Answering The Call Is Never Comfortable

Matthew 4:21-22 MSG

21-22 A short distance down the beach they came upon another pair of brothers, James and John, Zebedee’s sons. These two were sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, mending their fishnets. Jesus made the same offer to them, and they were just as quick to follow, abandoning boat and father.

God has known us, since forever literally. Before we were formed in our mothers womb, before the earth was created. Even before he sent Jesus to die for our sin. He knew that one day he was going to call you. He knew what it was going to cost you.

He knew the answer. Most importantly he knew that your answer to the call would not be comfortable.

Jesus had just started preaching when he began to call disciples. He was walking beside the Sea of Galilee when he saw Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. He called them, he asked them to come and follow him. They did not hesitate, they dropped their nets and followed him. Later he saw James and John, sons of Zebedee. They had the same offer. They abandoned everything and followed Jesus.

They had no idea who Jesus was, but they knew someone had called for them. They had the choice to decline, but did not. They all left everything they knew, their daily routine, to do something they had never done before. They were losing their own lives, and agendas to answer the call.

Their level of comfortability immediately went from 10 to 0. They had began a journey and had no idea what they were getting into.

That is exactly how Christ does us. He calls us and we answer, and when we answer we often times have no idea what we are getting into. All we know is that our lives change, things become very uncomfortable. I feel as if we miss this one small point. When it is a God thing, it never destroys our peace. 

When God calls us out of our “norm” it shakes our flesh, but our spirit immediately begins to recognize that we are beginning to walk in our destiny. That is what the call is all about, Destiny! It is about forsaking what you know, what you have devopled about the world to see it as God sees it. Answering the call forces us to see life in a way we could not have seen it before. That is why it hurts, it is literally crucifying our flesh constantly.

Communing with Christ burns our flesh, and forces us into light even when were are comfortable being in the dark. 

Destiny is a journey, when we first begin to enter it, it feels like we are being stretched and pulled, because we are, were are being pulled out of what we know, into what God sees. God begins to empty us and fill us with his love, his strength, his power. The more of God we consume, the less flesh we operate in.

Destiny = Answering The Call

Many of us never get to this point in life because we do not want to give up what is required to follow Christ. Never realizing that living with Christ is costly but what will be gained has no price tag.

I challenge you to ask God what he wants for your life, rather than you making a plan and see where you end up…

Jeremiah 29:11-13

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

With Love, E

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Your Destiny Has A Price

Life can become so mediocre when you’re not operating as you have been called to operate. Work can become boring, school seems dull and your are overall just unhappy. Yet your heart and in your mind your destiny is calling you.

Moses lived the story of destiny. Moses was born a slave but grew up as royalty, he lived a lavish life and had anything he wished for even though he was not Pharaohs blood grandson. It was all natural until one day God began to reveal his true purpose. Moses’ purpose was to lead the Israelites out of bondage but he did not know what it was going to cost him. Though Moses had a calling it would require him to lose somethings, well almost everything that made him comfortable. He left his wealth, his power, and his position to answer the call of God.

People always highlight the parts in Exodus about the Israelites but no one talks about the pain and hardship Moses had to endure because of losing his family. He watched his family die because of disobedience. He carried the burden of knowing that if his family did not follow Gods commands it would lead destruction of Egypt and the loss of everything he once knew.

How many of us would reconsider if God told us that following your destiny would cause you to lose everything you knew?

Destiny Has A Price 

Same Goes for Noah, the only difference is he was able to take his family. Noah still lost his friends, everything he had built and worked for.

Are you ready to give up everything you desire, for what God desires? 

Life is all about purpose, we are born because of purpose, but walking into your destiny will hurt. There will be things you have to forsake, and things you have to change about yourself, BUT IT WILL BE WORTH IT!

Sacrifice in this season is essential for God to take you to the next level, being uncomfortable will become your home, but remember who you are, and whose you are. God will not fail you, and if you walk in obedience you cannot fail. Listen to the instructions God has given you and run with it. This is not the time for distractions, or detours. Follow God and don’t look back….

Your greater is not coming it’s already here. 

With Love, E

Be Great Anyway

You ever felt someone staring at you and wondered what their problem was? They see something you do not. They do not like what they see and what they see is greatness. 
Others always see what we don’t. They see the greatness before we even start walking in it. All we ever seem to speak of is the opposition it took or takes to accomplish a step to our dreams but that is to be expected. 

