Defeating Your Past

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?"  Isaiah 58:6 NIV

 

Over the last 12 months, God has done a mighty work in my life.  This has been the most difficult year of my life, but it has also been the most rewarding.  For the first time in my life, I feel like I accomplished something of value.  And I owe it all to God and His hand on my life.  I trusted God to defeat my past and break the chains that kept me bound to it.  I was in prison to all of the things that had happened to me and I kept going in circles.  Finally after I began my forgiveness journey, I was able to start recognizing things about myself and actually let go.  Then I got to this place towards the end of 2011.

 

This recap is so worth it...so here goes.  Last year, today to be exact, I went to WalMart and in the course of that trip got the book "Fasting" by Jentezen Franklin.  I had already decided that I would fast for the last few days of the year and the first few of 2012 to see what would happen.  I felt a push to get closer to God in every way I could and I realized I needed to fast for real.  Not just abstaining from Facebook (that and anything like it is consecration) but abstain from eating, and put my body in subjection to the Word of God for a more intimate touch from Him.  My life has never been the same since.  I have experienced so many breakthroughs and revelations and I attribute it to fasting and seeking God's will for my life.  For the first time ever, I had to completely trust someone.  And this was difficult but relieving because the more I trusted God, the more in control of things I felt.

 

There is this song, "I'll Trust You" by Donnie McClurkin.  In the beginning, God via Donnie McClurkin says, "Will you trust me?  What if you call me and don't feel me near you, will you still trust me?  What if I tell you to let go of the very thing you think you have to hold, will you trust me?" What if it costs my life?  What if I lose the very thing I love so dear? These are questions he also asked.  And in this year, I have done those very things.  I have died to self in many areas, exposing my innermost thoughts and insecurities via my devotions and also via the juicing diaries I did on my YouTube channel, I have been vulnerable in ways I could not imagine, and it was freeing.  I can say through all of this, God has defeated my past, and it no longer has a hold on me.  No longer will I have the nightmares of loneliness and people finding out things about me that I tried so hard to hide and overlook, because I have been healed, delivered and made whole from them and especially the shame.

 

The key to all of this for me has been in trusting God and being obedient to what He put in my heart to do.  I am sure you have things that have created 'invisible wounds' as I like to say (that's my book title, to be released soon!) within you.  These things have kept you anchored to the past, whether its through generational curses of lust and sex,  perversion, cheating, alcoholism and drug addiction, insecurity, illnesses and diseases, or sexual abuse or if its through unexpected illnesses and deaths, these wounds are like sinkholes created by the roots of these issues in your life.  It was only God to expose these things to me within my own life, and I am so humbled to know God loved me enough to uproot those issues and deliver me from my past.

 

This was not a passive process.  I had to want to be healed, I had to want to be whole, and I had to believe and trust that God would do it.  I had to leave family and friends and loved ones behind so that God could a work within me.  I had to be honest with myself so that He could open my eyes to show me the real me.  Not the one I have seen all these years or the one that others told me I was, but who He called me to be.  I am not the same Marquita as I was at the beginning of 2012 or at any point of you knowing me.  I am different--yes, I still struggle with things and have some rough corners that need to be sanded down, but I am different.

 

The key to defeating your past is trusting God.  That means trusting God when He shows you the ugliness about yourself, about the decisions you have made and the things that have happened to you.  It requires allowing the scab to be peeled off of those wounds and looking at them for what they are.  If there is infection and it has spread to other parts of your life, you have to trust God's process for resolving those issues.  You can defeat your past, and it does not have to make sense to others (because if I told y'all what God has had me do...you would think I'm strange lol).  God is a healer, a provider, and a deliverer among other things.   He can help you get to the next level, free from the wounds and baggage of the past.  Trust Him!!

 

Take the challenge for 2013 and see your life change!  I'll begin fasting on the 28th by abstaining from fried foods again and possibly sweets, and then I will begin my full 40-day Daniel fast on January 1.  You DON'T have to do what I'm doing, but try fasting from something and when you would normally be eating that thing, pray more and watch God move mountains in your life!  Trust Him in this and watch things start happening!  Let go and let God!  It is time for you to defeat your past and break those chains!

 
Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shall you dwell in the land, and truly you shall be fed.  Delight yourself also in the LORD: and he shall give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.  Psalm 3:2-5 AKJV

Is Your Faith Fireproof?

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to test you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.  1 Peter 4:12-13 KJV

I have had these scriptures posted on my door for several years now.  But I did not truly understand what was being said in them until last year.  Having gone through my 'wilderness' experience while living in Charleston, being tested in every area of my life, I honestly was mad and angry with God for allowing me to suffer so greatly.  I simply could not understand why I had to go through all of those things that happened while I was in Charleston--in the midst of them.  But since I have been gone, it has all been making sense.

My one desire was to finish college and grad school on time.  I pushed myself so hard, working full-time at my co-op the summer of 2007 and writing two papers while applying for scholarships and the like.   I was not going to allow my kidney disease to keep me from meeting that deadline.  The following summer after graduation, it was all worth it.  The long hours at school, the loans I took out to live alone...it was all worth it.  But immediately after graduation, at my 23rd birthday celebration I was in severe pain all the while smiling through it.  It was this that initiated my entering my wilderness experience.  By now it should be common knowledge that my kidneys began to rapidly decline in function, which resulted in my kidney transplant.  And all the while I was trying to get my finances in order to buy a townhouse and live normally...or so I thought.

2009, 2010, and 2011 brought trials of every area, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.  I couldn't for the life of me understand what I had done to bring about God's mighty hand against me, or why He allowed me to go through those things.  I was angry with God.  Why was I born, why into this family, why I had to suffer with these issues, with no one to talk to about it, with no one to help me, to suffer through some of the worst things--ALONE.  All the while, I had these scriptures posted on my door, and I did not understand what they were saying to me.  I was angry, but I kept praying for understanding.  Of course, as God always does, after the tests and trials were over, I began to see and understand what He was doing.

In life, the one thing we can be assured of is that we will endure tests or 'trials' as referred to here.  I felt so much like Job, like God what had I done to go through these things.  It was after being delivered from a victim mentality and spirit of self-pity that I could see my own faults clearly and then I understood what was the purpose behind the trials.  Be careful what you pray for...gosh that is the TRUTH!  I prayed for God to use me and to make me more like Jesus, to fix me so that He could use me to help others and walk in my life's calling--and as a result I had a whole lot of junk that needed to be removed from Him to be able to do those things.

I know now that it was the trials that helped to refine me (although lets be real here, I need more fixing lol).  Trials expose you to God's fire...and His fire will not burn you; instead fiery trials purify and prune you.  They cause you to die to self so that everything in your life brings God the glory.  It is the fire that purges you from old habits, attitudes, and behaviors.  Think about it, most people can't understand your transformation knowing you used to do this, that, and some other questionable things.  It is only God's power that can bring about a transformation in the midst of struggle and strife.  It is only God that can fill those voids and make you whole.

I ask today is your faith fireproof for the following reasons:
1.  Can you endure what seems like the lowest point of your life and still trust God?
2.  Can you suffer through test after test after test without having any confirmation that God is speaking to you or working in your life?
3.  Can you trust God enough to allow the process to be completed???  This means allowing His transformation of your life to come to completion, even if it means severing relationships, moving, and isolation.

I would like to think my faith is fireproof, but I know with every level of elevation, there are new trials and 'new devils.'  I am trusting God to keep the temperature turned up so that I can be made more and more like Christ.  So that may mean that some day I won't do something I did everyday prior to that or I may not talk to a lifelong friend.  But as long as it is a part of God's tests and purification of me, it is worth it, knowing that I can rejoice at God's revelation of His glory upon my life.  Besides, I know my earthly parents dished out many a fiery 'spanking' to make me a better person...wouldn't our Heavenly Father light the fire underneath us to make us better?

Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.  I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.  Romans 8:17-18 NIV

Don't Be Fooled By Your Feelings

Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.
1 John 3:20

Feelings are the resulting state of consciousness associated with your emotions.  For example, we feel sad, happy, or angry, although sadness, happiness, and anger are the actual emotions.  If we are all honest with ourselves, we have had (or may still have) a tendency to allow our feelings to cloud our judgment and ultimately impact our decisions. 

You have to realize that our feelings, although they may seem valid at the time, can and will often lead us astray.  We often make emotional decisions that have no rational backing and we say things that we don't mean based on how we are feeling at that moment or about a particular person or situation.  In this lies our deception.  The enemy will plant words to keep us in that negative frame of mind.  For example, I'll share my one of my own experiences.

