Are you ready to go to YOUR next level?

Your Promised Land,

Your destiny,

Your place of blessing,

Your divine purpose? 

Well, the Lord truly desires that you enter AND possess the land that He’s prepared ESPECIALLY for you (your destiny). 

B     U     T

Before you can go, you must FIRST leave!

Leave what? 

Read the sermon highlights taken from my initial sermon entitled “Before You Go, You FIRST Got to Leave”.  Learn what you must FIRST do in order to successfully pursue and walk into your God-given destiny!  Visit www.sgomonline.org or simply follow this URL path to go straight to the article: http://www.sgomonline.org/faithfood/2010/06/24/before-you-go-you-must-first-leave/. 

I know you will certainly be blessed!

.

© 2010, Living Under God's Favor. All rights reserved. This site is part of NWC Ministries.

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Galatians 6:7

For some reason this Scripture has captured my attention today: Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap (Galatians 6:7).  To really grasp the meaning of this Scripture, you must ask, “What is it that usually causes one to be deceived?”  I believe that there are basically 2 things that cause us to be deceived.  One is our own perception of a person or matter and sometimes someone else’s perception of a person or a matter; both of which deals with what we see or what we think we know.  The 2nd is our heart (how we feel), which is very deceptive.  Both 1 and 2 are things the Bible explicitly tells us not to depend on: 

Walk by faith and not by sight. II Corinthians 5:7

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9 

We’ve all heard that you reap what you sow, but I don’t believe we really live our lives based upon this principle.  For some reason we deceive ourselves into believing that we can plant a pumpkin seed and get a cabbage harvest OR plant a bad seed and receive a good harvest.  Beloved, once you plant that pumpkin seed there is no amount of wishing or praying that will turn that pumpkin seed into a cabbage harvest; neither a bad seed into a good harvest.  While it is true that God can cause an exception to that rule (the rule He created) to occur, 99.9% of the time this principle is in effect in our lives. 

“WELL, I’M NOT A FARMER” 

Yes you are.  We all are.  Our words and deeds are seeds and they do in fact yield a harvest.  That mother who continues to call her child stupid and other hurtful names will yield the harvest of alienating that child as well as adversely affecting that child’s future many years after saying such esteem-shattering words (or planting such seed).  A marriage will not yield nurturing and fulfilling fruit from seeds of insecurity, deception and any other negative seed.  A person cannot expect the fruit of honesty when his or her life is based upon a series of lies.  

With all of that said, I must give you the caveat.  There will be times when it “appears” as though you can sow a negative and reap a positive, which ultimately leads to us deceiving ourselves.  We think that because we experience some positive, which is really God’s mercy and grace, that we’ve somehow beaten God, or the Bible has failed or that God and His Word has lied, but I’m here to tell you, emphatically NOT SO!  God is not nor will He ever be mocked!  This is a true fact, principle and law whether you choose to believe it or not.  You will certainly receive the harvest from the seed you’ve planted, whether it takes one day or several decades.  And do under understand that your harvest is ALWAYS far greater than the seed that you’ve sown (whether good or bad). 

PLANTING
While praying earlier today, before reading this Scripture, the Lord “interrupted” my morning prayer (I know that sounds strange) and told me to go and call a near and dear friend of mine, who also happens to be my sister-in-Christ.  My initial response was that I’ll do it after prayer, but God told me to do it now.  So I did.  He gave me a specific set of instructions telling me to extend myself to this sister.  At the time, I had no idea of what she was facing or going through, all I knew is what God told me to do.  When she answered the phone I wasn’t sure how she was going to take what I had to say, but by the end of the phone call, we both knew that this was orchestrated by the mighty hand of God.  Shortly after hanging up the phone, the Lord told me that my obedience planted a seed into the harvest I’ll soon be getting.  Wow.  At the time I placed the call, I wasn’t thinking about myself nor planting a seed; I was only thinking about doing what the Lord was telling me to do.  

Beloved, most of the seeds you plant will be without your realizing it until well after that fact because our planting happens on a continuous basis.  In addition to that, it takes little to no effort to plant bad seeds, but it often takes a degree of effort to purposely plant good seeds.  And understand that seed can come in many forms.  Your seed can be a monetary donation or investment, the words that you use, a deed that you’ve done to or for another person, and so on; and as I mentioned earlier, the return on your investment will greatly exceed the seed you actually planted.  Therefore, it is good to always keep that in mind; as it applies to all seeds, even bad seed.  

BE NOT DECEIVED

The devil enjoys manipulating circumstances and getting you to focus on what you see rather than what God says.  An example I can give you from my own life experience is something that happened to me about a week ago.  Prior to this particular day last week, the Lord had placed something in my spirit about 2010.  In 2010 there will be many people this year who will receive their harvests, and in some cases, a great harvest!  This includes those who wisely sown as well as those who accidentally sown.  Even some who sown this year will receive the harvest in the same year.  The word isn’t for me, or shall I say just for me, but rather a great number of people.  For some the harvest will be financial but it doesn’t stop there.  There will be some harvests that are familial, psychological, social, physical, and mental.  Some harvests will come by means of promotion while others will come as an increase in membership (for pastors over churches or other leaders and ministries).  The harvest varies because the seed planted varies, but for quite a few people, this year will be their year of harvest.  It will be off the charts!  There will even be some who don’t deserves it (based on others’ opinions), but even those who are undeserving (truthfully speaking we’re all undeserving) will also receive a recompense of reward, their harvest.  

So here is this word that’s been in my spirit a few weeks now, and on this particular day last week, I was sitting on the edge of my bed talking to the Lord.  “Lord, You have put this word in my spirit about 2010, but all I’ve seen so far is pain and heartache.  And it’s only February!  My beloved pastor has passed away suddenly last month, my daughter and granddaughter are no longer with me and I sit here in my bedroom, looking at boxes everywhere because I’ve lost my home.  I no longer have a car and I have only a matter of days before I must leave and I don’t know where to go.  Yet the word You’ve given to me is so strong and so alive in me but nothing that I see seems to point in that direction.”  God then replied, “What you’re seeing is the residue from 2009 and not what I have for you in 2010”.  In that same moment, I recalled a prophetic word that was given to me as well as my church by one of the ministers in early December 2009.  The Lord had her so burdened with this word that she first tried to get it out by email, but that wasn’t good enough.  She then put it on one of the church’s website, http://www.sgomonline.org/faithfood/2009/12/05/the-residue-of-2009/; however, still that wasn’t good enough.  She then asked the Pastor for permission to address the congregation, which my Pastor permitted, and the Holy Spirit used her in a powerful way that Sunday.  This word truly came from the Lord, and in all three efforts she made to get this word out, I received. 

Shortly after that prophetic word in December, sometime during January, I woke up early in the morning and went to God in prayer.  Truthfully speaking, I was rather whiny that particular morning.  I won’t go into this too much since I wrote about this in my eJournal, http://www.naimawilliams.com/blog/2010/02/03/moment-of-reflections/, but in short, about 30 minutes into my whine fest, God said 7 words to me, “Arise from the ashes.  It is finished.”  I didn’t receive this immediately, but later I realized that God was telling me that I had entered into a new season.  This was difficult for me to digest at first because everything around me seemed disintegrated and desolate; yet God was telling me that I’ve entered into the season of restoration. 

SO WHERE’S THE DECEPTION?   