No one was ever great without struggle and I am sorry to break it to you but your no different. Bibibcally people struggled. Pharaoh didn’t have any idea what he was   looking at when he looked at Moses all he knew was he didn’t like what he represented or what he heard.
When what he was seeing and hearing was a reflection of God. 
There will be people who don’t like you because they see the God In you. If there is God in you, you have to be great because God is great. You have no other option. 

Your going to have to fight for this… This can not be bought nor can it be given but this level of greatness must be earned. You have to work for it. 

I know it’s hard and you want to quit but you can’t quit unless your dead and your reading this so your not. Sorry. 

Run This race and be obedient to God, but don’t forget to be efficient in everything you do. Take your time but be conscious of time you do not have time to procrastinate. Be diligent and do everything in the spirit of excellence. 

IF YOU STAY IN THE WILL OF GOD YOU  CANNOT FAIL, GOD DOES NOT FAIL!!

So go, go and be great because the God you serve is great. 

With Love, E

He is Strength in The Struggle

Do you have the strength to still say God is good in your struggle? 
Life will toss you and turn you and make you feel like God has left you but we must remember even in the midst of our struggle God is still good. 

Even in our struggle, God is still faithful. When things don’t work out in our favor God is still God and God is good. 

We often go through things in life that test us, and test our faith but we have to be strong and stand on the promises of God. This week alone I felt like I was failing, felt like I was going to have a panic attack, felt like I wanted to cuss people out. As I was laying in my bed full of emotions I heard the Lord say you will not fail. With God we cannot fail, we may fall but we cannot fail. 

If God be for us then who can be against us. 

He is our light and our salvation. 

We can trust God! 

When it’s ugly when have to tell ourselves that we can trust God. If we cannot trust anyone in this world we can trust God. 
Being overwhelmed is a very awkward space, because you either want to quit or just sleep until it’s all over. Little did we know unless we commit suicide we can’t quit. We have to get up another day if God grants it and fight for our peace. 
You have access to all the peace you need. Speak it. 

With Love, E

Enjoy God

People have always made God seem so mean, so forceful, so angry. When in reality he is the exact opposite. As we go through life, and hear others speak about God it can become very scary. People always make it seem as if we are going straight to hell if we do not follow every little detail in The Bible.  What they forget to tell you is God is merciful, and he is loving and he wants you to have a relationship with him. I believe the people that scare you into God actually have no real relationship with him.

Relationship with God is beautiful. The world has painted an ugly picture. The world tells you God wants to boss you around, when he has given us rules and standards only to protect us from getting hurt. They make it seem like he twists your arm to spend time with him, or go to church, or obey his commands. When God really is a gentleman, he desires for you to desire him. He is sweet, he is kind, he is love but in order to find that out, one must search for him, seek his face, read his word.

No one is asking you to read twelve chapters a day, but just really sit down and read, ask God what he is trying to say to you. Sit still and talk to him, even if you do not hear anything back. Take time to get to know God because God wants to get to know you.

He loves you unconditionally, and he desires to hold you close. You are dear to him!

Jeremiah 29:13 New International Version (NIV)

13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Read about him, watch how he desired for you to commune with him. How he made ways to get to your heart. His love is so big, so grand, it covers every broken place, and mends every broken heart. Even when you cannot put your pain into words God understands.

Give God a chance to love you.

My prayer for you today, is that you would give God time out of everyday of your life, that you would learn about his ways and allow him to love you unconditionally. I pray that the love of God would shower you, and that you would seek his face and when you find him you share it with everyone you know.

God’s love is unlike any other, and when I felt like I was nothing, he made me feel like something. He sees you, and he knows your hurt, but he wants to heal you, allow God to heal you today. 

With Love, E

Mama’s Religion

“YA NEED TO GET YOUR LIFE TOGETHER!” 

We have all heard our mother say this, especially if she was into church. However being into the church and being apart of the church God refers to is different. Mother only seemed to say this when what I was doing did not meet her expectation, or I was doing something she did not agree with. Yet I still had to respect her even if it meant saying nothing in response.

