You are the object of someone’s fantasy. Someone’s watching you, and they want what you have. Yes, they want your body…
Your cancer-free body…
Your disease-free body…
Your two working legs and arms…
They want your ability to walk and run.
They want your ability to go to work every day.
They want your strength. Not you super strength, but your strength to take care of yourself.
They want ‘What you’ve got!’ Not the opportunity to fulfill their lust, but the opportunity to fulfill their life.
They want your freedom.
They want a family like yours.
They want to be just like you.
They want a roof over their heads…Food to eat…Clothes to wear.
They fantasize about going to the grocery store and filling a shopping cart rather than carrying everything they own in one.
They fantasize about buying a pair of shoes…About going where they want, when they want, in a car.
They fantasize about going to the doctor for check-ups and not treatments.
Someone would trade their good credit for your health…their riches for your peace. They’re watching you.
Please don’t allow our prosperous society to spoil you to the point of covetousness and being ungrateful.
Don’t allow the ‘blessings of abundance’ to become ‘burdens’ to make you feel God is mistreating you if you don’t have everything you want. If you don’ have perfect health. If you don’t have ideal circumstances.
The bible teaches us to be content with food and clothes…
1 Timothy 6:8 (NKJV)
8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
God teaches us to not worry about our needs…
Matthew 6:31-34 (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. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
And, He teaches us to be thankful in all things.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)
18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Don’t get your wants confused with your needs. And remember, there is always someone ‘less fortunate’ than you…fantasizing to have what you may be taking for granted.
Should there be consequence for when reasonable expectations aren’t met on the job? Yes, of course!
But, in our current culture it’s become all to common for a boss to ‘chew out’ and employee who isn’t meeting those expectations…who makes a mistake…who needs correction.
No matter where someone sits on the hierarchy of organizational structure, the fact is that workers are all just people doing a job to take care of their families or themselves…to make a living.
It’s true some jobs are much more impactful on society if someone messes up, for example if someone is setting up an operating room for emergency surgery, but the fact still remains that all workers are equal citizens doing a job.
But think about this. Outside the workplace, your boss is just another person. He or she is someone else’s wife, husband, son, daughter, father, mother…just a person. They have absolutely NO authority over your life outside of your commitment to the company or organization.
Because we are all just equal citizens trying to make a living, no one has the right to overly assertively reprimand another adult at work. Offices, factories, schools and churches are not the military.
No one has the right to belittle you… insult you… embarrass you… or even threaten you because they think that’s leadership. This usually happens when the correction is affected by emotions.
Every organization has consequences in place for when expectations aren’t met.
Verbally warn me with respect!
Write me up!
Demote me!
Fire me!
But no one has the right to belittle, insult, embarrass, threaten or treat another adult like a child, even if they have organizational authority over them.
Real leadership isn’t achieved through fear, intimidation, or adult bullying.
When a person is hired, make sure that the progression of consequences are clear, and proceed through them with respect.
No one wants to be disrespected, not even when they mess up.
Matthew 7:12 (NKJV)
12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
1 John 2:2 (NKJV) 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
Okay, I know this has never happened to you, but let’s just pretent that it did.
You just finished taking a shower. You brushed your teeth, put on your antiperspirant, cologne or perfume and got dressed in your best. At that present moment, you very well could be the cleanest person in the world. And then it suddenly hits you…
Unfortunately, you have been constipated for several days. And, now just as you get ready to leave your home you can tell that problem is over!
It’s #2 TIME! RIGHT AFTER YOUR GREAT SHOWER.
As you are relieving yourself of the excess weight that you’ve been carrying it is by no means pleasant. It SMELLS LIKE you haven’t been to the bathroom in three days! You’re spouse shouts, ‘Are you alright in there’ hoping that you’re still conscience or haven’t lost your short term memory?
Think about this…
No matter how clean you were after your shower…
No matter how well you were dressed
No matter how good you smelled…
Everywhere you went while you were constipated, the source of that horrible smell was hidden inside you!
It’s the same with our spiritual condition. No matter what we look like on the outside, when we have sin in our lives, we are filthy on the inside…
Isaiah 64:6 (NKJV)
6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like [a]filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.
But when Jesus died on the cross for our sins, He provided a one-time sacrifice for those who put their faith in God, our Elohim, through Him.
1 John 2:1-2 (NKJV)
2 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
To keep it simple, PROPITIATION means covering or atoning sacrifice. Yeshua the Messiah literally ‘hides’ our sins and places us back in good standing with God.
So just the same as we can’t see the feces, urine, blood, bile, mucus or any other fluid that’s always hidden under our skin. Our Savior covers the lies, lust, greed, selfishness, hatred, malice, jealousy, rage, wrath, hatred, envy, doubt, discontent, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, etc. that hides inside the hearts of those who are fighting against their flesh every day…
Galatians 5:16-25 (NKJV)
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
So, while you’re thanking God for the good things in your life, food, shelter, clothing, health, your family, your job, your home, peace, safety, freedom, please don’t forget to thank Him for sending His Son and our Savior Yeshua, the Messiah to provide atonement for our sins when we repent.
How many times have you heard this (or done this)?
There’s a disagreement…an arguement…a debate…a discussion…a contention… a situation where someone rubbed you wrong.
It could have been politics, religion, relationship, sports, work, or whatever…
But, they pushed the right button (or wrong button) and whether you admit it or not, they ticked you off (or pissed you off).
However, you are a Christian and you love God, so you ‘dismiss’ them with a “God bless you!”, or “I will pray you!”
Hmmm, when you’re honest with yourself though, you didn’t mean that in your heart.
You would never say, “F*** You!”. And, the devil knows it too.
That’s why he cleverly slipped in and manipulated you to use a blessing to be nice-nasty. Your ‘blessing contained venom! Your mouth said, God bless you, but your heart really said “F-You”.
The person to whom you it, and those who heard it could tell what you really meant…and so could God.
We all have human moments, but we must be very careful not to allow the enemy to make us guilty of what the Psalmist said… Psalm 62:4c (NKJV)
“…They bless with their mouths, but they curse inwardly.”
Remember, we must give an account for every word that comes from our mouths…
Matthew 12:36
(NKJV)
36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
From education to business to the nonprofit sector, so many decisions are based on data.
In today’s educational, political, social, religious and anti-religious climate, between good discussions, debates, dialogue, commentary, arguing and talking AT one another… people love to preface and punctuate his or her points with “I HAVE THE FACTS TO BACK ME UP!”
