My Apologies.

I apologize for the lack of blogging. I appreciate each and every one of my readers and want to thank you for your time spent here. I pray that the words inked onto this website spoke to your Hearts. Unfortunately, my blogs will not be as frequent as they once were. I will still be posting and appreciate your continued support for the work going on right here. Stay tuned for further details. Thank you again and I love you all!

We Are His Story, Crowned With His Glory!

Hebrews 2:7 (NASB) "...YOU HAVE CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR,
AND HAVE APPOINTED HIM OVER THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS;"


This was the angel inquiring to the LORD about this "man" that He had just created. We have been crowned with Glory and Honor by the Most High! It may not sound like much. Glory and Honor are everyday words. Think about this: when we literally crown someone here on earth, (a king, for example) we give them a gold crown. It is absolutely beautiful and costs millions of dollars because of the gold, jewels, detailing, and it is one of a kind. Now, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1). Let us take a glimpse at what Heaven looks like.

Revelation 21:21 (NASB) 

²¹ And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

We use gold to crown our earthly kings while God uses gold to pave the streets of Heaven! That would be like us crowning a king with tarmac! If we use gold to give honor and glory to a person of royalty on earth, how much more was the glory and honor that God crowned us with if He uses gold to pave the streets of heaven? Our human minds cannot even fathom the idea of how much He loves us, how much He gave us, and what He sacrificed so that we may have life.


He gave us the world to reign over (Genesis 1:26-28). Then we sinned, The Fall of Man, and we lost everything that was given to us, including eternal life on this earth. Satan had a plan as soon as God made man. Filled with jealousy, Satan knew exactly when to strike. In doing so, he regained control of the earth (Ephesians 2:2) by using his wicked tongue (Genesis 3:1-5). Thankfully, God also had a plan. He sent down His only son to be the spotless lamb, crucified on the cross, taking all of our sins (past, present and future) upon His shoulders so that we may have eternal life in Heaven. Jesus defeated sin and gave us authority again in His name (Luke 10:18-20)!

My Prayer, The Demon Slayer

Thank you Father for each day You give me. that everyday I wake up is another day I get to spend in aww of You Father. I wake up and am given another chance, another opportunity, to run after the plans you have for me LORD. I thank you Father that your plan is the best plan. I thank you that as I go through my day, and circumstances occur, that I always know the Truth Father and the Truth shall set me free of the bondage that the world brings. Thank you Father for your mighty Word, for your Word is a light to my path and a lamp unto my feet Father. That your Word says that life and death are in the tongue, I pray that I yield my tongue to your Holy Spirit on all occasions Father. That I live my life, not by sight Father, but by Faith! Just as you spoke creation into existence Father, I am able to as well, because your Spirit lives on the inside of me. That I speak to those things that are not, as though they were Father. Thank you or the authority that stems from you to me over this planet LORD. That the world and it's lies have no control over me Father. I serve a higher power, the Highest Power! I praise you Father. You are so good, you have given me everything, despite who I was. I live to serve you Father. I thank you LORD for the abundant life that has already been paid for, I receive it today LORD and I thank you. All Glory to you Father and I pray this in the Mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

His Creation, My Revelation, Our Mighty Nation

Genesis 1:26-28

²⁶Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
 ²⁷God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
 ²⁸God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."


God created mankind last, but not least. He took center stage when He created us! I envision all of the animals of the planet gathering around as God began to create a being that the planet had not yet seen. We were His prized creation! There is an Angel that even inquired about this "man" that God had created (Hebrews 2:5-7 and Psalm 8). The angel says in Psalm 8:5, 


⁵Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!

We were created just below God, and above the angels! Get a hold of this: God created us with His own hands for the sole purpose of ruling over the world! I am going to let this sink in. Meditate on how special we are to Him. How beautiful we are to Him. How much He loves and cares about His most prized creation. I will continue on this with Part 2 on Friday.


