Tag: God

Let God Pull It Out of You

We all have it…baggage. We all have some broken dream, disappointing loss, rejection via unrequited love or abandonment by a loved one to contend with in our lifetime. Our lives may hold some personal triumphs but the thing that holds us back most are the failures. They seem to privately abound within us even more than our public victories. In spite of the pain we endure, the bottom line is this…We need to put away the baggage of our past! Our history, good or not so good seems to follow us around, year after year keeping us bound to an action or a memory. Its only purpose is to constantly remind us of an error we’d rather forget. The hold can become so foreboding that we struggle to face our future with optimism because the demons in our past torment us so. Our talents are smoldering beneath the veil of fear as our past whispers negativity to our hearts. Just having the desire to escape the indiscretions of yesteryear is not enough. We need to recognize our deficit of faith while discovering  the warrior hidden deep within. Action on our part must be implemented to prevail over this malignant spirit whose sole mission is to destroy our hope, our destiny and more importantly our relationship with God. In order to find our place in the body, we have to change our thinking by allowing God to transform our minds.

The confession of our mistakes gives us strength to confront the condemnation we carry concerning former our deeds. When we hide it, we open the door for it to dominate our lives. Under the influence of fear, desperation emerges compelling us to cover up or hide our “sins”. This new taskmaster forces us into submitting to acts that are not pleasing to the Lord. Fear’s partner is pride. Pride coupled with the terror of being found out is the catalyst or reasoning used to justify unGodly actions once we’re driven to compromise. The past now reaches into our present by becoming a tremendous burden that threatens the future. If we truly want to be free from the past or any bondage, we must acknowledge our imperfections to tame the beasts which plague us. If not, it will dictate to us that we’re miserable failures who are incapable of success. We’re then robbed of our self esteem, our peace and ultimately our destiny.

The good news is the past never reveals that failure is the best teacher!

The lessons we learn from not succeeding in every attempted effort are invaluable. It keeps us humble before God and molds us into better human beings. We learn compassion, wisdom and empathy to share with others who need encouragement. It also compels us to re-examine who we are while challenging us to seek a deeper spiritual intimacy with God. Through a relationship with Him, we can determine why we failed in the first place in order to develop a winning agenda for our next endeavor. We also discover where our weaknesses lie so that we can cultivate a confidence bolstering strategy. I love the hope it births!

Through failure, God reminds us that every failed effort is not some shameful exploit.

It’s an opportunity to allow Him to show us the splendor of what we really were designed to be. Failing illustrates how trivial our accomplishments are when displaced from His will. Our goals have to be mirror images of His directives otherwise every pursuit of success on our part will indeed fail. The realization we need to embrace is that any accolade we attain in this earthly vessel is His victory, not ours. Without His constant unction operating in us, we’d never have a divinely purposeful thought or idea. We’d simply evolve into selfish, mindless automatons without vision or  direction. Failure challenges us to seek God for the tenacity to try again. We’re also reminded that the grandeur of anything we aspire to will never be the result of our own ability. It’s merely a manifestation of His illustrious anointing working through each of us.

He pulls the awesome, creative, anointed, illustrious part
of HIMSELF OUT OF US!

We were all fabricated for greatness but only when we discover that our ultimate triumphs reside in Him. Failure is the vehicle that perfects us to our celebrated end. The real blessing is that we are purified for service through the heartbreak of our pain. I encourage you to make the decision to exchange the baggage of the past for a love relationship with the Father. You just might be surprised by what He pulls out of YOU!

Walk in your liberty child of the MOST HIGH GOD…

____________________________________________________________________

Denise Joyce Williams lives in Florida with her husband who is a career soldier. Her first book entitled, “The Healing Of A Broken Vessel” was released by Publish America in 2009. Her much anticipated second book entitled “Chambers Of The Believing Heart” is expected to be released in the spring of 2012.

Find Your Roar

Recently, I was watching a documentary on television and in it they were illustrating patterns of male lions. One of the facts that I found profoundly interesting was that the lion has a unique way of making his presence known. Many of us know lions roar, but what I was unaware of is that they first point their face toward the ground. Initially, I thought that was pointless. How would the roar be heard? However when he roars, the ground reverberates the sound which carries it for miles. Any animal within the lion’s perimeter is immediately alerted that the king of jungle is in their midst. I learned it is not just the sound of the roar alone that alerts them. However it is the noise as well as the vibration of the ground beneath them which makes them know to respect that the powerful creature that is near.

