Commit To The Lord And Your Plans Will Succeed

My friends, to God be the glory! I came home today, expecting to take me a quick nap before I head out to New Year's Eve Service, but I am too excited to take a nap. I am excited because the Lord has been good to me each and every day of 2009! Even when I was not good to myself, God was still there to comfort me and keep me safe. Even though I made my own plans for all I wanted to do in 2009, God is the one who directed my plans. Proverbs 16:1-3, "To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue. All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."

My friends, as you make those resolutions for 2010, commit them to the Lord, He will direct your path. Ask God for His blessings over your plans. We just need to remember that we must ask God to make our plans come through. We can make all the plans and commitments to certain people and things, but if it is not in the will of God, no matter what you say or do, it will not succeed.

I pray that we will all continue to ask God for guidance over our plans. In fact, let us let go of our selfishness and let the Lord know that we will commit to Him and His plans for our lives, whatever they may be. I have a feeling that we will start to succeed more if we just commit to the Lord and what He wants us to do.

God bless you today and always. God bless our families as we lead them into the new year with thanksgiving in our hearts. I pray you and your family good health, happiness, peace, joy, prosperity; I pray the Lord's favor over your lives in 2010.

Ta ta,
Therese from Belize

It Is Connected To Your Environment

These past few days I emphasized about being in storms no matter who we are, where we live, what we do. Storms just do not discriminate. Now, I must give you the reverse of a storm, that is, a blessing. The same way storms can be connected to our environments, blessings are also connected to our environments! That is right because when we have the favor of God, we are blessed, and it does not matter what or who is around us. Isn't it just amazing?

Rev. Felix G. Williams, III had taught that blessings can be connected to our environment because God put people in necessary places. This is just great and encouraging to me because I know that when my family and friends are doing things that are not of God, but because I am highly favored, they are still being blessed because I am being blessed. When I pray and intercede for those around me, blessings still come down to them because I am highly favored.

I read my favorite apostle's letter in Romans 10:12. Paul puts me on notice with this: "For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile-the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him." Paul could not have brought that awareness to me any clearer than he did in this letter. My friends, we are put on notice time and time again in the Bible that God blesses those who call on His name. We get blessings when we walk in obedience to His will; we get blessings when we keep on praying and praising God despite the people around us. I know that I will keep on praying and praising God no matter my environment I will just keep on calling the name of the Lord because I know He blesses those who call on His name.

My friends, be encouraged that no matter who is and around your environment, you just keep calling on the name of Jesus and you will be blessed. You keep calling on the name of Jesus on behalf of those who are in and around your environment and you will see the blessings pour out over their lives. Keep praying, keep praising, keep pressing. God bless you and those in your environment.

Ta ta,
Therese from Belize

Storms of Correction For Those Like Me

My friends, sometimes I am lost for words in explaining how the Spirit moves. After I wrote the blog, "How Did I End Up In This?" from Rev. Williams' Sunday sermon, the Spirit led me back to my notes. In particular, regarding storms of correction. Through prophetic intervention on behalf of his congregation, Rev. Felix G. Williams, III told us that that sometimes a storm comes into our lives to correct our actions. He said that sometimes our behavior needs to be modified and adjusted, and that is why we end up in a storm of correction. You know, when I ponder on this, I realize that sometimes as disciples we get so comfortable, we forget that we should be striving towards that Christ-like attitude and behavior. Sometimes, God just have to knock us down off our "high horses" in order to come under His submission.

Rev. Williams gave another important teaching. He said that one of the reasons we end up in storm of correction is because of the people we hang out with; people we hang on to; people we allow onto our "ships". I know it is really hard to let go of certain people in our lives, but until we realize it is because of them that we get in these storms of correction, we will continue to be whipped by God. Those such people may be our very own family members, our husbands, our wives, our children, friends, neighbors. I have gotten some good whippings from the Lord because of certain people I used to hang around, certain people I used to listened to daily with pessimistic attitudes about everybody and everything. I got in storm of correction because of the places I used to go (the clubs, people's houses that I had no business going to because of what took place there), because of words I used to speak (maliciousness, gossiping, cursing). But glory to God, when I got tired of being in storms of correction, I adjusted my behavior real quickly!

I have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. I take heed to the lessons of my past experiences; I no longer get fool so easily by the "pleasant conditions" because I have a spirit of discernment and I try my hardest to not give way to pessimistic attitudes. In fact, the Spirit that lives within us helps us to move away from such attitudes and behaviors. This only comes by being obedient to the will of God, staying in the Word, and praying regularly and continually.

I am proud to say that in my small circle, I do have folk who can unlock the storm door on my behalf. They know how to pray and they intercede on my behalf. When they do, God hears them. I thank God for those such people who are in my life. The unknown author(s) of the Book of Hebrews, in Chapter 12:1, reminds me that "since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." In verse 2, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." I thank God for carrying the cross for me. As a gratitude to God, I am fixing my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. I pray you will do the same, that is, if you are tired of being in storms of correction.

God bless.
Ta ta,
Therese from Belize

"How Did I End Up In This?" - Rev. Dr. Felix G. Williams, III

I am truly blessed! God gives me the tools I need to continue my walk in submission to the Lord each and every day. I say so because my Pastor's prophetic intervention was for me. His message was delivered to me. Rev. Dr. Felix G. Williams, III, taught on "How Did I End Up In This?" Rev. Williams reminded me that even in my spiritual life there are going to be some "Caesars". Rev. Williams defined a "Caesar" as a storm. He went on to remind me that "Caesars" are unavoidable no matter how saved I am. Nevertheless, he assured me that everybody is either currently in a storm; has been in a storm; or has come out of a storm.

Why Storms Happen?
According to Rev. Williams, when storms come our way it is because:
1) We did not heed the lessons of past experiences;
2) We get fooled by pleasant conditions;and
3) We allow ourselves to give way to pessimistic attitudes.

There are several kinds of storms, taught Rev. Williams:
1) Regular storms - physical, financial, environmental. We have sickness, we have unemployment, we have shootings;

2) Storms of correction - this is the type of storm that requires a modification of our behavior. Our behavior needs to be adjusted. For example, the storm may not be mine, but because of the people I hang around or allow in my space, I face the consequences of other people's actions;

3)Storms for perfection - God is trying to mature us spiritually. This is an opportunity God gives us to get in His Word, meditate upon His Word and carry out His Word.

4) Self-Imposed Storms - these are storms that we bring upon our own selves because of our own stupid decisions. We do not listen or take heed to the advice of our parents or our mentors or our pastors.

My friends, Rev. Williams prophetically intervened in my life. He prophesied that I will be able to handle storms if I begin to give up hope in "stuff" and begin to have hope in God. His prophetic intervention is that if I re-evaluate those I have in my life, I should look for friends with powerful connections. Powerful connections, not the Mayor, not Coach Cal, not President Lee Todd, but powerful connections to the Lord. Hallelujah! I need friends in my circle who will intercede on my behalf; I need friends who will pray for and with me. Rev. Williams urged me to have somebody in my circle of friends who has a key to unlock the door to get me out.

Galatians 6:3, "If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself." My friends, we have all fallen short of the glory of God, but we know we serve a true and loving God who sent His only Son on this earth to die for our sins, and because Jesus Christ paid the price for us, He is able always to save those who come to God through Him because He always lives, asking God to help them (Hebrews 7:25).

My friends, I encourage you to seek friends who will intercede and intervene to God on your behalf. I surely did not leave Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church the same way I went in. Glory to God.

Be blessed,
Therese from Belize

Submitting To God's Will

My friends, I pray all is well. I have been relaxing and enjoying the quietness of my home, reflecting on my life, all I have been through, where I am now, and what God has in store for me in the future! With all that being said, I know I must stay in the will of God. Staying in the will of God requires spiritual maturity, being a student of the Word, steadfast praying and obedience to God. However, the reality is that sometimes it is difficult to stay in submission to God's will. I find myself getting in trouble when I allow the devil to have his way with me. By this, I mean that sometimes I find it difficult to say "no" to people who I know should have no place in my life or I do things that I know is not the will of God. What I am saying, my friends, is that I am only human and every now and then I have to wrestle with the flesh. I know that sinning is not God's will, but no matter how much times I fall, I will get back up and keep serving the Lord. Hebrews 12:2 encourages me, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand throne of the hand of God."

I just thank God for bringing me out of my many circumstances that I knowingly and unknowingly put myself in. I thank God for always having my back. I thank God for opening up doors that were closed in my face. I thank God for opening my eyes so I can see certain things for myself. I thank God that He is a merciful God, a God of second chances, no, a God of many chances. My friends, I am asking you to please pray for me as I keep on fighting to stay in submission to God's will.

God bless you today and always.


Ta ta,
Therese from Belize

Starting Over

My friends, Season Greetings!