Sidebar - Throughout the story of creation in the New King James Version, the Word always states that God created. When it comes to man, God says, "Let Us make man." This was the only thing He called upon the entire Trinity to create! This shows how original and completely different our design was from anything He had created before. Also, we were the only creation created in His image. Which explains why we are a three part being, Body, Mind and Soul.

Faith of a Mustard Seed, Is All You Need Indeed

Matthew 17:20 (NASB)

 ²⁰And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.

There was an illustration that I heard on the radio that brought this verse to life for me. If you were falling off a cliff and you were able to grab onto a root, you would reach out for dear life. It does not really matter how much faith you have in that root. The most important thing is, that root runs so deep as to not be shaken -- that the root reigns True. The Word of God is that root that we need to hold onto. More important than how much faith we can muster is what your Faith is in! Jesus said that Faith even as small as a mustard seed can move mountains because that Faith is in Him! With Christ, all things are possible!

The strength of His roots are greater than any tree. He is the Tree of Life! The way we connect to Him is not all about being super Holy or anything of that nature. He truly seeks a deep relationship with us! We need to fellowship and commune with Him daily about all things. So many people do not want to take their problems to Him because they feel as if they have let Him down due to their sin or shortcomings. We are all sinners, and we all fall short. That is not what it is about. God sent His Son because He knew we would fall short! Jesus went to the cross to pay the price that we owed. The debt is paid in full because He loves us! Now all that He wants is to reciprocate that love back to Him through communication. I encourage to take all situations, all circumstances, any sins, all your shortcomings, and lay them down at His feet. Give everything up to Him because He gave everything for us. He is bigger than any situation we can bring into the Throne Room! Praise the LORD!

One Body, One Christ; One Purpose, One Life

1 Corinthians 12 speaks in reference to the spiritual gifts as Paul writes to the church of Corinth. As we look around with our natural minds, we compare ourselves to those around us. We compare ourselves to others financially, spiritually, physically, mentally, and in every other aspect down to the smallest detail of our being. Paul reminds us that we are ALL different and we should be excited about it!

(NASB) ¹⁶And if the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?


Paul then goes on to say... ¹⁸But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.

So when we sit and look around, be thankful for what God has blessed you with! He has put each of us exactly where He wants us! It is human nature to be dissatisfied with our lives, but we are not a people that live by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). We live for a higher calling than a paycheck, a nice house, or a fancy car. We live to serve God Almighty, the Name Above All Names. We were placed with a purpose, created for a reason, and made in His perfect image. Everything we have we owe to Him because He willingly gave it all up for us, without even knowing whether we would even choose to believe in Him.

We all have a calling on our lives whether we know it or not. If your phone rings, would you ignore it if it were a friend? What if it was a number you did not recognize? How much more likely are you to answer if it was the very person that gave you life and created you for a specific reason? You might not even know the number calling at all, but all sheep know the shepherd's voice (John 10:27). All are created for a purpose and only the creator can know the purpose of His creation.

You Can Let The World Beat You Down, or You Could Just Play The Background

I think this song is absolutely phenomenal, and the message is much needed in the present times. The song talks about yielding to the Holy Spirit and letting Him guide us rather than taking life into our own hands. If we do that, we are destined to fail. We need Him to guide us in all things. I encourage you to listen to this song a number of time throughout the day and just focus on the lyrics. He is an amazing lyricist and is delivering a powerful message to the world through his music that He wrote.

If You Fake, You Will Bake, In The Lake

 Lately, exactly what it means to be a Christian has been on my heart a lot. Being a Christian is much more than people think. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian. Believing in God doesn't pave your way to Heaven. Reading your Bible doesn't make you Holy. There is much more to it than that. It is about the relationship that you build with Him as you journey through life. I do want to say that I am not a perfect example. I am not pointing fingers. I am just here in attempt to open eyes.

Going to Church Doesn't Make You a Christian

Religion is one of the biggest lies within God's realm. He hates it. Mindless drones meandering into a cathedral every single Sunday morning, falling asleep during the message, and pursuing their own ambitions during the week. They are living for a paycheck, laboring in vain, and living without purpose. Although God has a plan for each of them, they will never know it until they choose to diligently seek him and ask earnestly. He waits patiently at the door of our heart, constantly knocking, but we turn a deaf ear to Him. As He watches us struggle through life wondering where He is, He weeps the loss of His children. It is so important to open that door, and take that first step of Faith! Allow Him to enter into your heart and change who you are. It is time we live beyond ourselves and give it all to Him!

