Do you believe in the power of prayer?
I'm a firm believer of the power of prayer. I am a diligent prophet of prayer. I eat, sleep, dream, work and promote the undeniable power of prayer. Prayer is the hand that rocks the universal galaxy.
This week we will delve into different types and methods of prayer. Prayer has literally been the driving force that has miraculously changed my life. Let me explain to you about the undeniable power of prayer and how it miraculously changed my life.
When I was 13 years old I lost my grandmother, Maudella Barnes. She was the spiritual backbone of the family. We were inseparable. After my grandfather passed away when I became old enough I became her traveling companion. We would travel back and fourth from NY to Virgina. She aught me how to pray, kept me in church and our relationship was remarkable. She was my second mother. I could talk with her about any and everything.
In later years she began to get sick. I can recall going to Virginia to see her pull through the first phase of sickness. I was thankful God spared her so I could reconnect with my grandmother.
The second time grandmother fell sick she passed. I didn't get to see her before she died. When the phone call came we learned she passed away before we left for Virginia to see her in the hospital. I was devastated.
At her funeral, I lost it. At the funeral's end I renounced God. I decided I wanted nothing to do with God. In fact, I felt a need to take an expressive stand against church, God and religion. My anger took control of me and the devil duped me to believing I needed to do everything contrary to the word of God and all that my grandmother had taught me. I became a straight menace.
I believe at that particular moment that Satan dispatched a special hells angel to me who would encourage me to be all I could be in wickedness.
From this point forward I decided to take bad to a whole other level.
I became a neighborhood terrorist. I tried various other religions and even became a member of the five percent nation for a short period of time.
It was them that I began starting my own street gangs, became affiliated with many other gangs, fighting daily, extorting people, running a criminal enterprise, carrying guns like a soldier of fortune, selling drugs and becoming a feared gangster. There are so many other things I became but I will not go into now.
I went through a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde metamorphosis. One that scared the hell inspired lifestyle out of me. Literally.
The words that my grandmother shared years ago began coming back to me. I started praying daily Lord I don't know who I am becoming and I believe you are the only one who can save me.
This became my prayer daily. I recall the first time so drug dealers came to take my life. I was selling drugs on a corner in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn on the corner of another drug dealers turf at night.
They came over to me and a guy we called Powerful and they tried talking to us. Being who I am fearless I began arguing with them because I wasn't scared to die.
That is when they pulled an Uzi and a nine millimeter out on us. I said well you better do what you have to do because if you don't I'm bring WWIII with me. The guy with the .9MM pointed and shot Powerful in the leg and said you think I'm playing games. Powerful screams out in agony.
I knew that was my cue. We took off and Powerful was on my back bullets were flying passed us like mosquitoes thirsty for blood trying to find a small spot to hit us.
By the grace of God when we made it to our destination safely. Powerful was only grazed badly, we laughed about it how loud he screamed and I cleaned and dressed his wound. Forgetting all along about my praying to God in the morning.
It was only after the second time some other drug dealers came to get me at the very same location. I was outside of the drug spot in broad daylight and another dealer who formerly owned this drug spot came to get me.
Long story short he came with a car full of people and another car came out of no where and they came to eliminate me. .38 pointed at my chest less than 3ft. in front of me they pulled the trigger boom. I knew that was the end of me.
I wasn't hit. God said to me at that moment you are not hit run as fast as you can and I have always been a very fast runner. I ran from Bed-Stuy back to Bushwick. Amazed at God saving my life and knowing that this was an answer to my prayer.
What made it all the more miraculous is I went back over there to the block with a friend who was one of the biggest drug dealers in the 80's to see an informant of his. He began telling us what happened earlier this afternoon. He didn't know me or who I was.
When he talked about the incident he said that black shot a guy outside of his old spot who ran around the corner and fell.
I know that wasn't what happened but who knows what God allowed them to see for me to make my escape. All I know is that the undeniable power of prayer saved my life. God saved me and I had turned my back on Him and He went all out to keep me here on this earth because He had a divine blueprint for my life.
People in my neighborhood thought I would be shot, put in jail or killed. Well after various hits put upon my life, many times being shot at in the hood, I have never been shot because God is my fortress, I have never been to jail because the truth sets me free, and I am still here because God has an amazing plan for my life and He keeps me in the hollow of His Hand.
Beloved you may have a family member who is just like I was. A menace to society.
Keep praying for them don't give up on them because God wont.
Keep them in prayer because prayer changes things.
Prayer fixes things.
This week we'll learn amazingly effective things about prayer that will miraculously change your life.
Until tomorrow beloved.
Be well, be blessed and remember prayer changes things miraculously.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Living It Up
Psalm 23:5,6
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
It's the end of a very blessed but trying week. The world has lost 3 great iconic figures who will be greatly missed for their contributions.
Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson. I am deeply saddened.
Last night I was so distraught that I needed to take a nice long walk and talk with God. I usually do a walk & talk with God by myself when I'm sad or emotionally stressed because it relieves the tension. My burdens evaporate easier when I participate in a prayer walk with the Master of the Universe.
Today I want to finish up on the twenty third psalm where I left off at. Today I want to talk with you about living it up. I want to discuss with you living it up. Not in its general meaning of living La Vida Loca as Ricky Martin sings.
