Archives for the ‘WordstoLiveBy’ CategoryGod Is Faithful – February 2K12 WTLB
Wednesday, February 1st, 2012
by Sis. Josie Manrique As I sit and think of the goodness of the Lord, I will never forget what He has done for me. I love the way He brings to my remembrance what He has delivered me from. As I sit and ponder my life, just three years ago until now, it's amazing what has happened. Although I have been saved for over six years, there was a period about three years ago that I kind of went back into some of my old habits. After doing this for about five or six months, I was sitting in church and my pastor in North Carolina was talking about God being able to see everything, this really didn’t mean anything to me until she singled me out and said, “Josie even though you are living in another city and I can’t see you, God can!” God had used her to speak directly to me, so right then I knew it was Him talking. This made me do a self evaluation. I looked into the mirror and did not like what was looking back at me. It was at that time I had to ask God for forgiveness and straighten up, but this wasn’t like the previous times whenever I had asked for forgiveness I was more sincere and I know that God honored that. I started taking advantage of the slow time on Sundays and asking my boss could I leave early to go to church, I noticed that when I made time for God, He made a way for me, which was easier than my own way. I then prayed to God that if He blessed me with Sundays off that I would go to church every Sunday. Soon after I was granted Sundays off and I made sure I was at church every Sunday and every other opportunity I could go. I had to be faithful to my word because God had been faithful to His, and I must admit that sometimes I really didn’t feel like going, but something I had heard got stuck in my spirit, “THE BLESSING IS IN THE PRESSING”. From then until now, God has blessed me with positions that I am not required to work Sundays. He is just so amazing, awesome and magnificent! If I could give the readers a few words to live by, they would be that God is a faithful God. As you have witnessed through my testimony, when you are sincere with God and acknowledge your wrong doing, He can help you to make it right. I just thank God that He has never took His hand off of me, even when I turned my back on Him. I thank God for my testimony. God Never Makes Mistakes – January 2K12 WTLB
Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012
Reflecting on the past year and anticipating the New Year I was reminded of a story I read about a king who did not believe in God. However the king owned a slave who did believe in God. In every unpleasant situation that the king experienced his slave would say, “My king, do not be discouraged, because everything God does is perfect, He makes no mistakes!”
Furious and without showing any form of gratitude for being saved, the king said, “Is God good? If He was good, I would not have been attacked and lost a finger!” The king’s slave replied, “My king, despite all these things, I can only tell you that God is good and He knows “Why” of all these things. What God does is perfect. He is never wrong!” Outraged by his slave’s response, the king ordered the arrest of his slave. Later, the king left for another hunting trip, but on this trip the king was captured by savages who practiced the sacrificing humans for sacrifices. The savages took the king to the altar ready to sacrifice him when all of a sudden it was discovered by the savages that their victim was missing a finger, making the king according to them unfit to be offered to their gods. The king was released and upon his return to the palace he authorized the release of his slave, received him with gratitude and said, “God was really good to me! I was almost killed by wild men, but for the lack of a single finger, I was let go! But I have one question, if God is so good, why did He allow me to put you in jail?” His slave replied, “My king, if I had gone with you in this hunt I would have been sacrificed for you because I have no missing finger. Therefore, remember everything God does is perfect. He is never wrong!” Things and situations may have occurred in 2011 which we don’t understand why or how it could be a part of God’s plan or will for our lives, but as we enter into 2012 think on scriptures such as Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end”, and Roman 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Always remember God is good, God is perfect and He never, never makes mistakes! -Mother Freda Benjamim
God’s Solutions For Struggles We Face – December 2K11 WTLB
Tuesday, December 6th, 2011
By Sis Loquetta Perry
The list can go on. When we, as Christians, put our focus on Jesus and not on our current circumstance then we can overcome these struggles that come our way. According to Ephesians 6:12 (NIV), "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Basically, we should know that the struggles we face are spiritual and to overcome them we must seek God. Getting into God’s Word can and will help us keep our minds off our earthly problems. Matthew 6:33 (ISV, 2008) says, "But first be concerned about God’s kingdom and his righteousness, and all of these things will be provided for you as well." When we focus on God’s desire and perfect will, then our struggles will no longer be the focal point in our lives. Also, we will witness God taking care of our illness, the troublemakers on our jobs and issues in our families. Once we do according to 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT , 2007), which says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you,” then we can be fully confident that God, who loves us so much, can handle all our issues, problems and struggles. As we go through this life, no matter the situation or struggle that we are faced with, we will know that God’s Word has the solution.