I pray everything is well with you and your families. I used to watch a show on CBS called, "Starting Over". Starting Over was about women who had messed up in life; women who had lost all hope in life. The show was about women who wanted a fresh start in life, but they just did not know how to start over; they did not know how to achieve their goals in life. The show also focused on the life coaches counseling these women, hooking them up with mentors and putting a plan together for these women so they may accomplish their goals. My friends, God gives us a fresh start everyday when He wakes us up. God promises us that if we obey His commandments we will be rewarded in Heaven. The great Psalmist, King David, reassures us that the Lord helps those who have been defeated and takes care of those who are in trouble (Psalm 145:14). The NIV version says, "The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down."

My friends, to get a fresh start in life, we do not need to hire any life coaches, we do not need to go on any reality show; we only need God in our life and He is free of charge! God promises us success, long life, peace, happiness and joy when we obey His commandments. I am a "Start Over" woman. I used to live in darkness, I did everything under the sun and the moon that was not of God. But thanks be to God, I am redeemed and God gave me a fresh, new beginning to start over. I got that start over when I accepted the Lord as my personal Savior. I asked God to forgive me of my sins and to come into my heart. I asked the Lord to create in me a clean heart and to renew my spirit. Starting over is the best thing anyone can do for themselves. When God gives us a fresh start and we stay in obedience to His will, we enjoy God's grace. When we start over and stay in obedience to God, the Scripture tells us that "even when we have trouble, we will still have joy because we know that trouble produces patience; patience produces character; character produces hope and hope will never disappoint us because God has poured out His love to fill our hearts. He gave us His love through the Holy Spirit whom God has given to us." (Romans 5:1-5).

As we approach the final days to 2009, are you ready to start over? My friends, there are three easy steps, as easy as ABC to start over.
1)ADMIT that you are a sinner. "For all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)
2)BELIEVE that God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, on this earth. Jesus was crucified, He died and was buried. But on the third day, He arose from the grave. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ, our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
3)CONFESS your sins and ask God to come into your heart. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

My friends, three easy and simple steps, no life coach is required to take these steps. Do it today, do it now because tomorrow is not promised. Send me an e-mail, write me a letter, if I do not have the answer, I will ask my Pastor for assistance and I will get back with you.

Prayer request? Send me an e-mail or a letter and I will lift you up in prayer. May God have mercy on us; may we walk in the path of the Lord. May we turn from our wicked ways before it is too late.

God bless,
Ta ta,
Therese from Belize

Parents Who Dreamed

Greetings, my friends! To God be the glory! Today, I came home and reflected on my Pastor's sermon, No Child Left Behind, which was based on Matthew 2:14. Rev. Williams made three statements which have really stuck in my mind. They are:
1) Know that your geography has nothing to do with your destiny.
This is so true. I am from Belize, a small Central American/Caribbean country. I come from a low socio-economic background. However, my parents did not let our low status defined who we are or who we will become. Today, I am a U.S. citizen, I am employed by the local government; I am well-traveled; I am educated; I have a bank account.

2) As parents, you have to learn how to dream for your children because the devil wants to destroy the present in order to cancel your children's future.
My parents, Tony and Marva Wright, are from families that did not inspire them to dream; their parents did not have any dreams for them, but what a mighty God we serve! You see, my parents did not let their family history and ignorance stop them from being the parents they always wanted to be. They dreamed big dreams for their children because they know the promises of the Bible. My parents always told us we can be whatever we want to be. They always told us the sky is the limit, we just need to do the work, they will be by our sides every step of the way. My parents made sure we were not "left behind" despite our social, economic and geographic status. During the summer, when our neighborhood friends would be taking trips to the United States or attending camps, my parents bought us books to study; my Dad would leave spelling words for us, so when he came home in the evenings, he reviewed those words with us. My friends, the message is this: just because you are where you are right now does not mean that your children have to be there too in the future.

3) People try to kill dreams, but your purpose will always outlast the devil's plans.
That is right. As parents, we must not let anyone interfere with our children's future. In fact, we must dream big things for your children. Imagine your children being astronauts, doctors, educators, lawyers, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, scientists, and you speak this into them, guess what? They will believe. Do not let your situation, economic, social or geographic, determine your children's future. Speak life into your children; confirm and affirm over their lives what great treasures of God they are. Inspire your children to become.

My friends, let us take a look at the Book of Matthew Chapter 7, verses 7 and 8. These verses tell us to "ask and it shall be given to you; seek and ye shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, received; he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." (NIV) All glory to God for parents who love and adore Him; for parents who put God first is rewarded fully. Parents who put God first know the reward that is in store for their children; they see God's promises come to past in their children's dreams coming through!

Be blessed, I pray blessings over your children's lives, in the name of Jesus.

Ta ta,
Therese from Belize

When I Think About My Story - God Favors Me!

My friends, as we near the ending of 2009, I pray that you will find love, peace, happiness and joy. I pray that you will not end this year in hopelessness, sadness, depression, anxiousness, or any of those feelings that make you feel like you are not a child of God. As I look back over my life in 2009, all I can say is that I have God's favor. That is all it is - favor of God. I say favor because I have not always been in obedience to God and His will. I have been through heartache and pain, sickness, I have cried countless nights, but despite all the setbacks that have taken place in my life, I am so grateful for God's favor.

I love Hezekiah Walker's song, "God Favored Me".
I play that song whenever the enemy attacks me. You see, Hezekiah reminds me in his song that even when people whisper, conspire, tell lies, attack my character, God still favors me. I am highly favored by God because He tells me that I am His own. My friends, I have learned to speak life into me, but it is not always easy. The harder I try to live for God, the harder the devil attacks, but that is when I turn to God and ask Him to fight the battle for me. Oh, I tell you, when I turn over my battles to the Lord, that is when the enemies do a double-take, wondering why they couldn't tear me down; why they couldn't make me cry; why they couldn't stop me from achieving my goals. Well, I have two words for the enemies, "God's favor", that's what it is.



Seek God's favor; all it takes is obedience and following the will of God. We see God's favor when we ask for forgiveness and we begin to walk in obedience to God. This is clearly shown in 2 Chronicles 33:12-13, "In his distress (Manasseh, king in Jerusalem for 55 years) he sought the favor of the Lord, his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers." We see in this scripture that Manasseh was disobedient to God, and the Lord brought the king of Assyria's army to attack Judah. Manasseh was captured, and was suffering. In verse 13, the scripture tells us that Manasseh prayed to the Lord; the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so the Lord brought Manasseh back to Jerusalem and his kingdom. "Manasseh knew then that the Lord is God."

As Hezekiah sings, "and if God did it for me, He will do the same thing for you." We see God did it for Manasseh; you see my life and know that God did it for me. My friends, do not envy a sister or a brother, just ask the Lord for His favor. Rev. Williams had said, "favor is what God gives us even when we do not deserve it." Just ask the Lord.

I pray that God will give you peace, joy and happiness. I pray that the Lord will give you a forgiving heart, a loving heart, a joyful heart.

Ta ta,
Therese from Belize

Take Your Troubles To The Lord

These past few days have been very difficult for me as a disciple, because I had to ask the Lord why so many of His children are being attacked spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally, psychologically. Do not get me wrong, I know each and every day God's children get attacked, but for some reason, this week a sense of sadness came over me as I reached out to my brothers and sisters in Christ who are hurting. However, God sent me to Rev. Angela Lee Price blog site. Rev. Price had written a blog, Jesus Is The Way, from John 14:1, "Let not your heart be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in me." I thank God for always giving me confirmation of what I need to do.

My friends, in times of trouble our Lord Jesus Christ can give us comfort, can dry our eyes, can give us our sanity and peace and joy. "Oh what a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and grief to bear. Oh what a privilege to carry everything to the Lord in prayer." God tells us we do not need to bear the load on our own, we just need to take the load to Him in prayer! Sometimes, because we are so emotionally caught up in a situation, we forget that all we need to do is pray and take it to the Lord. When we get in agreement with the Lord, He moves mountains, he removes every obstacle that is in our way. Sometimes, we seek out family and friends first and we must be careful who we seek out. Seek out friends who will get on their knees and pray with and for you. Turn to friends who are spiritually rich because they will be able to lead you to the Lord; they may lead you to the right scripture that will provide comfort and optimism to you. My friends, we must discipline ourselves that when we face trouble, we must first take our troubles to the Lord.

My friends, be careful who you share your troubles with because misery loves company. In John 15:15, our true friend, the Lord Jesus Christ assures us, "...I have called you friends, for everything I have learned from my Father I have made known to you." Jesus wants to be our friends, but this will only happen when we believe and trust in Him.

May God bring you peace, love and joy today and always.