Growing up I was always into living it up. I always attended the best parties, clubs, lounges and I was a dancing machine who loved to go throughout the boros of New York dancing and battling people long before You Got Served was even thought up.
Michael Jackson influenced me to be a dancing machine and I loved every minute of it back in the day.
It was all about living life to the fullest by enjoying every minute, every second of the hour. I became a track star racing down the runway of living it up. Along that road I made bad choices. Choices that would forever change my life.
It can be like that in life if you have the wrong concept of living it up. That was my problem I had the wrong concept of living it up.
Always looking to have fun but never finding true happiness.
People get it twisted.
Fun is fun.
Fun is limited.
I mean you can go to a party and have fun dancing and listening to music but when the music stops and the party is over the fun stops. You can go to an amusement park riding your favorite rides with your family and friends but when you leave the park the fun ends.
Too many people trying to find happiness by having fun.
However, fun is short lived. True happiness is eternal.
Fun is the short-term fix. The knockoff brand of happiness. It is the old bait and switch that millions of people are duped by. So much so that they spend their lives having fun chasing the very swiftly elusive happiness.
There is nothing wrong with living an excitement filled life.
King David lived an excitement filled life.
Anytime you start a humble beginning tending to your father's sheep in a house filled with older brothers who look at you as a weakling and a mere musician and poet.
You go from living in your parents house being faithful in all of your duties to exalted to the king's house. That's exciting.
His life was exciting when he went to take his brother's food at his father's request and heard a giant named Goliath cursing God and mocking King Saul and the children of Israel when he declared to the soldiers who is this uncircumcised dog that he should mock God and the children of Israel.
David was fearless of any opposition including a big mouth Philistine Giant.
His life was exciting when his brothers told him to be quiet, go home, mind his business and he stood his ground saying I will fight this giant and slay him.
David's life goes from a rather melancholy setting to an action movie unlike no other. He went from a faithful shepherd keeper, to platoon leader and onto king of all of Israel.
This is living it up in the divine, supernatural,spiritual and life transformational way.
Living it up in this since leads you to the very source of eternal happiness.
It is what so many people are looking for when they take tokes of of marijuana, sniff cocaine, shoot dope, drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, to experience this amazing euphoria that is only short-lived.
What the world needs is what David had.
What the world needs is what Dr. Martin Luther King preached about when he said I Have a Dream.
What the World needs now is what Michael Jackson sung about in Heal the World.
Oh beloved, too many people looking for fun, having fun and chasing it down like a coveted runaway slave.
Only to find out fun is the counterfeit of the real thing.
The real thing is happiness. The eternal missing link of life. The unequivocal answer to life itself.
Where can you find this happiness?
The Good Shepherd. God's got it.
Do you want it?
When you find it you will be able to handle the haters who want to destroy your character.
Ask David and he will tell you in Psalm 23: 4-6 "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever."
Let me make this crystal clear to your eyes and ears.
Listen David was able to live it up because he knew the Most High.
David lived a life filled with excitement, and eternal happiness because he knew the Master of the Universe.
David says that when you know the King of Kings and Lord of Lords he will prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies. I can recall a Thanksgiving day that my mother and sister did in Virginia.
Many family members living down in Virgina came to the occasion and there was so much good food available I felt like I was at the king's feast. It was laced with various mouth watering dishes to make your taste buds skip like children jumping rope.
Now David's statement is profound.
It is profound because if an enemy walks up into your home that last thing you will do is sit down and not protect yourself and family.
David says God prepares a table for you in the presence of your enemy to say that you can rest assured the haters are going to see what God has prepared for you. You will not have to jump up to defend yourself because God has everything under control.
He goes on to say that God anoints my head with oil. He immerses you with the oil of the Holy Spirit that saturates your head in abundance. Leaving you dripping with an unlimited source of Holy Ghost power to turn the world upside down like the disciples on the day of Pentecost.
David says my cup runs over. It is running over because God is bestowing upon him
everything spiritually that he needs in an unlimited abundance. He can sip from it's refreshing flavor forever.
Ask David what else can you tell me about living it up and he will tell you that when you find true happiness from the Good Shepherd Surely goodness and mercy shall follow you for all the days of your life and you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever.
David says when you are living it up
God is the Abundance Amplifier. So taste and see that the Lord is good for yourself.
Everything that I need in life God Is....
God is the joy and the strength of my life He moves all pain misery and strife. He promise to keep me and never leave me he never falls short of His word.
Because He lives I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives.
I am fearless and Living it up because God ordained it all. It is well with my soul.
God keep us all faithful. This is my prayer.
So we too like David can be living it up on earth.
Until He comes and all of the faithful will be living it up in heaven.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
It's the end of a very blessed but trying week. The world has lost 3 great iconic figures who will be greatly missed for their contributions.
Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson. I am deeply saddened.
Last night I was so distraught that I needed to take a nice long walk and talk with God. I usually do a walk & talk with God by myself when I'm sad or emotionally stressed because it relieves the tension. My burdens evaporate easier when I participate in a prayer walk with the Master of the Universe.
Today I want to finish up on the twenty third psalm where I left off at. Today I want to talk with you about living it up. I want to discuss with you living it up. Not in its general meaning of living La Vida Loca as Ricky Martin sings.
