Jesus Is Here!

"For unto us a Child is born,Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,To order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this".

- Isaiah 9:6&7





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http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=wJQMnB8K3rc



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnOIShNBJyw



MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE AND REJOICE!!!

~Royalbutterfli

Consider God

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths".

- Proverbs 3:5&6



Faith matters. Sometimes it seems hard to have faith. But is it really? Or are we being deceived? Sometimes our faith wavers. Should it really? We all need faith to accomplish goals in life. We all need faith to overcome life's challenges. With that, the answer to these two questions I posed is no. Though everyone struggles to hang on to it at times, faith shouldn't be hard to have nor should our faith waver. Why? Because we ought to always think about who God is and what He has already accomplished not only in our lives already but in the earth as well. No matter how great the challenge or opportunity we face, let's consider God. He wants us to remember who He is. He wants us to trust that He is able. With trusting in Him comes His promises. Without faith it is impossible to please Him.

Christmas is around the corner. I can't help but to think about all the gifts that will be given and received. I also ponder on how God our Father always has something ready for His kids. When we look to Him with regard, respect and expectation He always shows Himself as Abba Father, providing what we need just when we need it. Just like an earthly dad can't resist the look in His child's eye, when God looks at us as we look to Him in faith knowing that He will come through on our behalf, He is ready and willing to do just that. Consider God and just believe. Why shouldn't we believe? It's not like we can fix our issues or accomplish our goals on our own anyway. He has all dominion and power in His hand. Merriam-Webster has one of the definitions for dominion as supreme authority. Doesn't that sound just like God? When we consider Him these are the things we ought to remember. All of His attributes and characteristics are true. Faith becomes easier to embrace when we consider Him in all things and in every circumstance and on everyday.

I encourage you to just believe. Whatever it is that you are facing. God is the Author and Finisher of your faith, Heb. 12:2. Sarah in the bible had a hard time believing God so much that she laughed at Him when the promise for her to bare a child at her age was revealed but then she remembered. She considered who spoke to her. She considered God (Heb. 11:11), the AlL-Mighty one. The One that is true to His word. And so...Yes! She did bare a son to Abraham (Gen. 22:2). I implore you to consider God. He is able to not only do what He promises but also what you petition Him to do. 1 John 5:14&15 tells us if we believe He hears us we will have just what we have asked. Sickness, opportunity, goals, family, whatever the plight, ordeal, or needed direction, consider God.



~ Royalbutterfli



Let's pray...

Dear Father, we look to you in every circumstance. You are a good God therefore we believe that every good gift comes from You just as your word declares. We consider You today. We consider Your sovereignty, Your faithfulness and Your greatness. Have Your divine way in our lives. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Still Valuable After The Sifting

"...satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail: and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."

- Luke 22:31



The word sift means to go through something very carefully in order to find something useful or valuable. With that definition we understand what the devil wanted to do to Peter in Luke 22:31. The devil asked God for him. Did you know that till this day the devil still asks? He petitions God for our lives. He does this, especially when we are in a place of purpose and destiny. He's the accuser of the brethren and he comes to steal, kill and destroy. In the Henry Matthew's Commentary it describes the devil as wanting to show God that Peter was nothing but chaff and not wheat. Wheat in the bible exemplifies true sonship/daughtership. Chaff exemplifies uselessness and worthlessness.

What do we do when we find ourselves in the middle of something that we didn't ask for? Many circumstances in life come when we don't expect them to, both good and bad. These things are out of our control. So what do we do when the unexpected comes? Prove to the devil our sonship/daughtership through Christ. It is him that we fight against. Ephesians 6:12 tells us that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Remember Jesus told Peter that He already prayed for him that his faith will not fail. Let's believe that He will do the same for us. God is a respecter of no person. He prays for us even now, Romans 8:34. Powerful!

Question. After the sifting will you still be in tact? Will you still want to serve and submit to God's Lordship over your life? Though we go through uncomfortable seasons in our lives we will still be the same person prior to going through just better and most likely more fit to be used by Him, like wheat. The value we possess on the inside will be exposed. We are not to worry about what others think about us because people base their approvals on their own biases and beliefs. Our value will be defined on how we come out on the other side of the sifting. Jesus said that we would come out stronger. Best of all is that we will be able to reach out to others with that very strength. It is wonderful when we are true followers of Jesus. A sifting can in fact validate our sonship/daughtership.

