Too many of us out there are “perpetrating a fraud” when it comes to the outward appearance of our “Christian Walk.” We act like we got it all together but we don’t. People ask how we are doing, and we say things like; “I am blessed and highly favored” or “Child you know I’m blessed” when the truth of the matter is: we are “darkness disguised as being the light.” Let me tell you first that I know that I don’t have it all together, day by day the Lord is continuing to teach me and guide me in ways I never thought or imaged. Every day I sin and I fall short of the Lords Glory. I am a sinner saved by Grace. As long as I recognize this, I am still a child of the light.

Did you know that the Devil is in your church? He may be in the pulpit, sitting in the deacons section (you know he is in the choir); he could even be sitting right next to you. “Darkness in disguise of the light.” All the time roaming, looking to see what he can get into or to who he can devour. The Bible tells us that: “…the thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy,” so it is natural for the “Thief” (the Devil) to be in the church. Those outside of the church already belong to him, so the church is fertile ground for the devil. The church therefore is a place for the devil to find fresh meat.

The Bible tells us that we are the light of the world, yet we enjoy associating with the darkness. Christians, we need to take a new stand. The Bible says: “Therefore come out from them, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch nothing unclean; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters.” Come out from among them (the darkness), they mean you no good.

The Scriptures tell us that one day that Jesus will come and all the angels with HIM and HE will sit on HIS glorious throne. Before HIM will be gathered all the nations, and HE will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and HE will place the sheep at HIS right hand, but the goats at the left. JESUS will say to those at HIS right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of MY Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’ Then the Lord will say to those at HIS left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’

I cannot speak for anyone but myself, I want to be on the right, I want to be with the sheep and with the light on the right not with the goats and the darkness on the left. We were created to be light. The Bible says: “For you are all sons (and daughters) of light and sons (and daughters) of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But, since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.”

Therefore be a child of the ‘Light’ Brothers and Sisters, I urge you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with humbleness and meekness, with patience and tolerance for each other in love.

© 2012, Rev. Raymond E. Williams, Jr.. All rights reserved.

Get Up and Eat
A couple of years ago, my bishop taught a bible study lesson titled, ‘Get Up and Eat.’ It focused on depression, reasons for it and how to overcome it. In our unresolved emotional hurt and pain, we blindly give the adversary a direct path to attack us. Depression is a vehicle, a sometimes immediate response to a traumatic situation or circumstance we’ve suffered. They key is to recognize the hurt for what it is and begin to peel back the layers of pain to uncover the truth: God’s love. Psalm 143 verse 4 says: “I am losing all hope; I am paralyzed with fear.”

Remember and Rebuild
Psalm 143 verse 5 goes on to say: “I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works. I think about what you have done.” God is a constant. And no matter how painful the scar or the memory may be, He was, is and will always be with you. Living with unresolved hurt severely hinders us from being who God has ordained us to be, and from creatively contributing to the Kingdom. Releasing the hurt and living within the constructs of what God has ordained for us is a blessing to ourselves as well as the Kingdom.

Freedom
“…for he is the one who called you to freedom.” Galatians 5:8.

One of the main things God wants for us is to live in the freedom He has ordained for us. And we do this when we release the chains and self-condemnation that so often accompanies past hurt. With the dispersing of hurt, we expel fear, depression and any other feelings the adversary uses to come against us. We all must take the time to truly examine ourselves. In our private moments with God, we will begin to heal.

© 2012, Kimetha. All rights reserved.

One of the many things I love about God is that, contrary to the satan, God let’s you know up front that following Him will cost you; whereas satan will play up or exaggerate the fun you’ll have sinning but neglect to give you the fine print i.e. price you will pay. 

As a 41 year young woman, mother of 4 and a sold-out follower of Christ, I have learned that what seems like 5 minutes of harmless fun (sin) can cost you 15 years of hard grief and suffering.  The lust in your heart and satan using it against you, will convince you that you can sin and get away with it; however, the Bible makes it very clear that when sin is finished, it will produce one thing and one thing only: DEATH (James 1:13-16).

In the Scripture below, Jesus let’s you know the price for following Him.  But before you read and get freaked out, let me let you know the rewards are GREATER than the sacrifice.  The principle of sow and reap still applies (harvest is always greater and longer than the seed).  With that said, if you are sowing your life unto God, do you really think your harvest will not be greater and longer than that which you’ve sown?

Luke 14:25-33 (NKJV)   
²⁵ Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, ²⁶ “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. ²⁷ And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. ²⁸ For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— ²⁹ lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? ³¹ Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³² Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. ³³ So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

Luke 14:25-33 (MSG)

 25-27One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, “Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one’s own self!—can’t be my disciple. Anyone who won’t shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple.

 28-30″Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn’t first sit down and figure the cost so you’ll know if you can complete it? If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you’re going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: ‘He started something he couldn’t finish.’

 31-32″Or can you imagine a king going into battle against another king without first deciding whether it is possible with his ten thousand troops to face the twenty thousand troops of the other? And if he decides he can’t, won’t he send an emissary and work out a truce?

 33″Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple.

A FEW Scriptures on the Rewards- Both NOW and in the Future (Eternity)

Mark 10:28-31; John 10:10, 28-30; I Corinthians 2:9; I Thesalonians 4:13-18; Revelations 21:1-7; 22:12-14

© 2011, Naima Williams. All rights reserved.