With my last official relationship, I kept feeling like I was quitting on the relationship every time I got the urge to break up with my ex.  My mind was telling me that it had to be me, that I was the problem.  However, as the months went by, those same urges would resurface and my feelings would say well, he will change or it will get better...NOT.  I know now that the uncertainty I felt in that relationship and in many situations since then was the Spirit trying to protect me from heartache.

I know it was God that led me to this scripture because I could not think of a scripture offhand that related to this topic. I'll break it down as it applies here.  Even if we feel guilty--if you feel like I did in that relationship; I felt guilty and that I was the problem as my mind told me--God is greater than our feelings!  God is greater than your guilt, which comes from that spirit of condemnation.  God is greater than your doubt, for example you doubting your achievement the successes God promised you.  God is greater than your hatred, the hatred that has kept you bound in unforgiveness and oppressed by generational curses.  God is greater than any emotion or feeling and thus He can provide you with clarity in the midst!!  What is even more assuring here is the reminder that He is the all-knowing, omniscient God, so His greatness is compounded in that fact.  God's knowing everything is the reason you should trust Him instead of your feelings because He knows where they can lead you and oftentimes will lead you astray.  God's omniscience will protect and deliver you the deception caused by your feelings.  And I must add that a key to success in this area is the continual, daily renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2).  Do not allow your feelings to mislead and misguide you anymore!

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.  1 Corinthians 15:57 NASB

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"No weapon formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of God and their righteousness is of me," says the Lord.  Isaiah 54:17
http://lifeinspiredbygod.com/

Love is Your Best Weapon

Love is patient. Love is kind. Love isn't jealous. It doesn't sing its own praises. It isn't arrogant. It isn't rude. It doesn't think about itself. It isn't irritable. It doesn't keep track of wrongs. It isn't happy when injustice is done, but it is happy with the truth. Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up. Love never comes to an end. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 GWT

Happy Wednesday!! I have a lot to be grateful for: God has moved in my life in a major way. Because of my detox I have actually been receptive to God so that I can just watch and participate. He has also been moving in the lives of my friends and family. Oh wait yes…the first semester of law school is over!!!!!!!!! Hallelujah!!! Glory, glory!

Anyway, I've written a lot of posts lately via Facebook and Twitter on the importance of guarding your mind and the war we face against the enemy. But I realized something today in listening to Joyce Meyer's message on Spiritual Warfare. Don't laugh, but I just thought about a Boondocks episode with Stinkmeaner lol and how they overcame his hatred was with a like mind, and in essence, in love (what both Stinkmeaner and Uncle Ruckus loved to hate lol). As a result, they were able to cast him out of Tom. And that is the lesson: you fight the enemy through unconditional love, love that loves them when they don't love themselves, pure and uncontaminated love, Agape love, the God-kind of love. How you do this is you make it up in your mind that you will smile and be kind to the grouch, you will open doors for the bigots, you will pay for the meal of an elderly or homeless person, you will give to the person that asks…yes all this and more!

As she was preaching, it made me think of some things. One thing in particular…I loved a man…(I think that is in a song…yep Lauren Hill lol!) This love I had for him was different from any I had ever experienced in my life. Before this, with my ex-boyfriend, I had purposed in my heart to love people the way that God does. Loving my ex-boyfriend was extremely difficult. It is hard loving a broken person, someone who had been abused and in turn dished out that same abuse. (Hmmm, I know that is something God could say about me…and you too!) But with this other man, the love came naturally and was easy at first because it was fun and there was a transparency I never had. I loved him like I loved my brothers, not romantically, although I felt I grew to love him that way. I felt like it was okay to be Marquita–almost, but I was afraid to really love him. Then things started to go sour, and strangely enough, I loved him more. I wanted to pour out all the love that God had placed in my heart on him, to help heal him from the pain he had, because whether he admitted it or not, there was pain. I could see it…because having been in that same kind of pain, I knew what it looked like. At some point over the last year or longer I finally gave up–and did exactly the opposite of what was above. I realized my 'keeping hope alive', lol, was from a selfish place. I was truthfully not walking in love towards him by getting caught up in my feelings. Finally, I realized one day, I was only thinking about myself. So I had to let God lead me as I tried to stop loving someone who did not love me back and still walk in love towards him in spite. How did I do that, you ask? Well, I knew that we are instructed to love–so I had to keep interceding, praying and trusting God with that person. It meant putting everything into the perspective of his soul being saved instead of being caught up in my feelings, especially when it meant our relationship was over for good.

You see it is those very things…feelings…that keep us bound in the hurt that a person inflicted on us, and sometimes they do not even know what they did (blinders to our shortcomings sometimes prevent us from seeing who we hurt while we are hurting). Can't you see that this battle is in our minds?! Our emotions, thoughts and feelings all tell us to protect ourselves and retreat in defeat instead of warring in the Spirit through the love of God! Not only do we fight war in the traditional sense of binding and loosing the enemy, but we war by giving that person the same love that God gives us. You must make a conscious decision in your mind to seek God for the strength to love everybody His way. Love even the person that broke your heart, your mom who lied or put you in the middle, your family that did nothing but tear you down, your ex-boyfriend who physically put their hands on you…or that best friend that abandoned you. We must love these people in spite because God loves us that very same way.

I love 1 Corinthians 13 because it speaks to my heart. Before my dad passed, I had already purposed in my heart to speak and share how God taught me what His love was in the four months that it took for the cancer to steal my dad from us. I saw friendship, forgiveness, and love between my parents like never before. My prayer was that God healed him, so that I could keep seeing that smile and light emanate from my mom. I searched in an unfulfilling, mentally and emotionally taxing relationship to create the love He put right in my parent's home! At the prayer vigil, I read and I guess I preached, from this chapter. The passage above shows us the very actions that the Agape, God-kind of love does and what it is, and this is our guideline. You war in love: you are patient, allowing the process and let God's work take place. You are kind because you remember God is kind to us especially because we don't deserve it. You get rid of that jealous spirit; don't get mad because you have to share your friends, your spouse, family or children with others. But wait, let me be real here, don't envy someone else's relationships because your relationships are not what you envisioned. When you love others you don't always point out the things you've done and conversely you don't remember every wrong they have done to you. I can and would go on, but you see what I mean. We war over those we love and God has assigned to us by these scriptures. You fight these battles with agape love: keep praying, keep hoping, keep interceding even when it hurts. The enemy hates nothing more than when you spread your love on those who have hurt you. He would hate nothing more than your being loving to all you encounter. Perfect love casts out fear; perfect love dispels hate. That's how you fight the enemy! You can bind the spirits but then you have to work on the mind by loving them in spite. Get over yourself and let God's love transform you!

Love sincerely. Hate evil. Hold on to what is good. Be devoted to each other like a loving family. Excel in showing respect for each other. Don't be lazy in showing your devotion. Use your energy to serve the Lord. Be happy in your confidence, be patient in trouble, and pray continually. Share what you have with God's people who are in need. Be hospitable. Romans 12:9-13 GWT

Are You Holding On To People Past Their Expiration Date?

"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me."  John 14:1 NASB

It took the loss of some friendships and gaining some new ones to realize why God does things the way He does sometimes.  I was particularly hurt when one of my friends from Charleston cut off all contact with me...I haven't heard from her since before my birthday.  I have reached out, but nothing.  I had another friend to do this to me too and I have a "No Friends Left Behind" motto--only applicable to my true friends or people I care for strongly (thanks Dee lol).  The loss of these relationships created voids in my life, that have now been filled by God himself, either with new relationships or with His purpose.  Anyway, it wasn't until a recent conversation that I realized why the relationships had changed...I had changed.  

God has been working on me, and one of the things I had been praying for is divine relationships and discernment of people and spirits.  Everybody is not for you!!  I had to learn that the hard way, keeping people and allowing relationships to linger that were way past their expiration date.  Recognize the reason that you connect with these people.  See I connected with her after my dad died--we related on things that had happened in our pasts.  If you have any relationships where you are connecting with people based on past events...prepare yourself because it could be a possibility that if you cannot connect on anything after those issues have been resolved or you have been delivered from them, that your need for the relationship ends.  It could be possible that the purpose of the relationship has been served and thus that person's season in your life has ended.

This was hard, and painful to learn.  I take hold of people and I want everybody to win, I want everybody to experience God's goodness with me.  Now, that isn't to say that God will not reconcile you later or that those people will not experience the abundance of God's blessings.  It says that God is opening your hands like He did mine, and making room for bigger and better things by creating space for you to hold them.  

