How much are you worth? Can you really quantify your value to…

Your job?

Your family?

Your church?

Your relationships?

Your world?

God has created us and gifted all wonderfully and uniquely. No one else can be as good at being you than you!

Psalm 139:13-14 (NKJV)

¹³ For You formed my inward parts;
You ^[a]covered me in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I will praise You, for ^[b]I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.

It’s our responsibility to recognize, nurture and perfect what God has placed inside of us. And to use it not only to sustain our lives, but to build God’s kingdom and make the world a better place.

Luke 12:48  (NKJV)

⁴⁸ But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

God has created us all with great value!

So much so, that no one should ever be able to pay us what we’re worth.

How much money do you make? What’s your salary? What’s your hourly wage?

Do you feel that’s ALL your worth?

Do you feel that’s ALL you bring to the table?

We should all be irreplaceable…

Not only in our job descriptions but also in the intangibles. There should be a void any time we leave a workplace, relationship, church etc.

Your energy, positivity, love…your very presence should be missed. You should bring those things that can’t be trained or taught….

Those things that go beyond experience, such as being the person everyone looks to in a crisis.

Even if they can replace YOU, they should never be able to replace WHAT YOU DO!

Anytime you feel you aren’t bringing enough to the table…YOU AREN’T.

We’re placed here to be God’s representatives in every environment and relationship we occupy. God blesses us to bring glory to God through the anointing on our lives, the gifts He’s giving us and the seeds we sow.

And that’s priceless.

Now, are you being underpaid?

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Whether it be that you worship on Saturday or SONday, many parents are forced to make a choice if their children participate on a sports or cheer team.

When games and tournaments are scheduled at the same time as worship, during sports seasons, parents have to make the choice as to whether they should tell the coach, “We can’t make the game”, or to fulfill God’s expectation of regular worship…

Hebrews 10:25 (NKJV)

²⁵ not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Children are a heritage to the Lord, and it’s parent’s responsibility to teach and model for them Godly choices.

Psalm 127:3 (NKJV)

³ Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.

Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV)

⁶ Train up a child in the way he should go,
^[a]And when he is old he will not depart from it.

When we choose allowing our children to PLAY IN A GAME during worship where we have committed to worship the Lord, that choice is showing our children which is the priority in our lives.

It’s setting an example for them to follow with their children.

Too many people expect God to ‘understand’ or excuses when we have made decided not to honor His day of rest. NOTICE HOW MUCH IT PISSES GOD OFF WHEN WE REFUSE TO REST…

Too many times we expect God to in a sense ‘worship’ or honor‘ our excuses and priorities. His expectations haven’t changed.

Anything we prioritize over what God has told us to do is an idol.

Of course, many parents are going to say, “We’re not under bondage, we’re under grace”, but a ball game does not qualify as an ‘ox in a ditch’..,

Luke 14:5-6 (NKJV)

⁵ Then He answered them, saying, “Which of you, having a ^[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.

The fact is, that many times we ‘place an ox in the ditch’ by the choices that we make. God isn’t going to accept our excuses,

Even though we have to live in a society that may not be centered around God…

Even though many people don’t believe in God…

He doesn’t change His expectations of those who do.

He expects us to be different…

1 John 2:15-16 (NKJV)

¹⁵ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV)

⁹ But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Even though we’re under grace, the fact that we stop to worship and rest once every seven days is a sign to the world that we are His…

Ezekiel 20:20 (NKJV)

²⁰ hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’

When Yeshua the Messiah was healing on the day of rest, He was doing the work of God. That doesn’t compare to playing a game. A game simply isn’t that important to God.

Consider this. If a parent tells their child to take out the trash at 8pm, but they decide not to do so, would the parent accept the excuse, I’M UNDER GRACE?

Why should God be any different?

God will hold us accountable for how we model relationship with God…

Deuteronomy 6:6-8 (NKJV)

⁶ “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

I was ordained into the ministry back in 1996, and I take my assignment very seriously.

Even though I was ordained in a Baptist church I prefer to be simply referred to as a Disciple of Christ (Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus).

There are many titles by which people address ministers, one of which is Reverend. Personally, I prefer NOT to be called by that title. Here are 5 reasons why.

1. HOLY AND REVEREND IS ‘HIS’ NAME (IMPLYING TO BE EQUAL TO GOD IS BLASPHEMY)

Psalm 111:9 (KJV)

⁹ He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name

Psalm number 119 in the King James Version states that God’s name is holy and ‘reverend’. The word reverend in the passage comes from the Hebrew word ‘Yare’, which means to fear, revere, be afraid, to stand in awe of, be awed. Neither I nor my name are not to be feared, revered, afraid or in awe of…that is reserved for God. I also know that one definition of blasphemy is putting oneself equal to God, of which is what the Pharisees often falsely accused the Lord. I prefer not for my name nor myself to be made in anyway imply equality to God…especially as a religious title.

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2. GOD WARNED US ABOUT RELIGIOUS TITLES

Yeshua hurled a long list of rebukes and woes at the religious leaders in Matthew 23, one of which directly addressed religious titles…

Matthew 23:6-11 (NKJV)

⁶ They love the ^[a]best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, ⁷ greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ ⁸ But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your ^[b]Teacher, ^[c]the Christ, and you are all brethren. ⁹ Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. ¹⁰ And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. ¹¹ But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.

The Lord clearly rebukes the religious leaders concerning being called RABBI, FATHER, or even TEACHER (which could be equated to Dr. today) however we know that even though REVEREND wasn’t a religious title of that day, but originated in the Catholic church that it is still within the context of that rebuke. I have heard some people contend, we call our male parents father, but that’s not a religious title. No matter how we may try to excuse or justify it, it’s still easier to just leave it alone.

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3. THE APOSTLES ONLY REFERRED TO ONE ANOTHER BY NAME

When you read the letters of the Apostles, you will notice how they referred to themselves, one another and other elders and church leaders only by name. They didn’t refer to each other as Apostle, Rabbi, Father, Pope or any other title, but simply by name…

2 Peter 3:15 (NKJV)

¹⁵ and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,

James 1:1 (NKJV)

James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad:

Greetings.