Part I

Matt 16:13-17–“When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesera Phillippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am? And they said, Some say thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, thou art THE CHRIST, the Son of the living God” And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in Heaven”

A few months ago, as I was praying and thinking about the title God gave me for this article I began to think about why God would give me an assignment to write an article about Jesus the Christ. I reasoned to myself that everybody, especially Christians, knew who Jesus was and what He came to do. As I was doing this God told me that if everyone had knowledge of who Jesus is and what He is about that He wouldn’t have had me to write about this.

The words that God spoke to me inspired me to start thinking about what I knew about Jesus. I knew that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). I knew that Jesus is my Savior and that under heaven there is no other name whereby men must be saved (see Acts 4:12). I knew that because of Jesus and what He did for me, I was no longer a sinner but God’s son (see I John 3:2). I knew that Jesus was My Redeemer and that through His Blood I have redemption (Eph 1:7). I knew that because of Jesus and His Blood and what He did for me on that “old rugged cross”, that I was no longer on my way to Hell. I was assured that if I died, I would enter into Heaven because of Jesus. I had learned all of this in the churches I attended.

However, as I really started to meditate on this I felt deep in my heart that I was missing something. At first, I couldn’t put my finger on it and this caused frustration in my mind. I went to God in prayer about what was missing but I did not have a clear answer in my spirit. Since I am really big on obtaining understanding, I allowed this to really disturb me and I began to go back and forth with God on what I was missing and why I was feeling frustrated. For days I would consume myself with finding the answer I needed but it was all to no avail.  I eventually decided to put this article aside until I could get the answers I needed from God. My frustration lessened as I put the article out of my mind, but I could still sense some underlying confusion in my heart every day.

It wasn’t until recently that the Lord revealed the answer to me. As I was listening to a message on the Kingdom of God, the Holy Spirit suddenly spoke to me to turn in my Bible to Matt 16. I did as He told me and He had me read verse 16 aloud. I did this and felt nothing so I started listening again to the message on the Kingdom. After a few minutes, the Spirit told me to pick up my Bible and read Matt 16:16 again. I did as I was told and once again felt nothing so I started listening again to the message on the Kingdom. After a few more minutes, the Spirit spoke to me to pick up My Bible again and read Matt 16:16 again. This time I ignored God and continued listening to the good message I was hearing. When the preacher completed His message, I was feeling good and was hyped up as a result of the Word I heard. It was then God spoke to me and said these words:

“Your problem is you listen to preachers more than you listen to Me!”

When He said these words I was floored. God really knows how to break up a good party.

I apologized to the Lord and said to Him that I would never again put listening to preachers over listening to Him. The Spirit spoke to me again and said to pick up my Bible and read Matt 16:16. When I read it this time, these words blew up in me, “Thou art THE CHRIST, the Son of the Living God” I suddenly remembered the title of this article and God spoke to me and said, “This is who Jesus is!” I looked back at verse 16 and once again I saw the phrase “Thou art THE CHRIST, the Son of the Living God.” I then realized that the word “Christ” is not the last name of Jesus.

You can easily recognize this if you think about your own name. For an example, my name is Geoffrey Ellerby. When people speak to me, they usually say “Geoffrey” or “Mr. Ellerby”. When they write my name, they write “Geoffrey Ellerby”. They do not refer to me as “THE Ellerby” or write my name as “Geoffrey THE Ellerby”. This is also true with your own name.

Then I began to focus on the term “THE CHRIST” and researched it. As I studied this term, I began to realize that I never really knew who Jesus was at all —even though I had been a Christian for 15 years. I also realized that the main reason why I didn’t know this was that I spent more time listening to what preachers had to say about Jesus than finding out for myself what God had to say about Jesus. Therefore as you read these series of articles, I pray that you will be inspired to begin your own journey to discover who Jesus really is.

I will start by focusing on what most people thought of Jesus in His time. Let’s begin by looking at the Bible text I used to begin this article. I encourage you to pick up your Bible and read it aloud:

Matt 16:13-17–“When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesera Phillippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am? And they said, Some say thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, thou art THE CHRIST, the Son of the living God” And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in Heaven”

In this context, Jesus and His disciples are traveling and have arrived at the coasts of a Roman city called Caesarea Phillipi which is located in the area known as the Golan Heights in Israel today.  As they are traveling, Jesus turns to His disciples (students) and asks them a question: “Who do men say that I the Son of Man?” Their answer to Jesus, when read carefully, is an eye opener. Look at their reply in verse 14:

Matt 16:14–“Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets”

When you think about the men they named in their answer you will see that these men were all prophets. “Elias” in many translations of the Bible is rendered as “Elijah”. The name “Jeremias” in today’s English is “Jeremiah”. John the Baptist in the Scriptures was called the “Prophet of the Highest” (Luke 1:76) and operated in the “spirit and power of Elijah” according to the Angel Gabriel (Luke 1:17). The phrase “one of the prophets” refers to the Old Testament prophets such as Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah or Joel. So, you can see that the disciples were saying to Jesus that men were saying He was a prophet.

If you research this, you will find out that the Greek word used here for prophet refers to “an inspired speaker”. The Hebrew word used for the term “prophet” refers to an “inspired man”. The Bible also reveals that in earlier times in Israel prophets were known as seers (see I Sam 9:9) or one who sees. So the disciples were saying that people at this time thought Jesus was a Man inspired by God to see and to speak for Him.

Nicodemus, the Jewish Pharisee leader, also shows us what he and others thought about Jesus in John 3:1,2:

John 3:1,2– “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.”

Nicodemus’ answer reveals that the people not only thought Jesus was a prophet of God but that He was also “a teacher come from God”. Nicodemus even refers to Him as “Rabbi” which means “Master Teacher”. The disciples themselves also addressed Jesus as “Rabbi” (John 1:38,40,49). The people also called Him “Rabbi” (John 6:25). All of these examples taken together show you that to the people of His day saw Jesus as a prophet and teacher who had come from and was inspired by God who was with Him.

