Warrior Wednesdays: The Holy Ghost

50 days after the passover celebration the Jewish people celebrated the Feast of the Harvest also know as Pentecost. During this celebration Jews from all over would gather into Jerusalem for the feast. This great celebration was the perfect stage for God to perform a miracle.

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord in one place. " Acts 2:1 When the day was come all of the apostles were on the same page. There was no disconnect between them as they were awaiting a sign from Jesus. When you are praying with others are you all focused on the same purpose? Are you praying for a miracle from God?

"And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the spirit gave them utterance." Acts 2:2-4 

"Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own tongue. " Acts 2:6 Many were surprised the hear the apostles speaking their native language, however they should not have been as God is able to cross all barriers.  He is not held within a certain nationality or ethnicity.

"And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine." Acts 2:12-13 When the Holy Ghost comes upon you some may doubt and others may mock but it is important to remember that this is God's spirit.

The Holy Spirit gives us power to do what we are unable to do on our own.

The apostles baptized 3,000people that very day. We can learn an enormous lesson from this event: When God has something big for us to do he will empower us to do it. 

"Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?" Acts 19:2 The Lord desires to place His Holy Spirit in each one of us?  But are we willing to receive.  One of the greatest miracle that happened to the disciples on the day of Pentecost is that they believe that God word, they obey what the Lord told them to do and they were ready to receive all that he had for them.  They were ready in their heart and mind to receive a MIRACLE.  

Are you ready to receive your miracle? Get into the position of faith, and refuse all doubt so the Lord will come and place His Spirit inside of you.  Keep reading the rest of the Acts 2 and find out how you may receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues.

Receive Power!!!!  

Stay Blessed and Continue Warring for Christ!

Warrior Wednesday: Brittney

Transforming Tuesday: Making Room For God's Promises

Have you ever been promised something that hasn't come to pass? Has the failure of that promise ever left you questioning the faithfulness/credibility of that person? It's happened to me plenty of times and truth be told, the failure of those promises has caused me to doubt people. Has God ever promised you something? Has that promised happened yet? Sometimes it's so easy to get discouraged by a promise that has not been delivered, but when God makes promises they ALWAYS come to pass. He is perfect so he doesn't fall short, he delivers right on time which is something that I need to learn.

In Acts (finally in the good book of Acts!!!) we see Jesus being taken up to heaven on a cloud, but it's only temporary because he will be back soon =) Immediately the disciples become worried but then they remember the promises that God delivered to them before he was crucified. More importantly, God gave the disciples (us), his power through the Holy Spirit. What an amazing gift! Through that gift we can draw nearer to God and draw others nearer to him as well! Also, we see a new disciple who takes the place of Judas, Matthias and he got the job because of his heart. He was sincere when he came before God and he believed in God from the very beginning.

In Deuteronomy we see God revealing his promises to the Israelites.  He states, ¹³ So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul— ¹⁴ then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. ¹⁵ I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied. (NIV). Everything that God stated to the Israelites shall come to pass as long as they keep God first and worship no one but him. 


The Israelites were just like us. They were delivered from captivity. How many of us has God delivered? They complained day in and day out. How many of us find anything to complain about? They were often ungrateful. How many times do we look for the negative instead of finding the positive? They saw people destroyed before their very eyes and yet they struggled in their faith. How many times do we fail to learn from the experiences of others? They questioned the leadership God gave them. How many of us fail to follow leadership, especially in the church? They even worshiped other gods. How many of us make time for anything else but God? Even after all of that, God continued to give them promises. These weren't just any promises, these were promises of prosperity that all of their needs and wants will be met. If God can do that for the Israelites, I know that God can do that for both me and you.

