We have all been the antagonist in at least one chapter of someone’s story.

We are not always the hero.

We are not always the victim.

SOMETIMES, WE WERE THE DARK SIDE!

Sometimes we were the monster.

OUR CULTURE CREATES MONSTERS WHO THINK THEY’RE HEROES!

How many people have you given a good reason to hate you?

How many people has the enemy used you as a stumbling block?

Sometimes we were Pharaoh.

Sometimes we were Peter.

Sometimes we were Judas.

Always be willing to forgive, even when you feel they do deserve it, because there’s always someone who feels we don’t.

Think about all the times God watched us deny, and betray Him…yet He still is always ready to forgive us.

He expects us to do the same.

Ephesians 4:31-32 (CJB)

³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, violent assertiveness and slander, along with all spitefulness. ³² Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted; and forgive each other, just as in the Messiah God has also forgiven you.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

We experience the physical world through our 5 senses. Would you even know you that the world was real if you had not ONE sense?

No sight?

No hearing?

No smell?

No taste?

No touch?

As real as this world is, we only know it’s real because of our five senses. We experience the world through our senses. They make us aware of the evidence that the world is real.

Faith is the spiritual equivalent to all five of our spiritual senses. It is our faith that enables us to experience the spiritual world that we can’t see.

Atheists claim God isn’t real because they say there is no evidence. This is because they aren’t exercising the measure of faith that God has given all of us, so just as a person with no senses can’t experience the physical world, they can’t experience God

Romans 12:3 (NKJV)

³ For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

Think about it, God’s word confirms that faith is our sixth sense through which we see, hear, touch, smell and even taste God…

SEE

2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV)

⁷ For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)

Now faith is the ^[a]substance of things hoped for, the ^[b]evidence of things not seen.

HEAR

Romans 10:17 (NKJV)

¹⁷ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

John 10:27 (NKJV)

²⁷ My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

TOUCH

Matthew 8:3 (NKJV)

³ Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Matthew 17:7 (NKJV)

⁷ But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.”

SMELL

2 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV)

¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

Ezekiel 20:41 (NKVJV)

⁴¹ I will accept you as a sweet aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered; and I will be hallowed in you before the Gentiles.

TASTE

Psalm 34:8 (NKJV)

⁸ Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Psalm 119:103 (NKJV)

¹⁰³ How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!

And just as our physical senses need to be enhanced through wearing glasses, contact lenses, hearing aids etc., so does our faith need enhancing through prayer, studying God’s word, praise and sincere worship.

So, please don’t neglect your spiritual sixth sense!

Feed your faith!

Exercise your faith!

Take care of your faith just as much as you do your 5 physical senses.

This is where most people are in our lives…

We work with them…

They are our neighbors…

We like the same teams…

We have the same political opinions…

We even go to church with them.

You’re cordial. You’re polite. You can hold a conversation. You can work together towards a goal…but you definitely aren’t friends.

You don’t enjoy being together.

You don’t have any loyalty towards one another.

You don’t particularly care what they think about you.

BUT,

You don’t hate them.

You don’t work against one another.

You don’t have any ill will towards them, nor do they to you.

These are the people that we need to learn to disagree with without becoming enemies.

I pray you have at least a few good friends.

I hope you have even fewer enemies.

But, most people you know will be neither.

Proverbs 12:26 (NKJV)

The righteous should choose his friends carefully,
For the way of the wicked leads them astray.

God give us clues as to which spirit someone is really being led by, whether its His Holy Spirit or the enemy. We all may boast about our accomplishments every now and then, however some people do it so often, it’s become an aspect of their character.

It’s their personality and you’re not surprised when you hear them do it.

Quite simply, this is not of God. Notice what Proverbs Chapter 27 Verse 2 state (this is the Complete Jewish Bible translation)…

Beware of people, especially leaders. who are known for constantly bragging about themselves. the Bible makes it clear their behavior/character is being led by the enemy.

Matthew 7:20 (NKJV)

²⁰ Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Have you ever noticed that the very man that God used to tell us…

⁶ Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV)

…did just that, in his old age? He departed from being obedient to God in his relationships.

We all know that the Bible teaches us that King Solomon was the most wise man who has ever lived.

God used him to channel words of wisdom from the spiritual to the physical world. He is an example of how a person who has total devotion to God can allow others, especially people they love, to come between them and their relationship with God.

