Category Archives: Faith
Work W/One Hand While Keeping Your Godly Weapon In The Other Hand
Survival Kit
Survival kit. Yes, I bought one.
I have been wanting to buy one for years. It is apocalyptic, zombie-esque movies, etc. that prompt you to think, how would I survive if I was in that situation or movie.
So, let me start by saying a thing or two. Never, have I been a conspiracy-driven person. I don’t flock towards conspiracies. Is everything a conspiracy? No. Can some conspiracies have some truth in them? Possibly. Let me also say, I also do not believe in zombies. 😆
I do believe in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. I do believe we have to be prepared for emergencies and catastrophies as best as possible as well as have survival skills.
Lastly, I do sense an urgency (like many have been prophesying) to be prepared for some hard times ahead for our nation. I have been saying for years that something is coming down the pike. And what we are experiencing now is probably what I have been feeling in my spirit a few years now.
Currently, gas prices are exponentially high. Food cost a grip. Shortages are being reported. And crime is at an all time high. And to mention the countless other things going on and that Covid is still here. We, as believers, know the signs of the times or should be recognizing the signs.
And we should always do our due diligence in preparing for each season, each time. But unfortunately, even some of us are still trying to gain our footing and get ready.
This season, we should be getting our households in order. Spiritually, financially, physically, etc. We should be decluttering physically, but also spiritually, mentally, and financially. Often times, I feel a cluttered home represents a cluttered heart. I also believe, because these are the last days and the enemy is causing so much pain and turmoil, we have to protect our hearts and minds. So many people are in so much despair that many can not see a glimpse of hope. And if we are distracted, cluttered, and losing hope, the devil, our enemy, can disarm us or slip through the cracks of our foundations and cause havoc and even crippling despair.
So, I reiterate that we must prepare physically. Declutter your spaces, have stuff for emergencies as well as an emergency fund. We are to prepare for our families but also God will bless us to be a blessing to others that’s not just in our immediate circles.
We are to not just prepare physically but WE NEED TO REMEMBER OUR SPIRITUAL SURVIVAL KIT.
And that is to:
PRAY WITHOUT CEASING,
PUT ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD,
AND SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
We are to also get Godly wisdom and pursue God greater than anything or anyone else in this world or universe. We are to love God with all of our hearts, minds, bodies, and strength. We are to love others as we love ourselves. We are to saturate in the Word of God. His Word is alive and active, sharper than any double edged sword! And His Word cannot return to Him void. We are to live in the presence of God and remember the joy of the Lord is our strength.
Now, to end this, I remind you to not fear. Oh I know that is easier said than done for many of us. But let us focus on Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith. Also God did not give us a spirit of fear, but that of power, love and a sound mind.
So, don’t fear and don’t panic. Don’t give up. And definitely prepare. We reap what we sow. So, plant your seeds of faith, of hard work, of preparation, of encouragement, of love, of time, of whatever it is God says to do or give in each season and for each season ahead.
Check out the emergency kit! It has so much stuff that I may not have all displayed here. I got mine from Amazon.
What other things do you think a survival kit needs? And what do you think that, as a believer of Christ Jesus, we also need?
Scriptures for this Post: For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/ecc.3.1-8.NLT
“Therefore, Pharaoh should find an intelligent and wise man and put him in charge of the entire land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh should appoint supervisors over the land and let them collect one-fifth of all the crops during the seven good years. Have them gather all the food produced in the good years that are just ahead and bring it to Pharaoh’s storehouses. Store it away, and guard it so there will be food in the cities. That way there will be enough to eat when the seven years of famine come to the land of Egypt. Otherwise this famine will destroy the land.”
Genesis 41:33-36 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/gen.41.33-36.NLT
Ephesians 6:10-18: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 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 this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can 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 requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Have Mercy
Loving others can sometimes feel difficult, and not just because we have our own free will, our own personalities and our individual issues. And not just because sometimes our experiences with others can be rocky and full of anxiety or stress. We can tend to love from our emotions, intellect, strength, and within our own lens and conditions instead of with an agape love, God’s love, love that comes from and is God. God’s love is not limited. We may not set out to love in a limited way but it can happen. So when a loved one takes too long to change, grow, respond to the love, or receive the love we have for them, etc., we may understandably get frustrated, afraid, sad, angry and more.
Think about it. As a parent, you may love your child with everything you got and gone get. You want the best for them. You want them to do their best and be their best. You want them to have a healthy, great future. But they may be disrespectful, making poor decisions, and letting everything you teach them go in one ear and out the other. They keep driving you crazy and you feel defeated. Or maybe you are patient and nothing they do can shift your hope or peace. But if not, maybe you are like countless parents who feel like throwing up your hands or letting them know they can catch a hand, lol.
