Fear-vs-Love

1 John 4:18 (HCSB) – “There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love.”     Fear is a tool of the evil one and will appear without warning or invitation. We have to be mindful that fear creeps in and hangs around waiting for a vulnerable place to slide into our consciousness. It will try to make itself at home whenever we take our eyes off of the true ‘love’ that God proves.
      When we look into the eyes of our problems; we stare into nothingness and lose focus of the love that God has for us. Don’t give problems that much attention. Our scripture tells us that fear cannot and will not abide where there is love. God is love; perfect love; and where God is -fear cannot be. Fear tries to intimidate and instigate our emotions to work against us. Every bump in the night becomes an intruder; every low tone becomes a whisper against us; every slight pain is malignant and like every other lie of the devil it can be chased away just by the mention of the name of Jesus.
      Do not let fear, which is False Evidence Appearing Real, linger. When it tries to creep in and take over speak out against it. Give God the glory and usher in the courage that the Holy Spirit brings. Take courage in the form of love. Love yourself and take courage in your God-given ability to call out fear and take its power away. Don’t be afraid to try, to do, to advance, to fail, to get back up and try again, to explore, to stand up for yourself, to listen, to learn, to be all that you can be. Love will conquer all.
      Every day is a good day; it is up to us to make it a GREAT day! Be blessed! Rev. Dr. JoAnn

Chosen By The Best

John 15:16(ESV) – “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

      Yesterday I received an inspiring call from a very dear friend who shared today’s scripture with me and then offered prayer.  It was a wonderful praise time as she and I reminisced of how God has blessed us through trusting us with his assignments.  We have been chosen, selected, and hand-picked to live the life that God has ordained.  The ups and downs, ins and outs, peaks and valleys are all a part of the assignment that God has entrusted to us; empowered us to complete and constantly monitors us to give the provisions that we need to be successful. 

When life presents challenges to us that just seem unsurmountable, it is refreshing to remember that God is in control and that he has not fallen asleep at the wheel.  He is fully knowledgeable about our every circumstance and if we continue to trust him and lean upon his Holy name, we will defeat all the snares of the enemy and overcome the obstacles that stand in our path.  The road may not be easy and often it seems that others have a better time than we do, but do not be dismayed – God is so on top of our situation and he loves us so much.  Remember, when you can’t see God’s hand, and you are uncertain about his plan, trust in his heart.  He is awesome, magnificent, sovereign and good!

      Every day is a good day; it is up to us to make it a GREAT day.  Be blessed! Rev. Dr. JoAnn

Do Not Criticize Small Beginnings

Job 8:7:  “Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.”

      Yes – some molehills do become mountains and some small brooks eventually flow to become rushing streams and formidable rivers. Small acorns have the potential to become mighty oaks and our small dreams can become colossal successes. What is the determining factor between what is now and what could be? Simply put – it is having joy and contentment in where we are now and giving God thanks for our small beginnings.
      I minister to a small gathering of elders at a local retirement community. Our numbers are not large and we cannot boast of decades of anniversaries. We are only been established less than a year but we are on fire for the Lord in similar fashion to the first established churches that lit up the 1st century with the Gospel. We are not consumed by membership drives or PR methods. Jesus said that if he is lifted up, HE will draw… so that is our focus and I encourage you to be thankful for the small beginnings; the slow starts; the limited engagements; the meager orders; the scant audiences; the less than expected turnouts. All of these small beginnings are just the seeds of the greater abundance that is to follow. 
       Maybe you planned and prepared for 50 and only 10 showed up; or you bought and prepped for 100 and only 25 placed orders; or you needed a contract for 3 months and they only needed your services for one. Give God thanks. In all things give God praise. We must use our small beginnings not only as stepping stones to higher levels, but also as proving ground for honing our skills; perfecting our craft and working out the kinks. Now it may be disappointing when things do not run as smoothly as planned, but when your numbers are low you get a change to work out all of the kinks. Use this ‘small’ time to make the necessary big changes that will garner success for you now and in the future.
     Every day is a good day; it is up to us to make it a GREAT day. Be blessed! Rev. Dr. JoAnn

Cross Your I’s and Dot Your T’s

Matthew 5:18 (Expanded Bible) -“I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth ·are gone [pass away; disappear], not even·the smallest letter [one jot;one iota; the smallest Greek letter] or the smallest·part [stroke;tittle] of a letter will·be lost [pass away; disappear] until everything has happened [is accomplished/achieved].”
     It has been said that as representatives of the God’s kingdom we might be the only sermon some others may ever hear or the only Bible they might read. In essence our actions, words and deeds are constantly being observed, evaluated and critiqued. Some look to us for strength of how to handle difficult situations; others try to figure out how we can maintain such uncanny peace in the midst of turmoil. Whatever the outside observers see or feel it is imperative that we, as ambassadors of the Most High God, uphold a level of integrity and honor; which means we must be mindful of the ‘details’.
      Jesus in his statement as recorded in Matthew declared that not even the smallest increment would be overlooked or unfulfilled. We often exclaim that a project has been thoroughly checked out and that everything is in proper order when we state that every “i” has its dot and every “t” has been properly crossed. This indicates that everything is in the right place and there is no confusion. So should it be with those who love God. We must pay attention to how, when and where we speak so there is no confusion of our intentions. We must be reasonable in our dress and judicious about the places we visit, and careful of the company that we keep. What might seem like a triviality could carry volumetric ramifications. Be wise and pay attention to the details; others might be and we know that God is.
      Every day is a good day; it is up to us to make it a GREAT day. Be blessed! Rev. Dr. JoAnn

All for One and One for All

All for One and One for All

Today’s power scripture comes from 1 Corinthians 12:12 (ESV)

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.”