If I learned one thing in my years as a Marketing Manager and professional Copywriter it’s that facts can be both interpreted and applied subjectively.
Every television station, radio station, business etc., can be #1 at the same time to a different demographic.
Medical research can be manipulated and delivered to satisfy the marketing efforts of pharmaceutical companies.
Decisions are made in education based on data, but that objective data is alwaysfiltered through subjective evaluations and opinions…always.
Historicalfacts are presented through particular perspectives that support preferred narratives.
People have twisted God’s absolute truth to satisfy their own agendas and narratives.
People will quickly assume that the facts and research that fits their particular point-of- view as superior.
This is why in a court case, both the prosecution and defense present their OWN experts that support their OWN story…both armed with FACTS.
After those who sought to ‘kill’ Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) presented their ‘facts’, Pilate replied…
John 18:38 (NIV)
38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.(A)
John 14:6 (NKJV)
6 Jesus said to him, “I am (A)the way, (B)the truth, and (C)the life. (D)No one comes to the Father(E)except through Me.
We must be honest with ourselves when handling ‘facts’ and the ‘truth’. Because ultimately it’s not about us proving we are ‘RIGHT’, but about us being in harmony with God’s truth.
The list of sins that Christians cherry pick as those most necessary to avoid goes on and on. Many Christians arrogantly stick out their chests and point self-righteous fingers at people who sin differently than they do. Yeshua our Messiah gave us a classic example of this type of self righteousness…
Luke 18:9-14(NKJV)
9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be [a]humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
What sins could you replace with those stated by the publican to make that you in the parable?
The fact is that sin is what makes our bodies ‘comfortable’ places for devils to live and thrive. People under the influence of demons isn’t always manifested as in the movie, “The Exorcist”.
Matthew 12:43-45 (NKJV)
43 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”
But notice it wasn’t the sins often vilified by Christians that made Babylon a DWELLING PLACE, HABITATION OR COMFORTABLE PLACE FOR DEMONS TO THRIVE…
Revelation 18:2-3 (NKJV)
2 And he cried [a]mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! 3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the [b]abundance of her luxury.
It was the spiritual fornication of the greed that had been accepted as part of the culture…capitalism on steroids. Capitalism isn’t a sin, but even eating in excess is though. Paul even said that greed equates to idolatry…
Colossians 3:5 (NKJV)
5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
It wasn’t just the sins of lust that the Apostle Paul stated would be so prevalent in the last days…
2 Timothy 3:2-9 (ESV)
2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
Notice the first three mentioned were IDOLATRY, GREED, PRIDE and ARROGANCE!
However, the idolatry of worshiping ourselves, greed, pride and arrogance have become celebrated in our current culture and even accepted and justified by many people who claim to be Christians.
Think of the atrocities that happened and were justified in this great country in the name of progress and to maintain a ‘way of life’…
The Trail of Tears…
Vigilante violence, lynching and terrorism during The Reconstruction and Civil Rights Movement…
Gangs terrorizing their neighborhoods…
Think of how pride has become accepted…
Black Pride…
White Pride…
National Pride…
God has not permitted us to have pride, but rather be thankful, and it’s this level of pride and arrogance that has led to a culture that’s easily recognized as described in 2 Timothy 3:2-9.
A culture as described only exists through demonic influence.
The sins listed in Galatians chapter 5 are PRACTICED because
Galatians 5:19-21(ESV)
19 Now (A)the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, (B)divisions, 21 envy,[a] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that (C)those who do[b] such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
The key to making our bodies uncomfortable for demons and comfortable for God’s Holy Spirit is what is considered by too many Christians and 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.
It’s our responsibility to get rid of everything that we allow to defile our bodies and spirits…
2 Corinthians 7:1-2 (NLT)
Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.
How much pride, arrogance and greed have you accepted into your life?
One of the things about the Old Testament is that it gives us extreme examples of what God loves and what He hates. His extreme judgements explicitly gave us insight into how He feels, reacted as well as spiritual concepts and laws that are still relevant today…
1 Corinthians 10:11 (NKJV)
11 Now [a]all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our [b]admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
Romans 15:4 (NKJV)
4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the [a]patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
One of those concepts is generational curses. That’s when God places a curse on an individual that continues to transfer to his or her posterity. Seems pretty unfair huh? But, it’s been that way since the Garden of Eden after Adam and his wife sinned.
When you read Deuteronomy 28 God lists the blessings of obedience and the curses of disobedience. These blessings and curses are generational…
Deuteronomy 28:45-46 (NKJV)
45 “Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you [a]did not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. 46 And they shall be upon you for a sign and a wonder, and on your DESCENDANTS FOREVER.
Forever is a long time. Seems unfair doesn’t it?
But, there is a reason for this.
Whenever God cursed or punished His people, what was it that always removed the curse, that would have otherwise remained FOREVER?
WHEN THEY REPENTED!
Leviticus 26:40-42 (NKJV)
40 ‘But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me,
41 and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies;
if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt—
42 then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember;
I will remember the land.
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.
Think about your family and the attitudes, habits, thoughts and behaviors that have gone on for generations. How many of them can STOP with your generation?
If you feel your family is under the generational power of dysfunction, promiscuity, homosexuality, addiction, arrogance, pride, shame, racism, poverty, anger, witchcraft, violence, sickness etc,….
SOME OF THESE CURSES COULD STOP WITH YOUR GENERATION IF YOU CHANGE GENERATIONAL BEHAVIOR IN OTHER AREAS.
As much as parents and grandparents love their children, no one ever does everything RIGHT. God consistently reminded Israel of the ‘sins of their fathers.’
Stop and think about the things that your parents and grandparents did that were not pleasing to God, but may have continued through tradition, bad teaching or simply because ‘that’s the way we do things’.
Be bold enough to change it the way that Hezekiah did not continue in the sins of the kings before him. He TORE DOWN the alters and evil practices of those who came before him…
2 Kings 18:1-5 (NKJV)
18 Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi[a] the daughter of Zechariah. 3 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.
4 He removed the [b]high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the [c]wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it [d]Nehushtan. 5 He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him.
What ‘alters’ do you need to tear down in your family?
CONFESS. REPENT. and BREAK THE CURSE.
