We have all had people speak badly about us behind our backs. Sometimes it was true, and sometime is wasn’t true.

If we are honest with ourselves, we have all done it ourselves at sometime or another.

Many times we will hear something said about someone we care about, someone we love or someone we respect and rush to let them know as soon as possible. But, is that always the right thing to do?

Is it always good for the wife to tell her husband what her dad said about him?

Is it always good to let one co-worker know what another co-worker said about them?

Is it always good to let one friend know what another mutual friend said about him or her?

Yes, I said ‘mutual’ friend. Some would contend to say that if they were a real friend they wouldn’t say anything negative, but that’s not true. Our love for one another isn’t perfect. Our friendships, marriages, families and relationships are not perfect. We all say and do things to hurt those close to us. When this happens it doesn’t mean that there is no love, it just means that our love isn’t perfect.

Loyalty is not always telling EVERYTHING that was said about someone. When is it appropriate? That’s where wisdom, discernment, discretion and restraint come into play.

We must also examine ourselves and our motives for telling them. Do we want them to know? Do we enjoy the excitement of telling them? Do we want them to dislike the person who said it? Why are we repeating it?

This is why God gave us this powerful, but often overlooked wisdom through these two Proverbs…

Proverbs 17:9 (NKJV)

9 He who covers a transgression seeks love,
But he who repeats a matter separates friends

Proverbs 16:28 (NKJV)

28 A perverse man sows strife,
And a whisperer separates the best of friends.

Remember, some things are best left unsaid.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Have you ever heard anyone make this statement, or have made it yourself?

“You won’t go to Hell for doing it.”

Too many Christians feel as though as long as they are paying their tithes and going to church regularly that, ‘they’re good’.

Sometimes times there will be an issue or behavior that is questionable or vague, or maybe not even addressed directly in the bible. Many times there will be an issue or behavior that we really enjoy, but there is reason to believe it might be displeasing to God. Then there are issues that are addressed, but many people either don’t make the connection, or don’t care about how those issues relate to us today.

There are many Christians who don’t only define themselves as children of God, they also define themselves by ‘their’ zodiac sign.

How does God feel about someone asking, “What’s your sign?”

Zephaniah 1:5-6 (NKJV)

5.“Those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops; Those who worship and swear oaths by the LORD, But also swear by Milcom (or Molech) 6.Those who have turned back from following the LORD, And have not sought the LORD, nor inquired of Him.

“I’m a Gemini so you better watch our for me….”

“I’m a Pisces so you can trust me…”

You get the picture?

Most of us know that it became very popular in the latter part of the 20^th Century to refer to zodiac signs to determine if two people were compatible in relationships.

Some people will even check out their daily horoscope for guidance for the day. How many Christians have you seen post the daily horoscope on their timeline?

Have you ever taken the time to research the origin of zodiac signs. Think about this…zodiac signs are treated as proper nouns.

Check this out…

Deuteronomy 4:19 (NKJV)

And take heed, lest you lift up your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the LORD your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage.

Remember, worship is beyond ‘going to church’. Think about Romans 12:1…

Romans 12:1 (NIV)

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Our worship extends into how we live our lives on a daily basis. God expects us to get our guidance from Him and Him alone. He has given us His Holy Spirit to lead us, guide us, convict us, to help us make the right decisions.

Isaiah 47:13 (NKJV)

13 You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels;
Let now the astrologers, the stargazers,
And the monthly prognosticators
Stand up and save you
From what shall come upon you.

One of the beautiful things about the Old Testament is that it gave us extreme examples of what behavior God loves and what behavior He hates. Even though Jesus fulfilled the law, we can gain great insight looking at the behavior of ancient Israel and how God reacted to it.

Think about this. When Moses was given the task of going into Egypt to free the children of Israel, God told Moses to tell them, “I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14). I AM is God’s name. It’s who He is. It’s His essence. It’s what He does. And so are you. Be very careful what you say behind your, “I am”. Check this out…BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY BEHIND YOUR, “I AM…”

“I am a Virgo.” “I am a Libra.” Do you feel comfortable defining yourself as something God has forbidden?

Do you feel comfortable getting guidance from something God has forbidden?

Do you feel comfortable choosing a mate based on something God has forbidden?

Do you feel comfortable basing your personality on something God has forbidden?

Or, do you enjoy it so much that right now you are reasoning within yourself how I’m wrong and looking for verses or justification to keep doing it. That may be a ‘sign’ that you are too connected to it.

