Who is He?

You are the Great I Am that I Am

You are The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit

You are Yahweh, Yeshua, and Ruach Ha-Kodesh (ROO-akh hak-KOH-desh)

You are the Rock of Salvation – You are MY ROCK

You are the Cloud by Day and the Fire by Night

You are the Alpha & the Omega, the Beginning and the End, You are the First and the Last

You are Everlasting to Ever LASTING

You are Omnipotent – You are Almighty and Powerful, none can defeat You!

You are Omnipresent – You are Ever Present with no beginning and no end, You are without restrictions of time that You created!

You are Omniscient – You are All Knowing God, of the past, present and future, You already know it before it ever takes place!

You are Elohim – God the Creator, my Creator, You created me on purpose for a purpose and I thank You!

You are El Shaddai – God the Almighty, God All Sufficient

You are Jehovah – God the Lord

You are Jehovah Shalom – My God of Perfect Peace

You are Jehovah Jireh – My God of Provision, You Provide for all my needs & more and I thank You!

You are Jehovah Raah – The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want and that is all I need to know!

You are Jehovah Rapha – My God of Healing and Restorer of my soul – I am healed of all sickness and diseases, You strengthen me beyond human capabilities and I thank You!

You are the Great Physician

You are Jehovah Tsidkenu (si ken noo) - My Lord of Righteousness

You are Jehovah Shammah – The Lord is Ever Present for Thou art with me

You are Jehovah Nissi – You are my God of Protection – You are my canopy, my hedge that keeps the enemy from harming me

You are Jehovah Kanna – The Lord is Jealous, You are Jealous for ME!!!  You are my only God, You alone I worship!  Hallelujah!

You are Jehovah M’kaddesh – The Lord my Sanctifier, You anoint my head with oil

You are Jehovah Shaphat – The Lord is Judge

You are Jehovah Saboath – The Lord of Host

You are Jehovah Elyon – The God Most High

You are Lord God

You are Immanuel – God is with us

You are the Lord of lords and the King of kings, all knees shall bow down and give You praise, Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

You are the One and Only True Living God that has ever been and that will ever BE

You are the Master and Ruler of All

You are Marvelous

You are An Awesome God!
You are Able

You are my Abba Father, my Daddy!
You are my Papa God!

You are the God of All Comfort

You are the Same Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 

You are Holy and Righteous, You are my High Priest 

Your Word is True yesterday, today and forever more

You are my Shelter in the storms - I hide in Your Secret Place

You are my Fortress and my High Tower

You are my Strength

You are my Shield

You are the Lion of the tribe of Judah

You are the Lamb of God

You are the Prince of Peace

You are the Champion of Calvary

You are the Bread of Life

You are Living Water

You are my Redeemer

You are my Rabbi – My Teacher

You are my Everything, You are my Source

You are so Worthy of Praise, there is NONE LIKE YOU
You are Jesus Christ
you are Faithful Witness; The Faithful and True Witness
You are the First Begotten of the dead
You are the King of the Earth
You are the Son of Man
You are He that lives and was dead
You are He that holds the seven stars
You are He Who walks in midst of the golden candlesticks
You are the Son of God
You are He which searches the reins and hearts
You are He that is Holy and True
You are He that Has the key of David
You are He Who opens and no one shuts and shuts and no on opens
You are The Amen
You are the Root of David
You are A Lamb as it had been slain

Holy, Holy, Holy

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

As I was ministering to the Lord this morning, I felt led to write down the names of God and Who He Is to me.  I know that my list is not complete but it is what I wrote. 

I sat there looking at my list and had to just marvel at my God and how AWESOME our God really Is.  He has all of our needs covered in every area of our lives.

If you have sickness, call on Jehovah Rapha.

If you have lack of provisions, call on Jehovah Nissi

If you have turmoil, call on Jehovah Shalom 

If you have sin, call on your Redeemer 

He is Father to the fatherless

He is the Defender of widows

He frees those in bondage

He guides you through the storms

He feeds the hungry

He gives Water to those that thirst

He conquers our enemies

Wow, we serve a GREAT BIG GOD. 

Why do we focus on the little problems in life when Our God is So Big?  Why do we see the spot on the rug when the rest of it is beautiful?  Why do we focus on the C when the rest of the report card is full of A's?  Why do we focus on what we don’t have instead of what we do have?

