Okay, I consider my wife and I to be experts on marriage, licensed by over 34 years of ups and downs. Is our marriage perfect? No, but we are perfect for each other.
Even the marriages in the bible were far from perfect. Just go back to Genesis and read about Abraham and Sarah. Neither of them always made the right decisions.
Genesis 16:1-4 (NKJV)
16 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall [a]obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. 3 Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. 4 So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her [b]eyes.
Experience has taught us however, how to make the UPs in marriage higher, and the DOWNs less low.
Keep your marriage fun as much as you can through…
MUSIC
What’s ‘your song(s)’? Always remember those songs you used to listen to when you fell in love. Make the music you both love the soundtrack of your marriage, time stamping the years with fond memories that only the two of you share together. No matter how spiritual you are, enjoy romantic, fun and festive songs in your marriage. No matter how much you love God, He doesn’t expect you to get romantic while listening to “Amazing Grace”.
Remember, without music, life would be all talk!
LAUGHTER
Laughter is a gift from God. Never stop doing things to make one another laugh. The longer you live together, the more you learn how to make each other’s smiles turn into sometimes uncontrollable laughter. Make the most of every opportunity to laugh at yourself. Don’t take yourselves too seriously.
Your laughter will be a testimony to the world of the joy in a Godly marriage. Others will notice and be encouraged.
Psalm 126:2 (NKJV)
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the [a]nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”
A LITTLE WINE
So many Christians think drinking alcohol is a sin. They are quick to proclaim, “I don’t drink!”
However, when you read the bible in both the Old and New Testaments, wine is a part of life and enjoyed in the bible.
One of the reasons that the religious leaders called Yeshua a ‘winebibber’ is because He drank wine. The fact is when, the wine ran out at the wedding party where he performed His first miracle, He provided the ‘next round’.
Matthew 11:19 (NKJV)
19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a [a]winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her [b]children.”
John 2:6-11 (NKJV)
6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it.9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”
11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and [a]manifested Hisglory; and His disciples believed in Him.
Is it a sin to get drunk? YES, YES, YES, YES, YES! Getting drunk is forbidden by God…
Ephesians 5:18 (NKJV)
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
However, there are many scriptures that let us know we are free to drink wine as long as we do it responsibly.
Deuteronomy 14:26 (NKJV)
26 And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household.
Psalm 104:15 (NKJV)
15 And wine that makes glad the heart of man, Oil to make his face shine, And bread which strengthens man’s heart.
1 Timothy 5:23 (NKJV)
23 No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent [a]infirmities.
So, find time to enhance the mood by enjoying some drinks together as long as you don’t get drunk.
Yes, marriage is work, and there will be times that you don’t even want to talk to each other, but in spite of that, the joy you share can make you marriage get better as the years go by.
As a minister, positive feedback makes preaching easier. However, from the Old Testament prophets to the New Testament apostles…the bible confirms that preaching and ministry will not always be easy, convenient or even safe.
It is easy however, for us as modern-day preachers to become spoiled and even intoxicated by…
…people eagerly and happily receiving what we have to say.
…’amens’ and people showing their approval.
…captive audiences.
It’s easy for ministry to become a means of validating ourselves and having our egos fed. If we aren’t careful we can not only find ourselves whining and complaining, but even fussing at people for not listening to us… agreeing with us… making ministry easy for us.
This is when we need to remind ourselves of the apostles. Notice the response to the Apostle Paul in Iconium in Acts Chapter 14 after healing a lame man and receiving praise from the people…
Acts 14:18-20 (NKJV)
18And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.19 Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. 20 However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
He was stoned and presumed dead, but he didn’t stop preaching…
Acts 14:21-22 (NKJV)
21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
No whining. No complaining. No fussing at the people for not listening…just continuing with their calling.
When WE preachers find ourselves whining and complaining about not getting enough ‘Amens!’. We owe Peter, Paul, James, John… the apostles… the martyrs and most of all Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) an apology.
Churches aren’t our little kingdoms and the members our subjects. The church is the Body of Christ.
When Andrew Jackson was elected president in 1828 the phrase, “To the victor go the spoils’, was used by New York Senator William L. Marcy referring to the ‘spoils system’ (patronage) in the early days of American politics…the practice of giving civil jobs to supporters and friends. Of course, well-qualified, high-performing people have to be fired to do this.
However, we all know that new leadership getting rid of good people is by no means exclusive to politicians. Countless people have fallen victim to loosing their job because new leadership either wanted to give jobs to people who they felt better suited them, or just didn’t like the incumbent group.
When someone makes up their mind that they want to get rid of you, there’s no good you can do to change it.
Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever done this as a new leader? Is it ethical? Is it godly?
Is there a biblical example?
YES!
Joseph of Genesis was strategically placed 2nd in command to Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) in order to save His people. Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams and god-given management abilities gave him favor with the king and Joseph was given the power to make decisions and only answer to him…
Genesis 41:37-44 (NKJV)
37 So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?”
39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be [a]over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”
42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, “Bow the knee!” So he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.”
But, despite Joseph’s favor with the King that ‘hired him’, when a new Pharaoh arrived, he didn’t value Joseph and could care less about his influence…
Exodus 1:6-8 (NKJV)
6 And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation. 7 But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and [a]grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.
8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.
This king subjugated Joseph’s people, the nation of Israel which led to 400 years of bondage in Egypt.
Have you ever had a Pharaoh come along who didn’t know you?
But, back to the question, for ‘bosses’ who call themselves Christian, is it ethical? moral? is it a sin? Let’s refer to the words of Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus Christ…
Luke 6:31 (NKJV)
31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
How many times have you heard someone say, “You aren’t going to change my mind”?
As Christians, we say that to anyone who tries to convince us to reject Jesus. So, as we strive to promote the love of Christ, and to convince people to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, it’s easy to understand how some people who were born and raised in other faiths or no faith will say the same thing.
But, we must understand that our challenge as Christians isn’t to change MINDS, but to touch HEARTS. When you touch someone’s HEART with the love of Christ, their THINKING changes.
In Jeremiah 33:31, God promises us,
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their HEARTS. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
Notice, God didn’t say He’d put His word in our minds, but hearts.
How many times have you struggled to change someone’s mind?
