Reaping

Galatians 6:6-10 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. 

Many times we read, " Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" as a threat, I see it as a beautiful promise. It's so easy to get caught up where you are and get comfortable. It's so easy to lose sight of your dreams but you may be closer to archiving your dreams and walking in your destiny than you imagined. 

Sow means to plant, disperse, or distribute. Reap means to cut or gather. I think we forget both words are verbs, they require action. I don't know about you but sometimes I get so caught up in sowing that I forget to change my action and began reaping. God does not intent for us to labor in vain however, we do so when we do not collect our harvest. After-all, what we reap will always be greater than what we sow. 

I realize, more and more, success is a promise for those who work hard. Then why are there so many hard working unsuccessful people? My answer is, they haven't learned to reap. Reaping requires both cutting and gathering. 

We are taught in school to work hard, meet deadlines, learn strategies to improve business, proper conduct and dress. Rarely do we learn salary negotiations, entrepreneurial building blocks, or personal branding  and selling. Frankly, we are not taught to be reapers. Our society treats sowers and reapers as two different kinds of people. This scripture states the sower and reaper are one and the same. 

You have to look at what you've sown and change your behavior to act in accordance to the receiving of your harvest. What does the bible say about reaping? 

Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.

According to scripture we should not lose heart, give, and trust that we will get a return. Why would we lose heart? Is it because we get tired of sowing? No, it's because reaping means to cut and gather. Reaping may be uncomfortable and at times down right painful, however you cannot gather what you have not cut off. You cannot enjoy the fruit of your labor until you remove some things from your life. 

We talked about cutting, let's talk about gathering. We live in a society where it's so easy to connect, that it's hard to connect. It's becoming increasingly uncomfortable to form relationships with people on a personal level. Few people talk on the phone with their friends now. Communication is done via texting, Facebook, or other social media. Gathering is a hands on job. You not only have to cut, you have to gather. You have to pull things, or people together in order to receive the fullness of your harvest. 

The bible also tells us to give. A lot. The more we give the more we get. So yes take the hard work of your harvest and give it away because you cannot beat God giving. When you give, give cheerfully, give with an expectant heart. Have faith that the God you serve will keep His word. 

Lastly, reaping is never done alone. Farmers do not reap their bounty alone, so recognize the season your in, reach out to your family and friends because what you reap will be more than what you've sown and you cannot consume it alone.

Father,

Thank you for the season of harvest. Thank you for the bounty and we trust our returns on our investments will be great because we trust you and your word. Allow our increase to be a testament of your grace and generosity may it be used as a tool to draw the hearts of people to you. We thank you, we love you. In Jesus name, amen. 

Taking the Promise Land

There may be something God has promised you; a dream or desire. You have walked with God, been tested by life's circumstance and learned to trust God for the manna. Now your promise is right in front of you. 

Your time in the wilderness was your training ground. It was your opportunity to grow from the trials, learn the terrain, and put into practice your faith. You are prepared. 

If you read Joshua chapter 3 you will find that having crossed the Red Sea it was easy for the Israelites to step out and cross the Jordan. In Joshua 6 when the Israelites took Jericho they had to walk for seven days around the city. They had been walking for 40 years!

God may ask you to do some crazy things to get your promise, things others may not understand. If you look back at your time in the wilderness you will realize these request pale in comparison to the things you've lived through. 

So go ahead, be bold, step out, seize that promise!

Thank you God for giving us dreams, hopes, and aspirations. Thank you for the training ground. Thank you for the opportunity to exercise our faith and character so we can fully obtain all the benifits of the promise. In Jesus name, amen. 

Living in the Manna-fest

God delivered the Israelites  from Egypt, yet they were in a seemingly worse situation. In Egypt, they were slaves but they knew where they would sleep, they knew what they would eat. After escaping captivity they were homeless and hungry. Moving forward based on a promise riding on a wave of excitement. Then reality set in.

