Original, daily devotionals, inspiration and more from a fresh, "Hey! I never thought about it like that before" perspective.
Author: Aldtric Johnson M.A.
May Yahuah baruk you! I'm a husband, father and educator. My main spiritual gift is Exhortation...I'm a natural encourager. I love the word of Yah and sharing it from a "Wow, I never thought of it like that before" perspective. There's so much fresh revelation in Yah's word that is just as relevant today as it was as it unfolded. I hope my daily devotionals enhance your walk with The Most High.
We all encounter people who hate us. speak badly of us, and work against us.
Sometimes it’s because of nothing that we have done, but, other times we’ve given them a good reason to be pissed off at us.
It may be someone who hates you, your family, your race, your faith, your nation…
It may be someone you know, or someone you’ve never met.
The success of their efforts is partially determined by our reaction.
When we waste our energy reciprocating anger, rage, wrath, and revenge…we are rewarding their efforts. That’s what they want.
DON’T ALLOW THEM TO REJOICE IN YOUR RANT!
Channel that energy into learning from your enemy.
Learn what they did well…
Learn from their focus and discipline…
Learn from their resilience, resolve, and persistence.
Absorb the blow, and fight a spiritual battle of humility and wisdom.
That’s how you get God, The Lord of Hosts, Yehovah Sabaoth to fight for you.
Uncontrolled anger and thirst for revenge are distractions, but Emotional Intelligence is a spiritual superpower!
Proverbs 29:11 (NKJV)
11 A fool vents all his (A)feelings,[a] But a wise man holds them back.
Ephesians 4:31-32 (NIV)
31 Get rid of(A) all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.(B)32 Be kind and compassionate to one another,(C) forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.(D)
However, we were created in God’s image, meaning that we are capable of having His characteristics and attributes. One aspect of His character is Godly jealously. Our emotion of jealousy is an example of the fact that we are created in His image.
Exodus 34:14 (NKJV)
14 (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),
Deuteronomy 4:24 (NKJV)
24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Jealousy becomes a sin only when it’s perverted through our own pride.
God gets jealous when we put sin and other priorities before Him. We get jealous over the same thing sometimes don’t we?
So, that’s why I don’t feel so bad about the fact that I’m jealous of much of some of the foolishness that gets so much attention, and the success people enjoy from it.
As a blogger and published songwriter, of course I want my writings and music to be read by and listened to by millions upon millions.
I want people to be inspired, informed, challenged, admonished, amused, encouraged, entertained. I want their relationships to be enriched. I want them to grow with me as I struggle to master Emotional Intelligence. And, I want us all to be brought into more intimate relationships with God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Yeshua the Messiah).
I also admit that I want to enjoy seeing people blessed by what God releases through me, YES, I want to get credit for the work that I have done…
Proverbs 3:3-4 (NKJV)
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, 4 And so find favor and [a]high esteem In the sight of God and man.
Furthermore, as much as ‘foolishness’ could be considered a subjective term, I’m using it to describe behavior that is in direct contradiction to what God demands of those who consider themselves to belong to Him.
The fact is that some of the ‘stuff’ that ‘goes viral’, influences behavior, and leads to ‘success’ does so because of the support it receives from people who call themselves Christians. Some of those who overtly promote lifestyles clearly contrary to the word of God are encouraged and positioned as ‘wise’ by many believers. For example…
Yes, everyone has a right to live as they choose and endorse what they choose, but if many of the same people who claim to be Christian would give the same support to much of the Godly writing and music, it would boost the influence of writers and artists like myself.
I sometimes envy the success that people enjoy through what God considers sin. I admit that my jealousy vacillates from Godly jealousy to my own sin. f I’m a work in progress…
Psalm 37:1 (NIV)
1 Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong;
Yes, I know know that ultimately God will make sure those who He intends to see or hear what I release…and I do trust Him with that. But, sometimes it’s good to vent responsibly, just like the Apostle Paul did when stating His rights as an apostle…
1 Corinthians 9:1-18 (NIV)
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? 2 Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. 4 Don’t we have the right to food and drink? 5 Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas[a]? 6 Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living?
7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? 8 Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”[b] Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 10 Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. 11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12 If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?
So, if someone reads this and says, “He’s just jealous of the success of others.” I readily and humbly admit, “Yep, you’re right”.
Let me preface this piece by stating that I’m not saying this is ‘the mark of the beast’, but I am pointing out how easily the devil (I’m not capitalizing devil on purpose) is a great deceiver. I’m illustrating how even the greatest so-called theologians can take the word of God, which is so eloquently delivered in figurative language literally — especially in The Revelation and Daniel, and miss something that’s subtly obvious.
So many people are looking for microchips, tattoos, even the COVID-19 vaccinations as the mark of the beast from The Revelation
Revelation 13:16-18 (NKJV)
16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has [a]the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
As people through the centuries have speculated as to what that mark may be, let me remind you that when God told us that He would write His word on our hearts, there are no literal words written on our hearts.
