When you are invited to an event, you feel wanted. You know the person thought enough of you to share in the moment they have created for themselves. You’re free to mingle and converse with the other guests without any reservations.

On the flip side, if you’re not invited, thoughts cross your mind about the relationship between you and the host or if you were invited at the last minute, your mind begins to wonder if the hosts really wanted you there. That may have not been the case but our flesh will have a plan an entire scenario that is wrong.

Have you ever showed up uninvited to an event? How did it make you feel? Were you welcomed? Was the point you were trying to prove of any value or did it make matters worse?

It’s a fact of life that when a relationship is forced, there is no true expression of real love and sincerity. But when you want to be with someone, you are willing to take them as they are, and work together as being one.

Come to me… (Matthew 11:28)
Draw near to me…(James 4:8)
Choose this day…(Joshua 24:15)
Follow me…(Luke 9:23)

All of these are examples of invitations that the Lord has given us. The Lord wants us to want Him in our lives. He will not just show up as an uninvited guest.

If we are to have a relationship with Jesus, that means we are in constant communication with Him. For example:

• Did you ask Him to help you prepare for the stressful meeting on your job? 
• Did you ask Him to help with identifying a solution to the problem? 
• Did you ask Him to help you articulate clearly what has to be said and done? 
• Did you ask if He would protect your children, open their understanding to learn and not to be intimidated by their classmates if they need to ask a question or obtain clarity? Or…did you just send them to the bus stop? 
• Did you ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in HIS word today, so that you can encourage those He would send to you for direction? 
• Did you ask Him to help you determine what must be accomplished today? 

Wait- before we get all technical, did you even speak to Him this morning?

Rejection isn’t just an emotion. It’s a message that we send when we do not feel like being bothered.

What message did you send to the Lord today? Do you think He felt accepted or rejected? Well, Jesus sent us an invitation. Did you accept or reject?

“Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.” John‬ ‭6:35, 37‬ ‭NLT‬‬

If you are a parent and you ask your child to do something, before they open their mouth, their physical demeanor can depict a sign of disrespect. Have you ever had to collect yourself, because the response from your child caught you off guard?

How would you feel if I told you, you have been disrespectful to God?

For they turned away from following him. They have no respect for any of his ways. Job 34:27 (NLT)

We ignore the boundaries. One of the biggest boundaries is sin. How dare we approach our Father, without true repentance and separation from sin?

Did you ever have a “worst” enemy? Someone you knew was out to make your life miserable? Someone you avoided at all costs because you knew it would result in someone getting seriously hurt? Satan is a total disrespect to God and he is our worse enemy. The Lord knows if we continue to “hang” with the enemy, we will get seriously hurt. 

God, the Father CLEARLY says that we cannot come to Him, without going through Jesus. Our behavior becomes prideful. Our prayers become selfish, placing our needs and desires before the purpose He has for us to fulfill. Sure, Jesus says to ask, but before asking for Him to do something for you, did you ask Him, what would He have for you to do?

Do you know what would please our Father most? Do you know how we can demonstrate our respect for Him? By respecting His Son, Jesus and the sacrifices He has made. Our relationship with God, our Father was restored by the blood of Jesus Christ.

For, there is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5 (NLT)

Without respect, love is lost. Don’t lose your love for Jesus. Our life depends on our relationship with Him.

Hunger and thirst. What does this mean to our physical bodies? The two most urgent needs of the body are used as an example to satisfy the cravings of our spiritual life.

Matthew 5:6
Bless are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.

Hunger and thirst are different, but they are both required to live. A lack in either results in malnourishment, serious illness, and even death.

Why is hungering and thirsting such a good illustration? Because as water and food is to the body, so righteousness is to the spiritual life. Throughout life, we search all kinds of ways to be filled or satisfied, but we always end up falling short.

All of us are hungry and thirsty; the problem is that we try to fill that emptiness and hunger with things other than the righteousness of God. Some of you reading this are feeling empty. You are trying to fill that spiritual void in your life. In fact, it was a God-shaped void, to bring you to your first love, Jesus; but we are spending our money on things that do not satisfy. We try to satisfy ourselves with money, power, education, intimacy, boyfriends, girlfriends, and earthly possessions that allow us fun and entertainment for a time, but yet all these things lead to a deeper void and a deeper longing for satisfaction. 