Growing up I was always into living it up. I always attended the best parties, clubs, lounges and I was a dancing machine who loved to go throughout the boros of New York dancing and battling people long before You Got Served was even thought up.
Michael Jackson influenced me to be a dancing machine and I loved every minute of it back in the day.
It was all about living life to the fullest by enjoying every minute, every second of the hour. I became a track star racing down the runway of living it up. Along that road I made bad choices. Choices that would forever change my life.
It can be like that in life if you have the wrong concept of living it up. That was my problem I had the wrong concept of living it up.
Always looking to have fun but never finding true happiness.
People get it twisted.
Fun is fun.
Fun is limited.
I mean you can go to a party and have fun dancing and listening to music but when the music stops and the party is over the fun stops. You can go to an amusement park riding your favorite rides with your family and friends but when you leave the park the fun ends.
Too many people trying to find happiness by having fun.
However, fun is short lived. True happiness is eternal.
Fun is the short-term fix. The knockoff brand of happiness. It is the old bait and switch that millions of people are duped by. So much so that they spend their lives having fun chasing the very swiftly elusive happiness.
There is nothing wrong with living an excitement filled life.
King David lived an excitement filled life.
Anytime you start a humble beginning tending to your father's sheep in a house filled with older brothers who look at you as a weakling and a mere musician and poet.
You go from living in your parents house being faithful in all of your duties to exalted to the king's house. That's exciting.
His life was exciting when he went to take his brother's food at his father's request and heard a giant named Goliath cursing God and mocking King Saul and the children of Israel when he declared to the soldiers who is this uncircumcised dog that he should mock God and the children of Israel.
David was fearless of any opposition including a big mouth Philistine Giant.
His life was exciting when his brothers told him to be quiet, go home, mind his business and he stood his ground saying I will fight this giant and slay him.
David's life goes from a rather melancholy setting to an action movie unlike no other. He went from a faithful shepherd keeper, to platoon leader and onto king of all of Israel.
This is living it up in the divine, supernatural,spiritual and life transformational way.
Living it up in this since leads you to the very source of eternal happiness.
It is what so many people are looking for when they take tokes of of marijuana, sniff cocaine, shoot dope, drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, to experience this amazing euphoria that is only short-lived.
What the world needs is what David had.
What the world needs is what Dr. Martin Luther King preached about when he said I Have a Dream.
What the World needs now is what Michael Jackson sung about in Heal the World.
Oh beloved, too many people looking for fun, having fun and chasing it down like a coveted runaway slave.
Only to find out fun is the counterfeit of the real thing.
The real thing is happiness. The eternal missing link of life. The unequivocal answer to life itself.
Where can you find this happiness?
The Good Shepherd. God's got it.
Do you want it?
When you find it you will be able to handle the haters who want to destroy your character.
Ask David and he will tell you in Psalm 23: 4-6 "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever."
Let me make this crystal clear to your eyes and ears.
Listen David was able to live it up because he knew the Most High.
David lived a life filled with excitement, and eternal happiness because he knew the Master of the Universe.
David says that when you know the King of Kings and Lord of Lords he will prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies. I can recall a Thanksgiving day that my mother and sister did in Virginia.
Many family members living down in Virgina came to the occasion and there was so much good food available I felt like I was at the king's feast. It was laced with various mouth watering dishes to make your taste buds skip like children jumping rope.
Now David's statement is profound.
It is profound because if an enemy walks up into your home that last thing you will do is sit down and not protect yourself and family.
David says God prepares a table for you in the presence of your enemy to say that you can rest assured the haters are going to see what God has prepared for you. You will not have to jump up to defend yourself because God has everything under control.
He goes on to say that God anoints my head with oil. He immerses you with the oil of the Holy Spirit that saturates your head in abundance. Leaving you dripping with an unlimited source of Holy Ghost power to turn the world upside down like the disciples on the day of Pentecost.
David says my cup runs over. It is running over because God is bestowing upon him
everything spiritually that he needs in an unlimited abundance. He can sip from it's refreshing flavor forever.
Ask David what else can you tell me about living it up and he will tell you that when you find true happiness from the Good Shepherd Surely goodness and mercy shall follow you for all the days of your life and you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever.
David says when you are living it up
God is the Abundance Amplifier. So taste and see that the Lord is good for yourself.
Everything that I need in life God Is....
God is the joy and the strength of my life He moves all pain misery and strife. He promise to keep me and never leave me he never falls short of His word.
Because He lives I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives.
I am fearless and Living it up because God ordained it all. It is well with my soul.
God keep us all faithful. This is my prayer.
So we too like David can be living it up on earth.
Until He comes and all of the faithful will be living it up in heaven.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Fearless
Psalm 23:4 (King James Version)
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Everyday that I live the twenty-third Psalm takes on new meaning. That is because God is continuously revealing, and unfolding secrets within the Psalm to me. Therefore, it is with an open heart, an attentive ear and open mind that I sit at Gods feet as He shares with me and I with you.
Before David became King he was a little shepherd boy. This is a very humble beginning for a very powerful man of God. A man who God says is a man after His own heart. This explosive expression God uses encapsulates the very nature of David.
It also screams the magnitude of David’s persona to us.
Understand it is a beautiful thing when someone gives you a compliment on something. I mean who doesn’t like when someone says you are beautiful, you are a good singer, a great athlete, a good parent, a dedicated worker, a wonderful friend.
