
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
There is not a second, an hour or a minute that our God is not there. He is ever-present, omnipresent - everywhere, Jehovah Shammah - The God who is there, Immanuel - God with us. I like the way Hebrews says it, "I will never leave you nor forsake you. " Hebrews 13:5 Dueteronomy 31:6 says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
Brothas and Sistas, it does not matter how grim our situation looks..... it does not matter how we feel, it does not matter how much the enemy whispers in our ear and tells us the Lord has abandoned us.... He is still there. Through every test and trial He makes Himself known to us. If we can't see His face we experience His hand orchestrating each detail of our lives leading us to a place of sweet surrender, peace, and victory.
Never, ever doubt His presence in all that you are going through. Brothas and Sistas, remember when you are going through your trial and you wonder where God is in the midst of the mess, always remember that the teacher is at His quietest during the test. He Is There! Amen.
Prayer Time
Thank you Lord for always being there for us. You are so wonderful! Your presence is felt and your hand is seen in everything we are going through. Lord, we never want to doubt you because we know you will never leave us nor forsake us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
In Everything Give Thanks
Thank Him for your
"And those who have reason to be thankful should continually sing praises to the Lord". James 5:13 NLT
Good morning Brothas ansd Sistas,
God's word makes it clear that a wise heart is a thankful heart. Our heavenly Father has blessed us beyond measure, and we owe Him everything, including our thanks. "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." I Thessalonians 5:18"
A Thankful heart is a Happy Heart - gratitude for what we have, not things, brings happiness. Happiness starts on inside. God gives everything; that is enough." Anonymous
No matter our circumstances, we owe God so much more than we can ever repay, and we owe Him our heartfelt thanks. So, thank Him, and keep thanking Him, today, tomorrow, and forever. God is always listening.
Thank God every morning when you get up. Know that God is in control, so therefore in everything give thanks not because of our situation but because of the One who directs and rules it. The best time to give thanks to God is anytime. God never takes a vacation, and He is always ready to hear from you. Give thanks for the experience of yesterday, the glistening of tomorrow, and give thanks for today - which is the channel leading from yesterday to tomorrow.
"German pastor, Martin Rinkart served in the walled town of Eilenburg during the horrors of the Thirty Years War of 1618-1648. Eilenburg became an overcrowded refuge for the surrounding area. The fugitives suffered from epidemic and famine. At the beginning of 1637, the year of the Great Pestilence, there were four ministers in Eilenburg. But one abandoned his post for healthier areas and could not be persuaded to return. Pastor Rinkhart officiated at the funerals of the other two. As the only pastor left, he often conducted services for as many as 40 to 50 persons a day - some 4,480 in all. In May of that year, his own wife died. By the end of the year, the refugees had to be buried in trenches without services. Yet living in a world dominated by death, Pastor Rinkart wrote the following prayer for his children to offer to the Lord:
Now thank we all our God
With hearts and hands and voices;
Who wondrous things hath done,
In whom this world rejoices.
Who, from our mother's arms,
Hath led us on our way,
With countless gifts of love,
And still is ours today."
Harry Genet
Sistas Saving Sistas For Christ
Watch video 4:34 THE BEST THANKSGIVING SONG EVER - THE POWER OF GRATITUDE, PRAISE, W… 807K viewsNov 21, 2012 YouTubeHit Song Records™ Youtube Vi… (bing.com)
What Will It Take?
"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Acts 2:21
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
While I was on a charter in P.A. we had a situation with one of our coaches. Some of us, drivers, were trying to help a fellow driver get some heat on his coach. While we were trying to locate the valves underneath the rear of the coach one of the drivers said that he would try to bend down on the floor of the coach and look for the valves. Well, needless to say that while he was trying to locate the valves he got his arm stuck and it was wedged in pretty tight. He was unable to move it.
All of a sudden we heard someone crying out for help. His arm was so far in that it was hard for us to get it out. We called for help and the paramedics tried for 45 minutes with no relief. Because he was losing blood flow to the rest of his arm they anticipated cutting it off. As I stood there watching I began to pray for him aloud and he said, "You must be a preacher. Will you stay with me and if I pass out do not let them cut my arm off...Please, I beg you?" I said, "Okay." and continued to pray and recite several scriptures. Soon a mechanic came and used some axle grease and his arm was free but there could have been some possible damage to his arm.
Praise God Brothas and Sistas, I saw him the next day and his arm was okay. I had a chance to witness to him and you know what?..... He gave his life to Christ! All the glory goes to God! Amen! Hallelujah!
God had a plan that day. It took all of those events for one soul to come to Christ? Brothas and Sistas, what will it take for you?
Prayer of Faith
Dear Lord,
Thank you for using all of those events to bring that Brotha to Christ. You take our most challenging moments and make them into something beautiful. You truly make all things work together for good. I pray for those of us that have not given their lives to Christ to do so today. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Do Not Judge
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." Matthew 7:1-3
"Of all the spirits, I believe the spirit of judging is the worst, and it has had the rule of me, I cannot tell you how dreadfully and how long... This, I find has more hindered my progress in love and gentleness than all things else. I never knew what the words, "Judge not that ye be not judged," meant before; now they seem to me some of the most awful, necessary, and beautiful in the whole Word of God." F. D. Maurice, letter to his mother.
It is so easy to see things in others that we do not like, but very often we refuse to acknowledge that we have developed some of those same characteristics. There are even times when we have developed some characteristics that are more offensive than those that we see in others. Too often we judge others based on our own personal standards. In other words, the person that we are critiquing very often doesn't measure up in our own eyes. The word measure is defined as to judge or praise by comparison to someone or something else. Sistas, the thing is if we are not careful we will be judged by the same rule which we apply to others.
"Those things that one cannot improve in himself or in others, he ought to endure patiently, until God arranges things otherwise. Nevertheless when you have such impediments, you ought to pray that God would help you, and that you may bear them kindly. Endeavor to be patient in bearing with the defects of others, whatever they are; for you also have many failings which must be borne by others. If you cannot make yourself be as you would like to be, how can you expect to have another person be to your liking in every way? We desire to have others perfect, and yet we do not correct our own faults. We would allow others to be severely corrected, and will not be corrected ourselves. We will have others kept under by strict laws, but in no case do we want to be restrained. And so it appears that we seldom weigh our neighbour in the same balance with ourselves." Thomas A. Kempis
A mote signifies any light substance, as dry chaff, or fine spires of grass or grain. It probably most usually signified the small spiculae or beard on a head of barley or wheat. It is thus placed in opposition to the word beam. This word beam signifies a large piece of squared timber. The one is an exceedingly small object, the other a large one. The meaning is, that we are much more quick and acute to judge of small offencesin others, than of much larger offences in ourselves. Even a very small object that should hinder the vision of another, we should discern much more quickly than a much larger one in our own sight.
The Greek word for judge is krinete. Our word critic comes from this word. This word means to have sharp unjust criticism of others.
It's so true that what we tend to despise in others is the very thing that we struggle with within our own lives. This truth is revealed each time we criticize that child of ours that most people say resemble us the most. In other words, those same characteristics that tend to urk us the most about our children are the ones that others see within us.
Christ directs us to the proper way of forming an opinion of others, and of reproving and correcting them. By first amending our own faults, or casting the beam out of our eye, we can consistently advance to correct the faults of others. There will then be no hypocrisy in our conduct. We shall also see clearly to do it. The beam, the thing that obscured our sight, will be removed; and we shall more clearly discern the small object that obscures the sight of our brother. The sentiment is, that the readiest way to judge of the imperfections of others is to be free from greater ones ourselves. This qualifies us for judging, makes us candid and consistent, and enables us to see things as they are, and to make proper allowances for frailty and imperfection.
Too often we have become the very thing that we despise and don't even know it. "This year, or this month, or, more likely, this very day, we have failed to practice ourselves the kind of behavior we expect from other people." The Case for Christianity (Clive Staples) C. S. Lewis
Lord, please help us to refrain from becoming the thing that we despise by teaching us how to refrain from judging others so harshly. Amen.
http://youtu.be/2AfJDKLjZWc Featured in Appetizers for Today
Smooches,
Me
Dear Lord,
We are so grateful that you convict us of a judgmental spirit. Help us to realize we all like sheep have gone astray and it is not in your will that we think more highly of ourselves. Help us to walk in humility daily. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Barnes Commentary
Bell Commentary Notes
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." Matthew 7:1-3
"Of all the spirits, I believe the spirit of judging is the worst, and it has had the rule of me, I cannot tell you how dreadfully and how long... This, I find has more hindered my progress in love and gentleness than all things else. I never knew what the words, "Judge not that ye be not judged," meant before; now they seem to me some of the most awful, necessary, and beautiful in the whole Word of God." F. D. Maurice, letter to his mother.
Brothas and Sistas, it is so easy to see things in others that we do not like, but very often we refuse to acknowledge that we have developed some of those same characteristics. There are even times when we have developed some characteristics that are more offensive than those that we see in others. Too often we judge others based on our own personal standards. In other words, the person that we are critiquing very often doesn't measure up in our own eyes. The word measure is defined as to judge or praise by comparison to someone or something else. Sistas, the thing is if we are not careful we will be judged by the same rule which we apply to others.
"Those things that one cannot improve in himself or in others, he ought to endure patiently, until God arranges things otherwise. Nevertheless when you have such impediments, you ought to pray that God would help you, and that you may bear them kindly. Endeavor to be patient in bearing with the defects of others, whatever they are; for you also have many failings which must be borne by others. If you cannot make yourself be as you would like to be, how can you expect to have another person be to your liking in every way? We desire to have others perfect, and yet we do not correct our own faults. We would allow others to be severely corrected, and will not be corrected ourselves. We will have others kept under by strict laws, but in no case do we want to be restrained. And so it appears that we seldom weigh our neighbour in the same balance with ourselves." Thomas A. Kempis
A mote signifies any light substance, as dry chaff, or fine spires of grass or grain. It probably most usually signified the small spiculae or beard on a head of barley or wheat. It is thus placed in opposition to the word beam. This word beam signifies a large piece of squared timber. The one is an exceedingly small object, the other a large one. The meaning is, that we are much more quick and acute to judge of small offencesin others, than of much larger offences in ourselves. Even a very small object that should hinder the vision of another, we should discern much more quickly than a much larger one in our own sight.
The Greek word for judge is krinete.
Brothas and Sistas, our word critic comes from this word. This word means to have sharp unjust criticism of others.
It's so true that what we tend to despise in others is the very thing that we struggle with within our own lives. This truth is revealed each time we criticize that child of ours that most people say resemble us the most. In other words, those same characteristics that tend to urk us the most about our children are the ones that others see within us.
Christ directs us to the proper way of forming an opinion of others, and of reproving and correcting them. By first amending our own faults, or casting the beam out of our eye, we can consistently advance to correct the faults of others. There will then be no hypocrisy in our conduct. We shall also see clearly to do it. The beam, the thing that obscured our sight, will be removed; and we shall more clearly discern the small object that obscures the sight of our brother. The sentiment is, that the readiest way to judge of the imperfections of others is to be free from greater ones ourselves. This qualifies us for judging, makes us candid and consistent, and enables us to see things as they are, and to make proper allowances for frailty and imperfection.
Too often we have become the very thing that we despise and don't even know it. "This year, or this month, or, more likely, this very day, we have failed to practice ourselves the kind of behavior we expect from other people." The Case for Christianity (Clive Staples) C. S. Lewis
Lord, please help us to refrain from becoming the thing that we despise by teaching us how to refrain from judging others so harshly. Amen.
http://youtu.be/2AfJDKLjZWc Featured in Appetizers for Today
Smooches,
Me
Dear Lord,
We are so grateful that you convict us of a judgmental spirit. Help us to realize we all like sheep have gone astray and it is not in your will that we think more highly of ourselves. Help us to walk in humility daily. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Barnes Commentary
Bell Commentary Notes
Are You Holding Each Other Accountable?
Watch "Yolanda Adams - Open My Heart" on YouTube
Watch "Hold You Down - Deraj (ft. GNRA) [Official Video]" on YouTube
"As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." Prov. 27:17
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
Brothas and Sistas, accountability is so vital in every aspect of our marriages. It's sad to say that even though the bible speaks candidly about the relevancy of holding each other accountable, very few of us as Christian couples practice it. The truth is, we may feel as though we are parenting each other or have one another on a tight leash but the word of God says, "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." Prov. 27:17
Brothas and Sistas, there are many things that can cause us to lose our spiritual edge & become dull to the subtle promptings of the Spirit of God. Just as scissors, an ax, or a pencil needs to be sharpened we need to be sharpened by our mates. We need feedback from our mates in the form of counsel, checks and balances.
There may be an area that we may need to experience spiritual growth and God has allowed the test to come to get our attention. These are times, my Brothas and Sistas, where we need to be transparent enough to go to Jesus first and then go to our spouses to confess our shortcomings so that He may bring healing and restoration to our soul, mind, spirit and if need be, our marriage (s). "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9
The first step to healing is acceptance and confession. There is no need to lie about it, deny it, or try to cover it up. "If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us." I John 1:10 God wants to use deliverance from our shortcomings for His glory and to help bring our spouses who may be experiencing some difficulties out of the miry clay. Nothing is void of being used as a teachable moment by Him. This is why we so desperately need accountability from one another in our marriages because if the truth be told we don't always get it right.
You should be willing to tell someone about most of your innermost fears and sin patterns. If there is anyone that we should be transparent with it should be our spouses. There are grades or levels of transparency which are appropriate with certain people in certain situations. For example, I would not walk up to a man on the street and tell him some of the things I tell my wife. But I do not tell my wife about every sinful detail that floats through my mind.
http://www.counselingsolutionresources.com/?p=4709
I have levels of transparency:
1. God knows everything about me
2. My wife knows more things about me than any other human
3. My pastors, small group
Brothas and Sistas, lets talk about accountability a little bit more.
First, complaining is not confronting. Complaining about another’s behavior is not the same as confrontation, & certainly is not the same as holding someone accountable. Complaining is just that—complaining. Unfortunately, if your mate is familiar with your complaining, it will have little to no real impact. Second, complaining is irritating & corrosive. If complaining has any effect, it’s effect is one of negatively corroding the bond between you & your mate. Complaining, & idle threats, do not change behavior.
Third, for real change to occur you must accurately & honestly talk about the problem.
Fourth, when you reach the point of having a ‘severe confrontation’ this will naturally lead to conviction and then consequences. A ‘severe confrontation’ indicates that at least one partner refuses to continue enabling a destructive process. At least one partner refuses to stop colluding (winking) at a destructive process. Finally, accountability means you will act differently in the face of violated promises.
Finally, accountability means you will act differently in the face of violated promises. You will not slip back into ‘normalcy,’ which reinforces the troubling behavior, but will insist on depth change. You will expect, as Scripture supports, restitution and restoration for violations to your personhood. You expect change. You expect honorable, mature behavior that is pleasing to God. Firm boundaries and expectations will encourage growth—and that is healing and life-giving to any relationship.
http://www.crosswalk.com/family/marriage/doctor-david/accountability-the-missing-link.html
Here are some steps to holding our spouses accountable.
1. Pray before, during, and after one says what must be said. "Pray without ceasing," I Thessalonians 5:17 We need guidance from the Holy Spirit before opening our mouths. Our spouse is on the brink of choosing spiritual life or death. We must remember the integrity of his/her actions are on display before others. We are doing spiritual warfare not only for the reputation of the great name that he/she carries (Christ); but we are there for him/her to make sure that nothing hinders him/her from reaching her full potential in Him.
