I AM RE-POSTING THIS FOR SOMEONE THAT MAY NEED TO HEAR THIS.  I PRAY THAT YOU WILL BE BLESSED BY THIS MESSAGE.  HAVE A MAGNIFICENT DAY!

FOR MANY YEARS MY HEART HAS BEEN TO SHARE JESUS WITH  OTHERS.  I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW HOW WONDERFUL IT IS TO BE A CHRISTIAN AND HOW IT WILL TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY CHANGE YOUR LIFE.  I WAS RAISED IN CHURCH AND I LOVED GOING TO CHURCH.  MY PARENTS NEVER HAD TO MAKE ME GET UP AND GET READY TO GO, IT WAS A PLACE I WAS DRAWN TO. MY FIRST PASTOR WAS A FEMALE..YES A FEMALE..AND SHE LOVED THE LORD WITH ALL OF HER BEING.  HER NAME WAS REVEREND FARRAH IN BELLEVILLE, NEW JERSEY.  THE NAME OF THE CHURCH WAS LITTLE ZION AND IT WAS LOCATED ON STEVENS STREET.  OF COURSE I HAD BEEN TO OTHER CHURCHES, BUT THAT PLACE WAS SO FULL OF THE LOVE OF GOD.  NO ONE IN THERE WAS PERFECT, BUT YOU KNEW YOU WERE LOVED.

I FINALLY ACCEPTED CHRIST WHEN I WAS 15 AND REVEREND FARRAH BAPTIZED ME IN MONTCLAIR NEW JERSEY.  WHEN SHE TOOK ME DOWN IN THE WATER AND SAID “I BAPTIZE YOU IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, SON AND HOLY GHOST”…SHE PULLED ME UP, LOOKED ME STRAIGHT IN MY EYES AND TO MY SURPRISE AND PARTIAL FEAR…SHE DID IT AGAIN.  I DON’T KNOW TO THIS DAY WHY SHE DID THAT, BUT SHE SAW SOMETHING.

WHEN I WAS 18 I BACK SLID WHILE STILL IN CHURCH..SINGING ON THE CHOIR AND STILL LOVING JESUS.  I WAS NOT LIVING THE LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN, BUT ON SUNDAY I WAS IN CHURCH.   YET IN STILL I WAS NOT LIVING THE LIFE THAT JESUS DIED FOR ME TO LIVE.  IT WOULD AMAZE ME THAT PEOPLE WOULD ASK ME IF I WAS A CHRISTIAN AND I WOULD SAY YES…ALMOST TOO QUICKLY AT TIMES. I ALWAYS WANTED TO HELP SOMEONE AND I KNEW IN MY HEART THAT I WAS NOT BEING WHO I WAS CREATED TO BE.  I KNEW THAT I WAS NOT EVEN LIVING THE LIFE MY PARENTS RAISED ME TO LIVE.

WHEN I WAS 26 I REDEDICATED MYSELF TO THE LORD.  I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT DAY.  IT WAS A SUNDAY MORNING AND EASTER DAY.  MY SISTER-IN-LAW BRENDA AND HER HUSBAND HUMPHREY WERE WITH ME THAT DAY.  WE WERE ALL AT GILL CREEK BAPTIST CHURCH IN COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, WHERE PASTOR NEAL PRESIDED …….AND HE DID AN ALTAR CALL LIKE HE DID EVERY SUNDAY, BUT ON THIS DAY MY HEART WAS BEING PULLED TO THE FRONT AND OF COURSE MY BODY HAD TO FOLLOW.  BRENDA AND HUMPHREY CAME UP TOO.  WE WERE ALL RE BAPTIZED AND IT WAS WONDERFUL.  I WILL NEVER EVER FORGET IT.  FROM THAT MOMENT MY LIFE CHANGED.

THE THREE OF US ALONG WITH OUR KIDS WOULD GO TO REED STREET, WHICH AT THAT TIME WAS A ROUGH AREA AND WITNESS TO PEOPLE.  WE WOULD SET UP IN AN EMPTY LOT WITH BARS ALL AROUND.  SOMEONE ASKED ME ONCE IF I WAS AFRAID AND I TOLD THEM THAT GOD WAS IN ME, WENT BEFORE ME AND SURROUNDED ME, SO NO, I WAS NOT AFRAID.  I MISS SHARING THE WORD OF GOD WITH OTHERS, SO I HAVE DECIDED THAT IN THE AGE OF BLOGS I COULD STILL SHARE AND PRAYERFULLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS WORLD.

