Don't You Dare Take for Granted the Gift of Life nor Take for Granted the Gift of Today...

Wednesdays Word: Get Out of Your FUNK and Live! Today does matter and everything that you do today matters! Don't you dare take for granted the gift of life nor take for granted the gift of today...

"Seize life! Eat bread with gusto, Drink wine with a robust heart. Oh yes—God takes pleasure in your pleasure! Dress festively every morning. Don’t skimp on colors and scarves. Relish life with the spouse you love Each and every day of your precarious life. Each day is God’s gift. It’s all you get in exchange For the hard work of staying alive. Make the most of each one! Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily! This is your last and only chance at it, For there’s neither work to do nor thoughts to think In the company of the dead, where you’re most certainly headed. (Ecclesiastes 9:7-10 MSG)

"Today" will not happen tomorrow because it is meant to happen TODAY!

Is That YOUR Final Answer?

Tuesday's Truth: Is That Your Final Answer?

On game shows, the Host would ask you this question to ensure that you have reached your final answer.

As ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we are continually preaching, teaching and reaching in many ways and through various media. However, we can't force you to accept the Gospel, but we are compelled to share it with you. The final choice of accepting it is yours.

Today may be the last, we aren't sure of that, but we can be sure that if we say "Yes" to Jesus, we will be Saved.

YOUR "Reward" Will Be Aligned with YOUR Choices and there will be no finger pointing or anyone to blame...the choice is yours alone.

As a parent, a brother, as family, as a friend and minister...I have done my part and as best I can...What will be YOUR Final Answer?

Truth Is: "The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them." (Ezekiel 18:20 NIV)

Responsibility

Monday's Meditation: God is faithful BUT we need to take some Responsibility!

We expect God to be faithful all the while we are acting irresponsible! Let's do our part and be responsible because God is eternally faithful.

- Our responsibility is to treat others as we ourselves want to be treated

- Our responsibility is to know that our bodies are the dwelling place of The Spirit of God, quit defiling His Temple with substances not meant to be introduced into our bodies

- Our responsibility is to honor our parents their whole lives, not until you think you're grown and then begin to disrespect them and dishonor them

- Our responsibility is to live according to The Word of God; thereby, living out the purpose that God has created us to fulfill

Meditate on this: When we become responsible to do our part, then God is not only faithful to provide for you but God will show you Favor; He will Forgive you; He will Deliver you; He will Promote you; He will Protect you; and He will Bless everything attached to you!!

Get rid of the defeatist mindset and TAKE BACK your life that the enemy has been controlling and put your life back into the hands of God. Now that's being responsible!

“But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die." (Ezekiel 18:21 NKJV)

Let's Go!

Thankful Thursday: Let's Go!

Last night in VBS, we studied the birth of Jesus Christ. We learned how an angel proclaimed the birth of Jesus to shepherds and how a host of angels appeared in the sky and began singing praises unto the Lord. Immediately after the praise, the shepherds said to one another let's go see what this was all about!

"When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” (Luke 2:15)

This is the same way in which we approach the Word of God. Every time we open the Word of God, we are searching to see this thing that has been birthed in us. His Word tells us of His promises for us and His love towards us.

Be thankful today for all that the Lord has done in us and for what He is doing for us!

May we open our Bibles and our hearts and say "Let's Go" and see what the Lord is up to on OUR behalf!

Why Are We Sweating So Much?

Wednesday's Word: "If the Ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success." (Ecclesiastes 10:10 NIV)

The above verse this morning prompted me to ask a question to all of us and that question is: Why Are We Sweating So Much?

We "Sweat" one another; we "Sweat" over situations; and more often than we should...we "Sweat" the small stuff!

If we find ourselves to be a "Sweaty" mess, then perhaps we are working too hard. Truly this life really only requires one SKILL and that is to trust and believe in God.

So stop sweating, get with other believers and study God's Word together because "Iron does sharpen Iron". We've been dull long enough and we've been working way too hard!

YOU'VE SEEN HIS GREAT POWER...Now what are you going to do about it? Take a PRAISE BREAK and CELEBRATE GOD!!!

Tuesday's Truth: It's Time for a PRAISE BREAK!

The Israelites have just been delivered from Egypt and they can literally see the bodies of those Egyptian soldiers who pursued them but were drowned when God let the waters of the Red Sea return.

