Yep, I’m going there because I feel this piece will be a blessing to someone.

A blessing to someone who is single or to someone who is married but is in a season of being ‘out of sync’ with their spouse.

Masturbation has got to be one of the most taboo subjects among those who call themselves disciples of Christ. Is it a sin? Is it okay? Too embarrassed to talk about it?

Well, if the bible addresses it, I’m going to address it too!

Let me get straight to the point. Many who claim masturbation is a sin infer it from these scriptures…

Leviticus 15:16-18 (NKJV)

¹⁶ ‘If any man has an emission of semen, then he shall wash all his body in water, and be unclean until evening. ¹⁷ And any garment and any leather on which there is semen, it shall be washed with water, and be unclean until evening. ¹⁸ Also, when a woman lies with a man, and there is an emission of semen, they shall bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

Deuteronomy 23:10 (ESV)

¹⁰ “If any man among you becomes unclean because of a nocturnal emission, then he shall go outside the camp. He shall not come inside the camp,

Some people conclude that masturbation is a sin because the bible declares that if a man has an emission of semen that he is unclean until the evening. They are concluding that unclean means sin.

However, the bible also says…

Leviticus 15:19-30  (NKJV)

¹⁹ ‘If a woman has a discharge, and the discharge from her body is blood, she shall be ^[a]set apart seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening. ²⁰ Everything that she lies on during her impurity shall be unclean; also everything that she sits on shall be unclean. ²¹ Whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. ²² And whoever touches anything that she sat on shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. ²³ If anything is on her bed or on anything on which she sits, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until evening. ²⁴ And if any man lies with her at all, so that her impurity is on him, he shall be ^[b]unclean seven days; and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean.

We all know that it is not a sin for a woman to have her menstrual cycle, so you can’t use the ‘unclean’ argument to equate it to sin. In fact, Numbers 19 states that a priest can become unclean while performing one of his duties…

Numbers 19:5-7  (NKJV)

⁵ Then the heifer shall be burned in his sight: its hide, its flesh, its blood, and its offal shall be burned. ⁶ And the priest shall take cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet, and cast them into the midst of the fire burning the heifer. ⁷ Then the priest shall wash his clothes, he shall bathe in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp; the priest shall be unclean until evening.

So the very act of masturbating is not a sin within itself BUT,

What a person is doing while masturbating CAN make it a sin…

Watching porn and nude images.

Thinking of someone who is not your spouse to get aroused.

It’s just like sexual intercourse. It’s not the act itself, but how its done that makes it a sin.

So, if masturbation helps keep you from committing fornication or adultery…

If masturbation helps you get through the seasons in your marriage when you aren’t on the same page sexually…

Just like sexual intercourse, it’s the person’s responsibility to make sure they aren’t doing it in a way to make it displeasing to God. When you’re alone it’s between you, God and the angel that’s watching over you:-)

Don’t be afraid to hit like, or contribute to the conversation.

You may also be blessed by…

IF THE ‘BIG O’ WAS TOO BIG (GOD’S WISDOM)…

ONLY ‘GODLY SEX’ IS GOOD SEX…GODLY MARRIAGE:

HOW SEX IS SUBMISSION AND HONOR PERFECTED (Graphic but Holy)…

THE BIBLE SAYS THAT BOOBS AREN’T JUST FOR THE BABIES…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

I’m sure all parents have this moment because I feel it comes from God. Those moments when your children make you feel like you’re not a good parent.

They may make you feel like you’re not doing enough for them.

They may make you feel as though you owe them more.

They may make you feel like you’re being unfair, unreasonable and unloving.

They may make you feel as though you are not appreciated.

Sometimes they can make you feel as though you have failed as a parent.

For whatever reason, if you let them, your kids can make you feel like a bad parent.

Well, the reason I think God allows that is for a moment of self-examination about the parent’s relationship with God. OH! NOW, I SEE HOW GOD FEELS…(HORIZONTAL EXAMPLES OF OUR VERTICAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD)

DO YOU EVER MAKE GOD FEEL LIKE HE’S NOT A GOOD FATHER?

When you complain?

When His best isn’t good enough?

When He doesn’t give you what you want?

When He’s too slow?

When He’s too quiet?

When we feel He’s unfair?

When we take Him for granted?

When we don’t spend quality time with Him?

The next time you’re children make you feel like you’re not a good parent, stop and ask yourself do you ever make God feel that way.