Timothy 1 (NKJV)

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope,

² To Timothy, a true son in the faith:

Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

Titus 1:4 (NKJV)

⁴ To Titus, a true son in our common faith:

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and ^[a]the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

Revelation 1:9 (NKJV)

⁹ I, John, ^[a]both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

I could go on and on, but I invite you to please go back and read through the epistles and notice how the apostles referred to one another and other church leaders…by name only, or brother.

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4. THE APOSTLES REFUSED TO BE ‘WORSHIPED’

Acts 14:11-15 (NKJV)

¹¹ Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” ¹² And Barnabas they called ^[a]Zeus, and Paul, ^[b]Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. ¹³ Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes.

¹⁴ But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out ¹⁵ and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them,

Acts 10:25-26 (NKJV)

²⁵ As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. ²⁶ But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I myself am also a man.”

Even though the bible says that honor should be given to those who are ministers of the Gospel, there is still a thin line between honor and worship. It’s very easy to allow people to ‘feed our egos’ if we aren’t careful. It’s easy for honor and respect to morph into worship.

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5. THE ANGELS DIDN’T ALLOW MEN TO WORSHIP THEM

When John received The Revelation of Yeshua he was in such great awe of the angle that he attempted to bow down to him, but the angel quickly told him NO…

Revelation 19:10 (NKJV)

¹⁰ And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Revelation 22:9 (NKJV)

⁹ Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. ^[a]For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

Yes, the bible says that elders are worthy of double honor, but that doesn’t mean that we should accept that what is reserved for God.

1 Timothy 5:17 (NKJV)

¹⁷ Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.

As I said earlier, as much as some leaders can justify being called REVEREND or being put on a pedestal…I would rather just leave it alone.

When you put preachers, pastors, or any leader on a pedestal, you can be discouraged when we prove prove how human we are…when we prove we don’t have it all together. EVEN THE MOST EFFECTIVE LEADERS DON’T ‘HAVE IT ALL TOGETHER’…

What do you think?

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Many people have a distorted perspective of strength and leadership. Unfortunately, some equate being hard, unyielding, and difficult to strong leadership and assertiveness. In fact, many of the attributes that define God’s spirit and character are considered by many to be weakness…

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.

James 3:17 (NKJV)

¹⁷ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

Oftentimes, leaders will pride themselves on being ‘NO-NONSENSE’ making assertions such as…

“People know better than to come to me with foolishness!”

“I can’t stand and will not tolerate incompetence!”

“Your emergency isn’t my problem!”

Many even brag that, “My people don’t like me!”

The truth is that every NO-NONSENSE leader is sometimes guilty of NONSENSE themselves.

They too need compassion.

They too need grace.

An unapproachable leader limits his or her ability to lead if people are afraid to come to them with mistakes or problems trying to avoid ‘their wrath’.

Limits are placed on leadership when people are afraid to tell the truth.

When people are afraid to come to you with their mistakes, they hide problems and even protect themselves with lies…setting up a ‘time bomb’ that will definitely explode in the future.

An unapproachable leader is the main ingredient in the recipe for a toxic culture, denying himself or herself of vital information because people don’t feel comfortable being honest about what they’ve done or how they feel.

Real servant leadership isn’t about daily feeding one’s ego and reputation, but making those whom you serve feel comfortable enough to come to you with their NONSENSE.

From president to principle to pastor to parent…it makes no sense to be no-nonsense.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

It’s sometimes difficult for many Americans to see how everyone can be equal, but still not have the same ‘American Experience’. Many times they then judge others based on how THEY FEEL OTHERS should REACT to how they perceive their ‘American experience’. But, if we think about the fact that everyone doesn’t experience the organizations for which we work in the same way…it becomes more clear.

Before becoming an educator, for a decade, I worked for a great, very successful Fortune 300 company. This company is the source of a great standard of living for thousands of employees. It was a great company, just as America is a great country. Although, everyone in the company was ‘equal’ …they didn’t ‘experience’ the company the same.

I was a Marketing Manager, and everyone who was at manager level and above received an annual bonus based on company performance. Because of the industry, this company performed well in a ‘good economy’, but performed even better in a ‘bad economy’ (It still does, the stock price is incredible).

Employees who were below manager level worked just as hard, if not harder than many of those who enjoyed receiving the bonuses. They also played just as great a role, if not greater, in reaching the goals that resulted in those bonuses… in much the same way teachers aren’t respected as experts (by ‘experts’ outside the classroom) , even though they are on the ‘front lines’.

But, these frontline workers in that Fortune 300 company weren’t (and aren’t) allowed to share in those financial rewards.

During company meetings, when the leadership tried to ‘inspire’ everyone on every ‘level’ to push harder to meet goals…those who didn’t receive the bonus had less incentive to ‘work harder’ so others can reap a greater reward. It’s unfair for those who are higher in hierarchy to judge their co-workers as lazy and less dedicated because they don’t enjoy the systemic rewards system equally.

It’s clear that even though everyone worked for the same great company, that everyone didn’t ‘EXPERIENCE’ the company in the same way.

Think about your company…organization…school district. What’s your role? Do people higher in the hierarchy enjoy more perks…prestige…access…respect…compensation…rewards? Does every worker experience your organization the same way?

Of course not. The truth is that some people in every organization are treated better because of their role…no matter how much actual value they bring to the organization.

In much the same way, because of race, culture, social status, academic achievement, etc., everyone doesn’t experience America the same way.

Unfortunately, some people can’t see or relate to this unless they feel their ‘status’, ‘rewards’ or level of ‘access’ and ‘freedom’ are being threatened.

If you don’t want anyone judging you based on how you react to what you perceive as unfairness in your work environment, then don’t judge others based on their perception of how they experience America.

Matthew 7:12 (NLT)

¹² “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

There are countless people who have used drugs, alcohol and other forms of personal abuse to help them cope and ‘escape’ from the severe storms of life. And, we find ourselves often celebrating those who have climbed out of the abyss of personal abuse successfully…as we should. Doing so is a great accomplishment.

Disappointment…

Depression…

Betrayal…

Loneliness…

Chronic Pain…

Abuse…

There are countless factors that have led people to turn to drugs and alcohol to both confront and avoid the demons that are attacking them emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

This piece is not meant to belittle or diminish those who have conquered their drug and alcohol demons, but to ALSO celebrate those who have gone through life’s darkest days without turning to drugs or alcohol.

