Posts Tagged ‘blessing’
OPEN THAT DOOR and CLOSE THAT ONE!
Written by FAVORED1 on December 7, 2010 – 4:44 pm -
Tuesday, December 7, 2010 Wednesday, December 8, 2010 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.
OPEN THAT DOOR and CLOSE THAT ONE!
Good Evening/Morning Beloved,
Hope this finds you in a good place. Growing up in the country, there were A LOT of “critters”. Bugs, opposum, raccoon, rabbits, deer, creepy crawlies etc. One thing I learned early on was not to leave the door open and unattended. You see, those creatures did not have a respect for personal property or space. They went wherever they wanted to. No, they were not invited, but they came anyway. Recent talk in the news about Prince Williams’ impending nuptials brings to my mind a very vivid memory. Now, I can laugh about it, but at the time, it was anything but funny. We were watching the wedding of Prince Williams’s Mama Lady Diana to Prince Charles. It was a beautiful ceremony, but I did not intend to watch the whole thing (which lasted through the night, not to mention the commentaries that went on through mid-morning). Why were we up all night? A BAT had gotten into the house (to this day we have no idea how), and was flying around manically. I wore my hair in an afro, and I was absolutely terrified that it was going to get caught in my hair. It was a very long night, but after hours of struggle, my grandmother told me to open the door. She grabbed the broom, and hit a home run! … Bat problem solved…. he flew around the yard and went on about his business. The enemy of our soul has a mentality like those creatures. He has no respect of personal space. He does not fight fair. He will use any crack or crevice he can to weasel his way into our minds and wreak havoc within us. We are presented with thoughts, ideas and suggestions constantly. Some from people and circumstances, some seemingly from within us. It can get confusing to the “untrained” spirit. It is like an annoying person standing beside you and whispering in your ear. You can internalize what they are saying, or disregard it. Ingesting the Word of God is our best defense. Our spirit will immediately know when something does not quite “sound right”. We can then choose if we are going to follow. Jesus said, “My sheep hear My Voice and the voice of another they will not follow”. Notice what He did NOT say. He did not say they would not “hear” the other voice, He said they would not “follow” it. God is opening doors for His people. In the process of doors opening, other doors are also opening. We must seek the Face of God like never before. For instance, take a person who has been plucked out of obscurity and given a world-wide platform. They are going to be faced with doors they never knew existed. They will have access to places most people only dream of, but with that comes a huge responsibility. More of a margin for error. Lines can get blurred if they are not “prayerful”. It is one thing when you are surrounded by like-minded individuals, who are strong in their faith and loyal to the cause of Christ. It is another when a person is surrounded by people who hate God and are vocal in their contempt. They may not be overly “nasty”. Just a little “off-color” joke here.. a rolling of the eyes there. A misconstruing of God’s Word. Many have fallen victim to a contemptuous mentality.. many not even realizing it. The way to tell, is to watch the reactions of people when the name of Jesus, or the cause of Christ is mentioned. See how much tension flows through the air. That. That right there is what I’m talking about. “New levels, new devils” I’ve often heard it said. When God enlarges our territory(like we asked Him to), we need to be prepared for just about anything. I went to Jamaica a couple of years ago, and on one of our excursions someone offered me a ‘joint’. When I told a co-worked about it, he said, “did you take it… well you should, what happens in Jamaica stays in Jamaica”.. to which I replied “not necessarily.. you can mess around and bring back something you can’t get rid of”. Every drug addict I’ve ever met started off drinking beer and smoking weed. Life lesson to me.. “don’t start in the beginning, and you won’t have to worry about the ending”. The enemy has no new tricks. Just the same ‘ole stuff revamped. Crazy notes aren’t being passed around the class, nearly everyone has a cell phone and ‘texts’ are being passed around the class, the school.. the world! Wisdom tells us that even when a thing that is lawful, isn’t always expedient.. just because you can do it, does not necessarily mean that you should
I have set watchmen upon your walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: you that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence… An Open Door for Jesus, determines which doors should be CLOSED! .. and that Beloved is Good News! Y Stress? … U Blessed! Have A Fabulous Day! Regina 
“Shut De Door… keep Out de Devil”, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W12jw81OoeM “He’s Able”, Darwin Hobbs w/Dietrick Hadden & the Voices of Unity http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIAGWndg2Fw
“Awesome Wonder”, Trent Cory http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWhWDxaZEQE He’s All Over Me (and He’s Keeping Me Alive), Georgia Mass Choir http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsAK8xQS0CU
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Tags: blessing, Doors, Jesus is the door, keeping out of trouble
Posted in Morning Soul Food | No Comments »
Cure For Spiritual Altzheimers
Written by FAVORED1 on January 12, 2010 – 3:51 pm -
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
“So obey the commands of the LORD your GOD by walking in His ways and fearing Him. For the LORD your GOD is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey. It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills. When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the LORD your GOD for the good land He has given you. “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the LORD your GOD and disobey His commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! Do not become proud at that time and forget the LORD your GOD, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. Do not forget that He led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good. He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ Remember the LORD your GOD. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant He confirmed to your ancestors with an oath. “But I assure you of this: If you ever forget the LORD your GOD and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed. Just as the LORD has destroyed other nations in your path, you also will be destroyed if you refuse to obey the LORD your GOD.