1 John 3:1a  (NKJV)

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of ^[a]God…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

I often hear many of my fellow Christians say that they don’t believe in luck.  They say that since God is in control, there is no such thing as luck. They say that since they have God’s grace, they have no need for luck.

Romans 8:28  (NKJV)

²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Romans 3:23-25  (NKJV)

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ being justified ^[a]freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God set forth as a ^[b]propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,

But, what about those who DON’T have grace?

If grace is ONLY for the believer, what is a SERENDIPITOUS moment for the unbeliever called?

If you don’t have God’s grace in your life, then basically, whatever happens…happens.

Much like if you spin a top on a small table. Using your hands to prevent that top from falling off the table represents God’s grace. But, if you don’t use your hands to prevent that top from falling off the table, that represents that fact that if that top doesn’t fall off the table…it’s lucky.

So, what do you think? IS IT GRACE OR LUCK?

You may also enjoy this: HOW TO MAKE SURE GOD ISN’T JUST YOUR ‘GOD’ LUCK CHARM…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

How many times have you heard this (or done this)?

There’s a disagreement…an arguement…a debate…a discussion…a contention… a situation where someone rubbed you wrong.

It could have been politics, religion, relationship, sports, work, or whatever…

But, they pushed the right button (or wrong button) and whether you admit it or not, they ticked you off (or pissed you off).

However, you are a Christian and you love God, so you ‘dismiss’ them with a “God bless you!”, or “I will pray you!”

Hmmm, when you’re honest with yourself though, you didn’t mean that in your heart.

You would never say, “F*** You!”. And, the devil knows it too.

That’s why he cleverly slipped in and manipulated you to use a blessing to be nice-nasty. Your mouth said, God bless you, but your heart really said “F-You”.

The person to whom you it, and those who heard it could tell what you really meant…and so could God.

We all have human moments, but we must be very careful not to allow the enemy to make us guilty of what the Psalmist said…
Psalm 62:4c (NKJV)

“…They bless with their mouths, but they curse inwardly.”

Remember, we must give an account for every word that comes from our mouths…

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.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Just like during the Great Recession of 2008, the word STIMULUS CHECK is again abuzz in American culture. Also, those who are unemployed are getting an additional $600 in addition to their unemployment compensation.

Unfortunately, there are many essential workers who are making less money, while putting themselves at risk, than those who have become unemployed. This has led to many people complaining about this being unfair…and it is.

However, it is a blessing in disguise for many of those who are temporarily receiving more than they would on their regular jobs. When they return to work, they will be earning less.

The bottom line is…’THE SYSTEM’ WORKED FOR THEM THIS TIME!

There are always those who benefit more from ‘THE SYSTEM’ as it moves and evolves according to the political, economic and social environments. There are always those for whom at some point in time, THE SYSTEM works in their favor.

The fact is, some people don’t complain until they feel their ‘benefits’ of THE SYSTEM are threatened or see them working for someone else.

I have even seen some people who are getting more money while unemployed as being lazy. This is wrong to generalize everyone into to one basket. One person even said, and I quote, “The real reason many people don’t want to go back to work and want the stay at home order to be extended is they have actually gotten a pay raise by staying at home and not working.” Wow! Making generalizations like this is dangerous.

Yes, there is an example of this in the bible, when THE SYSTEM worked to benefit those some felt less deserving, leading to complaining from those who thought they were more deserving. Yeshua gave us a relevant lesson in how He views it.

Matthew 20:1-16 (NKJV)

20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ² Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. ³ And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, ⁴ and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. ⁵ Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. ⁶ And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing ^[a]idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ ⁷ They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, ^[b]and whatever is right you will receive.’

⁸ “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ ⁹ And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. ¹⁰ But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. ¹¹ And when they had received it, they ^[c]complained against the landowner, ¹² saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ ¹³ But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. ¹⁵ Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ ¹⁶ So the last will be first, and the first last. For^[d] many are called, but few chosen.”

So, what if that happened today?

If many people are honest with themselves, if they lived then or that were today, they would have been complaining about those who began working at the end of the day…

“The real reason they waited until the end of the day is so they could get the same amount as those who worked all day.”

“They were lazy”.

“It’s unfair.”

“The landowner was unfair”

“People like that are the problem with this country.”

The fact is, this particular time, the system worked for them.

Be careful how you judge situations. Judging is when you ‘think for someone else’. When you determine what is in someone else’s heart. When you think you know their motivation.

