My struggle is REAL! I just wanted to make you smile. with a little help from KONG:SKULL ISLAND.
BE BLESSTIFIED!
11 (ELEVEN) BE BLESSTIFIED! ARTICLES ABOUT GODLY SEX…
“And Adam knew his wife…”
Marriage is much sweeter with FLOWERS đș and FRUIT đ!
Sex isn’t only for ‘procreation’, but it’s also for Godly ‘recreation’ within the boundaries of Godly marriage between a man and a woman. Unfortunately, from fornication, to adultery, to homosexuality, to pornography to cybersex…the enemy tries to provoke us to pervert God’s gift. However, God’s wisdom is interwoven into the ‘oneness’ of Godly intimacy.
Here are 11 of my BE BLESSTIFIED! articles about Godly sex, from a fresh “HEY, I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT LIKE THAT BEFORE” perspective…
2. GODLY MARRIAGE: HOW SEX IS SUBMISSION AND HONOR PERFECTED (Graphic but Holy)âŠ
3. ONLY âGODLY SEXâ IS GOOD SEXâŠ
4. Godly Marriage: THE BLESSING IN WHEN YOUâRE NOT âIN THE MOODâ AT THE SAME TIMEâŠ
5. THE BIBLE SAYS THAT BOOBS ARENâT JUST FOR THE BABIESâŠ
6. HOME ALONE: THE BIBLE SAYS DONâT HOLD OUT ON YOUR SPOUSE!
7. FOR THOSE WHO SAY JESUS NEVER ADDRESSED HOMOSEXUALITYâŠ
8. WHY ITâS STILL A SIN EVEN IF YOU WERE, âBORN THAT WAYââŠ
9. WHEN GOD EXPECTS US TO FORGIVE ADULTERY (CHEATING ON GOD)âŠ
10. THE BIBLE SAYS THAT BOOBS ARENâT JUST FOR THE BABIESâŠ
11. FINALLY HOME ALONE: THE BIBLE SAYS DONâT HOLD OUT ON YOUR SPOUSE!
BE BLESSTIFIED!
Share this:
WHEN THE ‘FACTS’ ARE ABSOLUTELY SUBJECTIVE…
In today’s heated political, social, religious and anti-religious climate, between good discussions, debates, dialogue, commentary, arguing and talking AT one another… people love to preface and punctuate his or her points with “I HAVE THE FACTS TO BACK ME UP!”
If I learned one thing in my years as a Marketing Manager and professional Copywriter it’s that facts can be both interpreted and applied subjectively.
Every television station, radio station, business etc., can be #1 at the same time to a different demographic.
Medical research can be manipulated and delivered to satisfy the marketing efforts of pharmaceutical companies.
People have twisted God’s absolute truth to satisfy their own agendas and narratives.
People will quickly assume that the facts and research that fits their particular point-of- view as superior.
This is why in a court case, both the prosecution and defense present their OWN experts that support their OWN story…both armed with FACTS.
After those who sought to ‘kill’ Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) presented their ‘facts’, Pilate replied…
John 18:38 (NIV)
38 âWhat is truth?â retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, âI find no basis for a charge against him.(A)
John 14:6 (NKJV)
6 Jesus said to him, âI am (A)the way, (B)the truth, and (C)the life. (D)No one comes to the Father(E)except through Me.
We must be honest with ourselves when handling ‘facts’ and the ‘truth’. Because ultimately it’s not about us proving we are ‘RIGHT’, but about us being in harmony with God’s truth.
BE BLESSTIFIED!
Share this:
EVEN THE MOST EFFECTIVE LEADERS DON’T ‘HAVE IT ALL TOGETHER’…
Leaders, especially spiritual leaders , are very highly scrutinized and often criticized if they âdonât have it all togetherâ. We can find ourselves expecting them to be near perfect. But, when we read our bibles, we find that many of Godâs most anointedâŠthose whom He gave great responsibility were lacking in many areas.