Some have even married people determined to change their MINDS and thinking.
Any effective social movement such as the Civil Rights Movement was successful because it changes hearts. You can’t FORCE people to change how they think, but when you touch their HEARTS, their thinking will change. The NON-VIOLENT protests of the 50’s and 60’s were designed to change hearts.
People will tell you, “You can talk to me until you’re blue in the face, you won’t change my mind!” And they’re right. Talk makes people defensive of their thinking, but God’s love has the power to change their heart. Talk is CHEAP, but LOVE is action.
Don’t beat your head against the wall trying to change someone’s mind.
Don’t rely on LOUD talk and FORCE to change someone’s mind.
LIVE out loud and LOVE out loud to change the HEART, and the MIND will follow.
Profanity! Insults! Rumors! Gossip! Retaliation! So, many times we say, “I just had to say it!”
So many times we assert, “I couldn’t hold it in!”
Yes, we can!
You don’t have to say it!
You don’t have to curse them out!
You don’t have to let them know how you feel!
You don’t have to tell them what was said about them!
You don’t have to spread that rumor without any facts!
You don’t have to say everything on your mind!
You can hold it in!
Just as no one embarrasses themselves by blurting out a loud, smelly fart in public…just as we one restrain the hot air that comes out of his or her behind
We can also restrain what comes from our mouths.
No matter how bad one’s stomach may be ‘upset’, not matter how severe the case of diarrhea may be — no one will every embarrass themselves by just ‘letting it go’.
You do everything you can to ‘hold it in’.
We need to learn to do the same thing with our mouths. If we can restrain the hot air that comes from our butt’s, we can restrain the hot air that comes from our mouths. RESTRAINT!
Proverbs 17:27 (NKJV)
27 (A)He who has knowledge spares his words, And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.
If you believe in God and angelic influence in our lives, then you have to believe in the devil and demonic (fallen angel) influence in our lives as well.
The bible not only gives examples of the devil influencing our behavior…
Luke 22:3-4 (NKJV)
3 Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. 4 So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them.
But, it also makes it clear that even some doctrines taught in the church have demonic origins…
1 Timothy 4:1 (NKJV)
Now the Spirit [a]expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
It’s unfortunate that from race, to religion, to fraternal organizations, to business, to ‘heritage’, to family…too many cultures and traditions have either intentionally or unintentionally been established and endured due to demonic influence.
If it contradicts the word of God, then it’s not of God.
God has given us clear insight in how to tell if there’s been demonic influence in culture or tradition, but too many times we ignore, justify or excuse it because we’re too committed to our traditions etc.,
Mark 7:7-9 (NRSV)
7 in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.’
8 You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.”
9 Then he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition!
The knowledge is available, but too many times we choose willful ignorance…
Hosea 4:6 (NKJV)
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
Here’s some explicit, biblical examples of how to tell if a culture or tradition has been established or influenced by demons…
1. IT CONTRADICTS THE WORD OF GOD…
This one was stated above, but let me give you a perfect example that someone is sure to deflect, justify or explain because the feel compelled to continue the tradition. Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ), and the Book of James clearly tells us to never swear an oath and goes on to say that when we do IT IS FROM THE DEVIL…, but from court, to public office, to public servants to the military, the tradition has been established to make the first act of office or service A SIN by swearing an oath. It’s even written in the United States constitution to ‘swear or affirm’. But, the Lord said…
Matthew 5:34-37 (NKJV)
34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let [a]your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
James 5:12 (NKJV)
12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into [a]judgment.
One way the devil gets demonic traditions to survive for thousands of years is to convince people they are depriving their children of something. For example, God made it clear that we should not only avoid to worship pagan Gods, but to refrain from allowing their names to come from out lips…
Joshua 23: 7(NKJV)
7 and lest you go among these nations, these who remain among you. You shall not MAKE MENTION OF THE NAME of their gods, nor cause anyone to swear by them; you shall not serve them nor bow down to them,
The devil has convinced well-meaning Christians to blaspheme every time they mention a day meant to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ by calling it by the name of a pagan goddess. This tradition is so established that not only do many Christians not know why it’s called Easter, but they feel compelled to defend it once the find out that it and it’s traditions are pagan. Celebrate without calling it Easter and ‘hunting eggs’ NAMES MATTER (WHY WE SHOULD STOP CALLING EASTER…EASTER)
2. IT’S BASED ON PRIDE
God hates pride and explicitly forbids it. However, from family, to nation, to race, to organizations, people proclaim that pride is a part of the culture and tradition.
Proverbs 16:18 (NKJV)
18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before [a]a fall.
James 4:6 (NKJV)
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:
“God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
Anytime we feel compelled to use the word pride, thankful is always more appropriate
3. WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO BECOME A PART OF IT OR PARTICIPATE
There are so many cultures and organizations that either force people to sin to become a part of them, or to sin to participate in them. One thing that I couldn’t ignore when I was living on campus when going to college is the sinful behavior in which pledges (of all races) had to participate to become a part of a fraternity or sorority. And, once a member some frats very reputation was of sinful promiscuity and overindulgence in alcohol (watch some people push back on this one)…
It’s amazing that despite how easy God makes it to become a part of His organization (The Body of Christ or the church) that we can make it so difficult to become a part of some of ours.
Many toxic corporate and organizational cultures flourish because people are forced to make unethical and ungodly decisions. Many of these cultures pervert what God calls strength… FOR THOSE WHO PERVERT WHAT GOD CALLS TRUE STRENGTH…
4. IT EXPLICITLY HONORS THE DEVIL
God takes names very seriously. He changed Jacob’s name to Israel. He changed Abram’s name to Abraham. He changed Sarai’s name to Sarah. He continuously reiterated the fact that He takes His own names very seriously…
Exodus 20:7 (NKJV)
7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
We inherited all of our emotions from God…we were created in His image, so we can experience His emotions. God gets frustrated at us when we willingly sin.
So, He understands that we will sometimes feel frustrated at life… at some of His decisions… at what He allows.
Jeremiah 12:1 NKJV
Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead with You; Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?
Sometimes we can feel guilty over our frustration.
But remember, gettingfrustratedisn’t a sin unless…
It causes us to be ungrateful.