In all that I had seen around me.  The word deception means to cause to accept as true or valid what is actually false or invalid; to give a false impression such as in being deceived by appearances.  In the experiences I shared with you, all that I could see was what was around me and not what God was showing and telling me.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not telling you to ignore the reality of your situation, but rather to focus on the God who knows the true reality of your situation; what’s behind the scenes.  In my case, I allowed myself to be fooled by what I was seeing; all of which implied that 2010 was going to be a bad year and restoration was far from where I was.  It appeared as though I was abandoned, alone and destitute, and that things was only going to get worse; and for a moment, I abandoned all that I knew about the Kingdom of God and focused on what I was seeing around me.  I know that in the Kingdom of God, you must believe and receive BEFORE you can see it (Mark 11:23).  I know that we are not to look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18).  I know that as a child of God, I must walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7); but in all my knowing, I allowed the things I seen to persuade me that God’s Word wouldn’t come to past in my life.  I thank God because I could’ve continued along this path; however, by His grace and His Spirit I remembered Who has the upper hand, which is God Almighty.  Heaven and earth shall surely pass away, but God’s Word remains forever (Luke 21:33).  And His Word shall NEVER return unto Him void but must accomplish that which He desires and achieve the purpose for which He’s sent it (Isaiah 55:11).  Therefore, on this day beloved, my word to you is be not deceived by what you see, neither be deceived by those things you may experience that appears to be a complete contradiction to the seeds you know that you’ve sown; for God is not mocked.  You SHALL certainly reap that which you sow!  Whether good or bad, your harvest will certainly come!  SELAH

I pray that you receive this word in the spirit of which it was given and that you are ever so mindful to consider the harvest you want before planting the seed into the ground.  I pray that each day you allow the incorruptible Seed, that is the Word of God, to renew your mind and circumcise your heart.  This is my prayer for you in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Original Date Written: Tuesday, February 23, 2010

© 2010, Living Under God's Favor. All rights reserved. This site is part of NWC Ministries.

I am not perfect. 

Actually, now that I think about it and the more that I think about it, I realize that I actually am perfect.  I am perfectly imperfect. 

Like many of us, I’ve made a myriad of poor choices and mistakes throughout the years.  Even now at this point in my life, I know that I have the propensity of messing up even the most simplest task God gives me, so I must continually pray for His abundant wisdom!  I also know that there are occasions when my heart is so in the right place but my actions seem to go in a different direction; so I must constantly ask God to order my steps.  I could keep going on and on, but the bottom line is that I am perfectly flawed.  Sometimes I want to lift my head to the heavens and say, “Lord, are You sure You chose the right person?”  “Maybe I was a mistake?” however, I know that God does not make any mistakes, and even that can cause bewilderment; for how can One who is completely perfect dwell in someone who is absolutely imperfect?   How can One who is free of sin dwell in someone who’s been guilty of it?  There is no doubt that the depth of God’s love and generous mercy is incomprehensible to mere man, and this solidifies the truth found in I Corinthians 1:27 where the Apostle Paul says, “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.”  As I sigh with great relief, I must take this opportunity to say Thank You Jesus! 

Regardless of how long you’ve followed Christ and despite your theological training or profound knowledge of Scripture, we all miss the mark at one time or another.  We may give in to fleshly desires and lusts or make an honest mistake; but either way, we can bank on two things: 

1. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9); 
2. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1) 

This is good news!  When we make a mistake we can receive God’s forgiveness and cleansing when we confess our sin(s) AND continue our walk with Him without condemnation.  Condemnation is of the devil and not of God, and I tell you we serve an AWESOME GOD!  Though He is purely perfect, He knows that we are extremely imperfect, and if it wasn’t for Him sending us Christ to die for our sins and Christ then sending us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us (as believers), we would not be able to live holy for 5 minutes!  And let us not confuse holiness and righteousness with random acts of kindness or being moderately “nice”; for the Bible makes it crystal clear that it is by grace that we’re saved (those accepting Christ), through faith—and this not from ourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Thus, we ourselves cannot obtain salvation, righteousness and holiness on our own.  These are gifts from God that requires our acceptance by receiving Christ as our Lord and Savior and following the leadership of His precious Spirit. 

One thing you must realize and even embrace is that imperfection transcends color lines, social status, wealth or lack thereof, educational background, age or anything else you could imagine.  Short and sweet, if you are human, you are imperfect.  It doesn’t matter how many letters you have after your name (education/degrees), or how many committees you serve on, or even how often you go to church on Sundays; we are all flawed. 

One thing I’ve learned in my Christian walk is that the more I grow in Christ, the more imperfect I realize that I am.  And you know what?  I am finally OK with that.  Now, don’t get me wrong.  I don’t purposely make mistakes and use the excuse, “I’m only human.”  Au contraire!  I say this because I was once a perfectionist, and though I knew logically that I could never reach perfection while on here on earth, I still strived for it anyway.  Boy was that frustrating!  I’d put super-pressure on myself to achieve unrealistic goals, and then when I didn’t reach them, I’d come down hard on myself.  Oh, but thanks be to God who is doing a great work in me!  The realization of this work actually became crystal clear one Sunday when I returned home from church.  I don’t remember exactly why, but I came home feeling frustrated with myself because I felt as though I wasn’t making progress quick enough.  I began beating myself up again until God interrupted me by leading me to read Philippians, and there is where I read a Scripture that changed how I viewed things. 

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 1:6 NASB

Halleluiah!  That Scripture was and is liberating.  As I began to read and meditate on this Scripture, I began to realize that God started the work in me (not me) and that He will continue that work in me until the day I am face to face with Christ.  Therefore, my confidence should be in Christ, remembering that He is the Author and the Finisher of my faith.  I also learned to have more patience with myself.  After meditating on this Scripture, I remember experiencing such a strong sense of peace as the Lord continued to minister to my spirit.  My goodness, how awesome is God!  How wondrous is He in all His ways!  I am blessed to even have the privilege to serve the One who was and is and is to come! 

As I begin to close this entry, I would like to leave you with two other Scriptures that have also helped me to view my perfect imperfections in the proper perspective.  Remember that the Word of God is the perfect weapon to use when you’re in a battle; for it is alive and with power, sharper than a 2-edge sword.  Once you’ve completed reading this entry, I encourage you to write down one or more of the Scriptures we used today and begin meditating on and confessing those Scriptures throughout your day.  I cannot express enough how much power there is in the Word of God and you begin to release that power into your life each time you confess His Word while having your heart and mind in agreement with His Word. 

May the peace of God be with you and strengthen you in Jesus’ holy name, Amen.

II Corinthians 12:9-10 (New International Version)

Note – This is the Apostle Paul talking about a conversation He had with Jesus

But He said to me “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  

Galatians 3:2-4 (Message Translation)

Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God’s Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren’t smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing? It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up!

© 2010, Living Under God's Favor. All rights reserved. This site is part of NWC Ministries.

REV. DR. CHRISTINA W. ROUSON

August 11, 1957 – January 26, 2010

A Moment of Reflection…….

It’s rare to have a person in your life who knows your many flaws and mistakes, yet loves you as you are and treats you as the person she knows you’re becoming. To have someone who constantly teaches you how to be a mighty warrior and how to lead with humility, even when she was off the platform and was just being herself. A person who possess a heavy anointing from God and knew it, yet she was gentle and very down to earth. A person who has numerous accolades; however, she taught that the title to strive for above all else is “Servant”. By example she taught how to be a servant leader.

This person I speak of is none other than Rev. Dr. Christina W. Rouson. She served as my illustrious Pastor up until her passing on Tuesday, January 26, 2010. Her death was very sudden and very unexpected. When I first learned of her death later that afternoon, I went into shock. I just couldn’t process that she was no longer here. I saw her Saturday when we were both witnessing her husband (and our Bishop elect) being consecrated into the sacred office of Bishop. That following day, which was Sunday, I seen her and was able to give her a big hug and whisper in her ear, “I love you”, not knowing that those would be my final words to her.