You too have seen the power of God in your life when He delivered you from bondage, oppression, addiction, depression, affliction, torment, abusive relationships and most importantly for those of us who are covered by the Blood of The Lamb...He utterly delivered us from sin, death and the grave.

"When the Israelites saw the great power with which the Lord had defeated the Egyptians, they stood in awe of the Lord; and they had faith in the Lord and in His servant Moses. Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: “I will sing to the Lord, because He has won a glorious victory; He has thrown the horses and their riders into the sea. The Lord is my strong defender; He is the one who has saved me. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God, and I will sing about His greatness." (Exodus 14:31- 15:2)

IT'S TIME TO TAKE A PRAISE BREAK AND CELEBRATE GOD!

He has truly been good to us. Actually, He's been better to us than we have been to ourselves!

Come out tonight to our "Praise Break" Vacation Bible School starting at 6:30pm. We will meet for three consecutive nights for a PRAISE BREAK. I hope you and your children can stop by!

2900 Smallwood Drive West
Waldorf, MD

STAND!

Monday's Meditation: STAND!

Stand up and square your shoulders
Stand strong, plant you feet and don't give ground
Stand for what is right
Stand in the face of adversity
Stand in spite of difficulty

And when you can't Stand, KNEEL in prayer and ask God for the strength to endure; the strength to overcome; and the strength to continue. Once you've kneeled...STAND AGAIN AND PRESS ON!

Meditate on this: If you can make it through it then you will make it to it.

Mind Your Words

Finishing Strong Friday: Mind Your Words

The power to build up or to tear down; The responsibility to heal or to hurt; and the Heart to accept and forgive or to dismiss and to chastise...all is contained in the words you choose to speak today.

Before you open your mouth to speak today, pray.

Someone's struggle to Finish Strong or perhaps to simply finish at all, may be depending on the words you speak today to them and over them. Choose your words wisely... MIND YOUR WORDS!!

"Kind words heal and help; cutting words wound and maim." (Proverbs 15:4 MSG)

We're STILL Here!

Thankful Thursday: In Spite of Their Best Efforts, We're STILL Here!

The enemy has tried deceit, slander, sickness and disease; Satan has put family member against family member, intoxication, fornication, isolation and abandonment...

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We  are  hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we  are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed" (2 Corinthians 4:7-9 NKJV)

Can we give a SHOUT of HALLELUJAH because through it all, We're STILL Here!!

Now continue praising while you continue to get back on your feet...yes we do get struck down, BUT WE ARE NOT DESTROYED!!

ITS TIME TO GET BACK UP!

It's the Way You Live, Not the Way You Talk, that Counts!

Wednesday's Word: It's the Way You Live, Not the Way You Talk, That Counts!

Have you ever known anyone who claimed to be wise but acted foolishly when things didn't quite go as planned? How about the person who goes to church, carries the Bible and has the Cross hanging around their neck...yet when faced with opposition; they lose their ever-loving mind? Lastly, someone who has the corner office, the beautiful spouse and the nice home but lives in fear of losing it all... every minute of every day; therefore, instead of enjoying what they have, they live in fear or are consumed with jealousy of what someone else may have that they don't have.

DON'T be this person!!

Live your life...don't just talk about it to make yourself look good on Social Media! What's your world really look like when you log off?

If any of the abovementioned scenarios strike a nerve, then I would suggest that you learn to appreciate and be thankful for what you have and live abundantly in it!

I pray that you love you and all that belongs to you...your family, your health, your material possessions...no matter how great or how small...they're yours so appreciate them, regardless of the opinions and perceptions of others.

Life has to be lived, not just talked about.

Live your life today!

Tuesday's Truth: God always gives strength enough for the next step.

Useless, Frivolous, Waisted Effort, Trifling, Foolish, Juvenile, Senseless and Pointless.

Have you ever heard these words or words with similar meanings aimed at YOU when you have made a decision to do something to better yourself that may not aligned with those thoughts for your life by some "Negative" People in your life?

To put it simply, "Negative" People can and will WEAR YOU OUT! They bind you with their fears of normalcy, they weigh you down with their own idiosyncrasies and they tire you with their constant "woe is me" pity parties.  Dealing with negative people is dangerous because you can easily become akin to those whom you spend your time with. In other words, "Birds of the feather flock together".