Why do we focus on the one or two imperfections in our lives when He has blessed us with so much?

I pray that what ever is going on in your lives that you will remember that God is more than able to help you if you will just call on Him.  He is God, He is Mighty, and is waiting.

Until Next Time, God Bless!!

Alone for Christmas

We all have heard that Christmas is a time for families.  What about those of us that don’t have family to be with on Christmas?  What are we supposed to do? 

Some of us are blessed with friends that make certain that we are not alone, making sure that we are invited to some sort of gathering so that we are not left to our own devices.  What about those of us who slip through the holiday cracks?

Christmas has always been my favorite time of year.  Well that is not entirely true, there was a time when I was so deeply depressed that I didn’t want to deal with Christmas or the Holidays and just slept through them.  On Christmas I would get up long enough for the kids to open their presents and I went back to bed to hibernate.  I just couldn’t (or wouldn’t) deal with the Day, not because of what the Day was but more of what “I” wasn’t.

Can you imagine just sleeping though a day because you didn’t want to face your own inadequacies?  How many folks feel that way?  How many can’t face Christmas alone?  How many need to know that the Day, that represents God’s Love for us, that we are worth loving?

Now that I have come to know Christ as more than just a reason to have a day of presents and celebration, but as my Lord and Savior, Christmas means a lot more to me. 

Not only do I have the desire to spend it with loved ones, I want to spend it with Jesus, and I want to spend the morning in church praising and worshiping God (in His house). 

I know that I can do all that in my home, but I want to leave the comfort of my house and make some kind of effort to be around other believers and those seeking His presence in a loving atmosphere full of worship.  I want to be in the Glory of God, soaking up His Love on the most precious of days.  That thought alone has me giddy as a school girl jumping around excited for Christmas.

This morning as I was desperately looking on the internet to find a church service on Christmas Day, I felt in my spirit, “How many people desperately need to be with Me on this Day and don’t know of a place to go to celebrate My Love?  How many people are alone or homeless on this day and need My Church, the Body of Christ to love on them?”

I sat there crying as the images of the sad, lonely and forgotten flooded my mind.  The tears were not for me but for those faces that God put on my heart.  Why aren’t there more church services on Christmas Eve and on Christmas? 

I understand everyone wants to be with their families, I do too.  I also know that a lot of work and effort goes into putting on church.  However we, as children of the God Most High we are put on this earth to share His Love with our fellow man, why aren’t we doing it on the Day that represents His greatest gift to us? 

It doesn’t have to be an over done event that takes months of planning.  Even if the church doors were open for a couple hours in the morning to those who have no family, no friends, no parties and possibly no love in their everyday lives that need the comfort of God, wouldn’t that be worth it? 

Nothing fancy, just reading of the word retelling the birth of Christ, Sing some Christmas Carols, have some praise and worship of our Father, Son & Holy Spirit can feed the spirit.  Maybe even the partaking of the Holy Communion. 

A day of dedication to God as we celebrate the Day dedicated for the birth of His Son.  Just the image of this alone has the tears streaming down my face.  I get the best kind of warm fuzzies when I think of how much I love God and how much He loves me!

If the church and its members wanted to step it up, they could have a potluck and feed those that came to the service.  Imagine the ministry that could be accomplished by just fellowshipping with your fellow man over a little food to feed the tummies? 

A lot can be said when you take time to break bread with strangers on a day that is meant for families.

No one should ever feel alone or unloved, especially on a love-filled day as Christmas.  The celebration of Christ is a wonderful time to show the world His love. 

I pray that you will do a little something to show some love to someone outside your immediate family circle.  After all we are all God’s children; His gift of Love is for all of us that accept it. 

That right there is Christmas to me.

Until Next Time, God Bless and Merry Christmas!

No Cold Starts

I had an errand to run before church.  I needed to leave right then or I was going to be late for intercessory prayer.  I jumped into the car, started it, turned on the heater and pulled out of our drive way heading for town.  The dash board lights were all lit.  That only usually happens when you round a corner too fast.  The car started sputtering acting like it wanted to die.  The car started slowing down.  

