Jesus The Same: Yesterday, Today, & Forever

Jesus The Same: Yesterday, Today, & Forever

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

-Hebrews 13:8 NIV

I’m not one to shy away from sharing with you my testimony and what has gone on in my life. I’ll never be one to act like I don’t have challenges despite how much I write to encourage others. Trust and believe I write it to you all while encouraging myself as well.

You know life gets serious when you have to take all of your money out of your bank account because you’re not ready for those automatic payments that are about to come out and you still have bills to pay. I can’t be the only one. When situations like that pop up I often think to myself, how in the world did my parents have a whole house and 3 kids by themselves at my age? I’m too busy just paying a car off, better yet a whole mortgage & providing for an entire household.

I find that I’m not the only one in my generation who compares themselves to the prior generations. Better yet, I found that my generation is not the only ones who do it either. Then it made me realize, if I look at the prior generations, and the generations before me do the same, and the generations before that, then how in the world did the people in the Bible feel?I’m blessed to not have grown up during 1450 BCE when Moses & his friends were eating quail and manna like it was today’s McDonald’s (Well not necessarily the best comparison. You’ll know what I mean when you look up Exodus 16). I’m blessed to not have grown up in the generation where it was illegal for women to vote and only certain people of color could use public restrooms. Although my grandparents seemed so much further in their success by the time they hit my age, they dealt with different circumstances & challenges I don’t know if I could handle. God will not give us more than we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). He knows, just like I do, I wasn’t trying to bear that.

It’s easy to fall into the slippery slope of comparison. Whether you’d like to admit it or not, we’ve all done it at some point. But I want us to try and create a slope that is just as fast for us to fall into. A faith slope.A slope where we instinctively think, “well if God did that then He can!” and “well since God did that He will!”

If we are going to continue to compare (which we really should get out of the practice of doing, based on Galatians 6:4) then the least we can do is start measuring the positive rather than what the enemy tries to place in our thoughts.

Instead of thinking, if God can do that in John Doe’s life, why isn’t He doing it in mine? Since God answered Jane Doe’s prayers and she’s now walking in victory, where are my answers?

Remind yourself that the God you’re serving, the same God who brought the people out of Egypt and equipped Moses to part the Red Sea, is the same God today as He was back then. The same God who gave Joshua the anointing and worked through him to shout down the walls of an entire city, is the same God (Joshua 6). The same God who helped your grandparents build the life that they built in order to provide for your parents, is the same God. Our God, the Most High has the same possession of power that He did yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He still sits on the throne. He still reigns as the King of all kings. He still knows the count of every single hair on your head. He still causes breath to enter you so that you may live. He has not forgotten you, nor forsaken you. Our God is still working behind the scenes of our life animatedly & purposefully.

Matthew 6:25-34 is one of my favorite passages. I would like you to look it up so instead of giving you the full passage, I will give you what I consider the highlights. 

In Matt. 6:25-26 (NIV), God says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”  God is trying to remind us that He’s got it all under control. He clearly has a lot of responsibility, yet He’s making it clear that YOU are what is most valuable to Him. Therefore, if He can take care of the rest, He can and will most definitely take care of you. 

Then God goes on to say in Matt. 6:31-34 (NIV), “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” 

In a sense this passage makes me giggle because God says all of this in a way like ‘I’ve already showed you Who I Am, it’s about time you start believing me’. He is so obviously letting us know that He knows what we need and He’s working on it. He hasn’t stopped working on it and He doesn’t plan to. There is no need for us to worry. Not only is there no need for us to worry today, but He says not to borrow tomorrow’s troubles and worry about them either. Take today for what today is and whatever challenge that day may bring, trust in God to bring you through. However, don’t sit and dwell on the bills due later that week or the future health of your loved ones, or the list can go on. Take one day at a time and focus on the present moment and the blessings it brings. The same way God got you through this day, He will do the same as your teammate tomorrow. And remember this most importantly: when you’re on a team with God, you’ve already won!

Created By God vs. Child Of God

Created By God vs. Child Of God

This truly might be one of the most important subjects that I’ve ever written about. I have somewhat touched on it through other blogs, however not in detail. It almost makes me nervous because I don’t want to under explain or overcomplicate it. However, I am just going to speak as I’m led and believe who it’s meant for, will receive it.

Often people claim the title of being a “Child of God” without realizing the importance or the actual value it holds. Everyone was created BY God, however not everyone is a child OF God. If you have not yet chosen Him to be your Heavenly Father, how can you claim to be His child?

