I just completed a 10 part seminar series over the last four months that has truly transformed my life. Our final lesson was “Acknowledgment.” It is so important to express appreciation for the people in your life who help you accomplish your goals. The truth is that none of us make it through life successfully on our own, we have people holding us up at various times and assisting us along the way.
The year 2010 has come to represent a year of completion for me. I have successfully navigated through the testing phase, and matured to the point where I am being promoted to the next level in several areas. I completed my MBA studies, completed my Landmark Forum In Action Seminar and will complete my life as a single woman this summer. I couldn’t be more pleased with the way my life is going right now nor with the network that I have been plugged into.
I acknowledge many people for their input in all that is going right in my life. My loving family, my wonderful fiancee, my children – natural and spiritual, my amazing friends, awesome co-workers, inspiring people that I have shared classrooms and seminars with, my Pastors, teachers, mentors, the people who prayed for me and held me up during times in my life when things were not going well, all the new people I have met who offer encouragement and support, the people who think they have done me wrong but have actually given me valuable lessons.
This may be contrary to popular belief, but the world is full of beautiful people who have much love and support to share with others. I’m grateful to be on the receiving as well as the giving end!
Hebrews 12:1-3 (New King James Version)
1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Sometimes the Lord requires us to strip down to the bare essentials so that we can focus on the task at hand. That is precisely what He is doing in my life right now. I was in a season where it was fine for me to be involved in several things because He was using me and training me in those areas.
Now He is directing me to focus on the vision that He originally gave me. At first I felt like I was being punished or put in timeout. I didn’t really want to put some of those things aside. However, I also see how focusing my energy in those areas was taking away from what He had given me specifically to do.
Lord, thank You for the seasons of training and preparation that You bring us to so that we will be ready when Your plan unfolds. Thank You for Your hand that both guides and provides every step along the way. I trust that every word You have spoken, You shall bring it to pass. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Hebrews 12:1-3 (New King James Version)
1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
God has a plan for your life and that plan never changes. What changes is you! You can ignore the plan, run from the plan, trip yourself up, get lost somewhere in the wilderness, blame God and everyone around you, but He still has the blueprint in His Hand. The longer you run, the longer you delay entering the blessedness of His Will.
The Lord has given you the ability to choose. Are you happy with what you have chosen? Do you see His peace, joy and love unfolding in Your life? Or are you experiencing the same things day in and day out? Do you find yourself continually caught up in drama and conflict with other people? Do you wish for the spotlight and the praise of others?
When your actions are based on a desire to please man rather than God, you are not in line with God’s will. You cannot receive God’s best for your life if you are trying to impress people! Is this hard to understand? Who gave you your life? Who has the power to transform your life?
God is the only One who can transform your life. However, this will not happen unless you really want it. If you want to change, you have to be willing to put people-pleasing in the past. As long as you are trying to impress someone, you are only performing. You have no real relationships because you are not real. Most of the people you are trying to please do not love you, possibly because they have never met the real you.
The God who loves you has a plan for your life that you may not even be able to imagine right now. He has the best things in store specifically for you. He is waiting for you to accept His Will. It does not matter how much time you think you have wasted or how much you may have messed up. God didn’t rip up the agenda. He knows how to redeem the time and get you up to speed. Just surrender to Him today.
Lord I thank you and I pray for my brother and sister reading this right now who genuinely want Your best for their life. I pray that You would remove the distractions and the voices that discourage them from being all that they can be. Help them to see themselves through Your eyes, Lord. Allow them to feel the warmth of Your love and know that You will be with them every step of the way. I pray that they would surrender to You and allow You to transform their lives. Remove the weights Lord, remove the shackles that hold them back . Free them to be complete in You today Father. In Jesus’ Name! Amen.
Hebrews 12:1-3 New Living Translation
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.
What are you willing to be in order to have the life that you want?
For years I said I wanted to be married and have a family but I was unwilling to be committed. I also wanted peace and happiness in my life yet I was not obedient to the will of God. I formed this belief that God was somehow angry with me and wondered if I would ever please Him.
Have you done this? Have you wished for your life to be different, yet failed to do what was necessary to bring forth the change?
