ARE YOU READY?

Naturally, most women have this unspoken desire to one day get married and build a family. As natural as this desire is, it has caused many to rush into marriages without being knowledgeable...without being ready. Causing much hurt, disappointment, and unhappiness instead of the joy and bliss that entertainment depicts. My question to you today is, "ARE YOU READY?"

This year in August, I will celebrate 21 years of marriage. Sounds awesome, huh? It is, but it comes with a great price. My husband and I married very young, so we've had to experience a lot of things that typically, most marriages don't survive. A lot of our experience came from "lack of knowledge" and "lack of preparation". We were NOT READY to be married. We were so "in-love", so happy, so free. It was us against the world. And on top of it all, we now could be the companions to each other that we've always longed for. The best part of it all...we could have sex as much as we wanted, with no guilt behind it. Little did we know that our "lack of preparation" would put us on a really rough road. Little did we know that "love" had little to do with it.

Many of you single ladies are "waiting" to be married. Let's take an deeper look at this word. To wait means to stay in place in expectation of. But it also means to be READY (prepared for immediate use) and available. When something is prepared, it has been made READY beforehand. In Revelations 19:7 it says, "...and His wife hath made herself ready." This particular passage was a part of the vision that John had concerning the marriage of the Lamb (Jesus Christ) to His wife (the church). There is such a profound principle in this one scripture: if you're not READY, then you're not wife material. Christ is not coming back for a church who is thinking about getting READY, He's coming back for those that are READY. A man is not looking for someone who wants to be a wife, or who has this dream of being a wife. He's looking for someone who is a wife. Proverbs 18:22 says, "Whoso findeth a wife, findeth a good thing..." You see that? Findeth a "wife", meaning, she is already prepared for immediate use; she is already READY!

Being a pastor, I hear so many single women desiring to be married, but they have yet to become a wife. You can't wait to say "I do" to become a wife. You must already be prepared to be a wife. Preparation is what should be taking place in your waiting. Not anxiety, frustration, and weariness. Your waiting period is a time of getting READY. When Esther wanted to be King Ahasuerus' wife, she had to go through a long period of preparation. The king would have it no other way. So it is with a man. A man is looking for a "good" thing, a prepared thing. What are you doing to become that good thing?

You need to be prepared mentally and physically. Your state of mind has to be right. Your affairs must be in order. Proverbs 19:14 says, "...a prudent wife is from the Lord." You must also understand the role of a wife according to the Word of God, not according to the standards of society. The Word of God tells the wives that they have to submit to their husbands. Submission...oh-oh! (Ephesians 5) The Word of God tells the wives that they no longer have sole authority over their own bodies, but the husband does too. WHAT?!? (1 Corinthians 7) That means that your mind is already being conditioned to accept that "I can't do what I want to do, when I want to do, how I want to do" without my husband being in agreement. Being READY means that accountability becomes a part of who you are. Being READY means that managing your finances and keeping your home well has become a part of who you are. ARE YOU READY?

Don't get me wrong, marriage is WONDERFUL. It just requires a lifetime of investing into it. It truly is "til' death do us part". That's another thing, marriage is forever, so don't take your preparation lightly. You don't want to be stuck in a mess! Don't get so overwhelmed with the dream of marriage and neglect to "count up the cost" of marriage. Let's be real now.

I was totally not READY to be married, even though I wanted so badly to get married. But I believe that God purposed that for my life so that I could help educate and instruct other women to be READY.

Being READY is not just looking cute on the outside, but more importantly, being beautiful on the inside. Because when it's all said and done, what's inside is what's going to matter the most. And the reality is, most of us are jacked-up on the inside. ARE YOU READY? If not, stop talking about it, praying about it, thinking about it, wishing on it...get READY! And if you feel like "this is just too much", take Paul's advice, "I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I": single. Don't allow society to put the pressure of "being married" on you. More than anything, make sure that you have mastered being content with "being you". Without that key element, you won't be "good" for any man anyway1

REMEMBER: Marriage is not your source of happiness, you are (through Christ). Marriage is not your source of contentment, you are (through Christ).