It causes us to be in thankful.
It causes us to complain rather than lament.
It causes us to doubt God.
It causes someone else to doubt God.
It causes us to lose our faith.
It causessomeone else to doubt God.
When you feel frustrated or even angry at yourself, others, life or even God…do a Google search for Psalms of Lament.
Notice how God teaches us to responsibly express our frustrations as long as we always end with expressing our trust in Him.
Psalm 13 (NKIV)
13 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? (A)How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; (B)Enlighten my eyes, (C)Lest I sleep the sleep of death; 4 Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
5 But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
Ephesians 4:26 (NKJV)
26 (A)“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
One day a man who had been walking, catching rides and using Uber to go to work every day was given a car by a family member. He was so thankful. All he had to do was have a few things fixed. As he drove it home, he stopped to get gas and the car wouldn’t start. Wow! He had to have the car towed to the shop. After they fixed it, as he drove it home he let the window down and it wouldn’t come back up. He said, “Are you serious!!!!”
As he drove back to the shop so they could fix the window he noticed stains on the seats.
He said, “Why does everything I get have to have something wrong with it? Always ‘STAINED’?”
He then immediately remembered that he had transportation to work, the store or to take his lady friend out on a date. He also remembered the fact that the price he paid for the repairs was still better than having a car payment for years. He immediately thanked God and asked him to forgive him for so quickly allowing frustration to take away the excitement of his blessing.
So many times God will bless us and if it’s not exactly the way we wanted it or comes with some imperfections, inconveniences or responsibilities, we can find ourselves with an unthankful attitude.
The bible reminds us that every gift God gives is perfect…
James 1:17 (NKJV)
17 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.
The next time you begin to see stains on your blessings, remember that every gift from God is perfect.
Any stains we see are on our eyes and not the blessing.
One of the incredible ‘ripple effects’ of the COVID-19 pandemic is that after those who either lost or left their jobs because to the shut-down of the economy, many of those workers haven’t returned. To some workers, the federal and state unemployment compensation was a ‘windfall’, giving some people more income than they have ever earned in their lives.
Many of these jobs are considered ‘low skill’ and aren’t desirable to many Americans, especially if they have achieved certain levels of education.
The result is a huge worker shortage.
However, remember this… LOW SKILL DOESN’T MEAN NO SKILL!
From the people who make fast food ‘fast’, to the professionals who collect our garbage, the shortage of so-called ‘low skill’ workers has revealed that their absence can cause a huge disruption to our everyday lives.
With restaurants either closing early or closing their doors all together…
With essential services such as garbage collection being disrupted…
The real value in those who have been undervalued is being revealed.
My wife and I owned a small retail store in our twenties, and we understand the value in the people who work the register and protect your inventory.
As much as many people feel these workers don’t deserve $15 an hour, the fact that many workers who make only $8 an hour bring more value than that amount of money to the company.
The fact is that even though many top-level CEO’s make millions, they still don’t bring that much VALUE to the company. There is no justification for that much of a companies resources to be wasted on one person, especially while many of the front-line workers who make those huge salaries possible are dismissed with what equates to ‘pennies’.
I was once a Marketing Manager at the headquarters of a Fortune 300 company. Everyone above manager level received an annual bonus based on performance, while those below didn’t. Each year they were encouraged to help ‘hit that target’ that would ensure wonderful bonuses for all of us who were manager level or above.
What was their added incentive to work even harder for a reward that didn’t belong to them?
If anyone deserved a bonus it was the people who helped make the bonuses possible.
Sure many of these ‘lower-level’ jobs have traditionally been filled by high-school students, that still doesn’t diminish the value that they bring to our society.
Even in the bible, the landowner who was seeking workers to optimize his property, valued workers so much that he paid the workers who worked one hour the same amount of money he paid those who worked all day…
Matthew 20:8-16 (NKJV)
8 “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ 9 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. 11 And when they had received it, they [a]complained against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ 13 But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For[b] many are called, but few chosen.”
Think about this, how long would it take for you to miss you local garbage collectors if they were on strike because they wanted more money?
Just because they’re working with garbage doesn’t mean they don’t deserve it.
God has blessed my wife and I to teach at the same school.
Her class is just down the hall, and we LOVE being TWO-gether all day!
That means we also get to enjoy our HARD EARNED Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer breaks TWO-gether!
While many couples are looking for opportunities to be apart, even after 34 years ( I was 18 and she was 17) we’re excited about spending our Fall Break TWO-gether.
So today, we left school right behind the kids🤣
Proverbs 5:18 (NLT)
18 Let your well be honored, and be happy with the wife you married when you were young.
It’s easy to make our relationship with God ALL about us if we aren’t careful.
God called us to make disciples of Him through His Son and our Savior Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV)
19 Go [a]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [b]Amen.
One of the best approaches at studying the bible is to look specifically how the Lord REACTED to certain situations, conditions and behavior.
Look at the Lord’s reaction when He silently looked upon a multitude of lost people…
Matthew 9:35-38 (NKJV)
35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease [a]among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were [b]weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Now look at how He reacted at those who had hard, hypocritical hearts…
Mark 3:1-5 (NKJV)
3 And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might [a]accuse Him. 3 And He said to the manwho had the withered hand, [b]“Step forward.” 4 Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored [c]as whole as the other.
Above in Matthew, Yeshua, felt compassion for those who were lost. He wasn’t judging why they were in their particular situations…He felt compassion. Then He commanded us to pray to THE LORD OF HIS HARVEST to send workers into HIS harvest. How many times have you prayed for that? How many times have you had an interaction with an atheist and instead of praying for them, felt contempt. How many times have you gotten intensely angry at a drug addict, gang banger, racist, politician, someone who you consider to be a ‘great sinner’…(we are all sinners saved by grace Romans 3:23). These are all opportunities to plant seeds of God’s…
I have had to stop and ask God to help me make that a priority in my life. I have had to ask myself, “Aldtric, do you really care enough about God’s harvest, are or you just concerned about your own?”
Now, let’s quickly look what made the Lord angry above in Mark Chapter 3. It wasn’t compassion, but anger at the religious leaders were looking for a reason to accuse Him, ignored the good He was doing, and was angry at their hardness of heart. Again, this is a sign of someone who is lost and doesn’t know that they are. God expects hypocrisy and hardened hearts to make us angry, but we must respond to that anger with lifting them up in prayer, praying that God softens their hearts to His love, will, word and salvation.
