When we fix our eyes on the things that we see, instead of the things we don’t see (meaning the things that are eternal) is when we make decisions proven to be unwise and spiritually counterproductive. When we become weary and tired, this isn’t the time to quit or cancel meaningful, spirit building, and God honoring activities, but this is the time to press into the Lord who will give us strength. I can do all things (contentment in the press) through Christ Jesus who gives me strength. Phil. 4:13

How would we experience God’s strength if when things get hard or tough, we quit or give in or cancel? We must model staying power and the ability to tap into the Lord’s strength.

We need to be careful not to rob next generations of the ability to fight and stand. We must gently push and encourage in long-suffering, stamina and sacrificial service. This teaches faithfulness and commitment which is needed as a follower of Jesus Christ, our Lord and savior. We each will encounter the cost.  As I continue to grieve about some of the decisions that are being made in this world, secular and spiritual, I am reminded that man is not God. This passage encouraged me not to stop fasting and praying.

“For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; in every way afflicted, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you.But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE,” we also believe, therefore we also speak, knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For our momentary, light affliction is working out for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”2 Corinthians 4:6–5:1 

I say this to myself, “Zephany don’t faint or lose heart! These last days events must come to pass. This is the beginning of birth pains. No one is exempt from being used to ‘usher in’ last days events. My prayer is that I will remain consistently on the Lord’s side. Don’t let me wear the Lord’s jersey but out of ignorance and personal agendas make plays that become an advantage for the rival team, (the enemy of God).” I know that we know the end of the story, but why make a mess out of the ’in between’?

Praying for all leaders and their influences!

The journey flows…

Zephany

This past weekend was phenomenal!! At Kingdom Life Church, there was a Women’s Weekend of Worship (WWW) 2-day Conference. Ladies from various generations, ethnicities, spiritual levels, denominations came together with one voice and one sound to honor the Lord. The worship experience was through praise & worship, workshops on truth, how to evangelize, a panel discussion with the Generation Z ‘s dialoguing on mentorship with ladies from older generations and ended that Saturday night with a message from 2 Chronicles 20:1-30. All of this goodness was the manifestation of a vision from the Lord in an effort to revive and spur the Saints onto love and good works plus an opportunity to share the gospel unto salvation. The entire weekend was inundated with salvation invitations, prayers, praise & worship, biblical teachings, gifts, prizes, reconnections, hugs, and lots of love. New relationships were developed and old ones rekindled. This conference was indeed an anointed event!

I am most gracious to the Pastor and the other Elders at Kingdom Life Church for their blessings, prayers, and support, especially, my dear sweet, and supportive husband Elder Terence Andrews. The Lord made room for the gifts and talents He has given the body through us.

A team of beautiful spirited, praying women of God rallied and graciously committed to fasting and prayer for nine weeks. We fasted weekly and met for 6am prayer every Friday. The Lord led us to pray more than plan. I wanted so desperately to acknowledge these amazing women. EVERY one of them stepped up with their sacrificial service, encouragement, gifts and talents to make this 2-day conference a success. Our teamwork and sisterhood was a gift from God! Thank you for your support and setting a safe environment for me to grow as a leader and make decisions with times that I had to repent and start again. Your love and patience made allowances for my faults in leading. I am humbled by your friendship & sisterhood.

My moments of reflection have led me to consider 1 Corinthians 12:14-27, “¹⁴ Here’s what I mean: the body is not made of one large part but of many different parts. ¹⁵ Would it seem right for the foot to cry, “I am not a hand, so I couldn’t be part of this body”? Even if it did, it wouldn’t be any less joined to the body. ¹⁶ And what about an ear? If an ear started to whine, “I am not an eye; I shouldn’t be attached to this body,” in all its pouting, it is still part of the body. ¹⁷ Imagine the entire body as an eye. How would a giant eye be able to hear? And if the entire body were an ear, how would an ear be able to smell? ¹⁸ This is where God comes in. God has meticulously put this body together; He placed each part in the exact place to perform the exact function He wanted. ¹⁹ If all members were a single part, where would the body be? ²⁰ So now, many members function within the one body. ²¹ The eye cannot wail at the hand, “I have no need for you,” nor could the head bellow at the feet, “I won’t go one more step with you.” ²² It’s actually the opposite. The members who seem to have the weaker functions are necessary to keep the body moving; ²³ the body parts that seem less important we treat as some of the most valuable; and those unfit, untamed, unpresentable members we treat with an even greater modesty. ²⁴ That’s something the more presentable members don’t need. But God designed the body in such a way that greater significance is given to the seemingly insignificant part. ²⁵ That way there should be no division in the body; instead, all the parts mutually depend on and care for one another. ²⁶ If one part is suffering, then all the members suffer alongside it. If one member is honored, then all the members celebrate alongside it. ²⁷ You are the body of the Anointed, the Liberating King; each and every one of you is a vital member. (The Voice)

