Notice what Jesus prayed for before He went to the cross in John 17. Notice how many times He said,”ONE”.

John 17:20-23 (NKJV)

 20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

Now, notice how many times He said I and my father are ONE.

John 10:30 (NKJV)

 ³⁰ I and My Father are one.”

Think about what who bears witness in heaven.

John 5:7 (NKJV)

 ⁷ For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one

What did Jesus Himself say about marriage?

Mark 10:8  (NKJV)

 8 and the two shall become one flesh’; [a] so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.

Notice that we’re told to speak the same thing and there be no divisions in our churches…

1 Corinthians 1:10 (NKJV)

 10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

NOW…

Also notice something significant about the demons cast out of the man in Mark Chapter 5.

Mark 5:9 (NKJV)

9 Then He asked him, “What is your name?” And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.”

Take note in Matthew Chapter 12 what demons do when they find a comfortable dwelling.

Matthew 12:43-45 (NKJV)

 43 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. 

Notice what atrocities Hitler was able to accomplished by getting people to agree with His agenda.

Look at what the LBGT community has been able to accomplish contrary to the word of God by banding together in agreement.

Why?

Because no force other than God and His love is more powerful agreement.

Oneness. Agreement. Unity. Works for both GOOD and EVIL. RIGHT and WRONG.

Think about it…

Marriage…agreement.

Family…agreement.

Church…agreement.

Street gang…agreement.

Mob…agreement.

All are only successful through ONENESS. AGREEMENT. UNITY…a force so powerful, it works for good and evil.

Why do you think the devil works so hard at trying to divide people who love one another…people who have so much in common?

God is love, and satan is not (yes, lower case on purpose.)  Love covers all and conquers all…

1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)

 ⁸ And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”

God’s love is all powerful, but think about this…

UNITY, (AGREEMENT or ONENESS) is the only force and power that the enemy can use to try and RIVAL the power of God’s love on earth to accomplish his agenda.

That’s why in John Chapter 17, after praying for Himself, then praying for His disciples…He prayed for us (vs.20), and He prayed that we are ONE in Him and in one another.

Because other than love, there is nothing more powerful on this earth than UNITY.

So be very careful who and what you agree with!

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Throw your hands up and lift your voice in praise!

There is power in your praise!

Hebrews 12:12-13 (NKJV)

¹² Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, ¹³ and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

There is victory in your praise!

2 Chronicles 20:20-30 (NKJV)

²⁰ So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” ²¹ And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:

“Praise the Lord,
For His mercy endures forever.”

²² Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. ²³ For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they ^[a]had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

²⁴ So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.

²⁵ When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the ^[b]dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much. ²⁶ And on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of ^[c]Berachah, for there they blessed the Lord; therefore the name of that place was called The Valley of Berachah until this day. ²⁷ Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lordhad made them rejoice over their enemies. ²⁸ So they came to Jerusalem, with stringed instruments and harps and trumpets, to the house of the Lord. ²⁹ And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. ³⁰ Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

How many times have you done it? You jumped out of bed, and hit the ground running. You got dressed, maybe grabbed a bite to eat and started your day. Then here come the challenges…

Family asking questions they could have asked last night…

Can’t find your keys…

Horrible traffic…

More horrible co-workers…

Everyone seems to be pushing all your buttons all morning long!

Then, just before lunch you realize it. How could you have forgotten? Yes, the bed felt good and you lay there a few more moments, so when you jumped up you had to get going. But, how could you get going without telling Yahweh in the name of Yeshua…

“Good Morning!” (Psalm 63:1)

“I bless your Holy Name this morning!” (Matthew 6:9)

“Thank you for keeping while I slept!” (Psalm 4:8)

“Thank you for brand new grace and mercy this morning!” (Lamentations 3:22-24)

“Please forgive me of all my sins!” (Psalm 41:4)

“No matter what happens today I love you and I trust you!” (Psalm 31:13-14)

 “Thank you for sending the living word as your Son to die for my sins.” (John 1:14)

 “Please provide all of our needs for this day.” (Matthew 6:11)

 “ Lord, I look forward to being with you where you are when you return.” (John 17:24)

 “ I pray for peace and prosperity in your Holy City of Jerusalem and salvation for your people.” (Psalm 122:6-9, Romans 10:1)

 “I declare to have a good day in your Name!” (Psalm 118:24)

“For yours is the Kingdom, and the Power and the Glory forever!” (Matthew 6:13)

“In the name of Yeshua, Jesus Christ the Son of the only living God, and you are one.” (John 14:13-14)

 “I love you because you first love me…Amen!” (1 John 4:19)

Of course, you don’t have to use this exact prayer, but how dare us begin are day without talking to God first! Sometimes we forget, but sometimes we may just decide to skip praying. There are even mornings when we are going through trials that we honestly don’t FEEL LIKE PRAYING.

