Faith & Feelings

Ok, I’m going to be honest - I don’t always feel like praying and I don’t always feel like studying my bible. To take it a step further, I don’t always feel saved and I don’t always feel like I’m righteous. But the truth of the matter is, I am saved – through faith in Jesus Christ and I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. So, it doesn’t matter how I feel, those are the facts.

In this faith walk, it’s critical that we don’t rely on how we feel to guide our decisions. The bible says, “The righteous shall live by faith” (Rom 1:17). It doesn’t say by feelings, sight, or sound – but by faith. If we live our lives totally based on our emotions, we’ll be all over the place, completely unstable. Our emotions change from day to day, and from circumstance to circumstance. Even in these uncertain times, emotions and tensions are high. If we let our feelings guide us, we’ll often end up in trouble by making poor decisions. Our faith in God has to be our compass. Our faith, not our feelings should be the guiding force to help us obey God and to do what we know to be right. We are called to live by our faith in the One who can be trusted.

Throughout this journey with God, at times it may feel as if He’s not there, not listening or is outright indifferent to our cries. But the those are all lies. The truth is, we know He’s with us because He said He’ll never leave nor forsake us (Deut. 31:6). We know His ears are open to the cries of the righteous because the Word of God says so in Psalm 34:15. What we know to be true about God’s character and His promises must override how we feel.

In Psalm 42, the Psalmist is clearly depressed and feeling forgotten by God. Nevertheless, these verses are so refreshing to me as I notice how he checked his own spirit.

5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation 6 and my God.
My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I remember you…

9 I say to God, my rock:
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a deadly wound in my bones,
my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”

11 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.

This is a prime example of how not to allow your circumstances and your feelings to dictate your mood, your praise, and your faith in God. He reminded Himself of who God is and what He did for Him in the past. Essentially, He asked himself, “Why are you worried and why are you depressed? Hope in God! You know Him!” I’m paraphrasing but I just want to encourage you to believe God, what He says about you, and His promises to you. It doesn’t matter how you feel, but according to your faith, it will be done for you (Matt. 8:13, 9:29). Only you know what that “it” is. Be determined to live by faith and not your feelings. Be courageous and steadfast in your faith in God. He’s faithful.

Be Blessed & Encouraged,💓

A.M.

Peace Within

Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in every way.
The Lord be with you all. ~ 2 Thessalonians 3:16 

This morning I woke up thinking about peace. Not just any peace though – the peace of God. I’ve found that many people obtain peace from their status, their money, their career, their title, their spouse, their ministry, house, and/or cars, etc. However, those are just things and people; they don’t provide long lasting peace. They provide a false sense of peace; a false sense of security if you will. They can all be taken away should God see fit to do so. I’m talking about peace that surpasses all human understanding (Phil. 4:7). Peace that only God can provide no matter the circumstance, no matter who comes and who goes. The peace of God, that no matter what circumstances we face, we can be at ease. This kind of peace, only God Himself can provide. Let me be clear, God provides all of those earthly things for us to enjoy. But they shouldn’t be our sole source for peace. He alone is our Source for peace. After all, Jesus is the Prince of Peace.

Definition of Peace 

Some people love math, some love art, some love history and so forth. I love words. I love to research the definition of words and their origins. So naturally, I looked up the biblical definition of peace.

PEACE -- Shalom (Hebrew: שָׁלוֹם shalom; also spelled as sholom, sholem, sholoim, shulem)
1. In a general sense, a state of quiet or tranquility; freedom from disturbance or agitation; applicable to society, to individuals, or to the temper of the mind.

2. Freedom from agitation or disturbance by the passions, as from fear, terror, anger, anxiety, or the like; quietness of mind; tranquility; calmness; quiet of conscience.

3. Heavenly rest; the happiness of heaven.

How Do We Obtain This Peace?

The bible tells us in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” With all that has taken place in this world over the past few months, God is saying, “Don’t worry, don’t be anxious, but pray." He then promises in Philippians 4:7, “that the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” One of my favorite scriptures is Isaiah 26:3 which promises, “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Essentially, we have to keep our minds on Christ and His Word. We have to keep God’s promises at the forefront of our minds. So many times, we lose our peace because our minds are everywhere else except for where it needs to be – on Jesus. Philippians 4:8 gives us direct instructions on how to maintain our peace, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” We have to make a conscious decision to keep our minds on these things. If we don’t, we’ll allow our minds to wonder and wander into dangerous territory which can threaten our peace. We have to be careful about what we think about. As Joyce Meyer would say, “We have to think about what we’re thinking about.” All the negative thoughts and what ifs, we have to cast those thoughts down, take them captive, and make them obedient to Christ (2 Corin. 10:5). 

