God – My Grace Untold

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 Stars Become Idols

“You shall have no other gods before Me… For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God”

Exodus 20:3-5

At 12 and 13, the wisdom of discernment is often not cemented by the teachings of your youth in the House of God.

I remember the young craze for my favorite idol on American Idol. Then it was just a show about singing hopefuls who longed to be stars, and eventually with the help of voters became stars.

What never occurred to me was how these aspiring musicians did receive worship and honor by the millions of audiences all over the world. They indeed were American idols.

I wonder if like me, with what you know now of the Lord, if that idea in itself, as entertaining, and supposedly harmless as it seemed, introduced an awe and reverence for something or someone else aside from God Almighty. Or is that ‘too extreme’ to consider?

Fast forward to over a decade later, the historical show may have seen its last season, but the legacy of stars being worshipped did not begin with American Idol, thus it didn’t end when the show ended either.

Before, a person was highlighted for achieving something significant, reaching a milestone in their career, or doing something heroic. Now, a star or rising star is often worshipped by the magazines and social media for irrelevant public stunts or who they are copulating with and romancing.

Everywhere you look, there is a celebrity being worshipped, hailed, and celebrated for simply breathing. The Kardashians may be the most popular reality TV stars our generation has ever seen just for being.

Friend, when did stars become idols in our eyes?

Or does it not relate to you?

I for one remember a season not too long ago when the Lord called me to be in solitude and showed me the errors of my mind.

“All hail Queen Bee!” “Long lives the King of Pop!” Yes, I loved MJ and Beyonce. I was in company with friends who greatly favored popular musicians like them. Every album had to be downloaded, whether I enjoyed the songs or not, it wasn’t about the music, it was about the star! I blogged about them, I researched about them, and even aspired to be like them.

At one point, it was my job in a social media internship to know everything new that was happening with today’s ‘celebrities’!

Do you know how much time, effort, and dedication goes into the gossip columns and celebrity news that you long to hear about each day?!!!

When friend, did that star, that thing, that job, become your idol?

I have witnessed many close to me follow the journey of one successful person after another, misplacing the inspiration they feel with a form of idolatry they don’t even realize. Somehow along the line of appreciating talent and skill in man, we forget to guard that place where we love GOD with all of our heart, all of our mind, and all of our soul.

I believe it’s time for us to take inventory and consider our ways. I mean, a true introspection that leads to discovery.

What or whom have you been worshiping rather than God?

What or whom has been occupying your mind and heart in place of your Most High Father who calls you His beloved?

Yes, ideas and goals can be the idols too. Yes, that relationship or friendship can be the idol too.

Forgive us O Lord for not loving you as we should. Forgive us O Lord for not honoring you as we should. Forgive us O Lord for putting anything and anyone before You over and over again. Father please forgive us. Show us the error of our ways Lord. May the Lord open our eyes today, and our hearts be renewed with the right Spirit. May we begin to walk in truth and give all the honor and adoration to WHOM it belongs in Jesus name. AMEN.

WHEN IT ALL BEGAN – READ THE VERY FIRST MESSAGE HERE!

No Longer A Slave To Fear (II)

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, “Abba! Father!”

Romans 8:15

It means that when the sovereign God created you, HE did not make room for you to be fearful of anything or anyone, but HIS GREAT NAME.

And this same God tells us in Proverbs chpt 9 vs 10, that,

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Friend, the fear of the Lord empowers you! So any other kind of fear can only try to enslave or shackle you. But glory be to God that no weapon formed against you shall prosper in Jesus name!

I wonder how much room you have allowed fear in your life, in your territory, and in the lives of your loved ones. I wonder how much permission you have given for fear to reside in your mind and in your spirit.

Don’t you know that you serve a God of angel armies?! Don’t you know that the God of Elijah, daily surrounds you with His chariots of fire?! If God be for you, who or what can be against you?!!!

One of the most powerful songs I have ever heard is titled, No Longer A slave by Bethel Music, here are some of its words,

You unravel me with a melody
You surround me with a song
Of deliverance from my enemies
‘Til all my fears are gone

I’m no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God

From my mother’s womb
You have chosen me
Love has called my name
I’ve been born again
Into your family
Your blood flows through my veins

…

I am surrounded
By the arms of the father
I am surrounded
By songs of deliverance

We’ve been liberated
From our bondage
We’re the sons and the daughters
Let us sing our freedom…

And I am grateful to God for the Spirit of truth to help us receive the truth as sons and daughters of the Almighty God.