How do you deal with this?  The key is to wholeheartedly trust God and allow Him to heal you from the hurt that comes with loss.  You have to grieve the loss because in your mind you will always come back to the relationship and wonder.  This is just another faith act for you, trusting God's will and believing that He is orchestrating this to work in His grand plan for your life.  With that said, evaluate your relationships and determine who has outlived their shelf life!  Ask God for courage to let go if that is His will and for the peace to press forward until He presents the next piece to your puzzle!

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.  Isaiah 26:3 NIV

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"No weapon formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of God and their righteousness is of me," says the Lord.  Isaiah 54:17
http://lifeinspiredbygod.com/

Growing Through Your Going-Through Season

Please, come closer," he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, "I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. But don't be upset, and don't be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.

Genesis 45:4-8 NLT

How many of you feel like you are going through a tough time, maybe even the most difficult period in your life?  Do you perhaps have a dream, and once you shared that dream publicly, it was discounted and questioned--let me be blunt, attacked by the enemy?  Joseph went through a tough decade or so, all so he could give birth the dream that God gave him.  Joseph was sold into slavery, thrown into prison, all to be elevated to second in command to Pharaoh alone.  But from that nearly 13+ year span from the time he had the dream until it actually manifested, he was going through some things.  I can attest to that experience.

Joseph was 'hated on' by his brothers for being the favorite son of their father.  His dad made him a coat of many colors (Gen 37) to show how much he loved him.  Joseph was a dreamer, and had two dreams that he shared with his brothers; these dreams would dictate his destiny and kindle a fire of hatred within his brothers.  Their hatred grew so strong that they plotted to kill him.  Fortunately one brother came up with an alternate idea to put him in a pit instead so that he could later rescue Joseph; in his absence the other brothers decided to sell him into slavery.  Unknown to them, their act of jealousy and hatred towards Joseph propelled him into his appointed place. 

In Genesis 39 Joseph is chief servant to Potiphar (elevation in the midst of slavery), and again, the enemy tried to abort his destiny through Potiphar's wife.  She wanted Joseph so bad that she lied when he refused to sleep with her.  So this time, Joseph is put into the king's prison.  Important to note is that throughout all of this, God's favor was on Joseph.  He went from imminent death at his brothers' hands to slavery (although some would argue this is any better).  He went from being a slave to being the chief slave/servant in charge of all the affairs in Potiphar's household.  Even in prison, he was the head prisoner, in charge of all the affairs of the prison.  It is also notable to recognize that the people Joseph worked for were blessed because of that same favor.

I am sure during that time period, God purified Joseph from any bitterness, anger, hatred, and resentments he may have had towards his brothers.  Because Joseph honored the Lord, God promoted him where he was.  Joseph chose to grow where he was planted and God blessed everything he set his hands to.  And then when his opportunity came before the king, God gave Joseph the tools he needed to manifest his own childhood dream as he interpreted Pharaoh's dream.  When its your time and season, God will give you everything you need--or rather remind you of what He has already put within you.  The trials you experience are for your testing; if you have been taught and learned something all semester, the only way for you to prove what you know is through passing the test!

"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed."  1 Peter 4:12-13 NIV

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"No weapon formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of God and their righteousness is of me," says the Lord.  Isaiah 54:17
http://lifeinspiredbygod.com/

Tap Into the Potential

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."  Jeremiah 33:3 NIV

If you know me, you know that I am a nerd, lol.  I love to learn and I will always find joy in learning something new.  One of the subjects I absolutely loved was physics.  It was a lot like calculus, making it like math so I loved it.  I love solving problems lol...maybe that's why I have tried to fix everyone else's problems all the time...hey I don't know lol. 

Anyway, I think it was in my initial mechanics class that we discussed the different types of energy, kinetic and potential (now there is a wealth of topics in this area, force, power, thermodynamics...hahaha I won't go on a tangent).  Kinetic energy is moving energy and potential energy is resting or stored energy.  Because energy is neither created nor destroyed, at any given time when the kinetic energy of an object is zero, then its potential energy is mass*gravity I think, lol, and vice versa.

I bring this up because most often in relationships we womenfolk see and look at a man's potential, that sleeping giant and resting energy within him, thinking about what he could become if he acted on his dreams and all that hypothetical stuff lol, instead of looking at the actual kinetic energy--or effort--he is putting out. However, why not tap into the potential energy of God?? Why not look to Him instead of man--and that goes for all of us, man and woman?  God is the only being whose potential energy can be attested to, time and time again.  If you awaken God's potential in your life, it is sure to get things moving and shaken up.  He will transform your life, and set you on a divine acceleration path for breakthroughs beyond your wildest dreams.  You cannot fathom how God will move things around.  Here is my testimony of how I tapped into God's potential this past year and what He has done so far.

I decided last year the day after Christmas to purchase a book on fasting by Jentezen Franklin, and it changed my life.  I had been praying for ways that I could truly go to the next level in my life, and doing a true fast was on that list.  I decided to fast from December 28 until the new year at first, then I decided shortly after that to go for 7 days.  Immediately after beginning to read the book, I decided I would go the full 40 days because I needed to know God's plan and vision for me and life for 2012.  I needed to truly see God move.

At first, my fast included abstaining from fried foods and sweets, two of my favorite things to eat in the world lol.  (Y'all should know how I feel about lemon pepper wings from the Chinese place on Decker Blvd at home...sigh...coming soon, in almost a week yay .)  Anyway, it was hard for me, but fortunately I survived.  As I read the book and prayed more, I started noticing things I had never seen before, and I was able to recognize the movements of the enemy in my life.  One day during my fast, I was at a friend's desk.  She had some fruit snacks...and I love fruit snacks lol.  I thought how much I would like some, and before I knew it, she handed me the bag to open and I took two and ate them without a second thought.  It wasn't until I got back to my own desk that I realized what I did.  I repented and continued my fast. Then 28 days into it, I received what I had been asking God for, a vision for the year.  I CANNOT SCREAM ENOUGH...I knew and had the guidance to deal with everything that has happened in my life this year.  I have slipped up a few places...but hey we are human.  The goal is that we turn away from things completely and we are works in progress.  But I am no different from you, so God can do the same for you.

It is December 10, 15 days into my final fast for the year and my first detox (I have been doing a juicing/Daniel fast detox) and again, God has blown my mind.  My decision to tap into God's potential and to try God on what He would do...I cannot tell you guys how much truth there is to that verse above!  Hidden things...I knew how to deal with the coming attacks.  Fasting has become a lifestyle for me; I think I have fasted almost half of this year and it has changed my life.  God enabled me to anticipate the enemy's attacks and showed me how to handle them.  God enabled me to make the right decisions in business dealings, moving, going to school and He has led me down His appointed path for my life (Psalm 32:8).  I will be beginning another 40 day full Daniel fast on January 1 and I'll be prepping for that beginning December 28.  I challenge you to tap into that potential energy of God; do it wholeheartedly.  Don't be a part-time believer with a part-time faith.  You have to expect to hear from Him.  God isn't a respecter of persons so trust that He can and will do the same for you.  Tapping into that potential energy will get you moving!!  Try God out on this and watch the mountains move, fall and crumble in the face of your prayers!

"I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?"  Jeremiah 32:27 NIV

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"No weapon formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of God and their righteousness is of me," says the Lord.  Isaiah 54:17
http://lifeinspiredbygod.com/

Basic Training

***Can't y'all tell church was good?? Plus some conversations with great friends!!!  Man the power of having the right people in your circle is powerful!!! I thank God for His anointing over my life and for His blessing me with anointed friends; God moved some chess pieces around and out so I can make power moves--He made room!!!! Whew!!  I have one more to write then I can get back to studying. :D Toodles! Hope this blesses you! 

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.  1 Corinthians 9:25-27 NLT

I am familiar enough with the military to know that basic training is difficult.  In basic training, you learn the basic skills necessary to be successful to enter military service--in a vacuum, I might add.  The key things you learn during the process are discipline, endurance, and faith.  But the process prepares you for battle, and for more learning.

This is a time of warfare friends.  The Gospel being preached now doesn't prepare us for the attacks of the enemy and his forces.  Let's be clear, we do have an enemy.  1 Peter 5:8 tells us to "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."(NASB)  This tells us that he is here, in our lives, operating through the people we work with, hang out, sometimes live with, and even fellowship with.  We have to seek God with such fervor so that we can be trained properly on how to deal with him.  This training enables us to pass the tests and be promoted in rank, which of course, has more training and more tests.

