Are you a fan or a follower of Christ?

Welcome to my blog! I pray that this portion will strengthen, edify, and encourage you!

I want to come to you all this week with a simple but yet powerful question: and that question is,  Are you a fan, or a follower of Christ?  In this blog, I will provide biblical references to help you analyze your life. Remember, if after reading this blog you are convicted even to the slightest bit, take the time to ask God to come into your heart and to strengthen and finish the work that He has started in you. Now, if after reading this blog, you are well comfortable with your state and are indeed convinced that you are a true follower, Glory be to God! As Apostle Paul said, Continue on the good fight and finish the race!

 Scripture of Focus: Luke 9:23
"Then He said to them all; whoever wants to be my disciple, must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me!" 

It is sad to say that today, there is vague line between the world and the church. The Church contrary to popular beliefs is not just a building with people in it. Revelation 19 gives a clear description of the Church; which are those that are "bright and pure". For description purposes,  I will use a lower case "c" for what this generation considers as the 'church' and will use upper case "C" when speaking about the Bride of Christ."Fans" have simply watered down the Gospel of Jesus Christ and have even caused many to fall astray. To add on to this, churches have just become another place of gathering to binge on emotions and feelings-not to mention the regular out-spurs of adrenaline.

Please be aware that God is not a God that can be mocked (Galatians 6:7). In Luke 9: 23, we see a command that has been given. It is not a recommendation, but rather an obligation to those who yearn to be part of the Church (Bride of Christ). As a true follower of Christ, we must learn how to deny ourselves-not just on a weekly and monthly basis-not just when we are at church, not even just when we are alone- but on a daily basis. In 1 Samuel 15:22, we read that "obedience is better than sacrifice"  but it is empirical that CHRIST-ians understand that without obedience there is no sacrifice. In choosing to honor God through obedience, there needs to be a transformation outwardly but most importantly, inwardly. Jesus made it clear that the flesh is always at war with the Spirit. Therefore we must be quick to discern the desires of the flesh versus the Spirit. In the case of a "fan" they want to live as much as they can in the flesh but still be able to connect with God in the Spirit. You cannot be partly light and partly darkness-for darkness cannot stand in light!

You cannot be a follower of Christ and to continually find yourself playing the hockey pokey with the Gospel of Christ- you are only fooling yourself! A lot of people have taken Romans 3:23 to mean that they can continually live in sin by just confessing. My friend, you are only fooling yourself. The word says that the gate to Heaven is narrow and broad and wide is the way to destruction. Whoever has told you that being a TRUE follower would be a piece of cake lied to you. In this road, you will be tempted, you will get persecuted (matter of fact, if you are truly serving God, you WILL get persecuted 2 Timothy 3:12-). You sometimes will be ostracized, criticized and called out of your name all for the Gospel's sake! You will be pushed and stomped on by many that claim to be "spiritual" (but please keep in mind that the spirit realm is more real than the natural and that apart from the Holy Spirit, people can also be filled with all sorts of spirits)-you will face what I would like to call the Elijah trauma (please read the book of Elijah for more explanation). . but the marvelous things is about those circumstances, if you are a true follower, all those things will be as vapor- because you will know greater is what awaits you in Glory than anything this world has to offer. If you are a true Follower, you will seek to preach the NON-COMPROMISING Gospel of Christ Jesus- no matter what the cost! You will not seek to get praise from any for you will know that it is by Him and through Him alone that you have your being. To be a follower does not mean glitz and glamour and gold- but rather to follow means to SERVE. As a servant, going to Sunday morning services will no longer fulfill your "duty" as a CHRIST-ian but instead you will be eager to set out on a mission to accomplish the Great Commission (*See Matthew 28:16-20).

So Are you a fan or a follower? Don't let the bumper sticker on your car, or the mug on your office desk- or the "I'm a good Christian facade" scream out you're a Christian. Instead, although we acknowledge that we have all fallen short of God's Glory, WE DON'T HAVE TO STAY FALLEN!! Don't become one of those life alert messages that screams out "I've fallen but I can't get up!" At the Pearl gate, Jesus will spit out the fans and will  welcome the true followers. So get up and pick up His cross and Follow Him! Live for the one that died for you and I promise you, your life will never be the same.

What a Beautiful Exchange!

Imagine someone making the conscious decision to offer a pure, living sacrifice; not just any sacrifice but the life of their ONLY son for your life. Imagine a love that is so wide that it stretches beyond the east and the west. Imagine a love so pure that it breaks the yoke! Well, I have great news for you! You don't have to imagine much longer because this is your reality TODAY!

Before we go on any further, I pray that this divine word will bring forth edification to your life. I pray that the words will manifest and reproduce in your Spirit in Jesus Name! 

