Pay Your Vows

Praise ye the Lord, saints, brethren, and beloved of God. I have been absent for about two weeks now and I pray that the Lord has kept you as he has kept me. To kick-off my return I am starting the week off with a previously published post. This post first appeared in my church's program this morning but it holds true for all of us, including those of you have not yet been converted: Pay Your Vows.
"I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people."
Psalm 116:17-18

Definition of VOW

: A solemn promise or assertion; specifically: one by which a person is bound to an act, service, or condition (Merriam Webster Dictionary)


How many times have you found yourself with your back against the wall, in a jam, had a plight that was so tough it didn't matter how hard you fought you were not getting out and then you cried out "Lord, deliver me and I will serve you!" or "If you get me out of this Lord I will serve you."?


Have you considered how you would serve God? I mean what is it that you have that Jesus needs? What do you have that you could possibly add to him?


ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! There isn't a single thing you have that God needs but you do have something that God wants— your love. There is something that God deserves— thanksgiving.
Though it may seem as though you have nothing to be thankful for, though you may not feel like doing it make a sacrifice, and call on his name. Remember, all that you owe him, and that is everything. Remember what you have promised him; pay your vow, begin here and now. Call on the name of the Lord; shout out Jesus, now in the presence of his people. Let those shouts carry you through the week.


May God Bless You, Keep You, and Establish You In The Power Of His Might
-Nigeria














 

TESTIMONY TUESDAYS: Restoration Has Finally Come

I know how the prodigal son felt when he went back home with his head hung down. He felt foolish, he felt ashamed, he felt sorry. He knew that what he had done to his father was wrong and had been an utter waste of time. He had discovered that the world he was so in a hurry to conquer really wasn't worth everything that he had given up.

I too once lived that life. Every thing was quick fast and in a hurry. I wanted to grow up quickly, I wanted to get out of my mama's house and "L-I-V-E." I thought I was going to do big things. Instead I got done. The world chewed me up and broke me down. Every good thing which good placed inside of me I gave away, every measure of prosperity he gave to me I spent frivolously on booze and bad boyfriends.

But restoration has finally come. The Lord has welcomed me back into fold. I returned to church bent and broken, lingering in the shadows of the back rows but God through the mercies of his Christ Jesus has moved me from the back to the front-switched me from the head to the tail. He has washed me in his blood covered me with his love and I am not ashamed of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ which is active in my life.

This Tuesday I am thankful for God's salvation, thankful for his grace and I want to testify to the fact that he his not a man that he should lie- our sins really do go into the sea of forgetfulness, he really does love us, he really will restore every thing that the devil has taken (or you gave him) if we repent. He is quick and just to forgive us. I love the Lord today.

For further reading: Luke 15:11-32 and I John 1:9

Would you like to testify to the goodness of God, through his son, Jesus Christ? Submit your testimony to divinetutors@yahoo.com and it may be selected to appear on The Carpenter's House. Please, submit it as an attachment in a Word document. Please keep submissions between 100-300 words max., be sure to include your name and a little bit of information about you. Remember how we overcome, first by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony, "And they overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony: and they loved not their lives unto death." Revelation 12:11 

A Thought For Thursday: Who Ya With?

We’ve all heard the little saying “birds of a feather flock together”. Well, that saying is not just a golden nugget of knowledge that you share with your kids or younger siblings when you catch them hanging with the wrong crowd it is applicable to the life of the believer. The company that you keep determines whether or not you are blessed, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” Psalm 1:1

When you have a problem and you seek counsel will you receive wise and righteous counsel from those still doing foolish things? If you’re wondering why it seems as though God is holding back from you consider this who ya with? Are you with those who eat the word, heed the word, live the word and encourage you to do the same? Or, are you still among them from whom he called you out of?


“And what accord has Christ has Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:“I will dwell among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you.” II Corinthians 6:15-17


Though it may seem like you’re giving up a lot what you’re giving up a lot your friendship with the world cannot be compared with what the Lord is offering you- membership to a family, a holy family, a royal family, an exalted family, a prosperous family whose name shall endure throughout all the land. “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.” II Corinthians 6:18 When Jesus was with sinners he was compelling them to repent and be saved. Are you doing the same or are they encouraging you to turn away from Christ? They may not say it boldly with words, but their actions, the activities they ask you to participate in, and the conversations that they have may be contradictory to the life the Lord has commanded you to live.


This Thursday check yourself and then check them? Do you want to live the blessed life of a wise man or the cursed life of a fool?


Blessed is the man who walks in not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf shall also not wither: and whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but way of the ungodly shall perish. Psalm 1:1


Here’s a thought for this Thursday it’s time to let go of the way that shall perish and cling to Jesus whose way is full of life everlasting.






Be Blessed Beloved, in the might, power, and strength of the Lord!


-Nigeria

Worship Song of the Week: Lord Your Mighty by JJ Hairston and Youthful Praise

Who is the Lord? He is a great and mighty GOD, the omniscent, omnipotent, omnipresent God. He is the one who was, who is, and who is to come (very soon). Don't just read these words, say them aloud, repeat them to yourself as you go through the day. Nothing will overcome you knowing that this great and powerful God, the Lord Jesus Christ, creator of the heaven and the earth is your God.

