Encouraging and empowering people to live victorious lives in Christ

Posts tagged ‘Jesus’

Following God’s Lead

Early this morning, I let our dog Champ out so he could ‘go.’ Our backyard is partially fenced, so when we let him out, someone has to go with him to make sure he doesn’t leave the yard.  As he was roaming the yard, he heard a sound and immediately ran toward it.  It was a noise coming out of the hedges and it didn’t take him long to locate where the sound was coming from.  Champ’s ears were fixed on this sound, and because I didn’t know what it was, I wanted him to leave it alone. I had to take him by the collar and pull him away from this strange noise (not an easy thing to do for a curious dog).

What do Champ’s keen ears have to do with you, you may ask?  Champ heard this sound and his instincts told him to immediately investigate, to act on it quickly.  When you hear God’s voice giving you an instruction, how immediate are you to act on it?  Are you following God’s lead? I promise you, this message is not meant to condemn (I’m asking myself the same question).  

As we are in tune with God’s voice, we will receive an instruction about a particular thing.  The instruction may be related to a prayer we’ve prayed or maybe even a heads up on what’s to come.  Sometimes, the instruction doesn’t make sense to us, or it’s something that we really don’t want to do.  We may say things like, “God, do you really want me to pray for that person?”  or “God, why do I have to do it that way? Isn’t there another way?”

Think about the life of Jesus: while He lived on earth, He was both fully divine and fully human.  And as He prepared to be crucified, we see a glimpse of Jesus’ humanity when He prayed to the Father: He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Matthew 26:39, NLT)

Despite Jesus’ struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane, He knew the assignment and moved forward in obedience to the Father.  God’s desire is for us to heed the instructions that we’re given also.  The ask may not make sense, and we may not want to do it.  But, what’s on the other side of our obedience is far better than the difficulty of the request.  

I encourage you today (as I encourage myself) to follow God’s lead.  Continue to spend time in His word so you can know His voice more and more.  And trust Him for the outcome of your obedience.

I would love to hear your thoughts; feel free to comment on this post below. Thanks!

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Still and Listening: Meeting God in the Quiet

Earlier this week, I posted this thought on my personal Facebook page:

“Sometimes what we need most isn’t a book or a devotional—it’s simply to sit in God’s presence.”

This idea came to me as I was thinking about how we can grow spiritually.  I recently preached a message at my church regarding spiritual growth and victorious living (you can click here to listen in!).  I shared some things we can do to help us; activities such as prayer, bible study, fasting, etc.  All of those activities are good, but there is something we can add to that list, something I believe we don’t do enough of.

When was the last time you sat quietly in God’s presence?  When was the last time you just sat in a chair or knelt or just paused to be with God?  Since God is omnipresent, we don’t need to go to a particular place (like our local church) to be in God’s presence.  Nor do we need a book or a devotional or worship music (although there is nothing wrong with using these tools) to usher us into His presence.  All we need is a true desire to spend time with Him! And guess what: God desires to be with us too!  

Sitting in silence may make us uncomfortable.  We are so accustomed to there being constant noise around us, so when things are quiet, it may feel awkward. But the quieter we are, the more prepared we are to receive from God.  Our intentional silence is our way to get in position to hear what He has to say.

When should we seek God’s presence?  All the time!  Not just we have a specific need, but whenever we want to just be with Him.  Think about a good friend:  although life can be busy for all of us, unless we maintain some connection, we may grow apart.  If we are not intentional about seeking God’s presence, our connection with Him can weaken.

So, what are you going to do today to enter into the presence of God?  Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in how you spend that time. And as we spend intentional, quiet ime with Him, He can speak to our hearts as we are drawn closer to Him.

Does this post resonate with you? Please comment below and share this post with a friend!

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We are one!

One of my favorite artists from the 70s and 80s is Maze featuring Frankie Beverly.  Although the group didn’t record any new music after the 80s, they continued to pack concert venues up until last year!  Classic music that never gets old!

One of Maze’s most popular songs is entitled “We Are One.”  The opening lines say:

Can’t understand

Why we treat each other in this way

Taking up time

With the silly silly games we play

When I heard it recently, I began to think about oneness in the Body of Christ.  We can ask the same question about our fellow believers that Frankie Beverly asked in his song:  why do we treat each other the way we do at times?  We can sometimes be judgmental, mean, isolating and just overall unloving toward other believers. We elevate certain sins over others, we call one another names if our doctrines (or our politics or our races) are not the same, and we fall out of fellowship with one another.   I could go on…

This is NOT what God intended for the Body of Christ!  