I pray that God gives you peace today and throughout the remainder of this year, no matter what you face. He’s able to give you peace in the midst of chaos and tranquility in the midst of turmoil. Peace is your portion.

Be Blessed & Encouraged,💓

A.M.

Faith to Believe

[Prompted] by faith Noah, being forewarned by God concerning events of which as yet there was no visible sign, took heed and diligently and reverently constructed and prepared an ark for the deliverance of his own family… (Hebrews 11:7)

Because of faith also Sarah herself received physical power to conceive a child, even when she was long past the age for it, because she considered [God] Who had given her the promise to be reliable and trustworthy and true to His word. (Hebrews 11:11)

Faith in God and in His word is what the world needs right now more than ever. His Word reveals His promises - His promises for you and your life. God has given us His precious promises so we may know what to expect from Him & what belongs to us. He gave us these promises so that we may know what He says about particular circumstances in our lives. What is a promise? By definition, the word promise means:

1. A declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen.

2. A legally binding declaration that gives the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance or forbearance of a specified act.

I’ve been working from home for the past few weeks due to social distancing. Last week as I was working on my computer, I stared at my computer screen, then I began to stare outside of the window in front of me. I thought to myself, “It’s really muggy and gloomy outside. It’s going to be an ugly day.” After all, it’d been raining consistently for the past few days. For sure it would rain again today. As I was staring outside of the window, I heard the voice of the local weather woman getting ready to report the weather for the day. So naturally, I turned my attention to the screen to see what she was going to say. To my surprise she said, “Today will be mostly sunny with a high of 58 degrees, mild and sunny…” My immediate reaction was to scoff at her pronouncement. I scoffed at her because for sure she wasn’t seeing what I was seeing. She either didn’t know what she was talking about or had some keen insight that I didn’t possess. As I looked outside at the wet ground, cloudy sky, and gloomy appearance - I brushed off what I’d just heard.

About 2 hours later I decided to make a quick coffee run. As I got ready to leave, the mild weather and sunny sky met me at the door! I walked to my car and thought, “Wow, it’s a beautiful day.” It looked like two completely different days! It was very sunny and mild, just as the lady predicted - despite of my unbelief due to what had previously been and what I saw with my natural eyes. Sure enough, what she said…came to pass. As I drove off to get my coffee, I laughed and the Holy Spirit said to me, “Just as surely as what she said came to pass, so will my promises for you. It may not look like it, there may be no sign of it, but it will happen just as I have said.” All I could do was bless God in that moment.

Hebrews 11 gives us an account of people with great faith. Their circumstances were the complete opposite of what God had spoken. There was no sign that anything God had promised was coming to pass. Nonetheless, they acted, operated, and obeyed God by faith. Their faith moved God and amazing things happened. “How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death…” (Heb. 11:32-35)

What you see right before your very eyes may not look like what God has promised you. However, God’s word says in Hebrews 10:38-39, “But My righteous one [the one justified by faith] shall live by faith [respecting man’s relationship to God and trusting Him]; And if he draws back [shrinking in fear], My soul has no delight in him. But our way is not that of those who shrink back to destruction, but [we are] of those who believe [relying on God through faith in Jesus Christ, the Messiah] and by this confident faith preserve the soul.”

My friend, now is NOT the time to give up or give in. It’s certainly not the time to worry or fear. It’s not the time to fold. Now is the time to exercise your faith. Now is the time to put your faith into action. Believe God beyond what you see. Have faith to believe God's promises for your life.

I pray you all stay safe and encouraged.

Blessings,💓

A.M.

Silly For A Season

⇢ Surely, the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets. Amos 3:7

⇢ He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him. Daniel 2:21-22



As I was sitting in a church one Sunday morning, a thought came to my mind, “I look silly. Here I am doing what the Lord told me to do and I don’t see the fruit that should come from it.” In my limited view and knowledge, it just didn’t make any sense. Then, the Holy Spirit encouraged me and said, “Sometimes, you’ll have to look silly for a season.”

Many times, the Lord will reveal His purposes and plans to us ahead of the time that He plans to do it. He’ll tell you His plans & may provide instructions for you to prepare. On the contrary, He may not reveal these things to the people around you. God doesn’t trust everyone with His secrets, just a select few. Amos 3:7 confirms this as it proclaims, “Surely, the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.”