But, it is a foolish thing to be bold enough step out into this world (or even stay at home) without talking to God first.

If you aren’t having a ‘good day’…did you pray? And, even if you did, stop and think of how much ‘worse’ your day could have been if you didn’t.

Remember, before you ‘hit the ground running’…hit the ground in prayer!

This article may also bless you: THE ARROGANCE OF BEGINNING THE DAY WITHOUT PRAYER…

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….

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.

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.

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!

As I use this Christian blog as a platform for Christ, I sometimes get insulting, and demeaning responses and replies from either atheists, people of other faiths, or believers whose hearts have been hardened.

Before my blog, there was a time when I would engage in argumentative cyber dialogue on social media, Facebook in particular, with people who disagreed with me, thinking I was planting more good seed. This usually only drove them deeper into their resentment and unbelief.

The initial statement(s) that I made which provoked the negative response was the ‘good seed’.

I would also at times tell them, “I’m praying for you”, sometimes out of sincerity, but sometimes I admit I was being ‘spiritually shady, using the statement as a spiritual insult out of frustration and anger rather than love. Either way, it usually pissed them off even more.

As I prayed for God to increase my passion to reach out to those who don’t believe in Him, and give me strategies to effectively touch them…it hit me.

I call it SECRET CYBER MINISTRY.

People don’t have to know you are praying for them for God to hear it and respond.

Negative responses, as well as social pages and groups provide an abundant pool of names – real people to pray for God to touch.

You can stop right now, get on Facebook, search for pages dedicated to atheists. There you will find names (and faces) of people passionate about their unbelief. You can begin regularly calling out those names to God. You can present those names to your prayer groups and prayer partners. You can secretly make these specific people your focus in prayer. Lift these names up to God several times a day during your quiet time.

No matter how deep someone may be in his or her unbelief, God has given everyone a measure of faith and the ability to believe.

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.

You can pick out certain individuals and make it a point to consistently pray that God will soften their hearts to believe in Him through our Lord and Savior, Yeshua, Christ Jesus. That, He rebuke the devil and spirits of unbelief out of them. That, they attribute their measure of faith to Him. That they be saved, their faith be established, that it increases and they can bring forth a bountiful harvest of good fruit for God.

Not only do they not have to know you are praying for them, in fact, it’s probably best they don’t.

Facebook, blogs, and other social media is a fertile field for ‘secret cyber ministry’.

You can look at the cyber environment like Jesus did when He saw the crowds…

Matthew 9:35-38 New (NKJV)

³⁵ Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.^{[a] 36} But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary^[b] and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. ³⁷ Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. ³⁸ Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

This is a powerful way to use technology and be a Laborer for God’s Harvest.

Instead of arguing, avoiding or even resenting these people. Sincerely pray for them…BEFORE YOU UNFRIEND, BLOCK OR DELETE YOUR ‘MESSY’ FRIENDS ON SOCIAL MEDIA…

I you plant the seed, God will give the increase.

1 Corinthians 3:6 (NKJV)

⁶ I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

As much as we Christians proclaim our love for the LORD, sometimes some of us can be very casual and compromising in how we refer to God or His holiness.

God takes using His name in vain and blasphemy very seriously. Check out Exodus Chapter 20 verse 7 in these translations…

Exodus 20:7 (NKJV)

⁷ “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

Exodus 20:7 (NLT)

⁷ “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.

 Exodus 20:7  (MSG)

⁷ No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter; God won’t put up with the irreverent use of his name.

 Now look at what Jesus says about blaspheming the Holy Spirit…

Mark 3:28-30  (NKJV)

²⁸ “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; ²⁹ but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— ³⁰ because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Mark 3:28-30  (MSG)

^28-30 “Listen to this carefully. I’m warning you. There’s nothing done or said that can’t be forgiven. But if you persist in your slanders against God’s Holy Spirit, you are repudiating the very One who forgives, sawing off the branch on which you’re sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives.” He gave this warning because they were accusing him of being in league with Evil.

We must remember that God’s ‘name’ goes beyond a combination of vowels and consonants, but his very authority, nature, essence and character.

