Purpose Ignites Purpose: Truth In Listening

 “You are not listening to me!” A friend constantly says to me whenever we are talking on the phone. Because I am quiet she feels as though I am not listening. It is these quiet moments when I am listening the most. Over the years I’ve learned to listen because that is when I hear with clarity.

I will admit I am a multi-tasker. I can do more than one thing at once. Whenever she demands that I tell her what she has said, I can repeat it almost verbatim. Then she quiets down and says, “Oh yes you were really listening.” More than she will ever know.

Truth is in listening; not questioning. When you ask a question, the person is prepared to provide you with the answer they want you to hear. But, when you listen they provide you with information that they never intended to give you. That is where the truth lies. It is then that you are able to move past the person and begin to understand them, their situation and help to provide clarity to them.

I have learned to listen with my heart. When I listen with my heart I am able to hear those things that go unsaid. Oftentimes you have to pull it out in order to begin to provide words of encouragement and empowerment. People want to hold on to things and not share. It is the sharing that enables others to help you and enables you to move past those things that keep you from experiencing God in His fullness.

In many instances, they never uttered their true feelings, but I knew. In knowing I was able to help them move past the thing keeping them in bondage as I directed them to seek God for a higher understanding.

God connects you to other people in order to get you to be the person He created you to be. He has equipped these people to pull out of you what has been buried inside of you. In essence, God has impregnated each one of us with a purpose to fulfill our potential and mandate here on earth. Unfortunately, without someone to assist many may never realize their full potential.

This is my gifting–a spiritual midwife who coaches others in birthing into the person God envisioned as they fulfill their purpose. My purpose is to ignite the purpose in you. I perceive you are pregnant with purpose.

SCRIPTURES

Iron makes iron sharp; so a man makes sharp his friend. Prov 27:17 (BBE)

In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Luke 1:42-43

But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive? And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they arelively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them. Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty. Ex 1:17-20 (KJV)

PRAYER

Father, There is so much that you have placed inside of me. I’m grateful that you have spiritual midwives who are obedient to You in providing the assistance I need to birth out my purpose. I’m excited about this divine connection that You have brought together and know that only great things awaits me as my purpose is ignited to become all You envisioned. Amen

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Feasts Of Freedom: From Conception To Resurrection

I remember my mother telling me that if a woman wanted to know the exact date of their baby’s birth all they had to do was count nine moons from the date of conception. Now that may sound rather primitive, but recently I was reading a book by the late Zola Levitt, The Seven Feasts of Israel, where he stated almost the exact words my mother said years ago. Levitt focused on the Seven Feasts of Israel and related it to the entire gestation period of a woman’s pregnancy according to the Jewish calendar.

Beginning with Passover and culminating with Chanukah, Levitt meticulously explains that there is a correlation between the birthing process and the Seven Feasts of Israel outlined in Leviticus 23 (see Scriptures below). What is interesting about Levitt’s revelation is that during the Resurrection Season three of the Jewish Feasts take place-Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits.

Passover represents ovulation and new life. On the fourteenth day of the first month in the gestation cycle the egg appears. God instructed Moses that the Passover Feast should take place on the fourteenth day of the first month. During the Passover Feast the Jews place an egg on the table symbolic of the new life granted by the sacrifice of the lamb in Egypt. We are all familiar with the pagan Easter egg that also represents new life. His crucifixion on Passover gave us the chance for life everlasting.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread, the planting of the seed or the fertilization, occurs the night following the Passover Feast. Within 24-hours the human egg must be fertilized or it will pass on. Twenty-four hours after the Passover Feast Jesus was buried. His burial in the earth, prepared for each of us, the glorious resurrection to come.

Implantation of the human egg marks the moment when the fertilized egg arrives safely in the uterus and begins its miraculous growth into a human being. This process may take anywhere from two to six days before it implants. The Festival of First Fruits (Easter), the spring planting, is not on a definite time cycle and occurs on the Sunday following the Feast of the Unleavened Bread. It could be the day after, or it could be almost a week away. This represents the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It is evident that God designed the conception of each of us in accordance with those first three majestic feasts, so appropriately fulfilled by our Lord. In so many respects everything that God impregnates us with goes through a cycle that begins with conception and culminates in victory. In order to truly embrace the new thing, we must first crucify and bury the old thing.

Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected giving us entitlement to eternal life. Just like the fertilized human egg, Jesus after his burial traveled into hell’s gates and defeated death. It was in this victory that He was able to rise with all power in His hands. The seed had been planted that open the doors for us to have everlasting life. This is theFestival of First Fruits!

Rejoice and be exceedingly glad! Jesus, Our Lord and King, overpowered death! Rose from the dead! Not only did he have all power in His hands, but he bestowed upon us that same resurrection power!

SCRIPTURES

In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’S passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD. And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin. And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. Lev 23:5-14 (KJV)

PRAYER

Father This is a blessed season! It is the time when we celebrate the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ who died on the cross for us to have eternal life. For that I am forever grateful. Because of His selfless act and obedience to You, I am not bound by the limitations of this world nor death. And, it is my responsibility to share with others so they can partake of the feasts and sup at the King’s table as well. Amen read more…

Missing Perspective: Rearview Adjustment

“What is this,” my eldest sister asked as I drove up the Baltimore Parkway in Maryland headed back to my house from Fort Meade Army Base. We had just dropped my sister Patricia off as she prepared to be deported to Kuwait to serve in the Desert Storm conflict.

I glanced at what she had in her hand and quickly stated, “Oh that is the rear view mirror.” By that time she was exclaiming, “How in the world are you driving? Are you crazy?”

“It has to be fixed,” I answered through shrills of laughter. It was quite humorous because I had learned to drive without using the rear view mirror. Not having the rear view mirror attached to the front windshield was not hindering me from moving forward.

When you’re able to emotionally relinquish those things that have been broken, you will master releasing the familiar for something better. Unhealthy broken alliances need to remain on the floor. Don’t pick them up again. Their usefulness has ended. They have served their purpose. It is time for a new thing.

When you allow the things behind you to prevent you from moving forward you will never experience all God has for you. If I allowed not having a rear view mirror to stop me, I would have been stuck at home. True, the rear view mirror helps in your driving experience, but it doesn’t have to hinder you when it is not there.

Because I didn’t have the rear view mirror to rely on I had to adjust my side mirrors to more ably assist in my driving experience. Along the way you are going to have to make adjustments in your journey, but you can’t allow the obstacles to stop you. Being able to adapt exemplifies your flexibility to survive and thrive regardless of the circumstances.

Although the rear view mirror was on the floor of the car, I never lost sight of moving forward to reach my destination. You can’t get off focus because you are consumed with leaving things behind. If you hold on to the past; then the past will hold on to you. Its grip can be devastating to your success and cause you to lose control. Stop focusing on the past and keep your sights on the future.

True, my sister was alarmed, but I knew that everything was under control. Don’t allow the trepidations of others to stop you. If you get caught up in the frenetic cries of others, you will lose sight of your goal and find yourself in a ditch. Fear can be contagious if you allow it to be and take you off course.

All the way home, we laughed about the rear view mirror not being there. Never allow situations to steal your joy. You have to be able to laugh in the face of adversity and just keep it moving.

Now, compose yourself, relax, make the necessary adjustments and enjoy the journey. As long as you enjoy the journey, keep focused and never stop moving forward you will reach your destination.

SCRIPTURES

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.Phil 3:13-14 (KJV)

And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. Gen 19:17 (KJV)

Jesus said to him, “Whoever starts to plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62 (GW)

The person who has God’s approval will live by faith. But if he turns back, I will not be pleased with him.” Heb 10:38 (GW)

PRAYER

Father, Sometimes my perspective is somewhat skewed and I find myself gazing back and longing to do what I know rather than to relinquish it for something better. Bless me to keep my focus on You as I continue down that path that you have set before me. My past is not in front of me, but my future is staring me in the face. Bless me to keep moving past all the hindrances that try to prevent me from pursuing all that You envisioned for me before I was ever conceived. Amen

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