Monday, December 26, 2016

My Confession


I turned 53 years old in August.  I get so jealous when I see young people who are half my age, going forth on the platform preaching.  The Lord has kept me waiting in the shadows all this time, but allow these young people with much less experience, to stand behind the podium – and it don’t seem right.  Perhaps it is my jealousy that is keeping me from progressing. Perhaps they passed the lesson on humility, where I did not.

I have been studying the Holy Bible for 17 years, knowing there is a calling, but I watch novices going forth instead of me.  I really should just be happy the gospel is being preached, whether I am preaching it or not, or whether there are only 3 people in my Sunday School class, or 300.  Perhaps my jealousy is the blessing blocker and when I can find it in my heart to be happy for others, doors may begin to open for me.

Jeremiah said when he tried not to speak anymore in the name of the Lord, His word was in his heart like fire shut up in his bones and he was weary of holding it back.  Jeremiah could not do it any longer.  I know what that feels like.  Yet here I sit upon a shelf, till my season shall finally come.

But don’t feel sorry for me.  I confess my sin, only to shame the devil.  The apostle Paul said “I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake.” (2 Cor. 12:10).

Don’t get me wrong, I love the Lord with all my heart, even though my understanding is unfruitful.  I will stand upon my watch and continue to study His word, till my season shall finally come.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Cor. 15:58)


Go in peace... and keep on keeping on.

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

All Lives Matter To God


All lives matter to God
whether we are:

light-skinned or dark-skinned
pale or colored
Jew or Gentile
fat or skinny
short or tall
gay or straight
disabled or healthy
rich or poor
settled or homeless
single or married
pretty or ugly
unknown or famous
outgoing or reclusive
successful or unfortunate
friend or foe

And if all lives matter to God,

then all lives matter to me.

1 John 4:7-8  Beloved, let us love one another,
for love is from God, and whoever loves
has been born of God and knows God.
Anyone who does not love
does not know God,
because God is love.


There are no second class citizens in heaven.

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Strong Headwinds


There is a strong headwind coming against me trying to hold me back.  But it cannot defeat me because my God is able to make all grace abound toward me, so that I always have all sufficiency, in every situation, to do my job with absolute excellence, and come out on top.

I am not the victim here, but I am the victor, and not just getting by, but more than a conqueror.  Every foe is defeated!


Every stumbling block is eliminated as I continually move forward making progress.  I will not be driven backwards, I will be thrust forward, because my God is behind me and He is greater than headwinds.


With God, all things are possible.  I am the head and not the tail, above only and not beneath.  And thanks be to my God, who always gives Dee Richardson the victory in every battle, through the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (I John 4:4)

Go in peace.

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Calling Things That Be Not As Though They Were

It is taught in the church that we have to say positive words out of our mouths or else things don't come to pass. And that is biblical, but I don't believe that it is complete.

The prophet Ezekiel was told by God to prophesy the word of the Lord to the dry bones and they would live again. Also, Proverbs 18:21 says death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruit (for death or life).

James said in his epistle that the tongue is like a ship's rudder that guides the ship in it's directions. It's like the bit in a horse's mouth that leads him about where the rider wants to go.

But the tongue by itself does not make dreams come true. Repeating mantras and confessions over and over everyday does not cause things to come to pass. If I am diagnosed with a disease, telling a lie that I am not sick is not the same as calling those things which be not as though they were.

Romans 4:17 says GOD calls those things which do not exist as though they did exist. God said to Abraham, "I have made you a father of many nations." This was before Abraham had any children at all. God is the Beginning and the End (at the same time). That means He is not just in our past and present. He is also in our future waiting for us to catch up.

God called that thing as though it existed, because to God it did exist. Abraham's part was to BELIEVE.

Our part is to BELIEVE!

Repeating mantras and confessions (on it's own) does not make something that does not exist, come into existence. Believing will. Now faith does.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of unseen things. Heb. 11:1
The word is near you, in your mouth AND in your heart. If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus AND believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness AND with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:8-10).

So anytime we confess a thing, we must also believe it in our hearts, otherwise its just empty words.

