My Brotha Says... AHA

Be Faithful Over Few Things...

Matthew 25:21, 23
“His master said to him, ('Well done, good and faithful servant!!! You've been faithful over few things, Now I'll set you to reign over much. Now enter into the joy of your master.')”

Family, I've been off the radar for a minute simply because I had to do some soul searching. My Father God has really been doing a work on and in me and it has been a great experience, along with a great challenge. I'm going through some shifting and some sifting, Some shaking and breaking, and it has been great... PAINFUL at times but great!!! As I continue in my diligent pursuit of God's will for my life (which is being revealed more and more), my hunger for HIM is becoming more and more relentless. I'm trying, AT ALL COSTS to spend time with HIM on a daily basis, and search for HIM in everything I touch, see, and experience.

(I'm setting all this up to lead us on a quick word journey that will open a floodgate revelation for us all... Walk it out with me!!!)

The passage at the outset is one that we have most likely heard over and over again... and it has been used in most ways to impart the message of non-complacency... (if that's a word). I want to use this to encourage you in a bit of a twist of thinking...

We are all on a journey right now. We are all searching for meaning on so many levels of our lives (spiritual, emotional, financial, educational, vocational, relational, etc.) The more I dialogue with people in my circle, I'm finding that a great deal of shifting, sifting, shaking, and breaking is occurring. Allow me to break down the meaning of the process as it relates to the passage... PLEASE CONSIDER ALL THESE DEFINITIONS BELOW.

Shift -
1.
to put (something) aside and replace it by another or others; change or exchange: to shift friends; to shift ideas.
2.
to transfer from one place, position, person, etc., to another: to shift the blame onto someone else.
3.
to change (gears) from one ratio or arrangement to another.
4.
to change in a systematic way,

5.
to move from one place, position, direction, etc., to another.
6.
to manage to get along or succeed by oneself.
7.
to get along by indirect methods; use any expediency, trick, or evasion to get along or succeed: He shifted through life.
8.
to change gears
9.
to undergo a systematic change.
11.
Archaic. to change one's clothes.

12.
a change or transfer from one place, position, direction, person, etc., to another: a shift in the wind.
13.
a person's scheduled period of work, esp. the portion of the day scheduled as a day's work when a shop, service, office, or industry operates continuously during both the day and night:
14.
a group of workers scheduled to work during such a period:

Sift -
1.
to separate and retain the coarse parts of (flour, ashes, etc.) with a sieve.
2.
to scatter or sprinkle through or by means of a sieve: to sift sugar onto cake.
3.
to separate by or as if by a sieve.
4.
to examine closely: The detectives are still sifting the evidence.
5.
to question closely.

6.
to sift something.
7.
to pass or fall through or as if through a sieve.
Synonyms:
sort, scrutinize, inspect, search, probe.

Shake -
1.
to move or sway with short, quick, irregular vibratory movements.
2.
to tremble with emotion, cold, etc.
3.
to become dislodged and fall (usually fol. by off or down): Sand shakes off easily.
4.
to move something, or its support or container, briskly to and fro or up and down, as in mixing: Shake before using.
5.
to totter; become unsteady.
6.
to clasp another's hand in greeting, agreement, congratulations, etc.: Let's shake and be friends again.
–verb (used with object)
8.
to move (something or its support or container) to and fro or up and down with short, quick, forcible movements: to shake a bottle of milk.
9.
to brandish or flourish: to shake a stick at someone.
10.
to grasp (someone or something) firmly in an attempt to move or rouse by, or as by, vigorous movement to and fro: We shook the tree.
11.
to dislodge or dispense (something) by short, quick, forcible movements of its support or container: We shook nuts from the tree.
12.
to cause to sway, rock, totter, etc.: to shake the very foundations of society.
13.
to agitate or disturb profoundly in feeling: The experience shook him badly.
14.
to cause to doubt or waver; weaken. to shake one's self-esteem.

17.
to get rid of; elude: They tried to shake their pursuers.
–noun
18.
an act or instance of shaking, rocking, swaying, etc.
19.
tremulous motion.
20.
a tremor.
21.
shakes, (used with a singular verb) Informal. a state or spell of trembling, as caused by fear, fever, cold, etc. (usually prec. by the).
22.
a disturbing blow; shock.


