I love to read about the life of David. He embodies the life of Jesus. To Know David’s history (His story), is to know a little more about the character of Jesus. The Old Testament always points to the coming Savior, Jesus.

As a young boy, David tended to his father’s sheep. His Father, Jesse, sent him out on a mission to take bread and provision to strengthen his brothers in battle. When David showed up, he found himself in the middle of the battlefield and ran up against the giant Goliath. David won the battle, came out the victor and cut the giant’s head off. David was richly rewarded and was given a bride. David was anointed King and was given a kingdom. He equipped and prepared an army. He gave his people protection, provision and identity. He was chased by his enemies and lost everything at Ziklag, His enemy burned down his village and took his wives, children, and livelihood. His men also lost everything and they wanted to stone him. David had great compassion for his men because he knew how they felt. He encouraged and entrusted himself in the Lord, (1 Samuel 30), engaged in battle and recovered all their losses plus much, much more. David was a man whose life was sought after and he found himself in a cave but came out alive. David’s life ended good. He definitely had some ups and downs but ended his life song on an upbeat note. A great song has both up and down notes which makes it rich in melody. We need to appreciate the richness of our lives with the ups and downs so we can have a beautiful melody as well.

Does this remind you of the life and story of Jesus? I hope you find encouragement in the life story of David and Jesus. It can be your story and song as well. If you find yourself in a cave of depression as David and Jesus did, know you can walk out alive. Don’t let the enemy tell you that there is no way out and you’ll always live in the cave. Both Jesus and David came out of the cave alive.

If you have lost everything, do what David did; he encouraged himself in the Lord and had a personal encounter with Him; he was given instructions and engaged in battle. David found victory and regained and recovered his losses.

Are you up against an insurmountable giant of a problem? With the strength of the Lord run up against your giants and use the weapons that He has given you – the Word of God. Hebrews 4:12, “For the Word of God is living and powerful and stronger than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (NKJV).

Heavenly Father, We thank you for the Your Word given to us in the form of flesh, Jesus. Because of You, we carry hope and power to be overcomers and victorious in the toughest of situations and battles. We know You fight our battles for us and that You are our source, provision, protector and Abba Father. We thank you that we are not left as orphans but we have the legal right to be called Your children. We are grateful we can come boldly before you and receive encouragement, encounters, and instructions on how to engage in battle and come out triumphant. Thank you for the melody of our lives. In Jesus Name, we pray. Amen.

Beloved sons and daughters, I embrace you with a covenant kiss each morning to start out our day together. As a loving Father, I want you to experience my glory, protection and provision. My heart cry is to perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you. You were created to receive my blessings.

I only correct and rerout you when I see you journeying on the world’s path that leads ultimately to disaster and pain. I start with warning signs of “slow down,” “curvey roads,” “dead end” and “rock slides”. Be alert for my signs and wonders. Open your spiritual eyes and ears for I am speaking to the eyes of your heart because I see what is up ahead. I want to keep you safe and protected from the harms of this world. Listen and keep your eyes alert for the warnings. I will be faithful to give you warning signs but it is up to you to choose to turn around or continue. Do you see and hear My voice?

Do you get easily triggered with insecurity and feelings of not being enough? Does your life feel more like running a race of competition, jealousy and rivalry rather than walking in security knowing you are doing and pursuing what your God destiny and purpose is?

When you focus on your God calling you will find security and that security leads to freedom where you can rejoice in others doing well instead of running with a competitive spirit.

Whether in business, school, ministry or creative arts arena,
there will always be someone more gifted or someone less. It’s not about numbers or success, but more importantly, it’s about being faithful to what God has called you to pursue.

Go out with vibrancy and pursue with joy the journey you are on. Pour into others and be for them, equipping and empowering them on their journeys and see the blessings that come back to you, pressed down, shaken and overflowing in your own life.

Luke 6;38, “Give and it will be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you in return.”

We are the church so when people say, “I was offended by the church” what they really are saying is “a person or people offended me.” We have a choice once an offense happens at church. We can either work through it or leave, hardening our heart and never want to find a church home again.

The key is to know offenses will happen time and time again because we are called living stones. Stones rubbing together in fellowship will inevitably cause friction and sparks can fly and catch a forest on fire. However, be have been given the gift and presence of the Holy Spirit which is the oil or lubricant to keep the friction from flying.

The enemy is not after unbelievers because they are not a threat but he sure shows up in the body of Christ to divide and break fellowship.

The answer is not the decision to never go back to church again but rather learn from the experience. If a doctor misdiagnoses a person, do they never seek medical attention again? If a hair cut is disastrous, does a person never cut their hair again? How about bad investments, does that mean never trying again? No, we keep going back and we keep trying, right? So let’s do the same with a not so good experience with our church family. We are all capable of offending someone and hopefully grace and forgiveness will be given to us. We are all imperfect beings, rubbing shoulders with one another, so let’s not let the friction happen.

The answer comes through the power of genuine love and forgiveness of the Holy Spirit’s anointing lubricating oil flowing through our living stones as we rub shoulders together in ministry and serving one another.

We need to own up to our emotions and learn it is a choice we make to take on an offense. It’s not if but when you are offended, be quick to recognize it and ask God to help you let go, forgive the other person, repent for your part of it, surrender the offense and move on.

1 Peter 2:5, “You are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple. What’s more, you are His holy priests. Through the meditation of Jesus Christ, you are spiritual sacrifices that please God,” NLT

Alcove and Virgin River in the Narrows. Zion National Park, Utah, USA.

We are made in God’s image, thus, we are made up of spirit and soul (mind, will and emotions), so it must mean God has a mind, will and emotion, right? God came in the flesh through the Word, Jesus, and Jesus told His disciples that when He left, He would send them the comforter, the Holy Spirit. This is where we get a tri-une God, God head or better known as the Trinity – God three in one.

Have you ever thought about the Holy Spirit having a mind, will and emotions or do you think only of power and a miracle working force?

Listen to God’s whispers and look for the little signs and wonders because God never leaves us or puts us on the back burner or high onto a storage shelf. He is always at work, sometimes quietly, behind the scenes, getting things ready for His perfect timing to release your destiny dream. Get ready, acceleration about to happen to catapult you into a new level. Be strong and of good courage because there will always be a giant standing at the gate of your new level trying to keep you from entering. But God . . . He has given you already everything you will need to enter in, through your testing times, growing and learning seasons. In your hand you have the weapons you’ll need to slay the giant, just as God prepared and provided David with everything he needed to slay Goliath.

What am I seeing at Toast the King gatherings?

1. The diversity of age. It is very scriptural for the older, weathered, (sorry ladies), experienced, those who have been in the trenches and have seen the victories, come along side younger women, (Titus 2:3-5). Women who have walked the faith walk are to come along side those who desire to grow and be discipled, teaching women to love their husbands and children, to be self controlled and pure, to be busy at their home tasks, to be kind and to come along side their husbands so that no one will malign the word of God.

I get asked once in awhile why I think Jesus is the Savior of the world and the one and only way to be reconciled to a living God.

It’s seems one way is too simple and one might think to be in God’s presence would take great sweat and work on our end. That is the case with all other religions, it’s arduous to enter into the presence of false God’s. There is always a cost by the one wanting to be accepted. However, the opposite is true when becoming a child of God.

Salvation is a free gift of grace. There is nothing on our end to do other than accept what Jesus has done on the cross. He gave His life so that we could live the abundant life, destroy Satan’s plan to rob, kill and destroy God’s creation.