Remember, you will be judged by the same judgement that you judge someone else.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Remember, you can’t whine, complain or be petty at the same time.

Remember, whining, complaining and praise are all contagious.

The next time you’re feeling sorry for yourself and wanting someone else to notice and feel sorry for you…STOP, and give God some praise that things aren’t worse.

TURN YOUR PITY PARTY INTO A PRAISE PARTY!

It’s when you feel worse that praise is an actual sacrifice. You have to dig deep into your faith, confidence, trust and love for God and with the fruit of your lips praise Him in spite of __________.

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, giving thanks to His name.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Here’s a quick story. One day years ago while working a previous job, I was in the office, and I didn’t do a particular job to meet my direct manager’s expectations. That’s just a reality of work and relationships. We will not always meet each other’s expectations.

That particular manager became very angry, slammed his fist on the desk and said very loudly in front of everyone, “You will NOT do this like this again!”

I remained calm, and went to the bathroom to pray and ask God to give me the wisdom to handle the situation.

I then calmly returned to his desk and said, “Listen, my name is not Chris (his son’s name is Chris). I respect your authority, and you can write me up, suspend me, or even fire me, but you WILL NOT DISRESPECT ME AGAIN! The reason we are both here is to provide for our families, and your position does not give you the right to disrespect me.” He spent the rest of the day apologizing to me, and thank God it never happened again.

It’s amazing how some people equate being loud, mean, and difficult to strength, leadership and assertiveness.

Notice that what God defines as the Fruit of His Spirit, the evidence that we are in relationship with Him, are qualities that are considered weak in ‘Western’ culture.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ^23 [a]gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

When did it become acceptable for leadership to get a pass on being respectful?

It reminds me of the pass that so many in society gives coaches to use profanity and disrespect to coach their children… https://beblesstified.com/2019/04/06/why-its-not-okay-for-coaches-to-curse-your-children-3/

It’s amazing how some people are impressed with cursing, profanity, insults, condescension, and even blasphemy, even people in the Body of Christ… https://beblesstified.com/2019/10/21/5-catastrophic-implications-of-when-christians-cuss-4/

God expects us to remain in His character, especially when we are in positions of leadership. And, when we work with people who don’t have a relationship with God, it’s our responsibility to hold them accountable.

You can be an influence on the culture of your workplace by how you respond to the negative, difficult situations.

Pray for discernment so you can know in which situations to speak up, and in which situations to remain silent.

You can respond in God’s love, but also in His authority. Control your emotions, choose your words carefully, speak calmly, and be prepared for the consequences of you standing your ground.

Proverbs 15:1  (NKJV)

15 A soft answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.

Quiet doesn’t always mean silent…

NOTHING INTIMIDATES A LOUDMOUTH LIKE THE QUIET STRENGTH OF HUMILITY.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

.

It’s the late 70’s and I’ve been outside playing for hours. My grandmother had a peach tree, and there was something extra special about grabbing one of those peaches, even if they weren’t sweet. Our neighbor had a grapevine, and yes, we would love to run through her mature trees that sheltered it and feast on those wonderful, free grapes.

But, there was no pleasure quite like that of finding honeysuckles dancing in the wind. Now, that was a treat! Most of the time, you caught their aroma before you saw them. “I smell honeysuckles!” Then you would begin searching, following your nose. When you found them, you had to pull them just right for that treasure of sweet, moist droplets that each one yielded. It was just enough to make you want another.

I wonder how many children today have or take the opportunity to take a treat from the hand of God as they play outside.

Do you have childhood memories of eating from GOD’S CANDY STORE? If so, please share them in the comments.

Song of Solomon 2:12  (NKJV)

The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.

BE BLESSTIFIE!

Think about your relationship with your husband or your wife, your parents, your siblings, your friends…the people who are important to you.

Have they ever done anything to hurt you? Now, have you ever done anything to hurt them? If you are still in relationship with them, then either two things have happened. Either you’ve hurt and forgiving one another or, you are living with a grudge over…something.

And, if you are living with a grudge then you are putting your relationship at risk because that grudge gives the enemy a foothold to gain influence in that relationship.

Now, think of those relationships that you are no longer involved in. A broken marriage. Siblings who don’t speak. Friends who have become enemies. There is one reason those relationships no longer exist…something happened that you can’t forgive.

