A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. (NKJV)
February 26, 2010
THE SPIRIT of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound,(A) 2To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord [the year of His favor] [a]and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,(B)
3To grant [consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion--to give them an ornament (a garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit--that they may be called oaks of righteousness [lofty, strong, and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice, and right standing with God], the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. (Isaiah 61)
Like Marvin Sapp says...let the Word do the work!
January 18, 2010
A Challenge for Believers on the Occasion of King's Holiday
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1 NKJV)
Today is national day of service in America and I wonder what our cities, our states, our churches and our schools would be like if all of us committed to this reasonable service for just one day?
..............................................
January 1, 2010 I don't know about you, but I am excited about what God is about to do in me and through me and my earnest goal is to fully cooperate. Already, I know that 2010 is going to be a water-walking kind of year. I searched and found the lyrics to a song I heard a few years back. The author is unknown, yet I am confident that this song is a word in due season. Let the lyrics bless you and then meditate on Matthew 14:28-36.
"Come On And Walk On The Water With Me"
When Peter came to Jesus, Upon the highway
He walked on water until he looked away.
Then Jesus said Peter, Oh ye of little faith
Take my hand and walk with me today.
Come on and walk on the water with me.
Come on and walk on the water with me.
For you will not fail, no you will not fail.
Take a leap in faith, March on out in the deep.
Be courageous, and get down off that bowl,
Keep your eyes on me, don't mind the wind or the waves.
There ain't nothing, nothing going to stop us now.
Come on and walk on the water with me.
Come on and walk on the water with me.
For you will not fail, no you will not fail.
You see I'am I'am, when the hurricanes roll.
In your midnight madness, I'll be your peace.
Don't you ever give up, no you better not give in.
Any moment now, your storm's going to cease.
Come on and walk on the water with me.
Come on and walk on the water with me.
For you will not fail, no you will not fail.
Why don't you walk on the water with me,
Take my hand, and walk on the water with me.
For you will not fail, no you will not fail.
Come on and walk on the water with me.
Come on and walk on the water with me.
(Author Unknown)
................................................
December 25, 2009
JESUS JESUS JESUS
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.( Isaiah 9:6)
As we approach yet another new year I pray that we will
Rejoice in His wonder
Exalt His counsel above any other
Be strengthened exclusively by His might
Recognize that His timing is based on an eternal clock and that waiting patiently goes with the territory
Rest in the knowledge that the Prince of Peace can keep us even when everything around us is chaotic.
.........................................
Now be sure to check out my blog and talk back to me, OK??
November 26, 2009 Dont Change That Dial!
Joy Up
This morning a Facebook friend reminded me of an old Tramaine Hawkins tune called “The Potter’s House”. I used to sing that song many years ago with zero knowledge of who the Potter was. Thanks be to God I know who He is now. Above all things I am thankful that I invited Him to come and live inside my heart and be my Savior and more importantly my Lord. Making Jesus Christ Lord gives Him Potter’s rights. My earnest goal is to allow Him to have His way in me--- to let Him excavate, renovate, retrofit or do whatever is necessary to make me the best me He designed me to be. We are works in progress destined to be Masterpieces if we let The Master who is our Christ have His way. My prayer for the holidays is that we who say we love the Lord would buckle up and ENJOY the ride.
Know that true joy is something that only happens from the inside out. I am reminded of an old King's Kids rap straight from Colossians 3:1-2 which speaks of setting your affections on things above--or rather on things that will be pleasing to Jesus Christ.
Imagine a dial-like control, a spiritual thermostat on the seat of your heart set on ENJOY. That would be pleasing to the Lord according to James 1:2 Then, imagine the Potter molding and shaping and allowing not so pleasant, even fiery circumstances to come in your life that will bless the final project.
Then imagine yourself praising and thanking God, seeking His face, remembering and focusing on His goodness, His character, His faithfulness in the midst of those circumstances.
This season I encourage you to keep your mind fixed on things above and joy up—no matter what comes your way. Whatever you do, don’t change that dial!
2Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. James 1:2 (Amplified Bible)
November 15, 2009
Thanksgiving: The gift that keeps on giving
“In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1Thessalonians 5:18
There is much talk today about the will of God and those of us who really love the Lord and are called according to His purpose can simplify our lives by heeding the word of the Lord in this verse.
So, do you want to be in the will of God? Then begin by giving thanks in everything. A powerful writer from an issue of “Leadership Today” magazine expressed this truth well. He said ‘make your thanksgiving thanks-living”. What an awesome way to end 2009. We can do this, ‘yes we can’ because we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
God in his infinite wisdom knew that we’d be living in tumultuous times. God knew that job and housing losses, relationship challenges, closed doors, haters, issues of the soul, moral depravity, deception, disappointment and doubt would beset us as we wrap up 2009. God knew that the events described in Matthew 24 would play out in the headlines right before our eyes. That is one of the many reasons I love our awesome, mighty, powerful, loving God so much. Our God loves us so much that He gives us the prescription long before the dis-ease even shows up. The Great Physician prescribes preventive medicine. Take note; He says ‘in everything give thanks’. Wonder what our lives would be like this holiday season if we just committed to obeying that word.