 I can imagine the seeds the enemy planted in their minds, "You were better off where you were, you will never get ahead, how are you going to eat now, is there really a land if milk and honey? Where is it? How far?" We see these seeds manifested in the Israelites complaining.

Are we so different? Have you ever been promised something by God then found yourself in a seemingly worse off position? Are you there now? You my friend are living in the manna-fest.

Exodus 16:3-8 And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.” Then Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, “At evening you shall know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt. And in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord; for He hears your complaints against the Lord. But what are we, that you complain against us?” Also Moses said, “This shall be seen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the Lord hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord.” 

Let me tell you about this wonderful place. Here in the manna-fest you will be tested. Your trust in God will be put on trial by your circumstances and judged by your spirit. Is God sovereign? Is the promise attainable? The reason this is such a beautiful place to be is because it is a turning point. 

You can choose to live by your own devices and do what you feel is best or easiest. Or, you could learn to look for manna. Daily raising knowing that God is in control, believing for the morning manna, and the evening quail. 

So how do we live in the manna-fest? Speak the word, out loud, faith comes by hearing(Romans 10:17) Be faithful in your giving, challenge God (Mal 3:10). Practice being content, (Philip 4:6) because wither you realize it or not this (yes, this trial) is for your benefit. Lastly, no matter what lies the enemy tells you, your not alone, you have siblings all over the world praying for you. 

Drive Through Christianity

I, like many in my generation, want things quickly and easily this shows up in many areas in my life including relationships. This mindset also transfers over in the way many of us lead others to Christ. We want to minister to someone, we want them to repent on the spot and give their lives to Christ. This is wonderful when it happens but it can also produce Christians who are saved by grace but still living in sin because the person who planted the seed moves on. Jesus likens salvation to the the planting of seeds. Lets look at Matthew 13:1-9 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. ² And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

³ Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. ⁴ And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. ⁵ Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. ⁶ But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. ⁷ And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. ⁸ But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ⁹ He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (NKJV) 

Jesus, doesn't just talk about the seeds He talks about the ground they fall on as well. The stony place, the wayside, and the thorns were all places that were not prepared for the seed. When we lead people to salvation and their hearts are not prepared we bring Christians in to the kingdom that will be devoured by the attacks of the enemy and backslide, those who get really excited and fired up but lack endurance, and those who start to grow in Christ then are stifled by their circumstance. We need to hear God and do more than sow seeds. Sometimes God calls us to prepare the ground, then tend to it. Salvation without discipleship is like a planted seed without access to water, or sunlight. It cannot survive. Matthew 28:19 says, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," many people focus on the later part of the verse but the first thing Jesus says to do is to make disciples. He wants us to take time to teach people what we have learned through His word. Salvation is important but without discipleship it does not change lives. 

Many times we as Christians can be so judgmental. We look at someone who professes to be saved and criticize them if they are not leading a godly life. These people may love God and want to serve Him but don't know where to start.Yes we can suggest that these people come to church and bible study to hear from God or we can go get them. This can be done through the unrelenting love of Christ. Phone calls, Facebook, and other social media, taking time out to talk or have coffee, being available. Jesus disciples knew Him because of the quality time they spent with Him, the newly saved get to know God through the time they spend with those who know Him. We need to take time to be like Jesus, time is a valuable thing and people need to know that they are worth yours. 

Father, 

Thank you for your word. For showing us your heart for the lost and the broken. Help us not to forget their wounds and scars need attending too even after they have found you. Give us your heart so we can love in a deeper, more meaningful way, and please still us so we can let your voice guide our steps. We love you, we thank you. Amen

What an Amazing Testimony!!

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/january-february/my-train-wreck-conversion.html

Just a Few Thoughts on Love

Love is one of the most overused and misunderstood words in our vocabulary. We say we love someone and act lovingly toward them until they do something we don't like. We attach out love to our feelings when love should be an amendment to out feelings. Love is what steps in when you don't feel like it.

