Whitnee's journey with Christ

When you apply for a job, what is one of the questions you will always run across? WHAT IS YOUR AVAILABILITY? Idealistically some folks want a 9-5 Monday through Friday. It’s very rare folks want to take the graveyard shift or work on weekends and that’s a fact. But again, you do have a select few that prefer that. Because that preference is so minimal, employers have decided to give incentives for those who work the graveyard shift and/or weekend coverage. What are some of the incentives you receive on your job that make it more appeasing to work in a certain area, on a certain shift, or performing a certain task?

Now with that same energy, ask yourself what is your availability to God? How many days are you available to be of service to Christ? Let’s take it a step further so I can set the tone for what God has placed on my heart- what days of the week, times of the day, seasons, etc. are you available to proclaim the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to the world?

In the gospel of Luke, 10th chapter and 2nd verse, it says: Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

You see I was sitting down with Faith and we just happen to be talking about the great discussion she and Tatayana had about the blessings they receive during Sunday school. The teaching and learning that takes place in Sunday school is often called to be the highlight for some and their reason for coming to church in person verses watching it online. You see there are many advantages of corporate fellowship that you may not receive by looking on a screen but there again, it is what works best for each individual person or family.

So while Faith started sharing the teachings she and Tatayana learned, I just happened to have the Sunday school book near me. Faith so graciously read 2 Sunday school lessons and as Faith was reading the lesson, the Holy Spirit was ministering to my soul. Faith stumbled upon Luke 10:17-20 and then Luke 10:21-24. While she was reading over the Bible applied something sparked a nerve (in a good way) but it wasn’t until after she left that I was able to find the exact section she was reading.

Even though I was so fired up and ready to share the very same words that had inspired me when I opened my Bible and read it for myself the scripture I shared above (Luke 10:2) was “jumping off the page!” I felt God was telling me to speak on this. So within that passage of scripture the word laborers stuck out to me. Question for you: who do you think the laborers are that God was referencing right here? Don’t be shy, we’ve got to have a conversation and learn together so drop your thoughts down in the comment section below, and don’t forget to like todays post. Don’t worry it’s not a trick question.

Briefly I want to share with you what my study Bible says about this particular scripture. It reads: The Lord invites us to partner with Him in expanding His kingdom! The curious fact is that, even when He uses an angel in an evangelistic role, He still leaves the proclamation of the message to us.

Wow, wow, wow!!!! Do you see a God-given task in the last sentence? He still leaves the proclamation of the message to us!!! Think about Cornelius in Acts 10.

To proclaim means to call, to declare, to announce, to publicize…and according to Webster it says to declare publicly, insistently, proudly, or defiantly and in either speech or writing or to announce.

Going back to the question I asked earlier: what is your availability to proclaim the gospel? Do you prefer to write or to speak? Do you prefer to sing or to do interpretive dance? Do you prefer to preach or go to the street and evangelize? Whatever your preferences are, are we as the body of Christ using our God given talents and gifts to proclaim His word?

We as the Body of Christ have to do our part. While some ministries focus on the healings, the miracles, the visible blessings….how many of us are talking about the salvation of the risen Savior? How many of us are taking about His love for us and His heart of grace and mercy? How many?

I’m not trying to step on toes this morning but prayerfully you just finished reading the previous devotional link here and these are all good things to think about and help us to better spread the gospel of Jesus. Can we help our pastors, those in ministry, and the church by being a witness? Can we help the Body of Christ by professing our faith? By responding to the call of the Great Commission and spread the Good News?

You see that’s what this website is all about. It’s not about Whitnee’. It’s about using what inspires me and others and using it to push the word of God. It’s about planting seeds of God’s love, His grace, His promises, His word. God placed it on my heart to write and share a story with you all that might encourage you to use what God has given you to show His love for others. No I’m not a preacher or a teacher but I’d like to think I earnestly try to do my part by sharing scripture, a thought, or a prayer that will give glory to God.

So often we get so caught up in our own life and our own mess, we forget who the message was about and intended for in the first place. So let me take a moment and apologize for my lack of consistency for the last year or year and a half. I have allowed what was going on in my personal life to hinder my open availability to God through writing. God says we have to ask Him for forgiveness and then go to those persons who we’ve wronged. Everyone who has supported my writings since 2015 or later, I owe you a heartfelt apology. Things that have been so burdensome I wasn’t always outright able to write through the pain because I held it too close. God allows us to go through things and I wasn’t allowing His light to shine through those painful situations and that was selfish of me. I allowed myself to be in a bubble where I refused to let people in due to fear, shame, grief or whatever the emotions were at that time and I humbly apologize for each of you. I pray in your heart you will find a way to forgive me as I have asked God to forgive me.

With God’s strength I plan to open my availability back up to Him and use this website (that I have to pay for and maintain) to spread the Good News one story at a time by sharing the words of my personal life journey or sharing the words of YOU who inspire and motivate me or by simply sharing what others are doing in their walk of faith. Featuring those other persons and their ministries is FREE on this website: I don’t mind sharing because that is what God has called me to do.

Now that I got that out there let me move on!!!

I said I was going to brief and I don’t know why I said that, it really never is brief but Lord help me I’m just trying to give you some if not all of what God has given to me. Like Rev Hamilton used to say, “don’t be a fat Christian and keep it all to yourself.” It was pure wisdom when he said that and so in keeping my word, I don’t plan on being a fat Christian because that is what births these messages.

There are several positive proclamations in the Bible. In the Bible there are several laborers. To list a few we have Moses, Nebuchadnezzar, David, Peter, Paul, and let’s not forget about Jesus. No we may not be Moses, Nebuchadnezzar, David, Peter, Paul or Jesus but as we have those examples in the Bible we can use that as inspiration while proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom of God!!!!

With so many hurting in the world I’m asking for your help to shed light on God’s love in hopes of bringing joy, purpose, meaning, and life to those who may not know His grace and love is available to them.

So my brothers and sisters help empower our fellow brethren by sharing God’s love. You don’t have to go out smacking folks with the Bible or beating down their doors with condemnation if they aren’t living right, we serve a forgiving God and a God of second chance, we must show His mercy…that’s how we win folks. Some folks think we are hypocrites and maybe it’s because we need to shift our focus or our approach when talking about the goodness of God? Not to offend anyone, but think about it. JUST THINK!!!!

In closing, friends let’s really look at our availability and put some more tallies down to work various shifts, days/weekend, and put in overtime if we have to do push the word of God. The enemy is busy and he is out to destroy our young people, our families, our jobs, our peace, our home, our jobs, our minds. It’s a spiritual war going on and we need boots on the ground praying for God’s children, putting on their full armor of God and fighting in God’s army, we need more folks out here evangelizing and telling somebody, anybody about the one who can save anybody.

It doesn’t matter where you are, what you doing, or how you doing…God can use any and every situation known to man to share His love. Don’t allow self to get in the way for speaking God’s message. Remember, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few, therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Be one of His laborers. DO IT TODAY!!