• 

Slaves were poorly ‘compensated’ with scraps to eat and horrible living conditions.

They were powerless to make decisions for themselves.

They were not allowed to speak up and offer their opinion.

They were unable to express how they felt without fear of retaliation.

They had no freedom of speech.

They were adults who were treated like children.

They were trapped into to a toxic culture of oppression because the system accepted it.

But be honest with yourself.

Many people today because of their financial obligations, lifestyle, lack of options, and decisions have trapped themselves in an oppressive job, industry or career

It may be business…

It may be education…

It may be private sector…

It may be manufacturing…

It may be ___________________.

Yes, you may even be paid very well. That’s why you ‘take it’…

You feel powerless to make decisions for yourself.

You may not be able to speak up and offer your opinion.

You and your coworkers may feel unable to express how you feel without fear of retaliation.

You have forfeited your freedom of speech to keep your job.

You may feel like you and your coworkers are treated like children.

Because of your fear of losing your job, you’re trapped in a toxic culture of oppression because it’s become accepted.

Does this sound like you?

Are you a well-compensated slave?

Is your $alary really $hackles?

Proverbs 22:7 (NKJV)

⁷ The ^(A)rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower is servant to the lender.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Earlier this year, I published a piece addressing how many Christians consider being “sheep” an insult. I published it in the morning. Later that day I noticed a more prominent individual tweeted about the same topic with the same verbiage… Too much of a coincidence. WHY DO SO MANY CHRISTIANS CONSIDER BEING CALLED ‘SHEEP’ AN INSULT?

I often see bloggers, writers, artists, musicians and ministers requesting money for what they have shared. I don’t have problem with that,

HOWEVER…

As a Christian blogger and professional copywriter, if you really want to bless me, cash isn’t necessarily…

But, if you’re inspired to the point of sharing what I have written or said…

PLEASE…

PLEASE…

PLEASE…

Quote me.

That’s how writers gain credibility…

And, for writers, CREDIBILITY IS CURRENCY!

Jeremiah 23:30 (ESV)

³⁰ Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord, who steal my words from one another.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

• 

Thanks to each and everyone of you have stopped by my devotional blog not only during the unforgettable year of 2020, but since my first post in August of 2016.

I’m so thankful for this platform to share what God has placed in my heart. I pray that His gifts of exhortation, edification, equipping, inspiration, admonition, unification, and salvation are perfected in each and every word.

I pray that BEBLESSTIFIED.COM provokes both believers and unbelievers to submit to God’s word, will, love, and truth…and that unbelievers submit to His gift of salvation.

Romans 10:8-9 (NKJV)

⁸ But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Here are links to the 10 posts that received the most views during 2020.

As we look forward to the new year with hope, please remember that God doesn’t limit himself to our Gregorian calendar.

10. GOD’S TANGIBLE INTANGIBLES…

9. BE CAREFUL WHEN SOMEONE TELLS YOU GOD TOLD THEM TO TELL YOU…

8. WHY ARE EVANGELICALS SO QUIET ABOUT SOCIAL JUSTICE & CIVIL RIGHTS…

7. A SHORT PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE FROM THE CONSEQUENCES OF BAD DECISIONS…

6. WHY THE ONE’S YOU LOVE MOST SOMETIMES DON’T UNDERSTAND YOU…

5. DOES GOD CONSIDER IT CHEATING WHEN MARRIED ACTORS DO LOVE SCENES?

4. 7 REASONS GOD HATES COMPLAINING…

3.WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR ADULT CHILDREN DON’T APPRECIATE YOU…

2. WHY THE MARK OF THE BEAST WON’T BE A CHIP, BAR CODE OR TATTOO…

1. 9 BIBLICALLY PROPER PRAYER POSTURES

May you walk with God throughout the entire New Year!

BE BLESSTIFIED!

• 

Some things never change. Yeshua the Messiah made the ‘religious people’ so angry that they wanted to kill Him, and with the help of the Romans they did…at least thought they did.

Many Christians of every race claim to be His disciples, but we prove how we would have responded if we lived then by how we respond today. We prove on which side of history we would have stood by where we stand now.

The fact is that many of the people who claim to be Christians would have rejected Jesus, and here are 7 reasons why…

1. WOMEN SUPPORTED HIM WITH THEIR MONEY

Few people ever talk about the women who followed Jesus and supported Him financially, Not, just the women, but the ‘type’ of women…

Luke 8:1-3 (NKJV)

Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and ^[a]bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, ² and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and ^[b]infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, ³ and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for ^[c]Him from their ^[d]substance.

So you had a woman who many believed was a prostitute, wives of ‘important’ men and many other women who were following the LORD and supporting Him financially — we all know that would be beyond scandalous today. How many men would co-sign on their wives following and giving money to a broke, uneducated, controversial traveling preacher?

2. HE THREATENED THEIR TRADITIONS

One of the most common complaints today is ‘cancel culture’. Too many people today are devoted to traditions, memorials, statues, etc. to the point of idolatry. Several of our modern traditions are clearly in direct contradiction to the word of God, such as swearing in officials…

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. (Can’t get more clear than that)

…but, some people would rather die than change. To many, patriotism, nationalism, racial pride, the economy and institutional traditions have become psuedo-religions. But, Yeshua made it clear that they were prioritizing their traditions over the Word of God…

Mark 7:7-9 (NKJV)

⁷ And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ⁸ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—^[a]the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.” ⁹ He said to them, “All too well you ^[b]reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

3. HE HELD THE ‘LEADERS’ ACCOUNTABLE

Jesus openly rebuked the Pharisees, Scribes and teachers of the law concerning their hypocrisy, arrogance and pride. These were equal to respected political, religious and professional leaders today. But the LORD called them out and pissed them off. No matter what political or religious affiliation, how to react when those whom they respect are held accountable?

Matthew 15:10-13 (NKJV)

¹⁰ When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand: ¹¹ Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” ¹² Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” ¹³ But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.

Matthew 23:13-36 (NKJV)

¹³ “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. ^14 [a]Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. ¹⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of ^[b]hell as yourselves. ¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ ¹⁷ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that ^[c]sanctifies the gold? ¹⁸ And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’ ¹⁹ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? ²⁰ Therefore he who ^[d]swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. ²¹ He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who ^[e]dwells in it. ²² And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it. ²³ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. ²⁴ Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! ²⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and ^[f]self-indulgence. ²⁶ Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. ²⁷ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. ²⁸ Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. ²⁹ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and ^[g]adorn the monuments of the righteous, ³⁰ and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ ³¹ “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. ³² Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. ³³ Serpents, brood^[h] of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? ³⁴ Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, ³⁵ that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. ³⁶ Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

4. HE WASN’T EDUCATED OR ‘CULTURED’

How many people only hire Pastors who hold multiple degrees? How many people don’t feel leaders are credible unless they have achieved an expected level of education or status? Many people were amazed at how well Jesus spoke because they knew He wasn’t educated.