Well if God forbids it, why do the personality traits seem so on point sometimes? We all know that the enemy disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).

But, here’s the number one reason I think that people of God should ignore the horoscope…

BECAUSE IT HURTS GOD!

Even if He won’t send you to Hell for it. Even if you think it’s harmless. If God said don’t do it, that means it hurts Him. When you love someone, there’s some things you don’t do not because you think they will leave you, but because you know it hurts them.

Have you ever noticed that before God got angry, He was always hurt first? Have you noticed how God sometimes pleaded with and appealed to Israel like a hurt lover?

Micah 6 1:3 (NKJV)

“Oh My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify against Me.”

The #1 reason we should ignore the horoscope is because it hurts the God of our Salvation.

Please think about this before you ask someone, “What is your sign?”

BE BLESSTIFIED!

It’s okay to arm yourself, but please remember this…

If your gun is polished, but you’re bible is dusty…You’re underarmed!

Psalm 44:6 (NKJV)

Psalm 33:16-18 (NKJV) ^(NKJV)

Why do so many people look for someone ‘just like them’ when they want to get married?
Don’t be discouraged when you get married and your differences are slowly revealed.

Your strengths should cover and supplement your spouse’s weaknesses…and vice versa.

Things that are EXACTLY alike aren’t always compatible.

Remember, God created man and woman so our differences make us fit together perfectly.

Genesis 2:24 (NKJV)

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Don’t let your differences come between you…let them connect you.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Too many those of us who attend church regularly criticize or judge new members who joined but drifted away.

Nothing deep here, just four things I think we should consider before we open our mouths…

1. They come to church looking for something and it doesn’t happen fast enough, so they leave.

2. They come to church looking for something and it happens quickly, then they leave.

3. We, who should be mature in the faith, run them away because we forget they are weaker, OR we aren’t nurturing enough, OR we’re too self-righteous.

4. They came seeking something other than God. This is usually the reason for 1 & 2. (That will be discussed in tomorrow’s post.)

Romans 14:1 (NKJV)

Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.

Romans 15:1 (NKJV)

We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the week, and not to please ourselves.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Asking forgiveness isn’t repentance. In fact, God doesn’t emphasize asking Him for forgiveness as much as He does telling us to confess our sins (Psalm 32:5, Psalm 38:18, 1 John 1:9) — then He will forgive us. Yes, we should ask God for His forgiveness, but He knows that words are cheap. How many times have you asked for forgiveness only to do it again…and sometimes again and again and again?

God demands repentance.

Repentance doesn’t begin with your MOUTH it begins with your MIND

Look at how God beautifully defines repentance and then gives us a beautiful promise through the prophet Isaiah. There are others like 2 Chronicles 7:14 and 2 Corinthians 7:10, but I love the way God says it here…I’m just going to let you read it and allow it bless you because the Word speaks for itself.

Isaiah 55:6-7 (NKJV)

⁶ SEEK THE LORD while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
⁷ Let the wicked FORSAKE HIS WAY,
And the unrighteous man HIS THOUGHTS;
Let him RETURN to the Lord,
And He WILL HAVE MERCY on him;
And to our God,
For He WILL ABUNDANTLY PARDON.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

If you’ve had a tough day. If things didn’t go your way. If you were mistreated today. If you are angry. If you’ve watched those who don’t acknowledge God prosper. If people have conspired against you. If you have been lied on…

This beautiful Psalm will bless you before you go to bed tonight…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Have you ever heard a father brag about paying the bills? Putting food on the table? He may even say, “I deserve to run around with the fellas or hang our because he’s holding it down for his family. Have you ever heard a mother brag about taking care of her family? About being at home for her children? Have you heard a father or mother brag about not ‘running the streets’, about dealing with the difficulties of life without turning to drugs or alcohol?

How about this one? ” I’m faithful to my spouse!”

Have you ever heard a child brag about doing their homework and staying out of trouble?

 Have you every heard a Christian brag about regularly attending church, being faithful in giving or studying their bible?

 This is all good, but it is absolutely nothing to brag about.

 Why?

 Because they are all doing what they are supposed to do. They are all doing what’s expected of them.

What’s unfortunate that we live in a society where so many people are not doing what they supposed to do, that those who are may seem beyond the norm, or even special…feel they deserve a pat on the back.