2. Make sure God wants you to say anything at all.“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29 ESV). Sometimes our ego or pride will have us to say something when all we need to do is pray. Some of us have an ulterior motive. Could it be that our insecurities are pushing us to exalt ourselves while belittling our spouse? If what you are saying is not meant to build your spouse up, please don't say it. Check your motives.
3. We should have a solid relationship our spouse. "Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses." Proverbs 27:6 Developing a relationship with your spouse creates an openness in which you will more likely be heard. It must be a relationship that allows you to say what you are going to say. Your spouse should sense that you are speaking out of love for him or her.
4. We should attempt to conduct the conversation with our spouse alone. If additional accountability is needed rely on or get a mentor involved. Mat 18:15-17 "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. "But if he will not hear you, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' "And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector." Your spouse is more likely to have a reasonable conversation when there are no crowds around. Many times, if crowds are present, it becomes more of an opportunity to show off than to have an honest heart-to-heart discussion. The worse thing you can do is correct your spouse in front of others. As was mentioned before, we are not confronting anyone just to boost our own ego; our desire should be to help our spouses.
5. What we say must be the truth. We should not confront them based on innuendo or things we have imagined or concocted in our minds. "Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others" Philippians 2:1-4.
Brothas and Sistas, we must be sure that what we are about to say is what God wants us to say. There are times when we confront our spouses with things that we have heard and it may not necessarily be truth. We should be convinced that it is God approved, as it were. Much prayer should be prayed before any words are uttered. We must not use this as an opportunity to attempt to manipulate him/her. (Philippians 2:3). Remember, our goal is to share the truth, and help them to understand it.
6. We must make sure we are speaking from an attitude of love. "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:6 Many times we say we are speaking to our spouse out of love when they are merely using that as an excuse to blast someone.The entire encounter must be done out of a motive of love and carried out in the spirit of love. It cannot be a heavy handed, holier-than-thou, confrontation that does more harm than good. We should be seeking to help the one with whom we have a covenant with. We should never use biblical accountability as an excuse to injure, use nonbiblical correction, or use spiritual abuse against one another. We must seek to build the person up and glorify God at the same time.
7. We must guide our spouses back to God, and the Bible. "As it is written:“There is no one righteous, not even one" Romans 3:10 Our opinions and feelings must not guide our discussion. Neither do we simply want to make them feel better. The reason we are confronting the person in the first place is because God has laid a truth on our hearts concerning our spouses beliefs or actions that need to change. Merely, turning our spouses focus in on himself or herself, instead of toward God, is not helpful. We should not promote a cure that consists of fixing the symptoms to make our spouses feel better without addressing the real problem. A doctor would not be very effective if he/she merely covered up the symptoms of an illness while never addressing the actual illness itself. This would be deception of a most dangerous kind. Let us apply this to spiritual things: How much more dangerous to convince our spouses that they are innocent, or good enough, in God’s eyes when in reality they are guilty and deserving of His judgment?
Brothas and Sistas, the love of Christ is shown through those who take the time to tell us the truth about ourselves. We need to come along side of one another and help one another on this Christian journey. Brothas and Sistas, our prayer is that you both would lovingly hold each other accountable. Lord willing we will see you again next week.
Prayer of Faith
Dear Lord,
Thank you for our wonderful spouses. Teach us to love them as you have first loved us. Help us to hold our spouses accountable. May we always speak the truth in love. May they lovingly receive our accountability as we should receive theirs. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
A Brew of Perspective or Distracted perspective
Deuteronomy 4:6 (NIV) "Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”
1 Kings 4:29 (NIV) "God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 1 what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. "
Colossians 1: 28 NCV “So we continue to preach Christ to each person, using all wisdom to warn and to teach everyone, in order to bring each one into God's presence as a mature person in Christ.”
1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV) "The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. "
Corinthians 14:15 (NIV) "So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding."
Good Morning Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I pray that you awoke today with a clear view of the love and life that you have in Christ Jesus. Let's grab our Tea Cups and head on over to the Grand Brew Masters Table and see what He has Brewed up for us today. I was recently blessed beyond belief by two friends who invited me and blessed me with a weekend away at woman's conference. I have been too many over the years and the three of us have been to several together. I was so looking forward to going, so excited to spend three days with amazing sisters in Christ and anticipating what God would reveal throughout this time away.
I had so much encouragement from friends and my team at work. I was just filled with anticipation. Those who know me will know that it is very hard for me to leave my work behind, as I love my job and love the amazing women on my team. Yet, I clearly heard God speaking through them and straight into my heart, "Leave them behind and go see what God has for you."
As I prepared to leave I found peace about going without my work phone or my laptop. This is HUGE FOR ME!! I knew this and so did the Evil One... I made a choice to change my perspective and trust God that I had prepared those who work on my team to be able to manage without me, to work as a team for anything simple that would arise. I was leaving them behind with lots of tips and tricks and investment of time in each of them. I was leaving another supervisor with all ins and outs of our team, and situations that were brewing and bubbling over. I chose to put on the perspective that not only did God have them as I had been training them up right, but also I had invested in building trust and relationship with the other supervisor.
I was feeling good, even a bit comfortable with idea of getting away worry free. Oh, but you know just when our Perspective is that we are leaning in and really trusting that we have applied the truths of our salvation and our stocking our Tea Cupboard with Brews of the Fruit of our Trust, Reliance, Hope and Knowledge of our God's Character and Promises someone isn't very happy... "Who?" You may ask. Well, God tells us he comes to steal, destroy and kill.. Satan, himself.
As he would have it he began the attack!!! Attacking my efforts and work done with same commitment to my job. He was attacking my relationships, finances, and stirring up nothing but Brews of Deception, chaos, and what I like to call the Crazy Train Brew. I must admit I fought drinking it in. I knew better than to drink it in. I had my sisters praying over me that I wouldn't drink it and that I would continue to drink in God's Truths. I wish I could tell you that chose to drink in the Brews of Christ in that time, but I didn't. I began sipping in all chaos that he was stirring up.
The old brews of insecurity and loss of perspective of what God had already done and proved to be true and worthy of my trust and faith in Him so many times before. I found myself losing my footing. I felt this brew of chaos taking over not only my mind but spirit and body. I became bitter and angry, self reliant, and with a perspective that God simply didn't want the situation or relationship involved to be any longer. I began sinking into that pit of false perspective; feeling abandoned and alone. I began feeling misunderstood and worst of all feeling betrayed by God. Why betrayed? Because I felt alone and battered from the war that the Evil One had ensued as I prepared for my weekend away.
Brothers and Sisters, I was being battered by old perspectives, others poor choices, mistakes, and mistakes of my own. I was feeling exceptionally battered and confused because the circumstances that this brew had ensued were not fully created by lack of good intent, faithful actions, and honest and real accountability on my part. This brew was taking over and making me very distracted. So I left for the conference with a heavy heart and very distracted perspective. Have you ever found yourself here?
We can get here many different ways, circumstances in our lives that our outside of our control, doing pennants for our own bad behavior or choices or doing pennants due the baggage that someone else brings to circumstances. Sometimes we can't even begin to understand the reasons why our perspective and the Brew we are sipping in are so far outside of God's Promises. Sometimes we think and start to believe if I just change our outer appearance we will get a new perspective. We may think if we move from here to there this distracted or destructive perspective will not be able to follow us. We think if we just get rid of or try to fill the erosion in our souls with some worldly advice or worldly perspectives or worldly choices, it will all change for the better.
Now let me be clear here, there are times that we must make hard decisions about relationships, our locations, and our life choices in order to be back in the ever pouring love and truth of our salvation in Christ. However, what I am also saying is that by simply choosing one or all of these worldly choices WILL NOT GET US BACK TO THE GODLY PERSPECTIVE WE ALL MUST CHOOSE TO WALK IN DAILY.
God's Glory Revealed
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
Moses wanted to see God's glory! He wanted to know God and asked God to show him His way, so that he may know Him, and that he may find grace (favor) in His sight. Moses couldn't see God unless he died, being finite and an imperfect moral being. But Moses did find grace (favor) in the sight of God, and because of grace (favor) in His sight, God allowed Moses to see His glory; His back and not His face, where He passed by because God put him in the cleft of the rock and covered him with His hand. (Exodus 33:12-23)
God did not give Moses a view of His power and majesty but His LOVE! God's glory is revealed in His Mercy, Grace, Longsuffering, Goodness,Truth, Forgiveness, Justice, and much more, ALL of which are in Christ Jesus; ALL Absolutely Wonderful and we benefit from them All! We know God and His way through His Word; We have received Grace, Mercy, Truth and beheld His glory, ALL in Christ Jesus, the Only Begotten of the Father full of grace and truth (John 1:14).
All that Moses asked, God HAS GIVEN to us in Christ Jesus and so much more. Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, "Show us the Father"? (John14:9)
Before Christ came, man only knew God partially; but after Christ came man could know God fully; for Christ is the fullness of the Godhead bodily, visible and tangible and the knowledge and glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ! (2 Corinthians 4:3-6) "We are blessed and favored of God"!! ALL because of Jesus Christ, our Savior, Lord and soon coming King!! Thank you Father!!
God's glory is every Christians' ultimate joy!" R.C. Sproul"
Prayer Time
Father, we thank you and praise you for revealing yourself in so many ways. We thank you for your unfailing love. We thank you for your grace and your mercy we thank you for goodness, longsuffering, faithfulness and we thank you for your forgiveness. Father, help us to remember all that you have given us that we may share them with others. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
He Is A Prayer Answering God
"Hear my prayer, O LORD, listen to my cry for help; be not deaf to my weeping. For I dwell with you as an alien, a stranger as all my fathers were. Look away from me, that I may rejoice again before I depart and am no more." Psalm 39:12-13
Good Morning Brothas and Sistas,
God is a prayer answering God. There are times when we have been praying for something a long time. We must remember regardless of whatever it may be, God hears each of us and will always answer in His perfect timing.
I understand that waiting can be hard, but I also know that God is always up to something in our lives while we are waiting. Brothers and Sistas, continue to stand strong and wait patiently for the LORD. He hears your cry and will answer.
Psalm 39:12-13 says, "Hear my prayer, O LORD, listen to my cry for help; be not deaf to my weeping. For I dwell with you as an alien, a stranger as all my fathers were. Look away from me, that I may rejoice again before I depart and am no more."
Brothas and Sistas, we must be like the widow in Luke 18. She was persistent! She continued to go before the judge, bothering him, and wearing him out. How much more will a holy and just God who is not bothered by us coming to Him over and over again hear and answer our prayers? I tell you Brothers and Sistas, He will answer us.
My mom gave me this card a few years ago. I just wanted to share it with all of you...........
Have You Taken It To Jesus?. Have you taken it to Jesus? Have you left your burden there? Does He tenderly support you? Have you rolled on Him your care? Oh, the sweet unfailing refuge, of the everlasting arms; In their loving clasp enfolded. Nothing worries or alarms. Have you taken it to Jesus, just the thing that's pressing now? Are you trusting Him completely with the when, and where and how? Oh, the joy of full surrender of our life, our plans, our all; Proving far above our asking that God answer when we call. Have you taken it to Jesus? Tis the only place to go if you want the burden lifted and a solace for the woe. Oh, the blessedness to nestle like a child upon His breast; Finding ever, as He promised Perfect comfort, peace and rest.
Brothas and Sistas, take it all to Jesus. Amen!
Much peace,
Renee
Prayer of Faith
Awesome God,
We thank you for the privilege of being able to come to you in prayer. Thank you for teaching us the importance of persistent prayer. Help us to wait on you for answered prayer because you are indeed a prayer answering God. Thank you for your consistency and moving on our behalf. For it is in the wonderful name of Jesus that we pray. Amen
http://youtu.be/UjmAOLhzUPM The Spoken Word
Seek Wise and Godly Counsel
"Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety. Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established." Proverbs 11:14; 15:22 (NKJV)
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
A person and/or a good leader in need of advice is wise to seek wise and godly counselors because the perspective and understanding of only one person can be severely limited. No one person has all the facts and they may be blinded by bias emotions or wrong impressions. Therefore, whether it be for home, church, work, etc., we must seek wise and godly counsel and be open to their advice. Once we consider all the facts then we can make our decision.
We meet God's standard only when we have wisdom and listen to the counsel of others. A wise man gets advice from many people of good judgment before making a decision.When making major decisions, whether it be marriage, college, career, children, etc., it doesn't show weakness to ask for advice but it does show foolishness not to ask for it. Seeking good advisers before making any big decisions can help you expand your alternatives and evaluate our choices.
If we have tunnel vision we are locked into only one way of thinking and we can miss going in the right direction because we have closed our minds to new options. We need the help of others to enlarge our vision and broaden our perspective. Seek out the advice of those who know you and have a wealth of experience. It is also wise to build a network of counselors.
Brothas and Sistas, be open to new ideas and be willing to weigh other counselor's suggestions carefully. It can make your plans stronger and more likely to succeed. No one person has an unlimited perspective. We need to invite multiple viewpoints outside of our own, to help lead and inform our most important decisions and plans. Let's keep in mind God often uses the perspective of others to show us His will. Seek wise and godly counsel because in righteous guidance there is safety!!
"He that won't be counseled can't be helped."--Benjamin Franklin
Blessings,
Claudia
Other Scriptures to encourage your heart: Proverbs 20:18; 24:6; Luke 14:31
Prayer of Faith
Lord,
Thank you for those you send our way to give us advice. We realize that you send them because you want what is best for us. Please help us to not take your wisdom for granted. Help us to diligently seek wise counsel so that we may become wise ourselves.
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Boldness In His Presence Brings Forth Promise
Esther 5
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:16"
Good morning my bold and beautiful Sistas,
I pray that you have made up your minds to serve Him with new fervor today and more importantly I pray that you have approached His throne with confidence knowing that He is well able to answer each and every one of your prayers just as he (He) did with Esther when she boldly approached him (Him). You know many times some of us are unwilling to request things from our loving King because we are afraid that our request are so out of reach that He will not grant our request. I would like to challenge you today to make your request made known to Him no matter how BIG or impossible it may seem to you, the BIGGER; the better. If you become so bold to ask Him to do that thing that you KNOW no one else is capable of complying with, then once it is granted you will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it could have been none other than Him who was/is able to deliver and perform the supernatural. He is able to do the impossible if we just believe. Sistas, He is so awesomely, very, very good like that!!!!! Praise Him!!!!
Smooches,
Me
Sistas, Esther knew exactly how to approach her king. She was bold in her own rite, but never overbearing. She was classy, but never clueless. She was confident, but never cocky. Hebrews 4:16 says "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." I John 5:14, 15 says, "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him."
Brothas and Sistas, she had real "Girl Power". She said if "I perish, I perish" Esther 4:16 She was not only bold but she was a risk taker. She was willing to petition him no matter how outrageous the request and this is how we must be with our King. No matter how outrageous or out of grasp our request may be we must know that we have some real "Sista Girl Power" because of the Christ that lives within.
Brothas and Sistas, we have to stand before Him in boldness willing to risk it all for the sake of doing His will knowing that He will indeed hears our heart's cry and will grant our heartfelt request. There is no God like our God. "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us" Ephesians 3:20 You see, it depends on us. All that we desire from Him in the kingdom can be granted according to His will, but equally as important, according to our faith. The promises that we pray hinge on our faith which validates the very given fact that they not only can be answered; but that they will be answered.
I also like the fact that she was also a precise planner. She knew just what to do to soften his heart. She figured that she would not only throw one party in his honor, but she threw two big, old parties in his honor. That sista sure knew how to build into that brotha in order to build up his ego so that he would in turn deliver on the goods. And Sistas, look at how she made that brotha wait. She did not just lay it on him but she took her time with this endeavor. She saturated it with prayer, and waited until the opportune time. She was one smart apple. She knew that the best things come to those who wait. She took time to cultivate the process in planning.