Ta ta,
Therese from Belize

When Evil Spirit Lurks

My friends:

I pray all is well. I am great. My life has been consumed with extra-curricular activities, so please forgive the lax in my blogs. However, I am writing for that one that is looking for the message of hope and promise from God. It seems that as disciples, we are afraid to intervene on behalf of a sister or brother who is suffering from depression, anxiety, abuse, financial hardship, uncertainty of future, unemployment, sickness, I can go on and on. In Psalm 51:10-12, David prayed to the Lord, "Create in me a clean heart God, and make my spirit right again. Do not send me away from you or take your Holy Spirit away from me. Give me back the joy of your salvation." Further, in 1 Samuel 16, we see that Saul suffered from depression and what did he do? He called to one that was anointed and appointed by the Lord God. In verse 23, the scripture tells us, "when the evil spirit troubled Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then the evil spirit would leave him, and Saul would feel better."

My friends, when you have evil spirit troubling you, you need to declare, in the name of Jesus, that it must leave your mind and your body. In the name of Jesus, you must declare that God is your redeemer. When evil spirit lurks, you must get on your knees and pray because no weapons formed against us shall prosper, according to the prophet, Isiah (Isiah 54:17). Remember, as a child of God, depression, has to go; anxiety, has to go; cheating, has to go; lying; has to go; fornication, has to go; abuse, has to go. Anything that is not the will of God has to go. I declare in the name of Jesus that there is a woman, a man, a youth out there who is reading this message and I pray that whatever it is, it has to go. It has to go. In the name of Jesus, it has to go.

"Give your worries to the Lord and He will take care of you. He will never let good people down." (Psalm 55:22). My friends, what are you waiting for? We know that tomorrow is not promised to you or to me. Only God knows what tomorrow holds, so be careful. Stay in the Lord, keep in the Word; keep pressing, keep progressing, keep moving until the victory is won.

I pray God's peace and blessings over your life.

Ta ta,
Therese from Belize

I Am Just A Humble Servant

The Holy Spirit nudged me to revisit Luke Chapter 1, and instead of just re-reading the verses that Rev. Williams had focused on in his message on Sunday, December 6, 2009, (v. 39-45), I continued to read the entire chapter. However, this is where the Holy Spirit wanted me to concentrate: Verse 46, Mary proclaims, "My soul praises the Lord; my heart rejoices in God my Savior, because He has shown His concern for His humble servant girl. From now on, all people will say that I am blessed because the Powerful One has done great things for me. His name is Holy." My friends, I am only a humble servant girl. I am blessed because God has done great things for me. I am blessed because I know God will continue to do great things for me and I thank the Lord in advance.

I recall a class by Rev. Maxine Thomas, which was titled, "Series of Fortunate Events". Rev. Thomas directed her class from Luke 1, focusing on the pregnancies of Elizabeth and Mary. Rev. Thomas encouraged women that when we get pregnant in the Spirit, no one can take away that pregnancy. Sometimes we may be afraid to speak about the movement within us, but we must not be afraid because a true woman of God will understand and provide encouragement and support along the way for us. Rev. Thomas encouraged women to look for other women to encourage and inspire because it is just simple that we need to encourage one another. Rev. Thomas said many times we fail to accept another sister's divinity. I had pondered that statement for some time and all I could come up with is jealousy and envy as the root causes for such failure. To confirm my answer of why women do not support other women, I had the pleasure of sitting in on Dr. Ellen Marmon's class, The Hour of Purpose. Dr. Marmon, Assistant Professor of Christian Discipleship at Asbury Theological Seminary, referred us to Genesis 16:1-10 of Sarai and Hagar. Here we see jealousy and envy in its purest form. Dr. Marmon, however, reiterated,urged and encouraged us as women to provide support, commitment, time and energy to other women.

My friends, we see in the Scripture that Mary, who was pregnant with Jesus turned to Elizabeth (who was pregnant with John the Baptist) for support. Elizabeth did not become jealous of Mary when she came to visit her, knowing that Mary was pregnant with the child who would save the world, but instead Elizabeth became filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke life to Mary letting her know that God has blessed her, that is Mary, more than any other woman. Elizabeth was not jealous, in fact, she was happy with her pregnancy (Luke 1:39-45). As women, we must not be jealous of another woman, instead, we must support that woman in her pregnancy; in her divinity. In fact, we can look at Ruth and Naomi, Ruth became pregnant with Boaz's baby and Naomi took over that baby like he was her own (Ruth 4:16); look at Lois and Eunice, Timothy's grandmother and mother (2 Timothy 1:3-7); Martha and Mary (Luke 10); Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Susanna worked together to help Jesus and His apostles (Luke 8). These are women who loved and supported each other because they all had two things in common; one, they were all humble women; and, two, they loved and served God with all their hearts.

My friends, don't you agree it is time for women to support other women? Do not forget that there was a woman who helped you along the way.

Be blessed, be forgiving, be prayerful.

Ta ta,
Therese from Belize

Just Say No!

I had declared, in the name of Jesus, that I was going to have a blessed and productive day, and thanks be to God, that's exactly what happened. My friends, when we speak and affirm life over situations and over people, positive things happen because God hears us and He knows our hearts. We can only speak life when we are determined to fight the kryptonite. The kryptonite can be whatever is holding us back from fulfilling God's will. A kryptonite can be a person, animal, place, or thing. Kryptonites include, but not limited to, gossiping, pornography, lying, deceiving, stealing, adultery, drugs, prostitution, family's pet, a man or a woman who is walking in a different path than you.

Rev. Williams in his sermon on Sunday, December 6, 2009 said that sinning comes easier than being saved. Of course it is, don't you think so? We find it easier to give in to that thing or that person, rather than to walk away from that thing or person. That thing or person gives us instant gratification, so we do not think about the later consequences. It is easier to cuss somebody out rather than ask God to intervene in the situation. It is easier for us to tangle in sexual sin rather than prayer, asking God for strength to live in abstinence until marriage. A kryptonite is sexy, dark, seductive, loving, fun, playful, gratifying. Jesus' heart weeps every time we submit ourselves to our kryptonite.

Paul wrote, in 1 Timothy 6:11-12, "But you, man of God, run away from all those things. Instead, live in the right way, serve God, have faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, grabbing hold of the life that continues forever." My friends, we must deal with our kryptonites in order for us to live that life that God wants us to live. Remember the Nancy Reagan drug slogan, Just Say No, that's exactly it, we must say "No", but say "Yes" to the Lord.

When we say yes to the Lord, we are walking in faith, we are walking in love, we are walking in prayer. Say yes to the Lord and submit to His will. Say no to lust and envy and jealousy and all those things and persons that look and sound attractive. Jesus will be with you every step of the way when you commit your life to Christ.

Just say no, do what God wants you to do.

Ta ta,
Therese from Belize

All In The Family

Greetings, my friends! To God be the glory!

I was really excited at Sunday School today because the lesson was about the genealogy of Jesus, from Abraham through the birth of Jesus. I was so thrilled because once again being a student of the Word has its reward! Our Sunday School teacher, Sis. Alice Brent, taught with excitement and because I now pride myself on being a student of the Word, I was able to stay on the course right there with her.

My friends, what intrigues me about Jesus' genealogy is that His family makeup consists of murderers, adulterers, liars, rapist, deceivers, and prostitutes. What God shows us is that He uses people with a background of sin, He uses people who are not perfect to do His will. However, Jesus, the only perfect One, was sent by God to save us and deliver us from darkness. So, when our family members do something that is not the will of God, we need to still love them and forgive them. Most importantly, we need to tell them about the goodness of Jesus and that He can forgive them of their sins.

Jesus wants to clean up our past. It does not matter how much we have done, or what we have done, or to whom we have done it; God wants to forgive us of our sins and He wants to use us to do His will. By living for God and doing what He wants us to do, will get us to eternity with our Lord. Our goal should be to get to Heaven. That's what we should be concerning ourselves with, not what we have done in the past.

Dr. Phyllis Jones indicated that knowing our history can strengthen our self image. She said that it is important to keep in mind that a person's family tree does not necessarily determine his or her present or future. In Jesus, a person gains new purpose, fresh energy, and amazing love. No matter what your background may be, you can have new life through Jesus Christ (Living The Lesson, Adult Christian Life 2009).

I pray that you will not let your past define your present and certainly not your future. God has forgiven you and you need to forgive yourself. As for our family members, we all have a relative who does things that are not right, but who are we to judge? We ourselves have done things that are not of God, we still do, because we know it is a constant struggle walking in the path of the Lord. Do not judge, but forgive and pray for family members. Turn them over to God.

With love, peace and joy,
Therese from Belize

It's A Beautiful World

Our Lord God is magnificent! Do I have a witness? Amen.

My friends, I live in the gorgeous state of Kentucky. Every time I go on the interstate and I pass the horse farms, I give God glory. This state is so very beautiful with all its greenery and farm animals. I just give God the glory for the beauty of His land.

Have you had time lately to appreciate the beautiful surroundings of your county, town, state, country? Have you had time as of late to admire the blue sky? Admire the beautifully,well-manicured lawn of the Bluegrass? I pray God's peace, mercy and love over your life. No weapons formed against us shall prosper! Psalm 51:12, Give me back the joy of your salvation." My friends, when we have salvation, we have joy. Oh what joy we have.

