Your Impossible He Made Possible

My encouragement to you this week is believe your impossible can be changed! Jesus conquered what is impossible for us but not for Him. He gives us hope that He can conquer our impossible. We are going see what we're praying for! Be stronger than you've ever been and believe your impossible is possible!

Who is feeling like they are facing an impossible situation? Who is trapped? Who is feeling like all hope is lost? My friend, if you truly feel this way then you have not experienced the freedom in Jesus. You may be ignoring His saving power in your life before. I take that back, we ALL have experienced freedom in Jesus. Because He blesses us all the time. He has saved us from situations even without us coming to Him inprayer. So I know you have experienced His power before in life. We all have. And for those of us who feel stuck and can acknowledge Jesus has saved you before, then know that your impossible is possible. Jesus can change it all for you. He has conquered what we can't. Understanding He has made a way for you before when there seemed to be no way, this situation can also have the same result. I am not going to sell you a lie and say you will get everything you want, but if you come to Him looking for Him to make a way, I guarantee He will open a door and show you His love. It may not come on your schedule even but it will come!

When we think of all the miracles He has done in His own life, changed situations that you can't even fathom were changed, and He conquered death, how can you not have hope?!?! The miracles that He has performed in your life before, is now the time to believe He can't do it? Of course He can do it. I caution you, don't make God to be just a genie. Asking of Him but won't invest in Him as well. And there is nothing you can give God but your obedience, trust, and love. God values these things. I digress. We must have hope. We must have confidence that God is who we want Him to be in all situations. A friend, a way maker, a father, a teacher, etc. We must have hope He can be the bridge to our solution.

Now is the time to be stronger than you have ever been. Your faith may depend on it. I trusted God in a bad situation employment wise recently and He didn't disappoint! He sustained me until He felt He was ready to move me. I felt stuck and God told me to hush up and trust. No regrets. After hearing the back story of me getting my job, I have more reason to trust my God. I know it was because of His love for me. It may be your health, emotions, school, employment situation, etc but God can make your impossible possible! He can turn it around! Don't stop praying about it. Remain fervent in your prayer...Be Blessed...

Open Letter: My Misguided Gospel and Faith

Let us get right to the proceedings. Today we live in the age of that real good gospel. We love that feel good gospel. The gospel of health and wealth. The gospel of praise God when things are right. The gospel of I need from God and He should not expect much from me until I get what I need. Some of you guys may be offended and I am not trying to offend because I have thrown myself into this lot as well. I am speaking from my experiences of myself and others. Just things I have seen. Here we go.

We have come into an age of the gospel of health and wealth. I didn't coin this. I got this from Michael Erik Dyson in a book I am reading of his and when I think about it he is right. I look at myself when I have been shouting for God and trying to do things His way because I wanted something from Him. It wasn't to give Him earnest glory and praise. It was a tactic to get my needs addressed. The problem with that is one day you'll become tired of it and figure out you don't have it in you to continue. You burn out. You take it as God doesn't care about you. You don't stick with the actions because you may not havs believed in it in the first place. You beg God to make it change because your selfish heart was never about praising Him. It was more about God addressing your needs. Admit it. Now you want to go to everything in the church because you figure He is paying attention. You're looking for a blessing by performing actions. And I'm not saying that you don't have experiences with God along the way. I'm sure God is touching you. Our God is so good even when He knows you are full of it, He will still bless you! But that doesn't mean He doesn't want you to change. I been there. I know what it feels like. You start to feel stuck and hopeless. You begin to resent everything and yourself because your life isn't where you wanted by now. You figure God isn't hearing you. He hears you. Every time. But God is waiting on you to glorify Him because of who He is and less about His ability. You know His ability already which is why you have gone through the motions of "being a good person and doing the right things." But that is all an act. You can't change yourself or your life if it was never real. If it was all about wanting God to see to get something, He will look deeper into your heart. If your heart isn't there, forget it.

You want to be healed or given abundant blessings so you can praise. Again it doesn't work that way. Psalms 34 says I will bless the Lord at ALL TIMES, not when it's convenient for you. God is not your Lord to make life convenient for you so you can do what He demands of you. You praise God and work for God at all times. You don't wait. Saw a quote, and I'm paraphrasing: If you faith doesn't change you, why expect it to change anything else? That kind of ties back in to what I said before. You want from God so you do the right things. It has nothing to do with much love but more want. Again, I been there before. I switched up so much in my life because I thought God would bless me indeed if I did. Alas, it was never from a good place. God blessed me over and over and I know that had more to do with His love for me than my love for Him. Sad right? But it's honest.