Friend, I decree today that you are no longer a slave to fear in Jesus name. I declare it today in the mighty name of God that the strongholds of fear in every crevice of your life break free in Jesus name! May you shake off the spirit of fear and arise as the fearless child of God that you were created to be in Jesus name! Amen!

No Longer A Slave To Fear (I)

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

2 Timothy 1:7

Fear.

It is one of the most dangerous emotions any man can ever know. Anyone can attest to the chaos that goes on in their minds when they feel trampled by fear. Fear is so powerful and can be just as destructive as anger.

Especially for a believer, fear is king in deception. Fear can make you see what is not there. It can make you think yourself out of logic and truth. Fear can make you feel or hear things that do not exist. And then take you even a step further, fear will make you do things you cannot explain. Fear takes your control away.

Fear is the enemy’s most lethal weapon. As long as you are afraid, the enemy thinks he can have you and control you, making you do things that are not in alignment with your faith in the One who is All-powerful.

Fear has been used from the beginning of time by the wicked to enslave and conquer.

You see, when you have the spirit of fear, your enemy does not need to do much to make you come to your knees because it is really your own fear that has the power to make you crumble. But I give thanks to our Father for revealing His truth to us.

The scripture above testifies to God’s truth when He Alone formed you and I in our mother’s wombs. God DID NOT create you with the spirit of fear!

I’ll say that again. GOD. DID. NOT. CREATE. YOU. WITH. THE. SPIRIT. OF. FEAR.

Rather, you and I have been created with the spirit of power, love, and a sound mind.

Friend, do you understand what that means?!!! FINISH READING HERE

Steps Of Fear Or Faith?

“A man’s heart deviseth his way, but the Lord directeth his steps.”

Proverbs 16:9

Walking with God mandates walking in faith. But because the ways and thoughts of God are so much higher than ours, we often take steps out of fear than out of faith, especially when we stumble upon situations that challenge the power of our faith.

I wonder if like me, you have become sensitive to your Spirit that lets you know when you are moved by fear and not by faith.

One statement sums up this word – If God is ordering your steps, then you ought to know that your feet are moved by faith in HIM who knows where you begun and where you will end.

So it brings me to ask you, are your steps ordered by God?

or by the plans that your own heart has devised using the gifts from God but outside the will of God?

Think about it. Right now, you are afraid of something. What is it?

What fear has cornered you to a state of uncertainty? What fear has slowly pushed you to a place of loneliness? What fear has got your tongue tied that you are not even sure if speaking life and power and truth to that thing would make it bow? What fear has been motivating your steps, ways, habits, thought-pattern, and attitudes towards the future?

Friend, I ask you again, are your steps ordered by God? Have you been taking steps of faith or steps of fear?

HAVE YOU BECOME A SLAVE TO FEAR?

See, the beauty of having the Lord as your Shepherd, is that HE is the One guiding you. His words, His rod, His staff, His truth, and His all-knowing wisdom is more than enough to get you from here to there. Don’t you know that having God means having everything you will ever need to be all that HE called you to be? So what are you really afraid of?

You are never alone.

HE who walks beside you is also the One that has gone before you to set your stage. Be not afraid.

Yes, there might be moments of confusion, weakness, and vulnerability but you must remember that a willing spirit will always triumph over a weak flesh, if you let the Spirit lead. Christ was willing to go to the cross no matter the pain of crucifixion and betrayal that he himself foresaw. We both know He rose again after death and was victorious.

Friend, you too will be victorious in Jesus name!

But not without being grounded in the faith that HE who called you did not call you into fear, but from faith to faith and glory to glory.

I pray today that your steps be ordered by the Most High God as you walk fearlessly in purpose in Jesus name. Amen.

Your Surrender Is Your Freedom

Obedience brings clarity. Obedience brings confidence. Obedience brings peace…

Imagine having an army of God’s angels behind you and still walking up to any man and asking them if you are worthy or good enough. How crazy does that sound to you?!

Confident people don’t go around hoping for validation or confirmation about anything because they know there is a Mighty God backing them up.

What if I told you that you would have every single thing you need and more if you just surrender to the will of God?!

Just say yes.

You’ve been running long enough, hiding long enough, avoiding long enough. This commitment is inevitable.

Friend, just say yes.

I would be lying to you if I said that your flesh will be as willing as your spirit to heed the call of God.

There will come a time, sooner rather than later, that you will feel the shift in your body, you will feel the discomfort in your flesh as your spirit kills off the you that was attached to the flesh. You will feel your flesh fighting to live as you refuse to feed it any longer. You will feel as though there is total chaos going on inside of you. But you will thank God for it. Because the battle is not yours, it’s the Lord’s.