I gave it some gas, the RPMs climb and the car moved forward.  On each side of the road were deep ditches so pulling off to the side of the road was not really an option.  I looked for someone’s drive way that I can pull into should the car die.   I gave it more gas and the car acted a little better as it picked up speed.   I was praying to God asking what I was to do.  Missing church was not going to happen.  I continued to give the car gas and it continued to move forward.  All of a sudden it had some oomph and acted normal so I proceeded to head to my first stop and thanked God that all was well.

That is when He told me, “You didn’t warm up the car, you didn’t allow the fluids to run through the engine and the car did not want to operate on the cold start.  Just as you started your day with Me…a cold start.”

BAMM that is exactly what happened!  I had slept in this morning by an hour.  As I got out of bed told God good morning and that I loved Him and that was it.  I carried on with my morning as if I had taken the normal time with God going about the things that happened afterwards.  I had my coffee, checked my email, checked Facebook and proceeded to my time in the word and even managed to watch a few television evangelists.  But no actual God time in Prayer, Praise and Worship.

As you can imagine, the repenting and the asking for forgiveness took place.  Just as my car needed time to warm up, allowing the fluids to do their job for the car to run properly I need to be prayed up for me to run properly.

I am a spiritual being that needs to be filled up with God’s Spirit, having Him flow through me in order for me to be at my top performance...I need God.  Without God I am running on Joela power and frankly Joela ain’t got no power!  I am like my car without gas and fluids running through me…DEAD DEAD DEAD.  

I need God’s anointing over my life, I need the Holy Spirit working in me to work through me or I just struggle to operate as the Creator intended.

I did get to have my prayer, praise and worship time at church however we can’t just have our God time in the building we call the church.  We need to have our God time in our own homes, in our daily lives.  We should have a place that is dedicated to our God time.  A place that when we go there God knows that we are there to minister to Him. 

What do I mean by ministering to the Lord?  When you minister to the Lord You give Him all of your attention.  No multitasking, give Him your all.

You Praise Him in His Majesty.  He is the Great I Am that I Am.  He is Alpha and Omega, Beginning and the End, Everlasting to Everlasting.  He is God Almighty, He is Lord of lords and King of kings.  He is our Rock of Salvation and He is MY ROCK.  He is my everything, He is my source.  Let Him know how Mighty and Powerful He is to you.

Worship Him in Song.  Speak His word back to Him.  Remind Him of His promises to us.  Speak to Him in your prayer language.  Violently stay focused on Him and in obedience.

It isn’t a matter of how long as in the aspect of the time on the clock.  It is about spending time with our Father, our God who created us, Who loves us and wants us to have a relationship with Him.

If you are married or in a relationship, do you tell that person I only have 10 minutes to talk to you then I want to do what I want?  No, you spend as much time with them as needed to nurture and grow in that relationship.  God wants you to grow in Him.

When you talk to Him you are feeding your spirit, when your spirit is satisfied with the time that is spent you will know when you are full. 

The best time is before you start your day, first thing.  Get up an hour earlier than you normally get up.  Even if you have coffee in one hand and the Bible in the other, talk to Him.  If music will disturb others in the household put on earphones.  Worship God.

You want to know how to get into His presence?  It all starts with Worship in Spirit and in Truth.  Don’t think that you can fake it with God.  He knows if you are just singing along to the song or if you are truly praising Him from your spirit.

I pray that you get your juices flowing properly; get God flowing in your life so that you operate at your top performance.  No cold starts in the Kingdom of God.  

Until Next Time, God Bless!

To God Be All the Glory AMEN AMEN AMEN!

Excited

I am a person that gets easily exited, especially this time of year.  I get excited for the lights, Christmas trees, decorations, parties and everything that is associated with celebrating the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Even though this time of year I am alone to celebrate the Day it doesn’t stop me from being excited for the Christmas Season.  I decorate my house in excited anticipation for visitors.  I love to welcome people into our home and see their faces light up with excitement on how pretty the mantel is or in astonishment on the amount of Snoopy(s) I have to decorate the 7’ Christmas tree. 

I love to plan events that have you amazed that someone could go to that much trouble.  I love it when people tell me, “Joela you have over done it again.”  That is the best complement I could get as one of my philosophies in this life is, “I’d rather overdo it than under-do it.”  If you are going to do something you might as well give it your all and do it with passion!

I am the oldest 5 year old you will ever meet.  I don’t let the fact that my birth certificate states that my age is 48 years old stop me from getting excited about life.  If you know my past, you know that it is a miracle that I am alive right now, what’s not to be excited about?!?!  Life is short, too short not to enjoy it to the fullest.  Get excited for each day as if it is your last, as it might be!