To the vital members: The Church leadership, the prayer warriors, the Praise team (singers & the band), the Media team (audio & visual), the speakers (all who held a microphone), the Altar attendants, the gift & prize display organizer, the concession organizer and lobby decorator, the young panelists, the lead panelists, the Men’s Ministry, Safety Team, Parking Attendants, Concession attendants, stage set up & dismantle, and the Ushers & Greeters. And for those who came from across town, from other cities, and states to share your gifts and talents, a BIG THANK YOU too! As I consider these wonderful men and women…my sisters and brothers in Christ’s partnership, I cannot help but to worship God and give Him all of the honor and glory! It was indeed a KNOCKOUT!!

Listed below are the three sessions from the WWW experience. I pray that the Lord will bless you and that you will walk away from each session revived, encouraged, and more knowledgeable with courage to share the Gospel according to Jesus Christ! ¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16

Friday Night -April 8th (ROUND ONE): https://fb.watch/cncOZEn53t/

Saturday Morning -April 9th (ROUND TWO): https://fb.watch/cncVJ5Af3I/

Hand-outs for Workshop on Evangelism: https://www.kingdomlifecc.com/WWW-Round-2

Saturday Night-April 9th (ROUND THREE): https://fb.watch/cnc-RQbm7z/

All Sessions/Rounds are located on: https://www.kingdomlifecc.com/live-stream on our Church website: https://www.kingdomlifecc.com/

While you are there, check out our Sunday Services with dynamic teaching from our loving and humble Pastor Alex Sands.

Happy Resurrection Day! If for a serious reason that you cannot make it out to the house of worship locally in person, please join Kingdom Life Church Livestream, where I can assure you that the Praise & Worship will be authentic and spirit filled plus the message will come from the inerrant and unadulterated word of God with clarity and precision filled with the power of the Lord graciously and lovingly delivered. Remember, OUR SAVIOR LIVES….

The journey flows…

Zephany

As I sit with extra care to give thanks on this ‘Thanksgiving Day’, I began to ask myself, what is different about this day as it relates to this Thursday that man has designated as a day to stop and give thanks? I look around and see the intent of so many to give thanks, which is wonderful. People from all walks of life on this Thanksgiving have and will spend time uttering phrases of thanksgiving. I guess, my question is, “Who are you giving thanks to?” Who will the atheist thank, who will the Muslim thank, who will the Jehovah Witness thank, who will the scientologist thank, or even the polytheist? Basically, who will any unbeliever thank?

Even in words of gratitude, my bible tells me that there is no way to the Father, but through His son, Jesus. John 14:6 reads that Jesus is the way the truth and the life, no one can come to the Father, but by him. So my question again is “Who are you thanking?” This leads me to my next question, “What are you thankful for?”

God is the creator and the provider of all sustenances in life. What can we give thanks for that God hasn’t either created, provided, or caused? Take breathing, the ability to inhale and exhale (it’s the nurse in me), who is responsible for this miraculous gas exchange that occurs for your life to continue. That cardio/pulmonary process goes hand in hand. Who do you thank? How about your transportion, whether it is a personal vehichle, public transportation, moped, bicycle, or even your legs, (not all my readers have vehicles). Who do you thank? That job that you may or may not enjoy, nevertheless, the Lord provides for you and your family through it. Are you thankful? How about the people that add so much joy to your life, e.g., parents, syblings, spouses, children, grandchildren, friends, or even mere aquaintenances. God’s providence arranged circumstances for you to meet and have them in your life for your good and His glory. Are you grateful and who do you thank for these gifts?

In order for your phrases of thanksgiving to mean more than a roundtable exercise uttered over a feast, once a year, you must come to a point where you admit that just like life without Jesus the Christ is empty, so are your phrases of thanksgiving apart from Jesus as Savior of your life. All of the aforementioned gifts are from God so He should be to whom your thanksgiving and praises should be uttered. He is truly the only one that can give us the hearts that are filled with the appropriate gatitude. We cannot be truly thankful without His grace and Spirit.

