TELL YOUR UNTOLD STORY

ANGELOU 3

Remember This:  Your story is just that -your story.  Tell your UNTOLD Story -the story you have kept silent for months or even years, the other side of the story that has made those you once respected separate themselves from you.

Let their jaws drop open to the floor, and let them realize they were wrong about you.  Let them realize you have a mind of your own, that you know more than you say, that you observe more than you let on, that you don’t need their approval, and that they cannot imprison you by what they say about you or by what actions they take against you.  Let them realize they are not the reason for your success or for the better choices you have made for you and for your life.

BROKEN 2


If no one is encouraging you, then let me encourage you today; Free yourself up, and let it all hang out.

Much Love To You All, L.A. Knowles


Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.” -King David

My Dwelling Place

DWELLING 1

In Christ, we find rest, a place of quietness, where we can commune with Him.

Christ gave an invitation and command when He said Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

There is no one like Jesus.  He is the First and the Last (Revelation 1:17), the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22:13), the Alpha and the Omega (Revelation 22:13), The Great Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20), The Rock (1 Corinthians 10:4, 1 Peter 2:4), the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9, 7:22; Psalm 90:2, Revelation 1:14-15), Redeemer (Luke 1:68, Colossians 1:13-14), Savior (Luke 1:47, Ephesians 1:7), Friend (John 15:15).  Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20, 1 Peter 2:6), Deliverer (1 Timothy 2:3), and is the One Who Calms the Seas (Mark 4:35-41), the One Who Can Be Fully Trusted (Luke 12:22-28).  He is the Living Word (John 1:14), the Faithful and True Witness (Revelation 3:14), and is King of kings, Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16); He is the Great I Am (John 8:58).  He is Emmanuel God With Us (Matthew 1:23), Mighty God (John 20:28), Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6), and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6);  He is All in All (John 4:24, 6:35; 1 Corinthians 8:6, 15:28).

His perfect love expels all fear (1 John 4:18) because He has not given us a spirit of fear but of love and of power and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).  Christ bears our sorrows (1 Peter 2:24), our illnesses (Matthew 8:17), and our problems (1 Peter 5:7, Philippians 4:6-7).  He takes joy with us when we experience good times (Zephaniah 3:17).  He is our Cleft in the Rock when trouble comes (1 Kings 19:9-18, Psalm 91:1).

Christ was the perfect sacrifice (1 John 2:2), the Lamb of God who was slain at Calvary (John 1:29), risen from the dead (Luke 24:1-12, 1 Corinthians 15:20).  He is Victorious… (1 Corinthians 15:57), conquered Death (Romans 6:9, Hebrews 2:14)), Hell (Revelation 6:8), and the grave (1 Corinthians 15:54-55), and HE IS ALIVE (Luke 24:5)!  He is the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25), The Living One (Revelation 2:8), and He Who holds the keys of hell and death (Revelation 1:18).

How can we not praise Him?  He is our Burden Bearer (Matthew 11:28-30), Yokebreaker (John 8:34-36), and is the Giver of Joy (Romans 5:1-5).  He is our Guide, our Hope (Titus 2:13), our Blessed Assurance (1 John 5:13).  Because He is the Truth, He sets us free (John 8:31-32).  Shouldn’t the fruit of our lips be praise and thanksgiving to Him?  He is the One Who Reigns on High (1 Timothy 6:16, Revelation 11:15), sits at the Right Hand of the Father (Mark 16:19, Luke 22:69), and has given us all we need to sustain us (2 Corinthians 12:9, 2 Peter 1:3).

Sing out in praise and glorify His name.  The Lord has done much for us, and He is worthy of all glory, all honor, and all praise;  And He, The Lord, is our banner, and His banner over us is love.

