Love is....

People of God have to be taught how to love.  We don't just wake up one day knowing how to love others the way that God intended once we receive salvation.  We are also not just born with the knowledge of how to love.  Although we are not born with the foreknowledge of how to love we do have the innate desire to receive love and also the God designed ability to give love.  We need the power of the Holy Spirit fully operating in our lives in order to give and accept love in its true definition.  A believe has to wholeheartedly submit to the teaching and leading of the Holy Spirit to show us all how to love.

You may have been fortunate enough to have very loving parents who would be deemed true examples of love.  The question that has to be asked is if their form of love was aligned with what God provides for us as His definition of love.  Natural love has limits and flaws.  It does not have the ability to love in an unbiased way.  Nor does natural love have the capability of not operating in some form of selfish ambitions.  Love is also not based on being a good person or good deeds. 

The Word of God provides us with solid teaching on God's expectation on we should love.  We cannot as professed followers of Christ just simply take it upon ourselves to love our own way.  If we depend on what we have been previous taught or witnessed concerning love we are likely to fail, especially if those teachings and examples were not in line with God's plan for love.  As believers of the gospel we must instead rely on the Spirit of God to shape and mold us with a heart of love.  Otherwise, we have no real clue within ourselves how to love.  Even if we think that we have mastered love we may not be doing it right or righteously at all.  God is Love and He through Christ has provided the Holy Spirit as our teacher.

The Message bible says it this way in 1Corinthians 13:1-8,

"If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.  If 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.  If 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.

Love never gives up.  Love cares more for others than for self.  Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end. Love never dies."

Additionally, love does not mean door mat or fool.  Humbling to love is not a free pass to allow others to walk all over us.  Allowing yourself to submit to God's love does not mean that you are weak by the world's standards but love brings on humility and peace.  This God kind of love always desires the best for those they love and purposely looking for every way and opportunity to give the very best.  Receiving love can be just as challenging as giving love if it is not something that we have become accustomed to by the Spirit.  We have to make up our minds that we want this great gift of love and walk in it with all of our might. 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

-John 3:16 NKJV

  "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

  -Romans 5:8 NKJV



Desiring Deliverance Over Progress

Have you ever wanted an area of your life to change so badly that when you close your eyes you can see it, you can feel it, you can smell it, and you can almost taste it?  Wanting something in your life to move or change can at times be a long process.  You know the Lord has the power to alter you situation and you may even see some progress towards what you have been believing the Lord for.  One of the most beneficial things about having faith in God is that we do not have to settle for slow progression but we can trust the Lord for true deliverance, breakthrough, and freedom.  Deliverance is what our heart should be set on in the Lord.


Deliverance is defined as the action of being rescued or set free.  Our salvation is a continual life time deliverance process that requires our yielding to the Lord through the Holy Spirit in name of Jesus Christ.  We have been rescued from the ultimate consequence of eternal imprisonment which is a great comfort and joy!  Along with that we still have the need for our minds to change and hearts to change which will ultimately change our lives.  This change can only take place with the delivering power of God.  Even though deliverance can be a process it does not always have to be.  We can offer up to God our faith in who He is and receive the deliverance we need to continue thriving in the Lord.  We do not have to be stuck just longing for another dimension in our lives.  Our lives are in the Lord's hands and we have whatever we ask, say, or believe (Mark 11:24).  Believe God for deliverance on today.  Be thankful for progress but never be satisfied until your complete desire has been fulfilled.  No matter how big or how small it may be "IT" is yours!  Put your best faith forward and watch God be God and God alone.  He does not need any help and He will never fail.

²² “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. ²³ “Truly^[a] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

-Mark 11:22-24 NIV

Overcoming Frustration

There are times as a believer in Christ when life just may seem so challenging.  There are times that may push you to feel as if the weight of the world is on your shoulders with everything and everyone totally against you.  It may even get to point when it feels as if the Lord is far from you and the situation that you are going through causing you to feel rejected even though everything within you is pressing towards God.  In those very hard and even dark times it is essential to know that the Lord is on your side.  HE IS WITH YOU!  You got to believe that!...HE IS WITH YOU!




As I write to share this encouragement with you there are so many scriptures that flood my mind to root you to keep going strong.  First, I would say cast all your cares unto the Lord because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7 NKJV).  Other versions of 1 Peter 5:7 describes cares as worries or anxieties.  We can do ourselves a huge favor when we learn to just give it all to God.  There is no need to sit constantly trying to figure things our or think things through looking for an answer or a solution when we have a Father in heaven who sits on the throne having the ability to not only listen to concerns but as well creation answers and solutions.  There are some thing that are just far bigger than we are and beyond our scope of influence but there is nothing that is too big for our God and their is nothing beyond His reach. 




