Admit it! Quit It! Forget It!

By Bishop E. Earl Jenkins

“Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.” Philippians 3:13

Now, ‘forget it’ doesn’t mean losing awareness of the event. That’s amnesia! It means releasing the pain from the memory like you’d remove the poison from a snakebite. Allow all those unsettled and unsettling issues that keep holding you in the night and affecting you in the light to be broken by the power of God! If you are the injured party, forgive those who hurt you. If you did the hurting, forgive yourself - for God does. Allow His transforming power to heal your troubled emotions and cut the cord between you and your past.

Then do what Paul did, “Reaching forth unto those things which are before.” God has a wonderful future for you, but you can’t reach for it until you disconnect from the past. Be like Jesus who dropped His head and said, “It is finished” (Jn 19:30). It’s time for that kind of benediction to be said in your life. If you’re finished with where you are and you’re ready for where God wants you to go, then kiss the past goodnight. Kiss it goodbye! Its grasp is broken.

Stand with Moses and the children of Israel as they watched Pharaoh and his armies swallowed up in the depths of the Red Sea. Join them as they celebrate their freedom: “Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains are also drowned…The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone” (Ex 15:4-5).

Rejoice! The old Pharaoh of your past is dead. His hold on you is broken. So rise up and go forward!

Bishop Edward Earl Jenkins is the senior pastor and founder of the True Servant Worship & Praise Church located in Trenton, New Jersey. Bishop Jenkins earned his Bachelor of Theology degree from Eastern Bible College and has been preaching the unadulterated gospel for over twenty years. His unique method of preaching and teaching has opened many doors to allow him to touch the hearts of many lives near and far. Bishop Jenkins is the proud husband of Lady Sheila Jenkins and father of Travis, Jamal, Clarrisa and Dionna.

© Bishop E. Earl Jenkins all rights reserved.

SOURCE: www.streamingfaith.com.

Be a True Friend

“He who rebukes a man will find more favor afterward than he who flatters with the tongue.” Proverbs 28:23 (NKJV)

I’m going to make this short and sweet! Going through this with ramblings will take away from the overall message I’d like to convey. But it’s not to preach to anyone, but it’s something that I think is important for us as a people to truly think about.

How many times have we listened to our friends in person or over the phone speak to us about worldly things that they may have encountered that we know as Christians we should not take part in? It could be going to the club on Saturday night, and then arriving in church on Sunday morning-praising God, or compromising yourselves sexually for someone you think you love, or cursing obsenities during rush hour from work over a bad turn on the freeway. Now I’m not saying that any of us, including me at times, don’t get a little under our skins and say, think or do things that are contrary to the word of God. We are human-in flesh. But because we are now new creatures, remember the old things have passed away, we have been bought with a price and set aside as peculiar people, we have to be so very careful not to get caught up in the world.

That’s why we need to have friends who are also like-minded individuals who are sold out for Jesus to hold each of us accountable-and to a higher standard of living for what is right, not just because we don’t want to snitch or sell our friends out, or make them feel like its ok to do these things. Loyalty means nothing in this case!

Its about being honest with him or her to the point of bringing them back to a right standing with God. Friends will love you more if you told them the truth, than not-by placing them in the devil’s line of fire, knowing that it didn’t have to be that way. That shows true love and devotion for your friends-the way God sees it.

In His Love,

I Hope

I hope that I will always be for each person
what he or she needs me to be.
I hope that each person’s death will diminish me,
but that fear of my own will never diminish my joy of life.
I hope that my love for those whom I like will never lessen
my love for those whom I do not.
I hope that another person’s love for me will never
be a measure of my love for him or her.
I hope that everybody will accept me as I am,
but that I never will.
I hope that I will always ask for forgiveness from others,
but will never need to be asked for my own . . .
I hope that I will always recognize my limitations,
but that I will construct none.
I hope that loving will always be my goal,
but that love will never be my idol.
I hope that everyone will always have hope.

-Henri Nouwen

I read this poem and cried! This is ME! How many of you have hope like this?

In His Love,

Lily

White Lillies

On InspirationalArchive.com, I had the opportunity to run across this post from Carol Barrett about her intrepretation through God, about White Lillies. Here, she shares her story….

I just had to share this story with you all. I’ve had a tough year with my son Michael’s illness and the ongoing breast cancer battle my sister Shirley is struggling with. There have been times when it has been difficult but I’ve managed to press on.