John 7:15 (NKJV)

¹⁵ And the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?”

Even the Apostle Paul said we shouldn’t be overly impressed with words of man’s wisdom, but in the power of God…

1 Corinthians 2:4-6 (KJV)

⁴ And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: ⁵ That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. ⁶ Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

5. HE HUNG OUT WITH THOSE WHO RELIGIOUS PEOPLE LOOKED DOWN UPON

It’s amazing how we can allow our education, achievements, connections, affiliations, social status and even our faith to arrogantly allow us to think we are ‘better’ than others. We can look down on others because of the decisions thy have made…such as drug addicts, prostitutes, or homeless people…but, those are the people with whom Yeshua the Messiah came to make the most intimate connections. Many people today would complain about the company that Jesus kept, just as the ‘religious’ people did then.

Mark 2:13-3:6 (NKJV)

¹³ Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. ¹⁴ As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him. ¹⁵ Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. ¹⁶ And when the scribes ^[a]and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” ¹⁷ When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, ^[b]to repentance.”

6. HIS ETHNICITY

The fact is that if Jesus came today of the same ethnicity, that many who so passionately claim to love Him would not accept Him as a leader. As much as it may be unintentional… cultural and racial biases are real. If Yeshua would have come during this era…born in the ‘Middle East’ (the fact that it’s even called Middle East relative to Europe) with the same skin tone, language, etc.,…how many people who call themselves Christians would actually follow Him?

John 1:46 (NKJV)

⁴⁶ And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

7. HE DRANK ALCOHOL

How many people today would have rejected Jesus because of the fact that He drank wine? Some try to ‘sanitize it’ by saying that it wasn’t fermented, but that simply isn’t true. Jesus said Himself that unlike John the Baptist, he came both eating and drinking wine…

Matthew 11:18-20 (NKJV)

¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 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.”

He was called a ‘winebibber’ because He drank wine. Did He get drunk? NO! But, how many self-righteous ‘Christians’ would rebuke Christ for drinking wine?

8. TODAY, JESUS WOULD BE A MILLENNIAL

How many ‘established’ leaders and Christians today wouldn’t take Jesus seriously because of His age? He began His earthy ministry at 30 years old.

John 8:57 (NKJV)

⁵⁷ Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”

So, be honest with yourself…how would you have received Jesus if you lived back then? How would you receive Him if He had come in our generation?

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Gifts are given for many reasons…

For love…

Out of guilt…

To show off…

And, unfortunately some people judge the love of people in their lives based on the material things they give and the amount of money spent on those gifts.

But, the interesting thing about true forgiveness is that it can ONLY be given out of love.

The greatest gift ever given to us, Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus Christ, was given as a perpetual willingness of God to forgive us.

True love isn’t only proven by what you’re willing to give, but what you’re willing to forgive.

Colossians 3:13 (NKJV)

¹³ bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

If you’re a parent, there will be days that you may feel that your children don’t appreciate you.

Sometimes you may even feel that they resent you.

And, it’s even more painful when you know in your heart that as much as you love your children…that you haven’t always made the best decisions as a parent.

All parents have given their children some legitimate reasons to ‘feel some type of way’.

Remember that from Isaac, Rebecca’s and Jacob’s favoritism to Lot offering his daughter to be raped…parents in the bible were far from perfect.

But, think about this...there is no better parent than God our Father. Yet, many of the very ‘children’ that He created in His own image don’t acknowledge Him, blaspheme Him, and mock Him while breathing His air and enjoying His sun light.

Matthew 5:45 (NKJV)

⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

And, even those ‘children’ who do acknowledge Him, frequently complain, doubt Him, embarrass, rebel against, disobey, and in some situations deny and betray Him when we make a conscious decision to sin when we know it’s wrong.

But, our God is always willing to forgive.

The next time you feel your children don’t appreciate you, think about their behavior and then stop and think about when you have displayed the SAME behavior to God.

Then offer your children the same grace, mercy and willingness to forgive that God offers us through Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

As the thought of watching thick, fluffy snowflakes fall creating a beautiful blanket on the ground makes the holiday seem more cozy to some…

It strikes the deepest dread, fear and anxiety into the hearts of the homeless.

As one parent asks, “What are we gonna eat tonight” wondering what snacks they’ll munch on while enjoying the snow with their children…

Another parent asks himself or herself, “What are we gonna eat tonight” because they’re wondering if they’ll have anything to feed their children.

As one child counts the money they have gotten for Christmas…

A homeless parent counts the dollars they were able to collect at an intersection, along with sneers, stares, insults and judgement as to how they got in that situation. They are trying to decide should we eat with this little money? Or try to get into the homeless shelter.

So, before you watch the weather forecast hoping for snow at your address…

Think about…

Pray for…

And if possible, do something to show love to someone who has no address.

Proverbs 21:13 (NASB)

¹³ One who shuts his ear to the outcry of the poor
Will also call out himself, and not be answered.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

It doesn’t take rocket science to see the fact that wearing a mask correctly can help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Many people claim however, that when local, and state governments require wearing a mask in public, that this minor inconvenience (unless you have respiratory problems) is ‘taking away their rights’!

Really?

Requiring the public to give up a freedom in one area for the sake of safety is putting our freedom at risk?

If that’s true then let’s get rid of…

TRAFFIC LIGHTS: “I should be free to stop and go whenever I get ready!”

SEAT BELTS: “No one can tell me what to do in my car!”

SPEED LIMITS: “I should be able to drive as fast as I want, when I want and where I want!”

CAR INSURANCE: “If I can afford to pay when I’m liable, I shouldn’t be required to have insurance on my vehicle.”

DRIVER’S LICENSE: “If I know how to drive, I should be free to drive without the state telling me I have to have my license!”

PROFESSIONAL LICENSES: “If I know how to do it, I should be able to do it without someone overseeing me to make sure I’m doing it right!”

THOU SHALT NOT KILL: “If someone pisses me off, I should be free to handle it!”

Okay, I think you get the picture.

People whining about a mask is kind of like a man coming home from work and snapping at his family because of a bad day on the job. His family isn’t the real problem…what happened at work is.