In the same manner, we could easily assume that having the ‘mark’ on our hand or forehead isn’t literal either. On our right hand could very well mean in the way we do things and on our forehead could mean the way we think.
Keeping that in mind think about the fact that the world has accepted the Gregorian calendar names months of the year and the names for days of the week. The months of the Roman calendar are named to honor a mix of gods, goddesses and rulers. The days of the week our named to honor Greek gods — idols.
No one can make a purchase, execute a contract without a date. Each time a date is written or printed on a receipt, contract or even a school assignment it is acknowledging an idol god, goddess or ruler other than the Lord God of Israel through our Savior Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
It is impossible to legally by or sell without accepting the ‘mark’ that was left behind by those who created the Gregorian and Julian calendars.
Remember that God warned us through Daniel…
Daniel 7:25 (NKJV)
25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute[a] the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time.
Changing the calendar and days of the week could be a fulfillment of that prophecy.
Again, I’m not saying this is the actual mark of the beast, but illustrating how easily the enemy can convince the world to conform to his thinking and way of doing things.
One of the most disturbing and confusing accounts in the bible is that of when Uzzah reached out to prevent the Ark of the Covenant from falling and God struck him dead.
2 Samuel 6:6-8 (NKJV)
6 And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out hishand to the ark of God and [a]took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his[b]error; and he died there by the ark of God. 8 And David became angry because of the Lord’s outbreak against Uzzah; and he called the name of the place [c]Perez Uzzah to this day.
Wow! That seemed so unfair. Uzzah obviously meant well and was paid with death.
Remember this…the Old Testament gives us numerous extreme examples of how God reacts to our behavior. These reactions teach and and leave examples of not only what He loves and what He hates, but also to what extreme. For example, when we totally forsake His day of rest every seven days, even under grace, to do work we could have easily done another day…God considers it worthy of death (Numbers 15:32-36). Yes, Yeshua said it’s okay to remove an ox from a ditch, but too many people have ‘oxen’ that fall in the ditch during the middle of the week and wait until The Lord’s Day to remove them.
Notice what God teaches through Paul about Old Testament examples…
1 Corinthians 10:1-10 (NKJV)
Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us [a]tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
So, what about Uzzah?
God said very clearly that no one was to ever touch the Ark of the Convenant, period. God said DON’T TOUCH IT.
When God says NO, He means NO!
Even though Uzzah was doing it for the right reason…NO still meant NO!. God left behind an example that we can never do something He told us never to do for what we judge to be the right reason.
Is it confusing? Yes. Even if it doesn’t make sense to us, it’s God’s word and remember what He told us through Isaiah…
Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV)
8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
One contemporary example of people doing the wrong thing for the right reason is when a parent gives their adolescent daughter birth control because they don’t want them to get pregnant, or gives their son condoms so they won’t get a sexually transmitted disease. If God commands no fornication, parents must as well. If the child choses to be disobedient, then that’s between them and God.
Can you think of when you many have done the wrong thing for the right reason?
One of the first lessons that God teaches us in the bible was the responsibility that comes with knowledge…
Genesis 3:22-24
(NKJV)
22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one
of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also
of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— 23 therefore the Lord God
sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was
taken. 24 So He
drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden
of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the
tree of life.
God has blessed us to be created in His image. One aspect of that is the ability to acquire knowledge. He even told us that in the last days there would be a great increase in knowledge…
Daniel 12:4
(NKJV)
4 “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the
time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
God has allowed us to have incredible advances in science,
technology, medicine etc. Unfortunately much of the knowledge that we have acquired
has convinced many that the one source of all knowledge, Yahweh, The Lord God
of Israel from Everlasting to Everlasting does not exist. They have used that
knowledge to decide for themselves that Yeshua, Christ Jesus was not God’s Son.
There is only one God and one Savior, and the two are One.
Even on a personal level, there are things we want to know.
Always ask yourself are you ready for the knowledge that you are seeking.
“What have people been saying about me?”
“What are they whispering about?”
“Is my spouse being unfaithful?”
“Who are my real parents?”
“How many threats are there really to our national security
on a daily basis?”
When you find out someone needs help and you have the means
are you willing to help them?
When you find out what’s wrong with someone are you willing
to be there for them?
When you begin to realize what God’s purpose is for your life, are you ready for the responsibility that come with it? Learning God’s word comes with great responsibility.
If you already knew the day you would die, would you spend
your entire life obsessing over it?
“Have you ever gained some knowledge or information and then realized after you got it, “I’m not ready for this!”???
Approach all knowledge prayerfully and through the lens of
God’s word. God doesn’t intend for us to have knowledge until we are spiritually
mature enough to handle it.
1 Corinthians 3:2
(NKJV)
2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now
you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still
not able;
The Psalms give us wonderful lessons in not only how to pray, but how to approach God…even when we want Him to hurry up.
It’s okay to ask God to hurry…
Psalm 70 (NKJV)
Make haste, O God, to deliver me! Make haste to help me, O Lord!
