God created us to interact with one another…

God created us to observe one another…

Some interactions last longer than others….those are relationships.

Some interactions changed us…changed our lives.

Some of our interactions and observations have changed us for the better.

Even some one-time interactions/observations have changed us for the better.

When it comes to our spiritual life, if we have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, we are all someone’s GOOD FRUIT. It could be a parent, grandparent, preacher or stranger…we’re all someone’s fruit…that’s a good change.

John 15:8 (NKJV)

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

However, some interactions have NOT been beneficial to us…they have changed us for the worse.

Can you think of someone that makes you changed for the better? When you’re honest with yourself, you’re a better person because you know them… because you knew them…because you met them…because you saw them…because you heard them.

You may have never even met them, but something they said, or did affected you…changed you for the better.

Now, can you think of someone that changed you for the worse? When you’re honest with yourself, you would have been better off if you had never known them…met them…saw them…heard them.

Here’s where it gets real. Here’s your self-check.

Whose better off if they never met, heard or saw you?

Why? How did you change them?

This is how we learn what we really need to CHANGE about 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 are disqualified.

I’ve said this before…we have given some of our haters a reason to feel, ‘some kind of way’ about us.

Be careful how YOU change others.

BE BLESSTIFIED.

When the game is on the line. When he or she KNOWS the team is about to lose the game, sometimes they will call a TRICK PLAY, to totally stun the other team to secure the victory.

If the trick play works, they’re a hero and sometimes …

If it doesn’t work, everyone claims that they, ‘Don’t know what they’re doing’!

Sometimes that’s the way it goes with the vision God gave you, especially if it involves…

• Risk
• Financial Loss
• It takes a long time coming to pass
• It’s not exactly the way you saw it

Some people, even those closest to you will abandon you…talk about you…or even turn on you.

Some people will lose confidence in you…will think your confused…will even think you’re a fool.

When you know in your heart that you have prayed about it…

When you know in your heart that you have fasted about it…

When you know in your heart that you weren’t being selfish…

When you know in your heart that you sincerely felt you were being led by God…

You have to ask God to give you peace with yourself and the fact that others don’t understand.

Remember, Jesus went to the cross with HIS OWN PEOPLE thinking He…

• Had lost
• Was confused
• Was possessed
• Was misled

There are those today who think that His vision is taking to long to come to pass.

Jesus called a TRICK PLAY on the cross to beat the devil…

Colossians 2:15 (NKJV)

Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

Many were expecting a military victory, but Jesus won a spiritual victory!

Are you remaining on His team? Or do you think it’s taking too long?

BE BLESSTIFIED!

God only had Israel march around a city seven times to bring the walls down…ONCE. (Joshua 6)

There was only… ONE…man who had superhuman strength through his hair. (Judges 13-16)

We only know of Jesus putting clay on the eyes of a man to heal his sight…ONCE. (John Chapter 9)

Why?

God wants us to have faith in WHO did it, not HOW He did it.

Putting faith in HOW God did it builds…

SUPERSTITION instead of FAITH.

Put your faith in THE WAY, not THE WAY He does it.

Don’t allow superstition to sneak into your faith.

John 14:6 (NKJV)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

BE BLESSTIFIED

Sometimes a dream can seem so real.

The colors so vivid…

The voices so clear…

You may have even dreamed that you were asleep and WOKE UP in your dream…

Have you ever spoken or laughed out loud in your sleep because your dream seemed so real?

You think you’re conscious, but you’re not…

You think you’re experiencing life, but you’re not…

But, at some point you realize, This isn’t real… I’m dreaming.

If your dream is bad, you’re relieved…

If it’s good, you may think, “Awwwe mannn!”

Eventually, you’ll have to really WAKE UP!.

Those who are living life without the truth of God’s word through Christ are really sleepwalking.

Jesus told us to let our light shine…why?

Matthew 5:16 (NKJV)

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Ephesians 5:14(NKJV)

Therefore He says:

“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”

Why? So they can see our good works…glorify God…and wake up.

Wake someone up today.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

We need more SOUL MODELS rather than ROLE MODELS.

Role models show you how to live.

Soul models show you how to live, but prepare you to die.

Role models show you how to live now.