Peace and love
Ta ta,
Therese from Belize

We All Have A Testimony

I pray everyone is doing well and, of course, staying prayed up. My friends, when we put God first in our lives, I am telling you, something exciting always happens! As David said in Psalm 65:5, "You answer us in amazing ways, God our Savior." My testimony is that we serve an awesome God who always answers us in an amazing way. The Lord our Father always sends someone our way to give us that extra push, that extra word of encouragement or sends that person to speak life into whatever situation we are facing. My friends, I am finding out each day in this walk with Christ that we all have a story; a story of how the Lord kept us; a story of how the Lord saves us from destruction; a story of how the Lord provided for us when we did not even have two nickles to rub together; a story of a loving God who gave us promotion on the job even when the qualifications did not match the position; a story of forgiveness and service, all in obedience to His will. To God be the glory!

My friends, my testimony is simple, but true...God always, always, always hear the prayer of His children. He heard mine. I just give God all the praise and glory for the people I surround myself with who speak life over me. Today, I was encouraged by three women who shared their personal testimonies with me. I was truly not expecting testimonies, but the Lord knew I needed to hear their testimonies. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. To God be the glory!

Psalm 67:1-2, "God, have mercy on us and bless us,and show us your kindness
so the world will learn your ways; and all nations will learn that you can save."
I pray God's mercy on us. I pray for God's continued intervention in our lives. I think back to what Rev. Dr. Cecelia Williams Bryant had said at a sermon, prophetic intervention is an at-risk procedure, but it will open the gates of Heaven! Speaking life is a prophetic intervention, we need more women speaking life. When we speak life in situations, in the name of Jesus, the Lord hears our prayers; the Lord knows our hearts. The gates of Heaven opens up and flood us with blessings. Remember, when praises go up, blessings come down! Can I have a witness?


Ta ta,
Therese from Belize

God's Help Is Never Late

Greetings, in the name of the Lord, my friends!

I give all glory and praise to God our Father, for His name is worthy to be praised. My friends, I just love it when God hooks me up with someone or something I need. As I had told you some time ago, the Lord has placed New Beginnings Ministry in my heart and He has given me several instructions and directions of what I must do with this ministry, so have been slowly, but diligently working on the ministry. I am reminded in Ecclesiastes 4:16, "...So fame and power are useless, like chasing the wind." My friends, God does not want us to seek fame and fortune, He wants us to seek His kingdom first and then all these things will be given unto you, so I have been acting in obedience to God's will.

I had a meeting some time back concerning securing grants for this ministry. The lady asked that I go back and add in some additional statistics about certain people, places and things in Fayette County. Well, as hard as I tried, I was not able to find those numbers she had asked me to get. However, God works in mysterious ways, as we know, and I was able to get the numbers from a direct source. I just thank God for favor! I know we do not all have God's favor, so I am just grateful to God. When it is God's will, believe me, He will show up. God may not show up when you want Him to because you are not the boss of God, but He will show up in His own time. I have often found that God is never late, in fact, He is on-time God! Hallelujah!

My friends, I am finding that each book of the Bible, as I study, just seems to become my favorite. I am also finding out daily just how cool these books of the Bible are. I am studying Ecclesiastes, written by Solomon. The book is so very down-to-earth and put things in perspective for you. However, do not take my word for granted, you go and read Ecclesiastes for yourself and let me know.

I pray that God will show up just at the knick of time when you need Him. Oh, I know He will because He is able, my Lord is able!

God bless,
Therese from Belize

"Christianity Is Not A Spectator Sport" - Rev. L. Slatter

My friends, I pray all is well. As we enter the last month of the year, I
know you will begin to think about resolutions for the new year. However, before the year end, I challenge you to become an active participant in ministry.

I remembered back in late September of this year, there was a guest preacher at church, Rev. Leon Slatter. The theme of Rev. Slatter's sermon was "Christianity Is NOT A Spectator Sport". Rev. Slatter preached that as Christians we must not be spectators, but we must be participants. Active participants, that is. In Acts 1:8, Jesus told His disciples, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria and in every part of the world."

Jesus commands us and expects us to obey his command to go to every part of the world and spread the gospel. In other words, we cannot be servants of Christ and not serve others; serve others by telling them about the good news of Jesus Christ; serve by helping a family in need; serve by giving a stranger an encouraging word of hope; serve by tithing; serve by telling someone about the free gift of salvation; serve by providing fellowship. My friends, if we are to be the servants that God wants us to be, we must get out of the comforts of our homes; get out of the comforts of the church walls and serve.

I am challenging you, as you begin to ponder your resolutions, to put God first on that resolution list, put service to God, service to others, service to your community, and service to the world on that list.

Ta ta,
Therese from Belize

I Have Been Redeemed

My friends, I pray all is well. I thank God for His mercy and grace. I know I keep writing about God's mercy and grace, but I am sincerely and eternally grateful to my Lord, my God. I am telling you the truth, if it wasn't for the goodness and mercy and grace of God, I would not be writing these messages in a sound and sane mind, and I certainly would not be living a rich and happy life. Now, don't jump to conclusion here. I am rich with the Holy Ghost, I am rich with happiness and joy and laughter. I don't have money, but I have love, I have joy unspeakable, my lamp is burning. That's God's mercy and grace.

I celebrated my birthday a couple weeks ago and I am not kidding you, it was one of the happiest times of my life. I say so because I was just so excited to be alive. I thought about the numerous people who did not make it that day, those who did not survive to see another day, and those who passed away as the day went on. I just could not help but thank God for His mercy and His grace. The Lord just keeps blessing me, and that's God mercy and grace. As I get older in age, and more mature in my spiritual walk with the Lord, it matters to me to keep giving God glory and thanks for His mercy and His grace.

In my study of the Word, I find time and time again God's goodness and mercy operating in the lives of His believers, those who received salvation, and those God had convicted to turn from sin and do His will. You know, my favorite is the apostle, Paul. Remember, he was Saul before God clipped his wings! Saul was feared by many. Then, there was David who not only committed adultery, but he also murdered an innocent man; what about Moses? I can go on and on about people who fell along the wayside, but got redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Glory.

My friends, I have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and my favorite apostle, Paul, reminds me in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God. It was not the result of your own efforts, so you cannot boast about it." That's right. Now, I urge you to stop with that facade, stop acting like you are waking yourselves up in the morning; stop being selfish towards your brothers and sisters; forgive yourself and forgive others; repent of your sins and you will find yourself laughing more, giving more, loving more, but most of all God will be smiling on you as He keeps providing you with His mercy and grace. You are a fool if you think you know what tomorrow holds. You can receive the free gift of salvation today, all you need to do is ask God for forgiveness of your sins. It is easy as A-B-C. Contact me with any questions or concerns. If you need to get in contact with a Minister of the Word, please contact me and I will refer you to my Pastor.

Ta ta
Therese from Belize

E-mail: therwarrick@gmail.com

I Give Thanks To The Lord

My friends, greetings!

I thank God for allowing me to provide for my family each and every day. Even though I do not know what the future holds, I continue to pray that God will keep using me to do His work and His will. I give God all the glory and honor for He is worthy to be praised.

I have been singing the song, Give Thanks, a song I used to sing when I was attending Catholic school in Belize. It goes,
"Give thanks with a grateful heart,
Give thanks to the Holy One,
Give thanks for He is given, Jesus Christ, His Son.
And now, let the weak say I am strong
Let the poor say I am rich
Because of what, the Lord has done, for us
Give thanks."

Psalm 107:1 reminds me to give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever. I give thanks to the Lord our God for all that He has done for me. If it wasn't for God's grace and mercy, I do not know where I would be today. I thank God for my sanity, I thank God for my family; I thank God for each and every blessing He has bestowed upon me in the past, in the present, and I thank Him in advance for the blessing that He will bestow upon me in the future.

My friends, I have to give thanks to God our Lord because when no one understood me, He did; when people gave up on me; God didn't give up on me; He walked with me every step of the way. I give God all the thanks and all the glory because He is the one that saved my soul. God gave me a free gift, that is, the gift of salvation. For that, I am eternally grateful and thankful.

Be blessed,
Therese from Belize

I Will Trust The Lord

My friends, I pray all is well with you. I give God all the honor and glory for He is my light and my salvation! I thank God for His mercy and grace. I thank God that He forgives me for all my shortcomings.

As I prepare for the new work week, I am declaring that the devil is liar. On Friday, I read Mayor Newberry's press release about the possibility of lay-offs, pay reduction, furloughs, elimination of city programs. As I keep on reading the release, I began to think about the "what-ifs" instead of praying to the Lord. You know, I began to think about what if I get lay off, how how will I pay my mortgage, pay the bills, put food on the table, pay the after-school program. My mind just raced on and on and on about the "what-ifs". However, once I got home and I relaxed I went to the Word. I was not about to let the devil had his way with me on a Friday evening, and being that it was my birthday too. The devil is a liar. I began to praise the Lord because I am a living witness of God's goodness and mercy. I am living witness of how God opens doors when there seems to be no way out.

