Assurance For Weary Minds

Each and every believer at some point in time, must have become weary.  The word weary has to do with having one's strength, one's patience or contentment exhausted.  There are many things that can actually cause an individual to be in a weary state.  Let's shed some light on them below.

DISCOURAGEMENT- We may suffer discouragement that sometimes causes us to become weary.  Waiting to see a manifestation of the promises of God in our lives it takes much faith and perseverance to see a manifestation of such.  During the waiting process,  we tend to get agitated, frustrated and weary due to how tiring the waiting process is.  Individuals may battle with thoughts such as, "Is God still gonna come through?", "Is it really gonna happen?", "Maybe the time has long elapsed!"  Hence, because at such time, we tend to see no sign or sight of the thing God has promised, discouragement sweeps over our being and if we don't mind, we end up doubting God and His promises.  

The Psalmist David in Psalm 42:5 stated, " Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance."  If you are facing discouragement today, hope in God.  He is a God that is not slack concerning His promises and whatever He said He will do, be encouraged, He will do just that.

OBSTACLES- In the book of Numbers 13 we see the account of when Moses sent the twelve (12) spies to spy out the land of Canaan.  Ten (10) came back saying that they will not be able to conquer the land as there are giants in the land.  Only two (2) came back with positive word that although giants are in the land, they are still well able to conquer.

The obstacles that we face can very well be likened to giants.  How we see them will determine whether or not we will conquer and be victorious against what we face.  It is important that no matter the obstacles that we face, that may at times causes us to bend under the situations and circumstances we learn how to encourage ourselves in the Lord and triumph over them.  Psalm 73:26 reminds us, "My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever."  

What are the obstacles that you are facing? You may have a child or husband that may have gone wayward, you may be facing rejection by your family or church, your ministry may have been on the rocks, you may feel as though you are hitting rock bottom, you feel exhausted and weary as a result.  Be encouraged and may you find solace in the words that Paul reminded the Galatians in the book of Galatians 6:9 that says, "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." 

CONSTANT & REPEATING BATTLES- As a child of God, it is also imperative that we understand that we are constantly in a fixed fight.  Hence, like a soldier in battle, we have to be on the alert as our enemy (Satan), prowls around like a hungry lion seeking whom he may devour.  As a result, we can NEVER quit!  Sometimes in fighting, we may face different types of battles, some more intense than some and therefore, we must treat each battle differently.  This means that at times, due to the longevity of the battle our strength may be depleted and thus, we become weary. 

Many times we are constantly faced with battles of the same kind and we find that if we are not careful, we are tempted to throw in the towel and recede in the background because we've had enough.  I want to encourage you today to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  It is written in Romans 8:28 that, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." 

Be thou strengthened my friends! He that began a good work in you is well able to see it unto completion.  Weariness is just another hurdle that requires that we exercise the strength and courage needed to cross over it.  One thing I do know and it is, your Father, our Father Who art in Heaven will never leave us nor forsake us.  The songwriter caught the vision as he penned the words of the song that says, "Fierce and long the battle rages, but our help is near, onward comes our Great Commander cheer my comrades cheer!" Victory is nigh so continue to press! Continue to push!

God bless you! 

Shalom, shalom

DON'T QUIT! IT'S NOT THE END YET!

For most of us if not all, can attest to the fact that the year 2020 came with it's ups and downs, major shifts, economic turmoil, chaos, confusion, frustration, setbacks, worry and the list goes on due to the onset of the global "plandemic" that the world is still grappling with.

Many of us are in a very pensive mood wondering what will happen next or whether or not there will be a bright future in view.  This is a time and era where both the churched and the unchurched are looking for answers.

I encourage you from the word of God today not to be discouraged, don't lose heart and sink in despair.  There is still hope!  We can find comfort in the word of God that says, "Fear not, for I am with you; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)

God's plans for our lives are never to harm us but to give us what is best.  We can rest assured that His promises are sure if we only believe.  Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us, " For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Why then are we worried?  God is not a man to lie or to change His mind. 

You may be wondering if that business deal or idea will ever be implemented, you may be wondering if your plans to travel, for that long awaited vacation will ever happen, you may be wondering if you should still venture out to achieve your goals but be encouraged today, don't give up on your dreams, on your goals or aspirations.  The God of possibilities is well able to cause them to come to fruition.

Don't let the enemy tell you that it is over! Don't let the enemy tell you that it's time to give up and give in!  Today God is saying to YOU, "DON'T QUIT! IT'S NOT THE END YET!"