With that, there is no greater gift than the gift of His Son. John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 2. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through Him.”(ESV)

Romans 10:8-13 can lead you, 8 “But what does it say?”The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who calls on him. 13 For, everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” (ESV) Be saved today!!

Lord, we thank you for everything, only by your soveriegnty, grace, mercy, and love that you have created, provided, and caused my life to be as well as it is now, sufficient for your plans for it. I don’t understand it all, but trusting you gives me peace. So Lord help my distrusting and douting heart and help me to believe more consistently. Amen! I do believe…

The journey flows…..

Zephany,

La lucha es real Enseño un estudio bíblico para mujeres semanalmente, la beca de estudio bíblico para mujeres Titus 2 a través de Zoom. Hemos comenzado un estudio del Pentateuco. Acabamos de terminar el capítulo 3 de Génesis. Hemos sido muy bendecidos al volver a visitar Génesis cuando Moisés narra cómo Dios creó algo a partir de un vacío, oscuro, sin forma y sin nada, Génesis 1: 1. Muy a menudo, el pecado y la caída del hombre domina muchas discusiones sobre Génesis, pero el Espíritu ha dirigido el estudio y ha fijado nuestros corazones hacia la bondad, la gracia, la misericordia, el amor y la compasión del Dios perfecto. Dios pudo haber desatado toda su ira sobre Adán y Eva; podría haber sido la muerte y la completa alienación de inmediato. En cambio, Él castigó con gracia y misericordia mientras hacía provisiones para ellos, y luego nos incluyó en el plan total de redención. Alabanza descanso…. Ok, para continuar…

Me recuerda tanto Efesios 2: 8-10, tengan paciencia conmigo, lo he hecho personal, “es por gracia que soy salvo por la fe, no por mí mismo, es un regalo de Dios, no por obras, para que no Me jacto Soy hechura suya, creado en Cristo Jesús para buenas obras, que Dios preparó de antemano, por lo tanto, debo andar en ellas “. El estudio de Génesis solidifica aún más el don de la salvación para mí. La perfección ya no es mi objetivo. Ya no estoy esclavizado por mis intentos fallidos de ser perfecto. Parece que la perfección estaba en la parte superior de la lista de mi agenda diaria. Mi error fue olvidar que excelencia y perfección no son sinónimos. Solo el Señor nuestro Dios tiene el título de verdadera perfección.

Mi prioridad es realizar mis tareas diarias para la gloria de Dios regido por las especificaciones delineadas en la Palabra de Dios que debe brotar de mi corazón. “Tu palabra he guardado en mi corazón para no pecar contra ti”, Salmo 119: 11. Por eso la prioridad de las prioridades es el estandarte de la oración con el lavamiento de la Palabra, ya que me recuerda que mi perfección proviene de una mancha permanente de la sangre de Jesús.

Muchos días, mi ritual de autoexamen se había convertido en un gran peso, incluso después de la confesión y el arrepentimiento, en lugar de regocijarme con gratitud por la reparación de la comunión con Dios y la provisión de la confesión y el arrepentimiento de Dios, me aferraba a la culpa y la vergüenza. demasiado tiempo. Repitiendo la transgresión en mi mente hasta el punto de cansarme. No tanto porque pequé contra Dios, sino porque volví a errar el blanco, por lo tanto … perfección. Señor, sálvame de mí mismo.

Bucear y desempacar las escrituras en Génesis me ha hecho madurar en mi trato con las luchas constantes, sin ceder a las excusas, sino aceptando las oposiciones en la guerra en curso entre Dios y Sus enemigos (a veces yo mismo), y el Ángel de las tinieblas, es decir, Satanás con sus demonios. “Pondré enemistad entre ti y la mujer, y entre tu simiente y su simiente; Él te herirá en la cabeza y tú le herirás en el calcañar ”, Génesis 3:15.

El Señor me ha dado poder para ser más misericordioso conmigo mismo y recordar que a veces lucharé, tropezaré e incluso caeré por completo. Dios me ha dado poder y aumenta mi fuerza. Con eso, Isaías 40: 29-31, “Él da poder al débil, y al que no tiene fuerzas, aumenta sus fuerzas, el joven se desmayará y se fatigará, el joven caerá del todo, pero los que esperan sobre el Señor se remontarán con alas como un águila, correrán y no se cansarán, caminarán y no se fatigarán ”.

