Has My Living Been In Vain?
Filed under: Biblical Teachings, Family Life, Godly Principles, Inspirational Articles, Our children
Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. Psalm 127:1 KJV
As we get older we begin to think about our life and what it all has meant. Was our life worth living, what will it mean to others when we are gone, what if any legacy will we leave behind? We also think about our children, did we do the right things for them? Have we given them the tools that they need to survive? Have we raised good, decent and responsible human beings? The Bible says: “Except the LORD build the house, they that build it, do it in vain.”
I have a good friend who is getting on in years, who has lived a consistent life honoring and loving the Lord. Not all of his children are Christian, however, each of them are familiar with the Scriptures, each of them know what the Bible says about Christian living and each of them know what is expected of them when they walk into their father’s house. There will not be any “smokin, drinkin or cussin” in this house; because in this “house we are going to serve the Lord.” See, even though his children may not be confessing Christians they have Biblical standards. The Bible says; “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he (or she) is old he will not turn from it.
My friend has the right idea, our legacy starts with the way we build our life, our family and the way we interact with others. How many times have we gone to funerals and no one really had anything good to say about the decease or what they say isn’t really the true or you knew the decease to be a despicable human being? This is why it is important to live for Christ today.
The Bible says: “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
So many of us worry about having money and being rich but the Bible tells us that this is not the answer either. “The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.” James 1:9-1
The Bible tells us: “…God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock (and others). And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. 1 Peter 5:2-4. I am sure that there are so many who haven’t left the legacy that they have wanted to or intended to leave, however if in the end someone can look at you and say; “Well done.” That is good enough for me.
The Vault Series: A Mother’s Righeous Indignaiton
Filed under: Family Life, Godly Principles, Holiness & Sanctification, Our children, Testimonies
Current Mood:
Anointed
The entry below was originally posted on my eJournal on January 11, 2009; however, I would like to re-share this in hopes of someone being blessed. May the Father bless you and bring you to a place obedience, peace and joy, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
January 11, 2009
God is so awesome.
I woke up this morning, around 7am, with a very unusual feeling. The Lord told me what I was feeling was righteous indignation. As I continued to lay in the bed, I began praying, asking God to soften my children’s hearts unto obedience. He let me know that part of their hindrance was from them entertaining the wrong thoughts. Though I only listen to gospel, I let my 20 year old and 19 year old make their own decision (after first informing them); however, they cannot play anything but gospel in the house. The Lord let me know that they entertain the suggestions made in these songs and allow their minds to wander wherever the songs take them. Consequently, they are bombarded by unclean spirits trying to lure them to rebellion and other sinful acts. As if that wasn’t enough, they then blame God for not delivering them not realizing He already has; however, they keep re-opening the door for these unclean spirits by the music they play.
I continued to pray and I asked God, ‘do i wake them up and tell them what you’re telling me?” “Yes”. “How do I wake them up? If I just call their names like I always do, they will drag their feet and be like ‘o goodness, here she goes again’ and they will not listen. How do I get their attention?” Just then, the thought of cranking up the stereo really loud will get them up and certainly get their attention. ”They may be upset. Should I really do it, Lord?” “Yes.”
So I found a gospel -hip hop song by Frontlynaz and cranked up my 130 watt system to full blast. Afterward, I sat in the hallway to see who would come out of their rooms. Within 90 seconds, all of them were up. I then told them to be downstairs in 5 minutes.
I gave them what the Lord had given me. Toward the end of our impromptu meeting, the words ”the Lord will confirm this during this morning’s service” slipped out of my mouth. Huh? I wasn’t expecting that. After the meeting, I sought the Lord to be sure of this and He told me “Yes….your words will not fall to the ground.”
Well, today in service my pastor, Dr. Christina Rouson, preached from Leviticus 6:8-13. The title of her sermon was “Keep the fire burning.” In summary, there were so many confirmations in that sermon, not just what I spoke to the kids about this morning, but also things I had spoken to them individually, throughout the week. It was almost overwhelming. The Spirit of God moved in that place. I felt as though I could not praise Him enough. I lost myself in praise, but when I finally “came to” (it’s altar call now), I noticed that one of my daughters was standing at the altar and she looked like she was getting delivered. My God! As I continued walking toward the altar (earlier in the service, I was walking around the auditorium a few times in praise), I noticed that I seen my other daughter up there as well. Thank you, Jesus! Then I noticed my two sons as well. My goodness! All 4 of my children was at the altar! This brought me to my knees in praise, thanksgiving and worship.