When I saw this and began to think about my own experience as a Christian, I began to take comfort by saying that at least I know Jesus better than these people did. At least I know Jesus as My Savior and that I would miss Hell and make Heaven. Then God spoke something to me that I will never forget as long as I live:

“Just because you are a Christian does not mean that you know Christ!”

These words shocked me so badly that I could not do anything for awhile. As I sat there in silence, I began to think about what God had spoken to me. Even though I wanted to deny what the Lord had spoken and attribute it to the devil, I knew in the core of my being that the Holy Spirit was the one who said those words to me. I continued in silence and God spoke to me again:

“No religion can reveal to anyone who Jesus really is!”

When He said this I began to ponder what I had read in Matt 16. In context, when Jesus asked the disciples who men said that He was, He was not asking them to tell Him what all men in the world thought about Him. I know that this is true because Jesus in His ministry did not speak to everyone present in the world. The Bible reveals that He was sent unto “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt 15:24). Therefore this scripture establishes the people that Jesus personally spoke and ministered to—the house of Israel.

If you know anything about Israel during this time, you will understand that most of His audience were religious people that were part of a religion called Judaism which may be at least 1,000 years older than Christianity (which by many accounts is 2,000 years old itself).  So Jesus in Matt 16:14 was really asking His students what His audience, who were a religious people, was saying regarding His identity.

In spite of their religion, it is clear that they did not know or understand who Jesus really was. Jesus Himself referred to the Pharisees, the main Jewish religious party of the era, as “blind leaders of the blind” (Matt 15:14). In Matt 23:16, 24, He refers to the Pharisees and scribes as “blind guides”. In fact if you read Matthew 23 in its entirety, you will see that He constantly referred to the Pharisees as blind. We all know that a blind person is one who cannot see and thus lives in the dark. He went even further and called them fools (Matt 23:17,19). To call someone a fool is significant here because the Bible says that the fool has said in his heart there is no God (Ps 14:1, Ps 53:1). This leads me to believe that since Jesus said this about them that the people in this religion could not have known who Jesus was.

With all this being said, I still questioned what I had heard. I questioned how one could be a Christian and not know Christ. I thought that surely Christianity, the religion that is founded on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, could reveal to me who He is. As I pondered this, the Holy Spirit took me back to the Bible once again. He first showed me that His disciples, the men who walked, ate and slept with Him every day for three and a half years, did not know or understand who He really was.

He led me to John 14. In response to a question Thomas posed to Him in verse 5, Jesus as part of His reply used the words “IF YE HAD KNOWN ME…” WOW! For Jesus to use this phrase implies that Thomas really did not know Jesus…and this is a guy who was with Him personally every day for almost 4 years.  In the same chapter, another disciple named Philip asked Jesus to show the disciples the Father (John 14:8). In reply Jesus said unto Him these words:

John 14:9—“….HAVE I BEEN SO LONG TIME WITH YOU, AND YET HAST THOU NOT KNOWN ME, PHILIP? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then Show us the Father?”

These two examples show that the very men who were closest to Him and had spent more personal time with Him than anyone else during His Ministry did not know who Jesus really was.

Next, God showed me what Jesus said in Matt 7. Look at verses 22 and 23. In my Bible, these verses are in red which indicates that Jesus is speaking. Read it for yourself:

Matt 7:22,23—“Many will say to me in that day, LORD, LORD, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I NEVER KNEW YOU: depart from me, ye that work iniquity”

Jesus in this context is once again speaking to His disciples (Matt 5:1,2). However what He says in these verses is what should really cause you to take pause. In verse 22, Jesus says these people will say to Him “LORD, LORD…” I don’t know about you but to me it sounds like He is talking about Christians since any Christian you meet will call Jesus “Lord”.

He continues by saying that these people will say that in His Name they prophesied, cast out devils and did many wonderful works. These words sound like what Jesus said about the greater work of people that believed on Him and the signs that would follow them that believed the Gospel (see Mark 16:17 and John 14:12). So I can safely say on the authority of this verse that Jesus is talking about people that call Him “Lord”, that believe on Him and are doing the works that He said would follow those that believed on Him.

Don’t Christians call themselves “believers” in Jesus Christ and His Resurrection from the Dead? Don’t Christians say that they are doing His works? Yet Jesus in this verse says He will tell these people that HE NEVER KNEW THEM. Logically, it follows that if Jesus is saying to you that He never knew you He is also telling you that you never knew Him—even though you may have honestly thought that you did.

If this verse shocks you, let me show you another one from the Book of Revelation. Look at what Jesus told the apostle John to write to the angel (messenger or pastor) of the church at Laodicea:

Rev 3:17, 18—“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and BLIND, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; AND ANOINT THINE EYES WITH EYESALVE, THAT THOU MAYEST SEE”

Here Jesus told John to write to a church filled with people that confessed Jesus as Lord and believed that God raised Him from the dead. To the world then and today this would be considered a Christian church. Yet Jesus Christ– their Lord and Savior who is the Head of the Church– says to them that, among other things, they are “BLIND” and instructs them “ TO ANOINT THEIR EYES WITH EYESALVE, SO THAT THEY MAY SEE” (verse 18). This sounds like what Jesus said about the Pharisees in Matt 23. To cap it off, read Rev 3:20:

Rev 3:20—“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with ME”

Traditionally, the church has used this scripture in attempting to win souls to Jesus. However, who is Jesus addressing here? The church at Laodicea—a CHRISTIAN church—a church that believed on the name of Jesus. In addition, think about what He is saying to His church here. In plain English, Jesus is saying that He is standing at the door of that church and knocking so He could get in and sup with them. Learn well from this and be warned: Just because a church has a cross on its sign or steeple does not mean that they know Christ or that He is even there!