Thanksgiving magnifies God
Let me paint a picture for you. In Psalms 69:30 David connects thanksgiving with magnifying God and that’s great news considering how huge our circumstances can loom before us. I don’t know about you but if all I have to do is give thanks to make my God bigger than my rent when my job lays me off , that’s what I am willing to do and that is small stakes compared to the challenge David faced in this Psalm.
When David wrote Psalm 69, he was beset with unimaginable family problems. He had to live saved and be thankful in spite of his son's betrayal. ( 2 Samuel 15:1-18:9)
Far too many of us allow family matters to rob of of our thanksgiving. Husbands, wives, sons, daughters, siblings can rise up against us seemingly out of nowhere, but God never ceases to be worthy of our thanksgiving.
I can't even wrap my mind around or give a name to the emotion David must have felt when he heard that his son Absalom was trying to take the kingdom and was plotting to kill David. Some of you are probably thinking..."I brought you in this world and I'll take you out". Selah (pause and think about it)
To show you how high the stakes were in all this, David was described in scripture as a man of war.
( 2 Samuel 17:8) But rather than taking matters into his own hands, David allowed the thanksgiving he preached about to be thanksliving and let God rule, direct and control his actions . That is how big He chose to allow His God to be and if David can allow God to be bigger than his circumstances, even family matters, then we can too.
Thanksgiving is the gateway to God’s presence
In Psalms 100:4 the psalmist tells us to ‘enter into His gates with thanksgiving’. In Psalm 16 and Psalm 91 he says in God’s presence is fullness of joy and security. Then in Philippians 4:6-7 the writer Paul connects thanksgiving with peace. If I follow the biblical prescription to the letter then I will consistently give thanks no matter what. My thanksgiving will gain me entrance into His gates. That makes me an insider and when trouble comes my way my God will be so large that all I will see is Him. That gives me yet another reason to thank Him and it also stirs up my praise so I can get into his courts, draw even closer to Him. In his presence is fullness of joy. The closer I get to Him the safer I feel.
Thanksgiving guards our peace
That safety or security is grounds for more thanksgiving, more praise. I never shut down my thanksgiving and He delivers me out of all my fears. He even gives me irrefutable evidence of His ever present help in time of trouble---A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you. (Psalm 91:7) I can’t help but thank and praise Him. He’s so worthy.
I love also that He tells us to clothe our petitions and prayers in thanksgiving. Thanksgiving has to be our ever present attitude. He doesn’t want us to be anxious or fretting in any regard. (Philippians 4:6) If we’re practicing thanks-living our prayers will be full of expectation and we will be content with whatever state we find ourselves in.
That’s peace.
That’s being at ease.
That’s a divinely healthy way to live.
I cannot encourage us enough to choose thanksgiving as a 24-7 preoccupation in every season--at home with family, at school or at our jobs and businesses, and yes even in our job searching. We’ll all be glad we did.
October 26, 2009
A Word of Comfort
23Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men,
24Knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [and not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [real] reward. [The One Whom] you are actually serving [is] the Lord Christ (the Messiah).
Certainly the challenge of the hour is absorbing the truth of this word of wisdom from the Apostle Paul. Far too often we look to men and women for rewards---be it paychecks, promotions, validation,pats on the back, favors etc. That should not be the case for citizens of the kingdom of God. Those of us who are saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost have to keep our eyes and our minds stayed on Him who is our Christ, Savior and Lord. If we don't, we will be disappointed, frustrated, angry and generally 'tore up from the floor up'. I was talking with a young brother the other day who without even knowing it had made this Word his daily bread. The higher ups on his job had virtually abandoned a project they sent him out on. He was assigned to do a technical class in an area some folks would be afraid to go to after dark. He went in there boldly, made friends, signed people up and distributed the literature advertising the class. The literature boasted of high tech equipment but when the actual class started the company reneged on the promised technology. In effect, they told the brother to be creative until they could get the equipment installed.
Meanwhile, the students protested and there was about to be a credibility crisis. The company kept putting the brother off and ignoring his repeated requests for assistance. Brother kept pressing and working as unto the Lord, refusing to give up or settle for delivering less than the advertised class. Before long, he pressed and found routers, and unique wiring systems, ran cords over hills and dales.... simply to deliver the promised course with the spirit of excellence befitting one in the service of a true and living God.
It does not matter what work or school place we are assigned to go on a daily basis or who we keep company with when we get there. What matters is how we represent our beloved Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He holds the report card or evaluation that matters and our performance ought to be pleasing to Him no matter who or what comes our way.
True servants have a one track mind...pleasing the master. So, what will you do differently on tomorrow?
(feel free to comment or share by signing the guest book on the Contact Us page or e-mailing us at ministert@bencouraged.net)
As the fountain continued to flow out of this scripture this morning I began to think about something Dr. Mary Mcleod Bethune said. In a true moment of wisdom she said "cease to be a drudge, seek to be an artist." She was talking at the time to a people who, more often than not, were only offered jobs suitable for servants but the application of her words is timeless.