Todavía estoy en esta lucha diaria mientras el Señor me condiciona con sus manos providenciales. Él es el alfarero y yo soy el barro. Él hace provisiones para mí mientras me moldea y me da forma para que el mundo pueda reconocerme como Su portador de la imagen. Hay mucho trabajo por hacer, pero hoy me regocijo por las cosas que ha hecho y por lo lejos que me ha llevado. Incluso es gracias a Su gracia que puedo hacer esta observación.

La lucha es real. En adelante, estoy muy agradecido por mi abogado, nuestro Señor Jesús el Cristo, que se sienta a la diestra de Dios el Padre, intercediendo por mí sin cesar. “Hijitos míos, estas cosas os escribo para que no pequéis. Y si alguno hubiere pecado, abogado tenemos para con el Padre, a Jesucristo el justo ”1 Juan 2: 1. Para que no me olvide, en mis momentos más débiles, el Espíritu Santo intercede por mí, Romanos 8:34. Oremos unos por otros mientras ganamos estas batallas.

El viaje fluye,

Zephany

I teach a Women’s Bible study weekly, Titus 2 Women’s Bible Study Fellowship via Zoom. We have started a study of the Pentateuch. We have just finished chapter 3 of Genesis. We have been so blessed by revisiting Genesis as Moses narrates how God created something from an empty dark formless and void nothing, Genesis 1:1. So often the sin and downfall of man dominates many discussions about Genesis, but the Spirit has led the study and fixed our hearts toward the goodness, grace, mercy, love, and compassion of the perfect God. God could have unleashed his full wrath on Adam and Eve; it could have been death and complete alienation immediately. Instead, He punished graciously and mercifully while making provisions for them, then to included us in the total plan of redemption. Praise break…. Ok, to continue…

I am so reminded of Ephesians 2:8-10, bear with me, I have made it personal, “It is by grace that I am saved through faith, not of myself, it is a gift of God, not of works, lest I boast; I am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before-hand, therefore, I should walk in them.” The study in Genesis solidifies the gift of salvation even more for me. Perfection is no longer my aim. No longer am I in bondage to my failing attempts to be perfect. Seems as though, perfection was at the top of the list of my daily agenda. My mistake was forgetting that excellence and perfection are not synonymous. Only the Lord our God holds the title of true perfection.

My priority is to perform my daily tasks to the glory of God governed by the specifications outlined in the Word of God that should spring forth from my heart. “Thy word, I have hidden in my heart that I may not sin against Thee”, Psalm 119:11. Therefore the priority of priorities is the banner of prayer with the washing of the Word as it reminds me that my perfection comes from a permanent stain of the blood of Jesus.

Many days, my ritual of self-examination had become a heavy weight, even after confession and repentance, instead of rejoicing with gratefulness for the mending of fellowship with God and the provision of confession and repentance from God, I would hang onto guilt and shame way too long.  Replaying the transgression in my mind to the point of weariness. Not so much because I sinned against God, but because I missed the mark again, hence… perfection. Lord save me from myself. 

Diving into and unpacking the scriptures in Genesis have been maturing me in my dealing with constant struggles, not giving into excuses, but accepting the oppositions in the ongoing war between God and His enemies (sometimes self), and the Angel of darkness, i.e., Satan with his demons.  “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel”, Genesis 3:15.

The Lord has empowered me to be more gracious to myself and to remember that I will struggle at times, I will stumble and even utterly fall. God has given me power and increases my strength. With that, Isaiah 40:29-31, “He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might, he increases their strength, the youth will faint and is weary, the young man will utterly fall, but they that wait upon the Lord will mount up with wings like an eagle, they shall run and not grow weary and walk and not faint”.

 I am still in this daily fight as the Lord conditions me with His providential hands. He is the potter and I am the clay. He makes provisions for me as He molds and shapes me into being recognizable to the world as His image bearer. There is much work to be done, yet I rejoice today for the things that He has done and for how far He has brought me. It is even because of His grace that I can make this observation.

