"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; As my earthly father's earth day approaches, the 23rd of April, I have been reflecting on the days we shared looking forward to celebrating our earth days together; me, my sister, and my Dad's days of birth were all in the same week. My sister Shantell's birthday would be first in line and we would exchange phone calls and gifts until we reached my day. It was such a joyous time as my father look forward to proclaiming to the world that his girl’s birthdays were before and after his. As I reflected on these memories, the longing to hear his voice on the other end of the phone engulfed my heart. I am and will forever be a Daddy's Girl. I knew without a doubt that my earthly Father loved me, and he enjoyed blessing me with his love in many ways. It was either through providing, protecting, counseling, or instructing. He loved me at my best and at my worst. I can honestly say that I was not always great at showing my love to him. Sometimes, the stuff of life affected my judgment, but I know that when he transitioned he knew that my heart loved him deeply. And when he passed on my heart longed for that love that he showed me. It still does. But, I am so glad that I realized after my earthly father graduated to glory that I have that love and even greater love in God the Father. As I have moved from the place of heartbreak and grief into a place healing and understanding I see that my earthly father's love prepared me for my Heavenly Father's love. You see just as my earthly father’s love never gave up on me my Heavenly Father’s love never gave up on me and continues to not give up on me. My Heavenly Father’s love never failed, and it will never fail. But I had to learn to accept, develop and nurture the relationship that my Heavenly Father's heart yearns to have with me. Do you know that God the Father yearns for you? Not only does He yearns for you, He yearns to be gracious to you! He is constantly finding ways to shower you with compassionate love—a love like that does not exist anywhere but in the character of God. You may have lost your greatest love as I did, or you may be struggling with a wayward child who makes loving seem impossible. Or maybe you are in a loveless relationship or you may never have had much love shown to you. Today, rest in Isaiah 30:18 and know that your Father in heaven longs to be gracious to you… and He yearns to love you right now in the right way. I ask you to allow him to, it will be the best decision that you have ever made. If this thought has been profitable to you, please share with your friends and family. Like or click the social share button or leave a comment in the box below for Pastor Yolanda.
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There is a famous quote that says, "Familiarity breeds contempt." This implies that when we have a long experience of someone we tend to devalue who they are in our life. Jesus experienced this when He returned to His hometown operating in His Divine destiny. To quote from the Bible, ‘Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honour in his own country’ (John 4:44). "Christ also said ‘no prophet is accepted in his home town’ (Luke 4:16-30) "Only in his home town and in his own house is a prophet without honour’ (Matt. 13:54-57) ‘Jesus left there and went to his home town…When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked…Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James…Jesus said to them, “Only in his home town, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honour.”…he was amazed at their lack of faith’ (Mark 6:1-6). The one place we might expect Jesus to receive a warm welcome is in Nazareth, the town in which He was raised. The people of Nazareth are amazed at the wisdom and power of the carpenter’s son. However, due to their familiarity with Jesus and His upbringing, knowing His family well, and apparently no one in His clan is all that remarkable or had formal education, they assumed Jesus should not be able to teach with the authority that He conveys. Yet Mary’s son is unafraid to instruct with boldness, but the Word makes it clear that their questions arise from contempt and offense. Scriptures states: ‘When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.’ (Mark 3:21); ‘For even his own brothers did not believe in him.’ (John 7:5) ‘But his own did not receive him.’ (John 1:11) ‘Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.” “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother”’ (Mark 3:31-35). Basically they are saying, "How can He possibly act as if He has the right to do what He is doing?” They fail to discern the source of His authority. For them, familiarity has bred contempt, and they were prejudiced. Why? Because He had lived among them, they had closed ears to His message. There is something about familiarity that changes the way we respond to others. Often there is no love from the hometown. We tend to think differently about people we don’t know well. How do we look at the people around us? Is it possible that God actually can be speaking through them? Could they have insights that would be useful to us? Are we