Have you ever asked yourself if you hare concerned enough about those who are ‘lost’? Have you stopped to consider how you react to those who claim to be His own, but aren’t exhibiting their best behavior?
How often do you pray for HIS HARVEST rather than your own?
Whether you love or hate R. Kelly, his spiritual story isn’t over…
If you weren’t aware of the decades of allegations against R&B singer/songwriter/musician R. Kelly, then you probably were after the Lifetime Network documentary, “Surviving R. Kelly” that originally aired a few years ago.
His recent convictions for racketeering, sexual exploitation of a child, kidnapping, bribery, sex trafficking, threaten to over shadow his creative genius. His inability to control his flesh will likely cost him his freedom for the rest of his life.
There’s no question that R. Kelly had intimate relationships with many women. He admits that himself. And, it’s no question that his lust for women has gotten him in trouble. His problem is that many of these women have been underage. He’s accused of summoning women to his ‘palace’ and abusing his power to influence them and take advantage of them. Some of the women’s families have accused him of brainwashing their daughters. The women interviewed stated that R. Kelly abused his ‘power’ and influence to control them.
But, there is another man in history who had a love for and quite frankly, lust for many women. The bible lets us know that he was intimate with numerous women. This man was even identified as a man after God’s own heart…King David.
Acts 13:22 (NKJV)
22 And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’
But, even though David was a man after God’s own heart, he wasn’t perfect. None of us are.
King David was also a singer/songwriter/musician.
As he was relaxing on the roof of His palace he saw a woman bathing outside. This woman, Bathsheba, wasn’t only another man’s wife, but she was the wife of a man, Uriah, who was devoted and loyal to David. Uriah was one of the soldiers in his army. David was attracted to her and abused his power as king to summon her to his palace. In fact, David summoned many women to become his wives. I’m sure she felt pressured to please the king, just as many of the women said they felt pressured to please R. Kelly.
After King David was intimate with Bathsheba, she became pregnant and to make a long story short, after the scheming and manipulating to hide the pregnancy didn’t work, he had Uriah killed. He then he took Bathsheba to be his wife.
We see that David and R. Kelly had some things in common,
But there was one big difference in David and R. Kelly.
As of the time of his convictions, R. Kelly hadn’t acknowledged or repented of doing anything wrong.
After being confronted with his sin, David repented…
2 Samuel 12:13 (NKJV)
13 So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”
And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.
Psalm 51:4 (NKJV)
4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just [a]when You speak, And blameless when You judge.
David’s repentance is what confirms he was a man after God’s own heart.
R. Kelly has a huge library of music and some of his songs are even spiritual and sung in churches. However, there are many people today who refuse to listen to R. Kelly’s music anymore. Radio stations all over the world are refusing to play his music. There are those who are demanding to ‘Mute or Erase R. Kelly’. Again, Mr. Kelly has not yet acknowledged or repented of any wrong doing.
We all know that David, under the inspiration of God, wrote most of the Psalms which of course are songs. They teach us how to worship, pray, praise, celebrate and even lament.
If David was living today, even though he repented, there would be many people who would refuse to listen to or sing many of the Psalms. There would be people wanting to ‘Mute or Erase David’ because of his serious sins. But, here’s the difference…again, David repented.
Both David and R. Kelly’s sins were revealed and made public.
We all have something in common with both of them…
Everyone of us has had dark moments. Moments of which we are very ashamed.
Our shameful moments maybe not to the extreme of David and R. Kelly, but nevertheless, moments that we don’t want anyone to know about. Take a moment to think about some of the most shameful things you have done (or are still doing) and thank God for allowing them to remain secret.
If you haven’t already stopped habitual, sinful behavior, stop it now and repent, just like King David did.
And remember this, the same forgiveness that was available to King David is available to both R. Kelly and to all of us. His spiritual story isn’t over yet. What if David died right after his sin with Bathsheba? Would his Psalms be included in the bible? Would his influence on the kingdom of God be erased?
Because just like King David, you can be a man or woman after God’s own heart, too.
I know there will be some people who will be critical of me comparing R. Kelly to David. But, God let’s us know that everything in the bible, especially the Old Testament, was written for our example…
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.
We must use the examples of both David and R. Kelly to help us with your relationships with God.
Remember, the entire bible reminds us that His grace and mercy through Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus Christ, endures forever.
The power of true love is almost incomprehensible…
It’s power to makes us feel complete and heal relationships is matched by its power to make us vulnerable and feel pain.
Sacrificial love will make us surrender our pride…our safety…and sometimes we’ll feel our sanity.
It’s this type of love that has led people to stay in abusive relationships (which I’m not excusing, just explaining.
I’m saying all that to say this. If you find yourself challenged by loving someone that you don’t understand, remember this…
You don’t have to understand someone to love them.
And, also remember that when we hurt the ones we love, it doesn’t mean we don’t love them. I just means our love isn’t perfect.
Notice the behavior of perfect love as God so eloquently describes through the Apostle Paul… 1 Corinthians 13 (NKJV)
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift ofprophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body [a]to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not[b]puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, [c]thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there areprophecies, they will fail; whether there aretongues, they will cease; whether there isknowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is [d]perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
None of us have perfected this.
We aren’t perfect and neither is our love…but God’s is.
Most teachers I know are passionate and take their responsibilities very seriously. And, and those that are parents share the parenting challenges as the parents of their students.
It’s unfortunate when their dedication, devotion and integrity is challenged through unrealistic expectations.
Sometimes parents, administrators (most of whom used to be teachers) expect teachers to do what none of US as parents can do…monitor everything their child does 100% of the time.
For example…
A student writes an inappropriate note and passes it to another student. The teacher discovers the note, corrects the student, but has to report it to administrators because of the level of inappropriateness.
How many times has the response been, “You need to do a better job of monitoring your students? How many parents can monitor their ONE, TWO or maybe THREE children all of the time?
The same scenario arises when students jump onto unauthorized websites while using technology in class.
How many parents can make sure that their children are always being responsible with technology?