So then, what is basic training for a Christian?  First, you must accept Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. (see John 14:6,7,13)  Jesus is the way to the Father, and if you ask anything in His name, He will do it, so that the Father is glorified.  Next, feed on pure spiritual milk.  (1 Peter 2:2)  But allow God to grow you.  Next, study the Word, call on God, and seek divine wisdom! (see Jer 33:3, James 1:5)  As babies grow and mature to understanding, so must you.  Study, says Paul to Timothy, to show yourself approved, rightfully dividing the Word of truth. (paraphrasing 2 Timothy 2:15) After you have studied, you must become trained in what weapons are available for your use--see Ephesians 6:10-18.  You can know the Word but not putting it to proper use won't do you any good!  You have to know to protect yourself and others with the Word.  You have to know that calling on God in prayer and seeking wisdom for how to deal with the situations that will come is the strategy, something that you learn from studying and becoming well versed in the use of the weapons.  These situations come to test you and sometimes to break you.

After basic training, the enemy is sure to come; he knows that God has a purpose for you and so he will come at you more intensely.  So using that wisdom and discerning the attacks of the enemy--whether it be through things that happened in the past or unforeseen circumstances that will arise--you can rest in God knowing that He will give you the tools necessary to succeed and He is sure to guide you into deliverance.  Like the enlisted soldier, once you pass basic training, you are for deployment to gain the specialized skills necessary for walking in your purpose.  Don't make the key mistake of failing to train; because when the heat turns up, you will be put to the test!

Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.  Instead, be very glad--for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.

1 Peter 4:12-13 NLT

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory;

1 Peter 1:6-8

--
"No weapon formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of God and their righteousness is of me," says the Lord.  Isaiah 54:17
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You Can't Expect Full-Time Blessings Having a Part-Time Faith

These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
1 Peter 1:7 NLT

I am guilty of a part-time faith.  I have believed God for things in compartments of my life and I have not trusted Him in other areas.  But where did it get me?  I was left at the same place, asking God for the same things, again and again.

We are in a season where we must be all or nothing with God.  We cannot waste time wavering back and forth.  James 1:6 says "But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind." (NLT)  Either you are going to believe all the way, or not.

God recently worked on me with this.  Growing up, I was raised to pay tithes.  It was just something I had to do; when I got some money, I gave God His 10%.  In most churches, it is taught as a fire and brimstone principle.  If you don't tithe, you will be cursed.  Being a believer in Christ, I could not rest easy with this teaching because I believed that as a believer in Christ I was freed from all curses because He became a curse for me and thus took on my sufferings and punishments. (Gal 3:13, 1 Peter 2:24).  I would pay my tithes almost begrudgingly, for fear of repercussions if I did not pay them.  

It was the very first day of my detox, my full day of juicing, that God had this issue settled in my heart.  I was talking to a friend in the ministry about my concerns. Almost instantaneously, his response was the age old response I have heard my entire Christian life.  As he was talking and I found things contrary to his explanation, God spoke to me clear as day: "Marquita, it is an expression of your faith in Me, to trust Me with everything, even your money."  Immediately I stopped arguing with him, and kept saying, everything is faith.  Faith is everything, I have to trust God with everything.  I vowed from that point forward that I would trust God with everything.

Yes, God will continue to bless you, for He rains down blessings on the just and the unjust. (Matthew 5:45)  But if you want to see God really move in your life...honey!  You HAVE to trust God with everything: with your relationships, with your business, with your finances, with your growth, with your family and friends, but with EVERYTHING!!!!  

Stop wavering, stop believing in Him part-time...be all or nothing...and watch God work full-time for you!  Have faith and believe!!

Then Jesus told them, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don't doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen.  Matthew 21:21 NLT

***Join the blog!!  It will email them to you as I post them!  Be blessed...love you!  Changes await and the season is quickening!

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I Stand Corrected

"For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he
accepts as his child." Hebrews 12:6 NLT

I got many a spanking as a child (well not as much as my brother) for
being mean and sassy...the sassiness persists lol but I don't think
I'm mean lol. No-nonsense maybe, but not mean. Anyway, I used to do
some bad things, like slap my brother or kick him in the stomach or
just punch him...I think it was because I didn't have any girl cousins
my age. A proud dress-wearing tomboy I am, thank you. LOL

But Lord knows I used to dread getting that whipping. My daddy had
this belt, that we kids called 'the belt.' No matter where we hid it,
WE had to go find it to get ready for the beatdown. I hate that thing
lol. I don't know how it lasted all those years. 3 kids...who all
were not spared the rod...Jesus lol. Anyway, before the punishment
ensued, my momma would often talk to us about what we did and we would
start crying. I don't know about my brothers, but I cried because of
the beating, not because of what I did, because I know I meant to do
it. Like I mean to slap him lol. It was the beating that hurt and
left me thinking, was what I did really worth all this...?

Fast forward to adulthood. I have made many mistakes and the threat
of being disciplined by God was enough to scare me straight. For
every choice there is a consequence, both good and bad--being that
consequences are simply the resulting reaction to an action (thanks
physics lingo). I have gone places I should not have gone and done
things I should not have done. I was simply being disobedient and
doing what Marquita wanted to do. And some of the consequences were
not worth the trouble. Let me be frank and honest here if I may. I
have sinned before (gasp!) and as a result, in one particular
circumstance, it cost me my direct line of communication with God,
until I was away from the origin of the sins. God cannot be in the
presence of sin, and thank God for Jesus because after the whipping I
got (uncertainty I caused, rejection by the party involved) I was
right back where I needed to be.

As my parents told me, the whippings and beatings were done out of
love. If my parents did not love me, I would have fell to the wayside
and every time I went astray they would not have exerted the energy to
reel me back into the fold. God is the same. In both the Parables of
the Lost Sheep and the Prodigal Son, God's love for us is evident. He
would search to the ends of the earth for a lost sheep (like you and
me) who by our wayward living get whipped until we decide to return
home. He welcomes us with open arms for a loving embrace like the
father of the Prodigal Son. (See Luke 15)

Sometimes life will whip us with hard times, the Word and the Holy
Spirit will whip us with conviction, and we will allow the enemy to
whip us with guilt, condemnation and defeat. Having been there and
over doing that, haha, I rest in how those things have changed me and
I look back now on those beatings with respect. Because God loved me
so much, as my parents did, they saw fit to intervene and stimulate me
to change courses. That is what being corrected is all
about...serving as a catalyst for you to change.

"My child, don't reject the LORD's discipline, and don't be upset when
he corrects you. For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a
father corrects a child in whom he delights." Proverbs 3:11-12 NLT

Can't Hold You Back

So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear;
what can man do to me?" Hebrews 13:6 ESV

God sure has a way of doing things. I promise you, this morning I was
trying to sleep an extra hour, but He wasn't having my laziness today
lol. He wanted to talk to me. So here's what I took from that...

I teach bible study online tonight (leave a comment for details if
you're interested) and after a few texts from friends, I remembered I
needed to prepare. So I've been doing this series called "Effectual
Prayer". Over the course of the last 2-2.5 months, we have been
exploring the various types of prayer. Long story short, the prayers
I have selected for tonight are Deliver Us, prayed by Hezekiah in 2
Kings 19, and Help Us, prayed by Asa in 2 Chronicles 14. In both of
these situations, from the outside looking in, the circumstances these
kings faced were bigger than them, and to a faithless person, bigger
than any God. But in both cases, they prevailed.

I have a tendency to ratchetness at times, haha. Several songs that I
need to take several seats for came to mind. First, Rick Ross...I
love how I can take a poem or lyric and it remind me of where I have
been and where God has brought me. Anyway, Can't Hold Me Back has
several choice words, but this part is key--enemies and 'the enemy' do
not have the power to hold you back. No one can keep you from your
God-appointed destiny but YOU. Yes weapons will form (Isaiah 54:17)
but they cannot prosper unless you allow them to defeat you. You see,
what you are fighting for is power and control over your mind, because
that's where the battles are lost. But the beauty of God is that He
can deliver us and help us in the midst of these situations,
physically, mentally, and spiritually. That's what He did for
me...fought the battle over my mind, so that I could start winning the
battles that were physically challenging me.

