He went in our place

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good morning. Happy Saturday! I’ve been away a few days enjoying snow days and spending some much-needed time in the Master’s arms. As believers, we should always stay connected and take time for spiritual downloads from God.

TFTD: He went in our place

2 Corinthians 5:21 New King James Version (NKJV)

²¹ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

When actors or actresses are filming dangerous movies, they typically hire a stunt double.  A stunt double is a type of body double, specifically a skilled REPLACEMENT used for dangerous parts in movies or television. The stunt double is in very good shape and is hired to take on the risk of injury instead of the start actor/actress. Can you imagine that we are the stars in a movie and of all people to become our stunt double it was JESUS!

In my devotional reading, the writer said,

“Jesus lived a replacement life for us, submitting to all laws of God and man and keeping them all perfectly. He offered his body to abuse and suffering, knowing that in this way the punishment that we deserved was being diverted totally upon him. Finally, he surrendered to death itself, and through the great exchange that happened on Calvary, our death became his death and his innocence became ours.”  (Insert from: In Our Place: Lenten Devotions From Time of Grace)

*Tear* I don’t know about you, but tears come to my eyes. Jesus stepped in as a stunt double if you will. He took the less prestigious role in the film in order to keep us from harm. However, Jesus is better than a stunt double because I don’t know a stunt double who would carry the sins of the world on their shoulders and die on the cross for our sins, but Jesus went in our place.

How often do you think about what Christ has done for you? He didn’t even know sin, but became sin-OUR SIN, so that we might become righteousness of God through Him. WOW! Our body was supposed to be abused, but Jesus went in your place. We were supposed to be punished, but Jesus went in our place. We were supposed to die, but Jesus went in our place. Nothing we will ever go through will compare to what WE SHOULD HAVE WENT THROUGH!

I pray you take time to reflect on who Jesus really is and understand it was only because of His grace and mercy that you are living today. He went in our place!

Have a blessed day!

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

Consider making a contribution to a life changing project. Click link to donate: http://www.gofundme.com/b0n5sc

Treat others like Christ

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good morning. Happy Monday to you all. I pray your weekend was a blessed one. I send special prayers to every person who is experiencing some form of sickness; physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. I declare your healing in Jesus name. There are a lot of physical sicknesses going around this time of year; however, we can’t forget the mental, emotional and spiritual sicknesses that are silently pounding on the hearts and souls of the people we love.

TFTD: Treat others like Christ

John 13:34-35King James Version (KJV)

³⁴ A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.³⁵ By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

During my morning devotional reading, the writer posed a question, “What if we treated everyone like Christ?” Now in the context that the writer was writing, the assumption was made that Christians treat Christ differently than others, better in fact. However, I would beg to differ. I like to think of the relationship with Christ like a parent to a child. You have some children who honor and respect their parents and then you have the rebellious child. If you are that Christian who lives to please God (your Father) then you go to Him on your best behavior and when you sin you go to Him with a heart full of repentance. This is the picture of the “good child”. Perhaps you are the Christian who knows that you should listen to God (your Father); however, you like to do things your way and learn lessons the hard way. This is the picture of the “rebellious child”.

It’s not enough to ask, “What if we treated everyone like Christ?” because some people treat others better than Christ. *HELP US LORD* I would like to add to the writers question, assuming we are all operating like the “good child”-What if we treated everyone like Christ-went the extra mile to show them love and when we have offended them are quick to go to them with a repented heart? How much better would the world be? What would happen if we stopped treating some people better than others based on how we felt, but we set a standard, a universal precedent that everyone deserved the same love and respect as the next person? I could say the body of Christ would function properly. There would be no clicks in the church. There would be no competition in the church. There would be no favoritism in the church. Everyone would be given the love and respect they deserve.

