Faith Builders

Choices are for the Living

2011-10-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Choices are for the Living

What does it mean to fear God? What does that even look like to you? Could it mean to tremble every time you sin? Could it mean shaking when His name is spoken aloud? Or could it possibly mean reading His Word and then doing His Word, according to His word. Examine the scriptures for yourself and let them reveal His truth. The word fear is written in the NKJV bible 367 times and of those 367 times, 118 times are associated in direct fear of the Lord.

I’m not sharing this because I have arrived in any way shape or form understanding the fear of the Lord, but because I believe it has been misunderstood therefore ignored I am beginning to research the teaching myself. If I could, I would take out the 51 times in the NKJV scriptures that said, "Do not fear." It would make my goal easier if the Bible did not appear to contradict itself. Do not fear, then fear, sounds like a contradiction to the word. We must distinguish between the two fears. "Do not fear" means "do not fear for I am with you" as it is written in Isaiah 41:10 NIV. Hebrews 11:7 NIV says, "By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith". The fear of the Lord actually saved mankind; the whole human race was saved because Noah took God at His word. God said build an ark and Noah grabbed the nails and went to the wood pile. Noah not only built an ark but he and his whole household entered the ark when God told them to. Allow me to take a little liberty with the word of God for a moment. I can see in my mind the day Noah began to build, with every coat of pitch and with every piece of wood the Nay Sayers were on the scene mocking the very thing God had willed Noah to do. For 120 years Noah stayed the course and remained faithful to the word which was spoken to him. Why? I believe it was because Noah had a reverent fear of the Lord. He believed what God said, and acted on what he believed. Would your life look different if you read the scriptures with the fear of the Lord, if you believed what you read? Noah obeyed God longer than most of us live it took him 120 years to build the ark, 120 years of faithfulness, 120 years of people laughing at him, 120 years of hard work and dedication, 120 years of consistency. Wow! It’s hard for some of you to be consistent in going to church, tithing, or reading your bible. Noah was repetitious with believing no matter how long the rain held back Noah moved forward. Noah lived expecting the word of God to come to pass.

I know when this story is told Noah is the one we recognize and we should recognize Noah, but let’s not forget about the other seven people who built right along with him. God spoke to Noah but Noah passed down the vision and the other seven seen what God showed Noah and began to build as well. Readers, I know many of you have received a word from the Lord and because you fear the Nay Sayers more than you fear God you remain stagnant, complacent, and unfulfilled in your lives. God spoke to Noah, Noah passed the vision on it witness to the others and an ark was built, a generation was saved, and the Lord was pleased. Habakkuk 2:1-3 “I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”

The word of God said, “I will stand”, not moan, groan, complain, sleep or whine, but stand. Habakkuk positioned himself in the best position to receive God’s message. I challenge you today to get the vision, write it down and position yourself to receive the power to complete what God has called you to do. Ephesians 2:10,” For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”. Mankind was saved because Noah feared God. Whose life could be changed because you chose to fear the Lord and obey. Choices are for the Living

Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 9:10

Do what He has called you to do and build your ark.

Michele Davenport
For prayer request or questions about my column you can email me at my new email address fbmin02@gmail.com

To order my books or listen to my teachings by audio go to fbministrie

Choices are for the Living

2011-10-02T05:57:00.000-07:00

Choices are for the Living

Reduction…..

Wake up, eyes lifted, ears aroused by the noise of living a life of existence. Rush around preparing for your day, gathering your thoughts and reducing them to your surroundings. Reducing, is what we have become masters at, reducing the hunger pains of another person whether it’s food or love. Reducing the homeless to the selected few you observe a holding a sign. Reducing the imprisoned to an outreach program or by defining the imprisoned; to only the ones who are locked behind bars. We have become reduction experts. We reduce the millions who die every day; due to lack of clean water, nutrition, medicine, and preventable vaccines. How do we reduce them, by letting our minds slumber, the part of our mind that should be awake and respond has become reduced, the faces of the dying has been tucked away in a bed covered with complacency. Self is in the forefront of everything we do. Reducing the people who have a need to our limited resources, to what only we can believe for. I wonder what difference we would make in the world around us if we really believed what we prayed. We have even reduced our prayers according to our limited understanding; because we don’t fully understand how our prayers could work we don’t pray with the authority given to us through Jesus. Have we allowed our faith to be reduced to the size less than a mustard seed? Reducing your giving according to your bank account, instead of what God can supply. Have we become the kind of givers who give only what we obtain in the natural? That is what the world does should we not be different than the world? We have become reduction experts; just ask us we will tell you how to do it.

Have we reduced our compassion for others down to what we are comfortable feeling? Are you guilty of reducing your life to your own existence, your own survival, and your own needs? Have we reduced ourselves down to nothing but a mere memory of what was supposed to be? Something interesting happens when reduction continues, soon nothing but a vapor appears. Choices are for the living, chose to refuse to live a life of reduction allow God to increase you in every area where you slumber.

Revelation 3:2-3, “Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.”

John 14:12, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

Living a life awake…….Michele Davenport

For prayer or questions about today’s message email me at my new email fbmin02@gmail.com to listen to my teachings on audio or to order my books go to fbministries.com

Choices are for the Living

2011-09-06T05:44:00.000-07:00

From my Heart to Yours

I have given you love and forgiveness, through my grace,

All that I ask is you seek my face,

Remember me when the times get rough,

Be secure in knowing that I am enough,

When my Son rises in the righteous ones, the healing in

Their wings has begun,

You are being strengthened with every passing day,

The bridge between us is our escape,

Built in an arch that covers our sin,

From the flowing waters where you have been,

Cast in the sea without a thought,

My Son has been given; your sins have been bought,

He paid the price, the final cost,

He saved your soul from being lost,

Now I live in you, and you live in me,

This is my creation, the way I created you to be,

Ephesians 1:7-8

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

Now lets look at the word redemption, apotutrosis: ransom in full, something to loosen (Strong's #629 Gk.)

God paid the price for us with His Son’s blood. God has already loosed us from the hold of the enemy. Why do we keep trying to repay a debt that is paid in full? Would you send a payment on a bill you did not owe? God’s grace is sufficient; it is our lack of understanding that keeps us from all that God has to offer.

What debt are you always trying to pay? Why do you feel the need to pay it?

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Choices are for the Living

2011-09-02T10:41:00.000-07:00

Choices are for the Living August 29

Acts 3:1-8, “One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.

A couple of things went through my mind as I read this passage such as; why didn’t anyone ever take this man inside the beautiful he was on their way, he was on their way to their prayer group, he was on their way to their worship, and to their God. If this would have happen in this day and time it wouldn’t have cost them any extra gas money. No, they placed him outside the gate; given it was the busiest entrance where he would make the most money, but really his needs far outweighed silver and gold. The passage says the cripple, lame man was put outside the gate every day, EVERY DAY he was there to get just enough to get by on; the word never says he had enough from yesterday to skip a day, No! He was taken there every day to receive just enough to survive another day. Readers, I see this all the time sitting in the pews at church, people who come every Sunday just to get enough to get by on until next Sunday. They don’t open their bibles during the week, you won’t catch them praying to God during the next six days, No! They are living on just enough to get by on they have resorted to a, “just enough mentality way of living.” People who have anorexia take one bite just enough to get by on, not enough to be nourished just enough to survive and for many not even enough to survive. There is anorexia Christians who just feed on just enough of the word to get by on. Accept another coin in bucket and expect to be in the same place tomorrow.

I talk to people everyday who are living in their past excepting just enough healing to get through another day, not enough to be whole, not enough to be restored, just enough to get by on. There are alcoholics out there drinking just enough not enough to die, just enough to wish they would, just enough to remain what they have become. How many of you are settling for just enough in your marriages? You say things like, well my marriage isn’t perfect but no one else’s is either. Just accept another coin dropped into your bucket go ahead sit outside the Gate called beautiful and settle for just enough love to get by on, not enough to thrive, not enough to mentor anyone else’s marriage, just enough to stay together.. How many of my Readers have settled on substantial relationships with their parents? You are still wounded from your childhood walking around with just enough forgiveness to stand to be around them on for the Holidays. Go ahead, do it, accept another coin and soon enough you’ll have just enough to get by on another day. Listen, why are you settling for just enough when Jesus came to give you more than enough? How many times are you going to let the silver and gold drop in the bucket before your enter in to the Gate called beautiful? How long are you going to let your life represent the lame? Many of you are lying outside the gate of God’s provision. We serve a God who is more than enough yet many of us live with just enough mentalities. Joseph Prince said, “God has more supply than we make demand of.” It’s selfish to only want enough to get by on, but not enough to help anyone else. Do you know what you would have to offer others if you would walk in more than enough love, forgiveness, joy, healing, restoration, reconciliation, hope, patience, and kindness? Do not set up your tent outside the Gate called Beautiful depending on someone else for your relationship with your God, go in, walk the walk of faith believing your Father in Heaven will meet you at the altar, be healed, restored, and renewed by His presence. Choices are for the Living.

Living inside the Gate called beautiful…..If you want to check out the video I made to go along with this teaching go to my face-book page at Michele Davenport or my ministry face-book page Faith Builders Ministries, Inc.

For prayer or comments please email me at fbmin02@gmail.com

To order my book, “Ripened on the Vine,” is a true story about my life or you can listen to my teaching by going to fbministries.com

Choices are for the Living

2011-08-22T06:28:00.000-07:00

Choices are for the Living

Ignorance is running rampant in the body of Christ. I believe many of Christians have patterned themselves after the world. What is the typical pattern of the world? Get up, get dressed, get a bite to eat, get coffee, and get going. There is not enough desire to get Jesus. The pattern of this world, and many Christians who live in it, just do not make Jesus a priority in their lives. I watched an Oprah show several years ago. A man came on her show to reveal the truth about why men act the way they act when it came to dating. He deflated all the myths of the social scene by letting the women ask him questions as he openly and honestly answered them and who better to do this than a man who proclaimed to be womanizer at one time in his life. One of the ladies from the audience asked "at the end of the date why do men say they will call you but never do?" Another lady asked, “Why is it after dating a man for three years he is still not ready for a commitment?” "How come my boyfriend never takes me out in public?" Several more questions were asked, but they all received the same answer, plain and simple -- the men aren’t into you that much. Readers, Can I say here lies the problem with some of us, we are just not into Jesus that much not unless we need something. Isn’t that how some men act towards women or women act towards men? Have we become God-izers? We turn to God only if we want something. Joshua 7: 10, “The Lord said to Joshua, Stand up! What are you doing down on your face?” He was on his face because he had lost a sure win do to sin in the camp. Achan had sinned he kept some of the devoted things after God had told him not to. Achan had stolen and lied and God needed Joshua to stand up and deal with it instead of tearing his clothes face down in the dirt whining. Readers, “Stand up” and do the work the Lord has told you to do if there is sin in the camp deal with. Stop making excuses, stop tearing your clothes and throwing dirt in your face begging God to help you. Stop being drug around like a rag doll, pick yourself up and stand naked before your God and let Him clothe you with His Glory, wisdom, mercy and love. God’s answer is to stand when you have done all you can do, stand according to Ephesians 6:13-14.
Colossians 2:15, “and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” I would like for us to pay close attention to the word “spoiled” This word is taken from the Greek word apekdusamenos, and it is referring to the act of stripping off your garments down to bare nakedness. The Holy Spirit is saying I have stripped the principalities and powers of Satan down to nakedness there is nothing hidden in the darkness; all his tricks can be seen. What is not hidden is revealed and what is revealed can be conquered. Bear in mind being in the dark activates all your other senses, smell, taste, hearing, and touch.

There will be times when you are in a war that you may feel like you’re in darkness, but that’s when you’ll be able to smell the frank sense of victory, taste the myrrh of forgiveness, hear the sounds of the trumpet blow, and feel the presence of Jesus. Remember you are not alone even if the darkness tries to hold you captive; it’s in that moment when the light invades the darkness you’ll realize Jesus was standing beside you all along. Are you a God-izer? Are you into Him enough to get the sin out of your camp and stand? Choices are for living - smell the victory

Michele Davenport

For prayer or questions please feel free to email me at my new address fbmin02@gmail.com

To order my book “Ripened on the Vine”, a true story about my one girls journey to find Vertical Faith in the midst of abuse.

Choices are for the Living

2011-08-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

Choices are for the Living

Joshua 2:1, “Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land, “he said, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rehab and stayed there.”