You will start to want and do things that you never thought you would want. You will start to look forward to that secret place, that quiet time with your Maker, to simply bask in the glory of His companion. You will want a closeness to God like you never imagined and it will overwhelm you. But it will also elevate you.

It is when you say yes, that the power of God in you is activated and will then command all the thoughts and principalities that aimed to exalt itself above God’s calling on your life, to bow down and succumb to the living Spirit inside of you.

Friend, don’t you know that your surrender is your freedom?!!!

Christ laid down His life to set you free! Free of the pain and bondage of this passing world. And please know that this world will pass. But the Word of God shall remain forever. Christ was the Word that became flesh to set you free.

Why won’t you say yes? Why won’t you surrender to God?

Friend, what are you so scared of? What exactly do you think you’d be giving up, that the Kingdom of God can’t restore tenfold?!

When you heed the Call of the Most High, you become free of so many of the world’s ills. You become free of sin, free of judgment, free of insecurities, free of hate, free of lack, free of doubts, free of confusion, free of strongholds, and free of the convicting lies of this world.

Many of us think that saying yes to God means saying “No” to fun while alive. Yet, heeding the call of the Most High God as His chosen, is the complete opposite. Your agreement with God aligns you with the very best and nothing less. Laughter, hope, goodness, and overflowing blessings. Does that resemble misery at all?!

All that you have been chasing does not even come close to the greatness of your God!

With your surrender comes faith, hope, and eternal life! Christ gave up His own life to make sure of it!

Friend, just say yes.

I say Yes with you today in faith and hope that our heavenly Father will look down upon us and renew our minds to follow Him and Him alone in Jesus name. Amen.

Your Alignment With A Down-grader Of God – Part 3

“And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM…”

Exodus 3:14

Friend, how many people do you know in your life, even in your spiritual environment, that has the belief in something greater, but are not convinced that it is God?!

The Spirit says it is time for you to assess your alignment.

Who has God placed in your path? Who has God shown you is in need of prayer and intercession to see God for themselves?

Don’t you know that everyone who falls in place as you walk in alignment, is also part of what you have been assigned to do?

In the past, (even as I ignorantly malnourished my spirit by feeding my flesh) it was so easy for me to dismiss someone whose spirit did not reflect mine. But I thank God for a maturity in calling and new wisdom on every new height in the journey.

That person or persons whose perception of God does not match yours, has been placed in your path for a reason. I urge you today to seek God for the answer as you discover your alignment with those who down-grade His power and Being.

Perhaps their destination begins with you. Perhaps a new journey within your divine purpose begins with them. Ask God. But whatever you do, do not dismiss them. Do not miss God by falling on your own knowledge alone.

Consider that this person or force that downgrades God is motivated by powers that they are not aware of but you are. It says in Ephesians chpt 6 vs 12 that,

we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

God did not create His children with a spirit that down-grades His power, so this person you have come across was not born with this purpose-opposing decree. You and I know how hard the enemy will work to instill lies into the heart of a child of God.

This is why it is so important that you understand the placement of such forces along your journey.

I know that in the brief moment of the encounter yesterday, I didn’t care where I was or what my knowledge was, I was moved by the Spirit of God to continue the conversation with the young lady and to look past the words out of her mouth but into the longing inside her soul. She wanted to believe in what was greater. She wanted to hear God speak. Something within her made her believe in what she believes in. And if she was confident in her belief, she would have been able to tell me what exactly she meant by “Higher power.”

How many others have you encountered? Do you know that you will still encounter many more?

I pray for you and me. I pray that the LORD of hosts, who has called us for His glory and Majesty, will fill us with new wisdom, new confidence, and a renewed sense of purpose to recognize what HE alone has placed in our paths. May He also grant us the patience and humility to speak of Him to others as they too draw nearer to their individual calling in Jesus name. Amen.

Your Alignment With A Down-grader Of God – Part 2

“And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM…”

Exodus 3:14

Admittedly, my day ended yesterday without me giving another thought to the conversation. But thank goodness for a persistent Spirit of God.

It was not until this morning that the Spirit revealed to me that indeed the brief interaction with the young lady was a part of my alignment with God in this journey of purpose.

All through high school and college, I have met so many of God’s children whose identity has somehow been shuffled in the unfolding chaos and mysteries of life. We’ve got the atheists, the devil worshipers, the churches of Satan, the churches of Scientology, the believers in a greater power, but not God.

Billions of God’s own creation, instigated by the enemy and separated by belief and the lack of, and the ills of man-made religion. My prayers remain fervent for them and I believe that in due time, our heavenly father will reveal to them who HE is.