Do you know anyone like that? Has it been you? Is that you now?

Rather than turning to drugs or alcohol, many have turned to the therapy of…

Good memories…

Good music…

Creativity…

Family…

Friends…

And of course their faith in God through Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ).

It’s easy to say, “Just give it to God”, but how do you do that?

1 Peter 5:7 (NKJV)

⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Part of growing in relationship with God is learning to…

1. First tell Him, “I can’t handle this alone, please help me!”

2. Pray for the strength to carry the emotional, physical and spiritual load that God has assigned to you.

3. Realize that you may never truly have ‘closure’. Accept that you will have to deal with the physical and emotional pain for the rest of your life.

4. Accept that some thoughts will never stop making you feel horrible, even decades in the future.

5. And most of all realize that your real battle isn’t physical. It’s bigger than the disappointments, depression, betrayal, loneliness, abuse, and sometimes chronic pain. Those demons aren’t just figurative, but literal…

Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)

¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of ^[a]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

2 Corinthians 10:4 (NKJV)

⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not ^[a]carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,

Sometimes we find ourselves trying to have closure… trying to get past ‘it’… trying to erase the memories and pain…

When we should be asking God for the strength to deal with those dark moments.

Is it easy? No!

Has everyone mastered it? Of course not. Even many of the ‘spiritually mature’ haven’t.

But, to those who have decided that they would not succumb to the temptation of drugs, alcohol, promiscuity, or other forms of personal abuse to deal with their personal ‘hell’…

You lay awake at night…

You cried tears that no one saw…

You went to work…

You cooked dinner…

You smiled through your pain…

You ignored phone calls…

You put one foot in front of the other…

You prayed…

You studied His word…

You cried out to Him…

You trusted Him more than yourself…

You discovered what, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” really means.

If that’s you…

WE CELEBRATE YOU!

Please share this with someone you know who has overcome their dark days without turning to darkness.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

I admit this is a pet peeve of mine.

Has this ever happened to you?

They may be a past classmate…co-worker…cousin… or acquaintance.

They may be a ‘FRIEND’ or ‘FOLLOWER’ on social media who SEES YOU, but never interacts or reacts to anything you post, share or create.

They may be someone on the outer fringes of your ‘circle’, but they never really have anything to do with you.

They may be someone from your past who willingly drifted away.

But, they suddenly reach out to you…

Out of the blue they message you…

Unexpectedly someone let’s you know they want to talk to you.

It’s usually something like this…

“Hey! How’s it been going?”

“Your name came up the other day!”

“We need to catch up!”

“How’s your family?”

“I noticed your post the other day!”

They really could care less about how it’s going; catching up; your family; and they’ve intentionally ignored your posts and accomplishments UNTIL THEY WANTED SOMETHING FROM YOU.

They may have started an insurance agency…

They may have gotten into financial planning…

They may have launched their own business…

They may be in sales…

It may even be the latest multi-level marketing scheme.

And, your name crossed their mind as a possible prospect… client… or customer.

Calling out someone else’s pettiness isn’t petty.

Real friends don’t take advantage of your kindness and insult your intelligence with the pretend-to-care questions that proceed a sales pitch. If you want to be friends…cool, but don’t insult their intelligence trying to get into their pockets like a drunk guy trying to get into a woman’s underwear.

Even though Jesus recognized the value in being shrewd in business, there’s a difference in being shrewd and being crude.

Luke 16:3-9 (NKJV)

³ “The manager thought to himself, ‘Now what? My boss has fired me. I don’t have the strength to dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg. ⁴ Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.’ ⁵ “So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe him?’ ⁶ The man replied, ‘I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.’ So the manager told him, ‘Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons.^[a]’ ⁷ “‘And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man. ‘I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply. ‘Here,’ the manager said, ‘take the bill and change it to 800 bushels.^[b]’ ⁸ “The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light. ⁹ Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.^[c]

Have you been annoyingly prospected? Or have you done it yourself?

Save your so-called opportunity for those who are really in your circle and strangers. If you really cared, They would have heard from you before now…please walk on by.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Throughout the history of the world people have committed horrible atrocities to one another.

In His sovereignty and for His ultimate purpose, whether it be for example or judgement, if you believe in God, just as with Job, you have to accept that God allowed those atrocities that were provoked by the devil to happen.

The devil has to submit to God’s power, and he gets no access unless God allows it.

Job 1:12 NKJV

And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

Even today, the most vile, evil and remorseless people are being influenced by the devil, the adversary…Satan.

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There’s a world of evil, crime, oppression and opposition that many people like me only know about from the news or movies.

So, when we get upset at how the devil is allowed to frustrate our lives in many ways…our families… our jobs and careers… our finances… we must stop and thank God there are horrible levels of evil that God doesn’t permit the devil to release into our lives.

This isn’t meant to diminish any level of resistance someone may be facing right now, but for most of us… it could always be worse.

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Stop right now and thank God for how He restrains the devil and His emissaries from your life.

Stop and thank God for YOUR angels who minister to you and fight for you in both the physical and spiritual worlds.

Hebrews 1:13-14 (NKJV)

¹³ But to which of the angels has He ever said:

^(A)“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”?

^{14 (B)}Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will ^(C)inherit salvation?

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And, remember to release prayers for those who are under a more severe level of attack than you.

1 Peter 5:8 (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.

2 Thessalonians 2:7 (NKJV)

⁷ For ^(A)the ^[a]mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only ^[b]He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.

I admit this is a pet peeve of mine.

Has this ever happened to you?

They may be a past classmate…co-worker…cousin… or acquaintance.

They may be a ‘FRIEND’ or ‘FOLLOWER’ on social media who SEES YOU, but never interacts or reacts to anything you post, share or create.

They may be someone on the outer fringes of your ‘circle’, but they never really have anything to do with you.

They may be someone from your past who willingly drifted away.

But, they suddenly reach out to you…

Out of the blue they message you…

Unexpectedly someone let’s you know they want to talk to you.

It’s usually something like this…

“Hey! How’s it been going?”

“Your name came up the other day!”

“We need to catch up!”

“How’s your family?”

“I noticed your post the other day!”