I love how I now 'self-police' my thoughts. The minute I allow a foul
word to exit my lips, I immediately say something to change it. Why?
Because we speak our realities into existence. Sure, a child didn't
speak abuse into existence, that's not what I'm talking about. It's
that 'woe is me', 'agony, agony' victim complex that can plague our
minds and keep us stagnant, not growing and not progressing. Back to
our references, had either Hezekiah or Asa decided in their humanness
to attempt to fight either of these armies in their own strength,
their defeats were eminent and almost certainly there would be very
few descendants to speak of it. But they chose to call on God, who in
all His splendor and greatness, was more than well-equipped to to
handle the battles. In Hezekiah's case, the angel of the Lord came
over the 400000+ army of Sennacherib and the next morning more than
185000 lay dead, scaring them so bad that they ran home. And with
Asa, the Ethiopian army that came against them were over a million men
strong. Asa, who was a man of peace, did the only thing he knew how
to do and sought God for help. Of course this ended terribly for the
Ethiopians.

As these words filled my thoughts this morning, I was reminded of my
tattoo (yes I have a tattoo). I got it after having survived what at
the time to me was the most difficult experience to remind me of
exactly this thing. Psalm 27:1 says "The LORD is my light and my
salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of
whom shall I be afraid?" It says exactly this; why fear, when you can
call on God for deliverance, like I did? Why be afraid of what men,
women, and the enemy say or try to do when God is your helper and
deliverer? They can't hold you back, they can't hold you down,
because God goes before you! Trust in that today!


"I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should
I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?" Psalm 56:4 NLT

Detox

Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves
from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work
toward complete holiness because we fear God. 2 Corinthians 7:1 NLT

Wow! God truly has a word for EVERYTHING!

So, I'm four days into my juicing detox fast...and EVERYTHING, I mean
EVERYTHING that I am praying for release from, God has moved. I am an
supporter of fasting because my life is evidence of how faithful God
has been. I decided to take it a step further and make a major life
change and just start afresh, and detox and cleanse my mind, body and
spirit from the ills that have afflicted me so that I can enter this
next phase empty of everything so that I can fill up on God and move
major mountains.

Prior to this scripture, the last part of 2 Corinthians 6 refers to
being unequally yoked. I realize now that some of the things that
have happened to me, both by my choice and out of my control, have
caused me to be yoked to things and attitudes that have hindered my
growth spiritually. The primary purpose of my detox is to break those
habits and mindsets. I have chosen to be released from shame, guilt,
fear, worry, anxiety, doubt, and insecurities to name a few. But it
is the presence of these things--things not of God--that have hindered
me. They had taken up residence in my mind and kept me bound, and
even had me at a point of doubting God for those things I was
believing Him for. They hampered my growth spiritually and my
progression to the next level in my life.

I am sure that most people do not recognize how these things creep in.
For example, I did not realize how the lack of trust my ex-boyfriend
had in others then transferred to me. I doubted any guy I met
(although not totally without reason) and thus the next relationship
after that, I questioned everything about it until I realized what was
going on. I prayed about it and God eventually revealed to me what I
was doing--sabotaging it through my lack of trust. In that case, I
learned we must trust until someone shows us they should not be
trusted, but that is not really relevant here.

We must step outside of our feelings and recognize those things that
keep us yoked and bound to former ways and habits. We must take heed
of those things that prevent us from growing deeper in relationship to
God. These things infect our thinking, dis-ease our hearts, and
impair our vision both in the natural and spirit. They tend to make
us negative and ultimately take root to stop us from becoming more and
more like Christ. Can you take time to detox, and allow Christ to
cleanse you from everything that keeps you from the full embodiment of
His likeness? Break free and be emptied of those things that WILL
impede any success and blind you to God's direction. Be cleansed and
be reunited to the Father!

"Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch
no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you,
and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." 2
Corinthians 6:17-18 NIV

Crutches

It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
Psalm 11:8 AKJV

Growing up I had the strange desire to have to use crutches. When my
dad broke his ankle, my brothers and I took turns playing with the
crutches. Strange things we want as kids...I wanted to have to wear a
cast haha, I wanted glasses (overrated, as my brief experience
resulted in a lost pair of glasses I paid for myself grrr), and I
wanted braces (yet another experience I don't miss but I often
consider to further perfect my smile haha). But now as an adult and
having had to use them myself after a foot injury and the ugly boot
that ensued...crutches are a blessing and a curse all at once.

I guess I'm not meant to find that devotion I wrote...bummer. Anyway,
I have had the tendency in life to seek guidance from others. As a
consequence of that, I tend to get dependent and reliant that those
people will always be a resource for me. God ALWAYS has a way of
snatching the crutches back from me. You see the downside to using
crutches for too long is that you become dependent on them, so much
that you get comfortable and complacent where you are. You stop
challenging and pushing yourself to do better, until you get into a
position where you feel stuck. Ah yes, in the past, I got to that
place quite often. It was like finally one day God got tired of me
and told me enough was enough and started snatching the crutches
away--the people I went to in order to seek Him, instead of praying
and going to Him for myself. Isn't that why Jesus died, so that we
are no longer separated from the Father? There is no longer a need
for sacrifices--well maybe sacrificing time here and there to truly
spend that time with God.

And it would happen that either that person who had become my crutch
would say something I didn't agree with, hurt my feelings, or offend
me in some way. Then I would go back to God for myself. Now I
recognize it is the same thing happening again, some people had become
my crutches in Charleston or over the years. Now that I have left, so
have the crutches, and I am learning to walk on my own again, except
this time hand in hand with God.

Maybe a valued friend or mentor has recently left their coveted
position in your life and like me, it has left you confounded,
confused, and in disbelief. Rest assured, God's hand is stretched out
to you in order for you to get through, but this time He wants you to
come to Him for yourself, beyond the veil. I realize crutches are
only supposed to support you in a time of weakness. But how do you
know that your legs are strong enough until you try to walk without
them?

"Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.
And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the
age."" Matthew 28:20 NLT

Itchy

The LORD will smite you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors and
with the scab and with the itch, from which you cannot be healed.
Deuteronomy 28:27 NASB

Itching in almost all cases is an indicator that there is something
wrong. Whether you start itching immediately after a mosquito bite,
you start itching during the summer from the heat and the resultant
eczema patches, or you are suffering from allergy and sinus-induced
itching and scratching of the throat and ears as often used to happen
to me, itching is an indication that further investigation should be
done to identify the root of the issue.

Likewise, when we itch spiritually, that is a clear and key indication
that something is going wrong in our lives. And more often than not,
we all seek natural ways to calm the itch.

Testimony Time! Okay, sigh, inhale and exhale here it goes...

So...when I had my transplant, I decided to give my life to God fully,
meaning I would date whoever He had for me--thus resulting in me
breaking up with my high school sweetheart, I would do whatever He
wanted me to do with my life--including pursuing ministry if that is
what He had for me, and just live life for Him and leave everything
that was hindering from true growth and development behind. Sure
enough...I started in the area of love, seeking to learn to love
whoever He put my life how He loved me. So I tried, I mean I tried,
taking every kind of mental blow and honestly lowering my standards to
be the best girlfriend I could be. But something within me just felt
the relationship was so wrong. On the surface, everything seemed
okay. I thought my apprehension was a defense mechanism I had
acquired from life and life experiences. Instead of letting God love
me and thus teach me how to love others with His agape kind of love, I
stayed in an unhealthy relationship that took a toll on me and scarred
me. I was so afraid to be in a relationship after that one that I
just kind of 'floating' in a quasi-relationship status, from one guy
to the next, all the while harboring the anger and bitterness that my
ex sparked within me. I had the realization at my dad's funeral that
I had a perfect example of His love all along in my parent's
relationship...and I had been seeking to satisfy that need to love and
be in a relationship for validation in the wrong person, through the
wrong means.

I now know that it is no truer a statement that if you try to appease
an itch with a mediocre balm--lust, human conditional love, work,
etc.--IT WON'T HELP! In fact, it can make the itch worse. It can and
will leave you broken, battered, bruised and still itching!

I find comfort now that as long as the thing I desire is in God's
will, He will provide it. I can go to Him and get my fill of
'antihistamines' and 'histamine-blockers' for any situation or
circumstance. Stop scratching those itches with poor imitations of
the real thing! You can't get a knockoff generic when Benadryl is
proven to provide you relief! God is the relief you seek!

