Year: 2013

Shh! – Victory is in progress

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Too often we talk ourselves out of the miracles and blessings God wants to release in our lives. Our constant complaining, nagging and grumbling sometimes delay or even hinder us from experiencing the breakthroughs we so desperately want. Moses tried to talk his way out of becoming a mighty deliverer. Gideon tried to explain his way out of reaching his full potential. Before the parting of the red sea – the Israelites were on the verge of turning around and going back to Egypt because of their incessant negative speech and grumbling. Before the taking of the promised land – they literally delayed the taking of this good land by a negative report that completely stalled – if not put off the mission. Before the miracles of bread falling from the sky and water gushing out of the rock, Israel’s continued grumbling, nagging and quarrelling and murmuring became too much for God to handle, let alone his prophet. At this juncture in the history of Israel (Joshua 6), they are about to take a fortified city and …

Holy Spirit: Hover over me – Rest upon me

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Genesis 1:2 The Spirit of the God was hovering over the waters Have you ever wondered what your church or your life would look like if there was a genuine and authentic move of the Spirit of God. I long again for the day when we would embrace His fullness in everything we do. I don’t mind all the new and creative things we are doing in our churches and the efforts individual believers are exerting to please God. But I am longing again for a move of God through His Spirit, because I’m convinced that where he is there is freedom, power and the ability to do greater things for God. He makes everything easy when He shows up. It is like the working of His mighty power within. When He is there, we do not only preach and teach than let  people go home without experiencing what we talked about in our sermons – we do it like Jesus did it: teaching, preaching, healing, and delivering those oppressed by the devil by the power of …

Rembrandt, an artist to grow old with

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The Guardian, Jonathan Jones on Art blog writes the following and ends with a question. This post is an attempt to respond to that question: According to the British art critic Jonathan Jones, many Renaissance artists were “coldly curious” or even cruel in their depictions of old age. For instance, Leonardo da Vinci scorned elderly faces as “monstrous wrecks.” Fortunately, there was one notable exception to this habit of mocking the elderly—Rembrandt. Jones writes, “Rembrandt painted old age with a nobility and power that no artist has ever approached.” He recognized “the dignity and character of aged faces” and embraced “the marks of time as beautiful, mysterious, and rich.” Rembrandt was much more interested in what Jones calls “the mystery behind someone’s eyes.” But Rembrandt’s deepest study of aging was based on his own life. Rembrandt painted more self portraits than any other artist of the 17th century, and all together they tell the story of his journey into old age. For instance, in 1640, at the height of his career, Rembrandt painted his “Self …

I shall not be moved: 10 Prayerful Declarations

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Unlike kanye, I am not a God. The rapper released a song this week in which he claims to be a god. I am a human being. I am prone to wander, susceptible to sicknesses, frail. I have moments when I shine, than those other times when I suck. Welcome to the human race. But that does not make me weak, because I know who is God and He has promised me a victorious life. I am more than a conqueror. I’m afflicted in every way – but I am not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not destroyed. I may carry in my body the death of Christ, but because of His death I live. I’m sick, yet I’m healed. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Psalm 16:1 Therefore, I declare that I shall not be moved by: the snare of the fowler… from all the devices of Satan… lies, slander, evil plots and conspiracies the deadly pestilence… …

Hold On

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I know you’re praying for a change To see a sunny day Nothing good has come your way for so long You need someone to understand this place your heart is in You just want to dream again and believe Your skies may look dim and grey But know your breakthrough’s not far away So hold on You are too close to give up now You have so much to live for Remember what you prayed for Hold on, please don’t let go in this season Know that flowers bloom when rain falls You just hold on Writers: James Fortune, Cheryl Fortune, Terence Vaughn Lead Vocals: Monica Brown, Fred Hammond

5 Things that get a great leader snubbed

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I often ask myself why some of the smartest people in the world are not the ones calling the shots or running the show? Why is it that some people with great ideas and awesome resume don’t get their projects and ideas approved or get that promotion based on their smarts. Why do they get smack down or shuffled off into other departments in a company or just get completely ignored? Being smart and full of good ideas are not the only things that get you noticed and keeps you productive and ahead of your peers. Character is the most important trait you could ever possess. It is rather unfortunate that most smart people get smacked down or get ignored, but it is a reality. From my observation, there are five crucial reasons: Arrogance, Ego, Insincerity, and Over-selling of self and Insubordination. Let’s unpack these: Arrogance Unfortunately most arrogant driven people don’t even realize it. They don”t even have to say a word, because their attitude speaks louder. They are snobbish, and love making others …

two unchangeable things about God

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So that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. Hebrews 6:18 How certain are the promises of God? The writer of the book of Hebrews claims that the certainty of God’s promises are guaranteed by God’s own perfectly trustworthy character. To illustrate this and prove the certainty of God’s promises, the writer uses Abraham as an example of one who through faith and much patience inherited the promises of God. As if that illustration was not enough, the writer makes a bold statement about two unchangeable things about God. What are they? And how important are they? The two unchangeable things are: God’s promise/purpose God’s Oath one deals with the fact that all the promises of God are yes! and the other is more like an assurance that he will certainly deliver on what he promised. Hebrews 6:13 says, “For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had …

11 Things God is able to do

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Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us. The word “Able” is translated from the word dunatos (in turn from dunamai) which refers to the power one has by virtue of inherent ability and resources. “Able” describes that which has sufficient or necessary power, means, skill, or resources to accomplish an objective. I am completely persuaded that God is Able God is able to create something out of nothing God is able from these stones to raise up children. Matthew 3:9 God is able to make all grace abound to you God is able to make all grace abound to you… having all-sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8 God is able to deliver God whom we serve is able to save us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will carry us out of your hand… Daniel 3:17 God is able to give you strength to …