They really could care less about how it’s going; catching up; your family; and they’ve intentionally ignored your posts and accomplishments UNTIL THEY WANTED SOMETHING FROM YOU.

They may have started an insurance agency…

They may have gotten into financial planning…

They may have launched their own business…

They may be in sales…

It may even be the latest multi-level marketing scheme.

And, your name crossed their mind as a possible prospect… client… or customer.

Calling out someone else’s pettiness isn’t petty.

Real friends don’t take advantage of your kindness and insult your intelligence with the pretend-to-care questions that proceed a sales pitch. If you want to be friends…cool, but don’t insult their intelligence trying to get into their pockets like a drunk guy trying to get into a woman’s underwear.

Even though Jesus recognized the value in being shrewd in business, there’s a difference in being shrewd and being crude.

Luke 16:3-9 (NKJV)

³ “The manager thought to himself, ‘Now what? My boss has fired me. I don’t have the strength to dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg. ⁴ Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.’ ⁵ “So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe him?’ ⁶ The man replied, ‘I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.’ So the manager told him, ‘Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons.^[a]’ ⁷ “‘And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man. ‘I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply. ‘Here,’ the manager said, ‘take the bill and change it to 800 bushels.^[b]’ ⁸ “The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light. ⁹ Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.^[c]

Have you been annoyingly prospected? Or have you done it yourself?

Save your so-called opportunity for those who are really in your circle and strangers. If you really cared, They would have heard from you before now…please walk on by.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Sometimes it seems that texting while driving has stolen the spotlight from drunk driving.

However, it’s still the same problem it was back in 1976 when my grandfather was killed by a drunk driver on his way TO work.

But, many drunk or buzzed drivers aren’t just the stereotypical, stumbling alcoholics.

How many well-respected, hard working professionals, both ‘blue and white collar’ share ‘a couple of drinks’ after work before going home FROM work?

Not only is it a part of day-to-day life in some work places, but in many work cultures it’s an expectation to network and ‘climb the ladder’.

It’s only by the grace of God that more of these happy hours don’t end in tragedy.

I’m not saying don’t go to happy hour, but be responsible. Many people leave one drink, and one blink from suddenly changing (or ending) their life…or someone else’s.

Ephesians 5:17-19 (NKJV)

¹⁷ Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.¹⁸ And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

BE BLESSTIFIED.

Presented with a dilemma with eternal implications unknown to him, and with Jesus before Him, Pilate asked a poignant question…

John 18:38 (NKJV)

³⁸ Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.

The TRUTH is absolute independent of how we view it… just like God.

We defile it…

We pervert it…

We skew it towards our own point of view or agenda.

We make the truth subjective.

This is why the key to finding truth when two people are using THE SAME SCRIPTURE to justify their perspective is totally removing how we WANT to view the scripture and seeking to see it as God intended. WE’RE BOTH USING SCRIPTURE SO…HOW TO TELL WHO’S ‘RIGHT’?

For example, Yeshua the Messiah clearly says we should “turn the other cheek” if someone strikes us, and He gave us that example just before He was crucified…

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.

Luke 22:63-65 (NLT)

⁶³ The guards in charge of Jesus began mocking and beating him. ⁶⁴ They blindfolded him and said, “Prophesy to us! Who hit you that time?” ⁶⁵ And they hurled all sorts of terrible insults at him.

However, Christians read the truth in the above scripture, and then reason for themselves how it’s okay to strike someone back when it’s not in self defense. They see turning the other cheek as a sign of weakness. If your life isn’t truly in danger, striking someone back is pride.

In our heated social, historical and political climate, people ‘research’… ‘fact check’… read history and filter the absolute facts we find through our subjective perspectives.

In both the Old and New Testaments the bible makes it clear that homosexuality is a sin just the same as fornication and adultery. However, people who want to justify what they want to do, but also claim to be Christian will say, “That’s not what the scripture means.” WHY IT’S STILL A SIN EVEN IF YOU WERE, “BORN THAT WAY”…

Another example…Benedict Arnold led the British army in battle to the very men that he had previously commanded.

That’s a fact.

But, how history views him is subjective. America views him as a traitor, while people from Britain might not think so. Calling him either a traitor or a hero creates a narrative, so he truth is filtered through perspective.

One last example…a zebra is black and white, however subjectivity creates a narrative when say the zebra is ‘black with white stripes’ or ‘white with black stripes’. Science has determined that their skin is black and their stripes are white per the website LIVESCIENCE.COM…https://bit.ly/3xjAqeA.

We make the truth subjective through our perspective.

When people say they’re LIVING THEIR TRUTH, give them this gentle reminder… “The truth doesn’t belong to you.”

John 14:6 (NKJV)

⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

per·vertverb/pərˈvərt/

1. alter (something) from its original course, meaning, or state to a distortion or corruption of what was first intended.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

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

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

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

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

Remember, you control your thoughts…

Philippians 4:8-9  (CJB)

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

BE BLESSTIFIFED!

Sex is a gift from God. Even though it’s the means He intended for us to be fruitful and multiply, it is also meant to be enjoyed within the bonds of holy matrimony between a man and a woman.

Our bodies with their various curves, shapes, textures, contrast of colors, smells etc., are meant to provoke sexual arousal. It’s up to us to control these urges so that they are only fulfilled within marriage.

One of those divine combinations of curves, shapes, textures, and contrast of colors is the female breast.

Yes, these were created for mothers to make sure their children are nourished, but that’s not all.

They were also created for the mutual pleasure of the husband and the wife. Breasts were created:

As a means of seducing her husband…

For her pleasure during times of intimacy…

To be aesthetically pleasing to entice her husband…

For his enjoyment during times of intimacy…

The fact is that even though God created female breasts to nurse their children, that boobs aren’t just for the babies. Check out these bible verses about female breasts and intimacy within marriage.

Proverbs 5:18-19  (NKJV)

¹⁸ Let your fountain be blessed,
And rejoice with the wife of your youth.
¹⁹ As a loving deer and a graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
And always be ^[a]enraptured with her love.

Song of Solomon 1:12-13  (NKJV)

¹² While the king is at his table,
My ^[a]spikenard sends forth its fragrance.
¹³ A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me,
That lies all night between my breasts.