Now, read Nehemiah Chapter 9 and notice that after they were allowed by God to return from exile, they confessed not only their sins, but the sins of their ancestors. Notice in BOLD print each time the people confessed their sin…
NEHEMIAH 9 (NKJV)
9 Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with [a]dust on their heads. 2 Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. 3 And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for one-fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God.
4 Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the [b]stairs of the Levites and cried out with a loud voice to the Lord their God. 5 And the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said:
“Stand up and bless the Lord your God Forever and ever!
“Blessed be Your glorious name, Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
Which is exalted above all blessing and praise! 6 You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You.
7 “You are the Lord God, Who chose Abram, And brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans, And gave him the name Abraham; 8 You found his heart faithful before You, And made a covenant with him To give the land of the Canaanites, The Hittites, the Amorites, The Perizzites, the Jebusites, And the Girgashites— To give it to his descendants. You have performed Your words, For You are righteous.
“You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, And heard their cry by the Red Sea. 10 You showed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, Against all his servants, And against all the people of his land. For You knew that they acted [c]proudly against them. So You made a name for Yourself, as it is this day. 11 And You divided the sea before them, So that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; And their persecutors You threw into the deep, As a stone into the mighty waters. 12 Moreover You led them by day with a cloudy pillar, And by night with a pillar of fire, To give them light on the road Which they should travel.
13 “You came down also on Mount Sinai, And spoke with them from heaven, And gave them just ordinances and true laws, Good statutes and commandments. 14 You made known to them Your holy Sabbath, And commanded them precepts, statutes and laws, By the hand of Moses Your servant. 15 You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger, And brought them water out of the rock for their thirst, And told them to go in to possess the land Which You had [d]sworn to give them.
“But they and our fathers acted [e]proudly, Hardened[f] their necks, And did not heed Your commandments. 17 They refused to obey, And they were not mindful of Your wonders That You did among them. But they hardened their necks, And [g]in their rebellion They appointed a leader To return to their bondage. But You are God, Ready to pardon, Gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, Abundant in kindness, And did not forsake them.
18 “Even when they made a molded calf for themselves, And said, ‘This is your god That brought you up out of Egypt,’ And worked great provocations, 19 Yet in Your manifold mercies You did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of the cloud did not depart from them by day, To lead them on the road; Nor the pillar of fire by night, To show them light, And the way they should go.
You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them, And did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, And gave them water for their thirst. 21 Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness; They lacked nothing; Their clothes did not wear out And their feet did not swell.
22 “Moreover You gave them kingdoms and nations, And divided them into [h]districts. So they took possession of the land of Sihon, [i]The land of the king of Heshbon, And the land of Og king of Bashan. 23 You also multiplied their children as the stars of heaven, And brought them into the land Which You had told their fathers To go in and possess. 24 So the [j]people went in And possessed the land; You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, The Canaanites, And gave them into their hands, With their kings And the people of the land, That they might do with them as they wished.
And they took strong cities and a rich land, And possessed houses full of all goods, Cisterns already dug, vineyards, olive groves, And [k]fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled and grew fat, And delighted themselves in Your great goodness.
26 “Nevertheless they were disobedient And rebelled against You, Cast Your law behind their backs And killed Your prophets, who [l]testified against them To turn them to Yourself; And they worked great provocations. 27 Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their enemies, Who oppressed them; And in the time of their trouble, When they cried to You, You heard from heaven; And according to Your abundant mercies You gave them deliverers who saved them From the hand of their enemies.
“But after they had rest, They again did evil before You. Therefore You left them in the hand of their enemies, So that they had dominion over them; Yet when they returned and cried out to You, You heard from heaven; And many times You delivered them according to Your mercies, 29 And [m]testified against them, That You might bring them back to Your law. Yet they acted [n]proudly, And did not heed Your commandments, But sinned against Your judgments, ‘Which if a man does, he shall live by them.’ And they shrugged their shoulders, [o]Stiffened their necks, And would not hear. 30 Yet for many years You had patience with them, And [p]testified against them by Your Spirit in Your prophets. Yet they would not listen; Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. 31 Nevertheless in Your great mercy You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them; For You are God, gracious and merciful.
“Now therefore, our God, The great, the mighty, and awesome God, Who keeps covenant and mercy: Do not let all the [q]trouble seem small before You That has come upon us, Our kings and our princes, Our priests and our prophets, Our fathers and on all Your people, From the days of the kings of Assyria until this day. 33 However You are just in all that has befallen us; For You have dealt faithfully, But we have done wickedly. 34 Neither our kings nor our princes, Our priests nor our fathers, Have kept Your law, Nor heeded Your commandments and Your testimonies, With which You testified against them. 35 For they have not served You in their kingdom, Or in the many good things that You gave them, Or in the large and rich land which You set before them; Nor did they turn from their wicked works.
“Here we are, servants today! And the land that You gave to our fathers, To eat its fruit and its bounty, Here we are, servants in it! 37 And it yields much increase to the kings You have set over us, Because of our sins; Also they have dominion over our bodies and our cattle At their pleasure; And we are in great distress.
38 “And because of all this, We make a sure covenant and write it; Our leaders, our Levites, and our priests seal it.”
Now notice what God says to Israel in Leviticus Chapter 40 after giving them consequences of being disobedient…
Leviticus 26:40-45 (NKJV)
40 ‘But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me,
41 and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies;
if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt—
42 then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember;
I will remember the land.
43 The land also shall be left empty by them, and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them;
they will accept their guilt, because they despised My judgments andbecause their soul abhorred My statutes.
44 Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor them, to utterly destroy them and break My covenant with them;
for I am the Lord their God.
45 But for their sake I will remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God:
I am the Lord.’ ”
What ‘sins of your fathers and mothers’ are you allowing to continue in another generation? What sins have you not rejected?
Even though there are many races and cultures in America, it’s undeniable that many of America’s issues are in ‘Black & White’. That’s unfortunate because when God called Abram, and renamed Him Abraham…He created a faith, not a race. Faith in God through Yeshua the Messiah is based on faith and not race.
However, part of the ‘race’ problem in America is that all races have their ‘cultural demons’ that are immediately deflected, especially if presented by someone of the ‘other race’.
You know what ‘DEFLECT’ means…
TRANSITIVE VERB
If you deflect something such as criticism or attention, you act in a way that prevents it from being directed t toward you or affecting you.
The key to conflict resolution is common ground. So, I’m pointing out a ‘cultural demon’ from both races that are constantly deflected by many instead of addressed to change the culture.