I encourage you. Hang in there because you are valuable. You are not chaff. You are wheat and will be useful to the Father. If the sifting seems unbearable trust God and His plan for your life. He knows what's best. There is a purpose for the discomfort. Whatever the problem know that you will get through it. Remember, Jesus told Peter that he would return. Know that God won't leave you in the wilderness but will bring you back to that place where the storms were past and everything was at a calm. Be encouraged, God bless you and love you. His promises are true.



~ Royalbutterfli



Let's pray...

Dear Father, help us to remember your promise of us being strengthened by You when it's all said and done. We declare that our faith will not fail us and when we return we will be able to strengthen our brethren with the strength that we gained during our time of discomfort. Get the glory out of our lives. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Hallelujah Anyhow

"From the rising of the sun to the going down of it and from east to west the name of the Lord is to be praised".

- Psalm 113:3



Ok. So hard trials are not the easiest to get through. They are hard, draining and painful. They make life seem as though the problem will be drawn out and will never end. We all experience tough times. So, if there's anyone that is reading this and may feel that you are alone in your fight know that there are others that have gone before you and have conquered. Our prime example is Jesus. We are able to conquer too. As long as we are in Christ we are more than conquerors. In Him we always have the victory. He is not a fairy tale nor a myth.

Jesus is real and He can be the alleviator of our pain. The opposition of deceit, finance, physique, the mental state or whatever it may be, it's never greater than God. The pain that these oppositions bring can be settled and ultimately removed by the blood of Jesus. When we call on Him with our Hallelujah He comes to see about us. His faithfulness in being our burden remover is sure and true. We are safe in His hand. As long as we remember where our help comes from we will be alright. Sometimes we get so overwhelmed by the disturbing things that are happening around us that we are tempted to believe who they are telling us we are. These problems can't define us because Christ has already done that on the cross. We are joint heirs with Him. Let us embrace the fact that God knows who we are. We are to embrace who He says we are.

I want to encourage you not to let opposition define who you are. Whatever you are facing the God of the universe knows and cares. He is more eager to deliver than you are desiring the deliverance. Let Him take away your pain and say Hallelujah anyhow.



~ Royalbutterfli



Let's pray...

Dear Lord help us to understand that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. We embrace what you say about us and walk into our purpose by faith. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Jesus Also Gave Thanks

"Then He took the cup, and gave thanks..."

- Luke 22:17



Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Oh what a blessing it is for us to be able to say thank you to the living God. "This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it", Psalm 118:24. We acknowledge this day as the official day to give thanks. We are thankful for things, family, friends, enemies, good times and even bad times. We eat, enjoy family and continue on with the rituals of this beautiful holiday. While being thankful to God for all He has done let's realize how Jesus was a thankful person.

Did you know that Jesus said thank you? Throughout the new testament Jesus gave thanks to the Father. This describes Jesus as being an outstanding leader. Yes, He is perfect in all of His ways and with that in mind it should humble us when we see how humbly He, who is all powerful, all knowing and all seeing, is thankful. Good leaders are humble and know where their help comes from. He wasn't boastful but knew that gratitude was important if He was going to fulfill the Father's plan and purpose. As Jesus walked the earth He knew that God was the head of His agenda. We should follow His lead.

Jesus gave thanks in good times. One of those good times was when He fed the five thousand. In Matthew 15:36 "And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to his disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude". We can imagine how grateful the multitude must have been to Jesus in return. It could have been almost like how thankful we are today for what we have on our tables regardless of the amount. Jesus feeding the multitude must have been a time of great rejoicing.