Another component of being blessed by God's promises is knowing who God is. I think we need to comprehend how BIG, how effective, how loving, how real, and how powerful God is. He is not a force to be reckoned with and although he creates he also destroys. I think that Job understood exactly who God is.  He states:

• Verse 10: He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.
• Verse 12: If he snatches away, who can stop him? Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’
• Verse 13: God does not restrain his anger; even the cohorts of Rahab cowered at his feet.
• Verse 15:Though I were innocent, I could not answer him; I could only plead with my Judge for mercy
• Verse 19:If it is a matter of strength, he is mighty! And if it is a matter of justice, who can challenge him

(NIV)

God is all of these great things! He shows us mercy even when we don't deserve it and he also gives us promises when we don't deserve it. So before you start to question God's ability to deliver his promises, ask yourself if you're keeping God first and also ask yourself if you even understand who God is. If you understand who God is just as Job did, then you'll be more content with waiting. God delivers not when we want it, but right on time. Don't give up on God because he won't give up on you.

Prayer:

Dear God, I am expecting one of your promises to come to pass. Allow me to keep you first in my heart above all else, so that I can be ready for your promises. Also allow me to understand who you are to me and to this world. I am nothing without you and I am not deserving of your grace, mercy, love, and promises but you always see fit to bless me anyway. I ask that you enlarge my territory and in the process give me the desires of my heart. I pray that they line up accordingly so that your will be done in my life and that you use me for your glory. You know my needs and wants and I ask that when you are ready to bless me that I am ready to receive. Thank you for loving me despite my faults and I pray that you continue to keep me. I love you and I thank you. Amen.

"He's Able" by Deitrick Haddon

It's never too late to TRANSFORM YOUR TUESDAYS!!!

TRANSFORMING TUESDAYS: JAMERA

Merciful Monday: "I am with you always"

If you know anything about the Bible or about Christianity then I’m sure you've heard about Jesus rising from the dead.Can you imagine what it might be like to have lived during that time and see someone ALIVE that was whipped, crucified, stabbed and buried just three days earlier?! Well Matthew 28 tells about the manner in which Jesus rose from the tomb that held him, and describes his final days on earth.  

What interested me most was each individual reaction to Jesus’ resurrection:

•  The guards: “fell into a dead faint” (verse 4)
• Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary”: ran from the tomb “frightened but also filled with great joy,” ran to Jesus and worshipped him, and then delivered the message the angel commanded of them (verse 8).
• The Elders: conspired and bribed soldiers to cover up the news- they said Jesus’ body was stolen
• The disciples: went to the mountain in Galilee. “When they saw him, they worshipped, but some of the doubted!” (verse 17).”

Point to Ponder: what do you think would have been your reaction to seeing Jesus alive if you were living during that time?

Mary Magdalene, Mary, and the disciples acted quickly and out of their faith. Some, doubted, yet they still followed God’s orders and did so while praising the Lord! Because of their praise and their obedience, they were able to receive one last, honest moment with Jesus where he empowered and prepared them for the road ahead. He told them to “make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” and he reminded them, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age (verse 19, 20).”

I believe that these were words that stuck with them when they faced hard times and questioned their own faith. It is the most comforting thing to know that God is ALWAYS there even when no one else is. If we all could praise God despite our doubt, insecurity, failures, etc. imagine how we can evoke his presence! Even when we are weak and unsure, God is always with us and if we follow his commandments and seek his presence, he will pour out his blessings and empower us to do his will. Jesus is not dead, he is alive in the heart of each and every believer that confesses his name <3

"Matthew 28"-One of my favorite songs! It describes the Resurrection of Jesus in such a powerful way

Merciful Mondays: Jael

^“For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the solemn covenant he made with your ancestors.” Deuteronomy 4:31

Salvation Sunday: Giving Honor to God

What a wonderful day it is today. Want to thank God for the beautiful weather and the sunshine.  Today's reading deals with giving honor and glory to the ones who deserves it. God talks to the Israelites about making sure to give honor and praise to God because He is the one that brought them out of the wilderness. Deuteronomy talks about remembering who is the one who saved us. We need to remember who brought us from the sins and the past that we have been delivered from.

I know that for myself I am constantly thanking God for all that He has done. The fact that I am in my last year of school and have not taken a semester off because of finances is all because of God. The fact that I do not deal with low self esteem issues anymore is because God delivered me from that mindset. Make sure that you are constantly thanking God and giving honor to the Lord. At the scene of the crucifixion, the ones that ridiculed Jesus realized that He is the Messiah. They realized that He is the Master and the Savior. When they realized that, they praised Him. You want to make sure that you give honor to God before it's too late.