Moses and the Apostle Paul werenât the greatest speakers.
Exodus 4:10 (NKJV)
10 Then Moses said to the Lord, âO my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.â
2 Corinthians 11:6 (NKJV)
6 Even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. But we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things.
Eli the anointed High Priest and Judge had corrupt, disobedient sons (1 Samuel 3).
1 Samuel 3:13 Â (NKJV)
13Â For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them.
Peter was quick to speak before he thought, and was even rebuked by Paul for being a hypocrite to the point that it influenced other leaders.
Galatians 2:11-13(NKJV)
11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.
Just because one is anointed by God doesnât mean that he or she doesn’t need any help. Every great leader needs a strong support system. They need to be surrounded by gifted, anointed people they can trust to delegate responsibility and help with their weaknesses. I think thatâs Godâs system of checks and balances.
We sometimes see charismatic, polished and sometimes affluent leaders and assume they have âit all togetherâ and that we could never qualify for leadership in Godâs Kingdom because of our personal issues and weaknesses.
But, let me assure you that all leaders…
ARE NOT CHARISMATIC
Itâs easy to confuse charisma for anointing or confidence. Many great leaders are soft-spoken and reserved. There are many of charismatic leaders who can motivate a crowd but have absolutely no vision. There are others who have the WRONG vision and can motivate millions to do the wrong thing. Never confuse charisma with anointing. Check out this post for more on that… 4 WAYS TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PREACHING & A PERFORMANCEâŠ.
ARE NOT GOOD AT MANAGING MONEY
The ability to manage money can either be a gift or an acquired discipline. For those of whom that it doesnât come so naturally, they can struggle with the discipline, detail and organization it takes to be a great money manager. Remember how one of the devoted prophets in the Old Testament died in poverty leaving his sons to be sold into slaveryâŠ
2 Kings 4:1 (NIV)
4 The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, âYour servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.
ARE NOT ORGANIZED
Here again some people are more naturally inclined to be organized. They pay great attention to detail. They are uneasy when things arenât in place. They even organize things in their minds as they observe them, while others struggle to be organized. They make a sincere effort, but slowly find themselves slipping into their old habits. Notice how the rich nobleman in Luke 16:1-13Â had a shrewd manager hired to manage his affairs.
DON’T HAVE THE BEST BEHAVED CHILDREN
Yes, I know what the bible saysâŠ
1 Timothy 3:4-5 (NKJV)
4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?)
âŠand this is not a contradiction. I had a friend tell me that his dad, a very sincere, devout man of God resigned as a deacon because his son, (my friends brother) was addicted to  drugs and in and out of jail. Well, the devil found out how to move a great leader out of the way. We are all Godâs children and we donât always behave as He commands us, does that mean that Heâs not a good Father? Does that mean that God is not a good leader? No! God setâs the standard of behavior and doesnât waver. He tells us, âNO!â to certain things. Itâs up to us to love and respect Him enough to obey. Thatâs what God expects us to do…set the rules and boundaries in the home. To say, âNo!â and donât waver. As mentioned earlier, Eli, a great man of God, didnât restrain his sons in 1 Samuel Chapters 2 and 3. But, he was still highly respected and used by God.
DON’T HAVE THE PERFECT MARRIAGE
Any stromg leader will tell you that leadership itself is a challenge to marriage. Responsibilities sometimes force the leader to choose between his or her spouse and duties. Leadership cuts into quality time, occupies the leaders mind during personal time, and even sometimes affects the desire for intimacy. It was obvious that ministry took some apostles a way from their wives, which is sure to put a strain on marriage…
1 Corinthians 9:5 (NKJV)
 5 Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?Â
DON’T HAVE A GREAT CREDIT SCORE
Of course God expects leaders to honor their commitments and responsibilities…
Psalm 37:21Â (NKJV)
21Â The wicked borrows and does not repay,
But the righteous shows mercy and gives.