WHITE PRIVILEGE
As I stated in a previous post:
Many say, I NEVER OWNED SLAVES!
Others say, I WAS BORN POOR AND WORKED HARD FOR EVERYTHING I HAVE!
And some say, I HAVE NEVER BENEFITED FROM ‘WHITE PRIVILEGE’.
Others assert, I’M NOT RACIST, I HAVE BLACK FRIENDS, SO WHY SHOULD I FEEL GUILTY?
I’m asking everyone who respects the Bible as the Word of God to consider this…
It is undeniable that in our nation’s history there wasn’t a hint of equality or equity for non-white Americans until the late 60’s.
Even if you had nothing to do with any of the evils towards Black people through the generations,, legacies and benefits of their behavior and systems transcends generations…culturally, economically, socially psychologically, and spiritually. Narratives and paradigms are set.
The Romans in the New Testament (the people not the book) are the perfect biblical example. They thought they were superior (even though many White people today don’t). They subjugated the Jews. The ‘system’ of their empire was set up to benefit them. Even if you had nothing to do with any of the evils towards Black people through the generations,, legacies and benefits of the system that has established thought and behavior and systems transcends generations…culturally, economically, socially psychologically, and spiritually. Narratives and paradigms are set.
However, rather than admit this, the response is too often…”There’s no such thing as White Privilege!” That’s deflecting.
BLACK ON BLACK CRIME
Black on Black crime is an unfortunate reality in America.
Again, this is from a previous post that I made:
There’s too many Black people killing Black people!
There’s too many Black people terrorizing Black people!
There’s too many Black people doing racists a favor by doing their job for them!
RACISTS DON’T HAVE TO FIRE A SHOT OR TIE A NOOSE WHEN BLACK PEOPLE ARE KILLING ONE ANOTHER!
And marches…speeches…block parties…the police or politicians can’t solve it.
But, rather than admit and address it, too many times when Black-on-Black crime is mentioned, the response is…’There’s no such thing as Black-on-Black crime.” That’s defecting.
This scripture applies to both individual and ‘corporate’ sins…
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.
To prevent hurting someone’s feelings when they weren’t really funny.
How many times do you fake laugh? How often do you type LOL when you didn’t really laugh-out-loud?
How many times do you say, “THAT’S HILARIOUS”… but you aren’t really laughing?
So, if it’s not really funny, and you pretend to laugh…is that considered lying?
Now, we all know that David pretended to be crazy to save his life, but I can’t find an example of someone pretending to laugh.
1 Samuel 21:12-14 (NKJV)
12 Now David (A)took these words [a]to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 So (B)he changed his behavior before them, pretended [b]madness in their hands, [c]scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me?
A meeting with several opinions, suggestions, but no viable solutions?
A meeting where tempers flared, and enemies and alliances were made?
A meeting where big egos were begging to be fed?
A meeting where everyone wanted their way?
A meeting where people behaved immaturely?
A meeting where no one would admit the wrong decision was made or the organization is on the wrong path?
All of these meetings, whether virtual or in-person, are held by people…imperfect people. People with faults. People with egos. People who make mistakes…sometimes big mistakes.
Usually every major decision that affects our lives comes out of a meeting.
Please pray that God leads our leaders.
1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NKJV)
2 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
Don’t have blind faith that their experience, credentials and qualifications will make things all right.
The only differences in the meetings that you’ve attended and the high-level meetings that determine the direction of…
Our economy…
Our national security…
Our children’s education…
Our future…
…are ‘higher-level’ job titles, personalities and influence. They’re all still just people…very imperfect people just like you and I.
Pray for our leaders and that God blesses their meetings. Pray for peace, cooperation, collaboration and most of all agreement with and submission to the will of God.
Just as the bible says, don’t put your trust in them…put it in God.
Psalm 118:8-9 (NKJV)
8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. 9 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.
Have you ever noticed that some people are naturally funny? They have a wit so quick, you wonder, how could they think of that so fast.
Why?
Think about these verses in the context of laughter…
James 1:17 (NKJV)
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
Romans 12:8 (NIV)
8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously;if it is to lead,[a] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Proverbs 17:22 (NKJV)
22 A merry heart does good, like medicine,[a] But a broken spirit dries the bones.
I’m convinced that comedy is a God-given spiritual gift of exhortation.
I mean, what is more encouraging than a good laugh? A well-placed laugh in a good sermon only helps keep the audience engaged and possibly drive a point home.
The bible tells us that one of the promises from God is that we will all see trouble during our days on this earth…
Job 14:1(NKJV)
14 “Man who is born of woman
Is of few days and full of trouble.
It’s God’s gift of laughter that gets us through many of those tough days.
I’m convinced that God has appointed some of us Ministers of Laughter…
So, do you know anyone with a special anointing to make the best situations better and inject some encouraging humor into the worst. Those who can make us smile when we feel like crying. Is it you?
Unfortunately, many comedians and comediennes use their gift to glorify the enemy through vulgarity and profanity, but that doesn’t mean the gift isn’t from God. It’s just misdirected.
Are you a Minister of Laughter? If so, walk in your anointing. You’re important to the Kingdom of God!
‘The Purge’ is a movie series where the United States government has made all crime legal, including murder, for one night a year.
This absurdity was validated because crime and unemployment were at historical lows ‘because of the annual purge.
As far-fetched as this sounds, if 10 years ago someone predicted that there would be a worldwide pandemic forcing everyone to wear masks, and a reality show star would be President of The United States… that would sound far fetched too.
People have done some large-scale horrible things to one another throughout history, even in the past 200 years…
The Trail of Tears…
The Ku Klux Klan…
The Holocaust…
Crips/Bloods/Mafia gang violence…
Vigilante justice…
Cults.
Don’t be surprised at what people who call themselves Christian can be influenced to do by charismatic leaders for the ‘greater good’.
As absurd as a real PURGE may sound, where the hearts of many people are now…I wouldn’t be surprised.
That’s why the word of God warns us.
Galatians 5:15 (NKJV)
15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!
I recently noticed a picture (meme) circulating on social media that shows the late Stephen Hawking, theoretical physicist and well-known atheist, featuring one of his quotes, “There was nothing before the Big Bang.” Most people know that many scientists assert that the universe BEGAN with a BIG BANG.
For Mr. Hawking to say there was nothing before the Big Bang still leaves to question what was that NOTHING, and how could NOTHING CAUSE AN EXPLOSION?