Jesus was thankful in the good times but how about the times when we would think it wasn't so pleasant for Him to give thanks? There was a time in the bible when He gave thanks in advance for Lazarus' resurrection. Jesus was grateful in the midst of a situation that He needed God to come through for Him as soon as possible. John states in verses 11:41-43 "Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me. Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!". How awesome is that? That goes to show us that we are not exempt from saying thank you when times are difficult or when we are in need of a right now answer from God. Beside Jesus being thankful another awesome point to this story is that God answered Him. He did it immediately for Jesus because with Him all things are possible! First let's selah (think about it) then I think we should take a praise break right here. Thank you Jesus!

Another time Jesus gave thanks was at the Last Supper. In Mark 26:27 & 28 He gives thanks for the cup which represents His blood, this would redeem the world. Jesus knew His time of physical death was near. But what did He do anyway? He gave thanks. He is such a gracious God. Not only does He provide grace to us that need it but He does everything with grace. He's a tasteful God. Psalm 34:8 "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him".

I encourage you today on this wonderful holiday. Let's be like Jesus and be thankful. Let's thank God for the things and people in our lives that bring us joy. Then let's go ahead and be thankful for the unsure things, the hurtful things and even the downright wrong things. God is faithful and He honors our gratitude to Him. "For all things work together for the good to them that love the Lord and who are called according to His purpose", Rom. 8:28. Let's be thankful and He will continue to provide us with reasons to be thankful. Just like He did with Jesus. He never failed Jesus. Let us follow Jesus' lead. God will never fail us!

~ Royalbutterfli



Let's pray...

Dear Father, THANK YOU for everything. We sanctify this day to say thank you. Thank you for health, strength, family, purpose, life, and YOU. Help us to not only say thank you with our mouths but to be grateful with our actions, through our obedience and our giving. Once again but definitely not the last time, we say THANK YOU JESUS! Amen.

The Constant God

"Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever more".

- Hebrew 13:8



Constancy. It's something that we all desire as humans. We seek it from things as well as from people-our loved one and friends. These things and people are there for us when we need them. But at one point these things and people had us thinking they were a one hundred percent constant in our lives. Usually, because these things and people are tangible to us we put our trust in them believing that they will always be there. Real talk, many times we do find constancy in these people and things but only to a limit. One of the reasons why God is so special is because there is no limit in Him. Sooner or later we find that these very things and people can disappoint us. It could be a minute disappointment or a great one. Maybe a need isn't met, a promise is broken, an unedifying word is spoken, or even the death of a loved one let you down. Either way the constancy we believe is in tact is not always present as we may think. It, at some point, let's us down. It's hard to realize it in the midst of a let down but let downs should be understood because nothing and no one has ever been nor ever will be as constant as God!

God's genuineness is so pure that He is unable to be inconsistent. He tells us that He will never leave or forsake us. "...He will be with you. He will not leave you or forsake you..." Deut. 31:8. He also says in Matt. 28:20 "...And Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age". The end of the age? Yes, it's that powerful? We can rely on Him at all times, with all things, in all circumstances. Even until the end of whatever it is that we're facing, good or not so good. He never wavers. He will always be with us. The beautiful things is when He says something He means it. His track record is flawless. I guarantee that if we look back on our lives individually we will see the many times when God was a constant and very loyal to us and our circumstances. No one and nothing can compare to Him!

God is so bona fide in His constancy that even when we fall He makes sure He reels us back in. As mere mortals we tend to fall into the mentality of our forefathers and mothers, like Adam and Eve. We give in to our flesh but David reminds us in Psalm 103:13-19 "As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone,and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children—with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all". The awesome part is that God, just like what He did for Adam and Eve-provide a way for vindication and redemption-He will do for us. He is not a respecter of persons. There is nothing or no one that can compare to His CONSTANCY!

I encourage you to know that Gods constancy will always be. It will never cease nor will it ever lack. If someone let;s you down look to Jesus. Your help comes from Him. If something you planned on didn't work out, God can rearrange any plan. He can make it better, whatever it is. He always has and knows what's best for each and everyone of us. Know that He is on your side. He's the Almighty constant God!

~ Royalbutterfli



Let's pray...



Dear God, thank you for being the only true constant in our lives. If you were not around we would be like a ship tossed and driven like a ship without a sail. You hold us upright so that we can fulfill your will on this earth. Because of your constancy we can always rely and depend on you for strength, support and reassurance. Keep us as we keep your word in our hearts. In Jesus' name. Amen.

