WHEN THE DEVIL WANTS YOU TO THINK THE GOOD YOU DO ISN’T DOING YOU ANY GOOD…

1 Corinthians 15:58 (NKJV)

⁵⁸^(A)Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing ^(B)that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

May 15, 2021 0

CURSED WITH EVERYTHING THEY EVER WANTED…

We all know there are millions of children born into poverty putting them at an undeniable disadvantage in getting ‘ahead’ in the world. However, there are those who still overcame the ‘curse’ of poverty. I don’t know why some are born rich while others are born into deep poverty. I do know that Jesus affirmed that the poor will always be with us (Matthew 26:11).

Sometimes those born into generational poverty can feel they are, and very well may be living under a curse, but I want to talk about an often overlooked ‘curse’. Those who are…

CURSED WITH EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED

Just as there are those born into generations of poverty, there are also those born into generations of wealth. Wealth that they didn’t have to earn for themselves. This unmerited wealth can be just as much a ‘curse’ as deep poverty.

Some people call it SPOILED…

It’s when your so-called BLESSINGS have become a BURDEN and stumbling block…spiritually, morally and hindered the development of Godly character.

They are cursed with no real concept of need, lack, or sacrifice.

They are cursed with a mindset of entitlement…that they deserve everything they have and more with no sense of compassion for those with less.

They were denied the opportunities for the disappointments that are designed equip us to deal with the real world.

And here’s the thing, you don’t have to have extravagant wealth to have this CURSED mindset. There are plenty of middle and lower-income people who feel just as entitled because they really haven’t suffered lack in our prosperous society.

Simply because they weren’t told, “NO!”

After all, God tells us “NO!”. He has the wisdom to NOT give us everything just because we ask or it. WHEN GOD USES THE ‘N-WORD’…

We must be careful that we aren’t raising a cursed generation that feels they DESERVE not only everything that they want, but also INSTANT GRATIFICATION. Parents must be careful not to focus ONLY on making sure their children have…

Smart phones and tablets at younger and younger ages…

The latest brand name shoes and clothes…

The latest video games…

Every extracurricular sport and activity as if it were a job…

While neglecting to give them a spirit of contentment, thanksgiving as a strong sense of responsibility. We must be careful that we don’t neglect their spiritual development while nurturing their carnal development.

This may be what led to the attitude of the young ruler in…

Matthew 19:16-22 (NKJV)

¹⁶Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” ¹⁷So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” ¹⁸He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ¹⁹‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” ²⁰The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” ²¹Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” ²²But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Remember, children don’t have to be rich to be ‘cursed with everything they want’…they only need parents that refuse to say, “No!”

And, yes there are various reason that parents don’t say, “No!”

Sometimes they want their children to have what they never had…

Sometimes they’re living vicariously through their children…

Sometime they are using their children as a symbol of their own status…

Whatever the reason. We must be careful that we aren’t raising a ‘cursed’ generation. In fact, some of the children born poor are better equipped to deal with the real world than their spoiled contemporaries.

These spoiled children grow up to lead and cause chaos and dysfunction in…

Families…

Companies…

Churches…

Countries…

So when you see that poor child in need, don’t feel sorry for them…help them if you can.

When you see that person who was clearly ‘cursed with everything they wanted’, send up a sincere prayer for God to give them a humble heart and His Spirit.

And, if you’re blessed with children, make sure you aren’t cursing them with everything they want.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

May 15, 2021 2

NOTICE HOW MUCH IT PISSES GOD OFF WHEN WE REFUSE TO REST…

This post is not to debate the correct day for the Sabbath, or His commanded day of rest.

The purpose is to quickly show how angry God gets when we refuse to rest every seven days.

One of my greatest take aways from The Old Testament is that it gives us great insight into the heart of God.

If you look closely to how He reacts to Israel when they either met or fell short of His expectations we learn what He loves and what He hates.

While some sins displeased Him enough to get someone kicked out of town (out of the camp) others, at the time, carried a death sentence to illustrate and teach us the level of anger that particular sin gave God.

For example, from creation, God gave us the gift of a day of rest. He commanded that it’s okay to labor for six days, but on the 7th day we are to rest. Of course there were no Saturdays and Sundays at the time because there was no Gregorian calendar at the time.

God got angry numerous times in the Old Testament when His people forsook ( or abandoned) His day of rest. Even if we aren’t under the law, God expects us to rest.

One such occasion that illustrates the level of anger created in God when we refuse to rest…

Numbers 15:32-36 (NKJV)

³²Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. ³³And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. ³⁴They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him.

³⁵Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” ³⁶So, as the Lord commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died.

I’m sure this man had a good reason for picking up sticks, but apparently it wasn’t good enough for God.

The death sentence gave us example of how He feels…

1 Corinthians 10:11 (NKJV)

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

It’s interesting how people say REST IN PEACE when someone dies.

Rest is a gift. In today’s busy society, we need to learn to REST IN PEACE BEFORE WE DIE!

LEARN TO REST IN PEACE BEFORE YOU DIE…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

May 15, 2021 6

WHY ‘GROWING APART’ IS NOT AN EXCUSE FOR DIVORCE…

God intends for marriage to be a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman, no matter how much our modern society makes and accepts excuses to ‘get out of it’. Especially what we call ‘irreconcilable differences’ or ‘we’re just growing apart’.

Malachi 2:16 (NKJV)

¹⁶“For the Lord God of Israel says
That He hates divorce,
For it covers one’s garment with violence,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“Therefore take heed to your spirit,
That you do not deal treacherously.”

Matthew 19:4-8 (NKJV)

⁴And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who ^[a]made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ ⁵and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? ⁶So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.”⁷They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?” ⁸He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

God knows that no matter how much you love one another, that no two people will be the same after 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 plus years of marriage. It’s impossible. Yes, you will grow apart in some areas of your lives. But, that doesn’t have to come between you.

Think about this. If God expected the arranged marriages to last in the bible days, He expects us to stay with the spouse that we choose.

How can we be ministers of reconciliation for God’s Kingdom if we can’t even reconcile the differences in our homes?

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (NKJV)

¹⁸Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not ^[a]imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

In the words of Al Green, “Let’s stay together”