Believing in God Doesn't Pave Your Way to Heaven

James 2:19 (NKJV) "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!" Just simply believing that He exists is NOT enough, James says that even the demons believe! If that is all we do is believe He exists, we are no better than they. Christ desires a relationship with us, not just our belief. We need both to please Him.


Reading The Bible Doesn't Make You Holy
There are a lot of people out there that are able to quote and misquote the Bible really well. This, however, does not mean much if they do not fully understand what they are speaking of. Almost anyone can read, memorize, and quote the Word of God in and out of context. It is super easy! When you open your Bible, you embark on a journey through His mighty Word. His Word is His Will and Testament to us as believers, and His promises are made clear in His Word. It is much more than words on paper, it is the LORD speaking directly to us. As we  diligently seek after Him and His purpose for our lives by reading daily, the Holy Spirit will bring revelation knowledge to us through His Word. If you are simply reading the Bible to say you have read the Bible or to impress others with your "holiness," I would challenge you to stop wasting your time. Start seeking after Him with everything you have. Let the Word speak to you, rather than you read through it.


These are just a few of the things that have been on my heart that He has been sharing with me. Writing a blog does not make a person knowledgeable. I am simply following my Guide. I do not consider myself to be a writer in any sense of the word. This blog was put on my heart and the words I speak are almost never my own. I give all the Glory to my LORD and Savior, Jesus. I am but a servant for His Kingdom, following the orders from headquarters. If you read my testimony, I never thought I would be where I am. I am blessed and highly favored, and I live my life for He that gave me life. I challenge you to examine your life. Look where you are  and where you are headed. Open your heart to the tender mercies of the LORD, and He will give you the direction you require. Anyone can attend a service, even the demons believe in God, and anyone with a second grade reading level can quote the Bible.

Restore Me Father..

This is an amazing song that I just wanted to take some time to share. The message that the author added is phenomenal! I can not even watch this video without tearing up. I hope you all enjoy it, take some time to rest in the LORD and just listen to Him speak to you through this song.

Was His Pain in Vain? Cause The Lives We Live Are Insane

I do not think Christians today fully realize what happened the day Jesus went to the cross. The world was forever changed; eternal resting places were diverted to Heaven instead of hell. We were made whole again due to His work. We should be forever rejoicing the events that took place, for the spotless Lamb's blood that was shed that day. His pure and bountiful blood washed over us to cover up every sin we have committed and will commit. 

It was much more than just salvation from eternal damnation. He gave us the opportunity to claim our riches not only in Heaven, but those on this planet! His plans call for us to prosper! How are Christians supposed to reach out and supply to the needy what they themselves are lacking? So many people get offended at the success of other Christians. Offense stems from pride, they are jealous of the success of their own brothers and sisters have received from the LORD. We are blessed to be a blessing folks!

Romans 5:17 (Amplified Bible) "For if because of one man's trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive [God's] overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness [putting them into right standing with Himself] reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)."

Jesus went to the cross so that we believers could receive God's overflowing unmerited favor, and He put us in right standing with God so that we may reign as kings in life! Kings are taken care of in every fashion! It is time to claim the blessings that the Cross bought for us! Christians are not supposed to be living a down-trodden life! We need to claim the victory! Praise be to Jesus, and glory to God for what He sent His Son to do! We need to be thankful every single day for the victory that He delivered to us, and CLAIM IT!

Is Healing Appealing?

Healing seems to be a controversial subject between denominations of Christianity. I find it interesting when people say that the reason they don't believe in healing is because they have never witnessed it. Usually people don't witness healing because they do not acquire the Faith for it and that ultimately stems from the fact that their church does not teach on it. However, churches that teach on healing and believe God still heals get to consistently witness it firsthand.