Scripture of Focus: Isaiah 61:3 The verse says " I (God) will give unto them the beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He (God) may be glorified."

( Now read the verse again and replace the word "they" with your name)

First and foremost it is crucial to understand that the Holy Word is in fact God (John 1:1). Therefore, I write these words not out of my own understand but by the power of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps I don't know you nor the situation you have been facing, but I know someone who knows you! I know someone who literally died to set you free of any danger and have won the victory over your battles! I know someone who has overcome your sickness and pain because "by His stripes [you] are healed!" (Isaiah 53:5) I know someone who has made the promise to supply all of our needs according to His riches in Glory! (And let me tell you- He has lots and lots of riches!)

Allow me to introduce you to this special Someone. His name is none other than the Almighty Powerful Living God! In John 14:2, Jesus says, Our father's house has many rooms and He has gone up to prepare a special place for you and I. So why are you fighting and struggling against the complexities of this life? If you are going through something that seems unending-know that it really is just an illusion! The devil tries to keep you busy worrying because he knows if you began to praise God in your current situation that God Himself will show up and trade in your ashes for beauty! He says that He will pour oil of joy for your mourning!That's a beautiful exchange! I don't know about you, but I want to be in that number! I want to be counted in the blessings of the Lord.

"Well how can I be a partaker of this beautiful exchange" you might ask. The first step is to accept and acknowledge Jesus as your personal savior. The second step is- just as Jesus died to live in the Spirit (though He sinned not), you yourself must make a daily sacrifice to also live in the Spirit so the Holy Spirit will dwell in you. Then- and ONLY then will you be able to bind and loose things into your life as it states in Matthew 18:18 "Truly I tell you whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." The victory has been won and God out of His Grace has made the most beautiful exchange- He has given up the life of His son so that you might have life- and have it in ABUNDANCE! Receive it!!

The Strength to Endure

Hi guys! Welcome to my blog. Surely you are not on here by accident. I pray that this blog will not only edify you but will also give you the tools needed to exhort others in the same manner.

Just a back story to what really motivated me on this particular topic; I was sitting in my room recently and was just talking to God and all of a sudden, out of no where, temptation just began to formulate in my mind. It was not surprising that the thoughts came- what surprised me the most was how QUICKLY God responded to the attack. As the thoughts began to unravel, The Holy Spirit quickly began to remind me of the endurance and perseverance Jesus had when the devil tempted Him not once, not twice, but three times in Matthew 4.

• "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "if you are the son of God, tell these stones to become Bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: Man Shall not live on Bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."  (Please read the whole passage Matthew 4) 

Surely that passage brought revelation to my spirit on the promises of God unto us. The word of God says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind." Before I go on with the rest of the verse, it is interesting to know that the "temptations" we go through are very common to everyone else out there. One way the devil attacks us is;  after projecting the thoughts in our minds, he tries to blame us by making us feel like we're dirty, not worthy, and that we are the only ones battling against certain thoughts, situations and emotions. .rest assured that- that is a complete LIE! The number one way we self destruct is through our thought patterns. In effect, the devil will attack your mind by giving the illusion that because you are tempted, you are less than everyone else. Ever wonder why suicidal rates have skyrocketed in the past decade? Ever wonder why more and more teens are now turning to cutting themselves and drugs just to "feel like themselves"? Its all the work of the devil. He knows if he can attack your mind he can surely attack your life, your purpose and can eventually lead you to hell. The next part of the verse (1 Corinthian 10:13) spoke to me the loudest; God Himself says "He will not let [us] be tempted beyond what we can bear. But when [we] are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that [we] can endure." Wow. God knows us so much, He knows our human nature so well (after all He did create us), that He would create a way out of the temptations the devil throws our way. I remember one time someone asked me if temptation was sin and the answer is NO- temptation is NOT sin. Temptation is the testing of your faith.Though temptation is not sinning, it can lead to sin if we do not persevere in faith believing that God already has a way out and by actually following through with the plans of the Lord.  James explains this perfectly in the Book of James the first chapter by saying "Consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith produces perseverance." He goes on in verse 12 to say "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because having stood the "test" (temptation) that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him". Some of you might ask, well sister Rebecca, " Since God created me, why would He allow me to be tempted in the first place?" Fret not my friends, the Word of God has the answer to your question- lets take a journey back to Eden. I'm sure you know the story of Adam and Eve and how the sneaky snake found its way in the garden and "tempted" Eve. Now the snake did not "make" Eve eat the fruit. She had a choice. Same thing with Adam- he had a choice to resist the temptation-but they failed and therefore fell into sin. The same logic applies to our lives. You must "choose" to endure the temptations of the devil- and the only way that's possible is if you have the Holy Word engraved on your heart. Going back to the beginning of this blog, I wrote that God  QUICKLY responded to the attack and the way He did that was by reminding me of the verse I sited above (Matthew 4). I highlighted "reminded" because notice how I had to have the verse somewhere in my mind before it could be regenerated fully. There is no way you can flee from temptation if you do not have the Word of God as the first resource to help withstand the attacks of the devil. 