Nothing deep here, must a quick reminder. If the relationship is important to you, be ready to forgive. Because whatever it is that you feel you could never forgive, most if not all of the time, that’s what the enemy will use to destroy your relationship.

Remember this…

Your relationships are only as strong as what you are willing to forgive.

So, not only should you be ready to forgive, but if the relationship is important to you, be ready to move on and forgive without an apology. For more on this, read HOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT AN APOLOGY ( 8 TIPS)…

Proverbs 19:11 (NKJV)

¹¹ The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger,
And his glory isto overlook a transgression.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

What do people say when confronted with doing what God expects of them or has called them to do?

Why don’t you go to church?

Let’s go feed the homeless.

Let’s go visit and minister people in prison and hospitals…

Why don’t you give the firstfruits of all your increase to God?

Usually before we make an excuse, we usually give a big BUT…

“I would, BUT the people in church aren’t right themselves…”

“I would, BUT those homeless people will just spend it on drugs, cigarettes and alcohol…”

“I would, BUT I can’t afford to…”

“I would, BUT I don’t have time to visit…”

“I would, BUT my kids have sports…”

Yeshua, Christ Jesus, gave us a parable to illustrate how much He hates our excuses. He let us know how much He hates our BIG BUTS…

Luke 14:18-24 (NKJV)

¹⁸ BUT they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ ¹⁹ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ ²⁰ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ ²¹ So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the ^[a]maimed and the lame and the blind.’ ²² And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ ²³ Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. ²⁴ For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ”

Notice that each of these excuses addressed the same excuses we give today.

BUSINESS. WORK. CAREER

“I bought a piece of ground…”

“I bought a yoke of oxen…”

SPOUSE. CHILDREN. FAMILY

“I have married a wife…

These excuses made the master of the house (Jesus) angry. So, He invited the very people who those who were initially invited were called to serve instead.

He then said those who makes excuses and rejected His invitation will not ‘taste His supper’ (will not enter His Kingdom).

Jesus hates our excuses! However, the enemy loves our BIG BUTS! He loves our excuses.
 

Don’t let your BIG BUT keep you out of the Kingdom of God!

BE BLESSTIFIED!

BE BLESSTIFIED!

I recently saw a post on social media from someone questioning why would someone symbolically drink the blood and eat the flesh of a ‘white man’, and what good does that do.

Many people responded in support asserting that Jesus never lived. They were calling Christianity a white man’s tool to enslave and subjugate black people and to hold them down.

Many of these people were making blasphemous statements about God, and calling those who believe in Him through Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) fools, stupid, brainwashed etc.

No matter what the context of the statement or conversation, posts and conversations like this are a hidden treasure for believers.

They provide a list of specific names to call out to God in prayer.

Here’s the thought…

Sometimes you can’t let people know you are praying for them.

You can’t respond, “I will pray for your” or “I’m praying for you” because that means nothing to them at the time, and will just fuel the flames of their rage. It will just stir up the demons inside them that are stirring them up.

In you response, pray for wisdom, and plant a good seed of faith through what you say…Then pray for them consistently. Write their name down. Screenshot it. Memorize it, and call it out to God consistently.

Ask God to give increase to any good seed that’s been planted in them. Seeds of faith in the Lord God of Israel from Everlasting to Everlasting through His Son Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ). Seeds repentance. Seeds of salvation. Seeds of fellowship and peace with Him. And, seeds of a lifetime of much good fruit through their lives. Also ask God to kill the bad seeds that have been planted in them, and to cast our any unclean spirits and command that they never return.

Call out their names in prayer…consistently. Maybe that’s why God allowed you to cross paths with them.

For more on this, check out this post…

https://beblesstified.com/2018/10/26/hey-what-is-secret-cyber-ministry/

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Most of us get angry at those we love the most…it’s just a part of relationships. All children, both small and adult children, get angry at their parents at some point and time…it’s just a part of the relationship.

Most of us who believe in God also claim to love Him and be in relationship with Him…We are His children.

Soooo, it’s doesn’t seem outside of reason to assume that those of us who are in relationship with God, have gotten angry with him at sometimes or another…if we are willing to admit it.

God’s children get angry at their Heavenly Father.

Have you gotten angry at God because…

You thought He ignored your prayer…

You thought He said no…

You thought He was being unfair to you…

You thought He should have intervened…

You thought He was being too harsh…

You thought He favored someone who didn’t deserve it…

You thought those who are evil continue to win…

You thought…

Well, I could go over possible reasons all day, but you know why you were angry with Him…if you’re willing to admit it.