This is why I define science as our attempt to give a physical, biological or chemical explanation to a spiritual world. It’s how God allows to spiritual to manifest itself so it can be perceived within the ‘physical’ world and the realm of ‘time’.
This is why I believe that to some, the intelligence that God gave man to dominate the earth has become a curse…WHEN INTELLIGENCE HAS BECOME A CURSE…
So, I respond to the statement that “Before the Big Bang there was nothing”, with, “Eternity and God need no beginning”.
“In the beginning…” was written as a point of reference for the benefit of those of us who exist within the continuum of time.
Genesis 1 (NKJV)
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness [a]was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
2 Before the mountains were born, before you had formed the earth and the world, from eternity past to eternity future you are God.
Notice how God described Himself to Moses as ‘I AM’…
Exodus 3:14-15 (NKJV)
14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” 15 Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’
I AM! ‘I’ is a personal pronoun and ‘AM’ is a being verb. God is THE eternal BEING and defined Himself as a BEING verb. Wow! That is no coincidence.
I’ve stated in other articles that our ‘spirits’ temporarily’ exist outside of ‘time’ when we’re in a deep sleep or under anesthesia. We can doze off or be put to sleep and not notice the time that elapsed while we were ‘out’. Also notice the fact that even though we were all alive and aware, our minds can’t remember the day we were born or when we reacted to stimuli when we were in the womb.
God has promised us eternal life and most of the time we think of an eternal future. However, God IS! He stands outside of time experiencing the past and the future as if it were happening right now.
Isaiah 40:22 (NKJV)
22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
God is invisible, and it’s possible that the force and expanse that science wants to call ‘the universe’ is God. Even their ‘physical laws’ correspond with God’s spiritual essence…Energy can’t be created or destroyed, that’s God’s essence. If you believe energy can’t be created, then you can believe God didn’t have to be created. If you can see how the same internet can be ‘everywhere at the same time’, accessed in your bedroom, Texas, Aruba, or in space at the same time…then you can see how God can be everywhere at the same time.
May the Lord God of Israel from Eternity Past to Eternity Future bless you and keep you in the name and authority of Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ).
So, going back to the BIG BANG. When God created the universe and ‘said’ “Let there be…” I’m sure there was a physical manifestation of sound and an incredible release of energy in an explosion. To me, the BIG BAND only confirms God lives.
Videos of people who don’t know they are being watched that have been posted to amuse the masses.
Many times these videos go viral with thousands of views, shares and mean-spirited comments. People love to add their comments hoping get multiple 😂 responses.
‘Caption this!’
‘Wait for it!’
The problem is that many times, there is a real person who is being humiliated in many of these videos. This could be a person who is already fighting for their self-esteem.
How would you like for your most embarrassing, humiliating moments to go viral.
Remember, social media shaming is ‘cyber-bullying’ too.
Please don’t help give life to something that may be killing someone’s spirit.
Matthew 7:12 (NKJV)
12 Therefore, (A)whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for (B)this is the Law and the Prophets.
How many times have you been driving down the road and you mind began to wander.
You may have been in a serious daydream…
You may have been worried about something…
You may have been listening to your favorite song…
You may have had your face buried into your cellphone or GPS…
When you come to your senses, you notice that you were miles down a road that was full of curves…
How did you safely get there?
Most people who believe in God believe in demonic possession because it’s explicitly described in the bible…
Matthew 12:43-45 (NKJV)
43 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”
Luke 22:3 (NKJV)
3Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.
But, could it be that those times in our lives when we were being careless and reckless that our angels intervened by taking temporary control of our bodies?
That’s essentially the definition of ‘possession’ when a spiritual being takes temporary control of a human body…right?
God clearly tells us that angels are spiritual beings whose main job is to minister to those who claim God through our Lord and Savior Yeshua the Messiah, (Jesus Christ)…
Hebrews 1:13-14 (NKJV)
13 But to which of the angels has He ever said:
“Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”?
14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
The bible says that we should always be cognizant to always show kindness to strangers because many times we have entertained angels without knowing it. How many times has that been through God commissioning and angel to act through someone we don’t know. They (or we) feel compelled to show kindness and don’t even know why…
Hebrews 13:2 (NKJV)
2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.
We’ve all heard the cliche that isn’t in the bible, “God works in mysterious ways.”
Every right that we enjoy as Americans came through the courage of countless people who risked or gave up their lives to achieve our freedoms.
From the American Revolution…to Reconstruction… to the Civil Rights Movement to now, people have lifted up their voices against ‘the establishment’ at the loss of their jobs, friends, freedom, families and lives.
We were and are introduced to these heroic figures through teachers who are…
Overworked…
Under-appreciated…
Overwhelmed…
Underpaid…
And, held to unrealistic expectations.
However…
Most teachers and administrators are afraid to stand up to their school districts and state governments for fear of losing their jobs or careers.
In their contacts, they agree to partially surrender their freedom of speech, so they don’t disparage their school systems and states.
They are constantly given cliches and platitudes to excuse an ever-increasing list of tasks, duties and unrealistic expectations, while all blame, responsibility, accountability and legal liability is deflected on them.
However, when if they make legitimate complaints about their culture, they’re characterized as undedicated, unprofessional and petty…
All this while teaching children that’s how America was built.
This isn’t the only profession that surrenders it’s freedom of speech to keep their job, but this is the profession that prepares people for every other profession.
We’ve got to do better.
The scriptural admonition that encourages us to hold ministers in high esteem should be applied to teachers too…
1 Thessalonians 5:12 (NLT
12 Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance.
If your parents, siblings, friends or even co-workers don’t like your spouse…
Ask yourself is it because of what you’ve said to them in your anger or frustration?
Part of honoring your spouse is bearing with one another through keeping some things between the two of you only. When you share something they have done to hurt or anger you with someone else, especially family, when the two of you have moved on…others may still hold a grudge.
Remember, your marriage is your business!
Ephesians 4:1-3 (NKJV)
I, therefore, the prisoner [a]of the Lord, [b]beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Don’t let the reason that someone dislikes your spouse be because of what you’ve said about them.
Having you ever noticed a child throwing a temper tantrum when he or she doesn’t get something that they want? This is a natural reaction that must be overcome as the child matures. The reaction is natural…innate…the child was born with it.
As you know, the debate continues as to whether people are born gay, or is it a choice. The purpose of this article isn’t to debate that question, but to address this fact…
The truth is that we are all born with innate desires, feelings and proclivities that we did not ask for.