When you give me a gift that I love, you are going to know it.  My neighbors might even know it because I am all excited and expressing that excitement as only I can, with true unhindered exuberance.  The fact that you thought of me to give me a gift has me thrilled but to get me a gift that says, “I saw this and had to get it for you.” has me over the moon!  You might even hear about it for the next month how much I appreciate that gift.

I have been told, “Wow, I am embarrassed for you.  You made quite a spectacle of yourself over that gift.”   My response always is, “Don’t be, I can’t help that I get so excited and frankly I don’t want to ever change.  It is who I am.” 

People don’t have to get me gifts and when they do I am appreciative.  Sometimes to tears that, “Wow you thought of me?  Really?  Wow, thank you so much.”  Even the tiniest form of a gift has me grateful that I was thought of that sometimes I end up in crying with joy. 

One of the things that I get excited for is planning gifts or surprises for those that I love. When I shop for a gift I have that person in mind, I thought of THEM as I got their gift.  I take my time deliberating over the gift. 

There is nothing better to me than to see someone’s face light up with joy and happiness over a gift that I have given them.  It fills me with delight and wonder that it makes me want to do more for them next time. 

On the flip side of that coin if someone doesn’t react to my gift, I am heartbroken.  It leaves me wondering what did I do wrong?  Didn’t you like it?  I thought you would love it and you don’t!  Crying that I failed them.

Yes, I know that some people don’t react with the excitement that I do.  My husband is one of those non-reactive people.  I can plan all year to get him the perfect gift, he will like or even love the gift but I can’t tell it.  I have come to know that is the way that he is, I understand it and have turned it into a challenge.  One of these days I will succeed and get him a gift that excites him. 

However there are those that I give to that aren’t responsive and downright not appreciative with the gift that I got them.  Not that I want gratitude, but if I went to the trouble to seek out a gift for you and it is going to end up end the re-gifting box for next year, I probably won’t buy you anything in the future.  I could use my money better elsewhere.

I have to stop and wonder if our Father in Heaven feels that way toward us?  Wow I gave the greatest gift of all, My Son and they don’t accept Him.  I just saved their lives from that car crash and nothing!  I fed them all year and no thank You.  Their boss wanted to fire them but I changed his mind and again no gratitude, no nothing. 

Can you imagine His disappointment and broken heartedness when we don’t show appreciation toward His gifts and blessings towards us?    Maybe He might feel it would be better to bless your neighbor as they may be more thankful for their blessings?  Maybe our lack of gratitude might cause Him to get an attitude toward giving to us.  After all He does not have to give us anything. 

I like to imagine that God enjoys my zest and zeal toward His gifts.  Where I embarrass those around me, God is up there telling Jesus, “Watch was she does when I give her this little blessing.  Watch her childlike excitement.”  I can just picture His face glowing with love and joy as I react to my gifts He gives me.  I can imagine His thoughts as He thinks, “I can’t wait for the opportunity to bless her again; she is fun to give to.”

I don’t deserve His gifts but He gives them to me anyway.  Me, this rebellious person that has disappointed Him a few times this life.  More like countless number of times that my actions, thoughts or words have caused Him to cringe. 

However the gifts keep coming – I am going to have my attitude of gratitude as I am excited that God saved me and continues to bless me each day.

Do you get excited for Jesus?  Do you get excited for the gifts and blessings that God bestows upon you?  Do you get excited that you woke up today?  Do you get excited that He chose you?  Do you get excited about His word, His love, His mercies, His Salvation, anything?

The word excited is an adjective, meaning very enthusiastic and eager.

I pray that you are very enthusiastic and eager for God.  The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are worth getting excited for.  Our very lives are worth getting excited for.  Watch how much He will bless you when you excited over your gifts. 

Also I pray that you will get excited about blessing others.  That is a wonderful way to thank God for blessing you.  The blessings that go out from you will come back to you one way or another.  It might not be from that person, but it will come back.  God will make sure of it.

You can’t out give God but it sure is exciting trying.

Until Next Time, God Bless!

Joyful Joela

Saturday we were told of a group of students that gave themselves names to assist the teacher in remembering their names. Some people call it the "Name Game" others call it the "Adjective Game" and I refer to it as the "Nugget Nickname Game".