Romans 8:28 tells us, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."  Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and tell yourself that you shall succeed and you shall defy all the odds because you ain't quitting.  The things God has spoken over your life still stands!  The prophecies and the promises that God has said concerning you, still stands!  

Trust in the fact that God knows what He is doing and He is working it out for your good.  You will laugh again! You shall smile again! Your joy is coming back! You are coming back with a shout!  You are gonna be restored!

God bless you!

Shalom, shalom!

EXPOSING THE SPIRIT OF DECEPTION

 Deception is one of the many tactics the enemy uses and this spirit has many different faces.  When we think of deception, various other words come to mind such as; deceit, lies, trickery, false, fraud, misrepresentation among others.  Therefore, deception has to do with carefully and cunningly misleading someone by means of bending or twisting the truth in order to get what you want from a person or to have an advantage over them.  Does this sound familiar?

The enemy is the master of deception.  Let us not forget that he is the "father of lies" (John 8:44)

As I remained in prayer the Spirit of the Lord began to speak to me about the spirit of deception.  This was what the Lord spoke into my spirit:

• The spirit of deception is an ugly spirit.  
• This spirit operates in conjunction with stealing/ theft. 
•  It also operates with disguise .
• It operates under false pretense and jealously. 
• The spirit of deception functions with a mask; you never truly know what is there until it has been released.
• It is trickery at its highest power.
• The spirit of deception never wears its' own name.
• This spirit knows how to resize and regroup very well. 
• It can be likened to a coin that has two different sides but it is the same coin.
• The spirit of deception always shows up like the real deal, but it takes the eyes of the Spirit and discernment to pick him up.
• This spirit first starts with the mind before it attacks your Spirit.

The Lord does not like deception!  Many of us as believers, allow the enemy to use us to become deceptive to others without knowing that right there and then, we become his tool. Let us ensure that this spirit of deception that is at work, we pray against such spirit so that we don't fall victim.

Psalm 101:7 the Lord reminds us that, "No one who practices deceit will dwell in My house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in My presence".

Proverbs 19:9 tells us, "A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will perish".

Let us be keen and remain vigilant so we are able to identify the enemy before he attacks.  God bless you! Shalom

DON'T ENTERTAIN THE DEVIL!

 Very often we hear of the old adage that says, "If yuh play with puppy, him will lick yuh mouth".  The same is true of the enemy (The Devil).  The devil is no friend of ours! The quicker we understand such nugget of truth, it is better for us!

The word of God declares in 1 Peter 5:8, "Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [[a]in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour."

It behooves us to ensure that we become alert to the tactics and evil schemes of the enemy.  This means that as children of God we ought to ensure that we remain constantly in prayer and the Word of God.

The enemy's number one aim and intention is to ensure that he gets us sidetracked and derailed from off the road to eternal life.  This enemy of ours is very intentional, crafty, cunning and subtle.  Therefore, we must ensure that we are  well grounded in order to counteract his evil schemes.

It is also written in St. John 10:10a, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy".

This is what the enemy sets out to achieve. What are YOU doing about it?  Are you going to sit and wallow in self pity? Are you going to allow the enemy to keep throwing his punches at you and you sit around and do nothing about it? Where has the warrior in YOU gone? Sleeping giant, it is time to WAKE up and get yourself up!  Be reminded that we are in a fixed fight and our only ultimate is to WIN!  It is time to start telling yourself that you will win! You must win and you shall win!  Stop believing the lies of the enemy.  It is time for you to believe your GOD.

I want to tell us that, the enemy never shows up one way all the time.  He has many different strategies and tactics.  The enemy may:

1. Cast the spirit of doubt on you, allowing you to doubt God.

2. Tell lies on you or even betray you.

3. He may set a spirit of frustration and confusion upon you to get you out of the way of the Lord.

4. He may turn the minds and heart of others against you.

5. He may use others to case a spell or witchcraft upon you.

6. He may rest the spirit of negativity upon you that your thoughts and intentions are just negative.

7. He may cause your eyes to be blinded to the truth so that even when truth comes you cannot see it.

8. He may turn your heart and mind away from those who the Lord has strategically placed to help you in a particular season because he does not want you to be delivered.

9. He will cause you to always see the bad in others because he wants you to remain a captive and powerless.

10. He may use demonic entities to plant seeds and cast a spell or curse upon you so that you cannot move forward.

That is still not the end! Such does not necessarily have to be your plight if you brush yourself off and run to God, clothe yourself in prayer and eat up the word of God.  Too often we leave our altars empty without burning the sacrifice of God upon it and so many of us we are left empty and unclothed to the enemy because our altars have been empty too long.  We have become too dependent on the prayers of others when our altar has been empty.

