UNPREPARED!! 

 

WE REMEMBER 9-11! 

 

 

 

         (Matt. 24:36, 42-44) "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.   Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."

 

          Twelve years ago on this same date, America was terrorized by Islamic terriorist group al-Qaeda. Planes flew into the Twin Towers in New York City in broad daylight causing and destroying the structure of the buildings as well as lives lost. The Pentagon suffered structural damage as well as the other plane that was hijacked headed towards Washington but sidetracked to Shanksville, Pennsylvania due to heroic efforts of passengers on board. Our hearts go out to all the families of those today who suffered losses and we remember!  

          America was UNPREPARED for this attack. Despite the modern technology, radar detection devices and professional security tools to detect attacks, it didn't prepare us for this unforgettable, horrific day. I was standing in my family room on that day preparing to go to work and the news flash came. As I watched, I thought a King Kong's movie was being made. When I saw the first plane hit, I knew this was not a movie and I began to cry. "This couldn't be happening" was my first thought, but it was. This was no movie scene..this was for real!

          Some things we can prepare for in advance and there are some things which sneaks upon us so secretly that we don't have time to get ready or protect ourselves. Jesus advised his followers about being prepared for the day when he will return. No day, hour, month, year or time was given but he did state to all to be ready, stay ready and look for his return. The ten virgins can well testify that it is important to be prepared and stay prepared. In a time we think not, it could happen. Death, accidents, incidents, births and other events often comes when we least expect them or without warning. It is good to be in a position that whenever that time comes, we won't be UNPREPARED.

          One event that we can begin preparing for now is the return of Christ. Before he left, he promised to send us the Holy Spirit which would keep us and prepare us until he returned. Many people don't believe that Christ will return so they don't prepare. They walk around as if there will not be an End of Time. I am one who believe in God's Word and it does not lie. Jesus said that he will return and that settles it for me. It is up to each individual to decide if they believe this as well and  prepare. When the time comes, if you have prepared, it won't come upon you unaware.

         What if America had known about this planned attack? What if some clues would have been given? We were UNPREPARED! It happened and we were all devastated. Nothing we do will bring those lives back or restore the loss which occurred on that day. The only things we can do now is remember, prevent and prepare should something else like this occurs again. Many safety measures since has been enforced in preparation for the unknown. Let us not wait until it's too late to get ourselves ready to meet our saviour. I pray we all be ready when he returns. I pray we all get our business straight and not be unprepared when he appears in the sky.   



THE PROCESS: MAGNIFY TO SANCTIFY TO QUALIFY

 

(Psa. 139:23-24-NLT) "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life."
(Matt. 7:3-5-NLT) "And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye, when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye."

(John 15:16) "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you that ye should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the father in my name, he may give it you."

Magnify: To enlarge in fact or in appearance
Sanctify: To purify, set apart or consecrate
Qualify:  To declare competent or adequate or certify

          So many today are looking for promotions, elevations, recognitions and to climb up the ladder of success at some point or another. Employers or leaders of organizations find it necessary to do random assessments and evaluations to determine how well an employee is doing and has done on their job. It is necessary after an evaluation is given to carefully look at the things marked so one can examine what their weakness or strengths are. So often, we may rely upon our employers to tell us what we need to do or cease from doing to better our performances or duties. However, we should take it upon us to check us out!

           A magnifying glass is used to enlarge and bring into closer focus or view an object which cannot be seen noticeable with the natural It will reveal things that normally are not seen far away. It brings things hard to find closer to you for better viewing. No one likes to see what is really wrong with them because it is better looking at things on the other person. Let us welcome the Word to Magnify us. As I was preparing this blog, I noticed that all of the words I defined and mentioned ended with the suffix -fy (make : form into ). I'd like to use the -fy as  "First You". In make any changes, corrections, improvements, or adjustments in our lives, it has to begin with Y.O.U.

          Once we have carefully magnified self or "fy", then we can proceed on to the next step---Sanctify. Most people associate this word in a religious manner, ye understanding that all it entails is to be clean, pure and set apart. John 15:3 says, "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." Once we have examined ourselves and allowed God's Word to show us what He has found, then we can ask Him as David did in Psalms 51:7 "Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow."  This is sanctification. Next, we are now ready for the final process. Only God can Qualify us for His  service and works of the kingdom. Man can appoint but it is God who anoints and qualifies. Don't despise being shown up under God's magnifying glass (The Word). He is trying to move us from through one process to the next process to the final process.

 

           ^{GIANT OR GRASSHOPPER?}

 

                           

^{(Numbers 13:23,27-28,30-31,33-NLT)}

²³ When they came to the valley of Eshcol, they cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes so large that it took two of them to carry it on a pole between them!  ²⁷ This was their report to Moses: “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. ²⁸ But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak! ³⁰ But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!” ³¹ But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” ³³ We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!