The Spirit led me to Psalm 145:14-15, "The Lord helps those who have been defeated and takes care of those who are in trouble. All living things look to You for food, and You give it to them at the right time. You open Your hand and You satisfy all living things." Psalm 145:17-19 says, "Everything the Lord does is right. He is loyal to all He has made. The Lord is close to everyone who prays to Him, to all who truly pray to Him. He gives those who respect Him what they want. He listens when they cry, and He saves them." I put all my hope and trust in the Lord. I will keep trusting in the Lord because He has the final say. I will keep praising the Lord, I will keep believing in the Lord, I will keep praying to the Lord because He is the head of my household. I know that my help comes from the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and earth!

To God be the glory. I pray to the Lord that as I return to my workplace, I will be able to share a word of encouragement with my fellow co-workers. I pray that the Lord will use me to do His will in the workplace. I give the Lord my worries and my burden, because the Bible tells me so. Jesus says, "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God and trust in me." John 14:1.

My friends, please pray for me and I will pray for you. I ask God for continued strength and courage as I go on serving Him. I will keep on serving the Lord while I am waiting. I trust you will do the same.

Peace and love
Ta ta,
Therese from Belize

Stay In Compliance

My friends, God is worthy to be praised!

You know, when we stay focused in God's Word we become compliant to what is expected of us. Simon Peter, Jesus's apostle, in 2 Peter 1:3 tells us that God has given us everything we need to live and to serve Him. So, now that we know that we are in compliance, how do we stay compliant to the will of God? 2 Peter 1:5-7 tells us that because we have God's blessings and favor, we must do our best to add these things to our lives:
"add faith to your virtre; "to your faith, add goodness;
and to virtue, knowledge; to your goodness, add knowledge;
and to knowledge, tempterance; to your knowledge, add self-control;
and to temperance, patience; to your self-control, add patience;
and to patience, godliness; to your patience, add love."

Peter tells us that if all these things are in us, and are growing, they will help us to be useful and productive in our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. To God Be The Glory!

Ta ta,
Therese from Belize

Repentance

To God be the glory, I serve an awesome God!

We serve an amazing, merciful and gracious God who loves us despite our failures, our past, our shortcomings. I know that my future is not defined by my past, I see it everyday, I am living it everyday, in fact, I look forward to my future, if God's willing! Tonight I had a meeting with a group of women and I tell you, it is just amazing how God brings people together for His purpose. We were on one accord. These women gave me the encouragement to press forward in doing God's work. I even came back home with such pep in my step after that meeting!! All praise to God.

My friends, I am telling you, you must surround yourself with people who speak life. You must learn how to speak life! Speak life over depression; depression gotta go; speak financial blessings; financial woes, gotta go; speak life over your husband/wife so that marital woes, gotta go; children misbehaving; declare the devil a liar and kick him out; aches and pain, gotta go, lay hands on that body part and that pain gotta go. Just speak life, God is the Healer and Redeemer, that's all I am saying!

The Holy Spirit took me back to some old notes from 2008. My friends, this message is for you who is trying to hang on to just the hem of Jesus' garment; this message is for you if you are speaking life, but not believing what you are speaking. Rev. Travis of Maddoxtown Baptist Church warned, "In your Christian life, if the enjoyment of living has diminished or departed all together, the rememdy is Repentance." Rev. Travis went on
to say that "our Christian lives become diminished because the flesh has fallen." However, praise be to God, "through the power of the Holy Spirit there is deliverance from the flesh." We become stale and when we become stale,that's when our flesh kicks in and we fight with the Holy Spirit (Rev. John Travis). What makes us stale? Rev. Travis said that fatigue makes us stale. When we are fatigued, it is hard to be saintly because we are tired. He said that the side effects of fatigue are depression and disappointment. My friends, when we feel fatigued and dry we should tell God about it; the Holy Spirit can show us where our fault is, but we must practice sincerity in prayer. Rev. Travis - "Sometimes God does not bless us with some things; some times we are the stewards of those things."

My friends, just repent, that's all you have to do. Just say, "Father forgive me and please come and dwell and abide in my life." Amen, Repentance brings healing. Do it today, don't wait for it may be too late then.

To God be the glory.
Therese from Belize

Helping Other Women

Greetings, my friends, in the name of Jesus!

I am writing today with a heart that has been enduring. An enduring heart because I believe and trust in Christ. I know that whatever struggles of every kind -sickness, financial, marital, psychological and even biological, we meet, we must learn how to exchange them with God. When we exchange our burdens with God, we are getting rid of our pride, shame and fear. We are set free, we are delivered by the blood of the Lamb. I do not know if you are experiencing the same thing as I am, but it just seems lately that women are really being tried by the devil. However, the Lord wants me to tell you that He is a Deliverer, He will set you free from all bondage and shame. Ephesians 3:20, "With God's power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask for or imagine."

My friends, I have a "birthing" within me that has been churning, that has been turning, that has been swirling and I cannot wait to see how God will use me or for what He will use me. I just thank God for His mercy and His grace, for His divine intervention in my life and in the lives of the women around me. I don't know when, where or how, but I know that God is getting ready to use me mightily and for that I want to thank the Lord in advance.

Dr. Ellen Mormon of Asbury Seminary encouraged us as women that we should provide encouragement, commitment, time and energy to other women, to those less fortunate than us, to those who are struggling in their spiritual life; to those who are trying to get out of abusive relationships. My friends, we read about numerous women in the Bible who had uncompromising faith; those who helped other women. There were the prophetess, Anna (she fasted, she prayed, she was always preaching and talking about Jesus); Mary and Martha (the two sisters who loved Jesus, they invited other women to their house to listen to Christ teach); Lois and Eunice (Timothy's Mom and Grandmother, two women who loved the Lord and had undeniable faith); Huldah the prophetess, who helped people to understand what the Bible means); Elizabeth and Mary (these two women encouraged each other during their time of pregnancies).

Rev. Maxine Thomas, in her Bible study, a Series of Fortunate Events, said that as women we must look for a sister to encourage and inspire because as women, we need to encourage one another. Rev. Thomas said that as women when we get "pregnant" in the Spirit, no one can take away that pregnancy so we must not feel or act threatened by other women, but instead we must reach out to them. We must stop neglecting and failing to accept another sister's divinity.

My friends,I am praying for my exodus, I am praying for your exodus, I am praying for our exodus. Exodus, taught Rev. Tina Findley, is a season of exchange. A season where women can exchange all the bad into something good.

We declare:
I SHOULD GET OUT
I CAN GET OUT
I WILL GET OUT

My friends, you can lean on me. The Bible shows us how young Timothy leaned on Paul for guidance, mentoring, and help as he carried out the Lord's will.



Hallelujah!!

"Can I Get A Witness?"

My friends, I give God all the glory and honor and His name is worthy to be praise.

I was one of several in the congregation that was asked by Rev. Moore of the First African Baptist Church, "Can I Get A Witness?". I answered then and I am answering now, yes, I am a witness. Rev. Moore had defined a witness as one who testifies of something to be true. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a witness as one who has personal knowledge of something. I am a witness for the Lord because I have personal, first-hand knowledge and experience of what the Lord has done in my life; I am a witness because I am a recipient of the miracles that the Lord has performed in my life. I give truthful accounts of where and what I used to be before the Lord touched me and changed me. I am not ashamed to tell folk about the life of sin I used to be tangled up in before the Lord finally cracked the whip on me. Oh I can testify what a difference my life has been since God came into my life! I am witness because people who knew me back then and see the way I live my life now, know that I have been redeemded by the blood of the Lord. So now, you can understand that I am a witness for the Lord.

Rev. Moore said that a witness must have heard of God; must have felt the Lord, must have experience the Lord for himself/herself. We must know who Jesus is; know who God is; know who the Word is, and know deep down in the depths of our souls about the experiences with the Lord. He said being a witness for Christ requires four things of us:
1) We must be willing to work for the Lord;
2) We must be willing to work together;
3) We must be willing to work through dangers, toils and snares; and
4) We must be willing and obedient to go wherever the world needs us.

My friends, many of us are too ashamed to be a witness for Christ, but we must be obedient to the Lord and be a witness for Him. Mark 16:15 gives us the assignment to be a witness for the Lord. Verse 15, "Jesus said to His followers, 'Go everywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone'." As recipients of God's love and mercy and grace and countless miracles and blessings in our lives, we should be serving the Lord, we should be testifying to others who do not know the Lord. We should be working together in spreading the good news of our Lord. We should be witnesses just as we see in the Bible repeatedly the disciples working together, we see Paul working with young Timothy, Paul and Barnabas, Paul and Silas. As witnesses, we must love one another; we must go out with one another to spread the good news of Jesus Christ.