Many children are born in this world and in some cases are not claimed, leading into certain situations called adoption. The definition of adoption is the legal process of becoming a non-biological parent or the act of taking something on as your own. When God created you, He chose for you to be His own. That is a fact whether you love him, hate Him, or don’t believe in Him at all. He knows every single hair on your head and the unique design of each one of your fingerprints, because He took the time to create it. Our Heavenly Father never intended for us to be enslaved to Him. Therefore, when creating us, He also gave us the ability to have free will, meaning we make our own choices. This means that the decision of becoming His child is 100% up to us.

Now in the natural, when it comes to this world you have certain privileges in being the parent of guardian of a child. When it comes to their banking, healthcare, or other similar legalities, they need you for access to these things [until a certain age]. Without the authority of that parent or guardian, their access is limited. When it comes to being a child of God, it is very similar in the sense that our access without Him is limited.  

In the natural, we also inherit certain things from our parents whether it be characteristics, finance, or even material things that hold a precious value. When we accept Jesus (the Son of God) as our Lord & Savior, we are spiritually re-created or born-again. At that moment, we become joint heirs with Jesus and become a child of God (not just His creation). We become part of God’s family allowing us to receive His inheritance. We not only inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, we also inherit the gift of the Holy Spirit & the privilege of a victorious life.

There are numerous scriptures on our inheritance in Christ (Deuteronomy 28, Job 22, Psalm 84:11, Ephesians 1:11, Ephesians 1:13, Colossians 3:24, John 17:11, & many more). Even if you research, “my inheritance in Christ”, take time to study who you are in Him. It’s the most encouraging homework you’ll ever have!

God’s Word is full of promises that are released to you once you choose the master you would like to serve. In reality, if you chose to serve the master of darkness, why should God unleash His promises to you? Why would you receive His inheritance? He does not withhold them as a form of punishment because it is not in His nature to punish His creation. However, you simply don’t receive the same promises as His children, because you did not sign up for them.

Being a child of God is referred to as being “Born-Again”. This, meaning you are first born into this world through flesh and when you chose to be a child of God, you are reborn through spirit. Your spirit is now made brand new, giving God the access to release those promises to you.
Often times people get frustrated with God because they only talk to Him when they need Him and don’t feel as though they get a response. When you don’t build a relationship with someone or talk to them often, it’s difficult to comprehend their presence. When a baby is born they have a certain comfort with their mother because they’ve heard their mothers voice every day for 9 months. When you begin to talk to God every day, you will begin to recognize when He talks back. For those who feel it’s unfair that they don’t hear from God, flip that and think of how unfair it is when He doesn’t hear from you.

In all of this, you might be asking the most important question:

How Do You Become A Child of [adopted by] God?

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord”, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved [born-again]. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)

That’s it! If you would like to help with this, simply repeat this prayer aloud:

 “God, I want to know You. I want You to come into my life. Thank You for sending Your only Son to die on cross for my sins, so that I could be fully accepted by You. Only You can give me the power to change and become the person you created me to be. Thank you for forgiving me and giving me eternal life with you. I give my life to You, please do with it as you wish. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Welcome to the Family!

We Have Not Forgotten You!

Hey there BOSS! 

First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone for downloading & sharing the BOSS Ministries app. The more we dive into our relationship with God and ‘Birth Our Savior's Sacrifice’ to others, the more it makes God smile. :)

I wanted to write this in hopes to let everyone know & understand that I have not forgotten about you or this ministry. We are working on an UPDATE with a new logo, new look and even more content. We have been laying low because of all of the time it takes for these new changes. However, I apologize for the delays. As you all know, we operate in God’s timing and not in our own.

During this time of improvements, I’d also like to hear your feedback so I can make proper adjustments for our downloader’s. I have had a few of you ask if the music can be turned off from automatically playing when the app launches and that has been adjusted.

This is a ministry, yes, but this is also a community. I don’t want you to think that I’m unreachable, or even that I want to be. Please send all of your feedback and/or prayer requests to:

BossHardMinistry@gmail.com

Born-Again Alien

Alien

I was inspired to write this because currently I am growing through my twenties. It really feels like the “twisty twenties” for me. This is the time in life when you are finding yourself and attempting to grow comfortable in who you are, even if it means you are different from those around you. The plans that you made for yourself may have changed, your priorities most definitely can differ from your original, and depending on your faith, your perspective on life may shift.