King David, a man after God’s own heart became angry with God. As he was having the Ark of the Covenant (which represented God’s presence) brought back, the oxen pulling the cart stumbled and as Uzza reached out to hold the ark steady, God became angry at him for touching it, (because no one was to touch the ark), and struck him dead. This made David angry and afraid of God…

1 Chronicles 13:10 (NKJV)

 ¹⁰ Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzza, and He struck him because he put his hand to the ark; and he died there before God. 

Throughout the book of Psalms, there are hints of frustration with God…

Psalm 13:1 (NKJV)

“How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?”

Psalm 77:3 (NKJV)

“I remembered God, and was troubled;
I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed.”

Psalm 94:3 (NKJV)

“How long will the wicked, Lord, how long will the wicked continue to triumph.”

Habukkuk cries out…

Habakkuk 1:2 (NKJV)

O Lord, how long shall I cry,

And You will not hear?
Even cry out to You, “Violence!”
And You will not save.
³ Why do You show me iniquity,
And cause me to see trouble?
For plundering and violence are before me;
There is strife, and contention arises.
⁴ Therefore the law is powerless,
And justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.

Jeremiah laments…

Jeremiah 12:1-4 (NKJV)

Righteous are You, O Lord, when I plead with You;

Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments.
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?
² You have planted them, yes, they have taken root;
They grow, yes, they bear fruit.
You are near in their mouth
But far from their mind.

³ But You, O Lord, know me;
You have seen me,
And You have tested my heart toward You.
Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,
And prepare them for the day of slaughter.
⁴ How long will the land mourn,
And the herbs of every field wither?
The beasts and birds are consumed,
For the wickedness of those who dwell there,
Because they said, “He will not see our final end.”

Jeremiah even cursed the day he was born…

Jeremiah 20: 14 (KNJV)

Cursed be the day in which I was born! Let the day not be blessed in which my mother bore me.

Remember this…Men and women of God are merely, MEN and WOMEN of God. Only human.

God remembers that we are only human…

Psalm 103:14 (NKJV)

¹⁴ For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.

 Psalm 78:39  (NKJV)

³⁹ For He remembered that they were but flesh,
A breath that passes away and does not come again.

 Matthew 26:41 (NKJV)

⁴¹ Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Even Jesus, Yeshua, Himself cried out…

Matthew 27:46 (NKJV)

⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

God allows us to have human moments, but He expects us to ‘come to ourselves’, trust Him and honor Him. He allows us the opportunity to express our humanity in reverence and respect.

When you read the bible, after these men and women of God were angry…after they lamented…after their frustration….THEY TRUSTED GOD!

In the midst of their ‘complaint’ was PRAISE. Each of the Psalms mentioned above ended in PRAISE for God.

Jeremiah 20: 11-13 (NKJV)

But the Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome One.

Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail.
They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper.
Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.
¹² But, O Lord of hosts,
You who test the righteous,
And see the mind and heart,
Let me see Your vengeance on them;
For I have pleaded my cause before You.

¹³ Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord!
For He has delivered the life of the poor
From the hand of evildoers.

They praised God in their pain to activate their faith….They continued to press in to the purpose that God had for their lives.

Anger is one of the ways we were created in God’s image. God becomes angry sometimes, but His anger doesn’t last.

It’s human and natural to become angry at God and doubt, but He told us…

1 John 4:4 (NKJV)

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

…So it’s superhuman and spiritual to overcome our anger and trust Him.

God knows we will have PITY PARTIES, but He expects us to turn them into PRAISE PARTIES.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

If you like flowers…

Or plants…

Or fruit…

Or breathing…

Then you should thank God for BEES.

God uses them to pollinate plants so the plants can reproduce. As you probably already know, God uses plants to produce the oxygen that we need to breathe.

So, God uses BEES to multiply.

To make more plants…to make more fruit…to make more oxygen, so we can live.

God uses bees to fill the earth.

In the beginning one of the first things God told man to do is multiply…

Genesis 1:28(NKJV)

28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

God also told us to bear fruit…

John 15:8 (NKJV)

8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

When we bring others to Christ…

When we make disciples…

We’re bearing fruit for God’s Kingdom.

Fruit isn’t WHAT you obtain, but WHO you obtain.