2 Let them be ashamed and confounded Who seek my life; Let them be turned back[a] and confused Who desire my hurt. 3 Let them be turned back because of their shame, Who say, “Aha, aha!”
4 Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, “Let God be magnified!”
5 But I am poor and needy; Make haste to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay.
Psalm 71:12 (NKJV)
12 O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!
Psalm 118:25 (NKJV)
25 Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity.
John 11:21 (NKJV)
21 Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
Just remember to always…
Ask in humility…
Ask Him and do not tell Him…
Be willing to wait patiently on Him…
Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)
31 But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THAT YOU PRAYED FOR OUR FARMERS?
The fact is that modern farmers are agricultural scientists and engineers, veterinary technicians, mechanics, computer savvy entrepreneurs and businessmen and women who have a responsibility that will have value even if all of our technology.
We all rely on God for the strength, intelligence, creativity and ability to do our jobs, but farmers rely on God like no other profession because they manage the resource He left in our hands since the Garden of Eden…the land and the animals in which He gave us dominion. Thus we ALL rely on the farmer…
Ecclesiastes 5:9 (NKJV)
9 Moreover the profit of the land is for all; even the king is served from the field.
Even though scientists are experimenting with making food from microbes and water…God ordained the farmer to be the steward and broker of the food that He provides.
I once heard a man say, “I’m just a farmer.”
You never hear anyone say, “I’m just a doctor.”
It’s a shame that society has not given this profession the respect, honor and high esteem it deserves.
I’m tired of awards shows for actors, singers and those who achieve the spotlight…
There should be an “OSCAR” or “GRAMMY” for farmers.
I grew up in a small town where farmers sold their produce just beyond the ‘town square’ from the back of their truck. There is something so honorable about that. I think we can all agree there’s nothing more ‘American’ than working the land and more biblical than children cultivating the ground by the ‘sweat of your brow’. There’s nothing like knowing where your food came from.
Farmers all over the world labor with honor every day with little to no thanks from the society they feed.
So, make it a point to add prayers for the farmers of the world. Pray that God blesses them and blesses the land and product of the land that they manage…for their sakes, and for ours!
Military service men and women aren’t the only people who deserve to be told, “Thank you for your service!”
Pray for those who God uses to give us this day our daily bread!
My wife found some beautiful, fun rainbow colored curtains for our granddaughter’s playroom. After we put them up, being visible from the outside, we both thought what if people think we are supporting ‘Pride’?
The rainbow is a sign of God’s promise…
Genesis 9:13-15 (NKJV)
13 I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenantbetween Me and the earth. 14 It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; 15 and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.
Genesis 9:13-15 (NKJV)
God promised to never destroy the world again with water. Yes, there have been catastrophic floods since then, but none like the one in Noah’s time.
The rainbow is a sign of God’s promise and I believe that to be true.
In the past few years those who wish to legitimize the sin of homosexuality have claimed the rainbow as the symbol of their movement. First of all I don’t hate anyone who is gay, but I do believe it is a sin equal to fornication, adultery, and other sexual sins. I also admit that I’m not perfect…my family and God continually reminds me of the areas in which I need to grow. However, it is our responsibility as Christians to hold one another accountable, so calling out sin is not judging someone, as some love to shout when someone else calls out any of the works of the flesh…
Galatians 5:19-21 (NKJV)
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: [a]adultery, [b]fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, [c]murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
That being said, I feel using the rainbow to symbolize PRIDE is wrong for two reasons…
Because the cause is a sin…
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NKJV)
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor [a]homosexuals, nor [b]sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
And, because pride is a sin…
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NKJV)
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor [a]homosexuals, nor [b]sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
So, the curtains hang in her playroom reminding us of God’s promise… we reclaim it in the name of Yeshua the Som of God.
I was in the office a few years ago and I kept noticing a slight, subtle unpleasant odor as someone walked by.
I remembered that this particular person told me that they took a shower at night so they could sleep longer…soooo, they just get out of the bed, get dressed and leave.
An adult, or GROWN person just can’t do that!
We live a whole life in our sleep. Everything we do during the day, we do at night…
Sweat…
Burp…
Sneeze…
Flatulate…
Bathroom breaks…
And, even if you sleep through the entire night, the first thing most people have to do is ‘avail themselves to the facilities’…(use the bathroom).
One of the greatest reminders that our flesh is temporary is the fact that as soon as we bathe, night or day, we begin becoming ‘unclean’. We begin ‘decay’ in a sense so that no matter how much soap, deodorant, perfume, or cologne we put on…it will eventually wear away. In fact, if we go too long without bathing, our skin, the largest organ of the body, will become unhealthy.
SMELLING GOOD TAKES WORK BECAUSESMELLING GOOD IS NOT NATURAL!
We have a responsibility to maintain physical and spiritual cleanliness. Not just for us… but for those around us.
There is a sometimes contentious discussion going on in America about how history is taught in schools. Many of the people who are passionate about controlling the narrative claim to be Christians.