Even the bible teaches us that we should be very careful in how we handle our freedom…

1 Corinthians 10:23  (NKJV)

²³ All things are lawful ^[a]for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things ^[b]edify.

Remember, there’s no ‘U’ in the word ‘FOOLISHNESS’. Let’s keep it that way.

One thing I learned from years of homeless ministry is that there are countless stories behind those who have no place to go.

I also learned that it’s an honor to help someone who is truly in need. It’s an opportunity to be an example of God’s love or an answered prayer.

Even if they are homeless because of irresponsible behavior, you can be an example that God is real and restore someone’s hope in the goodness of man.

And remember this, we are all one catastrophic natural disaster away from being suddenly destitute. God could allow something to happen that overwhelms our systems of insurance and aid to humble people, especially those who judge how people became homeless.

Our civilization and age of technology are like dots on the timeline of history and very fragile. God has not promised it will always be this way. For example, I live in the Memphis TN area. We live near the New Madrid fault. A series of earthquakes occurred in the early 1800’s that were so powerful, they made the Mississippi River flow backwards and reportedly rang the Liberty Bell. Most people in this area don’t have earthquake insurance because it is extremely expensive. Imagine if that happened today. Now imagine a great earthquake happened at the same time in California (the Big One), hurricanes on the Gulf and East Coast, Tsunamis on the Northwest Coast, devastating tornadoes in the Midwest, and horrendous flooding across The United States ALL AT ONCE. ALL AT THE SAME TIME! Even the wealthy would be left homeless. Even ‘doomsday preppers’ would be left with what they’ve stored destroyed and destitute.

The next time you see a homeless person, try to see yourself…your children…your parents in that situation. And, even if they are scammers, helping them won’t ‘break’ you and God will judge them. Either way, you have been obedient and left behind a strong testimony that God lives, and He is love.

Hide these scriptures in your heart…

Proverbs 28:2 (NKJV)

^{27 (A)}He who gives to the poor will not lack,
But he who hides his eyes will have many curses.

1 John 3:16-18 (NASB)

¹⁶ We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.¹⁷ But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his ^[a]heart ^[b]against him, how does the love of God abide in him?¹⁸ Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

James 2:15-20 NKJV

If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

Matthew 25:37-40 (NKJV)

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You,or thirsty and give You drink? ³⁸ When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? ³⁹ Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, ^(A)inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

BE BLESSTIFIED!

• 

Luke 21:25-33 (NKJV)

²⁵ “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; ²⁶ men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷ Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

I want this article to provoke thought, study, conversation and prayer. There are some dreadful things that must occur before our Savior returns.

Because of the time of year, many people are equating the ‘Christmas Star’ of the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn to the star that guided the Magi to Yeshua the Messiah.

However, we all know that Jesus wasn’t really born during the Winter Solstice. But, when our Savior was born isn’t what this piece is about.

Remember that God doesn’t allow anything to happen without giving us a warning. He has always given signs for us to observe, while searching the scriptures and history.

We also know that Satan loves to imitate and pervert everything holy, even our Triune God…

God the Father, God the Son (Yeshua the Messiah) and His Holy Spirit (Ruach Hakodesh)

Satan, The AntiChrist, the False Prophet (who persuaded the world to worship the Beast)…

Revelation 13:11-18 (NKJV)

¹¹ Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. ¹² And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. ¹³ He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. ¹⁴ And he deceives ^[a]those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. ¹⁵ He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. ¹⁶ He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, ¹⁷ and that no one may buy or sell except one who has ^[b]the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. ¹⁸ Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

As much as we would love to see this phenomenon as a sign of hope…what if it’s a warning?

What if it’s a warning of the coming of, and possibly even the birth of the Man of Lawlessness?

2 Thessalonians 2

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, ² not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of ^[a]Christ had come. ³ Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of ^[b]sin is revealed, the son of perdition, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits ^[c]as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. ⁵ Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? ⁶ And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. ⁷ For the ^[d]mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only ^[e]He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, ¹⁰ and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ¹¹ And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, ¹² that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

What if the ‘star’ is a warning of increasingly challenging times.

What if the ‘star’ is signifying an escalation in the great ‘falling away’.

Have we become so distracted from theatrical politics and a worldwide pandemic that we aren’t noticing something that God is trying to show us?

Would that be a surprising way to end a year like 2020?

Think about it. Study about it. Talk about it. Pray about it.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

• 

The bible is clear that Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) was tempted in ALL points just as we are. He was presented the same opportunities to sin, yet remained sinless. He was presented with the same ‘hard tests’ that are presented to each and every one of us.

Hebrews 4:15 (NKJV)

¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:15 (NLT)

¹⁵ This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.

Hebrews 4:15 (Complete Jewish Bible)

¹⁵ For we do not have a cohen gadol unable to empathize with our weaknesses; since in every respect he was tempted just as we are, the only difference being that he did not sin.

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He was born into the weakness of sinful flesh, the same as ours, yet He made the choice not to sin.

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Romans 8:3 (NKJV)

³ For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,

This means that Jesus wouldn’t ask us to be tempted by any temptation that He didn’t endure and resist…ANY TEMPTATION.

Even the most vile, impulsive, freaky, passionate, carnal and visceral temptations that God allows to be presented to us…were presented to Jesus, and He resisted.

Now, I know this is going to threaten the theology of many, but this means Jesus had to have been tempted by…

Fill in the blanks…

______________.

______________.

______________.

Yep, and also _______________.

He loved us so much to allow the body He was given to be tempted by EVERYTHING, to show that we can overcome our fleshly desires and endure temptations.

The LORD did it to prove that even our most innate desires, even those that come ‘naturally’ to us are no excuse to indulge in them.

Too many times we want to twist the scriptures to fit our own perspectives, preferences, fears, ideas, and theologies. We try to sterilize our faith into ineffectiveness — we can’t ‘clean up’ the way Jesus was tempted, yet resisted.

Jesus walked in our shoes.

“He walked in our shoes,

so we could know,

that we can walk in this body,

and not wear out our ‘soles’.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Don’t get too excited when they are impressed by you…speak well of you…profess loyalty to you…or say they love you.

It can always be “HOSANNA!” one minute, and “CRUCIFY HIM!” the next.

John 2:23-25 (NKJV)

²³ Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the ^(A)signs which He did. ²⁴ But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He ^(B)knew all men, ²⁵ and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for ^(C)He knew what was in man.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

From the Washington Redskins, to the Cleveland Indians, to Black History, to the Confederacy…few things provoke anger and division like adjusting the narrative of history.