ignoring the people we know, and placing an imbalanced importance on people we don’t know? The potential trap to hopelessly try to have your family, friends, those who know you to appreciate and benefit from your work, has a dangerous capacity to exhaust and destroy you. Yes, it is natural to want your family to appreciate and support your work, however at some point you must realize the futility of trying to ‘reach’ your own family and be prepared to get on with your work without their support. I know this all to well. Some of my most consistent support has come from those who I don't have years of history to look back on or have been a personal relationship with me. Some of those who think they know me have ignored, diminished or dishonored me to the point of being hurtful and disrespectful. But I have had to come to a hard truth is that the very last place you can expect to find support is from those that are familiar with you and in taking this step I drew comfort from the knowledge that all people constitute family and that my work for the Kingdom take precedence over what's familiar. We see this all the time now. When someone who has notoriety launch a new ministry or business endeavor we are quick to get online to find out how we can support their tenth venture. We are happy for them. Congratulating them on social media as though they were close family friends. But when our own friends, co-workers or family launch a new venture or ministry we are less than enthused and our lack of support shows it and we can hear crickets. In your life remember that God can use anyone. Be careful not to ignore someone just because you may know them. And don’t just honor someone because they are unknown but seem to have a higher social status. Ask the Father to help you to be open and sensitive to His Spirit. Help you to know when He is speaking to you thru those you know and don't know. And to give you ears to hear and a heart to be support to those you do and don't know. If this thought has been profitable to you, please share with your friends and family. Like or click the social share button or leave a comment in the box below for Pastor Yolanda. With each year near my bornday, I always sit down and think back over the prior year to celebrate my success and failures. I know that may sound crazy, celebrating your failures. But it's not unusual when you know the One who is ordering your steps. Yes, most people fear failure, but failure if seen through the right lens can lead to success when we learn from it. Failure is one of the keys to success because it teaches us. Inventor Thomas Edison said the following while on his journey to create the long-lasting electric light bulb, “I’ve not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” That's exactly how I feel. As I have journeyed through to destiny many of my greatest lessons, solutions and victories came through failures. After failures I guarded my heart a little better. After failures I prayed a little more. After failures I worked on how to respond to not so lovable people. And when I failed, my Father was faithful to His Word Failure is a part of the human experience. It can be painful and embarrassing, but it can also be the greatest teacher. God’s definition of success does not preclude failure. However, it includes a willingness to refuse to quit. A willingness to learn from one’s mistakes. A willingness to try again. The book of Proverbs says that, " Righteous people may fail time and time again, but they continue to “rise again.” They get up and keep trying. However, when wicked people fail, however, they are led into a downward spiral that causes “calamity.” There is no recovery... no learning. There is no failure, no disappointment, no mistake in our past that can stop us from taking a positive step forward right now. No matter how many times you may have fallen short of the mark before, success is closer than ever. All your past failures were actually laying the foundation for your future successes. Shame over past failures can haunt and inhibit you in many ways. And the enemy seeks to steal and destroy your faith by shoving your failures in our face. God loves us. We must see our flaws. Submit them to Him and then accept His love by accepting ourselves - despite the failures. Whatever it is that you have resolved to achieve or do—don’t quit! Resolve to stay with it. Don't allow your past failures to stop you. Your failure is a setup for His faithfulness. "The steps of good men are directed by the Lord. He delights in each step they take. If they fall, it isn’t fatal, for the Lord holds them with his hand." — Psalm 37:23 (TLB) If this thought has been profitable to you, please share with your friends and family. Like or click the social share button or leave a comment in the box below for Pastor Yolanda. I recently heard a song by entitled Ca$hin' Out by Ca$h Out. Yes, I know its a trap song and I know some think that the good preacher shouldn't be listening to that kind of music according to the unwritten rules of being a preacher. But I don't dance to the tune of the masses. I dance to the beat of my Father, so those unwritten rules do not lead my life, the