It is important to understand that healing did not go out the window when Jesus Christ left the earth. In fact, Jesus said this in John 14:12-14...

"¹² “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. ¹³ And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."


So, not only did Jesus say that we will perform all of the same works that He showed us, but we will do greater works! How is it possible, then, that we, as Christians, sit back and do nothing while we have friends laying sick with cancer, or living their life in a wheelchair?

It is also important to understand that sickness is never used by God to teach us a lesson. When God created the world is was good and perfect; Adam and Eve had zero imperfections. Because they were sinless, they wandered the wilderness naked and never suffered any afflictions. It was only when they ate the forbidden fruit that Sin entered the world, bringing with it sickness and disease. Adam brought it into the world through sin, and Jesus, the Second Adam, took it out of this world through perfection.

If sickness was part of God's plan, then why did Jesus go around healing everyone he came across? He is not a God of confusion, He would not put sickness on us merely to have His only begotten son meander on by and heal them of the very infirmity He placed on them! If sickness was part of God's plan, Jesus would be working against His father, and that would create discord within the Kingdom! Mark 3:24 clearly states, "²⁴ If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand."


The healing power of Jesus Christ (Jehovah-Rapha) is living and active! Meditate on this. Study it out through the Gospels. Jesus left to be with the Father, but sent His Spirit down so that we may do greater works than what He did. It was to our advantage that Jesus left (John 16:7). How could it possibly be to our advantage if He took away His healing power?

Is He a Lion? Or Is He Just Lyin'?

1Peter 5:8 (NKJ) "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."

When Peter wrote this, his words were chosen carefully and should stick out to you. Peter says, "Your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."

The enemy is NOT a lion, but he does everything in his power to intimidate like a roaring lion. The enemy knows that he can't devour us unless we allow it (...seeking whom he may devour.) Once we cowl in fear and start shaking in our boots, he is able to strike. Our lack of Faith in the LORD and His promises, create a chasm between us and the Father. He so desperately wants to provide and protect us. As we let fear in, we drive faith out.

The enemy chooses to be like a roaring lion because he knows there is only one real roaring lion, the Lion of Judah. Revelation 5:5 (NASB) "...Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals."

The enemy tries to mimic Jesus because He is the true King of the jungle. We have two paths that we can walk in this life. We can either choose to live in fear, or walk by faith and not by sight. The choice is ours. The choice is easy.

Promises of God Pt. I -Impossible is Nothing-

Luke 18:27 (AMP)  "But He said, What is impossible with men is possible with God."

As we go through life, following the plans that He has for us, we will encounter obstacles. As we stay true to what He had called us to do, He will empower us to accomplish it.

Philippians 4:13 (AMP)  "I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency]."

He will always provide us with whatever we need to accomplish His plans for our lives. No matter how tired we may get as we labor, we know that our laboring will not go in vain, because we labor for the King of Kings.

Matthew 11:28-30 (AMP)  "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]  (29)  Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest ( relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. (30)  For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne."

A Light So Bright, Its Got To Be Right!

John 8:12 (NASB) Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."

This Light of life lives on the inside of us! As it radiates out of us, that Light is what makes us different from those around us. We represent the Kingdom as we go through our days. As we walk amongst the living dead, we have the opportunity to minister to the zombies of this planet.

The best tool we have as believers is the Light that emanates from us due to the joy in our heart. As we understand the promises that God offers through His Word, we should be the most joyous people on this earth! Whenever you leave a conversation, people will either feel better or worse for the experience. We need to make sure as ambassadors of Christ that we are representing Him well and that we are doing everything in our power to let His glory shine through us to others.

We as Christians have a huge responsibility on our hands to reach out! This is The Great Commission!

Mark 16:15 (AMP)  And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the good news (the Gospel) to every creature [of the whole human race].

We cannot miss this, the Gospel is the only message that brings freedom! Nothing of this world can bring true liberation to the hearts of people. As hearts are in bondage to the world, the Gospel is the weapon to break the chains!

