In Everything Give Thanks!

When we truly understand who Jesus Christ is and what He did for us on the cross everyday becomes a day of Thanksgiving. David said in Psalm 100, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and enter His courts with praise." Our access through the gates and into the Holy of Holies is our thanksgiving.

When Jesus healed the ten lepers only one came back to thank Him. For every ten things God does for us we only thank Him for one. Today let us thank Him for all that He has done for us, and even if God never does anything else for us, He has already done the most. He loves us unconditionally, unequivocally without restraint or stipulations.

"Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." I Thessalonians 5:16-23

In His Service,

Kendy Ward
Kingdom Ambassador

It Is Well

Second Kings 4 tells the story of Elisha and the Shunammite woman. The prophet Elisha would often visit Shunem, a small village located in the tribe of Issachar. While in Shunem Elisha would have dinner with a wealthy woman and her family.  The woman saw that the prophet visited the area regularly so she asked her husband if they would make a room on their roof for the prophet so he would have a place to stay when he came to town.  Elisha was grateful for the woman's opening up her home to him, and asked her if there was something that he could do to bless her because she had been a blessing to him.  She told him that her family took good care of her, and she didn't have need of anything.  This answer did not satisfy the prophet because he really wanted to bless her.  He asked his servant, Gehazi, if he knew of something that she was in need of. Gehazi told Elisha that the woman had no son.  Elisha called the woman to him, and told her that by that time the following year she would have a son. It came to pass as the man of God said.  She became pregnant and gave birth to a son.

One day the son was in the field with his father when he began to complain of having a headache. The father instructed a servant to take the son to his mother.  The mother held her son in her lap, and around noon he died.  She laid her son on the bed in the room she had made for Elisha.  Then asked her husband if she could go to see the man of God.  Her husband agreed for her to go.  Elisha saw her coming in the distance and sent Gehazi to ask her if it was well with her husband and child.  When Gehazi asked the Shunammite woman what the prophet asked she replied, "It is well." When she got to Elisha she expressed her sorrow because of her son's death and told him that she was not leaving unless he returned to Shunem with her.

When Elisha got to Shunem he went to his room in the Shunammite woman's house and found her son on his bed.  He laid on the dead boy, his mouth to the son's mouth, his eyes to the son's eyes and his hands to the son's hand.  The dead body began to become warm.  He got up and began to pace. After which he laid on the son again.  The son sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.  Elisha told Gehazi to call the Shunammite woman.  When she came he told her to pick up her son.

Romans 4:16-17 says that when God spoke of the promise of Abraham being the father of many nations despite him being 100 years old and Sarah 90, God was calling those things that be not as though they were. The Shunammite woman did the same thing when Elisha sent Gehazi to ask about her family.  Despite her son being dead she replied "it is well". She did not see what was in her present or in the natural realm.  She saw by the spirit into the future and it was well.  It was not but she saw it as it was.  

That statement may seem like an oxymoron, and a bit unrealistic.  It was not but she saw it as it was. We live in the natural or earth realm, but should not forget that there are things in another realm, the spirit realm, that affect what is manifested in the earth realm.  In Daniel 10 the angel told Daniel that God answered his prayer from the day he prayed it, but he was caught up in the second heaven for twenty one days fighting with the spirit Prince of Persia. It wasn't until the archangel, Michael, came to help the angel that he was able to leave to bring God's message to Daniel.  

God had already answered Daniel's prayer, but it took twenty one days for it to get from God to Daniel because of what was going on in realm that we are not aware of (but should be).  To Daniel it appeared as though his prayer was not answered.  It was answered in the spirit realm, but had not yet manifested in the natural realm.  

Three things that bring manifestation of spiritual things in the natural realm are God's promise, faith and prayer.  Although Abraham did not see and did not live to see the promise God had given him come to pass, it was his faith that made it come to pass.  He is a father of many nations.  He could not see it when God said it, but the fact that God said it meant that it could be seen first in the spirit and then in the natural. 

When Jesus was brought the report that Lazarus was sick He said to His disciples that Lazarus would not die from his sickness (John 11).  Two days later Jesus said to His disciples that it was time for them to go to awaken Lazarus from his sleep.  Jesus saw both in the natural and spiritual realms.  In the natural He saw that Lazrus died, but in the spirit He saw that Lazurs was raised from the dead so that God could be glorified. 

In Psalm 23 David said that God prepared a table before him in the presence of his enemies.  At the time his enemy, King Saul, was hunting him to kill him, and he and his mighty men of valor were hiding in caves in the wilderness.  Despite his current situation David had a promise from God that he would be king, and he called those things that be not as though they were.