Readers, as I read through the scripture I thought to myself, Wow! I noticed the word “then” Then Joshua sent two spies over. The word “then” lead me to ask what happen before, then Moses took his last breath, God told Joshua, “now then you and all these people get ready to cross the Jordan into the land I am about to give you.” God went on to tell them every place they placed their foot was theirs, no one will be able to stand against them as He was with Moses He was with them. God furthermore said, “I will never leave you or forsake you be strong and courageous, because you will lead the people to inherit the land I swore to the generations before them.” In addition God told them not to let the law depart from their mouth; meditate on it day and night, so they would be careful to do everything that is written. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Don’t be afraid for I the Lord God I am with you wherever you go. So Joshua went through the camp commanding the people to get their supplies ready three days from now we are going to take the land. Joshua 1:10, “Then they answered Joshua, Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.”

To be transparent Readers, I don’t understand why Joshua waited three days to cross over when God clearing said get ready and go. God went into great detail in how He was going to be with them, but yet they still waited three days until they could receive their, THEN moment. Has God spoken a “then” moment into your life but you still find yourself standing on the wrong side of the Jordan? What is holding you back? I noticed the spies were sent to a prostitute house where they stayed; listen Readers, you don’t want to miss the lesson flowing in between the pages of God’s miraculous Word. The first lesson way was; the spies had to believe what God had said to them to actually go to the walls of Jericho and the prostitute Rahab, had to not let her past mistakes keep her from future blessings. God had a new script for her with new lines to recite. She helped the spies and in turn she was written into the hall of faith book, Hebrews 11:31. In one act of faith she became a part of the genealogy of Jesus written in Matthew 1:5. After reading this chapter I quickly figured out fear and lack of faith keep most people on the wrong side of the Jordan. In order to get to the promise land folks we have to cross over the Jordan. Readers, don’t allow your THEN moment to become a never moment by the choices you make. I remember a moment when we were in the military right before we received our first orders to California, God spoke a then time in my life. God said many things but after those things were said He said, “Then when you get to California there will be a mother figure waiting for you, she will comfort you and become your friend while you are stationed there without your mother. Listen Readers, when we arrived there my spiritual antenna was on high alert. I think it was about the third or fourth day we were in our apartment as I was walking down the side walk I met my older neighbor her name was Joni. I told her the word I had received and it witness to her spirit, her and my mom had two things in common their names and me. God was absolutely right she was all He said she would be and more. I could have missed my then moment had I not believed God and been aware of His word coming to pass. I was expecting her. Choices are for the Living

Living in my promise land

Michele Davenport

For prayer you can reach me at fbmin02@gmail.com

To order my books, “Ripened on the Vine,” a true story about my life, or “From My Heart To Yours Daily Devotional,” go to fbministries.com

Choices re for the Living

2011-08-01T06:12:00.001-07:00

Choices are for the Living

Did God really say is the question of the twenty first century population? I have never in my life heard so many doubts and confusion about what the word of God says. It seems to me people have taken the bible and rewrote the passages to describe what they are comfortable reading what they are comfortable doing instead of reading the infallible word of God. The question I have been ask more times than any other question isn’t how do we know if there is a God, what is the trinity, is speaking in tongues for today, or even does God still heal? No, the question I am asked most frequently is “how do we know the bible is the infallible word of God because men wrote it? I believe God spoke it man wrote it.

Genesis 3:1- , “Now the serpent was craftier than any other wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the women, “Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden”? From the very moment those words were introduced to the human vocabulary until now we have been asking the same question, “Did God really say?” It never seizes to amaze me the people who insist on asking this question without ever reading the Bible. So many opinions without the knowledge to back what they claim to believe. The main reason people dispute the bible is over selfish desires let me explain, let’s say someone who wants to watch “R” rated movies, view pornography, or get drunk they will say things like well it doesn’t say anything about it in the BIBLE. My answer to that is what about Philippians 4:8, “Finally, (in Greek means most importantly) brothers most importantly, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things.” Here is your leaning post, every time you don’t know if something is right to do or say lean upon Philippians 4:8 weigh your decision against the Apostle Paul’s words. Paul was warning us about protecting our minds. I’ve also heard people say things like, “I don’t believe the bible.” The first question I tend to ask is, “Have you read the Bible?” Not to my surprise, 99.9 percent say, “No, not the entire bible, for goodness sakes not many blood bought proclaimed Christians have read the entire bible, yet they are among the ones who voice their opinions the loudest at times.” Readers, how can we make an informed decision without all the facts? How can we say things like, “Did God really say,” without knowing what He said? It sounds ludicrous but it happens all the time. You want to know what the bible says about healing, read your bible. If you want to know what the bible says about speaking in your prayer language, read your bible. If you want to know about heaven, read your bible. I challenge anyone who has been mislead, or mis-fed the word of God to pick up their bible and read it in its entirety. Then fall on your knees and pray to God to reveal His truth, not your mamma’s truth not your daddy’s, not your grandma’s truth, not even the church you attend truth, but God’s truth then and only then can you make an educated decision on what you believed. I can tell you this much believing in God and His word is a faith walk not everyone will believe, not everyone will discover the truth on their journey, some will find bits and pieces, while others will find exactly what they set out to find. Philip Yancey, a well known New York best seller author, set out to prove the bible wrong only to end up proving it to be authentic. He decided to taste for himself if the word of God was good. Did God really say? Find out read your bible.

Choices are for the Living… Michele Davenport

Reading the bible like I believe it

For prayer or questions about my column you can reach me at my new email fbmin02@gmail.com

To order my books or listen to any of my teachings on audio go to fbministries.com

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2011-07-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

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choices are for the Living

2011-07-25T08:35:00.000-07:00

Choices are for the Living

1 Samuel 22:1-5 says, “David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brother and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him. From where David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, “Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God’s will do for me?” So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was in a stronghold. But the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.

David left Gath which in Hebrew means, “weeping,” and escaped to the cave Adullam. David is in despair he has been hunted like an animal he hides in caves and dens of the earth. David is in God’s waiting room, but while David is in the waiting room of God he is gathering his mighty men. God is preparing him for a victory, Oh, Readers; it might look like David is a coward running from pillar to post but God is preparing him for mighty works. David has been rejected and on the run everywhere he turns he ends up in the mouth on the earth or in the belly of a cave he cannot find solace. Saul is a type and shadow; a reflection if you will, of Satan the enemy, as Saul hunts down David, Satan hunts us down. Remember the scripture in 1Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walking about, and seeking whom he may devour.” I believe David’s soul was living among lions. There were three classes of men who followed David that day; men who were distress, men who were in debt, and men who were living in discontentment. First I would like to address those who were in distress. They were persecuted and oppressed by Saul. If you are feeling the whiplash of discrimination in our world today, the unfairness of your life at times then you would fit into this group of people. The only answer to their distress is to call on the name of Jesus, but how many can be brutally honest with themselves and admit you are calling loudly on many things but the name of Jesus is but a whisper. You have called on the banker, the physicians, the psychiatrist, the circumstance, or maybe you have called on the name of Jim Beam or Budweiser, if that’s not your deal then perhaps you have called on the name of marijuana, or pain killers, sleeping pills, or xanax to wipe your mind free from the roaring lion’s voice. Readers, there is only one voice that can drown out the voice of the devourer and that is the voice of Jesus. Don’t allow the imitators of peace to call on your name anymore, start calling on the name of Jesus. The second class of men who followed David was the men in debt. In the day David was living, debt was a type of cancer a man could lose his property and be sold into slavery. Many of you today feel exactly like one of those men, you feel like you have been sold into a market whose only interested is your demise, you work to make ends meet, but end up stretching the ends only to fall short of meeting. You have become a slave to this world trying to pay a debt you cannot pay, because God has already paid the finale cost. Oh Readers, you stretch one end while the other shrinks back, you try and try but never feel like you are free from the sin of this world, but I have good news for you today Jesus already paid the price, He already paid the ransom so you could live among the free. Quit trying to pay back a debt that has already been paid. We are talking about something far more important than money here; we are talking about the acceptance of Jesus as your Savoir. UN- handcuff yourself from this world and live among the living. Now, the last group of men who followed David was the discontented, they were bitter of soul. Life will make you bitter if you fail to see the small hand in the cloud. There are so many of God’s people living in discontentment, protesting one thing after another never really being satisfied with the moment. You are on a scavenger hunt every place you go you don’t enjoy, because your mind is already on the next place. Your focus is on the gathering and not on the experience. Your soul is feeding off discontentment and starving to death. You feed yourself one crumb of hope but a handful of frustration. Until you can get to a place where the journey is as important as destination then you will live a life in discontentment. Choices are for the living. Did you notice in 1Samuel 22:1 “David left Gath, which remember in Hebrew means; weeping. David left a place of weeping to enter into the land of Judah which in Hebrew means praising. Readers, many of you are in between the pillar and post you have one foot in Gath weeping while the other foot is in Judah, praising. “But the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah.” 1 Samuel 22:5 many of you have let your situation put you in a stronghold, you are weeping and crying out to every name but the name of Jesus; you are either distress, in debt, or discontent. There is a time to stay, but there is also a time to flee. Go into the land of Judah praising the name of Jesus lifted him high above your circumstance and believe in the flight. God is calling you to another land pick up your tent pegs and move. Choices are for the living…

If you do not know Jesus as your personal Savoir please pray this prayer.

Lord, please forgive me of my sins, I recognize the need for you in my life. I am confessing with my mouth and believing in my heart that Jesus is Lord and that God raised him from the dead. Amen (Romans 10:9) Now find yourself a bible believing church and get involved.

Hanging a red cord out my window so others can be saved….Michele Davenport

For prayer or questions please feel free to email me at fbministries@comcast.net

For more of my teachings on audio or to order my books you can go to fbministries.com

choices are for the Living

2011-07-18T07:25:00.000-07:00

Choices are for the Living

1 Samuel 10:20-22, “When Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen. Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, and Matri’s clan was chosen. Finally Saul son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found. So they inquired further of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?” And the Lord said, “Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage.”

The first king was chosen by casting lots, flat stones carried by the high priest. This might sound like Saul was chosen merely by happenstance but on the contrary, the Lord himself had instructed the Israelites to make the lots to determine decisions, so therefore God was taking the decisions out of their hands and putting in His own hand. What was really fascinating to me Readers, when I read the story in 1 Samuel 10:1, “Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him saying, “Has not the Lord anointed you leader over his inheritance?” Then Samuel went on to say in verse 2 thru 7, “When you leave me today you will meet two men near Rachel’s tomb, at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkey you set out to look for has been found. And now your father has stopped thinking about them and is worried about you. He is asking, “What shall I do about my son?” Then you will go on from there until you reach the great tree of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there. One will be carrying three young goats, another three loaves of bread, and another a skin of wine. They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from them. After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, tambourines, flutes, and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying. The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.”

Wow! Readers, how many of you heard the Lord calling you to do something powerful in His name? He has sent sign after sign like he did for Saul a goat, bread, wine, prophets and even a band. The Lord has told you where to go and what to do. He has anointed you King over that assignment, but where can you be found? Is it among the baggage? You see Saul knew he had already been selected to be the king but when they called for him he was hiding among the baggage.

photo credit - rachellegardner.blogspot.com

Readers, can I be so bold to suggest that many of you are hiding behind the baggage of your past; your past mistakes, past failures, past hurts, and present fear. God has already called you my friend according to Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come!” Samuel said, once these signs have been filled, do whatever your hands find to do because God is with you. Have you been hearing harps and flutes? Samuel gave Saul many signs, what sign has God given you?

I wonder how many times we have missed being an answer to someone else’s prayer due to our own insecurities coupled with excuses. Did you notice God knew exactly where Saul was when someone asked in 1 Samuel 10:22, “Has the man come here yet?” And the Lord said, “Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage.” You might be hiding from everyone else but you are not hidden from God. Once Saul came out, faced his fear he was generously accepted. What are you waiting for; today is the youngest you will ever be, today is the day to obey. Stop hiding behind the baggage of your past, you are so much more than what you were before Christ because you are a new creation, created to do good works prepared in advance for you to do.
Choices are for the living…Live among the baggage or step out and move on.

Today is the day to obey.

Stepping out and moving on.

Michele Davenport

For questions or prayers please email me at my new email address fbmin02@gmail.com

To order my book, “Ripened on the Vine” a story of survival and God’s grace or to listen to my teachings on audio visit our web page at www.fbministries.com

choices are for the Living

2011-07-11T06:25:00.000-07:00

Choices are for the Living

Romans 8:6-8, “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind in the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it desires not to submit to God’s law, indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

While I was preparing my fermented salsa this morning a thought came to my mind, the thought was this; as I was chopping the vegetables for the salsa I noticed I was being very careful not to put any questionable pieces in the jar because I didn’t want a few bad vegetables to ruin the whole batch which takes a couple of days of sitting on the counter to even ferment enough to be eaten. Fermenting makes the food easier to digest and the nutrients easier to assimilate. Most of the digestion is done for you. Fermenting also holds onto the enzymes and vitamins and other nutrients that get destroyed by processing the food. The nutritional value of your food gain more nutrients by fermenting. I started to think about the fermenting process and the benefits from this process.

