Where is your confidence?

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. (Hebrews 10:35 KJV)

Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward. (Hebrews 10:35 AMP)


How many times have you worked diligently with your hands to help someone, maybe even stuck your neck out and covered for someone, gave generously from the little that you had, all to be ostracized and ridiculed by the very people that you thought had your back?

Or what about this--you consistently pay your tithes and offerings, give to local charities, sacrifice time out of your day to lend a listening ear, serve in various capacities--yet the goals, dream, and desires that you have so deep in your heart, still has not come to pass?

Many of your reading may be, right now, in one of these situations.

But while you may be down and out, wondering when your prayer will be answered, the devil is also telling you things that contradict God's promises for your life. See, it's when we take that second thought of doubt, that we stop or delay the harvest that is meant just for us.

I believe many of us have been on the verge of promotion on our jobs--have been given the tasks of training others that come after us, to then be sideswiped by seeing that very same person be elevated to the position we felt we were supposed to get. Why? Because we took the second thought--or we murmured and complained to our friends and co-workers about the problems of the company instead of being the one to see change take place, by being the change (setting the atmosphere for promotion to take place). Also if you are doing your job as unto the Lord, your gifts will make room for you. We as Christians should never be the ones up in a conversation of gossip and slander. We should run away from that, lest we also be seen as fools. The woman Folly is loud; she is undisciplined and without knowledge. (Proverbs 9:13 NIV) And in Proverbs 12:23 NIV, it says, "A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself, but the heart of fools blurts out folly."

Another thing that is important to point out is just where we should put our confidence. Our confidence should not be just enough to make the status quo in this world--obsessed on the cars, the house, the fine designer clothes and shoes, our outward appearance-what to get to be seen by people or to fit the world's or society's way of doing things. Yes, many of those things are nice, and God does want us to prosper in every area of our lives, and will give us those things when and if He sees fit to bring it to us. However, your confidence should be more on what we should be storing up in heaven--our Heavenly treasures. How do we do that, by sowing consistently into the Kingdom of God. Not just with our monies, but our time, our talents, whatever we can out our hands to work to do.

Our confidence should be built in patience for what God has for us. Remember what God has for you will be just for you. No one will be able to take it away or boast about having any part in it. God will be the one to get all the glory and you can tell everyone how you made it over! Thanks be to God!

Keep putting your hands to the plow, do more than what's expected of you, keep a smile on your face, and display longsuffering towards ones that have despitefully used you--target them and be steady in order to win them to Christ!

When we have that fearless confidence, as the word suggests, we can hold our heads up high, because we already have the victory, even though in the natural, it may look like we are falling apart. We will still be confident-never wavering from our faith that God will continue to provide and that what you sow into the Kingdom, God never forgets and he counts it all toward your ultimate reward. And shouldn't we only want to do what is pleasing to God anyway? Only what we do for Him will last! So be confident, my brothers and sisters. Stand strong and in the power of His might! We will always be victorious, in Jesus Name!

In His Love,

Life Struggles

A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth. He took it home so that he could watch the moth come out of the cocoon. On the day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the moth for several hours as the moth struggled to force the body through that little hole.

The moth seemed to be stuck and appeared to have stopped making progress. It seemed as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. The man, in his kindness, decided to help the moth; so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The moth then emerged easily. But its body was swollen and small, its wings wrinkled and shriveled. The man continued to watch the moth because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to and able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a small, swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. The man in his kindness and haste did not understand that the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening was necessary to force fluid from the body of the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight upon achieving its freedom from the cocoon. Freedom and flight would only come after the struggle. By depriving the moth of a struggle, he deprived the moth of health.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were to go through our life without any obstacles, we would be crippled. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. Give every opportunity a chance, leave no room for regrets, and don't forget the power in the struggle.

A Special Day

Hello everyone. Today marks my 35th birthday! Wow it just seemed like yesterday that I was knee high to a grasshopper, eating mud pies in the front yard, running and playing tackle football with the boys and having an all out good time, just being a kid with my cousins from Florida. I miss those times. Even though some of it was filled with confusion and hopelessness of ever truly getting the love I wanted from some of my family members, I can honestly say I did have somewhat of a good childhood. But there are many children that do not get that chance. Many of them have to grow up and be adults long before the rightful age of 18 because of death, or parents are addicted to drugs, or other unfortunate circumstances that makes them have to make some pretty hefty decisions in order to survive.

Right at this moment, I am down with a cold, have had laryngitis for the past four days, and in bed, praying that I have a full recovery soon. Which I know my God in Heaven hears me and is working it out---I already have the victory! Amen! However, there are those who did not and could not wake up this morning to claim a new start to a new day.

