A New Day is Dawning!

The challenges of 2014 have been great, yet there have also been great victories that outweigh any of the negatives of this year. Take all of the lessons learned; good and bad, and use them as your spiritual curriculum for 2015. You thought that you would not make it, yet you still stand and you still thrive. Yes, you have some wounds, injuries and punctures but the enemy of your soul has not prevailed.

The days ahead will still have challenges, but recognize where your strength and help came from since the beginning of the year. It came from Christ. Christ the ruler of heaven and earth. Christ, the redeemer of mankind. Christ, the forgiver of sins and transgressions. Christ, the one who can speak one word and revolutionize your life. It is Christ who is, who shall be our everlasting help and support.

A New Day is Dawning, know that it will not always be like it is right now. There will not be any challengeless days, but you will experience more victories ahead. Yes, you will be tempted, but you will prevail. You will come short of His glory, but you will be forgiven. Yes, you will struggle, but the struggle will build up your spiritual muscles.

Hold on! Don't give up! A New Day is Dawning.

Connected!

In this day and time it is absolutely difficult to find genuine people who are real and sincere. Well, on yesterday, August 27, 2014, I had the opportunity to realize that there are "real people" even behind the social media avatar.

I met Pastor Marlon Harvin on Twitter. His tweets were always inspirational and informative. Many were so profound that they warranted to be retweeted. Well, after I felt a shift in my focus regarding priorities and social media, I decided to cease participation in twitter and facebook. As a result, there were a few people whom I was connected with on Twitter that I felt I could continue to fellowship with and Pastor Marlon was one of them.

On yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit Pentecostal Holiness Church (PHC)-Churchland for a book signing. Several months ago Pastor Marlon informed me that he was conducting a bible series around the title of my devotional book, "When God Speaks". He shared how his members were enjoying the book. Well, I shared with him that I would be more than happy to come and share with his congregation regarding my book.

Saints, I had a marvelous time. My wife and I were so blessed by the genuine love and friendliness of all of the members of PHC. What we experienced could not have been pulled off if it was fake. The bottom line, PHC members were being the "real church". There was no pull, no attitudes, nothing but a great demonstration of being Christ-like.

In this day and time "realness" is often none existent, but it is ever present at PHC. I can say upon personally meeting this man of God and his lovely wife, he is the same anointed person I connected with on Twitter as he was in person.

Additionally, I stayed and attended the Bible study. Pastor Marlon's mother prayed us into the presence of God. She is such a lovely and saintly woman. Thank God for the remnant of truly saved people in this last hour. Pastor Marlon shared a profound and relevatory word. I was blessed and took tons of notes. I am not easily moved by just anything, so this brother came packing with the anointing of God.

Finally beloved, it is so crucial to ensure that you are connected with like-minded saints. Whomever you allow in your life really represents your character. I am proud and grateful to God for a genuine friend that I have found in Pastor Marlon and the church family of PHC. We are "connected"!

The Power of Agreement

I wonder how many families, ministries, or friendships have ended because of division and discord? Division has a way of making relationships, organizations, and families weaker because the benefit of each individual's contribution is not realized in discord. Marriages fall apart because of division. Business close their doors because of infighting within the ranks, countries become desolate because of sectarian violence. The bottom line is division is dangerous. However, there is an alternative. In fact, Christ presents it to his disciples in Matthew 18: 19-20. The message bible says it this way, "18-20 “Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.” Oh, now we have another option! Instead of division there can be agreement. First, Christ encouraged the believers to embrace the concept that it does not take a crowd to get God to move. In fact, He stated, if two of you get together and pray about, God would move on the behalf of those two people. So the first principle concerning agreement is you do not need a crowd to see the hand of God move. Second, Christ told them they had to come together. They must be in harmony and agreement. In other words, those two people have to be saying and focusing on the same result. They are on one accord. This has been demonstrated in Acts 2:1-2. The 120 in the Upper Room waited and worshiped on one accord and as a result God moved and the Holy Ghost fell and filled everyone in the house. Therefore, the second principle is you must come into alignment with a like minded person. Finally, Christ told them once they are in alignment and agreement God would move. Oftentimes people spend to much time trying to force a God who cannot be forced to do anything. However, He will honor his will and word regarding his people. The key is to come into agreement with something that God has already said and he has obligated himself to follow through as a promise. So as you seek to receive healing, deliverance, spiritual gifts, etc... ensure to find at least one other believer. Come into alignment with them regarding the same will of God and God will in turn move on your behalf. The Power of Agreement!

He Was Praying!

Jesus is such a wonderful savior. Indeed He is the greatest role model for anyone who really wants to get close to God. There simply is no one else who has the inside information about how God operates and what He expects from us. Jesus knows the inside scoop.

I marvel at the discipline Christ had as he maneuvered through His earthly ministry. He possessed so much focus, determination and exactness about what He was called to do. However, if we get so caught-up in the results of His ministry, we can very well miss the essence of His success in ministry. Jesus was a man of prayer.

In Luke 11:1 the first sentence has a powerful revelation for anyone who wants to really be used by God. The text states, " He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples."

Wow! What an insightful text. First, Christ was praying. Christ took the time to communicate with God even though He was anointed and appointed. Don't miss this! If Jesus, the savior of the world, the healer, the miracle worker, had to pray, what about you and me?

Prayer is simple conversation with the Lord. You talk with God based on how much you have to say to Him. The focus is not on how much you say to Him, but rather that you are constantly in communication with Him.

Secondly, Christ had a "certain place". We must carve out time and space to be in communication with the Lord. It is not enough just to have some "drive by prayers" throughout the day, but we must make a deliberate effort to sit down at a "certain time" and "certain place" to spend quality time with the Father.

Finally, Jesus demonstrated that our disciplined prayer life can become contagious. His disciples observed Him praying and immediately wanted to learn the principles of prayer. If we would buckle down and communicate with God on a regular basis, carve out a "certain time and place", then others will begin to see the results and fruit of our lives.

Take note of this! The most important thing that they will observe is how you were able to achieve the results and receive the fruit in your life. They will find you, "Praying".

When God Makes His Next Move!

Oftentimes we can become very frustrated with the requirement to wait on God. However, we must always be cognizant of the fact that God sees everything from a different perspective. Therefore whatever may seem like an emergency to us, may not necessarily be as urgent to God. Remember, He does not have a time limit or deadline for working miracles out on our behalf. He is God!

Always keep this thought in mind. Whenever God decides to make His next move on your behalf, no one will be able to stop it. When God makes His next move it could be your healing, deliverance, blessing, promotion or miracle. Regardless of how long it takes Him to do what He does, when He moves no one can hinder Him.

Wait with the expectancy that God has everything in control. He never has to catch up, seek advice, or misdiagnosis anything. He is God! Just simply wait on His next move. It's going to be epic.