There are times when we just can't go into our King's presence we have to wait and do some things on our part to cultivate our time with Him. We might have to prissy ourselves up a little by confessing some sins and then allow the oil of His divine presence to cleanse us. And the same holds true for our earthy kings. Sistas, you know how it is when we have get our diva on every Sunday morning and on our date nights with our kings, we have to tap into our inner queen and make our kings wait just a tad bit while we put a well thought out plan together to blow them away with that just right hookup (outfit). That just right hook up might spin his wheels to the point of giving us anything that our little old heart's desire. Come on now!!!!!!!
When she made her request known to her king he did not waste anytime moving on it. I want you to notice that he not only promised her
a portion of what belonged to him once, but he made that same promise to her three times. How many times do we go in His presence and we find that He showers us with His precious promises, the promises that come from His heart. He gently whispers to us over and over again because of His great love that He has for us. And the same goes for our phenomenal earthy kings when they line up with the word of God they make good on their promises to us no matter what it takes to accomplish them. Sometimes they will work two and three jobs burning the midnight oil just to provide for us and keep their word to us. Woohoo!!!! Praise Him (him).
Boldness in His (his) presence brings forth promise every time. Make your request be made known unto our King (king). He (he) is able to answer the most (seemingly) out of reach request. Praise Him (him)!!!!!
What It Takes to Be A Godly Leader
Minister Antonio Washington
Moses told his father-in-law about everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the LORD had saved them." Exodus 18:8
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
To be an effective leader you must understand that you are in a place of influence where you can and will make a difference. Now when I talk about leaders, I'm not just talking about church but leadership on your job, in your home, business, etc., Wherever you may be you have influence and responsibilities whenever God has ordained you to be a leader.
Looking at our text, Moses had the responsibility of over one million Jews, yet he too had to be ministered to. You see a godly leader allows or humbles himself or herself to allow God to speak to them through others but in this case Jethro was used by God to minister to Moses. In verse 8 Moses tells Jethro everything the Lord had done and was still doing and Jethro sat and listened and when Moses was done Jethro was happy for him and said, "Praise God for all that He has done." But then he observed Moses as to what He was doing with trying to handle 1 million plus Jews all by himself.
Jethro asks,"What is all this you are doing for the people?" "Why are you the only one to solve disagreements?" You are here with the people from morning until evening." Moses's reply was that people came to him for God's help in solving their disagreements. It's like Jethro looked at him and said,
"Whoa, pump your brakes Brotha. I think you forgot where you came from." To Jethro it sounded like Moses thought he was the man and that nobody else could minister to the Jews but him.
Sometimes, my Brothas and Sistas, when we have been elevated to a leadership role, we tend to think that "It was all me.", "Look at what I've done." "Let me tell you about what I've done." "Let me tell you how I have put this in place or instituted that and so forth." I believe you get my point and we forget who we were or who helped us along the way to get to where we are.
Yes, it is God who looked beyond our faults, who gave us the insight, the wisdom etc., and now we feel as though we can do this all by ourselves.
It used to be where you were home by a certain time but now your family may see you only once a week. Moses was so busy that Jethro brought his wife and sons with him to see him because he was there all morning until night. Jethro then begins to tell Moses that's not good.
Brothas and Sistas, God wanted Moses to balance his life. Look God knows that you can do wonders at work but he also wants to know you can do the same at home by taking care of your wife/husband and children. You may have people listening and doing for you at work but do your children listen and obey you at home?
It's easy to prosper and forget where God has brought us from. Let's be real
we didn't not always have it like we have it or live where we live, drive what we drive, and yet when God wants something of us that we are willing to do freely for others we cop an attitude as if God is intruding on us.
You know we used to talk the talk and walk the walk in church every Sunday, bible study and now as leaders we don't have the time to worship, to study or have quiet time. Jethro told Moses that it was too much for one man alone. Jethro also tells him in vs. 21-22 to appoint men to assist him and teach them how to use their gifts and only handle the cases that require his decision in the matter. And the same holds true for us. There are times when we need to let some things go and appoint others to share the load so that they may walk in their giftedness. It is up to us to know the specific areas that He is leading us to handle and leave the rest to Him and others.
Until next time Brothas and Sistas, take care.
Minister Antonio Washington
Dear Lord,
We thank you for convicting us of being too busy. Help us to maintain balance in our lives by appointing others to help us share the load. Take us out of arrogance and pride so that you may be seen in us and not us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Be Wise!
"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." James 3:13-18 (NKJV)
Good morning,
Our conduct, character and actions reveal whether we are foolish or wise. As a tree is examined and evaluated by its fruit so a wise person is revealed by their conduct, character and actions. Foolishness is envious and disorderly conduct but wisdom is pure and peaceable. Beware of envy, bitterness and selfish ambition, Be mindful of being pressured by others; listening to advice to do contrary to the will of God which leads to greed, destructiveness and competitiveness which are inspired by the devil.
Always seek God's wisdom from above, which is first pure and then peaceable. It will deliver us from comparing ourselves to others, doing what others do and will keep us from wanting what others may have. Beware, be mindful and know the difference; "Be Wise!"
"Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom."
- Charles Spurgeon
Blessings to you,
Claudia
Other Scriptures to encourage your heart: Proverbs 11:18; Isaiah 32:17; Hosea 10:12; Matthew 5:9; Luke 6:36; Romans 2:17, 23; 12:9; 13:13; 1 Corinthians 2:6, 7; 3:3; 2 Corinthians 22:20; Galatians 5:20, 21; 6:4; Philippians 1:11; 3:19; Hebrews 12:11; James 1:5, 17, 21; 2:1, 18; 1 Peter 1:22; 2:1; 1 John 3:7, 18
"The heart is deceitful above all things and is desperately wicked, who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:9
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
What kind of words do we speak? Are they words of life or words of death? Has anyone ever said something to you or about you that had either a positive or negative affect on you? How did it make you feel?
The words that we speak to someone are a direct indication of what our hearts are really like. Look at Jeremiah 17:9. It says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and is desperately wicked, who can know it?" Listen whatever is in our hearts will eventually come out of our mouths. If there is envy is our hearts it is coming out. If there is jealousy in our hearts it IS coming out. If there IS covetousness is in our hearts it IS coming out. Brothas and Sistas, if there IS bitterness and hurt in our hearts it IS coming out. Guess what, IT'S ALL COMING OUT!
It does not matter how we look at it, we can't hide who we really are. "As a man thinks so is he." Proverbs 23:7 What we say reveals what is in our hearts. "For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee." Job 15:5, 6 "Don't you know we continually fill each other with the tongue." Kay Authur "In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them." Proverbs 14:3
In Psalm 141:3 David asks God "to set a watch before his mouth." Proverbs 15:1 shows us how to speak to our children. "A soft answer turns away wrath." Proverbs 27:15 describes what happens when we constantly repeat ourselves or nag those around us. A continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike." Brothas and Sistas, we can be bad witnesses to the world with our tongues.
Malign is defined as the direct intention or desire to harm someone without just reaction or cause. James 3:5, 6 says, "the tongue is like fire. It spreads igniting everything in it's path." It takes our focus off of Jesus. Galatians 5:15 says, "But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another." Bite means to cut, tear or crush with the teeth, devour, to destroy, waste, to eat up greedily, to engulf. We must remember that even after we apologize the scar, eventhough it is not visible, it still remains.
Colossians 4:6 says our words should be "seasoned with salt." Brothas and Sistas, please remember words tend to last. They can either be used as weapons or tools. Sad as it may seem some of us would rather tear down than to build up. The people we meet daily are either a demolition site waiting to destroy or a construction opportunity ready to build.
Brothas and Sistas, let's be mindful of the words we speak. "Remember that the tongue speaks only what is in the heart." Theodore Epps
Prayer of Faith
Thank you Lord for teaching us the importance of watching the words that we speak. Help us to speak words of life and not words of death. May we be mindful of the affect of our words on those we love. Lord, make us construction sites ready to build and help us to stop being demolition sites, ready to tear down" when it comes to talking to our loved ones and those around us that are watching our witness. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Sistas Saving Sistas For Christ
Are You and Your Boo Practicing Teamwork?
Minister Antonio Washington
://youtu.be/h-9fK7QprnQ Old Skool
"There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, let his eyes were not content with his wealth. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless— a miserable business! Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." Ecclesiastes 4:8-12
Read I Corinthians 12
Good moning to our phenomenal Brothas and Sistas,
Brothas and Sistas, lately we have been struggling with health issues, surgery, and having one car down. During this time our trials have actually brought me and my wife closer together. At one time we would have complained about the difficulty of having one car. But we are learning to deal with the hand that has been dealt to us and work together as a team to get through it.
The thing that is good about teamwork is that you both no longer do as you once did things independently from one another. Once you realize the importance of teamwork you and your spouse begin to work as a team to achieve a goal. God allows it to be a teaching tool for you to become one because you basically depend on one another. It teaches you to become unselfish because you learn to focus on the other spouse more than yourself.
As a matter of fact, if you take a closer look at it, teamwork really shows us as Christians, how we ought to treat one another. It shows us we ought to use our gifts to bring unity to the body and to enhance the marital relationship. For example in I Cornthians 12 spiritual gifts allow us to become interdependent upon one another. We begin working together because we come to the realization that we genuinely need one another.
Brothas and Sistas, the only way to achieve the goal of interdependency is that you have to work as a team. We have to remember that no brotha/sista is an island unto themselves; and this is especially true in marriage. We must work together as a team. Take care until next time.
Minister Antonio and Sista Michelle Washington
Prayer of Faith
Dear Lord,
We thank you for the our spouses and helping us with teamwork. May we rely on you daily. Help us to walk in oneness. You are a God of unity and you desire for us to walk as one just as you, the Father and the Holy Spirit are one. May our marriages reflect teamwork daily. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Don't Be Deceived
Claudia Wright
Watch "Koryn Hawthorne - Won't He Do It (Official Music Video)" on YouTube
After Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, a voice came from heaven saying, "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased." Then Jesus; was led by the Spirit into the wilderness; full of the Holy Spirit; (Luke 4:1) to be tempted by the devil." (Matthew 3:13-17; 4:1-11; Mark 1:9-13; Luke 4:1-13).
The devil, tempted Jesus twice by saying, "If you are the son of God." and 3rd by saying, "ALL these things I will give You if You WILL fall down and worship me."
Each time, Jesus responded, "IT Is written"; the 3rd time He said, "Away with you Satan! "For it is written.", "You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him ONLY you shall serve." And the devil left Him. (Matt 4:10, 11; Deut 6:13; 10:20) Brothas and Sistas, The devil will flee when we're filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking the Word of God."
The devil tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden [Gen 3:1-6] and he tempted Jesus in the wilderness, even misquoting Psalm 91:11. So what makes us think the devil won't tempt us and use the same tactics. (1John 2:15-1) Money is not evil, the love of money is "a root" of all kinds of evil and some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.[1 Timothy 6:6-10]
Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel and instructed them to choose who they will serve and worship. (Joshua 24) So, we the body of Christ must choose also!! Joshua chose (Joshua 24:15) and said, "But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
GOD Has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, and in His love has chosen us in Him, before the foundation of the world to be holy, set apart for Himself; purchased with the Blood of Christ for forgiveness of sins; completely pardoning our sins in accordance with the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. [Eph 1:3-8] Brothas and Sistas, we must make up our minds and choose and! "NO ONE can serve two masters." [Matt 6:24]
"Don't be Deceived, Stay focused, Be holy, Serve the Lord and Worship Him only!
Claudia Wright
God Wins In Christ We Win
"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us who can be against us? Romans 8:31 (NKJV)
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
Satan and his demonic host are against us, the believers in Christ (Ephesians 6:11-13; 1 Peter 5:8), even as there are many people in this life that hate and are against us, causing much trouble, sorrow and pain. Satan, his host and all those against us cannot ultimately triumph or prevail over we, the believers in Christ. God's love is eternal. His grace is sufficient and His power and wisdom are supreme. The LORD our God will lead, guard, guide and protect us, now, even until the day we stand in His holy presence.
God's love and His way is our guarantee. We can trust Him to give us the comfort we need, with confidence and assurance. He will defend us, keep us safe and bring us to Himself in glory. God graciously gives us all things needed that leads us from Salvation to Glory and because of that we can say, "Hallelujah and stand in opened mouth amazement."
Take God at His Word – because winning the battle doesn't require
physical brawn, but spiritual brains!” Pedro Okoro
Blessings,
Claudia
Prayer: Lord God, You are Self-Existent, the Sovereign Creator. And I thank You that being in Christ, You are with me, in me and for me. No one or nothing can oppose me in Christ and be successful, so it doesn't matter who is against me. Thank You Lord, because You win, we in Christ win also with You. In Christ Jesus Name. Amen!
Other Scriptures to encourage your heart: Genesis 48:21; Exodus 33:16; Numbers 14:9; Deuteronomy 20:1, 3, 4; 31:6-7; Joshua 1:5; Judges 1:22; 2 Chronicles 13:12; Psalm 46:7,11; 118:6; Zechariah 8:23; Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5
Genuine Love
Minister Antonio Washington
"What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like."
Augustine
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35
Greetings to you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Brothas and Sistas, I want to encourage you today to continue to show love one to another just as Jesus does. Try not to allow the enemy to cause you to speak ill of another Brotha or Sista in Christ. People who don't know Christ are watching and listening to how we treat one another. We have been given a command and that command says that we are to love one another and notice Jesus makes it clear by saying, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35
Today I am reminded of what Amy Carmichael said years ago which states:
"If I belittle those whom I am called to serve, talk of their weak points in contrast perhaps with what I think of as my strong points; if I adopt a superior attitude, forgetting "Who made thee to differ? And what hast thou that thou hast not received?" then I know nothing of Calvary's love. If I take offense easily, if I am content to continue in a cool unfriendliness, though friendship be possible, then I know nothing of Calvary's love. If I feel injured when another lays to my charge things that I know not, forgetting that my sinless Savior trod this path to the end, then I know nothing of Calvary's love. If I feel bitter toward those who condemn me, as it seems to me, unjustly, forgetting that if they knew me as I know myself they would condemn me much more, then I know nothing of Calvary's love."
We must learn how to genuinely love one another. Let's break the word love down.
L - Listening when another person is speaking out of care and concern.
O - Overlooking the petty faults and forgiving others of all of their failures.
V - Valuing other people for who they are and not for what they are or what they can do for you.
E- Expressing love in a very practical way to everyone that you come in contact with.
What I am saying, Brothas and Sistas, is let's start loving the way Christ has commanded us to so the world can see and know that we are Christ's disciples. Until next time, let's go and show love to others no matter what.
"Forgive and give as if it were your last opportunity. Love like there's no tomorrow, and if tomorrow comes, love again." Max Lucado
Minister Antonio Washington
Our Daily Bread/ Prayer Time
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35
Dear Lord,
Thank you for getting us through another work week. We pray that our Brothas and Sistas would show love towards one another so that they can be a witness to those that do not know you. We ask that our Brothas and Sistas would begin to show great care and concern for those around them. Help them to genuinely value others for who they are. Please give them an unselfish love that resembles your great love for us. We pray all these things in your great name, Jesus. Amen.
Sharing the Love of Christ
"But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace." 1 Corinthians 15:10 NLT
Good morning Brothers and Sisters,
Our message was great in our Life Group on Sunday morning as well as in church. In fact, both were so closely related that it seemed that they were almost planned to be this way. Pastor Ben Rivera is working on a segment entitled Embrace and basically we discussed different ways to approach people in our lives that we normally would have a difficult time addressing, and basically Pastor Michael Petrucci's message was "Are We Missional?"