Jesus taught that many will say to Him on the day of judgment that they performed many miracles in His name and cast out demons and called Him Lord, Lord. But He will say to them, "I never knew you." Because salvation was not in their hearts, it was only their confession. The miracles that they were performing was because the name of Christ Jesus is just that powerful. Not because they believed in Him.

When Jesus was teaching about moving mountains into the sea, He said that if one speaks to the mountain AND does not doubt in his heart AND believes that those things he says will be done, then he will have whatever he says (Mark 11:23). Screaming at mountains is useless if the screamer has any doubts about what he is screaming.

We must have faith in God (Mark 11:22).

So... if I am sick, I do not have to lie and say that I am not sick in order to be healed. I simply have to believe that God is bigger than the sickness. God is bigger than the problems I am facing. God is bigger than the battles I am fighting.

QUESTION: How then shall they believe (Rom. 10:14)
ANSWER: Faith comes by hearing, AND hearing comes by the word of God (Rom. 10:17).

It is a mustard seed that is sown in the heart and continually grows.

A parable that Jesus told His disciples:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”  (Matthew 13:31-32)
So if you want to be healed from sickness and disease, read and study in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, where Jesus healed so many of His followers. Your faith will grow and you will believe in your heart that He will also heal you.

Now, I am not denying the "Speak It Before You See It" doctrine, I am simply saying that it is not enough. We must also BELIEVE in order to see it come to pass.


Go in peace.

Sunday, October 16, 2016

The Evil Boll Weevil

Weevil on a Cotton Boll
Once upon a time there were two sons, Shame and Disgrace, who tried to take over their father's cotton farm. The cotton field was about to harvest and the stalks were tall and full of bolls ready for harvesting. Disgrace came up with the scheme and talked Shame into carrying it out.

Three times Shame went over to check out the field. He was going to take the money from the sale of his father's cotton for himself. The first two times the field looked great and Shame was very pleased. This would afford him enough money to last the winter months. 

Meanwhile, prayers were sent to heaven concerning the hostile take-over. The third time Shame went to check out the cotton field, he was shocked to find that a swarm of boll weevils had taken over the entire crop and most of the bolls had fallen on the ground. What was poised to be a bountiful harvest was almost totally wiped out. Miraculously, there was not found, one boll weevil in the neighbor's cotton field next door.

Disgrace also had a farm with a bountiful cotton field and was poised to have a good yield as well, but because he came up with the scheme, boll weevils swarmed in and destroyed his field also. His cotton farm was separated from his neighbor's cotton field by only a wire fence, but the weevils did not touch his neighbor's cotton field, they only destroyed his own.

This is a true story, only the brothers' names were changed for anonymity.


* * * * * * *

2 Chronicles 20:17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you.



Go in peace.

Saturday, October 15, 2016

On Whose Terms?

I am struggling in my relationship with the Lord because I have gone through a series of disappointments, one after another. The problem with serving the Lord, is that He is a Spirit. We can't meet up with Him at Starbucks and sit down for a face-to-face over coffee. We live out our lives by FAITH, taking steps that we are not sure of, hoping we're on the right path. Many times, it doesn't turn out as we had expected.

I seem to have a lot of promises, prophesies and visions and not enough manifestations of them - which are giving me pause to move forward. I keep turning corners to find another dead end street. A word from the preacher or a song on the radio says it is just around the corner, but it rarely is. From year to year we wait to see our desires come to pass, but the years keep passing by.

I know that I love the Lord with all my heart, but what if He NEVER comes through with all the things I'm expecting? Will I love that Lord even then? Is my relationship with Him hinging on whether or not He fulfills all my wishes, desires and dreams?

On the Mount of Olives, Jesus prayed in agony, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will but Yours be done." The Father did not remove the cup but Jesus had to drink from it anyways.  But what He did do was strengthen Jesus for the journey. Jesus said in John 4:34, "My food is to do the will of God who sent Me, and to finish His work.

Maybe the struggle I'm having is that I'm trying to push through my agenda and it doesn't seem to be what God wants for me at this time.  I have to turn my thoughts and desires toward what God's will is and serve Him on His terms. There in lies peace and rest for my weary mind and spirit.  Jesus said in John 5:30, "I do not seek My own will, but the will of the Father who sent Me."