Whenever someone compliments me, it’s like hearing a beautiful song where every note moves you; the pitch is just right, it soothes your soul and gets you excited at the same time.
When God gives anyone a compliment, you have to pay very close attention to His words. Because after all, it is with words that He spoke the elements into existence.
David more than likely penned this Psalm when he was still a shepherd boy just anointed by Samuel to be king.
The perception of a shepherd who tends to sheep is usually they are peaceful person. A person who is as nonviolent as Dr. Martin Luther King.
Don’t let your perception fool you.
David was a clean cut person who didn’t look like he could do much.
He is one of the most powerful warriors to walk the face of this earth.
To give you a visual of how David got down he would have held his own in Gladiator, 300, and Troy making those stars look like the little rascals.
David was a beast when it came to war. His success rate was off the Richter scale. Why was he so powerful, successful, and fearless?
David knew God, knew God’s purpose, knew he was unstoppable anointed appointed and ferocious in faith.
I mean David was a man who possessed strength to slay a lion and a bear with his own hands. That was before Goliath.
Sounds like when the Spirit of the Lord was upon him he possessed supernatural strength like Sampson.
David was focused though. When you are focused, you are upon a whole other plateau than those who are not.
When your focus is that strong you know your place and believe you are unstoppable. You become fearless. Not cocky but you display a sanctified arrogance about yourself.
You know what God has called you to do.
When you know, that you know, that you know.
Nobody can block your blessings.
Nobody can block you anointing.
Nobody can stop you from walking into your destiny.
Nobody can stop you from praising God from whom all blessing flow.
Nobody can make you back down.
No Giant can win against you.
No Foe can stand to defeat you.
No roaming Lion who seeks about whom he may destroy can scare you.
No weapon formed against you shall prosper.
Nobody can scare you because you are fearless.
I remember when I was growing up in Brooklyn, New York in a section called Bushwick. It was extremely wild out there. A concrete jungle only the strong could survive in. The cops would ride around in fear when gun shot rang out they would speed away and flee the scene.
I recall that my little brother use to venture out off the block sometimes. Sometimes he was picked on by people who liked starting trouble. He would tell them o.k. you have a problem with me. You feel like starting with me, why don’t you fight my brother he will fight you. When my brother gets here you can do all that to him and me if you like.
When I would receive word that my brother was in trouble I would run to and beat the living daylights out of them.
Oftentimes when people see me coming they would start copping pleas to my little brother. You could always tell it is me from a distance from my walk. The fear would run through some of them faster than dope from a hypodermic needle.
I was always short so my size made many underestimate me.
They had to learn the hard way.
By being knocked out, pounded out, and realizing that I was not one to fight, even if you had a weapon.
There was nothing sweeter for my brother to see me coming to his rescue and taking care of his enemies. Watch this.
My brother was fearless because he knew he had a big brother who will come though hell or high water to his rescue. A big brother who not only takes care of business but who will eliminate any threat posed to him.
Guess what beloved you do too. He is the Good Shepherd
David can say I am fearless because he knew he could handle himself well. He knows that it’s not about him by realizing the source of his strength.
That is why he can pen these words
Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me and thy rod and staff they comfort me.
David knew he couldn’t loose with the stuff he used. Any opponent is too light to fight and to thin to win against him. He knew they were going to be easy pickings because God is omnipotent and will crush any opposition.
I have always been fearless, like David. The difference now is I’m on the Lord’s side. Blessed and stay fearless beloved.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Everyday that I live the twenty-third Psalm takes on new meaning. That is because God is continuously revealing, and unfolding secrets within the Psalm to me. Therefore, it is with an open heart, an attentive ear and open mind that I sit at Gods feet as He shares with me and I with you.
Before David became King he was a little shepherd boy. This is a very humble beginning for a very powerful man of God. A man who God says is a man after His own heart. This explosive expression God uses encapsulates the very nature of David.
It also screams the magnitude of David’s persona to us.
Understand it is a beautiful thing when someone gives you a compliment on something. I mean who doesn’t like when someone says you are beautiful, you are a good singer, a great athlete, a good parent, a dedicated worker, a wonderful friend.
Whenever someone compliments me, it’s like hearing a beautiful song where every note moves you; the pitch is just right, it soothes your soul and gets you excited at the same time.
When God gives anyone a compliment, you have to pay very close attention to His words. Because after all, it is with words that He spoke the elements into existence.
David more than likely penned this Psalm when he was still a shepherd boy just anointed by Samuel to be king.
The perception of a shepherd who tends to sheep is usually they are peaceful person. A person who is as nonviolent as Dr. Martin Luther King.
Don’t let your perception fool you.
David was a clean cut person who didn’t look like he could do much.
He is one of the most powerful warriors to walk the face of this earth.
To give you a visual of how David got down he would have held his own in Gladiator, 300, and Troy making those stars look like the little rascals.
David was a beast when it came to war. His success rate was off the Richter scale. Why was he so powerful, successful, and fearless?
David knew God, knew God’s purpose, knew he was unstoppable anointed appointed and ferocious in faith.
I mean David was a man who possessed strength to slay a lion and a bear with his own hands. That was before Goliath.
Sounds like when the Spirit of the Lord was upon him he possessed supernatural strength like Sampson.