I thought about the challenges and what I usually viewed as the drudgery of moving and I had to check myself. I began to wonder what it would be like to do that work as unto the Lord and what it would be like to seek to discover the art of moving. I chuckled as I remembered the last time I moved. I remember trying to keep the flow of internet service in the transition from house to house. My plan was foiled at every turn and 40 phone calls and 3 technicians' visits later, I found myself at the local office of the service provider, standing face to face with a company representative. As saved as I believe I am and as phsically unfit as I was at that moment, after 45 minutes of reasoning with the rep I felt a leap rise up in me and I sensed that my blood had reached the temperature that would cause everything in me to jump over that counter and snatch that rep by the throat.
Thanks be to God though for His saving power. In an instant, I flashed on where I was on my way to and looked at the clock and saw that I was about to be late for my ministerial class and slowly began to swallow my words and put in reverse that fire God intended to use for His exclusive purposes. What a lesson. All that frustration and impatience about something so insignificant and all the while I noticed, in hindsight, that people were watching my blood pressure rise. What a lesson.
Flash forward to this week and a similar scenario with a utility service provider who will remain nameless... Delay of service for no logical reason ....an opportunity by phone to represent, to treat the task as a drudge or an art project.....This move is exhausting, but I shall not be moved from my place of joy, unspeakable joy....There are countless snafus, outright assaults, mishaps and I am seeing humor in everything.
This time before I got off the telephone with the rep, she was apologizing and talking about expediting the process. With all the Holy Ghost that is within me I was blessing the Lord throughout. It did not matter when service came anymore. All that mattered was that my behavior was God pleasing.
And now I can really rejoice because I realize that I have become an active participant---- a willing piece of clay, as the Lord sculpts out the masterpiece (me) one moment of testing at a time.
Drudgery brings out an attitude of resistance and everything I do is hard. Viewing my work, my daily comings and goings as artistry stirs up an attitude of rejoicing and cooperating is what I do. (Selah)
October 2, 2009
The Washing
According to Ephesians 5:26, we are cleansed by the washing of the water of God’s Word. Psalms 24:1 is the washing this morning. 1The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
As I rose to pray for favor and for God to move in the lives of so many people this morning I kept hearing myself say, it all belongs to you Lord…thank you that it all belongs to you. I was about to pray for a saint enroute to court today and I heard myself say...I thank you Lord that the judge and court belongs to you. As I proceeded to bombard heaven on behalf of those who needed houses for their families and resources for their ministries, I heard myself say, the cattle on a thousand hills belong to you, the houses belong to you, the banks and bankers and landlords belong to you Lord and I thank you. (Psalms 50:10) A parade of people who need to deepen their relationship with the Lord came across my mind and all I could utter was Lord I thank you that they all belong to you. Just causes came to my mind and I said thank you God that the outcome belongs to you. There were some people facing some gigantic trials and serious testing of their faith today and in my prayer time all I could say was I thank you Lord that their testing belongs to you. I flashed on a lion’s den and imagined Daniel resting in the knowledge that the lions belonged to His God. (Daniel 6) I saw a washing in the Body of Christ for those who would heed this word…a washing and a cleansing of the striving, a cleansing of the thinking that the giants were in control. (1 Samuel 17:45-51) They can’t be. They all belong to Him. The judges, the bankers, the landlords, the interviewers, the publishers, the employers, the prodigals…they all belong to Him. The earth is the Lord’s and everything and everyone in it belong to Him. I can’t get away from the thought that we have to shift our focus to simply doing like nature and the wind and the seas do. (Psalms 148:8; Matthew 8:27) We simply have to obey our God. We have to position ourselves to hear that still small voice and obey. We have to get in God’s presence and stay there. Thank you God that it all belongs to you. Thank you that nothing else matters. Thank you for a sure focus. Thank you for the peace that comes when I fix my mind on you. (Isaiah 26:3) Thank you.
September 29, 2009
Psalm 24 (New Living Translation)
A psalm of David.
1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.
The world and all its people belong to him.
2 For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas
and built it on the ocean depths. The encouragement here is that we, through a simple confession of faith in Jesus (Romans 10:9,10) are connected to the One who owns everything. The Lord owns the earth; He owns everything in the earth and everything on the earth. He owns the people, the cars, the rocks, the germs, the cures, the computers...everything.
I am blessed by the knowledge that He is so awesome and so large and in charge that he built the foundation of the earth on the seas. That is miraculous in itself. One might think that it would make more sense to build a foundation on dry land but God is not limited in that way because He owns the seas too. I can imagine He probably spoke to the sea and said "Be still" and the sea stood still long enough for God to handle His business. God has it like that and we who are connected to Him can simply rest in knowing that he takes care of His property, good care of His property. Our lives would be so much simpler if we would do like the sea and simply obey. If God says roar we ought to roar; if he says be still we ought to be still and stay that way long enough for God to handle His business. Obey today. There is no greater way!
