Today on Valentine’s Day, invite the presence of the Holy Spirit to fellowship with you and your loved one. Celebrate that He loved each of you before you loved one another. And if you believe you don’t have a significant other and no reason to celebrate, I beg to differ. Celebrate the fact that YOU can fellowship with Jesus, the one who first loved  you.  And not just today, but every day start the day with Him, enjoy Him during the day, and end the day with Him on your mind. What an amazing day you will have in spite of what may be going on around you. When we choose to look to our source rather than to our situation, we realise how much He loves us, we realise how blessed we are. He who is in control of all things, has chosen us as His significant other.  I feel special today and everyday just knowing that I am loved unconditionally forever and always by the Great I Am! So should you. Feed your soul with the scriptures below. Happy Valentine’s Day! Love and Blessings!

Matthew 6:31-33
Hebrew 12:2
Jeremiah 29:13
1 Peter 5:7

Every day we don’t do something for the Kingdom is a wasted day. The seed of our dreams that God has planted inside of us will bring Him glory and bring others good. The purpose God has called us to live out will be a purpose that bears fruit. We can often look at the outcome of fruit in our lives in order to identify where God is working and how He has created us to live out the dream He has placed within us, linking your dream and purpose with your rewards later. The dream should not be just about you. The reality is it is not about us at all. If your dream has nothing to do with bringing God glory and other people good, then it is not the dream put in you from God. The dream God puts in us will always involve eternity. That dream will always bear fruit. Love and blessings…

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit–fruit that will last–and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” (John 15:16) NIV

It has been many years and I am still in school. I’m still in school because sometimes I fail and have to repeat a lesson. I am talking about the school of Christianity. You would think once I received my Salvation I would have graduated. But God, who is my Instructor,  assigned me a tutor, the Holy Spirit, who is with me at all times. He will not allow me to forget what God has taught me. God has taught me a lot in this school of life. I confess this one lesson though, gets hard at times because of other people. Sometimes, I allow other people to destroy what God has taught me. Thank God for my tutor, the Holy Spirit! I guess you are wondering what am I confessing about? I am talking about how God has taught me to stop talking about people and start praying for people, how God taught me how to stop judging people and start praying for people. God has taught me how to stop gossiping about people and start praying for people, and He taught me how to stop criticizing people and start praying for people. It is a lesson I sometimes fail at. I think we all do. It’s not easy to practice those lessons when you are interacting with all types of people, believers and nonbelievers, family and friends, spouses and children, coworkers, and neighbors, the store clerk. But the truth is we can’t blame people. God continually teaches us through the Holy Spirit within us. God put the power of life in our mouth, and we get to choose to speak words of life when we open our mouth about people. I am learning not to react but take a moment and say, “Holy Spirit help me now!” And He will. We must strive to apply all we learn from the Holy Spirit to our daily lives. Study and meditate on the scriptures below. Write them in our hearts. So when a situation arises our first reaction will be to start praying. Love and Blessings…

“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:16)

“for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (Luke 12:12)

“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,” (Matthew 5:44)^“ Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” (Proverbs 18:21)

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”(Philippians 4:8)

Joy is a deep and enduring state of our soul that no circumstance, event, or human can steal away from us. It’s delighting in God and choosing to rejoice in all things. If we don’t let our circumstances rule us, our mood swings are nonexistent. This doesn’t mean we are always in a “good mood”; it does not mean we are happy about what may be happening, it means we can remain in an unexplainable place of contentment. Joyful people don’t allow misery, sorrow, sadness, or despair to rule their thoughts or guide their actions. Joy is a state of being, and it differs from happiness, which can come and go. Happiness depends on what's happening at the moment. As Christians, we have been given something that cannot be taken away. We have joy because of the grace of Jesus Christ that lives in us. We can hold onto joy, we can feel joyful, and we can rejoice with praise no matter what our circumstances may be. We don’t rejoice for the problem or circumstance, we rejoice because no matter what is going on in our lives, God is always nearby. And that comforts us and brings us peace. Peace is a deep well of confidence that God is who He is and that He will do what He says He will do. Peace isn’t tied to circumstances. True peace can only be found through a relationship with our Father and from resting in the promises of God. The best way I have found to maintain this joy and peace God has given me is to keep my gaze on Him, and my glance on the world. As C.S. Lewis said, "Life with God is not immunity from difficulties, but peace in difficulties." Love and blessings...

“You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” (Isaiah 55:12)
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”(Philippians 4:6-7)