Being baptized “In the NAME of Jesus” is really being baptized in the AUTHORITY of Jesus…

Acts 2:38  (NKJV)

³⁸ Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the ^[a]remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Notice that according to Strong’s Concordance the Greek word here (onoma) means AUTHORITY OR CHARACTER.

So, we must be very careful when not just referring to God, but also to His character, holiness and Son.

God is Holy and He requires that we strive to be holy…

1 Peter 1:16  (NKJV)

¹⁶ because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

Remember this…

GOD DOESN NOT CRAP!

We must never take the ‘Name’, “Character” or “Holiness” of God casually or comically…never.

Not only should never say, write, type, sing, expressions and comical alternate spellings referring to God, but we should also never acknowledge or laugh when someone else does.

Here are a few I’ve seen or heard…

HOLY CRAP! ( We all know what crap is, and God doesn’t crap)

HOLY S**T! (Ditto)

HOLY ANYTHING!

OH LAWD!

OH LORT!

LAWD HAM MERCY! (Do you really talk like this?)

LORD HAVE MERCY! (When your aren’t sincerely asking for mercy)

GOOD GOD! (Said casually and not in reverence)

OH MY GOD!

HALLELUYER! (Jah is the part of this word that is actually God’s name)

HALLELUHAH (In songs or situations when you aren’t actually giving God praise, such as Bruno Mars hit “Uptown Funk” when they lyrics are “hallelujah” shortly after saying “hot damn” in the same song”

JEEZUZ! ( And we all know how disrespectful people get without me writing it)

GEEZ!

JESUS H. CHRIST! (Really?)

FOR CHRIST’S SAKES!

GD (You know what this is)

OMG (Even If claim to mean OH MY GOSH, Gosh is a euphemism for God.

How many of these irreverent phrases do you know?

Let’s us not decide for God what is a big deal and what’s not. Notice what God says through the prophet Ezekiel about matters the people considered trivial or small…

Ezekiel 8:17  (NKJV)

¹⁷ And He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence; then they have returned to provoke Me to anger. Indeed they put the branch to their nose.

 Ezekiel 8:17  (MEV)

¹⁷ Then He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence and have continually provoked Me to anger. And they put the branch to their nose.

 And, please remember what Jesus said about every idle word that we speak…

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.

For more on this click:

YOU DON’T HAVE TO SAY “GD” TO TAKE GOD’S NAME IN VAIN…

IS ‘OMG’ TAKING GOD’S NAME IN VAIN?

BE BLESSTIFIED

The Pharisees, scribes, and religious leaders were constantly trying to trap and accuse Jesus. Many times that was their sole reason for going to the synagogue when they knew He was there (Mark 3:1-6).

In Luke 14 Jesus was at the home of one of the rulers of the Pharisees. You didn’t get into the home of a ruler without an invitation. This was an invitation only ‘event’ which is confirmed in verse 7 of this chapter ( So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them…). There was also a man with extreme swelling of his arms and legs (dropsy) there, but why was he invited too? Why was this man who was looked down upon invited to the ruler’s home? My thought is they were using him just so see if Jesus would heal him on the Sabbath, just so they could accuse Him.

Luke 14 (NKJV)

14 Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely. 2 And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”4 But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go. 5 Then He answered them, saying, “Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” 6 And they could not answer Him regarding these things.

Wow!

Luke 5:17 records another occasion where Jesus was in a house, and the rulers had come from every town of Galilee for the sole purpose of accusing Him. But it goes on to let us know that the power of the LORD was present to heal them. But rather than get healing and deliverance, they chose to accuse. Their attitudes prevented them from the blessing of being in the Lord’s presence. Here a paralyzed man was brought to Jesus by His friends and healed. The same healing was available to them.

Luke 5:17  (NKJV)

¹⁷ Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.^[a]

But, the blessing here is that even though the man with dropsy (Luke 14) was being used. He was in the right place to get healed by Jesus. Being used positioned him for his blessing. (Just as in Mark 3:1-6). They meant it for evil, but God meant it for good (Genesis 50:20). 

So, when it’s clear people are using you, don’t just ‘bail’. Don’t just leave. Don’t just let your pride get the best of you and say, “I’m not having this!” Don’t ‘cuss’ them out or ‘go off’.

Romans 8:28 reminds us that God is working all things TOGETHER for our good…even when we are being used.