When you are in the middle of a messy situation and it completely envelopes you it is hard to see pass the mess.  When there is no money to pay the bills it is hard to see that God will supply all of your needs through His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.  When sickness over takes your body and the doctor's prognosis is not good it is hard to see that you are in good health and prosper even as your soul prospers.  When adultery enters your marriage it is hard to see that what God has joined together no man can put asunder. When life happens it is hard to see that He came that you might have life and have it more abundantly.  

Despite all that is happening and all that can happen it is well because you have faith and prayer and a promise.  You may be broke, but it is well.  You may be sick, but it is well.  Your spouse might have left you, but it is well. It is well because of all of the promises in God's word that you must stand on in faith and pray in faith to see manifested in your life.  It is well.

Easy as 1, 2, 3

Several weeks ago as I was in a parking lot about to get into my car when I saw a man with a brace on his elbow.  I distinctively heard the Holy Spirit instruct me to pray with the man for healing.  I was hesitant in responding because I did not know the man, and I was uncertain about how he would respond to my asking to pray with him.  While I was debating these points with the Holy Spirit the man began to approach me.  Well, there it was, a sure sign that I had to pray for him.  So I asked him what was wrong with his arm. He shared with me that he had actually hurt his back and now his arm was being affected.  I then asked if I could pray with him for healing of his back and arm.  I laid my hands on his arm and back (I asked him first if it was okay if I laid my hands on him. As a person who does not like random, strangers touching me, I am always very mindful of this.).  Then I simply said, "I command all pain in your arm and back to go right now in the name of Jesus."  He thanked me. I got in my car and left.  

Three days later I was back in the same parking lot when the man, who is the parking lot attendant, came running toward me.  He said, "Three days no pain." I was not shocked or surprised that the man had been healed; however, I was shocked and surprised that it had been so easy.  There was no fanfare, no tarrying, no fasting, no group of intercessors petitioning to the Father.  It was simply two people who believed. I believed that God could and would heal this man.  If I didn't believe that, I would not have even prayed. He believed that when I prayed he was healed because after I prayed he said that he believed that he was healed.  

Two weeks ago we had a School of Healing at my local church.  The man of God taught about a lot of things in regards to supernatural healing, miracles, signs wonders and salvation. The thing, though, that stood out for me during the three days of services was what he taught about the "Five Second Prayer".  It was very similar to the prayer I prayed for the man.  That's when I realized that God is really easy.  He is so easy and we make Him so hard.  We receive salvation it a pretty simple manner. We believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths and we are saved.  It's pretty easy.  It's the same thing with divine healing or sharing our testimony or leading someone to Christ.  We think it's hard so we don't do it.  I'm in the category too.  I'm always uncertain of how people will react to me, and more times than not this causes me not to approach them at all. The fact is, though, that the majority of the time people always welcome my prayers.  I have only had one person tell me that they didn't want to hear anything about Jesus.

The point is that God equips us with everything we need to do the job He has for us to do.  He has made it easy.  Jesus said that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.  I am daring myself and I dare you to do that thing that seems hard, and prove to yourself that it is easy.  Share the gospel with someone.  Share your personal testimony with someone.  Pray for someone.  Do it.  It's easy.

A Completed Work

God says in His Word that He has given each of us a measure of faith (Romans 12:3).  That faith is directly correlated to belief.  Jesus said that if we have faith that measures the size of mustard seed we can say to a mountain “move”, and it will move (Matthew 17:20).  How does that happen?  It happens when we believe.  We must not believe that it can happen or even that it will happen. We must believe that it has already happened.

Before Jesus was even born as a man, before His ministry, before His death and before His resurrection, the prophet Isaiah said, “by His wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).  Isaiah did not speak in a future tense even though he was prophesying about something that had not yet happened in the earth realm  We are healed.  It has already happened in the realm that God lives in.

God lives in realm that is devoid of time.  Everything in the realm God lives in is a completed work.  Jesus said in His prayer “Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).  In the beginning God “created” the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).  When we as humans think of creating something we think of making something out some materials that already exists to “create” this a new thing.  For example a painting - we take a canvas and paint to bring forth a vision or image that is in our head.  We create a painting.  That’s not how God created the world in the beginning. He spoke and it was.  That is because in the realm that God lives in the heavens and earth already existed.  His words pulled the world out of the heavenly realm into the earthly realm. 