As stated above, the fact is that many, if not most educators, administrators, and district officials are parents too. They have the same parenting challenges as any parent.
In a field where the professionals are under-compensated for their education, workload, level of accountability and legal liability…the culture can’t continue to be poisoned by a never ending list of tasks, unrealistic expectations, and deflected blame.
Americans must stop equating teachers expressing their concerns to whining and take their concerns seriously.
One Tennessee legislator in early 2021 was quoted as saying, “People are listening to the teacher’s union instead of the parents.” This infers that teacher concerns don’t matter.
My wife has been an educator for 20 years and has noticed the negative shift in culture since she started.
After working in manufacturing, owning a retail store, originating home loans, radio marketing consulting, a decade as a corporate marketing manager and copywriter, as well as prison and homeless ministry…my mid-life career shift to teaching has been the most challenging but fulfilling work I’ve done. I love it!
My wife and I happen to teach at the same school at a school and district with a very healthy teacher culture…that needs to spread across the country.
We’ve got to do better or fewer younger people will go into this necessary profession.
If there’s one consistency between both the Old and New Testaments, it’s the fact that names matter to God. From God changing Abram’s name to Abraham to Yeshua changing Simon’s name to Peter (Cephas).
In an age when so many in the Body of Christ are politicizing sins that society considers BIG, while excusing those they consider small, the bible is clear that God takes how we identify ourselves very seriously…
Not many Christians are quick to name their children, Satan or Lucifer.
Why?
Because those names are used to identify the enemy, the accuser of the saints…the devil.
That’s why I don’t understand that while Christians are so passionately ‘campaign’ against the so-called BIG sins, why they never speak up against teams, many of which they allow their children to be a part of, that identify themselves with a devil.
They wear sports paraphernalia, fly flags, display bumper ‘stickers’ and worst of all cheer for, root for, in a sense ‘praise’…and glorify THE DEVILS!
Right now someone reading this knows in their heart it’s not right, but they are naturally inclined to do what Christians do when they want to continue doing something…look for reasons to justify it.
Do you think God is cool with you allowing your child to be identified as a ‘devil’?
Do you think God is okay with allowing a school, AAU team, or professional team to be identified as the DEVILS? The RED DEVILS? The BLUE DEVILS? etc.?
Names matter so much go God that He demands we be baptized in the NAME of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Here name doesn’t mean the combination of consonants and vowels that make up ‘Yeshua’, ‘Jesus’, ‘Emmanuel’, Adonai, or even Ruach ha-kodesh (Holy Spirit). Names denote authority, character…who you are, or what it is. Think about the fact that God changed Jacob’s name to Israel.
Think about the fact that most Christians are content with calling a day chosen to commemorate Yeshua’s (Jesus’s) death, burial, and resurrection by a pagan goddess’s name (Easter), which is the same as (Eostre, Ishtar, Ashtoreth) one of the very names He forbid us to make mention of, one of the very names that Israel and Judah invoked (said) and provoked God to anger.
7 and lest you go[a] among these nations, these who remain among you. You shall not make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause anyone to swear by them; you shall not serve them nor bow down to them,
Names matter, so we should stop trivializing what is important to Him.
Anyone who reads my writing knows I love to clarify anything that can be misunderstood or twisted. Anyone who has read my writing or watched any of our #SONdayBlessing videos knows I love, cherish, respect and honor my wife. I consider us to be equals in our marriage and I am fully aware of God telling us in 1 Peter that we are to honor our wives, and not doing so can hinder our prayers…
1 Peter 3:7 (NKJV)
7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
I am fully aware and happily accept the husband’s responsibility to love our wives as Christ loves the church. This is the sacrificial love that’s is defined in Ephesians…
Ephesians 5:25-29 (NKJV)
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.
That being said, now let us consider what the word of God says in 1 Corinthians Chapter 11…
1 Corinthians 11:8-9 (NKJV)
8 For man is not from woman, but woman from man. 9 Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man.
I feel that each husband should treat his wife as if she is his QUEEN, and vice versa. However, anyone who believes the bible is the word of God knows what God said before He created woman…
Genesis 2:18 (NKJV)
18 And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”
God created man to be the head. But, as my father-in-law Pastor Lonnie Black has said for years…
“God created man to be the head and not the headache.” Pastor Lonnie Black
We live in a society today that more and more behaves as if man was created for woman than woman for man. That the husband is to submit to his wife, rather than woman submit to her husband.
Even thepopularcliche, HAPPY WIFE, HAPPY LIFE eludes to that.
We live in a society today where the husband is expected to ‘answer to his wife’…to go out of his way to make her happy…to work himself to the bone in order to get her whatever she wants…to submit to her when there is a disagreement…that if a woman allows her husband to ‘tell her what to do’ she is being weak. And, that if a husband isn’t giving his wife everything she desires, he is less than a husband.
Television, film, music and especially reality shows and social media support this (Think of all the “HOUSEWIVES” shows…there’s one to target various cultures). It’s art imitating life and art further shaping behavior and the narrative of male/female relationships.
In a sense, we have made our QUEENS…KINGS.
Marriage is not 50/50, it’s 100/100. It’s woman submitting to her husband’s authority in the home and enjoying his covering and protection. But, at the same time, marriage is the husband not abusing his authority, and considering his wife as an equal in all decisions. However, when decisions are made in the home, God will hold the husband (head) accountable…especially in regard to worship being established.
If you haven’t already, step back and take a look at what’s on television, movies and social media. Listen to much of the popular music these days. Listen to many of the conversations. Many people have gone beyond treating wives like QUEENS, to making them KINGS.
Husbands and wives…let’s be good to one another. Let’s love, trust, honor and support one another, but let’s not forget God’s order.
Too many people who call themselves Christians have a perverted view of strength.
They equate being proud, angry, loud, aggressive, insulting, retaliatory, impulsive, impatient, mean, ruthless, hard-hearted, violent and unforgiving to being strong…
While equating being humble, meek, quiet, patient, kind, gentle, self-controlled, merciful, willing to yield, soft-hearted, forgiving and turning the other cheek to being weak.
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.
