Daily Devotion

You are Responsible for Your Own Salvation

 

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.  Isaiah 53:6

 

I got my little brother to download a lot of old cds for me.  I'm not sure if y'all remember, but there is this song by Helen Baylor, where she is giving her testimony about her life.  How she went from growing up in church, getting saved and living for Christ then went in the totally opposite direction.  She was in the nightclubs at 12, started singing for major acts and got involved with wrong crowd.  She started doing drugs.  But she always reiterates the fact that she "had a praying grandmother."  But notice when she got down to her lowest point how she called on God for herself; the devil was rebuked and she turned her life around.  Now don't stop praying for people, because this story shows that there is hope for everyone.  On the eve of the new year, have you assured your own salvation?  I love you and be safe!!!  Happy New Year!

 

That if thou(meaning YOU) shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  Romans 10:9-10

Daily Devotion

Sacrifices

 

"When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost."  John 19:30

 

How do you tell the person you love that you are willing to do anything in the world for them?  That you are there for them through thick and thin.  That you can carry their load, and relieve their pains. (Matthew 11:28)  That you only want to love them with all your heart, and pray that they love others the same way. (Matthew 19:19)  That they go forth and tell others about your love, and preach the good news, the way to salvation and righteousness. (Acts 8:25)

 

You die for them. "he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross." Philippians 2:8 Like a lamb ready for slaughter, He died. When they did not hear anything, believe anything, receive anything, they receive that you and others were willing to deliver that message to them.  They see that you loved them more than life itself, and that you died so that they might live.  They see that others were willing to die because of you and your love.  They see how they were willing to live in dire and destitute situations in order to spread the good news of salvation.  For through Him, we are all now redeemed and the sons and daughters of the Father. 'When the centurion who stood facing Jesus saw how he had cried out and breathed his last, he said, "This man certainly was the Son of God!"' Mark 15:39 Then, hopefully, they love you back.

 

Love God, and love Christ.

 

"And see a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.  1 Peter 2:24

 

Merry CHRISTmas!

Daily Devotion

Cutting off the Dead Part 

"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit."  John 15:2 

Have you ever noticed if you prune the dead leaves off of a plant how much it grows and blossoms?  Or for you ladies, if you cut your hair (for maintenance) how it seems to grow much faster?  Even in diabetic patients that have to have an appendage amputated, how they seem to do much better physically after the part that has died is gone?  I know that ever since I have been on a "search and destroy" mission for my split ends how much faster my hair grows. 

Death, or in this case, negativity infects everything it touches. It starts at one point and then it spreads. Like cancer if untreated, it spreads to the next most vulnerable spot.  Split ends in hair can eventually cause baldness if ignored. So imagine what happens if you are spiritually dead and ignore your need for God. If you are not nourishing your heart and soul, if you do not know Jesus and love Him, do you really want to know what the consequences are?  Do you really want to know what kinds of social, physical, financial, moral, and spiritual ills you leave yourself to become a victim to? You cannot be physically well without being spiritually well too. We were made to be fruitful—to blossom and produce good fruit—in particular here the good fruits of the spirit. (Genesis 1:28)  We are also to allow our seeds to be shared with others (the Word of God), thus planting good fruit in them and continuing the cycle. 

Jesus says above that the dead parts—the parts that don't produce fruit are cut off, taken away.  And even those that produce fruit are pruned—perfected—in order to bear more fruit.  But in the very next verse Jesus says that by receiving His message, we have been pruned.  "You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you."  John 15:2   But it does not end there:  we must stay alive—stay spiritually well by continuing to seek Him and abide in Him.  So stay alive, keep allowing God to prune you, and grow you for His divine purpose. 

"Abide in me, and I will abide in you. Just as the branch cannot produce fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. The one who abides in me while I abide in him produces much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Unless a person abides in me, he is thrown away like a pruned branch and dries up. People gather such branches, throw them into a fire, and they are burned up. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you can ask for anything you want, and you will receive it. This is how my Father is glorified, when you produce a lot of fruit and so prove to be my disciples."  John 15:4-8

Daily Devotion #2

You Don't Know Me NOW

 

' "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?" And they took offense at Him.'  Mark 6:3

 

I'm going to bed but I had to finish this.  My own personal devotion mentioned this today, actually the reference in Matthew.  But its so relevant, because I am not the person I used to be, not in high school, college, last year, last month, last week or even yesterday. As living beings, we are in a constant, ever-changing state. Anyone who is in Christ becomes a new person, born of His glory.

