Category: Encourage-Inform-Inspire

Do you really know who HE is or do you know about HIM? There is a difference, to know HIM is to have an intimate relationship with HIM and to know about HIM comes from second or third-hand knowledge meaning that you heard of HIM from others.

Those of us that actually know the answer to the question of who JESUS is realized that our faith stems from our believing, relying on, trusting and knowing the fact of who HE is. When we cannot identify who JESUS is, JESUS cannot identify who we are. We must allow JESUS to change who we are or rather who we thought we were to who we actually are in HIM. This is all about changing the mind which can only be changed when our heart has been changed.

Do you know why GOD made you? Who does GOD mean to you? The answer to these thought-provoking questions will reveal the depths of your heart.

Do you want a real revelation? I hope so because GOD desires to show us all our value in HIM and who we can be in HIM.

We show ourselves to be victims when we constantly say who we are not or what we do not have. We need to acknowledge that we are victorious and that we are who GOD says that we are and we can do all things in GOD through CHRIST JESUS. You are more than a conqueror and we should just sit back and enjoy the ride as GOD molds us to be what HE wants us to be. Begin today to take on the fullness of GOD through CHRIST JESUS.

Matthew 16:18

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In my wonderful native country that I love America, most people believe that they are Christians just because they are born here. Not true. Who you are is American and being an American we have privileges that those who are not Americans desire. Just as being a true CHRISTian provides us with privileges that Christians think that they have. Maybe you wonder why I am always writing CHRISTian vs Christian, it is because I am emphasizing the true CHRISTian those of us who are actually washed in the blood of JESUS is possessed by CHRIST JESUS vs those who profess CHRIST JESUS, yet have no relationship in HIM and their lives do not reflect HIS Word, character or integrity, they are religious.

Religious people demand that people live the life of the commandments that even the Jews failed miserably at doing. Whereas, those of us who are in a relationship with CHRIST JESUS learn to live freely according to HIS commandment of love when we freely give ourselves over to HIM and allow HIM to teach us, then, when we mature in HIS Word we do live according to the moral commandments. What are the moral commandments you may be thinking? They are the Ten Commandments which can only be obeyed when we have love, living within, which will spill out of us onto those that we know and do not know. But most of all we love GOD the FATHER and CHRIST JESUS the SON. Our identity in CHRIST JESUS is HIS gift to us because we will possess HIS identity, sufficiency, and HIS qualifications.

Exodus 20:7 “Never use the name of the LORD your GOD carelessly. [GW]. That is, lightly or frivolously, in false affirmations or profanely. How many of you reading this blog is guilty of this action? No worries, acknowledge this to the FATHER and yourself, now move on and live your life in HIS forgiveness.

Matt. 5:33-37 just tell the honest truth and mean yes or no when you say it.

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Everywhere, HE sees every little thing that we do and for those of you who think that it is only the little things HE also sees the big things. Now that covers all things. Yes, it also includes those things that are in our thoughts, and in our heart. Do you know the identity of the I AM? Do you know the identity of the I am? Comes across as redundant huh? But it is not because I AM is GOD and I am is you.

I will not write to you as to who the I AM is because you are the one who will have to identify HIM to yourself. However, many of you identify yourself as; I am anxious, awesome, beautiful, blessed, broken, capable, depressed, disrespected, healed, hopeful, hopeless, pretty, recovering [from whatever], respectful, sick, sinful (sinner saved by grace), thoughtful, ugly, and the list can go on and on.

How do you think that GOD assesses you? Your answer may be linked to your relationship with HIM. Are you defined by who GOD desires to develop you to be?

Exodus 3:14  “I AM Who I AM.” [nkjv].  I Will Be Who I Will Be [amp].

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No one is qualified to do anything but sin. Think about it, most everything that we think, look at, listen to, speak and do is sinful. Now, let us look at another venue of not being qualified. Whatever we desire to do in life once we learn that specific thing, we consider ourselves unqualified until we become educated and trained in that specific thing to which then we call ourselves qualified. However, no matter what we learn or train for without CHRIST JESUS in our heart we are still not qualified for living our life as an achiever, overcomer and victorious.

And those of us who do have CHRIST JESUS and HIS Holy Spirit living in our hearts, we still have a propensity to trip or we willingly sin. Now, the cool thing about us folk who do trip into sin or willingly sin just for a wee moment is that our Advocate will speak to the FATHER about us. We do not have to beg for HIS forgiveness because we are already forgiven. However, it is a good thing to acknowledge what we have done to HIM. Forgive yourself and move on forward. Moving on, stop believing that you cannot do whatever it is you desire to do for GOD. Believe me when I tell you, none of us are so strong within ourselves that we think that we can accomplish what we will like to do for GOD. No, dear hearts we are all weak but our weakness will not disqualify us because actually, our weakness should propel us to look at JESUS all the more. To trust and rely on HIM more and more. It is when we stick close to HIM that qualifies us. And, never become discouraged when the way we use to do something that worked well for us no longer is. GOD sometimes will change how we are to do something only to show us that HE is changing us all the more to look like HIS SON JESUS.