So with that lack of love and earnest change, I never worked on my attitudes or myself. If I am doing all of these great things for God on paper, why do I struggle with the exact same problems or character flaws? It's because I didn't "change myself" with intentions of being filled by God and changed by God. I did it with an expectancy. When what I expected from God didn't happen or didn't occur on my timeline, I stopped seeking Him so much. With all these actions I was doing, I began to quit on God and the things I sought Him for in the beginning. I may say we serve a mighty God or loving God but I was paying lip service. Others liked to hear it from me and I wasn't going to rob them of that. Even if my heart was not there, I would not rain on the faith of another. They may have been more genuine in faith than me and I had to assist them. I felt left out. Watching the advancement of others and the stagnancy of my life was terrible. And with that, I felt God shouldn't expect much from me. I was a fool. I turned cold to people. I was sad a lot. Felt cheated by life. Felt I didn't deserve this because I was doing the right things! Oh what fool I was. I hurt a few friendships. Definitely cost myself a good one! Almost lost good people out my life who I am still clinging on to by a loose thread today. I became complacent with life ans self. I let my own lack of faith turn me into a monster in some ways and it has cost me. Sucks right?

True faith is tested. I had been failing the test for years and was too stupid to realize it. Some of us are still failing the test. We believe are action is the key to our Salvation. Our heart and faith is the key to our salvation. Don't fall into the trap of actions. When Pastors are saying God needs the glory from you, they mean it sincerely. When it says Bless Him at all times, that's sincere. The test of true faith is that which is revealed in how one lives and walks through this life. Right belief, that is, a faith that lives in a regenerated heart born from above, is exhibited in right living. If your faith is real, your walk and attitude will align with that of God. That is for God! That is wanting for God! Your aligned faith will put you at peace because you know you're giving your best. You know God is acting for you even if it's not your specific prayer. You are grateful for all else He is setting up around you, the people who love you and try to show you love, the leaders in your life who will make you better, etc. I thank God for helping me. I still am not where I want to be in life but I can't tell you how blessed I feel for Him making you face myself through my professional growth and personal relationships. Trust the real gospel. Do what the real gospel says because you believe in God and His love and you trust Him no matter what. The gospel which wants to change you in and out. The gospel in which you aren't looking only for a blessings but to be a blessing...Be Blessed..

Your Future in God's Hands...Get Started

My encouragement to you this week is formulate your future and do something. If you want growth, pursue it. If you want change, make it. Cling to God and take the necessary steps to achieve what you want for your life. Take it to God DAILY. No one can care about your success more than you.

"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God." 

If this isn't the truth. Why should we be worried even the slightest bit about our future if we know the God that we serve? If you serve a Provider, Deliverer, Healer, Shelter, Protector, and Savior, then you have nothing to fear about your future. Just get to planning. Formulate your future. Take time to think about where you want to be and the things you want to accomplish in that time, and get to work. Maybe you want to find your career, make the effort today. The problem with a lot of us is that we want to act when it is convenient. We are always looking for the perfect circumstance to do something about a situation. That time will never exist if you are waiting for it. I hear things like, "I am waiting to get my mind right" or "now isn't a good time." When is it ever a good time to get off your tail and work at the problem? There isn't a perfect time in an imperfect situation. When problems arise, the situation is already flawed. Therefore, that perfect moment of clarity you are waiting for is already in jeopardy. Formulating a future doesn't solely mean accomplishing your dreams. It could mean you saving money over the course of a couple months. That is still part of your future. You figuring out how to solve your current trouble is part of your future. It does not have to be so long term. It is about getting things done.

The one thing WE ALL NEED, INCLUDING ME, get in the discipline of giving it to God daily. Daily. We can't casually pray about things when we are going through a situation or interceding on behalf of someone else. We have to take it to God daily with some belief on it. Many of us pray when things get hard because it is  the right thing to do but there may not be an ounce of faith in the seed we are asking God to grow. That make sense? Prayer isn't always a thing of faith. Prayer can be a tool of habit or because we want it to be a genie for us. That means," We used it before and it worked, maybe it can this time." We can't operate in that way. We have to believe and believe and believe that God is going to do something amazing for us. We have to form the future and try at it. Do something and believe that God is moving on the situation. Your attitude, your effort, and your faith much match the results your are looking for in the situation. You telling everyone that I believe God but walking around with the worst attitude about the future CANNOT exist in the same place. 

No one can care about your future more than you. So get to work. Instead of giving yourself reasons why you can't, give yourself reason why you can. We ALL  have a job to do. WE ALL have a future to build on. Let's roll up our sleeves, meet God in prayer, and and do something...Be Blessed...

