I'm Back....

Hello Everyone!

I missed you all very much while I was away. I received all of your warm wishes and prayers. All is well with me. I had some computer issues, my cell phone (which I sometimes use to go online) died and then I went back to school to finish my degree in Business. I have 1 more semester to go after this one. Please, keep me in prayer! I am now a full-time mother, wife, employee and student. How do I do it you ask? By the Grace of God, that's how. I will try to post 2-3 times a week because no matter how busy I get with life, God is still good and I still need to testify to His goodness, grace and mercy. If you don't hear from me as often as you are used to know that I am still praying for you.

May God continue to bless you richly!
Shanita

If No One Sees Me, Am I Still Wrong?

Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. Moses then said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke of when he said: " 'Among those who approach me I will show myself holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.' " Aaron remained silent. (Leviticus 10:1-3 NIV)

Why Oh Why do we insist on learning things the hard way? How many times does God have to tell us not to touch something for us to learn not to touch it? Do we need to get burned? How many times will we test the grace of God before He allows us to suffer the consequences of our own disobedience?

Why are we not always as careful as we should be with the anointing that God has endowed us with? Why do we think we can step in and out of the assignments God has for our lives and complete them in our own way in our own time? Furthermore, when God begins to correct our disobedience why do we question our punishment? Why do we tend to blame every unpleasant thing that happens to us on the enemy and often neglect to consider some hardships to be discipline that the Lord promised to those He considers as His children? Selah.

In the previous chapter (Leviticus 9) the priests had just been annointed for office and begun their work in the Lord's ministry, yet here we see in Leviticus 10 that one fatal mistake caused them to be consumed by the anger of the Lord. Both their lives and ministry were over in an instant. Why? They were appointed by God to the Levitical Priesthood, why would they die for performing the duties of the priesthood? It wasn't "what" they were doing but it was "how" they were doing it. God is a God of order. The proper procedure was for the priests to use the fire from the altar. Also, the ceremony was to be performed by one priest at a time. Nadab and Abihu waited until the rest of the congregation were in worship to perform their unauthorized ceremony. God sees all and He knows all. Our prayer partners and fellow labourers in the Lord may not know when we are out of the will of God operating as if "everything is everything" but God knows. I wonder if the brothers purposely waited until Moses, Aaron and the rest of the congregation weren't around to break the rules. I wonder they didn't think it counted if they weren't walking worthy of their priestly calling if there wasn't anyone around to witness the offence.

The bible tells us that a novice or an inexperienced person shouldn't be placed in office lest they fall into temptation and condemnation (1 Timothy 3:6) Pride is a "dangerous sin". All sins are dangerous but pride is one of those sins that can be hidden and masked for quite some time before it is evident to others. However, we know that pride comes before destruction (Proverbs 16:18). Pride has a way of contaminating your mind to lead you to beleive that you are greater than you are. The flesh begins to increase as the Spirit of God decreases because the Spirit of God cannot dwell in an unclean temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). This is contrary to what has to happen so that God can be glorified in our ministry (see John 3:30). Nadab and Abihu would have been the 3rd and 4Th in line with Moses and Aaron being the most influential men amongst the congregation. Perhaps they allowed their new found title/position/assignment/auxiliary go to their heads. Perhaps they forgot that it is God that appointed them to their office to serve him. We must be ever so careful not to allow our success and accolades of men to drive our ministry but rather (as Jesus said) our meat should be to do the will of He that sent us.

After Moses explained to Aaron that his sons were already forewarned of the consequences of mishandling their anointing, he remained silent. Many times we see our loved ones suffering because of choices they intentionally made to go against the will of God. As humans, we are proned to error. Sometimes we err on the side of being angry at the system/mates/circumstances/ourselves and even God for allowing our loved ones (and even ourselves) to suffer. We can't always understand how a loving, long-suffering, compassionate forgiving good God would allow bad things to happen to what we consider to be "good people" but He does. Some trials are only to make us stronger but there are others that are a direct result of us disobeying God.

Therefore, let us pray:

Dear Lord in the name of Jesus, We come to you in a repentant spirit. We ask that you forgive us for all the sins we committed both by commission and omission. We thank you for your grace and your mercy. We realize that we too deserve the same fate that the sons of Aaron received every time we take for granted the assignments you have given us. I pray that we will all examine ourselves, our actions and our motives more carefully. Let us do all that we do in word and in deed to your glory. We want to be vessels ready to be used by you. Purify us, sanctify us wholly to be used by you . We thank you for choosing us. We thank you for allowing us to be part of your Royal Priesthood and most of all for coming down to earth as the perfect High Priest and sacrificing yourself for us.