Heavenly Father,
What is Your will for me?  Reveal to me what it is and give me the wisdom, the will and the do to pull it off.  I know You see my struggle and my inner wrestling.  I don't know whether to go left or right, and past disappointments are taunting me, keeping me up nights.  Speak Lord and give me guidance. Let me know what Your will is, then I will know what is expected of me. Do not let me flee to Tarshish, if Nineveh is Your desired plan, as the prophet Jonah did.  Help me with this! Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and let there be a time of singing and dancing with my tambourine, as the prophetess Miriam did.  Lord I concede that this is Your operation and Your terms and conditions by which I operate.  I am just Your unprofitable servant, doing what is my duty to do.  All I ask is that You let me know what Your will is, and I'll be the one to make sure that its carried out.  Set me on a clear path to victory because You always cause me to triumph.  In my Savior Jesus' name I pray.  Amen.

Tuesday, August 02, 2016

Stand Out From The Crowd

I said, "Father, I feel like I'm always sticking out like a sore thumb." His reply, "That's because you're designed to stick out like a sore thumb. A city that sits up on a hill cannot be hidden." We are called to stand out.

Thursday, July 28, 2016

GOD SEES OUR EFFORTS

Revelation 3:8 (NKJV) "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name."

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

A Good Understanding Makes All The Difference


Proverbs 4:7 NKJV Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.

Sunday, July 10, 2016

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must keep praying until the answer comes and not become discouraged.

“There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And the judge would not for a while; but finally he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’” Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
(Luke 18:1-8)

The widow in Jesus' parable was experiencing injustice from an adversary in the city where she lived. Sometimes the adversary can be someone in your family, on your job or right among the congregation where you worship. But he was close enough to her to be giving her a hard time on a regular basis.

Injustice comes in many forms... Racism. Repression. Radicalization.

She kept coming to the judge who was supposed to be a servant of the people, but he only had regard for his position and those that supported his position. But this widow knew that the judge was the one who could help her and she did not give up pleading for justice which he was sworn to uphold.

The judge ignored her - he had no compassion for her situation, but she kept coming. She came to the court house, she waited outside his house in the morning, she followed him home in the evening until she finally wore him down and he gave her justice.

Jesus told this parable to His disciples because He knew there would be an enemy coming against them to distract them from God's work... giving them (and us) a hard time to cause us to give up on what God has called us to do.

Sometimes the thing we are praying so fervently about seems to never begin to manifest. Finally we stop believing for it in the process of time. But Jesus asked if He would find us in faith if He does not come immediately or if we have to wait a long time.

Our ability to endure is proof of how rooted we are in Christ. Jesus said the Word (or seed) that is sown in us endures only for a while, and the person soon stumbles because of tribulation and persecution. But the heart that is rooted and grounded is immovable like a tree planted by the river whose roots are deeply and firmly planted.

So I will not be offended by the wait or give up on Him who brought me out of darkness into His marvelous light. If I must be reminded on a regular, that He certainly didn't give up on me. I love Him because He first loved me.

Lord help me to stand the test of time... to not grow weary in doing good... to not give up on You in the time of tribulation... when darkness seems to too long before the dawning. If my faith grows weary, let me have a refreshing and tie me to the horns of the altar that my sacrifice be not in vain. Help me to see You in the midst of it all and never forget that You are not slack concerning Your promises.

Saturday, July 09, 2016

Judge Not That YOU Be Not Judged

John 8:2-12 (NKJV)
Now early in the morning He (Jesus) came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. [3] Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, [4] they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. [5] Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?" [6] This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. [7] So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." [8] And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. [9] Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. [10] When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" [11] She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." [12] Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Happy Father's Day

His eye is on the sparrow and I know He is watching over me. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Be not dismayed whatever betide, God will take care of you;  beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you. If His eyes are on the sparrows then I know He is watching over me.

Monday, May 30, 2016

Me And My FAT Belly (1)

Daughter of The King
This article is my 80th posting here on Voice of the Dove, and I must confess it is the hardest, most uncomfortable, awkward and humiliating piece that I've put on the internet to date. But here it goes...