I believe we should use the early church as a model for what our body should look like.  Acts 2:42-44 (NLT) says this:

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.

Understanding that we should consider the historical and cultural context of this passage, I’m not saying we are to follow their actions exactly, but we can glean the spirit of what fellowship within the Body of Christ should look like.   

  • They were devoted to prayer and their leaders’ teachings
  • They were devoted to fellowshipping with one another
  • They helped one another and shared what they had
  • They worshipped together

What does your ‘oneness’ look like?  Oneness in your personal actions as well as oneness within your church or fellowship of believers? While we can point fingers and observe what others are doing in this area, the fact is we cannot control someone else. So, let’s focus on what we can do!  What can I do to promote oneness in the Body of Christ?

I encourage you today to search your heart and determine what YOU can do to promote oneness.  Now, there will be those who have no desire for this goal, and that’s ok (we will all reap what we sow at some point.  We shake the dust off our feet and search for those who desire true oneness).  Focus on you and what you can do, so we can look more like the body that God intended.

Free to leave me a comment below. And please share this post with a friend!

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How’s your year going?

As we are approaching the end of March (can you believe it?), we are also approaching the end of the first quarter of 2025.  This time is a great opportunity to assess where we are with the goals we set at the beginning of the year. It’s also a great time to make sure we heard God clearly on the things we decided to do.

Proverbs 16:1 and 9 say this:

“The preparations of the heart belong to man,

But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.”

and

“A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.”  

(NKJV)

One commentary on the book of Proverbs notes that “people design what they will say and do, but the Lord decrees what will endure and form part of his eternal purposes”   So, it’s ok for us to make plans.

So, how do Christians plan?  We’re not making plans in a vacuum; we plan in the context of the Word of God and what God is saying to us about a particular thing.  We pray for and seek wisdom as we begin to make plans, and we are open to hearing the Holy Spirit if we need to course correct or adjust.  We are flexible.

I believe it’s the second part of verse 9 that reminds us of the importance of being flexible.  If the Lord leads us in a different direction, we should trust in that guidance and move appropriately. Notice I said “The Lord.” I am an advocate of seeking wise counsel, but at the same time, our relationship with God should be living and active so we can clearly hear what He is saying to us (and He can certainly use the voice of wise counsel to assist us). And just because we made a particular plan doesn’t mean we have to stick with it if it is no longer the right thing for us to do.  Don’t let your pride get in the way of shifting plans and focus as needed!

As we lean into the direction and guidance we receive from God, and “commit your actions to the Lord, [then] your plans will succeed.” (Proverbs 16:3, NLT).  Do you want to be successful?  I believe God wants that for us also!  Let’s follow what the Word of God says about planning, setting goals, course correcting and success.

I encourage you to take some time today (or over the next couple of days) to assess where you are with the plans you made at the beginning of the year, and seek God to determine if any adjustments need to be made, so that you can experience success the way God intended!

Before I go, will you please do me a favor?  I would love it if you would subscribe to my YouTube channel!  Just click here to become a part of my YouTube community; you’ll be the first to know when I’m going live there! 

Have a great day!

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God is a Keeper!

The last few weeks have been extremely busy!  Between a hectic work schedule (things have slowed down for a couple of weeks, thank goodness), speaking and teaching assignments, and just “life,” my stress level has been high.  I’ve gotten out of my routine of working out regularly and eating healthy (slowing getting back into those things now).  Since we’re now in the season of Lent, I am intentionally trying to slow down a bit in my morning routine so I can reset.

During my prayer time yesterday, I began to reflect on my life over the last 18 months.  I may have shared before that back in September of 2023, I was laid off from my job of almost 25 years.  I started thinking about my journey from that last day when I mailed in my laptop, cell phone and badge, until now. From participating in career counseling, to getting jobs (and all the rejection letters that came before the job offers) and learning new industries, I can truly say that God has kept me!  Tears of gratitude began to flow! It has been, and continues to be, an adventure of ups and downs, but the one constant over this time period is God.  All of my needs have been met (and I do mean ALL), I’ve met new people who have expanded my network, and I am learning to exercise my faith in a greater way. 