Many Christians reason to excuse some behaviors by saying, “I or they was or were born this way”.
This doesn’t mean that God made a mistake because the scripture clearly reminds us that we were all born in sin…
Psalm 51:5 (NKJV)
Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
We were all born with desires we didn’t ask for…that doesn’t make them ALL okay. Just because it comes naturally doesn’t make right. Some natural desires we must resist with the help of the Holy Spirit…
Fornication…
Adultery…
Homosexuality…
Gluttony…
Greed…
Jealousy…
Envy…
Wrath …
…ALL come from natural desires and they are ALL EQUALLY wrong.
Even David, a man after God’s own heart was born with an insatiable desire for women…but that did not make it right or acceptable to God. Those who read the bible know what that led to.
Some people are naturally more greedy, more lustful, more promiscuous, more selfish, more aggressive, more violent that others…does that make it okay? For those who wish to argue these are learned behaviors, some people have these behaviors modeled and ‘learn’ them, while others witnessed these behaviors and didn’t succumb to them.
Pedophiles don’t feel they ‘choose’ to be attracted to children…does that make it okay? No!
The desires of our flesh war against our spirit…and these vary from person to person.
Galatians 5:17 (NKJV)
17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
It is only by walking in the Fruit of the Spirit can we overcome our fleshly desires that displease God.
Galatians 5:16 (NKJV)
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Galatians 5:22,23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
By the way, calling out something as sin is NOT judging. And, it’s not saying it’s any more wrong than another sin!
That’s why fasting is so powerful. It is a tool we can use to bring our flesh into subjection, overcome our weaknesses and prove to ourselves that our desires won’t rule us. It’s our tool to move those mountains in our lives.
Matthew 17: 20-21
20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting
Use this as post ammunition when someone presents to you the argument, “I was born this way, so it can’t be wrong”.
Just because it’s natural, doesn’t mean it’s okay.
We are born with innate strengths and weaknesses that can help us ‘succeed’ in life according to the world’s definition of success.
Some people are naturally more focused…more calm…more assertive.
Some people are naturally more driven, and others are naturally more, well how can I put this…LAZY.
The fact is that some people must force themselves to do what is necessary. Some people are natural procrastinators.
I don’t think think a strong work ethic is necessarily learned. And here’s my anecdotal reason why…
Three children can be born into the same family and raised in the same house with a father and mother who modeled a strong work ethic. Both parents could have demanded a strong work ethic by forcing all three children to do numerous chores. They may punish them harshly for not doing their assigned tasks or reward them greatly for doing the well. No matter how much those parents enforce and drill a strong work ethic into their children…one or more of those children may still struggle to keep a job or do the things necessary to maintain their lives once they grow up.
Have you ever seen children raised in the same family with strong work values but have one or more grow up to be lazy or underachievers living beneath their potential?
Think about it.
Some things can’t be taught.
That’s why we have to constantly ask God the specific prayer to help us and bless us beyond our individual innate weaknesses… in other words, the weaknesses He gave us.
8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
I’ve heard and seen this so many times, verbally, on social media and in the comments of blog posts… Someone responds to a comment with , “DO. YOUR RESEARCH!”
The level of arrogance inferred and implied in that statement is amazing to the point it’s almost comical.
To tell someone “DO YOUR RESEARCH” implies three things…
1. You assume that they haven’t already done their research.
2. You assume that your research is superior to theirs.
3. You assume that your sources are more credible.
People love to research, discover and present the FACTS that support their desired narrative. One of the things I learned after years as a Marketing Manager for a Fortune 500 company and years in the radio industry is that research, information and ‘facts’ can be manipulated to support a desired narrative.
This is why in a court case, you will find an ‘expert’ witness for both the prosecution and defense telling two different stories.
Of course, there are some sources that are more credible than others. However, filtering through our biases and perspectives is the real challenge.
Besides, my desired source is to study the word of God, and the history and culture necessary to put in all in proper context and perspective.
Remember, we represent God in how we reason with one another. If God has offered to ‘reason’ with us, then we should be willing to reason with one another with respect.
Isaiah 1:18 (NKJV)
18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.
Most of the teachers that I know are dedicated professionals who genuinely love children and want the best for them.
Teaching, however, is a professional that has morphed into one of less prestige and unrealistic expectations. Many districts have allowed politics and ad hoc solutions to erode the culture for teachers, administrators and support staff to levels of toxicity that have many either considering or actually leaving a profession they genuinely love.
The problem is that when teachers lament or express genuine concerns about the unrealistic expectations, workload and deflection of all responsibility and blame to them, they are considered to be undedicated, complainers, whiners, and unprofessional.
Too many times teachers are expected to do ANYTHING IT TAKES FOR THEIR STUDENTS…ANYTHING.
They’re expected to accept a never ending list of tasks because it’s ‘best for children’ while often ON THEIR OWN TIME THEY’RE EXPECTED TOgive up their duty-free lunch to ‘build relationships’, as well as…
Assume the legal liability if they aren’t executing those accommodations with fidelity in a fast paced…
Unpredictable environment…
Neglect the needs of their own children…
…and maintain the highest levels of emotional intelligence so they don’t react to that environment in a manner that could cost them their career or freedom.
In the corporate world there are functional areas and specialists that support the organization’s work, but teachers are expected to be both subject matter specialists and generalists.
This is because government and districts do a poor job of managing human bandwidth and seeing the importance of allocating funds to do so.
Most large organizations have seen the importance of a functional area that manages internal culture, while in most districts it’s non-existent.
This sets administrators, teachers and staff up for dysfunction, conflict and ‘tribal warfare’ in the school…
All this for the politically correct phrase, “We’ve got to do what’s best for children.” — that serves as an excuse to add an endless list of tasks.
During the height of the COVID/19 pandemic, one Tennessee politician in early 2021 made the complaint that, too many people are listening to the teacher’s union rather than the parents. This implies you can’t consider both and that the teachers don’t matter…this establishes culture. “
The problem with our school boards is that they come up with these plans to reopen. First it was January, then it’s February,” he said. “Now, who knows when it’s going to be. They are changing their plans purely because of the teachers’ unions. And that’s the only pressure they are listening to and they need to be listening to parents about when to get these children back into school.” ~Brian Kelsey
Society must stop shaming, questioning the dedication and placing blame on teacher as they react to a culture and environment they didn’t create.