Once shock subsided, anger began. It was short-lived, but it still did happen. I was angry with God for taking her away. “Why did you do this?” “Lord, this doesn’t make any senses. Why?” “Why didn’t you warn me or give me a clue?” as if I was privy or entitled to that kind of information. Now, I am the first to admit that God does NOT owe me or anyone anything and He can do whatever He very well pleases; however, I must be honest with you about how I processed all of this. Having lost so much already, especially over the last year, and now He takes my Pastor? She was a very important person to me and a major influence in my life. I do not profess to be a part of her inner circle, outside of being one of the ministers, but she by far was one of the most important people in my life. Now she’s gone.

Before I proceed, I want to share something interesting that happened to me on the day she passed away as well as a few things that happened a few weeks prior. On the day of her passing, Tuesday morning around 9-10ish, I began experiencing chest pains. It felt as though my heart was swollen or enlarged and I experienced a tremendous amount of pressure on my chest. This in turn caused my breathing to become shallow. I didn’t understand what was happening to me and I tried to just take it easy; however, that didn’t work. Later that day, around 1 or 2 in the afternoon, I got the news that my Pastor passed away from a heart attack, and from that moment I went into mental shock; however, my body was still experiencing these chest pains. After being unable to sleep that night and my children expressing their concerns (I too was concerned), I went to the hospital the next day. They admitted me into the hospital and treated me as a heart attack patient. They hooked me up to the EKG machine and gave me three tablets of nitro glycerin and injected me with pain meds; however, not even the injections of morphine could take away all of the pain and discomfort. They took a battery of tests, including a cat scan and a series of blood tests, drawing blood from me every 6 hours (side note: I hate needles). When all was said and done, the tests came back negative. They were not exactly certain as to why I was experiencing what I was; they had theories but nothing concrete. Needless to say, I was released the next day.

I returned home and took it easy; however, I was still upset with God. You see, nearly 2 years ago I went into a seemingly deep part of the wilderness and it is there where alot of old ways about Naima had died. “Egypt” had to die in order to be prepared to enter AND possess the “Promised Land”; and after losing my car, house, assets, people, family, certain comforts and other personal things, I was now being shifted into a place of restoration. I didn’t embrace this at first because everything still looked dismal from a carnal perspective. Even as I am now writing this, I am facing the real possibility of being homeless within the next 2 weeks and I don’t know what my family and I are going to do. Additionally, the day after I was released, my daughter and granddaughter moved out and this was also sudden. I have these and other things going on, yet the Lord has been dealing with me on restoration. Nearly two weeks prior to my Pastor’s passing, it finally began to sink in because of what the Lord said to me at that time. I remember waking up early one morning and going into my prayer room. I just laid there whining like a baby, asking things like, “God, where are we going to go?” “I can’t take this no more”. “Lord I can’t do this any longer” “When will this be over?” Yes, I was truly having a moment. But then God spoke these 7 words to me,

“Arise from the ashes. It is finished.”

At first I was like, “huh?” but eventually I began to pair this with what He had been telling me: He is now restoring me. And since I know that in the Kingdom of God, you have to believe and receive before you see it, regardless of how things may look, I AM in a restoration period. It’s time to build! God said it so therefore it is! It took me a little time to really get to this place, but now I am finally there. But now I’ve met another challenge and another loss, my mentor and Pastor was all of a sudden taken away.

Anger itself isn’t a sin but holding on to it can cause you to sin, so I knew I needed to release this anger. I cried out to God in prayer and expressed my anger to Him (He already knew anyway). He then humbled me by reminding me that before she was ever my Pastor, she was and is His. He began to remind me that she was a wife for more than 28 years, a mother, a best friend, a daughter, a sister and many other things to many other people, but ABOVE ALL, she is His. I repented. My Pastor was and is a reflection of God’s love and His glory. He poured into her so that she could pour into the lives of others, and now her assignment is finished.

God does everything perfectly and does everything for a reason. There is NOT one flaw in Him. He is excellent in all of His ways, and in order for you to truly endure and be faithful to God, you must become comfortable with the fact that you will never know or understand everything He does. In Isaiah 55:9, God says, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” That is fact, and this is why it is paramount for us to trust God.

Today I stand as a better person because God blessed me to know His humble servant, Rev. Dr. Christina W. Rouson, known to me and others as Pastor Christina. She epitomized a great woman, lady and servant leader, and she has seeded heavily into my life. And those seeds fell on good ground and I plan to carry out every mission and vision my Heavenly Father has set before me. Since under her leadership, I’ve learned to be a more obedient and more of a humble servant. I am not where I want to be but I am by far not where I used to be either. I’ve become a greater woman of faith, a stronger prayer warrior, a more loving mom, a patient daughter, a better sister, a good friend, a more humble servant, a great leader and an even greater follower (of Christ).

I close by using a term that I haven’t used, seen nor thought of since my junior high school years in NYC – up until this very moment. It just kind of popped in my head as I was writing this post. The kids and I would tag our names or our crews’ name with the saying I am placing under her picture. My Pastor was and is an extraordinarily classy lady, and I don’t think there’s any words I can use that encapsulates her personality, wisdom nor the impact that she’s made in the lives of many people. But if there was any person who this term was best fitting for, it would be this great woman, fearless leader and humble servant of God.

REV. DR. CHRISTINA W. ROUSON

August 11, 1957 – January 26, 2010

2 GOOD

2 BE____

4 GOTTEN

PASTOR CHRISTINA, YOU ARE CERTAINLY LOVED AND WILL BE MISSED BY MANY.

Until I see you again….

If you’d like to read more about this great woman of God and her ministry, CLICK HERE or visit go to www.sgomonline.org

.

© 2010, Living Under God's Favor. All rights reserved. This site is part of NWC Ministries.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Early last month (Dec. 9th to be exact) I read an article from the Word For You Today (December 2009 – February 2010 edition) book that we receive through our church each quarter.  The article was titled, “The Battle is Over” and it uplifted me in so many ways.  I was so touched by the article that I decided type it up so that I could share it with you.  However, though I did type it up, for some reason, I did not post it that same day, and eventually I forgot all about it.

Well, today as I was trying to organize a few of my electronic folders and files, I bumped into this article.  At first it took a few moments for me to remember that I typed this from the booklet and then I re-read the article and was blessed all over again.

Below is the article and I pray that as you read it, you are edified, encouraged and blessed, just as I was all over again.  I pray that after you finish reading this encouraging article, you will let go of any hurts or pains from your past so that you can move forward and walk into your God-given destiny!

“Tell… [your children]…the mighty things I have done.”  Ex 10; 2 NKJV

THE BATTLE IS OVER  

It’s not enough to escape your past, its power over you must be broken; otherwise it’ll chase you the rest of your life. When you break away from something that keeps trying to recapture you, it’s crucial to get victory over it; otherwise you can’t move forward and enjoy the blessing God has in mind for you. It’s jarring to think something’s over only to find it isn’t. But remember, it was God who permitted Pharaoh to pursue Israel all the way to Red Sea. Why? For two reasons: (1) “That I may show [you] these signs of Mine’’ (Ex 10:1 NKJV). God wants you to see that when you put your trust in Him, obstacles and opposition mean nothing. He wants this experience to be a “landmark memory” you draw faith from when you face your next problem. (2) “That you may tell… [your children]… the mighty things I have done.”  You don’t have to live under Pharaoh (Satan’s rule) any more. Like the Passover, when the blood of Jesus was applied by faith to the doorposts of your heart, your status changed. You’re no longer a slave but a child of God. The generational curse is broken. Your children can now grow up under God’s blessing. Abuse, alcoholism, anger and abandonment may have been the story of the past, but it’s no longer the truth about your future.

God can solve your problem in different ways, but sometimes He takes you through the Red Sea so that when you get to the other side you can look back and see Pharaoh and his armies “ dead on the seashore” ( See EX 14:30) and know the battle is over!