BREAKAWAY from negativity! Do it right now! Negativity has robbed you of living an abundant life, a fulfilling life and a joyful life. Negativity has sapped you of your rigor and strength. Negativity is keeping you from your purpose and God's promise. Negativity has you standing still instead of moving in the power and authority that is inherently yours in Christ Jesus.

God told me to tell you, "Just take one step in My direction and I'll do the rest".

Trust God today to take away the negativity and give you far more than you can ever think or imagine!

He will give you the strength to break free...you just have to want to be free.

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." (Isaiah 40:29 NIV)

"BODY"building

When we were born, we were neither left-handed or right-handed. However, very early on in life, we began to favor one hand over the other and really, there is no explanation (at least, I can't explain it). In doing so, the hand that we used more often became more dominant, therefore more powerful. Some prefer the right-hand others the left-hand, but whichever hand we choose, the other becomes weaker and the one that we prefer or use more often becomes stronger.

I truly believe that the weaker hand is only weak because of it's inactivity and under-utilization. However, if I were to begin to use my opposite hand, it will indeed get stronger.  In reality, It is not lacking strength, it is only lacking utilization.

The same can be said about our physical life and our spiritual life. We tend to exercise or utilize our physical nature and not exercise or utilize our spiritual nature. We often struggle when faced with the spiritual because that part of us is far weaker than our physical self.  Can you imagine how strong we all would be if we exercised our WHOLE-selves? Our spirit is limitless, without boundaries; our spirit senses, discerns, protects via instinct and holds us accountable via our conscience. When was the last time that you have even thought about, let alone, exercised your spiritual self?

Well, if you are spiritually out of shape, Church is a good place to exercise your spiritual nature; studying God's Word is excellent for building up your spirit and the ultimate spiritual exercise is to exercise your faith in Christ Jesus!

Let's not be fooled...not only are you a physical-being, you are also a spiritual-being.  The Apostle Paul says it like this:

"If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body." (1 Corinthians 15:44 NIV)

Meditate on this: As we stay in the Word of God, our spirit man grows stronger. One day, our physical bodies will exist no more, they will grow old, they will become afflicted, they will degenerate due to disease or abuse and they will grow weaker and weaker regardless of how much working out you've done in the physical. However, the time spent in the exercising of your spiritual-self, will reward you bountifully for all eternity.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with bodybuilding, but don't forget the building up of your spiritual-self in the process. In doing so, we will truly be "BODY"Building" and the strengthening will be that of our WHOLE-selves!

Praising God

Hallelujah! You who serve God , praise God ! Just to speak his name is praise! Just to remember God is a blessing— now and tomorrow and always. From east to west, from dawn to dusk, keep lifting all your praises to God ! God is higher than anything and anyone, outshining everything you can see in the skies. Who can compare with God , our God, so majestically enthroned, Surveying his magnificent heavens and earth? He picks up the poor from out of the dirt, rescues the wretched who’ve been thrown out with the trash, Seats them among the honored guests, a place of honor among the brightest and best. He gives childless couples a family, gives them joy as the parents of children. Hallelujah! (Psalm 113:1-9 MSG)

"Commit Yourself Unto Him"

Wednesday's Word: "Commit Yourself Unto Him"

What have we committed to? To what or to whom have we pledged ourselves? To what and to whom have we deposited our intimate thoughts, our daily hope and eternal faith?

If we have committed to anyTHING or to anyONE or to anyBODY other than Christ Jesus, please know today that whatever we have committed will be lost as it cannot be kept by what, in and of itself, is temporary...only our eternal Savior can eternally keep what you have committed to Him.

Commit Yourself unto Jesus!

The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, "He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" (2 Tim. 1: 12)

Today and everyday, I commit my family, my home, my trust and mySELF unto Him. I can trust and believe that what and who I have committed into His Mighty Hands shall be kept!

- When my money is funny - I'm still kept
- When I don't live up to expectations - I'm still kept
-When my children are out of my home and in the world - they're still kept

You see, life has its issues and we're all going to make mistakes, but the difference is, when we commit ALL things, both good and bad unto Him, He will work them out for our good.

Quit relying on others and COMMIT UNTO HIM!