It’s impossible to DO WHAT’S BEST FOR CHILDREN while IGNORING THE QUALITY OF LIFE for those who are paid too little to nurture and take daily responsibility for them.
Let me say this…
I left a career in corporate America to teach because I watched the dedication of my wife for 20 years. I actually took and passed two PRAXIS tests in 2008, but was immediately offered another corporate job that paid what many principals were making…I went for the money. However, after leaving corporate in 2018, I began teaching in 2019. My first two districts were a complete mess, however…
I absolutely love teaching and take this work very seriously.
My current district and school have created a great culture for teachers to teach. Yes, they have to react to the macro-expectations, and of course isn’t perfect, but have proven to be intentional in their care for teachers.
And, I haven’t once heard, WE HAVE TO DO WHAT’S BEST FOR STUDENTS as an excuse to add to the list of unrealistic expectations.
Teaching is a ministry.
Ministry is simply serving others.
In spiritual ministry, God states that we must treat those who minister to us with the highest level of respect…
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 (NIV)
12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.
It would be wonderful if our society would do this in education — they used to do so.
This is a legitimate concern of education professionals. Anyone who sees it as just another complaint is part of the problem.
When you selflessly help someone in need, at that particular moment, you’re the most important person in the world to them. God gives us opportunities every day to be someone’s hero, and too many times we chose not to do so. Here’s 5 easy ways you can be someone’s hero…
1. STAND UP FOR SOMEONE BEING BULLIED OR TEASED…
Whether it be a child in school or a co-worker, bullying is one childhood behavior that extends into adulthood. Some of those scars come from the abuse, while others come from the fact that no one stepped in to stand up for the person being abused.
How many times did you witness a child being bullied in school, and even though you didn’t bully them yourself, you didn’t stand up for them. Intervening means EVERYTHING to someone when everyone around them is having fun at their expense — and the cars last a lifetime. Let’s teach our children that bullying and teasing isn’t okay, and let’s make sure we aren’t letting that same evil behavior continue ruining lives into adulthood.
2. HANDLE PANHANDLERS WITH LOVE…
One of the most common responses to people begging on the street is either judging that they are drug addicts, alcoholics, or people who have lived foolishly. Many people reason that they are trying to scam people to feed their habits. However, years of ministering to homeless people has taught me that there are plenty of hard working, honest people who had catastrophic misfortunes leave them destitute. And, there are countless mentally ill people who are living on the streets. There are others who spend all day trying to beg for enough money to either feed their children or have a place to stay for the night. When you buy a meal or give a few dollars to someone who is genuinely in need…you’re their hero for the moment. Your $10 sacrifice is like $1,000 dollars to them. And, even if they are trying to scam, we leave behind a testimony of God’s love. Most importantly, God told us to do it…
Deuteronomy 15:7-8 (NKJV)
7 “If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the [a]gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, 8 but you shall [b]open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs.
1 John 3:17 (NKJV)
17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
3. ACKNOWLEDGE SOMEONE WHO FEELS NO ONE CARES.
There are so many lonely people in the world. So many people watching others laugh, smile, have conversations as they long for someone to acknowledge them. The beautiful thing is that a simple conversation or simply listening to someone who feels no one cares is free. There are even some homeless people on the street who don’t want you money, they just want to be acknowledged and be made to feel human. The sad thing is that when ignore someone who feels no one cares…we prove it to be true. But, simply acknowledging them is sometimes an answered prayer.
But, here’s the thing. We can’t stand up for someone being bullied, buying dinner for someone in need, or visiting someone who is lonely can’t be done to make ourselves feel like heroes. We can’t do it to make ourselves feel better than them. We can’t do it simply to let others see how ‘righteous’ we are… any of those reasons turns it into a selfish act…
Matthew 6:2 (NKJV)
2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
So, show God’s love to someone today, and let Him be the hero.
Six years ago this month at the age of 47 I was awarded my master’s degree. I still have so much that I want to accomplish for God before I sit down or lie down, fruit that remains for God and my family long after I’m gone…do you?
But, some days the work can make you so tired.
That’s why you have to recognize when it’s time to stop and thank God for what He has allowed you to accomplish…
And encourage yourself by celebrating yourself!
If no one else notices, rewards, or celebrates you and you find it getting you down…
Stop and do something to encourage yourself by celebrating yourself while giving God glory. Remember, you can’t love anyone else properly until you learn to love yourself…
Mark 12:30-31 (NKJV)
30 And you shall (A)love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ [a]This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: (B)‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than (C)these.”
If you stop and celebrate yourself, someone else will join you.
Years ago, when I was in the radio industry, a prominent doctor was scheduled to record his own commercial in the studio. He arrived on time, but the studio was running behind and he was furious because he had to wait…
Think about it…A doctor was furious that he had to wait about 30 minutes after his scheduled appointment time. Think of how long doctors‘ patients have to wait for them.
In America, children have traditionally been asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
“What do you want to be?” instead of “What do you want to do?”
It’s at that point we begin to program future adults that we define ourselves by what we do for a living. This unfortunately feeds a class system that bases peoples’ value in society on what they do every day whether than who they are every day and what KIND of person they are.
Too many people get so caught up into their job title and authority ON the job, that they forget that they are EQUAL to their subordinates in the roles of father, mother, son, daughter, sibling etc.
They forget that on any job, in any school, in any office, in any manufacturing facility, in any organization we are all EQUAL in the role of just being people earning money to sustain our lives and families. Too many people begin…
“Smelling themselves…’
“Believing their own press…”
…and go to work seeking to get their egos ‘fed’ by others.
This is one of the reasons I feel that no adult has the right to ‘CHEW OUT’ another because they didn’t meet expectations or to discipline them at work. There is a process of consequences that can lead to termination. These consequences can be administered with respect…even when one feels that the employee doesn’t deserve it. WHY A BOSS SHOULD NEVER ‘CHEW OUT’ AN EMPLOYEE…
I’ve seen people in authority interrupt their ‘subordinates’ conversations at work, or duties they themselves assigned for something trivial, while they expect the same people to wait by their office door while they talk to their spouse on the phone, or joke around with another employee.
Unless it’s important, interrupting is rude,disrespectful and arrogant no matter what your job title.
From the CEO to custodian, principal to paraprofessional, manager to machinist… all employees of an organization are CO-WORKERS trying to earn a living, and the organizational hierarchy and authority stops when they are not doing job duties…and even when they are, no one trumps anyone else when it comes to deserving respect.