The bible makes it clear that Yeshua the Messiah was both human and divine. It also makes it clear that He was born a Jew. He was born in the Mediterranean, actually in Asia. It’s what we call the Middle East (relative to Europe of course). The region borders Africa and those born in that region don’t have the physical traits that are depicted in many images of Jesus.
It has driven thought among people of many races as to how Jesus looked. It’s interesting that many people who claim to be passionate about preserving history and it’s accuracy are perfectly fine with a European image of Jesus. Many people who claim to be passionate about scriptures, and will argue until they are ‘blue in the face’ about being true to the bible, will quickly claim, ‘his color doesn’t matter’ when this is mentioned. Many people who cherry-pick their way through the bible will say, ‘what does it matter?’
And, it especially, personally pisses me off when someone proclaims, “Why are you spreading division?”
Division?
Why is it than when certain narratives are challenged that it’s considered ‘division’? ‘Hate?’ ‘Negativity’?
I’m a Black man who lives in the United States of America, and unfortunately, many discussions come down to BLACK and WHITE.
Many people are introduced to faith in God through Yeshua the Messiah, believing that God is White. Jesus was born with White flesh, and the Gospel is preached from that perspective.
This has influenced thought to the point that many won’t accept a ‘Black Jesus’…
The fact that ‘White Jesus’ (Yeshua) is the one FALSE JESUS that people seem to resist challenging…
This is one of the reasons that I believe that we are to never portray an image of Christ based on…
Exodus 20:4-5a (NKJV)
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor [a]serve them.
One could easily consider any image of the Son of God to be idolatry. Even though we don’t know exactly what He looked/looks like, by virtue of ‘race’ (for lack of a better word) FAITH, NOT RACE… and culture in which He was born, we know what He didn’t look like.
From AMERICAN IDOL, to THE VOICE, to sometimes in the CHURCH, many people judge a singer by how LOUD they can sing.
Too many times, no matter how soft and beautiful the performance, people don’t stand to their feet until the singer makes a vein pop out of his or her forehead.
I love a beautiful, clear controlled voice. Sometimes I just want to sit back and listen to someone sing to me, rather than shout at me. Volume and runs have their place, but they don’t DEFINE singing.
Above are three (3) THREE of my favorite female artists known for the beauty of their voice and not just the volume…
Sade.
Mechelle Johnson.
Anita Baker.
There are many others. Who would you add to the list?
Advocating for teachers doesn’t mean you don’t love students.
Education in America has changed tremendously through the years.
Of course there have been many improvements however, the overall culture, and level of respect for the profession has devolved from the perspective of one 20-year veteran teacher.
Even though her perspective is anecdotal rather than empirical , it’s not exclusive and can’t be ignored.
One of the greatest laments of her career is how she feels she was ‘expected to neglect’ her own children for her students. And, her lament doesn’tdiminish her dedication or discipline passion for her students.
This expectation in education isn’t explicitly stated, but inferred through the work load and expectations.
Many of the expectations states and school boards set for administrators and teachers are unrealistic. It is impossible to meet an ever-growing list of tasks and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Of course, many people feel the expectations are justified because of summer vacation.
America must step back and examine the accepted culture and levels of toxicity in its education system…
The workload…
The legal responsibilities…
The unrealistic expectations…
And of course, the compensation…
When referencing the workload and expectations, many educators say, “It’s a lot” as if they’re afraid to say ‘ “It’s too much!”.
Freedom of speech to express their legitimate concerns is forfeited for fear of retribution. The fact that some teachers would be afraid to share this article is an example of the problem.
One teacher expressed that her district treats the teachers like children or chattel.
Many enter the profession enter it with the will to do it, only to have their will broken just like Ethan Hawk’s character in the movie “Training Day”…bearing the blame for not being dedicated enough.
Doing what’s best for students should never mean doing what’s not best for a teacher’s own children.
58 (A)Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing (B)that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
We all know there are millions of children born into poverty putting them at an undeniable disadvantage in getting ‘ahead’ in the world. However, there are those who still overcame the ‘curse’ of poverty. I don’t know why some are born rich while others are born into deep poverty. I do know that Jesus affirmed that the poor will always be with us (Matthew 26:11).
Sometimes those born into generational poverty can feel they are, and very well may be living under a curse, but I want to talk about an often overlooked ‘curse’. Those who are…
CURSED WITH EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED
Just as there are those born into generations of poverty, there are also those born into generations of wealth. Wealth that they didn’t have to earn for themselves. This unmerited wealth can be just as much a ‘curse’ as deep poverty.
Some people call it SPOILED…
It’s when your so-called BLESSINGS have become a BURDEN and stumbling block…spiritually, morally and hindered the development of Godly character.
They are cursed with no real concept of need, lack, or sacrifice.
They are cursed with a mindset of entitlement…that they deserve everything they have and more with no sense of compassion for those with less.
They were denied the opportunities for the disappointments that are designed equip us to deal with the real world.