David was focused though. When you are focused, you are upon a whole other plateau than those who are not.
When your focus is that strong you know your place and believe you are unstoppable. You become fearless. Not cocky but you display a sanctified arrogance about yourself.
You know what God has called you to do.
When you know, that you know, that you know.
Nobody can block your blessings.
Nobody can block you anointing.
Nobody can stop you from walking into your destiny.
Nobody can stop you from praising God from whom all blessing flow.
Nobody can make you back down.
No Giant can win against you.
No Foe can stand to defeat you.
No roaming Lion who seeks about whom he may destroy can scare you.
No weapon formed against you shall prosper.
Nobody can scare you because you are fearless.
I remember when I was growing up in Brooklyn, New York in a section called Bushwick. It was extremely wild out there. A concrete jungle only the strong could survive in. The cops would ride around in fear when gun shot rang out they would speed away and flee the scene.
I recall that my little brother use to venture out off the block sometimes. Sometimes he was picked on by people who liked starting trouble. He would tell them o.k. you have a problem with me. You feel like starting with me, why don’t you fight my brother he will fight you. When my brother gets here you can do all that to him and me if you like.
When I would receive word that my brother was in trouble I would run to and beat the living daylights out of them.
Oftentimes when people see me coming they would start copping pleas to my little brother. You could always tell it is me from a distance from my walk. The fear would run through some of them faster than dope from a hypodermic needle.
I was always short so my size made many underestimate me.
They had to learn the hard way.
By being knocked out, pounded out, and realizing that I was not one to fight, even if you had a weapon.
There was nothing sweeter for my brother to see me coming to his rescue and taking care of his enemies. Watch this.
My brother was fearless because he knew he had a big brother who will come though hell or high water to his rescue. A big brother who not only takes care of business but who will eliminate any threat posed to him.
Guess what beloved you do too. He is the Good Shepherd
David can say I am fearless because he knew he could handle himself well. He knows that it’s not about him by realizing the source of his strength.
That is why he can pen these words
Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me and thy rod and staff they comfort me.
David knew he couldn’t loose with the stuff he used. Any opponent is too light to fight and to thin to win against him. He knew they were going to be easy pickings because God is omnipotent and will crush any opposition.
I have always been fearless, like David. The difference now is I’m on the Lord’s side. Blessed and stay fearless beloved.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
He is...
Psalm 23 (King James Version)
2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yesterday, I shared with you on God being the abundance amplifier. How He does more than just provide our needs.
Today I want to speak upon the subject, He is.
I got up in the middle of the night to write this piece. The devil tried distracting me this morning from doing this piece. Around 4 am, he woke up a loved one who provoked me into an early morning argument.
Satan is always busy trying to stir up some strife of some kind. He is a liar. He ruffled my feathers a bit. Yes, he took a jab at me that caught my attention and I took bait. However, it is all about the Most High.
What the Psalmist David wrote in Psalm 23: 2, 3 are profound. It is very relevant to what just transpired with me a few minutes ago. It is of vital importance that we understand these verses on a deeper level than what you usually see on the surface of the scripture.
In order for this to happen, God has to give you a divine revelation by way of His Spirit. It is the Spirit of God, the master teacher, which leads you into all truth.
God is the Master Relaxer
Normally if you get me riled up early in the morning with nonsense, I will be ready to wild out all day. I have this warrior spirit about me. It equips me for battle when someone starts foolishness. I am speaking nothing but the truth.
As soon as I started flaring up scriptures began flying from my lips. I kept on shooting them off scriptures and the argument ceased.
I remember in my teenage years when I would get into fights people would say go and get his mother because she is the only one who can calm him down. I was a terror that people should have never gotten started.
Every time my mother would come to stop me from whipping someone’s butt, she would call my name and I would calm down. Stop me in my tracks.
This morning I felt like fighting but I felt the hand of God upon me calming me down. God is the master relaxer. I wanted to argue after being riled up but God laid His hand upon me and said peace be still.
He made me lie down and relax because He is the master relaxer. God did that faster than my mother does. When He cased me to lie down a peace that passes all understanding quenched my fiery flames of anger instantaneously.
God of Greener Pastures Who Refreshes Me with Living Water
When we go through life, we all set our minds on having and accomplishing certain things. Everyone is optimistic about something. Whether you are rich or poor, black or white, drug free or drug abuser, we all have high hopes for ourselves.
The rich person may think of ways to make more money or protect their money while the poor may dream of having more or making more money as well. The drug free person may reach for the stars to become a better person while the drug abuser is looking for a drug to make them high as the stars by experiencing euphoria.
There are many things that we want in life that we think are good for us. We look at the lawn across the street and say man there grass looks greener than mines. Some of us ready to run over there to experience our neighbor’s lawn for ourselves.
I think you have it twisted though.
You really need to read the fine print.
Green grass looks good, sounds good, and feels good. The world likes green grass.
Guess what?
Many of us are settling for green grass, satisfied with it and about it.
God promised you so much more.
God promised us green pastures. He has acres and acres of land for us to graze on to keep us well fed.
I told you that you have it twisted.
Now look at it from the Good Shepherd’s perspective and stop looking at it from man’s perspective. He wants to keep you refreshed with still living waters. I told you God is.