However, it’s unfortunate that many of those who are so passionate about their own history and culture want to dictate how others should feel about theirs.

Americans have the freedom to honor what’s important to them privately.

But, when it comes to public institutions and entities, many of which were established when America tolerated a clearly biased and insensitive narrative, just as when Jesus came and threatened many Jewish traditions when He established the New Covenant…there comes a time for change. (Whew that was a long sentence).

Mark 7:5-8 (NKJV)

^5 (A)Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”

⁶ He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you ^(B)hypocrites, as it is written:

^(C)‘This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
⁷ And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

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

Public institutions and entities shape thoughts and attitudes for generations. As society corrects it’s wrongs…changes must be made.

Honor and celebrate as you wish on your t-shirt, bumper sticker or property, but public property and institutions and entities must consider what is offensive to all citizens of America…not just those who feel they own the narrative

BE BLESSTIFIED!

• 

My wife and I love to clown around and play with one another. One of her favorite ways to ‘annoy’ me sometimes is to ignore me.

The fact that she doesn’t respond doesn’t mean that she didn’t see, hear or notice me. She is making a deliberate attempt not respond…that takes effort.

So many times creatives, writers, artists, musicians, ministers, etc. can become frustrated when they feel they are being ignored.

Let me give you a quick word of encouragement.

It can be painful when people who are close to you…acquaintances…peers don’t acknowledge what you release from your heart.

But remember this.

---

YOU CAN’T IGNORE WHAT YOU HAVEN’T NOTICED!

---

Just as when my wife is teasing with me…it takes effort to ignore someone. There’s always a reason that people ignore you. Sometimes its…

Envy

Jealousy

Pride

Simply not wanting you to know that they see what God has allowed you to accomplish.

So, don’t get too upset when you’re pretty sure that you’re being deliberately ignored. That’s confirmation that you’re making an impact. And, the impression that you made is still a seed planted, even if you’re ignored.

Matthew 10:14 (ESV)

¹⁴ And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

• 

Work life can be challenging. The pressures of jobs and careers can keep your mind racing all night long and even threaten marriages and family life.

Much of this stress comes from people being overwhelmed because of unrealistic expectations and unhealthy work cultures. However, much of this could be avoided.

Many times dysfunction, inefficiency and ineffectiveness can be deflected down the hierarchy of organizations placing the blame on each lower level of management and responsibility. However, many managers continue to add to an unrealistic list of tasks and expect the people they manage to maintain high levels of production, quality, effectiveness, efficiency, etc.

For example, if a manager assigns 15 tasks that require 1 hour to be accomplished in an 8 hour work day…it’s not going to happen.

From corporate America to education to manufacturing…unrealistic expectations is poisoning the cultures of workplaces around the world.

Here’s the problem. Multitasking is a myth. It is impossible. Two objects of matter can’t occupy the same space at the same time. You can only have one thing on your mind at a time. It is impossible to think about two things at the same time…impossible.

Just like computers, people have a maximum bandwidth.

How many times are employees accused of poor time management when management is doing a poor job of managing available human ‘bandwidth — Simply handing out more tasks isn’t ‘managing’.

Think about it.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

• 

I love America and I think it is a great country in which to live. I am thankful to God for allowing me to be a citizen of this country. But, am I ‘proud’ of America? No! Why? Simply because God forbids any form of pride. We are not to be ‘proud’ of our country, family, accomplishments or anything…but rather be thankful.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)

¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I know people ‘push back’ on that notion, but the fact is that:

GOD HATES PRIDE! GOD HATES PRIDE! GOD HATES PRIDE!

Proverbs 6:16-19 (NKJV)

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

James 4:6 (NKJV)

⁶ But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”

Proverbs 16:18 (NKJV)

¹⁸ Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before ^[a]a fall.

However, pride has become the accepted abomination in America. Those who claim to be Christians have subtly become infected with the plague of pride, arrogance, self-righteousness and hypocrisy…and the enemy has blinded them that they can’t see it.

People feel justified in rejecting the sins of abortion and homosexuality (and yes, they are sins) while accepting, excusing, justifying and possessing the pride that God hates.

Pride is the first mentioned among the seven deadly sins because it is the ‘parent’ sin to countless ‘offspring’ sins!

If you read the bible carefully, Israel and Judah weren’t rejected because of the heathens, prostitutes, and the ‘overt’ sinners in the land, but they rejected because of the PRIDE of those who called themselves to be the children of God…

Jeremiah 13:8-11 (NKJV)

⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ⁹ “Thus says the Lord: ‘In this manner I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. ¹⁰ This evil people, who refuse to hear My words, who follow^[a] the dictates of their hearts, and walk after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be just like this sash which is profitable for nothing. ¹¹ For as the sash clings to the waist of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me,’ says the Lord, ‘that they may become My people, for renown, for praise, and for glory; but they would not hear.’

Too many people in America only see America as always the HERO or the ‘HOLY VICTIM’. I love America, but we (none of us) have not ALWAYS been the hero.

---

Too many people only see America as:

Israel and never Egypt…

Joseph and never his brothers who sold him into slavery…

Esther & Mordecai and never Haman…

Israel/Judah and never Assyria…

Israel/Judah and never Babylon…

Jesus and never Judas…

Jesus and never the Pharisees…

Jesus and never Herod…

Jesus and never Pilate…

Israel and never the Romans…

---

And, even when America sees itself as Israel, too many in America never see themselves as REBUKED ISRAEL which God is holding accountable for their sins, but only heroic, victorious or restored Israel.

The bible is full of accounts of Israel being rebuked for not only their sins, but not rejecting the sins of their ‘fathers’. Instead, too many sins of America’s past are celebrated as ‘history’ and ‘heritage’. God has proven that everything about our past should not only go uncelebrated, but should be confessed and repented…

Leviticus 26:39-42 (NKJV)

³⁹ And those of you who are left shall ^[a]waste away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; also in their fathers’ iniquities, which are with them, they shall waste away.

⁴⁰ ‘But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me,

⁴¹ and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt—

⁴² then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember;

I will remember the land.

Remember this, for restoration, God called for those who call themselves to be His to repent, not the ‘overt’ sinners in the land…

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)

¹⁴ if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land

To many, so-called patriotism has become a form of idolatry. Pride will destroy American before anything else does.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

• 

John 4:24 (NKJV)

²⁴ God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

The traditional ‘nativity scene’ depicting the night that Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) was born is a favorite Christmas decoration and reenactment.

