Where are you getting your advice from?

Have you ever found yourself taking Counsel from people that weren't abiding with Christ? You know those people that believe in Christ and say they love him but it doesn't show up in their lifestyle? Are you one of those people??

Well as I was talking to God today I brought up a time in my life where I wasn't trusting in him I wasn't as dedicated to living for him as I am now. Ill give some background...

This was back in 2009/2010 I had recently had my son and I was unemployed. I was in school, but had no way of providing for my son. At the time I had a friend (wasn't much of a friend at ALL) we always had great conversations about politics,sports,worldly affairs everything. We came from completely different backgrounds raised completely different, but that never stopped me from being a friend to him. Anyway he presented a way I could make money. He knew that I like to dance and I loved music.. so he said I should be a dancer. Not dancing in the movies or video's ... a dancer, an exotic dancer or simply a stripper. I was quite offended by that because I'm not that  kind of girl, but he presented it in a way I actually thought about it. --Mind you at this time there was spiritual disconnect,depression a lot was going on with me. My communication with God wasn't the greatest.-- telling me the amounts of money and this and that,but thankfully the Holy Spirit spoke up for me. I told him no I couldn't do something that would be against God, bring shame to my family,my son or my church..I believe that was the last conversation I had with that person until this past feb 2011(ill share about my worst date ever)

 

                                        (Before going out one night)

Your like okay?? where is this going...let me take you to the summer of 2011... 

at this point I was still unemployed.. but I had money(I'm great at saving) but there was still a disconnect in my communication with Christ. So I started going out to the clubs downtown. I would go to the same club and I went often... like often. (such a shame  At this point I was very lonely,low self esteem, everything. I justified my going out with saying "I don't drink, I don't do drugs, I don't meet people to have sex, I'm not doing what those people are doing, I'm just out to socialize with people my age" (because I was a stay at home mom,never had much interaction with people my age).... yeaaaa then I became friends with the bouncers, the bartenders the managers the owners of the club.. I wouldn't dance with anyone I'm very serious about my personal space and don't like to be touched. So I would talk with one of the bouncers and we would talk from the time I got there to the time I left... Every now and then I would have a drink.. (yes I waited until I was 21 to have my first drink.)The drinking caused me to dance more.. people that were in the club would say I should be a go-go dancer(the club had one girl dancing) and the guy I was "friends" with would tell me how the people would tell him and some of the other workers I should be a go go dancer blahze blahze.. One night one of the girls dancing was giving me information.. And it had me thinking.. hmmm this isn't stripping, there's no tips, they have on clothes... but the other part of me was like, but I know I'm supposed to help girls find their worth in Christ what do I look like dancing Wednesday  through Saturday and trying to praise God and help people on Sunday?? So I took it to twitter, I asked a few of my followers that were in Christ ...Some of them said go for it, some of them said I shouldn't... but the money would've been good... then I thought about

 this...

Matthew 6:24 

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Romans 12:1 

I 

appeal to you

therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

I realized I was a lukewarm Christian. I was doing enough to be saved, but not delivered. I was still feeding my flesh. Looking to other people for approval, seeking attention from other people hanging around in the dark. I KNEW I had NO business being in the club. I KNEW I had NO business taking counsel on my life with people that were just as wrong as I was I knew that. -- And no I do not go to the club anymore, haven't been there in a while-- Every time I went to the club, I could feel the darkness, I knew I was out numbered I knew I wasn't supposed to be there. Not to mention every time I went out something bad happend someone tried to snatch me up , I would be followed... Crazy things!! 

But the amazing thing about God is that he corrects those that he loves.

Hebrews 12:6 

For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives

One day I was just like I'm not going out no more I can't. I told my mom  I said mom, Im not going out anymore.. she was like good but why.. I said I don't belong there, It's not for me. And it's not to say that I'm better than anyone I just don't belong there. My song and dance is for Jesus, not for those that promote sin. That's why I cant even listen to secular music I cant praise fornication, I cant praise getting drunk I cant praise doing drugs. I just cant!

(And I'll tell you when I did go out I would see spirits,spirits within the people from the alcohol. I've never forget the look on this man's face.. He looked at me with so much hate,like he wanted to kill me and then he called me the b word and smiled and walked away.. he didn't even look human he looked like a creature...I believe it was a demon)

So I'm sharing all this with you all because I don't want yall to think I'm perfect, that just because I've been raised in the church I'm not faced with certain situations. We're all gonna be faced with temptation on every front. We're gonna have people that we think are "right" that are gonna try to counsel us, and advise us on what we should do and how to do it. The best counsel and advice you can ever get is from God! He created you, he knows you better than you know yourself, why wouldn't you ask him what to do? Why wouldn't you ask him what's best for you?