Now that football season is officially over and the champions have been triumphantly cheered, many sports fans will turn their attentions to the next challenge of athletic prowess - basketball.  This happens to be my sport of choice. In my youth I enjoyed playing on our school’s intramural team, now I get total satisfaction off the court as a spectator.  Regardless of whether you are an armchair coach or a weekend player one thing is noted basketball, like life, is fast-paced and cannot be successful without teamwork.  While there may be a few star players whose skills set them apart from the rest, no one person can win a game.  The greatest players need assists and strong rebounders to help them set-up and make their shots.

As Christians we find this same team work is needed to help us navigate through life’s playing field.  God has set up the tournament; our Savior Jesus has already shown us the best plays and they are written down in a special play book (The Holy Bible) so that we can have easy access to them. The Holy Spirit is our daily coach and other believers are our team mates.  We must rely upon each other to avoid injuries; to outwit the underhanded dirty plays of the enemy team and come out on top.  Our success may depend upon us being in the foreground making the all-important lay-ups or it might mean that for certain plays we do not get our hands on the ball but put them up to guard against the wiles of the oppressing forces.  Don’t worry if you feel sidetracked or delayed. Sometimes we have to fake one direction to actually go in another or we have to stop dead in our tracks and pass the play on to another who is free to keep the action going.

Whatever station you are in life right now, whether running full press for a sure shot or taking your chance from outside the 3-point line or maybe you have been fouled and standing at the free throw line trying to make up for lost ground. Know that you have a team running right beside you ready to help.  And also don’t forget about those on the bench…getting rested up, prayed up and anointed to come back in and take us all on to victory. No man is an island. Don’t think you have to go it alone. If you are feeling isolated pray for God to raise up a team that can help you sharpen your skills and get the most out of this game called life.

Every day is a good day it is up to us to make it a GREAT power-filled day.  Be blessed! Rev. Dr. JoAnn

Faithful Cheerleaders

John 2:5 (ESV) - “ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
     This scripture comes from St. John’s Gospel depiction of the first public miracle performed by Jesus at the wedding in Cana. Mary, Jesus’ mother, was so resolved that he could handle the situation that she boldly made the proclamation to the servants to ‘do whatever he instructs you to do’. Jesus had not made wine appear out of nowhere before nor had he done any miracle for that matter, but his mom had such faith in him that she knew her son would handle the issue and that the celebratory family would not be embarrassed.
   I was thinking about all of the people in my life who had such support and faith in me that they, without hesitation, knew that whatever the task, I could handle it. I remember Corean Burns who started calling me Dr. JoAnn when I still had years to go before completing my doctorate. And Edith Abrams who urged me to give teaching a try. I can still hear the promptings of Kimberly Corbitt who saw ministry in me decades before I took my first seminary course. These people spoke into my life and often at times when I needed to hear that I could do it. They often provided me with the impetus to grasp for that second wind and to push across the finish line. Many of them may not have ever known just how vital that smile, hug, inspirational call or card impacted my ability to hold on and stay strong.
     We need to practice supporting one another even when we don’t actually foresee how things may turn out. God has the ultimate plan and the playbook strategies are all outlined and in the midst of it all everyone can use a great cheering squad. My charge to you today is ask the Holy Spirit to bring to your memory someone who could use a little pat on the back today; an impromptu phone call or even a surprise lunch visit and do your part to make today special for them. You could be the very reason someone’s whole day can be readjusted for success. Think about the last time someone spoke into your life at just the right time and how great it made you feel - Pass it on!
     Every day is a good day. It is up to us to make it a GREAT day! Be Blessed! Rev. Dr. JoAnn

No Revenge

Romans 12:19 -“Never take your own revenge, beloved, but [a]leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.´(NAS)
     Some say that revenge is a dish best served cold. But the Bible tells us to avoid the temptation of seeking revenge. At some point in time, we have all been wronged in some manner. Whether we were the butt of a prank; cheated by a friend or the victim of identity theft and fraud; once we find or figure out how we have been duped the next thought is usually about how we can get back at the culprits.
     Jesus in his treatment of Judas Iscariot gives us a good example of how to react when we are treated in less than honorable ways. Although he was fully aware of the schemes and motivations of Judas, Jesus still permitted him to remain as one of the inner circle of disciples. He had a purpose to fulfill. We waste precious time and energy worrying and working on how to get back at perpetrators and soon we find that the people whom we seek vengeance upon have gone on with their lives and do not even have a shred of regret or remorse for what they have done.
    Stay focused on what God has in your destiny. Stay on your plan; work your ministry; study for your classes; advance on your job; love your family; care for your elders; try to express the love of God to those who lack love or the ability to express love. Let God handle those who have the nerve to mistreat you.
       Every day is a good day it is up to us to make it a GREAT day. Be blessed! Rev. Dr. JoAnn