One of my favorite movie scenes is in the movie, “Guess Whose Coming To Dinner” when Roy Glenn’s character who played Sidney Poitier’s character’s father was lecturing his adult son about how hard he worked to make sure he had everything he needed, as he objected to his son dating a white woman. He told him this as if his son owed him something for providing for him. Sidney Poitier’s character quickly rebuked his father for making him feel obligated for doing what he was supposed to do. He then lovingly acknowledged his love and respect for him.

 https://youtu.be/LTgahyvBMk4

 In an age absent and distracted parents and rebellious children, those doing their duty can begin to feel special…when they actually aren’t.

 Notice what Jesus had to say about simply doing our duty…

 Luke 17:7-10 (NKJV)

7 And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? 8 But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not.[a] 10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”

 Be thankful if God has blessed you with a mind and the discipline to hold down your role as father, mother, son, daughter, employee, citizen, disciple, Pastor as expected. Yes, we all make mistakes, but you haven’t gotten ‘caught up’ or distracted to the level of some others…but we should never think we deserve a pat on the back, are ‘special’,  or ‘owed something’ for doing our duty as God expects.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Do you ‘look’ like your father?

Do you have his eyes? nose? hair line? walk?

Sometimes people can walk up to you and quickly tell that you look JUST like your father. Sometimes a child can not look much like their father, but as they get older their appearance conforms MORE to his image. That is the perfect analogy to us and our Heavenly Father.

We were all created into his image (Genesis 1:27), but God is invisible, so that doesn’t mean that we ‘look like Him’. It means we are created to ‘be’ like Him…to have His character…to love like Him…to have His behavior, as He tells us to be holy because He is holy. When we walk in His Spirit, we ‘look like Him’. He sent His Son, Yeshua Jesus Christ, who is the living word, to be our example in the flesh, and in Romans 8:29, we are to be conformed into the image of His Son.

The more we grow spiritually, the more we look like Jesus. But, Jesus also told those who opposed Him, the religious leaders, that they ‘looked like’ their father the devil….

John 8:44-45 (KJV)

“44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

He told them this because they behaved like the devil and not God. They didn’t have God’s character, they had the devil’s.

Who’s your daddy today? Who do you look like spiritually? As you get older, whose image are you conforming more to? I hope it’s your Heavenly Father. Give God a Happy Father’s Day by committing to walk in His Spirit.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Evening Epiphany

Never take God’s grace for granted because if you think about it…

If you’ve been SAVED for a while, you’ve probably sinned MORE since you were SAVED than BEFORE.

Ephesians 4:7 (NKJV)

7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Are you GOING THROUGH something?

Have you ever had days that you just wanted to give up?

Give up on your dreams? Your vision?

Give up on your hopes? Your goals?

Have you ever wanted to give up on your marriage? Your children?

Have you ever just wanted to drop everything and walk off your job?

Are there days when you feel your money will never be right?

Have you ever wanted to give up on your health?

Do you have a weakness that are soooo strong that sometimes you tell yourself…

Why try?

Just a quick word of encouragement…please don’t give up!

Look at what God told Joshua after the death of Moses as Israel was poised to enter their promise.

Joshua 1:5-9 (NKJV)

 ⁵ No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. ⁶ Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. ⁷ Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. ⁸ This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Even though they were about to enter their promise, God told them that they would still GO THROUGH some things. But, the same divine encouragement God gave them holds true for us today.

Slow and steady is still moving forward!

It always takes energy to MOVE UP than to fall!

If you’re struggling, it means you still have some fight left in you.

No matter how tough it seems, keep your faith in God…Faith your way forward!

REMEMBER…

GOING THROUGH IS STILL…GOING!

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Stay woke is an urban idiom that implies stay informed to the truth in the midst of biased, filtered information…Don’t get hypnotized by current trends, pop culture or status quo…Don’t let it dictate your thinking. It can also infer don’t believe your own hype.

‘WOKE’ has recently been politicized beyond its original meaning.

That being said, from a Christian point of view it simply means don’t get caught up in the world.

I can’t say it any better than how God said it through the Apostle Paul…

Romans 13:11-14 (NLT)

11 This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. WAKE UP, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. 13 Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy.14 Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

God had Abraham send away Hagar and Ishmael…

Genesis 21:14 (NKJV)

¹⁴ So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba.

We all know that Isaac favored Esau, which means that Jacob had to notice.