SONG OF SOLOMON 2

 

 

 

 

 

Living Life Out Loud & Not Behind A Mask

LIVE 1

I have found it better to live life out loud because I have found when you conceal everything about yourself rather than letting others get to know you, you will never allow yourself to be held accountable.  Accountability and taking responsibility are part of life.  Concealing your struggles and pretending you’re a picture-perfect person will never allow you to heal.  When wounds are exposed, those wounds can be cleansed and then can heal… and in this life, I have quickly learned one thing:  There are only very few I will allow myself to be accountable to and allow myself to receive Godly counsel from.  I don’t just let anyone speak into my life.

MASK 1*Remember thisIf you decide to wear a mask, you will only be able to wear it so long before (1) your mask begins to fall off, (2) before your mask shows who you are little by little slowly slipping off(3) before your mask completely falls off, or (4) before someone strips the mask off your face for you.  Free yourself up, and take off the mask.  At least if you take off the mask, you won’t have to worry about someone stripping it off for you.  When you strip the mask yourself, it’s on your terms, not on someone else’s terms.  Be genuine because it’s okay for you to be yourself.  The right people will come along who will accept you just as you are, flaws and all…

 

Much Love To You All,

L.A. Knowles

ZACCHAEUS DID WHAT HE HAD TO

“He entered Jericho and was passing through.  And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich.  And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature.  So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.’  So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.  And when they saw it, they all grumbled, ‘He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.’  And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, ‘Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.’  And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.'” (Luke 19:1-10)

REPENTANCE 8

Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, and he did whatever he had to in order to see Jesus.  In his case, he ran ahead and climbed a tree because Jesus was soon to pass by that way.  Jesus took notice of Zacchaeus and his heart because Jesus knew the heart of man. 

WHY DID JESUS WANT TO GO TO ZACCHAEUS’ HOME?

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing.  But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.” (John 2:23-25)

No one had to tell Jesus what the heart of men was like.  He knew their thoughts and their ways.  While no one else sees the heart of another, Jesus did and still does.  Our Savior didn’t need to be told, and even in Jeremiah, the prophet noted what the heart of man is like: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”  BUT Jesus knew Zacchaeus’ heart, and Jesus called out to Zacchaeus who was in the tree.  Zacchaeus HEARD JESUS CALL HIS NAMEPROMPTLY OBEYED JESUS, QUICKLY CAME DOWN FROM THE TREE and RECEIVED JESUS JOYFULLY because Jesus was coming to his house.  Zacchaeus wanted to hear what Jesus had to say and responded to Jesus’ message.  Note these words of the passage, So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.”  Zacchaeus RECEIVED Jesus joyfully.  Because the message of Jesus made a difference in Zacchaeus’ life, we can see the result of Zacchaeus’ changed life and his repentance.  It took an act of genuine repentance on Zacchaeus’ part.  Zacchaeus not only received Jesus, he also turned from his wicked ways, made restitution giving back more than he took in cheating people, and had a change of thinking.  In that act of repentance and in the act of Zacchaeus changing his wicked ways, Jesus brought salvation to Zacchaeus and his household.  The evidence of Zacchaeus being saved was demonstrated.  How you live before God matters.

REPENTANCE 7Claiming to have a relationship with Christ is more than words.  Having a relationship with Christ means daily communing with Him, and loving Christ means obeying His commands, being faithful and loyal to Him no matter what the cost.  Having a relationship with Christ means having a heart of contrition and repentance, receiving Jesus and His message, turning from your wicked ways, and changing the way you think so that your thoughts are aligned with God’s thoughts.  Having a relationship with Christ is about laying down your will and your ways and walking in the ways of God, following the example Christ has set for you.  Having a relationship with Christ means laying down your life for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, concerning yourself with mercy and justice and faithfulness, and walking humbly before Him.  Saying you follow Christ without your life matching your words means nothing.

While you have breath there is a chance for repentance, changing your ways, and changing the way you think.  Take an example from Zacchaeus and his attitude before Jesus.  Zacchaeus didn’t just speak words of contrition.  His words of contrition were backed up by his actions, changing his ways and turning from his wickedness, gladly receiving the message of Christ.

