Never second guess your destiny: The spirit of Uncertainty

Many times in life we become so familiar/comfortable with people or situations. This familiarity can sometimes become a hindrance when it comes to displaying a sense of urgency. We as Christians should be careful not to take the treasures of God for granted just assuming that they will always be available. There are people in our lives that if we do not connect with in the right season, it can ultimately alter our destiny. As I was studying the true meaning of the word "virtuous" in the Bible as it pertained to the virtuous woman I came across the same word for "wealth." If someone does not know the holistic meaning of "true wealth" they may not see a virtuous woman as a symbolism of wealth. This is why our perspectives must be shaped in such a way as to not miss these treasures that God has placed within His house. God positions us within the right season to eventually make the right choices. We must be careful not to let our familiarity with people or situations prevent us from hearing how God is speaking to us, in regards to the next step in our destiny which is "time-sensitive." There is a spirit of Uncertainty which seeks to make us second guess our destiny which Christ Jesus has for us. I once heard my Bishop say that "familiarity breeds content." In times like this it is easy to take the safe road; but making the right decision in the right season can keep you on the right path toward your ultimate destiny in Christ Jesus.

Positioned to be connected to His presence?

We are living in a day and time where people want to be connected. Whether it is being connected via (cell phone, email, Internet, radio, television, text messaging, etc...) . In this world of technology though there is a price to pay for being connected, whether it is a cell phone bill, cable bill, or Internet provider bill. There are also consequences when we do not pay these bills which can result in us becoming disconnected. When we look at being connected in regards to "spiritually connected", then we must know that there is a price (bill) that must be paid so that we remain connected to God's presence. We must pay the price of sacrifice in regards to our time to prayer, fasting, meditating, reading the Word, etc. There are also times in the natural when we may not have a "signal" i.e. Internet,cell phone, or satellite television/radio signal) . The reason there is no signal in the natural is because one may be in a bad position which is causing the "signal" to be weak or non-existent. When we look at this from a spiritual perspective we must in turn remain positioned so that our signal and/or line of communication with God is not distorted, weak, or failing. Remaining in the right position with God entails us remaining in His will which is in the context of the Holy Bible. I just want to encourage you today to begin to look at the parallels of what it takes to remain connected in the natural world, and then apply those same concepts spiritually in order to remain correctly positioned and connected to His presence.

Pleading the blood of Jesus: the triple effect

I was reading an article this week on pleading the blood of Jesus. It sparked an interest that I already had which pertained to the art of prayer. Many times we as Christians pray when things have already happened and we are on the defensive. Pleading the blood of Jesus can be used as an offensive weapon in prayer. It can be used as a preventative and proactive measure in order to set things in order in our atmospheric (spiritual, soulish) surroundings. We as men and women of God should not be on the defensive when it comes to warring with our common enemy which is Satan. We serve an all powerful God which means that we can be proactive in our approach in prayer. Depending on your level of faith will depend on how proactive you are when it comes spiritual warfare. I have realized that when one pleads the blood of Jesus there are three things that the blood of Jesus is symbolic of. These 3 things are deliverance, protection, and forgiveness. As we go throughout our day as children of God we should pray to have a hedge of protection around us and our families. A hedge of protection can be used to protect our mind, heart, family, home, etc....
There may also be things that we need to be delivered from in our minds or even forgiven of. Pleading the blood of Jesus can cause you to be positioned in victory rather than on the defensive and struggling from test to test. I pray that these words encourage you to change your mindset when it comes to your approach in prayer.

Building a foundation of faith to sustain your destiny

Many times we experience victories and downfalls in our lives. Some people are satisfied with small victories and some people thrive on huge victories. Our expectations are a direct correlation to our level of faith. A large vision should equate to a large foundation. This foundation should include faith, patience, planning, consistency, and energy. A small vision equates to a small foundation which correlates to "little faith". The nature of true faith is to grow. Anything hindering our faith from growing needs to be removed out of our atmosphere's (soulish and spiritual) . The opposite of faith is fear which in turn can cause a breach in the foundation of our vision and ulitimately our destiny. When one feels inadequate this retards the process of building a strong foundation. Any breach in our foundation of faith can hinder us from coming into the full fruition of our destiny in Christ Jesus. The Bible states "without faith it is impossible to please him". Feeling inadequate in an area compared to feeling confident in an area are 2 different extremes which lead to two different outcomes. I pose this question to you today "what are you willng to sacrifice to build your foundation?"

Walking through the valley of patience with a proactive mind

Day by day I see people, places, and things in a variety of perspectives. When you want the best for your family and your future, than there is a certain level of urgency that comes with those desires. This level of urgency can be displayed in many ways. Whether it is the way you plan, pray, speak, or pursue. I realize that patience is the breeding ground that God uses to prepare us to receive these desires that are aligned in His will. I've seen marriages, ministries, businesses, anointings, and various accomplishments that God is allowing to happen all around me. There is power in patience. Patience should bring about preparation which in turn will be the foundation to build upon what God will bestow upon you. We as children of God must have a mind to be proactive and not reactive when it comes to our lives. Satan seeks to put us on the defensive by being reactive. There is power in being proactive when it comes to spiritual warfare. In order to be proactive (i.e. prayer), there must be a certain level of faith to sustain us when we can not see certain things. This faith allows us to set things in motion instead of reacting to what the enemy has already set in motion to hinder our destiny. I just want to encourage you to live your life with a proactive mindset that will in turn position you to receive what God has in store for you.

Positioned to be released through His grace

In this day and time we have to realize how delicate our destinies can be. There are individuals that should have been married but they were not positioned correctly. There are people that should have been elevated in their careers, but they were not correctly positioned either. There is power in being positioned correctly. Being positioned correctly means being where God desires you to be. This requires having a relationship with God. When you are positioned correctly and God releases you then his favor is with you. The struggle at times for me is remaining focused long enough to experience the fullness of the next phase of my destiny. God wants to release people into the next phase of their destiny, but He will not release us if we are mispositioned out of his His will. When we are positioned correctly in God's will we speed up the process of our development and maturity. There is a certain level of faith that is required to remain positioned and not become impatient. Impatience, distractions, and lack of faith are 3 things that the enemy uses to get us out of position. We must be careful to know what spirit we are being influenced by so that we can come into the full fruition of our destiny in Christ Jesus.

Looking past the obvious to focus on the potential

When I think back to the place that I was in when I was invited out to the church that I attend now and was also baptized at; I can't help but to see God's favor in my life. I was in a nightclub and the individual could have easily felt ashamed about being in the nightclub also, and could have just not said anything to me about their place of worship because of "guilt". I know people that from looking on the outside it may look like there is no need to invite them out to a church service or even witness to them because of their outward appearance; but I know differently. Sometimes we as humans can not get past what the outside looks like. Some individuals struggle to witness to feminine men and/or masculine women. I thank God for giving me eyes to look past the exterior and to look at the potential. I find myself when I am witnessing thinking about the potential outcome instead of one's current predicament. The kindgom of God can grow so much more if others in God's kingdom would just "look past the obvious and focus on the potential". This is critical because many people may not have gotten saved if it was not for someone "looking past the obvious and focusing on their potential". I just would like to encourage you to begin looking at those around you, not with "eyes of doubt" but rather with "eyes of potential" so that the kingdom of God can have a chance to grow even more.