Where Is God Now Ministries

God has promoted us an abundant victorious life on the Earth! Through Jesus Christ we have that life. God wants us to enjoy our lives. He wants an intimate relationship with us so we will do that life with Him.

We do not serve a boring God. Just look at creation. He has given us so much! In the summer, we experience so much of creation. Although, it gets heated and humid, some people prefer this type of weather. They love going to the beach to soak up the sun and play in the water. Depending on which beach they visit, they can see white, beige, red, pink, green or black! Think about that… God is not boring!

The God gives us different variations of flowers. They come in vibrant colors, too! We have yellows, whites, purples, blues, red, orange, just to name some. These colors attract pollinators like butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. They come in different variations, too!

God has given us sea animals to enjoy. We go crabbing and fishing a lot during summer. Not only is this a sport for some, but some use them as a feast. We also feast on oysters during the summer. This is good eating!

Let us not forget about our summer fruit and vegetables. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries are plentiful during summer. Melons are dripping with hydration for our bodies. Watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew are often sweet, too. Corn on the cob is always a hit along with tomatoes, butter beans separately or together for a delicious succotash.

These are just of the wonderful things God has given us during summer to enjoy. The time is passing quickly. Schools will reopen and before we know it fall will be upon us. In the meantime, I encourage you to make sure you enjoy God’s wondrous creation this summer. You will not regret it. Love & Blessings!

It is always humbling seeing God WORKING and MOVING in the lives of the ladies. This cohort of ladies participating in the weekly Bible Study has been revealing on so many levels. Let me share…

Every week I have the ladies celebrate their sobriety. The Holy Spirit revealed to me some time back Jesus had already healed the ladies from their addiction. When Jesus died on the cross… it was FINISHED! They had been set FREE from their addiction. Now, it was up to them to WALK in their sobriety NOW! Of course, their sobriety will look different for each of them.

I have to admit I was sensing some of the ladies were not embracing their sobriety and FREEDOM. One of the ways we celebrate is thanking God for the number of days He has kept them sober. It’s no secret that drugs find their way in jails/prisons. We hear about it in the news. So opportunities are there for people to indulge.

I asked God why some of the ladies were not embracing their sobriety. God shared sobriety, like everything else He has promised us, is for “Whosoever”. The Bible uses this term throughout scripture. So I knew it was the Holy Spirit that revealed this to me. Specifically, Mathew 16:24-26 talks about denying ourselves and following Jesus. It is where the abundant, victorious life on Earth is.

I shared my observations with the ladies and what the Holy Spirit had shared with me. I explained to the ladies the celebration, counting the days of sobriety, receiving their sobriety was only for “Whosoever”. Those who wanted it. Furthermore, the healing comes through Christ, who keeps us everyday. Moreover, He is able, if we lean and depend on Him. If we try to do it on our own we start to sink like Peter walking on the water with Jesus. Invariably, when we take our eyes off of Him, we start to sink. Since sharing this revelation with the ladies, the ladies have embraced it enthusiastically and with thanksgiving.

The other strange occurrence I observed with this group was their knowledge of the Bible. There are diverse populations in jail. Different races, ages, educational backgrounds, cultures, disabilities, etc., are there. Two ladies in particular had a keen knowledge of the Bible. As a former educator, I would suspect these ladies may have had additional educational support services in school. I encountered many instances of them quoting scriptures and finishing my sentences about scriptures before I completed them.

This happened frequently. Curiously, I asked the ladies how they knew so much about the Bible. One recounted how a deacon in her church used to teach the scripture to her as a child. The other talked about growing up in the church. I had to ask God what was this. Once again, the Holy Spirit revealed to me it was lip service. He took me to Isaiah 29:13 and Matthew 15:8-9. It talks about people serving God with their lips. Yet, their hearts are far away from Him.

I shared this observation with the ladies, too. Immediately, one of them agreed that she needed to be more committed in her relationship with God. There was a consensus of head nodding and speaking aloud this was true for the rest.

The Holy Spirit never fails to show up and provide what is needed during our Bible Study sessions. Wonderfully, it is an opportunity and a privilege! It is a BEAUTIFUL thing! More deeply, it is God reaching out to these ladies and providing them with TRUTH and HOPE as He does with us all… Amen. Love & Blessings!

God  forgives us because of the Cross. He forgave the Sinner through Jesus Christ. Christ paid the penalty for us. It is the reason He walked the Earth. To take care of our sins. This is POWERFUL!

As powerful as Jesus dying on the cross to take our sins, it is just as powerful when we forgive others. Just as Jesus set us free, we set ourselves free when we forgive others. When you think about it, refusing to forgive others is prideful. It is telling God we know what is best for us than He does; therefore, I choose not to forgive. If Jesus did it, why can’t YOU?

Satan is the author of such acts. It is another one of his deceptions to keep us in bondage. Unforgiveness drips in bitterness, hostility, hatred, and the negativity goes on and on. This is not of God.