This past Tuesday I took the day off from work to take Michael to the doctor and take care of some other personal business of my own. While waiting for Michael’s appointment to arrive I decided to mow the lawn. When Tom and I moved into our house a little over a year and a half ago I noticed immediately that there were no flowers on the property just a lot of shrubs, bushes and trees. After mowing the back lawn I naturally mowed the front lawn and then proceeded to take the mower to the back yard again to put it away. As I approached my back yard I noticed a single beautiful white lilly plant growing along the back fence. I knew immediately it was a sign. I put the mower away and ran upstairs to my computer. I googled “white lillies” and there it was. White lillies are a sign of hope and life. Wow, God is good.

So I send to you today white lillies.

Carol Barrett

Today Should Be Your Day to Choose

How do we as a people decide when it’s time for a change? How many times are we going to constantly ask, "When is my change going to come?" We feel that everyone else around us is being blessed. We look far and wide at what the Joneses are doing, and see them blessed, favored, and walking in victory over the many issues that they too thought they could not get over. It was a process that they had to go through as well. But we, in seeing all of this, fail to realize that there is a season for everything in our lives. In Ecclesiastes 3:1, it specifically says, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven...." If you look within this passage of scripture down to the sixth verse, it also states, "A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to cast away;" Even though it's not our season yet, that doesn't mean God has forgotten about you. It may also mean to carry on with your life in the preparation for the next move of God. I did say carry on, not sit twiddling your thumbs. You are required to still act, move with the season of change until your seed that was planted starts to take shape and harvest bountiful blessings-in God's fulfilled timing.

In a devotional from Audrina Jones Burton, from Purposefully Living Motivational Messages, she goes even further about the Season of Change, knowing that God gives us the right to choose to change our circumstances, and in doing so, we will be able to walk away from our pain to the power that is deep within each of us. Look at what she has to say:

Choose to Change
By Audrina Jones Bunton

Seasons come - seasons go - winter, spring, summer and fall. And with each natural season, circumstances cause changes to take place such as, flowers blooming, coldness, multi-colored trees, and extreme hotness. Changes that are sometimes good and sometimes bad.

Seasons come - seasons go - happiness, sadness, fulfillment, and emptiness. And with each of life’s seasons, circumstances cause changes to take place such as job promotions, bad relationships, new life and death. Changes again, that are sometimes good and sometimes bad.

Though the changes dealt during the natural seasonas are beyond our control, we do have some control over the changes that take place during our seasonal life changes -- but we must choose to change. Choose to change either ourselves, the situations, or sometimes both.

- Day after day, we work on jobs that are not satisfying, for people that we can not satisfy, to make money that is not enough to satisfy.

- We remain in relationships that are not fulfilling, trying to please people that don’t appreciate, only to result in constant feelings of emptiness and loneliness.

- We remain in situations that cause unhappiness, hoping that each unhappy day will be the last, only to realize another day’s end, and situation unchanged.

We are not held hostage on jobs that we don’t like - in relationships that are unfulfilling - or situations that cause unhappiness. We have to realize that we chose to be in these places if we do nothing to change the situation.

What is that causes us to remain in these dissatisfying, unfulfilling, and unhappy places? Fear of change - fear of the unknown. We must get rid of the fear that makes us think that we can’t do better, and that chains us to our unhappy places. Being fearful is like being locked into a prison of unhappiness, dissatisfaction, and unfulfillment, and it distorts our focus, blinding us from doing what we must do to create peace, abundance, joy and happiness.

We can unlock those prison doors any time we choose - any time we choose to change and free ourselves of limiting thoughts and behaviors set upon us by our circumstances, by others, and sometimes by our own self-doubt.

We have the choice to make life changes - to have a beautiful life - as beautiful as the many-colored trees on a beautiful fall day - or we can choose to simply accept the changes that situations, and circumstances in our life has dealt us, by putting up with the cold, lonely nights. Any day, any year, any time - we can start the process of life change - if we choose to. We can also choose - to do nothing.

What changes must you make today to find yourself in your happy place - in a place where you are satisfied - in a place where you are fulfilled? If you don’t like how things are, make that change. Free yourself from the prison of fear that captivates you from making that change - because only YOU can.

You have the power of choice - and - how you choose to live this day, will determine what your future will be. My friend, examine your place in life, and if you deem it necessary -- choose to change.

Copyright © 2002 by Audrina Jones Bunton. REPRINTING THIS ARTICLE: Permission is granted to reproduce or distribute this article only in its entirety and provided copyright is acknowledged.