We thank you for your word and how applicable it still is today even though you wrote it so long ago. Now I ask that you bless every person that visits this blog, those that visit their blogs and those that visit their blogs. Fill them with your spirit, Lord. Comfort the wounded, heal the sick, deliver the bound and most of all Lord - save the unsaved. I pray this pray with the expectation that you are able to perform above and beyond all I asked if it be your will with much thanksgiving in Jesus' name. Amen.

I WILL NOT Fear

Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. (Psalm 27:3-4)

Have you ever heard that old expression: "Give them an inch and they'll take a mile"? Today, I gave the enemy an inch and if it were not for the Grace of God, he would have taken a mile and my joy right along with it. I received some disturbing news about a situation that was out of my control. I had already prayed and felt confident that God would move on my behalf but I allowed the messenger's voice to ring so loudly through my mind that I could only faintly hear the voice of the Lord. The messenger said that things were bad and only going to get worse but God told me to fear not neither be dismayed because it is He that goes before me and will not fail me (Deuteronomy 31:8). Once I realized that I was beginning to fear, instantly the enemy was right there waiting to kick me while I was down. You see the enemy's sole purpose to to steal, kill and destroy. It is not uncommon for him to pretend to be your friend, trustworthy and have your best interest at heart and then turn on you in the blink of an eye.

Aren't you the one that's always preaching about the spirit of power, love and a sound mind that God gave you? Right now, all I hear is fear. Where's your faith?

The taunting and teasing echoed in my mind. Here I am, the one that's always praying, ministering and witnessing telling every one else that fear is the opposite of faith and there I was beginning to worry about tomorrow. But why? Jesus told me not to worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34). I politely ended the conversation and resolved within myself that I wasn't going to listen to the naysayers and doubters because I believe what Jesus said. I also believe that doubtful, negative spirits can be contagious. If you sit in the presence of negativity long enough - sooner or later you will become negative. If you spend more time listening to doom and gloom than you the promises of God - sooner or later you will loose your hope. More importantly if you allow fear to replace your faith, you will have no joy, no strength and no power. Ask me how I know.

I had to get away from everyone else and into the presence of the Lord. I repented for my disbelief and sought encouragement in His word. My first stop was Psalm 27. There is something about the first two verses of this psalm that always fills me with peace and tranquility when the storms around me are raging. There is the blessed assurance in this verse that no matter what the report is there is nothing to fear. It doesn't matter what the doctor says, the judge says, the employer says or the stock market says. I'm not going to fear anything of those thing. In fact, I'm going to pray that God will have mercy on those that come against me. The Word says that they'll stumble and fall. I pray that the Lord will left them up and save them. Therefore I WILL NOT FEAR. My mind is made up.

Let us pray:
Dear Lord, we come to you in the name of Jesus to say thank you. Thank you for your protection, your provisions, your promises and your power. Help us to keep our minds and hearts focused on you as the storms of life rage all around us. Help us not to be moved by what we see or feel. Don't allow us to sink in fear, doubt and disparity. Help us to acknowledge you and trust in you in all of our ways for you promised to direct our paths. Lastly Lord, we pray for those that curse and come against your servants and the will you have for our lives. We ask that you would bless them, save them and deliver them. We give you glory, honor, thanks and praise in Jesus' name. Amen.

Shhh! Don't Tell Nobody!

40A man with leprosy[f] came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." 41Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" 42Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured. 43Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44"See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them." 45Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. (Luke 1:40-45 NIV)

I had to read this passage of text a few times before I could understand #1 why the leprous man blatantly disobeyed the Lord who had just healed him, #2 why Jesus told him to make no mention of the fact that it was He who healed the man and #3 why Jesus was unable to enter the town openly because of the miracle He had performed. Why wouldn’t Jesus want our Father in Heaven to be glorified in His good deeds? I thought to myself that if the townspeople knew that this man whom had been a leper all his life met Jesus one day and became whole that others would surely chose believe on Him too. Doesn’t that sound like the making of an awesome testimony? How many others would have flocked to the Lord seeking Him to perform miracles and meet their needs?