Now is NOT the time to play with the enemy.  It is not a time to be playing bat and ball with the enemy.  It is time for you to resist the devil and let him flee.  It is not a time to entertain the enemy's sweet talks, the temptations that he tend to come with.   RESIST HIM AND LET HIM FLEE!

If you entertain him, he will take a foothold!

It is time to clean up your spiritual altar!  It is time to advance to battle!

The Heart of True Leadership

 One may tend to be quick to think that for a person to be a leader he or she must be given some grand titles and fancy accolades.  I am so sorry to disappoint you all too soon but, true leadership from a Godly perspective has absolutely NOTHING to do with such!

Matthew 16:24 reminds us, "Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." A heart demonstrating true leadership will deny self to follow and do the will of God.

Many times, some individuals who the Lord wants to do a work in and those who the call of God to lead is upon their lives, they tend to recede and shrink in the background.  Why? Because they have become overwhelmed with what the world portray as "leadership" and they just feel like they don't fit in or there is no place for them.  These persons will shy away from coming to the forefront to carry out an assignment or instruction, because they don't feel as if they have reached the mark.  Others hide themselves and what they are able to do because they are afraid that they will not be accepted by the masses.  

It is very important that we pay attention to the image we portray and the message we send indirectly.  There are many leaders out there that are yet to throw off that heavy cloak that the enemy has wrapped their minds in.  These individuals who have become crippled by fear and rejection, in this season the Lord is bringing YOU out from the background and He is placing you at the forefront! No longer will you become comfortable in your position of silence because it is time to speak! It is time to let your voice be heard saith the Spirit of the Lord.

If you have been faced with rejection, ridicule, sabotaged, lied on, criticized, mocked, ridiculed, ostracized, abused, neglected and the ministry gift on your life has been put on trial, it is YOU that I am talking to!  It is time to GET UP!

James 1:12 reminds us, "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him."

Isaiah 41:10 declares, "Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."

The Lord is about to restore you! Your lost glory is coming back! He is redeeming you! He is giving you yet another chance, another opportunity and this time the enemy will have NO dominion over you because the mouth of God has spoken it! 

All you need to do is to rise up and GO in the strength of the Lord and watch Him work in your life.  I call forth the frontline warriors and leaders to arise, the Davids, the Esthers, the Josephs, the Nehemiahs and the Daniels to come forth from out of hiding!

Leadership is all about having influence and being able to make a lasting impact in the lives of others so that they are able to live transformed lives.  When we go in the strength of the Lord He will cause us to succeed and triumph.  As long as the Lord is on our side, as long as we follow HIS pattern of leadership then what have we to fear?

Doing leadership God's way has to do with:

1. Relying on the power of the Holy Spirit.

2. Having a heart of compassion and love for people.

3. Demonstrating humility in all that we do.

4. Empowering others and making spiritual deposits within them.

5. Seeing through the eyes of the Spirit and being able to discern what abilities and talents are within the people we lead.

6. Being a leader who leads by example therefore, modelling the right behaviours.

7. Ensuring that prayer becomes a daily lifestyle.

8. Being obedient and following God's divine instructions even when it does not fit your taste buds.

9. Learning how to empathize with others.

10. Having good character and demonstrating integrity.

Whenever we want to evaluate where we are and if it is that we are doing what God requires here's a question we could ask ourselves- In all I am doing, am I pleasing God or self? and if we are unable to fully come up with the answer, it is also important to ask- Where have I gone wrong?  In doing so, the Holy Ghost's GPS will navigate us onto the right path according to the will of God.

Let us follow His leading today and walk in His divine will for our lives! 

Shalom, shalom!

Humility Begets Honour

As I reflect on the topic of humility and meditated upon the word, it came back to my spirit that one of the greatest chords or keys to hearing God is that of HUMILITY.  How is your relationship with the Lord?

 Having a good character is the foundation for true humility.  Character has to do with two words, "being" and "doing".  Therefore, it is all about who we are as individuals and the actions that we portray.  Hence, our humility or humbleness hinges on our character.  Do we have a godly character? Are we demonstrating true humility?

Proverbs 29:23 - A man's pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honour.

Proverbs 22:4 - The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, honour and life.

Proverbs 18:12 - Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, but humility goes before honour.  

There is a special grace upon those who are humble.  In fact, many are promoted in the kingdom because of humility.  Most times we tend to get it all twisted to think that we must always try to demonstrate how high and mighty we are and gloating in our own self-righteousness and then when we least expect it, the foot of pride then overtakes us.  David declared in Psalm 36:11 "Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me."  It behooves us that if we want the Christ Who is the Hope of Glory to be formed in us then, we must be humble because the word of God also reminds us in James 4:6b, "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble."