I pray this posting has enlightened you and given you a fresh perspective on your "waiting". Waiting is not just about expecting, it's about preparation. ARE YOU READY?

Pastor Renee Roberts

EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER

Emotions...what are they? Webster's dictionary defines them as "strong and complex feelings that arise subjectively (taking place in the mind), rather than through conscious effort." So that means when we say "emotional", we are saying that the strong feeling, that took place in our mind, has now become the controller of our actions, reactions, and responses. How many times have you become caught up in "emotionalism"? When we get caught up in our emotions, that mean we are placing too much value on them. Why put so much value on something that is as unstable, uncertain, and unpredictable as our emotions? As you know, they mess us up every time.

Proverbs 25:28 (KJV) says, "He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls." (The Message) "A person without self-control is like a house with its doors and windows knocked out." That's something to think about. Every time we lose control of our emotions, we actually open ourselves up to and for anything. Would you find it safe or conducive to live in a house with no doors and no windows? Consider this the next time you lose it.

I often have people come to me and say, "Pastor, I lost it this time." Why, is always my question to them. As we mature, we should be able to manage our emotions, control our spirits, a little better than that. A person without self-control is a weak person. Sounds strong, but you are weak in those moments that you lose grip. If you were strong, you would have held those emotions in place. When we continue to operate in the strength of God, we find that we're not standing in line for the "EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER" ride as often.

One day I decided that I was just too old to be riding the "EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER", so I got off right in the middle of the ride. I used to think that God was going to come and deal with my emotions, get my emotions together for me, set me right emotional, etc. But as I was reading the Word of God one day, I was enlightened and began to see that I must do these things myself. God wasn't coming to deal with my emotions, I had to CONTROL my emotions. I had to exercise self-control. Exercise?!?!? Oh No! Who truly likes to exercise if you haven't been exercising at all? But I knew I had to do something I had never done before to achieve something I never have. So today I stand as a testimony to let you know that it is possible.

When we ride that "EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER" too often, people began to see you as moody, wishy-washy, schizo, bipolar, crazy....find yourself yet? That should not be the perception of the Children of God. We shouldn't be way up high one day, then way down low the next. Because we serve a God who is the same today, yesterday, and forever more, we should be the same today, yesterday, and forever more. Yes, you will have rough moments and challenging times, but always remember, you have the power over your emotions. Check them immediately and keep them under control.

Stop going off on people, being so sensitive, crying all of the time, walking around angry, frowning, and being so moody. Like I tell my daughter, "Girl, get yourself together!" I teach her at this age to control her emotions, because it seems innate (for females especially) to be moody. And stop using the "time of the month" or "hormones" excuse for your lack of self-control. You STILL can control it! Sorry, I'm sure I nipped a few toes on that one. But it's to help make you a healthier you. Go ahead and say AMEN!

And if you've already ceased riding the "EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER". don't allow someone else and their habitual riding, coax you into riding it again. You persuade them to call it quits. That's the one down fall we have, we never have the patience to try and encourage someone else out of that unhealthy trend. "I don't have time for this" is always our catch phrase. Come on people of God, we have an obligation and a duty to help each other. If we love one another, we will have patience with one another. And we have to love one another if we say we love God.

So I encourage you to be that positive influence in someones life today that you know is on that "EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER" tip. Let them see that it's actually more exciting to walk around, being free in your mind and emotions rather than strapped down in a seat riding on a bumpy track, going up and down, round and around, over and over again, trapped in emotionalism.

And if you've already boarded the coaster, STOP!!! It's never too late to get off!

Working towards a healthier you,

Pastor Renee

FORGET ABOUT IT!

This thing that we have called "memory" is so complicated. Memory is so vast in being capable of storing information and events. It can retain and delete what it wills when it wills to. Memory is also very powerful. It can incite you to advance or be the biggest opposition to progression.

Many people are held captive by their memories, i.e. their past. We do realize that right? Your memory is simply something that occurred before, that you still remember. Some memories are delightful and some are horrid, but they all make up one memory bank.