Do you realize when you come in contact with people you could be dealing with Christ or entertaining angels? Since Christ dwells in us as Christians, when you mistreat your brother or sister in Christ you are mistreating Christ? *OUCH!* What about those who are less fortunate than you? Do you turn your nose up at the woman who has five children and dresses in shabby attire? Perhaps you are nasty to the man who has an offensive body odor. Maybe you look at people who are homeless and try to avoid eye contact. Do you realize that lending to the poor is like lending to God? (Proverbs 19:17)

Take a moment to examine your life and ask yourself, “Do I treat others like Christ? Do I show love to others as if they were Christ? How can I improve on treating ALL people (even my enemies) like Christ?” As believers, when we show love to others that is a visual indication that we are disciples of Christ. If we pulled your life up on a big screen would we be able to tell that you were a Christian? Would we see the love of Christ ooze out of you to others?

I encourage you all to treat others as if they were Christ standing in front of you. Show ALL people love and then rush to ask for forgiveness when you have offended them. This is a TOUGH lesson, but a necessary one that even I need to improve on.

I pray you have a blessed day!

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

Consider making a contribution to a life changing project. Click link to donate: http://www.gofundme.com/b0n5sc

Praying for Boston

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good morning!

TFTD: Praying for Boston

This week, we had the privilege of experiencing some snow days (I’m currently on a snow day). I absolutely love the snow and living in the southern part of Virginia doesn’t always guarantee this wintry experience. Not everyone likes the snow and some reading this blog will have a different opinion than I do; however, the fact remains I love the snow. Now relative to where you live, the affect of snowfall can be drastically different. One can live in New Year and experience 24 inches of snowfall and still continue operating like a normal day, whereas someone living in North Carolina could experience 6 inches of snowfall and an entire city can be shut down.

The reason for this weather disparity between different regions is due to expectation and preparation. People in the northern regions EXPECT to have long cold snow filled winters based on history and as a result of this expectation they prepare for it. People in the southern regions EXPECT to have mild winters based on history and as a result of this they don’t typically prepare for snow each year. The financial resources are distributed different during the winter months based on geographical locations.

So why are we praying for Boston? If you didn’t know, Boston has hit a record of 58.5 inches of snow this month. The snowfall in Boston has become the snowiest month in the city’s history; however, it’s only February 18th! The latest snow brought the city’s total snow fall this season to nearly 90 inches. Could you imagine 90 inches of snow in a winter season? Even though Boston expects snow they were not ready or prepared for this. The temperatures are extremely low , the wind chill is deathly dangerous and travel is near impossible. The mayor is saying it could take up to a month to restore the city’s systems (railway, subway, etc.)

Even though you don’t live there and perhaps you don’t know anyone who is there personally, I encourage you, no I urge you as Christians to pray for those affected by this storm. Although I love the snow, I couldn’t imagine being a prisoner to my home by the thing I love.

Dear Lord, I come to you praying for those affected by these wintry blast. Lord, give them peace of mind that this too shall pass. Protect them mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically. Lord, we ask that you lead, guide and direct the city officials to make the right decisions. Help the citizens to exercise wisdom and to remain safe. Lord, protect your children from roof damage, hyperthermia, frostbite and more. Lord, help the people to seek you during this time. Allow them to see that you a very present help even in this. Lord, help us to be sensitive to our brothers and sisters in another state. Show us how we can help during this storm. These things I pray in Jesus name, Amen.

 God bless! Be safe!

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

Consider making a contribution to a life changing project. Click link to donate: http://www.gofundme.com/b0n5sc

God is worth the time, isn’t He?

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good afternoon! Happy Wednesday. I pray your week has been blessed thus far.

TFTD: God is worth the time, isn’t He?

According to research provided by Ipsos Open Thinking Exchange (OTX), Americans between the ages of 18-34 years old spend an average of 3.8 hours a day on social networking sites, ages 35-49 spend 3 hours a day and ages 50-64 spend 2.4 hours a day. How much time is that in a week or a year?