Soul Restorer & Righteous Way Maker
Throughout the course of life, we get weary sometimes. Dealing with difficult people, working jobs that leave us tired, and being bled dry by emotional vampires. Gatorade, PowerAde, and Vitamin Water can give you a sugar rush and replenish your electrolytes.
Only God can restore your soul.
When you are suffering from low self-esteem, when your are suffering from a broken heart, when you have been laid off or fired from your job, when you have been betrayed, when you are feeling depressed.
The Good Shepherd has the remedy. He can make you whole by restoring your weary soul. Oh, yes He can.
I am a living witness of what He can do for you. You see I turned my back on God at the age of 13. I renounced everything about Him and His teachings after my grandmother died. Anger took complete control over me the devil wooed me to his cause. I became a hell raiser tearing the streets up, selling drugs, fighting and all that.
God never gave up on me. He knew my heart. He knew I was hurting internally and He reached out His everlasting arm to save a chief sinner such as myself.
He told me you are not a thug but a child of the King.
He accepted me as I was.
God told me believe on me and I will change your life.
God washed me in the blood of the lamb and all my sins were washed away.
Now the record is clear today for He washed my sins away.
By His blood, I am redeemed and esteemed.
My soul is restored and I’m adored.
For He continuously leads me in all His ways.
I can declare from first hand experience that He is.
2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yesterday, I shared with you on God being the abundance amplifier. How He does more than just provide our needs.
Today I want to speak upon the subject, He is.
I got up in the middle of the night to write this piece. The devil tried distracting me this morning from doing this piece. Around 4 am, he woke up a loved one who provoked me into an early morning argument.
Satan is always busy trying to stir up some strife of some kind. He is a liar. He ruffled my feathers a bit. Yes, he took a jab at me that caught my attention and I took bait. However, it is all about the Most High.
What the Psalmist David wrote in Psalm 23: 2, 3 are profound. It is very relevant to what just transpired with me a few minutes ago. It is of vital importance that we understand these verses on a deeper level than what you usually see on the surface of the scripture.
In order for this to happen, God has to give you a divine revelation by way of His Spirit. It is the Spirit of God, the master teacher, which leads you into all truth.
God is the Master Relaxer
Normally if you get me riled up early in the morning with nonsense, I will be ready to wild out all day. I have this warrior spirit about me. It equips me for battle when someone starts foolishness. I am speaking nothing but the truth.
As soon as I started flaring up scriptures began flying from my lips. I kept on shooting them off scriptures and the argument ceased.
I remember in my teenage years when I would get into fights people would say go and get his mother because she is the only one who can calm him down. I was a terror that people should have never gotten started.
Every time my mother would come to stop me from whipping someone’s butt, she would call my name and I would calm down. Stop me in my tracks.
This morning I felt like fighting but I felt the hand of God upon me calming me down. God is the master relaxer. I wanted to argue after being riled up but God laid His hand upon me and said peace be still.
He made me lie down and relax because He is the master relaxer. God did that faster than my mother does. When He cased me to lie down a peace that passes all understanding quenched my fiery flames of anger instantaneously.
God of Greener Pastures Who Refreshes Me with Living Water
When we go through life, we all set our minds on having and accomplishing certain things. Everyone is optimistic about something. Whether you are rich or poor, black or white, drug free or drug abuser, we all have high hopes for ourselves.
The rich person may think of ways to make more money or protect their money while the poor may dream of having more or making more money as well. The drug free person may reach for the stars to become a better person while the drug abuser is looking for a drug to make them high as the stars by experiencing euphoria.
There are many things that we want in life that we think are good for us. We look at the lawn across the street and say man there grass looks greener than mines. Some of us ready to run over there to experience our neighbor’s lawn for ourselves.
I think you have it twisted though.
You really need to read the fine print.
Green grass looks good, sounds good, and feels good. The world likes green grass.
Guess what?
Many of us are settling for green grass, satisfied with it and about it.
God promised you so much more.
God promised us green pastures. He has acres and acres of land for us to graze on to keep us well fed.
I told you that you have it twisted.
Now look at it from the Good Shepherd’s perspective and stop looking at it from man’s perspective. He wants to keep you refreshed with still living waters. I told you God is.
Soul Restorer & Righteous Way Maker
Throughout the course of life, we get weary sometimes. Dealing with difficult people, working jobs that leave us tired, and being bled dry by emotional vampires. Gatorade, PowerAde, and Vitamin Water can give you a sugar rush and replenish your electrolytes.
Only God can restore your soul.
When you are suffering from low self-esteem, when your are suffering from a broken heart, when you have been laid off or fired from your job, when you have been betrayed, when you are feeling depressed.
The Good Shepherd has the remedy. He can make you whole by restoring your weary soul. Oh, yes He can.
I am a living witness of what He can do for you. You see I turned my back on God at the age of 13. I renounced everything about Him and His teachings after my grandmother died. Anger took complete control over me the devil wooed me to his cause. I became a hell raiser tearing the streets up, selling drugs, fighting and all that.
God never gave up on me. He knew my heart. He knew I was hurting internally and He reached out His everlasting arm to save a chief sinner such as myself.
He told me you are not a thug but a child of the King.
He accepted me as I was.
God told me believe on me and I will change your life.
God washed me in the blood of the lamb and all my sins were washed away.
Now the record is clear today for He washed my sins away.
By His blood, I am redeemed and esteemed.