The Word for You Today, December 2009 – February 2010 edition, Page 9 dated December 9, 2009

© 2010, Living Under God's Favor. All rights reserved. This site is part of NWC Ministries.

I know that it may be hard for some people to believe that I’m a super-private person.  When you read things such as my eJournal and many of my other writings, it appears to be as if I am a very open person when it comes down to sharing things about my private life.  To some degree both are true.  By nature, I am a super-private person.  I’ve been this way for as long as I can remember.  However, when the Lord first put it in my spirit to write, one of the things He placed in my spirit was to be transparent; sharing all of my experiences—the good, the bad and the ugly.  My initial response was ‘not so’.  I didn’t want to be judged anymore than I already am.  I didn’t want to be ridiculed, scrutinized, talked about, scorned or anything else that comes with having your business out there; however, what I didn’t realize was that was already happening.  I was already talked about, already ridiculed, already misunderstood and a slew of other things; however, at that particular time, I didn’t see it that way.  Nevertheless, what superseded my concerns of being mocked is the very fact that God designed me to want to help other people.  He’s put something in me that compels me to minister regardless of what I may be experiencing at the time.  The truth of the matter is that my life is indeed ministry and a part of that ministry is the ministry of being transparent. 

I remember many years ago, not too long after I had moved to VA, I had experienced one of the darkest moments in my life.  At that time, I had found out my husband had cheated on me with another woman and he had the tendency of choosing alcohol above and beyond me and the children.  As a result of our splitting up, my oldest daughter repeatedly ran away from home and for a while she was nowhere to be found by me or the police.  I remember having panic attacks each time my phone rang past 10PM because I was afraid of receiving a call from the police asking me to come ID a body they believe to be my daughter.  I didn’t know what to expect. 

During that time I was working in corporate America and was enduring constant verbal abuse from my manager who was trying to climb the corporate ladder, but at my expense (that’s a testimony that I’ll share at another time).  I was an Advertising Executive and was the top producer of my team and in my department; however, my self-esteem was so low that I actually dealt with being berated and condescended on a regular basis.  It became “normal” and I tried to become comfortable with it.  Deep down inside I knew that the ‘old Naima’ would never put up with this and I knew that what I had allowed to carry on was unhealthy and not right.  But what prevailed was that overwhelming feeling of being worthless and undeserving of anything good.  I was so tore up inside during that time that people at the office just thought I was a very quiet person, which isn’t true at all.  I’m actually pretty talkative, but during that time I couldn’t speak.  Oftentimes I tried to just be invisible because inside I felt as though I was slowly diminishing. 

Simultaneous to all that was going on, I was the sole bread winner so it was imperative that I kept it all together, at least as best as I could.  I lived in Newport News but worked in Norfolk and I worked traditional business hours so it was inevitable for me to be in tunnel traffic going to and returning from work.  During that time I felt like I was being pulled in so many directions and it seemed like my life was too much for me to bear.  The mindset I had was similar to that of a battered woman, and making matters worse was the fact that my marriage meant the world to me, so when I learned of my husband’s  infidelity, I was devastated.  I had many emotions surge through me, but the most intense one was anger; both at him and at God.  I believe it’s quite obvious why I was angry with my ex-husband, but my short-lived anger with God was because I was faithful to my marriage and I felt this shouldn’t had happened to me.  As I mentioned, that was short-lived, mainly because I knew better than that.   

I said all of that to lead up to this one particular day while I was driving to work; during which time I was feeling pretty homicidal and suicidal.  I felt as though I owed it to myself to have a nervous breakdown because this was too much for one person to bear.  I still didn’t know where my baby (oldest daughter) was and my once stable family was ripped apart before my eyes and I felt like there wasn’t anything I could do.  All I knew is somehow I had to pull it altogether because I had 3 more children at home who needed and depended on me.  I couldn’t afford to lose it though I was so tempted to.  And let’s not even talk about the numerous times I fancied the idea to slam my pedal to the medal and drive myself over the bridge.  I was in a very dark place, and as I was driving to work, I was screaming and crying out loud in my SUV.  I was vexed and broken into countless pieces, but immediately following my ranting were words that flowed right out of my heart, which is this—IF I could save one person from experiencing the enormous pain I was carrying then what I was going through was worth it.  Those words flowed from somewhere within me that I barely knew existed.  I was broken, but indeed very serious.  And please do not misconstrue this as me glorifying myself because that couldn’t be further from the truth.  God gets all of the glory because all that is within me that is good comes from Him.  I cannot (neither do I want to) take credit for something God has done.  He gets all of the glory!

So here I am today.  Right now I am looking at some pretty extreme circumstances and they are in fact extreme.  However, God has shown me a glimpse of my future and what I seen is far greater than what I am battling right now.  Though I can be a lot of things right now, from worried to downright terrified, I choose God and His Word.  I choose His Will for my life.  This doesn’t mean that I have all the answers because I don’t have the answer to even one of many questions.   It doesn’t mean I have a contingency plan or a Plan B because I don’t have that either.  But what I do have is God and I have learned that I can put ALL of my trust in Him.  I believe many say they love the Lord but it’s easy to make such a declaration when you have digits in the bank, a steady income and in good health.  But can you say that while God is turning your world upside down and inside out?  Can you say that you trust Him in the midst of your storm or in the middle of your crisis?  Are you able to say “Lord, I trust You” even when trusting Him doesn’t’ seem profitable?  Is your trust in Him there even when you look like a complete and utter fool to all who know your situation or circumstance? 

I’ve come to a place in my life where I realize that my life is indeed ministry and that a part of that ministry is to be transparent.  People, both saved and unsaved, need to see that the life of a true child of God is not one that is always floating upon the mountain top.  Au contraire!  There are definitely some valley experiences, and it is often through those experiences that your relationship with God deepens and grows to a whole new level.  The Bible says many are the afflictions of the righteous BUT the Lord delivers them from them all!  Thus, the Christian life does include hardships but the awesome promise God has made to us is that we will NOT go through them alone.  He will be with us, always!

I cannot tell you how much God has completely changed my life, and even now, He’s bringing me to a higher level of faith and a deeper level of trust in Him.  I can actually say that I am absolutely, head-over-heels in love with the Lord my God.  He is the Lover of my soul and the Keeper of my heart and my life is sold out to Him.  There are several things the Lord will have me do before I leave this earth with the priority being living a life of worship and holiness.  We as children of the Most High are all called to live in a way that glorifies the Father, and His glory doesn’t always mean our comfort.  Quite frankly, God is often glorified in our struggles and pain; but in that we learn that God’s grace is sufficient.  With that being said, my putting my business out there for others to see isn’t something I can say that I love doing; HOWEVER, what greatly supersedes my comfort and prevails in my heart, even above the possibility of being judged, is this — IF my experience or my testimony helps another person or encourages another in some way, shape or form, then a part of my purpose has been fulfilled AND God gets ALL the glory!

Be encouraged!

Be edified!

Be blessed!

© 2009, Living Under God's Favor. All rights reserved. This site is part of NWC Ministries.

Have you ever connected with a song so much so to where it was as if that singer was the only person on earth who could identify with what you were going through? Well, that’s been the case with pastor and singer Shirley Caesar with her song, “I Told the Storm”. It started Sunday morning.