God is in Control because He Should be in Control

My encouragement to you is let God take the lead! Put Him in the driver seat. God loves you and wants the best for you  It's because of the value God gives you is to why you know you can ask Him to lead you. God won't disappoint you if you let Him lead. Be willing to follow.

I have written blog posts like this before but can you really over emphasize a true point like this. I may hint on it because it is something THAT important. God loves us so much. He is jealous for you. He wants you to be part of His kingdom and in His family. God wants your obedience. God wants your trust. Again: God wants your trust. Too often we are listening to friends who have no insight to our situation or experience in where we are at this time. We run to them for guidance and advice rather than trusting He who is omniscient. We trust others with limitations rather than our God who has no limitations in how He can intercede for you. Like the ones who love you on earth, your Heavenly father wants what's best for you too. But it's more than that. He is more than capable of providing for you and even the friend who loves you.

God values your life and that is more than enough reason as to why He sticks with you through the good and bad. Because unlike our friends, God isn't going to give you the silent treatment or mistreat you when you make every mistake. And don't think He is punishing you for every time you do something wrong and He doesn't step in. What are you learning if He does all the time? That God is a genie who doesn't believe in wrong or right? Don't play your Lord like that. Just like how your parents let you go through the lessons, so will God. However, ask for forgiveness and it's done. God wants you to be better. God values your life so He will teach you and bless you all at the same time. Trust Him with your life and plans.

Give it all to Him. It always belonged to Him. Our life, dreams, passion, loves, etc always belonged to Him. Who provided them?!?! Who will establish the work of your hands? The Lord. Trust Him in all you do. He has plans for us to prosper. Prosper. Not struggle. That comes with an unrelenting and unwavering trust...Be Blessed...

Embrace Your God-Given Power to Be Great!

My encouragement to you as we go into this New Year is to release your fear of failure and embrace YOUR God-given power to be great! Greatness is born through adversity. It is overcome by those who understand the need for adversity and who will never give up because they know God is fighting with them.

To many people become crippled at the thought of failure. I mean crippled. They will in fear of error sit where they are in the same place forever it seems. The reason I say forever is because when you are stuck somewhere, even for minutes, it feel like an eternity. So think about those who are stuck in the same position for weeks at a time, months at a time, heck YEARS! That feeling of moving in circles basically. Yes, this has been a long description but I am making a point of how long that feeling of stagnancy and redundancy feels. The fear of failing will get you no where. If you want to go far, you must abandon that feeling of fear. Failure is a part of life. Success teaches us how to feel good about the work we have done. Failure teaches us to appreciate the process leading up to success. Failure makes you re-evaluate your steps and makes you stronger. Failure is inevitable. It is going to happen. It isn't meant to break you. It isn't made to make you fearful of your future. 

God gave us each a spirit of power, not of fear. Fear makes us weak and God didn't design us to make us weak. We serve an almighty God. We serve a God who prepares us for battle. We serve a God who know what is best for us. Some of us are going through it right now. Some of us are tired and ready to throw in the towel. We ask God, why does life always have to be a fight? But how will you know how to take on the next situation when you don't know how to deal with adversity. I am a Black Greek member. Every time I look at an insurmountable task, I always say, "I pledged." It is simply to say, after going through what I went through, I am prepared. God will take you from one situation to the next. And you can say, " I pledged." The same way my process made me prepared for my adversity, God places adversity in front of us to get ready for the next situation. After we have conquered it, we can be sure we are ready for the next because God has taken from one situation before and He will lead you again. But you have to want to be great. You have to want to succeed! God can't want your deliverance more than you. You have to want it more! Yes, that sounds absurd but that's what type of mind you need. A mind willing to go farther. A mind willing to hope and believe against all things that stand in your way because you believe it is possible to be amazing. That you are if you truly embrace your God-given power. He gave us all gifts and talents to become amazing. Find yours. Use yours!

You must never give up! Never give up. Adversity is to be appreciated. Sounds crazy right? But it's true. Romans 5:3-5 Not only so, but we rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. There are many things to be taken from adversity if you are willing to be led by the Lord. We don't grow when we are always on top. Nothing is learned. We grow when we fail and keep getting back up until we see it to the end. That is when when we flourish. That is when we thrive. Stick with the Lord and we shall be ready. Stick with God and we will become powerful beyond measure. We will never play small knowing that we are chosen by God to be amazing. Fear will never cripple us again. Fear will only motivate us to lean on God harder and to work harder to be everything we want to be and receive all that we want...Be Blessed...