When I was six years old my dream was to be in the WNBA. If you know me now, you know that I’m only 5”6’ and that dream is as distant as the years passed. As I got older I realized my love for music and even more so, my love for ministry. My plans and my priorities changed throughout my growth. There is no one specific pinpointed reason, everyone is different and so are their experiences. My main point is that life occurs in stages and at each stage you may be at a different level in your life. During the stage of my life when I was in middle school my level of maturity was not the same as my high school stage. I even choose my friends differently now, than I did back then. Having little things in common such as your favorite play-doh or favorite color will no longer deem you as my “best friend”. 

I’ve noticed that throughout each stage of my life I mature, my faith grows, and my priorities not only differ from the past but also from those around me. It’s uncomfortable because it brings change. The friends that I had, still enjoyed doing things that I grew out of. Now that doesn’t mean I’m better than them or I no longer love or respect them. It means that change has occurred. With the different experiences in all of our lives we will all grow at different paces and possibly in different directions. In reality most people say it has to do with age because with age comes wisdom. That is true. However, I also think a major key in all of it, is realizing when you are and are not equally-yoked.

As a born-again Christian, you make the decision to yoke yourself to our Heavenly Father. In the midst of yoking yourself to Him, you separate yourself from others who have not. God created this world and in giving Adam & Eve (and the rest of us) the power of free will, they made the choice in letting darkness enter. When darkness entered the earth, this became a world revolved around satan and his desires. He is the god/ruler of this world and this world is temporary. It is up to us on who we will choose to serve because you cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). When we choose to accept Christ and are born-again, our spirits are renewed, placing us in the position of being IN the world rather than being OF it. In a sense, it’s almost like we are the aliens of this world. At times it feels like we don’t belong because we are the light in the midst of darkness. During this twisty twenty stage I’m in, I find myself feeling different from those around me.

The things everyone wanted to do in college didn’t entertain me. I’m often told “you’re still young, have fun”. Most of the time I feel like I’m always thinking about my actions TOO carefully. I think because I know the world is temporary, that makes me consider the choices that will affect my life after this place. I consider my words that I speak because I realize their power. I know that any remaining time I have here, is for a purpose bigger than my own. I live by faith daily.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to explain this walk of life to others who have not yet made their decision to follow Christ. It’s because they are still OF this world. It is because we are not yet yoked equally. Our job is to be a vessel & share the importance of His relationship. However, we cannot force it upon others. Therefore, when you find yourself being frustratingly different, I want you to know that—IT IS OKAY!

In fact, if you never felt different, if the ways of this world have never bothered you, that is when you should be concerned.  1 John 2:15-17 says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

Remember that as children of God, our main priority is to be pleaser of God and not those around us. (Acts 5:29) From one BOSS to another, I want to encourage you to stay encouraged. It will all be worth it when we reach the gates of heaven! :-)

Halloween: The Deeper Meaning

HALLOWEEN: The Deeper Meaning

Halloween is a known “holiday” in numerous places. Depending on who you ask, it is known as different titles. I was being gracious by calling it a holiday because some consider holidays to be “holy days” where a celebration is to occur. Many people just go along with the flow of following others when it comes to celebrations, instead of doing their due diligence of knowing/understanding the reason. I know that when it comes to America, if we see a holiday on the calendar we just go for it especially if it means a day off of work to indulge in anything.

As children of God, you and I are placed in this world to be a light in a world of darkness (Matthew 5:14-16). Now I’m not writing this to tell you what you should or shouldn’t believe or should or should not participate in. This is strictly being written to fill you in on the history of this day in hopes to increase your knowledge on the subject. What you do after that is up to you and the only One who will hold you accountable is the One who gave you life.

Halloween comes off confusing. Why do people dress up? Where does the candy idea come from? Why is everything themed to be haunted, dark, or scary? What’s up with the term ‘Trick or Treat’? There are so many questions that it’s almost easier to ignore them and just tag along. I mean who doesn’t love candy? So what’s the harm in throwing a sheet over your head and going door to door? Some Christians are rumored to be totally against it while others don’t seem to mind. What’s the deal…is there a deeper meaning?

For those in our secular society, Halloween is nothing more than a harmless festival in where kids are allowed to dress up in costume and collect candy from strangers. However, it’s origins lie deeply rooted in the occult. An occult is the study or practice in believing in the existence of secret, mysterious or supernatural agencies. October 31^st has long been known as “The Festival of the Dead” to those such as the Celtic tribes and their priests (the Druids) who would celebrate this day as a marker for the change from life to death. Today, in this day and age, it is more so celebrated by those who adhere to witchcraft. This is a known night to acknowledge rituals. Witches celebrate Halloween as the “Feast of Samhain”, the first feast of the witchcraft year. Being as though this is the festival of the dead, Halloween is when witches and others attempt to communicate with the dead through various forms of divination. Now before I get into explaining what the Word says about divination, I just want to finish getting through the darkness first.