It's All In Worship

"All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name. For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God".

- Psalm 86:9&10

We lack nothing when we worship. Worship invites God and He reveals Himself to us including His plan for our lives. Even while we’re in the waiting place for God to manifest His divine will we can realize that He is still at work in us when we worship. True worship always brings us to an intimate plane of openness and surrender to the King of kings. He communes with us. He becomes evident and tangible. When we are vulnerable it allows Him to speak. We are able to see clearly, hear clearly and receive openly from Him. Miracles, signs and wonders are sure to follow; all of this when we worship.

At times we experience things that seem to be setbacks but if we worship through these shadows we will remain in a good place. Yes, it's just a shadow, whatever it is that we may be facing. "Ye though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff comfort me" Psalm 23:4. In the end we always win. We are comforted by God when we draw nigh to Him.

In worship, among many other things, God provides wisdom, understanding, knowledge and empowerment. He provides a way out if we feel trapped. He gives joy if we are in despair. He sheds light when darkness seems to be present. His presence will cause our enemies to scatter. Psalms 68:1 says that God's enemies will be scattered when He arises. Guess what? Our enemies are also God's enemies because we belong to Him.

Spending time in the presence of God allows Him to download Himself into us. Just like a big computer file, because we love a big God, in worship Gods download may take some time. It’s always best to not rush or pull the plug while He’s downloading. We are to bask in His presence and let Him fill us completely with what it is that He wants to fill us with. The only way Moses was able to direct the people of Israel was because He made himself available to God and His presence. He was able to hear from God. What would have happened if Moses didn’t wait on God to finish revealing His will, like the ten commandments, Exodus 20? Gods will is full of glory, therefore the vibrancy of the desires that He placed in our hearts will come alive again when they seem to have faded. His presence assures us of all of His goodness. There is no evil in Him. He is kind, merciful and just. And yes, He’s patient. Experiencing God is so beautiful and exciting. It’s not a onetime experience but a daily experience. Daily we should worship God.

When we worship we join the angles. We honor the one who created us. What an overwhelming thought. He’s the one who made all things and is in control of all things. We are allowed to approach His holy throne as He so openly accepts us. Why wouldn’t we want to take advantage of such a privilege? Not only does He meet us where we are, He gives us all that we need, whether it's immediate or not.

I encourage you that if your life is filled with things that you don't want it to be filled with get into worship. In this experience God will change your situation and/or change you. All you have to do is let Him. In His presence your perspective will change regardless of what God sees fit to do. He will never fail to give you what you need when you give Him what is due to Him. He will meet you but what’s so amazing is that the God of the universe wants to meet you.

~ Royalbutterfli



Let's Pray...

Dear God, Thank you for the day and loving us. Thank you that your presence is like no other. In your presence we find peace, direction and everything else we need. Be our dwelling place now and forever. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Countless As The Sand

"How precious also are thy thoughts toward me, O God! How great is the sum of them. If I should count them they are more than the number of the sand: when I wake up, I am still with thee".

- Psalm 139:17&18(KJV)



God thinks of us constantly. Sometimes it may seem like there are too many people on this earth for God to focus on individually but He does. In the bible, Ps. 139, David says that "...Gods thoughts are precious toward us and great are the sum of them. If we were to count them they would be more than the number of the sand". What a wonderful thing to grasp and understand. Thank you Jesus.

Our thought patterns are what usually determines our outcomes in life. When thoughts that are negative or evil try to take residence in our minds we are to rebuke them. The Oxford Dictionary defines the word rebuke as to express sharp disapproval. It is our responsibility to bring our minds under subjection. We are to tell ourselves what Gods will is and His purpose for our lives. If we don't these thoughts will dominate our thought process and ultimately our lives. They will try to abort our purpose. We are supposed to pull these thoughts down and make them obey Christ and what He says about us. We should ask God to let Christ's mind be in us. Philippians 4:8 tells us to think on things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, anything of good report and praiseworthy. Meditate on these things. Before the foundations of the earth God knew that we would have to deal with attacks on our minds. God let's us know over and over in the bible that we are victorious and strong in Him. We are more than conquerors, Rom. 8:37. We are to put on the helmet of salvation to protect our minds, Eph. 6:17. God let's us know what we need to do to overcome the forces that try to make us question ourselves in Him and who He created us to be as individuals and/or even collectively as His church.

