BlessedAssurance

There is a difference between shallowness(superficial) and true authenticity. Being shallow is a practice. A repeated behavior. One can be authentic, offend, ask for forgiveness and truly turn from the behavior. Shallowness is a choice and over time, it will reveal itself. We have a tendency to cling to those things we embrace, whether it is shallow or authentic. True authenticity will last. ~ LaKenya

October 9, 2011 - Memory Verse Ephesians 1:3 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Sometimes I ask the question to myself, "Is it just me"? When it seems like there is just an urgency to get the assignment done, but there is no focus on the person performing the work to complete the assignment. The human element has been taken out of many of the processes. The mindsets are so distorted that it seems like there is more focus on the product than the producer. Is it me or am I walking in this bubble some times when I see that the person who is trying their best to be accepted by the “in-crowd” at the expense of their integrity finds him/herself still all alone or at a crossroad? Overlooking the sadness that is so prevalent in the countenance of an individual when he/she is talking to me can not be ignored. There is a longing for acceptance in the wrong arena. Sure, we are to fellowship with one another, but it is a must to keep our standards of integrity and sense of good character. Well, where do we find integrity, good character, wisdom? It is in the Word o...

God's favour is on your life: Blessings unto you, ~LaKenya

As believers, we have direct access to our Heavenly Father through His Son, Jesus Christ. Isn't it a great feeling to know that we are privileged with these rights to commune with Our Father?  Ephesians 2:16-18 (NIV) 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. We will say YES! When God asks us to feed His sheep, "the people", we will say YES . Even though the circumstances are not in our favour, we will say YES Lord, we will still pray! When the widows and orphans need our time, we will say YES . The children who are seeking for someone to say "well done", we will say YES ! Even though, we may not feel like studying Your Word, we will say YES . Although we may be naive to the person who spitefully uses us, we will say YES , w...

 John 5:14(NIV) Dear Lord: You have called us to posture ourselves to pray and seek Your ways. We call upon Your Name with thanksgiving and submission to Your will. Help us to pray according to the scriptures with a thirst to grow closer to You. We know that when we humble ourselves, seek your face, turn from our wicked ways, then You will hear us from Heaven and heal the land. We need Your guidance for our personal lives, families, cities, towns, nations, and principalities thereof. Allow us to seek You first in our decision-making, associations, and projects. Give us the Spirit to discern that which is from You and deny all that is not of You. Help us to stand firm on your Word in the midst of trials, tribulations, short comings, chaos, and distrust. Although the distractions will come, we hold on to the assurance that we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus! With boldness we claim the victory. We put our full armour on daily, deny our flesh, and take u...

As I write this message, I reflect on my first inclination about this piece and the composition of it. My initial message was to write about God's unconditional love for us and no matter what we may do or say, He still loves us. This is true and I may write a spin off about His unconditional love in another post. For this moment, I've been led to write a message regarding God's gifts that He so graciously blesses us with, and His intent to not take them away from us. Security is important to us, especially speaking from a female persona and perspective. Women and men alike seek security . Children, also, bask in security. Whether it is knowing that Mom or Dad will buy them the new toy they saw on a television commercial or knowing that they will be picked up from school around the same time each day, security has a significant place in each of our lives. The Dilemma When there is no security, oftentimes, doubt will creep in and cause us to second guess others or e...

Over the past two weeks, we have been meeting and praying at Wednesday Bible Study. I am learning so much through the Word of God and praying according to the Word. Prayer is one of the best, if not the best gift, you can give someone. I know we pray when we need things, but I'm learning to pray for the things that God has a heart for. God wants us to pray according to His agenda. My prayer for today: Dear Lord, I pray that each person reading this right now will know you personally. I pray that their secret petitions are granted. According to your heart's desire, I will surrender my own will to Your will. I will walk in the victory that you have already predestined for me. Lord, increase my wisdom and knowledge. Help me to stand watch over those you have entrusted in my care. Cleanse me of anything that is not pleasing in your sight. Your word cleanses and convicts. All of the things that I have said and done that are not pleasing to You, I repent in the name of Jesus...

This is a random thought for today for I have been toiling with making decisions and juggling all the tasks that are apart of a day's journey. Although there may be some challenges that come our way, we have to keep smiling in the mist of the turmoil. I remember getting on an elevator one day and I apparently was smiling and the gentleman that got on with me said, "What are you smiling about"? I answered, "I'm just thankful". Things do not have to always go smoothly to smile. Just because you see a smile doesn't mean that we do not face trials and challenges. In fact, there is a constant array of turmoil that may occur in our personal lives and there are those things that affect us indirectly, which causes tension and conflict. However, if we do not go through the thick of life, how else are we to learn, grow, and mature into the individuals that we are destined to become. Is it an overnight process? "No!" Is it worth complaining over? ...

Compromise means  to make a deal where one person gives up part of his or her  demand . In  arguments ,  compromise  is a concept of finding  agreement  through  communication , through a mutual  acceptance  of terms—often involving variations from an original  goal  or desire. Deity means God.   Colossians 2: 1-10 The Apostle Paul is speaking…. 1 I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are a...

May 26, 2011 Excerpt from Today's Word with Joel and Victoria: God loves you so much today! He wants you to know and experience His love. When you experience something, it becomes real to you. You “own” it, so to speak. For example, let’s say you’ve never eaten chocolate before. Someone else can describe it to you. They can tell you all about the taste and texture, but until you take a bite of it, it won’t really mean anything. In the same way, you can hear all about God’s love and how wonderful He is, but it’s not until you experience it first hand and allow His love to sink down into your heart that something happens on the inside of you. His love changes you. It builds confidence and strength in you. It empowers you to overcome temptation and to stand strong no matter what difficulty you may be facing. When you open your heart and receive His love, you will be fully persuaded that nothing can separate you from Him! A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father in heaven, I open my heart to You...