To be hungry is not enough. We need to be starving after righteousness. What is righteousness? Simply a desire to know JESUS. If we recognize our severe lack can only be fulfilled through JESUS, then maybe we won’t become so easily pleased (or distracted) with temporary fulfillment.

“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭34:8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

It’s Friday. I love Friday. It is the start of the weekend. 

Although the weekend is usually filled with some sort of church meeting or rehearsal, it still gives me a break from the regular routine. We can sleep in a little later, the kids are at home with us (I like when my kids are out of school- IJS), and we have a little more free time. 

It is also a time where typically, I can get my hair or nails done. Who does not like a little pampering? I love how a stylist can transform and tame this mane on my head and make it flow in the wind- sheer beauty. Whooo whooo. 

We as a society are primarily concerned with outward beauty. Our eyes gravitate to what looks good. If I see some fried chicken on a buffet, where the skin looks oily, greasy and old as opposed to crispy…don’t nobody want none of THAT! Uh uh! The mannequin displays in the store windows seek to catch the attention of the consumer that is passing by. The images on instagram of the clothing from the boutique stores make you believe that the outfit will look JUST like that on you. 👀

The Lord cares about beauty as well. If He did not, why would He create so many beautiful flowers, the wonder of the skies and heavens at dusk, or even you?

There is one form of beauty that He simply adores: the beauty of holiness. The beauty of architecture, clothing, and physical appearance he does not regard; but rather moral and spiritual beauty is what our Father delights in. 

Worship! The beauty of worship. It comes from a pure heart, like the finest of white linen. It is transparent and sincere which then leads to selfless prayers and your deepest praise. 

“O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭96:9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Holiness is the garment of royalty. Beauty is its description. What apparel did you put on this morning? 

“Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful.” Psalms‬ ‭33:1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Have you ever had a stomach virus? It starts with one person in your household and then somehow it spreads rapidly. I know about this little big all too well. It seems to run rampid through my house, from having a kid I just about every age group. If one experiences the virus, best believe a couple days later, one of the other children will go through it.

While making its round through the house, have you noticed that the stomach Gurkha does not work its way back to you again? It seems that our bodies become immune to the virus. 

 Just as our bodies fight off viruses and illnesses, we have to fight off sin. We have to become immune to sin. 

What is our immune system in the Lord?

Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

To become immune to anything, you have to fight it off! We should get to the point that our spiritual immune systems are so strong, when we see sin approaching, our minds and bodies are able to dodge the darts like the characters from the movie The Matrix. 

Persevere and keep fighting for your life! You have been given the tools to win, use them. 

When stress and tension begin to feel overwhelming, we resort to habits that have been used as crutches. Especially, when it comes to matters of the heart. 

When our hearts have been deserted and left to have a faint beat, we go back to our coping strategies. These are basically habits. We resort to not caring about what we say or do to innocent bystanders, who are left to manage the wrath of our pain, of which they know absolutely nothing about nor had anything to do with. 

On today, do not hold yourself hostage by the fear of brokenness. There is actually beauty in this phase of life- there is beauty in your brokenness. Would you like to know why?

Because you are at a place in life, where you can settle into stillness. 

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalms‬ ‭46:10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Now, you can truly fall into the hands of Jesus, as He performs heart surgery, rendering your pieces fully functional again as one new whole being. 

“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41:10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

It is not only okay to be broken, but it is beautiful. It is a place of recovery and a place where you can witness the hand of the Lord mending the pieces back together. You’ll be able to witness that it was no one but God, who saved you. 

“He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭147:3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

It’s not fair! 

If we be honest, life does not always seem fair. Have you ever taken inventory of your life and  where you are in comparison to others and wondered why they were succeeding and you appeared to be suffering? 

• Why is my job threatened while they’re being promoted? 
• Why is their child excelling and my children are rebelling?
• Why are they married and I am still single?
• Why does their marriage appear to be flourishing and mine is on the brink of divorce?
• Why are they healthy and I am suffering through this disease?

This type of attitude is wrong and can even lead us to wonder if God really cares for us. 

We cannot allow our minds to create stories based upon our experiences. Get to the heart of the problem: You’re story is fueled by either a lack of faith or by you operating in the flesh, making moves without the guidance of God. 