• Ages 18-34= 26.6 hours a week or 1,383.20 hours a year
• Ages 35-49= 21 hours a week or 1,092 hours a year
• Ages 50-64= 16.8 hours a week or 873.6 hours a year

According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., the average American watches more than 4 hours of TV each day (or 28 hours a week, or 2 months of nonstop TV-watching per year= 1,456 hours a year).

These are merely average numbers, there are some people whose numbers are higher and others lower. Where do you fall in this category? If you really took a time audit over your day, how much time do you spend on social media sites, playing games, watching TV, etc.? Be honest. 

My next question is how much time do you spend with God each day? Do you spend 30 minutes with him a day or perhaps you meet with him a couple of times a week. Maybe you seek God only on Sunday or the holidays. Imagine if we had to tithe our time to God. What if we had to give God 10 percent of our day? How many people would complain about that 2.4hours? How many people would say they don’t have 2.4 hours? This amount of time with God pales in comparison to the time spent on TV and social media. Isn’t God worth the time?

Time management is an area I have been working on. I’ve done several time audits of my day and although I am rather productive I discovered there were so many missed opportunities to study God’s word, feed my spirit, pray to God or worship Him. Why is it so easy to waste time on things that won’t bring value to our lives, but we cringe at the thought of sitting in church longer than two hours on a Sunday or setting aside several blocks of time within our day for God seems impossible? Why do we feel like that prayer rushing out the door or that five-minute devotional while sitting on the toilet is sufficient for God? Don’t get me wrong, we all have to start somewhere, but at some point we must grow and become deliberate about giving God more of our time. I mean He gives us all of His time, doesn’t He?

As believers, the only way we can rightly divide the Word of God is by putting time in to study the Word. How much time do you have dedicated to studying God’s Word?

2 Timothy 2:15 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁵ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

As believers, we should make meeting God a priority. There are countless accounts of people rising EARLY to meet God. No matter if you are an early bird, a night owl or don’t have a preference, make a standing appointment with God. He wants to hear from you.

1 Samuel 1:19 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁹ Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her.

As believers, we should continually offer God a sacrifice of praise. Praising God shouldn’t be convenient. You should press to praise Him.

Hebrews 13:15-16 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁵ Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. ¹⁶ And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

After seeing the time spent on social media and TV, it shouldn’t be impossible to set aside 2.4 hours for God a day. He is worth it, right? Seek God on how you can add more of Him to your life. It will mean decreasing time for yourself. We must decrease for Him to increase (John 3:30). What does setting time aside for God look like practically? There is no cookie-cutter layout for spending time with God. Figure out what works for you and make it happen. Perhaps you can’t give 2.4 hours in one setting, but you could break it up (2.4 hours is about 140 minutes or four 35 minute increments.) Do you have four 35 minute increments within your day? Sit down and take an audit of your day. Take a look at what you could cut back on or eliminate and figure out how you can add more of God to your life. As you grow in Christ, adjust your schedule to reflect the need for more of Him. Start somewhere, even if it’s only five minutes a day, give that time to God, He will honor it! Remember don’t stay at five minutes. Continue to grow! God is worth the time!

Thank you for taking time to read these devotional messages. Have a blessed day!

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

Consider making a contribution to a life changing project. Click link to donate: http://www.gofundme.com/b0n5sc

Did you know?

Poetry Corner

Good morning! Happy Monday to you all! I pray you had a blessed weekend.

This weekend I was spending some quiet time with the Lord when He provided this freestyle. I was simply typing a few lines for a Facebook status and then God released a little more.

1 Peter 2:9New King James Version (NKJV)

⁹ But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Did you know

by: Nicole L. Ellis

Did you know you are royalty?

If so, when will you begin acting like the Kings and queens you were created to be?

When will you start raising your boys to be princes and your girls to be princesses God designed them to become?

When will you eradicate the self-hate that the world has perpetuated and masked it by calling it “identity”?

You are more than the false reality of an insecure man.

You weren’t created to destroy your brother or sister by not lending a helping hand.

Using social media as a weapon to kill and destroy.

Did you even notice you’re being used as a decoy.

