Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /home1/heartof6/public_html/blog/wp-content/themes/responsive-mobile/includes/functions-extentions.php on line 35
Home › Posts tagged Heart › Page 7

Heart

Get Past Your Unbelief!

Posted on by

Luke 8:49-56

[49] While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.
[50] But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.
[51] And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.
[52] And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.
[53] And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.
[54] And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.
[55] And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.
[56] And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.

Get past your unbelief in your mind! Your doubt! Anything that would hinder you or stand in the way of your faith or belief! I always remember the old adage “A mind is a terrible thing to waste”. In these scriptures, there were people that had to be put out. There will be things in our mind and life that will have to be put out in order for us to see the miracles of God in our life. We might not like it and may not want to do it either, I know. Then again, you have to consider what is of more worth to you: the blessings of God or the one or two things you have been hanging on to for way too long, or some problem that you have had with someone that you need to let go of. Those problems and stumbling blocks will make us walk right into unbelief! O

One thing I have learned in my life is that God cannot operate if I do not believe. End of story. If I carry doubt in my heart, and hold limits against God, things will just continue to stay the same, if not continue to get worse! We HAVE to get past the little things to see the bigger picture!

Cloud By Day, Fire By Night

Posted on by
Click To Play     

Exodus 14:1-31

[1] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
[2] Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baal-zephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.
[3] For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.
[4] And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so.
[5] And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?
[6] And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him:
[7] And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them.
[8] And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand.
[9] But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon.
[10] And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.
[11] And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?
[12] Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.
[13] And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
[14] The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
[15] And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:
[16] But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
[17] And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
[18] And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
[19] And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
[20] And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
[21] And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
[22] And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
[23] And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
[24] And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,
[25] And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.
[26] And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.
[27] And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
[28] And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.
[29] But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
[30] Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.
[31] And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.

Pharaoh brought:

  • 600 chosen chariots
  • All of the chariots of Egypt
  • The captains over every one of them
  • All horses and chariots
  • His horseman and army

In other words, he brought the best that he thought that could do the job.

Cornered into the sea, Israel cried out unto the Lord in the wilderness by the sea. Conviction sometimes feels like we’re being cornered when God reveals out faults to us in a greater way.

If we push forward and cross over all the waves of doubt and fears that stand in the way like an ocean, God will part the waters for you!

God opened a pathway through the Red Sea, and that which was leaving Israel in present bondage was left in the sea.

They came through by the parting of the resistance of the impossible in front of them.

Jesus was sent to create a way for us to inherit salvation, pass from death unto life, and to leave our sins and troubles in the sea of forgetfulness.

Pillar of cloud was the covering and protection to prevent overwhelming defeat.

God is and brings our separation to the world around us, whether being pursued or not.

The pillar of fire led them through the darkness when they could not see, and gave them the advantage over the enemy.

The strong easy wind blew all night before they stepped out unto dry ground, in other words, sometimes we have to wait on God to perform the miracles before we try ourselves. Imagine them trying to swim the Red Sea themselves!

1 Corinthians 10:1-5

[1] Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
[2] And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
[3] And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
[4] And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
[5] But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

Just to put this into perspective about what they crossed on:

The length was 1,400 miles.

The maximum width is 190-220 miles.

The average depth is 1,600 feet.

To sum this all up: The pillar of cloud separated them in the day from the enemy, and the pillar of fire gave them light in the darkness during the night!

A Brand New Year!

Posted on by

How can I even begin to sum up how our ministry has grown leaps and bounds? Well, I can’t. It would be impossible to try and put into words for you how much has taken place.

The only phrase that I can say that would be able to put it into perspective would be that our progress is based on the progress “of the people”.

I feel like that we have reached out and done a great work over the past year, and I just want to thank everyone in Heart of Grace, as well as all of you who are our support along the way. We could not do a thing without you all. Most of all, I could not say any of this without giving glory to God and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for making a way for us to have a ministry to be a bright witness in these dark days.

