A message to a friend, but for us all…

“You know who you and whose you are and that makes you special because many people who play church and be in church still don’t know who they are. Because you are aware of who and whose you are, you don’t walk, talk, think, behave or reason the way you used to. What many people hold onto is familiarity and they become content with who you were when they “got to know” you.

The thing is, some folks stopped getting to know you. They stopped at their identity of you, but God has continued to not only identify you more and more in his image, but he’s grown you from the man you were a year ago. Content and settled eyes can’t see that. Those eyes haven’t evolved beyond their egotistical identity of you so they can’t appreciate God’s promotion of you.

Because you’re well aware of your source and you’re humbled by him spiritually, you want others to abide in that awareness. Your faithfulness got you on a journey with God; but your human nature still begs for acceptance and being liked in the flesh.

So it hurts and bothers you when others whom you’ve supported and some you’ve even carried, scorn you or behave passively aggressive with you. They call you by little petty names taking a shot at you with a small touch of an “LOL”, and even though you may smile and chuckle back, it stings and you’re left with an uneasiness.

That uneasinesses is the Spirit and your flesh meeting head to head. Spirit calling you to let go but your flesh desiring to make it right.

On the flip side, their behavior is evidence of their flesh misbehaving and throwing salt at you.

The reason the salt they throw hurts or stings is because you have scars and open wounds from back in the day when of who you were and the salt sometimes gets into those tiny spaces of memory of who we’ve been to or with people, thus making us feel some type of way. In those moments, react with prayer and throw yourself at the altar.

I say throw yourself because it needs to be immediate and intentional submission to the altar because in those moments you’ll face principalities that will rise up to get your thoughts to focus on what once was instead of who is.”

Written April 24, 2017 @ 8:54 am CST
By JVMc

How to Fight Unfairly Part 2

Windsor Village Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell
How to Fight Unfairly… Part 2 

Four virtues God has already provided folks who love him:

1. Promise

2. Power

3. Prayer

4. Provision

* And these four give you an automatic advantage over your enemies.

* There are benefits and blessing as a member of the kingdom

* You don’t always get what you deserve; life can be hard but put your fighting clothes on.

* Exodus 3:8… if you want to change your land, get out of the hands you’re in! If you want to change your social status, you must change your spiritual status. 

* Stop looking for your handout or help from a him or her… Look to God who is THE PROVIDER

* IF you wanna go to where God wants you to go, you’ve got to get up

* Too many people are comfortable in being in “that land”

* Get off your liabilities and assets and stop making excuses and begin to believe God and move in his promises

* Lord deliver me from this mediocre mindset

* Why would God bless you with a promise and you sit there like Humpty Dumpty waiting for your change to come

* Gods promises are YES & AMEN and for his glory. (2 Corinthians 1:20)

* Get this verse in your DNA, because while the promise is being provided the enemy wants to sabotage it and he will do it by coming for your confidence. So don’t grow weary while doing good. It’s not over until you win. Fight from victory to victory in Jesus name

* It’s downright unfair, but membership has its promises… as a believer you have a promise backed by the power

* Ezekiel 20:8-9 

* God is gonna do it FOR HIS NAMESAKE! It ain’t got nothing to do with you. 

* You get the benefit because of his namesake

* You get the advantage because of his namesake

* He backs up His promise with his power
PRAYER…

Seems like nothing happens until we pray. 

* Pray on purpose

* Pray with expectancy 

* When you get tired in prayer, get you an Aaron & a Hur who will intercede and encourage you to keep praying

* This is the confidence in him, that if we ask ANYTHING according to his will, then he hears us. And since we know he hears us then, whatever we ask, we know that we have what we’ve asked for

PROVISION…

* His Grace is sufficient

* While you’re moaning, groaning and complaining… he’s still providing

(Sermon got too good… couldn’t keep up with the typing. My apologies.)

Be Strong & Of Good Courage

Windsor Village Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell
Be Strong & Of Good Courage

Text | Joshua 1:5-9

Theme 1 Prosperity
* you won’t have prosperity without courage 

* Moving into the promise land…

* Joshua 1, verse 5: no man (nobody) can keep you from what God intends for you to have or to go unless you allow it

* “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave nor forsake you.”

* Will Not Leave You

– won’t treat you the way your earthly family has

– Don’t view God the way you view man

– Release your thoughts of God out of the box you’ve contained him in and allow him to be God!

– your thoughts can block you

* v.6 Be strong and if GOOD COURAGE, for to this people shall divider as an inheritance of the land which I swore (promised/decreed/declared) 

* v.7 Be strong and VERY courageous that you may observe to do affording to all the law…

* v.7 Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go

* The Lord is WITH YOU

Fully absorb this verse, JOSHUA 1:7 

* v.8 meditate in the book of the law day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written 

* Learn to mutter (mumble) to yourself what the word says about you

– I’m more than a conqueror

– No weapon formed against me

– I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens me!