 

I am not the same Marquita.  Through countless trials and situations, I have become a different person.  Therefore, you cannot hold me to things I did before, you cannot assume that I still like the same things, you cannot believe that I think the same.

 
Take Paul for example.  He was one of the BIGGEST persecutors of Christians ever mentioned.  Saul, as was his name before, used to go around to the synagogues and "wrangle up" Jews that believed in Christ and deliver them for imprisonment and execution.  Christians had to hide and live in secret places.  They could not worship God publicly. When I visited Turkey, I got to walk through part of one of their underground cities in Cappadocia.  Can you imagine living UNDERGROUND so that you can freely practice your faith?  Constantly hiding and fearing for your life, unless you were caught?

 

Here in Acts 9:21 the Jews we baffled at his preaching and zest for Christ:  'All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, "Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?"'  Then he himself says in Galatians 1:13-14 of his former life:  "You heard about the way I once lived when I followed the Jewish religion. You heard how I violently persecuted God's church and tried to destroy it. You also heard how I was far ahead of other Jews in my age group in following the Jewish religion. I had become that fanatical for the traditions of my ancestors."  But then the most important part--the part that matters is this: "But God, who appointed me before I was born and who called me by his kindness, was pleased to show me his Son. He did this so that I would tell people who are not Jewish that his Son is the Good News..." Galatians 1:15-16  And because people did not know the new Saul also known as Paul anymore, they still went back to his past.  But because he was a convert, because Jesus himself intervened and revealed Himself to Paul, many were brought to Christ and gave Him the glory. 'The only thing they kept hearing was this: "The man who used to persecute us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy!". Galatians 1:23 Because if God can change the very person that tried to and succeeded in killing His followers, then turn around and use him to bring others to Christ, what can God do for you!

 

You don't know me anymore.  There is a new me.

 

"So they kept glorifying God for what had happened to me."  Galatians 1:24

Daily Devotion

Investing 101 

"By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him."  1 John 4:9 

God loves you and believes in you.  His love is like a parent that is willing to give all they have so that their child can have a better future and life than they had.  Actually it's beyond that.  God sent part of himself to be born into the world to save people that were not originally entitled to His promises.  Yes the Bible mentions many people that believed in God that were not Hebrew, but He made His love known globally at Jesus' sacrifice.  Do you know anybody like that, willing to die so that you can be saved?   

"He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" Romans 8:32 

Trusting God and believing in Christ is a GUARANTEED high yield.  In layman's terms:  if you believe God and trust Him, you are guaranteed to receive the highest return: eternal life. There is nothing better than that; money can't buy you eternal happiness. Much like investing in stocks, if you try to change what you believe or "sell or buy" each day, you are definitely gonna lose out because the stock market, like life, is volatile. If you believe in God one day, then change your mind the next, quite possibly you may miss the opportunity to return to Him. Things come each day to cause your profits to tank. (1 Peter 1:6)  But it is always the long term investor that profits the greatest.  If you invest time, love, money, and dedication in your relationship with God, you will benefit much.  You will see dividends of peace, love, grace, mercy, favor, and blessings from all around. (2 Thess. 2:16) 

God has already invested greatly in your life and future life.  Why not start investing in your own life and the lives of others by sharing His love and His word? 

"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously."  2 Corinthians 9:6

Daily Devotion

You are Never Too _______ to Learn

 

Everything written long ago was written to teach us so that we would have confidence through the endurance and encouragement which the Scriptures give us.  Romans 15:4

 

I left that blank because people have all sorts of excuses about learning new things.  I have long believed that you should learn something everyday. You can learn something from anyone if you are willing to try.  Don't rule someone out because they are young; don't ignore someone because they seem incompetent or don't live as well as you do. 

 

For example, I find it so interesting that children regardless of their age love unconditionally.  You could have the world's worst mother but still love her in spite.  What I learned from it is that this illustrates the agape love--regardless, no matter what you do kind of love that God has for us. 

 

You have to allow yourself to be fertile enough to let someone plant seeds in your mind and heart--now, don't take that to mean let anything someone says be taken as a lesson--that's where discernment and wisdom come in.  Actually, you need both of those in order to know what to listen to in the first place. "But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true--it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ." 1 John 2:27  Yield to the Holy Spirit and learn something and share it!