First thing that popped into my head was "Joyful Joela" as I like to think that I am a joyful person and that I bring a lot of joy to the table, room, conversation, and of course even to the party. As you might imagine I am not the wall flower in the group.

That day was no exception, I was full of life and joy as I celebrated my friends that God has blessed me with.

Sunday however it took everything in my person to push through and do what I needed to do. Every direction I turned something was wrong with those that I love most. The worst part was that there was nothing "I" could do about any of it. I felt helpless like a lost child.

As I was sitting there just sobbing until there were no tears left to be cried, I looked up to God and said, "Daddy I need You. I love You God. I honor You as my Sovereign King, I praise and worship You as my Lord and Savior, and right now I need my Abba Father. I need my Daddy to comfort me as only You can."

As I washed my face and looked into the mirror I didn't see the woman who was all dolled up for her party, I saw the pain stricken face of the woman who can't fix her loved ones problems and other issues in her life that causes her and those she loves to hurt.

The tears started flowing again. I told that woman in the mirror, "The tears may flow but no one is stealing my joy. YOU GOT THAT SATAN?!?! You are not going to steal my joy!!"

Yes, my Nugget Nickname is still intact. Joyful Joela is at Your service Lord. You have those situations in Your Hands, You got this. I will focus on what You need me to focus on and do what You need me to do...I've Got JOY JOY JOY down in my heart!!! I will dance myself out of this nonsense, I will shake this funk, this funk that is junk from satan. I don’t accept this. I’ve Got JOY JOY JOY down in my heart!!!

So my friends, cry if you must. But once those tears are dried up you tell Satan he is not going to steal your joy, because God has got you in the palm of His hands. God loves us, each and everyone one of us, AMEN! 

I pray that you will call it all joy and remain joyful no matter the circumstances.

Until Next Time, God Bless!!!

Dream Big or Go Home!

God gave us our dreams; they might as well be GINORMOUS!!!  Yes this is the movie poster for the new Snoopy movie that is in the works for release next year at this time.  I love Snoopy and his imagination.  He thinks it and he becomes it. 

He is just a dog and he doesn't let that stop him from being a WWI Flying Ace flying his Sopwith Camel taking down the Red Baron.  Snoopy is a living tribute to all the men and women in all the branches of the armed forces.  What a patriotic pooch!

He is Joe Cool being the Big Man on Campus being one of the coolest and hippest personas the dog has.  He made a name for himself all around Charlie Brown's school.

He is a beagle scout, a legal beagle, and my personal favorite he is a literary ace!  Snoopy is always working on writing The Great American Novel that I personally look forward to reading.  He never gives up on the dream no matter how many rejection letters he receives.

How many of even remember our dreams?  I have always seemed to be interested in telling stories and even talked about writing a book when I was 21.  Life happened and I forgot about my dream of writing a book.  I continued to tell my stories but the dreams of writing literally died. 

I would write about my Doobie Brother concert adventures (on the fan club page) that were so detailed that you thought you were there.  I would write letters and emails that would be so thorough that the reader probably just skimmed as they didn't have all day to find out what happened to me during whatever scene I was relaying.  

It would take me a couple hours to write what only took 5 minutes to read however I couldn’t stop writing until I got on to paper what was in my head….but I forgot about the dream of writing.

I thank God He sent me a man to tell me “God said that you are to Write, Write, Write.  You have a lot of stories to tell you need to write them.”   

That word from the prophet sent me into prayer asking God if that was true, and He reminded me of the dream that I had when I was younger. 

How many of us need reminding of the dream?  How many of us let the dream fade away through the hustle and bustle of this busy life we lead?  How many of us don’t think that we deserve to live our dreams?  God gave us our dreams and the desire to make them our reality. 

If you can dream it, you can be it.  Become your dream.  If you want to dance, dance.  If you want to teach, teach.  If you want to be an artist, get to creating! 

You my friends are the only thing stopping you on your path to your destiny.   If there is a boulder on your path move it, go around it or go over it.   Don’t let anything detour you from your dream.

God gave Joseph a dream.  His dream made his family angry and his brothers hated him more than they did before the dream.  They sold him into slavery over the dream and through all their hatred of him. 