This Is Not Impossible To Achieve – November 2K11 WTLB
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
God didn’t promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise:
This was written by an unknown author, and how true are these words. If a survey were done among God’s people then 99.99% would give testimony to confirm these words to be true. I can testify what God has done to strengthen me, to comfort me, and the Light that has guided me and is still continuing to guide me. This was not impossible to achieve. I love my family they mean everything to me, but without God being the head cornerstone then my love for them would be insignificant. Ephesians 3:17-19 states: Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. (NLT) How could some people not want to experience this? This is not impossible to achieve. An addiction is a compulsion, craving, obsession or even a dependence that one may have for something or someone. Some people are addicted to things that keep them physically and mentally on a downward spiral. The disadvantages to that are not free. They pay for their addiction and they can do harm to themselves and/or others. What about being addicted to the word, addicted to God, addicted to Godly people, addicted to church, addicted to faith in the precious blood of Jesus, addicted to reading your bible, etc. In 1 Corinthians 13:12, it states,"Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely." (NLT) How could some people not want to experience this? This is not impossible to achieve. Time is of the essence, everyone needs to make time for God. Why? We are not promised this day, or any other day. What we do with our time is very important. We need to take time to praise our God every day. Are we going to put off what can be done today for next week, next month or next year? Because some people think they wake themselves up in the morning or someone else woke them up. They don’t give true recognition, praises and glorification to the Lord of lords through whom all things are made possible. Instead of acknowledging how powerful our God is, how magnificent our Maker is to give unto us another day that He never promised us to begin with, some go about without as much as “Thank you.” Many forget that God has all the time in the world because He is an infinite God and He is patiently waiting for all his children to make time for Him. Rev. 1:3 states, “Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” How could some people not want to experience this? This is not impossible to achieve. In conclusion, I chose to talk about Love because whether you love or being loved, God can be a part of it. I chose Addiction because, people don’t always have to be addicted to things that are not good for them, God is good for everyone. I chose Time because God has time for everyone. Are We Too Busy? – October 2K11 WTLB
Wednesday, October 5th, 2011
Hey, slow down! With multiple jobs, business deadlines, productivity quotas, and children to attend to, you can really flood your schedule. It is not impossible to improve our relationship with God despite the overwhelming schedules. Let us try to prioritize by putting God at number one on our list and watch how He allows everything else to fall into place. Jesus in the city of Capernaum: at evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. Then he healed many (Mark 1: 32-34, NKJV). The next day Christ sought out a quiet place and prayed. There Jesus received further instructions on how to proceed with His ministry. Let us follow the example of Jesus Christ by setting aside a specific time for prayer, and while we are praying, trust that God is working on our behalf. Because, when we have our mind in the right place Jesus will not allow anything to steal the time we need to commune with Him. So, slow down and learn to lean on the Lord for guidance and direction and He will keep our life balanced. God Bless! Sis Danieth Pryce God, I’m Waiting – September 2K11 WTLB
Tuesday, September 6th, 2011
By Mother Deborah Brown
We must be reminded that God is always with us and that He has everything in His control. He will never leave us nor forsake us and He will be with us always. Even while we are waiting, God is always present with us. We can always rely on Him to be a constant friend. My Life Has Been Planned – August 2K11 WTLB
Friday, August 12th, 2011
Some of life’s storms, such as the loss of a loved one, a disappointment, loss of a job, the end of a marriage, etc., can sometimes come upon us quickly, while others may be slow in the making. Sometimes they may appear as small as a mustard seed, but can evolve to the size of a mountain and can overwhelm us to the point of depression. Yet in the midst of the storm, God equips us to deal with every situation that comes our way.