God I'm thankful for another birthday. A beautiful day outside, the birds are chirping, the weather is gorgeous, and I can see all of this, even if it means from the confinement of my bedroom window. I thank you. Give everyday that you live, a day that you say thank you for living! Thank Him in the good times and the bad. Thank Him when you don't feel like it. And thank Him when everything is peachy-keen. Why? Because tomorrow is not promised. We must live for today. If He never did another thing for us, it's alright because He already gave His ultimate sacrifice, His only begotten Son-Jesus!

Do you know that there are 71 verses that constantly admonishes us to give THANKS? It's when we give thanks and praise to God that we will be blessed, healed, delivered, set free, our harvest comes, the will of God over our lives are made manifested, etc. Instead of moaning (I'll admit I tried to do that today), complaining, and being pitiful over our circumstances, we should be thankful for what we do have, what God has brought us out of, and claim the victory which is already ours! Thank you Jesus!

It says in 1 Chronicles 16:34: O give thanks unto the LORD; for [he is] good; for his mercy [endureth] for ever. In Psalms 140:13, it states, "Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence." I want to dwell in His presence. The presence of God will begin to overtake you as you get deep into praise and worship of Him.

I also like this scripture--2 Thessalonians 2:13-14: But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are bound or obligated to praise and give thanks to God, because He chose us--we didn't choose Him. He chose us for salvation and we in turn should go out and share that same Gospel to others who may not be saved. That is something to praise God about! Hallelujah!

So to God, I thank you! I love you for who you are to me! You're my everything! And to all of my friends and subscribers who have chosen to read my messages and blog posts because it inspires and encourages you, I thank and love you as well! Everyone be blessed on this day! It's a special day in the Lord!

"Isn't school supposed to be a safe place?"

This is a question that was posed to a colleague of mine by her 10 year old son who has frequently been the target of constant bullying and teasing at his elementary school. I wonder if students, Jaheem Herrera of Dunaire Elementary in Dekalb County (Atlanta) and Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover of Springfield, Mass. asked that same question to their parents before they took their own lives about a week apart from each other. Both hung themselves in their home after being teased and called "gay".

Both school systems have a "Anti-bullying policy". Dekalb County Public Schools Policy are as follows: "State law prohibits bullying. State law mandates a discipline hearing after the third incident of bullying with a referral to an alternative school setting upon a finding of guilt. The DeKalb School System will not tolerate bullying and other forms of harassment and, therefore, reserves the right to punish students after the first incident and upon a finding of guilt. Such punishment may include suspension, expulsion or a referral to an alternative school. Please note: Any form of elctronic bullying (cyberbullying) using school equipment, school networks, e-mail systems or committed at school is strictly prohibited."

But how much of this policy is actually being enforced at the time it needs to be? What will it take for school systems to take a stance and put into place more drastic measures that will prevent violence and constant taunting in schools. Many people constantly want to say, "It's our first amendment right to have freedom of expression." But not at the expense of pushing someone to kill themselves. Young people, especially ones at the age of these young boys, don't know how to handle their emotions and decipher what they hear into logical reasoning. They are also at the age where they don't want to snitch and get into trouble for fear of being beat up and teased, so they shut down, and internalize their emotions to the point of depression.


We are to do whatever we can as children of God to train, protect and teach our children to be Kingdom Citizens who walk in love and not violence towards others. How do we do that? With the word of God. In Proverbs 22:6 it states that we should, "Train up a child in the way that he should go, and when he gets old, he will not depart from it." Violence does nothing but begat violence. And it's time we show love to our fellow man and learn that since God is love, and we are made in the image of Him, then it is our duty to see others the way God sees them. We are unique, special, peculiar, one-of-a-kind, original....I could go on and on.

I have some tips that I have provided on my website, http://www.lilylratliff.com, that I strongly feel you should sit down and discuss with your children about. I will list them again here for reference purposes.

~~Ignore the bully and walk away. It's not being a coward; it just shows you are the better person.

~~Hold the anger. A bully loves it when you cry or get angry. Never give him/her a chance to see you lose your cool.

~~Don't get physical. Don’t stoop to the level of the bully by using force.

~~Practice confidence. Do what you can do to look and feel your best. Exercise, eat healthy meals and snacks, and be around people that lift your spirits.

~~Take charge of your life, and stand your ground. Don't be afraid to say, "No" or "Stop It!"

~~Talk about it with your parents, teachers, and true friends. Find someone you can trust and tell them what’s happening to you at school. They can help stop bullying from going any further.

~~ But more importantly, Seek God for the sake of your child. Pray over them, rebuking the devil over their situations, and trust God through it that HE will bind the strongman, and loose peace and blessings over your child's life. Repeat this declaration over your child: Great is the peace of my child (ren) for they are taught of the Lord. According to Isaiah 54:17, No weapon formed against them shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against them in judgment shall be condemned! He (She) is the righteousness of God!