Fermenting makes our food easier to digest and the nutrients easier to assimilate. The word of God helps us digest life, as we live it. Everything we need to know, all the spiritual vitamins we need to nourish our bodies is found in the written Word of God, but we have one small problem many of us don’t want to digest the word of God because our minds are set on the flesh. We over process our lives; by feeding our flesh the desires of our hearts and not the desires of God’s heart. Spiritually we take a beating that came from our own hand, we love to swallow what taste good in the spiritual, but what about the scriptures that call us to feed the poor? Did you know there are over 2000 scripture in the bible on the poor? We skim through those like they don’t apply to us, like God is talking directly to the poor not to the people who could help them. I think we have been spiritually over processed, as Christian a lot of our nutrients have been depleted our enzymes are out of balance we need a spiritual cleanse. In addition the public is having a hard time digesting Christians because we have too many toxins floating around in our lives. Now, I know I’m getting a few of you all riled up because you think I’m saying we have to be perfect to be of any use, but not all, we just need to be who we say we are. The word of God says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “We become a new creation in Christ when we are born again the old things have vanished and the new things have come.” You can’t expect to watch pornography and then minister to a man who has an addition to pornography. The same way you can’t expect to be at war with your spouse and then try to mentor someone on how to have a great marriage. I could no longer be obese and tell you how to lose weight than someone who is a practicing a drug addict could tell me how to become drug free. Hypocrite; is what people call this kind of behavior. For some of us we have allowed ourselves to be over processed, with the hormone induced, chemical manufactured, corn fed chickens of this world. Let’s eat the Word of God organically, be mindful of what we are allowing in our temples because what we put in us will eventually come out. Dr. Newell once said, “To hope to do better is fail to see yourself in Christ.” He also said, “To be disappointed with yourself means you believed in yourself.” Let’s see ourselves through God’s eyes and put our trust and faith in Him alone then and only then can we expect fermentation to happen. Choices are for the Living

My food is to do the will of the Father

Michele Davenport

For prayer or praise report please email me at my new email address fbmin02@gamil.com

To order my book, “Ripened on the Vine,” or to listen to my teachings go to fbministries.com

FaceBook Giveaway Coming.....

2011-07-06T18:06:00.001-07:00

Please visit the Faith Builders Ministry Facebook page and become a FAN. When we reach 100 Fans we will be hosting a book GIVEAWAY!

**UPDATE ** we are only 57 away!!! Please spread the news!!!

Visit here.

choices are for the Living

2011-07-04T05:42:00.000-07:00

Choices are for the Living

2 Corinthians 5:11-14 (Message Bible), “That keeps us vigilant, you can be sure. It’s no light thing to know that we’ll all one day stand in the place of Judgment. That’s why we work urgently with everyone we meet to get them ready to face God. God alone knows how well we do this, but I hope you realize how much and how deeply we care. We’re not saying this to make ourselves look good to you. We just thought it would make you feel good, proud even, that we’re on your side and not just nice to your face as so many people are. If I acted crazy, I did it for God; if I acted overly serious, I did it for you. Christ’s love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do.”

Wow! Readers, What an awesome statement of truth; “If I acted crazy I did it for God, if I acted overly serious I did it for you. Christ’s love has moved me to such extremes.” I do believe this is what we need in the body of Christ, a move of extreme love, a crazy kind of love that moves us to be as serious about death as we are about life. We spend much time preparing to live, planning, doing, and going, but what about death? I can hear some of you now getting all theological on me,” Michele you know as believers we really don’t ever die.” What I mean about death is the transition from this life to the next. Do we really care about the people who might not be going vertical? Love must compel us it must move us to extremes. When was the last time you told someone about Christ that was not already attending church? When was the last time you acted crazy for your God? I don’t mean straight jacket crazy I mean out of your comfort level crazy. What might be crazy for me might not be crazy for you. For an example I just finished teaching a bible study, “Outlive your Life,” by Max Lucado, the main focused was on the footprints we’re leaving behind, and doing all things unto God. The point of our life is to point to His. One of the examples in the book was; go to your local laundry mat and pay for people’s laundry, and fellowship with those we call strangers but whom the Lord calls His children. The mission is called, “Laundry Love.” “If I acted crazy, I did it for God.” Church, isn’t it time we get a little crazy for Christ? Isn’t it time we get serious about Heaven? You might be saying I am serious about heaven. I have been serving God most of my life. I mean get serious about other people going to heaven. I mean letting Christ’s love move you to extremes.

photo credit storypoint.info

Some of you are waiting on a word from God before you step a foot in the Jordan. Joshua 3:8 "When you reach the edge of the waters, "GO" and stand in the river." According to the NKJV God has told you 1487 times to "GO"!! What are you waiting on? When you start to "GO" the waters will stand in a heap. You don’t think this was crazy? It was the rainy season, the Jordan was swelled high above the normal river size, but the priest obeyed. As they stuck one foot in the water the water stood up on its head. Wow! What a great example of what God will do if we will pick up the ark of the covenant, which represented God’s presence and ,”GO”. Love crazy for God, get serious about Vertical faith, and let Christ’s love move you to the extremes. Choices are for the living.

Michele Davenport

Dipping my toe in the Jordan expecting a miracle.

For prayer or praise reports please email me at my new email fbmin02@gmail.com

To order my book, “Ripened on the Vine,” true stories of my life or to listen to my teaching on, “Vertical Faith,” go to our web page www.fbministries.com

Choices are for the Living

2011-06-27T06:28:00.000-07:00

Choices are for the Living

John 12:24, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”

photo credit - iknow2.net

Readers, as I was dead heading my flowers the other morning and a thought passed through my mind, the thought was in order for new flowers to bloom I had to remove the dead ones. Most of you know about sowing and reaping, you plant a sunflower seed, and you reap sunflowers. You plant daisies, you will reap daisies, but have you ever stopped and thought about the dead heading process? The reason you dead head your flowers is to extend the bloom time. Dead heading is a removal of spent flowers before they have a chance to set seeds and distract the plants energy away from producing flowers. It’s interesting because the goal of all flowering plants is to produce seeds for the next generation of plants. Delaying the dead heading of your garden will only prolong the production of flowers and beauty in your garden for the next generation. When you detach dead flowers you are encouraging new growth. You are essentially encouraging the plant to send up another supply of healthy flowers. How many of my Readers would be satisfied with one harvest of flowers when you could have several? All you need to do is take the time to dead head your garden. Well, this brings me to my point, some of you have allowed a seed to be planted, you have allowed the seed to be watered, and you have experienced a small harvest, but God wants you to continue to experience the harvest. Let me explain, I know some of my Readers have had great victories in your life, you have been healed of diseases. You have had a great financial breakthrough in your businesses and home. You have broken through the barriers of depression, loneliness and self absorb attitudes only to find yourself right back in the same place. Why? I believe it’s because you refused to dead head your harvest, you refused to pull off what is dying so the new could sprout. You continually speak dying words, dying thoughts, you have allowed your words to occupy your garden for too long. Where you once spoke life, you now speak death. Where you once filled your mind with thoughts of your Lord and Savior, you now replaced your thoughts with yourself. Where you once put your faith in your God you are now trying to obtain confidence through your bank account, job, marriage, your right standing in your community has become more valuable than your right standing with God. Remember the goal of all flowering plants is to produce seeds for the next generation of plants. What kind of seeds are you producing for the next generation? Do you constantly need council, approval, and pampering because of your past? Because you won’t let God deliver you; dead head you. Readers, many of us need to spend sometime at the throne of our hearts dead heading what is clearly dead so God can allow new growth for the next generation. What are we leaving behind? Choices are for the Living

Dead heading my garden one flower at a time expecting new growth

Faith Builders Ministries

Michele Davenport

For prayer or questions please contact me at my new email address fbmin02@gmail.com

To order my books, “Ripened on the Vine,” a true account of my life, living among the dead. “From My Heart to Yours Devotional,” poetry book with scriptures and the study of some Hebrew and Greek words. Go to our web page www.fbministries.com

Facebook Giveaway Coming

2011-06-23T13:01:00.000-07:00

Please visit the Faith Builders Ministry Facebook page and become a FAN. When we reach 100 Fans we will be hosting a book GIVEAWAY!

Visit here.

The Three Most Influential Women in My Life and the gifts they left behind

2011-06-20T06:15:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 4:10, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms."

The first gift from the most influential women in my life was a quilt which belonged to my mother, whom I lost December 12, 2007 she will be the number one Influential women in my life. She was my best friend, my cheerleader, and my greatest fan. My mother was not your typical mother, she endured many loses, disappointments, and heartaches, which eventually led her to a heroin addiction. My mother suffered at the hands of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco for one third of her life. The quilt represents restoration, reconciliation and reconstruction which were the patches God used to stitch us back together as mother and daughter. Through God’s love I was made whole. Through His forgiveness, I was empowered to forgive, through His example I was able to follow, through His compassion I was able to walk in her footsteps if only for a moment I understood the pain she endured. The lesson in the quilt for me is our lives are but a patchwork of moments that we endure, enjoy, and experience on various levels. Those moments in our lives create our quilt the same patches that had caused us pain are the same patches God uses to cover us in His love and mercy. Every quilt has a story to tell. Some quilts are in the early stages of becoming a quilt you can’t in actuality cover with them, although they offer only a few patches to warm your feet, what patches they have, they offer believing one day to extend enough to cover. Other quilts just crossed over the finish line, the last stitch has been sown the last patch has been put in place, and they are ready to extend their life’s experiences to help you. At first their quilt stays in their closet but as life goes on they find themselves gravitating to the quilt so others can be ministered to through their experiences. One day they look up and realize someone sitting in their house covered in their quilt while sipping on a cup of coffee, the healing begins as they share their life about their God.

photo credit - filminthefridge.com

Then there are the quilts that are tattered and torn sown with years of wisdom. Oh sure, when you cover yourself with them they have holes and the breeze seeps in but the warmth of their lives keeps you content with its ability to comfort you. You are so consumed with their stories of long ago, about how their God brought them through you forget about the holes, you stop feeling the breeze, your mind has gone to a place of peace as your body responds to the warmth of His presence. Every quilt has a story will you tell yours?

The next gift from one of the most influential women in my life is a rolling pin, which was given to me by my grandmother whom I also lost in 1998. She also taught me many lessons throughout my walk; one of the lessons was how to sit quietly before God, not asking for nothing just listening to His voice. Another lesson she etched deeply in my mind was; patience is a virtue, which we are not born with. Patience comes through our trials.

My grandmother showed me how to roll my cares upon Jesus so when I use the rolling pin I always remember what my grandmother taught me, sit quietly before your God, be patient in your sitting, and roll your cares upon Him.

The last gift is an apron, which brings me to the third and final influential women in my life to this date, my Aunt Linda. My Aunt Linda has also in turn taught me many values on my road to wisdom and she is still teaching me. Several times while growing up I had the opportunity to be a witness, to observe her while she mothered her children, while she served her husband, and her church. I watched her relentlessly work through the day and night contending to others, being a witness, praying, teaching, loving, and giving without taking inventory of her. My Aunt is a servant first, she does not require being served she finds her true joy in living the life of a servant that’s where she is most comfortable, and in that very place is where she made the most incredible impact on my journey. As I watched her I experienced the heart of God. I learned the art of being a mother, a friend, and a true lover of the Word of God. I learned about people, and the desire to be loved with action, not with action words.

photo credit - mdstrength.com

As I wear the apron I pray her mantle falls upon me. I pray I would put others first, learn the beauty of a servant’s heart, and the joy of making a difference in the lives of others each day I live.

Thank you for allowing me to share my family with you. I hope in some small way I have represented them in such a manner that even from Heaven they have made a difference in your life. I pray that you will find three of the most influential people in your life and share with them how they have written on the slate of who you have become.

Choices are for the Living

Listen Readers, I had an awesome opportunity to serve in my community and I wanted to share my amazing experience with you. I went to the Shepherd’s Staff Food Pantry located at 1311 Sanders in Harrisonville and helped distribute over 15,000 pounds of food to over 300 families it was truly a blessing to work a long side of these wonderful people who were accurately living it out for the Glory of God, they are living God’s Word not just discussing it.