Hopefully we understand more about the origins of this “celebration” which so far stated are – death, demonic rituals, and divination. Now let’s get into the modern day traditions and how they tie in.

Occultists were taught, and also teach, that spirits and ghosts leave the grave during this night and seek out the warmth in their previous homes. At the time, (during the middle ages), villagers fearful of the possibility of being visited by these ghosts of past occupants would dress up in costumes to scare the spirits away. They would also leave food and treats at their door to appease the spirits so that they wouldn’t destroy their homes and crops. Other tactics in trying to scare away the spirits would be carving scary faces into pumpkins hoping they would move on to other households. In some cases villagers would light a candle and place it within the pumpkin to use as a lantern (hence the name Jack-O-Lantern). In some witchcraft covens, it was believed to close each ritual with the eating of an apple or engaging in fertility rites. This is where the modern day practice of bobbing for apples comes from. 

Now although I keep saying “modern day”, please understand that its roots have never changed. The world has just adjusted some of these practices out of convenience, lack of understanding, and desensitization. They’ve done the same when it comes to Christmas, but the root remains the same. That is the day we celebrate our Savior’s birth. Are the Christmas trees and cookies necessary? No, but that’s what it has turned into being about in this secular world. Halloween has always been rooted in darkness; secular societies have just come up with different/easier ways to acknowledge that.

Secular societies, also known as the people of this world, are sustaining the enemy’s plan in smoothing over the representation of occult in Halloween. It dulls their ability to determine what is dark and evil from light and pure.

As promised, I will now tie in why children of God are to stay away from divination. Divination is the practice of attempting to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge by occult or supernatural means. What does the Bible say about it?

“When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you.” – Deuteronomy 18: 9-12 NKJV

Participating in Halloween gives sanction to a holiday that promotes witches, divination, haunted houses, and other occultist practices. Like I said, this is a holiday that brings a lot of confusion and we know that our God is not a God of confusion but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33). Satan and his demons have created a maze of “alternate religions” to keep as many people deceived and confused as possible.

Now you ask yourself – what’s the big deal if I just want to dress up and go house to house for free candy? What’s the harm in participating if I’m not “celebrating”?

When we blur the lines and we do not give the firm direction on where we stand of Whom we stand with, we are giving the devil free access to mislead us. Then through practice, desensitize us from what’s light and dark. The same goes for our children. We can avoid the real issue saying “its okay its just for fun” allowing our children to think it’s okay to emulate, replicate, and participate in the celebration of this evil rooted day. This not only allows them to underestimate the devil but also be open to demonic influence. We need our children to know its okay to stand apart from the world on these issues and to recognize what is evil and what is the light of the Gospel.

My parents didn’t allow me or my siblings to go to school on Halloween knowing what the school would participate in. However, we never felt less than or left out. We knew why we were not there because it was explained to us, and our teachers. My parents would still buy us candy (without the Halloween themes) simply because we were a candy snacking family. We played board games and spent time together as a family, which made us always look forward to the day for completely different reasons. I appreciate them for that and for explaining to us the reason. I know that in the future my children will appreciate me for it just the same.

Isn’t it ironic that schools are removing any religious significance from holidays such as Christmas and Easter but will celebrate Halloween despite its occultist origins?

             The Bible says, “my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6), which is why it is so important for us to know what the Word says. It is relevant to our present lives, not just our eternal.

You don’t have to Christian in order to NOT participate in what the enemy has planned. However, again this is not being written in telling you what you should do or should not do. This is just furthering your knowledge on the matter. To all of my siblings in Christ, I will leave you with this:

“Try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” - Ephesians 5:10-11

What Are You Seeking?

What Are You Seeking?

Every once in a while I think it’s important for people to stop and go soul searching for a bit. I sometimes find myself in the midst of life appearing great around me. Getting a new job, paying bills easily, planning vacations, getting the newly released pair of sneakers/Jordans, and feeling pretty great. But then I’ll sit and ask myself…what now? I have everything I could think of wanting, yet something doesn’t feel right on the inside.