Oh, I almost forgot to share this with you, yes, it does hurt when family and those around you in your community, school, and place of employment put you down with their words. Some will not believe that you are better or can become better than what they are. Do not allow their words to shatter you into dust. Yes, you may break but what is broken can be repaired. And when we allow GOD to be that shield which will repel those evil words from entering into our heart or allow GOD to heal us with HIS healing salve, that Balm of Gilead which will mend us to be better than we were before. Then they will see that they were wrong for believing that you were unqualified.

So cease from stressing about all the small stuff of life because all you are doing is straining, and worrying about things that are out of your control but GOD has everything in HIS control. Know, that the real you which is your spirit is perfect only because of CHRIST JESUS and HE is working in you day by day. Honey child, you are a work in progress, you are the clay and GOD is the Potter.

2 Corinthians 12:10

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These are only my thoughts about this question, however, I believe that our kids turn away from GOD for the following reasons, see if you fit into a least one of these categories.

1. A religious home rather than a home that has an ongoing and intimate relationship with JESUS.
2. Adults are one way in the public eye but totally different in their private life.
3. Saying one thing yet doing the opposite.
4. Not making JESUS totally relatable to children.
5. Going to each and every single function just because it is happening in your local assembly of worship.
6. Not living a balanced lifestyle.
7. Making every little thing an idol just because you do not like it or agree with what your kids like.
8. Having them dress as though it is the 1800’s or the early 1900’s.
9. Telling them all the cannot do’s but never telling them what they can do.
10. Being overly critical and demanding.
11. Not understanding who they are and what they will like to take part in.
12. Speaking at them rather than speaking with them.

These are the top twelve that I can think of right off the top of my head. You may have more than what I have provided, so add to it on a separate sheet of paper or on the back of this when you print it out.

Adults seem to forget what it was like to be a child and a teen or maybe even a young adult. As adults, we must find common ground with kids of all ages. A true Christian home is enjoyable, loving, and peaceful but a religious home is filled with confusion, lack peace, and resentment. We must be examples before our kids showing them as we are teaching them that being a born-again believer in CHRIST JESUS is not a burden, it is not full of do not’s but what we can do in HIM. We demonstrate to them who we are in CHRIST JESUS not who we want them to be in our own will. When our children witness that we are phony in front of and with other people it cultivates in them that JESUS is not who they hear who HE is when they are in church service.

We must let people be themselves but teach through the demonstration that they can be better in JESUS rather than who they see outside of the home. What is wrong with having music that they like to hear? As long as it does not promote foul language and disrespect of authorities and people of any kind, they should be allowed to have it in the home to enjoy. What is wrong with them being friends with people who do not go to church? You need to allow them to be friendly with all people and those that you do not mind having in your home allow them in your home, your home may be the home that your kid’s friends are attracted to because of the love, peace, and kindness that surrounds your home internally and externally. What is wrong with the clothes that your kid’s desire to wear? As long as their clothes are not sending the wrong message, such as tee shirts that can be read or have some type of logo or design. That your kids have their pants pulled up properly on their waist with a belt if belt loops are there. Depending on the function allow kids to be comfortable and like what they are wearing. My generation may be the last generation where females of all ages wore hats and gloves. Why are you making your female children dress in hats and gloves looking like little old ladies from yesteryear?

What we do and what we say can make all the difference in the world when it comes to pointing our kids to CHRIST JESUS. We may not think that what we make our children do but are not willing to do ourselves is causing our children to dread Christianity but it is. We must bring out the passion for CHRIST in our children where they love to study their Bibles, enjoy going to church functions as well as worship service. Telling them that GOD has a purpose for their life but not trying to pull that purpose out before it is time.

We must not make the lifestyle of being a Christian so unbearable that our children cannot wait to leave home just to get away from all the rules of the Pharisee’s and Sadducee’s that live in the home. Overbearing rules and traditions are killers. Make the effort to understand their world, be sensitive to their being youths. Meet them where they are not where you want them to be. Focus on the ways in which they will want to get to know JESUS better. Teach them by telling and demonstrating to them over and over just as you tell them and demonstrate over and over how much JESUS and you love them.

