faith – Page 2 – My Grace Untold

I Dare You To Doubt Your Doubts

“Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

1 Peter 5:9

We know that the enemy lives in our doubts, fears and uncertainties because God did not give us the spirit or fear.

As believers, we are affirmed by the word of God that lets us know that we’ve indeed been given the grace and power to release and reject fear or doubt when it comes.

So why don’t we?

Everything that is happening in my journey right now was shown to me in a vision several months ago. I believed but still I doubted.

Although I did not doubt the Holy One who gave me the vision, I doubted the power of the sight that saw it. I doubted my ability to see so clearly in the realm of God’s glory to believe that what I saw already was, thus I needed to believe in its manifestation here on earth.

Friend, I dare you to doubt your doubts.

I could never have imagined a few years back that my fragile feet could move so confidently and become accustomed to a path of purpose and promise.

As ordered by our Father in heaven, we are to walk by faith and not by sight. I thank God for the testimony of my lips that my faith has been rewarded by the manifestation before me.

Often times, because we fail to put on the whole armor of God, we are unable to resist the lies of the adversary. Doubt in the word of God is a fruit of the enemy’s lying seed. I dare you to abort that seed of doubt today!

Do you not remember that God is not man that He would lie?!

Whatever the Lord has promised, whatever word that has come forth from His Holy lips can never go void because it must accomplish that which it was said to do by the Creator of heaven and earth!

We are believers. We are the children of the most High God who lives in truth and Holiness. If HE said it, it is already done! So why are you still cradling your doubt? Why are you still sleeping with fear and residing with uncertainty?

Do you not know that resisting the enemy is what will make him flee?

I am reminding you today that just like you, I too have suffered greatly from the doubts that overwhelm my soul about the promises over my life.

I too have fallen short and stumbled in disbelief in my walk with God, but I give Him glory for the grace to rise again, to stand firm in faith again, to resist fear again, to dare to believe again, and to press toward that which is ahead.

Friend, I dare you to doubt your doubts today. I dare you to look that lying spirit in the eye and cast it down for it dares to exalt itself above your knowledge of a faithful God.

I pray for you and I. May the Lord above grant us the courage to come boldly before the throne of grace and to receive the fullness of His glorious promises in Jesus name. Amen.

Do You Really Know God?

“You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God.”

Deuteronomy 4:35

Sometime ago, I was sure I knew God. I was certain that my life as a preacher’s daughter, reflected the knowledge of God. I didn’t know then what I know now.

I thank God for HIS Spirit, the one that guides and directs us in all things according to the will of God.

It was not until after my baptism, that I realized that I never really knew my heavenly Father. I never knew God. I knew of Him, I talked of Him, I worshipped Him, but I never knew HIM.

Friend, do you really know your heavenly Father?

Or are you so blinded by your religious habits and ideologies that you have failed to see that you don’t really know THAT which you claim to serve and worship?

You go to church, but why?

You listen to praise and worship, why?

You pray every night before you sleep, why?

Why do you do all that you do in the name of God? Do you really understand your very own heart posture towards God as your heavenly Father? Or have you discarded the intimacy between you and God in place of worshiping a Being that you do not really know?

Do you know the voice of God? What does it sound like?

Can you feel the peace of God’s presence? What does it feel like?

Can you see the Hand of God in everything around you? What do you see?

Can you discern when your Father calls or speaks than when the enemy, a master of disguise, pretends to be your Father’s messenger?

Can you tell the language of God apart from the language of men?

Friend, do you really know God?

I urge you today to seek these deeper things because you and I are called to know.

Our heavenly Father has called us to know Him more and to seek the things of God more so we are able to stand firm against the evils of this world, trusting in the knowing of HE who created all things.

I pray that we are encouraged today to know our heavenly Father better than we did yesterday. May we be enabled by the Holy Spirit of God to walk closer to the call to higher knowledge and wisdom so that we may attain the prize of glory that we have been promised in Jesus name. Amen.

When You Can Reach, but Can’t Touch

“All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.”

2 Corinthians 4:15

I am surrounded by faithfulness.

All around me, I see the faithfulness of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, pressing forth towards that which is ahead, that which the Lord has called them to, but the reach is painful.