Souls models show you how to live forever.

Role models give you tools to live by.

Soul models give you tools to live and die by.

Role models show you how to look on the outside.

Soul models show you how to look on the inside.

Role models teach us how to be a man or woman.

Soul models teach us to be GREATER than man or woman.

1 Peter 2:12 (NKJV)

12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Titus 2:7-8 (NKJV)

7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, 8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Anyone who enjoys boxing wants to see a GOOD FIGHT.

Some have even accused some matches of being FIXED. No one wants to watch or pay for a fight that isn’t good or competitive…so, if it’s fixed, it has to look like a REAL fight.  In a fixed fight, the person who is going to win has already been decided, but to camouflage the arrangement, the predestined winner will APPEAR to lose a few rounds…but he or she keeps on fighting because they no that no matter how it looks to everyone else…they are promised the victory.

Those of us in Christ are in a fixed fight, we’ve just been ordained to LOSE a few rounds so that it’s a good fight.

Yes, the devil is a strong adversary that has to be taken seriously. Yes, unfortunately we’ve all lost a few rounds with him, and will lose some more…

Some we lost through concession…we just didn’t fight hard enough.

Some we lost because we weren’t properly prepared through studying the word enough…

Some we lost because we didn’t rest between rounds enough as we’ve been commanded…

Some we lost because we didn’t take our enemy serious enough…

Some we lost because we just weren’t strong enough…

Some it LOOKED like we lost, but we really didn’t (just like Jesus on the cross)

But, remember this…our victory is promised throughout the bible.

Matthew 24:13 (KJV)

¹³ But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Colossians 1:13 (NKJV)

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
Galatians 6:9 (NKJV)

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

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.

Revelation 3:21 (NKJV)

To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

Revelation 20:10 (NKJV)

The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

We’re guaranteed the victory…we just have to stay in the fight!

BE BLESSTIFIED!

What if God gave you unlimited financial resources…what would you do?

What good would you do?

Who would you help?

What if God gave you a voice…a platform to speak to the world?

What would you say?

What causes would you speak out for?

How responsible would you be?

What if you had unlimited free time?

No job to report to?

No clock to punch?

What would you do with your time?

How would you spend it?

You can tell what you WOULD DO THEN by WHAT YOU’RE DOING with the financial resources you have now, whether it’s little or much.

Even if you’re living paycheck to paycheck, you have the means to help someone in need…your $5 gift or meal can change someone’s world.

You can tell by what you’re doing with your platform now.

What do you say? What don’t you say. What you post or publish? Which conversations to ‘speak up’ and which do you remain silent. How responsible are you with your voice now? Do you speak or post without thinking… praying?

What you’re doing with the time you have now? Do you say you don’t have time? Or, is it that you just don’t TAKE time?

There’s much Kingdom work that takes place through people who have no more free time than you…they just make time.

More money…More influence…and more time only empowers us to be more of who we already are.

Luke 21:1-4 (NKJV)

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, ² and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. ³ So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; ⁴ for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”

BE BLESSTIFIED!

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.”

The bible says that in the last days there will be a great increase in knowledge.

That same knowledge that gives us the amazing technology we enjoy…

That same knowledge that gives us the wondrous advances in medicine…

That same knowledge that sends humans into space…

Is the same knowledge that is now trying to say there is no God…

Is the same knowledge that says the bible isn’t God’s word…

Is the same knowledge that says Yeshua, Jesus Christ, is not the Son of God…

Is the same knowledge that’s using the bible against itself, saying, “That’s not what it really means when it says…”

God wants intelligent Christians to “contend for the faith” as mentioned in Jude verse 3.

God wants knowledgeable Christians to reason with unbelievers and skeptics to plant good seeds.

God wants smart Christians to reason with people of other religions, so they can come to know the one true and living God.

God wants intelligent Christians to reason with other believers to bring about more unity in the Body of Christ.

We need to be able to talk to people, not just preach to them.

We need to be willing to hear what they have to say.

We need to know some of what they believe to have an intelligent conversation with them.

We need to know God’s word…history…culture…so we can intelligently share what we believe, and why we believe it.