When I look in the mirror, I hate the reflection looking back at me. Particularly when I turn sideways and my fat belly extends like a woman with child. Some would say, "Well there's a very simple solution for this, get in the gym." And I agree, wholeheartedly. But it doesn't seem to be as cut and dry as that.

Even in my twenties, when I was a size 10, my stomach was bigger than I felt comfortable with. Needless to say, the figure in the mirror has wrecked my self-esteem. When I go to the mall to buy clothes, it becomes a frustrating affair. Issues with my weight go back some 30 years or more. There's got to be more to it than diet and exercise because I have yo-yo'd up and down so many times.

When I look at other overweight women with flat bellies, I get so jealous. How come it doesn't seem to effect them?

Lately, I seem to be praying about this more and more, because it is disturbing my peace of mind more than usual. I do know that God is concerned about the things that seems to be concerning us, which means that it must be on His mind as well.  The apostle Peter admonished us to cast all our care upon the Lord, for He cares for us.

I want to be delivered from this thing once and for all. No more yo-yo dieting, no more heavy sighing when I look in the mirror, and no more leaving the mall frustrated and depressed. I know strongholds can be broken.

More over, with God's help I can learn to love the me that I am right now, and see the beautiful woman that resides inside and outside of me.

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment (apostle Peter said)... instead it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. Man looks mostly at the outer appearance, but God looks at the heart. Charm can be deceitful and beauty fades away, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised (Prov. 31:30).

Mephibosheth was King Saul's grandson, but he had a dead-dog image of himself. So when King David wanted to be kind and bless him, Mephibosheth said why would he want to bless a dead-dog like me? As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. God may want to bless you and use you but He can't get past your dead-dog image of yourself. If you believe you are unattractive, no matter how beautiful you are, you'll be unattractive. I am The King's daughter, why wouldn't He want to bless me?
The children of Israel had been taught that certain animals were unclean. Under Mosiac Law, they were not to have any dealings with those animals. But as a result of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, God does not see those animals as unclean anymore.

The apostle Peter was on the rooftop praying one day and he saw a vision of a large sheet come down out of the sky tied at the four corners. Inside the sheet there were all those unclean animals that they had not been permitted to eat.

Jesus said to Peter, "Arise, kill and eat." Peter said, "No Lord I cannot eat these unclean animals." Jesus corrected Peter, "What I have cleaned up, don't you call it common or unclean."

Jesus is saying the same thing to us, "Don't you dare call what I have cleaned up common or unclean. You are fearfully and wonderfully made, a beautifully cut diamond, My masterpiece and work of art. Should the clay say to the Potter, 'Why have You made me like this?' My thoughts toward you are precious and innumerable, more than every grain of sand in the sea and on the shore. You are beautiful to Me. Don't believe the lie because I am telling you the truth. What I have cleaned up, please don't call it common. You are the crown jewel. Truth is, you are so beautiful to Me."

So, as for me and my fat belly, I will go to the gym. But if I never lose it proportionate to 36-24-36, I will pray God helps me to embrace every part because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Heavenly Father, my King...
Deliver me from trying to fashion who I am based on the world's standards. Let me look to You to be my mirror, and my master makeup artist. You created me after Your likeness therefore, let Jesus be the image in the mirror reflecting back at me. I long to have the peace that passes understanding, and no longer be wearied by what appears to be my flaws. Let Your peace rule my heart. Give me eyes to see the beauty You see and embrace truth and not lies. Make my feet like the hind's feet so I may ascend to the high places with my Savior, Christ Jesus. Amen.

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Seeking Success And Finding It

In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success. (Prov. 3:6 TLB)



The road signs to success sometimes lead astray... down a dead end road with no through access. People have written books about this stuff, giving you seven steps to follow to reach success. I am not putting them down, I am just saying there is a more excellent way.

The Lord told Joshua... "Ponder and meditate on My word day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed." (Josh. 1:8 MSG)



Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might (Eccl. 9:10a)

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men (Col. 3:23)

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matt 6:33)

You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jer. 29:13)



Go in peace.