Most people know that Solomon had many wives and concubines in spite of what God warned in Deuteronomy Chapter 17…

Deuteronomy 17:15-17 (NKJV)

¹⁵ you shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. ¹⁶ But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’ ¹⁷ Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.

Solomon’s love and devotion for his ‘illegal’ wives caused him to put them before God. He built idols and shrines for the ‘gods’ they served and it made God very angry…but this didn’t catch God by surprise. He knew what Solomon would do even when He ordained him to be king. The fact is that God uses imperfect people to carry out His perfect will. But, there are consequences when we ‘betray’ God.

Solomon ruined his season of peace and rest by provoking God to stir up enemies against him…

1 Kings 11:11-14 (NKJV)

¹¹ Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. ¹² Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. ¹³ However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.“ ¹⁴ Now the Lord raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was a descendant of the king in Edom.

No matter how wise you may be. No matter what God has accomplished through you. No matter how many ‘good seeds’ you have sown….If you don’t remain diligent in obedience, the devil can get a foothold in your life and cause you to stumble and hurt our God.

If it can happen to the most wise man to ever live, it can happen to any of us.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

How much of yourself…your time do you give to others?
Here on earth, time is life. You can get back lost money, but you can never get back time.

When you sacrifice your time for someone, you’re giving away part of your life.

Jesus said….

John 15:13

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO DIE TO LAY DOWN YOUR LIFE FOR SOMEONE…

Many have given up their dreams so that someone else can pursue theirs.

There are those who spend and have spent years taking care of others…serving others. Serving others is giving up your time for someone else.

Who in your life is giving up their time for you?

Who are your sacrificing your time for?

One of the greatest measures of love is giving up what you can never get back…TIME.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

I’ve noticed a tone in American politics that is in direct contradiction to The Fruit of the Spirit. Anecdotally, by people’s comments, actions and reactions, they are proving that they feel the character that God calls strength to be weakness…they prove to be impressed by and placing their faith in ‘ungodly’ behavior.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, KINDNESS, goodness, faithfulness, ^23 [a]GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTRO. Against such there is no law.

Many who claim to be disciples of Yeshua the Messiah, are excusing and justifying leadership that is opposite of the character that God demands…

James 3:17 (NKJV)

¹⁷ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then PEACEABLE, GENTLE, WILLING TO YEILD, full of MERCY and good fruits, WITHOUT PARTIALITY and without hypocrisy.

Too many who claim to be in the Body of Christ are co-signing on leadership and character that is the opposite of Jesus Himself…

Matthew 11:29 (NKJV)

²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am ^[a]GENTLE and LOWLY IN HEART, and you will find rest for your souls.

It’s amazing how even those who call themselves Christians are impressed by and put their confidence in, arrogance, pride, insults and threats. They view this as strength.

In a recent conversation, a man who professes to be a Christian told me…

“I wasn’t voting for a man of God, I was voting for someone strong…”

Another person told me…

“I didn’t vote for a pope or preacher. I voted for someone who would stand up to the bully left and get the job done…”

How many Christians of today would have become disappointed in Jesus because they thought He was coming to restore the glory of Israel then and there only to find out He was talking about a spiritual kingdom?

How many Christians of today would have thought Jesus was weak because He didn’t use profanity or didn’t threaten those who opposed Him?

How many Christians today would have criticized Him when He threatened their ‘national’ traditions and ‘laws’ of Moses?

How many Christians today would have abandoned Him when they had a choice between Him and Barabbas?

Just as when they had a choice between Yeshua and Barabbas, how many Christians today would VOTE FOR HIM IF HE WERE RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT?

Or, would they vote for someone who is Insulting, Unrepentant, Unforgiving, Unaccountable, Accusatory, Boastful, Proud, and Arrogant because they feel he or she is good for the economy or national security?

Here is another recent comment…

“ Being a patriot, standing what you think is right! President Trump has been doing that since he was elected. Seriously, when obama was president my 401k barely moved! Since President Trump has been President my 401k has gone ballistic!!! I’m amazed that you don’t see that on your end. You only see what the corrupt media tells you.”

However, the word of God tells us…

Matthew 6:24 (NKJV)

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and ^[a]mammon.

God holds us accountable for how we ‘buy in’ to the culture disseminated from the leaders. That’s one of the reasons that Israel suffered because of kings that God considered ‘evil’ because of their arrogance and pride. (Such as Rehoboam, Jeroboam, Ahab, Omri, Athaliah, Ahaz, Manasseh, Hoshea, Zedekiah, etc.).

Jesus fed thousands of able-bodied people on more than one occasion.