A close friend of mine went through a period of time where they felt like they were just in the midst of hardship, feeling stuck in life. They were going through a bad break up after a long relationship, finding it almost impossible to get a job and just not feeling great about themselves. It was hard for me even watching them go through this time of discomfort and unhappiness. I felt helpless in the sense that I could literally do nothing but pray for them, but let me tell you something PRAYER is POWERFUL. Don’t ever get that mistaken! Finally after a little over a year or so, a breakthrough happened. They not only got a job, they got the career of their dreams. They started meeting more people and moved to a nicer place. I remember sitting in my car with tears in my eyes praising God for how He turned things around for that person. Looking from the outside in, their life seemed as close to perfect on this earth as it could get. Then I had gone to their new location to visit them, and we had this conversation where I remember them telling me, “I have everything I’ve ever wanted, but there’s something missing. What happens now? I’m still not happy.” They couldn’t put their finger on the issue. Does this sound like you could relate, or know of someone else who could?

It hit me that because this world is full of material and temporary things, that is what we tend to seek.

The word seek is a very strong word. It means, “to crave, to pursue, to make sacrifices to get or to go after something with all of your heart”. Now yes, we have God willing to give us the desires of our hearts if we choose to seek Him but we tend to take things into our own hands. Quite frankly, I think there’s a part of us that’s afraid that if we give God control over our lives, then we just won’t get what we want. But the God we serve loves us and simply wants us to trust Him. His Word says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). That’s a much better way to live than chasing after things.

Everyone wants the big mansion with more money than they could think of spending, possibly even want fame. But what happens when you achieve that and lose it all? What are you left with? Not at all saying that is what WILL happen, just clarifying that it is possible.

Don’t get me wrong, nice things are a blessing. God wants us to live abundantly and enjoy life as much as we possibly can while on this earth. However, there’s a big difference in desiring these things and seeking them. That is something that is key to understand and would be wise to focus on. If you realize that you’re chasing things rather than God, I want you to visualize your last days on this earth. The day where your physical body no longer matters, that mansion of a house, and that bank account is gone. You’ve worked your whole life making sure those things made you comfortable, that everything was set and that the expectations of those around you were met. To then realize all you’re now left with is your spirit. How hard did you work on making sure that was set? You might be someone who tries a new diet every month just to make sure your physical body is up to a certain standard you’re looking for. You may spend hours in the gym. How many hours have you spent taking care of your spirit man? It’s almost like spending the time focused on a brand new car. It’s beautiful and looks so mint condition on the outside that you wash and wax it on a routine schedule, but the whole time the engine is getting old and rusted. You may look fly in it, but it’s not going to take you far.

It’s not pleasant to think about but it might help us change the way we spend today and everyday after.

If you have a strong inner life—that is, you know who you are in Christ and you know that you’re right with God—then what goes on around you doesn’t have to matter. In fact, that’s when we know we’re maturing as sons and daughters of God. When we aren’t wrapped around what we want, what we think and how we feel. Instead we think of what God has done in our lives and how we can help grow His kingdom while we’re still here on this earth.

When we chase after God and make Him the first priority [seek Him] then we’ll really get to know Him. We will understand that these material things can come and go but He’ll never leave our side. He will give you everything you need that’s right for you at the right time.

“But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.”

–Matthew 6:33 AMP

There is nothing more valuable in this life than knowing God and receiving His relationship. No one can take that away from you and that can never be lost. I want to encourage you to really chase after God the same, if not more, than you chase after these material things. Let Him be first in your life and live each day pursuing what really matters. It’s such a better way to live!

This Is War

This Is War!

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”- Ephesians 6:12

I’ve been reevaluating my friends and the people I surround myself with. You see when you’re younger, you gravitate towards people and you automatically label them “friend” because you bond over a few things. Maybe you had the same crayon set, or you both found math class to be difficult. Maybe you grew up in the same sad neighborhood as one another and BAM you just clicked. Well I don’t want to choose my friends like that anymore. After all, friendships are supposed to be forever right? Well if I have to be careful on who I choose for a spouse, why shouldn’t I be just as careful with the people I talk to/surround myself with almost just as often?

As believers it’s harder to yolk yourself with someone who doesn’t understand the importance of not only your spirit, but spirituality in general. We have a war going on. As God’s children, it is our responsibility to put our armor on (Ephesians 6:10-18) and prepare for battle. No, not prepare when we feel like it; it isn’t like a test that you know is coming and you wait until the last minute to crunch for. This war doesn’t have a specific date on when it starts. It is already here!

In the past few days, actually in the past year, we have been made aware of innocent people losing their lives due to the judgment of others and we blame that on gun control and the government and the color of people’s skin. Now, I said in the past year we’ve been made AWARE, but I think most of us know this isn’t brand new behavior. This was happening before I was born, before you were born, before your parents were born & so on. We just happen to have more technology, footage, and immediate access to broadcast these events to others. This is what people would label a physical war because we physically see what’s happening around us. It’s heartbreaking, to some shocking, and because we physically see this, it enrages us.