With God's help, and your support and prayers, I hope to take "An Act of Forgiveness" to as many elementary schools around Atlanta and abroad to shed some light on the effects of bullying and what we must do to stop innocent little children from taking their lives before their time. Please tell others about this post, and forward and share with others.

God Bless!

http://www.lilylratliff.com

Pickup in the Rain

One night, at 11:30 PM, an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her - generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxi cab. She seemed to be in a big hurry! She wrote down his address, thanked him and drove away.

Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes but my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."

Lessons:

Offer help to anyone who needs it

Thank others for helping you.

If you help someone. Someone will help you.

If everyone does just these, the whole world will live in happiness.

The Skin You're In

I'm just going to be real with you all if you don't mind today. Many people look at Christians, especially ones that really don't know the Lord, but only have you to look at as an example, and think we always have it all together. True, we are one with Christ, yes we have everything we need in Christ-just by asking, and yes, if we are truly abiding in Christ, and He abides in us, we can ask Him anything, believing, and we shall have it.

But how many of you sometimes look in the mirror in the morning, and look at yourself, and feel that there's something about you that you wish you could change? Come on now Saints, don't be pious, because I for one, have a time or two looked at my face and wished that there was some grand cream, or acne medication out there that would be the answer to all of my facial problems.

See as a young girl, even until now, I've had an acne problem. It would come and go and on the days when I had an important photo shoot or a presentation where I would be in front of lots of people, would be the day I would get a blemish in the middle of my face. I have tried everything and to no avail, nothing worked.

But then one day I woke up, went into the bathroom, looked at myself, and it seemed God himself showed me a little more than my facial blemishes. My God, He showed me just how important I am to Him and the Kingdom of God. None of the things that matter most to us matter to Him. You know why? Because man may look at the outer appearance, but God looks at the heart (see I Samuel 16:7).

Also remember it's not about us, it's about giving God the glory in everything we say and do with our lives. When we freely accept who we are in Christ and give our lives totally over to Him, will He then equip us to do the work of the Kingdom. He wants to see what we will do with the little He gives us, to then give us much-blessings, prosperity, abundance to the full! Hallelujah!

So now when I look in the mirror, I don't see myself, as just a fleshly, physical body. I see myself as Jesus sees me.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew [and] approved of you [as my chosen instrument], and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrated you; [and] I appointed you as a prophet to the nations" (Jeremiah 1:5 AMP).

Love the Skin You're In my Brothers and Sisters! He Loves You and I Do Too!

Be encouraged with this video: "So Happy Being Me"-Angie Stone from the Donald Lawrence CD-The Law of Confession, Part 1.

Gotta Have Faith

"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." James 2:26 KJV




Lately I've seen many people, during this uneven economy all of a sudden want something they can cling to that deals with the word, "FAITH". You see license plates with the word "Faith", people will buy jewelry, plaques, and clothing that has the emblem of "Faith". But do they really honor God with their... Faith?

Faith in the greek is pistos which means believing, assurance, unwavering, not moved. It's the type of faith that no matter what might be in front of you, or what it might apprear to look like in this world, you have the faith that what you have asked God for will come to pass.

However, if you don't act on the faith that you have and wait for something to fall from the sky, it won't happen. You take that first step towards the destiny God has placed within your spirit and watch God take the rest. If what you are passionate about really lines up with God's purpose for you is, you will have the favor you need from God, and favor from man (provision, wealth, business connections, etc.) to do what you couldn't do on your own accord.

In the above scripture, "works" can also be your seed. How many times have we really needed something from God, and because we don't have enough in the natural, we feel that we don't want to give up the little we have for FEAR that we won't have what we need to pay our bills, have food on the table, or clothes for our children? I've certainly been there. But it wasn't until I tapped into the ever present power of God's word, that I started to really get a revelation on some things.

First, I remember reading about when Jesus was with the multitude for three days(Read Mark 8:1-21). It says that He had such compassion for the people because they had had nothing to eat. So he took what my Pastor (Pastor Dollar always calls a two piece fish dinner :) with five loaves of bread that a young lad had in a basket. He told everyone (men, women, and children-could have been around 4,000) to sit down. He took this two piece fish dinner, gave thanks or in the Amplified version- blessed it, brake it and gave it to his disciples to set before the people. Do you know it multipled? Everyone had the chance to eat, and the bible says they were filled. When they took up the remaining meat and elements of the bread, it was enough to fill seven baskets. I'm sure it was pretty hard for that young lad to take seven baskets back home. My God! Hallelujah!

Then in I Kings 17: 10-16, it tells the story of a widow woman in Zarephath who felt that she and her son were on the verge of death with nothing left to eat but a handful of meal and a little oil. But as Elijah was passing through the city, he stopped in and TOLD the widow woman to fetch for him a little to drink. Now at that time, I can tell you she was not looking for anyone to tell her what to do with the little that she had. So she had a little attitude, but did go to fetch him what he wanted. But then in the middle of getting it, he called out to her to also bring him a morsel of bread. I can see her swaying her head around to him, maybe even her hand on her hip as she said, "As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat and die. (verse 12, KJV).