          When I think of the biblical encounter with Moses, Caleb and the others, my mind recalls the story of Jack & the Beanstalk. We remember the end of the story where Jack comes down the stalk with the giant following behind, chops down the beanstalk and overcomes the giant. Jack refused to let the giant scare or hinder him from getting the things he needed to survive due to his size and his threats.  
          Sometimes we can allow size, obstacles, fear, lack of trust and all sorts of circumstances to prevent us from getting the things we have been promised or is rightfully ours. We can choose to be "grasshoppers" or be "giants."  Grasshoppers are small insects known to be found among the grass, leaves and lowlands. They are not big enough or strong enough to conquer or possess much due to their size. However, giants, on the other hand, are known to be endowed with great strength, height and size. Giants are mostly feared because of their physical attributes. Many fear them due to their size thereby they are able to obtain and conquer whatever territory or possession in their reach.
          God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and a sound mind, empowering us with the authority and the ability to conquer ALL. 1 John 4:4 (NLT) "But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world." We don't have to possess the mentality of a grasshopper but can stand tall as a giant to obtain whatever we desire when we pray and speak.
          It is the devil's  jobs to make us fear, lack and miss out on what God has promised us and given to us as His people. The land of Canaan belonged to the Israelites but because of what the spies had observed in the land, they feared to overtake it because of the giants they saw. They were as grasshoppers settling for the least and not the greatest God had for them.
         When we change our mindset and believe that we are more than giants and more than conquerors through Christ Jesus, we will take the land...take the city, take what is rightfully ours and become the GIANTS in our promised territory in our promised season! Grasshopper or Giant! Which one are you?

 

         WATCH YOUR MOUTH!

 

 

(Mark 14:69-70) "And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them. And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilean, and thy speech agreeth thereto. "

Speech: An individual manner or style of speaking. Something that is spoken.

It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from, we all have been given distinct and recognizable voices or speech patterns. Our speech, no matter what dialect or language we speak, is owned by us. Yes, we may have voice imitators who can mimic us but our speech is ours personally. A parent can recognize her children's voice or cry among a room filled with other children. The sound or voice pattern of that child distinguishes them from the rest.

When we became Christians and old things in our lives became new, we inherited through the blood of Jesus, a new speech. We no longer should use the old pattern of our speech but must put on Christ's speech and a new way of talking. How we once talked, things we allowed to come out of our mouth should be different now. People who we once ran with or were buddies with should notice a change in us by our speech. Even if a person who once knew Christ and decide to not walk with him any longer still have Christ's mark upon him. They can try to fit in with the world, act like the world and do what the world do, but their speech will betray them.

I have been among individuals not knowing their backgrounds, church affiliations or lifestyle, but as soon as conversation (speech) was engaged, I could recognize somehow if they had once walked with the Lord or is walking with the Lord. It's a "knowing" by the spirit and by their conversation. Everyday, we must be careful how we talk, express ourselves and behave among others. Peter, one of Jesus' disciples who followed him closely, thought he could hide his identity after Jesus was arrested. He didn't realize that people had seen him with Jesus and what unmasked his identity more was his speech.

When you know Christ and have allowed his character to become a part of your being, you cannot hide it. Peter denied who he was and he also denied the Christ. When we are among our family, friends, coworkers, strangers or whomever, we should let our light shine and allow God to use our speech to speak life, deliverance and salvation to them. God needs our voice to be His mouthpiece. Our speech should not consist of profanity, defaming or unkind comments, lies, deceit, bitter or abusive words. Speech from our lips should be godly, words filled with kindness, exhortation, encouragement, enlightenment, inspiration and full of faith. When we allow God to change our hearts and our lives, He changes everything about us including our speech. Someone is steadily watching us and "listening" to us. Let us WATCH OUR SPEECH and not be guilty of denying the Christ in us, the hope of Glory!

 

 

 

 

 

VALIDATION TO ACTIVATION

 

 

(Acts. 1:8) But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

     VALIDATE: to make legally valid;  to confirm the validity of; to recognize, establish, or illustrate the worthiness or legitimacy of.
   ACTIVATE: To make active, set up for use