Never let your occupation or career TOTALLY define ALL of who you are because God could change that in an instant, and remember this…
We didn’t receive our gift of salvation because Jesus was a carpenter.
Mark 6:2-3 (NKJV)
2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Himwere (A)astonished, saying, (B)“Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! 3 Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and (C)brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they (D)were offended at Him.
Would it reveal a dirty mind? Or, a mind meditating on what is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report and praiseworthy?
Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Would it reveal the works of the flesh or the Fruit of the Spirit?
Would it reveal malice or good intent?
How would you smell at work? At school? While sitting in your home? While looking at your smartphone?
How would you smell while sitting in church?
How often would you smell good? How often would you stink?
The Chamber, that’s what they called the room on the 4th floor in which the Information Technology team worked. They were intentionally shut off from the rest of the building…There were no windows. They enjoyed the privacy and freedom from interruption, but unless they left the room, they didn’t know if the sun shined or if it rained.
Unfortunately, one day something went wrong with the alarm system, and they didn’t get warning there was a fire in the building. As Jim, the Department Manager opened the door he noticed smoke coming from the stairwell designated as the fire exit. He quickly told his team they must hurry into the fire exit before it’s too late. However, rather than rush into the fire exit as Jim said, the team immediately team looked at Dorothy, who was an Analyst.
Why?
Because Dorothy was the person on the team everyone went to with their problems. She was kind. Dorothy always seemed genuinely concerned. She always listened. She always honored her commitments. She remained calm at times of crisis, and she very rarely complained. In fact, she was almost always positive in negative situations.
They liked her.
They respected her.
They trusted her.
Jim had the TITLE, but Dorothy had the INFLUENCE.
Dorothy paused a moment and deduced the fire might have actually been set in the fire exit , and she advised to take the main stairwell, which would normally be avoided. The team quickly moved on Dorothy’s advice and exited the building.
You don’t have to be the President, CEO, Governor, Mayor, General Manager, Director or Pastor to change things…all you need is influence.
When people feel you believe in them, they will believe in you.
Remember, Jesus took a rag-tag group of men, and inspired them to change the world after a shameful death.
If you inspire people, make them smile, or comfort them, they will always value you.
Use your influence to be a blessing to the Kingdom of God…
Use your influence to save souls…that’s why God gave it to you.
1 Corinthians 1:27 (NKJV)
27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
Has anyone ever embarrassed, hurt or insulted you openly in public? Have you ever done so? Have you ever made public some information about someone later to find out that information was wrong? Have you ever defamed or slandered someone?
For whatever reason, we all openly hurt one another from time to time. Sometimes we do it on purpose, and sometimes it’s unintentional. These ‘public displays of ‘non-affection’ can leave bad impressions and potentially ruin reputations of all parties involved.
When we embarrass someone, we often have influenced the opinions of others about that person… we need to make it right.
So, many times when we realize what we’ve done, truly feel sorry and want to apologize. We’ll pull the person or persons to the side and tell them, “I’m sorry… I was wrong”.
This is good but not good enough…
Acts 16:37 (NKJV)
37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out.”
Those who heard or witnessed the embarrassment may still think you were right. Those who heard or witnessed the insult may still be influenced by what you did or said…that public embarrassment deserves a public apology.
I remember growing up in church that sometimes in testimonies, people would stand before the church and proclaim, “If I’ve ever done anything to hurt anyone here today, I’m sorry”…if you know who you hurt and what you did, this also is not good enough.
If you know that you slapped someone in the face, simply saying, “I’m sorry IF I hurt you” isn’t enough. If you slandered someone, making a blanket statement to a group that, “If I hurt SOMEONE, I’m sorry” is just not enough.
If you know what you did and who you did it to, then you need to show enough respect to call out their name.
It’s good to apologize, but if we aren’t careful, we can take the easy way out and not fully respect the person or persons that we have hurt.
Matthew 5:23-24 (NKJV)
23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
When you stop and take look, you can see God’s wisdom in everything…and I mean EVERYTHING!
God’s first institution established in His Kingdom was the family. He put man and woman together with a plan. He told us to be fruitful and multiply because God wasn’t going to continue creating men from dust or women from men’s ribs.
God gave us the gift of physical intimacy (sex) to bring children into the world, and to enhance our marriages. God wants us to enjoy one another just as much as he wants us to enjoy Him, and that’s very clear in the bible.
Proverbs 5:19 (NKJV)
As a loving deer and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; And always be enraptured with her love.
Hebrews 13:4 (NKJV)
4 Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
He even told husbands and wives to ‘take care of each other’ intimately so that neither is tempted…
1 Corinthians 7: 1-5
Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me:
It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. 3 Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
God made sex a physical crescendo that builds to a climactic, brief culmination of intense pleasure sought after by both those who are married and unfortunately, unmarried….We will use the euphemism ‘THE BIG O’. Everything God did has a holy purpose. It’s not God’s fault that we misuse His gift…and what a perfect gift!
Here’s where God’s wisdom comes in.
God knew…
If we were going to ‘be fruitful and multiply’…
If we were going to have long, healthy marriages…
Our gift would need to be something we look forward to…something we crave and not something we dread.
Few people want the physical crescendo without the ‘BIG O’…
And, few people want the ‘BIG O’ to come too soon…
But, dig this!
As much as we enjoy…
As much we anticipate the ‘BIG O’.
As much as we enjoy reaching that brief moment of euphoria…God was wise enough to make it brief.
It’s brief enough for us to look forward to it, but it’s short enough for us to enjoy it.
Think about it…no one would be able to withstand 5, 10, 15 uninterrupted minutes of the ‘BIG O’. I don’t even know if our bodies could take it.
If the ‘BIG O’ was too big or too long…we would dread it.
If the ‘BIG O’ was too big we would avoid it.
There would be no ‘be fruitful and multiply’.
There would be a strain on marriages due to lack of intimacy.
Even the most holy person can admit that a well-timed ‘BIG O’ is just the pressure release valve needed sometime to relieve us of the stresses of life.
God knew just how good to make it…Just how strong to make it…and just how long to make it.
I told you when you stop and look at it, you can see God’s wisdom in EVERYTHING.
It’s easy to see why the apostle Paul proclaimed…
Romans 11:33 (NKJV)
33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
Growing In Yahuah 