The struggle is real. Onward, I am most grateful for my advocate our Lord Jesus the Christ, who sits at the right hand of God the Father making intercessions on my behalf without ceasing.  “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” 1 John 2:1. Lest I forget, in my weakest times, the Holy Spirit makes intercessions for me, Romans 8:34. Let us pray for one another as we win these battles.

The journey flows,

Zephany

I have a post to share with you ladies and gentlemen. I am purposeful to share it here for growth purpose not for Facebook mania. This post is from one of my role models of my youth. As a teenager, my aspirations were to become an anchor. I wanted to broadcast the news on a local or national platform. Maggie Wade, little did she know that she was my inspiration when I was completing my internship at WLBT, TV station in Jackson, MS. In fact, she was the object of many lessons in my broadcast journalism class at Alcorn State University. Maggie was a class ‘act’ then and continues to be one now.

Who is Maggie, “Maggie Wade is an Anchor for the WLBT-TV3, Jackson, MS with two videos in the C-SPAN Video Library; the first appearance was a 2011 Public Affairs Event. The year with the highest average number of views per program was 2018 with an average of 2,901 views per program”(https://www.google.com/search?q=maggie+wade&oq=maggie+Wade). This is just a snapshot of who this beautiful woman is and is becoming.

I admired her as a professional, but the following post has made me admire her all the more. Ladies and gentleman as you read this, please do some self-reflecting and ask yourselves have you been guilty of anything pertaining to this article. If so, confess, repent, and grow from it as I have. There are so many nuggets from this, don’t let them go to waste. Thank you Maggie, for sharing and being so transparent.

“²⁹ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:29-30a;32

The journey flows..

Maggie Wade, WLBT (From Maggie Wade’s Facebook Page).

September 16  ·From Maggie: I must admit there are days that I don’t like the way I look. I have bad hair days and yes I struggle with my weight. I am not getting perms as often because I want to keep my hair healthy. But when will people learn it is never positive or constructive to body shame another person. I share this only as a learning opportunity. Because we all should think twice before taking the time to use email, social media or the phone to body shame or criticize the way another person looks. We are all beautiful and unique in our own way.

The Email to Maggie: Here is the email I received today and my response is at the bottom. I continue to pray for people! Email sent to me at work this evening: Maggie, I have struggled with what to say to you regarding how you represent yourself as a professional black women. I remember in 1991 when I first moved to Mississippi and saw you on the news and in public I was impressed and I called you and asked you where you got your hair done. You were kind enough to tell me since I was new to the area. Over the years I have watched your appearance change and I wanted to reach out to you and let you know that young black and brown girls are watching you hoping that one day they might be able to be a newscaster in prime time. Please do not take my observation negatively because you impact young women. Your appearance has been on a rapid decline year after year. Specifically your hair, your weight and how you dress. I want you to know that your hair looks terrible and your weight gain is offensive. You used to look like someone that my daughter used to strive to be like. She asked me what happened to Maggie? So I’m asking you to please take more time with your hair, try to loose some weight and consider what you wear. You do impact a large number of women. I’m only writing because I tried to call to speak to you but I was not able to get through. A little constructive criticism does not hurt, don’t you think?

Maggie’s Response: My response: Thank you for your email. While I don’t think it is constructive or positive to body shame any woman, you have a right to your opinion and I respect that. In this day and time women choose many ways to wear their hair, it does not define who we are. My goal each day is to look professional, and pray that each viewer will focus more on the information than what I’m wearing, my weight or how I wear my hair. It is my hope that you will tell your daughter that I am proud of who I am and what God has blessed me with including a career that I love and continue to work hard in each and every day. I am a wife, mother and grandmother, my greatest blessings. I would hope that we would be proud of each other for what’s in our hearts and our brain rather than appearances. One of the reasons I have volunteered for years and worked with young people is to remind them they are beautiful no matter the size, what they wear or how society tries to identify or label them. I want them to love themselves, to be healthy and to strive to be the very best people they can be which means being compassionate, respectful, and treating people the way they want to be treated. One of my very favorite quotes is from the amazing Maya Angelou, “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” I try to live by that and making every single person feel valued, important and relevant regardless of circumstances. Thank you again and blessings to you and your family,

Maggie,

May the Lord continues to bless you Maggie!

“… And God saw that it was good.” Over-and-over-again during the six-day creation, God repeated this statement after specific segments. Finally, after speaking everything into existence (…and it was so), He made a final analysis of His creation; it was not just good, but indeed, it was VERY good. “31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day” Gen. 1:31.