Source:http://www.purposefully-living.com/Purposefully%20Living%20Newsletter%20Archives/Motivational

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A Conference You Must Go To

Last weekend, I was afforded the opportunity to be a part of the Black Writers Reunion & Conference. And what a conference it was! Kudos goes out to Ms. Tia Ross, the organizer and director of the conference which featured workshops on Dialogue, Plot Development, Characterization, Expanding Your Book Market, Promoting your Book on the Virtual Market (Internet), 4 P’s to Self-Publishing, Writing Children’s Books, Christian Fiction: Ministry vs. Entertainment, Working With Literary Agents, and the list goes on! Awww, what knowledge these presenters had, and many lasting connections were made. I look forward to next year’s conference in Las Vegas, NV! Take a look at my pics from the conference on my Photo Gallery!

The Evidence of the Holy Spirit

What a beautiful day today! While going through my normal checking of emails today, I read a blog post from my good friend, Genikwa Williams on the topic of ‘Speaking in Tongues.’ There has been quite a bit of scepticism on this subject for years, but a topic that to me is a no-brainer. Read it for yourself…

http://genikwawilliams.wordpress.com/2008/06/16/

speaking-in-tongues/

~I posted this comment on her blog~

Her experience reminds me of a time when the Holy Spirit gave me utterance-I’ll never forget the day, time, and event in which this true miracle from God was given to me. I highlighted it within the pages of my book, The Life of a Lily. Here’s an excerpt:

While my ex-husband and I were going through our difficult period of emotional and physical abuse with each other, God still helped me to get two degrees: a master’s in reading education after the divorce in December 1999 and an education specialist in educational leadership in 2001. I was able to obtain a 3.8 grade point average throughout school. I received a job promotion to Language Arts Department Head at the school where I taught. Then God did a miraculous thing in my life: I received the gift of tongues on November 12, 1999, just a couple of weeks after my grandmother passed away. It happened at an E.C. Reems International Christian Convention that was held at my church. That was a true blessing, one for which I asked the Lord. Days before I had stopped and asked two Holy Spirit-filled women in the church what I needed to do in order to receive this gift. Still pretty much a babe in Christ, I asked them, not knowing that all I had to do was ask God for it. The Lord said, “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye ask anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:13-14). It also says in John 15:7: “If ye abide in me, and my word abides in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” These are the promises of God. He also said, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you…whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you” (John 15:16). So they prayed with me and told me to go home, set the atmosphere, and ask God for what I wanted. I let God handle the rest. That night, on November 12, a turning point in my life occurred. As I was standing up front in the choir stand, the speaker asked us to turn and hold a neighbor’s hand and start praying for them. As I started praying, I felt a warm tingle go through my body like you would never believe, and I felt myself go up in the Spirit. I could actually hear myself, but it was an utterance that I’d never heard before. First it sounded like gibberish, as if first learning to speak.Then it sounded like actual words from another language. The Bible says:

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:1-4

I finally returned back to my first love from the age of thirteen, when I had first received the gift of salvation. From that point on, I made sure to talk and confess to God everything that weighed on me. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). From that November night, I had an intimacy with the Lord like I’ve never had before with anyone. My husband, lover, and friend were all wrapped up in Jesus. Instead of coming to Jesus with frivolous requests, I just wanted more of him. When I got off from work, I’d rush home and through the door to him. My new apartment was indeed a sacred haven in which Jesus resided with me. It contained unspeakable peace, love, and joy. I would have dates with Jesus, cooking for my Lord, talking daily with him.

God can and will give you the desires of your heart, if you would just ask. But before you even ask, seek Him-all of Him-as He said in His word, If you seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these other things will be added unto you! (Matthew 6:33)

What an awesome God we serve!

Father's Day Wishes..

As I look back over my life, I realize that even though I had a man who planted a seed, resulting in my birth, what I wished more than anything was that He owned up to the term ‘Father’. Fortunately, I was afforded that man who God placed the title of “Father” to who was actually my grandfather. He took on this highly regarded role, and treated me as his own. He was the man I looked up to, loved, and in turn, I was his little girl, the one he made sure to protect. For that, I say, “Happy Father’s Day Dad!”

But, on the flip side, there are many children and even adults in the world who never knew they had a father, which the Bible deems as the term of an ‘orphan’. Or he or she may have one, but found that he left them at a time when they needed him the most. I just come by to be a messenger today, to tell you to look to the hills from whence cometh your help, YOUR help cometh from the Lord.

I think on a day like today, that’s set aside for giving thanks to all of the fathers out there, young and old, that let’s not forget our Almighty Father which is in Heaven. He deserves all of our praise, and will be a father to all of those who seek guidance and strength, during a time that may be hard for many of you. (See Romans 8:15). Keep your head up, and your stride wide, and know that Abba Father is with you. Keep the faith! Happy Father’s Day Lord God Almighty!

In His Love,