Jesus said ask anything in my name, believing you will receive it (John 14:13).  The key is belief.  Jesus said ask anything.  He didn’t say ask for some things or most things.  He said ask for anything and when you believe you will receive it.  The things that we ask for, whatever it is, is completed in heaven.  Our belief that it is, pulls it out of the heavenly realm (out of eternity) into the earthly realm (time), and we see it manifested or materialized. 

Faith and belief are the foundation of our relationship with God.  The word says believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and though shalt be saved (Acts 16:31).  We can’t receive salvation without believing.  We receive salvation, and then walk with an unseen God by faith to make the unseen seen.  I have heard several times of testimonies where people say they have seen visions of a storeroom of sorts in heaven that has human limbs and organs.  For the person with a heart condition, praying for healing that new heart already exists in heaven.  When they pray, believing in faith, that thing which already exists in heaven becomes a real heart on earth.

Belief is a principle that transcends Christianity.  How many times has a successful person responded when asked how they became successful, “I believed in myself”.  We can even trick ourselves into believing negative things and they become reality.  That is why it is so important that we believe in Jesus to access the Father because His ways and thoughts are perfect.  Also his power, ability and domain far exceed anything that exists period.  I’d rather plug into Him as my source and get the optimal power because anything or anyone else pales in comparison. 

God has given each of us a measure of faith.  That faith allows us to speak to the mountains in our lives, but when we speak to the mountain we must believe that what we are saying is already done.  Then we will see our faith, our belief and our words make our reality.

A New Thing

“Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”  Isaiah 43:19

Eleven years ago today, God did a new thing in my life.  At that time I had been unemployed for about eighteen months.  My father was supporting me while I looked for a job.  I strongly believed that God had called me to live in the city where I was living, but I could not find employment in the city He had called me to.  My dad told me that he would not be able to support me anymore and asked that I return home.  I went home, as he asked, but inside I had no intention of staying.  I knew that my Heavenly Father would take care of me.  This did not stop the fear or anxiety of the whole situation, yet I remained with my faith firmly, staunchly, almost stubbornly, on the word the Lord had given me about where I should be.

While at home with my parents I received an email from a young lady that attended my church about a part time  position at her mother’s company.  I didn't ask her any questions about her mom, her mom’s job or the position because I was sure that this was the door that God had opened for me.  Now how was I going to get back?  It wasn't like I could walk there.  I needed plane ticket, but I had no money. I could not dare ask my parents.  I had already spoken with the young lady’s mother and had already made an appointment for an interview on Friday, August 8^th.  I needed to get back.  Within a day two friends came to me and each gave me $100.  I did not solicit this money from them.  One of them actually said to me that I needed to get back soon. She had no idea about the job interview.  With $200 I had just enough money to purchase a plane ticket, but my God is not a God of just enough.  He is a God of more than enough. 

Later that same day my mother came to me and asked me a very simple question.  Although a simple question, my answer was one of those answers that became a defining moment in my life.  She asked me why was I so adamant about this.  I answered because God said so.  She said that was the answer she needed to hear.  She then told me that she would buy my plane ticket.  She also had no clue about the job interview I had set up.

At the time I had no car so I had to catch the bus to my 7:00 am job interview.  Well, I lived quite a ways from the company location.  It would take me two buses to get there, and I would have to be at the bus stop at 5:00 am to get there by 7:00 am.  I was not deterred.  I had to get there, and I was going to get there.  When I arrived at the building at 7:00 am it was locked.  No one was there.  I would wait.  At 8:00 am a young lady arrived and opened the building door.  I told her who I was there for.  Obviously since the door was locked, the person had not arrived yet.  She was an hour late.  That’s okay.  I waited.

I took a seat in the lobby.  I picked up the July issue of Black Enterprise Magazine.  There was an interesting article in the magazine about a black female general contractor.  The article talked about her role in the construction industry and also her interest in teaching youth about investing.  Her teenage daughter appeared to be an investing guru.  As I was reading the article, someone walked in so I looked up, and to my surprise and astonishment it was the lady from the article standing right in front of me. 