Same thing with a spouse or friend (or even a colleague), your patience may be running low and you are beyond frustrated with them. You want them to pay for what they are doing or aren’t doing.
I remember I was frustrated at my child and one of the messages that hit my heart was have mercy. I believe that message was one from God. The Hebrew word for mercy is rachum and it means compassionate. Within mercy, there is forgiveness and there is compassion. When we deserved God’s wrath, He gave us mercy. When we deserved God to turn His back on us, He gave us His ear and His heart. And there are times now when we may deserve punishment or a certain type of consequence, but God gives us mercy. He may not remove every consequence, but He will give us His kindness, His compassion, His forgiveness, His patience and His unfailing love.
And so maybe someone in your life needs you to have mercy upon them. Maybe you need to give your own self mercy. God’s mercies are new everyday and we are definitely to have mercy upon others and ourselves.
Now this doesn’t mean to enable or to make excuses for someone’s poor behavior or choices. Nor does it mean to fail to set boundaries. This doesn’t mean to neither give or allow that person to face their consequences nor also to allow someone in your life that is not respecting your boundaries or that may be a danger to you or someone else in your life. So use discernment, stay alert and be proactive. Seek God’s wisdom in your relationships with others: family, friends, colleagues, children, spouses, etc.
Moreover, have mercy. Forgive and bear compassion to others around you. Not only because they need it, but because it serves your heart in so many ways and also because God forgives and shows compassion to you daily.
Remember to love others as you love yourself. Whew, Jesus, give us grace and teach us how to love ourselves.
Read this scripture below on mercy and forgiveness:
Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven! “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”
Matthew 18:21-35 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/mat.18.21-35.NLT
Merry Christmas And A New Year Is Loading…
This year went by quick but seemed so long. It is like 2021 copied and pasted 2020. The struggle was real. And we are continually learning to deal with the new normal. I was going to do a post about my year in review with more pictures, but naw. I don’t need to post anymore selfies or photos or make it all about me. This year was stressful and blessful at the same time for me and I bet for many of you all also, and that’s that. I just pray as we approach a new year that the things we need to fall off fall off so we can walk lightly and respond well in this new year as well as receive what God has for us. And learn what we need to learn to pass some tests and overcome some more things. I pray for those of us struggling with anxiety and depression to pack on courage to keep going and to take one day at a time, trusting God all the way.
Anyway, I am elated to say if you are reading this that you and I both made it to December and we are close to a new year. Although our finances may not be where they need to be, we still have a roof over our heads and food on our tables. Although we still have some more healing to do along our healing journey, we have come a long way. This year was not easy. It was stressful and heavy. This year also, I anticipated feeling depressed again on my birthday (12/10), but I actually felt ok. I even looked better despite having Covid and being in quarantine. My entire immediate family had Covid with mild symptoms and towards the end of our quarantine, we believe we also got food poisoning. But we are well today and grateful.
I know the holidays may be hard for some and many are going through right now, but I pray you have a joyous day. I pray you hear laughter, feel loved, and reach out to someone that God has just for you to touch your heart and lift your spirit and vice versa. I pray you have enough to eat. I pray that you remember those lost loved ones with a smile and that you understand that it is okay to grieve too. I pray that you are healthy or getting well. I pray that you start new traditions like watching a Christmas movie that you will watch every Christmas. Or cook a new dish and share it with your elderly neighbor or single mom. I pray that you embrace yourself through your healing journey and take one day at a time. I pray you won’t be so hard on yourself and know that you are worthy and loved by God, the Great I Am.
Merry Christmas from my family to yours!
Christmas In The Winter Available Now At Amazon
There is peace even in the midst of the storm
How Anxiety Feels
I was briefly reading Psalm 55 before a meeting this morning, and as I came across verses four and five I realized it described how anxiety feels. I am grateful that David was able to share his heart with God and thousands of years later, many us, if not all, can relate.
My heart pounds in my chest. The terror of death assaults me. Fear and trembling overwhelm me, and I can’t stop shaking.
Psalms 55:4-5 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.55.4-5.NLT
Anxiety can be felt in your chest as it pounds to the beat of stress and sorrow. Anxiety can be a lump in the throat, making it hard to swallow the fear that does not want to submit and go away. Anxiety can be pain, stress, and fear boiling and rising in the pit of the stomach. Anxiety can be sweat and chills with tension and rapid eye blinks. Anxiety can be in the trembles of the body and the mind wandering a mile a minute with a plague of worries and thoughts. Anxiety can be in the avoidance of necessary activities in life or sometimes stepping out on faith in moments while having a desire to run and hide, costing you freedom and joy. Anxiety can be the mind stuck in the past or stuck in the future. Anxiety can feel like death is following, and no one can help or understand. Anxiety can feel like a death sentence as well as a life sentence. But God…
There is hope. And we are anxiety fighters. Thanks to God we can take one day at a time and fight through. We can develop courage and joy because the joy of the Lord will be our strength. We can learn about ourselves, how to endure, and learn to see ourselves the way God does. We can heal and grow, and many of us will receive the deliverance from the spirit of fear because God did not give us a spirit of fear, but that of power, love and a sound mind.
