Category Archives: Blog

Blog, Pastor Desmond

Have you ever wondered why it keeps breaking?

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4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. Psalms 37:4-5

I remember years ago, I had a  ’92 Jeep Cherokee and when things would go wrong  I would get under that bad boy, find me a book and make some repairs. However, things keep going wrong on the truck so I would keep trying to fix it but things kept breaking. So after a while I brought it to the professionals. What would took me a day and a half to fix, took them about a half an hour. Now mind you it did cost me some money, but I didn’t have that problem again. After countless times of trying to save money and fix it myself, I finally realized that it was beyond my expertise and abilities. If I had not realized that fixing my Cherokee was beyond my expertise, I would’ve continued experiencing it having to be repaired.

Sometimes, God will allow things to keep breaking, in hopes that we will realize that fixing it has nothing to do with our own ability. Stop trying to fix it yourself, because you cannot. You are broke and broken because you’re doing repairs that you have no business doing. You were not made to have to fix it because in the midst of you trying to fix it, you become broken. Let God do the repairs because He will save you time and money. Just give it to the Lord!

-Pastor Desmond

Blog, Pastor Desmond

Letters and Scriptures for Incarcerated Loved ones

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I recently received a request to send scriptures to a loved one that is incarcerated. I have taken some time out and decided that I would submit scriptures and some encouraging words. If you would like this emailed to you for your loved one and or friend submit to me their first name and last name as well as your email address because this is where I will send you the letter.

Blog, Lady Mel

Ideal Conditions

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4 He who watches the wind [waiting for all conditions to be perfect] will not sow [seed], and he who looks at the clouds will not reap [a harvest].  Ecclesiastes 11:4 (AMP)

On my way home the other day I had a moment in which I decided not to focus on what I could be doing or the time that I wasted. I began to just praise God and listen to my worship music I mean I was singing so loud, but as I began and continued to sing I noticed the rain was getting harder and harder. When I felt a little uneasy I decided to put my radio down a little bit lower you see what most people don’t know my little Speedster is like a moving computer, like most cars today. I began to think about all the tools that I had on my car and how those tools were going to be useful in this type of weather. I lowered my music so that I could hear my lane assist beep.

The rain was coming down so hard I could hardly see the white lines but I knew that if I could hear the beep, my car would pretty much guide itself.  I decided  to change lanes, surprisingly I felt a little bit more comfortable  because I knew that I had cameras and that they would let me know if the coast was clear to change lanes. One thing that they don’t tell you is that those cameras really do their best work in ideal conditions i.e. sunshine. When it rains and your car is moving really, you get the moving raindrops over the camera lens and you can’t see quite so clear. This  doesn’t mean that the technology had failed but that the technology is really useful in ideal conditions.

I started thinking about ideal conditions so as I’m on my way home I started to look at the speed limit and the speed limit that was posted happened to be 60 mph during ideal conditions.  Instead of going 60mph,  I realized that I was going 40mph on the interstate because the rain was coming down so fiercely. Just like that I began to feel as though I should be going a little bit faster so I began to increase my speed both hands on the steering wheel and one foot on the gas; praying to God that I could just make it home in one piece.  A split second later I began to feel my car kind of swerve and I slowly got it ! While with two hands on the wheel and what seemed like control of my vehicle I realized that although 45 mph and 50 mph  seemed a little bit faster those speeds were not ideal for that condition nor ideal for my car. I looked to my left and a truck zoomed past me and easily distracted my focus not that it detoured me but I thought about how if I had confidence to do what they were doing in terms of accelerating, but here’s the thing my ideal condition and my ideal speed was ideal for me at that given moment, the blessing is that I made it home without an incident or accident.

Remember this, Ideal is nowhere near perfect it lends to functionality. Yesterday, if I would have just parked on the side of the road looking up at the sky, I would have come to the conclusion that the sun wasn’t going to breakthrough those clouds. If I would have stayed on the side of the road I wouldn’t have made it home to my warm bed.  Remember my thoughts about wasted time if I would have been looking up to the sky for Sunshine I would have been there until maybe the next afternoon.

 

Your challenge is to learn how to function on a level that’s ideal for your condition.

-Lady Mel

Ask Pastor Des, Blog, Pastor Desmond

Ask Pastor Des: Why is it that every time I go to someone for help or advice , I either get a slap in the face or shunned away like they don’t want any thing to do with me?

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You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. Psalm 139:13-15 (NLT)

This is in Response to ASK PASTOR DES request:
I want you to know that there is nothing wrong with you. When God made you he took his precious time to stop all that was being done to create such a great and wonderful person. Sometimes those that we may seek for advice may not have our best interest at heart. It is good to have those that we can go to for advice, on the other hand we do have to be careful of those that we allowed in our personal life. We must seek to place our trust and care in God. Peter instructs us to cast or give our cares  to the Lord because he truly does care for you. Even in my own life I had to learn this because there were people that I thought I could confide in but later found out that they did not have my best interest at heart. Seek God and he will place you in the company of those who love and care for you as well as will hear your concerns. They will not only hear your concerns and be in prayer with you but they will give sound biblical advice under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Blessings and love to you,

Pastor Des

Here are a few scriptures for you to read Psalm 139:13 ; Psalm 139:14 ;Psalm 139:15

Blog, Lady Mel

Making The Connection- God Meets You Right Where You Are!