Genesis 25:28 (NKJV)

Thank God for your father.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Have you ever caught yourself complaining about something that you asked God for? You hoped for it. You prayed for it. You thanked God for it when you got it, but now, for whatever reason…you’re complaining about it.

Your job.

Your spouse.

Your child.

Your car.

Your house.

Your __________. You fill in the blank.

It may well be a blessing from God that you didn’t ask for, but God gave it to you. One great example is peace. How many times has God-given you peace and you complained that you were bored?

As I already discussed in SEVEN (7) REASONS GOD HATES COMPLAINING…, complaining is the exact opposite of thanksgiving.

I want to also remind you how much God hates complaining.

1 Corinthians 10:10 (NKJV)

¹⁰ nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

Complaining usually has one or two of three results…

1. It irritates people because they don’t want to hear it.

2. The pity party creates sympathy from those who hear.

3. It causes the person or people who hear, and may very well be content at the time, to complain too. I mean they’re good at the time, but then here comes somebody putting their mouth in someone else’s peace. This causes the complainer to be a stumbling block…

Matthew 18:7 (NKJV)

⁷ Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!

Pray for God to help you guard your tongue. When you find your self with a complaining spirit, offer up thanksgiving to God instead for His goodness, His mercy, His grace, His abundant love, and His salvation.

This is always appropriate…

Psalm 118:1 (NKJV)

Even if you have a legitimate reason to be upset, be very careful how you respond. Even if you wonder why God is allowing whatever is going on in your life to happen, be very careful that you don’t complain.

You can even lament to God in humility, as in so many of the Psalms, (3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 17, 22, 25, 44, 58, 60, 74, 79 & 80 to name a few) however, there’s a difference in a humble lamentation and an arrogant complaint.

Praise God and thank Him when you want to complain.

Turn your pity party into a praise party.

https://www.facebook.com/aldtric.johnson?hc_ref=ARRLM9_gAub71rD8ZDGiE3IYbMFdFEhRyH7la2CKG9oaFKQbVridnZY57iG2e1ZmJMc

BE BLESSTIFIED!

I have 3 children adult children, who of course, don’t always get along perfectly. Siblings disagree and the bible confirms that. Joseph of Genesis brothers disliked him. Jacob and Esau were rivals over the family blessing and birthright. Even David, a man after God’s own heart, had children who were not only rivals, but extremely dysfunctional.

My children and I’m quite certain your children or you and your siblings, if you have them, are no different.

There have been times that my children have claimed that my wife and I were not being fair toward one of them relative to one of them, or the other two. They have each compared what we do or don’t do for each of them to one another.

My response…

God isn’t ‘fair’ with His children. God does what He pleases or doesn’t do as He pleases for His own reasons.

I can’t explain why one person has a terminal illness, and another rarely ever has a sick day. I can’t complain why everything one person touches turns to gold, while there are other devout Christians live in a country with no clean water or infrastructure for things to get better anytime soon. However, many times this type of poverty is an opportunity for those who are blessed more materially to be obedient and do good to ‘the least of them’ (Matthew 25).

But, look at what Jesus said in a sense about ‘fairness’ in the bible…

 Luke 4:24-27(NKJV)

²⁴ Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. ²⁵ But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; ²⁶ but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath,^[a] in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. ²⁷ And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”

God used the prophet Elijah to help the widow in Zarephath, however there were many others who didn’t receive help. There were many with leprosy in those days, but Jesus declares only Naaman was healed. Were either of these situations ‘fair’?

Have you ever looked at t he lives of others and felt that God wasn’t being fair to you? It may seem others are being blessed, some who you feel may not ‘deserve’ blessing as much as you. It may seem that others are being healed. It may seem that others who are a lot less sincere are doing a lot better than you.

You may not say it out loud, you may feel God is being unfair.

You may not say it out loud, you may even be jealous of your Christian brother and sisters…

Family…

Marriage…

‘Success’…

Children…

Health…

Influence…

Ministry…

You may even to begin to consider them your rival, placing yourself in some unspoken competition with them. This can cause great dysfunction in the Body of Christ.

Remember, that just as a parent loves all their children, God loves all of His. But, also remember that just as each of your children are not the same, neither are all of God’s.

Sometimes God lets us see how He feels through our relationships. We can compare our frustration with our children with His frustration with us. After all, we were all made in His image.

Rather than hear a random complaint from your child about how unfair you are, wouldn’t you rather hear a random, “THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR ME”?