August 27, 2009 But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully.
(1 Peter 3:15 in the Amplified Bible)
At the gym we check our pulses to get a fix on how much activity we can safely engage in or how much our activity of the day has impacted our hearts. 1 Peter 3:15 is a great scripture to check our spiritual pulse or really to check out the state of our hearts before we go about our day. I like seeking the Lord early and then as often through the day as I can. I learned from Pastor Jean (my mentor, friend and former Pastor, that a thank you Jesus on your lips and heart continuously (Psalm 34:1) keeps you connected with the Lord. I remember when I was a baby Christian hanging out with her that I would see or hear her whispering thank you Jesus over and over and over again...while she was cooking or washing dishes or any of her everyday ordinary tasks. It was a lifestyle, routine, habitual activity.....and boy o boy was she connected and still is. The fruit of her staying connected through praise and obedience, was that a lot of us who sat at her feet were able to catch how to walk this walk. She always had an answer, always had a reason for the hope inside of her.
No doubt we can be ready to give an answer if we follow her example. We simply have to put the Lord in a special, exalted place in our hearts, a throne, so to speak and let Him rule from there. That's the sanctifying...We set Him apart as Lord as ruler as King. We obey the still small voice in the ordinary, everyday things. We keep our mind fixed or stayed on Him and acknowledge Him in all of our ways. Even when our lips aren't moving and we're sitting in our offices working there is a thank you Jesus resounding in our hearts. Developing the habits of non-stop praise, acknowledging and obeying God, and eating the Word of God like we eat chips and chicken keeps us connected. When we are connected we have a mouthful of evidence for the hope that lies within us. We know more than that His name is Jesus. We know Him personally...we know what He likes and what he dislikes..we know little intimate things about Him. We have hung out with Him, tried Him and have experience with His goodness. We have tasted and seen how good God is for ourselves. So, when someone comes along and asks about the hope that lies within us, we are not only ready with an answer, but we can share what we know with ''meekness and fear". It's a bold expression because we know like David that we are speaking with the backing of heaven. We reverence and stand in awe of the one that has been with us, saved us and brought us through so much. We can be meek about it simply because we know what we know what we know.....
I woke up this morning with my mind stayed on Jesus...haleluu, halleluu...hallleluuuia
August 10, 2009 11:45PM I feel impressed to post a picture and let it do the talking. Here goes!
August 2, 2009 6:40AM
Philippians 4:6-7 (Amplified Bible)6Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. 7And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus
July 24, 2009 4AM A believing friend was insightful enough to post 1 Timothy 4:12 on Facebook this morning and the preach in me was stirred instantly. I have a new revelation about being instant in season.
Be refreshed and renewed by 1 Timothy 4:12.
"Be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity."
In my mind when I hear be an example in word, I think of 'keeping it'--keeping my word and the Word---and I am reminded that my word is my bond. A number of questions are stirred in my heart. Have I made a promise to anyone lately that I have reneged on? Am I walking acording the scriptures, so that when people follow me they will be following Christ, the living Word? Is the conductor of my conduct the Holy Spirit? Do I love like Jesus loved, sacrificing my own interests to please my heavenly Father? Can God count on me to believe Him no matter what it looks like? Have I said like David lately, Lord create in me a clean heart and renew a right Spirit in me? Did I mean it when I said it? Selah.
July 22, 2009
Join the '5 after' movement.....unite in prayer wherever you are at 5 after the hour as often as the Lord would lead you....'5 after'...cry out for youth, youth leaders, young and old....that God would save, heal, deliver, strengthen in the faith...cry out '5 after'
July 18, 2009
Hearing Aids for Believers
Part One
Know that in God’s eyes, hearing is married to obeying. When you put hearing and obeying together the marriage produces intimate fellowship, faith and a solid foundation.
If you have been crying out for more of Jesus Christ…desiring to have every void in your life filled, then you’ve come to the right place.
Gone are the days when we have to wonder how to get closer to God. It’s wrapped up in hearing and obeying Him. Gone are the days when we have to wonder about how to get more faith. It’s wrapped up in our hearing and obeying. Gone are the days when we have to wonder about how to stand without wavering. It’s wrapped up in hearing and obeying the Lord.
Let’s deal with the intimate fellowship result first .
In John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Now in the natural realm, where relationships are concerned, making one’s abode or moving in and making yourself at home with another says the relationship has gone to another level. In the spirit realm there’s a drawing nigh (James 4:8) unto the Lord to be in sync with Him and to be pleasing to Him 24/7. When we walk hearing and obeying we can hang with the Lord. We can enjoy being in His presence. It’s almost magnetic. The more we obey the closer we get and the closer we get the more we want to obey.
We don’t have to walk around in our own skin fearing being exposed for disobeying. We don’t have to cover up anything. Adam disobeyed and severely damaged the intimacy for all times. (Somebody say thank God for Jesus)
If your heart is clean isn’t it ever so much easier to walk around the house in total transparency. The songwriter sung “Just a closer walk with thee, grant it Jesus is my plea”. Well that prayer has already been answered if we are keepers of his Word.