What I submit to you, is that behind the physical is an even bigger war. One that your eyes can’t see but one that involves every single human beings life: Black, White, Asian, Indian, Hispanic, ALL! So as I look around me and see so many people in disbelief and solemn heaviness, it breaks my heart even more knowing that they are fighting against something bigger than they even recognize. If you don’t recognize what you’re actually up against, how do you know the correct weapons to use?

Now when I say I’m starting to reevaluate my friends and those I surround myself with, it’s important for all of us to think about. Who you place in your life, who you surround yourself with, who you yolk yourself to can either build you up, or distract you enough to hold you down. 

I’m going to explain to you why with this odd analogy, but stick with me:

Let’s imagine you are going to fight in World War II, or actually let’s say the Civil War (seems appropriate) and you know what you’re about to face. Therefore, you do everything you can to prepare. Everyday you add new protective gear to your collection, you go and exercise to get your stamina ready, you have your eyes on the prize in protecting not only yourself but your loved ones. The day comes when you have to face the opposing side and you step up to the line. When you look to your side you see your very best friend standing beside you playing on their Nintendo game boy. Now I know the technology timeline doesn’t match up but still…just stick with me. Your best friend has on no armor; it doesn’t even appear that they understand the intensity of the reality in front of them. It almost annoys you. You’re making sure that everyday you’re preparing yourself to take on whatever the opposing side might throw at you and your friend is looking like the worst that can happen is if they lose level 3. You almost wish you could pick them up and carry them through it, but you can’t. It doesn’t work like that. The armor you placed on is specifically to protect you, not you and a loved one. Now, do not get me wrong I’m not telling you to leave them behind and just watch them die thinking “too bad for them”. No! In fact, I’m encouraging you to do the opposite. Pull them! Shake them! Let them know that this is serious! Tell them to look up for they are in a war bigger than they can see!

This analogy represents the war we’ve been facing. Not just today, or last the decade, but since the beginning of the world as we know it. This is what satan has designed. Oh and the world is his, he’s got that. The chaos, the confusion, the death, the defeat, everything he represents; this physical world, satan is the god of. However, this world and everything in it, is temporary. All physical things are temporary, even our fleshly bodies. The bodies of those who have lost their lives just recently, may they rest in peace, they have deceased. Their spirits however, our spirits, go way beyond the physical, go way beyond this world that we live in. Please remember that we are all created by God and made in His image. We are spirit beings, we have a soul and we live in a physical body. (1 Thessalonians 5:23) God could speak another fifteen planets into existence if He just felt like it, but He purposely only made one you & that’s what He cares the most about; the physical can go.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t work on making the world a better place. As believers, we are the salt of the earth and have a responsibility to do so. (Matthew 5:13) However we can’t be the ones distracted on our game boys when we know the attacks are real, and they are not just physical.

The enemy comes only to steal and kill and destroy. (John 10:10)

You might be thinking, “Okay but if satan is not physically here, yet he also wants to attack me spiritually, how do you want me to fight him?” Well the first step comes with making a choice on what side you’d like to be on: Winning vs. Losing, Light vs. Dark, Clarity vs. Confusion, God vs. satan.

Now IF you’ve already made the choice of making Jesus the Lord and Savior of your life (please refer to’ An Invitation From God’ on the B.O.S.S. Ministries app) then the war is pretty much over, you win! But that does not mean satan will stop throwing you battles. That doesn’t mean satan will give up and stop wanting to see you hurting. God never told us we’d have days without pain or sun without rain while here on this earth, but He has promised to give us the strength to get through.

As believers, we have to be the ones who are preparing for the battle satan throws this world every day. We have to be the ones who step up to the line at war and remind him of his place which is beneath us. We have to take the responsibility of feeding our spirits everyday, putting on our armor to protect ourselves and letting the others know THIS IS SERIOUS! When you open your eyes in the morning, once you place your foot on the ground, the enemy is already thinking of ways to attack you, E-V-E-R-Y day. You can ignore him, or you can fight back. Fighting back doesn’t mean finding the nearest gun and placing a bullet through the heart of another. That is flesh and blood that we are not wrestling against. (Ephesians 6:12-13)

Fighting back does not mean seeking the revenge of those who have hurt you or have taken from you. Fighting back is to be on your guard, to stand firm in faith, being courageous and being strong in the Lord and His mighty power. Fighting back is discovering who and Whose you are as you put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the devil’s schemes. Reminding satan that because of God’s covenant with you, you’ll always have the victory. As believers, even in death we are victorious because to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8)

This is our time to be a BOSS! To step up to the line, put all distractions aside, no matter how overwhelming they seem and stay focused on eternity rather than the temporary. To stop looking to the world for justice from the unjust. To inform our loved ones that these hash tags won’t save them. This is the time to PRAY! We must encourage one another not to take another person’s life away!