So, the next time you think that God is being unfair to you. The next time you find yourself complaining about how He is treating one of your ‘siblings’… stop and thank Him for how good He is to you. Thank Him for what He IS doing in your life. Thank Him for what He is protecting you from. Thanks

BE BLESSTIFIED!

When were your good ol’ days…the best days of your life?

When were you happiest?

Is it now? I hope so.

If not, was it because of a particular place? a person? people? things? a time? Or a combination of these?

How did you know you were happiest then? I’ve heard many people say “those were the best days of our lives and we didn’t know it”. Have you ever thought that or said that?

Sometimes they people say they were actually happier at a time when they had less. Why were they happier then?

Maybe it was their frame of mind.

You may not be able to relive or recapture the time but you can change your frame of mind today.

God tells us to be content in whatever state we are in.

In Philippians 4, the apostle Paul tells of how he had learned to be content in all situations.

The bible is full of verses on the power of contentment and a renewed mind. With contentment there is peace, with peace there is joy, and with joy there are good days.

God tells us Himself that he wants us to enjoy our days, that this is our gift from Him (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13) and that He plans better days for us ( Jeremiah 29:11).

But the key to our good days is our made up mind.

Psalm 118:24 should be our daily affirmation and declaration, “This is the day the Lord has made;”.

But, God is not going to force you to have a good day, the day is the gift from God, it’s up to you how you unwrap it.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

1 Peter 2:4-5(NKJV)

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Do get tired of getting stepped on? Well, that’s what rocks do…get stepped on.

Do you get tired of being the ‘strong one’? That’s what rocks do…provide stability.

Do you get tired of holding everyone else up? That’s what rocks are…a firm foundation.

Christ is a living stone, but so are we…

Who are you being strong for? 1 Peter 2:5 says we are also living stones! We are a part of God’s spiritual house, and just as Jesus is our Rock…He is building us up to be rocks in the lives of others.

So, the next time you feel like you’re being stepped on or carrying everyone else’s weight. Praise God for trusting you to be a rock.

BE BLESSTIFED!

I can only speak for myself, but I think we’ve all experienced it. We have prayed to God…we have made a specific supplication…we have interceded for someone else. Then, sometimes immediately, sometimes shortly after and sometimes much later we see God answer that prayer…that supplication…that intercession, just as we asked.

Sometimes it’s exactly as we asked. While others it may not be exactly as we asked but, we can still clearly see it was an answer to our prayer.

Then it happens. That emotion that reveals our true level of faith. I’m not saying an absence of faith, but the true level of our faith. Our emotional response to God answering our prayer.

SURPRISE

Have you ever been surprised when God answers your prayer? Surprised when we already know what He promised…

John 14:13-14 (NKJV)

¹³ And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask^[a] anything in My name, I will do it.

Do we really believe Jesus’ promise when we pray? Now, I do know that sometimes God says “No”. For more on this read WHEN GOD USES THE ‘N-WORD’…

I do know that sometimes God answers in a manner that we totally don’t expect and I realize that even though we know that God CAN do it, we don’t know if He WILL do it.

But even at that, we should never be surprised. Be surprised if you hit the lottery. Be surprised if the team that’s the underdog wins…even be surprised if you get exactly what you want for your birthday, but we should never be surprised when God has already promised us what He will do.

Even if we know He can do it, but wonder if He will, what emotion should we feel when God answers our prayer?

AMAZEMENT

God wants you to be amazed. He wants to ‘blow your mind’. He wants to make you say, “Wow!” He wants to astound you and leave you in awe…because this is how God ‘helps our unbelief’.

Mark 9:23-24 (NKJV)

²³ Jesus said to him, “If you can believe,^[a] all things are possible to him who believes.” ²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

Surprise implies that we didn’t believe. Amazement implies that we do believe.

When God answers your prayers, be AMAZED, but never SURPRISED.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Psalm 127:2 (NKJV)

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.

Did you sleep well last night?

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.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

I can truly make this affirmation to my wife…

“There’s some things that we do, we’ve done, we’ve experienced, we’ve struggled through, we’ve accomplished that I not only would not want to do, have done, have experienced have struggled through, or have accomplished with anyone else…”

“I could not.”

“God has proven that it’s His will for us to be together.”

Can you make this affirmation to your spouse? If so, let them know…then thank God.
Proverbs 18:22 (NKJV)

BE BLESSTIFIED!