Every blessing is given by God.  Every day that we get to live and breath is a blessing from God. So, through this week, I challenge you to give honor to God and just remember  what God has brought you from.

Stay blessed!!
Salvation Sunday: Steven Gable

Saturday Sacrifice: How to Love God

LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH. – Deutronomy 6:5

This is the greatest commandment given to the children of Israel. It is also stated again in Matthew by Jesus.

Jesus says,

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all our soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”

However, Jesus continues and says,

“All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

In other words, Jesus is saying that it is impossible for mankind to fulfill these commandments.

Even though, it is impossible for mankind to fulfill this commandment with “GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE”. Jesus dying for our righteousness, rising again, and sending his Spirit to live inside of us makes it POSSIBLE!!

Jesus living on the inside of us and the trials that he takes us through give us the capacity to LOVE THE LORD OUR GOD WITH ALL OUR HEART AND WITH ALL OUR SOUL AND WITH ALL OUR STRENGTH.

Like the Children of Israel and Job, God brought them out to bring them in to their promise. I think God takes us through things to increase our Faith and our Love for him.

Someone said, We cannot love someone we don’t know, so knowing Him should be our first priority. Those who pursue God and His righteousness, who take seriously the command to love Him above all else, are those who are consumed with the things of God. They are eager to study God’s Word, eager to pray, eager to obey and honor God in all things, and eager to share Jesus Christ with others. It is through these spiritual disciplines that the love for God grows and matures to the glory of God. – Gotquestions.0rg

Stay in God’s peace, not in pieces

Saturday Sacrifice: Hannah

Friday Fellowship: Is God worth your time?

Is God worth your time?

NFL Playoffs, March Madness, Scandal, Walking Dead, whatever it is you enjoy watching on TV you find time. Facebook, Twitter, texting or calling friends there is time that we find for these activities.

            The bible reading for today shows a man name Job, whom acknowledges God as a God:

            ^9” Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:”

According to the verse above is a God that can do these things WORTH YOUR TIME?

In Deuteronomy God’s people prepared for their opposition and were given instructions:

^22” Ye shall not fear them: for the Lord your God he shall fight for you.”

In a world with so much opposition and outside forces opposing personal destinations the question remains….

A God that is your best supporter, which will take on challenges for you, is that a God WORTH YOUR TIME?

A God that will grant your desires, give you promises in this life and life after….

Is a God that will do that WORTH YOUR TIME?

Investigate men with life altering experiences credited by God, visit churches where God is often mentioned to manifesting, read the bible the ultimate source of where God is revealed.

John 1:1

 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

If you are unfamiliar with God, it is important to know this if you decide to give your time to seeking God.

Deuteronomy 4:29

“But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”

You may have said I’ve tried, for one hour, for a week, for a year. Is God WORTH YOUR TIME?

If you haven’t learned, discovered, felt or seen anything in regards to your search of God the question that echoes through this blog then turns to….

Honestly did you seek God with ALL YOUR HEART???

Jeremiah 29:13

^13 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

When God reveals himself to you, not if but when he reveals himself to you after seeking with your whole heart, your answer to the commonly asked question will change…

(commonly asked question Do you believe in God?) With a new confidence and evidence,“YES!”

One last fact about God, it says in Deuteronomy 4:

^24 “For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.”

Once you know God, he desires your commitment, your love, your worship, your sacrifice and

YOUR TIME

Give to God what is already his, your time. Seek God whole heartedly.

Psalm 68:19

^19 “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.”

 

 

Thirsty Thursdays: Do You REALLY Trust Him?

In Deuteronomy 1 we read about Moses speaking to the children of Israel explaining different events God has brought them through and times in which they did not trust in the Lord. “⁷Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples…⁸See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land…²⁰Then I said to you, “you have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us ²¹See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

You would think that after everything God delivered the Israelites from they would listen and trust in him completely. He allowed them to escape from Egypt, he provided a way for them to defeat kings and take over lands, guided them on their journey with pillars of fire by night and cloud by day, yet they still doubted. They sent out spies to scout the land. When the spies returned, the Israelites no longer wanted to enter the land because the Amorites were “stronger and taller” and the cities walls were “up to the sky”, so they felt as if they would get killed. They failed to realize God was with them and He is all they need and more. “³⁰The Lord your God who is before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes,³¹and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as father carries his son, all the way until you reached this place.³²In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God.” They rebelled against the command of the Lord because they were afraid despite all God has done for them previously and despite God telling them to take the land. They allowed fear and doubt to overtake them rather than trusting God.

