Month: February 2016

TalithaCumi3

Willing to Give

IMG_4016
Smile-It’s free!

Dear Beloved,

 

In heartfelt giving God looks at the motives behind our giving. The first step towards obedience is totally yielding and giving yourself to Him. 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12 1-2, NIV).

Next, we must listen for His still small voice. Trust that you hear from Him and remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit will never lead you down a wrong path. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come (John 16:13, NIV). As I mentioned previously, God looks at the motives behind our giving.  Giving doesn’t necessarily have to be limited to money.  It may consist of your time, conversation, or resources.  It really doesn’t matter what capacity you give in, as long as you do it with a willing heart, full of joy.  The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give (Exodus 25: 1-2, NIV).

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:6-7, NIV). Beloved, we must do what the Lord impresses upon us to do with a sense of urgency. Let’s all remember to give in the name of love.  Until we meet again…I love you to life!

Xoxo,

Mrs. Candace A. Stevens-The Risen Warrior

© Mrs. Candace A. Stevens, and TalithaCumi+3, [2016]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s/ website’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [Mrs. Candace A. Stevens] and [TalithaCumi+3] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Advertisement
TalithaCumi3

Thorns…that make you say OUCH!

1977146_1167243109971280_8987631998118866611_nDear Beloved,

Hope all is well. I had something planned for us to discuss today, but the Lord is leading me a in a different direction.  Sometimes one of the hardest lessons in life is not to repeat cycles of insanity.  If we’re caught off guard its then and only then that we fall prey to the devil’s same old tricks.  Let that marinate for a few seconds and I bet you can think of a few scenarios even in your own life.  Have you thought of any thorn (s) that you wish would just go away? Bishop T.D. Jakes, said this recently: “God is not going to remove the thorn, He’s going to show you that it will not stop you, it’s going to make you stronger (2016).”

The uncompromising Apostle Paul wrote this: And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Corinthians 12:7-9, KJV). 

Beloved, the question for the day is: What are your thorn (s)?  Could it be physical, emotional, or spiritual? God loves us all unconditionally, and because of that He will allow unforeseen events to occur in order to keep us basking in a state of humility.  Check out verse 9 (a), And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. What I love about God is that He’s literal.  He’s not fake, fickle, phony, or one to try and figure out.  The good news is this:  No matter what your thorn (s)/weaknesses may be, humility will drive us to our knees to pray and cause us to remember that we need God to accomplish His purpose and plan for our life.  Allow His grace and His perfect strength to stretch and rest in your weaknesses, now and forevermore.  Until we meet again, I love you to life!

Xoxo,

Mrs. Candace A. Stevens, The Risen Warrior

© Mrs. Candace A. Stevens, and TalithaCumi+3, [2016]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s/ website’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [Mrs. Candace A. Stevens] and [TalithaCumi+3] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

TalithaCumi3

I’m Free Indeed, Now What?

Dear Beloved,

Wow. What an absolute blessing to be in the land of the living on today. Let’s jump right into today’s discussion.  Have you ever been so deep in bondage that couldn’t see your way to becoming free in your spirit?  God being God- then righteously steps in with the blood of Jesus and delivers us from our own destruction.  Warriors, where you and I reside in our path of life is the direct result of a thought.  For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee (Proverbs 23:7, KJV).  As you can clearly see, we must always guard our hearts and mind in Christ Jesus.  Stay with me as we dig just a little bit deeper. Shall we?

Beloved, the lesson in freedom is this: It’s not just a feeling but an absolute intentional mindset.  “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed (John 8:36, KJV).  Friends, after we realize freedom in our spirit, it doesn’t mean that we won’t encounter the unexpected along the way.  We must remember to embrace God’s divine character and trust Him to provide, protect, and lead us beside the still waters (Psalm 23, KJV).  From this day forward, let’s strive to humble our hearts towards the Lord with our heads held high.  It’s then and only then we can truly clasp freedom in Jesus Christ unashamed of our past, and laced with hope towards His rich promises for our lives. Until we meet again I love you to life and be free!

Xoxo,Setback for a SetUP

Mrs. Candace A. Stevens, The Risen Warrior

 © Mrs. Candace A. Stevens, and TalithaCumi+3, [2016]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s/ website’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [Mrs. Candace A. Stevens] and [TalithaCumi+3] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

TalithaCumi3

The Cost of Being Witless

IMG_3818

According to Merriam-Webster, witless can be defined as being foolish, stupid, or mentally deranged. In these last of the last days, it behooves us to daily partake in thoughtful and intentional Bible study, consistent prayer, and Christian fellowship.   Many days, we may feel like God has left us when indeed we stepped away from Him.  It’s then and only then that you and I open ourselves us to a witless path of destruction.  Beloved, do you realize that many Christians/unbelievers are living like this on a daily basis? Many of us are content with a complete mess of our lives and look to everything and everyone but the person that stares back at us in the mirror.

Consistency in our relationship with the Lord is vital to not being driven to an extent that one cannot think clearly or rationally. I urge/warn us that when you feel that gentle tug from Holy Spirit to return within the confines of God’s safe haven, humbly submit and yield to His direction.  Your spiritual health depends on it!  Note: You may often hear of the Holy Spirit being referred to as (“something told me”) dropped parenthetically within everyday conversations. If we’re not careful, the spirit of pride can creep in and have us thinking that we don’t need God and we definitely know that’s far from the truth.  Experience can sometimes serve as an instant reminder that God has a way of humbling His children.

Friends, there’s a price that’s paid intentionally/unintentionally sinning. God has given us all the freedom of saying yes to His way of life or not. “If someone sins and without knowing it violates any of the Lord’s commands concerning anything prohibited, he bears the consequences of his guilt (Leviticus 5:17, HCSB). The bottom line is this: unenlightenment does not void accountability.  There’s not one person in the Word of God and now who haven’t paid and still paying for their deliberate disobedience.  Let’s embrace the totality of pleasing God in all that we say and do.   Hebrews 12:4 (HCSB), “Pursue peace with everyone and holiness- without it no one will see the Lord. Until we meet again… I love you to life!

Xoxo,

Mrs. Candace A. Stevens, The Risen Warrior

© Mrs. Candace A. Stevens, and TalithaCumi+3, [2016]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s/ website’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [Mrs. Candace A. Stevens] and [TalithaCumi+3] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content

© Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.  Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB® and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.