Can I be real with you?

Can I be real with you? A silence has been broken in my heart this week. Everything has been LOUD! I've had to tell myself(I call myself Sister Heath or Chic...and when it's serious I call out my full name as my mom use to do when I was really in trouble)I have loved this week because I sensed a spiritual move going on that has long been needed. I kept speaking from my heart, "This is real, God is real, this isn't a joke" God really cares for me and everything going on with me. This week He Fathered me, corrected me, reminded me and challenged me with...me!
My spiritual father Jim Clark asked me this, " If God were you, how would He fill about Himself?" Of course he answered for me..."A mess!" (He has all the permission in the world) What he was telling me is this: Angel, you need to be sure of yourself and confident in who you are.
Lately we have talked about marriage. At the age of 31, i see many people getting married and having babies and they are way younger then me. I often left it alone but it was a thought hidden in a corner. Until confronted, i didn't push for answers. God wants to hear you. He has answers for you. If its in your heart, He has answers. He's just waiting for you to ask.
While reading the story of Hannah I finally understood. Homegirl, was in turmoil. Questions plagued her heart. And finally she allowed God to hear her. And then...He smiled on her. You see ladies, we are always talking about keeping it real. When is the last time you were real? Like bro. Jim was real with me...I had to get real with myself and God. I could no longer hide that I wanted to truly be married, that i long for children, and that I was unsure how to go about it. So with some wisdom from bro Jim, I was sent in hot pursuit with seeking God, living focused, living the truth, and appreciating purity. And I am gonna be alright!
I am praying that whatever it is(don't wait for 2012)get real with yourself and with God. It may not be marriage. Maybe you want to have children like Hannah. Maybe you are interested in someone and you don't know how he feels(oh my). Maybe problems at church. Maybe its your relationship with God. Sit down and talk to Him. Maybe with others. Is it your job or lack thereof. Maybe you don't know what you are called to do? Just sit down girl, talk to Him. You don't have to cry, you don't have to yell! Hannah didn't even say a word("Hannah speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard." 1Sam.1:13) Just come before Him with an open heart! Letting go of all formulas. He will hear and remember you.
Amen

~Angel Victoria Heath

Bitter Jealousy...SMH!

I love when i find stories that I have read before but didn't get anything out of it, but when they are needed most in my life all of a sudden...Boom...God's revelation appears at it's best! Before things get out of hand in your life God would like to reveal things to you before they get revealed to the world...unexpectedly...you know...you on the Rock rather the Rock on you.
There was a man named Simon who had just converted to The Way(Christianity) through the ministry of Phillip. Before then he was a sorcerer, dealing in magic. He amazed the people of Samaria and claimed to be someone great. He was known as "the Great One--the Power of God." and people listened to him closely because of course that's all they new...until Philip arrived in town, and He knew Who was "The Great One." :)
Long story short, Simon was introduced to The Power of God. Life changed and never to be the same.
Later on God had to reveal to Simon that there were some things in him still that wouldn't move him further in the faith until it was dealt with. Romans 8:18-23 says,
"(18) When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power. (19) “Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!” (20) But Peter replied, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought! (21) You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God. (22) Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, (23) for I can see that you are full of BITTER JEALOUSY and are held CAPTIVE BY SIN.”
Bitter jealousy stood out to me more then anything. I had many questions about it of course but I was stopped quickly when i was reminded by the Holy Spirit of Romans 12:1-2. We must not forget that as believers we do not react or respond as the world. And no matter how old or how long we are in the faith, the enemy will present the temptation of jealousy and if we don't monitor our hearts DAILY we will give in to the tempting, and it will keep us in sin(held captive or bound). It can get to the point that it becomes normal to us...you'll find yourself even defending this evil act. God doesn't want that. He doesn't tolerate it either from His children...His daughter's. Wanting what others have is jealousy and envy. This leads to bitterness ladies, and it doesn't look good on us. The garment we are instructed by God to wear is that of love. I leave this with you: "(31)Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. (32)Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. " Ephesians 4:31-32. Take care of it through repentence. Release it and let God's Word thrive in your heart.
Your sister,
Angel Victoria Heath