Whatever your child is attracted to, get involved. Paint in our actions and words how rewarding it is to be a Christian who trusts in CHRIST JESUS. Do you know that if JESUS was visible on the earth today and your children were attracted to go-go or hip-hop that JESUS would be right there with them? Okay, maybe you do not like what they consider to be music but I hope you get my meaning. I am not attracted to go-go or hip-hop either so I get it. But that does not mean that it is anti-Christ music just because we do not approve of its style or sound. Stop looking and calling everything that we do not understand things of the devil.

Our children can discover great worth in the Bible because of our demonstration of love, understanding (or trying to), gentleness, kindness, and our involvement. Rather than pushing them away because of our overbearing desires for them to achieve that which are not achievable. We must stop trying to make them perfect when we ourselves are not demonstrating perfection. And, recall and share your life as a child, a teen and a young adult. Tell them the good, the bad and the ugly parts of your life because just like them we wanted to discover, we wanted to participate, we were confused (growing pains), we are being human. Please do not be over judgmental and continuing to add more rules or demanding that they follow rules that are difficult or un-enjoyable not only to you but to them also.

We desire for our kids to praise and worship GOD from their own self-awareness of HIM and not because that is what you and everyone else is doing at the moment.

Be your children’s greatest supporter, cheer for them even when they miss the mark for trying to do that which they are interested in. Help them to correct that thing that caused them to miss out so that if they are interested then they can try again. Equip them to live an incredible life so that when they leave home they will not fall into the many traps that are out there waiting for them. Never count this young generation and the generations to follow out. They are amazing people and remember the older generations counted us out and look at how well we have done. I am a baby boomer, I am all that GOD said that I am and I have yet to discover all that HE has in store for me but I am excited to find out what those things are in HIS appropriate time. I am not too old to discover those things that young people consider that I should have done when I was young. I too still need encouragement and guidance from experienced people just as we must guide the younger generations. They can and will accomplish incredible things. Get to know and understand them rather than ignoring them, I promise you that these young people are actually set to amaze us.

1 Corinthians 9:22 Become or appear weak in your faith so that you can win those who are actually weak in their faith. Welcome the weak in faith but never debate what they believe in. Be the one who demonstrates CHRIST to them in love. Our being overbearing to others only pleases ourselves causing the others to rebel all the more because they resent what is being presented to them. Build up those who have no faith in or who are weak in their faith of CHRIST JESUS and what true Christianity is all about. Those who are weak in their faith we should feel and or see what it is they lack. And those who are made to stumble because of their weakness of faith is often caused by what they hear and see us do that contradicts what we are trying to place in them to do. Be willing to step into the world of others where they live without participating in those things which they do that are actually sinful acts. For instance, go where the prostitutes are and speak with them if possible. We do not need to sell ourselves or demean them more than they already are. Some of those prostitutes are debasing themselves because they are addicts, their pimp has lied to them and they believe the lie because what they received at home was far worse in their mind. Or, they may be trying to just pay the bills because employment is difficult to obtain for them and they would rather do this than sleep on the streets, or live in a shelter, and just like most of us want better for their kids. Remember our goal is to introduce those who do not know JESUS to HIM.

Rom. 14:1, 15:1-2; 2 Cor. 11:29; Rom. 14:14

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It is no more our ability to convince anyone that JESUS is Who HE is than it is our ability to cause a plenteous harvest to come in. Another word for debating is argumentative and this is what we all who have come to CHRIST JESUS either have done or are still doing. I know for a fact that when I was a newborn baby in CHRIST JESUS that I wanted anyone and everyone especially my family to come to know just who CHRIST JESUS is. And, I not only became hurt from my zeal I became angry. By nature I am not a good nor great debater, so often times I gave up because I became exhausted in trying to prove my point of view. It is not that what I was saying was erroneous but my delivery. Ever heard that one bad apple will spoil the entire bunch? Well, those are the people whose heart was not trying to hear about JESUS. My being zealous was not GOD’s perfect timing for me to witness about CHRIST. And throughout my forty years of growing up in HIS presence, I have learned to listen out for HIS voice to prompt me to speak with whom HE desires me to speak with not at.

Every farmer knows when the crops are ripe for harvesting as for me I only know that I see something that looks like it is ready to be eaten only to find out the hard way that what it looked like outwardly does not mean that it is ready inwardly. It is the same with people, they must become ripe for the harvest before being approached.

I can recall when my mother sat us, kids (all teens) down and tried to share with us about her conversion. We did not know what she was talking about and none of us dared to ask her. As for me, I thought that when she said that she was saved that maybe someone pushed her out of the way of a moving car. Her explanation left us all confused but I believe that all of us hid in our hearts what she had said to us because as for me one year later I received the gift of salvation. And my siblings received their gift as well, it hit us all one year after the others like falling dominoes.

