Walking In Your Truth & Living On Purpose

New American Standard Bible

II Corithians 5:7 - For we walk by faith, not by sight
I have come to learn in order to walk out my truth, I must walk by faith in God to lead and guide me every step of the way.  I cannot allow what I see, hear or touch with my natural senses, to dictate my actions or reactions to life and all that it brings about.

Galatians 5:16 - But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
I purpose in my heart daily to walk by the Spirit of God and not follow after my flesh.  Even this week, during our 21 day Daniel fast, I found it to be hard to press in and seek God like I should.  It was hard at times to open my mouth and pray or give thanks.  Trying to read and study the word was feeling like such a burden to me.  But I continued to press in and push forward.  I had to talk to myself sometimes and acknowledge, remember, accept and embrace this scripture.  My flesh doesn't want to do anything that would please God, but I purposed in my heart to follow after the Spirit.

Philippians 1:6 - 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.I have to at all times remember, that everyday I remain in the earth, I'm a work in progress.  I will not say everything correctly, I will not do everything the right way, but I will continue to allow Christ through his Spirit to complete the work he has begun in me.

I think we put way too much pressure on ourselves.  If we could do the work that needs to be done within ourselves there would be no need for Christ.  Over the past few weeks, I've been following Bishop T.D. Jakes teaching, "Living on Purpose".  It has been such a powerful teaching and I have gleaned much revelation and understanding from it.  When I first heard preachers speaking and teaching on "finding your purpose", and realized I was created with a specific purpose in God's heart,  I set out with all force to find out what my purpose is.  But since I'm walking in my truth, I must admit what has always captured my attention is the part where it says: "when your walking in your purpose you will prosper".  So, if I must be honest and I must, I was more set on figuring it out so I could have the prosperity more than the purpose.  I don't think I'm the only one. In the beginning, most of us would admit, we sought after God's hand and not his heart.

Thank God I have grown over the years, and based on Bishop's teachings and my own personal journey as a child of God, seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness, I'm living on purpose everyday!  This is what I have found:

1).  Your purpose and your past are intertwined.

2).  The very fact that I'm still living, means I'm living on purpose.  Because, based on my past I should have been taken out a long....time ago.  I recognize now it was the hand of God that has kept me all these years......to fulfill my purpose.

3).  Whatever you have a passion for is generally linked with your purpose.  Don't minimize your purpose based off of someone else.  Maybe you have a passion for feeding people, helping people in general to succeed at whatever they maybe doing.  Follow it, continue sowing into the lives of others.  There are many ways of fulfilling your purpose.  Some will seem greater than others, but none of less value to God.

4).  Your purpose will lead you into your destiny.

5).  Don't rush the fulfilling of your purpose.  Enjoy the journey because it's the lessons learned throughout the journey that I believe really count.

 

6).  Live one day at a time.  All days will not be the same; some may be good and some not so good.  But it's all relative.

 

Walk in your truth daily and live everyday on purpose!

 

Patrice

 

Living on purpose and walking out your truth to me means:  Living everyday acknowledging God as your Heavenly Creator; believing on Jesus Christ as the Son of God and relying on the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you through every single day. 

Open Your Mouth and Speak

A declaration of my “truth” in Christ

Merriam-Webster definition of declaration: the act of declaring; announcement

I was surfing through the TV channels this morning and came across a preacher I have not seen in sometime.  He was teaching on being a New Creature in Christ and what it really means.  I immediately turned up the volume and began to listen and take study notes; I knew it was for me.  He was preaching from his teaching “God’s Voice Activated System” and how everything that has been created by the Creator has manifested through words.  God said, and it was so.  After listening quite intently, I heard in my spirit “open your mouth and speak”.  I said, speak what?  Speak a declaration of your truth, in Christ!

You see, I have come to realize, the devil cares nothing about our thoughts.  We can think about something day and night, but when we begin to speak out of our mouths what has been deposited within our spirits by the Holy Spirit, he begins to tremble.  As I think back, one of the greatest fears that many within our family struggle with is: SPEAKING ALOUD.  During the course of our lives, most of the things we have experienced have forced us into a place of guilt, shame, and silence.  If the enemy of your soul can silence you, than he’s got you.