Sunday morning I woke up and was determined to go to church. I hadn’t been to my church in about 4 weeks, largely due to not having a vehicle and really not wanting to ask others to go out of their way to pick me up. However, that day I had to put that aside. I needed to be there. I missed my beloved pastors, I needed to partake in Holy Communion, I needed to serve with the other ministers, I needed to tithe and give an offering, and I absolutely needed to be up under the corporate anointing at my church. I tried to fancy going to another church just in case I couldn’t make it SGOMI; however, that just wouldn’t do. I needed to be at my home church. So I called a member of my church about 8:30 AM and asked her if she’d be able to pick me up. She needed to get back to me, so once we hung up, I asked the Lord to please provide a way. In faith I continued to get dressed and about 20 minutes later she called and said she was able to pick me up but she would be late. I told her I didn’t mind being late. I just wanted to be there.

As I patiently waited for her I began to play the song “I Told the Storm” and I began to pray. You see, I woke up that morning feeling very heavy. According to the certified letter I recently received, my house was going up for auction (foreclosure) in 5 days and I didn’t feel there was anything I could do to stop it. Though God had given me a different Word, I struggled with what He said and the letter I had read. I also felt very self-conscious because I had gained weight from trying to bury my feelings in food. Making matters worse is that Ms. Diva hadn’t had her hair done in months and it certainly showed. I felt like a hot mess and like my life was an even greater mess; however, I knew I had to be at church that day. God told me He was going to break something in me today. He told me that I wasn’t going to leave the same and that my spirit will be encouraged today. So I waited for my sister to pick me up, all the while playing over and over Shirley Caesar’s I Told the Storm.

I noticed the time was after 10:30 (our service starts @ 10:00 am) and she still hadn’t arrived yet. I began to ask God to give my sister safe and clear passage to my home, and I also was bold enough to ask Him to have our church service start late today. That may sound a little selfish, but that’s what I did. You see, I couldn’t afford to miss any part of the Word being brought forth that day. It was already around 10:40 and my ride hadn’t come AND it takes about 20-25 minutes to get to my church, so I needed God to work this out for me. I needed to make it to church and I needed God to somehow work it out so I wouldn’t miss what I needed from Him today.

My sister arrived at my house close to 11 AM and I was so grateful to her coming to get me. I know I live completely out of the way for her and the fact that she came out to get me, with me asking her at the very last minute, meant so much to me. I really don’t know if she knew how much she did for me that day. In some ways, God used her to rescue me.

As I sat in the car, I found it difficult to talk. Usually I’m a chatterbox around the people I’m comfortable with (she being one of them) but that day I couldn’t say anything. I knew that I would break down and cry if I said ANYthing so I said nothing. Though I didn’t tell her that, I believe she somehow understood that I really couldn’t speak too much at the time. I did manage to muster up the strength to share with her the song I had been listening to all morning. She then shared with me the song she was listening to, and when she played it, then it started. A seemingly endless stream of tears. All I could do is cry, as this man was speaking my story. The song began with him ministering (not yet singing) about the Job Experience and how he had lived through a similar experience. All I could do is cry because the words he spoke were the words that described my life at the time. I later found out that the name of the song is “I Still Believe” by Bishop Larry Trotter, and I share the same testimony that yet, I still believe God.

Once we arrived at the church, I marveled at God and His awesome grace. Not only had He provided me with a ride but He also delayed the start of the morning service! You don’t understand. Our church is pretty punctual at starting at 10AM and it had to have been around 11:15-20 when we arrived. We arrived during the start of our service which begins in prayer. This happens before praise and worship, before even the 1st Scripture is read. I knew that this miracle was none other than the hand of God!

Still carrying the spirit of heaviness, I determined to tap into the Spirit and to enjoy the service with full expectation that I wasn’t leaving the way I entered. I knew God had something for me and I was going to get it! And I tell you God certainly did NOT disappoint in any kind of way. My goodness, it was as if He had the actual church service tailor-made to me that day. I know that wasn’t the case, but it just really seemed that way. If you have a personal and intimate relationship with God, then I am sure you can attest that there are times when God makes you feel as though no one else exists in the world but you and Him. There are times when it seems like He moved heaven and earth just to make sure He delivers to you what you need. That’s what it was like Sunday morning during service. The praise and worship team sung my most favorite worship / war songs, songs that reminded me of who I am in Christ and songs that really encourage me. From there, even the sister who welcomed our visitors and read the announcements, she even blessed me with her message after the announcements. I believe this is what she read (or something very close to it):

You say: “It’s impossible.” God says: All things are possible. (Luke 18:27)
You say: “I’m too tired.” God says: I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28-30)
You say: “Nobody really loves me.” God says: I love you. (John 3:16 & John 13:34)
You say: “I can’t go on.” God says: My grace is sufficient. (II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm91:15)
You say: “I can’t figure things out.” God says: I will direct your steps. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
You say: “I can’t do it.” God says: You can do all things. (Philippians 4:13)
You say: “I’m not able.” God says: I am able (II Corinthians 9:8)
You say: “It’s not worth it.” God says: It will be worth it. (Romans 8:28)
You say: “I can’t forgive myself.” God says: I FORGIVE YOU (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)
You say: “I can’t manage.” God says: I will supply all your needs. (Philippians 4:19)
You say: “I’m afraid.” God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear. (II Timothy 1:7)
You say: “I’m always worried and frustrated.” God says: Cast all your cares on ME. (I Peter 5:7)
You say: “I don’t have enough faith.” God says: I’ve given everyone a measure of faith. (Romans 12:3)
You say: “I’m not smart enough.” God says: I give you wisdom. (I Corinthians 1:30)
You say: “I feel all alone.” God says: I will never leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews13:5)
(Found on Internet – author unknown)

That truly blessed me because I was saying some of these same phrases to God. How awesome is God!

Then the Word of God came forth from none other than one of the most anointed teachers I’ve ever known, my Overseer and Bishop-elect, Dr. A. Ray Rouson, Sr. The title of His message set it off for me (ok, I got a little hood with that one). He preached from John 15:16 and his message’s title was “He Maintains What He Ordains” (Click here to read more about it).  My goodness, if that wasn’t tailor-made for me. Why? Because most of what I am facing now, specifically the big things, are indeed God-ordained and is in fact a direct response to being obedient to God. Goodness knows I am not trying to be super-spiritual; it just is what it is. And though his message was a statement, I internalized it as a question. “Naima, is this God ordained?” To answer that question, I had to also ask myself, “Naima, did God tell you to give up all that you gave up?” The answer to both questions is yes. Then the Bishop’s topic statement transformed into a promise statement, which is “Naima, God will maintain what He ordain.” Halleluiah!

I left church feeling far differently than how I first arrived. I was lighter. I was encouraged. I was empowered. I was re-ignited. I was edified. I was strengthened. I was indeed blessed beyond what I can express and definitely beyond measure! Fear had subsided and confidence in God’s Word and abilities prevailed. Nobody but God could’ve lifted this from me. As said in Mark 12:11, this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. I know that everything I shared with you was the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in my eyes!

I am expecting to see God’s favor rain and reign over my circumstances, and I can honestly say that I’ve already begun to see His favor over the last 48 hours (I will share that testimony at another time). I am expecting the impossible to take place; for what is impossible to man is possible to God. He’s already given the Word and everything must line up with the Word that God has spoken. All He requires is my faith and trust, and He has proven time and time again that He is more than worthy of both. Additionally, I’ve determined to be a faithful tither and giver regardless of anything I may be going through, and God has made special promises to those who tithe and give.

I know without any doubt that I am not deserving of His grace neither am I deserving of the awesome blessings He blesses me with; but I can say that I am grateful beyond what I can articulate. The testimony He’s giving to me is awesome and I believe that many people will be blessed by it, but above all, God will be glorified. Who else can take nothing and turn it into something? Who else can take something so ordinary and turn it into the extraordinary? Who else can take what seems to be inevitable doom and turn it into a favorable outcome? Nobody but the One and only Great I Am, the King of Glory, Jehovah Jireh, Emmanuel-God with us, Jehovah Nissi, the Lord of Hosts, the Almighty Yahweh is who was, and is, and is to come.

