In the Time of the Lattereign

If we focus on current events we may get discouraged, and maybe it seems that no one is in control, but never forget that our lives are designed by our creator. Every step we take, every decision we make, every triumph we experience, every heartache we endure, every tear that we shed, every ounce of joy unspeakable and full of glory that we feel, is recorded: and God knows what we have need of before we even ask.

Don’t think for a moment that you are alone on this path you are called to walk on. The Lord promises to never leave nor forsake us. He will be with us, always, and when the load gets too heavy for us to bear, he carries us. It says in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that his strength is made perfect in weakness. The more vulnerable we become, the stronger our Lord becomes. We must trust him to work out all things for our good.

Not every obstacle we are faced with will be easy to climb over. Sometimes it may require us to chip away at the obstacle in prayer, second by second until we can eventually clear the obstacle from our path. More often than not, the obstacle will not go away with just prayer; it will require an action from us to tunnel through it, which isn’t always easy. We will need to stay committed to our purpose, if we want to have the victory over our adversaries. It will require more than a quick thirty second prayer before meals, or on the way to our car before work, to have the tools needed to break down strongholds. We can’t afford to miss out on consistent effectual prayer.

Waiting for others to clear the pathway may sometimes work, but the most efficient way to get back on the right path is to exercise our faith, and keep moving forward. You may find that the way seems to get darker rather than lighter; you may hear the thunderous storms raging in the distance, and be afraid to get any closer to the danger, yet, the Lord has promised that he is the one who can still the storm, so you keep moving and doing what you know to do to be a good witness. I have found that when I look forward, I don’t have time to look back at what might have been.

What might have been? I was lost and dying under the curse of sin. When the Lord saved me, he gave me hope and a future. We live in troubled times, but we have a promise and a God who loves us, and he is asking us, in this week’s Lattereign:  How may I help you?

There is nothing wrong with wearing t-shirts with Christian sayings on it, or the bumper stickers that tells us things like, “Honk if you Love Jesus”; however, if you take away all of the gimmicks and advertisements, will people still see that you belong to Jesus Christ? We should put on a garment of praise, for the spirit of heaviness. Does what we wear bring glory to God, or is it a distraction for others? If we are to continue to grow in the church, we must trust the Lord to direct our steps.

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart: and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase:
10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction:
12 For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding” (Proverbs 3:5-13).

We have no other options but to trust God if we want to succeed in this life. Trust may be a tall order for us when the world continually batters us and whittles away our confidence, rejection by rejection. It’s easy to trust God when the blessings are an abundant flood; it’s not so easy when your world seems to crumble beneath your feet and you struggle to stand. We make our commitments and say our prayers and praise a God who is faithful. He spoke the world into existence, and we were planned long before we were conceived in our mother’s womb.
It is his good pleasure to bless us, but is he pleased with us? Is our worship genuine or do we sometimes go through the motions with a distant heart that aches for something that we don’t understand?
As a Christian, I should be setting an example for others. When I walk into a room people should know that there is something unique in me. I should reflect the image of Christ. This perception isn’t a result of the clothes I wear, or the way that I walk, although my attire should promote godliness and modesty. It is something deeper than that.

It is a commitment and a peace that passes all understanding. It is knowing that I know that Jesus Christ is the same today, yesterday, and forever and that he changes not. This world may be unsure but we can have confidence in a Savior who understands what we have need of, and when we don’t understand, he provides the Holy Ghost to pray for us.

I used to pray for material things: now, I have learned to pray for God’s will. Help me, Lord, to trust in you, honor you and serve you even when I don’t understand. Peace be still.–

In this week’s Lattereign, we are reminded that It’s the Time of Harvest.

It’s time to start over, again. You see, I know it may come as a surprise, but I’m not perfect. I make mistakes. When I try to do the right thing all the time, I confuse myself. When I try to be perfect, it puts insurmountable pressure on me, because perfection is an unreachable goal. No one is perfect, except Jesus Christ. He was without sin. Considering that this is true, and it is, will you please tell me why we are always beating ourselves up when we do make mistakes?