I would encourage everyone to listen to his message at www.praisede.org.
Brothers and Sisters. this leads me to a testimony that I experienced on Friday. I had taken Ryan to the center and noticed a young mother standing in front of the office holding on to a grocery cart. She had a small child wrapped in a sweatshirt and about three bags of groceries in the front. She was talking on the phone and I could tell that the conversation was going South quickly. I asked her if she was okay and she said she was. I asked her if she had a ride coming. She said she did but didn't know when the public transportation would get there. I asked her where she lived and if she would mind if I took her and her child home.
It was really cold and windy outside and her child was just diagnosed at the medical center there with double ear infections. I knew she wasn't a Christian but that didn't stop me from letting her know that my God wanted me to do this for her and that He loved her. It was a short ride to her home but I couldn't imagine walking it with a sick child.
When we arrived, I helped her get her things to her house. She was very thankful. I remembered I had fresh produce from the Help Center, and I gave her some fresh fruit. I said, "Goodbye." and she ran back to me and asked if she could give me a hug and we stood embracing each other for awhile. I told her that it wasn't me that blessed her, it was God.
Brothers and Sisters, I'm not sharing this story to gain any glory. I just wanted to share how I could see God working in my life this last week. I gave God all the glory, honor, and praise and I thanked Him for the opportunity to learn from Him.
“But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.” 1 Corinthians 15:10
Love,
Kim
Prayer Time
Thank you for opportunities to serve others, Living the Christian life is not about us. It is about allowing your light to shine through us so that we can touch others for you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Watch "Never Seen The Righteous (Live)" on YouTube
It's Got to Come Down!
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
It's imperative we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness for Life, above and beyond everything and anyone. But to seek His Kingdom first, one must come to Him and to come to God one must come in and through His Son, Jesus Christ. [John 14:6] For the LORD GOD Promised, as we seek Him first keeping His Kingdom and His righteousness 1st, HE WILL add everything we need in life for LIFE."
"Because God's ultimate goal for all humankind is to make us like His Son. And as we become more and more like Christ, we discover our true selves; who God truly created us to be. [Romans 8:29, 30] God creates us to be like His Son as we read and heed His word; study Christ's life on earth in the Gospels; spend time in prayer and be filled with His Holy Spirit to do His Will.
"We don't have to panic about anything or worry about nothing. When panic creeps up and worry creeps in we pray more, worshipping Him constantly; setting our focus only on Him who is able to take away our worries, doubts fears and anxieties. As we exalt the Lord God through Christ Jesus our Savior and Lord above every situation and beyond every circumstance, "Its got to come down!" No matter what is bothering us or trying to hold us back, Brothas and Sistas, "Its got to come down! Because God blesses the Godly and surrounds them with His shield of love!"
"Faith upholds a Christian under all trials, by assuring him that every painful dispensation is under the direction of his Lord; that chastisements are a token of His love; that the season, measure, and continuance of his sufferings, are appointed by Infinite Wisdom, and designed to work for his everlasting good; and that grace and strength shall be afforded him, according to his need."
- John Newton
"We are wonderfully and tremendously blessed! Enjoy your Friday! "God willing, have a peaceful and joyous week!
Claudia
The Power of the Tongue
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Proverbs 18:21 KJV
Good Morning Brothas and Sistas,
The tongue is one of the smallest members of our body, however it holds such power. In our mouth is the power of death and life. I never really thought about it before but our tongue is similar to carrying around a loaded gun. The things that we say can either encourage or destroy.
Brothas and Sistas, we have a choice of which one we want to see manifested in our lives. This power has to be handled responsibly. Words are powerful.
I remember when I was in elementary school the kids used to say, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me." This statement was so untrue. Broken bones will eventually heal. There are so many people in pain because of something that was said to them years ago.
Brothas and Sistas, the flip side is we can speak words of encouragement to that same person and see the power of God move in their life. We can change our lives by the words that we speak. We have to be very careful not to speak negatively, not only about our own lives but also those we come in contact with.
I challenge you this week to "Speak Life" into everyone you come in contact with.
Be Blessed,
Gina M
Prayer Time
Father God, we thank you and give you glory. You are so awesome. Father, please help us to get in the habit of speaking life into everyone that we come in contact including ourselves. We give you all the glory and all of the praise. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Inseparable
"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, [39] Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39
Watch "Inseparable" on YouTube
Watch "Close To You" on YouTube
Minister Antonio Washington
Good morning Beautiful Couples
What comes to mind when you hear the word Inseparable? Some may say companion or shadow, soulmate, just to name a few. Well when In think about inseparable I am reminded of the less used word in extricate which means you are incapable of being disentangled, incapable of being undone or loosed.
Just imagine how strong we are if were to say that to one another and mean it. But what's more amazing is that we should have already experienced the word inseparable since that's what Romans 8:38-39 speaks of concerning our relationships with God. If we can have that kind of bond with God, why is it that we don't have the same bond with our spouse?
In away the word insepaerable, even though it doesn't define it in a dictionary this way, is also a part of our marriage vows when we look at the phrase 'till death us part." I felt that way with my wife, Michelle when we first met and still do now after 34 years later. I try to make sure that I help bring out what God has in store for her to become. I try to make sure that I show her my love through my actions more than I can tell her through just mere words.
So once again, I ask you, What comes to mind when you think of the word inseperable? If you haven't expressed or shared with your spouse how inseperable you really are, try doing it. Don't let the children, job, money, car, house, friends, family, or anything separate you from the love of each other.
Teatime With Tabby - A Brew of Awesomeness
Exodus 15:11 New International Version (NIV) 11 Who among the gods
is like you, Lord? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?
Exodus 34:10 New International Version (NIV) 10 Then the Lord said: “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you.
Deuteronomy 10:17 New International Version (NIV)17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.
Daniel 9:4 New International Version (NIV) 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
Luke 7:16 New International Version (NIV) 16 They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.”
Good Morning Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I pray that today you will be blessed and have your heart and eyes open to see all the Awesomeness God provides daily.
Brothers and Sisters, have you ever really considered how often you use this word "Awesomeness" or see it in text messages or hear it from others? My son has a thing about grammar and word usage, and punctuation. I am often one of his targets when it comes to punctuation and word usage. He often quotes a High School English teacher who reportedly told his class that the use of explanation points and words such as awesome are over used. He went on to say that in one’s lifetime these should only be used about 5 times In your entire life. I remember asking my son and He responded, "Yes you have used them all up for generations to come."
Now this may seem true to some and may even sound reasonable to others. Well for anyone who knows me they know that likely the next 100 generations wouldn’t be able to use these such words, or punctuation. I have recently been rethinking this and maybe I do over use these words and punctuation when talking about everyday life. However, how could one know our God, and live a life that allows Christ to be the lead and not see all the Awesomeness there is to see.
Honestly, if looking at it from that perspective then maybe we don’t use enough explanation points and adjectives such as awesome. Do we really find ourselves daily telling our God how Awesome He is, or His creation, or the work, blessings etc. that He has put in our lives? Now I understand maybe not saying how awesome this tragedy is, or battle that we are in, or crisis is.
However, do we really remember to go back to Him once he has brought us through the valley of despair, depression, heartache, tragedy etc. When we are on the other side and maybe now place upon the mountain top do we stop to notice that footprints that we see are only 1 set? One set because he carried us through?
How many of us can say that when we are sitting on the mountain top with all the things in our lives is smooth sailing? Do we really take the time to say to our God how Awesome it is to be on the Mountain Top?
Brothers and Sisters, we are so richly blessed in America, in our living standards, in the freedoms that we have that we must worship the Lord without fear of persecution. We are so blessed to have so many choices such as which stores to shop, where to go out for entertainment or churches to become members in. We often have so many choices that we can have a hard time deciding about. Then we are still so blessed with freedoms, that are Awesome we can with touch of finger often change our minds completely often without consequence.
I know that I am being challenged in my own walk of Faith and life to really take the time to recognize all the Awesomeness that I am showered with daily by our Great and Awesome God.
My challenge and my challenge for you is to make a conscious effort to recognize and offer up a Praise to God each day for 3 things that are Awesome in your day to day. I challenge you to do this and try to dig deep and find new wonders daily. Then challenge a family member, spouse, friend co-worker to do the same. As I believe that our day to day lives will be greatly enriched if we are trying daily to share the Awesome wonders of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Here are a few from me that I am shouting out to the world to say just how awesome my God is:
Struggle - My son’s near-death car accident 10 months ago- Awesomeness that came out of that accident: A better relationship between my son and I. My sister and I have finally grown close, my Mom and I have become so much closer. My son is back to doing life, even though according to the doctor’s initial thoughts that 1. He may likely not survive, or 2. He will be in the hospital for close to a year with recovery. He was back to work in 5 months.
Brothers and Sisters, see what Awesomeness you can thank our God for and share with a world that desperately needs some hope and someA wesomeness in it.
It’s my prayer that God be with you and that your heart, eyes and mind are focused on finding, sharing and praising God for all His Awesomeness.
Till next week,
Love Tabby
Don't Be Foolish, Listen to the Wise
Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise riddles. Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." Proverbs 1:5-7
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
I have noticed one thing about a wise person..... they listen to others with knowledge; those who have been around the block a few years, so to speak. They also gain more understanding and guidance. A wise person may give you a thought provoking question.... you know that question that makes you go, "Hmmm."
Brothas and Sistas, I had never thought of it that way before. After hearing my son preach on Sunday, my sister also said, "I never thought of what he said and preached about that way before." You know it is sad too say but older people don't ever think they can learn from a person younger than them. The truth is, we all can learn something from younger people.
I'm speaking from experience. My mom told me a few years ago how she gained knowledge just by taking a stand for God. I was going through turmoil in my life during that time and I would try to encourage her while she was going through. She literally said, "I learned something from you." I pondered what she said in amazement and thought to myself, "Really, you learned something from me?" Brothas and Sistas, I have also gained knowledge from my own child, my son, when he speaks.
One of the most annoying types of people are those who think they know it all. You know, the person who has a dogmatic opinion about everything!!! I am talking about the person who is always talking too much, are closed minded to anything new, resents discipline and refuses to learn from anyone else. The bible calls that kind of person a fool. So don't be a know it all!! Instead be open to advice of others, especially those that know you well and can give you valuable insight and counsel. Brothas and Sistas, try learning from others and remember that only God knows it all. Amen.
Much Love,
Renee
Prayer Time
Dear Lord,
Thank you for those around us that are full of wisdom. Help us to humble ourselves so that we can receive from them regardless of their age. May we realize that you speak through them to give us much needed direction. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Hope Is Not Hope Unless It's Sure!
"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
Everyone is stressed during these times of severe trials and testings. The stress levels of today have been elevated, driving the human mind, heart and soul to seek and reduce it with drugs, drinks, parties, many forms of entertainment, materialism, food, unhealthy relationships and money; etc., ALL Temporary! They're for HERE and NOW and can lead to destruction. BUT there are "STRESS RELEIVERS found only in Christ, Who is eternal. His WORD which will Last forever and Prayer!"
Brothas and Sistas, don't let your feelings control your way of thinking but let God, through His word and prayer control, dictate and govern your feelings and thoughts. (Romans 12:1, 2 Corinthians 10:3-6) Feelings change and outside influences can control our way of thinking; but God never changes and His word remains the same and endures forever. (Mal 4:6; Psalm 100:5)
HOPE is not Hope unless its Sure, expected, worth living beyond HERE and NOW! (Hebrews 11:1) So let HOPE rest in Christ Jesus alone who is our living hope and let Christ dwell in our hearts thru faith by keeping the faith and fighting the good fight of faith. (Eph 3:17; 2 Tim 4:7; 1 Peter 1:3) Proclaim and walk in the victory Christ has given us in the power of His Holy Spirit. For the most important thing in this life is what God does in usas we SURRENDER ourselves and our lives to Him wholeheartedly.
God allows the waters in life to rise, the rivers of circumstances to swell and the fire of trials to be turned up 7 times hotter in our lives to reveal who He is and all He is able to do by His power and for His glory! God's desire is to work a greater work in us. His perfect will is to transform and conform US into the Image of His Son; which was from the Beginning of Creation for all Human Mankind. (Genesis 1:26, 27; John 3:1-8; Romans 8:28,29; Philippians 1:6)
Everything we're experiencing; whether painful or stressful we must realize "GOD IS IN CONTROL" and whatever we go through, GOD promised He will never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) "
Hope and trust only in Christ Jesus!
God Bless,
Claudia
Dear Lord,
May we put our daily in hope in you during these uncertain times. You are our anchor. Our hope in you is sure because you are our hiding place, shield, and buckler. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Paul prayed for every believer in Christ Jesus. His prayer was: "When I think of the wisdom & scope of God's plan for each of you, I fall on my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from God's gloriously unlimited resources, that He will give you mighty inner strength through His Holy Spirit. I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in Him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous Love for you and may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high & how deep His Love is for us! May you experience the Love of Christ, though it is SO GREAT you will never, ever fully understand it! (Ephesians 3:14-19)
"Its through God's incredible Love He allows us to be called His children; and we really are His children in Christ Jesus! But the people of the world don't know God, so they don't understand that we're His children. But, Yes,
Brothers & Sisters in Christ, we are already God's children, and we CAN'T IMAGINE what we will be like when Christ returns. But when Christ comes, WE KNOW that we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He really is. And All who Believe this will Keep themselves pure, just as Christ is Pure."
(1John 3:1-3)
"The more we learn about our Wonderful Savior, the more we learn to Love Him even the more!"
"As we focus to search out personally & intimately, the "Width; Length; Height & Depth of God's Love in Christ Jesus for us, then we'll be filled with the fullness of God's Life and Power by His Holy Spirit dwelling within us!
"What an Incredible Quality of Love the Father has lavished upon us, that we are permitted to be Named, Called and Counted the children of God!"
"What a Wonderful Love we will NEVER be able to comprehend."
"We are Truly Blessed, Enjoy Christ & His Love for us & enjoy your day!"
God Loves Through Forgiveness
by
A. Lin. Thomas
“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Colossians 3:13 (NIV)
Sometimes in life we find ourselves in precarious situations. Well, the other day I found myself in one. It all started with a conversation at my place of employment. I made a comment about the boss to another person at the job and guess what? The very next morning as I was entering my place of employment the boss asked me to come into her office.
She pulled me aside to inquire into what I had spoken to the other person. Honestly, I didn't think much of it because it wasn't anything malicious or gossipy, just a comment about the environment.
After I returned home, I was very angry and wanted never to speak to the other person again. But God spoke to me saying, "If the comment had never been made, the other person couldn't have tried to use it against you. Watch how you use your mouth."
With that, I took my lumps, and repented for the indiscretion of my mouth. Afterward, negative thoughts of the other person kept bombarding my mind. I spent a couple of hours pushing them down, until I remembered that I had been forgiven and I could simply share the forgiveness with the other person.
Honestly, I didn't feel like being forgiving to someone who deliberately tried to get me into trouble. But I realized that forgiveness is not so much about the other person as it is about us letting go of bitterness and hostility. Although, it's not easy! It's a fight within your soul! However, we still must forgive.
Then I remembered why God loves forgiveness. It's because He loves us and if forgiveness were not used as a means of cleansing away our sinfulness, God would have no choice but to destroy us. Looking at forgiveness from God’s perspective helped me to forgive the other person, because if she ever needs me to help save her life, I can help her since I'm not holding any grudges or hostility towards her in my heart. All is well between her and I, in my heart because of the gift of forgiveness God has given to both of us.
When I returned to work the next day, I acted like nothing had ever happened. I could tell she was a little nervous because she kept trying to make conversation with me. Initially, I ignored her, but then I responded with a smile and a friendly reply to her comments. The young lady is in a crisis and I would rather be a help than a hinderance to her growth. Again, it’s not always easy to do the right thing, but it’s always the right thing to do.