I cannot promise you that the days ahead are going to be easy, but I can tell you that you can get all of the strength for your weakness through the power of God. Always remember that.

Singing At The Sanctuary Of Savannah

Posted on by

I had a wonderful experience being able to attend The Sanctuary Of Savannah! It was wonderful being able to catch up and see family that we had not seen in so long!

The service on Sunday morning was wonderful. I got to bear witness to a special treat with the morning praise and worship being done by the youth band, which was simply amazing. I’m especially proud of my wife Angela’s cousins Jordan and Zach, it made my heart soar to see them up there! Seeing the youth in that church let me know that the church of tomorrow is still growing, and is going to reach the nations! We just have to keep encouraging them and pushing them out there with our love and support. They sure do need it! If you go to church and your child is in a program of some kind, show that support! And if you don’t, do it anyways!

Brother Mike Griffith preached and did a spectacular job! It truly blew me away!

I just want to personally thank Angela’s uncle and aunt Pastor Todd and Sandra McDaniel and The Sanctuary for the wonderful opportunity to be able to come and share my testimony and sing. It’s a great thing to have churches that still have freedom for obedience. If you are in the Savannah, GA area and are looking for a place to attend, I HIGHLY recommend this place!

Click here to visit their web site!

Breaking The Off-Season

Posted on by

I am an avid sports fan, and I do not have a preference to what it is. As long as there is competition, and the thrill for a win, I love it. There’s just something about the game when you watch one, when you observe the athletes that are participating…which now will lead me into what I wish to write about today. I hope this inspires you like it did when God showed this to me.

When athletes are in their season of play, they are in peak shape; they are ready for action every day, and don’t have to spend weeks at a time getting ready. Even in their off-season, they are practicing, working out, sticking to some form of routine. God showed me something very vivid with this. But first, a scripture:

2 Timothy 4: 2-5

[2] Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
[3] For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
[4] And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
[5] But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

From this scripture, God was teaching me something. We as a people need to be as athletes, praying, fasting, having faith, working in our gifts, doing what God has called us to do, in a routine in the on and off-seasons.

Whether you’re on or off the court, inside or outside the church, you need to be prepared to share God’s word with someone, be prepared to shine a light to them, be prepared to sing that song that’s on your heart. Don’t be out of shape, and let the enemy win another soul. The enemy wins so many simply due to the fact that we are out of shape. We are not practicing what we are preaching, and not sticking to a sound doctrine, or in other words, the word of God.

If we followed a spiritual diet that consisted of the holy things, and not the worldly things every day, consuming what God would have us to, your spiritual man would be better fit first of all. Secondly, with prayer and fasting, your spiritual self would be in better working shape, being able to make a better difference in the moment, having more conviction in your words, being able to get a hold of God in a manner that would have God move right then and there!

We have to be ready, not just when we feel like it, but always, in and out of season! Break the off-season! Be ready at all times!

Embracing Your Family

Posted on by

This goes against our normal form and fashion of how I normally post things, but I just wanted to share a thought that was on my mind. It took me a very long time to realize this, so please pay attention very closely.

A family is like a garden. Older plants give seed to new ones. A plant will birth, bloom, and wilt away ONLY ONCE. Some are different then others, but all have a very special purpose in their lifetime. Once a plant has existed its lifespan, then that’s it. We cannot rewind time. So always admire the good things of each family member; for we do not know when their blooming ends. And more then that, do it more than just 2 or 3 holidays a year. Life is too short to put it off anymore!

I came across a verse that literally broke my heart when i read it.

Proverbs 30:11 says, “There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.”

Let’s not be as that generation that it talks about, let’s go above and beyond in showing our love for all that we have around us. Don’t wait, don’t wait, don’t wait!!!!

Today is the day you should call them, just to say that you love them. Today is the day you go and do something out of charity that you were not obligated to do. Today is the day you go and spend time with them just because.