If we are not, this song ought to be the cry of our heart.
The days are getting short and it is time out for repenting every 30 seconds because we refuse to give up the reins to our hearts. The same God that knocked on the door of our hearts when he saved us is knocking again. This time He is on the inside trying to get us to let Him into that secret place we have been holding out on. It could be a place of brokenness that only He can heal. Let Him in. It could be an old wound we thought we'd already overcome…… until somebody brings up that name that makes you see red.
Let Jesus in.
Revelation 3:20 says ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Many of us are right on the threshold of moving to another level in the Lord and are hindered by just that little itty bitty thing we won’t let go of.
I double dare you to try obeying every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God this week. Whether the Lord is speaking through the scripture or lovingly tugging on your reins to quiet you or to get you speak up or to put the fork down or say yes to that promotion or to walk away from that dead end relationship….just do it. Hear and obey. ‘Tis the only way to sweet intimate fellowship with our precious Lord.
------------ ---------------------- -----------------------
Be sure to visit us again for part two of Hearing Aids for Believers by Elder Teirrah McNair
Also if you have questions, comments or prayer requests be sure to go to our 'contact us' page and let us know. You may also simply e-mail us at ministert@bencouraged.net
April 27, 2009 So, what's your prayer life like? by Segun Salako
Beloved, glorious day to you all. We want to look at a subject so crucial and important as prayer, for
every religion on earth prays but who they pray to is a different issue. As Christians we pray to the GOD
that answers prayer and it’s been statistically proven today that Christians are not praying today since we
now have so many things to lean on. As you read on, enjoy and allow GOD to minister to you.
Paul the apostle went to Lystra and preached Christ and God backed up his words with signs. A man
impotent from his mother’s womb was healed. (Acts 14) The multitude, having never seen such a display of
power, shouted "the gods are come down to us in the form of men", but Paul and Barnabas shouted "we are
men like you".
Men like you. What a profound statement! Elijah the Old Testament saint was also described as such in
James 5:17. What was it that made all these people different? What have they that seems to have eluded
the 21st century church? The summation of Elijah’s life is in two words: "he prayed". What a way to describe
a life well spent. Prayer was also the thing Paul and Barnabas devoted themselves to before they could achieve
such exploits.
The Bible has shown us ordinary men that were lifted above the ordinary realms of mere mortals. They became
superhuman through genuine encounters in prayer, for they understood that PRAYER IS MAN`S GREATEST
MEANS OF TAPPING THE INFINITE RESOURCES OF GOD.
People in the early church were men and women of tremendous power. They had great opposition. What we call
opposition or persecution today is child`s play compared to what they had; however, they were still able to turn
the world upside down. Why were they so powerful? The answer is simple-- Acts 6:4 ..’but we will give
ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word’.
Today the average Christian spends little time in prayer. We are most times too busy to pray and there is a
saying, "when you’re too busy to pray, you’re busier than GOD intended". You’re also too busy to have power,
for no man can possess divinity without tangible hours spent in prayer.
Beloved, this thing ought not to be! So, let’s get back to our closets and become mighty with GOD so we can begin
to issue decrees and there will be compliance. Let’s come off all the things we lean on. For instance, if we need
money the first thing the society tells us is get a credit card or a loan but GOD said HE owns the cattle on a
thousand hills. What are the problems we are facing right now; what are your challenges?
I would like to round up with this hymn. I pray the LORD minister to you. Be blessed
“What a privilege to carry everything to GOD in prayer; oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain
we bear, all because we do not carry everything to GOD in prayer”
As you take time to pray in this season of open heaven, you will of necessity have a testimony.
Shalom !
Segun Salako
Minstrel
Segun Salako is the CEO of Minstrel Ministries in London and writes regularly for the group,
'No More Games' on Facebook.
April 8, 2009
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ
died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that He rose again the
third day according to the scriptures.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for dying on the cross for me. I especially appreciate the fact that when you had a chance in the garden to
renege, you pressed past your flesh and chose to die anyhow. That was special. I also appreciate you for staying on
task no matter what-- Tent of flesh pitched, tent of flesh served God’s purpose, tent of flesh died. What an awesome
example of what we should do with our flesh. Thank God for you. Even as I pray this prayer Lord, I think about how
much of my will is still so ever present and how I long to be able to say like you did, not my will but thy will be done.
I thank God for this season of refocusing, of putting your death, burial and resurrection in the proper perspective. I thank
you for following through on the whole plan. I thank you for the significance of the burial. I thank you that you could have
come down from that cross and ended it right there but you didn’t. You loved me too much to half do it. I thank you that
you died and stayed dead until the appointed time. I thank you for assigning Joseph of Arithmathaea to get your body, wrap
you in that linen and place you in the tomb. I thank you for the stirrings of unbelief among the public officials that caused
them to seal that tomb. I thank you for the diligence and timing of the Marys’. I thank you that they showed up just in time
to discover that you had risen just like you said.
I thank you for how all of this impacts my life.