1Peter 5:7

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you"

He cares about what we're going through and as his children we're gonna go through things simply because this life is NOT about us!!

I've learned this concept throughout this year, talk to  God as if he's your human parent. You know how you were like "mom I need some new shoes,dad I need to go to practice can you take me?" ... Talk to him just like that

"Dad, I don't know how I gonna get through this day. I'm not feeling well spiritually or physically. I feel alone although I know I'm  never alone I still feel this way, I don't know how my bills are gonna get paid I just don't know. God I know that you are strong in my weakness(2 Corinthians 12:9 "And he said unto me "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness" Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." Please forgive me for my doubt, but God I'm trusting and depending solely on you for my every need. I need you and only you God."

Talk to him just like that, you don't need fancy words but he is waiting to hear from you.

I hope this can help someone like I said I'm learning to be more transparent because as Christians we need one another to get through, and if sharing my story with you all can show yall God's power and might and can help you through I'm an open book!! God is amazing and he can and will forgive you and deliver you from any situation and sin if you let him. We must understand it's not enough to say "God forgive me for I have sinned" , we must have true repentance which is to confess our wrong doing's and to turn away from the sin, meaning not go back to it...

If you love someone tell them

I love you

-Destaynee

500 million?

500 million dollars

How much are you willing to risk for 500 million dollars?

Many "Christians" are compromising because of this amount of money. They are frantically putting together numbers and combinations of numbers, wishing hoping even praying that they hit the jack pot. Sounds like a contradiction if you ask me... 

I know "faith without works is dead" but God doesn't need you to pick out numbers in order for him to bless you. Your "good works" doesn't get you to receive blessings. God blesses us based on who HE is and not what we've done so why do people seem to forget this when money is involved? 

I think it's a lack of trust in God, Or a willingness to fit in with the world.

 What would possibly make me openly say "yo God, Your not blessing me quick enough or in the way I want soooo I'm gonna take things in my own hands.. I got this" NOTHING!!!

I don't want ANYTHING if it doesn't come from God. Our hopes and faith should be in God and God alone. Not numbers, not papers, not lottery tickets none of that stuff. Our help comes from The Lord.

When I think about the miracles God has performed in my life I realize there is no scientific  evidence to back up the miracles, their is no statistical value to back it up.. they were just completely out of the blue straight from God. There's no way ANYONE could've made sense out of anything that God has done for me... so why would you need to "help" God out by picking some numbers? Just doesn't add up. Not to me!

Philippians 4:6-7 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 6:25-34 

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ...

I think people need to learn how to be content with the things they have, and not get caught up in what the world is doing. We should have NO desires to look like,mirror or resemble the world. We are to stand up and stand out, never to blend!

We need to remember in ALL these be dependent  and lean on God for EVERYTHING. We have nothing with out him we are hopeless without it. We desire the things he already has for us.

God paid the ultimate price when he sent is only begotten son to die for our sins..

500 million is nothing compared to what Christ has done for us.. let's trust him with EVERY aspect of our lives. Let's trust him in everything we do. He doesn't have to prove himself, but he does daily. 

Living for God isn't always the easiest, but I believe it will all be worth it in the end.

Matthew 6:24

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

If you truly trust God it would show in your lifestyle and your actions. Even when it hurts you should trust him, even when you cant see what's around the corner you should trust him. This whole belief is based on faith. You can't live without exercising your faith daily.. don't let 500 million stop that today.

Romans 14:23

But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

If you love someone tell them

I love you

Destaynee

What are you waiting for?

One of my lovely followers on twitter tweeted "i have faith in my life next year" well something along those lines.. and I responded. Why wait, why not have that faith now??

Then I started to wonder, why do we wait for things? I'm not talking about material things like buying stuff we can't afford and going places we cant afford, no no why do we wait to exercise our faith and trust in God?

Shortly after another one of my followers tweeted that they've given up on things because they always turn out bad or something..

by no means am I talking about these people because I LOVE THEM... but these tweets got me thinking and inspired me,because Christians tend to do this

Matthew 14:31 
Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 
Why do we doubt? because of what people say? because of what it looks like to us? lack of confidence in our God?

 I think sometimes we have to remind ourselves of who our God truly is.
Romans 10:17
So faith come from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

He created the heavens and the earth.. He took clay and made a man... took a rib from that man and made a women..  His son died and ROSE ... He rose people from the dead, he's healed people,fed people turned water into wine.. he's done ALL these amazing things.. how can you believe he's done these things... but have doubt in your situation? have lack of faith when it comes to your situation?

We have to understand we can not please God without having faith in him

Hebrews 11:6 

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

well it's easier said than done Des.. my situation is so rough you don't understand.

Your right I may not understand, but my heavenly father does and I suggest you pour your heart out to him about EVERY situation your facing..