My nephew became ill two months after my dad, and eventually he succumbed to his illness and died. While I was grieving the untimely death of my nephew, my dad died two months later. The strange thing about this was I was able to deal with the loss of my dad without his loss overwhelming me. The Lord answered my prayer and equipped me with the mechanism to deal with that situation, and I was able to help other members of the family. When God wants to make and shape an individual, He puts them in the storm; it is not by choice, by accident, by selection, or preference but by design. The history of mankind has always been bumpy; there will always be something in our lives that will be in place to shape us and make us. When we have gone through one circumstance, another one will appear. It might pass quickly or it might pass slowly. No one is complete and may never be complete until he or she have been through the storm, knowing and understanding that all of our stormy days can be relieved or made easier with the wonderful fulfillment of prayer and faith in the power God. Matthew 7:7 tells us, Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. As I enter a new chapter in my book of life and continue to grow in my faith and love for the Lord, knowing without a doubt that the Lord loves me more that I can imagine, I continue to pray that I can see myself the way the Lord sees me – a child of God who is remarkable beyond her own limitations and also understand that my life has already been planned. God bless, Vanessa Alexander Get Back Up and Keep Going – July 2K11 WTLB
Friday, July 1st, 2011
Have you ever tripped or stumbled over something and fell; maybe in your house, on the job, somewhere out walking, or perhaps in the mall? True enough, it may have been an embarrassing moment. However, you got up, and if needed, you brushed yourself off and continued on your journey or task. The real question is how many times have you somehow fallen? For many, the answer is countless times.
According to dictionary.com, a just man is someone who is guided by truth, reason, justice and fairness. Also, synonyms or characteristics of a just man are upright, fair, honest and merited. In the song titled, “We Fall Down” by Donnie McClurkin, just men (and women) are the “we” in the song. The song goes on to tell us that it’s not too late to rise back up again. If you’ve fallen, you can get back up again without condemnation. Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned (fallen) and have come short of the glory of God. However, it is up to each individual person to ask God for forgiveness, believe that He has forgiven you, and keep going: keep fasting, keep praying, keep serving, keep trusting and keep believing. Once you have fallen, don’t allow the devil to keep you down. You must immediately pray and ask for forgiveness, forgive yourself and let God put you back in your rightful place. In other words, get back up and keep going. Humbly submitted, Sister Melissa Nibblett Am I Worthy? – June 2K11 WTLB
Wednesday, June 1st, 2011
By Missionary Andrea Mabry Are there days when you feel alone and in despair, but you survive seeing the dawning of new days and wonder, why? Do you find yourself going through the motions of life, but yet not living? Do people often notice your smile and laugh, but within there is a voice crying out hoping to be heard?
“When I thought I had overcome, people or things remind me that I would always be bound by my past. My identity is labeled and this is just who I am. I am faced with challenges that are insurmountable. Over and over I try, but there seems to be no other way. My anger, though hidden with my smile, has moved from depression to resentment. Can you hear my voice within? Am I Worthy?” “I still find myself not good enough. Sometimes, I do not feel worthy to be alive, but yet I walk this earth. Tears fill my eyes and I am broken yet again. I have beaten myself mentally and there appears to be no end. Who can truly love me when I cannot love the reflection I see? Am I Worthy? AM I WORTHY?” Most definitely, You Are Worthy! God developed provisions before you were formed in your mother’s womb. God knew your gender and your name. From the moment you took your first gasp of air until now, He was mindful of you. God knew the choices you would make and the path you would follow, yet you were worthy. In spite of your circumstances, your emotions and your past or present, be reminded:For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Jesus went to Calvary to save a wretch like you and me. Why? Did you knowGod said, Behold, All souls are mine (Ezekiel 18:4a)? We belong to God and He loves us unconditionally. Are you worthy? Yes! How many times have you gone against His will? 100, 200, 500… can you actually count the times? From experience, they have been innumerable, but once you ask for forgiveness, He forgives with extended arms. The embrace of God our Father through Jesus His son is so rewarding and warm. Yes, You Are Worthy! Even though He sinned not and neither was guile found in His mouth, Jesus paid the price for the sins of mankind. He endured the humiliation and suffering and made the ultimate sacrifice for you to have the gift to eternal life. He knew the obstacles you would encounter and the