Remembering God's promises

As a Christian, the most important thing we have is God’s word; his word being the bible and the promises within the bible.  Within God’s word we learn who he is, we learn about Jesus, we learn what God wants for us, what he has for us, where our future lies and so much more. The thing about God’s word and our word as humans is God keeps his word. God’s word is true and we never have to worry about him going back on his word or forgetting a promise he made

 Have you ever heard the saying “your word is your bond”?  Well a bond, (other than physical restraints) is an agreement. Meaning you’re going to do what you say you’re going to do. How many times has someone gone back on a promise they made to you? Have often have you been disappointed because “your word is your bond”, didn’t mean anything to the one making the promise? Countless times! I’m so glad that God never goes back on his word!

Now you might be in a position where God has told you something, you’re waiting for your promise, but it hasn’t come to fruition. While we’re waiting for the promise we start to doubt. “Was that God talking to me or was that me coming up with my own plans? “ “Maybe this won’t really happen”, “How could this happen, look at my situation”, “has God forgotten about me?” We all have had those thoughts at one point in time. Why though? When we look back over our lives we can literally see how we were waiting for a promise to manifest, and in God’s perfect time it does. Why do we forget that?

When I was younger, I used to want to move to Florida. We have moved around so much (military brat), always the new kids on the block, I wanted to be closer to family. I prayed and I prayed, and in my pray God told me I would. Unfortunate situations happened for me to get here, but God fulfilled his promise to me. I know God hears and answers my prayers, because he heard them back when I was a little girl.

If ever you think God doesn’t hear you, or you think he’s forgotten a promise, reflect on times were he did. He’s the same God that fulfilled that promise that will fulfill the future ones. Don’t fret.

A lot of people use this picture in reference to relationships and waiting on God to spend them their future wife/husband. However I believe this is great to use regarding any promise that we are waiting on. It proves that God does exactly what he says he's going to do, regardless of how long it takes, it still happens. We can rejoice in the fact that our God keeps his word. Thank you Lord.

I think the problem lies when we focus on our situations, and our circumstances. The things we focus on are like a magnifying glass. The things we focus on appear bigger than what they really are. If we focus on the bad, it will overwhelm us, and have us thinking negatively and doubtful towards God.

What’s stopping us from living like the victors we are? The answer is us. We are the only ones that can stop us from living like the victorious heirs of Jesus Christ that we are. You might be saying” well Destaynee, I have bills to pay and mouths to feed, and my rent is due.” We all have bills to pay, and I have a mouth to feed as well, but have you gone hungry or homeless? God will supply your every need. Trust me, he's been doing it for me, I know he will do it for you. He has not left you to face these situations on your own, he is here and ready to give you everything you need. We look more at our desires that we forget God has given us everything we need. You might not be riding in the latest BMW, but you’re riding in something that gets you to your designated destinations. You may say “Well Des, Jesus said, he came that I might have life, and life more abundantly, living check to check isn’t abundant”. Living life abundantly doesn’t necessarily mean materialistically.  Living abundantly, is living under God’s protection, being available to his power, having a peace of mind. Having god fight your battles, handle those people that speak against you. Having a God that loves you enough to come down to earth in human form, to die for you, pardon you of your sins, just to bring you back to him. Having that access to God is abundant life, because he will supply your every need.

Nothing God says will return to void if he said it, it will be done. We just have to keep our eyes on him, keep our focus on him and his promises in his word. When we face situations, go back to the word, and refresh your memory. When people come speaking negatively about your God given vision, get back to his word. Allow God to renew your mind with his promises!

Today Minister, Young preached “Remembering the promises of God” and I was inspired to write about this. It’s so relevant, simple yet profound. We just have to remember what God’s promises. Regardless of what it looks like, God specializes in impossible. Remember we are working on God’s time, not our own. A dream deferred is not a dream denied.  Have faith in what God has promised you. Believe in him, and not your surroundings. Doesn’t matter what it looks like, God’s promises stand true.

If you love someone tell them

I love you

Destaynee

Got worship?

This past Friday night (April 11, 2014) I was blessed to be able to attend Centra Fest. It was advertised as a concert, but it was a worship experience! Local churches gathered together at Calvary Assembly, to worship Christ. There were local artist, and artist/choirs from Tallahassee, not to mention the headliners Deitrick Haddon, and Tye Tribbett.

After Tye Tribbett did his first song, he began to teach/preach. He told us how he went to a lady Gaga concert, because his drummer, plays for her. He proceeded to say the people at that concert, would just randomly shout out “I love you gaga” repeatedly. He said the people in the audience would be singing her songs in unison and still shouting out how much they loved her. He said it’s a problem when worship leaders have to act as hype men to get people in church to worship God. He said those people at the concert, don’t know Gaga personally, she hasn’t done anything for them, but they praised her as if she has done something for them. Tye said, after the Gaga concert the next day he went to church, and people were just looking at the people singing. Not participating in worshiping God.

