Lord I Am NOTHING Without You...

                                                                      

Hello You!!! I haven't been here in a while but God gave me a message and I certainly had to share it. 

Lord I'm NOTHING Without YOU!!

Have you ever sat down and wondered what your life would be like without Christ? 
When I thought about it,  the only thing that came to my mind was, "Lord I am NOTHING without You"...

We want so much out of this world that really has NOTHING to offer us. We spend so much time doing unnecessary things as if God doesn't even exist and that is such a sad way to live life. The desires of this world is what really catches our attention. But WHY??! Why can't we focus more on Christ than we do on that boyfriend ("bae") as some of you like to call it, or that job, that car, that money, that cell phone and all the other things of this world. Those things are not gonna benefit you in the end. Have you ever heard the saying "only what's done for Christ will last"? I'm sure you have, and that is the honest truth. Luke 17:33 "If you try to cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it". This scripture verse is so very important. Do you remember Lot's wife and how the angels warned them not to look back? Lot's wife disobeyed and she was turned into a pillar of salt... I said that to say this.... We want to hold on to our lives not knowing the cost of doing so, we want to stay in our old ways always looking back instead of focusing on the things above, but the bible says that if we keep our lives for ourselves, we will lose it... Isn't that scary?! 

But you know what really gets me? EVERYONE wants to go to heaven, which is really a great thing... But listen, we have to make the effort to want to follow God. We have to want it! Nothing should be able to get in the way of that. When you really want something, you go after it right?? OK!! Its the same with Christ, if you really want Him yo must do what you have to do and go after Him, CHASE HIM!! He's  not gonna run away from you. He loves you like crazy and the thing is, He doesn't want anyone to perish... 2Peter 3:9 "The Lord isn't really being slow about His promise as some people think, No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent."... God has given and is still giving everyone a chance to turn to  Him. Each day you wake up is another chance to turn to Him or make it right with Him. Now we all know that NOBODY in this world would give us chance, upon chance, upon chance!! But because He loves us sooooo very much, He gives us so many chances to make it right with Him.

Im here to tell you that the time is NOW!! No one is promised the next 5 minutes of life, so I encouraged you to give Him your life, your heart, and your soul. He's there knocking. Open your heart to the One who loves you unconditionally and stop wasting time. After all, you are NOTHING with out HIM... 

{{{{{{Read Colossians 3:1-17}}}}}

Blessings ;)
~Manessa~

Hell....

What to do to go to Hell??

Have you ever asked yourself this question? The answer to this question would be NOTHING!!

There's absolutely nothing we need to do to go to hell. Hell is nothing to play with. In Matthew 13:42 Jesus tells us that hell is a fiery furnace. He said that the angels will throw all who causes sin and do evil into that fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Just as you are aware of your surroundings here on earth, it will be the same in hell. But who wants that?! No one right?

What is it for you to a life that pleases God? What are you gaining from being of this world? Where will you end up after you've had all your fun partying, drinking, committing adultery, lying, stealing, and every other sin? What will happen after you have enjoyed pleasing yourself? When Christ returns will he say to you, "Well done my good and faithful servant?" I bet that's what you would want. Everyone wants to hear that, but you must do what it takes to go to heaven. Remember, there is NOTHING we need to do to go to Hell.

The truth about the good news is that God doesn't want anyone to spend eternity away from Him in Hell. That is why He sent His Son to suffer the punishment for OUR sins. He not only spared His Son, but delivered Him up on that cross for us all. 2Peter 3:9 "The Lord isn't really being slow about His return as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so He is giving more time for everyone to repent."

The truth is, God loves us enough to be patient for our sake. He doesn't want any of us to be separated from Him. The next step should be to serve God in spirit and in truth and to live a life that pleases Him. Make sure your life reflects Christ.

No one wants to go to hell. You have a choice!

Heaven or Hell!! God or Satan!!

You choose!

Say this prayer.

Dear God, I know I have sinned and deserve Your punishment. But I thank You for sending Your Son to take my place, then raising Him to life again. I turn from my unbelief and my sinful ways and put my trust entirely in Jesus for the forgiveness of my sins and to enable me to live a life that pleases You. Thank You for making it possible for me to know You now and live with You forever in Heaven!

Single But You Desire To Be Married

Singleness is a gift. I realized that after I left my last relationship. I know many females desire to be married which nothing is wrong with that. It's okay to desire to be married but remember that God should be first in your life before anyone. Make sure your life and your relationship reflects Christ at all times.