As I was becoming ripe for the harvest I can remember how whenever it was my turn to clean the kitchen after dinner on Sunday’s, how I would turn the radio on to what I used to call it Church music and it was not music that I was used to listening to like Mahalia Jackson, the Five Blind Boys, and others which I did and do like. Mainly because that was really all the gospel music that was played in the homes of people either from the radio or their record players. No, this was music from the Mighty Clouds of Joy, The Hawkins and others who had recorded music for my Motown ears to enjoy. My favorite song was that by Tramaine Hawkins “Going up yonder”. I never understood what many of those songs truly meant, I just know that I enjoyed them and I found myself singing them during the weekdays from time to time. Also, I had never felt the way I did as I did when listening to those songs. GOD was preparing my heart. After my conversion when I listened to those very same songs they came across as new because I was able to understand their meaning. And Going up yonder has remained my all-time favorite contemporary Christian song to date.

Most of us may or may not ever know the time when GOD was preparing us for the harvest. And that is okay if some of you do not recall when the preparation was happening. If you are truly a born-again believer in CHRIST JESUS now, it does not matter when our heart was being prepared for HIM to be invited in. What matters most is that we invited HIM in to live, clean, open up all the doors and windows to allow the light to shine and deodorize and disinfect each room of our heart.

There will always be someone who is ripe to be harvested, we just need to be in the right place at the right time listening and obeying the voice of the Holy Spirit when He let us know who to speak with. Remember this from the LORD GOD; “As long as the world exists, there will be a time for planting and a time for harvest. There will always be cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night”. What this means to us is that until the day CHRIST comes to collect everyone who believes in HIM, we and the generations to follow will have the opportunity to either plant seeds (tell the truth about the finished works of JESUS to those who may never have heard about HIM but are not ready to surrender). Water seeds (remind or add on to what people may have heard but have not surrendered as yet to JESUS). Then harvest those which are ripe so that GOD will get the increase (ready to invite JESUS into their heart). The seed is the Word of GOD, the watering is speaking with those who are familiar with the truth of the finished works of  JESUS but have not surrendered as yet. And, lastly, those that have become ripened will begin to come to GOD through CHRIST JESUS once they have believed in their heart and have that inner desire to confess just who CHRIST JESUS is. This will be the added increase in our heavenly family. And GOD’s glory is continual on the earth. Just as we have the assurance that the four seasons will come and go and that day will turn into night and night will become a new and never experienced day.

Know your audience; meaning do not try to speak eloquently because you are well educated. And do not dumb down your intelligence when speaking with one who has an education. Meet people where they are, do not approach people of the streets wearing your finest jewels and clothing, wear casual clothes as if you are just making a quick run to the store. And do not approach those that are wearing nice attire and you look like you are not in their league. People respond much better to these groups: Those that run in the same circle as they do but may not indulge in all the activities; those whose lives they have witnessed being changed; those that have been where they are but have been delivered; those that have developed a relationship with others to cause an open door conversation about JESUS more through actions verses speaking to them. And there may be other groups which can be added but I just wanted to layout for those who may be trying to win others to CHRIST that they are not the only ones who may be hitting the ball but fouling out. At least they tried as I did. Learn to become sensitive to the Holy Spirit then move out and speak when He directs not before.

If you have a desire to win souls to GOD through CHRIST JESUS, pray that you hear the voice of the Holy Spirit directing you to those who are ripened. And ask the LORD GOD to send those of us to the orchards that have ripened harvest to gather for HIM. The harvest could be just outside your door, in your home, school, place of employment; at the department stores, in the grocery or corner bodega, at the bus stop, rail /subway station and so on. We do not know when or where GOD will use us to gather HIS children to lead them into becoming HIS sons. Just be available, ready and willing to go and do without any fear.

John 4:35 “They are already ripe for harvest”.

Gen. 8:22; Mt. 9:37; Lk. 10:2

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In the scripture that we will focus on for this text, the word charitable is used. However, this word is not defined by what most of us think it to mean when we think of the word charity. In fact, the word charitable actually is defined as one who is benevolent; a benefactor to those who are less fortunate than we are or poor in spirit. Charitable deeds are most often sprung from gentleness, kindness, and lovingness toward others. For example, most people will help the homeless not to be seen helping them but rather showing kindness towards them.

Matthew 6:3-4 Everything that we do when we help others should never be spoken of to others. Help others secretly, meaning do not boast about what you are doing or have done in the aid of anyone. Those that see will see. Why should we care if anyone sees or are aware of our being a help towards others, what are our true motives/intent for helping others? Be charitable because it springs from our being gentle, kind and loving. GOD will openly reward those who know HIM as well as HE does for those who actually are in a relationship with HIM.

Lk. 14:12-14

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