It is what I believe Satan uses as part of his greatest arsenal. If he can inflict pain, guilt and shame on us, than he knows for the most part it will keep us quiet.  But God!  As a New Creature in Christ, I/we no longer have to adhere to his words, images or fears that would continue to keep us bound in silence.  When we received the Lord’s call to salvation, all of our past fears were nailed to that cross.  We have been resurrected into a newness of life that no one can take from us.  We can give it up, but no one can take it away.

Recognizing this, I have begun reading my bible aloud.  God says in Isaiah 43:26, put me in remembrance; let us argue our case together; state your cause, that you may be proved right.

We have to get to a place where we can speak God’s word back to Him and speak over our own lives, the truth as we know it in Christ.  God holds His word higher than His name.   So, as I have been commissioned this day, I will open my mouth and declare my truth in Christ!  I will declare daily who God says I am in Christ and not waiver.  

I began to write this blog earlier in the day and then decided I would not publish it until tomorrow.  However, while showering I asked Holy Spirit, should I send it today or tomorrow?  He said, “send it today”.  I believe within my heart there is someone out there that needs this word for today.  Maybe it’s not about self declaration, maybe there is something you are going through and you are unsure about your decision.  I don’t know, but what I’m sure of is you need to “open your mouth and speak”.

Below are the scriptures Holy Spirit brought back to my remembrance that I have started to speak over myself.  If God used His words to speak life into creation and we are made in His image, then maybe we have not, because we speak not.

Speak your end from your beginning!  In Jesus Name.

 I decree and declare:

And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. Genesis 1:27

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee; I have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations. Jeremiah 1:5

                                                              

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him.  Romans 8:17

I will give thanks unto thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well.  Psalm 139:14

Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. Ephesians 6:10

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will make mention of the name of Jehovah our God. Psalms 20:7

They are not of the world even as I am not of the world.  John 17:16

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  Psalms 91:1

Delight thyself also in Jehovah; and he will give thee the desires of thy heart.  Psalms 37:4

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread.  Psalms 37:5

God Bless Family.

Trice

Finding Your Truth - Step 1

Scripture to stand on: Proverb 3: 5-6
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

In my journey to finding my truth this week, Holy Spirit revealed that the first thing I need to do is: acknowledge, accept, reflect and believe/embrace the "new creature" I am in Christ Jesus.

Acknowledge: - II Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away, behold all things are become new.

Accept: Psalms 139:14
I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well.

Reflect: Jeremiah 1:5
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Believe/Embrace: Philippians 1:6
Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

As I began to meditate on these scriptures and allow myself to acknowledge, accept, reflect and believe that in fact, I am a new creature in Christ, the "Trice" that I use to be is now hidden in Jesus.  There is a new woman I must acknowledge and embrace to fulfill God’s purpose.  I am being washed and cleansed on a daily basis to become more like him.  I also have to accept that if I was fearfully and wonderfully made in His image, than all of me can’t be so bad. 

 

I think in this process, one of the hardest things for me to do is to free myself of my past.  I hold it more against myself than anyone else and definetly more than God.  I have to accept that,  everything I have gone through and experienced in my life is/was part of this journey.  I believe there is a scripture that says (paraphrased): when God created man, He created us with a whole in our heart that only He could fill.  From the time I was born until this day, God knew exactly what it would take for me to get to the place of realizing that everything I was searching for would be found inside that "void" only He could fill.  Even during the time of my life, when I was in search of it, He was revealing the "true" me.

 

Sometimes, we don't want to embrace those things about ourselves because we were not using those gifts and talents for his purpose.  Three things Holy Spirit revealed to me today...just today. (1).  They (my family) use to call me Rona Barrett, who is/was a news anchor for our local news back home.  Why?  Because I use to spread gossip like it was water.  It use to get me in trouble alot, but if anyone needed to find something out they would come to me, "Rona" and they knew they would get it exactly as I heard it.  Now, I'm not proud of it and as Christians we are not to gossip, and I have since been delivered from that spirit.  But, Holy Spirit said to "acknowledge it, and embrace it".  Because, what the devil meant for evil, will now be turned and used for God's good.  That ability to hear and repeat verbatim what is being shared with me is now being used to edify the Body of Christ, even through this blog.  It was something good; I just wasn't using it to glorify God.  (2). I use to be the "life" of the party......I would sing and dance until I literally passed out......smile.  Of course, I was always ten shades in the wind as some would say.  Yet, after I gave my life to Christ I thought that was apart of me that died along with the alcohol.  But, now I know it was a gift from God!  I love to praise and worship the Lord and when I do, I open myself up to give him my all.  And guess what?  By the time I’m finished… I'm literally ready to pass out.....smile.  Same gift, it's just being used the right way.  And (3).  My family all knows, I use to talk to myself as if someone was sitting in the room with me.  Whether I was playing school, speaking about a pretend life I use to desire  for myself, or playing church.  I know they all thought I was crazy and so did I.  But, God was in that too.  Many things that are happening in my life, are things I use to share with the "invisible" person in that room.  I didn't even realize at the time, the invisible person was "Jesus".  He shared with me some time ago, that I needed to get back to that place of talking with him openly, just as I did when I was a child….tears. I was speaking the desires of my heart and he was sitting right there listening........directing my path all along.  Isn't God good ya'll.