How much does God have to do for you in order for you to truly submit and trust him? Has he not proven himself already? This is an issue I face, although the Lord has done so much for me I attempt to handle situations on my own. Not out of fear or doubt, it is not quite a case of rebellion, but more so me relying on my own understanding and abilities rather than allowing him to take control and lead me.  This is something I am praying about and working on. I know I need a more sensitive ear to what God is telling me to do. “Hearing” him will be a big part in becoming more obedient and fully submitting and trusting in him. When situations seem to be too much or overwhelming, know that God is with you, “If God Brings You To It, He Will Bring You Through It”. God has done so much for us already, how many more signs, wonders and miracles do we need to trust and submit? “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” Proverbs 3:5-6

Stay Thirsty My Friends

Thirsty Thursdays: Ron

Warrior Wednesdays: How Do You Handle Suffering?

Job 3, at this point Job had lost almost his entire family, he was experiencing intense pain, his wife told him to curse God, and his friends were telling him he was the reason for this extreme suffering. Therefore, it is understandable why Job's response to this situation was entirely different then the first. Job did not curse God, but instead cursed the day he was born saying it would have been better for him not to have been born.

Job's affliction became a defining moment for him demolishing many misconceptions people have about God (such as he will always keep you from trouble, you will always be in good health, or that no harm will come to you or your family.) Job had to determine his identity and faith in God.  He was left with two choices
1. He could curse God and die
2. He could trust God despite his situation and rely on God's strength to overcome. "We are overcomers by our testimony"

All principles by which Job had lived were deteriorating and he began to lose his objectivity. Tribulation and adversity, whether short lived or long term, do not shatter the true meaning of life. Life is not simply for our happiness and personal pleasure, but for us to serve and honor God. The worth and purpose of life is not based on how we feel, but on the truth. No one can take away God's love for us. We should not assume that because God loves us he will always prevent pain. Sometimes the opposite may be true. God's love can not be measured or limited by how great or how little we may suffer. It is important to remember that nothing can seperat use from the love of God Romans 8:38- 39. ( Tyndale,  Life Application Bible)

Stay Blessed and Continue Warring for Christ!
Warrior Wednesday: Brittney

Transforming Tuesdays: Are You a Leader or a Follower?

Do you consider yourself a leader? Most people are natural born leaders where leadership characteristics are innate. Others learn how to be leaders especially when they grow through difficult times.  Neither is greater than the other because we all know the greatest leaders are those who know how to follow. Which one are you? And more importantly, who do you follow? Think about your influence and impact, because it's more important than you think.

Matthew focuses on the coming of Christ and as previously stated none of us knows when our Lord and Savior is coming back.  If it were predictable, well then everyone would do what they want to do and straighten up just in time.  Life doesn’t work that way.  In Chapter 25 it states that when Jesus comes back that he will separate the people from one another like a shepherd separates sheep from goat.  This reminds me of picking fruit; the ripened fruit is always separated from spoiled fruit…the two should not come into contact with another because it causes contamination.  This is not to say that Christians cannot associate with others who are not Christians, because we are to love everyone.  A big part of this distinction involves being IN this world but not being OF this world.  Earth isn’t our home, it’s our temporary stopping grounds until God calls us home.

The scripture continues to read that the righteous will be called to the right and the others to the left.  Those on the right will find Heaven as their home and the others will burn in hell.  Verse 34-36 reads, “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ (NIV).  What does this even mean? To satisfy this requirement it means that you have had to lend a hand to someone else in need. Have you witnessed, fed the homeless, clothed other people, prayed for others, and nursed the sick? The list can go on.  Life is not all about helping yourself, it’s about helping others and once you become a leader you can understand how important it is to step outside of yourself and do something for others.