In our ever changing world today everyone seems to be “standing up” for something. We can gain a glimpse of what is important to an individual by observing the causes they passionately support. People who’ve measured the pros and cons of supporting their cause are usually willing to be uncomfortable, will submit to being jailed or in extreme cases martyred for their beliefs. They are determined, aggressive and steadfast in their convictions. Society advocates saving the whales, protesting wars, government rebellions or rally for the downtrodden. No matter the issue, we look for purpose to be fulfilled and many find what they believe to be their reason for living through supporting a cause. We find gratification in making an attempt to restore or repair a breach in society and God has embedded this desire into the recesses of our DNA. We were designed to minister to one another through nurturing interaction. These actions breed relationship for which we were designed!

Our personal convictions guide us into the decision making processes, while provoking us to ponder “What is worth my ROAR?” We need to look at what we are doing in our lives that causes a massive impact. What are we doing in body of Christ that causes a roar? What part of our salvation or faith filled works accomplishes the agenda that Jesus has commissioned? Are our agendas bringing glory to God? It is only His mandate that will cause a roar. It is His customized mission He’s prepared for you that will allow not only the sound that denotes physical presence, but a true connection to God. It is that assignment which compels the enemy to acknowledge that the presence of God almighty rests in, on and around us which he fears. We don’t make demons tremble because we say we are Christians, go to church, pay tithes, feed the hungry or take in the homeless. We coerce the devil to tremble through the ROAR God has given us! Power for us is found through the yoke breaking anointing that reconciles the lost back to Him.

We are truly the lion of Judah (Rev. 5:5), the lineage of King David. David was a warrior who had Judah’s roar. His praise was extreme, his worship pure and God made him a successful conqueror who overcame much adversity. Just as lions typically kill off threats to their pride (family); God allowed David to recover all that belonged to Israel and destroy any nation that would not respect their roar. The yoke breaking, miracle producing anointing that God has bestowed upon the body is our ROAR! It is what God has equipped us with in order to win souls. The enemy knows that he has no power against this pure, undefiled yet lethal anointing. We just have to count the cost and ROAR! Our God who goes before us into any cause, battle or territory will make our presence known so that those who oppose us are sure to feel defeat.

In this season, ask the Lord to help you find your ministry ROAR. Allow Him to cultivate you to a place of confidence so that you will, without hesitation offer your Roar in the body of Christ. When we all find our purpose and let God set the stage, our Roar will be felt while being effective in any endeavor we pursue. We are not without the tools needed to overcome. The economic desperation of this current dispensation provides us with a unique opportunity to show the world Jehovah Jireh is our powerful, omnipotent provider. He is our peace, our strong tower, our Judah, our ROAR. If you want to make an impact, find your divine purpose while experiencing a true sense of accomplishment. Gird up your loins and do whatever it takes to find your roar.

In closing I leave you with this: Man of God, Woman of God; I challenge you to seek the Lord without delay to FIND YOUR ROAR!
____________________________________________________________________________
Dr. Denise J. Williams was born & raised in Brooklyn, NY. Her first book “The Healing Of A Broken Vessel” can be found on amazon.com. Her second book “The Chambers Of The Heart” is in production to be released in early 2012.

The Gift of Jesus

While speaking on the phone to my husband about our holiday plans, excitement overwhelmed me and our conversation took me back to my childhood. Each year we’d engage in family traditions that united us even more while securing lasting memories that can never be erased. One yearly staple for our family was watching the televised Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Every year we kids would pile up on the sofa next to my Dad and watch the pageantry. We would remark on each float, cite the new ones; squeal with delight after spying our favorites and mentioning those that were discontinued while taking in the aroma of the holiday meal that wafted in from the kitchen. We knew Mom was concocting a massive Thanksgiving dinner for the family that was sure to satisfy. She actually appreciated the solitude the kitchen offered while we were preoccupied with the parade. We would wait anxiously for that very last float in the parade. We knew who’d be riding it because he rode it every year. It was the highlight of the parade and it kick started the festivities of the season. This float never changed. It gave us hope for the end of the current year and was our first introduction to what it was to have faith in something. This float carried Santa! He would arrive in royal regalia with love in his eyes for all. He’d wave with spotless gloves of white, while I screamed with delight in front of theCandyCanes TV. For us, Santa was real and all that he stood for wholesome. He’d mark the beginning of the Christmas shopping season by saying in a deep voice that we’d longed all year to hear, MERRY CHRISTMAS!  Once we saw Santa, it was Christmas…. We’d celebrate by having our tree trimming Thanksgiving evening. All of the decorations would be askew, hot cocoa would be plentiful and Nat King Cole would be belting out ‘The Christmas Song’ on our stereo. It was my Dad’s favorite holiday song.