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from
his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 NLT

Setting Sails and Pruning Rosebushes: Allowing the Process So You can Grow

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” John 15:1-2 NIV

I am truly having a case of déjà vu today!!!! I either dreamed I wrote this devotion because I searched through all the ones on my blog and I cannot find them!! (UPDATE: success! I found the original devotion I wrote on this topic…you can see it here: http://lifeinspiredbygod.blogspot.com/2010/11/daily-devotion_12.html) Anyway…I wish I could shout to you how much this scripture means to me. Look at the screenshot below from my vision board:



In the bottom left there is a picture of pruning shears. God gave me revelation on some of the things I want–true companionship with my future husband and doing everything He put me here to do while I’m on Earth–and it was this very picture that spoke to me the most. I had to be pruned–pruned of negative attitudes, old habits and bad behaviors, fear, doubt, worry–everything that sought to keep me from God’s blessings. I thought about this yesterday as I talked with one of my friends about how my recent loss of friends (rather, God’s pruning me of them as I realized, His removing them from my life) had made me feel. I honestly know this was God’s will, because one of the persons was genuinely not happy about what God had chosen to do in my life, and the other…well I don’t know about him lol.

Pruning as Jesus relays above, prepares you for more growth. Dang, it just hit me. PRUNING prepares you for more growth. It is a part of the process, you cannot truly grow unless you have been thoroughly pruned. I remember being outside with my daddy growing up, and he was pulling the old rose blossoms off the vine. It was then that he said you have to pull off the dead blooms so more can grow (Thanks Daddy!!). I never fully understood that concept until now…things that had once blossomed in your life and have since died, it has shed its leaves and dried up–it cannot grow anymore! It can no longer be that beautiful rose you once saw. It now barely, if at all, resembles the beautiful blossom it once was. Life has been sucked out of it, and if it is not removed or doesn’t fall off, it can leach the lifeblood from the remaining vine and nearby buds.

It dawned on me yesterday and it was confirmed today in talking to one of my friends (thanks Shawnda): sometimes we have to stop clinching these things and people so tightly–especially in the process of being prepared because God has to work on us now. How can you experience that increase or receive those blessings if you will not allow God to take away the thorns–those things about you that make you less than appealing to others at times? Ladies, would you rather have a thorny bouquet with some dead buds or a dozen (or more) long-stemmed roses? And fellas, be forewarned lol thorny roses are not necessarily the best gift, so don’t go picking roses off someone’s bush! (just kidding, but really don’t do that) They both smell great, but to enjoy the latter you must accept the pain that comes with it because it is a part of the nature of that flower. (Yeah that one was for me lol) HOW can you honestly expect to be able to sail to the next destination with the anchor still stuck in the bed of the harbor? You have to allow that pruning process–but take it from me, do it with open hands because it sure does hurt to be pruned and have things snatched out of your grasp! You are in a season where you are being prepared and to prepare for that next harvest, the weeds, brambles, sticks, stones, and parasites must be eradicated! Ask yourself, who IS sucking the life out of you???

Until next time: allow the process and think how much better you will look after it is over!

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:7-8 NIV

God is Moving!

Hi everyone!


Here are some announcements:

Seeing how I can reach a broader base...

• I decided to revive my old blogger Blog in conjunction with my existing domain, http://lifeinspiredbygod.com. You can subscribe to either and my goal is to deliver you a weekly word to take and apply!
• Also feel free to add me on Google+!
• I now have a YouTube channel and will be posting there every Tuesday at 9:15pm CST.
• Lastly, I have a weekly bible study on Google Hangouts! Feel free to join in as we dissect God's word in a loving environment!

Again, I thank God for your support and prayers and let's watch as God continues to move in my life and ministry outreaches as well as in your lives. We are all called to His service!

Be blessed!

In His love,

Marquita

Facebook: Marquita Priester
Twitter: MzPriester2U
Google+: Marquita P
YouTube Channel: Marquita P

New Site!

Hey everyone!

I have migrated all my posts to my new site, http://lifeinspiredbygod.com, powered by WordPress.  Please sign up if you'd like to keep get the posts!

Many blessings and love to you,

Marquita

--
"No weapon formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of God and their righteousness is of me," says the Lord.  Isaiah 54:17
http://lifeinspiredbygod.com

Today's Devotional

Don't Show Your Hand

 

"But you, whenever you do charity giving, let not your left know what your right is doing. So that your charity may be in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you in public."  Matthew 6:4 (ABPE)

 

Attention!!  This will be my last devotion that I send out on this distro list.  I pray that has been a blessing to you all; if you want to keep up with my devotions, please bookmark my blogspot site, until I migrate over to Wordpress!  The link is below, thanks!  I also post inspirational messages on both Facebook and Twitter as I'm led to do.  Again, thank you for all of your support and love.

 

So after this weekend, I realized that many of my problems are self-imposed.  I have a slight case of diarrhea of the mouth, but with good cause.  I share all of the blessings I've received from God with others by witnessing how great He has been to me.  Unfortunately, I've included a great deal of people from my past, many of you that I no longer talk to or desire to be involved with.  When I prayed about this, God lead me to the above scripture which resulted in the revelation of how this applied to me.  In this scripture and as it relates to this subject, your left hand is the past--past ways, behaviors, people, things, etc. that you no longer conform to.  I've changed a great deal in the last three months let alone the last 4 years through the varied life experiences I have had.  My problem is allowing all that to come with me into my new life and the new place that I am going.  Sadly, I like many young Christians (B.I.C. babes in Christ lol, maybe I am a teenager now, lol) get very excited at all the blessings God is showing and working my life and want to tell everybody...including those in the past.  The even sadder truth is that most will not want to see the blessings or miracles that God is working in your life.  In fact, they will even come to resent you or do everything they can to draw you back to that old life.

 

I don't know if you play cards, but I am an avid Spades player, or any card game for that matter.  Its the desire to win, to conquer, that fuels my strategizing and I can say I've won many a game.  I get really competitive about too, almost hating to lose, lol.  One thing I get told by the opposing team from time to time is 'Don't show your hand'.  They say it to try and make me think I've made some fault or slipped up along the way.  And many times I do, not paying attention to where a person reneges (is that even a word or the right spelling??).  But all in all, I usually win.  And its the same here, sometimes we cannot share the blessings God has given us with those from our pasts.  Why?  Simply because if it was meant for that person to share in the blessings alongside us, they would be right there with us.  I'll say it again because I think I need to hear it again, that person, that thing was not meant to share God's glory in our life with us.  I'm noticing that when we do have diarrhea of the mouth, there will be people to get jealous and envious of those blessings, hating you because of God's light that shines through you.  You cannot your past to drag you backwards.  Don't show your past where you are going, because often times what happens is that the past will come fighting to the forefront to take you right back, kicking and screaming or sometimes if you aren't careful, with an all-access pass.

 

Now, I am not telling you to not share your testimony, because the Word tells us to do so!  Its a part of our Commission to bring and share the Gospel--the best way to minister to someone is through your own life.  But use your God-given discernment tool, the Holy Spirit to know who can receive the glory and go on to proliferate it to others!  In this same set of scriptures, Jesus tells us not to tell everyone we are fasting, praying, etc, so I definitely think that extends to having discernment with sharing our testimony with others.  We should keep these things secret sometimes, because its the things that we consecrate to Him that He rewards.  Its when we respond in obedience and share with those that He leads us to that the reward is the greatest.  Everybody will not be happy for you...especially your past!

 

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."  Acts 1:8 NIV

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"No weapon formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of God and their righteousness is of me," says the Lord.  Isaiah 54:17
http://lifeinspiredbygod.blogspot.com/

Today's Devotion

In Stagnant Water

 

Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions.  Psalm 49:14 NIV

 

I think about the one word to encapsulate what my life has been here, and what came to mind is stagnant.  And once I realized that, I realized how bad it was.  I digress though because my entire time here has not been stagnant and the enemy wants me to keep thinking that.  God has given me so much in the midst of adversity--life, health, sustenance, and even now He keeps blessing me.  Yet some of my life experiences can be qualified as stagnant.  For example, my membership in a church has been stagnant, more because I have not found the one place that I can call home, my fertile soil for growth.  But I thank God that instead He has sought to provide me the spiritual nourishment and nurturing that has allowed me exponential growth in spite of that.  My romantic involvements have been stagnant...and boy oh boy I won't even begin to go there, but just know that God has delivered me from those situations and is teaching me what a true woman of God deserves and more importantly patience until I'm in position, molding me into the ideal wife for my ideal husband.  Even my work life has been stagnant, but God has blessed me and allowed me to grow tremendously in other ways.  But I want to help you understand stagnant water and how it may be affecting you and your walk.  The beauty is that out of stagnancy--out of that decay--can come new life if you are willing to pursue it.