The most empowering thing about that scripture is to know that He cares for us.  He is concerned about every little single thing that we experience right down to numbering the hairs on our heads (Matthew 10:30).  He is just that into us!  He wants to hear all about it even though He already knows.  We were birth to have fellowship with the Lord that is our major purpose in life.  Once we embrace that fellowship everything else flows from there.  Allow the frustration that you may feel to propel you into greater destiny.  Look pass what you may be presently experiencing and look to God who is the author and finisher of you faith.  After all, He cares even when you may not feel like caring anymore yourself.  He is still there waiting, concerned, and faithful. 

There is nothing God cannot DO!

^"26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee named Nazareth. ²⁷ He had a message for a young woman promised in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was a descendant of King David. Her name was Mary. ²⁸ The angel came to her and said, “Peace be with you! The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you!”

²⁹ Mary was deeply troubled by the angel's message, and she wondered what his words meant. ³⁰ The angel said to her, “Don't be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you. ³¹ You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a king, as his ancestor David was, ³³ and he will be the king of the descendants of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end!”

³⁴ Mary said to the angel, “I am a virgin. How, then, can this be?”

³⁵ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and God's power will rest upon you. For this reason the holy child will be called the Son of God. ³⁶ Remember your relative Elizabeth. It is said that she cannot have children, but she herself is now six months pregnant, even though she is very old. ³⁷ For there is nothing that God cannot do.”

³⁸ “I am the Lord's servant,” said Mary; “may it happen to me as you have said.” And the angel left her."

-Luke 1:26-38 GNB

This passage of scripture is a remarkable foretelling of the coming of Jesus Christ.  Mary's encounter with the angel of God Gabriel gives a profound look into the heart of preparation initiated for such a pivotal occasion in Christian history.  Mary expresses her lack of understanding and her need to believe the things that have been said.  The things that were spoken were naturally impossible because Mary had never been with a man sexually and was a bit puzzled as to how a baby would be conceived.  I can image she was also thinking to herself that she already has plans to marry and that the most pressing question is "WHO IN WORLD WOULD SHE BE EXPECTED TO SLEEP WITH?"  I know that would have been the first question on my mind especially when I know that I don't want to have sex with one but the husband that has been chosen to me.  But thankfully in the great way that God operates He already had a plan to ensure that Mary remain honorable in her submission to the will of our Father. 

Verse 37 which say "For there is nothing that God cannot do." should be a banner of faith for most every believer.  The NIV version says "No word from God will ever fail."  The Lord has our lives in His hands.  We serve a very smart and intelligent God.  He has the power to Lord over our world.  We must always remember that there is nothing that God can not do and that there is nothing He could say over our lives that will fail. 

One of my favorite scriptures, Number 23:19 NKJV says, ¹⁹ “God is not a man, that He should lie,Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?"  If the Lord said it then He shall make it good.  What always strikes me is the "IF HE SAID IT".  We have to know when the Lord is speaking and be careful to adhere to what it is that He has spoken.  We have to have our hearts open to receive what it is that the Lord has said  and trust that He knows exactly what He is doing

What often gets discouraging for many individuals when nothing looks like what has been spoken.  This can become even more challenging when a long span of time has passed since the words was first spoken.  Also, as I am sure Mary had to contend with, the pressure to give an explanation for the sometimes unnatural things that have taken place.  What we have to learn to do is to leave it up to the Lord to speak for Himself on our behalf and not be concerned about what anyone else may think.  We are living to please the Lord and He is in complete control of our destiny when we allow Him to be.  

Tithing Freedom

Why does tithing seem like such a challenging struggle for some people?  Tithing is one of the most sensitive subjects in the community of the church.  Unbelievers who don't even believe in tithing at all even get very offended when they realize a Christian is a tither.


Tithing is a spiritual commandment from the Lord.  This spiritual act of faith should be looked upon as a joy and pleasure for the believer.  But for many this is a point of contention that often leads to internal emotional turmoil and outright enraged arguments in some homes (this should not be).  This was never the Lord's intention for us giving back to Him.  We are giving back to Him what is already His in the first place.  The challenge comes in when we look at the amount that we are required to give.  The battle begins in the mind of the heart to just keep the money and do so many other things with it.  Things that may seem sensible at the time such as pay a bill, meet a necessity in the home, give to a family member in need, or even make a much needed car repair.  The fact of the matter is that the tithe is not ours in the first place to manage for personal use or to decide anything other than the original instruction for it that has been given and detailed to us by God.


Malachi 3:10-12 KJV reads this way, ¹⁰ Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

¹¹ And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.

¹² And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.