THIS BLOG SITE WILL BE UPDATED FROM TIME TO TIME WITH NEW MESSAGES.  SOME OF THEM WILL BE MESSAGES THAT GOD GAVE ME TO TEACH IN THE PAST; SOME WILL BE MESSAGES I HAVE HEARD; LIFES EXPERIENCES; AND NEW MESSAGES THAT GOD HAS PUT IN MY HEART TO SHARE.  IF ANYONE HAS A REQUEST OF A MESSAGE THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE POSTED,  PLEASE LET ME KNOW.   THIS BLOG SITE WILL NOT BE ABOUT POLITICS OR ABOUT BASHING ANYONE ELSE.  I SIMPLY WANT TO SHARE WHAT HAS BEEN ON MY HEART FOR YEARS TO SHARE AND LIKE I SAID TO PRAYERFULLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN SOMEONES LIFE.

IF AFTER READING A MESSAGE AND SOMETHING TOUCHES YOUR LIFE OR THE LIFE OF SOMEONE YOU SHARE IT WITH, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.  I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.  I WILL NOT RESPOND TO ANY NEGATIVE POSTS, SO IF YOU GO IN THAT DIRECTION, KNOW IN ADVANCE THAT YOU WILL NOT HEAR FROM ME.  THANK YOU ALL IN ADVANCE FOR BEING A PART OF THIS BLOG MINISTRY. GOD BLESS.

What it means to be saved

Salvation is a free gift that The Lord God gave, but you have to accept it.  Jesus came to save us from sin and the only way to God is through Jesus.  Some people think if they join a church, sing on the choir, preach, teach, usher, etc. that they are saved.  The problem with that is that your works mean nothing without Jesus,

Some folks say, well I am a good person or I give my "tithe" every Sunday or I have been Baptized,  When some are asked if they are a Christian,,,They will say I go to such a such church.  All of that is great if you first excepted Jesus as your personal Savior.

I remember Pastor Holcomb, from a church in Texas where I lived for a few years, gave an awesome example using a true story.  During one of the world series a hitter struck what he thought was a home run. He ran around 1st, 2nd, 3rd and then home...as he slid into home base and everyone was cheering,  the umpire said " you're out".  Havoc swept the crowd and the runner couldn't believe what the umpire had said.  When the noise died down, the umpire explained "you didn't touch first base" so you are OUT.

Can you imagine standing before the Lord and He tells you that you are out!  You start to tell him about all of your good works, how active you were in church, your community, etc. He listens and then says "Yes you did all of those things but you didn't do the most important thing and that was to accept Me as your Lord and Savior!!! You didn't "touch" First base First"!!!!!

God made it very easy and He explained it very clearly in the Bible.  Don't make it hard.  You don't have to quit this or that.  Accept Christ as your Savior to be born-again, saved!  Then find a church that teaches Jesus and is filled with the Holy Spirit and I don't mean shouting, hollering, dancing, running around, speaking in tongues; although there is nothing wrong with any of that, but make sure that Jesus is in the House.

To Be Truly Saved

What does it mean to be truly saved?  Some folks say you have to belong to a certain church, Others

say you have to worship this way or that.  Still others say that you have to stop doing this or that and

 if you don't then you aren't saved. There are so many conditions that "people" put on other people,

 but let's check out what Jesus says cause that is all that matters.

Romans 10:9 says that "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart

that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved",

It says will be not maybe or that you had to jump through hoops to get saved.  You don't even have to

confess that to anyone else, just God.

John 3:16 says "That God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever

believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life".  That means everyone...that means you

and that means me.  We are all a whosoever.

When God sent Jesus He came for everyone.  We were saved by Jesus and not people so ask God for

wisdom as you begin to study and learn about salvation and all that it brings.  Find a local church

that teaches the Word of God and welcomes Jesus.  Remember that you are loved and adored by

Almighty God.

GET PAST YOUR PAST

THERE ARE GOING TO BE TIMES WHEN WE LOOK BACK AND WISH WE HAD DONE

DIFFERENTLY WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER.  IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW YOUNG OR

OLD WE ARE, WE WILL BE REMINDED OF OUR PAST MISTAKES.

THE ENEMY, OUR FRIENDS, OURSELVES AND EVEN OUR FAMILY WILL AT TIMES

REMIND US OF THE PAST.

JESUS ON THE OTHER HAND WILL NEVER THROW OUR PAST IN OUR FACES.  HE

TOOK ALL OF OUR SINS TO CALVARY AND DIED FOR US.  GOD HAS FORGIVEN

US OF EVERYTHING IN OUR PAST.   WE CAN NOT CHANGE THE PAST SO DON'T

LIVE IN REGRET.