To God be All the Glory!

© 2009, Living Under God's Favor. All rights reserved. This site is part of NWC Ministries.

MySpace-Countdowns

Hello to All!

We are about 17 days into the Dare II Declare 2009 Word Challenge and I am sure that many of us have been tested since day 1 of the Challenge. Some may even say that things got even worst since they began the Challenge. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage you. Our enemy will always try to play mind games in an effort for us to be distracted or discouraged; however, I would like to remind you that there is Greatness in you: a Greatness that will NEVER forsake or loose you.

I know that I’ve personally gone through (and still going thru) some life-changing events that threatens the livelihood of me, my 4 children and my five-month old grandchild. In most cases it has been absolutely nerve-wracking, draining and sometimes downright terrifying. If I look at things from an earthly perspective I think I would’ve lost my mind already, believing that my circumstances are insurmountable and too much for me to bear. Just to list a few of my personal challenges right now: I received a certified letter from my mortgage company alerting me that they are executing foreclosure on my home NEXT WEEK. This of course could leave me and my family homeless and in the streets. I no longer have a vehicle, as my SUV was repossessed, so traveling is a challenge. On top of this, left side of my face is a little swelled and is in pain and I have other medical issues; however, my health insurance recently terminated.

Most of the things I am facing are brand new for me, having never gone through any of them before. It appears as though I’ve been stripped and I am the 1st to say that my life makes absolutely no sense from a carnal perspective. If I didn’t know me I would EVEN question my very own sanity because my life, especially over the last year, has been completely turned upside down. There was once a time not too long ago when I was able to go to Macy’s or the Coach outlet and shop for whatever I wanted without really caring about the cost. Christmases were filled with a variety of expensive gifts for all of my children and of course I would treat myself to a few goodies such as expensive jewelry (love my diamonds), travel or reserving a condo for myself just for the weekend to get away and have some me time. My vehicle was a Lincoln Navigator and I owned timeshare. In addition, my 2nd home was in the seat of my hairstylist of 5 years and as far as my credit, it was in pretty good condition. I had almost every major credit card known to man, from a Master Card to American Express and was deemed financially responsible by my creditors. I had an excellent payment history with my creditors and I felt good knowing that I had a few digits in the bank. However, now? My goodness, that is certainly not the case right now. The things I am facing are scary; yet, in the midst of all this, God tells me to “Hold your position”. He requires that I complete trust Him.

Let me be the 1st to tell you that trusting God is not always an easy task, especially when your back is against the wall, you see no way out and your potential outcome appears to be dismal and bleak. Whether received a horrific diagnosis from your doctor or being evicted from the place you call home. I dare not steer you wrong and tell you that it’s easy to trust in our invisible God when everything visible appears to be in utter chaos and you don’t have a physical person to lean on. These aren’t small things but big, life changing things, and even in some cases, life-threatening things; YET in all, the Lord still says “Stand”; for He is much bigger than any circumstance we have.

I can tell you that God is faithful to His Word, which is the only thing I have to stand on. Scriptures like II Corinthians 5:7, “We walk by faith and not by sight” becomes so incredibly real. We live everyday using and depending our senses: sense of sight, smell, touch, hearing and taste; however, the Kingdom of God requires that we disregard our senses and stand on our faith in God. From the carnal perspective, our situation seems so dire and absolutely grim; however, God asks in Genesis 18:14, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord?” He originally said this to Abraham in response to a comment made by Abraham’s wife, Sarah, when the Lord said they will certainly have a son. From a carnal perspective, they were both very old and having a child at their age would be completely ludicrous and absolutely impossible. However, it is written in Luke 18:27 that “what is impossible for man is possible with God“.

One thing I’d like to point out about Abraham is that Abraham only had a Word given to him by an invisible God. He didn’t have the Scriptures as we have today, neither did he have a slew of Christian books, podcasts, CDs and DVDs. The only thing he had was a Word. And you know what? There are times when that’s all we have, and at all times, this is all that we’d ever need. In order to depend on Him the way we need to, we must resist the temptation of relying on our senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell) and instead stand in faith in God’s Word – regardless of how the situation appears at the time. We know that faith only comes through the Word of God, so when facing your mountain, and in some cases, mountains, go to the Word of God so that your faith may be built up within you.

As men and women of God, we cannot live in a manner pleasing unto God if we walk in carnality aka flesh. We must have, walk and live by and in faith. Every man was given a measure of faith and it is up to you to build on that faith. Faith isn’t just simply saying “Well, I believe God”. It’s a lot more than that. Faith is actually the link or the substance between that which we’re hoping for and manifestation of that thing. The Amplified translation of Hebrews 11:1 reads:

NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].

We also know that faith requires action on our part; as James 2:17 tells us that faith without works is dead. The “works” or actions vary from person to person and circumstance to circumstance. The corresponding action to our faith can be something like taking a number of steps ordered by the Lord (actually following those steps) in preparation of that which we believe God for OR the action may be proceeding to petition a person of authority while believing God for a favorable outcome. That’s what happened to Nehemiah. Nehemiah was a Jew and one of the exiles taken captive from Jerusalem to live in Babylon. He was also a great man of faith, focus, and commitment, and was an excellent leader and problem-solver.

The book of Nehemiah begins with Nehemiah having a strong desire to rebuild the wall around the city of Jerusalem. He prayed to the Lord, asking Him for His favor to gain King Artaxerxes’ approval so that he could rebuild the wall (vs. 11). After his prayer, he then acted in faith by proceeding to speak to the king. And you know what? Because of his act of faith and confidence in God, not only did he receive the king’s approval to rebuild the wall but the king also granted a few additional requests made by Nehemiah. Nehemiah knew for certain that the only reason this happened was because of God, as he says in Nehemiah 2:8, “Because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.”

Our faith always requires action on our part, whether it’s taking God-ordered steps, or standing still to see the salvation of the Lord (Exodus 14:13). Sometimes our corresponding action can be really simple or seemingly complicated; nevertheless, there is one action that must indeed accompany our acts of faith, and that is speaking words of faith. I recently wrote an entry titled The Perfect Synergy: Mind, Heart and Mouth, and it talks about the creative power that is released when we open our mouths. We all know the Scripture Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit”; however, I would like to use The Message’s translation of this Scripture:

Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.

I don’t think you can get any clearer than that! I would like to add that there is life-altering power when our heart, mind and mouth unite and we confess that which we believe out of our mouths; all being in alignment with God’s Word. Psalm 103:20 says that the angels hearken unto the VOICE of God’s Word and in Daniel 10:12, the angel spoke to Daniel saying, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. Our words are very powerful and during our Dare II Declare Word Challenge, we are going to use our mouths to produce much good fruit instead of poisonous, destructive fruit. The Psalmist says in Psalm 45:1 says that our tongues are as a pen of a ready writer. With that said, it’s time for us to write good things deriving from the bountiful blessings God has made available to us. It’s time for us to write a good future, one that lives and enjoys life in abundance, to the full till it overflows (John 10:10).

“It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak” II Corinthians 4:13.

Throughout the next few weeks, we will continue to diligently plant good seeds (word) onto good ground (our hearts and minds) so that in due season we can receive a good and marvelous harvest. One of my prayers is that this Challenge, or better said ‘mouth consecration’, is the catalyst for you to continue to declare and decree the things of God over your lives and throughout your lives. There is inherent power in our mouths, power that can lead to good or bad things in our lives. The reason why I titled it the Word Challenge is because not only will we be challenged to speak out our confessions but also we are challenged to resist speaking words contradictory to what we’re believing God for. We will resist speaking words of frustration, doubt and fears as well as resist the urge to pay more attention to our senses or problems than that which the Word of God says.