“Then Jesus called the crowd to Him along with His disciples, and He told them, ‘If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it.  What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father’s glory with the holy angels.’” (Mark 8:34-38)

REPENTANCE 2One day each individual will have to stand before the God the Creator of all things, and each will be called into account for every idle word spoken and every action taken.   So what will you do with what you know about Jesus?  Who do you say Jesus is?  Will you accept or reject Him?  What you do with Christ is a matter of spiritual life and death, and what you do with Christ will determine where you will spend life after death.  Don’t miss out on eternity with God by rejecting the only means of salvation God provided through His Son Jesus Christ.  Choose life with Christ.  Living a life truly sold out in devotion to Christ is worth it.

Much Love To You All,

L.A. Knowles

 

 

 

The Secret Heart

“Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.” -Psalm 51:6 (ESV)

HEART 3I have fallen in love with this verse because it showed me something I genuinely believe in.  GOD IS TRUTH, AND HE DELIGHTS IN HONESTY BEFORE HIM.  To pour ourselves out before GOD is to come before Him humbly, to come before Him with a heart open ready to hear His voice and really listen to Him, to come before Him with our minds set on Him, to really think about what GOD desires and what He would have us to do, to worship and adore Him “in spirit and in truth.”

Being able to come to God in prayer is a wonderful privilege given to us by Our Creator, and even knowing what we are capable of, He still desires to commune with us.

There is no better place to be than in the presence and in the arms of the Most High God, to be there fully, with our entire being before Him.  One of my favorite examples of this is the woman with the alabaster jar.  She fell at the feet Jesus worshiping Him, and it didn’t matter who or what was surrounding her.  She poured herself out before Christ, and she gave all she had in worship to Him.

Personally, when I ask GOD to restore or renew me, I am reminded of this verse found in Isaiah 30:15, “For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength…'”  Those words of that verse have become part of me because I know I find rest and salvation in repentance, and in “quiet confidence” is where I find strength…

And in that place where I meet with Him, I can break open my alabaster box to let Him see all that is there, a place I know that is safe and where I can find healing and restoration and where mercy is granted, grace poured out, joy beyond measure, and more hope found.

And in the “secret heart” that is where God will teach us wisdom and understanding, that place from where emotions, actions, words flow out.  GOD gives wisdom to all who ask, and GOD does so generously.

Let Him teach you wisdom in the secret heart.  Let Him breathe life into you, and restore what is broken, heal what needs mending, and let Him give you times of refreshing through your genuine repentance and quiet confidence.

It is truly worth it all.

Much Love To You All,

L.A. Knowles

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” -Matthew 11:28-30

Temptation

TEMPTATION 3

I wish people would stop putting themselves in temptation’s path.  It’s bad enough that temptation will find you, but why make it easy for the temptation to try to take hold by stepping in front of it?  It is one thing if the temptation comes to you, but to willingly throw yourself in its path is just foolish;  that would be like stepping into oncoming traffic expecting not to get run over.  Why give yourself the opportunity to find out whether or not you can handle it?  Why give yourself the opportunity to fail?

Let me just make one thing very, very clear:  BEING TEMPTED IS NOT A SIN.  The sin is when you take temptation’s bait and then commit the sinful act.

“…BUT I’M STRONG I CAN HANDLE IT”

When I have heard people make this statement, “…But I’m strong.  I can handle it,” I cringe EVERY single time.  For me, personally, I know that if I come to the point of saying “I can handle it” that’s when I know I cannot handle it and usually means to slow down, get a grip, and know the only reason I’m able to take anything on IS BECAUSE OF GOD’S MERCY AND GRACE.  I’m reminded pride comes before destruction and haughtiness before the fall.  For any of us to think we are standing strong is when we need to be careful, and to think we cannot fall is faulty thinking.

What are you entertaining?   The Scripture says in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”  That means, Folks, we can bring our thoughts under control.  We do not have to entertain sinful thoughts.  If sin actually showed itself to us in its actual appearance, rather than dressing itself up deliciously tantalizing, we would run clear in the other direction.