However his brother’s hatred was part of the plan.  If they would not have sold him into slavery, those 13 years of him being with God and God using him in Egypt to become the right hand man of Pharaoh.  He would not have been able to save his family during the famine.    

Not everyone may be in favor of your dream.  Don’t let the setbacks stop your comeback!  You keep turning to God and moving forward.

The children of Israel wanted to go back to Egypt when the Egyptians were chasing them when they came upon the Red Sea.  Moses wanted them to be still and let God show His power.  However God wanted them to go forward.  They couldn’t move toward their promise land if they stood still.    God did show His power separating the Red Sea when Moses and the Israelites trusted God that He had their backs.  They moved forward, Moses lifted his staff, the seas parted and the Israelites walked on “dry” ground.   Not only were the waters moved they were sucked out of the ground, for them to walk on dry land.  No one getting stuck in the mud during that miracle.  

God made the way for them to move toward the promise and their destiny they just needed to move forward.  He gave them everything they needed, they just needed to believe in the promise, obey the word of instruction and then step out in faith showing God they trusted in Him.   When they trusted Him enough to move forward, He (in the form of a cloud) moved between them and their enemy, the Egyptians.  Their faith of moving forward toward deep waters was what allowed God to not only part the waters for them but to move between them and the enemy.

Dream your dream, step out in faith working that talent that your dream is centered around and watch God make a way for your dream to become reality. 

Work it baby, work it!

Not knowing which direction to go?  Ask God for directions.

Not knowing how to proceed?  Ask God how He wants you to proceed.

Not knowing what avenue to take?  Ask God what route you are to take.

He gave you the dream and will help you with it.  We serve a Big God and He can make the way for the Biggest of Dreams happen!  Believe in the Big God that gave you your Big Dream.  Let God be God and let Him show you that nothing is impossible.  Step out in faith.  Dream it, become it.

Dream Big or Go Home!

To God Be All the Glory AMEN AMEN AMEN!

Until Next Time, God Bless!

Purpose

How many of us struggle with finding our purpose in life?  Some people are born with knowing their purpose and others of us have spent a lifetime trying to figure it out. 

In March of 2012 I was prophesied over being told that God said you are to “Write, Write, Write that you have a lot to say and you are to write it.”   I was blessed by that prophesy because I didn’t have a clue I could write.  Even though I wrote all the time, I didn’t know that I was born to write.

I thought I was born to be some kind of crafter.  Those that know me know that God has blessed me (big time) with a talent for crafting and creating.  It is one of my passions, I love to make things pretty!

I never dreamt that God created me to do anything other than share the love of making things with others.  I truly believe that He has allowed my passion for creating to blossom because I shared it.  I bless others by teaching them that they have it in them to make something out of nothing.  I bless others by lifting their self esteem when they find out that they can create something either from a pattern or coping what they see.  I bless others by giving them cards and gifts that I have made.  I don’t keep my talent to myself.  If I did, God would have taken it away a long time ago.

My writing purpose I am still struggling with.  I love to write and as you can tell I write as often as I can get time to type.  I have a book started.  I have written a couple children’s stories that are in the process of getting illustrations to make them come alive.  I have my God Blog.  I have my Facebook writer’s page.  I WRITE, but I have to ask God all the time, am I writing what You created me to do?  Am I writing what YOU want me to write?

I may not be a famous writer, but I am a writer.  I know that God has me writing and even if my writings only touch one person, those words were to bless them!  AMEN!

I have a great desire to help the homeless.  I don’t do much but I do what I can, when I can.  Here is a comforter, here is some water and food, and here are some necessities that will help you feel better about yourself during your current circumstances.  I wish I could do more, but this is what I have to give.  When I get more, I will give more.  My friends, you better believe and know that God tests me on that promise.  I pray I never let Him down or those He brings to me to help.  AMEN!

I also teach, I teach paper crafts, I teach sewing and quilting, I teach life skills to youth, I teach children’s church, I teach adults Bible Study and I teach my co-workers how to use their computers for other than checking their email.   I never thought I had what it took to be a teacher and yet I teach someone something every day.

I know that I know that I know God has me teaching folks His word.  He has me learning His word so I can teach His word. 

The Great Commission my friends was a commandment not a suggestion.  We are to tell others about Jesus.  We are to share the good news that is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Our world is filled with lost souls that are seeking Him and they don’t even know it.  Whatever our purpose in life is, know that sharing the love of Christ is a part of your purpose.