In order for you to receive the true blessings of God, you have to do things His way. You cannot do things your way and hope that in return God will bless it. Only what you do for Christ will last. As people, we have to be very very careful that we don't put things before God. There is nothing wrong with desiring to be married but remember that there is nothing you can do to change your single status. There is nothing that you can do to move God if He is not ready to move. You have to learn to be content with JUST Jesus!

God is NEVER going to bless you with something or someone that He knows you will put before Him. He knows your heart. He knows if you can handle being married. He knows if you're going to put someone before Him. He knows if its gonna make you stumble. God is not going to bless you with someone or something that is gonna make you fall. God knows when you are ready. Its not going to happen before His time so don't force it.

Quit worrying about the things you would like to happen in your life. Instead of worrying, go after Jesus. Seek Him above all else. Desire Him. He is all that you need.

You wanna know how to get God's attention? Be obedient to Him, be faithful and be diligent. Instead of complaining about what you don't have, be grateful for what you do have. Praise God because He's good. The bible says in Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please God. For anyone who comes to God, must believe that He is God and the He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."

I would like to encourage you to STOP stressing out. If you desire to be married, make sure its for the right purpose. You don't have to force yourself out of singleness to be in a relationship. In time (God's time), He will bless you with your heart's desire. Stay lifted sister. ;)

~Manessa~

My Life.... (This is my 1st blog before my "What Happened Next" blog.)

Hi, my name is Manessa and I would like to share a bit of my life's story with you. 

So here we go.... On May 7, 2010, I rededicated my life to the one who created me (God)... I felt safe in His arms the moment I turned my life over to Him. Three months later, August 1, 2010, I decided it was time to be baptized. I wanted my life to reflect Christ in every way possible and trust me when i tell you..... my life was so amazing, all because it revolved around Christ. So.... a year passed as I continued living for Christ and doing the will of God. A few more months went by and Christ was still the head of my life. 

Now at some point in my life I thought that i would be able to live for Christ and be in a relationship all at once. I got into a relationship and it was an unequally yoked relationship. As time progressed, while in that relationship my relationship with Christ began to fall apart. Yes! I was still trying to juggle the two, telling myself that I will continue going to church on Sunday, youth group on Friday to assist with youth group and kids club on Wednesday to assist with that... But when I was done with all that "church stuff", it went back to my relationship that I thought was so perfect and sweet. I repeated that cycle over and over until slowly but surely I drifted away from Christ, church and everything else. I was then so wrapped up in my relationship that I forgot about everyone and everything. Most important, I forgot about God.

Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, you will be devoted to one and despise the other"...

I completely strayed away from God and my eyes were fixed only on someone who was not after God's heart. I got completely distracted. My whole life started to revolve around this one guy.. (worse move ever).... I started doing all the things I should never be doing. Things like: having sex before marriage, sleeping over on weekends or sometimes even week days, playing the wife role without a ring and all of that other stuff. Mind you... I was happy and content with it all because in my mind, as long as he was happy then life was good.. (wrong thinking)... I still didn't realize that God was tugging on my heart because I was completely blinded by what was in front of me. Nothing else mattered, my relationship became my god.

Exodus 20:3 "You must not have any other gods but me".

1John 5:21 "Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts".

Keep in mind that anything/one that you put before God is your god... So this is basically what happened with me. God was placed on the back burner. I wanted to do my own thing with my life and not what Christ wanted me to do. I can assure you that it was definitely the wrong move. Satan came to steal and destroy me as soon as I turned away from God. 

I want you reader to read my next blog and also to be encouraged. In my next Blog you will read about what happened next.

Jesus Should Be 1st

Who or what are you putting before Jesus?

Is it your spouse?

Is it your boyfriend?

Is it your job?

Is it your child?

Hmmm, what about your new car?

Is it money?

Ok! I can go on and on... But guess what? You should put NOTHING or NO ONE before Jesus.
If you do, then whatever or whoever it is that you put before Him is your god. Many times we get so caught up in this world that we neglect the one who died for us. We focus only on pleasing ourselves and not Jesus. 

Are you spending more time with your boyfriend than you spend with Jesus?.. If so.. STOP IT!!

I always think about the price Jesus paid for me. Everything that He went through, He did that for and for you. He was beaten, spat on, pierced in His side, He was mocked, laughed at... I mean everything you can think of is what He went through for us.... Have you ever asked yourself if anyone in this world would ever do that for you?... I know I have.... My answer was... NO ONE... Jesus did that and that proves His love for us.

How is it that you put things before Jesus. Why are you neglecting Him? Your job, car, money, spouse, boyfriend, child etc.. NOTHING should ever come before Jesus... Its really time to get your priorities in order. Christ should be your #1 priority...