The enemy wants to distract you from what he’s really trying to do.

His plan isn’t just to hurt others rather it’s to obliterate YOU! 
You see, if you don’t know who you are or WHOSE you are you will continue to be the slave to the  world’s self-destructive behavior.

You’ll continue speaking death over your mind doing the devil a favor.

Stop calling yourself things contrary to the Word of God and then get mad when someone calls you out of your name, now that’s odd.

Did you know you are royalty?

If so, when will you begin acting like the Kings and queens you were created to be?

When will you start raising your boys to be princes and your girls to be princesses God designed them to become?

How long will you allow a broke down system to make you feel dumb?

Feeding your spirit images that defame you. Listening to music that degrades you. Supporting causes that undermines the call on your life.

Why blame the devil when you’re the one inflicting strife?

To know you are royalty but to behave like a common thief is beneath you.

You have robbed your joy, stolen your dignity, pawned yourself worth all because you’d rather listen to man than to put a book in you hand.

Not just any book but the B.I.B.L.E- it’s in there you’ll find who you were destined to be.

When will you begin acting like the Kings and queens you were created to be?

When will you start raising your boys to be princes and your girls to be princesses?

Your family is waiting…The nation is waiting….
 

Do you know who are you? I mean do you really know who you are? Does your life communicate the actions of someone who is from a royal lineage? Take time to examine your life and see who people see when they look at you. People are waiting for you to recognize who you are in Christ. Don’t delay do a self-check today!

Have a blessed day!

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

Consider making a contribution to a life changing project. Click link to donate: http://www.gofundme.com/b0n5sc

Apologizing for the Wrong Things

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good afternoon! Happy Friday. We have successfully made it to the end of a work/school week. God is good!

TFTD: Apologizing for the Wrong Things

Proverbs 3:26New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁶ For the Lord will be your confidence, And will keep your foot from being caught.

Philippians 1:6New King James Version (NKJV)

⁶ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

 

Have you ever found yourself apologizing for who you are or who you have become in Christ? It’s one thing to apologize for doing something wrong, but to offer an apology to someone for being who Christ called you to be is absurd. Yes, absurd. Please don’t take offense. I can say this because I used to be guilty of apologizing until Jesus got me straight. I remember how I used to decline assignments (in the kingdom at work or school) in an effort to give someone else a chance because I didn’t want people to get tired of seeing me up front or mad at me. I even recall knowing the answer to questions and biting my tongue because I didn’t want to be considered “Ms. Know it all”. Here I was spinning my wheels, jumping through hoops and sitting on my gifts in an effort to make someone else feel useful and competent.

Jesus showed me that by apologizing to man for who I had become in Christ, I was telling God He made a mistake. Ouch, right? God never makes mistakes. The reason why believers apologize to man for who they have become is because they lack confidence in their new calling. I lacked confidence. Confidence is defined as the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust. God’s word tells us that He will be our confidence; HE WILL BE OUR FIRM TRUTH! It also tells us that we can be confident or TOTALLY RELY on the truth that if Christ started something in us, He will complete it. Romans 8:28 (NKJV) says, ²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. When we know something, we have confidence in it, we trust it, we believe it in, we can rely on it. Therefore we can have confidence that ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD!!!

Stop catering to insecure people by apologizing for your gifts and talents. The reality is everyone won’t like you. As great as Jesus was and is, people hated Him in the past and others hate Him today. Are we any better than Jesus? I think not. Haters are going to hate so let them. People will have issues with you because they are led by the spirits of jealousy, envy, strife, covetousness, and more. People will not like you because you are walking in your calling while they are sitting on their rear end complaining. There are a lot of people even in the body of Christ, who allow themselves to be used by the devil. Pray for them, but don’t apologize to them for being a new creature in Christ.