I was talking to a friend the other day, and she acknowledged that the anniversary of her father’s transition has just passed.  At that moment, I realized that the anniversary of my grandmother’s transition had also just passed (she’s been with the Lord for 5 years).  Do you recall what was happening 5 years ago this month? It was the beginning of the COVID global pandemic.  My mind went back to that time when my family was trying to plan a funeral when no one understood what was happening, and how sad we were that we couldn’t give her the homegoing service she deserved because of the shutdowns.  But through all of that, God kept us!

If you were to look over your life, I believe you would come to the same conclusion!  God has kept you!  Even if life is hard for you right now, you can still reflect on what God has done for you in the past.  Let those memories remind you of His goodness and His power, and keep you focused on the fact that if He’s kept you before, He can do it again!

God is a keeper!

Please do me a favor: share this blog post with a friend and encourage them to subscribe!

Be blessed!

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Making Deposits That Matter

Do you realize that you have a spiritual bank account?  No, you can’t go into a bank branch to open one of these, but our spiritual accounts do exist!  When we use banks or other financial instruments, we make deposits into them so we can draw out of them later.  If you ever tried to withdraw from an empty bank account, you are disappointed when there’s nothing for you to receive, right?

The key is to put something in your financial account before you need it.  The same applies for our spiritual bank account!  We should be adding to our account daily via spiritual disciplines (such as prayer, fasting, studying the Word etc.) so that we will have someone to withdraw when there is a need.  While we can do these things (and should) in the middle of difficult times, let’s not wait until we’re struggling to try to shore up our accounts.  When we make deposits little by little, our deposits compound (just like when our financial deposits compound with interest), and before we know it, we will have more than we anticipated!  

So let’s start somewhere!  How are you planning to make a deposit into your spiritual account today?  While financial deposits are important, spiritual deposits are the ones that really matter!  

Be blessed!

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Only Believe!

Welcome to 2025!  2024 may have been hard for you (it was a challenging year for me for sure, a year of change and stretching).  As you are reading this, you may be thinking that, although we are in a new year, not much is different from the old one.  There may be health issues, the loss of a loved one or financial challenges that still exist as you flipped your calendar from 2024 or 2025.  What can we do?

No matter what is going on, even if nothing has changed, the last thing we should do is to stop believing.  Believing that all things are possible with God (according to Matthew 19:26), that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (according to Philippians 4:13), and that the promises of God are yes and amen (according to 2 Corinthians 1:20).  2025 has the potential to be a great year for us, but nothing can guarantee that it won’t have its challenges.  When hard times come (or as they continue), our mindset and our beliefs are key!  

As we enter this new year, I encourage you to search the scriptures for the promises that God has made to us and make them a part of your daily declarations.  The more you declare, the more you will believe!  And what you believe will carry you through the good and the not-so-good times. 

Jesus told Jairus, when his daughter died, to “only believe” (Mark 5). And miraculously, his daughter was brought back to life. Even if things look hopeless, let’s make sure our beliefs are in the One who is a miracle worker, way maker and a promise keeper!  In 2025, let’s “only believe!”

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Get ready for breakthrough!

So…you have been planning, praying and working toward a particular dream or goal. It hasn’t manifested yet but you’re believing God for it, walking by faith and expecting it to happen. Whether it’s financial increase, a growth in the number of clients your business serves or a new vehicle, the question I want to ask you today is, “are you prepared for the thing you’re believing for?”

If you are making strides to grow your business, what happens when it does grow? Are you prepared to go from a small number of clients to a greater number? How will you manage them? When you purchase that dream car, are you ready to handle the maintenance on it, making sure you keep up with it and have the funds to pay for it? Or when you receive that financial increase, are you planning to use it wisely?

While you’re waiting for your goals and dreams to come to fruition, make sure you’re preparing yourself to handle them! That means making the necessary adjustments in YOU for the future. For example, I should probably learn how to budget the money I have now so that when I receive more, I know how to handle it and it’s not wasted (just think about those lottery winners who end up broke in a few short years). Or, I should be intentional about cleaning the home I’m living in now, so that when I purchase my dream home, I’m already in the habit of maintaining it. You get the picture!  The time to get ready for your “more” is now, not when it arrives!

And as you prepare, I believe something will happen: you will become even more grateful for what you already have! Even if we’re lacking in a particular area, being mindful of what we have will help us to appreciate it more! 