Are you living your life with purpose?  Even if you don’t know your purpose, are you living on purpose?  What is your passion, what drives you, what infuriates you?   I am willing to say with some certainty that your purpose will be centered around that.  You are not too young or too old for you to find and fulfill your purpose.  David was a boy when he killed Goliath.  Moses was 80 when God sent him to Egypt to set His people free. 

When you ask God for your purpose He will show you.  Just enough to get you started.  He will give you a small assignment, if you obey, He will give you the next one.  If you don’t follow the first instruction, you won’t get the next one.  Are you obeying God?  Are you doing something while you are waiting?  Are you doing for others?  Get out of yourself and get into loving others.  Let God flow in you and through you.

Are you serving anyone other than your immediate family?  Do you help anybody?  Are you busy going for the crown that you don’t serve.  Maybe you have forgotten to?

Your purpose does not have to be big or have prestige.  Your purpose does not have to make you rich or famous.  Before you take your last breath, serve somebody.

Are you one of those that just go to church and eats, and eats, and eats, and eats?  Well my friends, are you full yet so that you can serve others?  Church service is not to be your entertainment on a Sunday morning.  It is to teach you, to fill you up so that you can live your life as God instructs.  One of His instructions is to love others, are you loving on folks that need you to love on them? 

If God gave you a car make sure you are giving someone a ride!

If God gave you money buy someone a meal or warm clothing!

If God gave you food make sure you are feeding someone who is hungry!

If God gave you talents make sure you use them to lift someone up!

If God gave you arms hug someone!

If God gave you words speak life into someone!

If God gave you feet walk over to someone and bless them!

Does your life serve a higher purpose than you?  Why should God give you more days if you are just going to sit around?  Why should God give you talents if you are not going to use them to bless others? 

When you serve people, God will provide, God will protect, and God will Guide you!  AMEN!

Be committed to your purpose - whether you feel like it or not.  You do what you got to do when you got to do it.

You don’t do things for your critics and enemies.  It is not about your haters.  It is not about those that misunderstand you.  It is not about what they think and what they heard and what they feel.

When you live on purpose, the moment that you remember your purpose, there is nothing that your enemies can do or say that will ever stop you again.

My loves, when you have income, influence and/or impact you are going to have enemies and haters.  Please know that the more income, influence and/or impact you have - the more enemies and haters you will have.

That is how you will know that you have greater income, influence, and/or impact when you are attacked.  That attack will inform you that you have become serious enough to be on the attack list of the enemy.

If you are not under attack that is because you are not making an impact.  The enemy is not going to waste his time and resources on an attack on those that have no impact! 

Ask yourself a question, “If I were satan how and where would I attack me?”  That is how/where he is going to attack you.  Your weakness will be used to his advantage and your disadvantage. 

However my loves, Greater is He that is in me that he that is in the world.  David encouraged himself in the Lord.  You need to remember your God has brought you this far and He will bring you out of this desert, He will bring you out victorious.  He will KEEP YOU!

Satan knows he has already lost, but he is trying to get as many of God’s people as he can to go down with him.  Misery loves company.  Don’t keep him company and help take away others that are heading to his everlasting party of misery.

That is your purpose my friends, to serve God.  To praise and worship God.  How do you show your love for God – loving others!  Who you loving on today?  Is it you or is it others that God has brought into your sphere of influence? 

You don’t have to have wealth to have influence. You have the influence of God, run with it!

I pray that if you are under attack that you are lifted up knowing that God has got you.  I pray that your purpose is made clear to you and that you live your life with that purpose in Jesus name!  Amen!

To God Be All The Glory, AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!

Until Next Time, God Bless!!!

Going for the Gold!

There we are, sitting in the same church building, hearing the same message; same words spoken, but you and your neighbor walk away with different messages.  Have you ever wondered why that is?

You are hearing the same words that your neighbor heard.  In this season they needed to know that they should not live in fear, but you needed to know that Christ is coming back sooner rather than later, get the Word out, spread the Gospel.

Know that you are hearing what God needs for you to hear in this season of your life. 

The word you need might not be the same word that I need or that our neighbor needs.  God touches our hearts in the ways that He needs us to be touched.