Many of us are familiar with the above terms in making financial transactions. The card owners issue the cardholders  credit/debit/prepaid, gift,etc., cards after their applications have been submitted and approved or monies paid. After valid submissions are granted and all terms accepted, the cardholder is advised to activate their card by calling the specified numbers or going online to activate the card issued. Once the card has been activated, the cardholder can begin making transactions or purchases. If the card has not been activated, even though validation has been granted, the transaction cannot be processed.
I had an issued and validated discount member's card to a store and had forgotten to activate the card. Because I had forgotten to go online and activate the card, I lost discounts/points off my purchase when I recently visited the store. If I had only activated my card, I could have saved money on my purchase. (We learn by our mistakes).
Activation is a process whereby we challenge ourselves with some truth from scripture to be able to receive the grace to then do what the Bible says we can do. Before Jesus left to return to heaven, he promised his disciples that he would send them a comforter that would be activated to teach, guide and lead them into all truths. He instructed them that in order to validate and activate this promise, it was important that they wait in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. Just as Jesus had spoken, the comforter came and those who were in the upper room received the activation of the Holy Ghost. Those who were outside of the Upper Room witnessed the activation of the Holy Ghost upon the followers of Jesus. They not only received the Holy Ghost, but power and authority over Satan along with it. He has made available to all believers the same opportunity to activate this power in their lives.
Just as our credit/debit cards gives us certain "buying" power and certain limitations and restrictions, the spirit of God in us gives us access through the name of Jesus and power to conquer the enemy, heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out devils and live a righteous life. Yes, it is also available to anyone who desires it. There are certain requirements to unbelievers to validate this power which by the way has no expiration date and can be used everywhere and anywhere.
Validation Requirements: 
(1) Accept him as your Lord.
(2)  Believe in him (that he came, he died, he rose and will return again for his people).
(3) Confess with your mouth that salvation has come into your life and share him with others.
Activation Code Requirements:
PIN #: Username: JESUS
            Password: FAITH

Greetings Family & Friends,

Please accept this email as an invitation as My Praise Project Outreach & Life Center Church presents a Benefit Missions to Nigeria "Night of Worship" (N.O.W.) Sept. 29, 2013 - 5PM. Our ministry is raising funds to support our Evangelistic Outreach missions in Nigeria in October in which our pastor, Christine Evans will be going to minister there along with a ministry team. Your financial support of whatever amount you are able to donate will be appreciated even if you are able to attend or unable to attend.

We may not can physically go to the nations but we can help support and send others to go.This is our purpose for this Night of Worship. I would love for you to join us at this NOW Benefit Musical where we are aiming at a particular goal to help finance this mission's trip. Will you help me? Thanks so much in advance for your consideration.

Donations can be mailed and checks made payable to (My Praise Project Outreach - PO Box 851- Americus, GA 31709) or you can make donations on my website: www.mypraiseprojectoutreach.com through Paypal.

All donations received will be donated to this effort and they are tax deductible. May God bless you in your consideration to help send the gospel to the nations. Please view our promo video snippet below.

(Click link or copy and paste in your search engine to view)

http://youtu.be/ES0gFJJCvOo

 

 

THE "SIFTING" BEFORE THE "SHIFTING"

 

 (Amos 9:9) "For, lo, I will command, and I will SIFT the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth."
(Luke 22:31,32-NLT) "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. (Matt. 16:18) "And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
 SIFTING:  To put (flour, corn for example) through a sieve or other straining device in order to separate the fine from the coarse particles.To distinguish, examine and sort carefully, To pass through or make a careful examination

SHIFTING: To exchange, alter, move or transfer from one place or position to another.

 

          As a child growing up, I used to observe my mom and grandmother cooking and watched as they prepared to make biscuits for our breakfast or meals. They'd take out the flour and other ingredients, cooking utensils and among them, the sifter. I thought it was a neat utensil and often asked to sift the flour because it seemed like a toy to me. I wondered why it was necessary to sift the flour  and after doing it a few times, I discovered the reason. I noticed that when I placed the flour in the sifter, it was clumpy and the sifter made it smoother and lighter. I also noticed that once all the flour had sifted through, there were particles and sometimes insects left in the sifter that didn't pass through. Most likely they had hid in the flour during packing and storing. The sifter caused these foreign objects to separate from the actual flour before shifting the flour to be used for baking.  

          The wired-type screen on the sifter allows, with a good shake or turn of the handle, small particles to pass through. Any large objects would not pass through. Oftentimes, we may wonder why we have to go through seasons of suffering, trials, demotions before promotions, persecutions, scars before the stars on our way to our "Greater".  This is called our "sifting" process. Once we've gone through this process, then we are ready for the "Shifting" process. Undoubtedly, many of us would love to skip the "sifting" process and jump directly into the "shifting" process. As Jesus walked with his disciples, he was gradually sifting them in a sense by teaching them, correcting them and preparing them for their shifting that they would experience after he had gone back to his Father.

          Sifting has to take place in order to be transferred or be moved to the next level. Before my mom and grandmother could successfully produce those buttery, tasty and light biscuits, the flour (the main ingredient) had to go through the sifting process. After they sifted the flour, the dough that was made was ready to be shifted to the oven for baking. Let us not avoid from going through the "Sifting" because this is where anything that shouldn't be in your life will be left out so the things necessary to shift us will pass through for the making process. Let us allow the hand of God to be placed on the handle of the sifter. As this sifting process is  being done, let us be willing to allow whatever is not right in us to be shaken up so anything unfit won't pass through and keep us from our shifting. Are you ready for the SIFTING and the SHIFTING?