Satan is the accuser of the brethren, so isn’t it just like him to twist our thinking enough that we would accuse ourselves. That’s bold. We can walk around defeated, or we can choose to believe the report of the Lord. What is his report? As the song goes,

Whose report will you believe? We shall believe the report of the Lord. 

His report says, I am healed!

Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise. (Jeremiah 17:14)

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

His report says I am filled!

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. (Matthew 5:6).

Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. (Luke 6:21).

And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:31).

Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:11).

His report says I am free!

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32).

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (John 8:36).

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2).

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. (Galatians 5:1).

His report says victory! 

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57).

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. (1 John 5:4).

To believe his report will absolutely set us free to live the life that the Lord has chosen for us to live. When we do make mistakes, it isn’t the end of it all; it can be a learning experience, a time to regroup and by all means, to keep pressing toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God. He is more than enough to live for. When the enemy comes in like a flood, I have a choice to drown, or to ride the wave. Eventually, I will find solid ground again; and if not, I can trust him to know what is needed to reach it.

Sometimes in our walk with God we may be so far out in the wilderness that we are unable to find our way back to civilization. Again, we do have a choice. I am tired of stumbling and skinning my knees, but I refuse to stop walking, because to stop is just as dangerous as turning back. If we quit fighting our way through in prayer and fasting, we will never reach our victory, and we become easy prey for the enemy of our soul, satan.

When I made up my mind to serve the Lord, I didn’t expect to always have an easy path to follow; but what I knew to expect is that the Lord has a path for me to walk on, and if I would just trust him and keep walking , eventually I would reach the other side of the rough spots, because he promised to never leave me or forsake me. Quitting was never an option. I knew what that was like, and believe me, I may have to crawl at times through dark places and over treacherous mountains, but I made up my mind a long time ago that no matter what, I would never look back if the Lord would forgive me.

He promises in Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” When I was lost, my life was empty. There was a void that could never be filled without Jesus Christ. I can now drink freely from the wells of salvation. I can sleep peacefully at night, knowing that God loves me.

Yes, we live in troubled times, and not every day is blissful, and lacking in challenges; however, now, I know that when those days come, that I don’t have to face it alone. God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in the time of trouble, as it says in Psalm 62:7: “In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.”

In this week’s Lattereign, we are reminded to not give up. Shall we return with Empty Vessels?

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

“He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.” I was working with a student and I had to draw some lines. The student was surprised when my lines were perfectly straight, even though I didn’t use a ruler to make them. I had simply looked at my destination on the page and moved toward it in a direct path. I didn’t allow myself to be distracted from my project; I didn’t watch other people draw their lines; and I didn’t lament that my lines could never be as straight as I’d like them to be. I just set out to draw some lines and they were drawn perfectly in a direct manner. My student tried to imitate my lines on his own, but his lines were shaky because he had a hard time believing that he could make straight lines since he’d never made them before.

As I was praying about what the Lord wanted for me to share this week in the Lattereign, he reminded me of the lines and how that they could apply spiritually to my walk with him. I haven’t always been confident of the direction that the Lord wants me to take, and quite frankly, there have been times when I would be so frustrated with myself that I begged God to just tell me what he wanted me to do with my life so I could quit worrying about it.

At first, I didn’t understand why The Lord allowed so many problems in my life, especially since I was living for him the best I knew how. After a while, the Lord has helped me to understand. Much like the clouds heavy with rain and darkness, I have trials in my life. I don’t have a clue how to overcome them, but the Bible says that if I look at the wind, I’m not going to be sowing any seed.

In the natural or the spiritual the result is the same: if you don’t put forth an effort to plant; you will not reap a harvest! I must keep my eyes on Jesus and I must sow the seeds, because when I continue to look at the clouds in my life and worry about every thing that I can’t control; I am disobeying God; and how can he bless me if I don’t trust him to work all things for my good?