He Will Transpire a Fire of Desire to Inspire

Matthew 3:11-12 (The Message) "I'm baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. The real action comes next: The main character in this drama—compared to him I'm a mere stagehand—will ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He's going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He'll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he'll put out with the trash to be burned."

As that fire gets ignited within us, we have a responsibility as Christians to spread that flame. As we allow the flame of His Spirit to consume us and we reach out unto the world, we spark flames within others. They look at us and see a difference within us. A simple spark is all we need to light this world into a blazing inferno for His glory! When we are living as we ought, others will be able to feel the presence and love of the LORD when they are around us.

We cannot just play church. What is the point of going to church, getting into His word, and investing that time if you are not going to let it change you? If we act as the world acts, we will have no influence. But as we let His spirit cleanse and transform who we are from the inside out, He will give us influence. People gravitate to those who take a stand for what they believe in. If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything.

Ephesians 5:2 (Amplified Bible) And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.

We have all felt alone at times, some more than others. You might be praying to the LORD for Him to put someone in your life, whether it is just a new friend, a future spouse, or just a stranger with a random act of kindness. Do not feel as though your prayers have gone unanswered, for He has heard our cries as we diligently seek Him. Unfortunately, He relies on people such as ourselves to reach out and answer those prayers for His glory. As He puts it on hearts around us to reach out, the enemy will do everything in his power to interfere.

As He puts things on our hearts to do for others, how many times do we ignore it? How many times do we make excuses? "I don't have time." "Helping a stranger is uncomfortable." There are millions of excuses you can use to reason away what God has told you to do. The truth about the situation is that God has placed that on our hearts to answer their prayers. We need to take the focus off of ourselves and start displaying God's love through our actions. We will be able to spark everlasting flames and the number of lives we change will be incalculable.

God Shaped Hole

Matthew 6:2 (NASB) "So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full."

1 Samuel 16:7 (NASB) "...for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

When we go through life seeking after the riches of this world rather than the kingdom of God, we will always feel empty. We must instead focus on God and what He has in store for us. He will fill us with completeness when we seek after His riches and glory. Trying to fill the empty void inside of our hearts with money, objects, or people will never work. We will always be empty.

Matthew 6:32-33 (NASB) "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

As we seek out the kingdom and what God has for us to do while we are on this planet, He will provide for us. Things of this world will always eventually disappear and turn to dust. Things of the kingdom of heaven, however, will always last forever. 

Jesus in Every Book of the Bible

This video was shown to me, it is an amazing video about a child preaching who Jesus is in every single book of the Bible! It is amazing! I hope you all enjoy it and pray that it will give you insight!

That's My King! Do You Know Him?

This is an absolutely fantastic video that I thought I would share with everyone! It is super important we understand who Jesus is, and I think this video does a magnificent job in summing it up! Enjoy!

Forgive or Not to Forgive, That is the Question...

Forgiveness is by far one of the single hardest things a person can do. That being said, the greatest struggles that we go through are our greatest victories. I once heard a man say that holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. Grudges will eat you alive from the inside out. It is one of the best weapons the enemy has, and we cannot let him win. Forgiveness is the tool that God gave us to overcome our offended hearts.

Unforgiveness will also hold you back from receiving God's mercy! Mark 11:25-26 (AMP) - And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your failings and shortcomings.

I cannot express how important this principle is because there are so many hurting people out there. They are hurting because they are asking God to do big things and are not seeing any sort of results. They have no results because they have not resolved issues from their past. He cannot do big things through us until we are cleansed of our iniquities. He is unable to forgive us while we are unable to forgive those that trespass against us.

Worry Not About Tomorrow, For God is Already There.

(Mat 6:25-26 AMP)  Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?

In such times of uncertainty, it is easy to get distracted from our purpose with worry. We will never know what the future will hold for us, but we do know the promises of God. The promise of the plans He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11) and our lives. He has good plans for us, and He has had those plans even before He formed us in our mother's womb (Jeremiah 1:5)!

