Re-birth & Refresh (It’s Time Now!)

(October ’21 EncourageMe Letter)

God: “It’s time now…for a RE-birthing!” 

I don’t know what God is about to do, but He is about to make some moves and shifts and we have to be ready.

How do we get ready for God moving by His power?

We have to be ready to receive what He is saying to us and what He is doing through us.

Oftentimes in life when we are run down by situations, unfortunate events, and people we get weary and tired and that weighs on all aspects of our well-being and our health. (spiritual, mental, physical, and social). When our well-being is not up to par, our relationships tend to suffer…ALL relationships (including our relationship with God). So sometimes we need to go through a re-birthing process.

What does that look like?

• Renewing your mind & refreshing your mind (Romans 12:2; Philippians 2:5)
• Checking your heart posture (Psalm 139:23-24)
• Doing a circle check (of your relationships) (Proverbs 13:30)

What is the best way to go about this re-birthing?

My recommendation is to go on a fast ASAP (the duration of the fast is up to you). This will help you get back in right standing and alignment with God and will invite Him in to direct you on what EXACTLY you need to change in order to achieve those four things. 

I don’t know about you, but I WANT SOMETHING NEW! I don’t want to keep doing the same ‘ol thing and getting lackluster results. The only way you can receive something new, come into the blessings with your name on it, is to make sure you are in right standing with Him.

The best way to do that is to initiate your re-birthing (don’t wait on anyone, it is up to you to do).

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School is Back in Session!

(September ’21 EncourageMe Letter)

We have officially made it through the chaotic mishmash of trying to bounce back from covid trying to salvage our summers with somewhat normal usual summer activities, then getting hit with the delta variant which is turning education upside down on its head which is something I think we should put out there.

September over here in the U.S. of A is school season. Parents all over the country are racking up school supplies, college students are creating their schedules with pre-requirement courses, requirements courses, and electives…

There are also those who are recent graduates trying to figure out their next steps…

So where do we find hope upliftment and encouragement through God’s Word for school or the topic of education? And how to get through this new unpredictable season?

Here is a starter package for YOU…

• Hebrews 4:13
• Matthew 10:30 
• Psalm 139:4, 147:4
• Habbakuk 2:14

Through these scriptures, we are reminded that there is nothing on Earth that God doesn’t know and nothing He hasn’t created. Therefore, He is knowledgeable of everything beyond our limited understanding.

Like in school, being educated about God takes effort and you showing up. But in order to embrace and feel the power of God and the love He has for you, it’s best to develop a relationship with Him. After all, He is one that sticks closer than a brother- it doesn’t matter where you come from He loves you with a whole and pure love. You can truly trust and count on Him with your life AND your education.

God is the greatest instructor and leader, and even though through our walk with Him we also have exams, it yields a greater result than any transcript can.

No matter how this school season turns out nor how many times you may find yourself pulled into the chaotic in-person/online school debate, God already has it taken care of.

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Harvest After The Hurt!

So apparently God isn’t through with me talking about this topic. I wish I could tell you why, but God does everything for a reason and wanted to me talk about a different area where this needs to be addressed.

We are going to talk about the price of the harvest, THE HURT.

Hurt is a verrrrryy touchy topic but for the sake of obedience, I have to tell it.

Hurt is the price of…

• Stepping up your standards to match that of what God says about you
• Being authentically and confidently yourself
• Carrying a spirit of light and genuine love in your heart (not everyone likes that)

So if hurt will be the inevitable result for just following God why do we do it? 

A scripture comes to mind and it goes something like this: Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers us out of them all (Psalm 34:9 KJV) 

If our Lord Jesus went through ridicule and hurt on a physical, spiritual, and emotional level, you follow Him and demonstrate the love He teaches us by how you live, it will happen to you too. 

To go a little further one of my favorite scriptures is found in Galatians 6:9: do NOT be weary in well doing, for you will reap if you FAINT NOT!

Over the next few weeks we will dive into some specifics. Like what does harvest may look like when…

• Other people have hurt you.
• You lose someone you love.
• You hurt yourself.

SO KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR EMAILS, we are gonna be breaking this all the way down!

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Separation & Harvest!

I felt this so strongly in my spirit as I was sitting down preparing to write this blog this morning. IT’S HARVEST TIME! The first thing I thought to myself was “Harvest time, yessss thank you Lord! Wait, but doesn’t that mean some separation is going to happen along with that?”

You know what God told me? A resounding YES.

God talks a lot about tares and wheat when it comes to the principle of harvest. At one point they are bundled together but eventually they have to be separated. 

So what’s my point here: In order to get to reap the full benefits of the harvest, separation of the things that no longer need to be there MUST happen. 

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What Is A MOG?

I have been itching to write THIS ONE!

For those of you who are familiar with modern church and Bible lingo, the term “MOG” may seem very familiar. For those who do not know, this is an abbreviation that means man of God. So men of God, THIS IS FOR YOU! 

This role is not a one size fits all, but God gives his sons (the men) the wherewith, capabilities and tools through the word to fulfill the responsibilities that they will share. In other words, as sons of Christ, our Heavenly Father has certain expectations from us that has to be fulfilled. 

For those who are unsure of their identity…

When you acknowledge and accept Christ you become what the Bible describes as “joint heirs with Him” this spiritual role in itself is a great honor and a significant role that you are to carry throughout your journey. You never have to seek anyone else’s approval or opinion of you to validate who are you, what God has already said about you WILL NEVER CHANGE, it is written and it is true so you can refer to it whenever and however many times you need to. You have a set identity and characteristics that make you unique and set you apart. Your qualities, characteristics and gifts were not given to you just for show, they are there for a reason.

What About My Purpose?

Finding out your purpose lies in your pursuit of our Heavenly Father. If it is taking a while, consider viewing this as a good thing because it is a space of time to get something very important accomplished in you: development. Development of your relationship with God, discipline to carry roles and responsibilities assigned to you and to set boundaries in relationships as to not carry on something you weren’t meant to carry. 

If you are going to God about a job or career and find yourself unsure if you are doing the right thing I have two things that I need you to underline. #1 Committing your ways to God guarentees success! Not man’s idea of success (money, connections, assets, etc.) 
but success in God is much more fulfilling and not only benefits you but those around you. #2 DON’T YOU DARE compare your journey to someone else’s to determine your worth. Your worth has already been set in stone and anything less than that will only diminish and destroy how you see yourself. STAY AWAY FROM IT, its a deep rabit hole that even though is possible to get out of will save yourself a lot of heartbreak and hurt down the road. 

What About My Partner?

Oh, she is praying for you! A woman of God that seeks a true man of God in her life that she desires to have as a life partner is going before the throne of God for you praying for your peace of mind, that your steps continue to be ordered, that she is adequately prepared to work with you side by side. So what do you do? If you are seeking out a life partner, spiritual, mental, financial, social and physical preparation needs to be done so you can have a wonderful and productive relationship. How can you start preparing now? By praying for her! Pray for her needs to be met, that she always remain confident and assured in who she is, that she is reminded that she is more than the mistakes she may have made in the past, and you have the right intention and heart posture to care for her and love her the way God tells the men to love. (Ephesians 5:21-32).

So as you can gather, there are a lot of different components that make up you, man of God. No need to fret, you already have all that you need and all that it takes for you to be what God already says that you are!