 

So, I encourage you all to "get to stepping", which was the title of Pastor Jomo’s sermon last week, and allow Holy Spirit to reveal the parts of you that he desires you to acknowledge, accept, reflect and embrace; because it's ALL intended to be used for God's purpose and our good.

 

Be blessed,

Trice                                       
 

 

"Finding Your Truth"

"Finding Your Truth"

These words came to me this morning while meditating and reflecting over the events of the past year.  I've come across many readings within the past few weeks as many have been sharing words and preparing for the upcoming New Year. Many will try to leave bad habits, unhealthy thoughts, negative actions and useless deeds in the past, in the hope of entering into 2012 with new hope, fresh fire and perseverance in expectation for what is to come.

The more I thought about this statement, I realized that I and probably many others are just beginning the process or still in the process of finding out who we really are in Christ. I believe the past few years of my journey, God has had me in a season of  "purging and purifying".   How can I hope for a future while still struggling with the weight of my past?  During our Christian journey I believe we do go from faith to faith and glory to glory in this desire to "Know God" and in finding out our purpose in Him. However, in order to know what and who we are, we must go through the process of finding out who and what we are NOT.

Over the past few weeks, I have been feeling unsettled, off balance and confused in all aspects; physically, mentally and spiritually.  Somewhat in a dump, almost as if everything that was in me has leaked out over a period of time....till there is nothing left. Could that be God's intent? Out with the old and in with the new. The bible tells us "you can't put new wine in old wine skins."  It's usually in these times/moments when I realize God is calling me to step up my game and seek Him like never before because it’s time to move forward and upward. For my next step of this journey, I must realize that what sustained me and others last year, will not be what will continue to sustain and grow us this year.  I have learned, you can't give out what you don't already have in you.

As I stated in my last "Food for the Soul" email, I will now be posting a weekly (or however often God desires) word via "BlogSpot". I'm very excited about this new season and direction in my journey.   I pray you will embark on this new journey with me and begin to share your thoughts, words of encouragement and testimonies through this new vehicle.  If I said I knew exactly what I'm doing, it would be a lie....cause I don't.....I'm just trusting God to lead me daily through and by His Spirit.

So, for the next few weeks or so, I'm going to dig into "Finding My Truth" and I would like to extend the invitation to you as well. What does that mean?  It means going deeper into the process of exploring and searching out the true plan and purpose for my life in Christ Jesus. Opening up myself completely to Holy Spirit and asking Him to show me "me" and all that it entails.  I started this journey some time ago and thought I was really where I needed to be, only to find out....I've just begun!

I've gone through the process of the "baptism by fire", but now I need to become familiar with what remains and how it is to be used within God's Kingdom.

So, this week I challenge and encourage you to reflect on this statement, “Who am I, and what is my true identity”?  Not what someone has told you......but who God has shown you to be. I will commit to praying for us all and for fresh and new revelation that will come from just simply asking God that question.

Scripture verse for the week: Jeremiah 1:5 – “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations”.

The first step in the process is to make sure you are in right relationship with Christ.  If you have not asked Him into your heart, this would be the first step you need to take to begin this journey. If you would like for me to pray with you, I would be more than happy to.  Send your information to: plthompson2@hotmail.com  and I will contact you or you can repeat this simple prayer:

Father, I believe that you sent your only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on Calvary's cross for me.  To become the only acceptable payment for my sins.  I believe he lived, died and rose again for me and is now seated at your right hand. I ask you Lord to come into my heart, cleanse me of all sin and unrighteousness.  Make me a new creature in Christ Jesus! Amen (Romans 5:8 – “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”.)

Your Sister In Christ,

Patrice