Matthew 14:15-16 (NIV)

¹⁵ As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

¹⁶ Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

Mark 2:15-17 (NIV)

¹⁵ While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. ¹⁶ When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹⁷ On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

If our SAVIOR were running for President today, how many ‘Christians’ would vote for Him? Be honest with yourself…would you?

BE BLESSTIFIED!

WHEN PEOPLE ACT AS THOUGH HOMOSEXUALITY & ABORTION ARE THE ONLY TWO SINS IN THE BIBLE…

As I stepped onto my patio for an intimate moment of praise to God, with my hands lifted up I noticed the vapor from my breath as it lifted into the air like smoke from my mouth.

Wow!

What a beautiful illustration of how the animal sacrifices that are no longer required continue today through our sincere praise to God.

Praise is a sacrifice, especially if you continue to praise God through difficult times when your flesh doesn’t really ‘feel’ like doing it.

Hebrews 13:15 (NKJV)

¹⁵ Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, ^[a]giving thanks to His name.

Psalm 20:1-3 (NKJV)

May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble;
May the name of the God of Jacob ^[a]defend you;
² May He send you help from the sanctuary,
And strengthen you out of Zion;
³ May He remember all your offerings,
And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah

BE BLESSTIFIED!

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…

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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).
5. 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.
6. 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. 
7. 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.
8. 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.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Forgiveness isn’t easy. That’s because there’s a spiritual battle going on in our mind. The battle comes from the anger, shame, embarrassment, disappointment resulting from the betrayal or whatever was done, said, (or not done or said) to hurt us.

But, you can win that battle. You can chose what you think about.

Stop focusing on what they did to hurt you, and think about they ways they have shown love to you…

…every time those painful thoughts enter you mind. When you find yourself thinking about the ‘unforgivable’ things they said, think about how they comforted you in the past when you were down. Think about the good times you’ve had with them.

Remember, you control your thoughts…

Philippians 4:8-9  (CJB)

⁸ In conclusion, brothers, focus your thoughts on what is true, noble, righteous, pure, lovable or admirable, on some virtue or on something praiseworthy. ⁹ Keep doing what you have learned and received from me, what you have heard and seen me doing; then the God who gives shalom will be with you.

BE BLESSTIFIFED!

33 YEARS was a long time ago…

Sometimes we’ve felt like James & Florida (struggles)…

Sometimes like George & Weezy (Movin’ on up)…

But, there’ll still NEVER BEEN A BETTER LOVE!

We’re 33 Years Strong representing godly marriage between a man and a woman!

Perfect? No.

Perfect for each other?

Yes!

Matthew 19:5 (NIV)

⁵ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’^[a]?

BE BLESSTIFIED!

If there’s one consistency between both the Old and New Testaments, it’s the fact that names matter to God. From God changing Abram’s name to Abraham to Yeshua changing Simon’s name to Peter (Cephas).

In an age when so many in the Body of Christ are politicizing sins that society considers BIG, while excusing those they consider small, the bible is clear that God takes how we identify ourselves very seriously…

Not many Christians are quick to name their children, Satan or Lucifer.

Why?

Because those names are used to identify the enemy, the accuser of the saints…the devil.

That’s why I don’t understand that while Christians are so passionately ‘campaign’ against the so-called BIG sins, why they never speak up against teams, many of which they allow their children to be a part of, that identify themselves with a devil.

They wear sports paraphernalia, fly flags, display bumper ‘stickers’ and worst of all cheer for, root for, in a sense ‘praise’…and glorify THE DEVILS!

Right now someone reading this knows in their heart it’s not right, but they are naturally inclined to do what Christians do when they want to continue doing something…look for reasons to justify it.

Do you think God is cool with you allowing your child to be identified as a ‘devil’?

Do you think God is okay with allowing a school, AAU team, or professional team to be identified as the DEVILS? The RED DEVILS? The BLUE DEVILS? etc.?

Names matter so much go God that He demands we be baptized in the NAME of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Here name doesn’t mean the combination of consonants and vowels that make up ‘Yeshua’, ‘Jesus’, ‘Emmanuel’, Adonai, or even Ruach ha-kodesh (Holy Spirit). Names denote authority, character…who you are, or what it is. Think about the fact that God changed Jacob’s name to Israel.