God is so incredible. In addition to seeing all of my children up at the altar today (on their own), God had also delivered and strengthened me as well. By the time I got home, I felt as though I could sleep like a baby; however, there was more. The children had a different attitude and countenance. To God be all the glory, praise and honor.
There are so many morals to this story but two Scriptures really cover it all:
- “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” – 2 Corinthians 10:5
- “Pray without ceasing” – 1Thes. 5:17
God bless you and enjoy your Sunday!
Original posted on www.NaimaWilliams.com/blog on January 11, 2009
Living the Good Life: Is Your House in Order?
Filed under: Biblical Teachings, Family Life, Godly Principles, Marriage, Our children, Relationships
Current Mood: Blessed
We think we have it all together. We’ve got a nice car, a nice house but our kids are off the chain. Or maybe you’ve got a job that pays more than you ever thought you’d make in a lifetime, but you and your spouse aren’t speaking. One of the most important biblical principles is Godly relationships. In Godly relationships, order manifests. We must build our relationship with God first to obtain order in our households.
What many Christians struggle with is order. You can have the best job in the world, but if your relationship with God is not right, then you may be lacking peace in your life. At times we wonder why things aren’t working out the way we planned. Realize that we don’t have control over anything, but that God controls everything. When your relationship with God is out of order, your entire house falls out of order.
For example, your child may be struggling in school. He or she may have some discipline issues and you’re wondering why. You think to yourself, ‘I work hard every day to provide for my children and this is how they thank me!’ But you don’t set any time out for the Lord. You’re too busy with work and after school activities and board meetings, when the reason your life is so chaotic is because you’re not setting aside any time for God.
It really is a simple concept to understand. Think of it this way, when we place so much focus on our careers and making money, we’re essentially saying to God that money is more important than Him. Money rules us instead of God. The same can be said for relationships when we place more importance on people than Him. We walk around with our fancy cars and big houses boasting about how much we make. We always have to wear the newest fashions and spend ridiculous amounts of money on frivolous things. And we wonder why our children are off the chain and our marriages are failing. We are killing ourselves with vices of the world as Philippians 3:19 shows – “Their future is eternal destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and all they think about is this life here on earth.”
The truth is, God desires that we place no one and nothing above Him. When we can break away from the strongholds of worldly things and truly submit ourselves to God, our lives come into true order. Our house comes into order. Our marriages are healed. Our children are focused in school as well as home. We must build a foundation with God and His Word to establish order, as taught in Luke 6:47-48,
“I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then obeys me. It is like a person who builds a house on a strong foundation laid upon the underlying rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against the house, it stands firm because it is well built.”
Building and maintaining a relationship with God and placing God first creates order in our marriages, our families, our houses and our lives. God desires for us to prosper, but without placing Him first, we will never achieve our full potential. Our existence is meant to glorify Him and spread His Word. We can’t effectively do these things if our house is not in order. And if our house is out of order, maybe we should examine our relationship with Christ.
Is your house in order?
Teen Sex
Filed under: Godly Principles, Our children, Youth Expressions
Nowadays, having sex outside of marriage is being acceptable. Today society is making it seem alright, however that’s no okay. In the bible it clearly says that God wants you to be married and then it would be acceptable to have sex, only with your spouse. Sadly, it’s not just adults having sex, it’s also kids.
Young girls are getting pregnant and if not pregnant, they want to become pregnant. Television, movies, and etc are painting a perfect picture; as if raising a baby is easy, but it’s a lot of responsibility. No one is thinking about the responsibility or the many diseases that are being passed around. In fact, TV or movies don’t really show the negative outcome, they just show the perfect painting. I sometimes see girls crying there eyes out after finding out they’re pregnant, and I really don’t show too much sympathy toward them; I feel that you knew what you’re getting yourself into, so why cry now. We need to reach out to the youth. Our generation is becoming more sinful each day. That is why it’s up to us Christians to lead people in the right direction, and let people know what’s wrong from right.