This should set our minds at ease. It is important to understand that life works in seasons (Ecclesiastes 3). Realizing what season we are in will help us see the importance of where we are. No matter what we may be going through, know that we are going through it and it is NOT our destination. The time that we spend in the trenches working tirelessly is for a reason. Even when it seems as though we are getting nowhere, we are in that season to grow. Growth is essential to the plans that God has for us.

God cannot use us where we are currently at, but we must be shaped and molded into the creation He needs us to be for His plans. His plans for our lives are greater than any plans that we could have for our own lives. So many people follow their own desires, making them successful in the eyes of the world but despised by the LORD, and at the end of the day they feel like an empty vessel. They have a God shaped hole in their heart that cannot be filled with anything else.

God has a plan for our lives whether or not we are on that path. The plans that he had for us when we were in the womb are still the same. His plans are good, concise, and of the utmost importance. It is crucial that we give control to Him, that we release all worry we may have about the future, and enjoy the season we are in right now. We need to take each opportunity to grow in Him and look forward to His plans as He reveals them to us one step at a time.

Forget The Hedge, Check Out My Umbrella!

A lot of people talk about a hedge of protection when it comes to God shielding us from the world. Recently in my Epic School of Ministry class, the teacher described another analogy for that protection. He talked about an umbrella, which is generally used to protect us from what is falling down on us due to the earthly laws. The umbrella is the new hedge. While we remain faithful to Him and follow His Word, we are sure to remain under His umbrella. As we step out and start getting away from His Word, we unknowingly step out from under the umbrella, leaving us wide open to get rained on. Sometimes it is just sprinkling and other times it will feel like a hurricane just struck without warning. The length of time we remain outside of His umbrella, however, is completely up to us. The Bible talks about in 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." As soon as we repent for any sins we have committed, God instantly and totally forgets our iniquities that we have repented for. As it says in Psalms 103:12, "as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."

The Good News - As soon as we repent, guys, as SOON as we do it, our sins are taken and thrown as far as the East is from the West. The East never touches the West, so they are eternally forgotten by God and never thought of again. But our faith requires action, and that action is our repentance.

When Your Season Ain't Pleasin', He's Got a Reason

Ever feel frustrated with where God has you? Feel like you are running through life as though on a treadmill? It is easy to get angry at our situations, especially when we compare ourselves to that of a peer. The enemy has a way of showing us all of the positives of everyone else around us, doesn't he? Punk.

We have all been there; I was there very recently. I was at a breaking point in my life. My world flipped upside down due to some unforeseen situations that the enemy threw in my face. They beat me down for a while. I was in search of purpose for my life. I felt like I had not achieved anything with my past and wasn't able to anything with my future. The enemy had buried land mines deep inside my subconscious. As I walked the road laid out in front of me, everything just seemed to blow up in my face. I started to chase the success that the world had for me, seeking alternatives to the path that God had for me. I felt His path was either A) taking way too long, or B) was not going to work at all. As I hastily got off His path, He was quick to correct me.

During a time of prayer, He began to ask me what I thought I was doing and where I thought I was headed. I knew immediately that if He was questioning my actions, then I was headed down a dangerous road. He then reminded me that where I am in life, right this instant, is exactly where He needs me to be! The Holy Spirit then recalled Ecclesiastes 3:1-11...

"(1)  TO EVERYTHING there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven:  (2)  A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted,(3)  A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build up,  (4)  A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,  (5)  A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,  (6)  A time to get and a time to lose, a time to keep and a time to cast away,  (7)  A time to rend and a time to sew, a time to keep silence and a time to speak,(8)  A time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.(9)  What profit remains for the worker from his toil?  (10)  I have seen the painful labor and exertion and miserable business which God has given to the sons of men with which to exercise and busy themselves.  (11)  He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men's hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy], yet so that men cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end."

Life is a series of seasons for us. God has plans for us, but not every season is enjoyable and rewarding while we are in the midst of it. However, it is important to take the time to understand the blessings of each and every season we go through because He has put us there to learn something crucial to the next task He has for us. The more we fight His plan, the longer it will take us to advance. It would be like trying to walk up the down escalator! Quit fighting it dummy and go with the flow!