“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge, I will repay,” says the Lord.” – Romans 12:19

So as I reevaluate the closest people I surround myself with, I ask myself: Do they help encourage my spiritual growth? Are they encouraging me to prepare for the battles? Or are they too distracted with the game boys of life [the physical]? God has given us the weapons to fight this war. We are more than conquerors. We Win!! (Romans 8:37-39)

The Perfect Match

The Perfect Match

“So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel [as his wife], but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.”

-Genesis 29:20 NIV

You might be wondering if God has made your perfect match. It seems like the months and years get longer of being ‘single’ and feeling alone. I know so many people of all ages from their 20s to 60s praying God can just drop down their perfect match. They go on date after date, may even sleep with person after person, and have dealt with heartbreak after heartbreak. What I like to call that is looking for love in all the WRONG places.

We all desire love but sometimes we get caught up in settling for lust. We love finding a partner who is physically fit, has a good education, decent morals, and possibly even a Christian. That sounds perfect, doesn’t it? Now what happens if you find all of that and it still doesn’t work out? This must mean you’re meant to stay alone and unhappy. This must mean that everything satan is whispering in your ear about your imperfections are true. Trusting God is a lot less work than trying to change yourself in order to compensate based off of comparisons to others.

It could also just mean this—God is love. (1 John: 4:8) He IS love. The scripture doesn’t state that God is like love, or can remind you of love, it says that He IS love. That means to find love, real love, it comes through Him. Therefore, wouldn’t it make sense to go Him to fulfill the desires of your heart?

In Philippians 4:6 it tells us, “Be anxious about nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”. Tell God what you need. Make your petition known. He wants you to come to Him about everything in every area of your life so He can help you. Don’t let the enemy talk you into thinking there’s something wrong with you or that you do not deserve your perfect half. He wants you to feel defeated and abandoned, but God has better plans for you; plans to prosper.

These plans might not be in the timing you expect but He’s never promised that. God’s timing is perfect. Never too early, and never too late. The Word tells us there’s a specific time for everything. (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Maybe you’re where you need to be and God is still busy working on building your partner up for you. Don’t be discouraged if what you’re looking for doesn’t come in your timing. Instead, go to God, explain to Him the desires of your heart, and be encouraged that He’s got it all under control.

Fill' er Up!

Fill’er Up!

“As the deer pants [longingly] for the water brooks,

So my soul pants [longingly] for You, O God.”

-Psalm 42:1 AMP

Imagine you were wandering in a desert and desperately needed a glass of water. Why do you think the psalmist chose this picture to illustrate his longing for God?

Your physical body is a real thing. You bang into something, your flesh bruises. Place your hand out in front of you. You see it, correct? That is your physical body. Along with the physical, you have a spirit. That is what differentiates what’s right and what’s wrong. When you die, your physical bones and flesh stay on this earth and separates from your spirit, which either goes to heaven or hell.

Now let’s get back to the Psalm. If you’ve ever been extremely dehydrated then you would know after awhile you grow weak, tired, discouraged, and you just want to collapse somewhere because of exhaustion. You may even suffer from a migraine or other symptoms that make your body not feel right. You need to drink! You need to fill your body up with water so you can continue to function and operate comfortably. When you drink after being dehydrated it almost feels like a wilting flower coming back to life. You get your strength back. The headache disappears and you feel like you can go about your day with the proper energy to take on what’s ahead. You feel rejuvenated.

Well here's the thing—your spirit is exactly the same way. It needs to be filled! Ask yourself:

·      Am I growing more easily discouraged these days?

·      Am I growing more easily irritated these days?

When you don’t fill your spirit up with the Word, with the reminder of God’s promises, it’s easier to feel discouraged. It’s easier to get tired and run down to the point of just wanting to give up. Your spirit is dehydrated & you need to cater to it the same way you do to your physical body.

It just so happens that we notice the result of things that happen to our physical body quicker than our spirit. However both are real, extremely important, and can easily be affected. When players go out to play football, they wear protective gear in order to protect themselves. It’s harder to go about your day when you’re sore and beat up, possibly injured. It’s not impossible, but why choose the struggle when you can go about feeling rejuvenated?