 

From my own knowledge, stagnant in itself means not moving, not flowing, to the point of a bad smell.  The only things that grow in stagnant water are mosquitoes (which bring us pain and aggravation), germs (which make us sick), decay (which means its time to cut something off), and death.  And perfect that this plague my thoughts...so what waters are you drinking from?  I have drank from both sides, experienced the pain and aggravation of literal and figurative mosquito bites and the soothing salve that takes the sting and itch away.  I have been sick spiritually from battling the truth I know against the reality of the natural.  I have been sick physically and mentally.  I have, or rather God, had to cut off ways of thinking I had, people I used to hang with but in the midst of that God has stepped in and filled those voids in my life with Himself, allowing me to truly experience what living water is and how I can get more and more of it and it never run out, it keeps on flowing.  I have experienced death--deaths of loved ones, relationships, attitudes and dreams...all of that from allowing the foul odor of stagnancy to stink up my thoughts.  But it has been through these situations that God has been filling me with His water, His word, and His plans.

 

Jesus told the woman at the well that He had living water (John 4:10).  Living waters are like our creeks, streams, and rivers, constantly moving and flowing, brimming with life.  Going to God, getting deeper in relationship with Him, just pursuing and thirsting after Him and understanding of Him causes His waters to rain afresh on you each day.  Dying to self (the decay, the stagnancy), allows God to renew you and give you new life.  However, it is when we drink the waters that look good--self-indulgence, self-gratification, pleasing others, or in my case, always trying to fit in when I knew I never would, that's how you become stagnant and stunted in your growth. 

 

A thought comes to mind from a conversation I had earlier today.  A close friend of mine will be leaving our job next week, and after talking with her, I kept coming back to stagnant.  This environment is like a stagnant pool of water.  Usually what enters here becomes tainted by the stench of power, racism and bigotry, sexism, and other forms of discrimination.  God allows us to go into stagnant situations because we bring the light, His light in and clear out the odor. We are His light bearers!  What happens when the sunlight hits a stagnant pool of water?  After a period of time, it evaporates!  The light kills everything that grew in that pool because it no longer can exist without the water.  God is that light, and when we thirst after Him even in foul situations, His light shines through us and changes the nature of that situation.  I challenge you today to thirst after God (Psalm 42:1) and His plans for you, so that you can be the vessel to channel His light in foul waters, bringing His life-giving waters to others.  He is the only way!

"Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay."  Romans 8:20-21 NLT

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"No weapon formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of God and their righteousness is of me," says the Lord.  Isaiah 54:17
http://lifeinspiredbygod.blogspot.com/

Today's Devotion

Divine Provision

"Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son."  Genesis 22:13 NASB

I'm not sure if you have read Genesis lately, but this story has been on my mind for many days now.  God has been telling me lately that He has already made provision.  I have been praying on many things, my move, my issues at work, lost relationships, and just where my life is going.  I'll tell you, the enemy should have patted himself on the back for the discord and confusion he spread in my life.  But I digress, because God has already given me a way of escape from all of this; all I have to do is remain in faith and keep trusting God for my manifestation.  Jeremiah 1:5 tells us that God knew us before He formed us in the womb.  He already knew everything that was going to happen to us--He knew the mistakes we would make, the friends we would choose, the relationships we would batter, and how life would go for us.  Psalm 139:16 reminds us that all of our days have been recorded.  So God ALREADY knows!  He already knows.

Our power lies in our remaining in faith until the thing we are waiting for manifests.  In the passage surrounding today's scripture, God told Abraham to take his promised son Isaac to be sacrificed to him.  Oh I pray I had Abraham's obedience!  But I guess I can get it after waiting for the promise to manifest like Abraham did with Isaac.  He took Isaac on the 3-day journey to the region of Moriah as God directed.  The key in these scriptures lies in Abraham being willing to sacrifice his only son--his son of promise--to God BUT holding on to the promise that God would provide.(Gen 22:8)  Some chapters back, God told Abraham his descendants would be like the sands on the beach and the stars in the sky--innumerable (prior to Ishmael).(Gen 15:5)  So he knew God would have to make a provision, He had to provide something.  And likewise for you--if you are believing God for anything, you must stand in faith on the promises of His holy word to come true for you. 

Don't allow the enemy to keep you crippled because of sin in your life.  Repent, turn away from it and go back to the Lord like the Prodigal Son!  Don't allow the naysayers in the crowd to tell you death has come to what you are seeking God for, only believe, like Jesus instructed Jairus in the healing of his daughter. (Mark 5:35)  Keep asking God, pray unceasingly for your breakthrough.  Don't let diagnosis after diagnosis tell you restoration of healing is unattainable, be like the woman with the issue of blood and grasp the hem of His garment!(Mark 5:28)  Trust God and stand in faith on the promises of His word.  God already made provision for you before you were formed in the womb.  Before your mother even knew she would have you, God has already provided for you.  Even when Job lost everything, he stood firm in his faith and God restored EVERYTHING he lost twofold.  Trust God and praise Him in advance to usher in your breakthrough!

Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, "In the mount of the LORD it will be provided."  Genesis 22:14 NASB

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"No weapon formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of God and their righteousness is of me," says the Lord.  Isaiah 54:17
http://lifeinspiredbygod.blogspot.com/

Today's Devotion

Time to Lift Your Anchor

"Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken."  Psalm 55:22

I know I have used this scripture before, but it is so appropriate.  For many days now it has been on my mind how often we let our regrets keep us anchored in the past.  I thought for a while of all the things I regret, most importantly, moving back to South Carolina.  But then I quickly remember how God allowed me to restore my relationship with my father, connect with and minister to my cousin and other family members, share my story (the part that so far has been written), experience true love (even if it was short-lived), and just grow in leaps and bounds.  My past few years have been like the pressure that carbon goes under to become a diamond, and I know I will shine once God is through with me.  I am sure every one knows what an anchor is, but for clarity's sake, I'll define it here:  An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current.  (Thanks Wikipedia!) 

Many times in life we need an anchor and should be led of the Spirit to the correct ones.  The most important anchors include our faith, the Word of God, and His Spirit that all serve to keep us grounded in the truth of who God is and what plans He has for us.  However, there are times when our own negative meditations on the effects of past choices and decisions serve to sever us from our lifeline, our anchor in God.  We become so focused on what should, would or could have been had we not made that choice or on the more popular, 'I wish I'd never ____ (fill in what you wish you never had done, experienced, said, etc).  It is when we focus on the problem instead of finding the solution, through the heavenly direction only the Father can give, that we lose hope.  We become submerged, much like an anchor, into the miry clay that forms our past.  We take that same clay and build homes there, and reside in the pains of lost loves, lost jobs, failed families and relationships, until we are shaken to the core by a divine intervention.

Ships only drop anchor when they are at a port.  Usually in most cases, the porting of said ship is a temporary thing.  We are to revisit our past only for the purpose of forgiveness (be it ourselves or others) and to understand the lesson that God was teaching us.  Notice that when the ship's time to depart has come, the anchor is reeled up and the ship leaves to go to the next destination.  Do not allow your regrets to keep you bound to the place that God has already made provision for you to leave!  Your provision is in the death and resurrection, the extension of God's grace to you that insured your life.  Jesus died so that you can let go and go to the next place, the place He has prepared for you!  God promises to sustain you.

"Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:"  Psalm 37:5 NIV
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"No weapon formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of God and their righteousness is of me," says the Lord.  Isaiah 54:17
http://lifeinspiredbygod.blogspot.com/

Today's Devotion #2

Testifying on God's Behalf

 

So, when they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.  Acts 8:25

 

I think its public knowledge that I had a kidney transplant.  But what many people don't know, and what I only found out at my 3 year appointment this year is how it was done.

 

God is amazing, and when He calls you for His own personal use, He will make it crystal clear that you know and cannot doubt it.  So I'm not sure if you know, but I had a transplant January 7, 2009.  Prior to that, I was diagnosed with kidney disease in February of 2006 after God saved me then.  I was scheduled for a routine kidney biopsy that would only require me to stay in the hospital overnight.  Nothing about that morning was normal; see I had never been sick.  But by God, my doctor ordered additional labs only to discover my dangerously low platelet count.  Had he done my biopsy, I would have bled to death.  But God saved me for a reason.

 

Fast forward to right before my transplant.  I didn't have to experience the debilitation of dialysis, which is miraculous in itself.  I was worked up and ready for transplantation within 4 weeks of my education class, which was another miracle.  I did not have to wait years for a kidney like most people do; I had friends and family volunteering to save my life.  All of this overwhelmed me at how fast things happened.  But I decided to pray Gideon's prayer (casting out a fleece, Judges 6:17) that if it was His will for my life, that I have peace and provision to cover me with my surgery. You see, I had only been working for about 2 months, did not have enough leave nor did I have money saved for the expenses that would arise.  I went into my surgery that morning with this indescribable feeling of ease and comfort, as well as 8+ weeks worth of leave to cover my time out for recovery.