2 Corinthians 6: 2 says: “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

Why am I saying all of this? There are mothers and fathers out there who need God to perform a miracle in their life, who need to be healed from their diseases, but most of all, to have salvation applied in their life. Not only just mothers and fathers, but the rest of your family as well!

A person can be good by their deeds, but with God, can be good and blessed as well. Don’t give up on your prayers for them! Stay determined, and you will see them call out on the Lord. I believe that with all that is within me!

Singleness of Heart

Posted on by

Acts 2 : 41-47

[41] Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
[42] And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
[43] And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
[44] And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
[45] And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
[46] And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
[47] Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Having a constant, daily walk with God will not only give singleness of heart, but peace in your mind. With God first in our lives, we can be an active participant in unity. Unity will bring one mind and one accord with all of us working together to be as servants in the body of Christ. If we possess the love of a family with good fellowship, we will definitely be a better fit to be able to reach out and help lead anyone that we can to make Jesus Christ the Lord of their life.

Ephesians 6 : 5-8

[5] Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
[6] Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
[7] With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
[8] Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

When we are obedient to those around us with the guidance and love of God in our lives, the light of love that shines within us will be brighter than anything else that we go through. Most importantly, without our vision to always have God as our number one focus, this light over time grows dim, leading us to try and live life on our own.

Colossians 3:22-24

[22] Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
[23] And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
[24] Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

Always remember that God is always watching over us. We are never left alone; God is always looking at our every thought we make and decision we choose. So even in the times we do not feel like it, remember to do good things to those around you. When your good deeds are noticed, let the reason for your great accomplishments toward someone be your key to opening the door to their heart. If their heart is opened up to you by your kindness to them, you have the perfect opportunity to lead that person to God.

1 Chronicles 4:9-10

[9] And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.
[10] And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.

When Jabez called out on God, he was saying to bless him, and help him to not do anything else that would grieve him. We can not only call out to God for help like this, but also call out that he also blesses “us”. Remembering to have compassion for your peers around you is so important for them to be able to see within you. When people see that love of God and that you are not selfishly thinking of just yourself, you will gain favor and respect with not only them, but God as well.

All About Preparation

Posted on by
Click To Play     

I want to start today’s writing in the thought of talking about food. If I said to you that you had a choice on something to eat based on how it had been prepared, what would be your pick?

Are you the kind of person that can’t wait, and will go through and get something that takes 5 minutes or less to fix, just so you can have it right then?

Are you the kind of person that is willing to wait a little longer, maybe 5-10 minutes, while something cooks in the microwave?

Or are you the kind of person that will wait the longest amount of time, maybe 30 minutes to an hour, while something bakes in the oven?

If I started taking answers from everyone, I’m sure that the responses would vary greatly. However, if I told you that the best tasting food was the food you would get if you waited the longest, I am sure that the answers would begin to change, right? I’m not here today to talk about microwavable blessings. That is a wore out topic, that everyone is very much aware of. I want to discuss something that everyone seems to leave out every single time.

I’m not here to tell you that I am an avid chef, but there is a very important step in making the perfect meal. It’s all about preparation.

If you rush through the process of putting all of your ingredients together during the beginning of your process, then your meal will be a mess, and won’t come out the way you want it to be, and you will be unhappy with the end result, not enjoying the taste of your food by any means.

Now then, let’s move this from food to more spiritual matters.

Let me just go ahead and tell you how God has put this on my heart. I’m sure I won’t make any fans or followers on this, and that’s okay. It’s very often that I see the people of God coming into services day in and day out, so unsatisfied with the way that church is anymore. There is always one in the crowd, no matter how good the food is, that won’t like the way it tastes. They aren’t happy with the way that the praise and worship is, the preaching is, the teaching is, they blame just about everything in the world, and are very unhappy with the way everything tastes. It’s not just one church you go to that you see this trend; it’s everywhere that you travel.