Father God I ask that you touch the youth; I ask that you put in their hearts to turn away from their wicked ways. God I ask that you take them out of the world, and to help me and any other Christian to lead people to you, in the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
The Vault Series: The Fruit of Unforgiveness
Filed under: Biblical Teachings, Godly Principles, Healing, Our children
Current Mood: Anointed & Radical & 
Triumphant
The entry below is another entry from what I call The Vault Series, which are entries that I’ve written up until about a year on my eJournal at www.NaimaWilliams.com/blog. The entry below was originally posted on December 23, 2008, and though that is the case, the principals and lessons to learn are still relevant to today’s issues. I pray that you’re blessed by it and that the Heavenly Father brings you to a place of fruitfulness, obedience, and an abundant life to the full till it overflows, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
December 23, 2008
“But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:15
By definition, forgiveness means to pardon an offender and to give up the resentment and desire to retaliate or pay the person back somehow. In essence, forgiveness allows for the mistakes made by others. In Matthew 6:14, Jesus tells us how important it is to forgive others:
“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
He also continues in verse 15 saying, “but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” A question to ask yourself is “What would happen to me if my Heavenly Father didn’t forgive me of my sin?
S E L A H
When concluding the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant, Jesus called the forgiven servant who DID NOT forgive “wicked” and proceeded with, “I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” (Matthew 18:32-35)
BE CAREFUL
Do not make the mistake of thinking that you’ve forgiven a person just because you said the words. No, that is very untrue and indeed a misconception. As Jesus mentioned above, we must forgive from the heart. Anyone can say anything; however, saying it doesn’t make it true if you have something completely different in your heart.
YOU CAN TELL BY THEIR (AND YOUR) FRUIT
In addition to forgiveness being the start of the healing process, forgiveness also manifests fruit. In Matthew 7:14, Jesus lets us know that we can tell a truth about a person based upon their fruit. So is the same about forgiveness. Forgiveness exercises the fruit of the Spirit especially LOVE, which covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). Similarly, unforgiveness also bears fruit, all of which are contrary to the fruit of the Spirit. Some of its fruit, as well as the consequences, are:
- Anger
- Self-pity
- Resentment
- Bitterness
- Revenge
- Hatred
- Depression
- Strife
- Unkindness
- Insecurity
- Envy
- Jealousy
- Tormentors are called on those who do not forgive.
- Prayers hindered
- Personal sins not forgiven
- Will call us to judgment on the matter
- Negatively effects other relationships (family, marriage, friends, business, etc)
- Has earthly and eternal consequences
- We block our spiritual communication with God.
NOTHING OR NO ONE IS WORTH IT!
It is better for you to quickly forgive than to jeopardize your own relationship with God.
MAKE A DECISION
Decide that you will forgive EVERYONE who has ever hurt or offended you in your life, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you to do this. For some, you may need to go to the person and let him/her know that you’ve forgiven the offense. This will help release you and that person from the negative feelings they’ve held on to as a result of the offense.
Realizing that some hurts are more difficult to get over than others, another way you can go about forgiveness is to think to yourself, ‘What if I was in the other person’s shoes? Would I want forgiveness? Would I want God to forgive me if I committed the same offense this person did?” Chances are you’ve answered “yes” to these 3 questions. Even unbelievers desire to be forgiven for their offenses—as a bad conscious is impossible to escape. Everywhere you are, your conscious will be, and there’s no amount of alcohol, drugs, or any other self-medicating substances or actions that can completely remove a guilty conscious.
Forgiveness is a choice and decision that you must make; and the initiative you must take each time you are offended – whether intentionally or unintentionally. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you how to forgive quickly and completely, and then allow Him to do what He must do to get you there. Be sure to also forgive those who have hurt you in the past so that you are released from those negative emotion and painful memories. If you need to actually call the offending person or drop by for a visit, then do it! It is far better for you to withstand those few moments of awkwardness than to allow unforgiveness, resentment and other negative feelings to eat away any good things in your life because you’re still locked to the bad things. Unforgiveness robs you from joy, peace, and experience the fullness of love in your life.
