Tag Archives: Jesus

Hidden Blessings

Posted on by yolandaberry
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“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 

I Corth 2:9

In this day of economic turmoil, one would question how can I escape the effects of job loss, furloughs and other financial woes?  In the natural, it’s a time of lack, stress, heartache and fear. If you haven’t experienced the sense of loss during these five years, you have been spared. But mostly, I speak to those who have suffered loss in some form or another to provide encouragement, hope and inspiration.

Stay Focused

Through tribulation, your eyes must be fixed steadily on the Lord. You can’t look to the left or to the right, but your focus should be on the power of the Lord. God is much greater than our problems. The Kingdom does not lack resources. “The devil comes to kill, steal and destroy, but I (Jesus) have come to give you life more abundantly.” John 10:10

The devil comes to fill us with fear, doubt and lies which steal our faith in times of weakness, temptation and trouble, but you must hold fast to God’s promises over your life.  “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” I Corth 14:33 Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Phil 4:8

Pick up Your Sword

When you’re in spiritual warfare, you must speak loudly to the storms of life to overcome the wind and the rocky waves. The word of God must be embedded in your spirit. Once the word is rooted in your heart, it will flow easily out of your mouth. “For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edge sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Heb 4:12 “We have the power and authority to walk over serpents and scorpions and not be harmed.” Luke 10:19

Growing in Faith is a Process

bunch of mushrooms

“But your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” I Corth 2:5

During the storm, God is developing your character and shaping you on who you will become so you will be able to handle the blessing before it arrives. The Lord must know that He can trust you to be faithful in the gifts that He provides. If the blessings come too soon. You may not be mature enough to handle the blessing. The Lord reigns on the just and the unjust so the Lord’s blessings are not limited to His children only. He is an unlimited God. He works through those who believe and acknowledge him, but He also chases the lost sheep.

Preparation is Essential

It’s a season that should not be rushed. It’s also a call to preparation. “Through patience and obedience, you will inherit the promises of God.” Heb 6:12 Just because you may not see evidence of God working in your life does not mean that He is asleep. “Do not cast away your confidence which has great recompense of reward.” Heb 10:35

It’s also a time to be still. “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him, do not fret because of him who prospers in his way because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass. “ Psalm 37:7 Developing and nurturing an intimate relationship with the Lord so you can hear his voice, is critical in spiritual warfare. You must be willing to accept His will and follow through in obedience.

Acknowledge God’s Grace of Protection

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Some storms in life comes in the form of protection. You may not understand why you may be going through a whirlwind, but the protection of God is holding you under His wing. “He that dwells in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the almighty.” Psalm 91

There is Purpose in Pain

God also allows us to go through the valley so we can relate to others pain and experiences to help them in time of despair. “Who comforts us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted by God.” II Corth 1:4. He is shaping us to be more like Him. The Lord may have you in a place which is hard and uncomfortable, but you are placed in a dark place to shine His light. In the wilderness, God will provide manna and protect you from danger. There is a higher purpose for everything that happens to you whether good or bad. This too shall pass. Trouble doesn’t last always. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

Lay Your Burdens Down

In the natural realm, we normally would gravitate to the physical needs which are a prerequisite in our lives. It is real and evident. The problem stares us in the face and is a thorn in our side, however we must be steadfast and cast our cares on the Lord. “Be not afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude for the battle is not yours, but belongs to the Lord.” II Chron 20:15-16.

Faith Leads the Way

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The Lord’s direction is like walking through a labyrinth. There are many turns and twist and even dead ends but eventually you will reach your purpose and fulfill God’s will. He will shut certain doors and open doors of opportunities, divine connections and fresh experiences.

Pray for Wisdom, Understanding and Discernment

When I speak of blessings I’m not referring only to physical and material things. There is a greater prosperity in the Kingdom of God. “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Col 3:2 He has hidden blessings that you cannot understand or comprehend. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9 It’s a time of alignment. It’s important to raise your thoughts and ways to agree with the Lord which will prepare you to receive His blessings. “Call until me and I will answer thee, I will show you great and might things that you do not know of.” Jeremiah 33:3

Praise is Your Weapon

Greater power is coming to His children which will supersede fame and fortune. There are hidden blessings that will be released at an appointed time in our lives. “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who works all things after the counsel of his own will. Ephesians 1: 11. We must remain faithful and seek Him for instruction at all times. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. And do not lean unto your own understanding but in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path. Prov 3:5-6

“Surely blessing I will bless thee and multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. Heb 14-15

Additional References: Ephesians 6:10-23

The i Generation

Posted on by yolandaberry
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ipad3

We are progressively becoming a God-less nation. We are losing our respect for others as well as ourselves faster than a 4G network can download an app. However, we continue to upload more violence, sex, profanity and drugs into our homes, schools, communities and nation. In fact, we have become our own worst enemy and our own worst nightmare. “Where there is no vision, the people perish, but he that keeps the law, happy is he.” Proverbs 29:18

With so much going on in the world and in our personal and professional lives, the average person is operating under extreme pressure and stress on a daily basis. I tend to wonder if life was this complicated when my grandparents were alive. They lived through the Great Depression, World Wars, the Holocaust the Civil Rights Movement and many other historical events, but somehow I feel they responded much differently to crisis compared to the generations that followed them.