And the truth of the matter is, it is nothing more than a lack of preparation from a person:

Isaiah 57:14-21

[14] And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people.
[15] For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
[16] For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.
[17] For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.
[18] I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
[19] I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.
[20] But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
[21] There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

If we do not begin to learn to prepare ourselves to have a humble spirit, we will go into our services and be the very stumbling block to people that need to be saved, or need help in a desperate way. If you are going in church, and have no peace of mind, and you are just completely distracted all together, then just pray that God will help you to find peace. He is the one who gives it, and will restore, as the word above reads.

I’m learning every day that having more prayer and reading throughout my week every single day is helping me be more prepared to be of a help in church services to others that stand in need. I have also learned the hard way that doing nothing at all leaves me in that wicked state that it speaks of, leaving me in no better shape than someone that is lost, just as confused as they are, having to get myself back in good shape with God.

It took a lot of boldness for me to write this, so I pray that you take some initiative like I have, and start being more prepared before you ever hit the doors to the church: come with a song on your heart, come with a scripture on your mind, come with a person burdened on your heart to pray for, come with a goal to give God glory! Come prepared to do something spectacular!

Then I know beyond all doubt that you will leave with a better taste in your mouth, and you will leave much more full then you would if you came with no preparation. Because like the old adage, there is nothing better than eating a meal that has been slaved over all day, right? God Bless!

Praise Report

Posted on by

I wanted to share recent news on what transpired last night.

I was invited to come to the House of the Lord in Oneida, TN, to come and minister for a “Youth Night”. I brought my home church youth group from Faith Tabernacle. Jamie Adkins did a wonderful job in orchestrating the kids in practice and the singing there. There was a great amount from my home church that came to help and support, and I thank all of you for coming.

To be completely honest, I was nervous about this night, simply because in our walks through ministry we often second guess the inspiration that God has provided. Nonetheless, I trusted in the Lord to help me through it, and it was a wonderful experience.

I want everyone that attended to know that I am praying for all of your requests, and will be following up in prayer on the needs that were brought to me during the alter call.

It was a wonderful turnout and a wonderful night. This might be a spoiler, but I am anticipating a revival in the middle of May. I will post the dates as soon as I know. Heart of Grace will be involved in this part for sure! Keep us in your prayers! God Bless You!

Where have you all been?

Posted on by

Hello everyone! God bless each and every one of you out there who has been supportive and encouraging to our ministry. We want you all to know that these past few months getting off of the ground have been super easy with God at the forefront and the support of everyone! I personally feel encouraged each and every day from someone at some point, so it does NOT go unnoticed. We thank you all very much! You are in our prayers always.

So what has been up lately? Well, we have been here and there, visiting and supporting all of our local churches in our town. With the birth of Rebekah’s third child Maddox (YAY) we have had to sort of put the brakes on our collaborative effort as “Heart of Grace”. That’s not to say that we all haven’t been doing our individual callings, we just have a hard time putting all of our schedules together to work for each other.

I have been personally growing as a minister of the word of God, as well as taking time away from the music aspect of my ministry, to help and allow myself to grow as one of the many people out there trying to make a difference. No worries though, I am sure that when the Lord is ready to give me a new song, I will be ready!

Lately we haven’t been doing our traditional “Devotionals” theme on the radio show. Better yet, we have been starting to incorporate live material into our lineup, and has gotten great feedback. We are making it our goal to personalize our show a little more, to allow people to get to know us in a way that they never have before.

We hope in the weeks to come as things get less crazy, that we are able to take more group appointments. In the meantime, I will be doing some personal appointments, to which I will start posting on the site here.

Some new features to come:
* New featured songs
* Live messages online
* Testimonials page
* About us with personal bios
* Calendar of scheduled events

And not to put out any spoilers too early, but we will be going live on iTunes pretty soon as well! Well, okay I just spoiled it! 🙂 However, we will offer the same songs on our site for free. It will be on iTunes for download if you feel led to donate to our ministry. We do not ever want people to think it’s about the money. It never has been, nor will it ever be. It’s about helping others, and leading people to a better way of life through Jesus Christ!

Stay tuned! Love you all! Pray for us!