Many Christmas’s have come and gone since then. Every year I attempt to re-capture the spirit of those wonderful times I had as a child growing up in Brooklyn, NY. I chose to keep many of those traditions because of the feeling of love, unity and precious familial relationships it fostered.  We all need to feel a significant connection to a body of people that harbor unconditional love toward us.

As I spy the present day body of Christ, I see there is very little in the way of Godly traditions being consistently honored. Are we establishing traditions of faith in Christ that supersede our man made observances? Do we look to share the message of salvation as diligently as we search sales circulars for black Friday specials? Or are we just using our family formality as a smoke screen to cover up the fact that even though we have this birthday celebration for Jesus called Christmas, we seldom if ever invite Him to the party which should have already begun in our hearts?

The Lord is pleased whenever we choose to worship Him even if we are in the throes of our own celebrations. We can accomplish this by sharing a more significant gift with others. God’s desire is for men and women who don’t know Him to receive faith in His son Jesus that comes by hearing (Rom. 10:17) the word of God. Believers during this time of year should be burdened for those who are spiritually destitute. The trappings of home cooked meals, family gatherings, gifts and friends are to be appreciated. However we can not lose sight of our re-conciliatory duty. Our ministry of reconciliation should be ever active, especially during the holidays. We should feel compelled to look for opportunities to seize appropriate moments to unite those without hope or resources to the Lord. Our  primary directive should be seeking creative, loving methods that would infuse faith into a new generation of believers. In doing this, we build a legacy which reminds the world that Jesus had a love so deep and powerful for us that He literally busted hell wide open to buy our freedom back from any kind of bondage imaginable. Family traditions should  include telling the story of a Savior that had boldly taken the keys of death, hell and the grave from the adversary.

We hold so many traditions to heart, yet we often don’t use this time of year to witness to people that we know don’t have Christ. If charity begins at home, we need to endeavor to show love in our everyday dealings while telling those closest to us we are concerned about where they will spend their eternity. If we are indeed the Joshua generation we should desire to witness a transformation of lives through the cross. This is the lasting legacy we are commissioned to bequeath to this world. This enduring gift keeps offering peace, joy, happiness and divine love. If we are to implement a tradition that is precious yet eternal, if we really want to give away something that fits everyone, anywhere  we must have an urgency to present eternal life through Christ!

Let the world see His love in you so that the lost may comprehend the peace that surpasses all understanding isn’t purchased in a store. It is not found in holiday decorations, rituals nor a building. Christmas is in knowing the saving power that is only found in the blood! The gift we all really need is the gift of Jesus.

Be encouraged and blessed child of the most high God!

_____________________________________________________________

Dr. Denise Joyce Williams lives in Florida with her husband who is a career soldier. She’s been writing since her teens with articles featured in CALLED and WOW magazine. Her book, “The Healing Of A Broken Vessel” was released by Publish America in March 2009. The book can be found: http://www.publishamerica.com and http://www.amazon.com. She’s currently penning her next book entitled “The Chambers Of The Heart”

GIVE HIM YOUR ISAAC

 

Last night, my husband and I enjoyed the symphony with friends. As we watched, I was mesmerized by the melodious sounds resonating from the stage. Each musician was precise, accurate and totally engaged in their work. Every ounce of their discipline was evident as their offering of harmony delivered to our audience one perfected piece after another. In our lives we can see a mirrored scenario. We each harbor thFreeWomane potential to offer beauty in any endeavor we pursue. God offers us success, but after our journey in Christ commences we have to grow spiritually in order to wisely manage it. Without maturation we become a stagnant, useless carcass unable to fully manifest His glory among men in the earth. There are many zealous believers that desire to be used mightily of the Lord but in order for this to occur, there is a process of preparedness that has to be completed. In Genesis 22, Abraham was in the process of being re-constructed. He was on the cusp of being spiritually challenged in a way he never expected. In this look at Abraham, most believe God only wanted him to offer his son Isaac as a test of loyalty. The passage illustrates obedience to God in the midst of what human discerning may deem illogical direction. While this is definitely one perspective, God revealed something deeper concerning this conundrum to me.