If you know what they are up to, use it to your advantage. Stay strong in your faith in God. Don’t let the enemy poison your attitude. God promises that He will get glory out of your story.

Remember, people don’t use what has no value.

Is someone using you? Stay cool, and let God use them using you.

3 SIGNS YOUR HATERS REALLY SEE THE VALUE IN YOU…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

I live in a suburb of Memphis. Many people don’t realize that Memphis, St. Louis and other nearby cities are located in an area vulnerable to earthquakes. The New Madrid fault earthquakes of 1811-1812 rank among the largest in North American history. Of course, these areas were much less populated back then, but today earthquakes in this zone measuring 8 on the Richter scale would be catastrophic. Very few people who live in these areas have earthquake insurance. Many major corporations have either headquarters or vital operations in these areas. To say life would be disrupted would be an understatement.

An event such as this would leave millions of people homeless and destitute (look at the afteenath of the incredible hurricanes that have hit in recent years), possibly overwhelming any aid the government could give. Especially if other events were taking place simultaneously.

Every part of our country is vulnerable to some type of natural disaster…tornados, tsunamis, hurricanes etc.

We live in an increasingly unstable political climate.

Many people have been so spoiled by our abundance, prosperity, freedom and ‘security’…

Proverbs 11:28 (NKJV)

²⁸ He who trusts in his riches will fall,
But the righteous will flourish like foliage.

God is not impressed by the ‘strength of man’…

Psalm 147:10 (NKJV)

¹⁰ He does not delight in the strength of the horse;
He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.

Many look down on those who are forced to quickly flee for refuge…REFUGEES.

“They should have been prepared!”

“They aren’t our problem!”

“There’s not excuse”…many people harshly judge on those who have been visited by sudden calamity.

But let me remind you…

No matter where you live. No matter how much money you have. No matter how you’ve prepared. God can use…

The right storm…

The right natural disaster…

The right military conflict…

The right shock to our economy…

To remind us that He is in control.

People put their faith in our economic system, our political system, their savings, their own wisdom…

1 Timothy 6:17 (NKJV)

¹⁷ Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

Think about the fact that an event could happen so quickly and catastrophically, it can destroy everything that any ‘doomsday prepper’ has ‘prepared’ for instantly!

No matter how much power you have…

No matter who you may know…

No matter how detailed your plan may be…

No matter how wise you think you are…

No matter what resources may be available to you NOW…

One day you could be a refugee!

Be thankful. Be compassionate. Pray for those whose lives have been turned upside down. Be prepared as much as you can, but most of all…

Yes borders need to be secured, but watch your attitude and BE HUMBLE!

One day it could be you.

BE BLESSTIFIFED!

When your pain intensifies…keep pushing!
John 16:21 (NKJV)

²¹ A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.

All God-given purpose comes with pain.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

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.

One of my favorite groups is The O’Jays! Their smooth soulful music is definitely a part of the soundtrack of my life. Their 1972 single, “Back Stabbers” written by Leon Huff, Gene McFadden and John Whitehead, (I was only 3-years old when it was released) is one of my all time favorites and just as most of their other songs – the lyrics are very profound…

“(They smile in your face) All the time they want to take your place (Back Stabbers)”

There’s a reason that KINDNESS (from Greek word Crestotes in Galatians 5:22) is a Fruit of the Spirit and not NICENESS.

According to Strong’s Concordance KINDNESS denotes ones disposition and doesn’t necessarily refer to acts of goodness. Strong’s Concordance goes on to say KINDNESS refers to meeting real needs. Being KIND is acting for the good of people no matter what they do, how they treat you or how they react. KINDNESS is uprightness and goodness in action. It’s goodness provoked by the spirit of God. KINDNESS is acting for the welfare of those who challenge your love and stretch your patience.

1 Corinthians 13:4  (NKJV)

⁴ Love suffers long and is KIND; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not ^[a]puffed up;

Acts of KINDNESS may not always feel good or be timely, but they are always best for the individual or group’s overall well being…thus goes the old saying, “God may not come when you want Him, but He’s always right on time!”

The enemy can use NICENESS as a tool to deceive and mask true motives and intentions. People can be nice to get in position to stab you in the back

“What they do? BACK STABBERS!” 

Have YOU ever been nice to someone just to get what you wanted out of them? 

We must always examine our motives to make sure we’re being KIND and NICE…and always watch out when people SMILE IN YOUR FACE.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Remember, in sports, the defense always (or resistance) intensifies when the team is about to SCORE. So, the offense can’t get weaker…but STRONGER!