How are you getting ready for your breakthrough? I encourage you to ask yourself this question and see where you need to improve in this area (because we all do). Let’s be good stewards of the things God has blessed us with now so we are ready for what is coming in the future!

Let’s get ready for our breakthrough!

I would love to hear your comments, please share them below!

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Have you prayed about it?

Are you starting to make plans for the upcoming new year? Goals you want to accomplish, vacations you want to take or money you want to save don’t just happen automatically; they need a plan, right? But before you decide on what your focus will be and start formulating a plan (I’m an advocate for those things, by the way), have you prayed about them? That’s the question I want to ask you today!

This is what happens with me when I get an idea about something: I marinate on it and bathe it in prayer. What do I mean by that? I get quiet so I can hear what God has to say about my potential plans. And I spend some extra time in the Word (outside of my normal devotion time) so I can be sure I’m hearing Him clearly (and not myself). Invariably, God will clarify the goals for me and give me specific instructions to move in that direction. Or, if it’s something that’s not in His plans (for right now or maybe not at all), He’ll let me know that too! 

So before we jump out there making big plans to do big things, don’t forget to consult the One who has the wisdom we need to make the best decisions! One of my favorite scriptures is Proverbs 16:9 (NLT):

We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.

I want God to direct my steps! I want to be in His will and operate in His wisdom. Especially if I’m moving into new territory with my new plans that have me outside of my comfort zone! What about you?

As you make your plans, be sure to pray about them. Alignment with God is key!

I would love to hear from you! Please share your comments below, and please tell a friend!

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Is Mustard Seed Faith Enough?

Many Christians (I’m sure) are familiar with this passage from the book of Hebrews: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1, NASB). Have you ever prayed for something for an extended period of time, but subconsciously given up hope that your prayer would ever be answered?  We say the right words when we pray and we end our prayer with “in Jesus’ name, Amen,” and yet, deep down inside, we just don’t believe that our answer will ever come.  Well, I will confess that I’ve prayed this particular prayer but didn’t believe it would be answered.  Was it because I didn’t believe that God could?  No, to the contrary, as a part of my prayer, I would confess that I knew God was able.  Or, was it because I didn’t have enough faith to truly believe that God would do what He promised?  For me, it was the latter. The fact of the matter is, I’d seen God answer similar prayers for other people (and rejoiced with them when He did), but somehow didn’t think he would answer it for me (although I knew He could).

mustardseed

Then one day, during my prayer and devotional time, the Holy Spirit convicted me, and showed me that the reason I felt hopeless about my situation was because I was living in unbelief about it.  Once I was convicted, I had to pray for forgiveness and ask God to “help my unbelief,” the same thing a father said to Jesus when he brought his son who was possessed by a spirit to Him asking for help. The father said, “if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” (emphasis mine)  Jesus’ responds this way: “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.”  Immediately, the father was convicted and says: “I do believe; help my unbelief” (be sure to read Mark 9 for the entire story).  After I was convicted, I asked God to help me and give me faith the size of a mustard seed.  Frankly, I felt like I needed to start small in asking for faith in this particular situation (note: my faith has been great in other situations, but not in this one), because I felt just like that father who brought his son to Jesus.  The small amount of faith I began to ask for is mustard seed faith, which really isn’t a whole lot!

As you can see from the picture, a mustard seed is a tiny thing!  So small that it seems to get lost in the palm of a person’s hand.  Is that amount of faith enough? Shouldn’t I have a little bit more than that?  The answer to the question of whether mustard seed faith is enough, based on what Jesus said, is a resounding YES!  He says in Matthew 17:20, “if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.” (NASB)

So, I decided to take a small step and confess that I have this much faith that God will answer my prayer.  Yes, I believe this sized faith is enough, and I’m standing on that belief and walking in faith (and not by sight).  My prayer has not yet been answered, but I now have hope about it (something I’d given up on a while ago).

Why am I confessing this to you?  I’m being transparent because someone is experiencing this same thing as we speak!  You’ve prayed and prayed and prayed, the answer hasn’t come, and at some point, you made up in your mind that it would never come.  I want to encourage you to take heart!  Ask God to help your unbelief and give you just a little bit of faith.  Stand on that little bit of faith and watch what God will do!  While you’re waiting for your answer, He’s working on you to make you stronger, wiser and better.

If you can relate to this, feel free to comment and share your thoughts.  I pray God’s blessings on you as He reveals more of Himself to you during this time.

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