What’s in a name? / The Element of Surprise!

I love God because he can provide you with the element of surprise. God will surprise some folks with the plans that he has for your life. People will look at you and label you. They will tell you what /who you are and they will tell you what you can become. People thought that Jesus was just a carpenter’s son. I’m sure nobody would have imagined that this same man who made their cabinets 10 years ago would be the Messiah of the world. They thought that he just built furniture, but they had no idea that he was a people builder also. Think about Paul, I mean really, who would have thought that murdering Saul could turn into awesome Paul? People may look at you and prophesy untrue things about you. They may only see you with eyes of flesh, but God has such a plan for your life, it will blow your own mind. I cannot tell you how many people never thought that I would accomplish certain things. I’ve been talked about and labeled, but I serve a God who had different plans for my life other the one that man tried to assign me. God places desires in your heart that you never even thought that you could accomplish. I have to admit that I have a hard time seeing myself through the eyes of Christ. I tell him that I can’t understand why he loves me and I can’t see the things that he sees in me but I say to you and to myself, get the fog out of your eyes and look beyond the clouds. The fog is the natural realm. You have to get to a place where God himself assures you of who you are in him. I’m sure that people talked about Paul behind his back all the time. They talked about where he came from and what he used to do, but their words did not halt the progression of who God had called him to be. I believe that he was a man who was not fazed by what his former intimate circle said about him. He couldn’t be because he had such a great call on his life. You can’t live at the feet of other people’s expectations of you because the call on your life is so great. Get your name changed. God changed a lot of folks names in the bible. Abram became Abraham. Sari became Sarah. Saul became Paul. Simon became Peter. God will give you a name that will shock the world. He will give you a name that matches your destiny and what he has called you to be. God will give you assurance in the things that he has called you to do because he will give you a name that will confirm it. Stop missing the old friends and the old life style and walk in God’s element of surprise.

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You are Seen

“Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the LORD, who had spoken to her. She said, ‘You are the God who sees me.’ ” (Genesis 16:13) Hagar was unexpected. She was an Egyptian maid who turned into a baby mama, given to a man so that his wife could bear a son before her time of blessing had come. and she was a track star. My girl was a track star too. She got out of the house of Abram so fast when she became mistreated. Hagar never asked to be placed in the position to become a wife while still being called a maid. Her yes impacted her greatly and a ‘beef’ was the result. Hagar knew the house rules, “We serve the big G and not the little g’s over here.” She saw Abram praying and observed him meeting with God, but then it happened. Sari commissioned her, and she was given to a man. Hager was never really asked, she was never really considered a wife and was more lik...

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Someone asked the question Why do we sing? When we lift our hands to Jesus What do we really mean ~Kirk Franklin “Why we sing?” It’s very very easy to get lost in the realm of religion or to get caught up in the hype of “church”. God has blessed so many of his people with gifts and talents that range from writing and composing, to worshiping, preaching and dancing. At my church, it seems like every one has some sort of gift and I must admit that I feel lost in the shuffle, but that brings me to point of asking myself questions such as ,“who am I going to church for?” and “whose attention am I aiming for?” Everyone wants to be noticed. We want to be praised and we want to be the favorite child, but at what cost? What are we paying to be number one in the congregation’s eyes? and do we even care if God is pleased with us right where we are? I’m the queen of being offended and I often compare myself, my progression in Christ, and my life to others. This should not be so and...

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Refreshment for the Journey

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Waiting for the Promise vs. Moving in Impatience

“Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child? ” And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!” Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him” ( Genesis 17: 17-19 NKJV). Isaac was desired, but Ismael was birthed out of impatience. If God told you that you were going to birth something beautiful, no matter what your season may look like, bank on the Lord’s promises. Your Ishmael does not have to be a man, your Ishmael can be an opportunity. Don’t walk into just any ole thing because you got tired of waiting on God. If God promised you something in 2016 and you didn’t see it in 2017, that does not mean that He forgot about what He promised you. Isaac had a set season and ...

The Process of Faithing It: Trusting Jesus with Your Faith

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Abounding in Grace: The Unmerited Favor of the Lord

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) There I was, a senior in college looking forward to finally graduating until I got the dreaded email that I was lacking 3 semester hours. In that moment, I was upset with myself and wondered how, after working so hard, I managed to still be unsuccessful. Even though I was one class away from earning a degree, I was standing at the tail end of a 6- year journey that should have only taken 4 years. I had to re-face the fact that I had failed many previous classes and I had also almost gotten myself placed on academic suspension due to bad grades, but by the grace of God, the computer somehow skipped my name, and I never received a notification that I would not be able to resume classes. God showed so much grace to me, but not being able to graduate made me angry with Him. I felt like a failure, and I thought that He w...

JaNina B.

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