* v.8… then you will make your OWN way prosperous and then you will have good success

* Your prosperity isn’t linked to

– a hook up

– A party

– An organization

– A politician

* Your prosperity is linked to God! 
Theme 2 Courage

* courage is not the absence of fear 

* Courage is not the absence of having butterfly’s

* Courage is doing right in spite of your fear, in spite of the butterfly’s 

* Courage doesn’t mean you defeat evil every time; but it does mean you stand up to it

* The mere fact that you have the courage to stand up, face it is powerful

* Courage doesn’t mean your voice won’t quiver; the courage is opening your mouth to speak 

* You need courage in your house

* It takes courage to forgive

* When communication channels have frozen, someone has to have the courage to say let’s make peace

* Be on FIRE with Courage regardless of whatever is going on around you 

* These next four years will be the best four of your life

On this eve of Dr. King’s birthday, we may all celebrate him now… however it hasn’t always been the case. He was killed after he spoke with courage truth to power like nobody’s business 

* Redistribute the pain

* Boycott

Many saw him as a trouble maker. He has courage. 

* When you have courage, not everyone is gonna be on your side. They will spit in your face and tell you it’s raining

* Many won’t support you, but have courage anyway

* Exercise the courage God has given you 

– v.3 he has already given you the provision… every where you WILL GO, I’ve already given you…

* God has promised it so I know he’s provided it

– v.4 from the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river… He is expanding your territory 

– When haters come, rejoice because that means they see the blessing 😂😂 give them something to see! Let them see how Good God Is!!!

– v.5… I will be with you
* exercise your courage and pull down your blessing 
“Wait on God” literally means what it says. The problem is too many of us don’t like where God is taking us, so we roll and move away then ask where did he go. 

– Learn to excercise courage 

Who Are You To Doubt God?

I am perhaps my toughest critic, and trust me I have had some tough critics in my life. This has quite often hindered me from taking next steps and sometimes even believing that I couldn’t take a step.

This morning during my reflections I realized I’d recently began hindering myself through my thoughts again. I quickly said to myself, “Who the hell do you think you are to have the audacity to doubt what God has already promised you?”

That’s what we do when we allow our thoughts to paralyze our faith and delay us from achieving our purposes. 

SELF INFLICTED MENTAL PARALYSIS

I’ve realized that being your own toughest critic is true for far too many. We paralyze ourselves through our criticism of who we are and our outlook on our capabilities.

• Have you ever had an opportunity or idea that was “outside the realm” of your typical habits/career? 
• Have you ever talked yourself out of an idea because you could internally hear what your naysayers would say?
• Have you ever said to yourself, “this would be impossible for me to do” or “I’m not qualified to do all of this.”?

These are examples of self inflicted paralaysis. 

OVERCOMING MENTAL PARALYSIS 

I’ve been there. Just a few months ago when my business began to take off from casual sales to daily sales. I began doubting myself and hearing what the naysayers would say. Like I literally was mentally impowering the negativity with my own thoughts. In that very moment, I stopped and dropped to my knees.

I was in my bedroom and I began to talk it out. I became my own therapist meeting every doubtful thought with what God says about me. This continued for a few minutes then suddenly, I heard God say directly to me, “They don’t know the cost of your oils.” (This is a story for another day.)

While in my bedroom that morning I reflected on Matthew chapter 6 around verse 25. Why was I worrying about what people would say, or about my abilities to carry out a thing that had already began in me? It’s because I’d become my own critic. This isn’t to say that firm and honest assessment aren’t necessary, because they are. However, not to the point that you knock your gifts before you even try them. 

GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY

A close friend of mine shared with me a very valuable life gem, and that is that too many of us hinder ourselves and defeat ourselves because we don’t get out of our own way. 

Getting out of your own way begins with recognizing the value in who you are and the power of whose you are. It also requires you to shake off doubt and fear along with ego! 

Perhaps two of the greatest things we conjur up in us are worry and fear. FOR THE BIBLE SAYS repeatedly, “Don’t worry”,”Fear Not”and to “Believe God.”

James (Jesus’ brother) says it best in James 1 Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. 

If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. 

When doubt and fear begin to seep into your space, your mind and spirit, “Get out of your own way and get on the line with God!”

I’ve Got Experience

“Why?” is such a demanding word and question. Short and consise, when asked in almost any tone, it can kinda pierce you to your core. On its surface it can be quite invasive. 

Why do you… why didn’t you… why are you… why, why why?

If you’ve ever made up in your mind to do something, be something, go someplace, choose someone… WHY will meet you at the starting line or someplace along the way to the finish line. 

I’ve got experience in WHY! 

With my experience in WHY, I’ve learned that although the questions and tones which accompany the why’s may come across insulting, discouraging or doubtful, there are three things that will help you glide to and through.