Spirt of God does. Now back to my thought. I was recently listening this song, and I am big on lyrics and as I listened to this song the lyrics struck me. No, not the curse words and the derogatory terms used for women. What stuck out was the examples Ca$h Out gave on how to live big, how he was determined to live in His dreams and the big vision he had for his life. And one point in the song it was preaching to his soul that he yelled "chuuuuch." I was lead to research the lyrics and as I read the lyrics of the song I realized he was truly laying out his dreams of having an abundant life. This song was recorded in 2012 and what I read in my research about Ca$h Out is that he is now broke. Yes, Cash Out is broke. He apparently was given a "signing bonus" and he owed his record company tons of money for what they gave him, unfortunately he did not have the record sales to sustain his living. We know that you can't live the big life if your records aren't selling and you are living on loan. And this made me think about how many of us are looking to cash out not realizing that the temporal things of this world can easily pass away and leave sorrow behind it. That's why when I heard this song my thoughts elevated and I said to my Father, I don't want to cash out, I want to be FAVORED OUT, because Your FAVOR is better than CA$H. The writer of Proverbs says that he would rather chose "loving favor rather than silver and gold." (22:1) And I agree. There are some things that money cannot buy and favor is one of them. Favor is defined as a means to gaining approval, acceptance, or special benefits or blessings. The favor that human beings receive from God depends on his good pleasure and is often extended in response to prayer or righteous living. Favor and grace are closely related. When God's favor is on your life, great and mighty things will happen to you and for you. Favor will take you where nothing else can take you. Favor can open doors and prevent destruction. Favor can help you do more with less. Favor can make ways out of no way! I have witnessed the power of favor in my own life. Doors that men tried to shut, favor kicked them down. Opportunity the enemy tried to steal, favor made them reappear. Relationships in which the spirit of discord tried to destroy, favor brought reconciliation. Proverbs 16:7 says, "When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." Our Father's favor on your life translates into favor with man as well. Even the unrighteous will say "yes" to you when they would have said "no" to someone else. Our Father will send His Spirit and His angels to cause favor to shine on you, from every direction and in all your ways. That's why in this season of my life, cashing out is not my focus nor does it drive me and I hope it's not your motivation. When you embrace our Father's Word, His principles and His wisdom all those things Ca$h Out is listing out on top of that dope track, will automatically find you with His favor. Proverbs 8:35 says, “For those who find me find life and receive favor from the LORD.” When you seek to have a good name, a good understanding and high esteem in the sight of God and as well as man His mercy, kindness, and truth will surround you. But I want you to understand this that when you are #FAVOREDOUT favor will not only influence you, but everyone and every nation connected to you! If this thought has been profitable to you, please share with your friends and family. Like or click the social share button or leave a comment in the box below for Pastor Yolanda. I have personally seen in recent years that people are becoming more deceptive and manipulative and this is not just in the world, but the church has become a breeding ground for the spirits of deception, manipulation as well as the spirit that I loathe, taking advantage of people. If you watched my recent Vlog, the Fatal Attraction Series, I share how this fatal spirit has shown itself in my life on many occasions. But I am at a place in my life, I am always on guard against the user and manipulator. The Bible warns us to be on the alert. We must be on guard, so that we’re not deceived “with empty words” (Ephesians 5:6) or “with well-crafted arguments” (Colossians 2:4 NLT). And we must realize that we even can deceive ourselves (1 Corinthians 3:18). When we are not this spirit will attach itself, destroy us and harden our hearts. There are some people in this world are selfish, lovers of money, or simply greedy and when they see a person is nice, wealthy, or whatever, and they make a decision to try to milk a person for what they can get out of them as long as they can. They will ask to borrow money, ask you to fix their car or do home repairs, ask you to babysit daily, and so forth and never offer anything in return. The more you do, they more they ask you to do. It is right to have a heart that would continually give to others, and it pleases God to see this wonderful characteristic in our lives, the Bible teaches that when we “give freely we become wealthier; when we are stingy we can lose everything. (Mark 8:34) However, in this area of giving and helping, it also teaches that we must have wise discernment (Matthew 10:16). Our Father gives us certain standards that we must take into account when it comes to giving our time and money to others, so when it tells us we are to help others, the purpose is never for us to do this to the point where it becomes detrimental. So, there must be limits; we must use discernment and be cautious as giving is not always black and white. We must yield to the Spirit, use discernment when making the choice of whether to give, or how much to give. And we must remember that Satan is eager to deceive us. He constantly endeavors to plant ideas in our minds and manipulate our thoughts. As Jesus warned, “Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). When we are walking in obedience to the voice of our Father, the Holy Spirit will move you and let you know when you should give and when you shouldn’t. Giving is a form of worship and it’s how we keep the flow of prosperity so don’t allow the enemy to block your flow. Today, remember that you will face many forms of manipulation. This is why you must base your life on God’s Word and be rooted and grounded in His truth. Don’t allow the past experiences of those who have used your gift of generosity keep you from operating in your gift of giving. Let it make you better as Matthew 5:41-45 says: “And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously. "You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves." I love the Message translation of this passage. It challenges us to use the experience with the user as an opportunity to become better. That’s why we need to discern between an opportunity and a distraction. We must be alert, filled with the Spirit and sensitive to His leading and His warnings. The Holy Spirit has given us a powerful prayer language that we can use as a weapon against the whiles of this enemy and that is prayer. Join me today to pray against the deception and manipulation of the user. Heavenly Father, I come to you asking You to destroy and remove any deception in our minds. Expose the dogs nipping at our heels. I ask You, Lord to confound those pigs that seek to devour our gifts. Destroy the destroyer that is coming against us to discourage us from operating in our gifts. Let the veil be torn to allow us to see through the haze, smoke screens, the schemes, the plans of man and the enemy and know absolutely what Your truth is. We renounce all forms of deception, they will be exposed, driven out, and thrown into the abyss with all its lies, effects, adverse effects, and stings never to return in Jesus Name. If this thought has been profitable to you, please share with your friends and family. Like or click the social share button or leave a comment in the box below for Pastor Yolanda. I was recently listening to Tasha Cobbs-Leonard new song “Gracefully Broken,” and when I heard these lyrics I could do nothing but worship as it resonated deep within me: God will break you to position YOU Break you to promote you And break you to put you in your right place But when He breaks you He doesn't hurt you, He doesn't When He breaks you He doesn't destroy you, He does it with; grace Anybody been gracefully broken? Thank You, Lord, thank You So Father tonight, we're broken before You Thank You for handling us with grace Just lift your worship right there in this moment Why would anyone choose to be broken? Why would you check into a hospital and allow the surgeon to start cutting? Because you know that surgery is one of the ways you can experience healing and to be physically restored. What makes a woman willing to endure long hours of intense labor? She knows that beyond the labor there will be the joy of a new life. So why would anyone choose brokenness? Because brokenness brings blessedness. Brokenness is God’s requirement for maximum usefulness. The Father uses adversity to break our self-will and transform us into useful vessels for His kingdom. Usually when people think about facing hardship, they focus on the suffering and pain involved. But what exactly is brokenness? What is its purpose? And is there any way to avoid it and still be useful to God? Christ came, and He was broken to bring us the blessing of grace, mercy and power. The Apostle Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” kept him from exalting himself, despite his impressive credentials. I was broken into many pieces from the loss of relationships, jobs, personal possessions and my health. And through the brokenness I found my divine purpose, destiny and fulfillment. Brokenness is the Lord’s method of dealing with our self-reliance—that desire within us to act independently from Him. God wants us to bring every area of our lives into submission to His will, and He uses our trials to lead us to a point of total surrender. In brokenness, God desires to break our self-will so that we can be fully devoted servants. This means that brokenness is not chastisement or punishment. For His children, brokenness isn’t a penalty, but an act of mercy intended to bring one into right standing with Him. Brokenness is about the future. The Father deals with our attitude for the purpose of conforming us to His will and making us effective ministers to others (Eph. 2:8-10). And this is achieved through adversity and challenges, our Father targets the areas of self-will in our lives. He wants to break the attitudes that do not honor Him—such as self-righteousness, self-reliance, and self-centeredness, pride, ignorance, fear, worldly entanglements, unhealthy relationships, rebelliousness, and strongholds of the enemy. We are only as useful to God as we are obedient to Him. Whether He allows difficulties to arise in our family, finances, or health, He does so out of love. When we resist brokenness, we hinder our relationship with the Lord. We delay the fulfillment of God’s will in our lives. What does the Father keep targeting in your life? Is it your self-reliance? If so, submit to the process of brokenness, and allow Him to control every area of your life. Let Him determine what remains and what must go. Yes, there is suffering in surrendering to the Lord, which may include physical, emotional, spiritual, and even relational pain. But remember we have the grace to be broken so that the blessings on the other side of brokenness can flow freely! If you have been reeling from betrayals, exhausted by chronic pain, shamed by their foolish choices, disillusioned with ministry, loneliness in yr marriage, enslaved by an addiction, or just flat out weary from the demands and busyness of life, pray this prayer with me. Dear Lord, Though there have been seasons and will be season where throwing in the towel, finding another story, or just flat running away are certainly attractive, but I realize that I have nowhere to go. You alone give the words of life, the sufficient grace, and the hope of glory. May your voice be ten times louder than the complaining around me and the grumblings inside me. So with my palms up as an act of surrender, I offer freely this earthen vessel. Father, in the coming hours and days, weeks and years, prove the wonders of your love in my midst I ask that your redeeming purposes will be most fully realized through my brokenness, and I surrender to you. In Jesus Matchless Name I pray, with expectancy, Amen. If this thought has been profitable to you, please share with your friends and family. Like or click the social share button or leave a comment in the box below for Pastor Yolanda. Several years ago, I read Benny Hinn's book, "Good Morning Holy Spirit." It was one of my Father's book and at the time I didn't desire a close relationship with God but just wanted to read something of substance. But little did I know that I would recall that book in the darkest moments of my life. After the passing of my father and aunt, I referred back to what I read in that book and I realized that I did not have that intimacy with the Lord. I didn't know the Holy Spirit beyond the teachings I'd received. I knew His work and His presence, but I didn't know His character. After the passing of my dad and aunt, over the next year, I would find my FLOW. It first was a nudge and then it developed into a hunger in me. I pursued Him with every ounce of strength I possessed, and this is what He wanted from me. He brought me to the place in my life that I was so broken that I hungered to flow with Him instead of against Him; and being in His flow has brought a transformation that is undeniable. My life now is so much different since I have gotten into His Flow! I have flowed from the obstacles of great trial, distress and stress; financial issues, the deterioration of relationships, the bonds of depression, through sickness and disease, and in the face of death to a peace of mind and an inner fulfillment that surpasses my understanding. The more yielded, empty, broken, and obedient I became, the more the power of the Holy Spirit flowed in my life. He's just waiting for you to FLOW with Him the same way. Our Father gave us His Spirit so that we can experience intimacy and commune with Him now. The Greek word for communion used in Scriptures is referred to as "koininia." Koininia means unity, a close association, fellowship, close bond, or a partnership. I have a koininia relationship with the Holy Spirit. I encourage you to have one as well. When we give to God what He desires of us, He will give us what we desire of Him. I am a living witness to that. I am now living the life I always wanted and desired. I am accomplishing goals and plans that I once thought I would never achieve. I dialogue with Him constantly. I have a bond with the Spirit that is so close I can't even describe it. We share, talk, ask questions of each other, communicate openly and He surely brings correction. I ask Him questions and He give me answers. There is a freedom in our fellowship. He's like my Father, my comforter, my counselor, my protector and my closest friend. He is with me at all times. And I don't have to wait for Him to come upon me or manifest in some way; I just know He's there. Many desire a move of the Spirit. The Spirit of our Father is available to FLOW to you a peace of mind in the face of great trial, distress and stress; financial issues, the deterioration of relationships, the bonds of depression, through sickness and disease, and in the face of death. It desires to reach down inside of