For the sake of time and brevity, I will conclude this article here. As we continue this series, I will reveal to you from the Bible what the term Christ means, how it reveals who He really is, and the practical implications that this revelation has concerning your life and destiny. As I leave you, I will ask you to honestly consider this question in your quiet times:

“Do you really know Jesus?”

© 2011, Geoffrey Ellerby. All rights reserved.

Life is so precious. Every day that we wake up is a gift from God. The air that we breathe signifies God’s promise of life to us. This is the reason that our lives should not be wasted. Every day presents a new opportunity to fulfill God’s purpose and plan for our lives.

How many times have we heard someone say, “I wish I would have done that…” or “If only I had pursued that…” We must live our lives with no regret. And in order to really be successful, we must take risks. Taking risks involve truly listening and taking action on what God tells us to do. We must be attentive to God’s voice.

In order to even begin to live the promises of God and live our lives to the fullest, we must have faith. Faith is the foundation of everything; it is the reason that God created us and the origin of life lessons. I guess we do have to be a little crazy to really follow through on God’s orders. But we must also recognize that the Lord’s ways are certainly not ours, and God does not want us to live with regret. He wants us to have the promises of heaven right here on earth.  To live this life requires diligence and work, as referenced in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord’s work, for you know nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”

Our lives are filled with purpose, that’s simply how God created them. So we must live each day with that mentality. Nothing should be taken for granted. Sometimes living our lives to the fullest requires us to completely change and leave behind everything we know and are familiar with. Don’t discourage over God’s orders because He is always looking out for our good. Please know that it is the Lord’s desire for us to enjoy life, why else would He have blessed us with such an awesome gift?

In Mark 10: 28 – 30, Jesus very plainly explains the reward of our faith in seizing the moment, “Then Peter began to mention all that he and the other disciples had left behind. ‘We’ve given up everything to follow you,’ he said. And Jesus replied, ‘I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return, a hundred times over, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and property – with persecutions. And in the world to come they will have eternal life.’”

So there you have it. Any way you look at it, study it, examine the Word, God wants us to live fully, prosperously and joyfully. BUT this can only be done by listening to His voice and studying His Word. So what are you waiting for? Seize the moment!

© 2011, Kimetha. All rights reserved.

Happy Holidays

Wow, where has time gone? It has been a rough year for everybody and I know that alot of people are glad to see this year go in hopes of a better year in 2012. It’s Thanksgiving time and of course we are all ready for the food, family and fun that comes along with Thanksgiving. However, there is something else that brings anticipation to some, we see commercials about it, we hear other people talking about it and then sit back and watch what happens. We all know what I am speaking of….the infamous BLACK FRIDAY.

I can say that I have never took part in Black Friday, however I have heard the stories. I have always wondered what it looked like in the parking lot of a mall at 12 midnight when stores are about to open. Well this year I got a first hand look at what it looked like. I was picking my son up from work at a mall theater, I drove into the parking lot and there I was met by headlights of cars pulling up…some people had already started to form a line outside of the major stores. They had pillows, blankets and books to camp out until the clock struck 12 midnight. I was amazed, almost to the point of slowing down just so I could see. I wondered to myself…Is this right? Could it be me standing in that line? the more I thought it out, my answer was still the same.

This is year is different for me, in the sense that I have no job and no income coming in and I have two children so I have learned a lesson through the year and that lesson is just to be thankful and love those around you and be grateful for them. I know Santa is the kid in all of us and that is what kids understand. However, due to this economy we are in, it has forced me to see things differently. I have also taught my kids to do the same. It is important that we understand the times that we are living in. There are so many people that are going without right now…without clothes, without food, without shelter, without jobs that it just make you want to cry. Most of these big businesses that we support on Black Friday are in the same situation that most individuals are. Suprising isn’t it? Yes, they too are in the red (financially), and has struggled throughout the year just to keep their doors opened. Black Friday is their “Checkmate” day. Your money that is spent moves them from one status to the other…from red (financial loss), back to the black status. We don’t think about it this way because we as a society are too busy trying to get the deal they promised. Once they have the television home, or the set of kitchen appliances…that man on the corner is still homeless, that child is still hungry. And the list of agencies that can help has run out of money to even attempt to help them. This is the society in which we live.

For those of us who actually get what this time of year really mean, we are never in the red, as long as we stay in the word and believe in our hearts we will always show a positive balance. I know there are alot of people who wish that they could participate or even get their kids Christmas but don’t have the funds to do so. It is ok, because what they do have is the love of God and they are closely wrapped in his arms during this time of year. Most people equate Christmas with money and gifts, with some of the gifts being expensive in nature. When Jesus was born and lay in the manger the three wisemen bought gifts to their new born King. Each gift represented something:

Gold: Jesus would be King

Frankincense: An aromatic gum from trees, used in worship

Myrrh: An aromatic resin that would be used to annoint his body

All three of these gifts had a purpose. So while out shopping this year I challenge each of you to purchase gifts with meaning. I challenge each of you to stay in your financial lane, I challenge each of you to stay in God’s word and strengthen your relationship with God because when you do that you never have to worry about being in the red. God knows our every need.

Matthew 6:31-32
³¹Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

³²(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

© 2011, Kimberly Moore. All rights reserved.