On social media and verbally, people brag about how easy it is for them to…
Cut people off…
Hold onto a grudge…
Revert back to their less patient, less forgiving, more hard-hearted and ready to ‘strike-back’ self.
They say, “You don’t know who I used to be” with pride rather than regret.
They boast, “I haven’t always been saved”.
They assert, “I can come down to your level.”
They lament about not being able to ‘cuss you out’, and brag about how they would have ‘back in the day’.
They infer that in some situations, they have to let Satan handle it instead of God through their behavior.
All-the-while these people who claim to be in the Body of Christ are impressed by people who ‘keep it real’ and say ‘just what’s on their mind’, even though the word of God prohibits that behavior…
Proverbs 29:11 (NKJV)
11 A fool vents all his feelings,[a] But a wise man holds them back.
When called out on either engaging in or celebrating overly assertive behavior that clearly doesn’t meet God’s expectations, they quickly want to call out Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) turning over money changers in the temple…as if that was an example of strong behavior, but allowing Himself to be beaten and hung on the cross wasn’t.
But, even when the Lord was turning over money changers, He didn’t strike one person. New Testament Christians love to revert to the violent Old Testament to justify their visceral behavior rather than the New Testament that doesn’t give ONE example of Jesus allowing us to violently respond…
Matthew 5:38-40 (NLV)
38 “You have heard that it has been said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not fight with the man who wants to fight. Whoever hits you on the right side of the face, turn so he can hit the other side also. 40 If any person takes you to court to get your shirt, give him your coat also.
When challenging so-called ‘strong words’, too many people mention when Jesus was calling the Pharisees hypocrites, a brood of vipers and sharply rebuking them, as if remaining silent before Pilate wasn’t strength.
People brag, “MY CUT-OFF GAME IS SO STRONG!”
People are competitive about how assertive and aggressive they can be to ‘get ahead’ in the world.
What if people bragged, “MY FORGIVENESS AND KINDNESS GAME IS SO STRONG!”
What if people were competitive about how gentle and willing to yield they can be to ‘get ahead’ in the Kingdom of God?
God doesn’t conform to the demands of our culture and standards…
We conform to His.
Matthew 5:5 (NKJV)
5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the [a]earth.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early,
To sit up late,
To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep.
Are you tired? You went to bed. You had time away from work, but you’re still tired? Is your mind always racing? Are you either trying to get ahead? Stay ahead? Or, catch up? Maybe you’re just trying to hold it together.
So many of us our so busy. So many of us are either worried, stressed or obsessed.
Then what do we say when someone transitions from this life…”Rest in Peace!”
I want to encourage you today to learn to rest in peace BEFORE you die!
One of the enemy’s greatest manipulations is to keep us spiritually weak because we don’t rest. He wants us too tired to read and study God’s word. He wants us too tired to take the time to pray before we eat our food, before we go to bed at night. He wants us too tired to go to worship.
How many times have you said, “I’m not going to church today…I’m too tired!”
Rest is so important to God that He commanded we rest one day every week (Exodus 20:10). He told us to do no work! But, I’ve noticed that in some church cultures people will go to morning worship, then they will leave and go to another church and worship having what’s called ‘afternoon services’ or ‘special days’….Men’s Day, Women’s Day etc. Then some will even have another service in the evening.
Just as much as it is God’s will that we don’t forsake the assembling of ourselves together and that we worship regularly, it’s not His will for us to spend all day in church to the point that we don’t rest at all. That is establishing our own righteousness (Romans 10:3).
I have to admit when it comes to not getting enough rest. I’m guilty. I’m guilty of sometimes letting life’s problems weigh too heavy on my mind. I’m guilty of not stopping to just do nothing and rest my mind, body and spirit
I encourage you to learn to rest in peace before you die. Learn to rest your body. Learn to rest your mind. Learn to rest you spirit. Learn to refresh yourself in God’s word and prayer. Learn to say NO. Learn to say I can’t do that. Learn to say I need some time to myself. Think of how Jesus would withdraw to Himself (Luke 5:16).
The Lord has promised to help us with our ‘rest problem…’
Matthew 11:28New King James Version (NKJV)
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Learn to get yourself some rest because if you don’t…you’re being disobedient.
For those whose work schedule allows them to have a normal Saturday and Sunday weekend…Mondays can be tough. Especially if your job is challenging, if you have to work with difficult people, or if you work in a toxic culture.
Monday can also be difficult because the euphoria of the weekend is over. The reality of bills, errands and obligations come rushing back.
I’ve even found myself finding it hard to sleep well on SONday night…have you?
Monday CAN seem like a mountain, it can seem more like MOURNday if we let it.
If any of this is true for you, I have some suggestions to not only help get you through Monday, but make it seem quicker.
Here are 3 Simple Suggestions to Make Your Mondays Easier and Faster…
Work Harder/Have Fun
There are two sure fire ways to make time seem to pass by quicker…working harder and having fun.
When you’re focused on a job or completing a task, you can look at the clock surprised at how much time has elapsed. Anyone who works in a deadline based environment can attest to the fact that not only hours ‘fly by, but days and weeks. If you’re focused on your computer screen…your customers…your phone…your assembly line…your project…your students…your patients…your task, you’ll find yourself suddenly at the end of your work day.
It’s always good if you can find a way to make your job fun. Starting your day with and maintaining a smile sets a mindset, not only in you, but those around you. Find the humor in difficult situations…conversations…meetings. There will always be those who appreciate that you lighten the mood. Of course there will also be those who are annoyed, but that’s on them.
Listen to music, sermons, pod casts, etc if you can.
Play work goal games with yourself…I can make difficult customers smile…I can get this done faster with fewer mistakes.
Find a way to enjoy each day!
Make your it goal to be easy to work with. You can get joy from being the positive voice…from being the encourager.
Don’t Complain
God let’s us know through out His word that He hates complaining…
1 Corinthians 10:10 (NKJV)
10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
God also said do our jobs as if doing them for Him…
Colossians 3:23 (NKJV)
23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
That being said, we should learn to work without complaining…
Complaining not only makes you feel worse, but it’s either contagious, or it makes people want to avoid you.
When you feel yourself ready to complain, remember how happy you were when you found out you were hired.
When you feel like complaining, try giving God some praise instead.