24.
the act or a manner of clasping another's hand in greeting, agreement, etc.: He has a strong shake.

27.
something resulting from shaking.
28.
an earthquake.
29.
a fissure in the earth.
30.
an internal crack or fissure in timber.

32.
an instant: I'll be with you in a shake.

—Verb phrases
38.
shake down,
a.
to cause to descend by shaking; bring down.
b.
to cause to settle.
c.
to condition; test: to shake down a ship.
d.
Informal. to extort money from.

39.
a.
to rid oneself of; reject.
b.
to get away from; leave behind.


40.
shake up,
a.
to shake in order to mix or loosen.
b.
to upset; jar.
c.
to agitate mentally or physically: The threat of attack has shaken up the entire country.

42.
a.
to hurry up; get a move on: You'd better shake a leg or we'll miss the first act.
b.
to dance.
43.
shake hands. hand (def. 77).
44.
shake one's head,
a.
to indicate disapproval, disagreement, negation, or uncertainty by turning one's head from one side to the other and back:
b.
to indicate approval, agreement, affirmation or acceptance by nodding one's head up and down.
45.
shake the dust from one's feet. dust (def. 25).
46.
a very short time; a moment.

Related forms:
shak⋅a⋅ble, shake⋅a⋅ble, adjective

Synonyms:
1. oscillate, waver. Shake, quiver, tremble, vibrate refer to an agitated movement that, in living things, is often involuntary. To shake is to agitate more or less quickly, abruptly, and often unevenly so as to disturb the poise, stability, or equilibrium of a person or thing: a pole shaking under his weight. To quiver is to exhibit a slight vibratory motion such as that resulting from disturbed or irregular (surface) tension: The surface of the pool quivered in the breeze. To tremble (used more often of a person) is to be agitated by intermittent, involuntary movements of the muscles, much like shivering and caused by fear, cold, weakness, great emotion, etc.: Even stout hearts tremble with dismay. To vibrate is to exhibit a rapid, rhythmical motion: A violin string vibrates when a bow is drawn across it. 2. shudder, shiver. 14. daunt.

Break - 1. An opening made by fracture or disruption.
2. An interruption of continuity; change of direction; as, a break in a wall; a break in the deck of a ship. Specifically: (a) (Arch.) A projection or recess from the face of a building. (b) (Elec.) An opening or displacement in the circuit, interrupting the electrical current.
3. An interruption; a pause; as, a break in friendship; a break in the conversation.
4. An interruption in continuity in writing or printing, as where there is an omission, an unfilled line, etc.
All modern trash is Set forth with numerous breaks and dashes. --Swift.
5. The first appearing, as of light in the morning; the dawn; as, the break of day; the break of dawn.
Related Words for : break
interrupt, interruption, good luck, happy chance, come apart

So I said this was gonna be a quick study so I'm gonna wrap this up REAL fast for real!!!

I defined the words, shift, sift, shake, and break for a SPECIFIC reason... I want you to identify what the Most High is doing in this season WITH ALL OF US.
Are you feeling or experiencing a SHIFT (transfer of location or thought from one place to another *ref Acts 8:39, 40*, systematic change, changes in direction *ref Acts 9: 1-22*, a change in gears to allow you to move faster or slower, a change even in how you present yourself in apparel; Or maybe a revelation of a defined season or SHIFT of scheduled work time with a specific group of people *ref. Matthew 9:37, 38*)???

Are you experiencing a SIFT (A separation of rough parts of you; a refining of you so the best parts of you can be brought forward and used; A close examining or questioning of things in your life right now *ref Luke 22: 31,32 and Exodus 27: 20*)???

Are you sensing a SHAKE ( Quick, irregular movements, trembling or unsteadiness; a joining of hands in agreement; a casting off, ridding of or eluding of things *ref. Psalms 37: 23-28*; An arousal of doubt or weakening in mindsets even in one's self *I Corinthians 13: 11,12*)???