You have to get to the point where you don't care what it looks like, if God ALLOWED it to happen, you must know he's going to get you through. Things just don't happen to us without God's approval.. so yes God allowed that  you to go through, you may have gotten hurt because you didn't listen to him but the key word is through meaning your not stuck. You go in and you go out.. you go THROUGH a door.. you go OUT a door... you went THROUGH a tough time meaning it ended.. God was with you through it.. We have to trust that wherever God has us to go he has us covered.. we may not see what or understand it but he has ALL power, he has EVERYTHING under control.. we must never forget that.

Hebrews 11:1 

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen

Romans 1:17

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Faith is ALL we have in this walk with Christ. We believe he is who he says he is and we have to believe he can move the mountains in our lives....

Matthew 17:20 

He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

You have to get to a point where you don't even desire anything, you just want everything God has for you, because you have the faith in knowing that he will NEVER forsake you...God can do no wrong.. we have to start trusting him and living by faith now...

Your belief is seen through your actions.. you can call yourself a Christian all day but if your not living by HIS WORD, how can you say that your a Christian. You can say you believe in Christ but not enough to trust believe and live for him... sounds harsh but that's the reality.. No lukewarmness ...ever!! You have to dedicate your WHOLE life, your whole being to Christ.  If faith is an issue you have to TELL GOD!!! just simply say "God, I love you. I believe you are who you say you are, but I'm having trouble believing I can get through this situation, I don't see a way out I need your help, give me the peace of mind and the ability to trust and believe you God. Please forgive me for not trusting, help me trust you." something simply as that.. Prayer doesn't have to have big fancy words.. you just need to let God see your heart tell him everything he's going to comfort you and he will make it better for you if you stop pray and listen to what he says.

Mark 11:22 

And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.

If you love someone tell them

I love you

-Destaynee

Trust issues?

Trust :reliance on the integrity, strength, ability,surety, etc., of a person or thing;confidence.

2)confident expectation of something; hope.

Issues:personal problems, esp.difficulties or disagreements with someone or something

So trust issues would ultimately mean: to no longer have confidence/hope or expectation due difficulties.

Everyone has issues with trust to a certain extent. We have issues when it comes to relationships due to our past experiences. We give people our trust. We trust them with our feelings, our hearts, our minds we open ourselves up and allow them in. Then something happens  they cheat or they lie which causes us to LOSE the hope, the confidence and the integrity we expected that person to uphold. So we then have issues when the next person comes around.

Another form of trust issues is when a friend our family member hurts you. They lie on you they betray you they steal from you they spread rumors all kinds if things that makes you lose confidence in them.. So know we have  hard time telling them things, going places with them and letting them into our personal lives right? right...

hmmmm So why is it we have "trust issues" when it comes to God?? If you think back over the situations you've experienced in the past to cause you to lose trust in someone what was the common denominator? .......

They did something to hurt you.. They did something to you to cause you to lose hope in them... So if that's the case we should never have issues of trust with God. He hasn't hurt us.. he hasn't lied on us,betrayed us,laughed at us,left us,cheated... so why do we lose our trust??.. Okay so maybe we don't lose ALL our trust in him. I mean we still trust him to wake us up every morning. We still trust God to get us to and from work safely every day. We trust him to protect our children. We trust him enough  to keep us in our right minds, but we cant trust him enough to heal us. We cant trust him enough to provide for us. We cant trust him enough to bring us our spouse... No why is that?

 I mean the people that are too holy to admit they lose trust in God probably cant relate, but us that are transparent know we have those days when we're like whoa okay God whats going on...

We get  like that because a storm comes our way, and we're like why would God send me this storm when he knows I'm going through this that and the third....

Well we have to understand  EVERY storm that comes our way ISN'T from God.. Check out when the disciples that where on the boat and the storm came. Jesus calmed the storm... told the waves to stop... Now why would Jesus have to tell a storm that God sent to stop??? doesn't make sense.. That storm WASN'T from God!.. We have to understand the devil is out their petitioning certain things to happen to God's children, please know that we can not be touched unless God ALLOWS it! 

Every time a storm comes our way is just another opportunity for us to trust God, for us to depend solely on him and for him to show his love his power and his mercy.

Jeremiah 29:11 

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

We have to trust God because he can not fail, he will not fail us. He will not forsake us.

Isaiah 41:10 

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

We cant be afraid, we have to know that God is going to take care of EVERYTHING... he didn't give us the spirit of fear.

2 Timothy 1:7 

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

We have to be confident in God. Confident in knowing that he is perfect, he can make no mistakes and he will never leave us. No matter what the situation looks like keep your trust, keep your faith and keep your eyes on God.. let the world have its "trust issues" but as a Child of God you should have NONE!!

If you love someone tell them

I love you

-Destaynee