My soul is restored and I’m adored.
For He continuously leads me in all His ways.
I can declare from first hand experience that He is.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Abundance Amplifier
Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. King James Version
Psalm 23 is one of the most well known pieces of scripture in the Bible. It is a familiar passage especially to Christians. Oftentimes we read it and we miss the magnitude of meaning to it's verses.
For the rest of the week I will share some very keen insight into the Shepherds Psalm.
David says "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
I say He is the abundance amplifier. Why do I say that?
Let me explain.
God is the supplier of my needs. He also gives unto me avalanches of abundance. He doesn't stop there. God amplifies what I already have by multiplying it by which ever number he sees fit to at the time. Most times it is seven times.
I can recall working at a job were I was making less than 20k dollars a year. Now you maybe asking yourself why didn't I go and get another job? Why stay at a job where you are getting less than your worth. Let me tell my story so you can get the answers to your important question.
You can't do much living on less than 20k a year. But when you serve and trust God you will be surprised at what He can do with your little bit.
He fed 5000 with two fish and five loaves of bread. Matthew 14:16-21
He multiplied the widow's oil in 2Kings 4:5
Surely if He did it for them God could do something for me.
Living on less than 20k a year I was faithfully paying 103.00 a week child support so knock off 5,356 dollars off of that along with the taxes I was paying. Now we have an even smaller number.
When you factor in carfare, bills, and all of the rest of that stuff it doesn't leave a brother with much to work with now does it?
I was making less than 20k I don't even want to tell you how much it was exactly because I'm a bit embarrassed.
Despite making this little bit of money at my job the Almighty blessed me to live as though I was making 75k a year.
I had the best clothes to wear, a nice residence, kept money in my pocket, traveled 2 to 3 times a year and I was never broke.
That's why he is the abundance amplifier. He made sure I had all the luxuries that I needed to have in life and He can do the very same for you even in the midst of a recession God is still in the business of blessing His children.
He will always be my abundance amplifier and I am thankful that He is.
Psalm 23 is one of the most well known pieces of scripture in the Bible. It is a familiar passage especially to Christians. Oftentimes we read it and we miss the magnitude of meaning to it's verses.
For the rest of the week I will share some very keen insight into the Shepherds Psalm.
David says "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
I say He is the abundance amplifier. Why do I say that?
Let me explain.
God is the supplier of my needs. He also gives unto me avalanches of abundance. He doesn't stop there. God amplifies what I already have by multiplying it by which ever number he sees fit to at the time. Most times it is seven times.
I can recall working at a job were I was making less than 20k dollars a year. Now you maybe asking yourself why didn't I go and get another job? Why stay at a job where you are getting less than your worth. Let me tell my story so you can get the answers to your important question.
You can't do much living on less than 20k a year. But when you serve and trust God you will be surprised at what He can do with your little bit.
He fed 5000 with two fish and five loaves of bread. Matthew 14:16-21
He multiplied the widow's oil in 2Kings 4:5
Surely if He did it for them God could do something for me.
Living on less than 20k a year I was faithfully paying 103.00 a week child support so knock off 5,356 dollars off of that along with the taxes I was paying. Now we have an even smaller number.
When you factor in carfare, bills, and all of the rest of that stuff it doesn't leave a brother with much to work with now does it?
I was making less than 20k I don't even want to tell you how much it was exactly because I'm a bit embarrassed.
Despite making this little bit of money at my job the Almighty blessed me to live as though I was making 75k a year.
I had the best clothes to wear, a nice residence, kept money in my pocket, traveled 2 to 3 times a year and I was never broke.
That's why he is the abundance amplifier. He made sure I had all the luxuries that I needed to have in life and He can do the very same for you even in the midst of a recession God is still in the business of blessing His children.
He will always be my abundance amplifier and I am thankful that He is.
Monday, June 22, 2009
The Filing Cabinets
I remember years ago working as an assistant of the executive director of a major organization. Let's call him Douglass.
He was one of the realest people that I ever met. He was the stern no nonsense type that stayed busy. In fact, he used to go to Met's training camp to work out and all up into his 80's.
I can recall it like it was yesterday he took me outside of his office to his secretary's office where there were eight huge filing cabinets. In those filing cabinets he had accumulated materials on every topic that interested him. He gathered them over the years and they were jammed packed.
Douglass is an excellent writer and expert in many areas. He is one who many people sort after to ask questions, interview and so fourth. I'm thankful I learned a lot from Douglas and I will never forget him.
I learned a lot about filing cabinets too. Throughout the course of life there are 8 file cabinets that we all have in our lives.
File Cabinet#1 What God has Done For Us
File Cabinet#2 Good Times We Have Had
File Cabinet#3 Friends
File Cabinet#4 People Who Have Offended Us
File Cabinet#5 & 6 Our Sins
File Cabinet#7 Hopes and Dreams
File Cabinet#8 Accomplishments
Out of these 8 file cabinets how many of these are filled to capacity?
Is your file cabinet of people who have offended you jammed packed?
Is your file cabinet of sins jammed?
How many of these cabinets do you spend time in reviewing information?
Today we should get rid of the file cabinet of our sins the way God throws all of our sins into the sea of forgetfulness.
Right now we should go into the file cabinet of those who have offended us to pray for them and forgive them so God can forgive us.
