How I Found The Strength To Stay Pure For God

by April D. Byrd

I am on a fast (fruits, vegetables,water, etc.) and I wanted to add a little brown sugar to my sweet potato. I'm trying to do the whole completely pure and natural thing, but I was very tempted to add that brown sugar...just a little bit.

Thankfully I was able to resist. If i would have added just a little then, it would be ok to add just a little later and that would determine the course of my fast, I'll start to be ok with the "little things" then they will come more and more, and eventually evolve into big things. I thought about the verse: just a little just a little leaven leavens the whole lump, or in other words just a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough. When we make it ok to do the small things it becomes common place for us to continue to do them and the next thing you know we're doing much more than we expected. Because we made a small thing ok, we'll be cool with continually doing it. I've learned it's not good to play on the edge.

I came across one explanation for this scripture online that said:

“Leaven” is used in the Bible to denote sin or corruption. Jesus Christ told his disciples: “Watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees,” and, “Watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” The apostle Paul employed the same symbolism when he commanded the Christian congregation in Corinth to expel an immoral man from the congregation, stating: “Do you not know that a little leaven ferments the whole lump? Clear away the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, according as you are free from ferment. For, indeed, Christ our passover has been sacrificed.” He then clearly showed what he meant by “leaven”: “Consequently let us keep the festival, not with old leaven, neither with leaven of badness and wickedness, but with unfermented cakes of sincerity and truth.” (1Co 5:6-8)

That last scripture got me and rung a bell in my head "Cakes of sincerity and truth" This can be used in the case of purity as well, just like abstaining from delicacies in my time of "dedication". Cake is sometimes used as a slang term for women's body parts. For a young lady to take the purity of her body seriously is a blessing through God. The scripture talks about Cakes of sincerity and truth.

As a young lady, seeking sincerity and truth, being whole and pure before God is amazing. It doesn't matter what you've done, because being dedicated first starts in our spirit. When we seek to have a pure, clean, undefiled spirit the rest follows, including the flesh.  Even though we read the lament that "all of our righteousness is as filthy rags before God", it's His grace that makes us clean and white as snow. Its up to us to accept His love and dedicate every aspect of our lives to him, including our bodies. When we allow a little bit of sin in, it can ruin everything. There are ways I've found that tend to work for me:

• Remember a key goal you have in mind, and reference from there. When something pops up you can challenge it because you know what you wish to accomplish through your dedication. (ex: For God to bless your business, heal your body, etc.) People who have a clear goal in mind usually succeed. (Matthew 21:21-22)
• Run and pray!! seriously. the bible says flee from sin. When you see it coming run the other way. When something is happening to me and I run to talk to God about before anything. I usually find healing, solace, and comfort. (Psalm 91:2)
• Have an accountability partner. This should be someone you're comfortable to pray with. Pray with them regularly. Help give each other strength. It's very good to know someone is supporting you and you have someone praying with you, for you, and vice versa. (Matthew 18:20)

Whether it's through fasting, abstinence or simply honoring God in our everyday lives dedication and commitment is key. Within the time of this fast I was able to attend a purity ceremony in Birmingham and made the commitment to honor God with my life, It was an amazing experience. I feel so blessed. God rewards us for our faithfulness. When we're faithful to God, He is faithful to us and then some. Though His grace exceeds our actions, God set up a life of righteousness and abundances as a reward for us. When we aspire towards a life of sincerity and truth, God's blessings are what we reap. Purity is walking in truth, and truth is the foundation for everything good. Be encouraged to honor God and continue walking in a life of abundance.

Omitting: The Truth

by: Chancee Christian

"God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” ~John 4:24

Worship: to honor or reverence as a divine being or supernatural power 2 : to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion

So, most of us already know how to worship God..... & we all have different ways that we worship, some lift their hands, some shout, some cry, some just bow or kneel to show great honor or respect for God!

I, personally, worship God in three of those ways. However, I've come to realize that worshipping God is one of the easy parts of walking with Him.....once we learn who God is through a real relationship & learn to love God for who He is...... Worship is easy.....but that's only half of it.....

Truth: sincerity in action, character, and utterance

The other half of our lives with God and how we worship Him, is truth!!

Is it possible to only be a halfway worshiper?

YES!

How so?
We can use are lips to pray, love on & praise God & also curse His own children.....

James 3:9 "We use our tongues to praise our Lord and Father, but then we curse people, whom God made like himself."

How so?
We will lift our hands in Worship to God & use those same hands to flip others off, to place them on others in physical abuse or touch others in places that are only supposed to be for our spouses......

Truth (the Word of God) tells us in Matthew 22:39 to ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’

How so?
We will shout, some in tongues, many blessings to the Lord our God in Worship but also shout at drivers on the road, shout disrespectful words at our children, spouses, employees and employers.....

James 3:10 Praises and curses come from the same mouth! My brothers and sisters, this should not happen.