Beloved, it’s about time for us to use our mouths to build ourselves and others up. Jesus says in Mark 11:23 that we shall have what we say and Job 22:28 tells us that we can decree a thing and it shall be established. I like the way the Amplified translation reads:

You shall also decide and decree a thing, and it shall be established for you; and the light [of God's favor] shall shine upon your ways.

May your faith greatly increase. May the Lord harden you against any and all difficulties and lead you into greatness, wholeness and prosperity. May your relationship with our Heavenly Father be one containing mutual trust, faithfulness and love, and I pray for your obedience to the Lord and that your obedience to God becomes your life-long signature. I pray that you continue to grow in Him and may the Father bring you to a point where you’re able to effectively and genuinely share the good news with all you encounter. May you and your family prosper even as your souls prospers and may you continually dwell in the secret place of the Most High and abide under the shadow of the Almighty. These things I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Other Articles regarding the Dare II Declare 2009 Word Challenge:

D2D Challenge Update: Keep on Confessing!

D2D 2009 Word Challenge: Sample Confession List

It’s Not Too Late – Join in our Word Challenge!

The Perfect Synergy: Mind, Heart and Mouth

The Dare II Declare 2009 Word Challenge – Details, Instruction and Tips

FAQs: The Story Behind the Challenge

The Word Challenge – Coming Nov. 15^th!

Other Resources:

‘Who I Am’ list that can be used on the Mouth Challenge aka the Dare II Declare 2009 Word Challenge

© 2009, Living Under God's Favor. All rights reserved. This site is part of NWC Ministries.

“Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.”  Matthew 24:4-5

The following is actually a post I had written about 5 months ago regarding a dream the Lord had given me.  The dream holds an exhortation/warning message that was/is true and relevant to my life.  Interestingly enough, shortly after having the dream I had to refer back to this dream numerous times because of the events that began to happen in my life. 

Now, today I realize that this dream isn’t just for me and wasn’t just for me back then.  It’s for all, especially by body of Christ; for it holds pertinence to the end times we’re living in today.  If I had to put a Scripture behind the dream, I’d use Matthew 24:4-5:

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.”

I pray that by reading this, you are edified, encouraged and reminded to do what we’re admonished to do in I John 4:1, which is, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God,”  Jesus also said that we’ll know who people truly are based upon their fruit (Matthew 7:20).  We’re in a spiritual war and sometimes we need to be reminded of that!  The devil has upped his ante, and saints, we’re to do that same by submitting to the guidance, wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit.   

Here is the dream….

Monday morning I woke up from dream that was rather bazaar; however, Christ was speaking to me through this dream.  Though majority of the dream is really difficult to describe, one thing I can say is that the dream was filled with many illusions, and there are two major scenes that really stood out in the dream.

In general the dream occurred in several different, unknown places; all of which seemed to transform the moment you left out of it.  For example, if you thought you were leaving a jungle, you were actually leaving a bedroom, and vice versa.  The people in the dream, at least majority of them, were also very strange.  It appeared as though there was some type of epidemic had occurred.  It was like some kind of wild virus had become prevalent, and the virus was not physical but more so mental and spiritual.  Those affected with the virus were completely transformed mentally and spiritually, which eventually showed physically.  They seemed to be filled with extreme depravity to the point of being soul-less.  There were maybe 5-6 people who were not contaminated, myself included; and as a result, we did a whole lot of running throughout the dream.

As I mentioned earlier, it’s a little difficult to describe the dream; however, there are two scenes I remember as clear as day; both of which Christ was speaking to me.  The first one was in a place that appeared to be a park.  I remember sitting down at the park trying to catch my breath since I was running from those who were infected.  I was with one other person, who I believed wasn’t infected.  As I sat down to catch my breath, the Lord began speaking to me “Many will come in my Name, looking like Me, but they are not of Me and I am not with them.”  Just then, I turned around to the man sitting beside me, and what I saw was troubling.  I can only describe the man’s face as having something on it that resembled like a mask of Jesus Christ, and as I looked at him, the mask began to slowly distort on the man’s face—almost like melting on his face.  What was even more disturbing than the man trying to fool and lure me, is his facial expression; for behind his façade was the look of salivating hunger.  It’s like he wanted to devour me.  The Scripture from Luke 22:31 come to mind as I write this is the one where Jesus told Peter, “Behold, Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.”  Needless to say, after seeing this happened, which happened in what seems like a few seconds, I cut my break short, got up and ran.

The second part of the dream that really stands out happened while I was running.  I’m not sure if I was running from what I just described above or not, all I know was I was running.  As I was running, I saw from afar the others who were not infected, maybe about 4 or 5, was standing at what appeared to be a cliff.  Though I was far away, I heard Christ gently speaking to them and me just as clear as day.  He was telling us that the cliff wasn’t what it appeared to be and that the only way we would make is by completely trusting and having faith in Him.  Though I was still far away and still running, I remember knowing that this cliff was absolutely dangerous and endless, and lack of faith would kill us.  Still running, I seen the Lord giving the handful of saints (I believe they were saints since He was talking to them like this) a moment to activate their faith and trust, then they all went over the cliff. 

I remember feeling like I didn’t have the benefit they had to take a minute and harness their faith before leaping, and that no one was with me.  Within seconds I was over the cliff and I remember somehow knowing that whatever was chasing me couldn’t or wouldn’t follow me over the cliff.  At first I began plummeting in what felt like an endless fall; however, I began talking to myself, “Alright, Naima, you didn’t have a chance the others did, but just have faith.  Christ is with you.”  As I continued to fall at record speeds, I continued speaking to myself and reminding myself of Who it is I serve.  I began quoting almost every faith Scripture I could remember at the time. I was quoting them, believing them, and gradually, I began to feel my faith increase.  As I continued to do this, my faith began to increase beyond measure, so much so that it began to radiate from my body and create a protective bubble around me.  Just then, the fall ended.  The next thing I knew I was with Jesus and the other handful of saints that went over the cliff.  We were all alive and well.  The interesting thing is that once we (me and the others) had exercised our faith during what appeared to be a sure dismal fate, the illusion broke and we seen where we truly were.  We were at the very bottom of a washing machine, and somehow that was the reality rather than the illusion.

Even as I think of this dream that I had approximately 5 months ago, it still speaks volumes to me.  One day I’ll follow up and give interpretation of this dream, but right now I pray that you were edified as well as reminded of how extremely imperative it is for us to have faith and trust in God.  We are to walk by faith and not by sight, which is another message the dream conveys. 

May the Spirit of God lead you in all truths and may He heighten your discernment and wisdom in all things, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

© 2009, Living Under God's Favor. All rights reserved. This site is part of NWC Ministries.

As many of you know, I was called out of the “world’s system” in August 2008, and I can truly say with no exaggeration that life has never been the same.  I’ve written about this in many of my previous entries so I will not go into too much detail about it now; however, I do urge you to read about it through the links I’ve provided for you below, but for now, I will simply say that Deuteronomy 8:2-4 pretty much summarizes this experience:

And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.  Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years.

Up until the day I resigned, I was more Naima-dependent than God-dependent.  Like most people, I was dependent on my abilities to pay the bills, which usually consisted of working for a company.  I’m a single mom of 4 children, three of which live at home, and I am a homeowner.  I considered myself financially responsible and I enjoyed knowing that every now and again I could splurge on family vacations, shopping, etc.  I was far from rich, and like most adults today, I had acquired a lot of debt; however, I had an excellent payment history, and with some cards, I even paid the balances off monthly so that it didn’t accrue interest.  Overtime I had developed a somewhat comfortable lifestyle, and the more money I had saved in the bank, the more secure I felt.  However, ALL of this changed about 13-14 months ago. 