When you need a break but don't feel you deserve it, in love steps in, even Jesus rested. When you have been hurt by others or even yourself and can't forgive, love steps in and shows grace, that's what Jesus did when He died. When your too tired, broke, or scared to give anymore, love intervenes.Your relationship with God is not measured by your religion or the things you say or do it is measured by your capacity to love when Gods definition supersedes yours.
1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Who is Christ?

Who is Christ? We are! 

1 Corinthians 12:27 "Now you are the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it." If we look at verses 12-26 we see how vital each part of the body is, "Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it".

You have a function in Christ's body, you were created to operate in a way that only you can. Salvation isn't just about accepting Jesus as lord of your life, it's about you accepting your role in Christ body through Gods word living and abiding in you. 1 Peter 1:23 says, " For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,through the living and enduring word of God.Not only is God's word alive in you it is enduring or permanent. 1 John 4:17 says, "...as He is, so are we in this world." Whoever Jesus is, we are. We can perform miracles, speak life, teach, heal, and transform the world around us! According to 1 Corinthians 6:15 our bodies are members of Christ it states, "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not!" We seem to have this idea that when we do something wrong God is right there with us looking over our shoulder watching us when in fact he is in us we are using Christ to commit our sin! Verse 17 of the same chapter says, "But He who unites himself with The Lord is one with him in sprint." When you are saved you become one with Jesus in spirit, you cannot choose to separate from Jesus when you want to appease the flesh. 1 Corinthians 12:15 says, " If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?" You cannot choose to no longer be apart of the body of Christ because you want to do or be something that is not in agreement with the rest of the body of Christ. Nothing you do effects just you and your Christian walk, it effects the body of Christ as a whole.Which is why its very important to have unity. Recognizing that though we may look and function differently we are apart of the same body operating toward the same goal. 

John 17:20-23 says, "20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will[e] believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me." Unity is the state of being united or joined as a whole its an agreement between people or groups. It is important for us as the body of Christ to be unified because it shows the world that God sent Jesus. Satan will do all he can to disrupt unity and he does this by drawing our attention to surface issues so we cannot address the root of the issue. For example, gay, lesbian and transgender rights. The church is focusing on how a change in laws may effect their environment rather than changing their environment by addressing the deeper issue. 

There is a group of people out there who believe the church does not love them but the church is a reflection of Gods love which means there is a group of people feeling unloved by God. Imagine a head saying I love you, come to me, I have so many things to show you and teach you. I know you are hurting and I can heal you, but the body is pushing these people away,hitting and turning away from these people. I am not saying that laws are not important they are and you should vote however God leads you. Imagine opening your arms and seeing these people and any others that are not in the body of Christ the way God does; broken, hurt, sick just like all of us were. Laws aren't going to change peoples actions and feelings but the love of God can.Jesus did not come to change man, He came to redeem man. Through that love, that redemption, man could not help but change. He came to give us life not to point out that we were dead. 

Gossip is another thing that comes in the way of unity. It is so easy to see someones faults. We, especially women, watch others and address their surface issues by spreading our irrelevant opinions instead of addressing the root issue which is and always will be a hurt or offense. Luke 17:1 says, "Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!" We will be offended and when offenses come we need to forgive quickly but we need to be very mindful of the offenses that come through us and be as quick to rectify them. We have heard many times about people leaving the church because of an offense or people not wanting to turn their hearts to God because they believe Christians are hypocrites. We need to ignore the surface and address the root because that's what Jesus did when he died for us. Again, complete unity is how we show the world that God sent Jesus. The only way to become unified is to function within the purpose. 

Isaiah 61:1-4 tells us exactly what Jesus came to do. As the body of Christ we are now responsible for these task until He returns. “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor;He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,To proclaim liberty to the captives,and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God;to comfort all who mourn,to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes,the oil of joy for mourning,the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;that they may be called trees of righteousness,the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations,and they shall repair the ruined cities,the desolations of many generations." 

