He’s Alive

Mothers are shopping for clothes and shoes for themselves and their children. They go from one grocery store or market to the next looking for the perfect ham, lamb, collard greens or green beans.

Eggs are boiled by the dozens and dipped in dye. Candies and baskets are purchased as cakes bake in the oven. Visits are made to the hair salons, nail salons and barbershops.

Church parking lots are filled and extra chairs are added to the pews to hold the many visitors who frequent the church on Easter Sunday.

When the church service ends some children hunt for Easter eggs before a grand Easter dinner. Families gather together to enjoy the feast.

There are some children and even adults that don’t give a thought about the celebration of Easter outside of their new attire and fine meals.

The fact of the matter is Jesus is alive! We are celebrating His resurrection. He never asked us to buy new clothes, have each hair in place or prepare a meal fit for a king. What He has asked is that we invite Him into our lives.

He wants to abide in us as we abide in Him. He was us to sup with Him to have a relationship with Him and share Him with everyone we meet.  He wants us to live our lives according to His word in righteousness and Holiness. He wants us to know the He loved us so much He gave His life for us so that we may have eternal life and one day see Him face to face.

On this and every day let us celebrate a risen Savior by following His example of showing love. As we read in 1 Corinthians 13 love or charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth.

Happy Easter, Jesus is Alive!

Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty

When you give your life to Christ the Spirit of the Lord resides inside of you. Have you ever met someone saved or unsaved that has a woe is me mentality? The sun may be shining and they complain that it’s too hot outside. You share something exciting that God is doing in your life and they tell you to be careful. They rarely smile. These people will suck the joy right out of you if you let them.

The spirit of woe is me may be so heavy on them in your effort to comfort them that same spirit tries to attack you. Before you know it both of you are wearing a spirit of heaviness rather than a garment of praise.

Jesus said the thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

God wants us to be happy that is why He has filled up with His Holy Spirit. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. There is also joy unspeakable and the peace of God that passes all understanding. 

Sure we have our ups and downs. That is why He tells us in Psalm 149:5 let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. It is also why He gives us the oil of joy for mourning and beauty for ashes.

Don’t allow anyone to steal your joy. As a matter of fact when that thief comes to steal your joy pray fervently for the person or situation that is the culprit. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Rejoice and bask in the liberty that only God can provide. May His riches blessings be upon you today and always as you let the same mind that is in Christ Jesus be in you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where Are You On Your Journey?

Some of us know what God has called us to do while others of us do not. Those who know what God has called them to do and fully function in that calling even though they are still faced with life’s challenges have an advantage that others do not have.

Whether it always seems like it or not there is an anointing and there is a flow. Of course Gods’ anointing is what enables you to do what He has called you to do. The flow on the other hand is what keeps you moving even when the storm comes. It’s that burst of energy you receive when you can’t go on. It’s also the unspeakable joy that no one but others that are in the flow can understand.

Then there are the mid liners. Mid liners are those that know what God has called them to do but are only midway there. They may be employed in positions outside of their calling to support themselves financially or have only recently discovered their calling. The anointing is there while working in their calling but there is resistance from their flesh. The flesh does not want to continue working in positions of which they feel God has not called them. There are also attacks from the imps Satan has placed around them to prevent them from basking in the joy they should have just knowing they have discovered their calling. They can’t see it is only a matter of time before what God has already manifested in the spiritual realm will be manifested in the physical realm.

Mid liners are up some days and down other days because they are walking in the flesh instead of in the spirit. Nothing makes the devil angrier then when the saints of God lift up the name of Jesus and praise His name. God inhabits the praises of His people. It’s when you find yourself in a situation where it feels like a whole army of imps have been deployed against you that you gird up your loins and give God the highest praise. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Praise God and love your enemies. That’s right. Love your enemies. Whether you realize it or not unless a person knows the love of God they do not know what real love is and may have never experienced it. Sure they may feel an emotional tie to someone and even care deeply for them but that is not love. Love or charity  suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.  Charity never faileth.

Finally there are the wanderers. Wanderers are not sure what God has called them to do. Some wanderers go from job to job, change careers, are self-employed, are underemployed or are often unemployed. If you are a wanderer seek God for His call on your life. Your call may not be in the church. Everyone has a job to do. There are not enough churches for everyone to be employed by a church. What’s your passion? What do you enjoy? Which accomplishments have put a smile on your face or joy in your heart? What lessons have you learned that you feel others could benefit from?  If you did not have one financial care in the world what would you do with your time?

It doesn’t matter if 1,000 people are doing it or if you are the only one that is doing it. Do whatever it is that God has chosen for you to do and do it with your whole heart.

Anytime you are not doing what God has called you to do and sometimes when you are you may find yourself working in a hostile environment. If you do find yourself working in a hostile environment let the fruits of the Spirit flow through your life. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. When the fruit of the Spirit are manifested in your life it changes you, your environment and all those around you.