I thank you for the daily dying of my flesh. I thank you for the burying of fleshly issues and the arising of your Spirit in me.
I thank you for the joy of saying I don’t have to go there anymore or that doesn’t hurt like it used to. I thank you that you have
taken everything the enemy intended for harm in my life and turned it into good. I thank you for every naysayer, every test,
every encourager,every victory, every person you used as sandpaper to smooth out the rough edges in my life. I thank you for
the road ahead and the promise of your return. I thank you for loving me and covering me so that I might go forward with
absolute confidence that you will perform the good work you started in me until the day of your return.
And now God, for every heart that lacks courage to let go and allow your Holy Spirit to reign, I speak release; for every body
that is ill or ridden with disease, I pray healing and divine health be their portion, and for every heart that has not discovered
the power of true repentance I pray that you give them ears to hear and obey in Jesus’ name. Amen
March 9, 2009
Psalms 99:5 Exalt ye the Lord our God and worship at His footstool; for He is holy.
"For I am indeed looking for footstool worshippers", saith the Lord. "I am looking for worshippers who will bow lower than ever before who will submit more than ever before to my Spirit and my truth. For that is what I meant when I said, worship me in Spirit and in truth. So, who will submit to my Holy Spirit even when flesh rises up like a goliathan giant, seeking to dominate, seeking to control? Who will submit? Who will submit to the truth of my word despite the flood of lies that come your way? Whose report will you believe? Will you believe the report of the Lord? Who will worship me in spirit according to my leading; who will worship me in truth acknowledging, believing, acting on my Holy Word? For I am not a man who should lie nor the son of man that he should repent. You can take me at my Word---I do hasten to perform my word in your lives? So find yourself in that bowed down position. Bow down and worship. For I am looking for footstool worshippers who will bow low and exalt me high."
John 4:24 James 4:7 Galatians 5:16 Isaiah 53:1 Numbers 23:19 Jeremiah 1:12
February 8, 2009
The Weather Report by Elder Teirrah McNair
As I sat under the dryer in the beauty shop today, the Lord began to stir a song up in me. The words were :
Come celebrate there’s a breaking in the storm. Come on celebrate there’s a breaking in the storm, Come celebrate there’s a breaking in the storm, halleluia.
Come on appreciate there’s cleansing in the storm Come appreciate there’s cleansing in the storm, come appreciate there’s cleansing in the storm, halleluia.
Go get your stuff, there’s a breaking in the storm. Go get your stuff there’s a breaking in the storm Go get your stuff there’s a breaking in the storm, halleluia.
Come on celebrate there’s a breaking in the storm
Now I recall singing another song over 18 years ago before I was saved. I was in the church choir but I was not saved. I even sung the lead for a song I did not understand then, but I understand it now. That song was “I’ll Never Stop Praising the Lord” by Shirley Ceasar. If ever a confession brought forth possession, this was the case here. My lips said it, sung it then, but now my heart owns it. I live it. So when God said to me today… celebrate, there’s a breaking in the storm I knew that he was talking about a little something more than simply praise. In fact, I had to walk about for a spell to catch hold of the fullness of this song.
When people began to celebrate the King holiday at first, the focus was on praising the man and remembering his good deeds. That was a good thing and highly appropriate. After a few years though people realized that to really honor King, we should do things that King did. People began to use that day to engage in works and projects that would advance King’s cause. It was almost as if our goal became to do greater things than even he did. That’s when we took the celebration to another level.
I believe that is what God is saying for us about the cause of the King of Kings in this hour. If we are going to really honor God, we have to advance His cause
Dictionary.com defines celebrate :observe with ceremonies, proclaim and praise widely, honor, applaud, commend, honor by solemn rites, refrain from ordinary business
When God said celebrate, he meant honor Him by coming away from the ordinary, and focusing on the extraordinary. Pause and think about that and then let your mind travel to Noah. Read Genesis 6:22 Thus did Noah according to all that God commanded him, so did he. (Obedience=his MO. his handle)
I can only imagine what Noah and his folks must have felt like when there was a breaking in that storm thousands of years ago. As I think of that passage of scripture in Genesis, chapters 6-8, I am reminded of who brought the word that the storm was over and who brought the word that it was time to walk out into a new day into a new place. The messenger was a dove (Genesis 8:11) and I can connect that passage with the dove lighting on Jesus at the time of his baptism in Luke 3:22. That dove represents our precious Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth.
In Genesis, the dove brought Noah an olive leaf as a sign that the storm was over. Olives when squeezed produce oil and that oil is symbolic of the anointing or enabling power of the Holy Spirit. You cannot separate the Holy Spirit from power. Acts 1:8 says ye shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. When the Holy Spirit lighted upon Jesus as he came out of the water in Luke 3:22, the human part of Him was enabled to do what He needed to do and to take what He needed to take to fulfil the purpose of God.