I can only speak for myself so I will.  Back in the middle of March of 2017, God had spoken to me about certain shows that were absolutely off limits and that He no longer wanted me to watch.  In keeping with honesty, my response to God was not one of enthusiasm, and it sort of went like, “Okay, God.”  The shows weren’t helpful nor were they beneficial, and most definitely, the shows would not help me at all in my spiritual growth, so television is never on during the day except at night to watch a family show.  I was confronted by God who gave me a command, and I chose obedience.  HOWEVER, I NOTICED WHEN I TOOK THE FIRST STEP OF OBEDIENCE, God removed any desire I had for those shows I previously watched.

It is amazing how God will fill you with the strength you need to carry out whatever command He has given you.  He knows when you are ready, and He knows exactly how to get your attention.  He deals with you on the level you are at.  Just as God dealt with me, He can deal with you.  He can reach you right where you are at your point of need.

In 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, it states, We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do.  We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.  We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.”

Do you struggle with temptation or a particular sin?  Then you need to ask yourself what you’re entertaining.  Whatever it is you are putting into your mind will affect you if not soon then later.

Do you want to draw closer to God?  Any show you watch that is not pleasing to God is definitely not going to be beneficial to your spiritual growth;  if anything, whatever you are taking through your ears and eyes,  may stop you from progressing in God and eventually finding yourself off to the wayside and/or separated from Him.  Your thoughts will not align with God’s thoughts unless you are spending time in the Word of God.

It is of great importance to read the Bible in order to have a storehouse of Scripture in your mind to combat carnal thoughts.  The Psalmist declared, “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”  For each carnal thought you have that opposes God and His Word, there is a biblical truth to combat each one.

Have you been rejecting the prompting of the Holy Spirit?  Do NOT say God has not spoken to you nor complain that He is silent when you haven’t opened your Bible to study or read it and if you are resisting the prompting and conviction of the Holy Spirit, and in Romans 8:12-14, it clearly states, Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.  For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

Will you choose to obey God and be led by the Holy Spirit, or will you live by your sinful nature and its dictates?

Choose you this day whom will you serve.

Much Love To You All,

L.A. Knowles

2018!

2018


HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!


I hope your year is filled with joy,

and may you be blessed

beyond your wildest imagination!


Much Love To You All,

L.A. Knowles

 

MAKE A CHOICE BECAUSE TIME IS SHORT

THE FAVORABLE SIDE: Surrendering yourself to God and being set ablaze for Him will bring you into a glorious relationship with Him which will have you stepping into the destiny, the future, He has for you; in that, you will find His grace being poured out upon your life, finding His grace is sufficient, and His grace being your shield and covering. It is on the Favorable Side that you will find yourself walking in His grace and mercy and enjoying the blessings of God (Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 5:33; Joshua 1:8; 1 Kings 2:3; Proverbs 10:17; John 15:14; Acts 5:32; Romans 2:7, 12:11; James 1:25; 2 John 1:6).

THE UNFAVORABLE SIDE: Complacency will make you stay stuck in neutral. Compromise will eventually drag you back into the muck and mire. Lukewarmness will get you spit out of the mouth of God, and coldness toward God will speed you into the depths of Hell. It is on the Unfavorable Side, you will find spiritual death, the enslavement to a life of sin, and absolutely no blessings for a life of disobedience (Matthew 5:13, 6:24, 16:26; James 3:10-12, 4:4; Romans 13:14; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Galatians 1:6-7; Revelation 3:14-22).

QUESTION TO ASK ONESELF: Which side do you want to be on? Choose you this day whom will you serve: A. God the Creator of the Heavens and Earth or B. Satan the father of lies.