You would take the time out to call or text your partner every single day. You won't go to bed unless you speak to that person. You would always make sure that person hears from you everyday... Why do you not feel the same way about Christ? We should never put the things of this world before Him. He should be the center of our hearts at all times. We should serve Him with our whole hearts. 

I encourage you to put aside the desires of this world and focus more on Christ. Seek Him above all else. Spend time with Him daily. Talk to Him daily. Be intimate with Him and allow Him to direct your life.

He died for You!! Live for Him!! 

Love, Manessa ;)

Know Your Worth

What is the sense in jumping from one relationship to the next? You go into your new relationship with the same baggage from your old relationship when you should be giving yourself time to heal. Let me guess... You feel like you must be in a relationship right? Well guess what? You Don't!! STOP running from man to man for comfort and run to Christ. If you are fresh out of a relationship, allow God to heal you. 

Get to know your own self and what you are worth. When you know who you are in Christ and take the time to allow Him to fill the voids in you life, thats when you begin to know what you're worth. You begin to know what to put up with in your relationships. You begin to know how you should be loved and treated as a woman. But when you don't know your own identity, you put up with mess and allow men to treat you horribly thinking thats love. Sister, love doesn't hurt. You teach people how to treat you by what you allow, what you stop and what you reinforce. Keep in mind that you don't get what you're worth unless you demand it. If you keep accepting less, thats all you will ever get. A man will love you if he sees you love yourself first. He can't love you if you don't love yourself. 

When I was in a relationship, I love myself enough to get out of that relationship and not have my daughter be involved in the dysfunction. In doing so, she have been neglected by someone I never thought would even think of treating her so badly. But guess what?! That never stop me from showing her all the love she deserves because I know she's worth more. There were many times I could've returned to that relationship but I know my worth and I would never want to be with someone who doesn't value me or my child. I've learned that just because someone desires you doesn't mean they value you. My daughter is everything to me and I know she is worth more than someone telling me they don't love her and doesn't care for her. So I show her what she deserves and show her love along with others that God has placed in our lives to do the same. It is because I know my worth and I know my daughter's worth why I don't accept less or put up with mess. When you allow God to fill the voids in your life, that is when you begin to see your value and find your true identity. Do not allow anyone to treat you less than you deserve. Know your worth and do not see yourself through the eyes of people who don't value you. Also, you must walk in forgiveness. Forgive anyone who have treated you less than you deserve, who have torn you down or done anything else that may have hurt you. Its now time for you beautiful lady to pick up your crown, dust it off and wear it with dignity and class. Keep your chin up and smile :) You are WORTH IT!

~Manessa

God & The Single Mom

As a single mom, you may be depending heavily on someone to provide or be a comforter and a way maker for your child/children. Well I'm here to let you know that you never have to depend on anyone but God who is our provider, our way maker and our comforter.

God is the best child support a single mom can have. There is NEVER a need to stress about what a dad is not doing for his child/children because God takes care of us all. I was at a point in my life where I worried about it a lot. As time went by I began to realize that God is the best child support any mom can have. The moment I decided to put my trust strongly in God and depend fully on Him was when I realized the goodness of God. I had an experience where God came to me one night in early 2014 and He said to me, "Manessa put your trust in Me not in Man". I was going through so much within that year and I never understood why. God has been amazing and He has been a comforter through it all. Single mom, I'm sure if you put your trust in God you will realize how faithful He is. He will never let you down and you will never be disappointed as long as you trust Him.

God is also a provider. Do not depend on man to provide for you or your child. God is the provider!. When you trust God, He will bring persons in your life and use them through Him to assist you and help you along the way...I'm telling you! If He did it for me He will do it for you. Man will fail you but God never fails, He will support you and your child so trust Him and have Faith that he will do exceedingly and abundantly above all you can ever ask or imagine. The bible says in Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do and He will show you which path to take". I know sometimes it may get a little rough but do not lose hope and do not lose faith. Continue to seek God and He will give you everything you need, Instead of building hate, anger and bitterness for that father for not doing His part, pray for Him. Don't you ever stop praying!

I would like to encourage you to keep your eyes fixed on God. Remember that He is the best child support. Your child/children may not have a father figure in their life but its now time for you to allow God to be that for your child. Let God show your child through you what love and support really is. His love and support is always the best. When you focus on Him, He will give you all that you need. He is going to bless you with a great man who will be a great father to your child/children and a great husband to you. So Hold On! Keep the faith and stay strong single mom. God is fighting the battle for you.

Manessa ;)