If you live in Cass County and are interested in volunteering for this worthy cause please contact Delbert (816-769-4988) at Shepherd’s Food Pantry they need volunteers every Friday from 2-6pm. “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40) Choices are for the Living…Make a difference, volunteer. Any and all donations are welcomed….
Casting my net for Jesus

Michele Davenport

If you have questions or comments please contact me at my new email address fbmin02@gmail.com

To read my testimony, “Ripened on the Vine,” go to www.fbministires.com

Choices are for the Living

2011-06-15T13:14:00.001-07:00

Choices are for the Living

Luke 8:22-25, “One day Jesus said to His disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into the boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked His disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this?” He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him.”

As I was pondering the scriptures above I noticed some obvious facts. The first fact I noticed was Jesus gave the disciples a word in verse 22, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” The second fact that caught my eye was, they obeyed. “So they got into the boat and set out.” But it was when they got into the boat their faith was challenged, “As they sailed He (Jesus) fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.” Readers, sometimes its right after we make a decision to obey we find our greatest challenge. After they were in great danger I noticed in verse 24, their faith was perishing, “The disciples went and woke Him saying, “Master, Master we’re going to drown.” Wow! In the middle of their challenge they panic. Jesus got up rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm fell asleep and all was calm according to verse 25. Then Jesus looked at them and asked, “Where is your faith?” Still in verse 25, “In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the wind and the water, and they obey Him.”

photo credit - deafministries.com

“Who is this?” Remember they said this after Jesus had cast out a demon, heals Peter’s mother in law, provides a miraculous catch of fish, heals a man of leprosy, heals a paralyzed man, and heals a man’s hand that was shriveled up. I know that Jesus didn’t pick the twelve until Luke 6 but they were certainly a witness to the astonishing acts of Jesus. Then Jesus teaches about loving your enemies, criticizing others, fruit, and building your house. Now I could leave it at this and it would be enough but there is more. After Jesus’ incredible teaching He raised a widow’s son from the dead, eases John’s doubt, teaches about the four soils, describes His true family, which is those who hear God’s Word and puts it to practice. Lastly, Jesus calms the storm and its right after this when our eyes fall upon those famous words, “Who is this?”

I remember a time when the doctors came to my husband and I and told us our oldest daughter had a rare blood disorder, that her blood was the blood of a dying child. The Lord gave us a word through the prophet Isaiah, “And by His wounds we are healed.” Then we stepped into the boat. But as life would have it our faith was challenged, the doctors kept performing one test after another, but we refused to panic because our mentality was not “Who is this?” Our mentality was we know who our God is He is Johavoah Jirah; my provider, Johovah Rapha; the Lord that heals, El Elyon; the most high, Johovah Shalom; the Lord is peace, Johovah Mekoddishkem; the Lord who sanctifies you and Johovah Shammah; the Lord is there. Listen Readers, we better know who God is and the power He carries through His name. Many of you are going through your own trails even as your reading my column, but may I say to you; “Get a word from God, get in the boat, refuse to waiver, don’t panic, and watch your God calm the storm".

Choices are for the Living

Hanging my red cord out the window so others can be saved

Michele Davenport

If you have a prayer request or questions please go to my new email fbmin02@gmail.com if you want to order my books “Ripened on the Vine”, a true story about my life, or “From My Heart to Yours Devotional” go to www.fbministries .com

Fan the Flame or just live with a spark

2011-06-06T05:06:00.000-07:00

Choices are for the Living

Timothy 1:5-9 says, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but power and love and self-control. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holly calling, not because of your works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began."

Paul is encouraging Timothy who at this point has a congregation of about 60,000 members in the church of Ephesus. Paul is reminding Timothy where he came from, the lineage of his mother and grandmother. Paul was telling Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God, which was in parted by the laying on of Paul’s hands. Many of my readers have came from the same kind of back ground as Timothy, you have a Christian lineage that goes clear back to your great, great , great grandparents, but you have turned your back on the faith. You have lost sight of your purpose in life. I would say you have forgotten, but I know all too well that you have not. Oh yes, you remember the faith of your ancestors. You remember how your grandmother would rise early before anyone else so she could be alone in the presence of her God. Her God did not look like the God we have carved into our image in modern society, No, her God was a God who was rightly feared, her God stood alone, and there were no other God before Him. Her God is the God of the universe, who with His every word spoke the world into existence. Her God kept her through the tough times, He had written her name on the palm of His hands as Isaiah 49:16 told her he would, "See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me."

When did you decide your walls were no longer before God? When did you stop believing in His existence? You might be thinking to yourself that was harsh, but really if you are not depending on Him then you’re putting your belief in you. We are taught in society that we need to believe in ourselves, that we can do anything we set our minds to. We are taught to reach for the stars, go for the American dream, climb the corporate ladder and kick whoever is in front of you off.

Galatians 3:3 O foolish Galatians!!! Who has bewitched you? Galatians 3:3 are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

What happened to make you turn your back on the one person who could help you? Are you so foolish that you think you can do a better job with your life than God? We work so hard in our society that we miss out on the only thing that will ever really matter for eternity, our relationship with our one true God. Do you want to know what you are taking to Heaven with you? Your relationship with God, that’s it, not your nice car, beautiful house, diamonds or furs, nor your golf clubs, fishing poles, or boats, No, all your taking with you is your relationship with your God. We are missing the point of our lives; our assignment is we are the assignment. Romans1:25 Paul is saying, “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, (in Greek it says the lie), and worshiped and served created things rather than the creator who is forever praised. The lie is the lie spoken in the garden. ‘Did God really say?” We have doctored the word of God to fit what we are comfortable with it saying. For example; John 6:63 says, “It is the Spirit who gives life the flesh gives no help at all.” But we give the flesh all the glory and occasionally call on the Spirit. Another example; Matthew 22:36-39 says, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to them, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Now we love God with only a portion of our heart, our leftovers if you will, only what we think we can afford to let go of, as far as our soul goes we let our soul wander aimlessly around in search of an improved more easily obtainable truth, and for our mind’s they are consumed with worry, discontentment, competition, and jealously, our minds are on the things of the world. Second is like it we shall love our neighbors as ourselves. Do you? Who is your neighbor? Is your thinking so shallow that you have resided that your neighbor is whoever lives next door to you. When you read this passage of scripture did you run to your dictionary to retrieve the definition of neighbor to make sure you didn’t love someone who did not make the list? Who does Jesus say your neighbor is? Go to your Bible and read Luke 10:25-37. Your neighbor is the man in the ditch, anyone who is in need. What about Matthew 5:44 it says, “But I say love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” The world teaches revenge the world teaches un-forgiveness. This is what I mean about doctoring the word to fit our comfort level, we have decided on our own theology and then invited Mr. Theo to slip into our bed of feathers with our electric blanket , to blend in the atmosphere of our choices, to accommodate the people who are not comfy with the unadulterated truth the written Word of God. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.

Paul was reminding Timothy where he came from. Readers, I understand that many of you did not come from such a lineage as Timothy, but if you are a born again believer you have the lineage of Jesus and I am reminding you, you were created for more, but yet you have found yourself being content with less. You have been easily satisfied with becoming your own doctor to the Word of God you have performed many surgeries to get the Word to say what you want it to say, and to look like you want it to look. Try reading the Word just as it is written nothing added or taken away and see what you believe. Choices are for the Living….Choose to believe…

For prayer or questions please email me at fbministries@comcast.net

To order my book, “Ripened on the Vine, “a true story about my life, or my Devotional, “From My Heart To Yours,” go to www.fbministries.com

Anticipation of Expectation

2011-05-31T06:30:00.000-07:00

Acts 9:36-41 says, “in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor. About that same time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. Lydda was near Joppa. When the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “please come at once!”

Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

Peter sent them all out of the room. Then, he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning towards the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive.

After reading the story of Tabitha, aka Dorca, I noticed a couple of interesting facts. The first incident I noticed was as soon as Dorcas had died the disciples sent two men for Peter. Why would they send for Peter after Dorcas was pronounced dead? Because, they remembered what happen in Acts 5 when the people who passed within Peter’s shadow were healed, not by the shadow, but by God’s power illuminating within Peter. A lot of unspoken words were spoken in the request for Peter that day. The faith of the disciples was grand. The disciples were expecting a miracle, they were expecting a resurrection. How different would your life be, if you could believed just because it has never happened before, doesn’t mean it can’t happen? The disciples believed for something uncommon, for something unlikely, and for something out of the ordinary. Even how the body was prepared, Dorcas’s body was an act of faith, after she was pronounced dead. She was washed, but not anointed with oil. She was placed in an upstairs room in anticipation, of something miraculous happening amongst them. They believed for a new kind of miracle. Why do we fix state on the crucifixion, and not on the resurrection?

My family and I were in Joplin all day on Sunday the attitude was amazing they were not fixated on the damage but on the resurrection, the new possibilities, the promise of life, the promise of new beginnings. My husband met a man who was in his house trying to get to the basement when the Tornado hit. John Allen, about 75 years of age, was rushing down the stairs when the debris landed on him when he tried to keep moving he noticed his foot was trapped. As he sat there bordered by the violent wind everything around him was collapsing. After what seemed an eternity, saidJohn, it all stopped. He glanced down to see what had trapped his foot, to his surprise after digging around the debris he pulled out a gallon water bottle, it was the plastic water bottle that held John’s foot captive that day. Wow! Talk about God using the uncommon, out of the ordinary, and the most unlikely thing to save a man’s life. I don’t know if a gallon water jug has ever saved a man’s life before but what I do know is we can never limit God because of our lack of anticipation. There was silence in Joplin that cannot be explain, but in the silence there was an act of hope in the restoring of the city, the promise of new beginnings, brighter days ahead, and an anticipation for God’s provision.

The second incident I noticed in the Tabitha story was, all of the widows who were standing around crying and giving Peter a fashion show of all the robes and clothing that Dorcas had made. It seemed to me they were morning her sewing ability rather than her life. The disciples believed for a miracle while the widows were preparing for a funeral. Watch what happened after Peter arrives. The first thing he does is clear the room of all the Nay Sayers, and of all the doubters. It was as if Peter was saying, “Okay everyone who cannot stand in faith, get out if you can’t catch the vision leave.” Then Peter got on his knees and prayed, turning towards the dead women, he said, “Dorcas get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. We to as believer need to turn towards that dead situation and speak life changing words into the atmosphere.

How many times have you shared a dream, a vision, or a desire with someone and like a tornado their words formed the winds that destroyed every positive thought you had with their doubt and unbelief? Peter demanded for the miracle to come forth, to rise up, and to take notice. Peter gave the miracle feet. Some of us need to give our dreams, visions, and desires feet again. You have let the Nay Sayers crucify your dreams while leaving them nailed to a cross with a crown of fear. Clear the room; get on your knees, and turn your attention towards your miracle.

Choices are for the living.