Oh yeah, we’re going to celebrate alright….we have to walk out of the hum drum ordinary, everyday r-a-i-n rain rain and get with the extraordinary r-e-i-g-n reign reign. I can only imagine how creative Noah’s family had to become living for those 150 plus days with 8 people and a whole lot of animals in close quarters with no knowledge of when the storm would end and no knowledge of when the waters would subside so they could get off the ark.
The writer of Genesis reports though, that the very first thing Noah did when they got off the ark was build an altar and offer up a burnt offering unto the Lord. That burnt offering or sacrifice in the Old Testament has become for us in the New Testament a sacrifice of praise. Hebrews 13:15 tells us the sacrifice of praise ought to happen continually. Think about it. When you are in the storm you are praising God for keeping you and when the storm breaks you are praising God that you are not in the storm anymore. It’s the refrain in the song ‘I’ll never stop praising the Lord’. That’s the ordinary. It’s the everyday and God is saying ‘celebrate’ and that means move into the extraordinary. Of course you are praising, but there is so much more.
The celebrating God desires from us in this hour is captured in Genesis 9:1.
After the breaking in the storm in Genesis God blessed Noah and his sons first and then commanded them to be fruitful and multiply. (Genesis 9:1) Know that producing fruit honors God in an extraordinary way. (John 15:8) Herein is my father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
The simple truth of producing fruit for us means we have to draw so close to Him that His character becomes our character. We look like Jesus. We sound like Him and we do the things that He would do. There is a reason why Matthew, Mark, Luke and John report that Jesus couldn’t go anywhere without the multitudes following Him. He walked in the extraordinary all the time. His godly character was always intact in spite of the hecklers and nay sayers. What’s more, miracles were His M.O. It should be the same for us according to the scriptures. Jesus said we would do even greater things than He did. John 14:12 He has given us His Holy Spirit to enable us to both storm-walk with a godly character intact as well as to command the winds and the waves to obey just like He did. If our character is intact, somebody ought to be following us too. How about multitudes? How about folks following us as we follow Christ for real? How about us being so full of love, joy, peace, gentleness, faith, temperance that folks start to follow us to get what we got; then they get Jesus and folks start following them and they get saved and start living it and so on and so on. That’s being fruitful and multiplying and that truly honors our God.
I’m telling you that God is looking for folks willing to honor him in an extraordinary way. That is what He means when He says celebrate.
The second verse of that song says appreciate the cleansing in the storm The storms in our lives ought to break off, wash away the nonsense, the unbelief and any insane attachments to stuff (material or emotional) that does not matter so we can recognize what’s really real and important for keeping God in the place He deserves to be in our lives. John 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. It shouldn’t be hard to appreciate cleansing because our role model Jesus was clean and we want to be like Him. Oh yes we do.
The final verse of my hair dryer song says Go get your stuff, there’s a breaking in the storm. We must be careful to interpret the word stuff correctly. Every promise in the Bible is ours and that’s the stuff we need to go get. Go get the stuff He promised to those of us who walk uprightly. Go get so much peace from Him that folks calm down and rest in your presence. Go get so much of His joy that people do you like they do the comedian Cedric the Entertainer--- they just start smiling when you come into the room because they know you are going to bring them up. He promised to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory thru Christ Jesus. Go get your stuff. He said healing was the children’s bread…whose child are you? Go get your stuff .
God wants to do extraordinary things with ordinary folks like you and me. I encourage you to let Him have His way.
January 16, 2009
God's People Called by His Name
On Sunday, October 12, 2008 at 10:30 AM, people called by God's name are stepping outside church walls and standing on the Word in 2 Chronicles 7:14. The move called Hands Across the Cities started in Oakland, California and is catching on in cities globally. It is also no coincidence that a move called '40 days of prayer and fasting' is in the works in California and is causing believers there to unite in prayer.http://www.PrayCalConnect.org
This is our time and our season. In the time of Moses the children of Israel moved with the cloud. (Exodus 13:21) That cloud represented the presence of a true and living God ordering their steps. Today, we recognize that the still small voice of the Holy Spirit leads and guides us into the truth of when and how to move. Our cities are torn with violence and sin of every sort. 2 Chronicles 7:14 tells us that we who name the name of Jesus are the answer. What will you do to encourage your city today? Will you move with the cloud of His presence? II Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land
Before we can even get to a place of humility, prayer and repentance we must rest in knowing that we are truly God’s people, called by His name. The children of Israel in the Old Testament had great difficulty with this fact of life and in 2008 some of us may not be embracing this truth as we should. The question then is who are the people who are called by God’s name? The awesome thing about the answer to this question is that it causes us to hold up the Word of God like a mirror to see if we qualify. It also should cause us to look around us and see if our light is shining as intensely as it should in a time and a season when it is not fashionable to be a practicing, bold Christian. The greater call in this scripture is not simply that we wear the name but that we stand up for Christ and all He stands for 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Being called by God’s name is a tall ticket but thanks be to God that He has given us His own precious Holy Spirit to dwell within us and to lead, instruct and control us every step of the way. Are you up to the challenge?
