Faithful, Focused & Fearless: Lessons to Fortify Your Future - Softcover

Rev. Dr. Jo Ann Browning is the co-pastor of Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Fort Washington, Maryland, where she serves in ministry with her husband, the Rev. Dr. Grainger Browning, Jr., who is the senior pastor. Under the Brownings&; leadership, the church, which began in 1983, has grown from 17 members to more than 8,000.

Dr. Browning graduated from Boston University in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science in Communications. She holds a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry from the Howard University School of Divinity. Over the years, her ministry has transformed the lives of individuals and families. She serves on several boards, and has received numerous religious and community awards. In addition, she has preached, taught, and facilitated workshops throughout the United States and abroad.

 

EMBRACE YOUR GOD-GIVEN OPPORTUNITIES

Trust me, you are not the only one who is afraid. Things
are tough right now, and we have all, in one way or another,
wondered if we will make it through. The country is
in a recession, unemployment is at a record high, foreclosures are
on the rise, there are wars and rumors of war, natural disasters
are becoming more commonplace, and new diseases threaten us
on a regular basis&;it&;s easy to feel afraid during these times. It&;s a
fact of life&;you will endure trials and tribulations; but, if you are
willing to trust God, He will show you the purpose of the process.
I have journeyed with God long enough to realize that times
like these are really blessed opportunities for God&;s people to grow
in faith. This is no time to give in to fear&;now is the time for you
to take your faith and your confidence in God to the next level.
It&;s time for you to embrace who you are in Christ Jesus and
whose you are in the Lord. When you are unclear about where
your strength comes from, you begin to compromise and reach
out for worldly solutions. When you&;re not sure that you can make
it, you tend to turn away from God and you start to seek guidance
from friends, co-workers, family members, even strangers.
It is critical that you stay in touch with God in times of trouble.
When you find yourself in the midst of a crisis, it is imperative
that you take a moment to get honest with yourself and seek
Christ. When you know how to tap into the power of Christ that
lives on the inside of you, you will know in your spirit, on the
inside, that everything is going to be all right. You will land on
your feet. God will enable you to go through and get over your
problems.

I wrote this chapter specifically to encourage your troubled
soul. The Lord wants you to face your problems from a perspective
of empowerment. You might feel beat down because of what
you&;ve been going through. But God wants you to realize that
you are a conqueror in Christ. Right now, you may feel so discouraged
that all you want to do is give up. My prayer is that this
chapter will encourage you. Don&;t give up; don&;t get weak. Refuse
to compromise&;this is your blessed opportunity to believe and
trust that God will turn your situation around.

Keep telling yourself: &;I am a
conqueror, and I shall triumph over
this thing and have the victory.&;
Before long, you&;ll believe it.

God knows that the enemy is trying to destroy you. You need
to know that because of who you are in the Lord Jesus Christ,
you shall conquer the enemy. This time you will not shrink. This
time you will not be defeated. You will not fear. You will not
compromise. This time you shall conquer the thing that has been
threatening to destroy you.

Consider Romans 8, Paul had never been to Rome when
he wrote this letter around a.d. 58. Rome was one of the most
powerful cities in the world. Paul pours out his spirit because he
wanted to convey the very essence of his faith and belief, even
though his opponents were busy spreading lies against him.

Paul&;s epistle to the Christian church in Rome was powerful, profound,
and prophetic. Clearly, even though he was in the midst
of a personal crisis, Paul was clear about who he was and whose
he was.

God wants to develop a Paul-esque strength in you. He wants
to see you become so strong in your faith, that no matter what
personal trials you may encounter, you will have a steadfast assurance
that the Lord will come through for you. He wants you
to realize that you can still experience His grace and mercy, even
though you feel as though you are sitting in a hellhole.

The Lord will be with you through the
midst of it all. This is no time for fear.