In the past, I have disregarded the existence of these ideals and those who held it because I felt the need to protect what I held on to no matter what internal struggles I dealt with daily to hold on to it still. Thus, I made certain to keep a safe distance from those whose spirits were against my Spirit.

God was, is, and will always be God! There is Only One God! There is no other GOD!

Yesterday’s interaction with the young lady was a revelation that brought back into memory, the many lost souls in my world that are waiting for God to speak or show up. They are waiting for a miracle, something outside the ordinary to become aware of the existence and eternal Being of the one and only Creator of heaven and earth!

And do you know it takes just one? It takes just one interaction, one revelation, one life-altering-mind-consuming moment for God to make His presence known to whom He chooses?! His will be done in Jesus name!

I mean sometimes I come to a place of momentary envy when I consider the intimate interactions that God had with His chosen ones in the old testament.

I AM THE LORD,” resonates all through the old testament!

And here we are over 2000 years later, and there are still many wondering, “Is HE really?” “Does HE exist?” “who is HE?”

I wonder if you know anyone like that in your life.

Friend, are you aware of your alignment with the down-graders of the Most High God? FINISH READING HERE

Your Alignment With A Down-grader Of God – Part 1

“And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM…”

Exodus 3:14

Everyday I stand in awe of the diversity there is in the make of God’s children. The believer and the non-believers. The worshipers and non-worshipers. The club-goers and non-club-goers. The drinkers and non-drinkers. The sexually promiscuous, sexually inactive and the virgins. The preacher and the non-preachers.

Yet, we are all sinners saved by grace and mercy.

Yesterday, I entered the place of my old job seeking someone in particular but God placed someone else in my path, so a very brief conversation took place. The young lady and I are not too familiar with one another. She didn’t even recognize me enough to recall my name at first.

I was like, ‘I know her,’ she said to me with laughter.

I asked about the friend I had hoped to see when I came, and was informed that she had gone home for the day. I then added that I had not spoken to my friend in quite some time since we had planned an outing to a gospel concert a few weeks ago.

Oh you both do the Christian church thing,” she stated.

church thing? I take it you don’t believe then?” I responded.

Then the following words came out of her mouth…

I mean I used to talk to God and He never talked back so I don’t talk to Him anymore,” she said nonchalantly, adding a dismissive wave.

Oh. So what do you now talk to?” I asked.

She said, “I mean I believe in a Upper power and Being but not God.”

The Spirit did not let the conversation end without speaking through me to tell her that whether she knew it or not, liked it or now, actively believed or not, what she believed in was GOD. Although she may have spoken out of playfulness when she said perhaps I can talk to Him for her, it resonated with me.

You getting too deep girl right now girl,” was the last response she gave in a tired voice, as another dismissive wave came about.

As we parted ways, I assured her that I would definitely talk to God for her. CONTINUE READING HERE

The Greatness In You Is Greater Than You – Part 1

“But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.”

Matthew 23:11

The greatest man that ever lived was a servant! Remember him? His name was Jesus. The greatness of our Savior began with His being the son of man and of the Holy Spirit, but ended with Him being the servant who died to grant the world salvation.

Now if anyone disagrees, I say show me another man who was crucified, died, was buried, and rose again!.

There is only One.

How ironic is it that the greatest leaders are those who serve their followers? Pastors intercede for church members, civil right leaders give encouragement to their followers, presidents serve (are supposed to at least) the greater needs of the society, and the list goes on.

And if there was ever a doubt to be had about such an ideal, allow me to remind you of that time that Jesus, the Messiah, the King of kings, the Great Healer, the Shining Star, the bright and morning Sun, yes, that Jesus.

Remember the time He washed the feet of His disciples?! Not one of them, not the one He loved most (Peter), but all of their feet. In all His grandeur and greatness, Jesus served those that followed Him by washing their feet. And then in the greater context of His Salvation mission, Jesus inevitably served you and I by dying on the cross to put sin to death on behalf of God’s children.

It is no coincidence that Jesus referred to us as His own brethren.

Can you think of any greater service than giving up your life, and carrying the burdens of sinners to the grave, then rising again to give them new life? And not once asking for anything in return?!!! Jesus served. Hence, His greatness is forever glorified in all the earth and heavens.

Friend, have you at all given any thought to the greatness in you?

I wonder today if you are like me and have been feeling the pull to a greater call beyond what you are doing and what your convictions are based on your present circumstances.

The Word declares that,

Great is He who lives in me,”

So how can you expect for anything you do to be anything less than that which is in you? CONTINUE READING HERE