 

"Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser, Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning."  Proverbs 9:9

Daily Devotion

Ye of Little Faith

 

Stop letting your mind cripple you and believe, have faith I tell you!! Six different times in the book of Matthew Jesus says to the disciples "O Ye of Little Faith."  In Matthew 8:26 during the storm on the sea Jesus says:  'He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.'  In Matthew 14:31 when Peter began to sink as he walked out on the water to Jesus, he cried out for Jesus' help.  'Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"'  In Matthew 17:14-20, Jesus meets a man with a possibly schizophrenic child; the man took his son to the Disciples and they could not heal  him.  Jesus says "O faithless and perverse generation.." in Matthew 17:17.  I hope you're getting the central theme--a lack of faith and unbelief open the doorway for fear to take over. Its like on TV when the teenager is only having a few friends over, they open the door and in comes the party... 

 

2 Timothy 1:7 says "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."  God did not give fear to us; rather, we inherited it after Pandora's box was open at Adam's sin.  Because we are but flesh, we fear, we get scared, we get afraid.  And because our minds are inclined to rational reason, we doubt what we do not see, we do not believe what God tells us.  We do not believe, therefore we do not have faith.  Jesus reprimanded the Disciples after they failed to believe in the abilities He gave to them:  "And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."(Matthew 17:20)

 

I had a beautiful experience today.  Y'all know I have been applying to seminary, and I found out yesterday that one of the scholarships I am applying for had the date bumped up for the deadline for the essay.  It was only God, because of my anal tendencies--the paper I had originally printed looked raggedy to me, lol--that I went back on the website to print another application.  I learned that the essay and scholarship application are now due January 15 instead of February 1.  So obviously I'm going to crack down and crank it out.  But I called the admissions office and God spoke to me directly through the woman that answered the phone.  I called to clarify and make sure that the information I had was correct, because I could no longer find the original application that I have.  I of course lately had been letting doubt and unbelief because of all the uncertainties in my life dictate what I have been doing--like not writing my devotions and slacking on my applications.  (I'm glad to say that I am nearly done with the exception of recommendations by the way, . It was only God that I called today, because He knew He needed to get me directly on the line.  She only started working there this week, and she was only in the office because no one else was there--she is a MTh or ThD student.  There are no coincidences people!  So she told me her testimony of how God moved her to Atlanta to go to Emory--she missed the original deadline; God told her to keep pressing and apply even after the deadline and was accepted anyway. She had to defer for a year because she did not have the money to attend, but then God told her to pack as much as she could in her car and just go and drive to Atlanta.  She was afraid and skeptical but obedient. Of course when she got there, she had the money to go to school.  Then the next year, she was uncertain of finances for school again, and was gonna pack her car and go back to New Haven, but of course God made a way for her.  I told her I don't like saying I'm afraid and uncertain because we are supposed to--and she immediately went in on me.  Like I'm telling you, she said that because we are human--we are flesh, we get scared--which is very true. By that time, I was crying, because at that moment, I needed that word from Him; God knows us and what we need--He promises to supply them, right? I then realized before she could say it, we can have fear and faith--its just we have to believe in God and not doubt His word because He gave us proof--The Bible!  We must trust God and know that what He told us will come true.

 

Trusting God trumps being afraid any day if you believe and have faith. God's promises and His word do not return void.  Its a guaranteed investment.

 

"So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."  Isaiah 55:11

Daily Devotion #2

Crying Out

 

"Hear my prayer, O LORD! Listen to my cries for help! Don't ignore my tears. For I am your guest--a traveler passing through, as my ancestors were before me."  Psalm 39:12

 

God hears us when we cry.  Whether we believe it or not, He does.  But do you listen when He answers?  I know I have not always listened.  In fact, I have ignored Him many times and Lord KNOWS I have cried many many times at my disobedience.  Ask yourself, how can you cry out to God for help, but when He answers you and tells you what to do, you do nothing?  Psalm 56:8 says "You have taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?"  So this lets us know that God takes account of our cries, He hears us.  Is the wax cleaned out of your ears that you can actually take heed and be obedient?  Sometimes you must take a step away from all the noise, go to a quiet place--be it physical or in your mind--to actually hear God answer your cries--actually give yourself a chance to listen intently for His reply. (Matthew 6:6)  He tells us that He would answer our prayers--"All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." (Matthew 21:22)  So cry out to God, bring your case before Him again and again, like the widow, and listen for His voice. (Luke 18:2-8)  Clean your ears--all three of them.  Open your heart to receive what He tells you and follow through.  I cry out to Him all the time and I feel so much better because I know that He has not guided me wrong.