Prayer:
Father, in the name of Jesus, please help me to let go of the anger I feel towards this person. And help me to remember that I am just as much at fault for my participation in the sin. Help me to forgive their faults just like you forgive mine. And help me to pray for them as I pray for myself, in love. Amen.
Love Me Like You're Gonna Lose Me
https://youtu.be/zOkijBvJ5Yw?list=PL8D30C7C19015C141
"Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." James 4:14
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
We spend so much time being angry and holding each other captive to things that was either said or done to us that we miss opportunities to love one another the way we should. One may ask, "Why should I forgive? You don't know what they did to me." You are right. We don't know but He does. We are in no way referencing or condoning abuse but we are talking about harbouring on the small things that we allow to keep us apart.
My Brothas and Sistas, we could be called home and yet we often take each other for granted not knowing what the future holds. "Life is like a vapor." James 4:14 We spend less time saying how much we love one another and we spend more time not forgiving and fussing with one another. Why can't we just hold and love one another as if we may lose each other?
Life is too short. On the other hand, we could live a long time if we choose forgiveness and loving beyond our faults. So let's take a cue from the songwriter and go all out to love one another as if tomorrow is not promised.
Till next time.
Minister Antonio and Sista Michelle Washington
Prayer of Faith
Dear Lord,
Thank you for our gifts from you, our spouses. Teach us to love them as though it could be our last time. May we not take them for granted. Give us the ability to love beyond their faults and our disagreements. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
The Storms of Life
Douglas Miller - My Soul Is Anchored
Casting Crowns - Praise You In the Storm
"And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" Mark 4:35 - 41
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
There are times in our lives when we are hit with some heavy storms. Now I'm not talking about physical storms like the weather, but I'm specifically talking about spiritual storms. How many times have we said, "Oh, my God. Not another one! or "I don't know if I can handle another storm in my life like this."
You know how it goes......"My child just graduated and wants to go to college, but they say he doesn't qualify for financial aid because I make too much money. Really? Are they for real?..... because the last time I looked at my bank account it didn't tell me that!" or "We're having marital problems." or "My health is not good right now." or "I'm behind in my gas and electric and they are threatening to turn it off in a couple of days." or "My car needs repairs. It won't start sometimes." Then we stop and say,
"Lord, I can't take another thing going wrong in my life right now!"
Well Brothas and Sistas, I am reminded of a song and the lyrics to the song say,"He's preparing me for the next thing in my life." My Brothas and Sistas, there will be times and remember I said, THERE WILL BE some storms in our spiritual walk that we must go through and they are not to bring us down but to build us up and strengthen us spiritually. Some storms perhaps are meant to guide us to the right path.
I can remember back about two years ago, as I was driving from Baltimore to take my passengers back to Harford County we ran into a powerful storm on 95. As I was traveling up the interstate, some of my passengers were concerned about the storm ahead of us. They wanted to know if I was planning on going ahead into the storm. I replied, "Yes, for it is only for a little while."
Well, needless to say the passengers started panicking when they heard the thunder roaring very loudly; so much to the point that it shook the motor coach. Lighting was flashing and cracking the sky. Darkness was approaching and the rain was gushing down on the roadway as if someone had poured a huge barrel of water onto it. Yet my focus was on driving straight while cars and trucks had pulled over and were now sitting on the side of the road.
The passengers were still panicking even more so, even to the point that one of the passengers spoke up and said to me,"Tony are you going to pull over?" I did not say one word until he asked a third time and then I said to him, "I see light up ahead." But he couldn't see it. Then I said to him again,"I can see it. We will be through this in just a few minutes. Just be still and you will see."
Well, when we got closer to the end of the storm, it got even more and more brighter. And then the passengers were more ecstatic. They even thought that it was my driving that got them through the storm but I made it known that it was God who was going through the storm with me (us) and directing me through it; therefore I had no reason to fear.
Brothas and Sistas, a lot of times we want to go around the storm but God promised to never leave nor forsake us. And yes, even in the midst of a storm He is there. So the next time a storm begins to rage in your life ask yourself," Is my soul anchored in the Lord?" for He is the only one that can successfully get you through life's raging storms.
Until next time, be blessed.
Minister Antonio Washington
Prayer Time
Dear Lord,
We praise you for the storms in our lives. You are right there with us promising to never leave us nor forsake us. Help us to go through each storm focused with determination to get through them. Give us a heart of praise knowing that there is a blessing on the other side of each storm. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
The Solid Foundation Christ
Watch "I Look to You - Selah - (with lyrics)" on YouTube
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
We are coming to realize everything in this life is temporary and falling apart and nothing is forever. So much so, we don't know what the next day will bring. Jobs are folding, people are losing hope, people are losing their lives and even their minds.
BUT there's a "Solid Foundation" in life that's sure and steady, Christ, the Solid Foundation for LIFE. (Luke 6:46-49; 1 Corinthians 3:10, 11)
When the storms of life rage, winds blow and our hearts become overwhelmed within us, we can run "to the rock that is higher than us." (Psalm 61:1, 2). It's in Christ Jesus that we are able to STAND. Human strength will fail but the Strength of the Lord will NEVER fail (Isa. 40:28-31); for the Joy of the LORD is our strength. (Neh. 8:10)
Storms blow in life to fulfill purpose These storms drive us deeper and closer into the face of God where our help comes from. (Psalm 121:1, 2) Our natural affections and desires keep our minds from being set on the things of this world. When we ficus on what others have it controls our conduct and hinders God's progress and purpose for our lives. But as we cry out to God to teach us His ways. He leads us to His word that purifies our hearts to please Him but we must be willing to let go of our will and set aside our ways to walk a live in the progress and purpose of God. We must kearn tobe content with what we have, especially our intimacy with Christ in our hearts for godliness with contentment is GREAT Gain. (1Timothy 6:6) For God Promised He will NEVER leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)
The days are evil and extremely difficult and we don't know if or when things will change for the better but one thing we do know and we must not doubt is to "keep love in our hearts for God and for others. Brothas and Siatas, let's keep our faith rooted and grounded in God through Christ Jesus for without faith we can't please God. (Hebrews 11:6) and TRUST God. ONLY He can make everything alright!
Let hope rest in Christ who is our living hope. (1 Peter 1:3) Stand firm and stay rooted deep in Him because all other ground is SINKING Sand!
"We are BLESSED in Christ!"
5/2/20
"Praise the LORD, servants of the LORD, Praise the name of the LORD our God! Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and forevermore!" (Psalm 113:1, 2)
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
God has a plan in the midst of all the pain we are experiencing and He has a will and purpose in the midst of every struggle that presses in against us to give up and give in. God is with us, Christ in us!! He is the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27) He will never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) So as we "pass through" the rivers, they won't overflow us; as we "walk through" the fire, it won't burn us, neither will the flame scorch us, because the LORD God is with us. (Isaiah 43:2)
Brothas and Sistas, we endure through the pain to reach the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13, 14) and we press against the struggles that's against us to receive the reward (1 Corinthians 3:13, 14; 2 John 8) Christ will bring it to pass when He comes! Jesus said, And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates of the city.
(Revelation 22:12) Abide in Christ and remain faithful to the Lord. The PRIZE is IN Christ and His REWARD is with Him when He comes! EVERYTHING we need is IN CHRIST!!
Enjoy the day,
Claudia
Prayer of Faith
We are so grateful that one day You will be coming back! We are grateful that even while we are here on earth you are with us in Spirit. Lord, we confess to day that we could have never made it trough these trying times without you. We are thankful that you have a plan. Thank you for being in our lives and making us more than conquerors in all that we are facing! In Jesus name we pray! Amen.
1/8/20
Tea Time with Tabby
A Brew of a New Year and Grateful Heart
Philippians 4:6 [Full Chapter]
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Ephesians 5:20 [Full Chapter]
always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Colossians 2:7 New International Version (NIV)
7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Colossians 3:15 New International Version (NIV)
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Hebrews 12:28 New International Version (NIV)
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,
Good Morning Friends and Family in Christ!! I pray that your new year has begun positive and with great anticipation of what the Lord has promised and what he intends for you this upcoming year.
Let’s start off by asking Christ the Grand Brew Master to join us at His table today and see what He is brewing up for us today. I know in my own life its so easy to get discouraged and distracted and overwhelmed and overly busy and forget to be thankful for all the many ways that God intends to be in our messy lives. Does anyone else feel that they are just too busy too anxious too depressed too stressed to be thankful. I will be completely honest I do. I have been feeling this way a lot over the past few months. Its been hard for me to see where God is in my messy life.
As we have entered into this New Year, I decided that I want to re-capture that joy and I want to remember who I am in Christ and who he says I am not who and what the world says I am.
So, in order for us to capture this amazing gift gratitude that God promises us if we choose to acknowledge and keep our eyes open and seek to see what He is showering us with daily. We must make a conscious decision to look at thing’s experiences, circumstances and so on through His eyes not the worlds view. This is tough to do I know!! However, I also know that this small change in perspective can be our saving grace! This small change in perspective asking God not why aren’t you in this messiness but rather God what do you want me to learn in this mess? God what is that I need to see to move beyond this and not end up here in this same mess over and over again. God please reveal to me your will in this situation. Lord I relinquish my need to control and be in charge you are God I am not. This small change in perspective and attitude can reveal so much for us and give us a vision of our situation that is so much clearer. This doesn’t mean that we will always get our way or even get out of the muck quicker, but it will mean that our time in the muck will feel less alone, and gratitude will grow from this change in perspective.
Now the next question is how do we do this in a practical way? How do we change our vision and how we see the world and the situations and circumstances that we are called to walk through in this life this side of heaven daily?
Well the way I am going to attempt to do this is when my mind starts going down the road of negativity or anxiousness, I am going to stop, pray and refocus.
I am going to choose to take a few minutes each day and start a Gratitude Journal. The idea of a gratitude journal can be overwhelming for so many of us, but it’s not really that challenging. To complete a Gratitude Journal all you need is a notebook or anything to jot down the smallest of things that are grateful each day.
As in our bible verses today God calls us to be thankful for everything and to give thanks for everything in all circumstances and situations. God Promises us that the more we practice gratitude and thankfulness we will see growth in our faith. Lastly, we need to remember that we have been given the greatest of all gifts and the promise of heaven. Therefore, we all have a lot to be thankful for everyday!!
Brothers and Sisters lets each make this New Year a Year of Gratitude and Thankfulness in the promises of Christ.
Till next week!!
Love,
Tabby
Tea Time with Tabby
A Brew of Trying to Trust in God’s Plan
Proverbs 3:5-6 [Full Chapter]
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
2 Samuel 7:28 New International Version (NIV) "Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant.
Psalm 9:10 New International Version (NIV) "Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you."
Jeremiah 29:11 New International Version (NIV) "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 future."
Good Morning everyone,
It has been some time since we have sat together at the master’s Table to receive His Daily Brew. I am so happy to have received a prompting from Him this morning to share this brew that I am so struggling with in my life.
Prayer- Lord I want to hear from you, I want to know Your will in my circumstances I want to feel your conviction and your direction. Lord I need this so as I can’t continue on without a change of hearts, attitudes and actions in this life. Lord help me to share in this brew you have prepared today. Amen
Let’s grab our biggest Tea Cup and head to the Grand Brew Masters Table and chose to receive this brew into our hearts, minds and souls.
I don’t know about you but there are things and circumstances in my life where trusting that God has my back, that He is right there cheering me on, encouraging me towards the finish line. Yet there are other areas of my life that I don’t seem to hear Him or feel Him in or around it.
Trusting in His Good Plans and Purposes is so easy for me when it comes to health and life and death. I have no fear or worries about dying. I certainly don’t have a desire to go home today but if that were the case, I am ok with it.
I can easily trust God in caring for my family, I can trust that God will one day in His perfect timing bring my son back into the fold of His Flock of devoted Christ Followers.
I can trust that God will provide for me, even though there simply at times isn’t enough. I can trust God with knowing that He has placed wise and Godly woman in my life that seek Him first then their own understanding.
However, there is big area of my life that I don’t feel the presence or leading and directing of the Lord in ways that align with His Sovereign Word. Do you have any areas of your life that you struggle with this? How is it that we can trust Him with so much yet not be able to hear His voice in this area of our lives?
I believe that this is partly due to our own choosing, that maybe we have closed off our hearts and turned off our Spiritual Good Listening Ears. Maybe its due to the level of hurt and distrust and chaos that the situation has enveloped you and I in. Maybe its that we can’t trust ourselves to hear Him in this area of our life due to our own sin or the sin of others perpetrated against us.
I wish that I could tell you that its as simple as a 1 time prayer or sipping in His Promises above that will get you and I back to a place of trusting God’s eternal plan for your life and mine. It’s simply not that easy, this will take work, this will take effort. We will have to dig in deep, seek Him with all our heart and soul.
We will have to have wise counsel. We will have to choose to bend our will to His will even if we can’t yet understand His Will for our lives. We may have to cling tightly to His promises in the storms of life that we will simply wash us away.
You see brothers and sisters in Christ we can’t know God’s plan for our lives and trust in it if we aren’t choosing to be connected to the Father. We must be choosing daily to put on our Spiritual Good Listening Ears and seeking earnestly to hear him. We must choose to trust Him even when He seems silent.
Honestly my friends this is one of the hardest brews of my life. I am not sure how my circumstance will work out if I will be able to do God’s will in them or not. I only know that in order for me to be sure I am making the right decisions and choices I must bend my will to His. I must choose to hear the wise counsel that comes from trusted believers that know the truth of God and the truth of my circumstances. I must trust that if God chooses to, He can change the heart of man, if we are seeking Him with all our being.
Friends lets end this Brew time together in prayer.
Lord you know our circumstances and Lord we know your heart is always inclined towards our best. Lord you are righteous and just always. Lord each of us have a place in our hearts, minds or souls that we would rather believe you don’t care about that you don’t desire to have it bend to your will and good purposes. Lord we recognize and claim this disobedience this day. Lord we are choosing to lay this too at the foot of the cross. Lord we are seeking you with our whole hearts, mind and soul.
Lord please hear your weak and weary children. Lord please place Godly wise persons in each of our paths. Lord please speak to us with boldness and volume above all the noise and distractions of this world. Lord help us to see your plans your desires and help us to want to make them ours. Soften our hearts where they have become like stone, change or eyes to see the circumstances we exist in through your eyes.
Lord I know I so desperately need a change in my circumstance. I know that I feel that I am desperately in need of your direction and leading. Lord you know all that weighs on my heart and the cost of any choice made. Lord please make your will known in my life and the lives of all your children.
Lord Thank you for your Word, thank you for your Holy Spirit, and thank you for your promise that you will never leave or forsake us. In the precious name of Jesus Christ, we submit this prayer, our hearts, circumstances and lives. Amen
Thanks for joining me today and sharing in this Brew, I pray that God will reveal His perfect plan for good and not to harm but to prosper and to expand His good purposes and kingdom in your life as well as mine.