Oftentimes because we may be placed in a position of leadership or carry certain titles, we allow our own self to allow us to treat others with disdain.  We act so pompous and forget that we ought to display humbleness of mind and spirit and show compassion to others.  Many are afraid to even approach their leaders or elders because they DONOT display a humble and welcoming demeanor.  As children of God, we have to ensure that we remain humble before the Lord.

A man that is filled with pride will only reap self-destruction, But a humble person will indeed be exalted to a position of honour!

DONOT allow another person to take your space, your crown or your position because you do not have a godly character and humility!

DONOT allow yourself to fall from the position or place of power and authority because you develop a spirit that is NOT humble but is filled with pride.

Let the Lord have His way in your life so that He can make something beautiful out of you.  It is a season for self-introspection!

Shalom, shalom!!

  

Get Out of Lodebar!

Have you ever been at a particular place in your life where you feel as though nothing seems to be changing? Have you ever questioned your very existence and why you were created? Is the place where you are at seems very unfulfilling, devastated, bland, gloomy and in despair? Does the question of, what am I doing her keeps lingering in your mind?  I've got news for you! Perhaps you have been dwelling in Lo-debar.

Lo-debar was a place or town in Canaan.  The word Lo-debar means, a place of no word, nothingness, uncertainty, no pasture or insignificant.  

We see in 2 Samuel 9, the account of David, wanting to give back to or bless the house of Saul. Hence, David asked Ziba, Saul's servant if there is anyone left of Saul's lineage to whom he can pay homage.  Ziba told David that Saul's grandson, Mephibosheth was still alive but he was crippled and was in Lo-debar.  David sent Ziba to get Mephibosheth out of Lo-debar and he blessed him and restored to him his due inheritance.

Some persons can very well attest to the fact that at some point in their lives they felt like a Mephibosheth.  Mephibosheth was robbed of his destiny and purpose when he became crippled in Lo-debar.  Lo-debar is a place that will thwart our dreams, motives, desires and kill our potential and kill our opportunities to succeed.  

Some of us may have been born into a community, an area, town or vicinity where when we look around; the young people have been held hostage, their dreams may have been cut short by being dropped out of school because of one reason or another, they become hooked on guns, drugs and living a life of partying, reveling and the like.  Individuals suffer a lack of employment so they tend to turn to illicit activities and, they either in the end are killed or imprisoned.  The spirit of witchcraft and obeah may have become rampant in the vicinity and no one seems to be moving up the ladder to success but are faced with dire hardships and difficulties whenever they seem to push for progress.  My friends, these are all indications that such is a LO-DEBAR situation. It is time for you to flee from Lo-debar!  Your David awaits you and is calling for you!

Lo-debar is a Place of No Productivity!

I want to encourage you today, if the place where you are at is not welcoming to you, if it is not blessing you or uplifting you, granting you success; such maybe an indication that it is time to chance your environment or location!  Most persons become loyal to a particular place, location or vicinity because they were born there, their family lived there or they have certain ties there and so they refuse to move.  Let me say to us that Mephibosheth could only experience and reap his long awaited blessings by being obedient and willing to move out of Lo-debar.  He changed his location! 

 Mephibosheth broke the ties and whatever linked or had him bound in a place of no productivity, unfruitfulness and nothingness.  Often times our blessing and breakthrough is tied to us being aware of when our season comes around and acting in that particular season.  Mephibosheth acted in a season that came to him!  He was made aware! When Mephibosheth help came, he accepted his help.  Sometimes our help may come from unexpected places and people who we are not accustomed to or we have no prior dealings with but when that time comes, I pray that the Lord will cause your eyes and spirit to be receptive so that you do not miss your time and season.  Many persons missed their season because God moved in a total different way from what they were expecting.  God is no Respecter of persons!  He will always do what is best for us and what will bring Him glory in the end.

Today is your day! I am causing you to become aware of the season that you are in if you are a Mephibosheth.  It is time to get going! It is time to move out and change your location! It is time to leave that environment and that place of nothingness and step into your newness.  It is a season for you to embrace new territories and branch off into new avenues.  It is time for you to be proactive and do something that you have never done before.

Many times we may receive different prophetic words and utterances but we are unable to see them manifesting, because the area or place where we are at is NOT conducive for it to manifest.  Therefore, there is a need to do something different.  It is time for a change!

GET OUT OF LO-DEBAR!  There is great potential in you! There is greatness inside of you waiting to come out!  The man, woman, boy or girl that the Lord would have you to be is still waiting to be made manifest.  

God bless you! SHALOM!