And here’s the thing, you don’t have to have extravagant wealth to have this CURSED mindset. There are plenty of middle and lower-income people who feel just as entitled because they really haven’t suffered lack in our prosperous society.
Simply because they weren’t told, “NO!”
After all, God tells us “NO!”. He has the wisdom to NOT give us everything just because we ask or it. WHEN GOD USES THE ‘N-WORD’…
We must be careful that we aren’t raising a cursed generation that feels they DESERVE not only everything that they want, but also INSTANT GRATIFICATION. Parents must be careful not to focus ONLY on making sure their children have…
Smart phones and tablets at younger and younger ages…
The latest brand name shoes and clothes…
The latest video games…
Every extracurricular sport and activity as if it were a job…
While neglecting to give them a spirit of contentment, thanksgiving as a strong sense of responsibility. We must be careful that we don’t neglect their spiritual development while nurturing their carnal development.
This may be what led to the attitude of the young ruler in…
Matthew 19:16-22 (NKJV)
16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” 17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ 19 ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” 20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Remember, children don’t have to be rich to be ‘cursed with everything they want’…they only need parents that refuse to say, “No!”
And, yes there are various reason that parents don’t say, “No!”
Sometimes they want their children to have what they never had…
Sometimes they’re living vicariously through their children…
Sometime they are using their children as a symbol of their own status…
Whatever the reason. We must be careful that we aren’t raising a ‘cursed’ generation. In fact, some of the children born poor are better equipped to deal with the real world than their spoiled contemporaries.
These spoiled children grow up to lead and cause chaos and dysfunction in…
Families…
Companies…
Churches…
Countries…
So when you see that poor child in need, don’t feel sorry for them…help them if you can.
When you see that person who was clearly ‘cursed with everything they wanted’, send up a sincere prayer for God to give them a humble heart and His Spirit.
And, if you’re blessed with children, make sure you aren’t cursing them with everything they want.
This post is not to debate the correct day for the Sabbath, or His commanded day of rest.
The purpose is to quickly show how angry God gets when we refuse to rest every seven days.
One of my greatest take aways from The Old Testament is that it gives us great insight into the heart of God.
If you look closely to how He reacts to Israel when they either met or fell short of His expectations we learn what He loves and what He hates.
While some sins displeased Him enough to get someone kicked out of town (out of the camp) others, at the time, carried a death sentence to illustrate and teach us the level of anger that particular sin gave God.
For example, from creation, God gave us the gift of a day of rest. He commanded that it’s okay to labor for six days, but on the 7th day we are to rest. Of course there were no Saturdays and Sundays at the time because there was no Gregorian calendar at the time.
God got angry numerous times in the Old Testament when His people forsook ( or abandoned) His day of rest. Even if we aren’t under the law, God expects us to rest.
One such occasion that illustrates the level of anger created in God when we refuse to rest…
Numbers 15:32-36 (NKJV)
32 Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. 34 They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him.
35 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” 36 So, as the Lord commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died.
I’m sure this man had a good reason for picking up sticks, but apparently it wasn’t good enough for God.
The death sentence gave us example of how He feels…
1 Corinthians 10:11 (NKJV)
11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
It’s interesting how people say REST IN PEACE when someone dies.
Rest is a gift. In today’s busy society, we need to learn to REST IN PEACE BEFORE WE DIE!
God intends for marriage to be a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman, no matter how much our modern society makes and accepts excuses to ‘get out of it’. Especially what we call ‘irreconcilable differences’ or ‘we’re just growing apart’.
Malachi 2:16 (NKJV)
16 “For the Lord God of Israel says
That He hates divorce,
For it covers one’s garment with violence,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“Therefore take heed to your spirit,
That you do not deal treacherously.”
Matthew 19:4-8 (NKJV)
4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who [a]made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.”7 They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?” 8 He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.
God knows that no matter how much you love one another, that no two people will be the same after 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 plus years of marriage. It’s impossible. Yes, you will grow apart in some areas of your lives. But, that doesn’t have to come between you.
Think about this. If God expected the arranged marriages to last in the bible days, He expects us to stay with the spouse that we choose.
How can we be ministers of reconciliation for God’s Kingdom if we can’t even reconcile the differences in our homes?
2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (NKJV)
18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not [a]imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
In the words of Al Green, “Let’s stay together”
Here are a few more of my articles on Godly Marriage:
Should there be consequence for when reasonable expectations aren’t met on the job? Yes, of course!
But, in our current culture it’s become all to common for a boss to ‘chew out’ and employee who isn’t meeting those expectations…who makes a mistake…who needs correction.
No matter where someone sits on the hierarchy of organizational structure, the fact is that workers are all just people doing a job to take care of their families or themselves…to make a living.
It’s true some jobs are much more impactful on society if someone messes up, for example if someone is setting up an operating room for emergency surgery, but the fact still remains that all workers are equal citizens doing a job.