A witness for the Lord works through dangers, toils and snares. Rev. Moore said that there is an adversary, the devil. He does not want us to be witnesses for the Lord, so he does anything and everything to stop us, but we must always know that we serve a great God and even when the devil tries to shut us down, he cannot shut us up! My friends, I pray you will join me in becoming a witness for Christ. We must be witnesses not only in the church, but outside of the church. That's where God wants us. We need to be bringing people to Christ through our testimonies. We need to reach people the world over. Therefore, I pray that you be not ashamed to tell others of the goodness of God; do not be disobedient to the will of God; go out and tell the world of the goodness of the Lord; tell the world of a Lord who is loving and merciful. My friends, if ever God calls upon you to serve outside of your comfort zone, please be obedient and submit to God's will.

Ta ta,
Therese from Belize

Commission and Assignment from God

This has been such a blessed week for me. All praises to God. I pray your week has been blessed as well.

Let me tell you, the devil was aware of God's mandate to me for this week, that is, that I attend Mt. Calvary's Fall Revival to keep my spirit revived, to keep my spirit refreshed, to hear a Word that would be taught just for me and to me. So, despite the fact that the devil has been roaming about in my household this week, God, my redeemder, God my Savior, God my Father, poured out His love and mercy and grace towards me, and I was able to attend the Revival. You see, the devil has no hold over my life or that of my children's, in the name of Jesus. The devil is a liar and he must know that as for me and my household we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15). Okay, the devil got the message.

My friends, I don't know about you, but ever since I started studying the Word (instead of just reading), I have been on this euphoric road!! This euphoria helps me in my walk with Christ. It helps me in my commission to the Lord. When the devil tries to get to me, tries to distract me, tries to discourage me, tries to break me, I am still able to keep going, I am still able to keep testifying about the goodness of God, I am still able to sing praises unto to God. I am strong enough to keep on praising God, keep on studying the Word of God, keep on teaching about the goodness of God. I just love being a student of the Word. I get so excited when I get the opportunity to sit in on a lesson being taught by some great teachers of the Word. Sunday I was taught by Rev. Williams where he held class at Pilgrim Baptist Church in Midway (A Job Description For The Church, Matthew 4:23-24). Monday, I drove down Todds Road, on my way to Mt. Clavary church all excited, got there and then oops..; Tuesday, I was taught by Rev. Travis (Burn, Baby Burn, Exodus 3:1-10); Wednesday by Rev. Moore (Can I Get A Witness, Mark 16:15-18); and Thursday by Bishop Carter (The Difference That Jesus Makes; It is Time To Rise Up, Luke 5:17-24). God is an amazing God. My friends, I cannot even explain in words to you how much the Spirit is swirling inside of me!! To God be the glory!!

Studying God's Word just brings great joy and peace to my soul. I am excited about carrying out God's commission and assignment. I love serving the Lord and I pray that God continues to use me to be a witness for Him, an effective witness, one who will bring a lost soul back to Christ.

Oh what a difference God has made in my life. My friends I can tell you that since I got serious about my Christian walk and faith:
I don't walk like I used to walk;
I don't talk like I used to talk;
I don't live like I used to live;
I don't give like I used to give.
God made the difference in my life.


Be blessed.
Therese from Belize

Time To Get Revived

My friends, I pray all is well with you and your family. I thank God that my home church, Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, is having its Fall Revival this week. The Lord knows a revival of my spirit is exactly what I need. I don't know about your household, but I can tell you the devil has been very busy, trying to steal my joy, messing with my finances, poking my children's sides. I have news for Satan. You see, I know because I know that I serve a true and loving God, a faithful God, an awesome God and He is with me every step of the way. My friends,a revival of my spirit is exactly what I need and I pray that God hears my cry.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "revival" as renewed attention to or interest in something. I pray that the Lord gives me renewed attention to His Word and that I continue to work joyfully for the Lord. I turn to Psalm 51:10-13, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore onto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy way and sinner shall be converted unto Thee." I thank God for this revival. God is giving me a chance to get back on track with Him; God is giving me a chance to submit to His will and stay in obedience.

My friends, if you feel alone, if you feel that God is not hearing your cry, if you are frustrated and depressed and anxious, I pray and I trust that you will turn to the Lord. It may be time for your revival. A revival of the heart, the mind and the soul is what I pray the Lord brings my way.

Ta ta,
Therese from Belize

Longing For God

God is my light and my salvation!

I thank the Lord for giving me life. I give all thanks to God who is my provider, my redeemer, my encourager, my defender, my Father. As David thirst for God, so do I.

I turn today to Psalm 19:7-8, "The teachings of the Lord are perfect; they give new strength. The rules of the Lord can be trusted; they make plain people wise. The orders of the Lord are right; they make people happy. The commands of the Lord are pure; they light up the way." Glory to God.

My friends, when we study the Word of God, it gives us wisdom, hope and encouragement to keep walking in the path of the Lord. When we long for God and depend on Him, our lives become much easier. Our situations become much more manageable, and we begin to see much clearer. We see miracles working in our lives; we see families coming together as one. I long for our Lord Jesus Christ because I know only He can give me comfort; I long for the Lord because only God provides for me; I long for the Lord our God because He is my rock.

My friends, I long for our Lord Jesus Christ and I pray that as I attend Mt. Calvary's Fall Revival, my spirit will get refreshed, my body re-energized and my mind rejuvenated.

May God bless you,
Ta ta
Therese from Belize

Surround Yourself With The Anointed

God is truly an awesome God!

Rev. Felix G. Williams, III, had preached earlier this year, at the Easter service, that as Christians we should be surrounding ourselves with anointed folk. Well, my friends, the Lord knows I am trying, and I believe that is the reason I came across a certain website.

You see, I had attended Sisters Keeping The Covenant Conference and I met Rev. Maxine Thomas. Rev. Thomas is a woman who is on fire for the Lord. The women's conference was such a blessing to me, I left there feeling rejuvenated, excited, and I wanted to do more in my walk with Christ. I wanted to follow up on those conference topics. I began to do research on women in ministry, and I came across Rev. Angela Lee Price's website, www.jesussavesministries.ning.com.

My friends, I can tell you that ever since I visited Rev. Price's website, I have become even more excited about my service to God. This woman is an anointed servant of God. Her blogs, the "groups" such as Clean Up Woman, The Prayer of the Righteous, the discussion topics on her site, and just everyday conversation with her give me encouragement to keep doing what I am doing. She also encourages me to keep on going in my walk with Christ.

My friends, Proverbs 13:20 says, "He who walks with the wise, grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." When we surround ourselves with anointed and wise people, we ourselves get wise and God will anoint us as we keep doing what He wants us to do. Proverbs 14:7 warns us to keep away from fools because they can't teach us anything. The apostle, Paul, in 2 Thessalonians 3:6, commands us to keep away and withdraw ourselves from every person that walketh disorderly and who does not follow the teachings they have been given.

I don't know about you, but I know that I will continue to walk in obedience and keep surrounding myself with those who love and follow the teachings of the Lord. I am not talking about those who have one foot in the door and the other foot out. I am talking about my brothers and sisters in Christ who have both feet in the door. I am talking about those disciples who speak life. I am talking about my brothers and sisters who teach about God's free gift to us, salvation.

I am surrounding myself with people who are anointed. I pray you will find the courage and strength to separate yourselves from those who are walking in darkness and disobedience. May God continue to bless and keep you.
Ta ta,
Therese from Belize

The Holiness That God Requires

Greetings, in the name of Jesus!

My friends, you know I speak what is on my mind and I tell what God has placed on my heart. Doing so has caused others to say I am judgmental, I think I am better, I am Ms. Holy ..... oh no, not at all. I am just a sinner saved by God's grace, a sinner who knows what the Word tells me I must do and how I must do it. I am writing this message with boldness, not arrogance or judgment because God is our judge.

Friends, I cannot call myself a follower of Jesus Christ, knowing what God's Word tells me, yet, just sit back and not address what I see around me, that is, the "sanitization of sin". Yes, the sanitization of sin that Rev. Dr. Cecelia Williams Bryant had addressed a couple years ago to women at the Sisters Keeping the Covenant Conference.

It is alarming how even in the church we turn a blind eye to adultery, abuse of spouse, divorce, backbiting, lying, and we can go on and on. However, what concerns and distresses me the most is that we hide these issues under the rug, no one tells that person, "hey, that is wrong becuase the Word tells us it is wrong." We hide the issues, we sanitize these issues by finding excuses. This weekend, I could not help but think what Dr. Williams would say to us today. Lord help us.

