Get to the root….

Posted on July 12, 2017July 12, 2017 by April Harris

When your unable to get to the root of it…it will get to the root of you. It will show itself through what you see by twisting what’s the truth. It will force it’s way into simple misunderstandings and use it to start wars. It will rise up in you and speak anger and justification wanting others to hear its voice. It will create isolation for all the wrong reasons and yet needs others to remain in the open. It’s just a tool of the enemy to plant the seed and watch it grow to create destruction. Be careful in becoming to busy and not recognize its growth. I know that if the ground the seed is planted within is full of insecurities, fear, and self doubt…it will continue to grow until it has no other choice but to come out. We think we can hide this secret and control and prune it back. But the fact of the matter is if you don’t get to the root and nurture the ground it will return and come back. The enemy thinks he is cunning and wants those who are watching to start the pointing of fingers, calling out the flaws in them and continuing this senseless anger. I have been the one to fight the root and watch its return, because my insecurities, fears and self doubt is the strength the root yearns. So the root is not the problem just a tool of the enemy and the truth is…from you is where it comes and if we don’t deal with the issue…the root will have won. I have also been the one to call it out as if I have somehow arrived, yet if we see it for what it is, it is all sin in our Father’s eyes.

Either you can say the struggle is real or we must strive….Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

Colossians 2:6-7 is where our truth and answer is, receiving Christ and to walk in Him. To be firmly rooted in Him and established in your faith and not allowing the enemy’s root find a place to stay.

Be Blessed, Speak Life and against all Hope, in Hope, Believe. Believing that what we do and who we are will speak which we are rooted in…see the enemy for what he is and don’t allow him to win.

Leadership God’s way…

Posted on July 10, 2017July 10, 2017 by

In the corporate world, one of the marks of a good manager is the ability to put together pairs or teams with compatible personality types to obtain the most productive results. Corporations spend tens of thousands training leadership, but the good news is, it’s free for the church. It doesnt cost us anything but our attention and application. The premise of this scripture is honor, understanding and submission.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-22
Now also we beseech you, brethren, get to know those who labor among you [recognize them for what they are, acknowledge and appreciate and respect them all]–your leaders who are over you in the Lord and those who warn and kindly reprove and exhort you. And hold them in very high and most affectionate esteem in [intelligent and sympathetic] appreciation of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we earnestly beseech you, brethren, admonish (warn and seriously advise) those who are out of line [the loafers, the disorderly, and the unruly]; encourage the timid and fainthearted, help and give your support to the weak souls, [and] be very patient with everybody [always keeping your temper].See that none of you repays another with evil for evil, but always aim to show kindness and seek to do good to one another and to everybody. Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always); Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly]; Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus. Do not quench (suppress or subdue) the [Holy] Spirit; Do not spurn the gifts and utterances of the prophets [do not depreciate prophetic revelations nor despise inspired instruction or exhortation or warning]. But test and prove all things [until you can recognize] what is good; [to that] hold fast. Abstain from evil [shrink from it and keep aloof from it] in whatever form or whatever kind it may be.

What Flesh & Blood are We Fighting Against???

Posted on July 3, 2017July 3, 2017 by April Harris

I always love and appreciate it when God shows up in the midst of our situations. It is during these times that He allows me to see things through scriptures differently that when I was just reading them and taking everything at face value. But when God gives you things, that you would never had even seen that way…trust me when I say He is giving you revelation on it. I may never look at this scripture ever the same again.

Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

From my view point I have always thought this meaning people that we come up against. You know…people that give us grief and conflict, that if they don’t have some type of trauma drama going on…they just can’t find their happiness. A scripture that helps us not to see them as our enemies of the flesh, but the manipulation the enemy of the cosmic powers of darkness, spiritual forces of evil with in them. I am sure that it does represent that on many levels….but, it occurred to me as I was meditating today, that wonder…just wonder if that flesh and blood is also us. Like when the anger rises up within us over a wrong doing or injustice and the flesh just wants to come against it and speak out all sorts of evil against that person to justify our response against their actions. Could this be the enemy manipulation of us? If you read the other scriptures around this on…putting on the armor of God

14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, (the truth of the matter within us) and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (how He has called us to respond), 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace (walk what you talk). 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one (faith that in our weakness He makes us strong, not in our strength we take care of His business); 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

and this is what clicked in me…

20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

As I ought to speak! Sooo….as we struggle to not wrestle against other people, but acknowledge the enemy is using them to bring you or at times them down. Do we not also become aware that the enemy is not beyond using our flesh and blood and is the armor of God to protect us…against us?

Be Blessed, Speak Life and against all Hope, in Hope, Believe. Believing that I am flesh and blood and the armor of God helps me understand that the war is not mine, but His.

Today…get out of your flesh man and into your spirit man where victory has it’s power there!

Are You Willing?

Posted on June 15, 2017June 15, 2017 by April Harris

Within our boundaries we determine who we are and within those borders we become no more that what we or others have spoke into us. However it is when we can move past our boundaries into the openness where we are vulnerable…between our boundaries and situations, circumstances and others is when we change.

In the openness we gain knowledge and understanding outside ourselves. It is at that moment of colliding (hit with force when moving) with others, circumstances, situations that we redefine who we are and become more than who we were.

1 Peter 2:9-10 MSG. That you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of Priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for Him, to tell others of the night and day difference He made for you…from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.

Be Blessed, Speak Life and against all Hope, in Hope, Believe. Believing I am me and must push past me and collide with situation, circumstances and you. It is where I can understand and experience…to truly know me is to live beyond me.

This week boundaries that define you are boundaries that contain you, but if you are God’s chosen called out…nothing shall can contain you. ~april harris

Friendship & Love

Posted on August 10, 2012January 13, 2014 by admin

Recently, I’ve had several opportunities to see and feel what true ministry and friendship is all about. In the past I’d always considered myself a good friend. Today, I’m learning that friendship and love are ACTION words. There are some other good action words that we too often used as nouns; like grace and mercy. Often times when someone around us is faced with an illness, tragedy, or difficulty we get caught up asking questions, “What’s happened?…”, “What’s wrong?…”, ” What did the Doctors say?”. From now on I won’t be giving my best advice, past experience or inundating them with questions about the details. The proper response has been demonstrated to me. “What can I do?” God has equipped us all with special gifts to help. Maybe we don’t have extra money to ease the financial burden. Do we have time? I guarantee they will remember and appreciate the neighbor who picked up the kids, made a casserole, mowed the lawn or even cared for pets. These are things we probably would never even cared for pets. These are things we probably would never ask someone to do~ and just think of the financial contribution it is for them not to have to pay someone to do these necessities! I’ve also learned that a person’s struggles may not be at all obvious. We never know what someone may be going through. We often ask the Lord to show His mercy, but are we? Am I a shining example of grace in action when someone cuts me off on the highway or jumps ahead of me in line? So I may be late to the dentist and he’s rushing to his wife’s side for her first round of chemo. People go to do mission work in a third-world country, but do they go to their local soup kitchens to help their neighbors? God wants us to do the best we can with what we have right where we are, (and if that’s Ethiopia that’s wonderful…don’t get me wrong). Maybe they don’t need anything but to be heard and know that I have time for them and care enough to listen. Each and every time we reach out to our fellows in loving kindness we are praising the Lord.

Marie Metcalf