Stand Strong in the Face of Adversity

Remember, Adversity is another way to measure the greatness of individuals. I never had a crisis that didn't make me stronger. ~Lou Holtz

Scripture:
Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:20-21 (New International Version)

Adversity can be described as a series of unfortunate events. Just when it seems that things are going right in your life, something can happen to change your perspective. It can be something as small as failing a test or something so overwhelming like death that just rocks your world.

Sometimes when we are confronted with adverse situations, we may want to throw up our hands in surrender. At other times, we just say “oh well” and keep on keeping on. And then there will come times, when you want to give up and give in. It is in those times when what we are made of, will surely be tested.

Whether you realize it or not, adversity in your lives is sometimes necessary for your spiritual development. There will be times when it becomes inevitable for us all to truly see just how strong the word of God is embedded in our everyday lives. Or, it may be a necessary process in order for us to move to the next level in our spiritual growth.

It is at those times that we must learn to depend on God even more than we already do. The reality of most individuals is that when things are going well in our lives, we become content with where we are. That is not where God necessarily wants us to be. Being a part of the Body of Christ is being willing to be stretched so that we become more like Him and less like the world.

It is at times like these, that we must learn to Stand in the face of Adversity.

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Father God, we come before the throne of grace with praise and thanksgiving on our tongues and in our hearts. We come asking Lord, for peace that passes all understanding. We come asking for strength to stand in the face of adversity. But most of all, we come asking with humbled hearts and minds, that You would hear our prayers and our petitions. Master, we need You to speak to the winds of adversity that are blowing against us, peace be still. We come asking that You hold on to our hands and the storms of life toss us about. We come asking that You would hide us under the wings of Your salvation as the roaring lions draws near in an effort to devour us. Lord, we ask that You would keep all of our families, friends, co-workers and brothers and sisters in perfect peace this and every day. Bless us right now in the name of Jesus. Our prayers are not complete until we let You know just how much we love You. Our prayers on not complete until we sing songs of praise to You alone. Lord, we lift Your name on high, we give You all of our love, all of our praise and sing songs of praise all the day long. Thank You Lord for one more day. Bless You Lord. Hallelujah, Praise God thank You Jesus, in his name we pray, Amen.

Jacqueline Moore is a Christian author who offers spiritual words of encouragement daily on her website at http://www.jacquelinedmoore.com . She has contributed to several anthologies and is the 2009 African American Literary Show romance author of the year for her first novel, “Serving Justice” under the Peace in the Storm imprint.

A Ray of Hope In a Dark Room

Just like the butterfly, I too will awaken in my own time. ~ Ê Deborah Chaskin

Scripture:
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Matthew 6:25-27 (New International Version)

People who really know me say they can always tell when things aren’t going well in my life. You see, I have a tendency to grow quiet and withdraw from the world around me. I don’t talk the same and I wear my heart on my sleeve.

Recently, I suffered an unexpected setback in my life and had begun to worry about how I would make ends meet and continue to provide for my family. It is no secret that Michigan, especially here in Detroit, has been hit extremely hard by the current recession. That coupled with the fact that I am over fifty-years old and dread the idea of having to start all over again.
Although my situation hasn’t changed, my outlook has.

Unfortunately, I have no control over the external but I do control how I deal with it. First I went through several of the stages of grief; Shock, anger, depression, reflection, loneliness and now finally, acceptance and hope. I cannot control the views and opinions of others, but I can control my own views. I made the mistake of putting my trust in man and not in God.

As I compose today’s message I just want others who may be going through something similar to know that no matter what the future brings, God is still in control. Things may happen in your life to knock you off your square, but God can pick you up and place you back where you belong.

And just like the beautiful and majestic butterfly, you too will awaken in your own time.

Be Blessed

Prayer:
God bless those of us who are battling those inner demons of depression, loneliness, unworthiness, and hopelessness. Shine Your warm Heavenly Light down upon all of us, Lord, guide us to find peace, happiness, and contentment in our lives and within ourselves. The Lord is my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life-of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. Thank You Father for Your grace and one more experience of Your presence, for Your promise: to be with us, to be our God, and to give salvation. For these and all blessings, we give You thanks, eternal, loving God, through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

Butterfly Affirmation
You are like the majestic Black butterfly, full of grace and beauty. Your blackness boldly stands out, acting as the backdrop for the rainbow of colors that define and distinguish you from the rest. Your timeless beauty has carried you across the winds of time, leaving your eternal message written clear across the skies of the lives of others so that all of us can read it and remember when we need it, that a dream conceived in truth will never die.