There are situations and people who we may come across or encounter that attempt to still the joy and positive forces that God so freely gives to all of us. What benefits a person to look on the down side of everything and live in such defeat? It would be so easy to slip away into this state of euphoria and block out these rays of counter forces, but God wants us to be bold and release the truth into the lives of these people. Acquiring and sustaining such a state of what I call "Euphoria" is available. 2Corinthians 3:17 states "Now the Lord is the Spirit ; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty ." Furthermore in verse 18, it reads "But we all, with unveiled face , beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory , just as by the Spirit of the Lord." Unveiling and taking off the mask of defeat, opens up a whole new awakening to the truth. The Spirit of the Lord equals liberty ...

Spiritual Gifts Survey

Sneak Peak...The next blog post is entitled, "No Strings Attached". Keep Reading, LaKenya

There is a need to constantly assess and evaluate our positions. Whether it is our positions at home, on the job, in school, at church, in the community, or in our own self-evalutions. Revival means a  re newed attention to or interest in something. It can also mean a new presentation or publication of something old. The Apostle Paul serves as a conduit to the the believers encouraging them to get back in their positions in Christ. In Ephesians 1:3-5, Paul writes, " 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—" Paul was encouraging the believers to renew their attention to the spiritual blessings that God has already given. We were chosen before the world wa...

What Profits a Person to Gain the Whole World and lose his/her soul? The soul is deemed integral or essential to consciousness and personality . As I contemplate on this thought, I have to take a look in the mirror at myself. With any evaluation made, one must first perform a self assessment , which equates to self-awareness . Knowing where you stand on a particular subject or how you feel about a particular topic, first requires some soul searching and getting to know SELF . So, I ponder and pray sometimes about the direction God wants me to take; about the decisions God wants me to make; about the work God wants me to do; about the associations God wants me involved in; about the influences God wants me to have on others; about the thoughts God wants me to write; and about the people God wants me to touch; then I pick up my Bible to read and He reveals some of these things that I ponder over. Oftentimes, I may not know where to start, but He leads me to where he wants me to g...

Don't waste your time arguing with or listening to people who are argumentative by nature. Some people will "argue with a stop sign", that's what they use to say in the old days. Just ignore the noise and focus on other things that are more important. Let the small stuff go! There are many more urgent things going on that require more attention. Let us take a look at John chapter nine. Here, Jesus heals a man who was blind at birth and the Pharisees were trying to find out every thing they could to find fault in the miraculous thing Jesus did for this man. First, the disciples asked Jesus, what sin did the man commit? John 9:1 - As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answers, 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him w...

While driving along the highway in the mist of a wind storm or heavy thunderstorm, the first thought may be to pull over along the side of the road and wait for the conditions to become more favorable for driving. With the wind gusts blowing the car from left to right or the heavy raindrops pounding against the windshields, visibility decreases; likewise, the desire to hold the steering wheel a little tighter increases as the gusts carry the car along the road. What is the consequence of pulling over and waiting this thing out? In the mist of adversity, there is a covering that is extended to the chosen. In Psalm 91: 5-8, the Psalmist writes about the protection against the adversary. Those that come up against you will not prevail. They will fall to either side, but not come near. 5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. 7 A thousand may fall at y...

 Love  Love  Love! The Greatest Commandment. Matthew 22:34-39 (NIV) 34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”   37 Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' Love is an action word! It is more than a notion, a belief, some fantasy. It is truly seen by way of one's actions. Love causes us to sacrifice many of the our own personal agendas and follow God's agenda. His agenda is for us to love Him with all our hearts, every inch of our being and mind. When we extend a helping hand to that lady in the store who just had back surgery and is not able to pick up an item she just dropped in line, we show love . When we...

Today's Thought from Blessed Assurance: Often times, we operate in a world where everything is so fast paced. If it is not fast paced, some things just go unexplained or we just do not ask the questions to gain in-dept knowledge. Often times, we do not ask the questions because that’s the way it’s always been done. Not really understanding the “why” behind it or the rationale of the concept. What benefit is it to go through the motions and not understand the desired goal? Are we setting and accomplishing goals or are we setting motions in place wondering aimlessly with a blind fold tampered on our eyes? Let us take a step back today and write down some goals, identify the steps it will take to accomplish the goals, and align them with something greater than us! Blessings to you, ~LaKenya

(Genesis 12: 1-3) 1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you .(The promise of Land) 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others .(The promise of descendants) 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”( The promise of blessings and redemption)                         A promise, in general , is a declaration , written or verbal , made by one person to another , which binds the person who makes it to do , a specified act ; a declaration which gives to the person to whom it is made a right to expect the performance of a specified act . The Bible is the authoritative source ...

The King Cake is believed to have originated in France around the 12th Century. These early Europeans celebrated the coming of the three wise men bearing gifts twelve days after Christmas calling it the feast of the Epiphany, Twelfth Night or King's Day. The main part of the celebration was the baking of a King Cake to honor the three Kings. The cakes were made circular to portray the circular route used by the Kings to get to the Christ Child and confuse King Herod, who was trying to follow the wise men so he could kill the Christ Child. In these early King Cakes, a bean, a pea or a coin was hidden inside the cake. The person who got the hidden piece was declared King for the day, or was said to have good luck in the coming year. In Louisiana, Twelfth Night also signifies the beginning of the carnival season, which ends on Mardi Gras Day. The beans, peas and coins have been replaced by a small plastic baby to symbolize the Christ Child. The person who gets the baby is expected...