Most people on the average remember more disturbing things than delightful things. Why is that? Some people have to think hard about what happened good in a day, but bad....they can ramble that off in a heart beat. What's up with that?

Bad things seem to leave a bigger impression on our memories than the good things. This is why the Word of God tells us to think on good things. We have to constantly recondition our minds to think and store good things while forgetting the bad.

Paul wrote to the Philippians and told them," forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize." The word forget in the Greek translation means "to lose out of mind; to neglect". How many things do we lose out of mind or neglect on a daily basis? When we lose something, it can't be found. When we neglect something, we just failed to attend to it. Paul was letting the Philippians know that in order to go forward, you must neglect the past. You must neglect the negative, horrible memories. They will only hold you back.

I minister to individuals constantly concerning letting things go, forgetting the past, moving forward...but most times people find that impossible to do. How do I forget about it? You must neglect it, lose it out of mind. Make the past a follower and not a leader. It should be behind you, not in front of you. If the past is all you can see, you're turned the wrong way. The past only leads you in the opposite direction of your destiny.

God told Jeremiah that He would not remember the sins of the Houses of Israel anymore. He blotted them out and cast them into the sea of forgetfulness. That same promise applies to us today. If God, Himself can FORGET ABOUT IT, what's up with us? Yes, God FORGOT ABOUT your sins! Praise God! So it should be easy to FORGET ABOUT what they did to you, how they hurt you, how they betrayed you, how they lied on you, how they FORGOT ABOUT you!

Do we realize that most times the individuals that were involved with our past, has moved on and totally FORGOT ABOUT IT? While we are sitting around, wallowing in the pains of the past, the regrets of the past, the anger of the past...the individuals have moved on and FORGOT ABOUT IT. Free yourself and let the God of liberty free your mind.

Stop saying, "I don't know how to let this go." David said something so powerful in Psalms 119. He said, "I will not forget Thy Word." If we spend more time on remembering the things that really matter, we won't have time to keep revisiting the past. You CAN let it go. You are fully capable. How do I know? Because many of us FORGET ABOUT what we want to FORGET ABOUT. We neglect and lose out of mind what we choose. We even FORGET ABOUT the Word of God at times. So we see that we CAN FORGET ABOUT IT.

You don't have to live another day bound to your past. Jesus Christ has freed you once, now go ahead and free yourself! The Word of God tells us to not be entangled in the yoke of bondage again. The Word of God also tells us that he whom the Son sets free, is free indeed! So go ahead, you have the right to walk in your freedom! FORGET ABOUT IT!

The key to successfully FORGETTING ABOUT IT is to FORGIVE. Forgive whomever and whatever has caused you pain. Release them and release yourself. Move forward. Make the past follow you right into your wealthy place! Don't look back.

Make today the beginning of a healthier you!

Pastor Renee Roberts

"BE GRATEFUL"

1Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants those of us who belong to Jesus Christ to live.

Give thanks in EVERYTHING? Wow! Seems like a tall order to fulfill at times. But I guess when we really begin to truly live our lives in the completeness of our Creator, we realize that being grateful is only fair. Think about how much God does for us on a daily basis. He's constantly providing, protecting, loving, forgiving...He's just FAITHFUL to us. That alone is more than enough to BE GRATEFUL for eternally.

The Hawkins Family wrote a song back in the 70's titled "Be Grateful". The lyrics to this song are so profound. One part of the song says, "Be Grateful, because there's someone else who is worst off than you. Be Grateful, because there's someone else who'd love to be in your shoes." Most times we don't even realize how good we have it until something worst comes to our door of life.

I feel like Paul in Philippians 4 when he says he has learned to be content (GRATEFUL) in every and any situation that comes his way. What a mindset to have. I believe that being "self-centered" creates a mindset of ungratefulness; what I don't have, why can't I have more, why me, I don't like this, I don't want that...It's all about "I". Start thinking beyond yourself and begin to thank God for what you do have, thank God for the things you don't like, just BE GRATEFUL!