Names are highly significant to God. In Genesis He was careful with the naming of those things we know as sun and moon and stars and night and day. Then when God made man in His own image, He named us Adam meaning earthy/red. Sounds to me like our God knew then that His 1st Adam which He made from the earth would need a redeemer, a second Adam to shed red blood. It was in the name from the beginning. God is mindful of us like that.
Later on our blessed Lord would stamp destiny on men and women with name changes like Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah and Jacob to Israel. Those names became a divine label, a mark and a reputation that had to be lived up to. The names came with both privilege and responsibility. What was true then is still true today. When we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior we take on His name and we too must accept the privileges with the responsibilities for wearing His name. I challenge you to embrace seven truths as bearers of the name of Jesus Christ.
#1 Depart from iniquity or known sin according to 2 Timothy 2:19 When the Holy Spirit brings a ‘don’t do that or get away from this’ to our conscious minds we need to obey quickly.
#2 Don’t let sin rule in any aspect of your life. Rule it, don’t be ruled by it. Heed the word in Psalms 19:13 We have to remember that sinning or missing the mark can be habit forming and we cannot afford to yield our body or soul to anyone but Jesus. Paul warns us in Romans 6:16 that we become the servant of whoever we obey. We don’t have to go out like that.
#3 Let your flesh bless His name as it is written in Psalms 145:21. Now if ever there were a holy preoccupation for our flesh, this is it. Flesh is a known troublemaker that always wars against the Holy Spirit. Flesh demands an immediate reaction that can cause our blood pressure to rise, our nerves to stand up, our arteries to clog , our head to ache and our hormones to moan. When we choose instead to command our own selves to bless the name of Jesus, we go instead with the flow of the Holy Spirit and the fruit thereof is love, joy, peace, gentleness, faith, self-control et al (Galatians 5:22-23). We must always remember that we bless the name of Jesus best when we line up our lips and our hips with the Word of God.
#4 Honor His name with our conversation and attitude. Hebrews 13:5 This point is a message in and of itself. For the sake of time I recommend that you tape record yourself over the course of just one day and see if your words bring forth life or death. Do your words build people up or tear them down? Is your conversation full of murmuring and complaining or more like apples of gold in pitchers of silver? Does your attitude attract or repel people? Need I say more?
#5 Choose the good name as the Word says in Proverbs 22:1. We wear the name of one so high and lifted up that at His name every knee has to bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord. God exalted Jesus and gave Him a name above every other name (Philippians 2:9-11). If we choose to walk in a manner contrary to that, we are settling for less than God’s absolute best. If we can abide so easily in truths that destroy us why can’t we abide in truths that will bring forth life? I remember a time in my life when I called myself Bud—short for Budweiser. I lived, moved and had my being in my brew. I was bent toward self-destruction and was totally faithful to the cause. I now know that I must be equally faithful to the cause of Christ and to bearing His glorious name. It is just that simple.
#6 Colossians 3:17 caps off this discussion and encourages us to do everything in Jesus’ name. When we obey this scripture in word and deed then we can rightfully claim the privileges. We can run to Him knowing that he is a strong tower. (Proverbs 18:10) We can be assured that He remembers what we do in His name. (Hebrews 6:10) We can walk in His authority as Paul did in Acts 16 and expect miraculous results like we see in the 26th verse when the “foundations of the prison was shaken, doors were open and everyone’s bands were loosed.”
#7 John 15:16 is our final encouragement on this subject. This scripture tells us that we can indeed pray in Jesus’ name and expect the Father to give us what we ask for. What a blessing; what a privilege that is completely ours as we line up our lives with God’s will, His way and His Word. I don’t know about you but I want to be counted in that number.
Content excerpt from "The 7-14 Solution" by Elder T. McNair All Rights Reserved Soul Shaping Publications, 2008, Oakland, Califronia
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
September 22, 2008 The Need Meeter
God is such an awesome Designer and I love that he is ever tweaking us and smoothing out all the rough places. He enables us to overcome so much and brilliantly bids us to apply the faith unveiled in yesterday’s trial to the challenge of today. It’s something that the faith we need is already in us, it simply needs to be exercised. Kind of gives new meaning to Philippians 4:19 & 2 Peter 1:3. God promised to supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory thru Christ Jesus and He has given us all things pertaining to life and godliness through knowledge of that same Jesus Christ.
I am excited about what is in us already and what is in store for us as we draw closer, exhale us and inhale Him.
July 10, 2008
So, What are you waiting for?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
June 30, 2008
IN THE BODY OF CHRIST BLESSINGS ARE LIKE POPCORN POPPING.
SOMETIMES ONE KERNEL AT A TIME
SOMETIMES MORE
SOMETIMES IT’S YOU
SOMETIMES IT’S NOT
THE KEY IS TO STAY HOT (on fire for the Lord), REJOICE AND DON’T FRET
OBEY GOD, FOR YOUR POP COMETH!
T. McNair June 30, 2008
PSALMS 27:14
ROMANS 12:15 , DEUTERONOMY 28:1-2
Now, go to our guest book and e-mail us your prayer requests or just say howdy.
Thank God for you.