If the devil seems to be attacking you harder, you might be in your SPIRITUAL RED ZONE.

Stand firm!

Don’t back down!

Step up your game and…

SCORE!!!!

1 Peter 5:8-9 (NKJV)

⁸ Be ^[a]sober, be ^[b]vigilant; ^[c]because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ⁹ Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

My Senior Pastor, W. Michael Martin taught a profound series on this subject a few years ago…

We have all heard it or said it. “It only takes a little faith” based primarily on Matthew 17:20 when Jesus says that with the faith as a grain of mustard seeds we can move mountains. But, if you will notice, He didn’t say faith OF. Jesus said the faith AS a grain of mustard seed.

The implication here is that it takes great faith for a little grain of mustard seed to grow into something great…

Matthew 13:32  (NKJV)

³² which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

 So, a mustard seed DOES NOT have LITTLE FAITH, but GREAT FAITH.

The truth be told, that Jesus was always annoyed and rebuked His disciples when they displayed ‘little faith’, such as in Matthew 17…

Matthew 17:14-20  (NKJV)

 ¹⁴ And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, ¹⁵ “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is ^[a]an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶ So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.”

¹⁷ Then Jesus answered and said, “O ^[b]faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” ¹⁸ And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.

¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”

²⁰ So Jesus said to them, “Because of your ^[c]unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

Here, Jesus rebuked the disciples for having ‘little faith’, just as He did during the storm in the sea…

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?”

However, Jesus was always impressed by great faith…

Matthew 15:28  (NKJV)

²⁸ Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Luke 7:9  (NKJV)

⁹ When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”

 Quite frankly, this concept has been misunderstood and taught wrong by sincere people. The bible never says that it only takes a little faith.

But, as the old saying says, “When we know better, we should do better”.

Check out the video above of Pastor W. Michael Martin of Oak Spring Church Arlington TN teaching on faith from this perspective.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

God has given us all talents, strengths and abilities to sustain our lives and build His kingdom.

How many times have you used your talents, strengths and abilities to ‘feed your flesh’?

How many time have you used all your energy for yourself or your career and have nothing left for God?

How many people have spent their entire youth partying, having fun, building their careers and then when they are older turn to God, but have spent their ‘best years’ on themselves?

How many times have your emotions led to moods, behavior, attitudes and character that you regret?

These are all examples of the enemy getting the ‘best of us’ in a sense. The best of our talents. The best of our energy. The best of our years…rather than giving it to God.

I love the parable of the barren fig tree…

Luke 13:6-9 (NKJV)

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

⁶ He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. ⁷ Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it ^[a]use up the ground?’ ⁸ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. ^9 [b]And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ”

This is a fruit tree that’s bearing no fruit. We all know that trees use fruit to reproduce. If a fruit tree is using all of its nourishment from the earth and light from the ‘SON’ for itself, then its ‘using up the ground’. It’s being selfish. And, the Lord commanded that if it continued to be cut down.

God also told us that if we go about our daily business knowing to do good and don’t, then it is sin…

James 4:14-17  (NKJV)

¹⁴ whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 

¹⁷ Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

So, don’t use all your energy, talents and time only on yourself.

And, don’t let your anger or emotions allow the devil to ‘get the best of you…

Ephesians 4:26-32  (NKJV)

²⁶ “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, ²⁷ nor give ^[a]place to the devil. ²⁸ Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. ²⁹ Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary ^[b]edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, ^[c]clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. ³² And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Make sure it’s always God that gets the best of us’.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Yes, you have faith in God. Not only do you believe in Him, but you also love Him and trust Him.

You’re not saying that because it’s the right thing to say. You really mean it from your heart. You even know, acknowledge and are thankful for what He’s already done in your life.

You know you are blessed, and that there is always someone in a ‘worse situation’ than you…But,

Some days you are STILL overwhelmed.

Some days you feel your current situation will never change for the better or fear it will change for the worse.

It’s not that you don’t believe God can change your situation. You just don’t know if He will.

You’re wondering what IS His will for you. So much so, that you are beginning to lose hope.

You know what Job said…

Job 13:15 (NKJV)

Yes, you surrender to God’s will, but of course you don’t want God to ‘slay you’.

So what do you do when your hope needs help?

There is help in the Psalms. The Psalms of lament are rich with guidance of how to approach God when you feel your faith is strong, but your hope is gone.