Love,
Tabby
- Divorce Is Not Child’s Play!By A. Lin. ThomasEven When It Hurts (Praise Song) Live - Hillsong UNITED Song: Fully Committed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCV6kZY4Pv4Last week, I heard a funny story, but the story made me very sad. My grandson reported that some kids on the school playground had called him as a witness in their version of “Divorce Court.” Apparently, there was a boy and a girl who had gotten married, (at least in their childlikeminds). Well, the boy found out from other kids that the girl (his wife) had cheated on him, and he wanted a divorce. There was a whole playground court session where witnesses were called totestify to the so-called infidelity. Afterward, the children broke up (got a divorce) and went on about their merry way. At first, I didn’t want to hear about any part of the childish event, but the other day the story was told to me in its totality. I was moved to sadness for the children who have become so accustomed to hearing about divorce that they thought nothing of getting married, then getting divorced. It made think about the reason I got divorced. I would love to blame him, but I can’t, the travesty was our doing, not just his. I gave as much to the marriage as I could, but he was in- and-out, then eventually, he was all the way out, which lead me to file for divorce. Knowing
- what I know now about the covenant of marriage and the consequences of divorce, I felt sorry for myself, those children and all others who have had a failed marriage. Which is really a failed family life. It’s not just the couple that’s affected, the whole family, all the friends, the neighbors andthe community is impacted. Personally, I don’t recommend divorce, it’s very hurtful, especially for the children who are in the middle and watching it all. But the reality is that; divorce usually happens when one or both partners in the couple stops being a partner and turns into an enemy. When that happens, it will always force the other partner to go into survival mode, which makes them turn inwardly to protect themselves from the partner who promised to be a partner but isn’t.Divorce is not child’s play, it’s a serious detriment to family life and well-being. And it’s also not the norm. The children are only acting out what they’ve seen, heard about or personally experienced. We can’t blame them for imitating the adults in their lives, their supposed to do that, if we are good role models. The question is: are we? Selah! (Take the time to think about that). When we do, we will be wiser about dating, and mating. Because what matters most is not all the romantic banter that happens in the beginning of the relationship, it’s the love that is displayed within the marriage that makes the difference in the family’s well-being. Let’s take mating, and marriage more seriously and end the divorce cycle, by committing to God’s way of building the house. Prayer:Father, in the name of our Lord, Jesus, thank You for healing all the broken hearts and binding up all the wounds that divorce has caused. Forgive us who have been participants in divorce and help us to forgive the ex-mate. Realizing that we should not be choosing a mate
- outside of Your will, please give us a discerning spirit to make wise relational covenants. Help us as Your children, not to be unequally yoked with an unbeliever. Rather, help us to choose a suitable mate, just like You chose for Adam and Eve. We desire to let our marriage and family represent Your love and goodness. Amen!
9/20/19
God’s Angelic Protection
By A. Lin. Thomas
Even When It Hurts (Praise Song) Live - Hillsong UNITED Song: Whom Shall I Fear [The God of Angel Armies] By Chris Tomlin with Lyrics gioxlove
Good morning Brothas and sistas,
The other day I was watching a ministry, when the Pastor began ministering about the protection of God’s angels. Immediately, I was catapulted into a memory of a cloudy morning in the early 90’s. I was on my way to work and I had just gotten off an MTA Bus in Maryland. I never thought to cross the street in front a bus, but that morning I was running late and attempting to make it across the street so that I could connect with my second bus. I could see thebus approaching the corner, so I stepped down off the curb in front of the first bus I had just gotten off, when I felt an arm grab me around my waist.
I froze in place as a speeding car attempting to make the yellow light sped past me at top speed. I couldn’t move at all, until that car passed by me. I was stunned and very shaken when I realized someone had just saved my life. There was no human holding on to me, but I felt an armstop me in my tracks. As I walked cautiously across the street, I pondered about what had happened to me. I missed the second bus, but that was nothing in comparison to the fact that my life had been spared. I made an inner vow never to cross the street in front of a bus again.
As I rode to work on the next bus, I thought, that must have been an angel that saved me. I never forgot how God kept me through one of his angelic host. I know that a lot of people don’t believe they exist, or that they are sent to minister help to us, but they are. The ironic part of the situation for me that makes me appreciate God’s grace all-the-more is that, I wasn’t save then. That wouldn’t happen for six years afterward.
I had always heard that we all have a guardian angel that walks with us.Well, I felt mine that day. He held me back from what would have been certain death, instantly. But God had another plan for me to share His goodness with all of you. So, when you feel like God is far away from you, just remember that His angels are always with you to protect and keep you from harm.
Prayer: Father, in the name of our Lord, Jesus, thank You for that precious memory. Please continue to use Your angelic host to help us through the trials and tribulations of this life. Help us to always remember that Your love for us is constant, even though we might not feel it. Thank You for giving us “all blessings in the heavenly realm.” Amen!
9/16/19
Good Soil
Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNMOY7tltZ0
By A. Lin. Thomas
Even When It Hurts (Praise Song) Live - Hillsong UNITED
“Don’t be misled—you cannot mock justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone especially to those in the family of faith.” Galatians 6:7-10 (NLT)
Afterward, God spoke to me to let me know everything was going to be alright, and I just needed to rest. After I came to my senses, I looked at my family realizing that my work here is not in vain. We’ve come so far, and God will take us the rest of the way, we just need to hold on.
Just a friendly caregiver reminder: it’s going to be alright! God’s got this! And we just need to hold on to our unchanging faith in Him! But in the meantime, take a deeeeeeeeeep breath and let it all out. Then cast all your cares on the Lord, for He cares for you…”
Father, in the name of our Lord, Jesus, I just want to say Thank You! You are always there to comfort, counsel and console us when our emotions or life’s issues get us down. Please forgive us for our meltdowns, it’s the human side of us. Thank You for the spiritual part of You in us that gives us the strength to endure, anything! You are truly our Father, Savior and Comforter. Amen!
Song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNMOY7tltZ0
It’s that time again, back to school. With everything going on with the kids, everything felt so overwhelming. “I can’t do this anymore, Lord!” I screamed as I made my way to my bedroom. After my meltdown, I just sat quietly contemplating how I was going to redeem myself. Then I took a deep breath and decompressed. I don’t know who invented deep breaths, but they sure work. They give you just enough time to come to your senses.
Afterward, God spoke to me to let me know everything was going to be alright, and I just needed to rest. After I came to my senses, I looked at my family realizing that my work here is not in vain. We’ve come so far, and God will take us the rest of the way, we just need to hold on.
By A. Lin. Thomas
Song:
Watch ""God is trying to tell you something." - (The Color Purple)" on YouTube
Good morning Brothas and Sistas
A few weeks ago, I woke up on a Sunday morning with a message from God for two people in my life. “Tell them to lay down the sin and get out of the strife,” He commanded. I sat for a moment wondering how I was going to present this message. It’s not easy to go to anyone with a message from the Lord. But this message was important for their healing, one was dealing with cancer, the other has a baby with a brain tumor. Both are being attacked with sickness.
I had been praying for these individuals and God answered with a word of correction. Then He explained to me the importance of his correction. Both individuals were entrenched in sin and strife, which was giving the enemy an open door into their lives. For this reason, they were being attacked physically and emotionally.It was then that I was able to see how God wanted to present healing to them.
Actually, His healing was already available to them, but they were disconnected from walking in it due to sin and strife. After I called both women, I meditated on His message. Then I remembered 2 Chronicles 16:9 (NIV), “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.”
The scriptures speak much about strife: https://www.openbible.info/topics/strife
Proverbs 10:12 ESV "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses."
Proverbs 16:28 ESV "A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.
"How can I bear by myself the weight and burden of you and your strife?"
Romans 13:13 ESV "Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy."
Psalm 31:20 ESV "In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter from the strife of tongues."
James 3:14 ESV "But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth."
Habakkuk 1:3 ESV "Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise."
2 Corinthians 12:20 ESV "For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder."
Philippians 2:2-3 ESV "Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."
1 Timothy 2:8 ESV
Prayer:
Father, in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, please forgive our sin and strife. Help us to keep the doors of sin and strife closed in our lives. Help us to live righteously and peacefully before you and with others in this world. And when it gets exceptionally hard to maintain our righteousness and peace, strengthen us by Your Spirit. We give your name praise, honor and glory. Amen!
Who Do You Love?
By A. Lin. Thomas
Tolu J
As we sat watching him, we were in shock over the situation. It really could have been avoided. He has been ordered to stay away from the children and my daughter his ex-wife, that he wants no responsibility for, but he hasn’t. He is able to pay his child support, but he refuses to do so.
Later in the evening as I sat quietly, the Lord brought to mind, 1 Timothy 6:10, “The love of money is the root of all evil.” I never would’ve equated that scripture to my children’s situation, but it clearly applies. He has chosen to protect his money over his children, which means he has chosen to love his money over his children. That’s definitely evil!
We have been praying for his soul, because God’s word says. It hasn’t been easy, but it is absolutely necessary. Men walking away from their families for the love of money is becoming a serious problem in the African American community. God also brought back to my remembrance when my adopted father did the same thing when he left us as children. All the responsibility then fell on my mother, which she gladly took, in love.
I really believe the problem is not just financial but spiritual. It is coming down to who we choose to mate with. He may be handsome, but is he responsible and suitable? For the men it will also come to down to “Are you caring and sharing? Or will you keep your good to yourself and reap the results of your selfishness?”
Prayer:
Father, in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, please forgive us the women for not consulting with you concerning our prior mating and marriage. Also please forgive the broken men “for they know not what they do.” Heal the family members, especially the children who have lost a part of themselves, because their father has forsaken them. Father, thank You for becoming the Father who will gladly love, provide and care for them for all eternity. And help us all to do what is loving and right. Amen!
- Has God Done Anything For You?
- By A. Lin. Thomas
- Psalm 121:5-8 New International Version (NIV) "The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
- Maurette Brown Clark- Has God Done Anything For You?zoeytrapper1
- A few weeks ago, I attended a Gospel Concert at Kings Dominion Amusement Park. “Joy Fest” was its title, and a joy fest it was. Although it was so hot one of the featured ministers of song asked, “Why is it so hot?” Everyone else’s response was, “If this is what hell feels like, Idon’t want any part of it.”What blessed me the most, was not the inspiring music, or the fun and food of the occasion. For me it was seeing all the. hands go up when one of the ministers asked, “Has God done anything for you?” Hands went up all over the concert venue, including mine.
- As I glanced at the sea of raised hands, it brought to mind how muchGod has done for me. Too often as we experience the pitfalls and trials of this life, we often forget to remember all the good things God has done for us. Things like: Giving us the breath of life! Keeping us well fed and properly hydrated on hot days! Fighting our battles with us and most of the time, for us! Keeping us calm inside, when we want to hurt somebody who has hurt us! Paying the bills when you know there’s not enough money available! Forgiving us our messes and exchanging our failures forDivinely orchestrated victories!
- These are but a few of the minute details of our blessed lives that we often overlook in the chaos of life. But it is
- clearly evident, that if you are reading this blog, God has done something for you, because you are still alive, and can see this post.Keep on praising God, keep on loving God, keep on obeying God, and watch God do amazing things to show you His love for you. And don’t forget to pray, everyday to the God that loves you the most.
- Prayer: Father, We thank You for doing so much for us. More than we can possibly understand, see or contain. Your blessings are so constant that we sometimes overlook them. But we thank You for never overlooking to care for us. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen!
a harvest of things you’ve hoped for. The world can’t
However, until you become a believer in God, you just
without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that
My advice to my daughter was, “Understand that she doesn’t have the faith in God that
get to see the fruit of it, and learn to trust God for herself.”
In the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, please help the world to see You, so they can
Your goodness to your children. And let them see that although we suffer with Christ, we do
morning by Your grace and mercy. Amen!
A. Lin. Thomas
Watch "Tasha Cobbs Leonard - You Know My Name ft. Jimi Cravity" on YouTube
- "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God,the Cr+eator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding noone can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope inthe LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles;they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31, NIV)Song: Donnie McClurkin Wait On The Lord With Lyrics(ft. Karen Clark Sheard
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=sTqIBTZix5w
Good morning my Brothas and Sistas,
Joni Erickson Tada states - “Faith isn’t the ability to believe long and far into the misty future. It’s simply taking God at His Word and taking the next step.”
Twelve Israelite spies returned to give their report of the Promised Land. Ten said, " Go! " Only two had eyes of faith. Caleb and Joshua focused on the bountiful blessing of the land. The other ten were too focused on the giants that they couldn't see the beauty of what God was giving them. They forgot the "God factor". God told the Israelites He would give them the land and He had power to make it happen.
Is it easy to be like the twelve spies and focus on the giant negatives in our lives? How many of us lose faith in God's power to do a mighty work beyond what we can see? The truth is, we need to turn our eyes toward faith in what God can do and stop concentrating on what's wrong. We need to look at what's promising, not what's discouraging! By changing our focus, we will begin to see all the positive blessings God has provided and will provide for us in the Promise Land.
Brothas and Sistas, we can keep the faith in many ways!!
1. Be mindful to pray. Prayer is the ultimate communication with God. By praying, you are allowing God to hear your concerns even though He already knows them.
2. You need to read your bible. The bible is the word of God and by reading it you are getting valuable information regarding what God has to say about your life and how He feels about you.
3. Don’t forget to stand on God's promises that He has made to you in His word. Jesus promised to never leave nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5) By grasping onto the word of God and trusting in it, you can rest assured that you are in good hands despite what is going on around you.
4. Don’t allow the distractions from the world to lead you in the wrong direction. Please remember to stay focused and remember God is on your side regardless of the situation and He will pull you through it.
We must stay strong in God's word. It requires an ongoing active choice to select God. Also, keeping the faith not just in times of peace, but in times when life feels rough. In times when we want to give up or choose another path we must trust God. Continue to ask God for His guidance on an daily basis. The word states' in 1 Corinthians 16:13, "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong."
Faith is very important to have because without it, we can't please God. By holding on to faith during troubled times, you can rest assured that you will be okay. Don’t fall into the pit of questioning whether God still cares. If you call on Him with your whole being and mind God will answer you as long as you’re
Our Daily Bread/Prayer Time
Dear Lord,
We thank you for always being there at times when we feel so alone. You have been faithful even in the tough times in our lives and we praise you. We pray that our phenomenal Brothas and Sistas would develop a faith that withstands every trial. We know that without faith it is impossible to please you. (Hebrews 11:6) Help our Brothas and Sistas to look beyond what they perceive as impossible and look through the eyes of faith to know that you make all things possible. Please remove the mountain in their lives that seeks to hinder them from doing your will. We pray all these things in your most powerful name, Jesus. Amen.
The Narrow Way 13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.14Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 New King James Version (NKJ
- Song: Elimbi - Enter The Narrow Gate [Official Video]Thanks & Praise Movement
- Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
- I was riding along one day, when suddenly I looked up and noticed a sign ona business that read: "Deli sandwiches and Spirits." My first thought was, I don't want no spirits with my sandwich. I didn’t mind getting the sandwich, that might have been good for lunch or later for dinner. But the looming questions that kept plaguing my thoughts was, "What kind of spirits are they offering? Will they be good spirits that will help protect me and help me maneuver safely through life's many differing facets? Or will they be bad spirits
- that I'll spend every waking moment trying to escape? Who knows?
- But the one thing I do know for sure, is I am so glad I don't have a drinking problem, because if I did, I sure wouldn't step foot in that liquor store. It's bad enough to go in bound, but to come out in more bondage because of those spirits lingering around the atmosphere, sure would not make for a very enjoyable lunch break. It's bad enough the corn beef sandwich might attack me later, but I certainly didn't need to have to worry about scary spirits seeking my demise.I wonder if people know about those spirits.
- I wonder if they know about God's Holy Spirit. He's the only Spirit that I trust to feed my soul and keep me on the “straight and narrow.” And I also wonder if they know about Jesus? The one who heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3).
- I am so thankful, that He's the one whose name I can use to kick the butts of those bad spirits. And there are two other reasons why I'm so very thankful: the first is because I’m saved by the grace of God, and the second is because I'm being fed so good with God's Word, that I'm not hungry for a deli sandwich.