If these thoughts take residence in our minds they will cause harm. They get attached to our souls and will affect the way we think and that in turn will negatively affect our behavior. There are a lot of things in this world wanting to feed into our lives. We must be careful of what we internalize. We should filter out those things that are contrary to who God says we are and where we want to be in life. We should always seek to have a mind that is like Christ. He thinks greatness toward us. He's constantly thinking about us. That is so comforting. He holds us so dear that he says that we are like the apple of His eye, Psalm 17. To know that the God of the universe thinks about ______ (put your name in the blank) on a regular basis is wonderful. He's not fickle but He is the constant in our lives. He's constant! I had to repeat that. There is no variation in Him. He won't change. He never has and never will.

Gods thoughts toward us will always be good. Jeremiah 29:11 says Gods thoughts are of peace not of evil and to give us an expected end. I encourage you to take on the thoughts that God has about you. Don't let the devil change your mind on what He says about you. The devil will try to send evil and negative influential messages your way but remember what the bible says, pull these thoughts down! Speak what God says about you. Here's a reminder of what God thinks about you. He loves you. He thinks you're awesome. He sees you. He cares about you. You are blessed. You are more than a conqueror. You can do all things through Christ. He's ALWAYS thinking about you.



~ Royalbutterfli



Let's pray...

Father, in Jesus' name thank you for always having us on your mind, collectively as Your church and individually. We believe what You say about us and we embrace that by faith. Help us to resist and pull down the thoughts that would derail us. Thank you for thinking of us so precious that you sent Jesus to redeem us so that you could seat us with Him as joint heirs in heavenly places. We are now royalty because you love us so dearly. Thanks again Father. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Anointed For This

"Every good gift and every perfect (free, large, full)gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of all (that gives) light, in (the shining of) Whom there can be no variation (rising or setting) or shadow cast by His turning (as in an eclipse)".

~ James 1:17 (Amplified)



What is it that you can do without putting out much effort? Some people sew well. Some people speak well, some sing, some teach and so on. Whatever your effortless capability may be it's all because God put it in you. It is called your gift. God gifts us all according to how He sees fit. Everyone has something that they do exceptionally well. This thing will forever be a part of who we are as individuals. It cannot be confiscated nor can it be quenched. God not only can't take away but won't take away our gift, so it should be obvious that it is impossible for a mere mortal take away our gift. Gods gifts and calling are without repentance, Rom. 11:29. The gift(s) He gives us are irrevocable.

Sometimes the mistake of focusing on a gift that isn't ours can be reckless. It can cause a hindrance to the development of our true gift(s). If we make that mistake we risk suffocating the very thing that we are anointed to do on this earth. There will never be one person with every gift. We shouldn't aim to possess all gifts. All we have to do is maximize the actual gift(s) God has given us. If it's one gift, just the one gift may seem small in our eyes but when that one gift is coupled with the anointing of God He will do wonders with it. He will and can do more with the one gift than we can do with all the ones that we desire to have. There's a saying, "stay in your lane". We should focus and cultivate the gift(s) God has given each of us, regardless of the social status that it holds. When we do this the anointing that rests on our lives will catapult the effectiveness of our gift. With this understanding there is no need to seek out things that will waste time and/or effort.

I encourage you to embrace what God has given you. Some people are gifted in more than one area. Though that may be the case always maximize what God has given you, whether it be one or five gifts. Let's not want to be a one hit wonder, for there is no such person, with Jesus as the exception. If God can take a small seed, put it in the ground and bring up a harvest from that one seed, why wouldn't he be able to have your gift make room for you as His word says, Prov. 18:16? Here's a nugget, we all have a gift therefore there is room for each and every one of us on this earth. Miriam-Webster defines the word anoint as to officially or formally choose one to do or to be something. You're anointed for this! Whatever it is. Give it over to God and let Him bring the increase. Trust Him.