After that we began to really have a worship experience! The Holy Spirit had his way and moved in that place, it was amazing!

This month at my church it’s the month of worship. I thought it was so amazing how God afforded me the opportunity to worship with Tye Tribbett and my other brothers and sisters in Christ. People were shouting, crying, running, dancing, singing giving reverence to our Lord. See for the unbeliever it might look like “chaos”, one might ask why they are doing all this. See to someone that doesn’t know God, I mean really know God, have a relationship with Christ, they wouldn’t understand it. They won’t understand the woman that shouts Sunday after Sunday. They may not understand the person crying out to God. When you have an encounter with Christ, then you understand. When you know God on a personal level you understand, and you aren’t bothered by other people worshiping God. (if you’re bothered by people worshiping God, uhhhh you might want to reevaluate somethings)

The problem is judgment. People are too busy being judged for praising and worshipping God, because they don’t do it the way you do it and it discourages them. People are too busy trying to figure out why a person is shouting the way that they do. Too busy trying to figure out if that persons praise is real or fake. People are too busy worried about being judged that they can’t operate freely in worship.

Another problem is we come to church with so much on our minds we forget why we’re there. Don’t allow you circumstances, issues or problems to take you out of the game when it comes to worship. That is what the devil wants. He wants us focused on the people down our row, the person that sat in “your seat”, he wants you to magnify your problem to the point you can’t even hear the preacher, because you’re focused on how YOU are going to “fix” your situation.

When you’re worshipping God you aren’t concerned with what people are doing or thinking. All you should be thinking about is God, and who he is. Worship is to give reverence, and honor to God. You can’t do that properly if you’re focused on all those other things!

Today my Pastor preached from Luke 19:32-40 the title of his sermon was “The necessity to praise The Lord” These few scriptures are talking about how when the people saw Jesus they immediately began to rejoice. They rejoiced, just because of who he is. They recognized him and who he is immediately. This is how we should be time someone says Jesus, we should just shout out praises unto him. When we think about his grace and his mercy, we should shout out unto him. It shouldn’t take a hype man, or a coach to get believers to worship Christ. Also amongst these disciples were Pharisees. The Pharisees said “Master rebuke thy disciples”. Vs 40.” And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” I don’t know about you, but I don’t need rocks crying out for me. God has been too good to hold my peace! He is worthy of our worship. He has been too good to all of us for us not to worship him. Worship him with our lives, with our giving, with everything!

I just wanted to encourage you guys, to worship God. If we can praise artist, and sports teams, because we like and support them; surely we should have NO problem worshiping an almighty God. Worshiping God should be second nature to us.

If you love someone tell them

I love you

Sincerely,

I’ve been through too much, not to worship him!

Destaynee

Letter to black fathers

If mommy abandoned her parental duties, she’d be outcast-ed, shamed and probably taken to court for custody, but daddy’s been doing it his whole like with no repercussions.

No repercussions!

Some might say being put on child support is a repercussion; child support is a response to a parent that abandoned his parental duties. Stop blaming the system for why you “can’t” or won’t take care of your kids. Child support isn’t raising these babies, seeing your child every other weekend isn’t raising these babies, passing them off to your family members, every chance you get, isn’t these babies. Buying the latest Jordan’s and video games isn’t raising these babies!

What’s raising these babies is the strength God has given us mothers to take on the role of mommy and daddy. The strength God gives us to not break down from carrying the burden that was meant for two by ourselves. Though I’m not a man, it’s that God given wisdom that I’m using to raise my son, to one day be a man, and that takes time.

See the most important thing you can give your child, is your love and your time. Your time! Your time! Do you know the importance of time? Do you know how much time is being wasted? How much time has been wasted trying to explain why daddy can’t come today, why daddy doesn’t play catch with you, why daddy doesn’t take you to church and why daddy is a day late and a dollar short? Time that’s wasted on waiting on you to show up; only to be disappointed because you “had something to do”. Nothing should be more important than spending your time with your child.

As time passes on, there will come a time where your child will realize he shouldn’t waste his time wondering why, wondering when, and wondering if you’re going to show up. He would’ve moved on with his life, with no more time to waste.

My brotha I’m not here to bash you, or tear you down. I’m just showing you my reality, and the reality of many moms’. There is a reason people can’t have kids by themselves, it takes two to make them and it takes two to raise them. Whether you decide to do your part or not, is up to you. That’s just another thing you’re going to have to answer to God about. As parents we have stewardship over these babies. The pass society gives you will never trump the charge God has given you. You too are held accountable for these babies.

I know your father may not have been there for you, but stop the cycle. Give your child the type of father you wish yours would have been, but don’t be the man you despised as a child. Don’t be the man that broke your heart over and over again. Don’t be the man that caused your tear stains on the window pane, because you spent all day looking out of a window waiting for your dad to show. Don’t be that same disappointment to your child as your dad was to you.  Be better than what you knew as a child, your children deserve it.

If you love someone tell them.

I love you

Destaynee