Positive Affirmation: Today I am like the beautiful and graceful Black Butterfly. My life-defining message I leave in the sky for all to read will be a reflection of not only my inner beauty but also a message of self-love, courage and the pursuit of my dreams. ~ Jacqueline D. Moore

Inspired by the song Black Butterfly - Denise Williams

Jacqueline Moore is a Christian author who offers spiritual words of encouragement daily on her website at http://www.jacquelinedmoore.com . She has contributed to several anthologies and is the 2009 African American Literary Show romance author of the year for her first novel, “Serving Justice” under the Peace in the Storm imprint.

In the Fiery Furnace

The purest ore is produced from the hottest furnace, and the brightest thunderbolt is elicited from the darkest storm. ~ Charles Caleb Coltron

Scripture:
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7

Have you ever wondered why sometimes it seems that it's hard being a Christian? We accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior and then it seems like the more we love God and try to grow closer to him, life is constantly coming against you?

Well, I know I have. I look at my life and the lives of my saved brothers and sisters and see that each and every one of us is going through some rather difficult times. Situation after situation keeps happening. Jobs are being lost. Cars are being reposed, houses are being lost, marriages are being torn apart and the money just can't seem to stretch far enough.

But then, God gave me a revelation. Stop depending on the world, the people of this world, and the things of this world. Start looking at me instead! How many of you have noticed that the more you go through, the more you start to really study the word of God. You pray more and you look to him more. The more you go through, things and habits that you once had start falling away.

God says I put you in the furnace so that I can refine you like gold. I need to burn off all of those impurities. I know it's hot in there, but you are mine and those who are mine must be the best. Without spot or blemish. Free of sin, clean, A NEW CREATURE!

So I just want each of you to know, that it may get so hot and uncomfortable. Life will get hard and things may not always work the way we want them to, but in the end, we can praise God and rejoice at the new creature that he has created.

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Thank You Jesus for my fiery furnace. Thank You Lord, for the impurities that You are removing from me. Father, we just ask that You continue to be with us as we go through. We just ask that You would take our hand and lead us on. Lord, we ask that You would help us to see those things in our lives that we have need to get rid of and give them to You willingly. Continue to bless Your saints. Bless each and every family that is represented here. Thank You father for family and friends. Thank You Lord, for Your word. Thank You Lord, for Your son Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Jacqueline Moore is a Christian author who offers spiritual words of encouragement daily on her website at http://www.jacquelinedmoore.com . She has contributed to several anthologies and is the 2009 African American Literary Show romance author of the year for her first novel, “Serving Justice” under the Peace in the Storm imprint.

Burnt Biscuits

Every now and then, you hear a story that has a meaning that is so profound it grabs hold of you and doesn't let go until you pass it on to someone else. Today, I am compelled to share this gift with you:

When I was a kid, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite!

When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burned biscuits."

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides - a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!"

You know, life is full of imperfect things... and imperfect people. I'm not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else.
What I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each others faults - and choosing to celebrate each others differences - is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

And that's my prayer for you today. That you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God. Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where a burnt biscuit isn't a deal-breaker!

We could extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship!

"Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket - keep it in your own."

God Bless You... Now, and Always.

SD Denny, Author of The Baker's Dozen
2009 African American Literary Award Nominee
www.sddenny.com

The Life Altering Word of God

Remember, we don't change God's message -- His message changes us.

Scripture:
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:17-19 (New International Version)

I remember a time when I wasn’t saved, sanctified and Holy-Ghost filled. I used to believe that people who believed in God were stupid and foolish. I mean, how could they believe in something that they could not see?

Yeah, I used to go to church and listen to the Man of God preach about heaven, but I found it hard to believe that there could be a heaven with so much hell on earth. I saw poverty and despair all around me. I saw supposedly “good” people suffering in ways that they didn’t deserve. I watched as a very good “Christian” friend suffered through the pain and agony of a cancer that would one day take her life. Yes, I knew about God but somehow, I found it hard to believe that He knew about me.

Then one Sunday as I sat in church listening to the preacher talk about how God knows and sees our struggles and about how we needed to see beyond our natural and start looking at God through His supernatural eye; I felt something that I had never before experienced; A peace that passes all understanding. My eyes were opened for the very first time.

On that all important day, I began to see and experience the true power of the Holy Spirit as it landed on me and changed the course of my life. I finally got it. I finally understood with my heart what God’s message was all about. It wasn’t about what we see and hear around us, it is about what a relationship with God truly meant.

I finally understood that what I had been going to church for all those years weren’t meant to change the world around me. Rather, it was meant to change my world; A world that places God at its center. The word of God is an instrument that is used to lead us and teach us as we journey through this world. The word of God is a lesson to aid us as we are reconciled to the kingdom of God. The word of God is the key to the kingdom.

Aren’t you glad for His Word?