The leprous man went out and spoke openly about that which Jesus told Him to keep in secret no sooner than he was healed. If you’ll notice, Jesus told the man to go to the priest and offer sacrifices that were commanded for his cleansing as a testimony to them. Jesus clearly stated that He did not come to destroy the law or the prophets but to fulfill (Matthew 5:17). I believe that Jesus wanted the man to follow the same protocol that would have always been in order had he been healed of his disease by God and not Jesus (God in the flesh). Jesus did not want the people to think that He was a fad or deviating from what the Lord had already commanded through the prophet, Moses. Thus, the man should have gone to the priest, made the proper sacrifice then this would have been more of a testimony to the people than his running through the streets speaking openly when he was commanded not to tell anyone. The man was out of order. Jesus wouldn’t want anyone bragging about how blessed they were for being out of order. The man should have gone to the priest and made the sacrifice that was required for his healing but he was bragging about how God had blessed Him. It makes me wonder about Christians bragging about financial blessings when they don’t pay tithes. (Ouch!) I have to assume that the leprous man didn’t want God the blesser but rather the blessings that flowed from Him. So he had no regard for the Lord’s word. He had already been healed so He forgot about their quiet time together. This reminds me of the times that I prayed earnestly for God to move and spent less than half the time thanking Him as I did petitioning Him.

Before Jesus came across the leprous man, He had prayed and sought the Father for instruction (verses 35-38) as He always did before He made a move in ministry. Jesus was on His way to preach in the nearby villages. I believe that Jesus wanted the people to hear the Word and believe. I believe that Jesus wanted the people to learn to walk by faith and not by sight. Jesus knew that He would not always physically be there with them so He wanted them to learn to trust Him and to believe that He would always be there for them.

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)

Once Jesus healed the man, He was no longer viewed as a preacher or God in the flesh but a healer. Jesus described himself as meek and lowly at heart (Matthew 11:29). Based on what Jesus tells us about his character, I don’t believe that Jesus would have wanted to enter the town as a celebrity. I don’t believe that Jesus would have wanted people to believe in Him for the miracles he could perform but rather for who He was, Who He represented and the salvation He offered. There were others that performed magic and practiced primitive medicine in those days. If the people were to believe in Jesus only because they saw signs and wonders it is possible they would believe in everyone that performed signs and wonders. Jesus came not to draw attention to himself but rather to the Father. Jesus told the disciples that they would do even greater works in His name than He did. I believe that Jesus wanted the people to understand that the results were simply a manifestation of the power that all would have who believed in Him.


**My dear sister and fellow blogger, Spring brought this particular story to my attention and asked me why I thought Jesus commanded the man not to tell anyone that He healed him and asked me to blog about this. I would like to say that I am a huge fan of Spring’s Love Letters To The King and am honored that she wanted to know what I thought the answer to her question was. I am also flattered that she requested that I blog about something. I meditated on this scripture all throughout the day and have shared with all of you what the Lord revealed to me through this passage of text. I would also like to hear why you guys think Jesus told him not to tell anyone. There are no wrong or right answers. For the word of God says let God be true and every man a liar.**

New Year - New Thought Patterns

Happy New Year's Everyone! I am so excited about 2009 and all that God will do this year. I don't really believe in resolutions because I have never kept them. That's the thing, I can't keep them - not alone anyway. I need the power of God to help me. I can't do anything in my own strength.

As 2008 closed, my husband and I decided that we would join a new church by the start of the new year. We had been visiting a few churches and they were really great but we wanted to be sure that we were where God wanted us to be. Our old church was nearly 20 miles from home. The distance and time was really beginning to be overwhelming so we obeyed the voice of the Lord and moved on to our next assignment. It wasn't easy because we had grown to love the members and the ministry over the years we spent there.

Throughout the process of looking for a new church, I went through many highs and lows. Either it was too far, too traditional, my husband liked the place and I didn't or vice versa. There was always something. There were several times I found myself feeling discouraged and ready to give up. I reasoned that I could just continue to visit churches forever and it wouldn't matter as long as I went. What did I need to be a member of a church for as long as I was a member of the Body of Christ? As long as I tithed, it didn't matter if it was going to the same congregation as long as it was going to the Kingdom of God, right? I didn't really feel that way. I needed to make excuses to make myself feel better.

You see, I understood that it was time for me to leave my old church. There were parts of me that couldn't wait to leave but then there were other parts of me that wanted to stay because I was comfortable. I knew what to expect. I didn't have to meet new people and learn new ways of doing things. Things were the way they were and there was nothing I could do about it.

Then on the other hand I felt out of place, out of touch, out of fellowship even though I was in somebodies church every Sunday. I began to feel like we would never find "the right place". Well, this Sunday when the church we had been visiting for a few months opened the doors of the church, my husband led the way up to the alter. We decided to unite with International City Community Church. I am sure that this will be a new and exciting experience for us both.