This is a lot for one person, auxiliary, or church to do so why do we try to do it all? God's intended this be done by the body of Christ, by all of us collectively.  God has given us each as individuals, auxiliaries, and churches a specific function within the body and it is so important that we operate in our gifts. This is the only way we will fulfill our collective purpose, and in operating at our highest capacity not only will lives be changed but souls will be saved! The eye cannot function as an ear and the foot will never be a neck so we need to stop comparing people by their functions. Now some things do not function as they should, for example there may be something in the eye, the hand many need to hold up a mirror in order to remove the obstruction. This should only be done in love and in an attempt to get the eye to function at its highest potential. 

You may wonder, how do I know a person, auxiliary or church is really in the body of Christ? This is where you pray for discernment. Your prayer should not be that God bring to your attention all that is wrong but that He allows you to see His children according to their function in the ultimate purpose of executing God's will. If you are praying for discernment and still aren't sure then act in love. 1 Corinthians 13:7-8 "[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

Father,

Thank you so much for creating us for a specific function within the body of Christ. Thank you for sending Jesus to die so we may become one with you. Forgive us for not always operating in our function, for trying to change our role or the roles of those around us. Forgive us for not always recognizing you in others and seeing the surface issues rather than the root issues. Reveal to us father the roots of the issues we face on a daily basis so we may handle them with love. Replace our judgement with compassion and give us a deep seeded desire for unity among your people. Help us to see through your eyes and to be purposeful about being your hands and feet we love you. Amen

If you want to become a part of the body of Christ or you are a part of the body but are unsure of your function; even if you just have a prayer request please email me at leeanahjames@yahoo.com. 

Manna in the Wilderness

Exodus 16:15 (NKJV) So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat."

My last post talked about being in the wilderness so this time lets talk about manna (bread from heaven). The wilderness comes with its own set of issues, for the Israelites one of the issues was thirst and hunger. They were so distraught and hungry forgetting the God that brought them out of bondage would surely provide their current needs, they didn't trust God.

Sometimes God allows us to be in a place that requires us to trust Him more than we have before. A place where we need His manna. I say allow because James 1:13 reminds us that God does not cause bad things to happen to us but He does allow it.

Manna takes on different forms for different people; for some your manna may be finances, healing, encouragement etc. Exodus 16:16 explains that each man took however much or little he needed verse 18 let's us know it was just enough. See no matter how big or small your problem is you can take what you need from God in order to handle it.

I'm not saying don't plan, save, and work hard but when you have done all there is and it's still not enough, look back on where God has brought you from and trust that He can and will provide more than enough to get you through. Also realize this is only a season.

James 1:2 (NKJV) My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

God is working on something in you. I find you are often attacked where your strength lies. If your finances are always attacked and you are following Gods principles of giving and saving then God is growing your faith concerning finances. The same can be said for health, education, and relationships. The best way to grow muscle us to feed it and exercise it.

Let me share my manna story with you. While pregnant with my daughter Summer I was placed on bed rest for months due to the threat of pre-term labor. Everything worked out just fine. I even had an amazing childbirth experience and she was a beautiful full term baby girl; now I am pregnant with my son. During a routine blood draw doctors found an elevated white blood count and myelocytes in my blood. Either alone would not be a concern however both at the same time are, so my doctor decided to run more test. I waited for weeks confident my doctor would call me back ruling out cancer and informing me that visits to his office would no longer be required. The test did not come back with better results as expected, the results came back with almost the same; which raised alarm and is cause for more testing. I am in a place waiting for my manna. I understand a few things about this situation. There is something special about the first born, attacks on children in my family have happened at lease one every generation and in every case God has provided manna. I also understand that I am in the wilderness in my life and its not meant to be a comfortable place but an in between place.

Please be encouraged as you wait for your promise that God will provide for you. I suggest you create a blessing jar, sit down and write out the things God has delivered you from and the manna He has already provided this will help you in your wait for the promise.

Father,
Thank you for coming through. We don't always understand why things happen the way they do but help us trust you by reminding us of your goodness. Thank you in advance for the manna and for the promises we are working toward. In Jesus name, Amen