Be Consistent

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

– Hebrews 13:8

Have you ever had those memories that were from LONG, LONG, AGO IN A GALAXY FAR FAR AWAY... and yet you can still remember them clearly?? 

It's been years ago, and I still remember when God made a statement to my Mom that I've never forgotten. 

You see, she'd been asking Him to teach her to walk in the Spirit, and to operate more in the supernatural.

This was His response,"In consistency lies the power".

Mom shared that with us one morning at Breakfast. That revelation was a tough pill for me to swallow. No Comprende?? For those of you who truly know me, in the natural, I'm anything but consistent. My human nature and emotions tend to be up one day and down the next. One day I want to Rap/Preach telling the world about Jesus and the next, I'm hangin' up the microphone, done with the whole ministry gig..(Some of you have seen me in those states... hahaha)

But, praise God, I don't have to depend on what's goin' on in my life, or my emotions to get me by. I have Jesus Christ living in me and He's the same yesterday, today and forever!

Jesus isn't fickle. Jesus isn't flakey. He doesn't change His mind from one day to the next. He's solid. He's constant, and if you'll press into Him, He can cause you to be that way too.

For the majority of us, we don't do that. That's why there are so many "faith-based failures" around. They stand on what the Word of God says one day and fall off of it the next. (Sound familiar?)

This is what we need to do "continue". Jesus said if we would continue in His Word, then we would be His disciples. He said if we would continue, we would know the truth and that truth would set us free (John 8:31-32). There's a revelation of God that comes from consistency that the inconsistent person will never see.

Determine today to be consistent. Make up your mind today, that you will not be  a flakey Christian. Don't base today on yesterday's revelation. Base today on today's Word from God. Start your day off with the Word, stay on the Word all day, and end the day with the Word. Then tomorrow get up and do it all again!! (Consistent!!)

There's power in constant consistency. So don't be one of those "off again, on again" Christians. Continue in the Word every day. Allow Jesus' consistent nature to rub off on you!!

Blessings. Have a wonderful, productive, consistent week.

Stir 'Em Up

Greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears....I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you.... For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

– 2 Timothy 1:4,6-7

Have you ever had those times when you know (YOU KNOW) what God has called you to do... but you just don't feel you have the inner strength to do it? Somehow you're simply runnin' on empty. (the price of your inner gas has become to exorbitant to fill up) 

You know the Word of God says "... out of your belly shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38). But, during those times of feelin' empty, you can't even find a puddle, much less the river He's talkin' about.

The Word of God tells us how to handle those situations through a precise & simple command: "Stir up the gift inside you."

YOU stir YOURSELF up!! Nobody else is gonna do it for you... They got their own problems to deal with.. Everything you need is already in you. Jesus put it there. Everything you'll ever need to complete the task God has called you to do has been placed inside you by God Himself.

Faith is in there. Power is in there. Love is in there. Believe that. Shout it out. Speak it to yourself... right now, right out loud: (doesn't matter if the person in the next room can hear you)

"In the Name of Jesus, I stir up the gifts that are in me by faith. I'm stirring up my faith. I'm not going to wait 'til I feel stirred up. I'm stepping out... by faith... expecting my emotions & feelings to follow!"

"I'm stirring up the love of God that's inside of me. I'm stirring up the power of God that resides in me. I'm stirring up myself and chasing the devil out of my situations. I'm stirring myself up in the Spirit of the living God! I AM STIRRED UP!"

Until next week.... Keep on stirrin' up that Soul Food!!!

Burk

God's Rest

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God....Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 

– Hebrews 4:9,11

God's rest. Considering the way our hectic, busy lives are... that sounds like a pretty Dope thing to have, huh? But... what exactly does that mean? And how do we get it?

In the third and fourth chapters of Hebrews it compares God's rest with the children of Israel taking possession of the Promise Land. That land was to be a place where their every single one of their needs would be met, a place of freedom from their fighting their enemies, a place no one would ever kick them out of again. All they had to do was go in and possess it (take it). But something kept them from it: 

Unbelief and Disobedience.

As followers of Christ, we have the amazing opportunity to enter a Promised Land of abundance and peace. A land where we can rest from our struggles and enjoy the victory of God. (I'm not saying your problems will magically disappear...) but you can have total rest and a peace that passes all understanding. To enter it we must do what the children of Israel failed to do. 

1.) We must simply trust God

2.) and obey His voice.

How do you come to that place of trust and obedience? 

By getting to know your Daddy (Abba, Father). By spending time fellowshiping with Him in prayer and in the Word. That is the very thing that will bring you into His rest!!

I'll never forget when I first discovered that. I had been learning the principles of faith, striving hard to do them. It seemed back then that keeping doubt and unbelief out of my heart was harder than being on a diet and locked in a room full of Krispy Kremes. Then one day, I began to press in to know the Father instead of just knowing about Him.

When I did that, He began to reveal Himself to me. He gave me a small peek into His heart, His nature and His love. As He revealed to me how much He wanted to do for His children, it changed my striving into peace, my doubt into trust, my fear into bold obedience. It enabled me to enter His rest.

Get to know your Daddy. Work at it. Relationships are work. but it's worth it. He has a Promise Land of rest that is waiting for you... Today!!!

Have a wonderful week, be blessed. S Talk to you next week.

Blessings,

Burk

My Two Princess' Gettin' Beauty Sleep

This was a special moment when I couldn't resist taking a picture of my two Princess'.... Priceless!!

Why were we created?

What we have seen and [ourselves] heard we are also telling you, so that you too may realize and enjoy fellowship as partners and partakers with us. And [this] fellowship that we have (which is a distinguishing mark of Christians) is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ, the Messiah. – 1 John 1:3

Did you know, that you are special to God? Man's existence really special. Did you know you were made in the image of God? Did you know you were made to have fellowship with God?

Some people have this warped idea that God made man so He'd have someone to dominate and control. But God is not a dominator. God's very nature is love and His love needs to be given to someone. That's why God made man. He made him so He could give him His love.... Blows your mind right?

God could have given His love  solely to the angels, but He didn't. Giving love to the angels didn't provide total fulfillment. Why? Because angels aren't made in His image. Bu-Yah!!! We are!!!

If you think about it, you're the same way. Let's say, for example, you have a puppy as a pet. You can fellowship with that little pet just so much, but then there comes a time when you need to talk to somebody. There comes a time when you need to have communication on your own level. (You feelin' me?)

The reason you're like that is because you're created in the image of God. That's how He is... He has a desire to fellowship with someone like Himself.

(Epiphany)....PFFFT!!!!

Here's the challenge: Dare to believe you're something really special today--a one-of-a-kind creation made by God in His very own image. Dare to receive His love and dare to love Him back!!!

Blessings,

B