Pray Often During the Day
The truth is that Monday is always a blessing, and God deserves to be thanked first thing and all day. Even a job you hate is still a blessing…link
Pray and be thankful when things are going well…
Pray for strength when days get challenging…
Pray for your coworkers or customers who make your job difficult or work against you.
Just as you take a lunch break, dedicate some regular time as your prayer break.
Pray without ceasing (1Thessalonians 5:17) should not be taken lightly…prayer is your key to make God a part of your work day and help you maintain His character and integrity. It is also good to read some of His word during the day as well.
Every day is a gift, and we should treat each as such. We don’t want to find ourselves wasting days in anticipation for the weekend, holidays and vacation. It’s best when we can learn to enjoy every day…all day.
But, as we mature in our ability to enjoy each day, I pray these tips can make your Monday easier and quicker.
One of the best ways for a teacher to establish his or her classroom culture and expectations is by modeling that behavior.
The tone of our culture troubles me.
Our society has legitimized a culture of insults, profanity, retaliation, and foolishness.
This behavior is being modeled by too many of our leaders , while being justified, excused, ignored and mimicked by their supporters.
People are so impressed by ‘keeping it real’, telling it like it is, adolescent humor, indecency and avoiding being Politically Correct that many have lost the value of exercising Emotional Intelligence, tact, kindness and restraint.
Too many people see being loud, proud, obnoxious and visceral as strength, while seeing meekness, humility and patience as weakness.
Our children are having this negative behavior modeled every day.
Even in our movies, we feel the ‘bullied nerd’ is weak until he or she stands up to the bully violently.
Remember, Yeshua Himself said don’t repay evil with evil, but turn the other cheek. He said don’t resist an evil person (unless of course your life is threatened). But of course, striking back if someone slaps you isn’t about self-defense, but pride. Returning an insult with an insult is about pride.
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.
The picture below was posted in a community Facebook group. The poster was complaining about this behavior, but many adults were celebrating trespassing, nudity and indecency. When the Lord said ‘turn the other cheek’, this isn’t what He was talking about…👇🏼
It’s possible some of the same people who celebrated this, also frown on this foolishness 👇🏾👇🏼
Do you think God approves of either?
Adults who call themselves disciples of Christ are going to have to do a better job of setting the example of walking in the Fruit of the Spirit, which the world sees as 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.
Our children are learning to fight instead of keep the peace…
They’re learning to argue instead of reason…
They are learning to place blame and accuse instead of looking for solutions…
They’re learning to hate instead of love…
They are learning to make excuses to satisfy their will instead of God’s will.
Could many of our childish adults be the children who were spoiled when they were growing up? It’s time to stop the erosion of decorum in leadership.
We were created in God’s image, which is less about how He looks and more about how He is.
We can have His character…
We can experience His emotions…
We can share in His divine nature…
2 Peter 1:4 (NKJV)
4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the [a]corruption that is in the world through lust.
The fact is that not only did we inherit our ability to LOVE from God, but we also got our ability to HATE from Him.
God hates sin…
The two emotions are two of GOD’S TANGIBLE INTANGIBLES… that have an extreme influence in our lives. When you think about it, both love and hate share one powerful influence over our lives.
Both LOVE and HATE force us to surrender control of our emotions to someone else.
When you truly love someone, or hate (or strongly dislike) you make yourself vulnerable to allow their behavior to be a steering wheel, or thermometer to your emotions…your joy, anger, frustration, happiness, rage, etc.
Think about it, the reason we either experience so much joy or pain from those closest to us is because we love them. Our closest relationships are a rollercoaster of emotions. It’s only apathy that leaves us emotionless.
Just like God.
Numbers 25:3 (NKJV)
3 So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel.
Matthew 3:17 (NKJV)
17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Genesis 4:3-5 (ERV)
3-4 At harvest time,[a] Cain brought a gift to the Lord. He brought some of the food that he grew from the ground, but Abel brought some animals from his flock. He chose some of his best sheep and brought the best parts from them.[b]
The Lord accepted Abel and his gift. 5 But he did not accept Cain and his offering. Cain was sad because of this, and he became very angry.
There’s a reason why we hurt those we love the most.
“If you aren’t LOVING HARD, you’re HARDLY LOVING.”
Picture this. You’re sleeping comfortably in your bed and are awaken by a rattling at your window. You quietly get out of bed and notice that someone is trying to break into your home.
Or, You’re relaxing watching television and you’re shocked out of your show as your burglar alarm suddenly goes off.
In either situation do you go and let them into your house?
Of course not! You…
Call for help… you dial 911 if available.
You prepare to defend yourself with your weapons if available.
Our bodies are temples for the LORD to live inside of us, and it’s our responsiblity to protect them…
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV)
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body [a]and in your spirit, which are God’s.
John 14:23 (NKJV)
Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, He will keep my word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
In as much as God desires to live inside us, so does the enemy. The fact is that demons are real. Those fallen angels/unclean spirits are always looking for opportunities to come and try to occupy your spiritual house…
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.”
God’s presence, His Spirits is what makes those unclean spirits leave us.
It’s our responsibility to protect our spiritual houses. But, how does the devil get in? We make our ‘temple’s a comfortable dwelling place’ for unclean spirits through sin. Not just sin, but complacency towards sin. Giving in to sin is what allows them to return, get comfortable and invite more…
Revelation 18:2 (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!
Sin makes our bodies and spirits comfortable places for demons. So, what keeps them out? What makes us comfortable dwelling places for God?
Being obedient to God’s word (1 Corinthians 6:20), being obedient to His word, and walking in His Spirit…
Galatians 5:16-23 (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: [a]adultery, [b]fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, [c]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 [d]gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
But, here’s the good news! God never allows us to be taken by surprise. He has given us a built-in security system to let us know when the enemy is trying to get into our house through sin. It’s called TEMPTATION.
James 1:13-14 (NKJV)
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
Giving in to temptation is letting the enemy into our spiritual house.
Don’t ignore your alarm! God lets us know that the enemy is trying to enter us through temptation. Not just sexual temptation. I mean the temptation to hate, or harm someone. The temptation to speak evil of someone behind their backs. The temptation to complain… Think about it. You can always tell when the enemy is trying to ‘draw you away’ and convince you to sin.