Let’s be realistic. We really do not know what is good or bad for us. We only know what we want. What we want is based on what we see others having.  

A promotion on your job, could’ve led you to become prideful, no longer seeking the face of God. 

The spouse that you wanted could’ve led you to making THAT person your God, and losing your purpose that must be fulfilled. 

The producer of a movie does not give the movie goer the end of the movie from the beginning.  The conclusion of a book is not written before the introduction.  We never see the whole picture of our lives  at the beginning, which causes us to create a misleading conclusion. 

Have faith in the goodness of your Father. Above all else, you belong to Jesus and His plans and desires for you are to make you whole. Anything that would separate you from Him or lead you down the path of destruction, He will block it. 

Rest in the assurance that God is for you and has everything to do with you! 

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”‭‭II Peter‬ ‭1:2-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Life may seem to be unfair but what is far worse is the unfair treatment and lack of trust that our Savior receives from us. 

ROMANS 15:7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

We have only two choices, accept people, or reject them. When you realize this, it may change the way you treat people.

When we criticize or condemn people, we communicate rejection. When we try to change people, it communicates that they are not good enough for us, that we don’t like them.

What happens when you don’t accept people as they are? It feeds the lie that they are no good and have no value.

When someone feels rejected, they tend to reject those who reject them, and what they represent. So when Christians communicate rejection to sinners, they assume God is rejecting them, and tend to reject God because they think He rejects them.

Whenever you reject someone, you have set yourself up as their judge, something only God is truly qualified to do.

Do you recall what Jesus did for you?

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

When we had it all wrong, Jesus made it right. He did not reject us but instead died for us. 

People are hurting. Usually they know they need to change, to be better, and to do better. What they have not discovered is a way they can change. That is where we come in. 

Only God’s unconditional love can give them the strength they need to have hope. 

Every time we meet someone, we are faced with a choice: love them or judge them. The position of a judge has already been taken. 

James 4:12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? 

We therefore can be the beacon of love. 

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” ‭‭I John‬ ‭4:7, 11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Only God can really change people. Our job is to love them and help them.

Good morning. Before we can go out into the world to compel others. Before we can tell any mountain to move. Before we can break down walls and barriers setup by the enemy himself.  Before we can impact anyone’s life. Before we can make the decision to be led by the Lord through our actions, we must begin at home. It all starts with some time set aside to commune and speak with our Father. With that, let us pray. 

Oh My Father in Heaven. We come to say thank you on this morning. We thank you for who you are and not for what you do. For we know, having had earthly parents, their responsible for providing for us as children and taking care of us. Therefore, asking you to take care of the things we need to make it in this world, is needless unless…we have allowed ourselves to become that disobedient child who is uncertain that their parent will assist. 

On today, allow us to remain focused on you. Allow us to recognize the plans and schemes of the enemy as they unfold and to combat them before they are implemented. Help us to recall your word, your requirements of us and how we should represent you BEFORE we take action. In other words, with the aid of your Spirit leading and guiding us, we have the ability to be proactive and not reactive. 

Touch the minds of our youth and our children. Allow us to deliver the word – your word, to them so that it is clearly evident that you are for them and that you can relate to what they are dealing with in life. The enemy is trying hard to destroy them- taking over their minds. Insomuch, that they feel as if life is hopeless and worthless. They are depressed, suicidal, hurt, and angry. Some of them have never had a proper introduction to you and therefore do not know what it means to draw strength and love from you. We give ourselves away for us to make a love connection between you and our babies. 

We also ask that you keep the minds of the teachers, bus drivers, administrators, principles, custodians, and aides to have the mental capacity to deny themselves and their issues while being able to plant seeds of empowerment, knowledge and growth into the children. 

We love you without constraints and restrictions. We thank you for allowing us to enter into your presence to worship and commune with you. We thank you for loving us enough to reconnect and re-establish a relationship with us. When we were deliberate in rejecting you, you were deliberate in giving us grace and mercy. When we were deliberate in rejecting your authority, you were deliberate in demonstrating your power. When we were deliberate in embracing your enemy, you were deliberate in pulling us out of the fire. When we were deliberate in throwing it all away, you were deliberate in giving it all back to us. We won’t take this opportunity for granted. 

I humbly ask that you accept this prayer. In Jesus name, amen. 

I love you Jesus! And I awake my soul to purpose- your purpose!