Notice how the Apostle Paul reasoned with the Epicureans and Stoics, Jews and Gentiles with respect. (Acts 17:16-34)

Notice how the Apostle Paul reasoned with unbelievers without putting them down or disparaging what they believed. (Act 17:22-23)

Notice how not everyone, but some returned to hear more of the Gospel. (Acts 17:32)

Yes, God wants us to be anointed.

Yes, God wants us to have faith.

Yes, God wants us to be virtuous…

But He wants us to be knowledgeable too…

2 Peter 1:5-7 (NKJV)

5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,

When the bible says “Study to show yourself approved…”(2 Timothy 2:15) that means study the bible and beyond so we can be INTELLIGENT BELIEVERS.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

I pray that God gives you the strength to continue hoping for better.

To rebuke the spirits doubt…

To rebuke the spirits fear…

To rebuke the spirit of complaining…

To rebuke the spirits of anxiety…

To rebuke the spirits of regret…

To rebuke the spirits of resentment…

To rebuke the spirits of depression…

To help you avoid worrying…

That He helps any area of unbelief…

To increase your faith through His Spirit and the good seeds that have been planted in you.

That He give increase to the goods seed you have planted for His name sake and for you.

To kill the bad seeds that you have planted that they do not rise up against Him or you.

That His peace guard your heart and mind,

That He protects you…covers you…and allow His angels to keep watch over you…

That He meets you at every point of need…

And, that you can be everything He called you to be in this day…

So that others can be drawn to Him through you.

In the Name and Authority of His only begotten Son, The Living Word, Yeshua, Jesus the Anointed One.

Amen!

BE BLESSTIFIED!

SOME OF THE BIGGEST LIES WE TELL ARE…

Not intentionally (most of the time)…have any of these come from your mouth????

I love you…

I’ll pray for you…

I’ll call you back…

That’s okay…

I’m okay…

What’s wrong? “Nothing!”…

That’s hilarious…(and you don’t laugh)

Oh yeah, I remember that…

I don’t remember…

I don’t have it on me…(when asked for money)

That tastes great…

You look great…

I like that…

I’ve got your back…

I love everybody…

I don’t see color…

I’m doing this for you…

That didn’t bother me…

I don’t even care…

I’m over it…

It doesn’t matter…

Remember what Jesus said in Matthew Chapter 12…

 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.

Take a moment and thank God for His grace and mercy for the lies we tell…intentional and unintentional.

 BE BLESSTIFIED!

How does it make you feel when you hear someone whining?

Whining is a total waste of energy…

It’s a verbal expression of worry…

Whining is a verbal pity party.

Whining is a form of complaining, and God hates complaining …

1 Corinthians 10:10 (NKJV)

Nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

It establishes the whiner’s perceived weakness and powerlessness.

Not one time in scripture do we find Jesus whining…

He rejoices…

Luke 10:21a (NKJV)

²¹ In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth…

He weeps…

 John 11:35 (NKJV)

³⁵ Jesus wept.

He rebukes…

Matthew 17:8 (KJV)

 ⁸ And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

He even pleads….

Matthew 27:46

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?”^[a]

But, He never whines.

Very few people want to hear you whine…

Very few times does whining change the situation….

Have you ever noticed how a group of people whining together feed into each others’ misery?

It becomes a pity party…they validate one anothers’ complaints but accomplishes nothing.

Yes, there are times that we are displeased, dismayed, overlooked, overworked, unappreciated, unhappy…

Sometimes we may even need to rebut, rebuke, protest or protect our interest…

But, do it in strength not weakness.

Don’t whine…

Turn your WHINING INTO WORSHIP

Turn your PITY PARTY INTO A PRAISE PARTY!

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Romans 5:8 (NKJV)

 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

You can’t wait until the next time you hear his or her voice.

You spend an hour saying goodbye on the phone.

You get excited and nervous when you see they’ve sent you a text message.

You don’t care where you go or what you do as long as you’re together. Just the thought of him or her makes you smile.

You’re proud to have them by your side…falling and being in love feels great!

God wants us to fall in love with Him through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Yeshua), just as He’s fallen in love with us.

He doesn’t want a one-sided relationship.

God wants you to look forward to and enjoy talking to Him. He wants you to get to know His heart in His word.