We should study the material in the seven remaining file cabinets. Seven is the number of completion and perfection. So we must go through all seven to have a more complete look at our lives.
When we do this we will soon be compelled to have a praise party because God has been too good to us to be quiet about it.
You can be quiet about it but I will start a riot about it. God is awesome to the infinite power and his mercy endures forever and ever. O taste and see the the Lord is umm umm good.
He was one of the realest people that I ever met. He was the stern no nonsense type that stayed busy. In fact, he used to go to Met's training camp to work out and all up into his 80's.
I can recall it like it was yesterday he took me outside of his office to his secretary's office where there were eight huge filing cabinets. In those filing cabinets he had accumulated materials on every topic that interested him. He gathered them over the years and they were jammed packed.
Douglass is an excellent writer and expert in many areas. He is one who many people sort after to ask questions, interview and so fourth. I'm thankful I learned a lot from Douglas and I will never forget him.
I learned a lot about filing cabinets too. Throughout the course of life there are 8 file cabinets that we all have in our lives.
File Cabinet#1 What God has Done For Us
File Cabinet#2 Good Times We Have Had
File Cabinet#3 Friends
File Cabinet#4 People Who Have Offended Us
File Cabinet#5 & 6 Our Sins
File Cabinet#7 Hopes and Dreams
File Cabinet#8 Accomplishments
Out of these 8 file cabinets how many of these are filled to capacity?
Is your file cabinet of people who have offended you jammed packed?
Is your file cabinet of sins jammed?
How many of these cabinets do you spend time in reviewing information?
Today we should get rid of the file cabinet of our sins the way God throws all of our sins into the sea of forgetfulness.
Right now we should go into the file cabinet of those who have offended us to pray for them and forgive them so God can forgive us.
We should study the material in the seven remaining file cabinets. Seven is the number of completion and perfection. So we must go through all seven to have a more complete look at our lives.
When we do this we will soon be compelled to have a praise party because God has been too good to us to be quiet about it.
You can be quiet about it but I will start a riot about it. God is awesome to the infinite power and his mercy endures forever and ever. O taste and see the the Lord is umm umm good.
Friday, June 19, 2009
The White Dry Erase Board
I happen to love white dry erase boards. I used to use them at work to put up my agenda for the day on. I used it to remind me of certain dates and so fourth using different colors to signify the importance of each task.
Blue symbolized the tasks I didn't enjoy doing but needed to be done soon.
Green symbolized important tasks that are priority.
Red symbolized top priority tasks.
Black symbolized daily tasks.
Now imagine a huge 50inch white board in front of you. Upon it are the four different colors and it is filled up with writing. You are in the back of the room so you begin moving closer towards the board. The closer you come towards the board you begin to make out some of the words.
Lied about report
Stole 2 dollars
Cheated on taxes
As you come closer you see there are statements of sins.
The more you read these sin statements you realize that they are your sins. As you read each on flashes of the very event crack through your memory and conscious.
The black written statements are your daily sins.
The red written statements are your top priority sins.
The green written statements are your priority sins.
The blue written statements are symbolic of the sins you did but were hesitant about doing because your conscious tried to stop you.
The board's making you uncomfortable because you never really thought of your sins written upon a a white board before. You run to grab the eraser to remove that which is written. However you cannot.
This white board is filled with sins you failed to asked God forgiveness upon.
The longer you prolong asking the more writing goes upon the board and wall until it fills up the very room with your sins. Those sins will be written all on top of each other.
Let me ask you this what are you waiting for?
Only God can remove your sins from the board making it white as snow.
Leaving the board without a trace of your sins.
Go ahead, ask Him to forgive you. He's waiting for you to ask him.
There are somethings in life that you just don't allow to accumulate such as sin. The second is daily seek God's forgiveness for your sins and short comings.
You will notice a big difference in your life when you do.
Blue symbolized the tasks I didn't enjoy doing but needed to be done soon.
Green symbolized important tasks that are priority.
Red symbolized top priority tasks.
Black symbolized daily tasks.
Now imagine a huge 50inch white board in front of you. Upon it are the four different colors and it is filled up with writing. You are in the back of the room so you begin moving closer towards the board. The closer you come towards the board you begin to make out some of the words.
Lied about report
Stole 2 dollars
Cheated on taxes
As you come closer you see there are statements of sins.
The more you read these sin statements you realize that they are your sins. As you read each on flashes of the very event crack through your memory and conscious.
The black written statements are your daily sins.
The red written statements are your top priority sins.
The green written statements are your priority sins.
The blue written statements are symbolic of the sins you did but were hesitant about doing because your conscious tried to stop you.
The board's making you uncomfortable because you never really thought of your sins written upon a a white board before. You run to grab the eraser to remove that which is written. However you cannot.
This white board is filled with sins you failed to asked God forgiveness upon.
The longer you prolong asking the more writing goes upon the board and wall until it fills up the very room with your sins. Those sins will be written all on top of each other.
Let me ask you this what are you waiting for?
Only God can remove your sins from the board making it white as snow.
Leaving the board without a trace of your sins.
Go ahead, ask Him to forgive you. He's waiting for you to ask him.
There are somethings in life that you just don't allow to accumulate such as sin. The second is daily seek God's forgiveness for your sins and short comings.
You will notice a big difference in your life when you do.
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