Once I came to the realization that I was in a season of labor and hardship, everything changed. I am learning very quickly to trust God and take Him at His word. When I finally gave it all up to Him, my world turned around, and now I can see clearly where I am headed. I am so blessed to be in the season I am in because I am discovering so much that I know will benefit me in the future. Furthermore, I know He has put me here to learn and become more dependent on Him and His voice.

I would encourage everyone to look at their life and take it one step at a time. Timing is everything; do not try to put the cart in front of the horse like I did. Ultimately, His plan is the best plan for our lives. It is so crucial that we seize every opportunity to take strides toward our future. Taking the reins in our own hands in an attempt to speed things up will only slow us down.

It is Not About Starting, But it is All About Finishing! Be an Overcomer!

Matthew 10:22 (AMP)  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake, but he who perseveres and endures to the end will be saved [ from spiritual disease and death in the world to come].

So many people start out with a journey hand-in-hand with Christ, but few people have the strength to persevere through the attacks the enemy throws at us during that journey. The biggest reason for that failure is because we, as humans, being in the natural, attempt to rely on our own strength rather than relying on that of the LORD.

1Co 10:13 (AMP) For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.

With temptation, guys, He will ALWAYS also provide us a way out. In my life B.C., I struggled with a major addiction to pornography (it had complete hold of me), but God always provides a way out, right? My Pastor pointed out the way to abstain from looking at pornographic images online was that tiny little "x" in the corner of the web browser. Something so simple is a way of Him providing a way out for us to overcome and conquer the obstacles the enemy will throw in our path. Whenever you are in a situation or about to enter into a situation that you know is harmful for you, look for that way out. Pray for God to reveal it to you, because He will NEVER leave you stranded, especially if you are seeking after Him. Being a Christian means we do things differently than the rest of the world. Finish strong guys, that is the most important thing we can do for His kingdom. Overcome that temptation. Conquer that addiction. Take hold of the Power that is available in the name of Jesus.

You Don't Need Cupid, Stupid!

As today carries on people will be shown affection by their spouses, boyfriends, and family. We should not forget that we are only able to love because God first showed us how to love. There is no greater love shown to any man than the love Christ showed us by laying His life down.

He that was pure and perfect was made sin because of our own iniquities. (1 Peter 1:14 NKJ) "Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed."

This is a powerful scripture that I hope you meditate on for a bit and break down. He Himself bore our sins in His own body. The sins that we had not even committed yet, He bore. He had us in mind the entire time, even as He was getting beaten and whipped. As they split Him open with a "Cat of Nine Tails." A Cat of Nine Tails is literally a flail with nine straps coming out of it. Each strap is covered in shards of glass or has nails in the ends of it. Most men that suffered from this torment bled to death before they were even pulled off the chopping block. This was not just a weak spanking like dad used to give. This was a literal blood bath. They said that his face was unrecognizable by the time they were done beating Him. He took this beating for us; the fate of the entire world was on His shoulders. He who was perfect and sinless was made sin.

The entire chapter of Isaiah 53 talks about the prophecy of Jesus' Crucifixion. Verse 10 (NASB) says, "But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see  His offspring, He will prolong  His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand."

Love can be defined as a conscious decision to put another's highest good above all else. Jesus literally laid His life down for all of us. This is the Love we need to embrace! It is the greatest love we will experience. Jesus took His beating for us willingly and without a single response to those that beat Him. In fact, His love for man was so great that as His body was held up by the nails piercing His hands and feet, He prayed to the Father to "forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34 KJV)

Jesus first loved us and that is the only reason we are able to show love to others. I challenge us all to meditate on this idea as we express our love to our significant others.

In the "Hour of Power," Our Words areTreated Like Seconds...

(Proverbs 18:21 AMP) Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life].

The "Hour of Power" is our time spent on this planet. We have limited time on this planet to make a difference that will impact the future. The time that we as individuals have is but a blip on the time line for this planet. Thousands of years have passed, and we get to spend eighty years here. I think it is easy for people to use words in order to cause destruction among peers without even realizing the repercussions of their actions.