How so? We can love God, serve Him, follow some of His commandments because we don't want to admit we are out of order or out of God's Will, so we continue to live in sin because the World accepts you living with the man or woman you're not married to.....the World accepts you being in a marriage or relationship with the same sex...... because the World accepts you not forgiving those who hurt you, did you wrong so therefore you live in bitterness & resentment......

The World accepts so many of the things God doesn't accept in His Kingdom!!!!

So instead of living to please the God you Worship in Spirit.....

We begin to conform to the World

In Spirit we Love & Worship God.....but when it comes to "truth"......

I challenge you today, to STOP being a halfway worshiper, but to begin to WORSHIP God in Spirit and Truth!

Will it happen overnight? Nah
Can you do it? Yes
Will it always be easy? NO
Are you a conqueror? Yep!

But you aren't alone......

Love you ALL!!!!

-Chancee Christian is the founder of Daughters Of A King Ministries.

The Power Of Legacy After Loss

By: Ruthann Mckenzie

Pain Is Inevitable, But Misery Is Optional.

Today marks the six year anniversary since I lost my grandmother.  She was the love of my life; a woman of God that I looked up to and strongly admired.  She had grit and soul.  Her life was turbulent, yet she not only survived, but was more than victorious.  My grandmother was a helper, a friend, hardworking, beautiful, intelligent, meek and kind. Not only did she take part in helping to raise myself and my other two siblings, but countless other grandchildren, children from other parents, her own, basically a village.  I always looked at her in amazement that such a petite little lady could birth 11 children, survive after losing two of them, work a lifetime with her hands, yet never complain.  This is a tiny snippet of my great admiration for her and I am proud her legacy lives on within me today.

Losing someone you love makes your world crumble.  All that you had with that person is now past tense, a memory. The comfort of others in that moment is nice, but slightly useless as it does not change the reality.  The pain is so real.  Yet, something can be gained from the legacy one leaves when they pass on.

The legacy far surpasses the memories. Memories soon fade, but you can carry on the persons legacy with the good works they accomplished, not letting those go when they pass on. For myself, I have taken on the good work my grandmother began by helping others around me.  It may not be in the same capacity that she worked, but it is her legacy within me.  In addition, her legacy for education has been passed down.  One would have never known without her telling them that she had a fourth grade education. Yet, she instilled within her kids to do well in school, and my mother did the same for us.  Due to her diligence with us working on our education, many of her grandchildren are educated and carry on her strong work ethics.  The epitome of legacy.

I can only imagine, that if she could see who I became as a result of her love and care towards me, she would smile enormously. Six years later, I still want to cry. The pain of losing a loved one is inevitable, but misery is optional.  It has taken much time to grieve and I have my days I just sit in her loving memory.  I am blessed to have known such a wonderful person and having that person shape my life in so many ways.  Her legacy continues on.

So today, if you are heartbroken in any way by the loss of someone you love, remember their legacy.   Know that their life served a great purpose.  Focus your energy on being better because of the one(s) you have lost.  Live a life of hope and great expectancy, knowing that you can be reunited with them once more with the return of Christ. I trust that my grandmother would not have it any other way with me. She would rather me live life abundantly as she taught me to with hope, than have my soul die when she did. I have chosen to live with her legacy.  I pray this comforts and motivates someone to live in hope and carry on their loved ones legacy.  The passing is not the end, at times it can be the beginning.  Time will heal and wounds will close.  Let the legacy live on.

Why Anomaly By Lecrae Is The Top Album in America

by: April D. Byrd

Lecrae is on the Billboard Charts with the top album in America. Lecrae is clearly unashamed to talk about being a Christian rapper, So a lot of secular outlets are shocked. 

However, that's seemingly the point of his seventh studio Album "Anomaly". The rapper describes in his definition  video for the project that he's ok with not fitting "the mold" or being placed in a box.

Is it really abnormal that professed Christians can actually be talented and widely successful? It's really not. However, I do love that Lecrae honors the power of Christ unashamed. He is a christian and He is very skillful in his craft. 

Church Clothes 2 is one of the LP's that stay on frequent rotation in my car now and my young cousin who's not so christian was thoroughly impressed. Being that He mostly identifies with the rap that's full of cursing and destruction that's a good thing. Lecrae probably can be confusing to some Christians because he takes the same formula with perhaps an even greater amount of talent and switches the lyrics. Hopefully in that he will reach even more lost people.

His music is more than conscious, it's undoubtedly Christian. Honestly Lecrae's album is number one because of his skill which He honors God in, but also because people are tired of hearing lyrics that don't give life! Lyrics which as Lecrae raps on his new album "Ain't Talkin Bout Nothin". This could be the start of something good. Hopefully it's no longer an anomaly to be "different", but more of us will be the change that we want to see...In whatever field God has called us in. It's imperative to keep God's purpose for us as the lead in our lives...to be BOLD!

Check out The Lyric Video for "Nuthin". Share your thoughts in the comments section below. 

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