Monthly Archives: July 2013

When What is Meant to Bring Patience, Only Brings Aggravation!

Hello!  At times in life we experience an overwhelming season of frustration and aggravation that causes us to lose out on the positive fruit bearing process that the Lord means for us to experience.  What am I talking about?  I am talking about going through!  James 1:2-3 says it like this:

2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; (different kinds of temptations and trials)   3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

The Lord means for the troubles and trials to work patience but most of the time in my own life, I can testify that these trials only works AGGRAVATION!  The truth is, God oftentimes allow some of our troubles so that these can work something into our character.  You remember the verses of scripture in Galatians chapter 5 where it talks about the fruit of the spirit.  When we go through, our character should always be affected.  We can either respond by bearing good fruit or we can bear spoiled fruit and be bitter, complain, and be doubtful.  This is, in reality, a process and we must always be mindful of how we respond to trouble, battles, assaults, and attacks from our enemy.  If you have failed in this area, don’t sweat it.  Just dust yourself off and continue to look to the Lord and His word.  Repent and keep it moving.  You are not the only one.  I have failed time and time again in this area and am well qualified to speak on the subject.  Sometimes we are going through a pruning process where the gardener (Father God) is pruning the dead leaves from us so that we can bear greater and more beautiful fruit.  What season are you in?  If you are in the dead of winter, hold on spring is coming.  No season stays the same.

Father, I pray that the painful trials in my life will cause me to be refined in my character so that I can look more and more like Jesus.  I want to bear the nature of Christ, which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit….love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance!  Never let the trials of life keep you from His feet!

NOT About us but is about JESUS!

Good morning!  I am reading from the devotional, “The First fruits of My Morning” and wanted to share the contents with you. Especially if you lead worship in your church in any capacity (choir director, choir member, musician, soloist, song writer, poet, praise dancer, etc), or anyone who publicly worships, this morning’s devotion is a must read!  *Please consider signing up for our free worship newsletter as well.  All subscribers are updated with other news such as online bible studies, book signings, praise dance events, gospel stage plays and much more!  Oh, and if you sign up, you also get the 30 day devotional free! Thank you and God bless!

MORNING #3- “ITS NOT ABOUT US, IT’S ABOUT JESUS!”

 

LEVITICUS 10:1-3-1AND NADAB and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, and put incense on it, and offered strange and unholy fire before the Lord, as He had not commanded them.

2And there came forth fire from before the Lord and killed them, and they died before the Lord.

3Then Moses said to Aaron, This is what the Lord meant when He said, I [and My will, not their own] will be acknowledged as hallowed by those who come near Me, and before all the people I will be honored. And Aaron said nothing.  (amplified version)

 

Wow!  Look at the passage of scripture above.  Read it and weep!  This is actually the scripture that God specifically pointed out to me when I began my public praise and worship dance ministry.  I was preparing a public program entitled, “Dancing into the Holy of Holies”.  I was meditating and God pointed out to me the danger of “offering unholy fire before the Lord!”  You see, we as praise and worship dancers, choir members, musicians, play actors, etc., we are always at the forefront and we are seen and heard sometimes even more than the preacher!  I am a preacher and sometimes I find myself preparing and concentrating more on the dance ministry than preparing myself to always be ready to preach the Word!  God had to remind me that yes, we are seen, but He must continually be seen in and through us!  What I am saying worshippers, is that it is very easy to get caught up in the glamour of things when people are always “pumping” us up!  Anytime we are moving in the flesh, caught up in competition and entertainment, then we are offering strange fire that is not authorized by God and it means nothing.  It is also very dangerous!  In our scripture reference, the two priests who made this terrible mistake died immediately.  God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever!  If He did not like it back then, He still does not.  Let us guard our hearts against the spirit of competitiveness and entertainment.  Let us stay pure in our worship by focusing on God.  It is truly not about us, but always about Jesus!  Now if you keep reading in this verse of scripture you will see that Aaron was not even allowed to mourn for these men.  Brothers and Sisters, let us always be reminded that we are to do what we do by the Spirit of God and to get ourselves out of the way and do it the way God authorizes us, and that is through the revelation of the Blood of Jesus who allows us to offer a sacrifice of praise through that new and living way.