Are you sensing a BREAK (An interruption especially in continuity; An experience with the first sight of LIGHT, as in the dawn of a new day *ref John 8: 1-12*)???

Consider these thoughts:

1)God is calling a lot of us forward in this season to do some great things. God sees opportunities to bless us all in magnificent ways. HE is examining what we do with the things we treat as insignificant, small in number or size, the things we take for granted. WHY??? Because what we do with the few, the small, the insignificant, will determine what HE does with us in abundance. “WELL DONE, good and faithful servant!!!You've been faithful over a few things, Now I'll make you ruler or responsible for many things. Enter into the JOY of you master.”

2)To do these great things for HIS purpose, some things about us MUST change and change QUICKLY!!! God needs to be shifted, sifted, broken and shaken of the things we have used as a smoke screen to manipulate the minds of people around the world, and even across the street, or next door into believing this dogmatic thinking we have about HIM. OUR DOGMA DOESN'T MATTER!!! What about the word?!?!?! Let the Word of God do the speaking. Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass will wither and the flowers will fade, but the WORD of GOD will stand forever.” Can we change our thinking? YES!!! Can we change our ways? YES!!!

3)We must not be afraid!!! Understand this; The enemy is going to get mad and get busy trying to dismantle all efforts on our part to step boldly into what God has purposed in us... BELIEVE ME I'M A WITNESS EVEN NOW!!! People will judge you, say all manner of things about you, try to scandalize and discredit you, call you stone cold crazy, and even try to DE-RAIL you (another piece by that title is coming BTW). But Paul says in II Timothy 1:7 God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of POWER, LOVE, and SELF-CONTROL.

In closing, Let us walk boldly into purpose, into destiny, into revolution, into HIS presence!!! I'm praying for every person that reads this writing that you will search for God relentlessly. There are circumstances all around us that we are allowing to define who we are instead of seeking identity in the Most High who created us. For my brothers and sisters whose lives are in the balance even now, I'm praying that God reveals Himself to you personally, and that you walk out an amazing purpose and seek to go deeper and grow deeper in your relationship with HIM. Don't let the past, other people's opinions, or even your twisted opinions define you. (“Seek God First and His righteousness, and ALL things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33)
It Is NOT A GAME!!! Even in what everyone else has called a mistake in your life, I want you to know that God is investing in you right now, whether you think it's little or much!!!Be FAITHFUL over whatever it is!!! Because God is preparing us to do some magnificent things in a rapid wave of manifestation. Can we get it going PLEASE? You know what family? The beauty of this epiphany is that we all have our own faithful few obligations or assignments from God, they may or may not be the same exact thing. IF we are ALL bold enough to be faithful enough over our own few, then God's total purpose is served... I LIKE THAT!!! So take care of yours, and I'll take care of mine... BRILLIANT!!! If you are out there and you know that you need a new start with God, you call out to HIM right now.... HE wants to save you, HE wants a relationship with you, HE wants to put in you all the things HE purposed for you.

Simply say God, I need you right now!!! Please come and change me from the inside out!!! Forgive Me, Save Me, I Believe you lived and died for me, and I confess that YOU are my personal access to salvation. Anything in me, anything on me, anything around me that is not like you, Shift me, Sift me, Shake me, Break me and remove it from me so that I can live for you. I thank you for accepting me. I'll NEVER be the same!!!

AMEN!!!

If it's you reading right now who has known God, but let life get to you, let people get to you, let your past get to you and you've walked away from the path where God met you, all you have to do right now is say this...

God, I confess that I've done wrong and want to pick up where we left off... Please forgive me and take me back. I'm sorry for the wrong I've done. Shift my thinking, sift me so that the best of me will be used to your Glory, shake loose the shackles that have bound me and kept me from your presence, break me of all the mindsets, intentions, and actions that do not represent you. I thank you for you forgiveness and your healing!!!

AMEN!!!


Love Y'all

Joseph

Please send any questions, comments, and/or prayer requests to mybrothasays@gmail.com

For more information on Teen Moms/Nashville Youth For Christ Program, please contact Shellie R. Warren at shellie@nashvilleyfc.org or 615-290-9905