As a preacher preaches the message, he (or she) is spreading an overabundance of nuggets out for us to pick up.  Some of us might grasp the same nugget; however most of us reach for the nugget that is just for us.   Then there are those of us that are greedier and hungrier for the word than others and we are stuffing our pockets with all the nuggets that we possibly can. 

I am one of those; I want all the words, missing none.  I want to write everything down that is preached from the pulpit, not missing a single word.  I want all the nuggets that are spread out before me – what might not be relevant for today may be exactly what I need for tomorrow, I don’t want to miss anything!

Sitting in church, I miss my (TiVo) pause button that I have at home watching my favorite evangelists…what was that, what did I miss…pause, back up, replay…getting every word!!

As I get ready for church or even as I turn on my television for my televised sermons, I am excited, I tell God, “Ok God, whatcha got for me today?  What do I get to learn today?  I am expectant for MY word Lord, bring me my word” 

When I go expectant, I never leave empty handed.  I walk away with my word, with my message that was brought from the Holy Spirit through the vessel that is speaking to me.  I pray for all God’s messengers, fill them up o Lord, fill them up and let their message flood the nations.  I want my Living Water that is Your Word o God.  I want my word!!!

Are you getting the word from God that you need?  Are you expectant of a word?  Tell God to bring it to you that you are ready. 

Don’t let those nuggets that are meant for you left lying on the ground, pick it up, study that nugget, get that nugget into your spirit, live that nugget and share that nugget with the next person who needs it.  After all gifts from God are not meant to be hoarded, they are meant to be shared with the world!

I pray that you go for the Gold my friend, it is yours, go for it!

Until Next Time, God Bless!!!

Little Brain - Great Big God

As a child that watched a lot of super hero movies I have always wanted one superpower and that power was super-intelligence.  I have always wanted to know the secrets of everything.  I wanted to know everything the geniuses knew and more.  I wanted a brain that fired on all cylinders at full power at all times.  I wanted to comprehend everything I read and retain it into my memory banks for future withdrawal.  I didn't want to know a lot about a little or even a little about a lot...I wanted to know it ALL!

We serve a GREAT BIG GOD!  His love and majesty is beyond human comprehension.  Our brains weigh about 3.3 pounds and we only use a small fraction of them.  We can’t wrap our little brains around our Big God.  Isaiah 40:12 tells us that God held the oceans in the palm of His hands.  Why do we try to put Him in a box that we can explain?  God is OUR Creator, He explains us to us!

As I was meditating on this God revealed to me that our limited use of our brains wasn’t always the case.  When Adam walked with God in the Garden of Eden, Adam was perfect, mind, body and soul.  God breathed His breath of life into Adam - GOD’S DNA – Adam was PERFECTION personified.   

Adam TALKED with God, he UNDERSTOOD God, he communed with God.  It took Adam’s entire brain to be WITH GOD.

No burning bush, no cloud, not in a dream…They walked and talked WITH GOD AND ALL HIS GLORY!   Adam and Eve understood fully the realm of the supernatural which was the way God intended.  The Supernatural is the natural way of living God intended for man.  The natural way things are today are the complete opposite than the original intention of our Creator.  Our normal natural is so abnormal that we should be ashamed that we have settled for less than the best of God.

The fall of man was the greatest tragedy this world has ever faced.  God said when you eat from the fruit of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil you shall surely die…they did eat of it and the death surely came. 

It just took time.  They were walking in the Garden with God, in HIS GLORY!!!  Man was never intended to die; he was made PERFECT and was meant to live forever.  However sin caused Adam and Eve to be removed from the Garden and the presence of God. 

Sin cannot exist in the glory of God.  Adam and Eve had to be removed from the Garden.  

It took hundreds of years for their bodies to succumb to death because the Glory of God is just so awesome it took that long for the process to take place.   The Glory of God past through them generation to generation. 

The further and further man got from God, the less and less of His Glory was running through man’s DNA. 

The less man’s brain was needed…this world does not require our brains to be running at full capacity as it was intended and that is why over the generations we lost usage of it.

Can you imagine what it will be like after the rapture, going to Heaven, being in the Glory of God…we will be perfect again just like He intended before the fall.   We all will have the power of Super-Intelligence...Divine Intelligence.  We will be whole in the presence of our God.  

We will be able to comprehend just HOW GREAT our GREAT BIG GOD really is! 

Until Next Time, God Bless!!!