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Take a moment and think about how good God has been to you! It’s important that despite whatever we face that we acknowledge His goodness. Often we are busy from day to day and the challenges we face cause our memory to get cloudy by the sheer fact of what we see or by our current condition or position.

O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.- Psalms 34:8 KJV

Everyday I talk with people who are in a place of spiritual or mental darkness. God is so good that He has brought you to this point. I’ve been in that place; it might not have been your struggle but , just like He did it for me, I can tell you that He can do the very same thing for you.  God has the ability to meet you where you are. God is saying come here broken, come here bitter, come here lonely, come here torn and tattered, come here addicted, come here with your hang- ups, come here with your bad credit, come here with your light bill due, come here with here even if you have more month than money whatever your condition come here searching and He is waiting for you.

Lord, I call upon You; hurry to me. Listen to my voice when I call to You.2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before You;The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.- Psalms 141:1-2 AMP

Make the step and call on Him. I’ve come to know him as an on time God and just because He hasn’t come, it doesn’t mean that He isn’t listening and it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care. Keep trusting in Him …

-Lady Mel

Blog, Pastor Desmond

God’s Timing Part 2

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God’s Word alone is unshakable. We can wait for the Lord knowing that, no matter how dark the night is, his light will break through in our lives, bringing abundant joy through a more intimate relationship with Christ.

Waiting doesn’t mean that you don’t have hope.  Hope sets the foundation it is your feet that goes and get it so continue to work toward while you wait with patience for the Lord to for fill his purpose for your life.

The natural man is so self-sufficient. We turn here and there and expect help from natural ability, from friends, or from circumstances, But in the spiritual life we are taught to distrust self and to depend upon the power of the Holy Spirit. Keep trusting His timing in your perspective season of your life.

Remember:

He may not come when you want Him, but He’s always on Time!

-Pastor Desmond

Blog, Lady Mel

Getting Back on Your Bicycle

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My husband shared a post that inspired me on yesterday. He talked about oiling the bicycle chain. The bicycle brought back so many memories because I grew up in the country and spent many hours riding around on my bicycle. I can remember hopping on that banana bike and how after the wear to that bicycle the chain would slip. They say so much tension and wear can cause the chain to slip but I didn’t have that explanation back then. I figured I would just jump off turn that bike over and put the chain on and off I went on my way. I think I didn’t have the explanation or understanding because I was a child and I didn’t realize the complexity of the challenge. As adults we make things harder and getting back on the saddle seems harder to the older that we become. Sometimes we face failure or we fall short and we wonder how could we ever get back to where God desires us to belong? John 10:10 says that

10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundant.

If you have fallen short refuse to let satan destroy reach make the connection so that you can continue in abundance. God cares about you and with His help you can overcome anything.  Remember 2 Corinthians 12:9

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Get up and get back on that bicycle.  Keep going!

-Lady Mel

Blog, Pastor Desmond

A Mother’s Love

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Happy Mother’s Day to all Mother’s . Today we celebrate women, knowing that God has entrusted you with many glorious gifts. Endurance and strength is what brought you to this journey of motherhood. Nurturing is embedded in your DNA. Others have made a choice to love going above and beyond without question because their compassion and love lead them there. Finally there are some who have the task of being both mother and father and for those we say your children hold you so close to their hearts and they see your sacrifice. This day is for you, take great joy in it.

There are some who are having a hard time because this journey finds you without your mother. Hold your head up and celebrate her love and all the great memories. There are others whom have felt alienated from their mother for various reasons beyond your control but let me encourage you My God will stick closer and you don’t have to search. God Bless everyone

 

Blog, Devotional

Just Pump!

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In the mist of your purpose walk God still is priming you.  This morning I’m encouraged because as you get primed some things get easier. Have you ever had to put oil on your bicycle chain? It’s something about when that chain is oiled it’s easier to ride. It almost feels like a new bike-  that process used to make me want to ride my bike. The zeal increased because of my need for speed, my need for wanting to get to my next destination. This kind of feeling reminds me of how it is when we get saved, full of zeal and there is no mountain high enough that will stop us from wanting to please God and save everybody.

On memory lane: back to this well oiled bicycle that I was riding fast because you all know that’s how it used to be. You know what, when I approached an incline something happened intuitively? I just stood up and I didn’t even have to think about it. God is priming you, oiling your chain and although you may face your incline, your trial, or your challenge. God just is expecting you to do what you know how to do stand up and keep pumping: in righteousness, stand up in faith because you have been primed for this!