The latter part of those scriptures all sound very good!!!  The "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse" is often the part that trips most people up.  The kicker is that none of the latter parts of the scripture will manifest until the very first (very short portion) of this biblical principle has been executed.  We have to be obedient to what God's word commands us to do if we want to be bless with all that He has in store for us.

What is sad concerning giving to God is that we can trust our insurance company to take care of us in the event that something my happen so we pay them faithfully in hopes of receiving their protection.  In many cases the insurance company does not always come through for the paying customer in the time of mishap.  There are many cases where they look for every loop hole and mistake to get out of paying out in those most challenging times, looking for any responsible party but themselves.  God is basically saying "pay (give) your premium".  We can pay our premium to God knowing that He won't fail us or let us down, He will protect us, He will meet every need.  Most of all He can see afar off and He won't bail on us at times when hardness is elevated.  His scope of understanding and perspective far exceeds ours at any dimension. So why not just trust Him and watch Him work.  HE IS FAITHFUL.

Knowing My Purpose

Happy New Year!  Welcome 2017!


For many people the coming of 2017 is a long awaited welcomed event.  The year of 2016 bought a great deal of heartache and disappointment for many who could not wait to just be done with that calendar year.  Thankfully, we have the Lord who is on our side no matter the time or season that we may be experiencing in our lives.  He knows all about it and He is most concerned about our health and wellbeing.  Even though 2016 was not the most spectacular year in the natural we know that the Lord is still working on our behalf and ensuring greatness for our lives.


Today is the first day of a new journey in the new year for me.  As I sat in my time of prayer and meditation I began to reflect on last year and ponder what I want to receive from the Lord on this year.  One of the first thoughts that came to mind is my desire to return the knowledge of why I am serving God at all in the first place.  Not that I have any thoughts of not serving God.  I want to do just as 1 Peter 2:2 says and return to the "sincere milk of the word".  I am not a babe in Christ by a long shot but I do want to experience a stirred refreshing on why I am the called of Christ.


Pondering these thoughts led me to the question of knowing my purpose.  I had to ask myself do I really know my purpose and why the Lord has allotted this me this dispensation of time to be birthed and anointed here on earth.  In my mind I would like to believe that I emphatically know and am fully pursued of my purpose.  I went further to ask myself if I am able to spout out my purpose at any drop of dime without question.  I am convinced that I do know my purpose.  I arrived at the conclusion that even though I am sure of my purpose that it is a great idea to take it out to dust it off and ensure that I am operating correctly in my purpose and downloading all the proper updates.


When we begin to reexamine our purpose it may appear at first look that some things are so afar off or even none existent.  It may even be challenging for some to receive what their purpose actually is and often times this is because every thing looks contrary to what they are compelled to do.  We must holdfast to II Corinthians 5:7 which says, "⁷ For we walk by faith, not by sight."  We must walk by faith knowing that it is never what it looks like but only what we believe God for it to be.  As a Christian we do not have to be subject to what we see or rely on what we may feel.  We can trust that the Lord knows exactly what He is doing and that He holds our world in His hands.  He will bring our purpose to full fruition with overflow.  Philippians 1:6 reassures us by saying, "⁶ being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." 


Knowing our purpose enables us to understand why we are here in the first place and initiates meaning in our life once we have accepted Christ.  We have to know that our life has meaning and we have been sent here by God if nothing else to bring glory and honor to His name.  We have to make a choice to walk in our purpose by faith confident that we have been predestined by design for His purpose.

^"3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ⁴ For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵ he^[b] predestined us for adoption to sonship^[c] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—"

Ephesians 1:3-5 NIV



God Gave

John 3:16 Message version says, "This is how much God loved the world:  He gave His Son, His One and Only Son. And this is why:  So that no one need be destroyed; by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life."


Here we fine the Lord our Father giving us the ultimate example of His love for us through his giving.  God gave His one and only Son.  We see giving exercised in totality.  This was an offering of sacrifice that could not be taken back.  In the same way the Lord asks for us to give as instructed by Him in His word and to also be led by the Holy Ghost in our giving.


Deuteronomy 8:18 NASB instructs us, "But you shall remember the Lord you God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day."  In all things that we have or are able to receive it is the Lord who has provided a way.  We should desire a heart of giving as a show of gratitude to our father.  There should be a urgency to look for opportunities to give and share with others.  There is so many ways that we can give to include our time, our knowledge, our talents, but most of all our money.  God has put a mandate our monetary giving as well as on our hearts to offer in His grace.  The Lord who sent Jesus as our ultimate example of sacrifice gave it all but only asks us for a portion back of what He has provided for us in the first place.  We have to make our priority not to forget who the Giver and ensure that we honor Him in all that we do.