I see the pain, the struggle, and the burdens of God’s people and I am moved to compassion by the current atmosphere of agony in the individual stretch toward destiny.

We are all reaching for that which we cannot yet touch.

In this season, the Lord is reviving HIS children, opening our eyes, ears, and hearts, as HE calls us yet higher to another realm of glory.

Friend, this is the stretch.

Right now, our faith is being stretched. Our patience is being stretched. Our discipline is stretching. Our hope is stretching. Our zeal is expanding, and our strength too is being stretched. All are called but few are chosen because of the stretch.

I thank God for the grace that HE has given you and I to continue to keep on keeping on in this path to purpose.

It hurts. It is uncomfortable. But it is necessary.

The kingdom of God is a tribe of warriors, and in this season, in this state of vulnerability, we may feel shackled by the hope to touch destiny’s tail sooner rather than later, but I am here to remind you that what is waiting on the other side of your current trial is so much bigger than the discomfort of the moment.

There is a stretch going on inside you and all around you for the sake of purpose. God is shaking all that can be shaken so you know that only HIS WORD can stand amidst the many distractions and disruptions of the world.

Because you stand on the ETERNAL ROCK OF AGES that is the “GREAT I AM,” you will not fall in Jesus name. Your faith is being multiplied even in these moments of tiredness and groan. Even as we are crawling in faith, HE sees it all because HE ordained it all.

We are reminded in Hebrews chpt 4 vs 13 that,

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”

Friend, don’t you know we are prisoners of hope?! We have to be! We have to abide in the hope that He that started a good work in us will bring it to completion. God will never give up on you, so I urge you to not give up on God, nor the purpose He has you reaching towards – the one you see in your reach, but still cannot touch.

I pray for you as I pray for me too, that we receive the clarity and direction of this season. I pray that our Father in heaven grants us brave hearts to continue in our worship even in what feels like weariness for the sake of purpose. May we be strengthened again, may we be encouraged again, and may we once again feel the fresh drops of anointing from heaven on our heads all the way down to our spirits. May our flame for God and His kingdom in us, be rekindled by the fire of heaven in Jesus name! Amen!

Living With A Redeemed Heart

“In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.”

Exodus 15:13

It is easier to love God than it is to be a Christian.

I once thought that being a Christian started and ended with loving the Lord. I know now that those that are called by the Most High are called to love others as well. As stated by Christ, these are the greatest commandments.

So how come religion and being religious always trumps sustaining a redeemed heart and spirit?

I know that since I received the grace of the Lord through baptism, I have been overwhelmed by the awe of mercy. A heart of redemption reminds me that HE saved even a wretch like me and called me to be used for His purpose.

My redeemed heart is uplifted each day by the sweet- tasting, everlasting word of our Father in heaven.

Like I said, it’s easy to love the One who gave me His Only Son, the One who died for me to set me free from the strongholds of this passing world, the One who formed me and called me by my name. Loving the Lord is easy to do because I can never forget that HE made something out of nothing.

But whenever a person or thing challenges my ability to love others, I am forced to remember that being a Christian has more to do with living with a redeemed heart than having a religious life.

Religiosity portrays an ordered life of rituals in the name of the Lord. Religion demands that you separate those you sinfully judge from yourself, failing to reach out and touch the hearts of the broken and lost.

Friend, religion is not redemption.

Christ did not die on the cross simply for us to show up for church services or pretentiously be in one accord with our brothers and sisters in the Lord in face value. The Lord looks at our heart.

The heart of the redeemed also lives in oneness with the Lord in private, not just in public. It is not about what people see, but what the Lord sees. Truth is, the glory of the Lord should never be stifled by closed doors, nor should it be publicly displayed as a just a show to others. If we recall, Christ rebuked the priests back then for this sin against God.

A redeemed heart reverences God in truth and humble adoration.

Friend, living redeemed is what being a Christian is truly about. Thus, the heart of the redeemed mandates the love of others and forgiveness of others as God loved and forgave us.

Even God knows that it isn’t easy. That is why we were given the Holy Spirit. That is why we are encouraged to abide in Christ who is love. HE was sent out of God’s love for you and me. HE was sacrificed for love. HE was also resurrected for love.