Song of Solomon 4:4-5  (NKJV)

⁴ Your neck is like the tower of David,
Built for an armory,
On which hang a thousand ^[a]bucklers,
All shields of mighty men.
⁵ Your two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle,
Which feed among the lilies

Song of Solomon 7:2-3, 8(NKJV)

² Your navel is a rounded goblet;
It lacks no ^[a]blended beverage.
Your waist is a heap of wheat
Set about with lilies.
³ Your two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle.

Song of Solomon 7:8  (NKJV)

⁸ I said, “I will go up to the palm tree,
I will take hold of its branches.”
Let now your breasts be like clusters of the vine,
The fragrance of your ^[a]breath like apples,

Song of Solomon 8:10  (NKJV)

¹⁰ I am a wall,
And my breasts like towers;
Then I became in his eyes
As one who found peace.

Hebrews 13:4 (NKJV)

⁴ Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

1 Corinthians 7:2-5 (NLT)

² But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.

³ The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. ⁴ The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.

⁵ Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

So, couples enjoy one another, and may your marriages…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

You may also enjoy these BE BLESSTIFIED articles on Godly marriage…

GODLY MARRIAGE: WHAT IF THE ‘BIG O’ WAS TOO BIG (Adult but Holy)…

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

4 SIMPLE THINGS THAT CAN MAKE YOUR MARRIAGE BETTER IMMEDIATELY…

GODLY MARRIAGE: YOU CAN’T GET ROMANTIC WITH A HYMNAL…

MARRIAGE ADVICE: IT’S YOUR DIFFERENCES THAT MAKE YOU A PERFECT FIT…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

I’m a middle aged dude and comfortable in my role and season of life.

I frequently see ads targeting my demographic trying to sell the benefits of boosting testosterone. They claim enhanced energy, vitality, muscle growth and yes, libido.

They claim to restore testosterone to teenage levels.

There’s only one problem.

Teenage-level testosterone is not natural for a middle-aged man. Just like any medicine, there may be unwanted side-affects for a man to have an unnatural level of testosterone for his age.

People use the ‘God created it, so it must be good’ argument for many things, including marijuana. But, even if there are medicinal benefits to ‘weed’ that doesn’t mean it was meant for recreational use.

The natural sugar in fruit juice can still be harmful if it’s consumed in large amounts. Even an overactive immune system, meant to protect us, can be deadly.

The Bible teaches us to use moderation in what we place in our bodies, even wine…

1 Timothy 5:23 (NKJV)

²³ No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent ^[a]infirmities.

Take care of yourself and your body which is the temple of the Living God. Be careful of everything you allow to enter your body.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

So many times the bible is explicit, clear and ‘preaches & teaches itself’. We sometimes mess up by twisting and perverting it to fit our desired agendas, beliefs, denominations and personal theologies.

When it comes to sin, many Christians ‘cherry-pick’ through the bible selecting the sins that bother them the most while making excuses for, justifying or totally ignoring those which they have decided aren’t as bad.

There are several sins that anger God just as much as homosexuality that are quite frankly ‘practiced’ by many people who call themselves believers in God through Jesus Christ (Yeshua the Messiah).

The Apostle Paul does an excellent job of after calling out the sin of homosexuality, providing a list of sins that are equal abominations that qualify us all for the wrath of God. That’s why His grace and mercy are so valuable.

Read the verses below from Romans Chapters 1 & 2, and notice the sins that are listed after Paul addresses homosexuality. Think about which of those sins you are personally guilty of.

Notice it’s our attitude about these sins…

Whether or not we commit them…

Condone them…

And, judge those who struggle with sins different than those that we do…

Notice how those attitudes and behaviors are what qualify us as worthy of God’s wrath.

Romans 1:24-2:5 (NKJV)

²⁴ Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, ²⁵ who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

²⁶ For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their ^[a]women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. ²⁷ Likewise also the ^[b]men, leaving the natural use of the ^[c]woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

²⁸ And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; ²⁹ being filled with all unrighteousness, ^[d]sexual immorality, wickedness, ^[e]covetousness, ^[f]maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, ³⁰ backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ^31 [g]undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, ^[h]unforgiving, unmerciful; ³² who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

God’s Righteous Judgment

2 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. ² But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. ³ And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? ⁴ Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? ⁵ But in accordance with your hardness and your ^[i]impenitent heart you are ^[j]treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,

Did you notice sins such as strife, deceit, backbiting, pride, boasting, disobedient to parents, unloving, unforgiving and unmerciful. Many of those sins are characteristic of many people who claim to be believers.

Pride and boasting have become accepted sins in today’s society, even in the church.

Now is a good time to repent of our ‘sins of choice’ and thank God for His goodness, forbearance, longsuffering, abundant grace, and mercy.

FOR THOSE WHO SAY JESUS NEVER ADDRESSED HOMOSEXUALITY IN THE BIBLE…

HOW PRIDE HAS BECOME THE ACCEPTED ABOMINATION…

7 REASONS THAT PRIDE MAY BE THE DEADLIEST SIN…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

God is very clear in His expectation that we honor our parents.

Ephesians 6:2-3 (NKJV)

² “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: ³ “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”

He made this commandment with no exceptions, stipulations or exemptions. God already knows that many parents are far (very far) from perfect. The fact is that most of the parents in the bible had huge character flaws and poor parenting skills…THE HUSBANDS, WIVES, PARENTS & CHILDREN IN THE BIBLE WERE MESSED UP TOO…

He even mentioned how some people used to pervert God’s commandment by trying to avoid it, most likely because they weren’t the best parents…

Mark 7:8-12 (NKJV)

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

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

I’m by no means diminishing the fact that many parents are or were abusive and some even abandon their children.

But, why didn’t God say “EXCEPT THE ‘BAD’ PARENTS”?

Why?

Well, I feel the one reason God wants us to honor all parents is because whether they were good or bad…

The parents He gave us is who He chose to bring us into the world.

God chose our parents for a reason, and gave us His expectation. If they were bad, He will judge them, but He will also judge us if we don’t obey Him.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

We have wayyyyyyyyyyy too many ‘cussing’ Christians!

Our words are so powerful. Their ability to influence and shape our world is confirmed in the word of God.