Think about the fact that most Christians are content with calling a day chosen to commemorate Yeshua’s (Jesus’s) death, burial, and resurrection by a pagan goddess’s name (Easter), which is the same as (Eostre, Ishtar, Ashtoreth) one of the very names He forbid us to make mention of, one of the very names that Israel and Judah invoked (said) and provoked God to anger.

NAMES MATTER: WHY WE SHOULD CELEBRATE JESUS’ RESURRECTION WITHOUT CALLING IT ‘EASTER’…

Joshua 23:7 (NKJV)

⁷ and lest you go^[a] among these nations, these who remain among you. You shall not make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause anyone to swear by them; you shall not serve them nor bow down to them,

Names matter, so we should stop trivializing what is important to Him.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

WHEN POLITICS & SCRIPTURE COLLIDE (THE HOLY CITY OF JERUSALEM)…

In this case in regard to the city of Jerusalem SCRIPTURE WINS (as in every case) (Psalm 122).

This particular scripture isn’t quoted or preached as much as others, but it still gives very powerful insight into what’s in God’s heart, and gives us guidance in where and how to stand concerning the Holy City of Jerusalem. Of course those who don’t esteem the entire bible as the inspired, written word of God will not agree. It is my prayer the we can learn to disagree in peace.

Yes, there are implications for taking this stand, but that’s where faith in God comes in. Faith that even in the midst of the chaos that’s sometimes created from standing on the bible as the inspired word, that our God, Yah, is in control.

Remember, Yeshua (Jesus) Himself said that He didn’t come to bring peace, but the division that is sometimes created when it comes to choosing Him…

Matthew 10:34-36  (NKJV)

³⁴ “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; ³⁶ and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’

This chapter is a beautiful reminder in scripture that God wants us to include praying for Jerusalem as a part of our prayer lives.

Psalm 122 (NKJV)

I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go into the house of the Lord.”
² Our feet have been standing
Within your gates, O Jerusalem!

³ Jerusalem is built
As a city that is compact together,
⁴ Where the tribes go up,
The tribes of the Lord,
To the Testimony of Israel,
To give thanks to the name of the Lord.
⁵ For thrones are set there for judgment,
The thrones of the house of David.

⁶ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.
⁷ Peace be within your walls,
Prosperity within your palaces.”
⁸ For the sake of my brethren and companions,
I will now say, “Peace be within you.”
⁹ Because of the house of the Lord our God
I will seek your good.

Pray for peace within the Holy City of Jerusalem.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

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 covenant between 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.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

The enemy told God that if he could provoke Job to curse Him to His face?

Job 1:9-11  (NKJV)

BE BLESSTIFIED!

When you’re pursuing your God-given purpose,

When you’re loving and forgiving,

When you’re sharing God’s love, it frustrates the devil.

But, he has absolutely no power over your life except that what God allows…

 Job 1:12 (NKJV)

 ¹² And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your ^[a]power; only do not lay a hand on his person.”

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

God gets glory out of our lives when we overcome the devil, just as He did when He allowed the enemy to have temporary access to Job.

He bragged on Job, and sometimes God is bragging on you…

Job 1:8  (NKJV)

⁸ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you ^[a]considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and ^[b]shuns evil?”

That’s why sometimes frustrations come from nowhere…

Frustrations to your health…

Frustrations to your finances…

Frustrations in your relationships…

Frustrations on your jobs…

Those aches and pains. That boil on your behind. That person who has been frustrating you in traffic for the past 20 miles. That co-worker who continues to conspire against you. Those people who are insensitive, inconsiderate and unapologetic.

The devil see’s when you’re not letting those frustrations get to you. So, he sends another frustration…and another…and another, until God tells Him, “That’s enough!”

The enemy knows He has no real power over your life, so those frustrations are just him ‘giving you the finger’…

He’s flipping you off because you’ve pissed him off.

So, don’t let him get the best of you! Keep your cool. Praise God. And, let God get glory out of your story.

More BE BLESSTIFIED articles about the devil:

7 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO PISS THE DEVIL OFF TODAY…

WHEN THE DEVIL GET’S ‘THE BEST OF YOU’…

WHY THE DEVIL IS NOT A PYROMANIAC…

DON’T ASK GOD TO LEAVE TO INVITE IN A DEMON (Short & to the Point)…

TRADITIONS FROM HELL…

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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;

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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 his hand 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?

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I’m going to make this short, sweet and to the point…

Two different men…

Both knelt for different reasons….

Both no longer have NFL careers.

Remember, God does not consider kneeling in submission to be disrespectful…

Maybe it never was about either of them playing in the NFL and working on The Lord’s Day. Maybe He never intended for either of them to have a career in football.