falls along the way. Be reminded of this, that His grace is sufficient. Paul says inI Corinthians 12:9, 10, And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. If you know Jesus, then restoration is only a whisper away. If you do not know God the Father through His son Jesus, then the greatest gift and miracle that came to this earth is right here for you. Jesus knows all about your struggles and He knows every sin committed, but He forgives, guides, loves, protects and transforms. I John 1:9 says, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. To be free and saved, you only have to ask for forgiveness, believe in your heart that Jesus died and God raised him from the dead, and you shall be saved. From that point onward, be strong! Do not look back on your past, you are a new person in Jesus. Do not allow people or things to weigh you down and do not permit your mind to be defeated. Seek God and live according to His word. Look up and rest in the Gospel of Jesus Christ knowing, You Are Worthy! Throwing Stones – May 2K11 WTLB
Sunday, May 1st, 2011
"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the By Sis Daelena Paxton A couple of weeks ago, I was driving through the neighborhood. As I was coming downhill, I saw a woman crossing the street and motioning her hand to me. I thought to myself, “What does this woman want?” As I got closer, I realized she didn’t look too happy. I slowed down because I was approaching a stop sign. Once I stopped, Unfortunately, many people use John 7:1 as an excuse for bad behavior. Judge not, that ye be not judged. Verses 3 through 5 go on to talk about telling your brother about the mote in his eye, when there is a beam in your own eye. Okay, okay, maybe I could stand to slow down a little, but maybe that lady should take the beam out of her eye, and stop worrying about the mote in mine (lol… kidding)! To be fair, I’m sure she’s concerned about the drivers speeding through her neighborhood, especially because there is a playground nearby, where children often play. Let this be a lesson to us all. Before you judge, take a look at your actions first… instead of using "Judge not…" as an excuse. |
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I now know that when Pastor Pruitte tells us that we need to be in church faithfully, it is not because he wants the seats to be filled, but it is for our own good. I had moved and started a new job and it required me to work weekends, so I was missing Sunday services and sometimes Bible study during the week. Even though I read the Bible daily, it still wasn’t enough to keep the flesh under subjection. I started back hanging out with the partying crowd and trying to fit in. God had already delivered me from drinking but because my spirit was not getting fed, the flesh took over and I started drinking again. I had convinced myself that I didn’t do it that often and I wasn’t getting drunk so it’s okay (the devil is a liar).
One day the king took his slave with him on a hunting trip. Along the way a wild animal attacked the king. The king’s slave managed to save the king’s life and kill the wild animal, but he was unable to prevent the king from losing a finger in the attack.
There are situations that come up in our lives that seem to have no resolution. Some of these problems may include the following:
by Sis. Mary King
It is easy to think, if only I didn’t have so many responsibility, then I could have a closer walk with God. 
Is it ever okay to ask God what he is doing? Is it ever okay to remind Him that you are waiting on him? As believers, it is not uncommon for us to lose faith or become weak during the course of our journey and wonder where God is. Sometimes asking God questions is just the conversation we need to have with Him to remember that He is in heaven and He is mindful of us.
A very close friend of mine once told me, “When God wants an oak tree, He plants it where the storm will shake it and the rains will beat down upon it, because during those battles with nature’s elements, the oak tree develops character and eventually becomes the king of the forest.” That statement reminded me of my own situation 5 years ago when my father became ill. I ask the Lord not to take him from us; I didn’t think I could deal with the loss of my father, I was not ready for dad to go. I did not get a response from the Lord right away, but dad continued to be ill. 
In the spiritual realm, we fall just the same when we sin. However, it is up to us to repent of that sin (get back up) and continue on our spiritual journey. Proverbs 24:16a says for a just 
Are you the one in shadow thinking, “Oh my, what have I done? I do not feel anything, I do not know what directions to follow, so much is expected and it is just overwhelming. I have committed the unmentionable sin and am not worthy of anything. I tried to be a positive reflection of good, but am haunted by the destruction I have done to others and myself. Am I Worthy?”
I figured out that she was telling me that I needed to slow down. I know this woman wasn’t talking to me. Not her telling me to slow down (my neck is rolling at this point), while she jaywalks across the street… and they just re-painted the crosswalk markings?!? Is she crazy? |
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