But think about this. Outside the workplace, your boss is just another person. He or she is someone else’s wife, husband, son, daughter, father, mother…just a person. They have absolutely NO authority over your life outside of your commitment to the company or organization.
Because we are all just equal citizens trying to make a living, no one has the right to overly assertively reprimand another adult at work. Offices, factories, schools and churches are not the military.
No one has the right to belittle you… insult you… embarrass you… or even threaten you because they think that’s leadership. This usually happens when the correction is affected by emotions.
Every organization has consequences in place for when expectations aren’t met.
Verbally warn me with respect!
Write me up!
Demote me!
Fire me!
But no one has the right to belittle, insult, embarrass, threaten or treat another adult like a child, even if they have organizational authority over them.
Real leadership isn’t achieved through fear, intimidation, or adult bullying.
When a person is hired, make sure that the progression of consequences are clear, and proceed through them with respect.
No one wants to be disrespected, not even when they mess up.
Matthew 7:12 (NKJV)
12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
I’m a middle aged dude and comfortable in my role and season of life.
I frequently see ads targeting my demographic trying to sell the benefits of boosting testosterone. They claim enhanced energy, vitality, muscle growth and yes, libido.
They claim to restore testosterone to teenage levels.
There’s only one problem.
Teenage-level testosterone is not natural for a middle-aged man. Just like any medicine, there may be unwanted side-affects for a man to have an unnatural level of testosterone for his age.
People use the ‘God created it, so it must be good’ argument for many things, including marijuana. But, even if there are medicinal benefits to ‘weed’ that doesn’t mean it was meant for recreational use.
The natural sugar in fruit juice can still be harmful if it’s consumed in large amounts. Even an overactive immune system, meant to protect us, can be deadly.
The Bible teaches us to use moderation in what we place in our bodies, even wine…
1 Timothy 5:23 (NKJV)
23 No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent [a]infirmities.
Take care of yourself and your body which is the temple of the Living God. Be careful of everything you allow to enter your body.
It happens to all of us. A situation arises where we feel we deserve an apology…but don’t get it.
Think for a moment about Jesus on the cross. As He was being brutalized and mocked, He still had enough love to say, forgive them… Luke 23:34 (NKJV)
34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”[a]
And they divided His garments and cast lots.
Think about the fact that Jesus offered this forgiveness and love, without an apology. It’s one thing that the Romans crucified Him, but His own people…those closest to Him consented to and called for His death.
One of the most difficult things to do is move forward with people that we feel owe us an apology…especially if they’re someone close to us.
Yes we still have to work with and relate to people who aren’t close to you, but how do you avoid the lack of apology turning into resentment and becoming a wall in your close relationships.
You may find yourself thinking…
“How can they be so content acting like nothing happened…acting as if they didn’t hurt me?
You may have said to yourself…
“If they loved me, they would apologize.”
Yes, it’s not easy, but here are 9 tips to help you move forward in your relationships without an apology…
BE READY TO FORGIVE IF AND WHEN THEY APOLOGIZE. Sometimes if we’re honest with ourselves, we don’t want an apology…because it takes away our excuse to be angry. If they apologize and you don’t accept it, the burden has shifted from God to you.
DON’T JUDGE THEIR APOLOGY IF AND WHEN THEY GIVE IT. When they come to you and apologize, don’t judge their apology by saying that they didn’t mean it or it wasn’t sincere. Especially if you didn’t like the tone. Don’t find yourself saying their apology wasn’t good enough. Even if they weren’t sincere…many times when we do what God has told us to do, we ‘don’t feel like it’, but God still honors our faith, effort and obedience. Sometimes when we apologize, we don’t feel like it, but in our heart we want to do what’s right.
DON’T LET THE ENEMY ‘FLIP-THE-SCRIPT’. Realize that when you remain upset because you haven’t gotten an apology, the enemy has tricked you into not forgiving them for not apologizing to you.
REALIZE THAT THEY MAY NOT BE AS SPIRITUALLY MATURE AS YOU. Apologizing isn’t easy. It takes spiritual maturity to do so. If you feel they ought to be strong enough to apologize, realize that they might not be as spiritually as you. In fact, the bible tells us the strong must bear the failings of the weak (Romans 15:1 NIV).
REALIZE WHEN YOU ‘VE GOTTEN SOMETHING BETTER THAN AN APOLOGY. Even if they haven’t apologized, if they have stopped the behavior that hurt you…if they aren’t doing the same thing anymore…if they have clearly moved on as if nothing happened…if they’ve completely turned around, but not apologized, you’ve gotten something better than an apology – you’ve gotten REPENTANCE. Think of all the people who actually apologize to God, but don’t really change.
FIND A ‘REPLACEMENT THOUGHT’ WHEN YOU THINK OF HOW THEY HURT YOU. Of course you’re going to think of what they did sometimes, which can make you angry all over again, So, when you think of what they did…When they don’t seem to appreciate your kindness…find a replacement thought. Think of the good times…the best times… Think of the sacrifices they’ve made for you…Think of kindness they’ve shown you in the past…Think of the times they made you smile…or, Think of how you’ve hurt someone and regret it.