us, remove obstructions to our wholeness, and heal our pain. He wants to fill our souls with our Father's peace, but there’s a distinct way in which that peace flows. The more yielded, empty, broken, and obedient you can become, the more the power of the Holy Spirit can FLOW in your life. He's just waiting for you to open your heart to Get Your Flow! I assure you it will be worth it. If this thought has been profitable to you, please share with your friends and family. Like or click the social share button or leave a comment in the box below for Pastor Yolanda. How many times though do we miss the opportunity to experience the "greater"? What I have realized as I have journeyed through this life is that many of us are too quick to settle for mediocrity, ready to accept that this is all there is. We then settle in for less than the greater promised to us! Why do we miss it? We miss it because of feelings, emotions, folk’s opinions and our inability to step out of comfort zone. Greater isn't found in the echelons of comfort but in the pressing, crushing, beating and breaking. Just like the audience of Jesus' time, and the sad part is that Jesus audience was missing it when the “something greater” was standing in their midst. In the Matthew chapter twelve, Jesus tells His audience three times, “Something greater is here.” Yes, three times. The implication was that in spite of how they think they have everything figured out that they were missing “something greater.” The truth is Jesus’ coming was so that God could be “with us”, Emmanuel, (Matthew 1:23). The problem is we are too often unaware of that very simple fact. The simplicity of Jesus message was that wherever we are and whatever we are doing there is always “something greater here”. He said, “It is here”, that is, within our grasp. It is near us, around us, surrounding us. Prior to our “21 Day Fast" and our Blessed Blanket Initiative we were instructed to prepare for our "breakthrough." We fasted and sacrificed our bodies and it was without a doubt a shaking, testing and beating. We then sacrificed of our treasures which we know breaks many of our pockets when we sacrifice with the knowledge that we will not get an immediate return. But it is because of the sacrifice we are now seeing an unprecedented barrage of blessings over us! He promised to do a new thing in us (Isaiah 43:19), and that new thing has manifested. Our GREATER is with us. No, 28 days was not the easiest. We all became a little weary on day seven. Yes, it was a sacrifice to sow into the initiative for some as the fiscal challenges are real in these streets! The first two months of 2018 we were challenged but we pressed through and the anointing and the power of God has come in great abundance and is supernaturally renewing our strength. Strongholds were shattered, ties were loosed, curses were broken, healing and deliverance took place. Jesus message was then and still is “something greater is here.” If this thought has been profitable to you, please share with your friends and family. Like or click the social share button or leave a comment in the box below for Pastor Yolanda. I was watching the television show "How to Get Away with Murder" and Annalise Keaton was writing a response to the Superior Court about a case she was working on and she started it with this sentence, "How we treat a person during the darkest moments of their lives is the benchmark of humanity." This really resonated with me and it caused me to think about my darkest hours. My husband and I had some very dark moments in 2016 going into 2017. When we were faced with the report that our desire to have children was once again threatened and this time it seemed that it was final, darkness fell over us. After discovering our choices after the diagnosis, we knew immediately that we were in for the fight of our lives. We told those closest to us the news and asked that they first be in prayer with us, that they be patient with us and stand with us as we found first the strength and then the wisdom to obtain victory. We knew that it was going to take every ounce our body, soul and mind to get through this dark cloud to unleash the power of healing within us. The journey out of the dark for us was difficult. It was hard. It was confusing, and we got lost sometimes. And each month that passed, it seemed we were getting further and further away from our dream of a family it seemed like everyone who we thought would be there for us, wasn’t! Some fell off immediately. That was expected. But many of those who expressed and reassured us that they were in it for the long haul and were committed to seeing us have a family as we had been committed to them and their families quickly disappeared. And as the sun began to peak and eventually shine through the proverbial clouds in the middle of 2017 we looked around at who was still walking with us, and we saw the faithful. We saw those that were loyal, kind, generous and who were committed to us like we were committed to them. We saw those that were loyal, kind, generous and who were committed to us and our dreams as we were to them. The riders for life were still walking with us. You can see clearly whose for you in the darkest moments of your life. So, when I heard that quote from Annalise Keaton, it spoke to the truth, you truly can see who and what people are made of when the lights are turned off in your life. The 20/20 that the darkness brings is a blessing. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, the darkness was a blessing in disguise. It allowed us to grow closer to Him and depend on Him more instead of man. When it was all said and done, we knew beyond a doubt that it was nobody but our Father that carried us through that dark place. And it also allowed us to see those who are truly down for us. Not everyone is going to step up and stand with you as you muddle through the pitch-black tunnels and barely lit valleys of life; that's okay. It's tempting to get in your feelings. I know because I had to really check my feelings as we went thru this because we are those people that walk thru the darkness of the valley with those we love as leaving someone in the dark is just not a good look. So I know it's easy to get upset when those who promised to be there disappear when they know we need them the most. But don’t! That’s all a part of the Father's plan. To shine the light on those who will be and on the ONE who will ALWAYS be, Him. He is the source of light and the earthly relationships are just an extension of who He is. Sometimes we get too dependent on others that we forget that our Father is the only one that can support us, love us and lead us out of the dark into the marvelous light. If this thought has been profitable to you, please share with your friends and family. Like or click the social share button or leave a comment in the box below for Pastor Yolanda. We all have been given incredible gifts that goes beyond talent. 1 Corinthians 12: 1 tells us that our Father who is the bestows these gifts does not want us to be ignorant to our spiritual gifts. But as I reflect and think over my life I was never ignorant to the fact that I had gifts. I always knew I had gifts however, I was confused as to where to use my gifts, as the places that I thought they could be used I was told it was either "too much" or it was "abused," "manipulated," or "misappropriated." So, because of what people who I entrusted my gifts to did with my gifts I became so disheartened that I fooled myself in thinking that my gifts did not have a place in the world. Therefore, I let them sit unopened. You see I never really developed the gifts my Father bestowed upon me, because I allowed people in my family, on my jobs and in the churches I attended to discourage me from using my gifts. However, when I no longer feared criticism and allowed envy and jealously to discourage what I know God had graced me to be and do, did I begin to serve Him more freely, fearlessly, and unapologetically. And because I am using the gifts with passion and zeal I have discovered gifts that I never knew existed. It blows my mind to see gifts that have laid dormant come alive. Someone just recently told me that I look "so free" and that's because I have opened the gifts my loving Father bestowed upon me and He is developing them, and I am wearing them with grace, freely, fiercely and fearlessly. And you know what, God has graced you too, and your gifts can look good on you too. Have you framed your gift on the wall? Or perhaps you have opened it and not using it because you don't know what to do with it? Or have you left your gift unopened and unappreciated? The Most High didn’t create us and save us to just sit but to serve! He gave us ALL a spiritual gift. Ephesians 4:7 says, "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ”. Hence, if you're a child of The Highest, you are graced with a gift. And each of His children are given something to do that shows who God is: "Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits". (1 Corinthian 12:4-11, Message) But you don’t choose your spiritual gift any more than you choose your natural gifts—like the color of your eyes or skin. Just as you get natural talents genetically by your first birth, your spiritual gift is given to you at your new birth. It is supernatural. You can develop your natural gifts, and you can develop your supernatural gifts. Never despise someone else's gift, because "all kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful. God’s various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit." (1 Corinthian 12:4-11, Message) So you wear what God has graced you with because as one body we will bring glory to our Heavenly Father who freely bestowed His Spirit on each of us. As a gifted child you can’t leave your gift in the box or sitting on the wall collecting dust. Find out what God wants you to do and get busy doing it. Focus on serving Him because when you serve Him, joy begins to flow, and you live in fulfillment. So today, accept yourself, unwrap your gift, surrender yourself and then work your grace for the glory of God. If this thought has been profitable to you, please share with your friends and family. Like or click the social share button or leave a comment in the box below for Pastor Yolanda. |
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