Complaining gets you no where fast. It actually prolongs your blessings. What happened to the children of Israel with all of their murmurings and complaints? They ended up forfeiting their promise. How many promises have you forfeited in your time of ungratefulness? How many more will you forfeit before learning the valuable principle of being GRATEFUL?

Many times God allows us to remain in certain situations and circumstances until we begin to produce GRATEFULNESS. Until we begin to be thankful in everything. You will find that the quicker you establish your heart in thanksgiving, the sooner God will advance you. Are you ready for advancement? BE GRATEFUL then.

This post is not intended to seem insensitive to any ones hardships, misfortunes, or needs. It is however, intended to provoke you to put on a new mindset, the mind of Christ. This mindset understands the benefit of being GRATEFUL. Will you give it a try? Besides, complaining doesn't do anything but make you more UNGRATEFUL.

Stop the cycle today! Remove people out of your circle of influence that are always complaining. Replace them with people that have GRATEFUL hearts. Get rid of the negativity in your life and replace it with positivity. Change your stinky thinking into thinking that really matters. Condition your heart to be GRATEFUL.

Take a couple of seconds and begin to give God thanks for what He's done for you just today alone. Now, doesn't that feel better? Go ahead and make that a practice from now on. BE GRATEFUL.

Pastor Renee Roberts

"STAY IN YOUR LANE"

During my meditation, I began to think about the church as a whole, which Paul describes as the "body of Christ". During my thinking, I was trying to figure out why do some "gifts" in the body seem to get more recognition or should I say value? The Holy Spirit reminded me of 1Corinthians 12. Paul apparently had this same question in mind when he addressed the Church of Corinth. He told them to not forget that they are the body of Christ and that EVERY part is important. This revelation will help many of us become happy and confident in the gifts that we possess, even if people don't deem them "powerful" or "important". Let's talk a little...

I've experienced feeling like my "little" giftings were not much. Why? Because people make you feel that way. Before I knew it, I was trying to do what seemed to be the thing that would bring notoriety to my gifts; make me important, acceptable. What a mistake! I quickly found out that I was happier doing what I was created to do, versus doing what "I think" others like me to do. Besides, doing something I was not created to do only made me look foolish! LOL! It's okay to laugh. I learned that the anointing on my life is evident when I STAY IN MY LANE. I thank God that I'm a fast learner.

I won't go into "what" I did, but I will say this, STAY IN YOUR LANE. If God has not graced you to sing, please stop trying to get on peoples programs and get in peoples choirs. If God has not graced you to dance, please stop asking the pastor if you can dance a selection or join the dance ministry. If God has not graced you to be a leader, please stop asking to take on a leadership role. If God has not graced you to be funny, please stop telling those dull jokes...and the list goes on and on. The main point: if it's not your gracing, STAY OUT OF THAT LANE. Major accidents happen when we're not in our lanes. And many times casualties follow our lane changing.

So lets become more confident in what God has truly gifted us for, realizing that even if my gift is simply to make people smile, it's just as important as the gift of prophecy. You drive your course more proficiently and effectively when you STAY IN YOUR LANE. Keep your eyes attentive on your lane, stop trying to cross over, and watch how powerful and important your gifts really are to the body!

Pastor Renee Roberts

DO YOU!

It is often very challenging to celebrate one another because we are having difficulty celebrating ourselves. We struggle with celebrating ourselves because most times we're not happy with ourselves. This state of mind is a direct result of not knowing who we truly are in Christ. This type of ignorance results in us being critical and judgemental when we really should be commending and encouraging one another.

Seemingly "church" as we know it today, has become a breeding ground for criticism and judgement upon one another. And this causes individuals to feel forced to mask up when they enter into the sanctuary: the place of peace and deliverance. It causes people to pretend and act like everything is okay. It causes people to say, "I'm fine" when in actuality they want to say, "I'm losing grip". When do we as the body of believers start loving and responding to each other as the Word of God commands us to? When do we start encouraging each other to just be ourselves without any backlash? Are we so image driven that we don't have time to be love driven?