- Prayer: Father, in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, I ask you to deliver me from every evildesire that has, is, or will try to overtake me. Please keep my feet on the narrow path that leads to life and away from destruction. Fill my heart with Your love and adoration for You and Your Word. I ask forgiveness for any sins that I have previously committed against You and heaven. And I also seek Your perfect will for my life. Lead me, correct me, protect me and establish me in Your righteousness and Your Word. And what ever else I do in this life; I ask You to help me do it by Your Spirit. Amen.
Are We In Love With God or Things?
Enter God's Rest
Tea Time with Tabby
“A Brew that Pours and Assurances of the Unseen Truth of God’s Love”
Hebrews 11 New International Version (NIV)
Faith in Action
11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised landlike a stranger in a foreign country;
All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth
.By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Good Morning Brother’s and Sisters in Christ and all those that have come today as it was God’s plan for you to be here to sip in this Brew of the Truth about God’s Love. May we Pray. Lord I was so challenged by Nikki Lerner’s message on Sunday and her quote “God give me the capacity to see and trust the unseen things of my faith” This is not the exact quote but its close enough God that you know what I am referencing. God I want that heart and I trust that you will reveal through this brew a desire for us all to commit that to our Prayer Life. Lord use me as your vessel to reveal your message of Love to all that come to this brew today and forevermore. Amen
Brother’s and Sister’s, I am certain that we each have things or circumstances that we have been praying for and may have even given up on praying for. I am sure we have each felt that tug from the Lord, or had a friend give us a nudge that God has whispered a something He wants us to pursue. I think we all have had those conversations with God, I don’t see it God, so I can pursue it. Or God it’s too hard I just can’t. Or God I am just giving this up as it doesn’t seem that you’re on my side with this or would have answered this prayer. Or God I will go where you send me or do what you say If I get that billboard, or in my case more often that 2”X4” moment.
I think in this world of technology and speed and convenience we are often missing out on many of the blessings and opportunities that the Lord has planned for us. Opportunities where we can be counted as those in our versus above for future generations. God Promises that all who follow His commands and stand in the Gap of with Faith and Follow Him with their whole heart will be counted amongst the faithful.
We you and I are counted and spoke of in the bible as those who will be remembered and have the opportunity today to start making the choices that will lead to a faith to remembered and shared and replicated by all those that our lives impact for the days we have here on earth. When we read the accounts of the faithful you have to ask yourself is God really asking that much of me? Really in comparison to those who handed down their faith all those generations back. I mean let’s be honest here God isn’t likely to be asking us to build boat as He is going to flood the earth when they didn’t even know what rain was at the time. God isn’t likely to ask you to take and put your child in basket and send him down the river, so he can save a nation in the future. God isn’t likely to send you up a mountain to sacrifice your child to ready you for the understanding that this child will grow and be the first of a great nation of God’s People. God’s not likely to put us in the Lion’s Den and expect that our faith will close the lion’s mouth. Yet He will ask us step into and to put into action our faith through trusting Him in the unseen.
God has demonstrated to us over and over again that if we pursue the things that are pleasing to Him; if we pursue loving and sharing the gospel with all we encounter that our capacity to see and understand the unseen and the unknown, with a greater capacity will grow within us. For each time we say yes and step out in Faith our capacity to know the things that God has for our lives will grow and be made clearer. We each have the responsibility and ability through Christ Jesus to pursue the call(s) on our lives that God puts upon us.
The greatest call that He has placed on every believer’s heart is to pursue love, and to share love with everyone. God calls us to love everyone, to fill in the gaps where others are feeling lost and unloved. God calls us to be a people that demonstrate love and compassion where there is none. To stretch our faith to seek out His will for our lives and encourage others to do the same. To trust in the unseen and the unanswered prayers that His silence may not really be silence at all. That the answer may be right in front of us if we simply would choose to ask God to give us the capacity to see and step out in faith in ways that we have doubts and fears.
Brothers and Sisters, we have the greatest cheering squad ever in the heavens, we have each come from stock that is strong and determined, trusting, faithful, and righteous. We have an ancestry of people that have demonstrated and shared and documented that we can accomplish anything that God calls us. If we choose to allow God to move us where we can’t see. If we choose to let God use us in ways that we don’t understand. If we choose to allow God to open our minds and hearts to people and circumstances that we simply can’t see Him in. If we choose to continue to pray those prayers that seem to bounce off the ceiling but not just pray them trust that He hears them. Then ask Him to give you the capacity to see and trust in the unanswered so that you can find the truth and the answer through your obedience to His response.
Brothers and Sisters, we don’t serve a God that plays games with our faith and trust He doesn’t play hide and seek when we are praying and asking Him for anything. He is the God that promises to give us the desires of our heart. He is a God that asked His own Son to go before us and demonstrate that standing in the Gap is the only way to true freedom and real change, and the place to find true hope in the unseen. God asked His son to make the ultimate demonstration of going where no one has gone before and to bring the promise of salvation. He did this through the cross, that was His biggest gesture and example of expanding our capacity to understand that if He promises it He will deliver it as He delivered Christ from cross to the grave, to depths of hell, and back to you and me for our Salvation.
Take a few moments and ponder that ancestry and then ask yourself is what God is calling you to as great a sacrifice? I think if we were honest we would all have to say no. That God is simply calling us to be a people that Love one another every one another. That He is calling us each to share in the work of the kingdom and that we each have the capacity to step out in faith and into the gap and fulfill that purpose. Trust in those unanswered prayers as they may well be answered but we weren’t asking or trusting that He heard them or answered them. We hadn’t yet asked Him to open our hearts and minds and spirit to receive the answer to receive the next steps that may lead to the answer.
I challenge you each and myself this week to spend some time God and take inventory of the nudges and the hints, or the encouragements from the faithful about your own life and what is that God wants you to expand your capacity in faith and trust in Him to pursue and accomplish. To be counted as one that stepped out in faith and left doubt and fear behind, to pursue God’s purpose for your life for the future generations to recount. I believe with my whole heart that there are gaps in each of our faith that God desires to fill in and use to demonstrate to the world and to the generations that will follow behind us that will fuel the faith and shed the light of Christ to many new and old believers.
As we leave one another for the day I pray that we will each be praying for one another being that cheering squad even though we may never meet, we can still have an impact on the growth and stretching of one another’s capacity to fill in the gaps of the ever pursing Love of God.
Till next week,
Love,
Tabby
Even When It Hurts (Praise Song) Live - Hillsong UNITED
Genesis 15:13(NLT)
Sometimes in life, it appears as if God has left the scene, especially when you need Him the most. But that’s never true, most often God is simply working His plan in our lives. He did the same with Israel, Abrahams descendants. In Genesis 15:13-14, God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations, but He also told him that his descendants would go into slavery for 400 years. Well, God is always true to His word, and they did. But He also promised they would eventually come out. And in steps Moses.
I find that amazing that God would choose Moses, who had been in the desert for forty years. He knew the desert like the back of his hand. So, when the Jews were finally released from Egypt, guess who led them out into the desert? God and Moses—the One who promised deliverance and the man with desert experience. The Jews had never lived in the desert before, and God knew this when he sent Moses to navigate His people through a place they had never been before. The Jews might have given Moses a run for his money, but the desert Moses had mastery over.
Father,
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
There is a story in the bible that I hear preached in a certain way, and every time I hear it that way, it makes me cringe. It’s the story of “A Man Healed at the Pool of Bethesda” (John 5:1-8). “After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.”’
What really caught my attention about the story is that Jesus, personally went to the man to heal him for He knew there would be no other way except that God showed up personally to set that man free. People say that when Jesus asked the man if he wanted to be well, that the man began to make excuses for why he wasn’t well. But that’s not true, Jesus was simply asking for permission to take authority over the situation and only the man could give it to Him. Yes, the man explained that as a paralyzed man, he couldn’t move fast enough to beat the others to the pool, and he was left behind, year after year.
I absolutely understand the man’s predicament, God had to personally come to me also to heal me in 1996. What a personal Savior Jesus is!!! Hallelujah!!! He said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9, NLT).
Prayer:
Help us to never take your grace for granted, it’s the power of God unto salvation. And that salvation comes in many ways for us to partake of your merciful grace. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, Amen!
Tea Time with Tabby
3/31/19
Sleeping And Walking
(Psalm 127 : 2 )
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
Whenever I tell my granddaughter that we need to go somewhere and that she needs to get dressed and get her shoes on, she usually says to me, "Granny, I can do it myself." Ok great! I thought. She's trying to be independent that's fine with me.
It was cute the first few times. But I realize doing it herself met long struggles for those little fingers. Especially trying to put on her shoes, which most of the time ended up on the wrong foot. For me it would have been so much easier if she would just have accepted my help. Especially when I am in a hurry.
I wonder if our Lord and Savior might feel the same way when we assert our independence by giving Him the grown-up version of "I can do it myself. " We often see ourselves as the center of how work universe. We think our success relies on our own efforts, so we tire ourselves out
His hands, resting in the fact that He will help us do what is needed and give us the wisdom to know what we should let go.
Apparently, that time with God was well-spent because the bible refers to Noah as “a righteous man, blameless in his generation who walked with God” (Gen. 6:9-10). Most of us have heard the story of Noah building the “Ark,” but God showed me something else that Noah did. He built the “Ark,” and he weathered the first storm ever!
God taught me years ago, that in the natural realm, a storm ushers in a new weather pattern or a changing season. We clearly see this as winter is leaving and spring is approaching. The storms, sometimes violent, are ushering in a changing season for us.
Genesis 6:17-18 (ESV) states that God was establishing a covenant between Himself and Noah, “For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your son’s wives with you.”
Looking at the storms of life from the perspective that as long as we are in right standing with God, the storms won’t be used to harm us, but to exalt us. Given that insight, it’s just a matter of endurance and learning, which should promote growth and preparedness for the new season to come.
Father,
Open the eyes of our understanding to know your will and give us your wisdom to be able to walk in it. Help us to perceive your will through the storms of life. And help us to endure like good soldiers the battles we must fight. In the name of Jesus, Amen!
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
Everytime I hear the song, "Lay It Down" by Troy Sneed I am reminded of how awesome God's love is towards us. He is a burden bearer and a burden lifter. Just when we're on the brink of giving up God comes in and says, "Just lay it down at my feet and give it to me". How awesome is it to have been hand picked before creation to serve and trust such an awesome God?
Jeremiah 1:5 says, " Before I knew you before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you as a prophet before the nations." Our awesome God not only chose us but He waits for us to come to Him. Psalm 55:22 says, "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken."
When we have a heartache God says, "Lay it down." When we feel like we can't make it another day He says, "Lay it down." Rev. 21:4 tells us that, "God will wipe our tears away." The one who created us is just waiting for us to bring it all to Him. He awaits us and He is always there for us so it's time for us to, "Lay it down".
Mighty God, I cast my cares on You. You’re the Living and Loving God-a God Who is able to do exceeding abundantly, far beyond my wildest dream; far beyond my imagination and comprehension. You are able to keep against that day, that which is committed into your loving Hands, You are able to keep, protect and shield.. No foe can pluck me out of Your Hands. The good work You have begun in me, You will surely bring to a glorious finale, to Your glory and praise. You are trustworthy, faithful, gracious, good, in all Your ways, ever loving, loyal, awesome. Your Hands are powerful. Your right hand is a Right Hand of rightness and justice. Your eyes go to and fro in the earth.Amen. http://christian-talk.forumotion.com/t5150-i-cast-all-my-cares-upon-you
Love,
Sista Melissa
"He will wipe every tear from your eyes." Revelation 21:4
Dear Lord,
We thank you for being a burden bearer. You are also a burden lifter. We pray that you would help our Sistas to "lay it down". Please allow them to lay whatever problem or care that they have at your feet. You promised to wipe all our tears away when we come to you and you have been faithful. We praise you for always being there for us. We pray all these things in your great name, Jesus. Amen.
Let's continue with my testimony.
After I apologized to her and we had dinner and cleaned the kitchen, I retreated to my room embarrassed and ashamed that I had caused my child to flee from our home. During my prayer God reminded me about His warning, scolded me for my disobedience, counseled me about the wrong, and then He comforted me. What He taught me was that, “My way is not His way. And my way doesn’t work.” Shortly after that battle there was another battle. This time God told me that I would have to discipline my daughter by removing her freedom. He stated, “Whatever you do, don’t let her off her punishment, regardless of how unfair she says you are, don’t give into her.” This time I listened and I submitted wholeheartedly and went about for three days doing my morning devotionals and watching the ministry programs.
On the third morning my daughter came down stairs and sat in the floor and watched the 700 Club program with me. At the end of the program they offered the Prayer of Salvation. I suggested that she should pray that prayer even though I had prayed that prayer with her before. She prayed with them and afterward they said, “If you have prayed this prayer, please give us a call.” She did and they prayed with her again. After she hung up the phone she looked at me astonished and proclaimed, “Mom, I’m saved!” We rejoiced and I hugged and congratulated her and asked her, “Do you feel any different?” She responded, “No.” I said, “You will, let me know in the morning how you feel.”
And I also realized how powerful my tongue is and that I could bless my child one day and curse her the next. James 3:9-12 warns, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and saltwater flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”
Conclusion
Sistas, I had been praying all along for God to save my child, but God needed for me to get out of the way and let Him. I had to stop passing down the bitterness, anger, quarreling and selfish ambitions, so that God could undo the wrong and use us, especially me as a mother.
Audrey
2/28/19
https://youtu.be/6jOg7kPB94c?list=PLCC882FDD48B99F33
"For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the Savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." Ephesians 5:23-27
Good morning to our wonderful Brothas and Sistas,
Learning how to listen to our loved ones specifically in reference to our marriages is a learned art. There are times when our spouses are trying to communicate with us if we take the time to really hear what they are saying. Brothas and Sistas, if we be honest this communication thing can have our heads spinning at times. Even in marriage it takes years to get this thing down. My husband has this saying that goes like this, "We need to listen with the intent to understand what has been said without responding in a defensive way." We have to give the person time to finish all that they want to communicate.
Brothas and Sistas, whenever your spouse is trying to communicate a concern it is not the time to be thinking about your response. Learn to listen. Remember they need to be heard. We have to become astute students of what our spouse are trying to convey. And if you are anything like me when I first got married I could keep a brother guessing for days about all that was going on in this mind of mines. I was the quiet and shy type. On the other hand my wonderful husband was the talker in the relationship Most times I held things in and I automatically thought my husband through divine providence or osmosis could just read my mind. I was something else. And I was quite upset with him when I found out that he did not have the capability of knowing what was in my heart without me having to tell him.
http://marriagemissions.com/about-us-2/quotes-on-communication-and-conflict/
We will talk more about this topic next week. Take care.
Sista Michelle
https://youtu.be/DTrGlL62NxA?list=PLHhyKiJsXjJY9r825mvcK5i-w8oZC3cqe Marriage Praise Dance
Prayer Time
We praise you for our beautiful mates. Thank you dear Lord, for teaching us the true art of communication. Help us to listen intently to our mates so that they can feel as though they are really being heard. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.1
2/25/19
“From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Ephesians 4:16, NIV).
Love ya,
Audrey
“A Brew of who are you in the Storms of Life Part 3” Tabitha Smith
Acts 27: 9-12
Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement.[a] So Paul warned them, “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also." But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest."
Acts 27: 17- 20 17 "so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor[b] and let the ship be driven along. 18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved."
Acts 27: 21- 26 21 "After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.
Good Morning Brothers and Sisters, I pray that you have awoken this morning with a yearning on your heart to draw nearer to God as we continue to explore the 4 most common approaches we have to the Storms of life. Today we will be looking at #3 The No Hope Person.