Casting my net for Jesus… Michele Davenport

For prayer or questions please go to fbministries@comcast.net

To order my book, “Ripened on the Vine” a true testimony about my life go to www.fbministries.com

Choices are for the Living....No one knows the day or hour

2011-05-23T06:47:00.000-07:00

Matthew 24:36-44, “No one knows about the day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was n the day of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marring and giving into marriage, up to the day Noah entered into the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. This is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken one will be left. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day the Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known of what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

With all the talk about Jesus return in the news lately it has struck a chord in me. I am writing my column on the morning of Saturday May 21, 2011 the exact day a man whom I will not mention by name has claimed Jesus’ return. He has not only pronounced the day but the hour as well. Listen Readers, there is a reason were not suppose to know the day or hour of our Lord and Saviors return. I believe the reason is; we too would try to sell everything, give all our money away, in an attempt to pay alms to God. Listen; please hear my heart, if you’re not willing to live a life that matters for Christ now when no one is watching and there is no speculation of Jesus’ return then I must question the authenticity of your action. I am perplexed on how easily it is for people to believe a false prophetic but have such difficulty believing the Word of God. In the scripture above it plainly explains that no man, angel, or even Jesus himself will know the day or hour but many have chosen to believe a simple man than the infallible Word of God. “But understand this: If the owner of the house had known of what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

In other words; Jesus is coming back when we don’t have time to sell everything and give it to the church or the poor. Sowing a tangible seed is awesome, but your motive should be considered. What is the driving force behind the thought? Our lives should always leave a paper trail that leads people to heaven not confusion. Readers, we need to be serving Him with pure abandonment of self, we need to love others enough to give our talents, resources, and time not because we have listen to a man with false calculations but because we are sold out, on fire, and crazy in love with our Jesus. In the scripture above the Word said, if the man knew of the hour the thief was going to break in his house he would keep watch. We also must be ready, because Jesus will come back in a day and hour we do not expect. The word, “watch” is the Greek word; tereo, which means to guard, the Greek tense means to consistently guard, or to consistently, be on the watch. Believers, we need to be in a continual state of living like Jesus is coming back on this day in this hour if we are going to live a relevant life that matters in the next. Although, I don’t agree with the man who is trying to predict Jesus’ return, I do believe he believes in his truth, it just isn’t God’s truth. God’s Word says in Genesis 50:20, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Well there it is folks; God can draw men to Him through this atrocity. If only one comes to Christ during this time then something good has been accomplish. If anything, maybe for the ones who sold and gave everything away realized what they should have known all along, maybe hearts were exposed and motives were investigated, maybe they have taken inventory of what they really believe, and what conviction are worth following. There is one thing I know for sure and that is; Jesus’ return will be unknown to any man, angel, or the Son of God and knowing this truth makes me want to live out loud for Jesus because this is for sure He is coming back and when he does no matter what the day or hour I want Him to find me doing what He has called me to do, not because I had time to orgastrated a pre-remanufactured response but because I am trying to live an authentic life for Him. Choices are for the Living

Grinding with a hand mill until His return… Michele Davenport

For prayer or questions please feel free to e-mail me at fbministries@comcast.net

To order my book, “Ripened on the Vine”, with a free down load Study Guide go to www.fbministries.com

choices are for the living.....Jesus agonizes in the garden

2011-05-16T08:16:00.001-07:00

Choices are for the Living

Jesus Agonizes in the Garden

Mark 14:32-38, “They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death, he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible that the hour might pass from him. Abba, Father, he said, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Then he turned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon, he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

Readers, I noticed something very interesting about this scripture there had to be a day before this night. This night brought about such agony, such distress, and such trouble within the soul of Jesus. Do you think Jesus ever dreaded the “next day?” Have you ever known that something was going to happen the “next day” and dreaded the process of living out that day out? Many times in my life I have known the “next day” was going to bring about such pain in my life, for an example; after my mom died there was a “next day” to endure, same goes for the day after my brother died, and again when my dad died. I have dreaded many “next days” in my life but I know how I chose to handle the next day in my life depends on how I chose to handle the day before. Jesus did something amazing that evening in the garden he tried to teach three of his disciples how to go through the evening before the “next day.” Remember, Jesus told eight of his disciples to wait while he went to pray but Jesus told Peter, James, and John to watch and pray. Jesus told them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” “Stay here and keep watch.” Jesus walked off in the distance but within ear shot of the three disciples and he began to ask his Father to let the hour (the appointed time) pass him by. Jesus also asked that the cup (God’s wrath) be lifted away from his lips, but yet not my will but your will be done. Then Jesus returned to his disciples to find them asleep, taking a cat nap, if you will while Jesus was agonizing in the garden. What was the question Jesus asked them? “ARE YOU ASLEEP?” If you read on in scriptures the disciples fell asleep three times and the last time Jesus said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

photo credit gcaptain.com

Readers, there is a great lesson to gleam from the question Jesus asked them, Are you still sleeping? Many times we are sleeping spiritually when Jesus is trying to teach us a life lesson. Jesus was showing the disciples how to handle the “next day” in their lives but they were too concerned with their napping than learning a lesson of a life time. There will always be a “next day” in your life until your finale day here on earth, the question is; are you sleeping when you should be praying? Could you not keep watch for an hour? I think as believers we don’t take praying seriously enough. Jesus said, “Watch and pray so you don’t fall into temptation.” The “next day,” in our lives can cause temptations just ask any reformed drug addict, or compulsive eater, shopper, someone trying to walk in love, or someone addicted to pornography? I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have heard people blame God for things that He didn’t do but only allowed. People are tempted to accuse God for their choices. My brother died in a car accident under the influence of drugs and alcohol, many questioned God, I would hear them say, “Why did God kill Richard?” but we have choices to make and consequences for our choices God did not kill my brother but he allowed the consequence of his choice. My dad whom I mention earlier, also died in a car wreck under the influence of alcohol, again God allowed the consequences for his choice. Many have turned away from God because of misplaced blame…The next time you’re tempted to blame God for what’s happening in your life ask yourself one question, is this happening because of a choice I made? Everything that happens is a choice; it happens because of a choice you made, or a choice someone else has made. CHOICES ARE FOR THE LIVING ONCE YOUR DEAD THE CHOICE IS OVER. What was Jesus lesson that evening in the garden? Watch, pray and stay awake in the spirit so that you don’t fall into temptation, but once again this is your choice to make, your life to live, your purpose to discover because there will be a “next day” until it’s your last.

Choices are for the Living…dipping my toe in the Jordan expecting a miracle.

For prayer or questions please feel free to email me at fbministries@comcast.net

To order my books, “Ripened on the Vine,” a true story about my life, or “From My heart to Yours Devotional,” or if you would like to listen to my teachings on audio go to fbministries.com

Choices are for the Living....Its not about me!!! REALLY?????

2011-05-09T06:24:00.000-07:00

Choices are for the Living

Do you ever feel like there is something more you should be doing with your life? What is holding you back? The opposite of faith is fear. Are you afraid to step out and do something radical for God? I have done many things that have not turned out for God, but I will never stop trying to reach the lost, minister to the sick, comfort the hurting, feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, and clothe the naked.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 says, “For the love of God controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised".

My question to you is, “Who controls you?” With the world we live in today I could easily ask, “What controls you?” Whatever controls you is what you are living for.

photo credit - pichaus.com

I recently read an article written by Joshua Davis called, “The Perfect Human”, the article was about a man named Karnazes, who is an extraordinary marathon runner. Karnazes did not train all of his life to become a marathon runner, nor was this a dream of his. He stumbled across this talent by accident literally stumbled out of a bar into a pair of sneakers. Let me elaborate on what I gleamed from the article. Karnazes was a drunk. It was his 30^th birthday and he was at a local bar near his home in San Francisco. Karnazes was sitting at the bar drinking beer and tequila shots. He was a corporate business man, living the corporate life. As he was sitting there on the bar stool, a women came onto him. Karnazes decided to head out the back door rather than put himself in a position he would regret later. Karnazes walked home which was only a couple of blocks from the bar. As he was sitting on his back porch, he looked over and saw an old pair of sneakers. He stripped down to his t-shirt and underwear, laced up his shoes and began running. Karnazes ended up in Dala City, which was about fifteen miles from where he had begun. It was about four in the morning and Karnazes felt ridiculous, but this experience brought a huge smile to his face. So he kept running. When the sun started peeking out, he realized he was near Santa Cruz. He had covered thirty miles. Karnazes had a rebirth moment in his life; he had metamorphosed into a long distant runner. He stopped and called his wife. He then passed out in the car on the way home.

This occurred on August 1992. For the next 14 years, Karnazes challenged almost every known running endurance limit. He covered 350 miles without sleeping. He ran the first and only marathon to the North Pole (which he finishing second) at the age of 44. He completed 50 marathons in 50 consecutive days, one in each of the 50 states, (The last one was held in New York City, after that, he ran home to San Francisco).

photo credit faithvillage.com

The moral of this story is that some of us need to just put on our running shoes and run the race for Jesus and not for ourselves. I don’t know how many times over the last several years I have heard the statement, “It’s not about me”. However, if we would be brutally honest with ourselves it really has been. What would you do if it wasn’t about you? Would you give more? I imagine you would if it didn’t affect your standard of living. Would you pray for the person in the grocery store? You would if you could get past being embarrassed. Would you feed the hungry on the side of the road? You would if it was convenient, or if you thought they really deserved it. Would you go to the ends of the world to spread the gospel if God told you to? You might, but you might not. Why? Because reality is, it has always been all about you, me, and our level of comfort. I am not willing to live like that any longer. I have made a decision to walk my walk with Jesus in a walk worth walking, in the most radical, nontraditional way. Have you?

We need to start being controlled by love, not our emotions, our past experiences, on how others treat us, our bank accounts or certainly not how we feel from day to day. 2 Corinthians 5:15 says, “And he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised”.

Karnazes looked at his life and thought, “I just need to do something different”. Some of the readers today just need to do something different. Put on your running shoes and run for Jesus! Choices are for the living. What shoes are you wearing?

Walking a life worth repeating…..Michele Davenport

For prayer, questions, or comments please e-mail me at fbministries@comcast.net

To order my books, “Ripened on the Vine,” my testimony or my book “From My Heart to Yours Devotional,” go to fbministries.com

"Choices are for the Living" Stacking your stones

2011-05-02T06:28:00.000-07:00

Choices are for the Living

Joshua 4:1-7, “When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan from right where the priests stood and to carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.” So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, “What do these stones mean?” Tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

photo credit tommyimages.com

Deuteronomy 6:12, “Be careful not to forget your God who brought you out of Egypt.” It’s interesting to me what the word, “memorial” means in Hebrew. It means to remember. Stacking your stones is not to mark a place of burial or temple, but a memorial to some sort of battle, a memorial reminds us of a place or time in our lives, it triggers a memory good or bad. The Israelites were always forgetting about the Lord’s goodness. I know many people who visit their past only to be tormented by the actions and reactions of others but the Lord is saying, “Be careful not to forget your God who brought you out of Egypt.” Egypt represented bondage and slavery and the Lord was saying remember me, your Lord. What has been your Egypt? Has the Lord brought you through of a drug addiction? Has He brought you through being molested as a child, or being raped? Or maybe God has brought you through of a pornography habit, a cigarette habit, or an ugly divorce. Or perhaps the Lord has brought you through cancer, eating disorder, fear, stroke, or suicidal thoughts. Be careful Readers, not to forget the Lord who brought you out of your Egypt. When I look back on my own life I have a choice to make, I can remember how God brought me through or I can remember Egypt. I can remember slavery or I can remember being set free. I can remember the bondage I endure or I can remember my deliverance. Oh Readers, how our memories remind us of God’s faithfulness; it is a sign post to a lost world. The Apostle Paul says, “I forget about the past so I can press on to the future.” Each stone represented a person, a tribe if you will and how God brought them through the Jordan to get to the other side. Many of you are still waiting on the wrong side of the Jordan you are pining for Egypt because it’s far better to remain in the pain of your past than to pick up your stone and carry it across, but you must pick up your stone and carry it across and lay it at the feet of Jesus. I believe the stone was a type and shadow of their previous bondage, despair, and suffering, it represented God’s ability to bring them through the trails of the promise of long ago according to Exodus 3:8, “So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.” Another interesting fact; in Hebrew milk represents spiritual and honey represents the best. So in essence the Lord was saying I have come down to deliver you from your oppression into a land filled with my spiritual best.

In Deuteronomy 1:6-7, “The Lord your God has said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites…Readers, for many of you God is saying, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain break camp and advance you have stood too long in front of a mountain that I have removed. I have offered you a land flowing with my spiritual best pick up your stone and carry it across because one day your children will ask, “What do these stones mean?” Each battle you’ve had in your life is another opportunity to stack a victory stone as your sign post of faith. Choices are for the Living……

Stacking my stones for Jesus…Michele Davenport

For prayer or questions please email me at fbministries@comcast.net

To order my books or listen to my messages on audio on subjects like, Faith First, Armor of God part 1 &2, Vertical faith part 1 &2 go to fbministries.com

Choices are for the Living

2011-05-01T16:09:00.000-07:00

If your words were used as directions where are they leading you?

Proverbs 16:23, "A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instructions." Whatever is laying dormant in the heart eventually gives birth to your words.

Choices are for the Living

2011-04-27T06:25:00.000-07:00

Willingness leads you to his will....Are you willing to be lead by God? I'm not just talking bout in the big decisions, I'm talking about in the everyday living life decisions. For example if you invited someone over for dinner have you ever considered asking God what to serve your guest? Try it, you will be amazed at the results. They will go something like this, "Wow!!! this is one of my favorite meals, or I have been craving this for weeks." What about as your moving in and out of your day, do you ever stop and ask God, what do you want me to do right in this moment? Philipians 2:3-4, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility considers others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." Are we really willing to be lead to do His will in our everyday lives?

Choices are for the Living

Choices are for the Living, taken form my book, "From My Heart to Yours"

2011-04-25T05:41:00.000-07:00

Choices are for the Living

The Cross

I could not forgive until I went to the cross

Where I knelt down at your feet crying and lost

When I opened up my eyes all that I could see

Was one faithful man dying for me

Whipped and beaten beyond recognition

For thousands of people this was their petition

Crucify Him He is not real

They have chosen not to believe. They have chosen to kill

They mocked Him and said, “If you’re truly the one?”