In closing, I’d like to say to you if you ever find yourself in a position that the offense was so ‘unforgiveable’ and the hurt was so immeasurable, then I invite you to go into the book of Matthew 18:21-35 (conveniently posted below), and read and mediate on the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant. For your convenience, I’ve posted this parable below and I truly advise you to read it, dissect it, mediate on it and ask the Holy Spirit to help you in this area. Though sometimes it’s hard to forgive, especially in the beginning of your ‘forgiveness’ walk, the rewards of forgiveness greatly outweigh the offense. The flipside to this is that the consequences of unforgiveness greatly outweigh the actual offense itself.
Just do yourself the favor and just forgive!
Matthew 18:21-35
Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
“The servant fell on his knees before him, ’Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii (Naima Interjects – far less than the debt he was forgiven for), He grabbed him and began to choke him.’Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”
S E L A H
Original post on www.NaimaWilliams.com/blog on December 23, 2008
A Prayer to Heal Damaged Emotions
Current Mood: Anointed
“To appoint to them that mourn in Zion, to give to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3
Father, in the name of Jesus, I come to You with a feeling of shame and emotional hurt. I confess my transgressions to You [continually unfolding the past till all is told]. You are faithful and just to forgive me and cleanse me of all unrighteousness. You are my Hiding Place, and You, Lord, preserve me from trouble. You surround me with songs and shouts of deliverance. I have chosen life. According to Your Word, You saw me while I was being formed in my mother’s womb; and on the authority of Your word, I was wonderfully made. Now I am Your handiwork, recreated in Christ Jesus.
Father, You have delivered me from the spirit of fear, and I shall not be ashamed. Neither shall I be confounded and depressed. You gave me beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness that I might be a tree of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that You might be glorified. I speak out in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, offering praise with my voice and making melody with all my heart to the Lord. Just as David did in 1 Samuel 30:6, I encourage myself in the Lord.
I believe in God Who raised from the dead Jesus, Who was betrayed and put to death because of my misdeeds and was raised to secure my acquittal, absolving me from all guilt before God. Father, You anointed Jesus and sent Him to bind up and heal my broken heart and liberate me from the shame of my youth and the imperfections of my caretakers. In the name of Jesus, I choose to forgive all those who have wronged me in anyway. You will not leave me without support as I complete the forgiveness process. I take comfort and am encouraged and confidently say, “The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm. What can man do to me?”
My spirit is the candle of the Lord searching all the innermost parts of my being, and the Holy Spirit leads me into all truth. When reality exposes shame and emotional pain, I remember that the suffering of this presents life are not worth being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to me and in me and for me and conferred on me! The chastisements needful to obtain my peace and wellbeing was upon Jesus, and with the stripes that wounded Him, I was healed and made whole. As Your child, Father, I have a joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. This hope will never disappoint, delude, or shame me; for God’s love has been poured out in my heart through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to me.
In His name I pray, amen.
Scripture References
Psalm 32:5-7AMP, Romans 4:24, 25, 1 John 1:9, Isaiah 61:1, Deuteronomy 30:19, Mark 11:25, Psalm 139, Hebrews 13:5, 6, Ephesians 2:10, Proverbs 20:27, 2 Timothy 1:7, John 16:13, Isaiah 54:4, Romans 8:18, Ephesians 5:19, Isaiah 53:5, Romans 5:3-5
Pray by author of Prayers That Avail Much—25th Anniversary Commemorative Edition, written by Germaine Copeland, 1997.
If you have a Prayer Request you’d like to submit, please email us prayer@nwcministries.com
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Learning from Hannah – Provoked into Destiny (Archives)
Filed under: Biblical Teachings, Godly Principles, Miracles, Our children
Current Mood: Anointed & 
Faith-filled
This is from the Archives Vault of Naima’s eJournal (1/2009); however, the principals are indeed relevant to today.