Our spirit has protective gear as well; it’s the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). It’s not impossible to get through life without protecting it. However, why choose the struggle of feeling defeated, not good enough, worthless, confused, lost, and the list goes on? If you feed your spirit and protect it daily, you will notice a significant difference as you remember to walk in Christ. You will take on every task with victory!

Your Life Holds Value

Your Life Holds Value

"Suicide what kinda talk is that? I've been talking to God for so long and when I look at my life, I guess He talkin back."- Kanye West

I've been the person harming myself in hopes to no longer be here. I've been the person who felt as though I wasn't good enough. I've been the people pleaser who felt I let everyone else down. I was at a loss for my purpose. I thought it was some kind of punishment that God created me just for me to sit here and be unhappy. I could go on and on but my point is- just know, I've hit rock bottom. I'm not telling you my life was rough or that I had it hard and here’s a list of my complaints. I'm telling you within myself I found nothing.

Depression comes in different forms in different people and it's a serious fight against our spiritual being. The enemy wants you to give up. He wants to steal your joy, he wants to kill your faith, and he wants to ultimately destroy you and the possibility of your relationship with God. Now that doesn’t mean if you’re battling against symptoms of depression you’re any less spiritual than the next person. The Word says that our fight is not against those on this earth but against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness (Ephesians 6:12). This does not mean your faith is weak. This simply means you’re under attack and its up to you to make a choice and fight back!

I define depression, as what the world tells us is wrong with us when they gave it to us in the first place. Let me explain, depression normally comes from the affliction of this world. It may be our finances that are our main focus of depression & not having enough money to get the things wanted to live in this world. It may be that we lost someone dear to our hearts and even though we will see them again, they’re no longer in this world with us. It may be not being happy with ourselves in comparison of what we see in others of the world. In actuality the world is not always a fun place to be in the middle of. It was created to be, but because of Adam’s disobedience, we were born sinners into the world. Praise God that once we accept Jesus into our hearts we are no longer children of the world, but instead children of God. He never said the journey would be easy. However, He did promise He would never leave us to get through it alone. (Deuteronomy 31:8)

That’s not always easy to remember with the distractions of the world around us. Being born-again doesn’t mean you’re attack proof. It does not mean that satan will not attempt to feed you with thoughts that can condemn you. It does not mean that satan has given up on trying to defeat you. Most importantly, it does not mean that it is not okay to not be okay.

There was something off with me. I felt out of place in the midst of people who I knew loved me such as my family and friends. There’s even times I had to remind myself how much God loved me but even though I know He did, it still felt like I was down here fighting my own battles alone. That feeling can be overwhelming. It can make you feel so many things that you can almost subconsciously make the decision to go numb.  For me I grew so numb it became concerning and that’s when harming myself came into play just so I could feel something. There were even times where I felt everything at once, and due to overwhelming thoughts, wanted to punish myself with physical pain. Everyone will not relate to this. Some may even read my honesty and think I’m a nut case. However, I’m not sharing this in the hopes of gaining approval from others. I’m sharing this because someone, even if only one person, may relate to this. If you’re reading this and it’s reaching you, I promise you, your life holds value!

God has not left us. It is not a joy for Him to see His children hurting. He is holding on tighter than ever before but we cannot give up and let go. Mankind likes to diagnose depression, and then prescribe medications and ways for you to think. However, I submit that you can get through this without any of that. Just as everyday you may have to take that prescription, I want you to make the decision everyday to set that time aside for God. It may take a little longer than swallowing a glass of water, but it will leave you with more long-term fulfillment. (Proverbs 12:25)

             When your spirit is being attacked you need more than a physical medication. You need to spiritually attack back. Even in the midst of the tears, if your eyes are too flooded to read the Word turn on some worship music. Even if your thoughts are telling you to give up, that you’re not good enough, that it won’t get any better. Stand Firm! Defeat those thoughts by speaking out loud to remind satan of his place and to claim your victory!

Through all that you have gotten through, you are still here! You are more than a conqueror! You are not forgotten! You can do all things through Christ! He will provide for your needs! You are victorious! You have purpose! You are valued! You are chosen! You are royalty! You are a Child of the Most High! You are loved!

That is why we never give up. Our physical body is becoming older and weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day. We have small troubles for a while now, but these troubles are helping us gain an eternal glory. That eternal glory is much greater than our troubles. So we think about what we cannot see, not what we see. What we see lasts only a short time, and what we cannot see will last forever.

-2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ERV

For those who can relate to this article but do not have a relationship with God, please know He doesn’t want you to be alone. Jesus came & died just to have a relationship with you. It’s up to you to receive Him. Refer to ‘Invitation From God’ on the “BOSS Ministries” app.