Church should not be a "click" reunion, fashion runway nor a social club, but a place where people are being built up and strengthened in their faith. Who cares what brand of shoes or clothes the next person has on? Who cares who they went out with? It's not important. Whats important is that all are able to be free to get naked before God and not have to cover up because of others critical, judgemental attitudes.

We don't have to impress each other in the House of God. We are sisters and brothers. Do you or did you try to impress your siblings when you were living at home? I know I didn't. My brothers saw the real me. We should be the same way with our spiritual sisters and brothers. Stop covering up emotions with prada and masking tears with gucci. It's okay to DO YOU! You're best when you're doing you. Remember, God made us fearfully and wonderfully (Psalms 139:13-17), so we're at our best when we're genuine and true.

I know all of us have that tiny desire to be accepted or feel important, but always remember that the only acceptance that matters is God's acceptance of you. If He accepts you, then it's not you with the issue, it's those who reject you. Start loving you. Start being excited about who you are. God ACCEPTS you! Praise God! That's an awesome thing.

I encourage you today to come from under that bondage of masking your hurt, covering your disappointments, hiding your feelings...just DO YOU!

Keep in mind, if we as a body of believers can't be real with each other, we definitely won't be real with God (Psalms 51:6).

Pastor Renee Roberts

CHARACTER or CHARISMA?

Matthew 7:15-16 in the Message Bible says, "Be wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip you off some way or other. Don't be impressed with charisma; look for character. Who preachers are is the main thing, not what they say."

That's a powerful scripture. The irony of it all is that the one's who are supposed to help build character in others are the main ones who neglect to deal with their own character flaws. Being a pastor I know from experience that it's an easy trend to fall into. Why? Because we are the leaders. We don't need the help, the people do. That's such a warp perception of being a leader.

A true leader works diligently to cultivate pure character, understanding that not only am I pleasing God by this, but I'm creating a conduit for the Holy Spirit to minister to people effectively.

Charisma is just that...charisma! Charisma is defined as "a quality that enables a person, esp. a leader, to capture the interest, devotion, and confidence of others." This is an awesome quality, however, if it's not founded on good character, it's deceiving. The Word of God is constantly talking to the church about cultivating good character; cultivating good fruit. That means that who we really are is more important than who people think we are.

Jesus told His disciples to not get impressed by charisma. He told them to look for character. I believe that if the people of God would follow the Words of Jesus Christ, then charismatic individuals would be forced to work on their character. They wouldn't have anyone else to impress. But being the frail creatures we are, someone seemingly has to impress us prior to impacting us. We need to make a major adjustment in the body of Christ.

I thought about all of the men and women of God that have publicly fallen in repetitive sin, and about how many people were so disappointed that they began to question the faith. That's a violent blow to the Kingdom of God and it's principles. We have a firm responsibility to represent the Kingdom of God in excellence. This requires us diligently and constantly working on our own character. Our character should exemplify our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

So NO, it's not okay to just do what we want, say what we want, go where we want, act like we want...we have a STANDARD of righteousness (character) to uphold.

I know I kicked this post off talking about leaders and their character, but this applies to all of us. Because believe it or not, someone is following you; that makes you a leader. Start by-passing charisma and get straight to the character of individuals and YOURSELF, you may be surprised!

Remember, charisma never produces fruit that remains, but character does. "When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine." (John 15:8 Amplified)

Pastor Renee Roberts

LIFE IS TOO SHORT

During my meditation time this morning, something so old struck me so profoundly..........

"LIFE IS TOO SHORT!"

This phrase is all too familiar, yet always over looked. I believe when we begin to value the life that God has so richly blessed us with, then nothing else will even remotely matter anymore. Cares, worries, anxiety, jealousy, bitterness, anger, unforgiveness, hate, hang-ups...they all waste a lot of time in our lives. And the crazy thing about it is that none of these things yield us a prosperous return at all. Who's the fool then? God has instructed us to be fruitful and multiply here in this earth realm, but we are so busy entertaining things that don't matter until we have no strength, energy, or zeal to focus on the thing that really does matter...LIFE, IT'S TOO SHORT!