But, God will not allow the enemy to do so without giving you the strength to withstand him…
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV)
13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to [a]bear it.
Now there are many who now try to say that we weren’t strong enough to bear it, that’s why we gave in. But, I contend that we were strong enough, and we just gave up. That doesn’t mean the strength wasn’t avaialable.
So, the next time that you feel yourself tempted, stop and be reminded that’s the devil rattling on the windows of your spiritual house trying to get in. That’s your spiritual alarm system letting you know to, just as if someone were breaking into your physical house…
Call for help…Pray for a fresh anointing of His Holy Spirit and for protection from the enemy.
Defend your house….reject those evil thoughts and walk in the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 10:4 (NKJV)
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not [a]carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
Remember, temptation lets you know that the devil is trying to get inside of your house!. Don’t ignore your alarm!
What do you hope for? Think about it for a moment. Both big and small, what do you hope for in life? For yourself? For your family? For the world?
Please don’t ever take hope for granted. Hope gives us a reason to get up each morning. Hope gives us a reason to live. Hope gives us anticipation beyond this life.
Hope is a blessing from God…
Romans 15:13 (NKJV)
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 5:1-5 (NKJV)
Therefore, having been justified by faith, [a]we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces [b]perseverance; 4 and perseverance, [c]character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
As much as faith is evidence of what we can’t see, hope is the expectation and desire of what we can’t and can see. Faith is the belief that we can actually have what we hope for…that it can and will happen.
Faith is hope’s fruit…
Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
The reason so many rich people are unhappy is because their ability to hope has been challenged.
A life of having everything you want when you want it is a life with literally, no hope!
Those who can put their hands on everything they want can find themselves unhappy and unfulfilled because God wants our hope to be in Him…
Psalm 39:6-8 (NKJV)
6 Surely every man walks about like a shadow; Surely they [a]busy themselves in vain; He heaps up riches, And does not know who will gather them.
7 “And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You. 8 Deliver me from all my transgressions; Do not make me the reproach of the foolish.
Take a moment to thank God for the ability to hope, and ask Him that your hope always be in Him.
If false hope gives someone a reason to keep on living…is it really false?
Think about this…
I in no way mean any disrespect to anyone dealing with the pain of a loved one suffering from any form of dementia. However, God does have a reason for everything He does. This true story showed me how what we sometimes think of as a ‘curse’ can be the blessing of hope in disguise for some.
Years ago I used to do nursing home ministry. I would visit two nursing homes, once each month. As I walked down through the halls I would see the same faces. There were some residents who had regular visits from family and friends, but unfortunately, there too many who never got a visitor…ever.
There were also varying levels of mental health. I would hear one lady in particular at one of the nursing homes say the same thing every time I visited. She would sit in her wheelchair in the entrance to her room as I walked by…she would smile and say,
“I’m going home today”.
No, she wasn’t going home. She was one of the residents who never had visitors, and her family had moved on with their lives. At first I felt sorry for her because her situation seemed so hopeless…but then God gave me an awesome revelation.
In her hopeless situation…her dementia gave her hope!
Was her hope false? Yes!
But, it allowed her to wake up every morning WITH hope.
God gave her a reason to smile EVERY DAY.
God gave her something to look forward to EVERY DAY.
God gave her HOPE in a HOPELESS situation.
She spent her last days with HOPE.
What many may think of as a CURSE, was actually a BLESSING to her.
God’s wisdom is amazing!
He can can pull HOPE out of HOPEless…
FORTUNE our of unFORTUNATE…
Of course there are times when false hope is harmful, but there’s other situations when it can give someone a reason to keep living.
Romans 5:5-7 (NKJV)
5 Now hope does not disappoint, (B)because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
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.
Let me first say that this article is in no way excusing the sin, shortcomings of weaknesses of any preacher, but rather acknowledging them. I know that God expects us as ministers and teachers to set the standard of behavior and holds us to a higher degree of accountability.
1 Peter 5:2 (NKJV)
2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly,[a] not for dishonest gain but eagerly;
1 Corinthians 11:1 (NKJV)
11 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.
1 Timothy 3:2-12 (NKJV)
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,[a] but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); 6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
James 3:1 (NKJV)
My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.
1 Timothy 5:19-20 (NKJV)
19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses. 20 Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.
But, I do ask you to remember and consider this…
Police officers sometimes speed while off duty…
Doctors don’t always eat healthy…
And, preachers haven’t always perfected what they preach.
The Word of God cuts preachers as He gives them inspiration, revelation and the anointing to share it. It convicts preachers of their sins as God reveals it to them.
Even the apostles were caught in and admitted to human moments…
Galatians 2:11-13 (NKJV)
11 Now when Peter[a] had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.
The Apostle Paul…
Romans 7:19-25 (NKJV)
19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 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! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
Sometimes preachers may even be transparent about what they are dealing with in their lives in their sermons or what they may write.
People particularly get upset with ministers as they call out particular sins and warn of their consequences….accusing them of judging. However, they are simply practicing, and sometimes struggling with what they preach, as they teach, instruct, encourage, admonish/warn those whom they are charged with.
Many people either do one of two things, they are oh, too ready to acknowledge that preachers are only human and diminish the authority that God has given them in the word.
Or,
People put them on a pedestal and treat them like ‘man gods’, which is blasphemous and wrong.
I just want to give everyone a reminder that preachers are the same is everyone else, that just like police officers and doctors preachers are the same as everyone else. Police officers are subject to the same laws they have been charged to enforce. Doctors are vulnerable to the same sicknesses that they have been educated to treat. And, preachers are clothed in sinful flesh and working out their own salvation, while also being charged with watching over the souls of the Body of Christ.
The next time you see a preacher repenting after having a human moment, or even a moral failure, remember that God didn’t remove King David’s anointing or kingship after his acts of murder, deception and adultery…because He repented. Yes, there were consequences, but God still allowed Him to remain in authority.
Also, remember if you see a preacher somewhere that you think they should not be…you shouldn’t be there either.
For those whose work schedule allows them to have a normal Saturday and Sunday weekend…Mondays can be tough. Especially if your job is challenging, if you have to work with difficult people, or if you work in a toxic culture.
Growing In Yahuah 