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Blessed Assurance - Jesus is Mine All Mine


Frustrated Christian Woman
I grew up in and around the church, and like the children of Israel, had the benefit of hearing God's word - attending Sunday School and partaking of many sermons.  We were taught that you had to live a perfect life or else you run the risk of waking up in hell when you passed from this life.  So when I finally accepted Christ at the age of 36 I struggled and I struggled with the idea that I was never walking the line straight enough, and thus securing eternal life.

To make matters worse, I was hearing a lot of sermons on sin, nearly every Sunday morning. This made me very, very sin conscious and perpetuated the fear of losing my salvation in greater and greater measure... till I thought I would literally lose my mind.  I love the Lord my God, but He appeared to be an extremely hard task master. And the idea that my salvation was constantly in jeopardy, made me feel like a total loser.

One day I decided to give up trying.  What was the point?  I got down on my knees for one last word of prayer - to say good-bye and fare well to the Lord I loved.  I was done.  When I had finished my good-byes, I got up to walk away and took two steps and collapsed in a heap on the floor in breathless sobs and uncontrollable wailing... the pain in my heart was excruciating, the likes of which I had never seen before.

I could not walk away from the Lord my God. Even I, myself, could not snatch myself out of the good Lord's hands. He sent the Holy Spirit to seal us in, and we are saved.


God knew my heart, even though my struggle with the flesh and sin consciousness kept me feeling like a loser much of the time.  God knew I was sincere.  He knew I did not want to say good-bye that day.  He held me close and did not let me go.

I was at home having Bible study one day and I divinely stumbled across a Bible verse in the book of John where Jesus said, "I give them eternal life and they shall never perish."

"What you say? Never?"

"Never!"

"And I don't have to earn it?"

"No, I gave it!"

Who can fathom the love of God?  The apostle Paul prayed that all saints may comprehend the width and length and depth and height of the love of God and come to know the love which Christ has for us that far surpasses our ability to understand.  It took centuries of preparation to get Jesus down to earth and to the cross. Do you think He would just give up on you so easily?  Not happening! He does not even want one of us to perish.

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13)

Saturday, May 14, 2016

The Universe Is Not God

The universe is not God. It contains no divine qualities whatsoever. God created the universe, and He controls the universe. It is God's creation, just like you and me. The universe does not make decisions. The universe does not decide who is blessed and who is not. The universe does not decide who lives and who dies. The universe does not make good and bad happen.

Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. 1 John 2:18-19

Satan is the father of lies and he uses science and ungodly men to confuse the world and believe his lies. These are antichrists.

Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 1 John 2:22-23

If you say you believe in God... He will first introduce you to His Son. You cannot have One without the Other.

For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: "That you may be justified in your words, and may overcome when you are judged." Rom. 3:3-4

Before anything else existed, God existed. He created everything... the universe, planets, galaxies, stars, the sun, and the moon and spirits and humans - all were created by Him and for Him.

The universe was not developed by a Big Bang. That is a lie.

By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God (when He said, "Let there be"), so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. Heb. 11:3

For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things exist. Col. 1:16-17

The universe is not running things. God is running the universe.

They (who perpetuate these lies) are of the world. Therefore, they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 1 John 4:5-6

Knowing God Through Love

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7

Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in Me, Christ Jesus. Behold, I stand at the door of your heart knocking, please let Me in.

If you have a heart to know the true and living God, you will know that these words are truth, and that Jesus is stirring in your heart even now. Don't let this opportunity pass without responding to Him.

Dear Heavenly Father...
   I now believe that Jesus Christ is Your only begotten Son, that He came down to our earth in the flesh and died on the cross to take away all of my sins and the sins of this world. I believe that Jesus Christ then rose from the dead on the third day to give all of us eternal life.

Lord Jesus Christ...
   I now confess to You all of the wrong and sinful things that I have ever done in my life. I ask that You please forgive me and wash away all of my sins by the blood that You have personally shed for me on the cross. I am now ready to accept You as my personal Lord and Savior. I now ask that You come into my life and live with me for all of eternity.
   Father and Jesus – I now believe that I am truly saved and born again.
   Thank You Father.   Thank You Jesus.