The things of God set us FREE. It lifts us up. We are propelled into higher levels in life. It allows us to live in the Fruit of the Spirit. The Fruit of love, joy, peace, goodness, kindness, and the other Fruit. Who would not want this life?

Unforgiveness will BLOCK these blessings. The Bible says, if we do not forgive others God cannot forgive us (Matthew 6: 14-15, Mathew 18:35). So if God cannot forgive us, we block our blessings from Him.

If you find it difficult to forgive, God will help you. It is a process in some cases. We have to turn it over to Jesus… Cast our cares upon Him for He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7). Knowing that the Holy Spirit is our Helper in AlL things helps us to lean in. To receive the help that we need (John 14: 16, 26, 15:26, 16:17). Forgiveness gives us FREEDOM… Amen. Love & Blessings!

Our relationship with God is SPECIAL God loves us with an everlasting LOVE. He has the BEST plans designed for each of our lives. His plans also include giving us the desires of our heart.

We wonder how this happens. When we are delighting in God, He will align our heart to His heart. As a result, our desires will start reflecting God’s will for our lives. This gives us excitement and anticipation, right?

When we delight ourselves with the Lord, we honor Him with our life. Therefore, we bring Him into our everyday conversations with others. Moreover, we take on the mind of Christ in our lives. Further, we allow God to get involved in the details of our lives. Instinctively, we cast our cares on Him. We uplift Him in everything that we do.

These are the things that put a smile on God’s face. We bend our will towards God, that is something He cannot ignore. It is His desire and pleasure to give us the BEST plan He has for our lives (Philippians 2:13). In turn, we will be fulfilled in life bearing the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives.

On a deeper level, we enter into an intimate relationship with Him. We become quite familiar with His presence, blessings, and favor in our lives. It is the abundant, victorious life He promises us here on Earth. It is a beautiful way to live. To have the desires in your life that God wants you to have. It is heaven on Earth…Amen! Love & Blessings!

The previous blog highlighted God hears and listens to our prayers. This week we will highlight God making our crooked places straight. For years I have heard this quoted by many people. However, I wasn’t sure exactly what it meant until recently, I had experienced it recurrently.

CROOKED PLACES STRAIGHT: One

This experience happened when I was working on a project. We were participating in an event and the set up location was not favorable. It became concerning and alarming to me. Instead of me complaining or trying to negotiate something better, I instinctively took it to God. Our God hears and listens to our prayers, right? So, I took it to Him!

When the day came for it to be discussed, I talked about a different location to set up for the event. Everyone was in agreement! Wholeheartedly, I recognized God had taken care of it! The scripture the Holy Spirit whispered to me was I will make your crooked places straight. I knew it was the Holy Spirit. God speaking to me letting me know He had gone before me to straighten out this potential problem for us.

CROOKED PLACES STRAIGHT: TWO

Another issue popped up within days. We needed the manpower to help with set up for the larger event. I instinctively took that to God, again. The night before the event I went to the venue to set up my display. While there, I asked the staff if anyone was available to set up the other areas that needed to be set up for the event the next day. We got willing spirits who came to set up the other areas that were needed. Once again, I recognized God making our crooked places straight. It became a burden and concern of getting the people we needed to do this task.

CROOKED PLACES STRAIGHT: THREE

Lastly, we had an overwhelming response of items donated to the ministry for the event. We were concerned that maybe we would not have enough items to give to the needy. We ended up having more than enough… God makes our crooked places straight! He actually multiplied what we had initially collected. People the day before and day of the event were bringing items in to donate to the needy.

It is always humbling seeing God moving and working on the Earth. It is even more exciting when we can actually see the scriptures in the Bible coming to life in our lives…Thank you, Lord! Amen. Love & Blessings!

We serve a God who is an omnipresent God. That means He is everywhere at the same time. I believe God sees and hears all on the Earth. That is AMAZING when you think about it. We are supposed to BELIEVE that God can do anything but fail.

We sometimes get tripped up when we pray. When we do not get what we want we start doubting that God is not who He says He is. But, He is! Because He is a God who wants the BEST for ALL of His children. He is working on behalf of ALL of His children. That means that what we see in the natural may not work out the way we want it to. Why? He has something BETTER for us.

Because God is working on all of His children’s behalf that means His ways are not like out ways. His thoughts are not like ours (Isaiah 55: 8-9). We, as His children, are supposed to take on the mind of Christ. We are suppose to be reflecting Christ in our lives to the world. So that means sometimes in our Earthly eyes we may not see what we want. But God ALWAYS has a plan working in all of our lives… He is LISTENING! Love & Blessings!

The Bible talks about how God DANCES and SMILES over US! (Zephaniah 3:17) What a BEAUTIFUL image, right? It is because of YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU, and YOU Where Is God Now Ministries, Inc., was able to feed and provide other needs for 39 households! These needy households consisted of infants, children and adults 18 to 60 plus ages. YOU helped us collect and obtain over 850 items! God MULTIPLIES! Your GENEROSITY was TREMENDOUS! I believe God DANCED and SMILED over that!