 

"O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief."  Psalm 143:1

 

Daily Devotion

Standing Alone in the Rain

 

"He caused the storm to be still, So that the waves of the sea were hushed."  Psalm 107:29

 

Sometimes we have those days, weeks, months or even years when it just seems like things are not going as we would like.  It seems like those days that nothing can put us at ease.  I'm feeling somewhat out of it; don't get me wrong, I love Christmas because I love to give.  But right now, I just cannot give as I would like.  Plus, I've been thinking of all the things that have happened this year, gains and losses and I just don't feel the spirit.  But because I know God will cause this rain to pass, and He can give me the peace I need if I only just wait on Him, I'm okay.  In spite, God has blessed me, and He has moved some MAJOR storms out of my life.  Sometimes its good to stand or sit in the rain, because its a refreshing cleanse.  Let God's word rain on your soul and endure.  Good night!!

 

"You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them."  Psalm 89:9

Daily Devotion

A Two-Sided X-Ray

 

"Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel; because the LORD loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness."  1 Kings 10:9

 

King Solomon is known for asking God for wisdom and discernment over all the things he could have asked for.  More familiar is the story of the two mothers, one whose baby died and stole another woman's baby.  The true mother of the child would rather give her child up than to see any harm come to him.  To discern which mother was genuinely the mother of the child, Solomon had to look at both mother's reactions and recognize the behaviors of the real mother.

 

I'm gonna be brief: sometimes we need to stand in front of that x-ray machine and look deep within ourselves at our own imperfections, at our own shortcomings, before we dwell on those of others.  I'm sure if a two-sided x-ray existed it would greatly revolutionize health care--because you would be able to see what is causing your ailment, be it bitterness, anger, jealousy, or just plain stupidity. Usually you don't know what you are looking at until someone points it out to you--usually in judgment.  But if we all took a little time to examine ourselves, we could save ourselves money, sanity, and heartache. Remember who the ultimate judge is...so don't lie to yourself and look within.  I'm going to bed now so I won't throw my computer for my negligence to save my essay on one of my applications!!

 

Be blessed.

Daily Devotion

The Product of Complaining

 

 "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon--from Mount Mizar."  Psalm 42:5-6

 

There are three occurrences of the same wording above in Psalms...kinda ironic right?  Read what it says about complaining ad feeling sorry for yourself!

 

Okay, when I was little, I loved growing things.  Any flower, plant, vegetable, you name it, I probably tried to grow it.  See, I love trying new things and mastering them.  Actually, I would love to have a little garden/planter box out here except I have birds, cats, and jumbo country spiders to get angry about.  So anyway, one time, I had some cucumber seeds.  I planted them and pretty much left them alone.  I complained that they were not growing and maybe were just duds.  Before I knew it, I had baby cucumbers growing and starting to get big.  Then one day I noticed a big chunk was missing out of one of em--I think I had three--and holes in the other ones.  Moral:  quit complaining!  Everything takes time.  Nothing is overnight, except weeds.  And you don't want weeds growing up in your garden. 

 

Like in the Parable of the Planter, the seeds that fell among weeds choked.  When we complain, we choke ourselves.  Of course not literally people.  But of course everything that is literal can manifest itself in the physical.  We miss out on the opportunity to grow and exercise our faith by complaining.  We miss out on the chance to look at the situation from another perspective and try again.  We miss out on the chance just look and see what God protected us from!  I looked up synonyms of complain--and there were over 50 words that meant the same thing!  That's a shame, that the English language promotes complaining rather than finding a way out of the situation.  Its terrible that people always find the negative in a situation rather than look on the bright side--most obviously the fact that you are still alive to live another day and figure out how to get past whatever is troubling you.  I wish I could do a study to prove that people with negative dispositions are more likely to have more pain and suffer more.  I have a living example...   I proved the opposite--I and the positive lights in my life believed that I would recover miraculously and I did just that.  My brother's kidney started making urine within the hour of being put in my body!  That and of course speaking the word of God over both of us...in fact I remind myself how God has made a way in many impossible situations as a constant reminder that the bad is only temporary and what my eternal promise provides...you should try it!  Try to be content in spite, be happy because that is something you choose to do!  You can choose to complain, and plant those seeds and see what you reap!