Congratulations, you are now a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, and no longer a sinner. His Holy Spirit will welcome you in and guide you on this new path of eternal life.


Go in peace.

Sunday, May 01, 2016

Should I Stay Or Should I Go?



Here I sit at the starting gate. Should I stay or should I go? David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?”

Habakkuk said, "What’s God going to say to my questions? I’m braced for the worst. I’ll climb to the lookout tower and scan the horizon. I’ll wait to see what God says, how He’ll answer my complaint."


We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken, Enoch pleased God. It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe (A) that He exists and (B) that He cares enough to respond to those who seek Him.

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Prayer Will Fix It For You

Before you let the devil win, go back and pray again.

UNCONQUERABLE SOULS IN THE WORKPLACE

Unconquerable is that which cannot be defeated or overtaken... it is an impenetrable fortress.

I have said before that most of my teachings are the result of personal experiences that became a message. I began this study as a result of my dealings with my new boss who loves to use me as a pawn in his leadership chess game.

There are several people reporting to him, but he does not like confrontation. So he uses me as his go-between in order to avoid confronting them. I have confronted him about his behavior but he continues to do it anyway. And the way he goes about it has the potential for destroying my relationships with my co-workers. He comes off looking like the good guy and I look like the stupid-bad guy.

After searching Scripture (and my soul) about this, there is one Bible verse that stuck with me... "He always causes me to triumph." Jesus said, "In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage because I have overcome the world."

Some years back there was a minister in my church that was always giving me a hard time. The Lord had been ministering through me in a great way, during that season, and he developed animosity toward me as a result. He couldn't stand me and made no bones about it. He made life so hard for me while I was there that eventually, I stopped going. The Lord gave him a warning to stop this behavior but he did not heed God's warning. One day he woke up and didn't feel well all day. That evening he had a heart attack and passed away. I was able to go back to church and continue to be used by the Lord in ministry.

The apostle Paul said that he was in labors more abundantly and beaten above measure and in prison more frequently than his counter-parts. He received 40 lashes by the Jews five times. He was beaten with rods three times. He was stoned once. He was shipwrecked three times, in peril on the sea, in peril of robbers, in peril of his own countrymen, in peril of sinners, in peril in the city and in the desert and in peril of false teachers that were constantly antagonizing Paul's ministry. He was often weary, and tired, couldn't sleep, hungry and thirsty, and freezing with no coat to put on his back. But Paul's testimony to young Timothy was, "Out of them all, the Lord delivered me." In all he endured, Paul was an unconquerable soul. At the end he said, "I fought a good fight and finished my course."

Y'all... Satan is a defeated foe! Jesus said, "Behold, I give you authority over serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you." He has given us power and authority over the enemy. All we have to do is open our mouths and command the mountain to be removed from here to yonder place. If we believe and not doubt, we can have whatsoever we say.

There is a song I love that says, "Before you let the devil win, go back and pray again."

I feel sorry for people that are working against God's purpose. God is long suffering and patient, but if the antagonizers are determined to be stumbling blocks, God will crush them and move them out of the way.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers us out of them all. We are unconquerable souls. "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men," the apostle Paul said, because God has the final say and He will not always strive with the evil doer.

On a previous job, there were three women that meant to do me harm, but God protected me. Long story short, one-by-one all three were fired and left the company in disgrace. God will not put up with folk messing with His children. If He allows us to endure it for a while (like the minister at my church), He has a greater purpose.

I used to work with a lady named Leslie who seemed to love giving me a hard time. I had prayed many-a-prayer concerning this woman. At long-last, she had gotten into a heated argument with our boss and she terminated her employment. I was rejoicing all the way home from work. Hallelujah!!  God had answered my prayers! I arrived for work the next morning only to find that Leslie had rescinded her resignation. I was Devastated with a capital D. How could the Lord toy with me in such a way? As it turns out, they took her off our team. She said we would never make it without her. The Lord put Leslie far enough, away from me, that I hardly ever saw her, but she was close enough to see that we were thriving quite well without her. The Lord turned on His favor for our team and we began to excel. Every month our statistics was better than the previous month's. The psalmist David said, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies." If she had left the company, she would not have seen first hand, how well we were coping without her, despite her prophecy to the contrary.