(Deuteronomy 8:6-20)
Cure For Spiritual Altzheimers
Good Afternoon Beloved,
Whoa! Can the Word get any plainer
. Can you tell the Lord meant business here? One of the many awesome facets of God’s persona is that He is a giver. He gave Adam and Eve the whole earth. He gave them the power and authority to name every living creature in it. He gave the prophets of old power to split seas, raise the dead, make ax heads float. He has given us the power to “tread on serpants and scorpions and over all of the power of the enemy so that nothing could by any means harm us at all”. Most of all, He gave us His only begotten Son for our redemption. Giving is His nature and His delight. He loves giving us not only what we ‘need’, but also our hearts ‘desire’. If your heart’s desire is a better, safer home in which to raise your children, that doesn’t make the All Sufficient One nervous. If your dream car is a Bentley, that doesn’t make Him blink twice. People may have a problem with it and say “nobody needs all that”, but think about it… whether we take our last earthly breath and leave this earth, or the Lord should return, “Hoopties”, luxury cars, yachts, trucks, vans, bicycles, skateboards, alike will be left wherever they are, so drive whatever you want (long run-on sentence intentional
). His only mandate is that we not forget Him in the midst of all of the good stuff He has given us. We hear much about how to praise God in chaos. How to “look to the hills from whence cometh our help” when the baby needs a new pair of shoes and the light bill is due, but what about when all of our bills are paid and things are looking pretty good. Not everybody is broke… even in this economy. Learning to honor God in a season of abundance is just as crucial as learning to trust God in a season of lack. Even Jesus spoke to the issue when He said,
Now when JESUS heard these things, He said unto Him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow Me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, He said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of GOD. And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? And He said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with GOD. Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed Thee. And He said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of GOD’s sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.
We’ve all heard of people with an abundance of material things, who believe they have no need for God… until the bottom drops out of their world. Many have taken not only their own lives, but the lives of family members and friends because they lost their job, or hit a financial rough patch. Those who have placed their trust in the living God, realize that situations change and God is Lord over whatever circumstance we find ourselves in. This verse lets us know that whatever we’ve lost (or thought we lost), it will be replaced… in this lifetime and in the life to come… now that’s what you call “abundance”… just don’t forget to remember the SOURCE from whom all blessings flow!
… now that Beloved is Good News!
Y Stress? … U Blessed!
Have A Fabulous Day
Regina
*Regina, Ma & Tony (brother)
“Never Shall Forget”, John P. Kee & NLCC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82A1N_JUf7M
“My Joy”, Tye Tribbett & GA w/ John P. Kee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1DVYpw1rRk
“Thank You, Mary Mary & Kirk Franklin (Kingdom Come Soundtrack)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9HTXT7TPnI
“My Mind’s Made Up”, Rev. Milton Bronson and the Thompson Community Choir
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb90PTvNoiU
“How Can I Say Thank You”, Hezekiah Walker w/Monique Walker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tW9AGEL8bE
“There Is No Failure In God”, Donald Vails
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgWHfOuwZf8
Tags: blessing, Jesus, prosperity, remembering the goodness of the Lord, spiritual altzheimers
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
An Attitude of Gratitude
Written by FAVORED1 on November 25, 2008 – 10:10 am -
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God
Psalm 147:7
Good Morning Beloved,
I hope you’re having a beautiful morning. I received this little message from Rex Barker (joke of the day.com):
I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight. My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.
Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.
Today I can feel sad that I don’t have more money or I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.
Today I can grumble about my health or I can rejoice that I am alive.
Today I can lament over all that my parents didn’t give me when I was growing up or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.
Today I can cry because roses have thorns or I can celebrate that thorns have roses.
Today I can mourn my lack of friends or I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new job relationships.
Today I can whine because I have to go to work or I can shout for joy because I have a job to go to!
Today I can complain because I have to go to school or eagerly open my mind and fill it with knowledge and adventure.
Today I can dejectedly murmur because I have housework to do or I can feel grateful for shelter for my mind, body and soul.
Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped, and here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping. What today will be like is up to me. And I shall decide what kind of day I shall have!”
This is Rex Barker asking you “How will you live TODAY?”. Try reading this every morning for a week, and see how you feel afterwards. And please share this and the other pieces for the week at your Thanksgiving table.
An attitude of gratitude. Regardless of what is going on around us, there is something to be thankful for. I am thankful for you. You mean a lot to me. You are a child of God, so that makes us family. Your natural family may not be the Huxtables, they may be more like the Addams Family, but they are yours. Make peace where you can, and realize that you do have a place in the Body of Christ. Your very own seat at God’s table.. you do know that God’s Words tells us,
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“For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.” {Ephesians 2:6} |
The bible declares that, “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.” (Psalm 27:10) You have a natural family (and some of us are blessed to have awesome families…..Elnora, Jah, Jacquie, Diane, LZ, Bev, Tina, Arlene, Shaun… much love
), great friends that are family. The Family of God – family all around you. It is said that this time of the year is the loneliest time of the year for many people. Considering the sheer numbers of lonely people, that is a shame… here’s a thought…. go on a people blessing mission…..
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Tags: blessing, family, friends, gratitude, Jesus, thankfulness, thanksgiving
Posted in Morning Soul Food | No Comments »
“Critical Mass”
Written by FAVORED1 on October 13, 2008 – 11:12 am -
Monday, October 13, 2008
All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.
(Romans 8:22-25 Message Bible)
-- meaning something good is about to happen that has been in the works for years. There are those who do not even believe in God, who recognize that something ‘critical’ is beginning to take place. It is widely known and accepted that we are in the throes of something that has never happened in our history. People are bracing themselves because they just don’t know what is coming! It is important that we stay informed about what is going on in the world around us…. it makes every victory that much sweeter. We will praise our God that much more, because we will truly see Him for who He is. Necessity has been called the ‘mother of invention’, and God’s people have been known to prosper in unusual times of great affliction. I worked for a company a few years ago, whose client won a very large settlement… and the company rejoiced! The party was ON! Overtime flowed, office parties were the norm, dinner and cab rides home were provided for those working overtime. Money was ‘tossed around’. As the money dwindled, the corporate ‘belt’ tightened…drastically. Things began to change. People were let go, OT was cut and carefully monitored. The situation became critical. My point is that while this company was prospering, the fact that God was blessing it could be overlooked. You see there were many ‘Josephs’ working in this particular “Potiphar’s house” situation. Well, the ‘Josephs’ started to leave, and the struggle in the company was almost immediate. The company may never know what happened, but after that, the smallest contract they received was noticed…. before it would not have been. God is blessing us, but when all seems ‘right’ with the world, we may not notice all of what He is doing for, and through us. In times of crisis, we tend to be hyper-sensitive, and every blessing that comes our way, we notice …. and are grateful. God responds to sincere gratitude. Now is the time to prepare our hearts to be ready when ‘critical mass’ is reached. A beautiful part of God’s character, is His desire to get us ready for what is up ahead (good and bad), so that we will not be caught ‘unaware’….
…. and that’s Good News.
U Blessed,
Have A Fabulous Day
Regina
Cartoonist’s Comment:
This cartoon is a reminder to read and study the Bible, because you never know when you might need to know it.
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Regina,
Tags: blessing, Jesus, prepare, world affairs
Posted in Morning Soul Food | No Comments »