REALIZE THAT YOU HAVEN’T APOLOGIZED FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU’VE DONE TO HURT OTHERS. Have you apologized for everything that you’ve done to hurt others? No! Because there are some people you offended and didn’t know you offended them. You can’t apologize for what you don’t know. Sometimes our words hurt, and we didn’t even know it…Sometimes our tone was not taken as we intended…Sometimes we did something hurtful and we didn’t even realize it. Those people are going on without an apology from you.
PRAY ABOUT IT! Ask the Lord to give you the desire and strength to ‘love through’ the lack of an apology. Ask God to give you a heart that doesn’t NEED an apology to move on. This is another situation where Philippians 4:13 is most powerful…”I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Moving on without an apology isn’t easy, but it is possible. This is another situation where Philippians 4:13 is most powerful…
Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)
13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!”
BULL!!!
We all know words hurt. Verbal insults can inflict wounds that leave behind scars that last a lifetime.
As disciples of Christ we should develop a ‘tough skin’ to minimize the pain of when people insult us, however there’s one thing we should all remember about insults.
They hurt even more when they are injected with some painful truth about us…
“I can’t stand your selfish _______!”
“You wouldn’t be so broke if you weren’t so lazy!”
“People don’t like being around you because you’re so mean!”
“You know you’re much too heavy to wear that!”
It really doesn’t matter if the insult is said to hurt you, sometimes God will use an insult to help us examine ourselves so we can change. Especially if we have people around us who always say what we want to hear.
The disciples knew that the Pharisees and religious leaders were insulted at the rebukes of Yeshua, but they were filled with truth…
Matthew 15:12-13 (NKJV)
12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”
13 But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.
When someone is accused of libel or slander, if what they said is true, then they are considered to be innocent.
Yes, insults are painful, but most of the time it’s the truth in some insults that make them more painful. Being honest with ourselves, even though it hurts, can help us make the necessary adjustments to achieve personal and spiritual growth.
It comes so easily off our lips, but as spiritually noble as that sounds, there are some instances when you should not say, “I’ll pray for you”…
When?
When you won’t do it…
How many times have you told someone you prayed for them, and whether you meant to or not, you didn’t do it. I find the best practice is to go ahead and pray right then and there.
When you don’t mean it…
How many times have you said I’ll pray for you because it was (SP) spiritually correct, but you never meant to do it. You weren’t being malicious, you just used it as a kind spiritual platitude…a nice cliché…it was right for the moment.
When you say it to belittle or insult someone…
Yep it happens, I have to admit that I have done it. Have you? When someone does something you don’t like, and it’s your way of saying, “I think you’re pitiful’.
When it offends them…
An unbeliever or someone weaker in the faith could be offended when you say, “I’m praying for you”. It may only push them off and harden their heart. Use discernment.
Remember this…
God holds us accountable for every idle word we say…
Matthew 12:36 (NKJV)
36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
Especially if we are speaking or acting on His behalf or as intercessors…
Matthew 7:22-23 (NKJV)
22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Never turn, “I’ll pray for you” into a lie an insult or empty words.
Update: Here’s a similar post from another blogger…
If your parents, siblings, friends or even co-workers don’t like your spouse…
Ask yourself is it because of what you’ve said to them in your anger or frustration?
Part of honoring your spouse is bearing with one another through keeping some things between the two of you only. When you share something they have done to hurt or anger you with someone else, especially family, when the two of you have moved on…others may still hold a grudge.
Remember, your marriage is your business!
Ephesians 4:1-3 (NKJV)
I, therefore, the prisoner [a]of the Lord, [b]beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Don’t let the reason that someone dislikes your spouse be because of what you’ve said about them.
There is nothing impossible to Him, but there’s still a few things He can’t do…
He can’t die.
He can’t lie.
He can’t fail…
And, He can’t be a MOTHER.
Yes, I know we say He’s a father to the fatherless and a mother to the motherless…and He can fill those voids in our lives, but…
Notice what Psalm 68:5 says…
A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation.
It says that our loving heavenly FATHER is to the fatherless, but not a mother to the motherless.
He’s our FATHER, but,
God gave a special role to women. He gave them honor of being the first connection to every life on this earth. To nurture every life…to introduce every person to the world, and with that role comes a special bond. There’s nothing like a mother’s love.
Even when it comes to our salvation, in the fullness of time, God still didn’t step outside of the authority He gave to women by still using a woman to bring His Son into the world.
Yes, He could have made another man of ‘dust’ if He wanted, but He chose Mary to be a Mother to our Lord and Savior, Yeshua, Jesus Christ.
Galatians 4:4 (NKJV)
4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born[a] of a woman, born under the law,
There’s nothing like a mother’s love!
That’s why it’s possible for some women who didn’t even physically birth a child into the world to still have the anointing to fulfill a mother’s role and love…it is a gift of God to the child and mother.