Return to the Lord

Return to the Lord
As the end of July was drawing near I began to reflect on the changes I needed to make in my walk with God. I did a sort of spiritual evaluation. I began to ask myself: is my heart still passionate for the Lord? Is my lamp full to overflowing with a fresh oil as I wait for His promises? Am I as pure and holy as God will’s for me to be? If we’re being completely honest here, the answer to these questions was no. I am sure however that I am not alone in this. You see summer usually brings with it a lethargic, relaxation mode that can sometimes transfer into our spiritual lives. We take, in a sense, “a break” from passionately serving and seeking the Lord. But scriptures admonish us to always love the Lord our God with ALL our heart, with ALL our soul, and with ALL our strength (Deuteronomy 6:5). If you have strayed away from loving the Lord your God with ALL your heart, soul, and strength, I have three steps, from scripture, that you can take to return to the Lord with all your heart, soul, and strength. He promises that if we return to Him, He will return to us.
In 2 Chronicles chapter 30, the current king of Judah, Hezekiah, hastily tries to get the Israelites to keep the Passover they celebrate every year to commemorate when the Lord delivered them from the Egyptians. At this point, however, the Israelites had strayed heavily from the things of God. They were worshiping foreign gods and became very lackadaisical towards the things of God. Hezekiah, seeing this, realized the urgency in his people returning to the Lord. For if they did not, without God on their side, they faced the shame of being conquered by the Assyrians (an enemy nation). So Hezekiah sends out a proclamation to all the people of Israel and Judah petitioning them to return to the Lord (2 Chronicles 30:6). In his proclamation, King Hezekiah shows me three ways we can return to the Lord.
First, he tells the people they will return to the Lord by celebrating the Passover. Hezekiah knew then what most of us shun now and that is…it all starts with the blood. Do you desire a fresh, new start? Go to the blood. The blood of Jesus has the power to cover all sin and unrighteousness and give us a clean start. Isaiah 1:18 says that though our sins be as red as scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow. We tend to stray from the things of God when we feel as though our lives have been plagued with sin. The guilt and condemnation we feel begins to wear down on our soul and we decide that since we are so sinful, there is no possible way God will accept us. But the bible declares that, “If we confess our sins (to the Lord) He will be faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.” I simply love that verse. What joy to know that all of my sins are covered under the blood of Jesus! This is indeed good news! Start with the blood! Confess your sins to God. He already knows you did them and he is ready to forgive you.
Secondly, we are to humble ourselves. In verse 8 of chapter 30, the king tells the people to submit themselves to the Lord. James 4:7 also tells us that we ought to submit ourselves to God. But it is through verse 6 of James that we realize why. James 4:6 says that God “resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Only when we humble ourselves can we receive the grace we so desperately need to serve the Lord in a way that pleases Him. We receive grace through a life of humility under the submission of God. When our hearts are reverently humble towards God, we can boldly approach him. When we draw near to God, he will draw near to us.
Lastly, King Hezekiah admonishes the people to return to Jerusalem. Jerusalem means city of Peace or founded peaceful. Oh my there is so much I can say about this! You see Jerusalem is where the Temple of God was located. In God’s temple dwelt His presence and with His presence came His peace, His holiness, His righteousness, and His joy! Return to Jerusalem! Get in God’s presence! Allow Him to restore every broken area of your life and renew your purity and holiness.
There you have it! These are simple ways that we can return to the Lord! I have personally decided to entitle August “Ignite my Fire” month. It will be a time where by following these steps I will allow God to renew my passion and stir up a fire in my heart for Him. I hope you were blessed! Love you!
~Jenee Boothe

Shhh... Don't Tell Anybody.(Why It's Important To Guard The Vision God Has Given You!)

"I slipped out during the night, taking only a few others with me. I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem...." ~Nehemiah 2:12

I was once told, "The older you get, you'll be able to count your friends on your hands." I am seeing that now. And why it's so important to value that. Yesterday while reading, I ended up in Nehemiah 1&2. Which I found very important for the season I am in right now. I know a little of his story. What caught my eye though was Nehemiah 2:12, "I slipped out during the night, taking only a few others with me. I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem..." Nehemiah had been inspired by God to rebuild a wall in Jerusalem. At the time he was a cupbearer for the king. God granted him favor to be released from his job as cupbearer and allowed him to go back to his home land and see this vision come to pass. On his journey home i see a few valuable lessons we should consider.

1.) "I slipped out during the night,"
Being unseen may be tough for many of you. We want everything to be done in the light("Tad-Dah"..."look what I am doing, Look where I am going")There are too many people wanting to be seen and no one working in the background. I know it's tough because I struggled in that area for a while. When I was in the world, I was ALWAYS seen. I had no other choice, I was a runner. So when it came to serving in the Kingdom of God and the spotlight wasn't on me...I felt rejected and unimportant. This wasn't true. God wanted me to get my focus off of me and onto Him and others. There will be things you will need to do secretly(in the night, where you are unnoticed and unseen.) Can you handle it?

2.)"taking only a few others with me."
You can't have everyone on your team. You can't trust everyone. Everyone can't share your vision. My spiritual dad Bro. Jim Clark told me, "You have to have a core." "Who share's the vision of your heart? They may not stay with you the whole season, but you need a core." Right now on my team are a group of women who are my core. I love them all. Some may stay. Some may go on to do other things. But right now they have committed to help build the vision God has given me. That is such a blessing, especially amongst women. Who is your core? One more thing, you can't do it on your own...ENOUGH SAID!