When we plant the seed of God’s word, we’re pollinating God’s Kingdom.

When we’re doing what God told us to do, we’re BEEING what He created us to BEE.

BEE BLESSTIFIED!

Think for a moment about the professions that are considered to be honorable.

Think for a moment the professions that earn the most money.

Now, think which professionals and workers you would miss the most if they went on strike.

For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many found themselves missing professional sports but…

Who do you think would be missed first a person’s favorite team collecting wins, or someone collecting their garbage?

Sanitation workers are the most essential of essential workers, but are often forgotten and not given the respect they deserve, and definitely not the pay they deserve.

The bible tells us to give honor to whom honor is due…

Romans 13:7 (NKJV)

⁷ Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

Those whose profession is the very fabric of maintaining civilization itself deserve honor. In fact, it was on behalf of sanitation professionals that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was visiting Memphis when he was taken away.

The next time you take out garbage and don’t have to think about it anymore, thank God for your sanitation workers.

And, the next time you see them doing their job, give them some love, honor and respect.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

2 Corinthians 2:11(NKJV)

lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Have you ever noticed how many times the Old Testament references “the sins of Jeroboam”? In 1 Kings Chapter 12 (please read the entire chapter for context), Jeroboam, King of the northern kingdom of Israel became fearful that the people’s loyalty would return to Rehoboam, King of the southern kingdom of Judah and son of Solomon. He thought the people would kill him, so in an effort to prevent this he…

1. Sought and took bad advice (provoked by his fears).
2. Built two golden calves (provoking and facilitating the people to worship idol Gods).
3. Set them up in cities other than Jerusalem, provoking the people to travel to those cities to worship (one in Bethel and one in Dan).
4. Made shrines on high places (provoking the people to idolatry).
5. Set up his own priests who were not the sons of Levi (provoking the people and false priests to sin).
6. Chose his own day to ordain a feast for the children of Israel (provoking the children of Israel to worship in a manner other than what God had commanded for them at this particular time in history).

In short, the decisions Jeroboam made for the nation of Israel provoked and facilitated a culture of sin that God just didn’t only hold Jeraboam accountable for, but the ENTIRE NATION.

Be careful who you choose to follow.

Be careful who you choose to lead.

And, watch very closely those leaders whom you did not choose.

When leaders make unrighteous decrees, God will hold the entire nation accountable for following them.

Isaiah 10:1-6 (NKJV)

 10 “Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees,
Who write misfortune,
Which they have prescribed
² To rob the needy of justice,
And to take what is right from the poor of My people,
That widows may be their prey,
And that they may rob the fatherless.
³ What will you do in the day of punishment,
And in the desolation which will come from afar?
To whom will you flee for help?
And where will you leave your glory?
⁴ Without Me they shall bow down among the prisoners,
And they shall fall among the slain.”

For all this His anger is not turned away,
But His hand is stretched out still.

Arrogant Assyria Also Judged

⁵ “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger
And the staff in whose hand is My indignation.
⁶ I will send him against an ungodly nation,
And against the people of My wrath
I will give him charge,
To seize the spoil, to take the prey,
And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

Even though all leaders are ordained by God, that doesn’t mean that they always make Godly decisions. Sometimes nations are given ‘bad’ leaders because of their disobedience and sin.

Take the 44th and 45th presidential administrations for example. Even though there are good aspects of both…The enemy cleverly found ways to provoke well-meaning Christians to compromise what God said in His word and their own personal Christian values to either support the man or satisfy their own flesh….

44^th President of the United States championed rights for lifestyles (LBGT) that God clearly said are sinful. Yes, the decisions that people make are between themselves and God, but you can’t legitimize sin with legislation. Championing this cause promoted a culture that even uses the bible against itself. Many people now say, ‘That’s not what God really meant”. It also led to people attacking Christians for standing on the word of God.

45^th President of the United States has provoked people who call themselves Christians to promote a man who clearly has not and does not display ONE Fruit of the Spirit. Who is clearly unforgiving, unrepentant, unapologetic, proud, disrespectful, insulting with no filter. This is not judging him, it’s stating facts. But, they excuse this because they felt he would be good for the economy,  and national security.