After God allowed Man to make a ‘go of it’ (life without a comparable helper), He saw that it was not good. The first negative in the garden. 18 And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Gen. 1:18. God had created everything from the earth, but woman was uniquely designed and created from the rib of Adam. Rib in the ancient Sumerian language means life. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. Gen. 1:22. Again, God had created another life from the living.

Eve was created comparable to Adam, her husband. The Lord had given Adam a precious gift… a helper, a wife, a ‘good thang’. Proverbs 18:22 says, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and receives favor from the Lord”. How significant, vital, and essential is the wife to marriage, to her husband, and to the Lord. This is not only an important position, but a powerful one.

Wives, we have been described as a ‘good thing’. We were created to make the life and existence of our husbands good. Our husbands need us. It is difficult in life to ‘go it alone”. God gave Adam & Eve both a charge, to have dominion (radah) over the earth and to subdue (kabash) it. As our husbands exercise their rule over the earth, by making it a safe and productive place for their fruitful offspring, i.e. humanity. wives, we are helpers in this charge, even down to the subjugation of it, especially when things get out of hand.

God handed Eve to Adam. She was a gift. We are a gift to our husbands, whether it was a divine setup or a permissive mess-up (disobedient choice). Wives are good gifts and we should understand the sweetness of such a position as a form of stewardship. The outcome should bring God glory and the betterment of His creation.

What our husbands need: a friend, a helper to respectfully encourage him agriculturally, environmentally, and/or vocationally, a partner to speak words that adds to his life not tear him down or subtract. They need a listener, not someone to talk, talk, talk, and talk, yet failing to listen and hear him, (ladies, please… silence is golden) too much talking can become an irritant. They need a wife to feel safe enough to express tender emotions that may produce tears, a physical partner to desire him and to express it, a recreational partner to release energy and laughter. Last, but not least, a spiritual partner, one who prays with him, but has her own personal prayer life to stand in the gap when he gets weary and falters. That can be a tricky assessment; sometimes this can appear as one thing and means another. Always, the key is reconciliation. After all, that is our ministry; we are called to be peacekeepers. We must seek forgiveness (giving and receiving), all covered by grace. “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” Romans 12;18. Finally, never keep score. Scorecards are unreliable and one-sided.

This is not an inventory… only the quintessence of a portrait of marriage. I could go on and on. I know you have more examples of what it ‘look likes’ to walk out being a ‘good thang’ and a God given gift to your husband. Marriage is beautiful, don’t allow anyone to tell you differently, that’s what I call false teaching. Marriage is not easy, but it is possible. Lord help us all!

The journey flows…

I grew up in a very small humble community in Mississippi in the latter sixties through the mid-eighties. During those days of my youth, we had a ‘clothes line’ or in some areas it was called a ‘washing line’.  Even though we had a washing machine and eventually an electric dryer, my mom insisted that we continue to hang our clothes on the clothes line to allow them to air-dry. Not like in many homes of today, there was no room inside the house to accommodate the machines, so there was a literal wash-house behind our house where the machines were located. Inside the wash-house was an indoor clothes line for our unmentionables. You know the kind of clothing that, ‘back in a day’,  were either too embarrassing or too offensive for accidental viewing. You know like your underwear, bloomers, drawers, panties, brassieres, etc. Of course, there were four females in the house and I could assure you neighbors or pedestrians did not want to have an extended visual of our underwear flapping in the wind creating a neurological pathway for later recall.  Hence the name, underwear… not meant to be a public spectacle.  

Unlike then, now we are allowing our underwear and our unmentionables to flap in the wind, metaphorically speaking.  We have allowed social media to create an environment of relaxation to where our comfort level, when it relates to private thoughts, have become way to public. Too much information is a gateway to confusion, arguments and disagreements that can escalate to violence and death. Everybody is not mature enough to handle our thoughts. We had a phrase for when people allow their words and behavior to self-condemn. You know how when you let certain things slip, sometimes due to rage and impulsivity, it was coined as ‘letting your slip show’. There is a lot of offensive information just hanging out there on social media. It did not get there by itself. So before you post anything on social media, ask yourself: Can I verify validity, could it actually be a lie since I wasn’t there, do I have the entire story or is this a clip, am I a pawn for Satan, is this bringing restoration or division, am I being a good witness for Christ?