God gave you your gifts and talents because He knew He could trust you with them. He also knew you would need them to carry out your purpose. The reason why you are being sought after for projects, assignments, leadership roles and more is because people can sense your genuine spirit. They have watched you and know you are qualified. Perhaps they were referred to you due to your outstanding work ethic. Your reputation will proceed you. When you are actively walking in your calling people will notice.

If you are guilty of apologizing for who you are in Christ, I encourage you to stop apologizing and continue walking in your purpose! Keep a humble spirit with your eyes fixed on Jesus and He will show you favor among man. Have confidence that God didn’t make a mistake in choosing you. He knew you were the right person for the task given to you.

Have a blessed weekend!

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

Consider making a contribution to a life changing project. Click link to donate: http://www.gofundme.com/b0n5sc

It’s in the ROOT

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good morning! Happy Thursday to you all! I pray your week is going well. This is my first week back at work since having the baby and I thank God for a smooth transition.

TFTD: It’s in the root

1 Corinthians 15:56New King James Version (NKJV)

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.

Romans 6:23New King James Version (NKJV)

²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Have you ever stopped to think about the seriousness of sin? Sometimes I think as Christians we are too comfortable in our salvation that we become complacent in safe guarding ourselves against sin. It is almost like we think we are invincible or we are so arrogant because we know Christ will forgive us. God wanted me to remind someone today, when dealing with sin we have to remember it’s not a surface issue. It’s in the root!

Take a look at these two illustrations:

• A tree when full-grown can grow tall and wide depending on what type it is. When you cut the tree down to its trunk the tall and wide piece of nature is gone. Imagine that the tree represents sin. On the surface it appears that the sin is big and overwhelming, but when it’s cut down it seems like sin has been conquered. On the contrary, the stump of the tree or sin is still present. It just not full-grown. It may take weeks, months or even years, but the reality is the tree (sin) will begin to grow again. Why? Because it wasn’t uprooted. When dealing with sin it’s important to attack the root of the problem. Trees (sin) grow tall and wide on the surface, but in the deep dark places that tree is taking root. In our spiritual life the sin will grow in the deep dark places of a person’s mind, heart, body and spirit and take root. It’s only when a tree (sin) is uprooted that it will stop growing and die.
• When a tooth has a cavity it appears on the surface and the dentist places a filling on it to prevent the cavity from spreading further. Now imagine the cavity is the sin. It starts off small and just because the dentist has placed a filling on the tooth doesn’t mean you can go back to eating and drinking a lot of sugary drinks. It also doesn’t mean that you should stop brushing and flossing daily. If you stop doing the basic things to care for the tooth the cavity that started on the surface will attack the roots and then a root canal will be needed. Much like our spiritual walk, once we become saved and Jesus has spared us from the penalty of death, it doesn’t mean we should go back to sinning. It doesn’t mean we  should stop praying, fasting, studying His word or attending church. We actually need to do those things all the more. We have to walk in the ways of the Lord daily in order to combat sin. If not, sin will take root and will require more to get rid of it.

Remember the wages of sin is DEATH! Sin has a high price tag. Don’t become comfortable in sin because it could kill you spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically. The good news is that God has given us a gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. God is a redeemer, a restorer, a helper, a Savior, and more. Stay connected to God. The Bible is our Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. Everything we need to know and pray for is in the Bible. Study the word, pray without ceasing, connect to a bible teaching church, seek out prayer partners who will intercede on your behalf. Whatever you do, don’t allow sin to take root and if it does, know that GOD can fix all things!

 

Have a blessed day!

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

Consider making a contribution to a life changing project. Click link to donate: http://www.gofundme.com/b0n5sc

Happy Black History Month

Happy Black History Month

Black History Facts:

In 1831, Nat Turner, an enslaved African-American preacher, leads the most significant slave uprising in American history.

In 1849, Harriet Tubman escapes from slavery and becomes one of the most effective and celebrated leaders of the Underground Railroad.

In 1863, President Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring “that all persons held as slaves” within the Confederate states “are, and henceforward shall be free.”