Proverbs 11:9 (NKJV)

⁹ The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor,
But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.

Proverbs 15:1 (NKJV)

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

Proverbs 16:24 (NKJV)

²⁴ Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

Mark 11:23 NKJV
For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, “Be removed and be cast into the sea,” and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 

And, just as much as they have the power to influence, our words also reveal what’s inside of us…

Matthew 12:34 (NKJV)

³⁴ Brood^[a] of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

It’s even with our words that we acknowledge and accept God’s gift of salvation…

Romans 10:10 (NKJV)

For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

So, God holds those who believe in Him through His Son and our Savior Yeshua (Jesus Christ) accountable for each and everyone of our words…

His expectations of us are very high…

Matthew 12:36  (NKJV)

But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

Ephesians 4:29 NIV
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

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That’s why it’s catastrophic when Christians curse, cuss, insult, use vulgar, profane or unclean language!

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Too many times, you can’t tell the difference in those in the Body of Christ and those who aren’t by how they talk.

Too many times, Christians choose to express their emotions through words that are displeasing to God.

Too many times, Christians use insults when they disagree.

Too many times, Disciples of Christ allow coaches and those in authority to ‘curse’ their children.

I’ve seen too many of our leaders curse in public and those who call themselves Christians cheer, celebrate and find reasons to justify it.

Too many times people who claim to represent God equate cursing to ‘strong words’ or assertiveness.

What does God consider unclean words?

James 3:10  (NKJV)

¹⁰ Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.

What does God consider ‘cursing’?

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KJV Dictionary Definition: damn

damn

DAMN, v.t.

1. To sentence to eternal torments in a future state; to punish in hell.

2. To condemn; to decide to be wrong or worthy of punishment; to censure; to reprobate.

He that doubteth is damned if he eat. Rom xiv

3. To condemn; to explode; to decide to be bad, mean, or displeasing, be hissing or any mark of disapprobation; as, to damn a play, or a mean author.

4. A word used in profaneness; a term of execration.

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Our words can either bless or curse. Our words can either encourage or discourage. Our words can either breathe life into a room…or suck it out!

Words can totally destroy or testimony and credibility as a Christian.

When you curse someone, it isn’t ‘harmless’.

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YOU ARE RELEASING SOMETHING…

YOU ARE GIVING SOMETHING…

When you say, “God bless you!”…You’re giving a BLESSING!

When you say, “Damn you!” or “I’ll be damned!”, or even “Go to hell!”…YOU’RE GIVING A CURSE!

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God never expects Christians to give a damn!

BE BLESSTIFIED!

This one is for educators and those who care about them. Expressing legitimate concerns isn’t whining, it’s responsibility. For believers, this is confirmed in the lamenting Psalms.

Routines…

Processes…

Consistency…

Proximity…

Eye contact…

There are dozens of ‘proven’ strategies for effectively managing a classroom of students from kindergarten to high school. The goal is for the classroom to operate like a well-oiled machine, keeping disruptions minor without interrupting instruction.

And, yes there are teachers who struggle with keeping order in their area of influence. When this happens, many times both co-workers and administrators will conclude that a particular teacher has poor classroom management skills.

Is this sometimes true…OF COURSE!

But, there will always be situations that will be beyond anyone’s control.

So before an administrator tells an educator, “Your children don’t meet your expectations because you have poor classroom management”… They must ask themselves…

“When teachers and staff don’t meet my expectations is it because I have poor building management skills…or do I deflect the blame?”

How healthy is the overall culture in the building? What’s the macro culture of the district that’s beyond the control of teachers?

I once worked at a school where the children arrived at 7:40 (received breakfast) and were dismissed at 4pm…

1. My class didn’t have lunch until 1:10 pm (with no morning snack)…
2. The class periods were 2-hours long…
3. There was no gymnasium (the cafeteria was used)…
4. There was no recess (this was before COVID-19)…
5. The children were barely allowed to talk…

By mid morning, these children were hungry, and it definitely affected their behavior. There was no recess to release pent-up energy…one could conclude these children were being set up by the culture for behavior problems…and the teachers were left to take the blame.

And of course, no matter how much we want to believe that ‘all children are good’, no set of rules, procedures or protocols are effective against this child…

Too many times it’s easy to deflect ALL accountability to the teacher or any ‘front-line’ worker, but leaders should always remember what Jesus Christ said in Matthew chapter 7…

Matthew 7:1-2 (NLT)

7 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. ² For you will be treated as you treat others.^[a] The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

Too many ‘experts’ outside the classroom (especially those outside the school building) feel their expertise trumps the expertise of the ‘experts’ who are still in the classroom every day.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

What is it that you like least about yourself? When was the last time you got ‘fed up’ with some aspect of your own character?

When was the last time you felt like the Apostle Paul when he said…

Romans 7:20-25 (NKJV)

²⁰ Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

²¹ I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. ²² For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. ²³ But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. ²⁴ O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵ I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

When was the last time you examined …

Your heart?

Your motives?

Your moods?

Your behavior?

Your prejudices?

Your priorities?

How you manage your emotions?

What makes you angry?

What makes you happy?

What impresses you? And why?

Are you a good, Godly influence to the people in your circle?

When was the last time you really thought about what God thinks about your character?

BE BLESSTIFIED!

I know I’m not the only one who sometimes struggles with this. I’m sincerely grateful and thankful for the level of blessing and favor on my life. I’m not talking about riches. I’m talking about being thankful that I have food, clothes, shelter, good health and a sound mind…for what many people call ‘the little things’. I’m thankful that my family is doing well, thankful for freedom, peace, safety and yes, I’m thankful for salvation.

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But, sometimes I want more.

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I would love for God to bless me to be able to support my family well through my writing and leave behind a financial heritage for my children. Ohhhh…that would be so awesome!  I would love to be able to do some of the things for my family that I know would make them happy. Who doesn’t want financial stability, good health and peace in their life.

I can’t count the times I’ve been praying to God asking Him to bless my life and stopped and just had to stop and say, “Thank you!”

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Because you see, so many times when I’m asking for more, I think about so many who have less.