Call up to your Father to free His Son

Jesus could have changed this with one silent prayer

Save me Father, release me from here

But this was not my purpose or my Fathers plan

I was sent here to be the sacrifice for all of men

Then time was silent the battle had been won

Forgive them my Father for they know not what they’ve done.

Luke 23:44-46

It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father into your hands I commend my spirit.”

Do you realize that it all started in a garden and it all ended in a garden? It started with a piece of forbidden fruit hanging on a tree, and ended with Jesus hanging on a tree. I believe Jesus hung on the very tree of life that was in the Garden of Eden. He represented eternal life and through Him we have eternal life. The tree of knowledge of good and evil was in the middle of the garden, while Jesus hung on a tree in the middle of two men. The two men represented the reason why Jesus went to the cross for the saved and unsaved. The bad seed they ate produced a bad seed. Sowing and reaping can be fatal if the seed you sow is done in sin.

The word “commend” means “to deposit” to commit for safekeeping. I love the fact that Jesus dismissed His Spirit this proves that He was in complete control of the situation. Do you remember Psalms 31:5 when David wrote “In thine hand I commend my Spirit “This Psalms was used as a Jewish child’s bedtime prayer? Jesus deposited His spirit for us and He expects a return. If you haven’t received Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior please say this prayer of faith, “Jesus I repent for my sins I realize how much I need you in my life. I know you died on the cross and arose in three days and now you’re sitting at the right hand of your Father. I am confessing this with my mouth and I believe it in my heart. Jesus you are Lord this is my confession. Amen (Romans 10:9) Choices are for the Living.

Stacking my stones…Michele Davenport

For prayer or questions email me at fbministries@comcast.net

To order my books or listen to any of my teachings on audio go to fbministries.com

Choices are for the Living

2011-04-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

Painted Colors

All through my life I have been painted different colors

Some for me, and some for others

In the far distance I heard you calling my name

Within the season I would be changed

All alone I open my heart

That’s all you needed to make a start

You came right in and made a home

Where you cleansed me, healed me, and called me your own

You stayed with me while I cried my tears

And comforted me through my fears

Fears that I was forever lost,

Fears I would pay the final cost

Death by fire was where I was at,

But I looked different from where you sat

You could see a child, who needed you,

You could see a child broken in two

Through the seasons you chipped away the old paint

And colored me the same color as one of your saints

The color of righteousness, which is white as snow,

Now you’re with me wherever I go

Thank you Lord for chipping away all the old paint,

Then with Your mercy, You marked me one of Your saints.

Romans 5:20

But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.
Abounded: more, it exists in abundance (Vines)

photo credit - By Pictolicious Nilanjan Bhattacharya

Sin is never in a nonexistent mode. It is always growing and available, but grace abounds much more. No matter where you have been if you’re not in hell you still have grace.

I must confess that some of my life colors were not so attractive. For a long time I had let other people influence me more than God. I let them color me with their paints. When they were finished, I was no longer on the canvas of my own life. I was on the canvas of other people’s thoughts and opinions. My color had changed. I let the food of this world almost starve me to death. As I grew in wisdom and faith, I noticed my canvas started to look different. The colors were fading away. In my mind I was standing in the art gallery; there was a man holding a paintbrush. As I watched in silence, I notice the painting He was working on was mine. He was dipping His brush into a satin white. He was repainting what the world had painted. With one stroke of His brush, I was washed new.

Choices are for the Living

2011-04-18T09:15:00.001-07:00

“Choices are for the Living”

Ephesians 6:13-18, “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all of this, take up the shield of faith, with which you extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and request. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”

Readers, before some of us put on the full armor of God we may need to take some things off. For example some of us have exchange our belt of truth for a belt of lies. Once we have chosen to exchange one lie for the truth it becomes easier to exchange another if two can slip by then three stands a chance. The next time the enemy tries to wrap a belt of lies around your waist say this, “What does the Bible say?” “In the ancient garment of the day, the girdle about the loins held in place every other part of the uniform of the soldier. It was essential. A great battle in the past, we are told, was won by a clever general who told his men to cut the belts of their enemy while they were sleeping. The next morning the enemy troops were so busy holding up their pants that they weren’t able to shoot their guns and, therefore, they lost the battle.”(Resource; Vernon McGee Volume 5) What battle are you losing because you allowed the enemy to come in while you were sleeping and cut the belt of truth in your life?

The second piece of our armor is the breastplate of righteousness; many of my Readers today have exchanged their breastplate of righteousness for a breastplate of shame, guilt, and condemnation. You wear it like a Martyr almost in prideful way like a wounded solder with a purple heart. Readers, you need to know who you are in Christ. You have let your pass dictate your future by not excepting God’s forgiveness. Over the years I’ve heard many people say the hardest person to forgive is me. Did you know, nowhere in the bible does it say anything about us forgiving ourselves but it does mention God’s forgiveness towards us. We are actually not allowing God’s forgiveness in our lives when we hold onto things we have done in the pass. In Micah 7:19, “You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” But yet we know the scripture, and we still choose to dive in the depths of the sea to retrieve what our mind will not let go of. It’s sad but many of you would rather bare the guilt than then forgiveness because punishing ourselves for the sin is the way we compensate for the sin we committed. All that is required is repentance.

The third piece of armor is our feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. If our feet aren’t ready for the battlefield we might march when we need to be still and be still when we need to march or go forward when we should turn back. Have you traded your shoes fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace for a stiletto? There is peace in shoes that fit properly. Have you ever wore a pair of shoes that didn’t fit your feet, how long did you stand? Were you distracted by the fit of your shoes or the blisters on your feet? This is exactly what Satan wants is for us to put on shoes fitted with the readiness of distraction. The Word of God is what clothes your feet with the peace of readiness.

The fourth piece of armor we need to take off is, doubt and unbelief so we can distinguish the fiery darts of the enemy. Many of us are not holding our shield of faith for some of us our shield has become nothing more than a suggestion, we have traded our faith for doubt. Many of you are looking for jobs right now and every time you get turned down you say things like, “I knew I wasn’t going to get the job.” Your words have power, I’m not talking about the name it and claim it movement I’m talking about your confession of the Word of God. Murmuring, complaining, and arguing landed the Israelites in the desert for forty years. Why not try thanking God for the job He has already predestined for you to have. Instead of saying how sick you are what about saying how healed you are. I know there will be some Nay Sayers in the bunch, but let me tell you, there’s power in your words if you don’t believe me just think back on your life at a time you were hurt the most, were words used at all? We need to guard our tongue as if it were precious gold because life and death rest upon it. The fifth thing we need to take off is, our flipped attitude about salvation; many of us are satisfied knowing the circle we hang around with is going to heaven, but I assure you Jesus is not satisfied with our complacency. If you don’t know if this one applies to you ask yourself one question, “When is the last time you told someone about Jesus?” Sure we put our helmet of salvation on as to protect our minds but what about the Greatest Command, “Love your neighbor as you do yourself.” Would you let yourself go to hell? Challenge yourself to tell at least one person a day about Jesus. The sixth thing some of us need to take off is business, we have become so distracted by the world we have put our sword away, ( the Word of God,) Oh, we didn’t intentionally do this it began gradual we started getting busy so we started reading just one paragraph, praying for 10 minutes, then our life got a little busier so we reduced our prayer down to 5 minutes and reading down to one verse, and as life would have it we became extremely busy and our prayer reduced down to Hi, Jesus this is_______________ bless my day and my families day thank you Amen, and our reading became obsolete. Oh, Readers, some of us need to take off the business of the world and put on the stillness of the Word. Lastly Ephesians’ tells us to pray in all occasions. Are we praying on all occasions? I think many of us have exchange praying for complaining. I think a vast majority are content if they pray over the dinner occasion. We must pray. We must take the Word of God at its Word. Mathew 6 says when you pray, when you fast, and when you give, not “if.”

Choices are for the living

Casting my net for Jesus

Michele Davenport

For prayer or questions email me at fbministries@comcast.net

To order my books, “Ripened on the Vine,” a true testimony of my life, or My Devotional called, “From My Heart to Yours.” go to fbministries.com

Choices are for the Living " "Remember Me"

2011-04-11T06:23:00.000-07:00

Choices are for the living

Luke 22:19-22, “And he took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and he gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays him.”

If you read in Luke 22:48, Judas, one of the disciples sitting at the table with Jesus, betrayed him, for thirty silver coins, the mere price of a slave. What are we betraying the Lord with? Are we so busy worshipping idols of the mind that many of us have filled our memory with images of lies? In all creation, in every tree, flower, star, ocean, mountain, and valley the Lord calls out “Remember Me.”

Deuteronomy 6:12, “Be careful not to forget your God who brought you out of Egypt.” Why did Moses say be careful not to forget your God? Because remember Moses has been through Egypt with the Israelites and he knows all too well how quickly they forget. In Joshua 4, the Lord is instructing Joshua to choose twelve men one from each tribe to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan and stack them where they were staying for the night to serve as a memorial, because someday their children will ask, “What do these stones mean?” The Lord said, “Tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.” The people in the Bible were always erecting a memorial in the Old Testament in honor of the Lord. It is interesting to know that the word memorial in Hebrew means, to remember. How can we remember?

Remember Me, when you’re in airport and you see another passenger embracing her elderly parent as if this might be her last chance to feel, touch, and experience the love of a parent as the tears form a snow globe of memories of her once adorned childhood . “Remember Me.”

What are we doing in remembrance of Jesus? How can we remember the cross if we have forgotten the suffering? How is it that we can walk by a hurting person and chose to ignore their pain? Does love compel us anymore or have we let society, television, news, radio, the media in all forms desensitize our compassion for one another? Do we look at life as if it was a movie where we sit down and have popcorn and watch, or have we considered we are actually written in the script, we have a part to play? Have we let the bread of Christ become a snack? Christ died for all. What does “all” mean to you, does it mean the elite, the social acceptable, the rich, the admired, the Christians? Maybe, just maybe, could it mean, the women or man behind a prison wall, could it mean the neighbor who undoubtedly despises the God you love, could remembering Jesus mean serving of one another not for gain but for plain unadulterated love. “Remember Me,” when you’re standing in the grocery store and the lady in front of you begins to put things back because her wallet has dictated the amount of food she will be purchasing today. Proverbs 28:27, “He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.” “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Wow! Could this be how we are to remember Jesus by how we remember one another? “Remember me,” when you get a phone call in the middle of the night from a friend who found out her son had been doing drugs and now his only breath comes from a machine. Isaiah 40:1, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.” “Remember Me,” when the doctor enters the room with a solace face to confirm what he had already suspected all along. “1 Peter 2:24, (b) “by his wounds you have been healed.” “Remember Me,” when the people I trusted to love you, hurt you in ways the world will never know. “Revelation 21:4, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” “Remember Me,” Jesus called us to remember His body that was broken for us, have we betrayed Jesus by our lack of remembrance? Jesus said, “The one who is going to betray me hand is in mine.” Could we be in denial that we as born, bought, believers could ever betray our Jesus by the lack of our memorials? 2Timothy 2:8 “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel.” This is it Readers, this is the gospel, “Remember Jesus is raised from the dead.” Choices are for the living.

Stacking my stones for the Glory of God……Michele Davenport

For prayer or questions please contact me at fbministries@comcast.net

To order my books, “Ripened on the Vine,” a true story of my childhood through my adult life, “From my Heart to Yours,” a devotional filled with poetry, scriptures, and my commentaries go to fbministries.com

The Will of God-----Do you really want His will in your life?????

2011-04-06T07:53:00.000-07:00

Are you willing to do the will of God no matter what the cost? Six times in the New Testament God said, "Paul the apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God." Paul was beheaded in Rome for who he was, but it was God's will that Paul was an apostle.
Sometimes we paint God's will as a Van Gogh when it should be a Picasso.

Quote from chapter seven in my upcoming book, "Choices are for the Living."

Choices are for the Living

2011-04-06T06:11:00.000-07:00

Choices are for the Living

Choices

Stop treating me like an option, where you pick and choose

If your decision is wrong, then it is you, who will lose

Can you see that I am the answer? Or is that beyond your reach, Did you know that I walked the earth for years, this is where I preached, I taught the power of healing, and I made a blind man see,

I showed who my Father was, when you looked at me, when my journey was over I went to the cross,

Where I gave my life to His people, who were scared, lonely, and lost,

In three days I arose, to everyone confused, do not make me an option, or you will surely lose,

Many did not believe what they saw with their own eyes when I came to speak to them, they were terrified,

It was their own decision; they chose not to believe, I was sent by my Father to set His people free,

When you’re faced with an option, don’t make me a choice, Sit quietly before me and listen to my voice.