His Press Secretary made this statement in defense of his ‘strong words’ in 2017, “They elected someone to be strong and when he get’s hit he’s going to hit back.” This statement is in direct conflict with God’s word…

Matthew 5:39  (NKJV)

³⁹ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

He called NFL athletes SOB’s and consistently hurls out insults to his enemies and promotes and legitimizes a culture of doing so, in direct conflict with the word of God…

1 Peter 3:9  (NKJV)

⁹ not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

Those who claim to be religious leaders who support him have not spoken out against or rebuked his behavior just a the Prophet Nathan did David, but rather make excuses for it.

When confronted with an issue, study everything the word of God says on the issue in context and proper perspective without ‘cherry picking’ the verses that best suit what you want.

Make your decision about what you support in your heart. God will honor and protect you and your family when you don’t consent to what is clearly displeasing to God.

Joshua 24:15 (NKJV)

 ¹⁵ And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Today, thousands of years later, leaders all over the world are still ‘committing the sins of Jeroboam’…provoking the nation to sin.

Body of Christ, no matter what your party may be, we must be very careful not to allow our politics TRUMP our faith.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

They didn’t see things your way?

How many times have you had an argument with _______________, and it was not resolved?

You still don’t agree?

They are still very much angry at you?

You still feel they are wrong?

Or, You may know that YOU are wrong?

Now is the time that you may want to buckle down in your anger. It is the foundation to a grudge and a wall in this ONE area of your relationship with _________________.

You may decide you aren’t going to speak to them. You may decide you aren’t going to listen to them. You may decide you are going to ignore them when they speak to you. You may decide to have a negative attitude towards them or be mean to them. You may decide to withhold affection and kindness from them….

There is a reason that God tells us…

Ephesians 4:26-27 (NKJV)

²⁶ “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, ²⁷ nor give place to the devil.

Proverbs 29:11  (NKJV)

¹¹ A fool vents all his feelings,^[a]
But a wise man holds them back.

James 1:20  (NKJV)

²⁰ for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

SO, BEFORE YOU BUCKLE DOWN IN YOUR ANGER, PLEASE STOP AND THINK ABOUT THIS…

Have you done something to make God angry?

Have you neglected doing something that God wants you to do?

Do you want God to buckle down in His anger towards you?

Do you want God to stop speaking to you? Do you want God to stop listening to you? Do you want God to start ignoring you? Do you want God to have a negative attitude towards you or be mean to you…

DO YOU WANT GOD TO WITHHOLD AFFECTION AND KINDNESS FROM YOU…FOR EVEN A BRIEF MOMENT?

NO! OF COURSE NOT!

So, the next time your anger burns hotter, cool it off with an act of kindness and love, especially if you don’t feel like it. That’s what makes it kindness and love!

Give them a hug. Do something small but kind for them, even if they don’t want you to. Let them have the last word.

Remember, giving someone the last word isn’t loosing an argument, it’s ending the argument.

Make it clear to them that you aren’t going to let your anger rule the situation. Make it clear to the devil that he cannot get a foothold through the situation.

Remember how long God remains angry at us…

Psalm 30:5  (NKJV)

⁵ For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But ^[a]joy comes in the morning.

To sum it up, make sure you have a forgiving heart quickly and let it go.

Ephesians 4:32  (NKJV)

³² And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Luke 11:4  (NLT)

⁴ and forgive us our sins,
    as we forgive those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation.”

Remember, you never really hold a grudge, the grudge always holds you.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

There’s nothing wrong with a good laugh. We need laughter to provide balance to the emotional rollercoaster life. In fact, even the Word of God says…

Proverbs 17:22New King James Version (NKJV)

²² A merry heart does good, like medicine,^[a]
But a broken spirit dries the bones.

But where do we draw the line between good humor and foolishness? We have all laughed and found amusement in things that are displeasing to God.

Jokes that are crude, lewd, insulting, demeaning, disrespectful, blasphemous and intentionally or unintentionally unholy.

Look at how the bible defines a ‘fool’…

Psalm 14:1 (NKJV)

14 The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.

Psalm 53:1(NKJV)

The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;
There is none who does good.

Anything that ‘denies’ not only denies God’s existence, but His holiness, His truth, His integrity, His sovereignty.

Any thing that denies godly character or the character of those made in His image, the fruit of His Spirit, as I said earlier…that is blasphemous and foolish.

That doesn’t mean that you have to be serious all the time or even totally avoid the humor in sex, and other taboo topics in life. We just have to be careful with how we share them.

“THERE IS NO ‘U’ IN FOOLISHNESS. LET’S KEEP IT THAT WAY.”

BE BLESSTIFIED!