It’s a challenge to keep working when you don’t see instant results. Nevertheless, not my will, but thy will be done. The winds are terrifying, Lord! Nevertheless, not my will, but thy will be done. When the Lord commanded us to go into all the world and preach the gospel, he promised us that if we would “cast our bread upon the waters, that we’d find it after many days.” So, let the wind and the clouds gather; because God knows the beginning from the ending; and he will take us through any weather; even when we take our eyes off of our goal and lose confidence. May all your lines be perfect in him.

Keep sowing the seed, and let’s reap a harvest of souls.

“ Cast thy bread upon the waters: For thou shalt find it after many days. He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. In the morning, sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 11:1, 4-6; 12:13).

In this week’s Lattereign we celebrate another day that’s been given to us to worship the Lord.  This is the day that the Lord hath made

“For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power” (Colossians 2: 9-10).

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (1 Timothy 2:5-6).

“I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting”  (1 Timothy 2:8).

I can remember “speaking to the mountains” in my life and taking authority over the hindrances that would stop me from getting the victory. That was over 26 years ago and  today, I still find myself speaking to the mountains in my life. The greatest mountain in my life has been doubt. Today, I speak to the mountain of doubt that tries to keep me from taking the steps to move forward. In the name of Jesus, I command doubt to go from my life. I am a daughter of the King, and I speak life, provision, victory, peace and joy into our lives.

The second greatest mountain in my life has been pride. Sometimes in all of my self-sufficiency, I forget to ask God for help. Instead, I steadily and diligently chip away at the mountain on my own. The Lord is able to move the mountain without me, but he waits for me to call out to him in prayer. He desires my worship, and when I bless him he doesn’t withhold his hand. Today, I recognize that I need God and I can’t do anything without his direction; with him I can do exploits because he has promised in his word. He is faithful.

The third greatest mountain in my life is fear. This mountain is particularly debilitating. Fear takes charge and causes me to make wrong and irrational choices; choices that bring more heartache. Fear paralyzes me to inaction. Today, I speak boldness to proclaim the name of Jesus. Perfect love casteth out fear. Lord, give me perfect love.

Finally, the greatest mountain that I’m faced with in life is my flesh. I take dominion over my flesh, today, and bring it into subjection to Jesus Christ. Lead me to your perfect will. Give me wisdom and understanding.

The greatest mountains in my life have been cast into the sea, making room for more of the glory of God to fill this temple. If you desire more of God, have you considered speaking to the mountain?

It’s amazing what the Lord can do when you put him first in your life. I’m thankful that he is Lord of all in my life. Without Jesus, I would be nowhere, because I need the Lord. We must learn how to take the initiative. It’s true that if I plan to accomplish anything for the Lord, I need to do it now. There is an urgency in my spirit to get to work because these are desperate times. “God is great and greatly to be praised. We’re created in his image. It’s time to get after it.”

“Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all the oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy” (Psalm 103: 1-8).

In this week’s Lattereign, we find that the enemy may try to block our way to the gates of praise that releases our prayers, but we must speak to the mountains of doubt, pride, fear, and our flesh, with authority and believe that God will answer our cry. Walls of Salvation-Gates of Praise

I totally get it. You have been praying about this circumstance for years with seemingly no resolution in sight. No matter how discouraged we sometimes get, and impatient, let’s not forget that the Lord hasn’t forgotten us. If we could only see what the Lord sees, we would know that he has angels encamped about us who are fighting off the enemies on our behalf.

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled:” (Hebrews 12:14-15).

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Jesus Christ  the same yesterday, and today, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:5-8).

We have forgotten how to be content. Our affluence has caused us not to look to the Lord to supply our every need. We don’t need anything! If we do, it is easily attained with a swipe of a credit card. Unfortunately, this is the attitude of many people in our great country today. Society makes it harder to be satisfied with the basic necessities of life, and sometimes, we become bound by the very things that are considered modern conveniences that will free up our time.