But I will call on God, and the Lord will rescue me. Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the Lord hears my voice. He ransoms me and keeps me safe from the battle waged against me, though many still oppose me. Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
Psalms 55:16-18, 22 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.55.16-22.NLT
God is our safe place. God can and will sustain us. God cares about us and is concerned about everything that concerns us. God hears our cries and collects our tears. He is the answer to our problems. He loves us greater than anyone ever can. Jesus is a testament to His love for us. God reminds us to not fear. He is with us and He will never leave us nor forsake us. He is a present help in the time of trouble.
Let us ask God where we have not been trusting Him. Let us take a deep breath and rest in the God who loves us beyond measure and wants us to receive the life and life to the full He came to give us. Share with Him, like David, the contents of our hearts. And let us remember how good God has been and worship Him through the good times and bad, the certainties and doubts, and anxiety.
Be encouraged, loves. We are anxiety fighters.
Have you gotten your copy of Bring It To The Surface Poetry & Journal?
Lioness
There are times anxiety and the issues of life make me forget how big my God is and that He is God Almighty. Sometimes, I am riddled with so much fear and stress that I can feel powerless and lethargic in moving forward. Subsequently, my prayer life and ability to trust Jesus wanes, and I am left unable to see myself as the warrior God sees me as and unable to walk in His authority confidently. I have learned, however, that I don’t have to rely on my own strength to push through. In fact, apart from God I can do nothing. He is my strength. Everywhere I go, He is there. Every concern I have, He cares. Every need I have, He provides. With His armor, I can roar His Word through prayer. I am more than a conqueror and no weapon formed against me shall prosper. Before I present to you my poem, first read these scriptures and be encouraged.
Not that I have already obtained it [this goal of being Christlike] or have already been made perfect, but I actively press on so that I may take hold of that [perfection] for which Christ Jesus took hold of me and made me His own. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12-14 AMP
For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13 NLT
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:37 NIV
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7 NLT
Lioness
Lioness,
It is time to wake up and roar
There are some things you can no
longer ignore
You have to reach your full potential
You have to seize your destiny
Fulfilling your purpose is essential
To living and protecting your heart and
your cub
You have to seek Him first and allow
His will to be done as it is in Heaven
above
You are to represent Him in every way
You are to impact the world around you
starting today
No time to slumber
It is no longer day
It is the night
You are more than a conqueror
Rise up in all of His might
Written By Tannika Moore
Available in Bring It To The Surface
via Amazon now!
Bring It To The Surface Bible Reading Plan
We lose a lot of things along the way in our journeys of life like confidence and hope, and sometimes ourselves. Some of us are fighting to regain our health mentally or physically. Some of us are carrying loads of pain and hiding behind masks, no pun intended. But God! He wants us to heal. He wants us to grow. He wants us to be free. I am so excited to bring to you this Bible Reading Plan titled after my latest book, Bring It To The Surface. So, grab your bible and I pray you allow God to bring some things to the surface so that your healing and recovery can start today. And for those already on your healing journeys, I pray this encourages you to not abandon the process and to seek and trust God one day at a time. It is a five day reading plan and its purpose is to guide you towards seeking God for your healing and recovery. So, welcome and enjoy, and let’s draw near to God who loves us beyond measure.
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Available now on Amazon!
Throwback Thursday: Go To War
Happy Thursday! This throwback originally published on September 9, 2016 is a must read for this season. We must remember that we are in a battle whether we want to be or not. Please read this throwback and make sure you put on daily, besides your mask, the full armor of God.
Recently, while reading the bible, I realized this wasn’t just my daily routine reading (which it should never become just “I read it just to say I read it”). I was reading Deuteronomy 20. This chapter details Moses teaching Israel the laws for going to war. I realized God was speaking to me. In fact, He was teaching me and revealing to me things I had not come to understand until now.
GOING TO WAR
When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. 2 When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. 3 He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. 4 For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”
5 The officers shall say to the army: “Has anyone built a new house and not yet begun to live in it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else may begin to live in it. 6 Has anyone planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else enjoys it. 7 Has anyone become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else marry her.” 8 Then the officers shall add, “Is anyone afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his fellow soldiers will not become disheartened too.” 9 When the officers have finished speaking to the army, they shall appoint commanders over it.
