Creating, Renewing & Restoring Swagger

As I think about the goodness of God and ALL that HE has done for me … Hallelujah. I realize I may not have the social swagger, the physical swagger, yeah, you know that fancy walk that brings attention, but the swagger I do want to have is spiritual swagger. Swagger means to strut with confidence.

Yes, not arrogance but confidence. I know the God I serve is awesome and so I walk in confidence of the Lord. Walking in confidence of the Lord means that I depend and trust in HIM with everything I have.

Rev. Dr. Gregory L. Clarke, Pastor of New Hope Baptist Church of Birmingham, Alabama sadly stated that it is a dangerous thing to have pitiful worshippers and depressed disciples. Pity and depression are dangerous to a Christian’s walk with Christ. When you are in a pitiful place or feeling depressed, you lack confidence and it is dangerous because that's when the enemy attacks from all angles. But friends, let me ask... how can you be a witness with a depressed spirit? There is just no way you can fulfill the assignment God has placed in your hands. In fact, depression will let you give up your anointed assignment. Our God is awesome and we must feel and believe and live as we say our God is awesome!

My friends, so if you have the physical and social swagger but lack the swagger that matters the most, that is, the spiritual swagger, I know just how you can get back your swag!
Rev. Dr. Gregory L. Clarke said that as disciples we must have three attributes to maintain our spiritual swagger:
1) Right spirit within. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10
2) The Holy Spirit within. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Psalm 51:11
3) Free spirit to uphold. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Psalm 51:12

Father God, please don't ever take YOUR love away from us. Prayerfully.


Therese from Belize

GIVE IT, GET IT, GOT IT ... FORGIVENESS

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

Today, I choose to forgive. My sister, Inda Wright Codrington,

was the guest speaker at the Restored Women Sunday School Class of Shiloh Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky. Sis. Inda Codrington challenged me and other women to work on forgiving others quickly because she said walking in unforgiveness gets us bitter and that bitterness turns into hatred. We must dissolve anger and be peacemakers. Forgiveness, Sis. Inda said, is obedience to God.

Of course, when we are under the will and submission of God, we have benefits, we get benefits and there are benefits to forgive others quickly. According to Sis. Inda Codrington, the benefits of forgiveness are:
1) Restoration of Christian Fellowship. 2 Corinthians 2:5-10
2) Spiritual Cleansing. 1 John 1:9
3) Spiritual Strengthening. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
4) Happiness, peace of mind and joy. Mark 11:25-26

The power of forgiveness is seen early on in the Book of Genesis, Chapter 45, when Joseph who was sold into slavery in Egypt by his very own brothers. Joseph forgave his brothers when they came to Egypt to buy corn so they would not die from the famine that was upon the land of Canaan. Joseph could have been bitter and held on to the hurt and not grant his brothers' request, but he forgave them and forgave them quickly. He could have made them suffer and die but instead showered them with compassion and sent for the entire family to return to Egypt to live during the famine. Pharoah gave the command that Joseph's father and family would have the best of the land in Egypt. Glory. Forgiveness is powerful. Joseph's story goes to show that what man uses or does for evil, God will turn it around for HIS good and for HIS honor.

GIVE IT, GET IT, GOT IT ... FOREGIVENESS.

Peace and love,
Therese from Belize