 

Fast forward again, (smile) to now.  I have had 3 wonderful years of life and only now did I find out my brother was not a match for me.  Yep, he wasn't!  He got one set of DNA from our parents and I got the other.  Other than being a blood relative and us having the same blood type, it was wrong!  But God saved me!!!  He took my brother's kidney and had it functioning within 30 minutes of being removed and placed in me.  Most kidney transplant recipients go back on dialysis until the transplanted kidney begins to work...didn't have to do that either.  God took an imperfect situation and decided to save my life with something that should not have worked!!  I have had no rejection bouts, no major illnesses, and no other diagnoses related to the surgery.  I've prospered in every area of my life and I still live!  So I have to do my part and testify on His behalf.  I must share with people the awesomeness that is God, Yahweh, Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Rophe, and the list of His names goes on and on.

 

God calls us all to share our testimony.  Yes we have different callings in life, but we are all to share the word of God with someone in need.  You never know what car accident or penny falling from the sky He saved and preserved your life from.  Be willing like the Apostles, to step out in faith and be used by God for something greater than yourself.  When you operate in the boldness and fearlessness that comes with trusting in God, you never know what can happen!  Share your story and bless somebody else!  Love you!

 

If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son.  1 John 5:9 NASB

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"No weapon formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of God and their righteousness is of me," says the Lord.  Isaiah 54:17
http://lifeinspiredbygod.blogspot.com/

Today's Devotion

Are You Qualified for a Miracle?

 

She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."  Matthew 15:27 ESV

 

For a long time, I wondered what it was that determines if a person receives what they are praying for.  I thought if I prayed enough, God would give me what I was asking for.  In some cases, it was my prayers that got the return on my investment.  I thought if I sowed enough seeds and paid my tithes regularly that God would give me what I was asking for.  In many cases, I didn't get those things.  I thought if I went to church all the time, God would surely answer my prayers and give me what I wanted...nope that wasn't it either.

 

In the scripture above and the scripture that follows, the one key to receiving her miracle was the woman's faith.  It wasn't her nationality, because for her it was the wrong one--she wasn't a Jew.  It wasn't how much she prayed, because even after doing that, she still pleaded with Jesus to deliver her daughter.  It wasn't begging, church attendance, tithing, nope, it was her faith that caused her miracle to come at that instant.  I now look back at the miracles I have received in my life and I recognize it was my inability to accept that God would not bring forth the thing I was asking for that caused me to get it.  In every single situation that I had a miracle or act of God in a major way, it was because I refused to back down and I stood in faith on the word of God.  It gets hard as I have experienced in some recent situations, to keep standing when what you see does not change.  It gets hard to believe God for that relocation and new job (smile--me, lol) when every interviewer tells you that you are not exactly what they are looking for or that you make too much money.  It gets hard to believe God for that healing when your doctors add new medicines or you get an unexpected diagnosis.  It is hard to believe sometimes, but that's when you pray, you sow, you give, and you fast, as professions of your faith. 

 

But I want you to know that you have to press through anyway.  You are qualified for your miracle simply because you believe in the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  You are qualified regardless of family history, regardless of what some pessimistic hater says, regardless of your own past performance.  God qualified us, just like the Canaanite woman, to receive a miracle without cause.  The only investment you need is your faith.  Keep believing, keep stretching and exercising your faith because God is sure to perform on your behalf.  The only thing you need watch out for is God's answer to your prayer; God promises to provide a miracle whether you are healed right now, healed later, or healed when He calls you home.

"Then Jesus said to her, "O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed at once."  Matthew 15:28

Inspirational Thoughts for Today

Use What He Gave You

 

With every bone in my body I will praise him: "LORD, who can compare with you? Who else rescues the helpless from the strong? Who else protects the helpless and poor from those who rob them?"  Psalm 35:10 NLT

 

I am not the best singer, but I can sing and thoroughly enjoy doing it.  I am not the best dancer, but I love to dance.  I am not the greatest writer, but it brings my heart great joy to write devotions, even though I do not write them as often as I should.  I am not an orator, but I will tell practically anyone about the goodness of God and the miracles I have experienced in my life.  I have realized that with every gift and talent God has blessed me with that I can use that talent to bring Him glory and honor.  I can sing on the choir and strengthen my voice, I can dance for the Lord, and I can write my blog postings, and I can share my testimony with anyone in need of encouragement.

 

Often times we let tradition and religion overshadow the gifts we have, and that they are to be used for God, returning to Him the honor in the gift of giving them to us.  You do not have to be Aretha Franklin if you have a song in your heart for God.  You don't have to be Michael Jackson or James Brown to dance for God.  You don't have be a best-selling author to write a few words of encouragement to a friend or family member.  You don't have to a political candidate (although very seldom do you see any of them using their voice for God...just my thoughts, lol) to speak on behalf of God to others.  You can use whatever gifts and talents you have for the good of the Lord. 

I think of the J. Moss song 'We Must Praise' when I think about this.  God does not call us to be perfect...nor should we feel constrained by some unfounded principle.  Use whatever it is He gave you, and bring Him glory with it!  You never know whose life you are supposed to touch.  Just act in faith, step out on the promises of the Word and trust that God will equip you with whatever tools you may need to be successful at what it is He is leading you to do.

 

Psalm 149

Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints. Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King. Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp. For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds. May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written against them. This is the glory of all his saints. Praise the Lord.

Inspirational Thoughts for Today

Zombies to Our Sin

 

"When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right."  Romans 6:20 NLT

 

Afternoon!!  I pray all is well with you today...and with that I'll jump right into it.

 

Today I had a revelation from God about myself...and the battle with sin in general.  In life, we have become so desensitized to our sin.  We lie without regard for others (even the little 'white' lies), we steal, we cheat...and the list goes on.  But the worst part is that sometimes we are not even conscious of it.  Yep, we have become the movie version of a zombie.  We are mindlessly controlled and directed by our own carnal desires and we continue on without regard.  We become the epitome of a depraved individual and most times have no knowledge of even doing what we are doing.

 

I decided 4 days prior to the beginning of the New Year to make a sacrifice for God and give Him the last 3 days and the first 3 days of my new year.  That extended swiftly after I began reading a book entitled 'Fasting' by Jentezen Franklin.  I must say it has truly changed my life.  But in my desire to serve God and allow Him to move in leaps and bounds in my life, I decided to go without fried foods and sweets for the next month or so.  And if you really know me, I am a often woman of convenience...so Chick-Fil-A is a regular place I stop at for food.  I regularly order the 6-count Kids Meal with a ice cream in place of the toy and many times I get a brownie.  Over the holidays I had so many sweets, between the sweet potato pie I made for Thanksgiving to the Red Velvet Cake I baked for my lil sis before she headed back north...I over did it.  I realized in my life, I seldom force myself to go without anything.

 

With that, I have been doing well.  From resisting the abundance of cakes and pies here at work, to resisting birthday cake this past weekend at my friend's daughter's 1st birthday, I have fought the good fight.  I even resisted fried shrimp last night!  But today, I was caught off guard.  I had just left a meeting, just refilled my water bottle, and sat down at my friend's desk to gather my composure.  She had a pack of Fruit Snacks on her desk, and when I first looked at them, I thought about how much I wanted some, lol.  Don't judge me okay!  Then sure enough, she offered them to me...and I unconsciously opened the pack, only getting a few and ate them.  About 10 minutes later as I was in my car headed back to my own desk, it hit me what I had done.  And I asked God to forgive me, renewed my vow, and just kept thinking about it.  Unconscious.  That's what zombies are.  They are unconscious in their quest for the blood of the living and press onward towards their goal of blood, blindly walking forward.  I know you have seen the zombie movies...and I realized I allowed my own sin to turn me into a zombie.  How many times have I sinned without God in mind and just did whatever I wanted to do, satisfying my wants and desires?  Each time, I was pushing myself further and further away from God.  Fortunately, God has always been gracious enough to call me back to Him.  But what about our brothers and sisters that are not so fortunate to respond to God's call?  They are left depraved...and desensitized.  God is not forceful, so He won't force you to change.

 

I realized today that I do not want to be this way.  I do not want to be a zombie to my own sin and ignorant to the sins I commit.  Our freedom is in repentance and accepting Jesus' already shed blood as our atonement.  Jesus died to free us all.  We are no longer dead to righteousness.  We are dead to sin, we that believe in Christ.  Plug back into Him and come alive today.

 

"But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life."  Romans 6:22 NASB