Are you sometimes reluctantly to tell your story because you are ashamed, or because it doesn’t make you look good? Your story is not supposed to make you look good. It is to proclaim how good God is. I heard or read somewhere that we are not our stories, we are the story tellers. I agree. You can get stuck believing what happened to you is you and it can make it difficult to move forward. But if you understand that God is the Author and He has chosen you to tell the story, you can move forward. It may not be easy, but God will give you strength to do what He has chosen  you to do. Our story does not define us in anyway except by the grace of God we lived through it to tell it. This does not mean we have to stand on the street and shout out our business to the world. The time, place, and who to tell should be left up to God. He is the editor and publisher. He will let us know when it is the right time. He will let us know who needs to hear it. We just need to be obedient.  When Jesus performed miracles and healings, there were times He would say now go and tell, and there was times when He would say tell no one. In Mark 5:17, the demon possessed man was in a Gentile region where not many knew about Jesus or cared about the coming Messiah. After Jesus had healed the man, they begged Him to leave the area. Jesus left, but told the man to go and tell what had happened to Him since He would now be the only real witness in this region. In Mark 5:43, Jesus raised Jairus’s daughter from the dead. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this. The Jewish anticipated a coming Messiah and Jesus did not want to stir up a crowd. He did not want people distracted from what He really came to do. His essential aim was to preach the message of the Kingdom and then die on a cross. He wanted to avoid the envy of the Scribes and Pharisees. It was not time for Him to die or time for the full manifestation of his glory. Did you notice in the scripture that Jesus only allowed three of His disciples to follow Him to Jairus’s house? Did you also notice that once there, He put all the people in the house out except the parents and the three disciples? My point is that your story may not be for everyone to hear. Let Jesus decide who and when! We should never limit the Holy Spirit by deciding ourselves who or who may not need a word from God. We may not feel comfortable talking to certain people, or we may feel  it is putting our “business in the street” if we tell our story. We may even be afraid that we will be rejected or laughed at when we share the Gospel. But guess what, Jesus was rejected and laughed at. That did not stop Him from being obedient to our Father. We are to send God’s Word into lives by faith and trusting the Holy Spirit to do the teaching and imparting. We are as fisherman; we throw the rod out and let God reel it in. The Lord promised to put His laws in our minds and write them on our hearts. (Jeremiah 31:33) We as believers know His requirements and feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit when we do not meet them. God said all shall know him, from the least to the greatest.

God expects us to feed one another. Whatever testimony, knowledge, grace, peace, or comfort, that God has given us, we should pass to one another. We should especially be committed to allowing the Holy Spirit to use and direct us to bring souls into the family of Christ. Love and Blessings…

“Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolishow much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.” (Mark 5:17-20)

^“He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.” (Mark 5:37-40)

“And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” (Mark 16:15)

“I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” (Acts 26:17-18)

When an ordinary woman or man meets an extraordinary God, normal life takes on a whole new meaning. Knowing God changes everything! We cannot encounter the living God and be the same. A personal relationship with Him takes you to another level. Fellowshipping with Him brings you peace and unexplainable joy. Your life will never be the same! Ask me how I know. Things that used to matter in this world no longer matters. Things that didn't matter, moves you deeply. The things you know break God's heart, will also break your heart. When challenges come, God will strengthen and comfort you. You will no longer chase after things of this world, but you will chase after God. You will seek Him daily! The funny thing is once you do that, everything you need, you will have. God will place the right people in your life at the right time, God will give you physical, financial, and spiritual blessings beyond your dreams! Your eyes will open, and you will live in such a way that miracles are a daily occurrence. You will no longer take for granted the sunrises and sunsets. You will be thankful to have food to eat and water to drink. Each day you will take personally. “This is my day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it!” You will also rejoice when a life is changed in response to what God has done in yours! I encourage you brothers and sisters to seek God first. Love and Blessings…
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 3:66 (KJV)
“This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

John Stott, wrote, “Nothing seems stable in our world any longer. Insecurity is written across all human experience. Christian people are not guaranteed immunity to temptation, tribulation, or tragedy, but we are promised victory over them. God’s pledge is not that suffering will never afflict us, but that it will never separate us from His love.” We are promised victory. When I read that this week, it had a profound impact on me. It wasn’t that I had never heard it, because it is in God’s Word. It’s because I needed to hear it at that moment. God is so good! My heart was hurting because my son and his family are in quarantine with Covid-19. Any parent knows how painful it is to see their child suffer. My spiritual being knows that God has them covered and they will get through this. But sometimes my physical being, my heart, aches for them. I was in one of those moments when I read what Mr. Stott wrote. Those words comforted me because even though I don’t see them well right now, I believe with all my heart that they will be. I have faith because I believe in the Word of God, and I am confident that this will pass, and God will get His glory.

I used to think that faith and belief was the same. I know they are interconnected, which makes them very close in meaning. However, the more I read Matthew 17:20, I think differently. Most versions read, “because you have little faith” as if that were a bad thing but then Jesus goes on to say, “if you have faith of a mustard seed,” A mustard seed is really small. So I don’t think the “little faith” was the problem. Maybe Jesus is telling His disciples that they have a belief problem.  The NKJV version reads, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. (Matthew 17:20 NKJV) At first read it may seem as if Jesus is telling them that they don’t have enough faith but then He goes on to explain that we barely need any faith at all to see great miracles happen. I think He is telling them even if your faith is small as a mustard seed, if you believe, you will see miracles happen. Each time your belief brings miracles, your faith grows. The two go hand in hand. One does not make sense without the other. The dictionary defines belief as “The mental act, condition, or habit of placing trust or confidence in another.” In this world our beliefs can change depending on people, information, and experience. But God’s Word never changes. In this we can have confidence. And with that confidence comes belief and faith. Believing is a part of faith and faith empowers you. They all work together. A good example is when God shows or tells you something, but you don’t see it. You don’t even see how it could happen. But you have faith in God, and faith is an action word and to act on what God has shown you, you have to believe without seeing. It’s called walking out on faith. And you can only do that if you believe. To truly believe means to have faith that God is alive, active, and is very much interested in our lives today. When you believe this truth with enough confidence to act, you exercise faith. And even with little faith, you can see miraculous things happen. I can assure you the more you study and fellowship with God, your faith grows. And the more we expose our minds to God’s truth, no matter what life throws at us, we can believe and stand on God’s promises. Love and Blessings…

“So Jesus said to them, “Because of you unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “move from here to there, and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20) NKJV

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exits and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

“And Jesus said to him, “If you can! All things are possible for one who believes.”

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not  seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.” (Jeremiah 17:7)

FOR MY SON: WE STAND ON HIS PROMISES

“Surely, he took up our pain and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4-5)