I recall a Sunday School lesson titled, "A Holy People". This lesson was written and summarized by Dr. Phyllis Jones. In her summary of the lesson, Dr. Jones wrote, "God desires that all believers live a holy life." She further summarized that some may view this as difficult, if not impossible, in contemporary society because modern culture often contradicts the holiness God requires. (Dr. Phyllis Jones, A Holy People)

What is the holiness that God requires? The holiness that God requires is found in 1 Peter 1:13-23. God requires:
1) for us to have self-control (v13);
2) that we be obedient children of God, not living as we did in the
past (v14);
3) us to be holy in all we do, just as God, the One who called us,
is holy (v15);
4) for us to be holy. "As it is written in the Scriptures: 'You must be
holy because I am holy.'"(v16);
5) that we should live with respect for God v17);
6) that we do not live in a worthless way because we are saved from that
useless life (v18);
7) that because we were bought not with gold and silver, but with the
precious blood of Christ, who was like a pure and perfect lamb, so
must we (v19);
8) for us to have true love for our Christian brothers and sisters. So we
must love each other deeply with all our heart (v22).

The Christian life, stated Dr. Jones, requires turning from evil, and a desire to be holy. My friends, we cannot be a holy people if we are engaged in and with unholy things. Holy things we know are not popular, but why not let us set that trend? The more we live a holy life, the more the world will retreat from their evil ways and follow us. God wants us to respect Him, have love for each other, and to live in a Christ-like manner. We cannot be obedient to the Lord if we are sanitizing sin, that is, tunring a blind eye to the evil that is taking place in our churches, in our homes, in our society.

I urge you to read 1 Peter 1:13-23. We find that Peter is encouraging us in our Christian walk to have respect and love for God, for ourselves and for our brothers and sisters. Remember, John 15:19 tells us, "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." (KJV) and then our dear brother, Paul, in Ephesians 6:12 warns us, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (KJV) Amen, amen.

Iti s high time for us to stand up and make the unpopular choice, nevertheless, it is God's choice. Glory.

Ta ta,
Therese from Belize

Fix It Jesus

My friends, to God be the glory!

Rev. Dr. Felix G. Williams, III preached a sermon titled, Pick Me. He was preaching about the man who was sick for 38 years who was lying by the pool called Bethesda, which is near Sheep Gate, and Jesus saw the man and He knew the man had been sick for such a long time. Jesus asked the man, "Do you want to be well?" The man answered Jesus that he had no one to help him put him in the pool, and Jesus told him, "Rise, take up thy bed and walk." (John 5:1-8)

As Rev. Williams was preaching about this impotent man, I was praying for the Lord to pick me. I was praying for the Lord to show up and tell me to get up and walk. I heard Rev. said that we would have to wait because today is his day for God to pick him, but I just kept praying that the Lord pick me. I asked the Lord to pick me because I need fixing right there and then; I have so much in my life that need fixing; I know so many people that need fixing. So, I was asking the Lord to pick me and fix it; fix my mind; fix my family; fix my finances; fix my friends; fix my heart; just fix everything that needs fixing.

Rev. Williams preached that Jesus does not care how long it has been that we need fixing, as long as we ask God to pick us and to fix it for us, God will do so right there and then. When God picks us and He fixes us, our failures of the past stay in the past. Rev. Williams reminded the congregation that God could fix in one day what we have been dealing with for many, many years. Thank you Father.

My friends, I can tell you that when Jesus fixes us, we can feel the heavy burden just being unloaded from off our backs. We can stand up straighter, we feel lighter, and everything about us just gets and feels "lighter". I am not using any excuses to not get fixed. I know the Lord wants to fix me. Rev. Williams preached that an excuse is a choice to believe in past experiences instead of future possibilities. I know I serve a true and living God, and He tells me that I am redeemed by the blood of the lamb. To God be the glory.

My friends, the scripture in John 5 shows us that it does not matter how long we have been suffering, whether physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally; as long as we have faith to wait until the Lord picks us to fix us. Rev. Williams said waiting is refusing to make a permanent decision out of a temporary situation. We serve an awesome God and He is the fixer and healer of all things. What a mighty God we serve!

Peace and Love,
Therese from Belize

Striving Towards A Christ-like Attitude

Glory to God! All praise and glory to God our Father who made Heaven and earth!

I am following up on the previous blog because our Sunday school topic was "A Holy People". I thank God for reaffirming the messages in my heart. It is written in 1 Peter 14-15, "As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do." Peter goes on in verse 22 to remind us, "Now that you have made your souls pure by obeying the truth, you can have true love for your Christian brothers and sisters. So love each other deeply with all your heart."

My friends, when we are born again in Christ, we should love our brothers and sisters just as Christ loves us. As Christians, we are charged with telling others about the goodness of Jesus Christ, we are charged with encouraging and lifting up our brothers and sisters when they are down and ready to give up.

As Peter tells us in verse 9, "But you are a chosen people, royal priests, a holy nation, a peole for God's own possession. You were chosen to tell about the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light."

For this, I thank God for bringing me out of darkness, and I pray that I do the things God want me to do as I strive to live my life in a Christ-like way. My friends, as the end of this year is drawing to a close, I challenge you to start having an attitude of love and peace towards your fellow brothers and sisters. I ask for continued prayer, pray for me and I will pray for you.

God bless,
Therese from Belize

Care to Change Your Attitude?

My friends, greetings in the name of Jesus!

I cannot help but to wonder why many of us who claim to be disciples of Christ walk around with an "attitude". I am talking about pastors, lay ministers, deacons and members of the congregation. The "attitude" that I am referring to is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as "a negative or hostile state of mind; a cool, cocky, defiant, or arrogant manner."

Paul, in Ephesians 4:2 tells us to always be humble, gentle, and patient, accepting each other in love. My friends, we must love each other, we may not like the way someone is living or we may not agree with someone's beliefs, but we must still love our brother and sister. We do not have the authority to judge, judgment belongs to God. Jesus loves everyone, and so must we. John 13:34-35, "I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other as I have loved you. All people will know you are my followers if you love each other." Paul encourages us in 1 Corinthians 11:1, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."

My friends, as followers of Jesus we must have attitudes that display the God in us. Our attitudes must be of love and kindness so that someone who does not know God, but looks at the way we live our lives and the way we treat others, will want to get to know our Lord and Savior.

Bishop G. E. Patterson had said, "if you really want to be blessed, be in the attitutde that will get you to the altitude."

May God bless you and I pray that if you have an attitude that does not display the love of God in your heart, that you will ask God to create in you a clean heart and to renew your Spirit.

God bless,
Therese from Belize

It's The God In Me

My friends, I pray all is well with you!

As I sit here enjoying the quietness and peacefulness of the evening, I thank God for all the blessings He has bestowed upon me. My friends, as I look back over my life, I can tell you it is only by the grace of God that I am alive, sitting in the comforts of my home, bringing you these blogs.

God works miracles and He sends blessings and He gives us favor when we seek Him first. My friends, I call on God for every and any thing because He has shown me time and time again that when I rely and depend on Him, He will give me what I ask for, whether peace, laughter, a financial blessing, a word of encouragement, confirmation and affirmation. God is a wonderful God and when we get in obedient with Him, He just opens His floodgate of blessings.

My friends, my joy and peace and love come from God. I get in agreement with what the Scripture tells me and I trust and rely on Him. It is written in Philippians 4:6, "Do not worry about anything, instead pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks." God rewards us when we ask; He rewards us when we give Him thanks; God delights in His children when they sing Him praises.

My friends, if you want to have that peace and joy and understanding, you need to get on your knees and pray, pray believing and at the same time, give thanks to God. I pray you will begin to seek God first in all you do. Let God direct your path, giving thanks as you go along the way.

Ta ta,
Therese from Belize

Living Right With God

To God be the glory! If you will allow me, let me just say that satan may shut me down, but he cannot shut me up! Hallelujah!! God is good all the time and all the time, God is good. My friends, I am just happy, I am filled with joy. I woke up this morning with praises on my lips. You remember I told you about my cluttered mind, well, last night I asked God for help; I surrendered myself to God. I poured out my heart to God and I begged Him to please hear His child's prayer. I am not ashame to let you know I get on my knees and cry to the Lord.

The psalmist wrote in Psalm 30:5, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." When I woke up today, I just felt so peaceful. Praises to God rung out of my mouth. The apostle Paul in Romans 15:4 tells us that the Scriptures give us patience and encouragement so that we can have hope. Patience and encouragement come from God." I know that's right! As disciples, we must have patience, we must be encouraged, we must stay encouraged knowing that we serve a living and gracious God.

I pray that you will live right with God. How do we live right with God? Through patience and perseverance; faith and love for one another. As Paul encourages us, let us try to do what makes peace and help one another.