Hebrews tells us to “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise, For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry” (Hebrews 10:35-37). We have spent the last few years patiently waiting for the promise. When we all work together towards a common goal there is nothing that we can’t accomplish. If we’re in the middle of God’s will, we can have faith in God to work out all of the details in his own time and way. Do you believe that he wants peace for us? He desires to give us an expected end, hope and a future, but are we willing to step out in faith and believe God?

This week’s Lattereign shares some thoughts about giving. Ever Faithful to Give 

We are not living in a perfect world with perfect people, so many times you may be disappointed in others. They may even offend you or say something that brings up the past. It may even feel like you can’t win this battle that seems to keep climbing up out of your memory. Didn’t the Lord redeem me? Didn’t he say that he cast my sins away? That he had forgotten those things that brought shame to his name? I ask you: whose voice are you listening to?

“He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19).

Satan is the accuser of the brethren and the father of lies. He would like nothing better than for you to be bound by your past, thus keeping you from daring to believe that God could save someone like you. He tries to bring condemnation on us to control our effectiveness in the kingdom of God. He knows that if we ever take a hold of this truth and believe God, he won’t be able to touch us.

We have the Lord’s promise in Romans 8: 1-2, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

We become more aware of our flaws when we lose sight of what God is leading us to. It wasn’t until Peter looked to the left or right that he saw the waves and storm and began to sink. Oh, Peter, where is your faith? Let me remind you that Peter did get out of the boat, and he did walk on the water towards Jesus. Can you say that you have ever stepped out in faith and dared to believe God for those things that may have looked impossible? “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37).

Isn’t it just like the Lord to know the plans he has for us and not reveal his plan to us right away? You see, we are our worst critic when it comes to our effectiveness. If he laid out the whole plan, step by step, we may talk ourselves out of the victory, because we had a step to take that may require us to feel rejection, or neglect. What if to reach our place of authority, we had to learn how to submit to authority? By learning how to submit, we learn the best way to lead. To be a great leader, you must first be willing to follow.

Your way, your ideas, your plans, your dreams, your ambitions, your goals, will be as rubble if they are not first filtered through the will and purpose of God for your life. They may seem successful for a while, but like the house built on the sand, it will not stand without a solid foundation, and that foundation is built on commitment and prayer. It may seem that you have invested everything with little return, but do not be discouraged, because God isn’t finished yet.

Learn to receive the no’s that you will hear as you map out your next steps to become the man or woman of God that you are destined to become. If those in authority over you are willing to take the time to show you the right path, count yourself blessed. Hebrews 13:17 says to “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.”

I didn’t say that it was the easiest thing to do, because some wounds are genuinely deep, but with God’s mercy and grace, isn’t it time to surrender it all to him? The bible says in 1 Peter 5:7, ^“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” He cares for me and that is enough for me to move forward. I want my life to be a reflection of his image, and for that to happen, I must learn to trust him enough to let the past go, so I will have a future.

In this week’s Lattereign, we show you how to be forgiven.  You must forgive to be forgiven

If you are tired of feeling that you have not reached your full potential in Christ, it is not too late to start working towards reaching that goal. It seems that some people have their lives perfectly aligned with God’s will and everything works for them without any controversy or strife. They may appear to have all that this world has to offer, and they never seem to have any setbacks or hardships. Don’t be fooled.

We all have times that we may be faced with tough decisions, and challenging circumstances that send us to our knees in fervent prayer. I, for one, know that I don’t have all of the answers, but sometimes I have plenty of questions to ask of God. One that I have often asked is, why? Why did this or that have to happen? What did I do wrong to get on this path? How long will I have to deal with this? When are you going to intervene on my behalf?

