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.💓

God Has Not Forsaken You!

Psalm 94:14 ~ For the Lord will not forsake His people, He will not forsake His heritage.

What does it mean to forsake someone? It means to abandon, to leave behind, or to leave helpless.

Countless times in the bible God tells His people, “I will never leave nor forsake you.” In Deuteronomy 31:8, it says, “It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” In Joshua 1:9 God says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

As Jesus was hanging on the cross He cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” In this moment in history we get a glimpse of Jesus Christ crying out as if God had forsaken Him. Many times, in our walk with God it will feel like, look like, and seem like God has forsaken us. However, the Word of God cancels out this lie. God is with us, even when it seems He’s not. In every test, trial, hurt, and pain…God is there. In every victory, blessing, triumph, and new chapter…God is there.

One of the lessons I’ve had to learn in my Christian walk is that, I must be extremely confident in my faith that no matter what I face, I know that God is with me and He is for me. No matter the circumstance, we must become mature Christians who can honestly trust God enough to say, “Not my will, but yours be done.” That’s not easy to do when you’re hurting, when nothing is working out for you, or you’ve been waiting on God to fulfill a promise He’s made many years ago. However, our faith must be unshakeable, immovable, and able to withstand any test, especially in these last days. In Genesis 37, we see God give Joseph a promise (dream). After that, we begin to witness a series of heartbreaking and difficult tests that Joseph endured. However, throughout his trying times, the bible declares that the Lord was with Joseph. Just as He was with Joseph, He is with us…in every circumstance.

Your suffering doesn’t equate to the absence of God’s presence. The fact that you’re going through
many tests and trials doesn’t indicate that God has forsaken you. In fact, it reveals the opposite. In Matthew 13:20-21, you’ll find the parable of the sower. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.  But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Trouble and persecution will come, because of the Word of God that lives in you. Don’t allow your present circumstances to force you to give up on God and essentially forfeit God’s promises to you.

James 1:2-4 tells us to “Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.” Be assured that your afflictions and hardships that God is allowing to take place in your life is working out for your good according to Romans 8:28.

It may not seem like it, but God is doing a good work in you. Philippians 1:6, “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” As we see Jesus up on the cross and it seemed that God had abandoned Him, God was there, doing a good work. And so, it is with us, when God seems to have forsaken us or when He seems silent, He is doing a good work in us.

Be encouraged as you endure every test and trial that the Lord allows to come your way. He’s there with you. He will help you to endure. He will see you to the other side. Keep praying, keep fasting, and keep believing. God is with you.

Be Encouraged.
A.M.

Thunderstorms

Is. 43:2 ~ When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

As I sit here writing in my dimly lit bedroom, outside is a raging thunderstorm. The wind is blowing so harshly that it seems angry. My blinds are knocking loudly against my windows. The endless raindrops are steadily pouring from the sky into my apartment. My window panes are flooded with so much water that rain is literally gushing down the walls onto the carpet. To make matters worse, the thunder is extremely deafening and forceful. Although, I know it’s coming (because of the lightning), the thunder jolts me and stirs a little bit of fear within. Even in this God speaks. In the middle of the storm, God speaks to my heart, “Yes, the storm is loud, boisterous, out of control, and seems to be never-ending, but you know in your heart that it will subside. It will not rain forever. It will pass. Just as with every storm in your life, they will pass. It will not remain this way forever. Just wait it out.”

Many times, the storms in our lives, both public and private are in fact loud, boisterous, out of control, and seem never-ending. However, the Holy Spirit reminded me that this too shall pass, just like every other storm I’ve faced in life. I want to lovingly remind you that the storm you’re in right now, that seems like it will never let up, will indeed pass. Trials, tests, and tribulations are scary, tumultuous, and unpredictable, much like thunderstorms. During these storms, God commands us just as He did Joshua in Josh. 1:9, “To be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” God is with you in the storm, in the battle, in the difficulty, in the unfair treatment, in the disappointment, and in the pain. He’s there and will get you through it.

Both thunderstorms and rain serve a purpose. Their purpose is far greater than our inconveniences and discomfort. God doesn’t check with us to see if a thunderstorm works with our agenda for the day. It just rains until He’s done. Likewise, the storms in our lives serve a purpose. It’s up to us to seek God’s face and ask Him. Word of advice: Never go through a storm and come out empty. God has a purpose for you in your storm (wisdom, understanding, greater anointing, increased faith, maturity, patience, knowing Him, etc.). Cancel the pity party and ask God, What are You saying to me? What are you trying to teach me? What is the lesson here? There is good in your storm. Romans 8:28 declares, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.”

The Holy Spirit also reminded me that God is in control. He controls the weather including the thunderstorms. So, it is with the storms in our lives, God is in control. He knows how long it will last and He knows how to get you through it. He is aware of your circumstances. We don’t have to walk around frustrated. According to 1 Peter 5:7, we can cast all our cares on Him because He cares for us. Therefore, cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved (Psalm 55:22). The storm is not permanent, its only temporary. You are in the palm of His hands.

Be Encouraged.

A.M.