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So many times when I lain in my bed worrying about something, I think about the fact that it’s a blessing to have a bed in which to worry. Someone, somewhere at that very moment is trying to sleep under a bridge

God tells us to be content, and I truly am…

1 Timothy 6:6-8  (NKJV)

⁶ Now godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into this world, ^[a]and it is certain we can carry nothing out. ⁸ And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

But, still I want more. Don’t you? I mean God also told us He would give us more, if we have our priorities straight…

Psalm 37:4-5  (NKJV)

⁴ Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit^[a] your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.

Do you ever feel conflict over being thankful and wanting more?

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How do we manage being content with our lives without being covetous?

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If you have this conflict too, tell God thank you for the conflict. It’s a sign that you aren’t greedy or covetous.

Here’s a few simple tips on managing that conflict.

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Please be careful when you…

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Feel God owes you better.

Feel what you have isn’t good enough.

Ask God for more, more often than you thank Him for what you have.

Never pray for those who have less than you.

Lose that internal conflict between being thankful and asking God for more.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

As I was growing up, I never did really grasp how young Dr. Martin Luther King was when he stepped onto the world stage.

Then he became involved with the Birmingham bus boycott at the age of 26 he wasn’t trying to make history, he was just trying to do his part to make a difference.

At the age of 35 he was the youngest man at the time to receive the Nobel Peace prize.

At the young age of 39 he made his historic “I’ve Been To The Mountaintop” speech that prophetically eluded to his death the very next day.

In 39 short years Dr. King changed the world. His wife and children had to share husband and father with history. And, his children grew into adulthood without their dad.

Many of you reading this who grew up hearing and reading about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. have outlived his 39 years.

What have you accomplished in your time here so far?

Maybe you haven’t changed the world, but have you been a good father? mother? sibling? son? daughter?. Have you been dependable to the people in your life?

Can the people in your circle of influence count on you? Are you fulfilling your purpose of being God’s representative in every relationship and environment?

2 Corinthians 5:20  (NKJV)

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

You may not be Dr. Martin Luther King, and really should thank God that the weight of your purpose isn’t as heavy as his…

You don’t have to change the world to make history, you just have to change the world around you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DR. KING!

BE BLESSTIFIED!

John Chapter 17 records the real ‘Lord’s Prayer’, as Matthew 6 gives us the model prayer. In John, He prays for Himself, His disciples and finally those who believe in Him through the disciples words…us.

It’s interesting of all things He could pray about, in verses 20 through 24 He prayed for…

Unity… Agreement… ONENESS!

Why?

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Because three of the most powerful forces on this earth are…

LOVE…

HATE…

and…

UNITY!

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It would be impossible for the Gospel to spread, the church to grow and families to survive without unity.

Notice what the bible says about agreement…

Genesis 11:6 (NKJV)

⁶ And the Lord said, “Indeed the people ARE ONE and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.

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Amos 3:3 (NKJV)

³ Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?

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1 Corinthians 1:10 (NKJV)

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

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The fact is that unity is powerful that it works for both good and evil… THE POWER OF UNITY WORKS FOR BOTH GOOD AND EVIL…

It was through ‘agreement’ and ‘unity’ that the devil was able to provoke rebellion in heaven leading to him and those who united with him being kicked out…

Revelation 12:7-9 (NKJV)

⁷ And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, ⁸ but they ^[a]did not prevail, nor was a place found for ^[b]them in heaven any longer. ⁹ So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

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However, the ultimate agreement is in heaven…

1 John 5:7 (NKJV)

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

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So, if our Savior was intentional enough to pray for agreement, I encourage you to be intentional to specifically pray for agreement EVER DAY in…

Your marriage…

Your family…

In your local church…

In the Body of Christ…

In your government…

On your job.

And especially pray for unity with God… That you are ONE with Him and He is ONE with you, just as He is ONE with our Lord and Savior Yeshua the Messiah. Pray for this every day, and if possible every time you pray.

Notice how many times the Lord says or infers ONE in His prayer for us…

John 17:20-26 (NKJV)

²⁰ “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who ^[a]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.²⁴ “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵ O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. ²⁶ And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Remember, this isn’t just a prayer, it’s the Lord’s passion. And, it should be ours too.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

One of the most difficult things to understand in the Bible is used by unbelievers as one of the first bullets they shoot to say there is no God.

Why would a loving God allow people to be stoned to death? They go on to say, ‘who would want to serve a God like that?’

I’m quick to say, ‘Me!’ And, this is why.

Relationships fail because of expectations not being met. The Bible is a narrative about two relationships, God and those who claim to be His, and those who don’t.

There are also two dispensations of these relationships… Old Testament and New Testament.

The powerful thing about the Old Testament is that it’s where God gave us His expectations through His relationship with Israel and Judah.

Through THE MOSAIC LAW, we learned what behavior God loves and what behavior God hates. When we look closely at how God reacted to Israel’s behavior. Yes, sin is sin, but to put it simply, some sins piss God of more.

For example, if a stranger were to hack your bank account and stole one dollar, you would be angry. You would be angry that they invaded your privacy and sacred space. You would be angry that they stole from you, but not as angry at the amount they stole. But, what if someone close to you hacked your retirement, stole your life savings and used YOUR money to hire someone to kill you to get insurance money as well? How much MORE angry would that make you?

In the Old Testament there were some sins that led to being exiled, while there were other sins that led to death.

During that time, Israel was our example to let us know God’s level of displeasure.

1 Corinthians 10:10-12 (NASB)

¹⁰ Nor grumble, as some of them ^[a]did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. ¹¹ Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. ¹² Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.

God allows different things happen in different times. Back then they had the benefit of great miracles and hearing directly from God. Today we have the benefit of their experiences and technology that would seem like magic to them.

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It’s in the Old Testament that we learned God’s expectations…

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Romans 7:7-25 (NKJV)

⁷ What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, ^(A)I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, ^(B)“You shall not covet.” ⁸ But ^(C)sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evildesire. For ^(D)apart from the law sin was dead. ⁹ I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. ¹⁰ And the commandment, ^(E)which was to bring life, I found to bring death. ¹¹ For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. ¹² Therefore ^(F)the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.

