And the Truth Shall Set You Free by LaKisha M. Johnson “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth,” the apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:14. I remember growing up, hearing my uncle say, “LaKisha, an excuse ain’t nothing but a lie.” I am sure he got that from someone, but It didn’t register in my psyche until I got older. He was saying to me, you can make all the excuses in the world, but if those excuses are contrary to the truth, then you are lying. Excuses keep

The Gospel Became the Gospel by LaKisha M. Johnson Matthew 6:38, “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.” I don’t think I got it, until I got it. That I understood that Jesus, was the Gospel. He became the living example of carrying the good news, while here on earth. He was baptized (Matthew 3:13-17), tempted by satan (Matthew 4: 1—11), criticized, ostracize

Skillfully Using the Sword by LaKisha M. Johnson Ephesians 6:17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.……… On Sunday morning, I was getting my house ready to go to church. My younger boys are 7 and 12, my older boys are 25, 23 and 20. My 20 year old still lives in the house with me. We have faced many challenges into adulthood. Wait, let me be honest. I have wanted to wring his neck, and in my “rookie” days I would have, but since I

Don’t Say a Mumbling Word by LaKisha M. Johnson Ephesians 6: 17, “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”. I am almost sure when God came to give Joshua the strategy for seizing Jericho, that Joshua had thought God was tripping. I am pretty sure, he probably wanted to say, “Lord, are you ok? You want us to walk around the wall and do what, be quiet?” It probably started at the moment when the Lord said to Joshua, “See I have deliver

A Clean Cut by LaKisha M. Johnson Ephesians 6: 17, “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”. One time when I was a little girl my grandfather sent me across the field to go get a sling blade from our neighbor, he had specific instructions for me as I walking. He said to me, “Do not swing it when you get it, walk very slowly with it, and absolutely do not swing it.” I know I heard him clearly, but as soon as I got this tool in my han

Your Breastplate by LaKisha M. Johnson Ephesians 6:14 with the breast plate of righteousness……… We have been covering this series on the armor of God, and three things necessary for the breastplate of righteousness: We need to be obedient to God’s word, Isaiah 59:1-2, “Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that

The Breastplate of Righteousness- The Protection by LaKisha M. Johnson Ephesians 6:14 with the breast plate of righteousness……… I don’t know a lot about baseball, but I like to watch it. I have always been most intrigued with behind home-plate. The action that occurs out in the field, and in between bases is awesome, but home plate has always intrigued me most. It seems like the most intense action occurs behind home plate, which also makes me pay attention to the difference

Dear Friend, Have you ever seen a counterfeit dollar bill? I have, I actually have had one given to me and gave I gave one to someone unknowingly. Counterfeit bills are interesting, because they look just like the real thing. If you are not properly trained you will miss that they aren't real. The first time I was introduced to one, I was in shock, I couldn’t tell the difference between it and the real thing. After I was exposed to it, it was easy for me to see the difference

The Breastplate of Righteousness by LaKisha M. Johnson Ephesians 6:14 with the breast plate of righteousness……… There is nothing like a good bra! Excuse me fellas, but every lady will understand this, and if you haven’t bought a good bra, or the difference of what you look like in a good bra, you need to go buy one. The experience of a good bra, will change your life. See a good bra, offers proper coverage and will last you longer than a cheap bra will. It provides adequate s

The Right Fit by LaKisha M. Johnson Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation……… As a little kid riding my bike, we never talked about the safety of the helmet. As I began to have kids, I was given information on how important it is to protect the head. Head injuries can cause trauma to the brain depending on the size, depth and severity of the injury. Wearing the proper protection can change anything. As my children began to grow, the size of the bike changed, but I al