"The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him." Lamentations 3:24

Daily Devotion

Be Careful What You Ask For

 

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."  Mark 11:24

 

I just wrote something that really made me think.  I said--quoting myself haha--"I now realize if you beg God for something hard enough, He will give it to you but sometimes things are much harder and teach you those critical lessons."  I expand that to say, sometimes we ask for stuff we weren't meant to have, because we really think we need them and God fulfills His promise to provide our needs.

 

I do not believe I was supposed to come back to Charleston--but because we have the free will to choose, and mouths to pray, we sometimes get things that God will work out for our good. (Romans 8:28)  See, I have gone through a great deal of difficulties--COUNTLESS attacks against my health, my body, my spirit, my mind, and my faith.  Now that goes without saying that had I gone to California instead, I would not have undergone some great challenges there to get me to this same central point--going about life His way, walking in His will, yielding to His voice.  Because we are told in my verse--one of my favorites :D, that God will work together all things for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.  I believe that if I had chosen Tampa, New Orleans, Norfolk, Timbuktu, or San Diego--my original destination, that God would have made me see it His way regardless.  But I say be careful what you ask for because in all of this, I have asked for  Patience, Strength, Endurance, Favor, Guidance, Direction, Wisdom and His Love among other things.  To get Patience, I have had to wait for a job to come through so that I can move away and I had to realize, truly realize God's purpose for me here, and in life, in the process.  For Strength and Endurance I have had to have strength for everyone else, including myself through illness, pain, heartache, and death, and I have had to endure less than favorable circumstances at work and in other situations to realize that God can carry it all.(1 Peter 5:7)  For running my big mouth some more lol and asking for Guidance and Direction, I had to obey when no one else's advice made sense, when no one could help me, and the only voice that was clear was His.  For Wisdom!!!  I can't even EXPLAIN!  Because sometimes I don't know where these devotions come from!  Somebody could say something, just one thing and I write.  I may say one thing and I write.  And praying for God's love---and this is ongoing---to love yourself when you never knew how, to love others when you didn't love yourself....

 

"But you, man of God, must flee from all these things. Instead, you must pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, endurance, and gentleness."  1 Timothy 6:11

 

Be careful what you ask for!  Because God does hold true to His promises!  Good night!

Daily Devotion #2

The Problem with Egos

Pride goes before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

I love Beyonce’s “Ego”. But just in reflection of some recent happenings, it just made me realize how much I can’t stand arrogant and selfish people! You know that person who always has something to say and thinks that everybody wants to hear what they have to say. The person who believes that their way is the right way and refuses to see it anyone else’s way—yep, that’s who I’m talking about. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with having a unique opinion about something, just don’t force it on me. I also just realized that this is something I have been guilty of in the past; now, I give you my opinion and you can do whatever you wish with it—I’ll listen to yours too, no matter how wrong I think it may be, lol. :D

The problem with having an ego problem is that it really is only misguided and foolish pride, selfishness, and arrogance. The saying “Too much of anything is bad” has never been wrong. Too much pride leaves you looking, excuse my bluntness, stupid. Okay, there is nothing wrong with being CONFIDENT in your abilities; there is a difference. Self-assured versus overbearing sense of self-importance or superiority to others—definitely different. I think it must hurt more for arrogant and prideful people to fall; I imagine that fall is a lot higher and harder than for a humble person.

Many scriptures speak against arrogance, selfishness, and pride (by the way, all are synonyms of egotistical). For example Hannah prayed in 1 Samuel 2:3, "Stop acting so proud and haughty! Don't speak with such arrogance! For the LORD is a God who knows what you have done; he will judge your actions.” In James 4:16 bragging and arrogance are considered evil. I don’t know why this was on my mind, but if you suffer from what I like to call ‘smellingyourownfunkitis’, I suggest you take these pills every day until you recover or else you will get hit with a case of ‘gettingknockedbacktoreality’ by life.

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2

Daily Devotion

Distractions Everywhere

But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, "Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me." Luke 10:40

Hey folks, I apologize for the lack of devotions lately. Being sick is not something I enjoy and this week has been tough. Fortunately, I feel somewhat better and I have been able to stay focused a little better than I had been able to the last two days. Obviously, I allowed how I was feeling to distract me from my responsibilities. But don’t we all do that sometimes?