I decided to share my testimony about finally finding a new church because there are a lot of us that are trying to decide which move to make, which way to go and want to start the new year off in the direction we hope to be headed in for the rest of the year. Sometimes we feel like God has promised us that there is more out there for us and that it's time to make a change but WE decide to stay where we are out of complacency and fear. My prayer is that we will all seek the face of the Lord for direction and allow Him to lead us by His Spirit.

We spent months searching for a new church home and then ended up going to the first church that we ever visited together which is less than 10 minutes from home. I couldn't help but feel a little like the Children of Israel. How could a trip that should have talked us 10 minutes take us 10 months? That's something for me to pray about.

How did you end up at your church? How did you know that was "the place"?

The Lord Has Need Of You...

1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away." 4This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5"Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.' "[a] 6The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.(Matthew 21:1-3 NIV)

Before I begin to share with you why I chose to write about this particular passage of scripture today, I would like to share with you a little bit of background information about me and what’s been going on in my life lately. (I hope you all don't mind). The past few days, I've been spending a lot of time talking to the Lord about my goals and dreams. I reflected on 2008 and what a grand year it was. I thought of all the things I set out to do that year and all of the things I completed. I also took some time to reflect on things I should have and could have done but I didn’t.

It is my hearts desire to live a life pleasing to the Lord and to complete the assignments that He has given me. I don’t want to "miss the mark". I’m running trying to make 100 because 99 just won’t do. I began to think back on what I thought God wanted me to. I saw the vision that He had given me clearly but I couldn’t see how those things which He showed me would come to pass. I began to wonder if I was just dreaming or if God has changed His plans for me. I began to wonder if I had done (or not done) something that caused me to miss my God given destiny.

As I stared at my own reflection in the mirror talking to Jesus with tear stained eyes, I heard Him say “The Lord has need of you”. I didn’t understand exactly what He needed me to do. God made the heavens and earth. What could He possibly need with me? I’m not perfect. In fact, I'm far from it. I don’t always do what I should do and sometimes I do things I shouldn’t. Why would He need me? Then the Lord had me to recall this story of Jesus needing a donkey. God showed me that if Jesus could use a donkey, one of the lowliest animals –He could use me as well. If a donkey had an assignment from God, surely I did too. You have an assignment as well.

My revelation didn’t stop there. This morning, a good friend e-mailed me to wish me a happy new year and she told me “God has need of you. You can’t sit”. My friend is always an encourager but today she was also a confirmer. I believe that God allowed her to catch a glimpse of the vision He had given to me to be sure that I understood clearly what He was trying to communicate with me. I hadn't shared my thoughts and the matters I had before the Lord with anyone. So I knew, this came straight from the Lord.

When Jesus sent the disciples to fetch the donkey, He already knew that people would question them and their motives with the donkey. He knew that there would be choices – the big donkey or the small donkey. So He made it plain. Jesus told the disciples (in so many words) to stay focused, take the adult donkey and don’t let anyone stop you because I need this donkey so that some things could be fulfilled. We have to learn to put on the same mindset that Jesus gave the earlier disciples. We know exactly what it is that we must do. We must follow the instruction of the Lord. What is the instruction? Be ye Holy for I am holy. Where are the instructions? Written in His Word - the Bible. Why? Because there are some things that the Lord has to fulfill.

He needs you. He needs me. No matter how big or small our jobs are – we have work to do. Sometimes God will lay something on our hearts and minds to do where we see no way of doing what we have been assigned to do. But it isn’t our jobs to try to figure it out. In fact, while we’re trying to figure it out Jesus has already worked it out. When God used the prophet to prophesy about the King riding in on a donkey, He didn’t know where the donkey would come from or how events would line up so that Jesus could be in the right place at the right time but it all worked out. We don’t know how we will end up in the right place at the right time but as long as we trust in the Lord and don’t lean to our own understanding He will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6) and we will end up in the right place at the right time. Destiny will be fulfilled.

Lord, you are a great God. Help us to see the greatness you have placed within us. Help us not to look to the left or to the right but to look up toward the hills from whence comes our help. Help us to trust in you blindly walking by faith and not by sight. We thank you for your word becuase it is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. We thank you for direction and protection as we walk out this assingment you have given us. In all that we do in word and in deed, let bring glory to you. We thank you and praise you in Jesus' name. Amen.