Of course it features Mary, Joseph, the Baby Jesus, the shepherds, and the Magi or ‘wise men’ from the East.

---

There’s only one problem…

The Magi or ‘wise men’ were not there that night…not yet.

---

When you read the account closely, the location that the wise men found Jesus was not a stable, and He was not in a manger. He was no longer an infant, and Joseph was not present when the wise men visited.

Matthew 2:11 (NKJV)

¹¹ And when they had come into the HOUSE, they saw the YOUNG CHILD with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Luke 2:15-16 (NKJV)

¹⁵ So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.

It says very clearly that they arrived at a house, that Jesus was a young child, and His father wasn’t there at the time. At the scene of the birth Jesus is called a Babe, while at the scene with the wise men He is called a small child.

---

Notice also that the events recorded in Matthew 2:1-12 took place AFTER Yeshua was born. And, one must consider the took some time…

Matthew 2:1-12 (NKJV)

Now AFTER Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, ^[a]wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ² saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

³ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

⁵ So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

⁶ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

⁷ Then Herod, when he had secretly called the ^[b]wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. ⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

⁹ When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. ¹¹ And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

¹² Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

After the LORD was born, the wise men traveled to Jerusalem after seeing the star and inquired of where they could find Jesus…that took some time.

After hearing of this, Herod gathered the chief priests and scribes and asked them where Christ was born…that took some time.

Herod then secretly requested that the wise men come to him. After determining when the star appeared, he asked the wise men to CAREFULLY (take you time) search for the “young child”… that took some time.

After finding the LORD, the wise men didn’t return to Herod, but went straight to their own country, further implying a longer journey…that took some time.

Consider this from my post, “Accepting That Something You’ve Sincerely Believed Is Wrong”…

1. According to verses 9-10, when they came to where the star stood over where the YOUNG CHILD was (not baby), they came into THE HOUSE (not stable) and found Jesus with His mother (Joseph wasn’t present at the time).
2. According to verse 12, after being warned in a dream, they departed into their own country…you can’t do all of that in one night’s time.
3. In verses 16 Herod ordered that all male children age 2 and under be killed…because that’s when the star first appeared.
4. After the wise men leave, that’s when Joseph’s name reappears as he takes his family into Egypt.

Some people are so accustomed to believing the wise men were there in the stable, that rather than accept that may not be true and they came later, we start trying to find a way to prove what wish to believe is true…rather than seek the real truth.

---

The fact is that the shepherds and wise men visited Jesus on two different occasions, possibly separated by about two years.

---

Many of those who have the traditional nativity scene ingrained in their minds may ask, “What does it matter?”

Again, because God said that anything done to worship Him MUST be done in spirit and not truth. Unfortunately, Christians are notorious for twisting and compromising to fit traditions and their will instead of God’s.

If you’re going to celebrate the Son of God’s birth, do it in SPIRIT AND TRUTH!

The traditional nativity scene is not truth.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

• 

How many times have you heard the phrase, “They made a deal with the devil?”

I contend that the devil won’t and hasn’t ‘made a deal’ with anyone and here are the biblical reasons why…

1. THE DEVIL KNOWS GOD WILL ACCEPT OUR REPENTANCE ANYTIME

The devil knows the word of God. That’s what he used to try and tempt Jesus in Matthew 4:1-11.

So, he knows that God is willing to accept our repentance through His Son and our Savior, Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ). Just as the thief on the cross, sincere repentance and accepting His Son as our Savior, no matter how we have lived our lives, will secure our salvation.

Luke 23:39-43 (NKJV)

³⁹ Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ^[a]“If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” ⁴⁰ But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? ⁴¹ And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴² Then he said ^[b]to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” ⁴³ And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

2. THE DEVIL KNOWS A DEAL WITH GOD SUPERSEDES A DEAL WITH HIM

Because the devil knows that God will accept our sincere repentance, he knows that any ‘deal’ made with him would be immediately ‘voided’. He has only the power that God allows him…temporarily. Remember Job…

Job 1:12 (NKJV)

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

3. THE DEVIL KNOWS HOW WE ARE

Since the devil knows that God will accept our repentance at any time, and that he only has limited control, he knows it is possible that we could change our mind at anytime. He knows that if we change our mind and ‘default’ on our ‘contract’ with him, that God will support it.

4. HE WILL HAVE NO AUTHORITY IN ‘HELL’ ANYWAY

Besides, the devil will have absolutely no authority in eternal separation from God. He and those who follow him will be in eternal punishment. He is not being rewarded an eternal kingdom of darkness…

Revelation 20:9-11 (CJB)

⁹ and they came up over the breadth of the Land and surrounded the camp of God’s people and the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and consumed them. ¹⁰ The Adversary who had deceived them was hurled into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

The devil is not omnipotent, omnipresent and definitely not omniscient. He has only been given authority for a little while. He knows how much God loves us and that making a deal with us would be…foolish. He is many things, but definitely not stupid.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Okay, this one’s just for fun.

Otis Redding is a soul music legend. I’ve been told that I remind people of him.

Soooo, per the picture above, do you think with a little makeup and a little more hair…could I pull off playing him in a movie?

Call the casting directors🤣

BE BLESSTIFIED!

• 

God is a healer and can heal any disease if He chooses. That’s why it’s so important to specifically call out the Hebrew name for God, Yehovah Rapha, The God Who Heals, when praying for your healing, or interceding for someone else. And of course do this in the name of Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

But, as much as we know that God can heal, we have to deal with the fact that some people have illnesses for years. And, some never get healed.

Is a chronic illness a blessing? NO.

Is a chronic illness a curse? NOT ALWAYS.

SO, IF A CHRONIC ILLNESS ISN’T A BLESSING AND ISN’T A CURSE, THEN WHAT IS IT?

A CHRONIC ILLNESS IS NOT A CURSE WHEN…

1. WHEN IT’S A ‘THORN IN THE FLESH‘

The Apostle Paul had a problem, an issue, a concern that bothered him so much that he prayed and asked God to remove it 3 times. Was it an illness? We don’t know, but we do know that God chose not to remove it, even though Paul was fulfilling his purpose…

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NKJV)

⁷ And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a ^(A)thorn in the flesh was given to me, ^(B)a messenger of Satan to ^[a]buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. ^{8 (C)}Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. ⁹ And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly ^(D)I will rather boast in my infirmities, ^(E)that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ Therefore ^(F)I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. ^(G)For when I am weak, then I am strong.