10 When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace. 11 If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labor and shall work for you. 12 If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city. 13 When the Lord your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it. 14 As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves. And you may use the plunder the Lord your God gives you from your enemies. 15 This is how you are to treat all the cities that are at a distance from you and do not belong to the nations nearby.
16 However, in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. 17 Completely destroy[a] them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has commanded you. 18 Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the Lord your God.
19 When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down. Are the trees people, that you should besiege them?[b] 20 However, you may cut down trees that you know are not fruit trees and use them to build siege works until the city at war with you falls.—Deuteronomy 20
BATTLING
Plenty of times in my life, I’ve let the devil intimidate me. I start to focus on the problems, storms, and the SIZE of my God-given assignments and subsequently my weaknesses and insecurities to keep me from fulfilling the things God has for me to do and overcome. I have went to the battlefield trembling and unprepared to put up a fight. I have had battles at work, in my relationships, and with anxiety and fear. Yet, we all have battles and you probably either just came out of a fight or going in one. Real talk, this is life. No journey is all roses and beautiful green grassy fields. Sometimes, your fields become brown and your grass becomes flat because Goliath stepping all in it and messing it up. But God!
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.—Ephesians 6:12 KJV
As always, here are some Tools to encourage you along your Journey!
You have to remember that although some battles you may lose and some fights may wear you out, Jesus won the war and every believer is on the winning team. You are more than a conqueror and God has given you every weapon you will ever need to beat the devil’s behind and walk victoriously. Here is what I learned about going to war:
- Don’t be afraid.
Naturally, you begin to assess your opponent’s strengths as well as your weaknesses. The devil gets you to do that—focus on the problem, focus on how he can retaliate, and what can further go wrong. He loves to intimidate.
God will neither leave you, nor forsake you.
God will fight for you.
Jesus doesn’t just have the solutions; He is the SOLUTION!
- Talk with a spiritual authority and especially JESUS FIRST.
A spiritual authority/mentor such as your pastor will help you to get some clarity on the situation.
They will encourage you.
They will intercede for you and pray with you.
- Get your affairs in order.
Put things in perspective.
Pray for God’s perspective so you can see it the way He does.
Assess how and when you should be “fighting”. Do you just pray and be quiet? Do you seek outside help? Is this a preparation period or a go period?
Have you forgiven others and have you mended what God has told you to mend? Are you walking in love? Are you providing for your household?
Is this really a battle or a diversionary one? The devil loves to distract us.
- Are you pessimistic?
Do you have disbelief that God can move and do what He said He will do? Are you surrounded by other believers like this?
If you are pessimistic, those fears, disbelief and negativity can rub off on others.
Get with people who not only will help you to search God’s Word on the matter but believe and fight with you and vice versa.
Get with believers who remember that they already won because they are on the winning team.
- When you are struggling with someone, be a peacemaker.
Don’t go looking to fight naturally.
Handle any wars period spiritually for we wrestle not against flesh and blood. Right? I know some people TAKE you there. Sometimes, I too have to catch even my thoughts because that is where the suggestions of giving someone an old fashioned butt whooping starts. Jesus, help us!
Perhaps that person is too struggling with something and cannot see clearly. Perhaps they are not. In any event, ask God for wisdom.
God will make your enemies your footstool, but the key is to LOVE and don’t be so proud. Love them anyway no matter the outcome.
- Check the sin in your life.
Take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ Jesus.
Cherish sin no more.
Ask God to reveal the root cause of any sin in your life and give you grace to repent.
Repent wholeheartedly.
- Be a life-giver and a fruit-bearer.
When you are hurt and wounded, sick and frustrated, tired and fed up, you can do and say things you regret.
You can make decisions that you would later regret.
You can take every innocent thing a person does and think it was meant for harm, become easily offended, and want to retaliate as well as cut people off for good.
Don’t destroy others around you. Don’t stunt the growth of your love walk and yourself.
- Finally, OBEY GOD and saturate in His Word.
His Word is synonymous to His wisdom and His will. You need all three: His Word, His Wisdom, and His Will.
God’s Word is a weapon.
Obedience is better than sacrifice. Obedience to God protects you, helps you and brings you prosperity.
JESUS used the Word against the enemy when he was tested. Jesus won! https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+4
- Bonus: Pray and Praise! Talk with God and praise His Holy Name! Prayer and praise too are weapons!
Now GO TO WAR!
Put your shoes on honey, our journeys await,
Tannika
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To check out my new book, Bring It To The Surface, click here!
Tannika Nikeya 