John 10:3(b)-4 “He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. When He has brought out all of His own, He goes on ahead of them, and His sheep follow Him because they know His voice.”

I was trying to quit smoking eighteen years ago. I went to God and ask Him to help me. I wanted God’s help but with my conditions. I began talking to God about what I was willing to do in order to be set free but in the same breath I began to tell God what I was not willing to go through to quit the habit of killing myself. Every year for eight years I tried to quit smoking and every year I would ask God to help me. Each time I would approach God differently, but I would say the same thing. Oh God, please, help me, please, help me. I want to quit smoking but please don’t let me gain weight, please don’t let me go through with-draws, and God I don’t want to get sick or become a grouch. I would give God my list of demands on how I wanted Him to help me. Year after year, I remained a victim by choice. Finally I went to God on the night before Easter. I was sitting outside smoking and I spoke to God from my heart, I said, “God tomorrow I will be celebrating the resurrection of your Son, the same Son that you allowed to die for my sins. I think the least I could do on Easter Sunday, is give you one of my sins that He died for. I would like you to help me put down my addition. I don’t care what price I have to pay, I don’t care if I get sick or if I gain weight, I just want to glorify you. It doesn’t matter how you choose to deliver me, just as long I am delivered! I will fight all night if I can walk away with a new name and a limp (a visual sign I had been in your presence). The next morning I woke up and I was set free from an eighteen year smoking addition. I’m here to testify I didn’t have any with-drawls, sickness, nor did I gain weight.

What was the difference this time? I stopped talking. In John 10 the word says, “The sheep listen to His voice and follow Him as He leads them out.” I realized I am His sheep, I know His voice but in order to follow Him out I must be able to hear Him. I must shut up. I finally let go! I let go of pride, the need to tell God how to deliver me. God is the expert on delivering His people, and I was trying to tell Him how to do it. I have been tobacco free for almost fourteen years now. Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.” Choices are for the Living….

Casting my net….Michele

For prayer or questions you can email me at fbministries@comcast.net

To order my books you can go to fbministries.com where you will find audio Inspirational teachings along with my testimony, “Ripened on the Vine,” and my Devotional, “From My Heart to Yours.”

Choices are for the Living

2011-04-02T05:21:00.000-07:00

Choices are for the Living

2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

Have you ever wondered how the old is gone, and the new is here? I believe the answer can be found in Romans12:2(a) “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." The only way the old can leave is by renewing the mind with the new.

As I was getting ready for my day last week the Lord spoke these words into my spirit, “Find out who you are in Christ or you will become someone you’re not.” Wow! As I stood there pondering His words I quickly realized His people are truly perishing because of lack of knowledge. (Hosea 4:6)

The numbers would probably be astonishing on the amount of people who don’t know who they are in Christ. I can’t tell you how many times I hear these words, “It runs in my family.” I believe blood bought believers repeated Romans 10:9, “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. But many of those believers stopped reading right there, what if we would continued reading through Romans 9:10, “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess you are saved.”

Readers, here is a very important truth, it is with your heart that you believe, and what you believe in your heart will come out of your mouth according to Matthew 12:34(b), “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” What are you speaking, what is your confession? In our family if someone confesses a lie, contrary to the Word of God we say, “If that is your confession.” It makes you stop and think about what you believe, what you’re accepting as your truth, what you have chosen to believe in your heart and confess with your mouth. Satan has but one job on this earth, and that is to change your confession. How does he do it? By using the very thing God told us to use for our salvation, “our mouth.” Here is how I think it works; Satan knows the scriptures better than most, remember he was an archangel fallen from Heaven. He plants seeds of doubt, delay, discouragement, defeat, and diversion in the mind of the believer, but you make them grow with the power of your words. Listen Readers, Satan does not have the power to make the seeds grow only you do, by what you confess. A person who is always speaking a negative confession over themselves is like a deadly disease which rapidly spreads through the body. You have allowed yourself to become dehydrated from the water of the Word. Many of you feed yourself a diet made up of nothing but the seeds of Satan. Words have become your addition of choice, just like a person who has a food addition feeds their selves the food of their choice, most of it being junk food. The only cure is allowing a transformation of the mind. Romans 12:2(a), "do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Some of you have let the pattern of this world conform who you are. As I was writing I had a vision of a seamstress who was making a dress, the seamstress already had the fabric, the sewing machine, the thread, and the needles; all she needed now was the pattern. As the seamstress fumbled through all the different types of patterns she had made over the years she pulled out the one that was most familiar, the one she is most comfortable making, and begins to sew. Although the seamstress has new fabric she is still using an old pattern. Readers, this is what many of us do after we become believers, we are new creations in Christ we have been cut from a new piece of fabric, but we tend to want use an old pattern, (the world) to resort back to what was comfortable, what was familiar, what was an old habit, instead of the pattern of God’s Word. Choices are for the living….Find out who you are in Christ or you will become someone you’re not. Meditate on these scriptures this week…Eph.2:8, Romans 1:7,Ps.91:10,11,,Phil 4:13,Gal 2:20 1Peter 2:24,Col.2:7, 1John 5:18, 2Cor.4:18, 2 Cor. 10:4,5 2 Cor. 5:21, Gen 1:31. I will give you more next week.

Casting my net for Jesus….Michele Davenport

For prayer or question please email me at fbministries@comcast.net
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To order my books, one being a true story about my life called “Ripened on the Vine”, or my Devotional called, “From My Heart to Yours”, go to our web page fbministries.com

Listen Readers, I had an awesome opportunity to serve in my community Friday afternoon and I wanted to share my amazing experience with you. I went to the Shepherd’s Staff Food Pantry located at 1311 Sanders in Harrisonville and helped distribute over 15,000 pounds of food to over 300 families it was truly a blessing to work a long side of these wonderful people who were accurately living it out for the Glory of God, they are living God’s Word not just discussing it. If you live in Cass County and are interested in volunteering for this worthy cause please contact Delbert (816-769-4988) at Shepherd’s Food Pantry they need volunteers every Friday from 2-6pm. “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40) Choices are for the Living…Make a difference, volunteer. Any and all donations are welcomed…. See you there.

picture credit - http://open-doors-at-st-joseph-maplewood.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html

Whispers from God

2011-03-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

As I was standing in my bathroom today getting ready for an appointment I heard these words, "Find out who you are in Christ or you will become someone your not." Wow!!!! What truth in this wisdom. How many times do we let the world dictate who we are, or our past dictate who we are, or even our friends. Readers, we must research who God says we are. If we chose to live a life without knowing who we really are in Christ then we have chosen to let Satan dictate the reason we are here. We are made in His image aren't you curious who your Father is because you carry His traits in your DNA? casting my net

Choices are for the Living

2011-03-24T12:45:00.000-07:00

Choices are for the Living

Blessings readers I want to end my three part series on the Spiritual eating disorder in the body of Christ with one more part, which is the radical believer. I thought about writing on the balanced believer it matched, but only in words. I do not want to be a balanced believer I want to be an untraditional, sold out, radical, on fire, willing to be lead by the Holy Spirit even if I do not know where He is leading me kind of a believer. I want to strike a match in the heart of God’s people wherever I go. I want to make a difference in a place where being the same has been accepted as fitting in but in reality if we were to examine the truth its only living with a compromise standard. I do not want to compromise the Word of God any longer. Ironically what I call a radical believer the book of acts calls the church.

2Timothy 3:1-5 says, “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self- control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying the power.”

The Apostle Paul was in prison in Rome awaiting his death when he wrote this letter to Timothy he was not talking to unbelievers but believers. Paul was talking about the church. People will attend the church because they love themselves, instead of God. You might be thinking that is a bold statement, but why do people love money? Because they love themselves, why are people abusive they love themselves, they want their way if they don’t get their way they become abusive? Why won’t people forgive others because it’s about themselves not others? Listen, I know there is real relevant pain out in the world. I know people have been sexual, mental, verbally, and physical abused so how could I say that it is selfish not to forgive, because I myself have been sexually, mentally, verbally, and physically abused and until I released those people I always had my mind on myself. People who say I just cannot control myself is all about self the only reason they cannot control themselves is because they want what they want no matter what it cost to get it. Every word the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 is about people being lovers of self, but the book of Acts is the exact opposite. How can we strike a match and light up a room if we are making it all about self? How can people see the Holy Spirit in you if it‘s all about self? How can we call ourselves followers if we will not follow? Let’s step into the book of Acts for a moment and nail our tent pegs to the ground and see what the Lord shows us.

Acts 2: 42- say’s, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe (reverent fear) came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing their proceeds to all, as they had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

If we want our churches to grow we must be different, we must look different, we must act different, and we must talk, walk, and speak different. You cannot change and remain the same. You cannot keep doing the same thing and get a different result. Most churches will un-doubly say they want the power of God in their churches but they are not willing to do what it takes to receive the power that the church of Acts had. What did you read when you read the account of the book of Acts? It seems to me they were in complete unity no one was above and no one was beneath. It seemed to me they did not put one person on a pedestal and another underneath the pedestal. They honored each other, they were not fighting who was going to be in a spot light but rather they put the light on Jesus. They cared for the people more than they did themselves. It wasn’t about who had what gift or the number of people who showed up but rather about unity and the breaking of bread in the homes. I am not talking about communism; the people still had personal possessions and houses to live in, I’m talking about the desire to give to one another out of a place of love. We were in the military for 25 years so we have had many opportunities to visit numerous churches but one church has a place in the forefront of my thoughts, not because of a person but because of a method. So here is the method they used you, (the church goers) would go to church Sunday morning and then on Sunday evenings you would obtain the Pastors notes, then meet in different homes with the home group leader in that area to discuss the message that was brought fourth that morning. The objective was to talk about how you could use what you had learned on Sunday morning in the upcoming week which would preserve the people from becoming complacent with the Word of God. If we are going to make a difference we must be different we must walk by the Spirit. Last week my dad and aunt had called and asked if they could meet us for lunch at Longhorn Steakhouse we said, “yes,” as we were sitting talking to our waitress she had mentioned she had some unexpected car repairs, after we had placed our order and our waitress left, my aunt and I decided that we should take up an offering to help our waitress with her repairs. Why am I sharing this with my readers? I am sharing this because we must live by the written Word of God, we cannot ignore Matthew 25:35-46 any longer, what you have done to one of the least of these you have done unto me. I want to live the Bible out loud for Jesus. I want my life to be relevant, to only live and breathe is to die a slow death but to save the dying while living makes every breathe I breath worth inhaling… Choices are for the living… I dare you to be an answer to someone’s prayer today.

For prayer, questions, or comments you can reach me at fbministries@comcast.net. If you want to check out our web page you can at fbministries.com This fall I will be attempting to post web cam messages I will inform you when the first message will be available for viewing.

Choices are for the Living

2011-03-22T09:37:00.001-07:00

Choices are for the Living

Matthew 18:23-34 ²³ “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold^[^a^] was brought to him. ²⁵ Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

²⁶ “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ ²⁷ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

²⁸ “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.^[^b^] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

²⁹ “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

³⁰ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. ³¹ When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

³² “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. ³³ Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ ³⁴ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

Readers, we need to recognize a few things about forgiveness, one thing we need to recognize is un-forgiveness is hypocritical. God’s son, Jesus, was crucified on a cross and gave every bit of his blood so we could be forgiven, restored, redeemed, and justified. Many of us remember the cross, but what we tend forget is the brutal crucifixion, we forget as Jesus was dying a slow death He managed to say these words, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) In verse 35 of Matthew 18 Jesus says, “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” Wow! Jesus was unveiling a no nonsense truth to us, Jesus was referring to the last statement being made in verse 34, “ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.” This is what un-forgiveness does; it puts us in prison where we are tortured with our thoughts, our revenge, our obsession with holding onto a prison sentence which no longer belongs to us. I have never seen so many tortured people as I have seen in the last few years, self mutilation of the mind they are constantly creating a reenactment of their abuse. When they rise their pain wakes up to greet them, when they go to bed their pain tucks them in at night. The world has become a giant masquerade party; as they slip in and out of a mask of deception wearing a papier-mâché’ smile. The people who have chosen not to forgive are committing spiritual suicide because the word of God clearly says, “they will be turned over to the jailer, (Satan) to be tortured.”

