 As a little girl, somehow I knew there was something greater than I! I remember finding a corner in our apartment, and I would go and pray to Santa. At that time, I thought Santa was real. I believed he could fix the things I was going through. I remember one time asking him to allow me to see my dad. I didn't want toys. I wanted things in my life to be better. As I got older, I came to realize that Christ is the one who answers prayers. God used some awesome women of God to lead me to life in Him. Today, I felt led to remind you that Christ is the only road to life! No matter how the world changes, we must stand on this truth. There were many days I did not realize I was walking in darkness. Then one day, God led me to life, and I have not turned back. Here's my prayer for today: "Dear LORD, I am so grateful that I am not who I was. Thank You for meeting me on the road of life and calling me to Yourself. I love You, Jesus. I long to love You even more. Father God You brought me out of a dark past. You have protected my life from an infant and I thank you! Fill me with YOUR power and anoint me afresh. Help me never to turn back to the world. Help me to go deeper in YOU. No more deception, all truth which is only found in YOU. In Jesus name, Amen!" I pray that this post blessed you today. Also, below is a song by David Crowder to uplift you! Only seek His truth! Be blessed! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0oUqrqYv30 #Hope-in-Christ Copyright © 2016 by Denise Walker/Project H.O.P.E. Ministries, Inc.
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 But God…! There are two very simple words that are life changing. They sum up the glory of salvation in an extremely concise, yet powerful way. To understand why the words “But God” are so significant, we must first understand how hopeless our condition was without God. Look at how Paul expresses our lives before God in Ephesians: 21-6 “It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah” [The Message Bible]. What an awful, hopeless picture. We weren’t just sort of dead in our trespasses and sins. We weren’t mostly dead with some hope of bringing ourselves back to life. We were completely and totally dead with no hope of ever having spiritual life. Because we were born with a wicked, sinful nature, the wrath of God was upon us from the moment we were born; “Job 14:1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble” [King James Version]. To say that we were in bad shape spiritually speaking is an understatement. We were in hopeless shape. There was absolutely NO way we could be saved by our own strength. Someone had to intervene on our behalf. We were in desperate need of God. We needed those amazing words, “But God.” The Good News is that what is impossible for man, is not impossible for God. When God shows up, you never know what might happen. And something wonderful indeed did happen. Christ died for us when we were still sinners. As it says in Romans 5:7” For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Maybe a person might be willing to die for a righteous man. But God isn’t like us. God demonstrated His own love for all of us by sending Christ Jesus to die for our sins on the cross. As it says in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” [KJV]. We were dead in our sins, but God gave us new life in Him. We were hopeless until the Lord rescued us. We were willing slaves of Satan, but God set us free. As it is written in John 8:36, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” [KJV]. But God. The words, “But God,” truly do change everything. Once we were enemies of God. Now we are seated at his table as his children. Once we were slaves to sin. Now we have been set free from sin and can pursue righteousness and holiness. Once we were members of the kingdom of darkness. Now we are Kingdom citizens of heaven and joint heirs with Jesus. To be saved by God is truly a marvelous thing, isn’t it? If God had not saved us, we would be destined to hell. If God had not rescued us, we would have no hope. Now that we have this new life, new hope, and freedom, what should we do? Let’s look to Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” [New International Version]. The message of Micah is still pertinent today. Religious rituals, no matter how extravagant, can never make up for a lack of love. Outward appearances to following God’s instructions are not as important in God’s eyes as a humble heart that simply does what is right. God’s people today must continue to desire justice, mercy, and humility before the Lord. Minister Pamela Nance Johnson   As I was reading 2 Kings chapter 6, one thing stood out to me. Elisha was a man of great faith! In verse 11, the Syrian king sent horses and chariots and a great army to Dothan to attack prophet Elisha and prophet Elisha responded as a man walking by faith in relationship with the Father. The verses that follow reveal his trust.
Scripture: 2 Kings 6:15-18 NKJV And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” So he (Elisha) answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, and said, “Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. After reading these verses, I wondered, "Am I believing God for everything in my life as Elisha? These words show that Elisha had a close relationship with God, and He walked with Him. He had faith and believed that God was who He said He was even in the presence of danger. He also prayed for his servant to see as he saw. Elisha was a great example of contagious faith. As Elisha, how can we trust God more? How can we depend upon the Creator with everything that concerns us? 1. Give Him our whole heart. We don't realize what has our hearts until He begins to show us. He commands our worship. In Matthew 22:37, Jesus said, Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." 2. Read and trust that His word is the only truth. Romans 10:17 reminds us of this, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." 3. Begin to go to God in prayer with every aspect of our lives. 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 reminds us of this very thing, "pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." Be Blessed! #hope-in-Christ Copyright © 2016 by Denise Walker/Project H.O.P.E. Ministries, Inc. Bible Verses from New King James Version were found on Bible Gateway.  Matthew 6:33 - "But seek (strive to find) first (before all) the kingdom (royal power, kingship, dominion) of God, and his righteousness (integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking, feeling, and acting); and all these things (concerns, everyday needs, desires) shall be added unto you."