I believe that it is when we cling to these truths, that we are able to live with a redeemed heart, forsaking all other ways of life and following the guidance of God to His Holy dwelling. Then our lives can become a true reflection of what God has done on the inside, for the outside world to see.

In prayer, I am striving with you to live redeemed as God called us, I pray today for a renewal of mind and right spirit. May we encouraged and strengthened by the Lord to live with a redeemed heart in Jesus name. Amen.

A Good Thing Or a God Thing – part II

“When the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers… to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant…”

Deuteronomy 6:10-11

My job placement has to be a God thing! The finding of my husband has to be a God thing! The publication of my book has to be a God thing! The road to higher education for my counseling degree has to be a God thing! My home and peaceful settlement has to be a God thing! My friendships have to be a God thing! My ministry has to be a God thing!

It is very easy to accept good things because they are good. Who does not want a good thing? But have you ever considered waiting for, obeying for, praying for, trusting for, having faith for, the God thing?!

A God thing is a miracle! A God thing is an occurrence that you could provide no comprehensible explanation for! A God thing is what happens that you have no choice but to acclaim it to God! A God thing is what you quietly hope for but won’t see coming because God wanted to surprise you! A God thing is something so out of the ordinary, so spectacular, that it can only be through God! A God thing is the testimony you will never be quiet about! A God thing is what no man can take credit for!

Because of the majesty in a God thing, I am also admitting to the sacrificial facet of moving obediently according to the Word of God. There is indeed no compromise in the sacred place of awaiting a God thing. A God thing is what changes everything!

So friend, are you looking toward a good thing or a God thing?!

A God thing is what reminds you that although a problem, a conflict, a situation, a mishap, an issue, seems big, GOD HAS ALWAYS BEEN, GOD IS, AND GOD WILL ALWAYS BE BIGGER!

Take a look at the image above. In a sum, a plant is growing out of concrete. I am afraid that as familiar as we are with this occurrence, we have failed to recognize the God thing in such an occurrence! Plants do not ordinarily grow out of concrete. No farmer plants the seeds of these plants. No gardener waters these plants. Ever so often, these plants are stepped on, but yet they grow!

Friend, that is a God thing! These plants are endowed with enough cell power to squeeze through cracks and do what their Maker intended!

So yes, I will be unemployed in about 4 days, but my God do I feel on the verge of a God thing!

This is what Purpose is all about! I thank God Almighty for the purpose in me and in you! I thank God that there is a God thing ahead of you! I thank God that you and I are not distracted enough by the good things of life that we forget that there is a God thing in the Heavens above about to come down! By faith, courage, strength, and truth, you and I shall witness the God things to come in Jesus name. Amen.

A Good Thing Or a God Thing – part I

Deuteronomy 6:10-11

This is my last week at my place of employment.

I turned in my two-week notice of resignation about two weeks ago. Admittedly, it felt great! The day before that, when I felt the pressing on my spirit that it was time to be unemployed again, something immediately shifted into submission within me.

I thank God for wisdom.

When my spirit bowed down in alignment with God that day, I was made aware that it was time for another shift into yet another realm in my journey with the Lord.

I didn’t argue or give myself reasons because I knew it was time to do other things with my time, mind, and creativity. I knew even the trying conditions of my job were for God’s purpose. Those moments of inquiry at work made me dig even deeper into the Spirit.

Nothing is wasted, says the Lord.

I have pondered repeatedly in the passing days about the possible position of advancement that may be open yet again within this very company. This was the same position that God has distanced me from three times now.

I thought to myself that it surely would have been a good thing to be promoted to a higher rank after two years of experience with this company.

It surely would have been a good thing to no longer worry about a commission-based check, but rather a certain salaried check. It would have been a good thing to be looked upon for leadership and supervision by others. It would have been a good thing on my resume as well that I served in an official management role.

But it would not have felt like a God thing.

As I set one foot in front of the other in faith in the motions of Purpose, I am allowed the clarity of what it means to have a good thing and how it feels to witness a God thing.

Friend, I am confessing that I am now in such a place of great expectations from a great God, that I can’t allow myself room for a just a good thing. It has to be a God thing! FINISH READING HERE.

Sight In The Storm

“And the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.”