That's where we are sometimes. We feel we have to hoard the little that we have, thinking that's all we got. However, how many of us know that God wants us to have more? He said, "I have come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly" (or to the full)--emphasis mine (John 10:10).

So Elijah told her to "Fear Not." You have nothing to fear when you know you have Jesus on your side. Well, the story ultimately goes to where she obeys Elijah, makes a morsel of cake for him first, and brings it to him.

Then he makes a declaration or promise to the widow woman that from now until the Lord sends rain upon the earth, her barrel of meal would not waste, nor shall the cruse of oil fail. She, he and her house ate a many days! That's God!

What we have to do is when we pray, we BELIEVED, we RECEIVED, what we PRAYED, and it shall come to pass---never doubting, never wavering, nothing missing, nothing broken, and never lacking any good thing! It's as if when praying, you already know that as that request comes out of your mouth, you already have it. It's past-tense Faith! Thank You Jesus! I got this thang ya'll! And you need to get this too!

You gotta have faith that moves mountains!

Be blessed my brothers and sisters!

Be careful how you look at people...

This will make you rethink the way you look at people from now on. It's amazing how we associate people based on the clothes they wear, and whether or not they are driving an expensive car, or living in wealth and riches-- not knowing that the person you may be shunning really may have talents and abilities that God gave them, that could put anyone being critical to shame. Check this video out! All I can say is...You Go Girl!

New books about to be Released!

Excitement is in the air as two books are about to be released! One of the books that I actually just received in the mail is my first children's book, "An Act of Forgiveness." It's from the six part series entitled, The Last Shall Be First. They are targeted at 3rd-5th grade children.

ENDORSEMENT: In this book, Ms. Ratliff, captures the heart of forgiveness. She shows the challenge and victory that come in the act and effort to forgive others. Along with forgiveness, this book examines the differences in individuals. No two people are alike. Each of us has a unique personality, which is what makes our world so flavorful. Learning to respect our differences is important to our walk with God. This book adds to every child’s character development and should be on every child's, library's and school's bookshelf.

--Caterri S. Leaks
Willing Heart Creations
Founder & Author

Go to http://www.lilylratliff.com to order NOW!



The other book, which has been in the works for over a few months now, is entitled, Have a Little Faith: Trouble Don't Last Always. Have A Little Faith is designed for those individuals that have gone through test and trials and come out on the right side of FAITH. Have you or anyone in your family ever been healed of an illness, delivered from an addiction, or set free from sin all in the name of Jesus. If you have, then you most certainly must Have A Little Faith. It also contains stories of entrepreneurs that have stepped out on faith and gone into ministry, started a company, or wrote the book/released the CD that was in their hearts. Now they want to share their stories of triumph amongst all of the odds that were against them.
It is set to be released May 20th and can be pre-ordered now from my website, http://www.thelifeofalily.com. My story, "The Breakthrough" will be featured. These are sure to bless your spirit!

All you need is Jesus!

Lord, what a wonderful time in Jesus this past Sunday! God is doing a shifting in the body of Christ. Many people don't understand about the recession and why they are losing money, why the NASDAQ and the S & P 500 is closing everyday with millions of dollars lower than before. It's because the wealth of the wicked is being transferred into the hands of the righteous! Hallelujah! If you are a child of God, you have nothing to worry about because you are about to get an increase of wealth coming to your house! Start shouting right now!

No need to get afraid, a switch is about to take place, the last is getting ready to be first! You ought to get happy right now! Thanks be to God! We are saved, and we should know who is on your side. My pastor, Dr. Creflo A. Dollar, always asks, "Who you wit?" I know that sounds politically uncorrect, but when you think about it, he's right.

Just because you may be losing your job in a week or two--don't get upset, and let the devil stop you and make you take a second-thought about who you wit! God is getting you ready for your next assignment--he's setting you up to be blessed! Yes Lord!

All you need is Jesus! Hallelujah! I'm getting happy all over again!

This is what you need to do during what the world is declaring a financial crisis:

"And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God." (Phil. 1:28 KJV)

What God is saying here is this: when it looks like the devil has your back up against the wall, don't be frightened, stare at that old devil, and start shouting and praising God. It will paralyze the devil, and the evidence of your salvation will be in your countenance amidst all Hell breaking loose. It is a sure token that God is deep on the inside of you!! That's an assurance that no devil in Hell can promise you! God has your back and nothing around you should stir you to doubt and unbelief.

Keep your heads up my brothers and sisters. It's time to fight back-use the word of God as your weapon and resist the temptation to succumb to the world's way of thinking! Think and use the word of God over fear and doubt in your life.

Praise God!