I love what the Apostle Paul says in, (2 Corinthians 11: 24-27) says ²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, ²⁶ I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. ²⁷ I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.

Now, the same man who said those words said these in (Philippians 3:13-15) ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.

Readers, too many of you have been reminiscing in your past, you have been counting the lashes of your life, recalling the rod of injustice, counting the stones that were hurled at you, you have taken people on your ship to show them your wreckage, you have dog paddled through the night of your deepest pain, you have stayed up many evening hours in remembrance of your sorrow, you have starved yourself with the inability to partake in the nourishment of forgiveness, and you have gone without your robe of righteousness, ( right standing with God) standing naked, because you have chosen to live in a place called your past. The Apostle Paul says, but one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. People like this are too busy to be petty, they are busy doing the work of the Kingdom, and their minds are set on the things from above. I don’t mean your pain is petty but the thought that your pain is somehow greater than the pain our Lord Jesus endured on the cross is petty. Don’t allow yourself another day of excuses why you can’t forgive because one day you will stand before God and answer for every idle word, un-forgiveness is a word, it’s a choice. Stop what you are doing right now close your eyes think about your husband, wife, mom, dad, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, grandma, grandpa, and friends what is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of each person? If it’s an offense then you have not freely forgiven, your still trying to make them pay a price for something that’s already been paid in full. Pray this prayer when you’re ready to be set free.

Lord Jesus, please forgive me for setting aside Grace, for taking hostages and holding them for ransom. Lord, as I forgive, forgive me. As I walk in the light expel the darkness in the rooms I’ve not allowed any one to open. Lord, saturate me with the power of forgiveness, grace, and mercy. Give me the strength to break the chains I have put myself in and help me unlock the chains I put others in by my unwillingness to forgive. Amen Choices are for the Living….Live free, Live Love, Live Loud for Jesus.

For prayer request or questions about my column email me at fbministries@comcast.net To order my books go to fbministries.com I have written a true story about my life,” Ripened on the Vine”, a testimony of God’s grace, restoration, and forgiveness.

Choices are for the Living

2011-03-13T19:19:00.000-07:00

Choices are for the Living

Blessings Readers, for the last couple of weeks I have been writing to you about a spiritual eating disorder in the body of Christ. The first spiritual disorder we discussed was the bulimic believer, who only digests what they want to believe, only what they are comfortable consuming; only what can be explained and then ultimately they purge everything else out. Next, we discussed the anorexia believer; this kind of believer never really partakes in the actual eating of God’s word they feed off the desires of their flesh, cannibalism if you will, which leads them to spiritual starvation. This week I would like to address the obese believer. The obese believer becomes stationary in their walk with Christ, they become idle.

2 Thessalonians 3:11says, “we hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies.”

An obese believer is always eating but never exercising their authority in Christ. They are all consuming with the word, but are not doers of the word.

Ezekiel 33:30 says, “As for you, son of man, your countrymen are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of their houses, saying to each other, “Come and hear the message that has come from the Lord.” My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouth they express devotions, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them to into practice.

An obese believer fills themselves with so many different things, their possessions, entertainment, jobs, social events, homes, cars, when the day has come to an end, the last light has been turned off they are snuggled down in their beds, and feeling over stuff with the world. They are anxious, angry, and full of anxiety. An obese believer hears the word thinks it has a beautiful sound, tells everyone about the great word of God but never acts on what they hear.

I would like to share something very personal with the readers this week. One night last August I went to teach my class on the Holy Spirit, my ladies and I were lead to go to the hospital to pray for those who had loved ones residing there. After we had finished praying I felt lead to buy some food for the needy. The ladies and I searched for someone who appeared to be homeless and hungry but by that time of night I guess they had already found refuge for the evening. I explained to the ladies that I had many homeless and hungry people out in the direction I lived and I would distribute the food on my way home. We all went back to the church where we said our good-byes got into our vehicles and went our separate ways. As I was driving home I began praying and singing in the Spirit and then the words lead me oh Lord, lead me to the needy came to my mind. Directly after I had prayed I remembered Robert passing me by on his motorcycle. I noticed his bandana flying off. I was going to stop and pick the bandana up for him if I had seen him break. I did not see Robert brake that night. Within a few minutes I was kneeling beside Robert praying for him as I laid my hand on his back calling on the name of my Jesus. I continue to stay with him and pray until the ambulance arrived, and then I was asked to step away, from a distance I continued to pray because in Matthew 25:35-46 Jesus said, everything you have done unto them you have done unto me. I didn’t know Roberts name at the time, I didn’t know if he was married nor if he had children. I didn’t know if his parents were still alive or if Robert had siblings, or grandchildren, but what I did know was, Robert was God’s son and I was not only compelled but driven to pray for God’s son on that August night. As I stood in the moment which seemed to engulf me a nurse who had been there with me asked me if I would like her to go check on him? I said, “Yes, would you please?” She left for just a minute and then reported back that Robert had not made it. Oh, readers how my heart broke for the man on the motorcycle who belong to God. As I stood in silence while all the noise of uncertainty was developing around me all I could hear was the Spirit of God saying, “Michele sometimes I will lead you to the hungry and sometimes I will lead you to pray for strangers in a hospital, and sometimes Michele I will lead you to a man dying on the road.” I knew from that point on my existence would never be the same. I wanted to be lead by the Spirit for the rest of my life into eternity. The ladies and I have talked since this happened and we have come to the conclusion that every step we took that August night led me to Robert. God cared so much about his son that He made sure Robert was not alone when he made the transition from this life to the next. Thank you readers for letting me share my one and only memory of the man on the motorcycle named Robert Reeves.

Can you ignore the Holy Spirit? Yes you can, but who will remain untouched because you did. If this doesn’t make you want to listen and obey the Spirit of God who lives in you to direct and lead you into all truth, to be your comforter in your time of need, to give you wisdom, freedom, peace, understanding, boldness, rebirth, and a reborn cleansing, then you are left to your own demise.

As the night went on and I had finally made it home embodied in my thoughts I remembered the questions I had been asking on Tuesday nights. The first question I asked the ladies, are they willing to be an answer to someone else’s prayer? The second question I asked the ladies was, would they be willing to follow the Holy Spirit without knowing where He was leading? The third thing I remembered saying to the ladies was not a question but a challenge and the challenge was to treat everyone they see like they were Jesus. The obese believer hears the word thinks it has a beautiful sound tells everyone about the great word of God, but never acts on what he hears. He is a hoarder of the word. Stop right here and ask yourself this question, “would you have stopped?” If you had to think about your answer or think of an excuse for your answer then maybe you are too stuffed with the food of this world to make a difference in the next. An obese believer who fills his self up with the cares and worries of this life will be too full to inhale all of what the Holy Spirit has in store for him. Our purpose is to live out loud on purpose for our Christ Jesus.

Many of you may be asking yourself which believer am I? I have asked myself the same question while writing the past several columns. Well to be completely honest I have the potential to be any of the of the three believers at any given time if I do not stay connected, plugged in, and fastened to the hip of the Holy Spirit. What believer are you? My goal is to be the radical believer, radically serving God in an untraditional way. Choices are for the living….

Michele Davenport

For prayer, comments, or questions my e-mail is fbministries@comcast.net

2011-03-03T19:42:00.001-08:00

Choices are for the Living

Blessings readers last week we talked about the three different eating disorders in the body of Christ, the first one being a bulimic believer. This week we are going to discuss the second eating disorder in the body of Christ which is the anorexia believer.

James 1:23-25 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it, he will be blessed in what he does.

The anorexia believer goes to church every week, sitting in the same place, talking to the same people, remaining in the same mind set they were in the week before, never really occupying the Word of God. Oh sure they say a couple of amen’s, throw a few praise the Lord’s and for show why not a hallelujah, but as they leave the building, get into their cars, put their bibles in the back seat, they remain untouched by the Word of God. An anorexia believer never really partakes in the actual eating of God’s word they feed off the desires of their flesh… Oh they will hardly miss a Sunday their attendance is almost perfect but no one is ever changed by their presence they remain the same, their world remains the same, their existence is complacent. Will they go to heaven? I am sure they might, but will they take anyone with them? No, probably not. How can we look in the mirror and forget what we look like? They same way we can listen to a message and remain the same. The anorexic believer is starving to death, because the world is feeding them a man made diet consume with self. We have become cannibals in a sense, because we feed off each other instead of the word of our God. Can I be as bold to say that maybe the anorexia believer has cared more about the appearance of being in the body Christ instead of a true authentic relationship with Christ? Has church become nothing but a social event where you show off your latest dress or talk sports with your buddies? Is it your standard way of thinking if you show up it counts? Oh maybe someone is taking attendance but I don’t think it amounts for anything if you become just another check in box.

The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3: 7-11 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the death.

Paul was saying, whatever I valued before fails in comparison to Christ. I consider it all rubbish which really translates to crap. I consider it all worthless waste, everything I have done, everything I have accomplished, any money I have earned, anything I have bought, any education I have accumulated, I consider it all rubbish compared to my relationship with Christ. Can you really say those words? Can you say I find it all rubbish in comparison to my relationship with Christ? Whatever you do first thing in the morning holds the most value in your heart. Stop right here and ask yourself what do I really value? What do I spend my time doing? Does God own a place in your life in addition to Sunday mornings? What have you replaced God with? Has it furthered eternal fulfillment to anybody else’s life? If Jesus came back today would He be pleased with what you are accomplishing for His kingdom? Are you an anorexic believer? Matthew 13:44 says, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” Choices are for the living…

Michele Davenport

For prayer, comments, or questions please feel free to e-mail me at fbministries@comcast.net

Choices are for the Living

2011-02-25T07:10:00.000-08:00

Choices are for the Living

John 4:34 My food said Jesus, is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

Blessings readers for the next three weeks I will be discussing what I believe to be a great threat to the body of Christ. What is the threat I will be writing to you about? A spiritual eating disorder which has left our churches filled with three different types of believers, Bulimia believer, Anorexia believer, and Obese believer. This week we will be discussing the Bulimic believer. A bulimia believer eats and eats the word of God until they disagree with the Word, or until the Word becomes uncomfortable, or cost the bulimic believer something. Oh sure the bulimic believer eats up 1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. But the bulimic believer will purge out Mark 11:25, which says, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in Heaven may forgive you your sins. For the bulimic believer it’s an all you can eat buffet when it comes to John 3:16 for God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. Yes we say praise be unto God on that one, but we purge out the very words of Jesus in Matthew 22:37-39 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it; “Love your neighbor as yourself. Are you getting the point? Bulimic believers sit in church week after week, month after month, year after year, and eat, and eat, and eat, but when it’s time to act on what they have eaten they purge the very word that was sent for their nourishment. For an example, in your physical body you need to eat certain things to give your body the proper amount of nutrition, to nourish and fuel your body so it can run at its optimal best. There are certain foods that I really don’t like but because I know my body needs them I eat those foods in spite of the fact, the same analogy can be applied to the spiritual body. You may not like every bite of what the Bible has to offer you, but because you know it is good for your spiritual well being you partake just the same. In Ezekiel 3:1-2 the word says, “And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. In Ezekiel’s vision he ate the word of God and it taste like honey. In the Ancient times books were usually scrolls and one page could be up to thirty feet long. Most of the time the writings were on just on one side but not in this case, in this case the writings were on both sides, the warning overflowed to show the measure of the judgment. We must eat both sides of the word of God.

How many of you really love your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind enough to digest even what we would rather purge. I always thought this scripture said, “With all your might,” but no it says, “With all your mind.” How can we love God with our entire mind? By choosing what we allow to occupy our thoughts, by making a conscience choice on what we are meditating on. What does your mind spend most of its time on? I know when I fell in love with my husband I could not keep my mind off of him. I thought about him day and night. When you’re in love you will do anything to be with that person, you will go out of your way just to spend a moment alone with them. When is the last time you went out of your way to spend time with your first love? When is the last time you woke up early just to sit quietly with your God? This is the first of the greatest command and the second love your neighbor as you do yourself? Oh for the bulimic believers it says in Revelation 2:4 “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. Believers if you will love your Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, loving your neighbor as yourself will follow.

Don’t go to church to take up a seat, to fill your stomach with only what is comfortable to swallow allow God to fill you with His spiritual food so you too can accomplish the will of God in your life.

Michele Davenport

For prayer request, questions, or comments on this week’s column please contact me at fbministries@comcast.net

Hope, Healing, Forgiveness

2011-02-24T06:44:00.000-08:00

Today is my first blog post. God has blessed me, with life, hope, healing and forgiveness.

Be blessed so you can be a blessing to others,

Michele