If you’re enduring an illness while trusting God, His power is resting on you. When you’re at your weakest, through Him you are strong…it’s not a curse.

2. WHEN IT’S TO REVEAL GOD’S GLORY…

Most of us know the account of Jesus healing a man that was born blind in John Chapter 9. When asked who’s sin ‘cursed’ the man, Yeshua quickly told them no one sinned, but he was born blind so that God could be later glorified through his healing. Through his healing we have a testimony of God’s power.

If you’re enduring a hardship and it seems it won’t go away. Keep the faith. Remember, the man in John Chapter 9 was of age, blind since he was a child. But, when he was healed, there were witnesses and we are talking about it today…it’s not a curse.

John 9:3 (NKJV)

³ Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, ^(A)but that the works of God should be revealed in him.

3. AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE IN CHRIST’S SUFFERING…

This isn’t talked about much, but sometimes our suffering is God trusting us with the opportunity to share in the sufferings of our Lord and Savior…

1 Peter 4:13 (NKJV)

¹³ but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

Philippians 1:29 (NKJV)

²⁹ For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,

Part of our calling is to endure some suffering for the sake of the name of Jesus. When you think about it, it’s only fair. What’s not fair is that some people suffer more than others. But, God never claimed to be fair, only just.

If you’re going through a chronic illness, think about how much our Savior suffered for us…it’s not a curse.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

• 

We have all been there. Those moments when you aren’t angry at God. You aren’t angry at God. You aren’t angry at the world…you’re angry at yourself and the sins, bad decisions and mistakes you have made.

Most of the time we feel this way because we’re living out the consequences of those mistakes, or it’s because we are silently noticing how our decisions have had a negative affect on those we love.

Yes, there are things beyond our control. Yes, there are times the world hasn’t been fair to us. And, yes there are times that God could have moved on our behalf and He didn’t.

But when we’re honest with ourselves, much of the difficulty we face in life is a result of our own sins or bad decisions.

When we admit this to ourselves, it can lead to moments or seasons of depression. So, what do you do?

1. REMEMBER THOSE USED BY GOD IN THE BIBLE WERE FAR FROM PERFECT

Remember that everyone in the bible who was used by God was far from perfect. From Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to the patriarchs. From Noah to Moses to David to Peter to Paul. From Sarah to Rebecca to Miriam to Job’s wife…the men and women in the bible made horrible mistakes. However, they were still used by God.

2. YOU DIDN’T CATCH GOD BY SURPRISE WHEN YOU MESSED UP

God was not surprised when he sinned with Bathsheba. God knew that was going to happen when He anointed David king years before. Also know that YOU didn’t catch God by surprise when you messed up. Especially if it’s due to one of the weaknesses that He gave you. Many of our weaknesses are innate. Some people are naturally horrible with managing money. Others have an unquenchable appetite for sex that can only be controlled with the help of God’s Holy Spirit. While other people have a natural tendency to quickly get angry and act before thinking. These are all weakness that we need God’s help to overcome. This is His way of nurturing a relationship to keep us close to Him…but too many times we allow our weaknesses to overpower our strengths. Never forget that His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses…

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (NKJV)

⁸ Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. ⁹ And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

3. GOD MADE YOU AND KNOWS THE CHALLENGES OF LIVING IN ‘FLESH’

God knows that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41)

He has compassion on us when we are repentant about our ‘human’ moments…

Psalm 103:10-14 (NKJV)

¹⁰ He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
¹² As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
¹³ As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
¹⁴ For He ^[a]knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.

4. GOD CAN DELIVER US FROM THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR SINS, BAD DECISIONS AND WEAKNESSES

God is a keeper ( Yehovah Raah, The Lord is our Shepherd) and is able to sustain us in spite of our mistakes. There are those who have made the same mistakes you have and have lost much more… have suffered much more… and some didn’t even survive. But, He kept you…sustained you… nurtured you… and had mercy on you through your weakest, darkest moments. David remained king after he repented and remained a man after God’s heart. God restored to Job twice as much as he had after he prayed for his friends who made his ordeal much worse (Job 42:10-17). After denying Christ, Peter went on to be one of the most influential Apostles. No matter what you’ve done, if you repent and it’s God’s will, He can deliver you from the consequences of your sins, bad decisions and weaknesses. Especially if it’s an innate weakness He gave you. Make this prayer a part of your regular prayer life:

“Heavenly father, I truly repent of how I have let you down. Please forgive me and if it’s your will deliver me from the consequences of my sins, bad decisions and weakness.”

5. REMEMBER THAT GOD ALLOWS US MOMENTS TO LAMENT AS LONG AS WE STILL PROCLAIM OUR TRUST IN HIM

One of the most beautiful things about the Psalms is that they teach us how to express our regret and even question Him in respect as long as we end those moments reaffirming our trust in Him.

Psalm 13 (NIV)

¹ How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
² How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
    and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
    How long will my enemy triumph over me?

³ Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
    Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
⁴ and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
    and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

⁵ But I trust in your unfailing love;
    my heart rejoices in your salvation.
⁶ I will sing the Lord’s praise,
    for he has been good to me.

So, don’t be too hard on yourself wen you’re feeling down and depressed. God made you and He knows you. Just as parents don’t enjoy seeing their children cry when they are truly sorry of their mistakes, God is compassionate. Do just what David did as he lamented the kidnapping of their women and children and bore the blame of those closest to him. Encourage and strengthen yourself in the LORD and keep it moving! Remember, God gave him the victory then too.

1 Samuel 30 (NKJV)

Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, ² and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way. ³ So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. ⁴ Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep. ⁵ And David’s two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive. ⁶ Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was ^[a]grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

• 

Evil is a reality and absolute just like good (9).

You can’t have good without evil just as you can’t have right without left… (23)

Just like you can’t have up without down. (30)

But, just as up without down changes in outer space. (40)

Good and evil will change when Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) returns. (51)

God uses both for His purpose in this age (Good to bless — Evil for discipline). (66)

However, God will separate good from evil for eternity when Yeshua the Messiah returns. (80)

Proverbs 16:4 (NKJV)

⁴ The Lord has made all for Himself,
Yes, even the wicked for the day of ^[a]doom.