According to the Strong's Concordance, to seek is to aim at, strive after, or crave. There are many things in our world today of which we seek. We might seek, aim or crave a spouse, a certain income, or even becoming a parent. "What are you seeking?" Have you ever asked yourself that question? Those things we seek can be dangerous for our spiritual health. Sometimes, we can also seek or strive after the approval or acceptance of others. So, when an individual doesn't approve or accept us, what happens to our self esteem? Absolutely, because it was connected to the response of that individual, we struggle with believing in and loving ourselves. There were times I would often ask myself, "Am I good enough? Am I smart enough? Why am I here? What is my purpose?" Then, one day, I was drawn to Christ! I began to seek him for truth. He began to show me myself through his eyes. He fulfilled that longing for others' acceptance and showed me why I must strive for Him and His path for my life. He has the answers, and we no longer have to seek fulfillment in others, which is temporal. We must seek the living God above all else. We are called to His purpose, to live a pure set apart life for His glory. Be Blessed, Hope-in-Christ Copyright © 2016 by Denise Walker/Project H.O.P.E. Ministries, Inc. Bible Verses from King James Version were found on Bible Gateway.  My mother always says we grew up together. She married young, as a college student, and I was born the day before her 20th birthday. She would spread out a blanket with her books and her baby. She tells me I developed my voracious appetite for words by picking up her books, as she studied. I would ask her what the words said and became an independent reader by the age of three. Otherwise, I grew up a typical child of the seventies. We really only had three rules: don’t go past the corner, get home before the streetlight goes out, and be in bed by 8:30 p.m. on a school night.  About the Author
National Bestselling Author and Poet Michelle Lynn Stephens hails from Durham, North Carolina and is an inspirational writer who encourages others to make comebacks out of setbacks as they press to overcome life’s obstacles through faith and perseverance. In her writing, she sets out to examine the social ills of the world, as seen through the many perspectives she has been exposed to. When she’s not writing, she enjoys singing, performing spoken word poetry, and dancing with her toddler. Visit her website at www.michellelynnstephens.com.  It is so easy to get caught up in the things that the world loves. Such as your car, your home or your status. Sometimes as believers, we can get caught up in what we do for God or what we need Him to do for us, that we forget Him. I know you may be thinking if I am serving Him at my local church, paying my tithes and there every time the doors open, how can I forget Him? Truth be told, we are so caught up in religion, we forget the relationship. So when tough times hit, we are unprepared and caught off guard. We are drowning in doubt and walk around as if we have no hope. I want to remind you that your hope should be in God. Having your hope in God is provided by a sure solid foundation. A foundation that is constantly being built upon as you grow in Christ. I want to share with you how you can always remember your first love which is God. 1) Establish Relationship with Him. Just like you get to know people in the natural, it is the same thing with our Heavenly Father. We must recognize that we need a true relationship with God to live a successful life. Spend time with Him every day. Make it your mission to hear from Him and let Him hear from you. Start with 10 mins a day. Read a scripture, pray and spend a few minutes just worshipping God. 2) Include Him in your everyday life. Most times when it comes to including God in our life, we only include Him when we need a miracle. In order to get the most out of your life, include the Creator, your God in every aspect of your life. Include Him in your route to work, your relationships, the decisions you need to make and how to raise your children. God loves when we remember Him in all things, it shows Him that you value Him in your life. 3) Stay Humble. Never get to a place that you believe you have arrived. Always give glory and honor to God. He is the reason why you are where you are. Never allow your ego, your possessions and people around you to cause you to forget God. 4) Accept His Word. Recently, the word “acceptance” was ringing in my spirit. So I began to look up the definition and one definition said “action of consenting to receive”. Now I love this definition because sometimes we read God’s word, but we don’t fully accept it. We quote the word, but we don’t necessarily believe it can happen for us. When we learn to accept the word of God, we activate our faith, which pleases God. A lot of your desired answers to prayers are not happening because you haven’t accepted His word. You don’t believe Him. You don’t believe what His word says about you. When you want to remember the Lord, you have to trust Him. Remembering your first love means allowing Him to be your Lord. The word says in Psalms 23:1, “The Lord is our shepherd, we shall not want”. This is an indication that when we allow God to lead us and guide us, He provides for all that we need. So, don’t get caught up in chasing things that you forget Him. Remember your first love because in Him you have everything.  Shanita Rowsey is an author, speaker, and coach. Shanita is the CEO of Shanita Rowsey Enterprises. She seeks to help women embrace wholeness.
Grab a copy of Shanita's books below: 30 Days of Power Devotionals: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1731160089/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3 The Power of You: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1947054589/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2  It was an ordinary summer day. I had been walking in this neighborhood since we sold our house and moved into a townhouse not too far from our old community. It took me some time to get adjusted to this new neighborhood. I missed my old neighbors. After all, my husband and I had raised two children in that old house. We saw the neighborhood grow and change over the years. Leaving it was bittersweet for me. |
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