I think the power of words is thoroughly misunderstood in today's society. People use them without even thinking. They use terms that will cause the targets to carry a heavy burden. If a nine year old girl gets told by a peer that she is fat or ugly, she will carry those words with her for the rest of her life.

Words can either cause life or death. It is important to be aware of the choices we make as we venture through this life, especially when it comes to our vocabulary. We need to be speaking words of Life into our fellow man. Death is defined as the permanent cessation of all the vital functions! How many times have "harmless" words completely broken a person. I think it is time that we finally get a grip on our lip and speak words of life into the world around us.

Point A to Point B

I am going to start off my blog by giving my personal testimony. This will be the first time most people have heard it, but I think it is the best way to develop a relationship with my future readers. I also don't want my readers to think that I have lived some perfect life stuck in a bubble away from any harm. My goal is to make this blog real, relevant, practical, and applicable; something that people are able to read over, apply it to their lives, and draw them closer to God. Notes For The Journey is just as much for me to read, as it is for my readers. Most of the subjects I will touch on will be issues that have been on my heart or maybe things that I am currently going through. So I welcome you and look forward to our journey together as we walk this out...

My story really starts at age 14, it was January 7th of 2002. I woke up just like any other Monday morning, got on the bus, and headed off to school. Just before my class got released for lunch, I had gotten called down to the office and was asked to bring my things because my mom was there to pick me up. Dumbfounded, I collected my things, packed up and was excited to head home early from school. As soon as I saw my mom and noticed my sister was with her, I knew something was up. It was an uncomfortable silence between us as my mom signed me out. As we began to walk out of the school and headed towards the car I asked my mom what was going on. As innocent as the question was, the answer would change the course of my entire life. She opened her mouth and could barely get the words out. My older and only brother was killed in a car accident that very morning. My whole world slowed down and I lost the feeling in my legs, almost collapsing right there on the pavement. From that point on my life would never be the same, my roommate that I had lived with for 14 years would be gone from my life, forever. Everything I had ever known, he was a part of. Everything I had enjoyed about life was because he had introduced me to it. Needless to say my life took a downward spiral. I fell into a depressive state of being. From ages 14 to roughly 21, approximately a third of my life, I hated myself, my circumstances, and worst of all, God for what (I thought) He had done to me. I had such malice in my heart towards the LORD and the world in general. Over the course of that seven years I sought out who I was by putting my identity into detrimental relationships with women who weren't of Faith. Although I had created a chasm between God and I, throughout those seven years I knew in my Heart of Hearts, that what I was doing was wrong. Other than the false relationships I was seeking, I had also found myself addicted to pirating software, music, movies, you name it. As harmless as this may sound, actions such as these take a toll on the soul. Throughout the years everything seemed to spin out of control. I often contemplated ending my own life. I had all the means and most of the willpower to do so. Luckily, one day when I was in my room alone and thinking about the quickest way to end my state of pain, I heard a voice in my head that I had never heard before. He said, "What are you doing?" As I responded with the facts of my life and how much pain and sorrow, He responded with the Truth saying, "But I have such good plans for you..." It hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew right away exactly who was talking to me. I completely broke. As tears streamed down my face, I knew that my life would be redirected down a brighter path. From that day forth, it was a constant battle for me to stay happy and be joyful. For a long time after that I could still feel the depression behind my smile. I felt like such a fake person, everything that I would show the world was but a mask. Nobody knew what I was dealing with, and it wasn't until I started seeking God the summer of 2009 that I truly started to break the many chains that the enemy had put on me. All my anger towards God for what I thought he had done to me was gone. Once I started learning the truth about Him and what He wanted for my life, all of my sorrows fell by the wayside. I finally got revelation knowledge that it wasn't God that had done this, but the works of the enemy, and that God only wanted good for me. He had been seeking after me ever since I walked away from Him, and He longed to have that relationship with me back. I am so thankful that He never gave up on me, even though I had given up on both of us a long time ago...