 

DEUTERONOMY ch30vs19-20

 

 

From Common and Ordinary

Burning bush

And then this happened:

“When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’  Then he said, ‘Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’  And he said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.” -Exodus 3:4-6

Oh, I would have loved to have been there for this event.  Why was the ground holy?  The ground was common and ordinary.  There were no special qualities or elements in the ground.  However, that ground became holy ground for one reason and one reason only:  THE PRESENCE OF THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB.

Just take a moment to think about that.

From common and ordinary ground to holy ground in an instant.  The presence of God, His glory, and from the inside of the burning bush, the voice of God calls out to Moses, calling him by name, and giving him a command not to come any closer.  God didn’t just command him “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet,” but God also gave Moses the reason why “for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” -Romans 8:11

The day you came to know God you went from being common and ordinary to holy and extraordinary because the presence of the Almighty God lives in you.  Never forget you have been destined for greatness with a calling on your life to do great exploits.  You are NOT ordinary.  You are NOT common.  You are a Child of the King, and no one can take that away from you.  You are the temple of the Holy Spirit, set apart, and being made holy as you are being perfected day after day.  Let no one take that away from you.

“Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” -2 Timothy 1:14

 

Much Love To You All,

L.A. Knowles

 

 

 

2018 BRING IT ON

PSALM 18VS2

 

And Wow, Yeah, 2017 has been an incredibly awesome year in experiencing the preservation and deliverance of God in my own life, and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for 2018.

With the New Year around the corner, it was time for me to seek out verses as a reminder of what I should always seek God for, a command to always keep at the forefront of my mind, and one that gives me a focal point for praise and worship.  

Here are my theme verses for 2018-


MY LIFE VERSE THEME FOR 2018: 


“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fulness of joy;  at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Psalm 16:11

 


MY PRAYER LIFE THEME FOR 2018:


“This is what the LORD says:  ‘Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls…'”

Jeremiah 6:16

 


MY LIFE OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP THEME FOR 2018


“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;

I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

 

When my enemies turn back,
they stumble and perish before your presence.

For you have maintained my just cause;
you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.

 

You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish;
you have blotted out their name forever and ever.

The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins;
their cities you rooted out;
the very memory of them has perished.

 

But the Lord sits enthroned forever;
he has established his throne for justice,
and he judges the world with righteousness;
he judges the peoples with uprightness.

 

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.

And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

 

Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion!

Tell among the peoples his deeds!

For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

 

Be gracious to me, O Lord!

See my affliction from those who hate me,
O you who lift me up from the gates of death,
that I may recount all your praises,
that in the gates of the daughter of Zion
I may rejoice in your salvation.

 

The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.

The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment;
the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.

Selah

 

The wicked shall return to Sheol,
all the nations that forget God.

 

For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.

 

Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail;
let the nations be judged before you!

Put them in fear, O Lord!

Let the nations know that they are but men!”

PSALM 9:1-20

May 2018 be a wonderful year for all my neighbors around the globe, and may all of you be abundantly blessed in the new year to come!

 

Much Love To You All,

L.A. Knowles

Thank You For Never Letting Me Go

cropped-immanuel-2.jpg

There is no better place that I have found than to be in the arms of the Eternal God and Savior.  He is unchanging, everlasting, the First and the Last, and He is Yahweh Shammah, The Lord Is There.  

May you be filled with joy and peace in this season and beyond.

Much Love To You All,

L.A. Knowles

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”

-Isaiah 43:2

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

-Joshua 1:9

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

-Isaiah 41:10

“You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.”

-Psalm 119:114

 

 

 

You, O LORD, are worthy of all honor, glory, and praise.

Thank you for never letting me go.

 

 

 

 

 

The GOD Over All Carries You

ISAIAH 49vs1516

By HIS love and HIS grace which is all-sufficient, you are sustained and you are engraved in the palm of HIS hand. He has not forgotten you. Behold your GOD who is mighty. HIS recompense is before HIM. HE, as a loving Shepherd, tends to HIS flock, and HE is carrying you.

“Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’ Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” -Isaiah 40:9-11