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Father God, we come before the throne of grace to give thanks for Your word. Your word that gives us life eternal through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We thank You for the gift of life: for the breath that sustains life, for the food of this earth that nurtures life, for the love of family and friends without which there would be no life. O Lord, Your compassions never fail and Your mercies are new every morning: We give You thanks for giving each of us relief from pain and hope of health renewed. Continue in us, we pray, the good work You have begun; that we, daily increasing in bodily strength, and rejoicing in Your goodness, may so order our lives and conduct that we may always think and do those things that please You; through Jesus Christ our Lord. We give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever. Amen.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR THE VICTIMS IN HAITI. I AM ALSO ASKING FOR SPECIAL PRAYER FOR THE FOLLOWING U.S. MISSIONARIES WHO ARE MISSING:

Leonard, Gabrielle, Gertrude and Renie.

Warning: Sin is Addicting

All sin tends to be addictive, and the terminal point of addiction is what is called damnation~W.H. Auden

Scripture:
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. Romans 6:15-17

Saints, how many of you have ever gone through an addiction? Exactly, what is addiction? I found a few interesting definitions I want to share with you.

1. Being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit forming. 2. An abnormally strong craving. 3. (Roman Law) a formal award by a court sentence of a thing or a person to another (as of a debtor to his creditor).

Now, personally I found all three definitions to be of great interest. Especially, number 3, but I am getting ahead of myself.

I started smoking when I was about 16. It was the cool thing to do. Now here I am, 35 years later, and I am still smoking. Not because it is the cool thing to do, but because I am physically addicted.

Now some people who have never gone through a physical addiction would say, just quit. But it's not that easy. My body and my emotions start going through some things. Without going through every detail, ultimately my body says, no; don't give it up because we need it in order to feel normal.

Well sin is like smoking. Some sins started out as the cool thing to do. "Everybody else is doing it, it must be okay." Every smoker knows that smoking is bad for you and can lead to serious health problems or even death. There are even warnings on each and every pack of cigarettes.

Unfortunately, there is not a warning on every sin. But there is the bible. The Bible is like the "Surgeon General's Warning"

"Quitting sin now greatly reduces the risk of serious spiritual problems later."

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Lord, I am a sinner. I have not always done what You have said. I ask Father that You would help me to overcome my addiction(s) whatever it may be. Strengthen me Lord, so that I would not give in to the cravings. Calm my spirit and my soul so that I may not use my addiction as an excuse. Help me Lord to realize and recognize that Satan is using my addiction to keep me from You. Lord, I ask that in all that I do and in all that happens, let me never lose hope. Strengthen my faith O'Lord. Let me never think that the things that I do in Your name have been done in vain. Whatever the day may bring, let me trust that You are with me. Whatever path You have chosen for my life, let me follow it without fear. Whatever Satan may bring my way; I shall rebuke it and send it back to him with all authority that has been given to me through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Father, let me not forget my brothers and sisters whom I pray for and with in all earnestly. Lord, let us not forget Your word which is still the blueprint for us to live more righteously. Lord, I love and praise You. Thank You Lord for my breakthroughs and victories. As I ask and pray these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Let It Go!

Some people think it's holding on that makes one strong; sometimes it's letting go. ~ Sylvia Robinson

Scripture:
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. Revelation 3:19-21

A few years ago I received a message from a very good friend of mine that was written by Bishop T.D. Jakes. I have read the message titled "Let it Go", several times. In this very inspiring message, Bishop Jakes talks about letting go of people who are not good for you, past pains and hurts that you may still carry, and a multitude of excess baggage that may be holding you back.

We as believers often times will prevent ourselves from receiving our blessings, our salvation, our deliverance, because we cannot "Let it Go.” We do not go before the mercy seat and ask God to forgive us for our past mistakes; we allow the world to tell us how we feel, how we should think, and what to believe. We allow the sins of our past to continue to be our sins of today.

God has given us the keys to the kingdom. He has given us a plan, a blueprint, a way out of the valley of the shadow of death. He is standing at your door right now. He is letting you know that he is only a prayer away. All you have to do is open up the door and let him in.

Won't you let him in today and let out those things that are preventing your from gaining entrance into his kingdom?

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Father God, we come kneeling before the mercy seat, asking that You would forgive us of our sins and transgressions. Father, we know that there is nothing that we could ever do on our own to deserve Your goodness and Your mercy, but we come asking anyhow. Help us to look at our lives through Your eyes. Give us the courage and the strength to let go of those people and those things that may be holding us back from You. Help us to realize that everything that we desire isn't always what You desire for us. Father, we hear You knocking at the doors of our hearts this day. We ask You to magnify Your presence and Your power within us. Help us Lord, to be submissive to Your will and Your word, not only today, but each and everyday. Continue to touch those who have come asking for intercessory prayer. Touch the lives and the families of everyone reading this message today. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

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