We are all familiar with this wonderful passage of scripture where the Bible tells us; “Be careful for nothing; but in every-thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (KJV) However the New Living Translation gives this Scripture greater meaning as it is written in a more modern vernacular.

Gods’ Word for us is that we are to “REJOICE” in everything letting the World see that even though they don’t believe as we do, that we are and will be considerate of them as well. We are to rejoice, not worrying about anything but praying for everything. I believe that sometimes Christians forget that God has our back. We forget that when God puts us on a path or gives us an assignment that God will be there with us until its completion. After all doesn’t the Bible say; “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble?” Ps. 46:1 (KJV)

The NLT version of the Bible says therefore; “tell God what you need and thank HIM for all that he has done.” Let me ask you a question? When God has done something for you, do you forget to say: “Thank you?” Not just the big things but the (so-called) small things as well. Do we forget that without HIS “Grace and Mercy,” we might have passed away in our sleep? Without HIS wonderful hedge of protection over us we could have been hit by a car, murdered, robbed or so many other misfortunate events could have happened to us. But HIS grace and HIS mercy protected you from all ‘hurt, harm and danger.’

On October 20, 2011 my oldest son who will be forty two years old November 21st was stabbed twice in his chest in New York City, once in this lung and once in his heart. He expired once in the ambulance and twice on the operating table in the hospital. My son and I haven’t had a relationship for several years; however he contacted me October 19, this is something that I’d been praying for, for many years. When I went to see him in the hospital, he had tubes coming out of him in several places including his chest and a ventilator was helping him breathe. I wasn’t overly worried, that is not to say I don’t love my son because I do, if I could have traded places with him I would have gladly done so. Unless you have children you may not understand that when we see our children, even though they are grown, even though they have beards or children of their own, we still see them as the little babies we used to care for (at least I do).

To make a long story short, I wasn’t overly worried because, I KNOW GOD. You see, God would not have put my son back into my life and then take him away. God is not cruel like that. God doesn’t give you something and then snatch it away in cruelty, that’s what the devil does. So I knew deep down inside that my son was going to be alright. That my friends, that is the power of Gratitude in action. When we are grateful and give God thanks, the Bible says; “we will experience God’s peace which exceeds anything that we can understand.” And that; “His Peace will guard our hearts and minds as we live in Christ Jesus.”

Now you might be saying; “This isn’t about you, it’s about your son.” I disagree; God is great enough and powerful enough to take care of me, my son, you, your problems, Israel, Zambia and the problems of the entire world all at the same time. We must remember; to give God thanks in all things, and God will reward us with HIS Peace. By the way, my son was released from the hospital in a record eight days. His life was spared by a loving caring God…

© 2011, Rev. Raymond E. Williams, Jr.. All rights reserved.

When will it be my turn? I find that many women begin asking this question as they witness their peers getting married and starting families. I must also include the men, as there are many men who have a desire to get married and start a family. Though, it seems women bear the brunt of this pressure. As Christians, it is our job to set the example on starting a family…the right way.

Through my personal experiences, I found that building a solid relationship with Christ opens the door for all other opportunities. Right relationships included. When we build a solid foundation in our relationship with the Lord, we give Him the opportunity to work on us and develop us.

“I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and 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.” – Luke 6:47-48.

The times when we become desperate are the times when we must diligently seek the Lord. Seek His Wisdom, His Power and His Holiness. So many times we make the mistake of falling in love with the idea of being married that we choose the wrong one. Therefore, it is imperative that we step back and allow God to choose for us.

Being of the mentality of wanting to get married, rather than desiring authenticity in our relationships, opens the door for disappointment.  And when relationships fail to prosper we fall into this abyss of confusion, second guessing ourselves and questioning what went wrong. But who is more authentic than God! From these broken relationships God has a chance to heal us and build us. God can point out our miscues and through his Word, give us pointed advice on how to empower and ameliorate ourselves.

We must control our desire to rush things. Patience is a virtue and no one better demonstrates this than Ruth. Ruth lost the only life she knew, though her patience caused God to move on her behalf and grant her a new husband. Ruth completely humbles herself, works in the field among the other workers and collects scraps. Through her patience and humble spirit, she is granted the right one. The one God has for her.

Says Boaz: “…I have acquired Ruth, the Moabite widow of Mahlon, to be my wife. This way she can have a son to carry on the family name of her dead husband and to inherit the family property here in his hometown.” – Ruth 4:10

It is so important to remember that only God knows who our true “soulmate” is. He knows us better than we know ourselves and only has our best interests in His heart. This is precisely the reason why we must build a strong relationship with Him, because to know God is to know ourselves.

“Now seek the Lord your God with all your heart.” – 1Chronicles 22:19

© 2011, Kimetha. All rights reserved.

Let me first say that when God made humanity, HE told mankind (Adam and Eve); ‘be fruitful and multiply.’ God did not make man and woman to have sex outside of marriage, but we know that mankind has been disobedient since the ‘Garden.’ When we are disobedient to God, are our human bodies suppose to stop responding in the way that God created them? God gave us free will and with that free will, we are free to sin and disobey and we are free to live in obedience and righteousness, the choice belongs to us.

Probably one of the most important doctrines of marriage is mentioned in the book of Ephesians 5:33 without this I do not believe any marriage will work, it says: “Each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband (NLT).” What is most profound about this Scripture is that the Bible does not tell the wife to love her husband. It is assumed that if a woman gives herself to a man that she will love him, she is told instead to respect him because respect to a man is the most important thing that you could give him. The Bible is actually looking at it from the prospective of the opposite individual. If the man loves his wife he will not only respect her but he is willing to die for her. When a wife loves her husband she is giving him her love with all her heart.