Personal Psalms of Lament: 3, 4, 5, 7, 9-10, 13, 14, 17, 22, 25,- 28, 31, 36, 39-43, 52-57, 59, 61, 64, 70, 71, 77, 86, 89, 120, 139, 141, 142.

Community Psalms of Lament: 12, 44, 60, 74, 79, 80, 85, 90, 94, 123, 126, 129

Here are two…

Psalm 13 (NKJV)

How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
² How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart daily?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

³ Consider and hear me, O Lord my God;
Enlighten my eyes,
Lest I sleep the sleep of death;
⁴ Lest my enemy say,
“I have prevailed against him”;
Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

⁵ But I have trusted in Your mercy;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
⁶ I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

Psalm 142  (NKJV)

I cry out to the Lord with my voice;
With my voice to the Lord I make my supplication.
² I pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare before Him my trouble.

³ When my spirit ^[b]was overwhelmed within me,
Then You knew my path.
In the way in which I walk
They have secretly set a snare for me.
⁴ Look on my right hand and see,
For there is no one who acknowledges me;
Refuge has failed me;
No one cares for my soul.

⁵ I cried out to You, O Lord:
I said, “You are my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living.
^6 [c]Attend to my cry,
For I am brought very low;
Deliver me from my persecutors,
For they are stronger than I.
⁷ Bring my soul out of prison,
That I may praise Your name;
The righteous shall surround me,
For You shall deal bountifully with me.”

They usually begin with the psalmist expressing deep despair, feeling abandoned and being overwhelmed…

ACKNOWLEDGE & ADMIT

Sometimes we can feel we are letting God down when we admit how we feel. Some people will even tell you that your heavy heart means you don’t have faith. THAT’S NOT TRUE!

Jesus was deeply troubled the night He was betrayed.

Matthew 26:38  (NKJV)

³⁸ Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”

He expressed His agony on the cross…

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?”

Does this mean that Jesus didn’t have faith? Of course not. And, notice the fact that He told those closest to Him that His soul was sorrowful. He didn’t try to hide it. He didn’t try to be ‘macho’, and He wasn’t ashamed.

TURN YOUR PITY PARTY INTO A PRAISE PARTY

This isn’t always easy, but it’s so powerful. Every Psalm of lament ends in praise and thanksgiving to God as an example to us. There is power in sincerely praising God. Not as a gimmick or means of manipulating Him to move on our behalf, but sincerely letting Him know with the fruit of our lips that we love Him and trust Him…

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.

Hebrews 12:12-15  (NKJV)

¹² Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, ¹³ and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

¹⁴ Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: ¹⁵ looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

God has a way of allowing our hope to be renewed and peace to spring forth from nowhere in the midst of our despair and sorrow.

On the days that you feel your hope is low, or gone…go back and read through the book of Psalms. Stop in the midst of your sorrow and give praise and thanks to God. And remember His promises to His people…

Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)

HEY! WHERE’D THAT PEACE COME FROM?

HOW TO TURN YOUR PITY PARTY INTO A PRAISE PARTY…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

God has given us all free will, which means that we will all have our own opinion. We must be careful not to ‘paint ourselves into a corner’… with our own personal theology that’s based on our opinion.

Through thousands of years of interpretation, translation and opinion we have people who experience God many different ways. However, there remains only one truth….

2 Peter 1:20  (NKJV)

²⁰ knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private ^[a]interpretation,

As we worship God through the perspective of our particular church culture, denomination or ‘non-denomination’, chosen doctrine, traditions, etc., we must be careful that we don’t ‘paint ourselves into a spiritual corner’ of thinking that everyone else is wrong, or separating us from God’s truth…trying to force triangles into square pegs.

How can two people basing their beliefs on the same bible verse believe two different things.? Because one person will always be putting how he or she wants to believe above God’s intended meaning.

For example, many people say it’s a sin to drink any type of alcoholic beverage, when the bible clearly does not say that…

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.

So, in order to support their own theology they have to reason that the wine in the bible was not fermented, which is just plain silly. They have painted themselves into a corner to support their theology.

From “ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED”, to those who don’t believe there should NOT be instrumental music in church, to infant baptism, to whether you should be baptized in “The name of Jesus” or “The Father, the Son and The Holy Spirit…there are varying differences of opinion.

To think that one ‘group’, denomination or person has it ALL right is silly. 

The truth is that there’s only one truth…God’s truth. It’s not a matter of whether we’re right or wrong, it’s a matter of whether are not we are in harmony with God’s truth.

BE BLESSTIFIED!