IF YOU WERE A DRUG ADDICT, ALCOHOLIC, PROSTITUTE, GOSSIP, WORRIER, ETC

JESUS HAS COVERED ALL OF THAT AND MORE WITH HIS BLOOD.  NOW WHAT WE

NEED TO DO IS GIVE OUR LIVES TO JESUS, FORGIVE OURSELVES AND GO FORWARD

AND LIVE OUR LIVES FOR CHRIST.

We Must Love Like Christ

Some of you may not like this message but it is written in love and not to impress or blend in with anyone.  Christ never told us to be pleaser's of men but to please God only.  We are however to love
people.  All people....black, white, brown, yellow, etc.  Gay, straight and even the atheist.  WHAT, even the atheist...YES!!! Jesus died for the whole world and God loves us ALL.  He doesn't like the sin we commit but He loves us.

People are not our enemy.  Now we do have an enemy that comes to kill, steal and destroy....and yes, he will use people if we let him....but they are not our enemy.  The enemy prevails when  we are not about our Father's business. None of us were born saved and yet so many Christians judge those that are not saved or people that do things we do not approve of.  Hate sin, but love the person.

Some Christians say they walk in this gift or that gift and still judge others.   I have never asked God for this gift or that but I asked Him to use me any way He wants to whenever He wants to and He has used me in every gift. There are times when He may need you to give a word of wisdom or some other gift but some are only set on the gift that they want to walk in and God will use someone else.

Walk in love, walk in wisdom, walk in peace, trust God, be sensitive to the Spirit of God and love others.   Then God will use you however He wants to.  Titles do not impress God....after all, He is God!!! We will be better witnesses when people see the love of Christ in us.

I pray that this message will be a blessing to those that truly want to reach the world for Christ. I love all of you.

God bless

STAND FIRM

I pray that my posts will encourage and inspire you.Today I am putting one of Joel Osteen's messages. Have a blessed day!


Fear not; stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will work for you today
(Exodus 14:13)


When you step out to do something big for God, the enemy will send challenges and distractions to knock you off course.  He may try to send you running, but you have a promise that God is working behind the scenes for you.  You'll be amazed at what God will do in your life when you stand and face your challenges and hold on to the promises found in His Word.

When you take a stand, you make a declaration of your faith in God and automatically raise that shield of faith, which extinguishes all the flaming arrows of the evil one (Ephesians 6:16).  So take a stand today, and stay on the course the Lord has set for you -- take a stand in your prayer life -- take a stand in your Bible study time -- take a stand in your acts of service and giving to others.  Take a stand and see the salvation and provision of the Lord in every area of your life!


Prayer for Today:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your promise to bring me through to victory.  I ask for Your strength as I take a stand to do what is right according to Your Word.  I know Your hand of blessing is upon my every act of obedience.  I bless Your name today and will seek to serve You in everything I do.

FORGIVENESS

I HAVE BEEN PRAYING FOR YEARS FOR DIFFERENT FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

THAT HAVE UN-FORGIVENESS IN THEIR HEARTS.  THEY ARE HOLDING ON TO PAST

HURTS, DISAPPOINTMENTS OR MISUNDERSTANDINGS.  IT IS NOT ONLY HURTFUL,

BUT THE BIBLE SAYS IN ORDER TO BE FORGIVEN WE MUST FORGIVE.

MOST OF THE TIME THE THINGS THAT WE HOLD AGAINST OTHER PEOPLE WE

WOULD NOT WANT SOMEONE TO HOLD AGAINST US.  I REMEMBER HEARING A

SERMON THAT SAID THAT WE JUDGE OTHERS BY THEIR ACTIONS AND OURSELVES

BY OUR INTENTIONS.  IN OTHER WORDS, WE SAY THAT ISN'T WHAT I INTENDED

OR I INTENDED TO DO THIS OR THAT WHILE WE TAKE WHAT THE OTHER PERON DID,

EVEN THOUGH IT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST, AS THEM DOING

IT ON PURPOSE.

WE HAVE ALL GOT TO COME TO A PLACE OF FORGIVENESS, NOT FOR THE OTHER

PERSON, BUT FOR OURSELVES.  WHEN WE WALK IN UN-FORGIVENESS WE ARE

DOING A FEW THINGS.  FIRST OF ALL WE ARE JUDGING PEOPLE WHEN ONLY

GOD IS THE ONE TRUE JUDGE.  SECOND WE ARE STOPPING THE BLESSINGS THAT

THE LORD HAS FOR YOU.  ALSO, THE PERSON OR PERSONS THAT WE ARE HOLDING

SOMETHING AGAINST IS MOVING ON WITH THEIR LIVES.

FORGIVE AND WALK IN PEACE!!