"In the begining was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thingmade that was made." John 1:1-3

One of the most important things for a believer to do is to acknowledge God, in our daily life in everyday conversation, and in praise both private and public. Praise is not just the simple act of singing a song, it's a PDA (public display of affection) to God. In our praise he is glorifieth, "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me.." Psalm 50:23 and God returns that PDA by showing us his salvation "...and to him that ordereth his conversation aright I will shew the salvation of God." Psalm 50:23 Beloved, as you go forth this week recognize and acknowledge, "The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof." Psalm 50:1




Read Psalm 50 this week and stop by The Carpenter's House later this week for a close reading of that Psalm.

TESTIMONY TUESDAYS: He Has Given Me, Love, Power, and a Sound Mind

This post is coming in late today due to the demands of an educator's schedule but it's never too late to remind someone of the goodness of the Lord; it's never too late to talk about the ways he proves himself in your life.

This Tuesday I want to praise the Lord for giving me love, power, and a sound mind. I can remember a time that I was nearly out of mind. If it had not been for the Lord who was on my side I wouldn't even be writing this post. I almost walked out on my family.

It was the middle of the night, my eldest daughter wouldn't go to sleep and my husband wasn't too happy about that. The devil just seized that moment to fill my head with nonsense. "Just walk out, see if he can handle it. What's he going to do without you?" I didn't realize then that it was a strange voice, I was already given over to the madness that a sin filled life creates.


I jumped up and stormed out in my pjs and even then God was working things out for me. I'm not sure where I thought I was going but I went to the train station, and praise be to God I had put on the wrong jacket - I had no metrocard. I walked a block away and sat on the corner of my Pastor's block and just cried. I didn't want to go there [to his house] and have to admit that I was wrong and Jesus was right but I'm glad, so glad that Jesus looked past my faults and saw my need.


He saw how broken my spirit was and he rushed in with his love, he gave me power over my feelings and emotions through the Holy Ghost, and put my mind at ease. Now I am content with motherhood and have the natural affections towards my family that I ought to have. This Tuesday I am thankful for what the Lord has done in my life.


-Nigeria






ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS: Would you like to testify to the goodness of God, through his son, Jesus Christ? Submit your testimony to divinetutors@yahoo.com and it may be selected to appear on The Carpenter's House. Please, submit it as an attachment in a Word document. Please keep submissions between 100-300 words max., be sure to include your name and a little bit of information about you. Remember how we overcome, first by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony, "And they overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony: and they loved not their lives unto death." Revelation 12:11 

Worship Song of the Week: Lord Prepare Me by Bishop Charles E. Blake and The West Angeles COGIC Mass Choir

Praise ye the Lord, beloved. I took the week off from blogging since I was on vacation. But I did not take the week off from serving my Lord. Actually, I used this week to get in touch with my Lord and refocus myself so that I can actively pursue my calling. Which leads me to this week's Worship Song selection "Lord Prepare Me".

No matter what it is that we believe the Lord has called us to do, there is one true calling for us all, and that is to serve the Lord. It is not by works that we serve him, it is not with our tithes and offering; these things a mere demonstrations they don't always prove our love to God. Any man can buy a woman a rose and anyone can serve food to the homeless, that doesn't prove your love to God. But by presenting yourself to Lord shows how much you love him and it is the only reasonable thing to do considering Jesus gave up his life for you.

"I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living scarifices, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 12:1

We were created for this specific reason, we were created in love to abide in love. In other words we wwere created by God, to live a life devoted to God. But we can't do it without Jesus preparing for the process.



This week as you go about worshipping the Lord pray for preparation. Pray for the power of submission, the power to submit yourself to God, pray that the Lord prepares you put down your will and pick up his way, in Jesus name. And after that pray is uttered, say "Yes, I'll obey" and wait patiently to see the glory of God unveiled in his tabernacle, which is you. But don't kid yourself either, my Jesus is holy and he will not use an unclean vessel. If you know that you have been out of the way and living in disobedience, Repent! And do it quckly!

Read Romans 12

May the Lord God Bless You Real Good! I look forward to hearing your testimonies of how the Lord blessed you and caused you to increase in your worship.

-Nigeria

Worship Song of the Week: Nobody Greater by Vashawn Mitchell

Worship Song of the Week is a new post at The Carpenter's House. Worship is an important component to building a healthy, strong, and loving relationship with Christ. Sometimes we aren't always in the frame of mind we ought to be to worship Christ as we should. One way to worship the Lord is through singing. Some of us don't tap into the power that comes from worshipping God through praise with a song. Every week, maybe everyday, if the Lord moves us in that direction, The Carpenter's House will select a song to lead you and guide you in your worship.

The first song in The Carpenter's House worship series is "Nobody Greater" by Vashawn Mitchell. Your worship should coincide with the word; read Psalm 95 this week also.





Jesus is Lord there is nobody greater than him. Please join The Carpenter's House as we worship, the only God, the omnipotent God, king of kings and lord of lords, Jesus Christ.

"O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, a great King above all gods." Psalms 95