Make no mistake, I believe in being transparent, however even with transparency there is a responsibility to know your audience. Every thought isn’t meant to be shared with the public. Has it become taboo to keep your anger and verbal lashings from public consumption? Some thoughts should only be shared with pre-approved audiences.  Whatever happened to bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:5b?

For example, if I totally disagree with someone or believe an individual’s behavior is not in line with human reasoning, must I call the person “stupid” or “dumb”? Although, this would be considered a mild form of verbiage that has become acceptable among the public, even from the lips of the Saints. 

Loving reminder: Saints our speech should be edifying at all times. This does not preclude personal opinions or agreeing to disagree, but what it does preclude is putting limits on edification. Someone could argue that edification is subjective. The goal of edification is considering how to spur on each other into love and good works, Hebrews 10:24. Therefore, if that end goal isn’t met then the communication that is coming from the mouth is corrupt, to say the least. Ephesians 4:25-30, “²⁵ Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. ²⁶ “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, ²⁷ nor give place to the devil. ²⁸ Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. ²⁹ Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. ³² And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” 

I realize this is the era of the information age, but the word of God transcends any era and cannot be put on a shelf to satisfy and justify the carnal desire of simply being heard. Please allow your words to stand for something other than a personal agenda. If you must have an agenda, make sure the goal and the motivation benefit the kingdom and it reaches eternity. After all, only what we do for Christ will last. I had to delete my face-book account because my heart was breaking daily as I read posts from my brothers and sisters in Christ that did not resemble stretching across the aisle to offer long-suffering, grace, mercy, compassion, love and peace. I don’t know if anybody told you… but, “your slip is showing”. Pray for me as I pray for you.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Lord have mercy on us all. In Jesus name, amen! 

The journey flows… 

If the reaping and the sowing were truly fair for all today, which would you prefer, justice for all or do you prefer grace & mercy for all? Hmm…

There are certain things in life that one can predict and there are other times that situations in life simply happen. The simplistic nature of the discovery or revelation is not happenstance to God. He is sovereign and nothing that happens in this life escapes His knowledge. Man has studied variant phenomenon to arrive at theories relative to cause and effect and coined as laws. For example, some of these principles are known as Laws of Physics, Laws of Nature, Theories of Relativity, Laws of Gravity, even the old adage that if something can go wrong, it will… Murphy’s Law. Even with these systematic structured physical and/or natural studies of behavior, man had to observe an organized level of experiments before considering it science. However, with God’s word, we can take it at face value, no further proof is needed, we must take Him at His word.

With that, if the latter is true… taking God’s word as the truth, then we should respond as such. There are several verses in the bible that reflect the law/principle of ‘reaping and sowing’. It has been tried and is true. Galatians 6:7-10 reads, “7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.  

The principle: do not fool ourselves to believe that God does not see the motives of our hearts when we sow seeds, God will not be mocked. If we sow fleshly seeds that appears to be seeds sown to the Spirit, only God can assess justly. Man can only see and attempt to assess the outside actions with incomplete knowledge and tainted biases. Man has the potential to see the beautiful blessings which God graciously gives. Even in that, how is man to know that all ‘good fortune’ comes from God? Man doesn’t know. Man can try to assess others’ blessings or demise, in the case of sowing, for that matter reaping as well. If we are spending that much energy, time, and passion in other people’s business that would mean that we are not putting as much time needed with God to make sure that our own sowing is in the Spirit. After all, we do want a bountiful harvest. “6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good word, 2 Corinthians 9:6-8.  

In a nutshell, the law of reaping and sowing is all about the heart. Sowing with a good and cheerful heart takes work. The amount of time and effort it takes to respond to other people’s actions in grace does not leave time to passionately asses the dealings of others’ blessings or demise. We can only be responsible for our own actions and our own responses. However, we can spur others to love and good works, but we can’t make people do right. The harvest from good seeds will produce eternal rewards, but also produce a rewarding and abundant life on earth/partial reaping. The beauty of reaping is that God is ‘just’ (right) in His rewards, yet gracious. We never get exactly what we deserve (punishment/discipline) and always get more than we deserve (rewards/blessings). Since we know this to be true, trust God and do not grow weary and faint in doing what is right and good. God will bless us with a harvest according to His will and the purpose will always be for the kingdom and His glory.