~ Royalbutterfli



Let's pray...

Father in Heaven, help us to be more like you in everything we do. Help us to surrender our gifts to you so that the anointing can flow freely through us. We will use the gift(s) you have endowed us with to Your glory. Give us the desire to maximize what you have put in our hands to work with as oppose to us finding things to put in our own hands to work with. You can do exceeding and abundantly above all we ask or think. Have your way in us. In Jesus' name. Amen.

When God Speaks, It's Truth.

"He is the Holy Spirit who leads into all truth..."

~ John 14:17



Ok. So I never post twice in a week let alone in a day but, I guess there's a first time for everything.

I'm so glad that God speaks. He has many avenues in which He speaks. The most important part of Him speaking is not only are we listening to Him but are we hearing him? The bible states in Romans 10:17 that "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God". The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines hearing as to perceive and apprehend by the ear, to gain knowledge of, to gain information and to receive communication. I love that because when I merge the bible verse in Romans with the definition Webster gives I come to a conclusion that God is communicating with us through His word, both written and Holy Spirit breathed. He wants us to grasp what He is saying as knowledge so that we will take His word and respond to it. He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit of the Lord says to the called out ones.

What I love about the Holy Spirit is that He guides us into all truth. There's no need to look to the left nor to the right. When He speaks it's all we need but it's so wonderful how He gives us confirmations anyway. He doesn't give them because He's uncertain of what He said but because of the frailty of our faith. What He says will and always be the way and the life. Jesus talks about the Holy Spirit He would be sending after His resurrection. Well, in this portion of scripture in John 16:13-17 Jesus says to His disciples "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me". There we have it. What more do we need when the Spirit of the living God speaks to us? Let God be true and every man a liar Rom. 3:4.

We can never go wrong when we are led by the Holy Spirit. That's why it's so important that we stay close in relationship with God so that we can get direction, insight and understanding. We are no longer slaves but friends of God. John 15:15 says "...for I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known to you". This is so awesome because this is Jesus speaking and letting us know that we can rest assured in His word to us when we remain in Him and Him in us.

I encourage you today. If you are trying to hear from God become His friend. He is always speaking. If you have heard from God, what did you hear and what is your response to what you heard? Obedience is a conversation in itself but the ultimate goal after hearing from God is responding to what we hear. Deut. 29:29 "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do...". What a privilege it is to have the Almighty wise God speak to us.

~Royalbutterfli



Let's pray...

Father in Heaven help us to be lead by your ever gentle Holy Spirit. Give us ears that we may hear what you are saying to us. Then help us to obey and respond to the revelation that you have counted us worthy to be a part of. We are honored to have you speak to us and we humbly receive what You have to say. Be glorified forever in our lives. In Jesus name. Amen.

This Joy That I Have...

"Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let Your saints shout for joy."

~ Psalms 132:9 (KJV)

Being upright has many benefits. Though the benefits of a holy lifestyle shouldn't be the primary focus, it is inevitable that the benefits will start rolling in once we get in line with Gods ways and commands. When we live Gods way on this earth we experience the fruits of His Spirit which in turn usually leads to all the earthly things we desire. This thought reminds me of Matthew 6:33 where the author says to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you". All these things can mean anything that we desire or need but I would like to focus on the fruits of the Spirit that we obtain when we live right.

In Gal 5:22 love is the primary fruit of the Spirit mentioned that Christians should seek to possess most. Joy comes second in this portion of scripture. I want to focus on the fruit of joy in particular. Joy helps us tremendously in our spiritual walk with God. Usually when life throws us a curve ball joy is always there to catch it. When we are filled with joy it will always be the underlying factor of our present state which will cause us to laugh when we feel like crying. It will have us encourage someone else when we are not feeling encouraged for ourselves. Joy gives us the fuel we need to go forward in this journey we call life, throughout every season. Joy helps us to soar as eagles. We soar right over certain circumstances that would otherwise have us defeated. The bible tells us in one of the golden Psalms by David that "Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure". With the knowledge of that verse we should take heart. Let us anchor ourselves in joy for it will keep us safe and secure and smiling.