Referencing the scripture above and the context of Martha’s statement, Jesus and the disciples were heading to Jerusalem (Luke 10:38). They stopped in Martha and Mary’s village, and stayed there. Martha immediately busied herself with cooking, preparing and serving while Mary sat at Jesus’ feet. Martha proceeds to complain in the above verse, but notice she was distracted. Jesus didn’t tell her to cook!

Distractions can come in any form. You can even get distracted by volunteering for something—like Martha, who took it upon herself to make a big dinner—that was not even asked of you! The only real way that we can overcome distractions is by seeing them for what they are, casting them down, and asking God to continue to reveal them to us. The sooner we recognize them for what they are, the sooner we can redirect our thinking and focus on whatever it is that we truly need to be doing!

“I'm saying this for your benefit, not to restrict you. I'm showing you how to live a noble life of devotion to the Lord without being distracted by other things.” 1 Corinthians 7:35

Daily Devotion

A Conundrum of Thoughts--Clear 'Em Out

 

'And again, I will put my trust in him...'  Hebrews 2:13

 

Has your mind ever been everywhere but nowhere at the same time?  Like thinking about bits and pieces of everything or the things that you wish were going on in your life but are not.  Even at those times, that imp confusion tries to break in but can't.  You may be like me, knowing the next step but procrastinating in taking it, because even after you take that step, you are not sure that it is the right way for you to go.  Its like being the middle of a labyrinth (a maze people lol) and there are infinite paths all around you to take but you are not sure.  It is really at these times that we should seek God in every possible way we can.

 

If you knew me before I went to college, and as I prepared to go, I knew one thing for sure that I would never return to SC.  But we should never say never because we never know what points we have to meet and pass, what stones we have to step over to get to that next point or what unexpected turns we may face.  I went to church today, and although the sermon cast light on lots of things that will help me in my ministry and counseling aspirations, my mind was not there.  It was simply lost in the sea of thoughts surfing through my mind. As I write this right now, I know that my only consolation is turning to God, inclining my ear to His voice and trusting that He will make all wrongs right.

 

The only way to truly seek God is to pray and open yourself up to listening.  Whether you have to clear your room, clear your house, or just go to the place where you can be totally alone and in God's presence, you should do that.  I know that now, more than ever that we have to truly face ourselves head on and go to God in all things.  Even if you have to meditate on the same scripture, do like Isaiah says in 8:17 and "And I will wait for the LORD who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; I will even look eagerly for Him."  Even right now, where things are just so uncertain, I know that God has not failed me yet.  In due time you will see what He wants you to see and you will do--if you obey--what He wants you to do.

 

"For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay.  Habakkuk 2:3

Daily Devotion

Can you Get up?

 

"But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins..." He said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home."  Luke 5;24

 

I found a cd that one of my big sisters made me, some songs to help me get through.  You remember Donnie McClurkin's song "We Fall Down"?  The specific part I really understood today was that "a saint is just a sinner who fell down and got up".  Everyone that Jesus healed, they listened to His word and believed.  They were obedient.  The paralytic person in the verse above was told to get up--because the evil Pharisees doubted and questioned Jesus' authority for forgive sins.  Walking in faith is a multifaceted thing--you must be obedient that God is directing you in the way He wants you to go and that if you follow through that there is something good on the other side.  You must believe that whatever you are having faith in God for will come to pass.  You must act--because faith without works is dead. (James 2:20)  Some of Jesus' disciples were the most reviled people--Matthew was a tax collector! Paul persecuted and killed Christians.  But because they chose to get up and walk in faith, their sins were forgiven.

 

So Get UP!

 

Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."  Acts 3:6

Daily Devotion

The God Complex

 

You told yourself,
       "I will go up to heaven.
    I will put my throne
       above God's stars.
    I will sit on the mountain of the gods,
       on the slopes of the sacred mountain.
 ¹⁴ I will go up above the tops of the clouds.
       I will be like God Most High."  Isaiah 14:12-14

 

 

The only person you can change is yourself, and even that is not an overnight process. 

 

I searched online for where the fall of Lucifer was mentioned in the Bible--meaning "Morning Star"  and if I remember my root words correctly luc is latin for light.  I wanted to know where we got this notion from of wanting to be in control, wanting to change other people and things to our liking.  But in Genesis 3, when Mankind falls, it is because the seed is planted by the serpent that we should want to be like God, we should want to be in control.  Becausse God is the only one who can change anyone and anything.  That was a powerful epiphany for me because I would like to believe sometimes that if I pray hard enough and long enough, the bad things that people do and say will stop.  I mislead myself into believing that my influence can help them change for the better--and I know I am not alone in feeling this way!  Countless times we wish for people to change and they never do.  We wish for them to magically wake up one day  a different person but that is not going to happen unless they decide to yield to God.  They must decide to stop anything they are doing bad and allow God to make it good.  This God complex has caused a lot of trouble for everyone. 