Jesus told a wealthy young man that it was easier for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. I suspect that it is not the riches that prevent someone from entering the kingdom of God, but their unwillingness to give up their way of doing things.
You can be loving and have the relationships that you want. You can be creative and have the businesses that you want. You can be compassionate and make a difference in your world.
“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.”
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Matthew 19:23-26 (New King James Version)
23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”
26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
I find it amazing how we sometimes want the finer things in life when we aren’t willing to be refined ourselves.
How can you wish for a wife when you are not faithful to your friends or family? How can you pray for a new home when you don’t know how to take care of your current one? How can you pine for a husband and children when you can barely take care of yourself?
Why should I wish for God to dress me in the finest fabrics and most dazzling jewels when I am ugly on the inside? That would be like having a bride dressed in the most exquisite gown but she has no regard for it so she gets it dirty. She arrives at the wedding all disheveled. Her hair is a mess, her gown is ripped, her fingernails are cracked and her shoes are falling apart. The groom is standing there waiting for her in a beautiful garden in his radiant white tuxedo. It is such a beautiful scene, yet here comes the bride hissing obscenities as she walks toward him in her broken heels. Something is terribly wrong with this picture!
I don’t want to be the eyesore in the new life that God has prepared for me. I don’t want to take this beautiful love that He is blessing me with and make it ugly with my old behavior and attitudes. I want to be just as dazzling, precious, beautiful, loving and gentle as the portrait that God has painted of me.
I pray today and every day that God would continue refining me. Cleanse me Lord, fix the cracks, the imperfections, the blemishes and the stains. Make me new and beautiful each day Lord so that I may be a reflection of Your Glory for the world to see.
Luke 5:36-39 (The Message)
No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match. And you don’t put wine in old, cracked bottles; you get strong, clean bottles for your fresh vintage wine. And no one who has ever tasted fine aged wine prefers unaged wine.
Did you ever fantasize about being “discovered’? From an early age I had dreams and visions of what my future was going to be like. I saw myself speaking and ministering, taking care of children and being successful. I believed that I had greatness inside of me. But after awhile, a tiny bit of resentment began to set in because I couldn’t understand why it seemed like no one else outside of my family recognized my potential.
I was probably watching too much television. I saw all these overnight success stories where some VIP discovered some ordinary person on the street corner, gave them a record deal, a modeling contract and they became the next hot celebrity.
Can you relate to what I am saying? Have you ever wished for someone to scoop you out of your situation and put you in your rightful place in the world? Are you still waiting for someone to put their blessing and stamp of approval on your dreams and visions before you step out on faith?
If that is you I am talking to you right now. When I was growing up, at Faith Fellowship Ministries (Pastor Demola) we used to say, “If God said it, that settles it!” If God has given you a talent, skill and a vision, and you feel the Spirit urging you to press forward, don’t wait for someone else to shine the spotlight on you.
Seek Godly council, pray and make sure your actions are in line with God’s Word. If God has called you, it is He who justifies you and equips you for the work ahead. Step out on faith, the Light of God is already shining on you.
Galatians 1:15-16; 22-24 (New International Version)
15But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased 16to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man,
22I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24And they praised God because of me.
Imagine if all you wanted was a never-ending supply of milk to go with your chocolate chip cookies. Instead of milk, someone brings you a cow. You don’t know what to do with the cow, so you get upset. What if you got angry with the cow because it wasn’t what you wanted? When you don’t trust the Source, it is like kicking the cow because you want milk! We have to understand that there is a process in getting milk, it doesn’t just magically appear out of the sky, nor will the cow walk up to you and hand you milk. You can’t even bully the cow into giving it to you. There is a process by which you obtain milk from a cow.
There is also a process by which you will receive what you are believing the Lord for. Don’t despise the process, but keep God’s Word concerning your destiny before you. Meditate on that word because you will need to hold on to it when the things you see with your natural eye do not add up to what you have already seen in the spirit.
Discouragement comes when we forget what God said concerning our lives. When we become distracted by what doesn’t seem to be going right or by who is not doing what we think they are supposed to do, then we stop doing what we need to do to be in line with the vision. I asked myself, how well am I stewarding what God has given me if I am so worried about what I do not have right now?