Take a look at Noah, who by his obedience to God spared not only his own life but the lives of his family members. God said to Noah, “I intend to make an end of all that lives, for through men the land is filled with violence; and behold, I am about to destroy them together with the land. Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make in it rooms (stalls, pens, coops, nests, cages, compartments) and coat it inside and out with pitch (bitumen), Gen. 6:13-14. I can imagine Noah doing exactly what the Lord had instructed, only to be taunted by people who couldn’t understand why he was building this enormous boat. The Lord told him exactly what He planned to do and provided Noah with specific instructions. Noah couldn’t concern himself with what everyone else was doing and what they were saying. He’d heard from God. Thus, he had to keep building.

Quite often, your obedience to God’s instructions/His Word may cause you to look silly because everyone else is doing something different, going a different route, or simply doesn’t understand the vision that God has given you. In today’s society, everyone seems to do what makes them feel good and whatever seems right at the moment. We have to trust God enough to obey His instructions, even if it causes us to look silly to other people. God alone knows the plans that He has for you, they are good and not evil, plans to give you hope and an expected end (Jer. 29:11). Remember, its only for a season. Obey God so that His will can be carried out in your life and in the lives of others.

Stay Encouraged.💕
A.M.

Smoke & Mirrors

“…casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].  Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. But resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack—rooted, established, immovable], knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. [You do not suffer alone.] After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be].  To Him be dominion (power, authority, sovereignty) forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 5:7-11 

Smoke and mirrors is a classic technique in magical illusions that makes an entity appear to hover in empty space. It has now become a figure of speech which means the obscuring or embellishing of the truth of a situation with misleading or irrelevant information. Also, if something is described as smoke and mirrors it is intended to make you believe that something is being done or is true, when it is not. In other words, smoke and mirror is all about deception. It’s a tactic that the enemy uses to distract, discourage, and derail the people of God. 

Many times in our lives, God will allow us to go through situations that seem completely impossible to overcome. He’ll allow us to go through seasons of lack and loss, scarcity and shame, despair and disappointment. He’ll take us through the valley of dry bones where it seems there is no life, no fruit, and no manifestation of His promises. Even when we go through these seasons, we must remember that things are not always what they seem. God is with us and God is for us. It doesn’t matter who isn’t for us and what tactics the enemy uses against us. God is our Defender. He’s our Way Maker, our Miracle Worker, our Promise Keeper, and our Light in the darkness. 

God is always there working behind the scenes orchestrating events and situations for our benefit.  So even as we pray, it may seem as if nothing is happening, and God is not listening. But God is working. You must believe that and speak that by faith. He’s allowed me to go through enough circumstances to know that things are not always what they seem. There were times where I would be in such tight and impossible, sometimes scary situations…praying and fasting for months. It seemed like God was not there. Out of nowhere He would move as I continued to believe that He would bring me out and perfect those things that were concerning me. He would show me that He had the situation under His control the entire time. God uses these situations as tools to grow us up in faith, in integrity, and in prayer. You may be in a situation where your back may be against the wall and you don’t know what to do, but God does. He had the solution before you even had the problem. The Word of God declares that He knows the things that we need before we even ask (Matt. 6:8). I’m a witness to that. 

I’m reminded of 2 Kings 6:16-17 where Elisha prayed for his servant’s eyes to be opened in the very impossible situation that he was facing. The Aramean army had come up against the people of God to make war. They seemed to be surrounded - in a tight place - an impossible situation. Elisha answered, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘Lord, please, open his eyes that he may see.’ And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha.” The army of God was with the people of God. We must get to a place of faith to know that no matter what we face, God’s army…His angels, and His Word shall go before us. 

The enemy uses the tactic of smoke and mirrors to throw the people of God off course. He does this so that we begin to doubt God, become discouraged and hopeless, never reaching a place in faith to move to the next level of maturity in God. The Bible says that He takes us from glory to glory and faith to faith (Psalms 84:7 & 2 Corin. 3:18). The enemy would love nothing more than to deceive you, cause you to quit on God, and miss your destiny. But, it’s all smoke and mirrors. 

Push past how you feel and what you see. Walk by faith and not by sight. Trust that God has your situation under control and will not suffer your foot to be moved, He’s faithful.

Be Encouraged.

A.M.💓