Consider this: even Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted. If he had not faced the temptations, he may not have been prepared to endure the cross. On the other hand, we also must endure temptations, but the Lord has given us the power to resist the devil and he will flee. Just because he tries to derail you from time to time, is no reason to give in to his lies, that will lead to your destruction. He wants you to fail, so if he wants me to fail, I choose to be more than conquerors through Jesus Christ as it says in Romans 8:35-37:

 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

I made up my mind a long time ago that if the Lord would receive me again after I walked away for over a decade, that I would live for him for the rest of my days. There is nothing that can separate me from the love of Christ. He loves us. I know that it’s not always easy to live for God, but he promises us in Isaiah 59:19:

 So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.

It is time to stop allowing every situation to toss you to and fro through all of the troubles that may come against you. Grab a hold on to the altar and declare peace in your storm. We have been given everything we need to live holy, now, it’s time that we use it. In John 14:12-13 the Lord leaves us with this promise:

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

In Jesus’ Name, we have the power to overcome all obstacles that we may have to face. Let’s continue to contend for the faith in this week’s Lattereign as we learn how to go from  Good to Great in 2018.

I am glad that the Lord is with us, and he will strengthen us. So many times I felt alone when I was facing a situation, but I know that God is my refuge and strength, and he will keep me safe in the time of trouble. Although 2017 was challenging at times, we got through it and now we have a brand new year to live.

I wonder what this year may bring, but I am not fearful, because no matter what it brings, God is in control. There is nothing that I need that he will not supply. For 2018, I want to make it the best year that we have lived for the Lord. When we face the day, may the Lord grant us wisdom to make the best decisions filtered through his word and prayer. We pray this year for his will to be done in earth as it is in heaven.

No one knows the hour of the Lord’s return, but it could be today before I finish typing this blog. We need to expect his return, and prepare for it as if it will be today, but if he tarries, let’s keep our lamps filled with oil. I want to be ready; how about you?

Yesterday can’t be altered, and tomorrow can’t be experienced yet; all we have is today to make a difference in someone’s life. Don’t wait to be the man or woman of God that you should be, because waiting for tomorrow may be too late; we aren’t promised tomorrow.

If you have regrets about how you walked with the Lord in 2017, you can’t dwell in the past, but you can look forward to this brand new year and make fresh commitments. He makes us a promise in Lamentations:

^“It is of the Lord‘s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

May this week’s, Lattereign,   Looking Forward Learning from the Past,  give us hope for a future.

No matter what trials we face in life we can find comfort in knowing that our circumstances are not random occurrences: the Lord knew before the beginning of time what we may face, and he made a way of escape. Sometimes the way of escape may be through the fire, but just the same, he gives us the grace and ability to go through it without ever being destroyed. I can’t image going through life without the blessing of God on my life. He is my fortress, he is my shield, and buckler. He is my high tower. As the song goes, “when my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

Throughout the bible, people have had to face difficulties, yet every time, the Lord provided the way to overcome it. I admit that sometimes the way seems dark and if we aren’t careful we may look at the vast darkness, and fear the unknown instead of placing our complete confidence in the one who created life and life more abundantly. God is light. If I keep my eyes on him, I will always know the way through the darkness.

Usually what happens, with me is that I get distracted and look at what is trying to derail me from the path the Lord has set me on, instead of the one who has all situations in his control. What happens next is I become fearful and begin to doubt that I’m capable to handle a situation. Who am I?

Yes, the enemy of our soul would like nothing better than to cause us to live in fear of the unknown. It’s time to stand up and make our petitions count. ^” So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him” (Isaiah 59:19).

I know that this is the last day of the year and maybe you are ending the year with some regrets about unfinished business. It could be that you didn’t give enough, or pray enough or read your bible, or witness enough. Don’t allow the past regrets to dictate what you may be able to accomplish in the new year. We are required to do our best. Any thing less than our best is not acceptable. We have God’s promise that he would never leave us nor forsake us.

Isn’t it time to hold on to God’s promise? “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Why do we have to constantly fight the good fight of faith? We find out in this week’s Lattereign. It is because We Were Chosen.