Walk

Man... Last week on my way to praise team rehearsal, 2 cars broke down on me. This week.. We in a group chat cuz my pastor got an engagement tomorrow... I text, send me the info, I'll meet you there... I lose my phone before I get the response.... A member of the prayer group got beat in an act of intimidation to stop him from doing what's he's doin... I over slept for class yesterday... Demonic forces breached boundaries they should not have. All this in less than a week.

I praise God even harder.

Tho I walk thru the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil...

I could be sitting in the valley... Laying down in the valley, sleeping in the valley... Tied up in the valley... Dead in the valley... But I'm walking.

Might not look like much is bein done, but just like in Jericho.... Walk.

Surely goodness and mercy will Follow Me all the days of my life....
AND I will dwell in the house of The Lord forever.

So while walking thru this valley... If it chooses to strike... Boom. Fall on goodness. Hit on the other side? Boom. Fall on mercy.... They followin/behind us

And if the valley of the shadow of death strikes... It's hittin Jesus. Dwell in the house of The Lord forever... Alive IN Christ. Not man's battle. It's hittin Him. And He already died.. He already beat death... He already won. Jesus is alive; it is death.

Bottom line is... Keep on walkin. Finish this race. Answer the call. Step up. Step Out. Step. Glory to glory. Faith to faith. Grace to grace. Victory to victory. Long suffering to long suffering. The gates of hell shall not prevail. #church.

Scripture of the day:

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; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31 KJV)

It's Hot!

Scripture of the day:

They will never again be hungry or thirsty; they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun. (Revelation 7:16 NLT)

As I was leaving work today, I spoke to the security guard whom I often speak to and I asked, "Is it still really hot out or did the heat break?" We usually have small talk but today he had a lot to say... He said, "Naw, it's still hot," and as I was walking away he said, "You know, a lot of people can't take this heat.. That's how you know we weren't made for the lake of fire..." He went on to tell me about Jesus and redemption.. And the importance of repentance... And he spoke with a loud truthful boldness that made me think... Dang, you right.. I'm so glad I'm saved... Jesus is so good and hell is so bad....

People complain that winter is too cold and summer is too hot but we fail to realize that the change in temperature is just a foreshadow/ warning/ sneak peek of what the Lord can do.

Challenge:

Remember that their are two paths.

Life.
Death.

For those who choose life, uncomfortable situations, hunger, thirst, hot sun, will only last for a second and is nothing compared to the glory we share in Christ Jesus. For those who choose death, uncomfortable situations can and will magnify and intensify.

Living Sacrifice

Scripture of the day:

Romans 12:1 (KJV)
Chapter 12
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

... Living sacrifice... Someone who willingly walks to the slaughter... Carries his cross... (You can't really nail your own hands, but that's for another day)... Someone who died/ was sacrificed... Yet lives... Resurrected like Christ...

...that ye present your bodies resurrected like Christ...

...we died to sin... We are now new creatures; slave to righteousness... Present yourself as the new creature. To present yourself, you must see yourself as the new creature...

See yourself dead (sacrifice) and risen (living) like Christ.

See yourself as new... Empowered... Spirit filled... God lead... Loved... Loving...

...by the mercies of God...

Mercy...

...wasn't left dead...

... Allowed to live... Twice.

...still alive.

...by the mercies of God, present your bodies a living sacrifice...

...still alive...

Don't die to righteousness.

Challenge:

Don't die to righteousness.

What's Good?

Scripture of the day:

Romans 12:9 (BBE)
Let love be without deceit. Be haters of what is evil; keep your minds fixed on what is good.

How am I both hating what is evil and keeping my mind fixed on what is good....?

It's good to hate evil.

Thinking evil thoughts and hating evil are two different things.

(Un)Spoken Word

Scripture of the day:

He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7 NLT)

Thought: What does this mean to you?

I look at it and think... If it were me, I'd be holding in bad words... But He is good. Literally. If He had spoke, someone might have become a believer and stopped the crucifixion... Makes me think of the times I choose to speak or not to speak... Is it so people can come to know the Christ?...

Living Water

I'm thankful for God's spirit... You know how you can have a drooping flower and water it and the flower starts to stand up again? That's how it is with God and His people... A friend sent me a scripture in a time of need and it was like living water...  Lifted me up like a drooping plant.

Scripture of the day:

John 7:38-39 NLT

Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”  (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)

Challenge:

Stay hydrated.

Things I Learned at the Beach

1.
Abraham.. The father of many nations... Was told that his descendants would be as numerous as the grains of sand. Sand is formed when rock is crushed. Jesus is our rock, and because he was crushed on calvary many might be saved.. Jew and Gentile added to the kingdom... More grains of sand...

2.
Imagine the days of Noah. It rained for 40 days and 40 nights. But what about on the other side of the world? Imagine not seeing the rain coming... But just looking up and seeing a giant wave of water coming to submerge you... You wouldn't have been able to see the gradual steps from dry, to raining, to flooded. It instantaneously would have gone from 0 to 10... God promised that He's
pouring out His Spirit... Some are praying and seeking His face... They are witnessing the rain... Others are in rebellion... But people are interceding for them... They will look up one day and see the flood waters...

3.
Stepping on the sand was weird at first. It was a big decline to get down to the beach area... And I would sink like 2 inches into the sand with every step.. It was scary lol... I didn't want to fall all the way down there... I assumed it was loose like that because it was wet, but when I got by the lake, the sand was packed much tighter by the water. That didn't make no sense to me and it still don't
physically... But the sand (God's people /Abraham's seed) was packed tighter the closer it was to the water (the purification agent)... So when the church is in active fellowship with Christ, relationships work better, communities are tighter, the body is more cohesive... The out pouring of God's Spirit shall grow and unify His body

Scripture of the day!

Joel 2:28 NLT

“Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.

Challenge:

Pray for the outpouring.