 

More than your skin

by: Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis

You are more than the mahogany colored skinned that graces the world with beauty

You are more than the dark chocolate silhouette that traces the night sky

More than a hue on the black spectrum

You are more than your skin

Engineering runs through your veins

You are scientists, inventors, mathematicians and teachers

Singers, artist, dancers, preachers

You hold world records and honors higher than most

Accolades so high that even your skin begins to boast

Shouting “I AM MORE THAN MY SKIN”

From slavery, to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to President Barack Obama you were destined to win

You were the “first” at many premier designs

You reached for discoveries that still boggle the minds

The minds of many who limited you by color and race

You even became a person who traveled in space

Your reign in the government, Congress, and Senate

Knows no boundaries and holds no limits

You are more than the coffee color that shines on your face

You’ve been washed in precious blood and saved His grace

Never put limits on whether or not you can win

You are a beautiful person who is more than their SKIN!

Happy Black History Month to you all!

God bless.

Have a blessed day!

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

Consider making a contribution to a life changing project. Click link to donate: http://www.gofundme.com/b0n5sc

Only Christ Can Cleanse Us

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good morning! I’m back! Thank you for your patience and thank you for those who follow us on Facebook. I pray the daily scripture post were helpful. I’ve been on a much-needed spiritual refreshening as well as maternity leave. I look forward to what the Lord will release through me via this blog and my other endeavors this year.

TFTD: Only Christ Can Cleanse Us

1 John 1:9New King James Version (NKJV)

⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Titus 3:5New King James Version (NKJV)

⁵ not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

This weekend I was washing a water jug, similar to the one pictured here. It probably holds 64 ounces. When washing a jug like this, it’s impossible to fit your hand in to clean it. I often use one of those baby bottle brushes to reach those deep places. I pour a small amount of soap in the jug and then begin filing it with water. Immediately that drop of soap turned into bubbles and the bubbles kept growing and growing. I allowed the hot water to run for a while until all of the soap suds flowed to the top and spill out. I knew the bottle was clean when the water ran clear. I love how God provides revelation when doing practical things. Here the jug represents a person; it could be me, you, a family member, etc. The drop of soap represents sin. The baby bottle brush represents the hand of Christ and the water represents the Holy Spirit.

God showed me that when we sin, it begins contaminating our body. The little drop of soap signifies the power of sin and how a little bit can consume us and take over our body. When combating sin in our lives, it is important to allow the hand of Christ to reach into those hard to reach areas and clean our heart, mind, emotions and spirit. This can be accomplished through prayer and fasting. Sin will consume us even the more when we think the sin is not that serious. We must confess our sins to Christ and ask Him to help us. Remember there is power in prayer; however, in order to eradicate sin we must stay connected to Christ by reading, studying and living His Word daily. We have to allow ourselves to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Like the water jug that needed to be filled constantly with water until all of the soap suds were gone, we must continue to stay in the Word of God. We must be filled with the things of God in order to push all of the sin up and out of our system.

It is important to understand that only Christ can cleanse us from the inside out. The enemy will have us believe that there are different degrees to sin and that one little sin won’t hurt anyone, but the truth of the matter is a drop of sin can contaminate the mind, body, emotions and spirit. It can become so bad that it can spill over and begin affecting others around you.

Matthew 16:25New International Version (NIV)

²⁵ For whoever wants to save their life^[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

John 3:30New International Version (NIV)

³⁰ He must become greater; I must become less.”^[a]

When combating sin make sure you confess your sins, pray and study the Word, surrender your life and desires to God and die to your flesh daily. If you try to live for your flesh you will lose your life spiritually and physically. Become like the water jug and allow yourself to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This process allows Christ to become greater in your while your desires decrease.

What are somethings you need to surrender to God? What can you do TODAY to grow closer to God? Take time to seek Him and ask Him to cleanse you. Only Christ can cleanse us!

Have a blessed day!  

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis, MBA

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.

Consider making a contribution to a life changing project. Click link to donate: http://www.gofundme.com/b0n5sc