Maybe it was about God giving them a platform, and move on.

And, if anyone is arrogant or self-righteous enough to believe that God isn’t using either of these men, read this…

Ecclesiastes 7:16  (NKJV)

¹⁶ Do not be overly righteous,
Nor be overly wise:
Why should you destroy yourself?

Now, read this…

FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE GEORGE FLOYD DOESN’T DESERVE TO BE A MARTYR (ESPECIALLY CANDACE OWENS)…

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Have you ever heard anyone say their decision was based on being…

THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS?

By whose standard?

Ours or God’s?

When we make decisions that are reserved exclusively for God’s authority, it’s dangerously close to idolatry or putting ourselves in His authority.

It’s amazing how people decide for God which sins are BIG and little.

The fact is that God considers abominations more evil than many sins we call less evil.

Proverbs 6:16-19New King James Version

¹⁶ These six things the Lord hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to ^[a]Him:
^{17 (A)}A^[b] proud look,
^(B)A lying tongue,
^(C)Hands that shed innocent blood,
^{18 (D)}A heart that devises wicked plans,
^(E)Feet that are swift in running to evil,
^{19 (F)}A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who ^(G)sows discord among brethren.

To be clear, this short article isn’t excusing any sin, but warning against the sin of hypocrisy.

Matthew 16:5-12 (NKJV)

⁵ Now ^(B)when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. ⁶ Then Jesus said to them, ^(C)“Take heed and beware of the ^[a]leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

⁷ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.”

⁸ But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you ^[b]have brought no bread? ^{9 (D)}Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? ^{10 (E)}Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? ¹¹ How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the ^[c]leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ¹² Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the ^[d]doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

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Listening to the news I was again amazed at a gentleman who says he’s a Christian who was proclaiming how passionate he is about keeping his OATH to defend the constitution.

I have absolutely no problem with defending the constitution…it’s our duty.

I do however have a problem with TAKING AN OATH rather than ‘affirming’ to do so.

Why?

Because Yeshua, The Messiah, (Jesus Christ) implicitly, unmistakably and irrevocably FORBADE it…

Matthew 5:33-37 (NKJV)

³³ “Again you have heard that it was said to those of ^[a]old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ ³⁴ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; ³⁵ nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶ Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷ But let ^[b]your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

James 5:12 (NKJV)

¹² But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into ^[a]judgment.

It doesn’t get more plain that those two verses.

It’s amazing how some sins such as homosexuality and abortion are politicized, while swearing and taking oaths are not only ignored, but done blatantly in the face of God demanding that He accept it.

Article 2, Section 1, of the U.S. Constitution prescribes the oath of office.

From Senate.gov website:(https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Oath_Office.htm)…”The Constitution contains an oath of office only for the president. For other officials, including members of Congress, that document specifies only that they “shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation to support this constitution.” In 1789, the First Congress reworked this requirement into a simple fourteen-word oath: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States.””

Many people’s minds immediately go to looking for excuses and reasons to justify a tradition that clearly goes directly against what Jesus commanded, just like the Pharisees…

Mark 7:7-13 (NKJV)

⁷ And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

⁸ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—^[a]the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”

⁹ He said to them, “All too well you ^[b]reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. ¹⁰ For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ ¹¹ But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God), ¹² then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, ¹³ making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

Quite frankly, this tradition is directly from Satan (“³⁷ But let ^[b]your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.“) however, it continues for generations because, just like the ‘system’ during Jesus’s earthly ministry, the system excuses, justifies and expects it.

Is homosexuality a sin?

Yes.

Is abortion a sin?

Yes.

Is adultery a sin?

Yes.

Is idolatry a sin?

Yes.

Is taking an oath of office, or in court, or into public service as in?

Yes, just as much as those mentioned above.

So, why are Americans content with that? Where is the passion for removing the stain of this sin from our country?

Before you blame the the wrong in America on the two or three big sins you hate…God could be pissed off at the sins you accept, such as oaths and pride.

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The reason many people can’t swim is because they were taught fear of water rather than respect for water.

I remember as a child when at the lake as I went near the water being told, “Get away from there!”

I was taught at an early age to be afraid of the water.

The disciples became afraid for their lives as the storm raged while Jesus slept in the lower parts of the boat. When Jesus woke up, before He rebuked the winds and the waves, He rebuked their fear and lack of faith…

Matthew 8:23-27  (NKJV)

²³ Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. ²⁴ And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. ²⁵ Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

²⁶ But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. ²⁷ So the men marveled, saying, ^[a]“Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

I’m sure there were many people in those days afraid of boats, just as many people today are afraid of planes.