The burning part is what makes me think deeper about my connection with God. Personally I don’t even like to get burned on the stove or even when I’m flat ironing my hair. For me, it’s not worth the pain so I talk necessary precautions when I’m dealing with fire.  The same should be true when I’m addressing my relationship with God right? I think we can all agree to that.  Ironically, www.thelistcafe.com named burning alive among the top 3 horrible ways to die.  In their study they noted that evening pain in one area stops because nerves end but then the pain goes to another end of the body.  The Bible doesn’t even mention that the pain will stop so the idea of the pain ending isn’t even a possibility.  With that being said we should all desire to be on the right hand of God where our reward eternal life in Heaven.  We have to make use of our leadership roles that God has given us in the world because the truth of the matter is that we are chosen.

An amazing person who displays respectable leadership qualities is Job.  He was tempted, stripped of everything he had, and ill but he never yielded in his faith in Job 2.  He went from perfect health to terminally ill and it could have been easy to curse God and die to alleviate his pain but he chose not to. Job was a leader in the sense that he put others before himself, he knew what mattered, and he stood his ground when it came to his faith.  I think we can all take a lesson from Job in becoming more refined leaders in Christ.  Living for Christ often means losing friends and giving up things that we thought we could not live without.  In the end, God supplies all our needs and keeps us because we are chosen. Lastly, leaders don’t fold under pressure, because when things are not going right leaders know who to lean on –God. We are nothing without him and EVERYTHING with him.

And Job said, Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” Job 2:10 (NIV).

All that I have is because of you, if you were to leave me what would I do? We need you right now...

It’s never too late to Transform your Tuesdays!!!

Transforming Tuesday: Jamera

Merciful Monday: The Lord Gave Me What I Have

When I was younger I used to always think that pretty everyone grew up the way I did: in good health, with two supportive parents and siblings, with lots of toys, in a nice suburb, and having some understanding of God. I heard stories on the news about people that killed their family members or children that grew up homeless. I even heard my own parents tell of instances where they were pretty much physically and mentally abused by their parents, but to me may as well have been fairy tales.

I didn’t grow up with a silver spoon in my mouth by any stretch of the imagination, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized that God had blessed me and that many (maybe even most) people did not grow up with such luxuries. Before that realization, I was naïve in many ways.

While reading the story of Job, verses 20-22 really stuck out to me: “Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship.  He said, ‘I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!’ In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.”

In a matter of a few minutes Job, an affluent, successful businessman with a great family, found out that he had lost nearly all of his employees, livestock, money and family members. Can you even imagine what it might be like—to lose all of the things that you hold dear to you so quickly? I might literally go insane from the grief!

But Job was a man of God and he knew that not everyone had the things he had.  Not everyone lived in a nice house, owned land, had a great family that they had dinner with every week, and had their own large staff. So when confronted with loss, he wisely said “The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away.” God gives us the things (and people) that we have in our lives, and he has the ability to take them away, or (as in Job’s case) allow them to be taken away in an instant.

The most important part of Job’s reaction, though, was that through all of the sadness and grief, he did not once sin by blaming God for the situation he was in. In fact he praised him!  It's okay to grieve, even Job did. The bible says that it is okay to be angry, but not okay to sin. I believe that this is one of the hardest things for human being to do. We focus so much on how we are feeling that we can’t see beyond our situation. In times of distress we often cling to the things we HAD and fail to focus on what we currently HAVE

Job saw the bigger picture. He saw a God that had blessed him beyond measure for many years of his life. He saw the glass as half full rather than half empty. It is hard, but we need to do the same in tough situations and see a God who gave us the ultimate sacrifice—his sinless son as redemption for our sins—rather than the thing that he took away from us. We have no right to sin when God decides to exert his control over our lives. In everything, we should give him thanks because he is MORE THAN worthy.

Today’s Prayer: Lord, I pray for everyone out there that is struggling with a loss that seems impossible recover from, whether it is the loss of a loved one, wealth, or a job. Help them to realize that you gave them the things they once had and that there is always someone out there that has it worse. You are in control and know what is best, and despite this tough situation you are still worthy of praise. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Merciful Mondays: Jael

^“For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the solemn covenant he made with your ancestors.” Deuteronomy 4:31