In those unfortunate circumstances when a mother does not live up to her role, even though a father can step it up or step in…nothing can ‘replace it’. Sometimes there is just a void, unless another ‘woman’ steps in (grandmother, aunt, sister, adopted mother).
So thank God for all mothers, even if yours didn’t live up to her responsibility, because that’s who God chose to bring you into the world.
Systemic racism is a contentious subject in the United States of America. Many people, especially among those who call themselves ‘Conservatives’, assert systemic racism is a myth and that it doesn’t exist. It’s the same people who will complain about ‘CANCEL CULTURE’ but enjoy the benefits of Jesus Christ (Yeshua the Messiah) removing the penalty of THE LAW..
Hebrews 8:10-13 (NKJV)
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins [a]and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
13 In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
When you think about it, the Romans in the bible who were in power during the Roman Empire had a government and culture systematically set up to the advantage of Roman citizens, and a disadvantage to those whom they subjugated.
To assert that’s not true in America is quite silly. The systems, attitudes, paradigms and sub-cultures established through institutional racism that weren’t seriously addressed until the mid-twentieth century have a heritage that continues in many ways today. I had uncles who fought in WWII and came home to second-class citizenship. Even today, when my wife shops for nail polish, NUDE or FLESH color doesn’t look like the color of my skin – that’s systemic!
It’s interesting and quite humorous to me however, that some of the same people who claim that systemic racism is a myth actually prove it’s true through their own assertion that the so-called American liberal media gives certain groups an inherent advantage.
Republican Senator Ron Johnson made the following statements in reference to the Biden administration:
“Unequal application of justice, law by administration should ‘frighten every American’
and
‘Our FBI, our Department of Justice is equally biased and they are not administering justice equally in this country’
SOUNDS SYSTEMIC DOESN’T IT?
Even claims of election fraud are claims of a system that was set up to give an advantage to one political party over another…That’s systemic!
If it’s possible for the media or an administration to give systemic advantages to certain demographics, then it’s possible for the systems established and nurtured for hundreds of years to give an unfair advantage to certain groups of people.
If the media had the power to influence attitudes and actions to the point that it gives an unfair advantage to certain people, then it’s possible for two demographics to be born in poverty, but the established systems make it easier for one group to rise from that poverty than the other.
The very fact that some people assert that presenting another perspective of history is CHANGING history is another example of SYSTEMIC RACISM.
It’s extreme arrogance for some people to think they own the one and only correct perspective and narrative of history.
There’s more than ONE perspective and narrative!
1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Nehemiah, Ezra, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John prove that. God presents the SAME history from several different perspectives. People have twisted much of the bible to fit their preferred narratives — That’s systemic too!
Many people in America need to learn that admitting the ugly parts of our history rather than glorifying or hiding the wrongs we have done isn’t unpatriotic. The fact is that it’s biblical…
Leviticus 26:40-45 (NKJV)
40 ‘But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me,
41 and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies;
if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt—
42 then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember;
I will remember the land.
43 The land also shall be left empty by them, and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them;
they will accept their guilt, because they despised My judgments andbecause their soul abhorred My statutes.
44 Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor them, to utterly destroy them and break My covenant with them;
for I am the Lord their God.
45 But for their sake I will remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God:
Pray is such as special gift from the God of our creation.
We may not have instant and direct access to the President, the governor, the mayor, the CEO, the Athletic Director, your pastor or even one another sometimes…
But, we always have direct access to God through our Lord and Savior Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ).
the Bible teaches us through prayers and supplications to make our requests made known to God…
Philippians 4:6 (NKJV)
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
There have been times that after I have finished praying, I have wondered…did I miss something?
I thanked God.
I asked for forgiveness of my sins.
I prayed for provision, protection and other things.
I prayed for others…
Did I forget something?
But, then I remembered that we are created in the image of God. That means that we can have His character…His essence.
We can love like Him. We can nurture like Him. We can take care of our children the way He takes care of His children.
So, our children don’t have to make a point to specifically ask every day for us to:
Feed them…
Protect them…
Provide the things they need.
The fact is that many times if they simply come to us, unsolicited…
If they approach us ‘out of the blue’ and with obvious sincerity expressing, I LOVE YOU…and we know that it’s real.
That sincere and unselfish expression of love provokes us to WANT to do something to show them how much we love them. Sometimes it makes us want to do something special for them.
I think we have that reaction because we are created in God’s image. Maybe He sometimes reacts the same way towards us when we bow heads prayer or lift our hands in praise and unselfishly, sincerely express I LOVE YOU! I TRUST YOU! I BLESS YOU! And, I JUST WANT YOU TO BE PLEASED WITH ME!
Remember, prayer isn’t only giving God a laundry list of our needs, but an opportunity to express our love for Him.
Every now and then, just thank God and tell Him that you love Him.
Psalm 103:1-2 (NKJV)
Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:
BE BLESSTIFIED!
Growing In Yahuah 