Genesis 50:20 (NKJV)

²⁰ But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

Isaiah 10:5-6 (NKJV)

⁵ “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger
And the staff in whose hand is My indignation.
⁶ I will send him against an ungodly nation,
And against the people of My wrath
I will give him charge,
To seize the spoil, to take the prey,
And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

Matthew 13:24-30 (NKJV)

²⁴ Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; ²⁵ but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. ²⁶ But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. ²⁷ So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ ²⁸ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ ²⁹ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’

3 REASONS WHY A LOVING GOD ALLOWS EVIL…

WHY GOD ALLOWED PEOPLE TO BE STONED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, BUT NOT NOW…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

• 

One of the things about the Old Testament is that it gives us extreme examples of what God loves and what He hates. His extreme judgements explicitly gave us insight into how He feels, reacted as well as spiritual concepts and laws that are still relevant today…

1 Corinthians 10:11 (NKJV)

¹¹ Now ^[a]all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our ^[b]admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

Romans 15:4 (NKJV)

⁴ For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the ^[a]patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

One of those concepts is generational curses. That’s when God places a curse on an individual that continues to transfer to his or her posterity. Seems pretty unfair huh? But, it’s been that way since the Garden of Eden after Adam and his wife sinned.

When you read Deuteronomy 28 God lists the blessings of obedience and the curses of disobedience. These blessings and curses are generational…

Deuteronomy 28:45-46 (NKJV)

⁴⁵ “Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you ^[a]did not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. ⁴⁶ And they shall be upon you for a sign and a wonder, and on your DESCENDANTS FOREVER.

Forever is a long time. Seems unfair doesn’t it?

But, there is a reason for this.

Whenever God cursed or punished His people, what was it that always removed the curse, that would have otherwise remained FOREVER?

WHEN THEY REPENTED!

Leviticus 26:40-42 (NKJV)

⁴⁰ ‘But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me,

⁴¹ and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies;

if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt—

⁴² then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember;

I will remember the land.

1 John 1:9  (NKJV)

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

Think about your family and the attitudes, habits, thoughts and behaviors that have gone on for generations. How many of them can STOP with your generation?

If you feel your family is under the generational power of dysfunction, promiscuity, homosexuality, addiction, arrogance, pride, shame, racism, poverty, anger, witchcraft, violence, sickness etc,….

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SOME OF THESE CURSES COULD STOP WITH YOUR GENERATION IF YOU CHANGE GENERATIONAL BEHAVIOR IN OTHER AREAS.

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As much as parents and grandparents love their children, no one ever does everything RIGHT. God consistently reminded Israel of the ‘sins of their fathers.’

Stop and think about the things that your parents and grandparents did that were not pleasing to God, but may have continued through tradition, bad teaching or simply because ‘that’s the way we do things’.

Be bold enough to change it the way that Hezekiah did not continue in the sins of the kings before him. He TORE DOWN the alters and evil practices of those who came before him…

2 Kings 18:1-5  (NKJV)

18 Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. ² He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi^[a] the daughter of Zechariah. ³ And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.

⁴ He removed the ^[b]high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the ^[c]wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it ^[d]Nehushtan. ⁵ He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him.

What ‘alters’ do you need to tear down in your family?

CONFESS. REPENT. and BREAK THE CURSE.

Now, read Nehemiah Chapter 9 and notice that after they were allowed by God to return from exile, they confessed not only their sins, but the sins of their ancestors. Notice in BOLD print each time the people confessed their sin…

NEHEMIAH 9 (NKJV)

9 Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with ^[a]dust on their heads. ² Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. ³ And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for one-fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God.

⁴ Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the ^[b]stairs of the Levites and cried out with a loud voice to the Lord their God. ⁵ And the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said:

“Stand up and bless the Lord your God
Forever and ever!

“Blessed be Your glorious name,
Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!

Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
⁶ You alone are the Lord;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You.

⁷ “You are the Lord God,
Who chose Abram,
And brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans,
And gave him the name Abraham;
⁸ You found his heart faithful before You,
And made a covenant with him
To give the land of the Canaanites,
The Hittites, the Amorites,
The Perizzites, the Jebusites,
And the Girgashites—
To give it to his descendants.
You have performed Your words,
For You are righteous.

“You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt,
And heard their cry by the Red Sea.
¹⁰ You showed signs and wonders against Pharaoh,
Against all his servants,
And against all the people of his land.
For You knew that they acted ^[c]proudly against them.
So You made a name for Yourself, as it is this day.
¹¹ And You divided the sea before them,
So that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land;
And their persecutors You threw into the deep,
As a stone into the mighty waters.
¹² Moreover You led them by day with a cloudy pillar,
And by night with a pillar of fire,
To give them light on the road
Which they should travel.

¹³ “You came down also on Mount Sinai,
And spoke with them from heaven,
And gave them just ordinances and true laws,
Good statutes and commandments.
¹⁴ You made known to them Your holy Sabbath,
And commanded them precepts, statutes and laws,
By the hand of Moses Your servant.
¹⁵ You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger,
And brought them water out of the rock for their thirst,
And told them to go in to possess the land
Which You had ^[d]sworn to give them.

“But they and our fathers acted ^[e]proudly,
Hardened^[f] their necks,
And did not heed Your commandments.
¹⁷ They refused to obey,
And they were not mindful of Your wonders
That You did among them.
But they hardened their necks,
And ^[g]in their rebellion
They appointed a leader
To return to their bondage.
But You are God,
Ready to pardon,
Gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger,
Abundant in kindness,
And did not forsake them.

¹⁸ “Even when they made a molded calf for themselves,
And said, ‘This is your god
That brought you up out of Egypt,’
And worked great provocations,
¹⁹ Yet in Your manifold mercies
You did not forsake them in the wilderness.
The pillar of the cloud did not depart from them by day,
To lead them on the road;
Nor the pillar of fire by night,
To show them light,
And the way they should go.

You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them,
And did not withhold Your manna from their mouth,
And gave them water for their thirst.
²¹ Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness;
They lacked nothing;
Their clothes did not wear out
And their feet did not swell.

²² “Moreover You gave them kingdoms and nations,
And divided them into ^[h]districts.
So they took possession of the land of Sihon,
^[i]The land of the king of Heshbon,
And the land of Og king of Bashan.
²³ You also multiplied their children as the stars of heaven,
And brought them into the land
Which You had told their fathers
To go in and possess.
²⁴ So the ^[j]people went in
And possessed the land;
You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land,
The Canaanites,
And gave them into their hands,
With their kings
And the people of the land,
That they might do with them as they wished.