A Clean Separation

Tuesday's Truth: A Clean Separation!

It is both necessary and needful at times for us to make "A Clean Separation" from the areas and things in this life that no longer are favorable or functional to right living.

We stay in situations because we have settled in our minds that "this" is all that there is. Perhaps we stay because we have listened to the lies of the enemy and for some "dumb" reason, we believe the lie of the enemy instead of the TRUTH of God. Lastly we stay because staying in worthless, useless, unprofitable, unhealthy, unsafe and ungodly situations actually have become familiar and commonplace in our lives (my, my, my...how far away are we from who we were meant to be?)

But Today, I am here to tell you that there IS LIFE beyond our situations; there IS JOY beyond our despair; there IS HEALING for our Soul; and there IS A PROMISE, PURPOSE AND PLAN for our lives in Christ Jesus.

It is about time to look past our afflictions and move on. It is about time to do away with addictions and dependencies on "stuff" and look toward freedom and cleanliness. It is time to move on from our childhood/street identities and become the Man and Woman of God that we were created to be. IT IS NOW THE TIME TO MAKE A CLEAN SEPARATION AND LIVE OUR LIFE!!

"Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South." (Genesis 13:1 NKJV)

God had big plans for Abram, but the plan nor the purpose would be experienced in Abram's current situation, Abram had to make "A Clean Separation".

Truth is...so do we. Be blessed

What Do You Want?

Monday's Meditation: What Do You Want?

Oftentimes we act out and act up; we show out and show off all to get attention from someone. With all of this attention seeking, my question this morning is: are we prepared to give an answer?

The scripture that I'm sharing with you this morning amazes and excites me...yet it causes me to pause as I ponder my very own response. Think about it, we meditate on the Word of God, we read His Word and we pray His Word. However, when I read this particular passage, it makes me think about how I would answer The King of kings and The Lord of lords, The Creater; The Alpha and Omega and as John has told his disciples "The Lamb of God".

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”   When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” (John 1:35-38a NIV)

As I sit here preparing for this day, my response to Jesus' question is simply, "I want to see others just as you see them". Tomorrow (I'm thinking), my response may be different as my mindset very likely will be different. However, I'm elated in knowing that WHATEVER we want, in Christ Jesus we ALREADY have it.

I'm glad that He asks of us today and everyday "What Do You Want?" I pray today that you meditate on this question and if you don't yet know Jesus as your Lord and Savior...or even as just a friend, that you will respond to this very same question with saying "YOU. I want You Jesus". He's seen our acting up and acting out; He's see our showing off and showing out...and He asks "What Do You Want?"

- If it's love, He is love
- If it's hope, He is our hope
- If it's peace, He gives peace that surpasses all understanding
- If it's healing, by His stripes we are healed
- If it's help, He is our advocate
- If it's protection, He said to stand still for the battle is not yours but The Lord's
- If it is restoration, He says Today, you shall be with me in Paradise
- If it is confidence, release from addiction or oppression, He has led captivity captive and has even taken the keys of your enemy that has held you captive... You are freed and free of captivity in Jesus.

I can go on and on...WHAT DO YOU WANT?

Thank you Jesus...I WANT YOU!

Mom The Encourager

Thankful Thursday: So much to be thankful for...today I will share with you a message from my Mother who encourages me every day as I strive to encourage others. Bless you Mom!!!

"Good morning Keith!  This is the day The Lord has made let's rejoice & be glad,  Love you. Mom"

"Workers" are FEW!

Wednesday's Word: Only a FEW "Workers"!

So much to harvest but so FEW workers. So FEW willing to minister with the poor and addicted. So FEW willing to minister with the battered and abused. So FEW willing to minister to the homeless and destitute.

Yet so MANY in front of cameras and microphones. Yet so MANY talking the talk but not willing to walk the walk for the sake of peace and brotherly love. So MANY talking about prosperity; so FEW willing to struggle for the sake of our brothers and sisters who are hungry, ill, suffering discrimination and violence.

Yes, there are STILL so FEW workers!

"Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are FEW.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.” (Matthew 9:35-38 NIV)

WORKERS COME FORTH! Amen.

Happy Anniversary

Today, my #1 Girl, my Best Friend, my Love and the Mother of my children has been my blessing and angel for 25 years! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Kimberly.