Finally, let us look for opportunities while we still have sound minds and capabilities. Keep doing good to all of mankind, especially to our brother’s and sister’s in Christ. Leave the reaping to God and be mindful of our own personal sowing. God is so good, “⁸ The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.⁹ He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.¹⁰ He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. ¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; ¹² as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us,” Psalm 103:8-12.

Heavenly Father, thank you for never giving me the discipline that is according to my times of wickedness and fleshly seeds. Thank you for the grace that is so amazing day after day. Forgive me for when I have taken for granted your grace and rebelled against that which I know to be right and times in my ignorance failed to tread with your wisdom and guidance, but that of compromise and weakness. I am your daughter and you are my God. Thank you, Jesus for opening the door for me to have a relationship to your Father. Now God, help me not grow weary in well doing and to press and not faint as I wait for the harvest. Help me look not to what kind of harvest, but trust that it will a gracious and right one. You are so good to me in your sovereignty. Thank you for hearing my prayer, in Jesus’ majestic name, I do pray and believe. Amen!

The journey flows…

The current state of affairs may resemble mayhem to almost borderline anarchy. When the condition of society is without government and law, there is political and social disorder due to the absence of governmental control. What can follow is anarchy. Even if there is not a full-blown anarchy, lack of respect and refusal to follow official mandates has the potential to cause similar affects.

 In the Old Testament, from Genesis to Malachi, from the priesthood of Melchizedek to Jesus the High Priest, from prophets, to judges, and kings, the Lord was the governing authority in a theocratic system. God, the King, Lawgiver and Judge was the voice of influence and divine authority. With that, even with God’s chosen men and women in leadership, the environment still seemed to consist of unrestrained chaos, confusion, and disorder. When the leaders did right, the people thrived, but when the leaders were disobedient and idolatrous, the people looked a lot like their leaders and suffered greatly. The people either benefited or lost at the hands of their leader. When a platform is the embodiment of ungodly principles with a pattern of blatant self-centeredness, people tend to operate as if there is no leader at all. “In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own eyes”, Judges 21:25. But, how could all of this be if the Lord was considered the governing authority?

In the New Testament, we began to read about Jewish sects and catch a glimpse of the subtle encroachment of separation of church and state. The leaders were Sadducees (priests and wealthy influential people), Pharisees (more common people, traditionalist, religious leaders expecting Torah application in life based on their understanding) and Essenes (self-identified as sole and faithful remnant of Israel, generally shunning marriage). There were also kings, nobles, emperors, etc. etc. My point is that before there were presidents of countries, there were governing authorities that began with Adam in the Garden of Eden, “Then the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and keep it” Genesis 2:15. We all know what happened next. God’s plan for His theocratic system of ruling was perfect and would have remained perfect until Adam disobeyed God. “¹⁶ And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; ¹⁷ but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” Genesis 2:16-17.  

I believe that sometimes we forget what really happened on that day. “¹² Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— ¹³ (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. ¹⁴ Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come” Romans 5:12-14. Sin entered the world on that day and has continued. It is perpetual and universal. The evil that is before us today that looks as if it is unchecked should be no surprise. The same enemy that wreaked havoc in the Garden of Eden is the same enemy that is upsetting the world today and attempting the same to your personal peace. Do not let him!

^“12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” Ephesians 6:12.  Our battles are not simply against a physical enemy. Even in the Garden of Eden, evil was brought to Adam at the hands of Eve and its originator the serpent because of Satanic influence.  If Eve had only known what she was about to contribute to… e.g. the state of the world that we are in today. But God…

There is no leader from the past, present or future who will govern in a way that will promote personal or universal peace. Look to the Lord.  As long as we look to leaders for remedies and expect consistent impartial protection and safety from any governing authority, we will continue to be disappointed. After all they are ‘men’. I know… I know… you are not expecting lasting peace here on earth… really? Now search deeply, not even a little bit?

Finally, remember Adam, Eve, the serpent, and satanic forces on that day.  There is sin and death in Adam, but salvation and life in Christ. “17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous” Romans 5:17-19.

Be encouraged and marvel not at what we see with our eyes. “Be angry and sin not“, Ephesians 4:26a. Do not forget what actually happened in the Garden. What you see now is clearly evidence of the fall of man. Let’s be the light and salt so the world can see the resurrection of Christ. Make the gospel attractive in the midst of mayhem so there won’t be a total anarchy. God is still in control… try to live righteously and let Him reign. 

The journey flows…