God bless,
Therese from Belize

Ting-a-ling-a-ling

My friends, I pray you have had a blessed day as I have! I am thrilled to fill you in on an important telephone call I made! No, it was not an international call to my parents or to any of my siblings in Belize. Nah, it was not to a guy (hahahaha); nope, not to Rev. or anyone at church. I placed a phone call to my best friend; you know who I am talking about! Yep, you got it, to Jesus! Well, it was an easy call to make for the simple fact that my phone has not rung for some time now, I mean, for a few days; secondly, my mind has been too cluttered; and, thirdly, there wasn't anyone I could call who would give me the answers I needed (sorry Rev.). Therefore, instead of waiting for my line to ring, I picked up my phone and called Jesus. Ting-a-ling-a-ling, oh, what an awesome God He is, He was waiting on his main line to hear from me! With the first ring, ting-a-ling-a-ling, He picked up the phone! My friends, I spoke with Jesus for a while and He told me He has my back, He told me to keep doing what I am doing, keep pressing forward, keep praying, keep smiling, keep believing! Jesus told me I did the right thing by calling Him because only He can remove the clutter from my mind, only He can bring a blessing my way, only He can give me that peace and joy down in my soul! Oh, how I so did not want that call to end.

My friends, I stopped by today to let you know that God has told me He is waiting on the main line for you to call Him next. Oh, how I just love it when God gives me a message! The song, Jesus On The Mainline, has come in my mind. I don't know who wrote this song, if it is Ben Harper, Ry Cooder, Norman Hutchins, but I know several Christian and secular artists have recorded this song. The lines of this song that are playing in my mind are:
Jesus is on the main line, tell Him what you want
If you're sick and want to get well, tell Him what you want
If you want in His kingdom, tell Him what you want
You gotta call Him up and tell Him what you want
If you want and you can't, tell Him what you want
Jesus is on the mainline, tell Him what you want.

My friends, our Jesus is waiting on the mainline, there is no wait, you will not be put on hold. Your call will not be dropped, you will not be charged with any roaming fee, international fee, long distance fee; there is no fee for the call, so call right away. I am asking you to please call up Jesus and tell Him what you want. Only He can bring you out of whatever situation you are facing, whether financial difficulties, marriage problems, drugs, alcohol, depression, anxiety, insomnia, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, prostitution, smoking, whatever it is, just call Him up, He is waiting on the mainline for you.

In the Gospel according to Matthew, Chapter 11 verse 28, Jesus said, "Come to me all of you who are tired and have heavy loads and I will give you rest." Glory to God.

Be blessed,
Therese from Belize

Pray For Me and I'll Pray For You

My friends, greetings!

I pray all is well with you. My mind is cluttered with things I need to do, bills I need to pay, places I need to go, people I need to call, and much, much more. My mind is just cluttered and I have been trying to unclutter it for a few hours now. That means, God does not want me to write anything that did not come from Him. So, this blog is plain and simple.

My friends, I have a favor to ask of you, a request to make--please pray for me as I continue to do what God wants me to do. Please pray for me that God gives me the courage and strength to press forward in my walk with Christ. For me, the journey towards heaven is filled with ups and downs. Some days are harder than others, but I have faith, and I will keep pressing on. I know the more I praise God, the more the devil tries to keep me down. However, I serve an awesome God and He will deliver my mind from all the clutter.

As I write this blog, it is amazing how God is still working in me, using me to do His will. He may not have given me a message, but He certainly is reminding me of how He works. The Spirit has moved me to study Ecclesiastes 4:9-10. This scripture says, "Two people are better than one, because they get more done by working together. If one falls down, the other can help him up. But it is bad for the person who is alone and falls, because no one is there to help." You see, my sister, Inda, had asked me to study this scripture last week, but instead of studying, I read. I read hurriedly without taking the time to really meditate upon the Word. I remember Min. Logan had said that partial obedience is total disobedience. Now, the light has been turned on. Click. Why does it have to take a whipping from God to get me to stay in obedience? Well, I am working on my obedience to Christ, I am not perfect, but I am working on trying to live my life in the way Jesus wants me to and doing the things God wants me to do.

Please pray for me and I'll pray for you. God bless you.

Ta ta,
Therese from Belize

ATTENTION: Free Gift For All

My friends, all praises to God!

I truly enjoyed Sunday School as my church celebrated Back to Sunday School/Family Day. Sunday School focused on how we can receive a free gift; that is, the gift of Salvation. Salvation is a free gift God offers to us. Romans 3:23-24 tells us that all of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and we all need to be made right with God by his grace, which is a free gift.

Sis. Alice Brent, women's Sunday School teacher, taught us that salvation is a new life in Christ. We must believe in Christ and receive Christ in our lives. Salvation, taught Sis. Alice, means that we must surrender to the will of God, surrender to the Word of God, and surrender to the work of God. According to Sis. Alice, salvation requires commitment, which is more than feeling. Commitment shows how and what you feel. She went on to teach that when we receive the free gift of salvation, we now have a purpose, a meaning, and a reason for living.

Paul tells us that God gives us a free gift, that is, life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). God is so generous and gracious that He offers to us salvation. Now, why would you not want to get a free gift, especially a gift from God? Just remember John 3:16, "For God so love the world that He gave His only Son so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." My friends, wouldn’t you want to have eternal life? I know I do. I also know that God is the only One who offers a free gift, which, when we accept, will result in eternal life.

My friends, I pray that you will accept God's free gift of salvation. All you need to do is seek out God; ask Him for forgiveness; ask God to come into your life and you will receive that free gift. There is no waiting in any line for this gift; no one can solicit any money from you for this free gift. You can ask God for this free gift right in the comforts of your own home, or in your car, or at church. I pray you will take that step and receive God's free gift.

Be blessed,
Therese from Belize

Verdict: Not Guilty

Greetings to all, as I write my 100th blog message with much joy and thankfulness!

"Theresefrombelize" blogs came about because of the new beginning God has given me. You see, I was judged guilty by many, and after constant judgment, I began to tell myself indeed I am guilty, so I lived and talked like a guilty offender. However, there is a man who showed up in my life right when I was about to give up and give in. He told me how much He loved me; He went on to tell me that all I had to do was asked God for forgiveness, and my sins would be forgiven. He told me that when I have God in my life, no one can judge me guilty because God is with me. Oh, how I love this man; his name is Jesus! I love Jesus so much that I got in obedience with what He was telling me to do. My friends, I fell to my knees and I asked God for forgiveness of all my sins. I asked God to have mercy on me. Oh, what a mighty God we serve, the Lord answered my prayer and told me my slate has been wiped cleaned. I am forgiven and because God has given me a clean slate; He has told me man may judge me guilty, but He has found me Not Guilty. I praise God for His love and mercy. Luke 19:10 tells me that The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them." I just thank God for saving me from the gallows of death.

My friends, I just want you to know that when you are being judged guilty; or when you are living in guilt; or when there seems to be no way out of a hopeless situation, just know there is a man whose name is Jesus and He is always willing and ready to help you. My friends, all you need to do is call on His name; call on His name. His name is Jesus. He is the Son of God; He is the Lord of lords; He is the King of kings. The apostle Paul tells us that God's mercy is great and He loved us very much. Though we were spiritually dead because of the things we did against God, He gave us new life with Christ. You have been saved by God's grace (Ephesians 2:4-5).

Glory to God. I pray that God will continue to use me doing what He wants me to do. I thank God for saving me, I thank God for never giving up on me. I thank God for this new beginning!

May God bless you, and I pray that you will seek God first. This is a cruel and evil world we live in, it can eat us up alive if we are not strong in God's Word. My friends, I pray that if you are living in guilt, you will find the strength to ask God for forgiveness. I am a living witness of how God can turn the guilty into not guilty and give them a new beginning!

Ta ta,
Therese from Belize

Lord, Have Mercy

Greetings, my friends!

I pray all is well with you. I have to start off declaring that I have a Father whose mercy I crave.

My study for today comes from Psalm 86. This psalm is a prayer of David, and I am praying the same psalm to the Lord. "Lord, listen to me and answer me. I am poor and helpless. Protect me becuase I worship you. My God, save me your servant who trusts in you. Lord have mercy on me, because I have called to you all day." Psalm 86:1-3.

My friends, I have been calling on God all day because I have been feeling physically and mentally tired, but I must press on in doing what God wants me to do. I know that it is the devil trying to get me discouraged, but it will not work. The devil knows I will be writing my 100th blog message, so he has been trying his very best to get to me all this week. He is doing everything in his power to try and stop the spirit in me from writing God's truth. The devil is a liar and I pray that God has mercy on me and deliver me from being weary and tired. Psalm 86:4 goes on, "Give happiness to me, your servant, because I give my life to you, Lord. Lord, you are kind and forgiving and have great love for those who call to you. Lord, hear my prayer, and listen when I ask for mercy."

I know that the Lord is hearing my prayer. The Lord knows my heart and He knows that I am an able and willing servant. I love serving the Lord with all my heart, mind and soul. My friends, if any of you feel like I do, that is, physically and mentally tired, I pray that you will seek Him first, and pray David's prayer, cry for help unto the Lord and He will answer.

May God have mercy on us all.

Peace and Love,
Ta ta
Therese from Belize