In all honesty Mama was just doing what she knew best. Now Mama’s approach was not always perfect but she loved me. When I was living the homosexual lifestyle, my mother would nag me anytime she could, she would try to preach me out, pray me out, yell me out, but none of it worked. There were times when I would pause for a moment, but it never stuck because i did not do it for me, I did it for her.

Every time I would try to live my life they way I was told I failed, I would wonder what happened to me, or why It did not work. I wondered If this lifestyle would become permanent. I had the right idea, but the wrong intentions. I was one of those teenagers who would put “Only God Can Judge Me” and I was right, but Gods judgement is nothing to be toyed with!

It’s funny how we make excuses for our sin and even that statement became an excuse. It was saying I am going to do what I want because God is the only one who can tell me otherwise, and Im really not trying to hear him right now.

It seemed that I had forgotten about the other things that came along with that judgement, LIKE PUNISHMENT!

Every choice has a consequence whether it be good, or bad. I had began to forget about the various parts in The Bible that talked about how a man Gave his life for me…so I could be free from homosexuality.

No one really wants to say it but i know God can deliver someone from a homosexual lifestyle, it just takes work! 

I needed to know that God loved me for who I was, and that he would still love me even if I did not change. He loved me regardless of who I laid with, but his desire was for me to be free from a homosexual lifestyle. Some might ask how do you know that. I know this because God created female for male, because marriage is sacred, because God said so, and what God says overrides how I feel, and what I say, because I love him!

My desire and his desire did not match up until I learned who he was for myself. I did not want to stop dating women for God, I just wanted to learn about him, and love him. In the process of doing that he changed my desire.

Now as an older and more mature believer I understand that the love of God is the most important thing in this world. It touches   the heart like nothing else can. God’s love is what my mother couldn’t teach me, it had to be experienced first hand. Once I experienced it, I couldn’t go back. There are times when I get tempted, but everyday I am reminded of how far God brought me, how he keeps my mind, how he loves me when I make mistakes. There is nothing in this world that can compare to God and his love. Him showing me love is what brought me out, but me loving him and having relationship is what keeps me out.

I am thankful for what my Mama did when I was younger, because she did what she could. She only wanted the best for me, she wanted to see me living the life God had planned for me.

Once I experienced God for myself he became something I never want to lose. 

Get to know God for yourself, and I am not talking about the judging God, I am talking about the loving God, the God who sent his son to die for you. Once you get to know him then decide if you want to live for him. I promise you will not be disappointed!

With Love, E

Patience for The Promise

Having patience is frustrating, because you either have patience or your developing it. Either way it causes discomfort.  It leaves you feeling like your moving and stuck at the same time, but the key is to remember God is in control. We are a microwave generation and we want rapid response to everything, but God doesn’t work that way.

Just as if you were in a doctors office, waiting to be seen, that requires patience. You walk in and have to wait in line, you have to then fill out the paperwork, and then wait again. Once you are called back you see the nurse, then you wait again to see the doctor. Patients need patience.

We are all patients in God’s doctors office, and we come to him daily for what we need. We often think we need this and that now, when it is not yet time. Or it is in the process, we have to remember he knows best.

Having patience is waiting for the gun to sound while your waiting to run the 100m dash. The anticipation at the line to hear that gun sound. You have to wait for the gun or it will be a false start. A false start results in everyone starting all the way over from the beginning. Don’t cause a false start, wait.

Waiting is uncomfortable because we always want to see progression.

If we do not see progression then we start to doubt, but that is exactly opposite of what God is trying to instill in us.
Whoever is patient has great understanding,
but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.
Proverbs 14:29

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
James 1:4

Allow God to saturate you with patience, you have to remember that waiting is not a denial, your promise is coming, and no demon in hell can steal it from you. We often times get anxious and make moves without God, and that is when we make mistakes. Wating is vital in life, period.

When you plant a seed, you have to water it, it needs various things that you cannot always provide. So you have to wait anyway for it to get everything it needs. Even when it has everything it needs you do not always see it growing. When it is first growing it hasn’t even began to show through the soil yet. Eventually you see what you have planted but you still have to wait for the fruit.

PATIENCE! 

Patience instills appreciation. 