Before we gather around the Grand Brew Masters Table let us ask Him to sit with us this morning and pour this brew out in His words, His ways, and with me completely out of his way. God please take charge over these words may they be your truth and wisdom that flows from this keyboard and nothing more and nothing less. Amen
Well a quick overview we have looked at Roper and the Thrower, who both were exhausting efforts to take charge of the storms of this life. Both are very unsuccessful ways to grow in a deeper richer faith, and sure-fire way to find yourself drowning even quicker in the storms of life. (Please look back if you missed either of these other Brews).
Well, have you ever found yourself in a situation that you are so deep in so far out to sea that you can’t even look back and see how you wound up here. It almost feels like you were suddenly dropped in the worst storm since the great flood. Now I am not saying that there aren’t storms that brew in our lives that we really couldn’t see coming, a few personal examples, my son near death car accident, where a modern-day miracle occurred and that is the only reason we can say near death. My mom getting not just breast cancer but now liver cancer too. Those were both storms that I landed in, right amid the most viscous waves.
However, more times than not God does try and warn us that a storm is brewing, that the under toad is starting to swirl and the life guard (God) is blowing His whistle telling you swim to shore, but your strong swimmer so don’t heed the warnings. Or like in our bible versus today the captain of the boat and his men were warned repeatedly by Paul a master at sailing, and others but they believed they were better and could somehow outwit or out run the storm. As we know, they couldn’t and didn’t. So why do we choose to do this and then when all our efforts fail, and we are exhausted and without strength, we lose our Hope in the one thing that will can and has in the past gotten us through to the other side. Back to calm and tranquil waters.
There is Hope to be found for the No Hope Person!! This person must do everything they can to close off the sounds of the crashing waves, get to a quiet place where they can find their center. Find their place where they can listen for God. As God was there all the time they were exhausting themselves, but they weren’t taking control of their mind and soul. They weren’t wearing their noise canceling and God Listening Ears headphones. They instead were focusing on the rising water and crashing waves. God wants to know, and allow Him to write on your heart these simple words… Remember No Matter How Rough the Waves, and How Loud the Wind His Voice can be heard if we simply choose to listen. He is there!!!!
How do we do this practically? We must first stop. Stop our mind from racing stop listening to all the other voices trying to pour in and crowd God out or speak over Him to include our own voices.
Next try repeating something like this that God gave me in some very big storms and reminded me of His words when I was at this Dare to Be Event this year. He reminded me that He shared these with last there last year when I was in the biggest storm of my life.
It’s time to now to put all that down, just stop and remember that I Am God. Remember that I am a Good God. Remember I am your Savior. Remember that My eyes have never moved, blinked or turned away from you in this storm or any other storm. Remember that I am always holding you in My hand, I am your life vest and life boat. Remember that you can never be plucked from My hand by anyone or anything. Remember that when you choose to accept my gift of salvation and reconciliation My Holy Spirt began to indwell in you and therefore, My Strength is yours, as is My Hope, and Grace. If you stop and allow me to work through you in this storm your survival will be so much sweeter. As we will grow in a deeper dependence, strengthening your faith and restoring your hope!! Lastly remember this I will always love you, I will face every storm with you, and I will always find you in the Hurricane as I was there in advance of you waiting on your arrival.
Brothers and sisters, it’s the enemies plan to get our eyes off Christ and onto the problems and storms of this life. So that we forget that the one True King of world is larger than any storm. The enemy wants to give us a false view of God in these times, he wants us to make God small enough to fit in a box and be stored away and forgotten about it. But if we choose to keep our eyes focused on God and His word and His promises, we have a better view. From this vantage point we can raise our eyes off our own storms and see the ones others are facing and here we can gain a greater a perspective, and a much-needed selfless view of our storm.
You may be asking why the enemy does this well I don’t surely know all his reasons, but here is one for us to close with today. The enemy of our souls whispers to us and lies to us telling us that our God has left us alone in the storms and that no one cares or cares to understand. No one else has ever faced this storm this was brewed up special for you. That you must have so greatly disappointed God that He is going to allow this storm to destroy you. The Good News here is that this all is a LIE!!!!!!!!
God’s rebuttal to Satan’s lies here is simple, God Plans for your life can never be defeated. His plans will always overcome every attack and every lie the enemy of our souls’ spews at us. He in the end will be destroyed and you and I will be made perfectly new in Christ Jesus.
It’s my prayer today for each of us that we will find that place that time each day to quiet our hearts, minds, and souls to hear from our Loving Savior who loved us before we were ever created, loved us before we chose Him, and will love us now and throughout eternity.
Till next week!!
Love,
2/19/19 Artificial Fruit. by A. Lin Thomas
“A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit” (Matt. 7:18, NIV
Good morning Brothas and Sistas,
Not too long ago, I was working on another book that had a lot to do with the people’s judgmental attitude towards others. And how those kinds of people think they have it all together when the truth is they are faking their way through life. God was giving me insight into how to recognize someone who is not who they appear to be. He brought to mind the scripture, “You will know my sheep by their fruit.” Then he said to me, “Remember when your granddaughter was three years old, how she used to beg you for a piece of the fruit in the fruit bowl on your kitchen table?”
“Yes, I do Lord,” I responded.
He replied, “Remember how hard you tried to convince her; that the fruit just looked real, but was eatable?”
“I remember,” I responded.
“That’s how a lot a people are. They are just like artificial fruit. They appear to be genuine until you need them to nourish your spirit, and then you find out that they have no real substance that is useful. They’ve been putting on a show for the entire world to see. Your granddaughter found out for herself when she tested the fruit by taking a bite of it that it wasn’t for nourishment, but only for show. These people are fake also, and those are the kind of people that you want to avoid for a mate. You should know the person you are choosing; so that you don’t end up with someone bearing artificial fruit.” He responded in my spirit.
He was right as usual and I found the evidence of that lesson a couple of days later when I went to clean the fruit and noticed deep bite marks etched in the banana, the apple and the pear. It was then that I understood why my granddaughter had stopped asking me for the fruit in the bowl. She had tested it for herself and found out that it wasn’t what it appeared to be. Although it looked enticing and good for nourishing; it was only there for decoration.
God ministered that to me to help me to help another Sista who might be headed in the direction that I took some years ago, which was dating and marrying an inmate. I know it’s a touchy subject.
Brothas and Sistas, believe me I do know, because I in fact, went there. And the greatest lesson God has taught me from the experience is to be aware of who these people really are. And if the fact that they are in jail doesn’t help you to understand that this person is not a suitable mate, then you really need to listen. I wish I had.
Before I proceed, let me take the time to say that I will not bash anyone, especially someone who is in a crisis in their life. But what we need to know and understand is that when a man is in that kind of situation, he is being disciplined for the crime he comitted. He is not on vacation. Think about this, what can someone who doesn’t have freedom over themselves really give to you as a mate? And even when that person is free, how much good can he add to your life as a mate, when he hasn’t had the opportunity to provide for his own life? I’m only asking these questions, because these are the same questions that God asked me. Let me share with you the understanding that He gave me.
When a person is incarcerated that is a time in their lives when they need love, support and spiritual counsel to help them get through and rise above the decisions and circumstances that have caused them to be in that particular situation. The natural love and support should come from family and close friends while the spiritual love, support, and counsel should come from the Church. The problem has been that well-meaning, but unskilled men and women have tried to provide spiritual counsel and friendship to them. And as a result have been drawn into unholy relationships.
I know there will be a lot of people who will disagree with me, but there are a few relationships that have been successful. The key word is “few” and may I add, “far-between” because that’s the reality of a relationship established in this manner. I’m not judging any of the people because God didn’t judge me either. What He did, was show me the error of the improper foundation that had been built on. And He also showed me, that a relationship built on an unstable foundation will eventually fall apart. And it did.
.
Sista’s choose wisely and pick yourself some good fruit.
Love Ya!
Audrey
2/18/19
"In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."
Brothas and Sistas, maybe it's time to really get rid of that old "bootstrap philosophy".
Ode to Ada (a woman after God's own heart)
You reading your daily bread
Mom Mom Ada you taught me the truth about learning Gods word
And His wise reproof to those who don't want to know the ultimate truth.
Love God and not the things of the world
His way is the only way and there is no other choice.
Sista Melissa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb4XM7CV6Xw&feature=share&list=PLDA949169A3E2C61A
"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. "Philippians 4:7
The Prize by Josette
Have you ever thought about what drives a person to become a runner? You’ve seen those distance runners: pounding the pavement mile after mile after mile, enduring pain, fatigue, and everything else that might come with it.
Good Morning , Brothas and Sistas,
What are the physical requirements for running? it appears to be all about the legs. Strong legs are a real asset to a runner when it comes to speed and endurance. But then, there are the feet which require a million pounds of pressure to run! Running puts the force of up to five times the body weight on the foot with every step. I know because I use to be a runner in high school. I was fast and my goal was to " WIN" , Also important are the knees, the hips, the spine, the lungs, the heart, and so on.
To run requires strenuous physical effort. but as I grew older, that goal became more and more difficult. To run a physical race is not easy; neither is a spiritual race. They both require stamina, fortitude, and determination. Paul tells us to “run in such a way as to gain the prize:” to run our spiritual race as if we were determined to finish in first place. And when we do so, we become one that is devoted to a Savior and Lord who teaches and guides us through the experiences of life. And what is the prize? For those of us who have run in a physical race, the prize is a medallion or a plaque to recognize that we have finished first. The spiritual prize to which Paul alludes is “that I may share in its blessings” 1 Corinthians 9:23, NIV. Paul is referring to the blessing believers receive when they witness the conversion of someone or hear of a friend or family member who has come to Christ. He says, “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.” Therefore, the spiritual prize is to learn of the difference the gospel makes for someone who has come to Christ because of the race you have run.
Brothas and Sistas, there’s a race for you and I. May you not grow weary with the demands of the race, but continue to run. The prize is ahead!
"But I have this complaint against you. You don't love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don't repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from it's place among the churches. But this is in your favor:you hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do. Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what He is saying to the churches."
God cares about every church just as He did the seven churches He told John to write to about. He knew their situation. He praised them for their successes and told them how to correct their failures. Friends, He does the same for the church today. He knows the good, the bad, and the ugly of each church. And He wants us as a church to reach our greatest potential.
The church of Smyrna : Status: Suffered persecution. They received no rebuke. The action required- Don't fear and be faithful.
The church of Thyatira: Status: Love, faith, service, and endurance. The rebuke - Tolerated immorality. The action - Repent.
"God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to it's message and obey what it says, for the time is near." (Revelation 1:3)
Much love,
Prayer Time
Thank You Lord for your word for it allows us to see ourselves. It is a sword which brings about conviction and repentance. May we read the Book of Revelation and identify ourselves and the things we need to repent of . We thank you for your truth. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
11/29/17
TeaTime with Tabby "A Brew of Acknowledgement that Pours Great Peace and Assurance."
Tabitha Smith
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
Psalm 28:7 (NIV) "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him."
Good morning to all that have chosen to steep this brew with us today. It's my prayer that when you leave from this Tea Party you leave having a greater knowledge of the truth of Christ and God, the Father. I pray that we all will receive exactly the right portion measured up for each of us from the Holy Spirit. I pray that throughout this brew we can each begin hosting our own Tea Parties with the Holy Spirit, friends, and family.
Brothers and Sisters, this is why we have an even greater need to make time for this brew with all that is going on in our world these days. I only mentioned a few big calamities of these days. I know that there are ones that are happening in your heart, home, neighborhood, family etc., that are just as real and painful to you. I understand and I feel that same pain in my own little world.
Brothers and Sisters, each of us need to work with the Holy Spirit cleaning up the places in our lives that are bitter, brittle and have sharp edges everywhere you look. Is this is what your spirit, soul and or heart looks like or feels like to you or others? If so do you not see you are playing right into the enemies war plan? Only he doesn't intend to allow you to survive, He will just continue to use it and much more against you till it destroys you.
On the other hand God is patiently waiting. He has the Tea Room all set up with nice aromatic brews ones that He knows are going to break the chains of disbelief, pain, heartache, lies etc., ones that will grow you, nurture you and bring you to place of peace, hope, restoration and healing. He will give you the battle cries you need to join the next Tea Party where the Holy Spirit will teach you and grow you into the soldier of the kingdom of God that you were created to be. The more we learn to lean on Christ and the Holy Spirit for day to day guidance, direction, attitudes, offers of love and compassion the more like Christ our spirits will become.
My challenge to us all this week is to seek out someone who we may have made assumptions about being so different that we could never find common ground. Pray to the Lord about changing your mindset and ask the Lord for ways for you to cross that bridge. Seek the Lord for a way that will allow you each to be who you are and to try to encounter the Holy Spirit in what may lead to a new sister or brother in Christ. Many blessings and Love,
Let's "Pray" for our City; our Youth; our Leaders, our Families and our Nation. "First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time." (1 Tim. 2:1-6)
Let's "Pray" one for another and "pray without ceasing!" (I Thessalonians 5:17)
What should we pray?
Let's "Pray" that: the "heart of man" be drawn back to the Heart of God.
Let's "Pray" that "minds changed through the Word of God. "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2)
Let's "Pray" that eyes and ears opened" to the Light of Christ who delivers from the bondage of sin. "But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance." (Romans 6:17,18)
Let's "Pray" that blinded minds of the lost be able to see, who the god of this world has blinded so they cannot see. "Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” (Isaiah 6:10)
And Let's "Pray" that lost souls be saved through the Gospel of Jesus Christ which is the power of God unto Salvation. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile." (Romans 1:16)
As Jesus said, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free". (John 8:32) "If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:36)
Other Scriptures: 1 Kings 17:1; 1 Kings 18:1, 42, 44, 45; Matt. 7:7, 8/Luke 11:1-4/James 5:16-18, 1 Corinth. 3:14; 2 Corinth. 4:1-6
Be Blessed,
Claudia
PRAYER: Lord, God bind up the spirit of rebellion and "against" You. Break up the fallow ground & soften the hardest hearts "towards" You. Deliver from the "power of darkness", (Col. 1:13, 14) calling us out of darkness into Your Marvelous Light (1 Peter 2:9, 10). Loose the bound and set the captives free (Isaiah 61:1). In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
GM Saints,
I've often heard some say, "When she speaks everybody listens." There is only one problem with that. The counsel or advice that she gives very seldom lines up with the counsel of Him who has deemed Himself to be the "Wonderful Counselor". In other words her advice is based on worldly wisdom therefore it won't/can't stand.
Prayer Time
You are an awesome wonder and we praise you for your amazing counsel! Your words are indescribable! There is none like you! When we need sound advice we can all upon your name and your counsel will never fail us. It stands forever! Thank you for all that you do. You always have our best interest at heart and in mind. You are wonderful and we praise you! In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
11/25/17
Tea Time With Tabby The Brew of Comfort, Love, and Answered Prayers Part II
"If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ you are free." D.L. Moody
We thank you for our precious freedom in Christ. There is no freedom like the freedom we have found in you. May we walk in this freedom daily and share it with others who are in bondage. We pray all these things in your awesome name, Jesus. Amen.
Personal question....."What are we waiting for?" New bodies, freedom from sin and suffering, new heaven and earth, rest and rewards, eternal family, and being face to face with Jesus? Friends, as we wait for God's will to unfold, we need to have confidence in God's perfect timing and wisdom. Nothing can compare to the glory He will reveal to us later.
God has given us His all; His Son. And I just wanted to share my testimony. It is my heart's prayer and desire for giving unselfishly to bless others. I had been thinking about the Christmas season and wondering how I could give of myself unselfishly.
This love relationship affects everything and everyone that we come in contact with. This love does not call for lip service it requires action. If we look at John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." God proved His love by giving His Son for us so that we can have a relationship with