Marriage is Gods’ Ordinance for mankind, why do we intentionally interpret the rules and regulations of marriage in a way that pleases us instead of being in obedience to God? Nowhere in the Bible does it say that either husband or wife is to be controlling, manipulative or abusive. Yet so many of us claim to be Bible believing Christians and we instead are seen as tyrants or bullies to our spouses. We can love other Christians, we can even love non-Christians but we have trouble showing real love toward each other. Gods’ people were saved to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth, but too often we cannot be distinguished from those who do not know God.

Marriage is God’s wonderful way of providing relationships for mankind. It is His way of allowing us to be fruitful and multiplying. When God created Eve, He did so because it was not good for man to be by himself. Marriage is God’s way of saying to humanity; “I love you.” All we need to do is love Him back…

© 2011, Rev. Raymond E. Williams, Jr.. All rights reserved.

Though I wrote this article approxmately 2 years ago, it is this article that I receive the most response from – even to this day!  Therefore, I am re-submitting this article again – as the points are still very much relevant today.  And what I’ve since learned is that many people do not realize that intimidation is a spirit, a spirit very much alive and active – even in our churches!  So I pray that as you read this, the Holy Spirit will begin to minister to you and bring you on the path of freedom!  

.

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. -2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV) 

1. The Big Problem Least Acknowledged
2. Intimidation Defined –Exhaustive
3. It was Bigger than Just Me
4. Spiritual Giftings Doesn’t Mean Spiritual Purity
5. Even the Anointed and Pure Hearted Can Be Affected
6. How Intimidation Binds the Strong Man to Plunder the House
7. Coming Next:  Breaking the Chains!
8. Prayer For Overcoming Intimidation
9. Other Scriptures to Study

Minister Naima Williams.  Originally posted on June 23, 2009

.

THE BIG PROBLEM LEAST ACKNOWLEDGED

t’s amazing how much time and energy the enemy is willing to invest in order to close the mouths of the saints.  Revelations 12:11 tells us that we overcome by the blood of Jesus and the word of our testimony, so it only makes sense that he would try to influence or stop the spoken word of the saints.  This has been one of the many spiritual battles I’ve experienced throughout my life, and it seems to have intensified over the last few weeks.  If you’ve read my eJournal entries titled Stand In Your God-Given Authority and A Call to Take Authority, then you know that one of the spirits the enemy used to try to close my mouth is the spirit of intimidation.  It’s interesting how we use this word so loosely in today’s society not realizing how it can spiritually, mentally and emotionally cripple its victim.  Additionally, many do not know that intimidation is actually a spirit, and this spirit seldom walk alone.  The spirit of intimidation is often accompanied by the spirits of insecurity, inferiority, shyness, control and manipulation just to name a few.  Up until recent, I used to get clobbered by the spirit of intimidation, and was its slave most of my life.  But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ! (2 Cor. 2:14a). God has recently delivered me from the spirit of intimidation, and He is teaching me to walk each day in the power, love and sound mind He’s given me through Jesus Christ! 

ou know the old cliché that says never judge a book by its cover?  Well, I admit to doing this myself over the years.  I am grateful, however, that the Holy Spirit is helping me to steadily UN-learn this behavior so that I’m less inclined to judge others.  This is not only because the Lord tells us to judge not lest we be judged in Matthew 7:1, but also because I myself don’t like being judged.  I’ve had people misjudge me because I look a certain way and/or have a particular style, and as a result, many would make up their mind about me before even speaking to me, much less knowing me.  Throughout the years, I’ve been frequently mislabeled as either conceited or overestimated as a woman with great confidence.  I guess between the two the latter would be much preferred; however, neither was accurate.  I was very insecure, shy and timid, but this was often hard to detect because the nervous energy I had would somehow transform into what appear to be an outgoing personality.  I never really understood why this was neither did I plan it to be so.  It was as if I had a built-in fail-safe that would self activate when needed. 

INTIMIDATION DEFINED-EXHAUSTED

ntimidation was a problem for me for as long as I can remember, but it was just recent that I began to realize how destructive this spirit is and how it can quench the Spirit of God in any believer (See Stand In Your God-Given Authority to read more).  John Bevere, the author of Breaking Intimidation expounds:   

The objective of intimidation is to restrain you from action and coerce or force you into submission.  Intimidation wants to overwhelm you with a sense of inferiority and fear.  Once you’ve retreated into submission, either knowingly or unknowingly, you are a servant of the intimidator.  You are no longer free to fulfill the will of God but are doomed to the desires of your intimidating captor. 

Consequently, the gift of God, His spiritual ability in you, is inoperative.  Now your authority has been stripped from you in order to be used against both you and those in your sphere of influence. 

The origin of intimidation is fear, which has its roots in our adversary, the devil.  He is the originator of all fear and timidity (Gen. 3:1-10), especially v. 10).  He will attack us by way of thoughts, imaginations and visions, or he will use circumstances and those under his influence to intimidate us.  Either way, he has one objective:  to control and limit us.  (Page 46) 

IT WAS BIGGER THAN JUST ME

hen the Lord began revealing this to me, I asked Him to show me how this rooted in my life.  A few days after that prayer He began showing me flashes from my childhood, and how as a little girl living in an abusive home, the doorway was opened for these spirits to set up strongholds.  Without my knowledge or consent, these spirits attached themselves to me and my life at such an early age that I mistook their whispering lies for my own thoughts.  As God began revealing this to me, I began to see how intimidation played a major role in my life, preventing me from living in the freedom and abundance that Jesus offers His believers.  