Yes, we can argue, “It was simpler times.” But, they still had devastating obstacles and challenges to face and overcome in their lifetime. Perhaps it all boils down to how they reacted and responded to their difficulties. I don’t know much about the older generation since I was not yet born, but I do remember what my parents shared with me. They appreciated the little things in life and stood together to overcome obstacles. They fought for what was right and faced opposition. The foundation and substance were found in the church which established strong families and nurtured healthy neighborhoods. People looked out for each other and helped one another. Despite hard times, people, for the most part, lived productive lives. They also valued life.

Despite the differences in how problems were handled back then, truth still remains the same throughout time. God’s Word does not change. Perhaps, we should take time to find out exactly what the Gospel states about how to live life under God’s laws instead of our own.

Somehow, we’ve learned to depend too much on the opinions, ideas and actions of others including governmental, political, corporate, educational and financial systems that just are not working and do not have the mass population in its best interest. Perhaps, our mentality is so mixed up and confused that some can’t even distinguish what’s right from what’s wrong anymore. Lines are being blurred.

Perhaps, we live with no morals, consciousness, values or integrity. Perhaps, our society is losing their true identity in Christ. Perhaps, our world is so noisy that we can’t even hear God when He is clearly speaking to us. Perhaps, if we put down our iphone, ipad, ipod and let go of the ego, “me” “myself” and “I” we would have the ability to hear God speak loudly.  “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matt 6:33

Yes, in fact, we have surpassed prior generations with technological advances which has provided us with knowledge and information at our fingertips, yet our lives has become so complex, so competitive, so stressful, so busy, so frustrating and so exhausting. Perhaps, if we adapted some of our past generations “Old School Ways” of thinking, as well as values, we could eliminate some of the mess we’ve created.

Let’s start with putting down our technical gadgets and picking up the Bible and putting God first in all that we do. Teaching the next generation the Word of God is the root of healing the land. “He that is willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land.” Isaiah 1:19 Not only for blessing and protection, but most importantly salvation and truly understanding biblical stories and the life of Jesus.

“Tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.” Psalm 78:4

Repost on my Escape Out of a Burning Van

Posted on by yolandaberry
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Accident Pics

On the 15th  anniversary of my car accident, I thought I would re-post my miracle story. Please click link above to see photos of where I was sitting on the passenger’s side.  I recently heard about another miracle story last week on the ABC News that closely reminded me of my story, so I will also post the story that was reported on the News.

On August 16, 1998, I was helping my friend move to Macon, Georgia to attend Macon State University in the Fall. She rented a moving truck and we started loading her furniture, personal items, etc onto the truck. We stopped at the gas station before we started the long, vigorous moving trip. I was getting a very strange feeling that day before we left the apartment. Our trip was delayed because of a short rainstorm, but the sun came out right about the time we left to pick up the truck.

As my friend pumped the gas into the vehicle, I stood between the gas pump and the truck. I just felt extremely anxious and nervous. I was shaking inside and immediately sat down inside the truck while my friend went to pay for the gas.

As we started on the highway, we smelled something burning. Since it was a hot day, we thought it was the air conditioning unit so my friend turned it off. We played music and talked about her new beginning at Macon State. She mentioned that the truck was not picking up speed and we were going no more than 50 mph.

As we continued to drive, the burning smell grew stronger. Suddenly, we saw a man on the right side of us, waving his arm outside of his car window, flagging us to pull over on the right side of the highway. We crossed over three lanes of traffic, but as we entered the emergency lane my friend was pumping on the brakes and the truck would not slow down. We was going about 50 mph when she decided to slam onto the emergency rail to slow the truck down. We continued to bounce back and forth onto the emergency rail while my friend yelled for me to jump out of the truck. I thought she was crazy. I told her I was not jumping out of the truck. I immediately looked into the rear view mirror and saw a trail of the blackest smoke that I ever saw in my life. It smothered the entire highway. My instinct told me that I had no choice but to jump. When I opened my door, there were flames shooting from under the truck. I did not expect to see fire. I did not look back to see what my friend was doing, I didn’t think about anything but getting out of the truck. As I jumped, I felt tremendous heat on my legs. It felt like I was moving in slow motion. I somehow landed on my feet and stumbled to catch myself. The truck continued to roll. I felt my friend’s arm hug me as we stood and trembled and cried together.

As the truck rolled, the front area where we sat burst into flames. Suddenly, it started to thunderstorm severely. I stood in the heavy rain screaming and crying. The man who flagged us down pulled his car to the side of the road to help us. There was a woman and child in the car. We sat in silence inside their car as we waited until the fire and emergency unit came on the scene. In the faint distance, I heard the screeching sirens of the ambulance and fire trucks.

As I reflect on this dramatic experience, my eyes still fill with tears. I never knew the man’s name that assisted us. I can’t even remember what he looked like. I never even got the opportunity to thank them. Amazingly, my friend and I did not have a scratch or burn on our bodies. We were not crippled or paralyzed. Nor did we perish on that day. I sometimes reflect on all the things that could of happened and I probably would not be here to even tell you the details of this incident.

The Lord lifted us out of that truck and gave us another chance at life. I also felt that the people inside the car were guardian angels. They never spoke to us except for asking us if we were ok. I never quite looked at life the same after that day. It’s a testimony that I will carry for the rest of my life. I didn’t understand why my life was spared on that Saturday afternoon, but after years of walking with Jesus, I come to realize that this incident was the beginning of my ministry. I’ve had several accounts of testimonies through severe trials, obstacles, tribulations. But through it all, I’m standing in victory. God is faithful.