In conclusion, I know it can be a struggle to keep right and to walk fully in alignment with God- especially for those that are not daily feeding their souls with the Word of God. But Glory be to God, He has promised a way out of the temptations we face. We are all susceptible to temptation and because of that, it's crucial to be drenched with the presence of the Holy Spirit. Sad to say, we are living in a generation that gives more importance to everything else but the Word of God. But I know after reading this post, God will bring revelation to you on how to be prepared for war (See Ephesians 6:12). The next time temptation comes creeping at your door, make sure you are equipped enough to persevere and win the fight because your crown of life awaits. Let no thought, no one, no situation steal your crown. 

Have you found the one? Waiting on God for the right one? Post break-up syndromes?

Hi guys! Welcome to my blog. I wanted to make this post a little more informal than usual just because I wanted to share my thoughts in a very clear way and wanted to make sure that you guys are able to easily identify the points that I will bring up.

This blog will be of an interest to you if 

-You are waiting on your husband/ wife

-Are in a relationship and are looking to take things a step further

-Are going through the "post breakup syndrome" 

*If you fit in any of these categories, please  read on- and if you don't still read on* :) 

Going from a Biblical standpoint, we see that God loves marriage and  has called us to marriage. What I mean by that is, if you are waiting on your husband/ wife, you are not alone and God wants you to be married! 

Genesis 2:18

The Lord God said "It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." 

• Those that are waiting on God for the right person: Are you waiting in God as much as you are waiting on God to bring you the marriage which you desire? It is easy to ask God to bring us the perfect person, but in your wait for the perfect person, are you really working on perfecting yourself so that when he/she comes you won't run them off? And if you are with the person whom you "think" God has called you to be with for the rest of your life, have you stopped seeking God's presence in that relationship to know if that's truly His will? What can you do during your singleness to exemplify your relationship with God? Are you maximizing your time, your worship, your interaction with God so that when He/She comes you'll know that He/She is the one? If you are waiting in God as much as you are waiting on God to reveal that person to you, the process will be more satisfying and way more rewarding once God reveals that man/woman of God to you because then there will be no doubt that he/she is the one for you. 

• To those that are  "post breakup" - you risked your heart, shared your life, bought the gifts, made the memories and dreamed dreams together- and it fell apart. There are hundreds just like you who go through this trauma daily- you are not alone. This experience can be one of the toughest experiences- so don't beat yourself up. But what's next? In Romans 8:28 we see that "All things work together for those that love the Lord, those that are called according to His purpose." Know that where you are right now was appointed unto you for God's divine planning for your life. You are not out of sequence and God has not forgotten about you! Every valley that you've went through is preparing you for the view at the top of the mountain! Every situation is shaping your character, molding your integrity, fixing you up to be ready for the person that God has in store for you. Speaking from experience, I know break ups can be a dark, emotional, rollercoaster. But know that time heals and God heals FASTER! Get into God's presence and seek Him while you wait on the right one so you won't waste any more time with the wrong one! 
• To those that are in a relationship and want to take it a step further (Marriage)  You've been with this person for a while now and you've gotten 'comfortable' and you 'think' they might be the one so you're deciding to take it a step further to engagement. First and foremost (speaking from the basis of the Holy Word) know that God created marriage as a sacred covenant and a ministry. You cannot tend to a marriage part time. Marriage is a full time/ 24 hour, LIFETIME commitment. Have you sought God to really know if that person is the one you're CALLED to be with or are you just making the decision based on circumstances? Have you spent enough time seeking God through the word to know what is expected in a marriage? Could you see yourself supporting your husband/wife's ministry? These are just a few questions to ask yourself before making this decision. Again, marriage is a beautiful thing. God favors and has called us to be married, but marriage with the wrong person can be a nightmare. Seek God to know His divine will for your life. .and ask Him to reveal to you who YOUR man/woman of God is. 

In conclusion, I have spoken to taken, single, married individuals on the subject of relationships (or lack thereof) and what I've concluded is that before we start seeking/ searching for the right person to love us, we must learn to love ourselves, and before we can ever learn to do that, we must learn to love and be dedicated to God for only through Him can we know what true Love really is.