In order to remain in a place of spiritual flexibility, we need to regularly be made uncomfortable! The reality that God places us in such situations may not be popular but is indeed a fact. Abraham fell into a place many of us find ourselves amidst. He was complacent. He served God, observed the holy days and offered the appropriate sacrifices when he was required to do so. He trusted his “safe” spiritual place yet his routine actually worked against him. Oh how we are more like him than we realize! We attend the worship service, pay the tithe, hear the sermon, wonder what restaurant has a dinner special and repeat the process the following week. Our God is a God of progressive change yet believers desire an ordinary seasonal predictability that offers false security. When God directed Abraham to offer his son Isaac for the sacrifice, he was shaken from his place of comfort and catapulted to an area he’d never known. Extreme faith! Abraham knew that the law of Moses offered him only judgment if he didn’t obey. However his blind obedience didn’t challenge his faith. Committing scripture to memory didn’t’ do it either. He needed something more. More than ritual, he needed a relationship with the Lamb.

Genesis 22 presents us with the ideal that the body of Christ has to endure a periodic agitation. If we are looking for the miraculous in our daily lives, we have to submit to an abrupt, sudden and permanent change in our spiritual thinking which is orchestrated by the Father. Our “Unknowing” will lead us as it did Abraham to a place of abundant faith. Abraham moved in his extreme faith when he said in verse five that he and the lad will go worship then return. He didn’t know if God would resurrect Isaac or continue to require his son to remain the sacrifice. All he could comprehend was that his humanity which is representative of wood is fallible. He knew somehow, someway that God would not let him down in relation to his son which he now perceived as the sacrifice. His child was the perfect offering before the Lord at that moment. This type represented Jesus’ death for all of humanities sins. Even more perfect than Isaac’s child. Isaac, in his quest to find the spiritual perfecting he needed, he had to give God his Isaac so he could discover the Lamb.

In verse six the question arose, “Where is the Lamb?” If we desire God’s perfect will we have to surrender our Isaac and find the Lamb. Just as the musicians who performed for me sought perfection through repetition, we too must repeatedly seek God in the realm of massive, unwavering faith. This will only come through allowing Him to place us in uncomfortable situations so that we can believe for more than we ever dreamed possible. This can only occur for us once we’ve attained grace from God through His Lamb.

If the church is to make a broader impact in the world and persuade the lost, we need to be ready to give up our safe places that offer us monotony. These are our Isaac’s. It encompasses those spiritual hiding places of hindrances or feat that challenge our growth. We can not continue to forsake the initiation of intimacy if we desire mammoth faith in Jesus. Any other misplaced confidence in our ability only encourages us to depend on ourselves instead of God.

As the symphony drew to a close the question again resonated within me. What is your Isaac? What is that sure thing, that carnal connection which I always know will come through for me? What do I always depend on that is not Christ? The body of Christ needs to realize a new dispensation is here just as Abraham had. The miraculous will not happen with believers hiding in the shadows with the fear they will offend someone with their salvation. It will not happen if we keep pacifying ourselves with church work nor will it happen through pretending to be full of wisdom. Our goal as believers is to show the world a more radical place of belief; not hide in the pews. We should be able to illustrate to the unbeliever that we have all power on earth to fulfill our prophetic assignment. Just as the musicians, we must be precise, strategic and totally engaged in the work of the Lord for the perfecting of the saints. Every ounce of our disciplined living should be evident in all the areas of our lives offering harmony to those around us.

What is your Isaac? If you yearn for more out of your relationship with God, let Him exacerbate your circumstances to propel you to a broader place of faith. Give Him your Isaac and watch God use you in a mighty way in the body of Christ.

Be encouraged child of the most high God~!

—————————————————————————————————

Dr. Denise Joyce Williams lives in Florida with her husband who is a career soldier. Her articles have been featured in CALLED and WOW magazine. Her book entitled, “The Healing Of A Broken Vessel” was released by Publish America in March 2009. The book can be found: http://www.publishamerica.com. She can be reached via her ministry website http://www.thebrokenvessel.com. She’s currently penning her next book entitled “The Chambers Of The Heart”.

Related articles