I feel sorry for people who attack God's children because I know eventually, it will not turn out well for them. Do not be deceived friends, God will not be mocked, for whatever a man sows, that same he will also reap. They are seeds in his own ground and he will reap his own harvest.

Haman the Agagite, was an enemy of the Jews and had it in for them. He devised a scheme to annihilate them but his plan returned on his own head. The gallows he built to hang Mordecai, was the exact same one on which he himself was killed.

As I was leaving work on Friday, I prayed to the Lord for a refreshing for my soul because I was beginning to feel discouraged about my new job. A few minutes later, Joel Osteen came on my radio with a message that spoke right to my situation. The Lord recharged my battery.

The apostle Paul said, "We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us." And He still loves us, so we may boldly say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me?" We walk in victory and we are over comers. We are not under achievers but we are over comers.

The song says,
I shall not,
I shall not be moved.
I shall not,
I shall not be moved
just like a tree
planted by the water,
I shall not be moved.

2 Cor. 2:14 - Now thanks be to God who always leads us to triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place (especially in the work place).

Col. 2:15 - Having disarmed principalities and powers, Christ made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

Ps. 41:11 - By this I know that You are well pleased with me, because my enemy does not triumph over me.

Mark 10:27 - Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

Jer 32:17 - ‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.

Rom. 8:31 - What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

2 Cor. 9:8 - God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Phil. 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Zech 4:6 - So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel (and to us): ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.

Rom. 8:37 - Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Numb. 13:30 - Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”

1 John 4:4 - You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you, is greater than he who is in the world.


Go in peace... with your unconquerable soul.
We are soldiers in the army of the Lord.

To God be the glory.
Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Harnessing The Law Of Kindness

I was reading Matthew Henry's Bible Commentary yesterday and ran across this phrase... "The law of love and kindness is written in the heart, and shows itself in the tongue." And I could not shake it the rest of the day.

For the last few months, I have had a great burden on my heart concerning violence in the world and the racial and civil unrest America is experiencing right now. It saddens me to see people being bullied and treated disrespectfully by others. Sometimes they do it for no other reason than for sport. It does not make any difference what race or ethnicity we are, we all deserve to be treated with equal respect... following the Golden Rule towards ALL at ALL times.

When the law of love and kindness is ruling the heart, this godly person would dare not mistreat another human being, not for love nor money. That is the kind of world I wished we lived in, where people are just plain old nice to one another and followed the Golden Rule all the time.

That said, I went to Walgreen's and was heading fast down the straight-away when Primadonna dressed to the hills in leopard print (even her 5-inch heel sandles and tippy-toes) almost crashes head on into me coming out of one of the aisles. I was already in a foul mood when I went into the store and instead of her apologizing to me, I apologized to her and Primadonna sashayed on as though it was my fault and I should've apologized to her.

Because I was already in a foul mood, that drove my irritability radar soaring into the red zone. "Miss Thing with her leopard print toe nails thinks she is too good for apologies," I thought. By the time I made it to the check out counter, guess who lands right in front of me? Yes!! Leopard toes herself. So now my irritation is directed to Lord, "You would let her get right in front of me."

At the end of her transaction, she drops twelve cents on the floor. Without thinking, I dove to the floor and picked it all up and handed it to her. She gave me a sincere God bless you and walked out of the store.

In that moment, my heart melted, I forgot about my foul mood and said, "Thank You Lord, You just gave the devil a black eye." I feel bad that all through the store I was thinking bad thoughts about my sister in Christ who happens to dress differently than me. Perhaps if I had not been speeding like a gazelle through the store, we wouldn't have almost had a head on collision. In truth, I did owe her an apology for judging her the way I did, simply because I was angry at someone else.

When I got home and pulled into the driveway, the Lord sent a beautiful bluebird to visit me on my front porch as a reminder that He is with me always... even concerning the thing that initially got me in the foul mood to begin with. I sat in my car and watched the bluebird play in my front yard for a minute or two and the peace of God flooded my soul and washed away the thoughts wreaking havoc in my emotions.

The law of love and kindness is written in the heart.
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:12-14)
Go in peace.