What are you afraid of?

How did you learn to be afraid of that? It’s one thing to have a healthy respect for the power of something and another to be afraid of it…even your enemies.

Too many times it’s our fears that come between us and our purpose, our vision, our calling, our destiny, our potential…being everything God called us to be.

Remember what God told us through the Apostle Paul…

2 Timothy 1:7  (NKJV)

⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Too many times, “Fear is how the enemy convinces you to customize an attack against your own future.”

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“I love everybody!”

How many times have you heard that? How many times have you said that? But, too many times our behavior doesn’t align with that affirmation.

The reason is that people do horrible things to hurt one another. We have all done something to give someone else a reason but not an excuse to hate us. We have all had people do things to hurt us: our loved ones, people who we care about, a group of people to which we belong, or people who we feel couldn’t defend themselves.

Many people have been neglected, abused, overlooked, bullied, betrayed, cheated, discriminated against, injured….even had loved ones murdered.

But God still demands in no uncertain terms that we love EVERYONE!

Matthew 5:43-48 (NKJV)

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ^44 [a]But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet your ^[b]brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the ^[c]tax collectors do so? ⁴⁸ Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

But, sometimes people cross that line to do something to behave in a way that makes our spirits ache!

We know what God requires and say that we still love them, but God knows that’s not what’s really in our hearts.

In our hearts we want to see them hurt.

In our hearts we want to see them embarrassed.

In our hearts we want to see them punished.

In our hearts we want to see them put to shame.

If we aren’t careful, in our hearts we want to see them dead.

And, sometimes in our hearts we can want to see them condemned to hell.

The bible tells us to examine ourselves…

2 Corinthians 13:5  (NKJV)

⁵ Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you ^[a]are disqualified.

1 Corinthians 11:28-29  (NKJV)

²⁸ But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹ For he who eats and drinks ^[a]in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the ^[b]Lord’s body.

The devil, the enemy, the accuser of the Saints wants to convince you that someone has done something so horrible, that their character, attitude and behavior are so bad that they deserve to be hated.

That’s condemnation. That’s judgement. And, that’s reserved for God. The Word of God is very clear in how we are to respond to people our flesh wants to hate…

2 Corinthians 13:5(NKJV)

⁵ Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you ^[a]are disqualified.

So ask yourself…”Who has the devil convinced me to hate, I just haven’t admitted to myself?”

Donald Trump?

Derek Chauvin?

Al Sharpton?

Colin Kaepernick?

Your boss?

Your ex-husband or wife?

The person who abused your son or daughter?

The person who murdered someone you love?

I know it’s not easy, but God doesn’t allow us to hate them. He doesn’t love them any less than He loves us. He created them in His image too. And, He wants them to be reconciled to Him too. It’s our responsibility to pray for that and work for that. Once your enemy truly repents and becomes reconciled to Him, he or she is no longer God’s enemy…and they are no longer your enemy. Do you really pray for those who you feel don’t deserve prayer?

2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV)

⁹ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward ^[a]us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (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.

²⁰ Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

So I challenge you to be honest and ask yourself, “Do I hate anyone?”

If so, ask God to forgive you for hating them and repent by refusing to feed and fuel your anger towards them.

Then, call out their names every day and pray for them.

Pray for God to soften their hearts.

Pray for God to kill any bad seeds that’s been planted inside them and give increase to any good seeds… seeds of faith in God through Yeshua the Messiah, seeds of repentance, seeds of salvation, and seeds of fellowship with God and a life of bearing much good fruit for Him.

Then…leave the rest to God.

THINGS IT’S OKAY WITH GOD FOR US TO HATE ABOUT PEOPLE…

DON’T BE TOO HARD ON SOME OF YOUR ‘HATERS’…

NO MATTER WHAT THEY DID, GOD DOESN’T ALLOW YOU TO HATE THEM…

SO YOU THINK THEY GOT WHAT THEY DESERVED…REALLY???

HERE’S A HARMLESS WAY TO VENT YOUR HATE…

WHY WE SHOULD PRAY FOR VINDICATION INSTEAD OF TRYING TO GET REVENGE…

WHEN YOU INSPIRE YOUR HATERS…

3 SIGNS YOUR HATERS REALLY SEE THE VALUE IN YOU…

BE BLESSTIFIED!