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However, when Yeshua came and fulfilled the law, His death satisfied not only the penalty of eternal death, but also extended grace that the law didn’t. For example, look at His response in these two situations..,

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John 8:1-11 (NKJV)

8 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

² Now ^[a]early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and ^(A)taught them. ³ Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, ⁴ they said to Him, “Teacher, ^[b]this woman was caught in ^(B)adultery, in the very act. ^{5 (C)}Now ^[c]Moses, in the law, commanded us ^[d]that such should be stoned. But what do You ^[e]say?” ⁶ This they said, testing Him, that they ^(D)might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with Hisfinger, ^[f]as though He did not hear.

⁷ So when they continued asking Him, He ^[g]raised Himself up and said to them, ^(E)“He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”⁸ And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. ⁹ Then those who heard it, ^(F)being^[h]convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. ¹⁰ When Jesus had raised Himself up ^[i]and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers ^[j]of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹ She said, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said to her, ^(G)“Neither do I condemn you; go ^[k]and ^(H)sin no more.”

Matthew 19:7-8 (KJV)

⁷ They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?

⁸ He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

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So was the level of consequences left for our example in the Old Testament fair to the people living then relative to us today? Maybe not, but God never claimed to be fair, only just. GOD ISN’T FAIR, BUT HE’S JUST…

Because of this today we know God gets just as angry now at forsaking His day of rest by working unnecessarily, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, idolatry, or witchcraft as He did then. Now we know that stealing or coveting makes Him angry, but not as angry as the fore mentioned sins…yet all are sin.

The law and its consequences is our teacher.

Galatians 3:24-25 (NKJV)

²⁴ Therefore the law was our ^[a]tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

I encourage you to read through the Old Testament from the perspective of intentionally noticing how He reacts to Israel’s behavior. It gives great insight into how He feels when we do the same things today.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

We all know that God expects us to love everyone, even our enemies. And, we also know that’s not always easy to do. Sometimes peoples’ actions can take us beyond not just liking them.

There are people who clearly don’t like us, people who don’t have the same beliefs, values and opinions. People who we feel don’t respect our traditions, heritages and cultures. Those who unapologetically work against us and try to hurt. People who hate us.

Well, the fact that God forbids us to hate people hasn’t changed, but He does allow us to hate THINGS about people. So, the next time you look at someone in such intense anger that hate begins to fill your heart, here are a few things that it’s okay to hate ABOUT people…

Their behavior…

Their attitude…

Their habits…

Their clothes…

Their taste…

Their traditions…

Their temper…

Even the organizations and institutions they create.

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Everything mentioned above can be hated without hating the person. How do I know that? Because God, who loves all of us, also hates some things about us too…

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Proverbs 6:16-19  (NKJV)

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

But, He never lets what He hates about us provoke Him to hate us, even when we’re His enemies…

James 4:4  (NKJV)

^4 [a]Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Romans 5:10  (NKJV)

¹⁰ For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

We were created in God’s image. He hates stuff too. He just doesn’t hate us…ever. So, the next time you feel your natural God-given emotion to hate fill your heart, do these five things…

1. Stop and focus on what it is you hate ABOUT them.
2. Focus on that or those things.
3. Ask God to help you love the person.
4. Then sincerely pray that God strengthens them in the areas you hate, and to open your eyes if you’re wrong.
5. Ask God to help you love them through the things you hate about them, just like He loves you through those things He hates about you.

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You see. Learning to love people through the things we hate about them gives us the opportunity to be more like God.

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These posts about may also bless you too…

HOW YOU DON’T HAVE TO HATE SOMEONE TO NOT LOVE THEM…

THERE WILL ALWAYS BE THINGS YOU HATE ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE…

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

BE BLESSTIFIED!

When you’re pursuing your God-given purpose,

When you’re loving and forgiving,

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

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

 Job 1:12 (NKJV)

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

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

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

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

Job 1:8  (NKJV)

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

That’s why sometimes frustrations come from nowhere…

Frustrations to your health…

Frustrations to your finances…

Frustrations in your relationships…

Frustrations on your jobs…

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

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

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

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

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

More BE BLESSTIFIED articles about the devil:

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

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

WHY THE DEVIL IS NOT A PYROMANIAC…

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

TRADITIONS FROM HELL…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

 

 

When you love someone, you want to learn what pleases them…and what displeases them.

The same is true for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…Yeshua the Messiah.

Many of you already know that the Hebrew name for Jesus is Yehoshua, or Yeshua in its shortened form.

Many of you also know that Jesus is a transliteration of Yeshua in Hebrew to Iesous in Greek and later Jesus after the letter ‘J’ was added to the English language in the 1500’s.

We also know the importance God places on names in both Old and New Testaments.

So here’s my question for serious contemplation and conversation…

What if…Just what if…Jesus doesn’t like being called Jesus just as a man named Michael doesn’t like being called Michelle…and vice versa? Both Michael and Michelle have the same meaning, but they aren’t the same name.

Nor, do we call Joshua of the Old Testament Jesus, as both names have the same meaning, but they aren’t the same name.

If companies will sue over misuse of their name…is it possible that Yeshua wants to be called Yeshua. God introduced Himself to the world through the Hebrew people… not a race, but a faith He created as His own people.

Is it our place to tell our Savior what He wants to be called? When we refer to foreign leaders, do we translate or transliterate their name, or do we refer to them in their particular language?

How do people abroad refer to Barak Obama, Donald Trump, or Joe Biden? What is the city of Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) called in other countries?

If we REALLY love God through His Son as we claim, shouldn’t we at least consider it.?

The truth is that it’s possible for millions of sincere people to believe the WRONG thing.

I’m not asking this question with my mind made up that using the name Jesus is wrong. I just feel if we really want to ‘get to know Him and please Him that we should continually refine our faith and relationships.

In how many different ways will He feel we haven’t tried to get to know Him…

Matthew 7:21-23 (ESV)

^{21 (A)}“Not everyone who ^(B)says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will ^(C)enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who ^(D)does the will of my Father who is in heaven.^{22 (E)}On that day ^(F)many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not ^(G)prophesy in your name, and cast out demons ^(H)in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ^{23 (I)}And then will I declare to them, ‘I ^(J)never knew you; ^(K)depart from me, ^(L)you workers of lawlessness.’

It’s the same as wondering how does He feel about people using the Roman symbol of His execution to represent Him…but that’s another discussion.

Think about it. Talk about it.

BE BLESSTIFIED!