This is how great God is, he can have something set to arrive at your door step, but in your anxiety you make a move that delays it, but he has already stepped into your future to fix what you broke ahead of time without you even knowing it. So what you already messed up, he already fixed. He has already fixed the delays caused by your hand. So even if you feel like you have moved without him, wait on it.

Just wait….God has the perfect plan

With Love, E

An Itch You Can’t Scratch

Uncomfortable is feeling uneasy, having slight pain, or feeling physical discomfort. This is a feeling most of us know very well especially if we are true believers. There are countless stories in The Bible about God’s people being in uncomfortable places, yet they always come out better then when they entered that stage.

God does his best work when we are uncomfortable, when we are feeling awkward it forces us to rely on God. Being in a place where you have literally done what you know, or been told to do, but you are waiting on the manifestation of the promise. It can be an ugly place, because the nature of a human being is to waiver. We consider what we could have done different to expedite the process, but we have to learn to appreciate the process.

Everything that produces something worth having goes through a process.

Why would we think our lives were any different?

Adam and Eve, Abraham, Noah, Moses and even Jesus went through a process, and the process is always uncomfortable.

The process is full of discomfort because your in the middle of going in and coming out. Just like when a woman is in birth, it hurts her because the baby is not completely in the womb or outside of the womb, in the middle of the past and the future but it is necessary. Being uncomfortable teaches us that we are not in control, God is, and if he was faithful in your last uncomfortable place, then why wouldn’t he be in this one?

Believers really have no excuse, God has proven himself time and time again yet we still sweat when we can’t see the provision, but it is just that the pros-vision. He knows the plan, and he knew the plan before you were born, he has already provided grace and mercy in the places you will mess up, and already set boundaries in the place you think about crossing that you shouldn’t. He is in your future, your past, and your present all at the same time.

HE HAS YOU COVERED! 

There is no need to worry, your only concern should be acknowledging him in all your ways, seeking his face and being obedient.

Dont panic, it is coming, not when you want it but when you finish processing. Don’t rush into the next place because your uncomfortable, embrace it, learn the lesson.

God gave me an illustration how the uncomfortable place works for our good. If your purpose was to build a chair, God has already given you the manual ( The Bible) you just don’t have all the pieces yet.

When you went through a heartbreak, you got a leg.

When you went through a death in your family, you got another leg.

When you lost your best friend, you got a seat.

When your car broke down and you had no other source of transportation, you got the back of the chair.

Your boss at your job kept persecuting you, you earned another leg.

God ask you to quit your job and move your whole family across country for your purpose, you earned the rest of the pieces you need.

So now you can build your chair, you can live in your purpose fully, and all the uncomfortable places provided you with what you needed for your destiny.

We cannot expect things to be microwaveable all the time.

God is preparing us in the uncomfortable place, he is developing us and instilling the fruits of the spirit in the process. We go through a process because it teaches us, and it helps us apply value to the gifts and the dreams and passions God has given us. If God just dropped it all in our laps we would take advantage because we wouldn’t understand the value.

The more you go through, the more God has for you! 

Many people feel that since they obey God and live life according to the word, that they are exempt, but we are not. We are even more qualified. You understand that what your going though is not necessarily about you, but for the cause that your attached to. Your destiny is tied to other people. You will be a testimony to the nations, reflecting the hand of God.

It was good for me to be afflicted
so that I might learn your decrees.

Psalm 119:71

So rejoice, because your greater is closer than what you think.

With Love, E

The Conditions of Love?

Many of us have been taught that there are conditions to love, if you do this for me then thats love. We have been taught love was only valid when something became a reciprocal.

WRONG!

Love is the very nature of God, it is how God operates, how he moves within us, and how he moves through us. God does things for us because he loves us, not because he wants us to do something for him.

Many of us experienced the conditions of love in church, we were slapped with the notion that if you do this your going to hell, or if you do that your going to hell and God will not love you.

BUT the bible says that he loves us with an everlasting love.

For the people who have experienced this “church hurt” I am sorry!  God loves you, just as you are, he loves you broken, he loves you sad, he loves you when your depressed, he loves you when you fornicate, when you cut yourself, when you make yourself throw up, when you do not eat, when someone calls you fat, when someone calls you ugly… he loves you!

He loves you for you, because he created you, and when he created you he saw that you were and are good, flaws and all.