When God gives us assignments or projects, the Bible says we should do it as unto the Lord. (Colossians 3:23-24). WE are the hands, mouth, and feet of Jesus on the Earth! The Holy Spirit MOVES us to get His work done on the Earth! It is HUMBLING and a BEAUTIFUL thing to SEE God WORKING on the Earth!

These are some of the things Satan tries to KILL, STEAL and DESTROY in our lives. The Bible says God does not SLEEP nor SLUMBER. (Psalms 121:3-4). That means He is always watching over us and working on our behalf, too!

Here are some photos of the Pop-Up Food Pantry YOU helped provide at the Chesapeake Reentry Council Job/Resource Fair for justice involved individuals and the community at large. If you click on a photo it will open the gallery…

Thank you for your continued love & support.

Please share with whomever…

Love & Blessings!

Gwen

Jesus mirrors to us on how we should be living our lives. Jesus often mirrored what He saw from the Farther. God always showed Himself faithful. In the Old Testament we saw His faithfulness to the children of Israel over and over and over again.

Faithfulness is one of the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). It is the consistent, reliable action and belief in our faith. The Bible says our faith pleases God (Hebrews 11:6). Therefore, if our faith pleases God, we should be faithful to Him in our actions of believing in Him.

So, if God is faithful and loyal to His people, we should be faithful and loyal to Him. Although we have challenges and difficulties in our lives, we should remain consistent and loyal towards God. Our faithfulness helps us to stand in the storms and crises of life.

The beauty of our faithfulness is we are not doing it on our own. It is the supernatural strength, as with all of the Fruit of the Spirit, that we receive from the Holy Spirit. That supernatural strength allows us to live this out in the abundant victorious life God promised us. As we are living it out it is humbling. We realize it is Christ’s spirit that is helping us to do what you cannot do on your own! That is a BEAUTIFUL thing! Love & Blessings!

Part of our relationship with Jesus is being able to relate to situations and circumstances He dealt with. After all, the Bible says we will share in God’s glory and sufferings (Romans 8:17-18).

One of the piercing moments in Jesus’ life is in the Garden of Gethsemane. He sweated drops of blood (Luke 22:44). He is anguished. So much so He asks God three times if He will pass this bitter cup from Him (Matthew 26:39, 42,44).

Jesus ends those requests with nevertheless, not my will but your will be done (Luke 22: 42). We know that Jesus went through with the crucifixion to save the world from sin… It is finished! (John 19:30).

Recently, I picked up one of my journals and started reading. The passages I read I recognized as a Gethsemane moment in my life. It was not pretty.

In reading my journal it brings back painful moments in my life. Nevertheless, it also shows me how anchored in the Lord I am, too. Further, I realize the situation I was in. As a result, I needed to surrender myself totally to God to survive and keep my witness for Christ.

After reading those passages in my journal, I started reflecting on other Gethsemane moments I have had in my life. Without a doubt, it solidified to me the importance of us staying focused and committed to our faith.

In times of turbulence in our lives Satan will come against us. However, God showed me those who were a support for me and those who were not. Fortunately, it is comforting to see the Lord leading and guiding you out of your storms.

God is faithful. Moreover, we see how He was faithful to Jesus. The purpose God had for His life came to pass. For this reason, if God is faithful to His son, Jesus, we know He will be faithful to us. In the same, when our hearts and attitudes bend towards God He is obligated to be faithful to us. He knows His children. We belong to Him! Amen. Love & Blessings!

Christians are called to be Christ followers. We are the hands, mouth and feet of Jesus on the Earth! Last week I wrote about God giving us visions, revelations, and dreams to carry out for Him.

If the vision, revelation, and dream magnify God and promote His purpose and will on the Earth, it is a good indication it is coming from Him. If it is something that you can not accomplish on your own gifts and talents, it is another indication it is probably God born.

Unfortunately, many times we lack the courage and boldness to move forward in the name of Jesus. We become afraid of how we will look to others and what they will say. As a result, we become paralyzed and unable to do anything. I believe this saddens God.

The Bible says it is impossible to please God without faith (Hebrew 11:6). This is the value of our faith. It pleases God. That also means Satan will do anything to destroy, kill and steal it (John 10:10, Luke 22:31, Peter 5:8). Further, we know this is how Satan operates. Moreover, all the more reason to move forth in boldness in the name of Jesus.

So, move forward in Jesus’ name. Nevertheless, if you go in the wrong direction, trust that God will redirect you in the right direction. This is the importance of us remaining humble and keeping our eyes on God. If we are not paying attention to Him, soon our own agenda will replace God’s agenda.

If our heart is bent towards Him, we will willingly and intentionally look for Him. Therefore, we will wait on Him to give us our next step. Then, we will boldly move forward in Jesus’ name… Amen. Love & Blessings!