I wrote these three things on an index card and taped it on my mirror nearly 3 years ago while living in Birmingham. 

During that period of my life, I experienced so much. I’d moved back to take a job that really was too good to be true. Then one Sunday I was headed to church when my future landlord called me 5 hours prior to my move-in and rescinded. I literally had everything in my car. I was 2 redlights away and almost just turned around to hit I-20 east to 75 South and run home to my mom’s. You can always go home to your mama. But the Holy Spirit told me to just make it to Living Stones Temple, so I did. 

Here I was, this highly educated, overqualified and underemployed woman with all this baggage, literally and figuratively… it’s amazing that I didn’t head straight to the altar immediately upon arrival. But as soon as prayer was announced I went up. I was like, “here I am with all this and I don’t know what to do besides come to you Jesus, so please… HELP ME!” 

When I finished in the prayer room with the minister, an angel named Debra came to me and said, “what’s wrong? Why are you crying? I told her about the call I got before my arrival and she told me, “don’t worry, you can move in with Dennis and I. Our entire upstairs is vacant now that our kids are grown…” 

Y’all, that was nothing but God! I went from homeless to housed in matter of not hours, but through the manner of my faith! 

I have experience in seeing God work in my favor… that’s my why! 
*** Shoutout to Pastor Keion Henderson of The LightHouse Church of Houston for reminding me I’ve got EXPERIENCE! Check him out here: Pastor Keion on Experience

How To Fight Unfairly (Part 1)

Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell Windsor Village UMC

Link: https://livestream.com/accounts/5243631/kingdombuilderslive

Text: Exodus 17:8-16 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.” So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.” Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. He said, “Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.” 

January 1, 2017 How to Fight Unfairly!

I. Introduction: 

• Here in our text, the enemy attacked from the back. 
• Only a sucka would attack the weakest in the group
• But the leaders of the group recognized what FELLOWSHIP meant, all of them were one together. Although they weren’t attacked themselves, they understood that they had a responsibility to fight for those who were attacked.

– Responsibility (to respond with your abilities)

• they called on REAL fighters; men who were competent and of character 
• Moses said, “tonite I will stand in the tip of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” He was fighting in the supernatural.
• To receive what God promises us requires obedience. Joshua did what Moses told him to do while, Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill to fight inn the supernatural 
• When Moses had his hands up, he was praying to God and the power of the King was being released in the form of provision and protection.  
• When Moses grew tired, Aaron and Hur helped him continue v.12
• Moses was the intercessor for the army, but he had enough sense he couldn’t do it alone so he took 2 others with him. Don’t grow weary in doing good, ask for help! 
• Help that will help you help others! Get you some right Aaron’s and Hur’s in your life
• Who the hell do you think you are to sit on God’s blessings? You think you’ve got enough, but what God has for you is greater than your expectations, so keep going and be a blessing too!

– the beauty of Aaron & Hur is they wouldn’t let Moses quit.

– When Moses felt like throwing down the staff, they held him up and encouraged him. You need people in your life that will be your Aaron’s and Hur’s.

– You need some folks on your side who will remind you of who you are and whose you are

– You need friends in your life who will see you through, pray you through, help you through

– Don’t feel as though you don’t deserve it; God wants you to have it

– It’s clear you gonna need at least two folks in your life that will pray with you and for you

– The last thing you need are two “almost folks” they almost held ya down, but they gossiping about what they did to help you instead. 

– Aaron & Hur held his hands steady from each side, understanding and recognizing that the prayers were for everyone. 

– You don’t know the ramifications of God answering your prayers, so don’t quit!

– While Moses prayed to God with Aaron & Hur holding his arms up, Gods promises were activated

• when we pray, let’s lift our hands without wrath and doubting
• Don’t you know when you’re really praying for someone, pouring yourself out it can become a burden?
• Prayer is hard work. But you better keep going 
• You get results when you pray. The more you pray, the more you will see
• New Testament, James… the prayers of the righteous availeth much 
• If your prayers aren’t increasing you to the next level, you better get some folks in your life to help you pray

II. The Mindset of An Unfair Fighter
A. No (wo)man can stop me. Joshua 1:5

– no one can stop you or stand before you. God says he will not leave you nor forsake you 

– Standing “before you” means tryna block you

– The only person that can block you is you; so get yourself outta your own way so God can bless you
B. No weapon can silence me. Isaiah 54:17

– If folks don’t appreciate or support you where you are right now, then uproot yourself and move to where you can grow. 

– Remember, your gifts will make room for you! 

– Find something that will fly above the floods that life may send your way.

– Fight for your blessings and against your enemies

– Prayer is how you fight unfairly! 

• If you’re fighting and feeling defeated, remember Exodus 17:8-16. 
• Rise & Soar in Jesus name

January 1, 2017

Windsor Village UMC… Will be available by 1pm CST on Sunday, January 1, 2017.