 

Across history for echelons, there has been a central belief in a primary God, ruler of all things.  A ruler(not the measuring stick lol) controls all that he is in charge of; therefore God being in charge of all things rules over all.  The devil wanted to be like God, so when he was banished and cast down from heaven, he sought to establish control over us here on earth.  Knowing this now, we must not allow him to deceive us into thinking we can control anything or anyone.  We were given the right to choose, so choose to ignore the devil and yield all to God.  Love is the key to it all!

 

For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;  2 Corinthians 5:14

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God loves you...He blesses you with another day so make the most of it!


Marquita B. Priester

Daily Devotion #2

Are YOU Ready to Cash that Check??

The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk. Now it was the Sabbath on that day. John 5:7-9

Okay, when you get a paycheck, you are being paid for your services. You have faith that when you go to the bank to cash that check that you get money for it. To reap the benefits, you have to put in some sort of effort, right? It’s the same with blessings, miracles, and deliverance. You have to work your faith to cash the check of righteousness and bountiful harvest. Just like the man in John 4:50 whose son was dying, when he believed what Jesus told him, he worked his faith. He went the distance because he believed in Jesus’ abilities. And surely enough at the very instant he received Jesus’ word and believed, his son was healed! (John 4:52-53)

Well I’m happy to say that I am cashing a check today. I have been believing God for several things to come to pass in my life. As you know I have not been happy at work, not having consistent work and all. So before I got out of my car this morning, I told God thank you that I would have a good day and that He would open the doors and windows for me to find satisfying work until He decided to move me to my next task. So after my meetings, I went over to my mother at work’s desk and asked her how could I find out about the work of the other departments. I went and looked at the org charts based on the titles of their branches. I emailed over 20 branches my resume and why I wanted to have a rotation. I started getting replies before I had finished emailing them all. After I went to the restroom and before I went by one of the branch heads offices, I just so happened to see one of the names of the people I emailed on the door. I saw the door was open, spoke and introduced myself. I went in and talked with her. Low and behold, she has an ABUNDANCE of projects for me to work on and they are things I studied/researched in school! Talk about expeditious movement on my behalf, all because I believed!! Then after I had talked to a few more people, I get back to my desk, check my personal email, and saw that I have been selected as one of the best candidates for a job in Atlanta! Even if I don’t get the job, I know God is preparing to open that garage door—that’s right that’s the kind of blessings I’m expecting; I don’t know about you! If He doesn’t, I am right here pushing along because He has already given me an inch to see out of. But if I had simply given up and resolved to failure and disappointment, I am certain that I would not have received that blessing and spark of encouragement today. So before you give up on God and forfeit your earnings, is there some way you can exercise and work your faith on your own behalf? Even though its nowhere in the Bible, I do believe that if you help yourself—put some faith work in it—God will definitely help you! I’m definitely smiling today and the devil can’t steal my joy! I’m on alert lol.

“What do you mean, 'If I can'?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” Mark 9:23

Daily Devotion

Speaking to the Taboo Elephants in the Room

“Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight. Whatever you have whispered in private rooms will be shouted from the housetops.” Luke 12:3

Hello everybody! I hope you are having a great day. Today is World AIDS Day. And I miss my school, Clark. There was always some awareness program about the effect of HIV/AIDS in our community. I have increasingly noticed how our traditional churches and even in our households that there are still some things that are not talked about. How can you ignore something that affects your brother and sister? How can you not care? Increasingly our country has become over the last 10 years the haven for political correctness and that includes ignoring very important issues. That’s not of God! Jesus did not do that!

In fact, Jesus went out and healed the lepers.(Mark 1:40) He went and ate with the sick, the poor, and the sinners.(Matthew 26:6-7) Matter of fact, everyone Jesus healed was sick, everyone Jesus delivered had a demon or something causing them ailment! Lepers were outcasts of society; much like our own AIDS stricken people. He communed with prostitutes, adulterers, and many people of questionable character. (Luke 7:37) But at the end of the day, they were sinners, just like you and me. Quit ignoring them, and spread knowledge. Be like Jesus who loves us all.

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:9-10