Always trust God. You may be looking at a “cow” today and don’t know what you are supposed to do with it. Just trust that God is not going to send you a cow without also teaching you how to milk it or sending you someone who knows how. When it doesn’t make sense, seek His face and stay close to Him for the answer. In due time, all you need to know will be revealed.
Proverbs 4:22-24 (The Message)
20-22 Dear friend, listen well to my words;
tune your ears to my voice.
Keep my message in plain view at all times.
Concentrate! Learn it by heart!
Those who discover these words live, really live;
body and soul, they’re bursting with health.
23-27 Keep vigilant watch over your heart;
that’s where life starts.
Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth;
avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.
Keep your eyes straight ahead;
ignore all sideshow distractions.
Watch your step,
and the road will stretch out smooth before you.
Look neither right nor left;
leave evil in the dust.
Yesterday I was involved in a discussion on Facebook about who Jesus is, whether He is God or a mere prophet as religions other than Christianity profess. I usually don’t engage in such discussions because it does not matter what man says on the subject, it matters what God says. In my mind floated the question, what does God say about who Jesus is and I recalled one of my favorite passages from the books known as the Gospel.
In Luke chapter 4, as Jesus fasted and prayed, He was tempted for forty days and nights in the wilderness but He did not give in to temptation. After that, He was released into ministry and returned to the synagogue in His hometown where He announced to the congregants what He was sent to do:
Jesus’ Mission Statement: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
I think this passage causes me to fall deeper in love with Jesus every time I read it! He did everything He said He would do, and for that, there can be no other God but Him. He has captured my heart with His Love! Because He lives, I live. Because He was anointed to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom, to bring healing and recovery, I am anointed to do the same. Because He is God, I can be transformed so that I might be more like Him. (John 14:11-13; Romans 12:1-2)
So who do you think You are? Is it who man says you are? Or do you accept the words that the Living God has spoken over you? Do you accept the identity He created in you? Thank God Jesus accepted His Identity, because otherwise we would be in a world of trouble.
Luke 4:17-21 (New King James Version)
17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
18 “ The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,[a]
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”[b]
20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
We have been redeemed by the Love of the Father, washed and made new by the Blood of Jesus. In His Presence He reminds us of the bright future that He has in store for us and we are filled with hope. So what’s next? How many of these encounters do we need with the Holy Spirit before we believe what God says?
We can keep second-guessing God or we can start walking in the favor He has bestowed upon us.
Believe that He is faithful to complete the work He started in you. Believe that He will prepare you for the place He is bringing you to. Walk with your head held high because Christ in you is the hope of glory! Know that you are the righteousness of God and confess it over your life daily.
Thank You Father for this brand new life You have given me. Thank You for stirring up all the gifts You have placed in me and thank You for going with me as I step into destiny!
2 Corinthians 5:20-21 (Amplified Bible)
20So we are Christ’s ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We [as Christ's personal representatives] beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor [now offered you] and be reconciled to God.
21For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [[a]endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness].
Beautifully engraved and placed into your hand is a key. This key will unlock your potential for greatness. What are you going to do with it?
The key in your hand is love. Love will unlock the treasure chest within you. Without love, the Bible says your gifts are useless! Your talents were not placed inside you simply for your enjoyment or for the entertainment of others, but to carry the message of God’s Love in the world. You were made to love Him and to worship Him with your life.
Do you understand that God has a plan for your life and that plan is good (Jeremiah 29:11)? Have you embraced the fact that you are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)? That means you are beautiful, exquisite, unique, fabulous!
Begin to see yourself the way God sees you and thank Him for what He has blessed you with. Determine to serve Him with your life and your talents. Give back to Him what He has given to you. Practice your gifts. If you are a writer, write. If you are a singer, sing, if you are an artist, create!
Even if you start out doing it for an audience of One, that is the greatest audience you will ever have. Express your love for Him with your gifts. Worship Him with your talents, serve His people with special skills that He has given you.
Love is the key to unlocking your potential today. Use it!
1 Corinthians 13:1-7 (The Message)
If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. 2If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. 3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.