He wants intimate fellowship with you in worship and praise…

He wants you to long for His presence…

He wants you to gladly let the world know you belong to Him and He belongs to you.

And, He doesn’t want you to be ashamed of Him, but proud to have Him by your side.

In fact…

Jeremiah 9:24 says, “but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the LORD.

However, Jesus also says in…

Mark 8:38, “8 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

Jesus didn’t just say He loves us, He proved it for dying for our sins…

REAL LOVE ISN’T JUST STATED, IT’S DEMONSTRATED!

LOVE IS STRONGEST AS A VERB!

PEOPLE DON’T KNOW YOU LOVE THEM, UNTIL YOU SHOW YOU LOVE THEM!

He put Himself to open shame for us on the cross in the face of His enemy…that’s love!

He died for people He knew would never acknowledge or accept Him.

He keeps on loving us when we ‘cheat’ on Him daily, when we willingly choose the enemy over Him!

We, however, throw people away for little or nothing…

The Lord longs to have us in His presence forever…

Matthew 17:24a

²⁴ “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am…”

Do you love Him?

Are you in love with Him?

Do you look forward to seeing Him when he returns?

Sometimes, after a while, couples have to fall back in love with one another.

I encourage you today, if you already haven’t, to fall in love with Jesus….

If your love has been a little ‘cold’…fall back in love with Him.

Most Christians claim to love Him, but don’t just say it…demonstrate it.

 BE BLESSTIFIED!

You don’t have to be superhuman to be someone’s hero today…

You don’t need x-ray vision, just an eye that can see someone in need…

You don’t need super hearing, just an ear to hear when someone pleads…

You don’t have to have super strength, just be strong enough to ease someone’s load…

You don’t have to be able to fly, just the ability to encourage and lift up a heavy soul…

You don’t have to be made of steel…

just have a loving heart that’s able to feel.

You don’t have to wear a cape…

just to look the hills to He who makes you capable.

You don’t have to be immortal,

to teach someone about life eternal.

Your sacrifice of time, attention, concern and love can save someone’s life..or soul.

You have the power to be someone’s hero today…Christ gave it to you when He died.

John 14:12

 ¹² “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

We quickly say, if you have the faith of a grain of mustard seed you can move mountains!

We quickly say, all it takes is a little faith!

That may be true, but think about two things….

1. How much faith does Jesus call ‘little (mustard seed) faith’?

2. Jesus constantly rebuked His disciples for having ‘little’ faith.

Too many Christians are content with ‘little’ faith, as if that’s all we need.

In Matthew Chapter 17, while Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James and John…a father brought his son to the other disciples, hoping they could cast out the demon in his son. They could not do it. After Jesus cast out the demon, His disciples asked why they couldn’t do it.

Jesus was frustrated with them. They had already seen Him feed thousands. They had seen him heal and deliver, but still Jesus told them, “BECAUSE OF YOUR LITTLE FAITH”.

Matthew 17:19 ( NKJV)

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

After seeing Jesus show His power and love, the faith they had still wasn’t enough to help that man and his son.

Not only is the Lord IS NOT satisfied with LITTLE FAITH, but the little faith we settle for MAY NOT even be mustard seed faith to God.

Is simply believing mustard seed faith? Well the demons believe and tremble…

James 2:19 (NKJV)

19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

Do you believe but are still easily consumed by worry? Maybe your faith is too small.

Matthew 6:31 (NKJV)

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

Do you believe but don’t really trust God? Maybe your faith is too small.

James 1:6

6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 

Do you pray but aren’t really satisfied until you’ve talked to a person? Maybe your faith is too small.

Matthew 6:6

6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Do you read the bible but don’t believe EVERYTHING in it is true, whether symbolic or literal? Maybe your faith is too small.

2 Timothy 3:16-16 (KJV)

16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Do you believe God will forgive you for EVERYTHING you’ve done wrong? Maybe your faith is too small.

1 John 1:9 (NKJV)

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Do you believe that with God ALL things are possible? Maybe your faith your is too small.

Matthew 19:26 (NKJV)

26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Before you become satisfied with your ‘mustard seed faith’…make sure that you even have that much.

BE BLESSTIFIED!