Think about it: all of these things are controlled by you! Yes, most times people are the inciting forces behind many of these things, but ultimately, we have the control or the power over how people and things affect us. The Word of God tells us that if someone strikes us on the cheek, to offer the other cheek. That takes a BIG PERSON! Even if you're right, offer the other cheek: it's okay to offer the apology for the sake of peace, to speak even when not spoken to, to smile even when frowned at, to speak blessings even if they are speaking cursings. It is okay! Life is about being happy by pleasing God. Keep in mind, LIFE IS TOO SHORT.

I've purposed to live life to the full, until it overflows. I've purposed to make myself happy in Jesus. I've purposed to fulfill the most important principle in the Word of God, LOVE! I've purposed that I will not let ANYONE rob me of life ever again. What are you purposing in your heart right now? Remember, LIFE IS TOO SHORT.

I encourage you to readjust your focus and invest your energy into what really matters. If it's not prospering your life, let it go and leave it alone. We are on limited time in this earth realm. There has been a time appointed for life to end for each of us on this earth realm. Why waste it? Position yourself to hear God say "well done my good and faithful servant." Don't miss out on your opportunity to enjoy life. Remember, LIFE IS TOO SHORT.

Pastor Renee Roberts

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

I was sitting here just thinking about how GOOD our God really is. David describes Him as his Shepherd in Psalms 23. In reading that familiar chapter of Psalms I've discovered that I am God's sheep. I am a part of His sheepfold. Therefore, I am God's responsibility. Praise God!

Sheep only know how to follow, otherwise they wander aimlessly. Sheep will eat anything and trust anyone. This is why our Shepherd is constantly watching over us ensuring our protection from the wolves of the enemy. Always leading us into green pastures to feast and leading us besides still waters to drink and rest. He's constantly refreshing and restoring us. He goes as far as disciplining us in order for us to stay within the sheepfold.

I learned that a shepherd will break the leg of a sheep that wanders too often. After the breakage, the shepherd attends to the sheep constantly until the leg is healed. While the shepherd is leading the rest of the sheepfold, the sheep with the broken leg is carried around the neck of the shepherd until he can walk again. How POWERFUL! The entire time that wounded sheep is hearing the voice of his shepherd, learning his voice, learning how to follow! Glory to God!

Has God ever broken your leg for your good? The Word of God tells us that God's sheep know His voice and a stranger they will not follow. Do you know the voice of your Shepherd? Do you follow His every step? Do you heed His every command? This is something to consider.

Our God is the GOOD SHEPHERD! He's always looking out for our good. So even when we've been broken, those broken bones can rejoice because we know that through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we have this promise: as long as the Lord is our Shepherd, we will want for nothing!

Pastor Renee Roberts

OUR REAR GUARD

Isaiah 58:8 tells us that the glory of the Lord shall be our rear guard. Isn't it awesome to know that the presence of God yields such protection and provision for us?

When we begin to understand what a rear guard really is, this will excite us! The rear guard or "rearward" is considered a "garrison". This unit in the armed forces primarily is responsible for protecting everything and everyone on the fort/post and also for providing food, clothing, medical services, etcetera for the soldiers.

Our God is our rearward! Praise God! As long as we stay in the presence of God, which always manifests His glory, we are protected and provided for. The presence of God supplies us with everything that we need. How awesome is that?!?!

I encourage you today to continue to cultivate the presence of God in your life through consistent prayer, fasting, praise, worship, and quiet time with God. The more time you spend with Him, the more His presence increases in your life.

Knowing the benefits of God's presence should incite you to stay in His presence. We understand that sin cannot dwell in His presence. So it is vitally important to maintain a holy life before God. Walk upright before God. Keep His statues. Meditate on His Word. Doing these things will keep us holy and upright before God.

The Word of God tells us that we are a royal priesthood, a holy nation and a chosen generation. We have to stand up to those names. Honor God in your living and watch His presence manifest in your life.

Our "REARWARD", our "REAR GUARD" is on post waiting for us. Let's not keep Him waiting! Go and take rest in His presence. At ease soldier!

Pastor Renee Roberts