She was the person I was interviewing with.  It was a construction company. I had so many questions for God.  I followed her upstairs to the office where she had me complete an application, after which the interview began.  She asked me if I had read the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. Thanks to my mother I was “tricked” into reading this book while I was in high school.  So my answer was yes.  We talked a little bit about the book and then she said, “Okay, when can you start?”  No questions about my experience or about my education or about anything other than that book.  Strange. 
“Today,” I said.   She sat me at a desk and then said that she had to leave for a meeting.  I didn't know anything about anything. I remember someone called and asked for the fax number, which I didn't know, but thank God for quick thinking.  It had to be on the business card right? And I had the business card so I was able to give them the fax number. 
From that day to this I have been there.  The journey has not been easy.  At times, it continues to have some rough terrain, but I am so thankful and grateful to God for positioning me at this place.  I have learned a lot about the industry, but I have learned so much more about life.  At times, most times, I do not understand my boss. To say that she is unorthodox is a tremendous understatement, but she is so wise in so many ways.  The greatest lessons that I have learned on my job, of course, have nothing to do with work.  Learning about the Mastermind principles from Think and Grow Rich, and living them out to help me set and achieve goals is probably one of the greatest life lessons I have learnt.  There are many more, though, and they are too many to list.
I've learnt a lot and I continue to learn, but now that I have been poured into, for the last couple of years it’s been about pouring into the others, who just like I did, come in for an interview.  I ask them the same question about what books do they read.  I find myself telling them the same things, and just like I didn't get it, they don’t get it, but they will get it one day. 

You just never know what God has for you.  It wasn't exactly what I wanted, but it was what I needed.  It was an unusual opportunity.  I wasn't going to blog this.  I was just writing because I like to write and today is 8/8 again so I needed to journal about my “anniversary”, but I feel that God wants me to share this testimony because He has an unusual opportunity for someone reading this.  It may not look like what you want, but it is what you need.  Look for His signs. He’ll show you them.  Eleven years ago, which was 8/8 and in the Bible the number eight is symbolic of new beginnings, He was doing a new thing with me.  Be encouraged He wants to do a new thing with you.

God's House

In Paul's first letter to the church at Corinth he says, "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" (I Corinthians 6:19 KJV) In Acts chapter seven Stephen quotes the prophet Isaiah saying, "However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.  What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord.  Or where will my resting place be?  Has not my hand made all these things?" (Acts 7:48-50 NIV)

As Stephen said God does not live in houses made by human hands.  He lives in each believer in the person of His Holy Spirit. What?  Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost?  God asks in Isaiah 66:1-2, "What kind of house will you build for me?"  If our bodies are the temple of Holy Ghost what kind of house (temple) are we building for God?  Is it a house built on the foundation of the word of God?  Is it a house where love lives? Is it a house where compassion lives?  Is it a house where grace lives?  Is it a house where mercy lives?  What lives in our temple?

What foundation is your temple built on?  Jesus gave a parable about a wise man who built his house on the rock.  When the storm came his house withstood the storm because its foundation was the rock.  Jesus is the rock.  Jesus said to Peter that on this rock (revelation that Jesus is our savior) I will build my church (that's you and me) and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18).  The foolish man, however, built his house on the sand, and when the storm came his house was destroyed.  If we build our houses on any foundation other than who Jesus is when the storms of life come our houses will crumble.  

What's inside our temple? If there is doubt in our temples, God cannot live there.  If there is mistrust in our temples, God cannot live there.  If there is hate in our temples, God cannot live there.  God allowed the Babylonians to destroy the temple that King Solomon had built because the children of Israel chose to worship other gods.  The very first commandment that God gave Moses on Mt. Sinai was "thou shalt have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3).  Whether we realize it or not, anything in our lives that overshadows who God is we have made a god in our lives.  It could be hate, resentment, unforgiveness or fear.  When we let those things take up residence in our houses, God's temple, we are destroying the house.  
In Isaiah 66:2 it says that the ones that God favors are those who are humble and contrite in spirit and who tremble at His word.  God is seeking those who reverence Him with humility.  Who ask Him to help them build His house. It is no coincidence that Jesus was a carpenter while He was here on earth. He is the master builder, and He will help us build a temple that is pleasing to the Father where His presence lives always.

My Brother's Keeper

"Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" Genesis 4:9

To answer Cain's question, yes, we are our brother's keeper.  My Brother's Keeper Foundation was started by my sister, Denise Ward, in 2007, and has led her on a journey (several journeys actually) to Rwanda.  Over one million Rwandans were killed over a three month period in 1994.  This genocide is the worst in modern history.  So you can imagine the aftermath of such a horrific tragedy.

My sister's travels to Rwanda led her last year to a year long stint at the Akilah Institue For Women, where she taught hospitality and tourism to Rwandan women at the school.  I wanted to share the success story of one of her students, Vestine Ukwishaka, so you understand what happens when we become our brother's keeper.  Please see the link below for this amazing story.

http://www.akilahinstitute.org/my-winning-business-proposal/

Kendy