SPIRITUAL GIFTINGS DOESN’T MEAN SPIRITUAL PURITY

ontinuing down this path of discovery, I also began to see how this spirit infiltrated the body of Christ.  This spirit is so camouflaged and so subtle that it often goes long periods of time without being noticed.  Consequently, it gains enough strength and control to form strongholds in the church.  I believe the answer to why it goes unnoticed for so long can be found in 1 Samuel 16:7, “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.“  Because we have the tendency of looking at the outward appearance, we make the grave mistake of thinking giftings, anointing or ministry “success” indicate purity in heart and motives.  Think about it.  If you were living during the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry, would you’ve been able to discern the heart and spirit of Judas Iscariot?  This is a man who ate, traveled and somewhat lived with Jesus!  Furthermore, did not Jesus himself charge him as an apostle?  Did he not also heal the sick and cast out demons as well?  (Read Matthew 10:1-5).  SELAH 

If that doesn’t do it for you, Jesus makes it very clear in Matthew 7:22-23 that anointing doesn’t mean a pure heart.  “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”  I really don’t think you can get any clearer than this.  

The author of the book Breaking Intimidation speaks a little about ministry success and relationship with God: 

Even though the church is experiencing a refreshing at this time, sin must be dealt with.  It is wonderful that people are so hungry for the power of God, but let’s not neglect purity of heart.  We have seen too many ministers fall.  But they didn’t fall when they committed their first act of immortality.  No, they began to fall earlier—the day success in ministry became more important than their intimate relationship with God.  We’ve not only seen this among ministers but also within their congregations. (Page 23) 

EVEN THE ANOINTED AND PURE HEARTED CAN BE AFFECTED

n the other side of the coin are those who are anointed and have a heart after God.  It is these that the spirits of Jezebel and intimidation seek to neutralize.  The unfortunate fact is that these spirits are oftentimes successful, even when going against those who we believe are mighty in the Lord.  An example of this can be found in the story of one of the most powerful prophets in the Bible, Elijah.  The story of Elijah begins in 1 Kings 17, with chapter 19 showing how through intimidation and fear, Jezebel put this prophet to flight.  During my study of intimidation, I stumbled upon a website that provided an excerpt from a book titled The Tactics of the Enemy (author unknown): 

For seven years, God had carefully protected Elijah. God fed him in the wilderness. When Ahab’s armies sought to kill Elijah, they were unable to lay a finger on him. 

Finally, in a showdown at Mt. Carmel, Elijah called down fire from heaven and resoundingly defeated and killed the priests of Baal. All Israel fell at his feet in repentance, worshipping the true God. Elijah was the man of the hour. He was vindicated, victorious, and clearly in charge. 

Nevertheless, when Jezebel sent Elijah a single threat, he suddenly turned coward and fled to the desert. Anxious, depressed, and miserable, he begged God to kill him! 

Think about this. It makes NO sense. Elijah enjoyed supernatural protection for seven years. He watched fire fall from heaven and defeat his enemies, yet when a single angry woman threatened him one time, he lost every shred of vision and ran away. He moaned in self-pity and depression, begging God to kill him! 

This is a great example of Jezebel’s powerful demonic “anointing” to intimidate, create fear, and cause men of God to withdraw. Jezebel steals your vision. Jezebel will even make you depressed and anxious when there is nothing significantly different in your circumstances. If there are difficult circumstances, this spirit will tell you they are insurmountable, impossible, and overwhelming. Jezebel will make you feel like dying when in reality, you are God’s man of the hour. 

WOW!   The writer continues: 

Jezebel’s witchcraft will attack key leaders in her targeted area through intimidation. Those under attack may awaken one morning to find it takes effort just to breathe. All joy seems to depart. Spiritual life seems irrelevant. Demonic voices will echo in their minds “something’s wrong with you!” They may suddenly find themselves in unreasonable anxiety, fearing tragedy or death. Much of what is called “depression” in the ministry is simply Jezebel! 

his is exactly what I had experienced that day I wrote about in the eJournal entry titled A Call to Take Authority.   I woke up to a series of mental attacks and didn’t understand why.  Later on in the morning, the Holy Spirit told me to “take authority” and I did.  In retrospect I now realize that He was preparing for what was to come a few days later (See Stand in Your God-given Authority).  Not even realizing it at the time, I submitted to the spirit of intimidation, and as a result, I was knocked out of the spiritual authority God had positioned me in. I immediately began to experience the symptoms of intimidation and each day the symptoms grew progressively worst.  

An intimidating spirit unleashes confusion, discouragement and frustration.  Its goal is to cause you to lose your proper perspective.  Everything will seem overwhelming, difficult or even impossible.  The stronger the intimidation, the greater the discouragement and hopelessness.  (Breaking Intimidation, Page 48) 

These were the very feelings I had experienced; however, what was worst was that the Holy Spirit within me was quenched, the anointing went dormant and the sweet communion with God was interrupted.  At the time I still didn’t understand what was going on, I just wanted it to stop.  I prayed, repented, rebuked and bound evil spirits, and nothing I did seem to work.  It was a few days later when God began to give me insight and revelation as to what was going on.  Originally I was looking at what I was experiencing from a “me” perspective, but God then let me know that what I was dealing with was bigger than just me. He began to show me the spirits I was dealing with and have charged me with responsibilities I really can’t say that I wanted.  BUT, when you’re used to communing with God and then that’s interrupted, you do whatever it takes to get back into communion. 