Matthew 7:25

Stormy and windy weather cause me to stop and glorify the Maker of heaven and earth for His Power and Majesty over all things. Even the might of natural disasters are a thing of wonder for me. God is so Great!

If you are anything like me, many storms have come and gone, and some even brewing right now alongside your path to destiny. Some are going to make their way right in front of you. Perhaps you feel as though you are yet to catch a breath from the last storm, or you are still rebuilding what is left from the ruins, I am here to remind you that there is sight in the storm.

There is something to see in the storm. There is a glory to behold in the storm. There is a testament to testify in the storm.

Friend, has the storm blinded you?

In Matthew 14 vs 22, there is an account of the disciples being blinded by a mighty storm while traveling in their boat. Amidst the storm, Jesus walked on water towards them. It was their Master walking toward them, yet they feared. They were afraid because of what they thought they saw. They thought Jesus was a ghost!

And even after Christ told them that it was HE who was walking on water, that it was HE who was performing a miracle in their sight, that it was HE appearing before them in this storm, they still needed more proof.

Peter, whose faith dared to test the power of God then asked Jesus if he also could walk on water. Christ called Peter and he did walk on water.

It was Peter who dared to behold the glory of God in the storm, realizing through faith that although the storm can be blinding, there is something greater happening amidst the storm.

Friend, God is the same as HE was back then.

If you are in a storm, know that there is something wonderful going on in the storm. There is a greater glory happening right in front of you and around you. God is trying to show you something, tell you something, and give you something.

So, what is the measure of your faith?

Can you dare to believe in the greater Hand of God while in the storm? Can you dare to see by faith and not by sight to behold the glory that IS?

The storm is not meant to break you, but to break you through the wall of limitation you have built around a limitless God. Your faith is being stretched by the storm(s) you are facing. Your sight in the storm is to see God. You are supposed to witness His wonder in a storm.

So I praise God today for your storm. I thank Him for what HE is doing through you and for you in this stormy season, for it is good and prosperous. All that can be shaken will be shaken in the storm, but because you stand on the eternal Rock of Ages, you shall remain standing after the storm in Jesus name. Amen.

The God Of Infinite Chances

“For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again…”

Proverbs 24:16

Sometimes I wish it were as easy to obey God as it is to love Him. I love the Lord and I thank My Father for loving me first.

Friend, how fortunate are we to be serving a God of infinite chances?

I am amazed by how many times I have strayed and looked away from the One who saved me and gave me eternal life, the One who broke chains and strongholds and removed me from the pits of sin. HIS love remains.

God’s Love is as mighty and powerful as HE IS.

I want clarity. I want strength. I want a willing heart to obey. I want to honor my “Yes Lord.” I want peace. I want quiet. I want stability. But more than anything else, I want and need to fulfill Destiny!

God purposed you and I for a destiny when HE breathe life into us and formed us in the womb. And as we both know now, the road to destiny is never as clear as a blue print image. No, it is not clear, but it is certain because the Way-maker made it certain.

God has paved ways to our destiny that we cannot even begin to fathom with physical sight. It gets even harder to see or understand purpose when we stumble and hit the ground on our way to what God has called us to be.

There are countless, painful battles along the way. Sometimes we wage them against ourselves and fall even harder. We lose sight of hope. We stop drinking from the cup of faith and begin chowing down regret of past mishaps and wrong turns.

We disobey and venture deeper into the lustful arms of sin. We speak lies and deceit rather than love. We forsake God and question the HAND who has saved us countless times.

And still HE LOVES US time and time again because HE IS A GOD OF INFINITE CHANCES!

You and I can rest in the blessed assurance that God will never leave nor forsake us for we are HIS beloved.

If you are like me, looking back on your life, you will surely lose count of how God kept you over and over and over and over and over and over again. HIS love is SURE.

This time is no different.

Friend, it’s not over until God says it’s over. Destiny is still waiting on you to reach it. The heavenly hosts are still cheering you on. And the fact that you are reading this ought to be a confirmation that the Lord is still working, moving, and slaying demons to clear your path to the destiny HE ALONE has called you to.

You will surely get there by the grace of God.

May you be refilled today with strength, fearlessness, hope, and the faith from heaven to get back up and on your way towards the crown in Jesus name. Amen.