When God led me out of my “Egypt” and into the wilderness, He didn’t tell me His plans neither did he tell me what would come next.  It was very similar to Genesis 12:1 where the LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.”  God did not provide me with an itinerary or schematics for the journey ahead.  All I knew were 3 things; I knew I was acting out of obedience, faith and love.  In retrospect I realize that is a powerful combination, but at the time, I was a basket case because I didn’t know why God would ask me to do something so extreme and life-changing.  Moreover, how was I going to take care of my family? 

So here we are today. 

Why did I title today’s entry Faith That Pays the Bills? 

Over the last 13 or so months I realized that I heavily relied on having money, and the more of it I had, the more secure I felt.  But God does not need money to make things happen.  Before I proceed, let me make 2 things clear:

1)      I DO NOT suggest nor recommend that anyone decide to quit their jobs!  The only exception is if you know without doubt this was what God told you to do, which was my case.  My leaving was an act of obedience to something I knew God was telling me to do. 

2)      I IN NO MEANS SUGGEST that we do not need money nor that we are not to earn it.  Money is necessity in life and that is a common fact. 

Do understand that my testimony is one that may fall under the “miraculous”; as there is no way that I could do this in my own strength or outside of God’s grace.  And that is I am trying to make.  

The one thing God did tell me prior to leaving is that He’d sustain me during the season of transition; however, He never said how He’d do it.  And in all honesty, that’s what had me stir crazy at times because He wouldn’t tell me the details of His plans, and I am the type of person who always likes to know things ahead of time.  There were times when I would have panic attacks because I didn’t know what was going to happen to me and my family and I would go to Him crying, “Lord, what am I suppose to do?”  When you’ve been one who always relied upon money and your ability to get it, going through something like this is indeed a soul-shocker.  I’d pray, I’d cry, I’d ask for simple instruction.  His response; trust Him and have faith.

A funny thing is that prior to all of this, I thought I was one with strong faith; however, this experience taught me that wasn’t true.  You see, it’s easy to say you trust the Lord when He’s doing everything you want and expect Him to do, but can you trust Him when He shuts off your money source?  Will you stand in faith while staring at ‘Final Notices’ and a $0 bank statement?  Will your answer still be yes if He flipped your world upside down and you had no clue as to what He was doing?

I’ve learned a valuable lesson through all of this and I told the Lord that I would tell everyone about what He’s done!  How is it that a household of 4 is being sustained?  Even during a time of famine?  There were even times when my then pregnant daughter had to live with me for a few months (making us a family of 5); however, we were all taken care of.  It’s hard to believe, I’m sure, but I’m reminded of Psalms 30:5 in which the Psalmist says that God’s favor lasts a lifetime.  The favor of God supersedes any resource man could ever have, and can open doors and opportunities that money cannot.  His favor can be what stands between life and death.  It was God’s favor that saved the children of Israel from the fury of Pharaoh and His army when they were camped by the Red Sea.  No amount of money could’ve caused the Red Sea to part as it did to allow the children of Israel to crossover on dry land.  Now that, my dear, is God’s favor.

Many men and women of God throughout the Bible knew about the power of God’s favor, which is why they often sought it.  Nehemiah sought God’s favor before going to speak to the King about rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall.  The psalmist in Psalms 106:4 says unto God, “Remember me, O LORD, with the favor You have toward Your people. Oh, visit me with Your salvation.”  Daniel had the favor of the Lord (Daniel 1:9) as with his friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Daniel 3).  King Solomon, the wisest man of all times says in Proverbs 8:35-36, “For whoever finds me [Wisdom] finds life and draws forth and obtains favor from the Lord” (AMP); and again in Proverbs 3:3-4 says “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.”  Joseph had the favor of God rested on his life (Genesis 39:2-4):

The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority.

I can go on and on, but the Bible is the best place to learn more about God’s favor.  His favor protects, rescues, sustains, provides, and even causes increase; however, as with all other things in the Kingdom of God, it is your faith that releases the power of God in your life.  Having faith will cause unusual things to happen.  There is no way I can explain my current circumstances, and even if I could, it wouldn’t make much sense.  Faith never does.  Faith requires us to believe despite what our senses, what we can see, hear, touch, taste or smell, experience.  This is why the enemy invests so much time playing on our senses.  When God tells us something will happen, we receive this with gladness at that time; however, we forget that the enemy begins to work to get us to doubt God’s Word by manipulating what we can see, feel or touch.  The next thing we know, we are saying, “Will this really happen?  Did I hear wrong?”  Faith demands that you are not moved by your senses, and the enemy works very hard to make us focus on our senses; thereby causing fear and doubt to set in which usually leads to us abandoning our faith.

I’d love to say that the last time I ever had doubt was about a year, but that’s not true.  The last fit I had was a few days ago.  I’d go into morning prayer and receive strength from God through prayer, praise, reading Scriptures, and meditation.  Since I knew I couldn’t make it without faith, I began to do things to increase my faith such as studying God’s Word so that His Word could take root deep within my heart and mind.  I’d go through my day listening to Bible teachers like Dr. Charles Stanley and T.D. Jakes.  I’d have a Holy Ghost good time, growing in the Lord, studying His Word and learning more and more to trust Him.  Then the mailman would come….and in his hand is a wad of ‘notices’ and letters from collectors.  A few days ago it was a letter from my mortgage company, which sent me into a panic attack and led me right back to God to renew my strength.  I cannot tell you how many times I’ve done this, especially during this process; however, I can say that overtime it started happening less frequent.  Now, instead of allowing fear and doubt to seize my mind, I reaffirm my faith by saying, “Lord, I trust You.”  I learned to verbalize my faith and not verbalize fear, and I aggressively pursue building my faith.  Again, it took a while to get to this point, but I am truly thankful that I serve a forbearing God.

Our faith is not optional but essential and absolutely critical; for without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).  Faith can cause blind men to see, the leprous to be cleaned, the sick to be healed, and even the dead to rise.  It’s an absolutely powerful force and it releases the supernatural power of God, such as His favor, in your life! 

MY PRAYER FOR YOU

I pray that you stay in faith and that you allow God to take you from faith to faith and glory to glory.  I pray that you stand firm in your faith during the storms, and not be moved regardless of what you see, hear or feel.  I pray that each day that faith increases, as you meditate on the Word of God.  These things I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen!

Related Entries

A Crushing Experience, August 2009

http://www.naimawilliams.com/blog/2009/08/26/a-crushing-experience/

Amusement Park Faith, August 2009

http://www.naimawilliams.com/blog/2009/08/28/amusement-park-faith/

Faith: Lady in Waiting, April 2009,

http://www.naimawilliams.com/blog/2009/04/03/faith-lady-in-waiting/

Walking on Water, February 24, 2009

http://www.naimawilliams.com/blog/2009/02/24/walking-on-water/

Put Your Faith Where Your Mouth Is, June 25, 2009

http://www.naimawilliams.com/blog/2009/06/25/put-your-faith-where-your-mouth-is/

Olives, Grapes and a Diamond, May 19, 2009

http://www.naimawilliams.com/blog/2009/05/19/olives-grapes-and-a-diamond/

Determined, May 15, 2009

http://www.naimawilliams.com/blog/2009/05/15/determined/

Joy in Pain, April 16, 2009

http://www.naimawilliams.com/blog/2009/04/16/joy-in-pain/

Are You Willing to Pay the Price? May 5, 2009,

http://www.naimawilliams.com/blog/2009/05/09/are-you-willing-to-pay-the-price/

Turn Worries into Faith, August 2009

http://www.naimawilliams.com/blog/2009/08/24/turn-worry-into-faith/

© 2009, Living Under God's Favor. All rights reserved. This site is part of NWC Ministries.