Now, joy is indeed a fruit that is altogether wonderful but in order for us to have this joy, and it work in us to the fullest, our lives must be right before God. Psalms 32:11 tells us to "Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart". Our hearts will be glad and we can shout without inhibitions when our lives are not only right but upright before God. He is the source of our joy and He is the center of our joy. So, it only makes sense that in order to have this joy in full we need to please Him by making Him smile. Here's a nugget, when He smiles, we smile.

Be encouraged and know that the joy that you have will strengthen you in the hard times and add beauty in the good times.



~ Royalbutterfli



Let's pray...

Heavenly Father you have given us many things but today thank you for the joy that you give us in turn for our lives. Thank you that you give us beauty for ashes, strength for fear, gladness for mourning and peace for despair. Please allow your joy to penetrate all the areas of our lives that need it. Where we're sad give us joy, where we're unsure give us joy, and Lord even when we are in a good place give us more joy. Thank you that you love us and will continue to provide for us according to your riches in glory. In Jesus name. Amen.

A Sincere Heart Leads To Holiness

Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts. Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever.< br /> ~ Psalms 15 (NLT)

Living for God can be challenging. When making the decision to follow Christ one has to be against a lot of what the secular world is for. Ones lifestyle, morals, and thought processes must begin to change. This can happen willingly, unwillingly, purposely and/or supernaturally. When this change occurs it is called becoming holy.

The bible passage above clearly lets us know what holiness entails but the definition in the KVJ dictionary online is helpful to know also. It says to be holy is when ones heart is conformed in some degree to the image of God, and his life is regulated by the divine precepts (the bible). It is to be properly, whole, entire or perfect, in a moral sense. Hence, pure in heart, temper or dispositions; free from sin and sinful affections; consecrated or set apart to a sacred use, or to the service or worship of God. I know it seems a bit overwhelming and like being holy is far fetched. Don't down play your capability so quickly. Simply put, Holiness comes when we follow His ways. I talk about that later in this post but first the bible says that we can do all things through Christ that gives us the strength (Phil. 4:13). We know that from scripture and if we live with the Lord we will find that out through experiences with Him. His word is true. Most importantly living holy comes from a love relationship with the Lord.

Living for God is so much easier and enjoyable when we fall in love with Him. He always makes it worth our while. It's just like in a man/woman, parent/child, etc. relationship. When you love someone you are more likely to have that persons best interest in mind. With God it is the same but way more intense. Not only will He love us back, He will show us the ropes on how to walk upright before Him. What does that mean? Well, mistakes will happen but as we dust ourselves off, have Him cleanse us with His blood and we continue with Him we will be able to stand firm upon His love. He will direct us into true holiness through the channel of our individual sincere love for Him. With this, less occurrences of sin will be manifested.

God expresses to us in Prov. 23:26 "O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes take delight in following my ways." Isn't that awesome how personal God is with His children? Also He lets us know that when we take delight in Him our heart truly belongs to Him. One beautiful thing about this is that it's cyclical. When our hearts belong to Him, in turn, His ways we will follow. Another beautiful thing is that we don't have to worry about not being loved back by God because the initiative and reciprocity of His love through Christ (Jn. 3:16) assures us of that. He loves us so much that He poured out His love on our hearts through His Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5).

Living holy is possible. It's not so far out there and unattainable? God is a God that will always create a way of escape for us when compromise presents itself. Will it be easy? At times, yes, because of the power that works in us as we abide in Him and He in us. Will it be difficult? At times, yes, but that is when we must lean on Him and let His love purify the way we think, what we do and what we say.

Fall in love with God. He is sure to take you by the hand and make you look more like Him every day. Holy.



~Royalbutterfli

Let's Pray...

Father in Jesus name, let your love flood our hearts that holiness will flow out of us. Let our lives be a testament to you. We want you to be glorified in our lives. Uphold us with your willing spirit that we will obey quickly and freely. Thank you for progress and that you are completing the work that you have started in each of us. In Jesus name. Amen.