An Unknown Road To A Known Destiny

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us…”

2 Peter 3:9

As expected, the trials of a new environment are surfacing one after another and I feel the weariness begin to form in the pits of my stomach. But I thank God for a kind and comforting Holy Spirit who reminds me once again that all that can be shaken will indeed be shaken, but the word of God stands.

In a sum, I am tired.

I am tired of many things, weary and doubtful of a few others. But in humble adoration, still I praise HIM. Still I worship, and thank God for how Far HE alone has brought me thus far in this walk of faith.

Inevitably, stress and uncertainty during this journey of purpose threatens to weigh me down.

Physically, I feel drained and immobile, having not done no heavy lifting or arduous work. Creatively, I feel as though my vision to be productive and to peek into a near future has somehow been suspended as I have surrendered to the Lord.

Spiritually, I feel aware but challenged in faith.

I remember the words and promises of my Father to me and my loved ones, but current waves seem to challenge what I believe is the truth. But in hope, my faith stands. God is able to do just what HE said HE would do.

Admittedly, I have never hoped so greatly in the Lord as I do now. My expectancy for an unimaginable wondrous and glorious work, is greater than I have ever expected and I am truly overwhelmed by it.

In this place, I need God’s power to fall like I’ve never seen and I need help in my unbelief.

So as I pray and press on towards what is ahead, please pray for me as I pray for you. If you are anything like me, you don’t know how God will do it, but you trust that it is already done. You don’t know how God will lead you there, but you know you will get there. God is certain.

And in HIM do we hope.

May our hope never be put to shame. And may our faith be continually anchored in the mercy and grace of an All-knowing God in Jesus name. Amen.

Give Back What You Have Received, It’s Not Yours!

“Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”

Proverbs 30:5

The Word says, “If you believe it, you shall receive it…”

And as expected, when we hear a good word from the Lord, no one has to remind us to receive it indeed.

But how many declarations outside the word of God have you believed, then received?

Too often we adhere to the advice of even those closest to us and what we receive is far from the truth and promises of the Most High God.

Yes, the troubles of life are inevitable.

However, the peace and joy of God amidst these trials and troubles, are also promises given to us by a faithful Father. As flawless and perfect as God’s Word is for us and to us, we find fault in a just God through the eyes of others.

If you are like me, you cannot count the times you have turned left AND right away from the Word of God and sought man’s wisdom, BUT you certainly remember the misery, discomfort, and confusion that you found repeatedly at the end of each road of disobedience and ignorance.

WE ALL want peace instead of the chaos we harbor within. We all want love instead of hate. We all want laughter and joy instead of sorrow. Yet, we hold on to that which we have received that brings about the opposite of what we truly want and what God wants for us!

Is it possible that you do not know the difference between what you have received that is not yours, and what is yours but are yet to receive? Is it at all likely that you have been holding on to one while trying to attain the other?

Don’t you know that light and darkness cannot dwell in the same place? Did Christ not surrender His life to be the eternal Light over darkness?!

Then it is time to give back what you have received! The lies, deceit, and pain you have received. The darkness you have received and harbored inside. You have got to give it back because there is no room for it in a CHILD OF GOD!

READ “WHO TOLD YOU…?” SERIES

Just like the enemy cannot keep what He tried to take away from you back then, just like the haters could not keep your name in the mud because God restored you, you too must give back the anger, chaos, and hate that you have willingly received outside of God’s command.

Give it Back!

Give back the fear!

Give back the weariness!

Give back the uncertainty!

Give back the low self-esteem!

Give back the sorrow!

Give back the depression!

Give back the sickness!

Give back the pain!

Give back the desperation!

Give back the sadness!

Give back the cold heart!

Give back the toxic mindset!

Give back the abuse!

Give it all back! Those spirits do not belong to you for you are an anointed child of the Most High HOLY God. HIS thoughts for you are NOT TO HARM YOU but TO PROSPER YOU AND GIVE YOU HOPE!

As Pastor Joel Osteen would say, “Do you receive it today?!”

Friend, may you receive hope and prosperity today in Jesus name. May you receive forgiveness and mercy today in Jesus name. May you receive the abounding Love of a good God today in Jesus name. And may your faith be renewed and restored altogether for the glory of God in Jesus name. Amen!