Never let anyone tell you God does not love you, because you struggle with this, and you struggle with that!

Let me expose the “Church” for a moment. This goes out to everyone who struggles with homosexuality, on behalf of the church I AM SORRY! WE have judged you instead of love you, hated you and not your sin, we have made fun of you and never prayed for you, we have tried to change you instead of introduce relationship with Christ. That is our biggest mistake.

We were ignorant and did not know any better, we did not follow our bibles! I am sorry, please forgive the church for judging instead of loving. It is not the “Churches” job to change you. The “Churches” Job is to introduce you to Christ and let God do whatever he needs to. It is none of our business after we have done that. Lastly it is none of our business how you dress. That is between you and God! Never ever forget that… everything in life is between you and God, and as long as you two have an understanding then never, let anyone else judge the way you live.

Everyone has a struggle, but everyones struggle is not always visible, but it’s no ones job to tell you what is acceptable to struggle with, and what is not! You are allowed your process, and God will love you in, and through YOUR process.

God’s love is unconditional, he wants you for you, he wants you to bring all your baggage and all your burdens with you, so you can let him have it. He wants to love you through your pain, and into peace! The best part about it is, even if you never ever do anything for him, he will still love you just the same!

Though a woman or a man’s love wavier, Gods love is steady, and everlasting!

Never let anyone steal that from you, hold on to God’s steady, unconditional love!

1 Corinthians 13: 3-7

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

My prayer today you would experience God’s love like you never have before, I pray that God would saturate you from the crown of your head to the sole of your feet. In Jesus name, AMEN!

with Love, E

Walking Dead!

Your dreams and your passions keep you alive, especially when you are caught up in the daily routine. The more you share your dream, the more you expose your passions people will take notice. Some will support you, but you must beware of the walking dead!

E, what do you mean by the walking dead? I mean the dream killers, the naysayers, the ones who do not support or believe in you because they do not believe in themselves.

It is easy for people to support you when they do not see your dream or passion developing, but there will be some who see it, and want to kill it. They want to kill it because someone killed theirs, or they have aborted it themselves.

Sometimes you have to learn to keep your dreams and passions between God and yourself. 

Everyone can’t handle what your bringing to the table, or what you one day will bring. Everyone won’t be excited for you to prosper, to be honest MOST people will have something negative to say.

You have to learn to study human actions, and use wisdom in doing things, people fear what they do no know, and they fear falling behind, or watching someone else rise while they stay stagnant. One of the scariest things in life is watching someone prosper and you are not prospering yourself. Its horrifying to watch someone begin to live and your dying inside.

Passions, and dreams were designed to allow us to live, to thrive, to take risk, take chances and travel into the unknown, all with God by our side. Without him we are nothing. He is the one who makes our crooked places straight, he shows us when to speak, when to share, and most of all when to be still.

Yet, we still have to be careful because people are waiting for us to fail, and their desire is contagious, they walk dead because they have not be exposed to the anecdote of dead dreams and passions. The cure is always in the curse, revive your dreams and passions if you want to live.

Maybe your walking dead, killing dreams of others, telling them their dreams or ideas will never work, even if its not out loud it still counts. When you do that you spread the dis-ease, you are silently killing a dream or passion.

We should always support one another, and speak life into our brother or sister. The world full of jealousy and envy, we need more love and support to counteract the negativity.

Jesus did not die on a cross, for us to pay bills and die, he did not tell us we were the head and not the tail for us to die unfulfilled and broke. I am not saying that money is the answer, but I’m saying your gifts, your passions, your dreams will make room for you!

That is why there are dream killers, the enemy only comes to steal kill and destroy! He wants to destroy the dream, the passion inside you because it will be a testimony, and it will bring lives to Christ.

Before I close let me reveal this very important point: The Love of money is the root of all evil, but not having money. God created money as a resource for us to share the Gospel. NOT THE SOURCE BUT A RESOURCE! That is why it is important to following your dreams and watch out for dream killers.

Our dreams will open doors, that will open resources that will help you win lives for Christ!

Don’t walk dead, don’t look over people who walk dead either, ask God to revive the passion inside of them, or even if you are walking dead, I ask now on your behalf that God would revive the passion, the dream, or show you the passion or dream he has placed inside of you!

in Jesus name, amen!

With Love, E