HOW INTIMDATION BINDS THE STRONG MAN TO PLUNDER THE HOUSE

here are still lots to tell, as this is a meaty subject, and it is one that I will be sharing with you over the weeks to come.  What I want to make sure that I leave with you is the absolute awareness that intimidation is in fact a spirit, a spirit that is sent by Satan; for God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7 NIV).  Since this spirit is sent by the enemy, we know that the ultimate agenda of this spirit is to kill, steal and destroy all of mankind, especially the saints of God.  In effort to help the enemy accomplish his ultimate goal, this spirit, which works closely with the spirit of Jezebel, looks to enter the strong man’s house and plunder his goods; but they must first bind the strong man (Read Mark 3:27 and Matthew 12:25-30).  

If the Spirit of God within a believer is quenched, then the believer is in fact bound, and this almost always causes a domino and/or rippling effect.  The book I’ve been referencing throughout this entry, Breaking Intimidation, mentions: 

What would happen if all believers functioned in their place?  What tremendous things we would see.  Revival is not for the preachers but for the entire body—when every person takes his position. 

Remember, the gift is the ability God gives us.  We are not responsible for that which we were not entrusted with.  The leg is not responsible for sight.  Even so, the will of God can only be accomplished by the enabling of the Spirit.  “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.” (2 Cor. 3:5). 

It is the joint operation of these gifts the enemy wants to stop.  When successful he can severely hinder out growth!  He knows he cannot stop God from giving these gifts, so he is after our freedom to exercise them.  Intimidation is the primary way he hinders this.  (Page 40) 

If there is a spirit other than the Holy Spirit that is controlling a person, family or church, than that person, family or church is in fact bound; and again, this almost always causes a domino and/or rippling effect.  The author also makes another valid observation and point: 

There are those who bear the title of pastor or leader, yet they are controlled by the manipulation and intimidation of others—usually the people who should be undergirding them, such as wives, associates, board members, deacons, intercessors and so forth.  They run the show behind the scenes by controlling the person with the title of leader. 

This also happens in homes.  Parents are intimidated by their children; husbands are intimidated by their wives.  They are not the head of their homes.  It is important for a leader to consider the counsel of those around him, whether in his home or his ministry.  (Breaking Intimidation, Page 52) 

You may be thinking to yourself that you wouldn’t or couldn’t be a victim of such a thing (spirit) or that you would be able to spot such workings (manipulation, control and intimidation) a mile away.  However, you must keep in mind that the working of these spirits is often camouflaged and subtle, and they can do an enormous amount of damage for years while going unnoticed.  The enemy rarely comes at us in his true form because he knows he would have a fight on his hands.  However, coming disguised allows him to do serious damage for long periods of time because your guards are down and unsuspecting.    

Below are a few other quotes from the book that I wanted to share in this entry: 

People who have strong personalities will use intimidation to make a lie look like the truth.  You must stay in the spirit to overcome the strength of such attacks.  (Breaking Intimidation, Page 86) 

Usually intimidation will accuse you of the very weakness it seeks to hide.  Those who act pure outwardly but have an impure heart will always attack the pure in heart.  (Breaking Intimidation, Page 87) 

Naima- I personally have had this happen to me a lot! 

Jesus constantly faced intimidation.  The impure Pharisees and lawyers tried to discredit Him or catch Him in His words.  If they could only intimidate Him, then they could control Him.  So they said He was a traitor, a glutton, a drunkard, and a demon-possessed sinner, which were the very characteristics many of them possessed.  By refusing to come under their control, Jesus exposed their hearts. 

Why do the impure seek to intimidate the pure?  To relieve themselves of conviction and to maintain control.  If successful, they don’t have to examine their hearts and repent.  (Breaking Intimidation, Page 87) 

COMING NEXT:  BREAKING THE CHAINS!

n closing, I have seen people smilingly admit to being intimidating, not realizing that in essence what they are admitting to is allowing this spirit of fear work through them.  For many years of my life, I used to be that way myself.  After having the revelation God has shown me, I now understand what this truly is and this spirit can do damage to individuals as well as the body of Christ.  

PRAYER FOR OVERCOMING INTIMIDATION

In weeks to come, I will begin sharing on how to break the chains of intimidation from your life.  In the interim, if you are serious about learning more about this subject, then I recommend that you read the book titled Breaking Intimidation by John Bevere.  He does an excellent job at exposing this spirit in great detail as well as how this spirit has impacted the church.  Additionally, you can begin your deliverance out of the world of intimidation by praying the following prayer: 

Father, I come to You in the name of Jesus, confessing that intimidation has caused me to stumble. I ask Your forgiveness for thinking of myself as inferior, for I am created in your image, and I am Your workmanship. Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is in me. Therefore, the power that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in me and causes me to face life with hope and divine energy.The Lord is my Light and my Salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the Strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Lord, You said that Your would never leave me or forsake me. Therefore, I can say without any doubt or fear that You are my Helper, and I am not afraid of anything that mere man can do to me. Greater is He Who is in me than he who is in the world. If God is for me, who can be against me? I am free from the fear of man and public opinion.Father, You have not given me a spirit of timidity– of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear — but You have given me a spirit of power and of love and of a calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength.

Scripture References:
1 John 1:9
Luke 17:21
Colossian 1:29
Hebrew 13:5
Romans 3:31
2 Timothy 1:7
Ephesians 2:10
Ephesians 1:19-20
Psalm 1:27
1 John 4:4
Proverbs 29:25
Philippians 4:13 

(Prayers that Avail Much by Germaine Copeland, page 102) 

OTHER SCRIPTURES YOU CAN STUDY:

1 John 4:18  

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 

Matthew 21:23-27 

And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. 

© 2011, S4L Webmaster. All rights reserved.