And they took strong cities and a rich land,
And possessed houses full of all goods,
Cisterns already dug, vineyards, olive groves,
And ^[k]fruit trees in abundance.
So they ate and were filled and grew fat,
And delighted themselves in Your great goodness.

²⁶ “Nevertheless they were disobedient
And rebelled against You,
Cast Your law behind their backs
And killed Your prophets, who ^[l]testified against them
To turn them to Yourself;
And they worked great provocations.
²⁷ Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their enemies,
Who oppressed them;
And in the time of their trouble,
When they cried to You,
You heard from heaven;
And according to Your abundant mercies
You gave them deliverers who saved them
From the hand of their enemies.

“But after they had rest,
They again did evil before You.
Therefore You left them in the hand of their enemies,
So that they had dominion over them;
Yet when they returned and cried out to You,
You heard from heaven;
And many times You delivered them according to Your mercies,
²⁹ And ^[m]testified against them,
That You might bring them back to Your law.
Yet they acted ^[n]proudly,
And did not heed Your commandments,
But sinned against Your judgments,
‘Which if a man does, he shall live by them.’
And they shrugged their shoulders,
^[o]Stiffened their necks,
And would not hear.
³⁰ Yet for many years You had patience with them,
And ^[p]testified against them by Your Spirit in Your prophets.
Yet they would not listen;
Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
³¹ Nevertheless in Your great mercy
You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them;
For You are God, gracious and merciful.

“Now therefore, our God,
The great, the mighty, and awesome God,
Who keeps covenant and mercy:
Do not let all the ^[q]trouble seem small before You
That has come upon us,
Our kings and our princes,
Our priests and our prophets,
Our fathers and on all Your people,
From the days of the kings of Assyria until this day.
³³ However You are just in all that has befallen us;
For You have dealt faithfully,
But we have done wickedly.
³⁴ Neither our kings nor our princes,
Our priests nor our fathers,
Have kept Your law,
Nor heeded Your commandments and Your testimonies,
With which You testified against them.
³⁵ For they have not served You in their kingdom,
Or in the many good things that You gave them,
Or in the large and rich land which You set before them;
Nor did they turn from their wicked works.

“Here we are, servants today!
And the land that You gave to our fathers,
To eat its fruit and its bounty,
Here we are, servants in it!
³⁷ And it yields much increase to the kings
You have set over us,
Because of our sins;
Also they have dominion over our bodies and our cattle
At their pleasure;
And we are in great distress.

³⁸ “And because of all this,
We make a sure covenant and write it;
Our leaders, our Levites, and our priests seal it.”

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Now notice what God says to Israel in Leviticus Chapter 40 after giving them consequences of being disobedient…

Leviticus 26:40-45  (NKJV)

⁴⁰ ‘But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me,

⁴¹ and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies;

if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt—

⁴² then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember;

I will remember the land.

⁴³ The land also shall be left empty by them, and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them;

they will accept their guilt, because they despised My judgments and because their soul abhorred My statutes.

⁴⁴ Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor them, to utterly destroy them and break My covenant with them;

for I am the Lord their God.

⁴⁵ But for their sake I will remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God:

I am the Lord.’ ”

What ‘sins of your fathers and mothers’ are you allowing to continue in another generation? What sins have you not rejected?

BE BLESSTIFIED!

This piece is not necessarily critical of fraternal organizations, but addresses a question in an age of removing vestiges of white supremacy and racism from American institutions.

The question it addresses is valid whether you agree or disagree with the removal of monuments, statues and aspects of a time in American when open exclusion, subjugation and racism was accepted.

Black fraternities and sororities are an integral part of Black culture.

Most began in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s following the models of White fraternities and sororities that excluded Black members.

Membership in these organizations has become a tradition and expectation in many families.

They are responsible for much great work in the community.

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But here’s the question. In an age of the removal of statues and monuments erected in a time when America had a different mindset, why aren’t the Greek letters that distinguish these organizations considered to be a reminder of the system that excluded Blacks from membership? Why are they excluded from the conversation?

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How many African languages are there that offer options of letters that could be used to not only distinguish these organizations, but also celebrate African heritage?

Or, why use letters at all?

Black members of these organizations say, “I’m Greek.” How many people of other cultures proclaim, “I’m an African”?

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Greece is a part of the European continent. Members of these organizations refer to themselves by saying, “I’m a Greek.” Even though both religion and science agree that life began in Africa…how many people of other continents proclaim, “I’m an African”. How many people are more passionate about their affiliation than their faith in God.

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God introduced Himself to Moses as ‘I AM’, so we must be careful what we say behind our “I AM”.

Exodus 3:14 (NKJV)

¹⁴ And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

There is no condemnation for using Greek letters and culture…just wondering why members of Black fraternities and sororities who are passionate about removing aspects of racism are excluding Greek letters and culture ( language and letters are a part of culture) from the conversation and movement.

Am I an expert on secret societies and their history in America? No.

But, that doesn’t reduce the legitimacy of the question.

What do you think?

BE BLESSTIFIED!

• 

Should there be consequence for when reasonable expectations aren’t met on the job? Yes, of course!

But, in our current culture it’s become all to common for a boss to ‘chew out’ and employee who isn’t meeting those expectations…who makes a mistake…who needs correction.

No matter where someone sits on the hierarchy of organizational structure, the fact is that workers are all just people doing a job to take care of their families or themselves…to make a living.

It’s true some jobs are much more impactful on society if someone messes up, for example if someone is setting up an operating room for emergency surgery, but the fact still remains that all workers are equal citizens doing a job.

But think about this. Outside the workplace, your boss is just another person. He or she is someone else’s wife, husband, son, daughter, father, mother…just a person. They have absolutely NO authority over your life outside of your commitment to the company or organization.

Because we are all just equal citizens trying to make a living, no one has the right to overly assertively reprimand another adult at work. Offices, factories, schools and churches are not the military.

No one has the right to belittle you… insult you… embarrass you… or even threaten you because they think that’s leadership. This usually happens when the correction is affected by emotions.

Every organization has consequences in place for when expectations aren’t met.

Verbally warn me with respect!

Write me up!

Demote me!

Fire me!

But no one has the right to belittle, insult, embarrass, threaten or treat another adult like a child, even if they have organizational authority over them.

Real leadership isn’t achieved through fear, intimidation, or adult bullying.

When a person is hired, make sure that the progression of consequences are clear, and proceed through them with respect.

No one wants to be disrespected, not even when they mess up.

Matthew 7:12 (NKJV)

¹² Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

What do you think?

BE BLESSTIFIED.