3.)"I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem."
The things God has spoken to you should be kept secret until you're released to speak about it. Everyone doesn't need to know your business. Keep it hidden for awhile. A great example is , Elizabeth(Luke 1:24) She hid her promise(John the Baptist)for 5 months. I love it when I find out someone is getting married and I never knew they were even dating! Why because they didn't LET everyone up in their business. We think we need to tell everyone everything, but in the end, when you reveal things too early, (if you are not strong enough) you could end up losing hope or faith in that promise because of haters, nay-sayers, proph-liars, or rejection. A great example of that is Joseph.(See his story in Genesis 37) You should ponder them in your heart as Mary did the promises of Jesus.

Ladies, there are things that need to be done around you. Will you step up and allow God to use you in the earth concerning His Kingdom. You are pregnant with something and either your promise is inside you growing(building the promise by faith) or it's time for you to give birth(releasing the promise by faith). Be responsible in either season. Do what it takes to see the visions and dreams God has shown you, come to pass. Remember it's the small things that set you up for what's BIG! Take the right and spirit-led steps towards your destiny. FOR ETERNITY!!!

~Angel Victoria Heath

You Are Chosen!!!

Hey ladies! Still continuing in that 3:16 vein.
Mark 3:16 begins in telling us of the twelve disciples Jesus had chosen. I don't know how you feel when you begin to read the lists of names in the bible...I often skip them. But there are a few i enjoy reading. This is one of them. Why? Because there are only twelve names. And it won't take me that long to read about there lives individually.
These men grab my attention because they remind me of me and my friends. We are all from different places and backgrounds. We act nothing alike, but, our attention is centered around one person...Jesus.
He chose us to be with Him and around Him, togther at this point and time. He chose us.
You are chosen as well. He took you out of where you were, when you were, at the right time and at the right place. He has guaranteed to change your life and your ways if you stick with Him. That's how much He cares.
He has a purpose for your life. Verses 14 and 15 of Mark 3 says, "Then he appointed twelve of them and called them his apostles. They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach, giving them authority to cast out demons."
Ladies, This is what Christ has for us. He wants us to accompany Him, and He wants to send us out. We are not made to be some center piece or trophy to be looked at! God has chosen and called us as well, to do great and mighty things in His kingdom. I saw this scripture in Psalm 144:12, "May our daughters be like stately columns that adorn the corners of a palace." We are all beautiful women, but beauty is not what God called us to or should it be our main focus(Proverbs 31:30), We are pillars...mighty beams that hold up things in the Kingdom of God.
Through our lives other women should look in awe and say, "how in the world do they live like that?" "How do they stay so strong?" "Their life is different from mine. How do get there?" We know the answer right?
Whether you are married, single, a stay at home mom, a business woman, or minister. You were chosen. Keep moving forward in what He's CALLED you to do! Amen!

~Angel Victoria Heath

You Are Accepted!

"After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him." (Matthew 3:16)

How are you feeling about your walk in Christ now? How are you feeling about what God is thinking about you right now? Believe me if you are wondering this...you aren't the only one! We all want God's approval! I wonder if Jesus wondered the same thing as he walked up to His baptismal point. Luke 2:52 says, "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." Matthew 3 verse 17 says, And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
That's a long gap from His boy hood to His 30's. Right now I am 10 years old in the Spirit and sometimes I feel like I really am 10 when it comes to the things of God, and our relationship. What can I do to be pleasing to my Father in heaven so I may get His approval Like Jesus did? It's simple. Do what is right (Gen. 4:7) and walk deeply in God's grace. This requires you KNOWING you are His daughter. His little girl. And that He loves you. It takes time but He has adopted you and loves you. Every child adopted has to warm up to their new parents. He believes in you! HE LOVES YOU! YOU ARE ACCEPTED!



~Angel Victoria Heath

Walkin In My 3:16's

(Personal Message from Angel) Hey Ladies! This Month I wanted to take a walk down the N.T. 3:16's! Just wanted to send some encouragement your way as well! We CAN walk this walk and run this race(for those who like to run...)by the power of God's Might. I believe God is calling us/ has been calling us to the forefront so we can reach the women of this world! And I am excited. I want you to be excited and ready for this! God doesn't want us sitting around doing nothing , wasting away. My theme: "NO MORE DESOLATION!" We can't afford it! Not with women dying left and right. Women are bound, both women of the church and in the world. God hasn't called us to that! So I hope you get something from these blogs this month. Launch out into the deep ladies! I love you and I am praying for you! Please share this with women you know. Lets rise up together! Help keep each other covered!
(This Series will start July 1st)
~Angel Victoria Heath