As we already know from I Samuel 1-2, Hannah was barren and Peninnah was her rival –constantly reminding Hannah of her being unable to have children. Making matters worse, Hannah’s husband (which was also Peninnah’s husband) didn’t understand Hannah’s pain, feeling that his love for her should supersede her desire to have children. As if that wasn’t enough, her own priest Eli accused her of being drunk when she was in the temple praying.
God showed me something in this text, as I read it again in preparation of teaching it at our family’s Bible study at home. There are times when God will allow us to go through things, things we care not go through, in order to provoke us to a specific action that is needed for Him to fulfill His purpose. In the Bible, it says that Peninnah “provoked” Hannah. When a person “provokes” you, they are trying to get a certain reaction from you- often a negative one. Instead of succumbing to Peninnah’s attacks, Hannah took her hurt and pain before the Lord. Now, this is the part that begins to get more interesting. Though Hannah was consistent and persistent in her prayers to God, God did not move at this time and allowed Peninnah to continue “provoking” Hannah. Though He heard the anguish in her prayers and seen how Peninnah mistreated her, God did not move because He too was waiting for a reaction from Hannah.
Having been provoked by Peninnah for so many years, Hannah entreated the Lord, this time making a promise that if God gave her a child, she would give the child back unto Him to serve the Lord all the days of his life. Interestingly enough, it was when she made that vow that God began to move on her behalf by opening her womb. Nine months later she gave birth to a baby boy named Samuel, and though I am sure that she loved him so much, she still honored her promise to the Lord. Once Samuel was weaned, she took him to the house of the Lord where he stayed, studying under the priest Eli. Hannah didn’t know that she had given birth to one of Israel’s greatest prophets and the one who would anoint Israel’s first king. She didn’t’ know that this man would be highly favored by both God and man. Neither did she know if she would ever have any more children. All she knew is that she desperately wanted a child, even if it meant just holding the child for a little while; as the very thing she longed for was the very same thing she offered up to God. I wonder how many people today genuinely honor their word, even if it meant they had to lose what was so valuable to them?
When you look at things such as Samuel being a great prophet and that he was able to anoint the 1st king of Israel, as well as a once barren woman having more children, you’ll see that all of these events originate from the distressed cry of a woman who was desperate enough to make a vow unto God – and she honored that vow, not knowing what’s ahead.
HOW CAN THIS BE APPLIED TO TODAY?
There are so many things that we can learn from this text and incorporate into our everyday lives. Here are a few points I’d like to highlight:
1) God sometimes allow us to go through certain things to provoke us into a specific action that is needed to accomplish His purpose.
2) Stay fervent in prayer, regardless of what the situation looks like. Pray, without ceasing!
3) God honors a genuine sacrifice.
4) God always give much more than what He takes away. (Hannah gave God her long-awaited baby and God returned unto her 3 sons and 2 daughters!)
5) Do not get caught up on your haters (Peninnah), or people who are close to you who are somewhat insensitive to your pain (Elkanah), nor others who misjudge you or mistake your motives (Eli). Keep your focus on God.
6) Remember Jesus says that you will have whatsoever you ask for provided you believe and ask in His name…… and……
7) Leave the timing up to God
I challenge you to make the decision right now to be mindful to honor your promised word to God, to others and to yourself. Ecclesiastes 5:5 says, “It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it”; thus, do not make promises that you don’t intend to keep.
I also challenge you to be fervent in your prayer life, remembering that there is NOTHING too hard for God.
God bless!
About the Author
Name: Rev. Raymond E., aka "Brother Raymond"
Email:
Web Site: http://www.BrotherRaymondandFriends.com
Bio: Rev. Raymond E. Williams Jr., was formerly an Associate Minister at Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church, in St. Albans, New York. His area of expertise is outreach. He still heads the Prison Ministry Teams at Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church. Rev. Williams is the founder of Brother Raymond and Friends (Homeless outreach ministry). He is also the former Editor of The Herald and The Minister's Speak newsletters (church publication). Rev. Williams is currently an Associate Minister at St. Marks Missionary Baptist Church located in South Jamaica, NY. To learn more about Rev. Raymond E. Williams go to his website at the web address given above.
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