But, when responsibilities arenât met, it not always due to intentional carelessness. Itâs not necessarily because of over extending, but sometimes life happens. Sometimes illness, job loss, an unwanted divorce and other things beyond the leaders control can happen damaging his or her credit.
ARE SOMETIMES TROUBLED BY DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES
Jesus Himself was troubled in the garden the night before He went to the cross.
John 12:27Â (NKJV)
27Â âNow My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? âFather, save Me from this hourâ? But for this purpose I came to this hour.
Sometimes we donât expect our leaders to be visibly troubled by circumstances. But, that only shows their humanity. If Jesus Himself was troubled, the greatest leader of them all, then surely we will be too.
These are only a few of the reasons is why good leaders should be honest with themselves and aware of their natural weaknesses, so they can surround themselves with the right support to carry out their vision. They must also be confident enough in themselves to not be threatened by their support, but have the discernment to know who may actually be a threat to their leadership.
And, those whom they lead must be humble enough to follow in spite of their weaknesses, offering help towards the vision where possible. They must also realize that some weaknesses donât disqualify the leader from leading. For example, the prophet Nathan didnât tell David that he wasnât qualified to be king after murder and adultery. (1 Samuel 12)
 Leaders are only human, and they will all have lapses in character, but overall they must be…
Trustworthy.
IntegrityâŠ
Calm in CrisisâŠ
One who unites rather than dividesâŠ
One who resolves conflict…
And, most of all led by God and a student of His word.
Remember, God uses imperfect people to carry out His perfect will. All good leaders need good help.
BE BLESSTIFIED!
Share this:
4 WAYS TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PREACHING & A PERFORMANCE…
Ephesians Chapter 5 is one of the most powerful scriptures that gives the true meaning for good preaching beyond salvationâŠ
Ephesians 4:11-16 (NKJV)
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the headâChristâ 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
In short, good preaching not only saves the soul, but equips Godâs people to be mature, productive, in agreement and not easily swayed.
The scripture above defines âgood preachingâ, but unfortunately the opinion of âgood preachingâ depends on the church culture. And, unfortunately, good preaching to many isnât defined by the content, but by the delivery.
Yes, a good preacher has to be able to engage the audience and keep their attention, but there is a thin line sometimes between PREACHING and PERFORMANCE.
I’m also a firm believer that charisma helps a preacher be effective in deliveryâŠ
BUT,
We must not confuse charisma with anointing. Some people can get up and recite âMary Had a Little Lambâ with such passion and exuberance that they can have a room full of people shoutingâŠat nothing.
Here are 4 quick ways to tell PREACHING from a PERFORMANCE
SCRIPTURE
Have you ever heard a sermon that didnât have a scriptural foundation? A text? What was that? It was nothing more than a motivational speech or a pep talk.
Beware of sermons that either haveâŠ
No scriptureâŠ
Not enough scriptureâŠ
Or, twisted scriptureâŠ
Remember, a sermon without a strong scriptural foundation is nothing more than a motivational speech or a pep talkâŠwhich have their place. But real preachingâŠ
Saves usâŠ
Challenges usâŠ
Corrects us…
Convicts usâŠ
Sometimes upsets usâŠ
Encourages usâŠ
Inspires us…
Teaches us…
It doesnât JUST make us feel good and entertain usâŠALL the time.
CLICHES & CONJECTURE
As I said in a previous post, that a well-placed clichĂ© can enhance a sermon and really help engage the listeners. However, be very careful when youâre listening to a sermon that isâŠ
FULL of clichĂ©sâŠ
Full of the popular religious catch phrases of the timeâŠ
Full of language that is only intended for emotionalism and not edification.
You have to read the bible for yourself so you can know whatâs scripture and whatâs a clichĂ©. I once heard someone say, âLike the bible says, give them their flowers while they liveââŠuhhh, thatâs NOT in the bible.
You have to study the word for yourself so you can watch out for putting too much of personal opinion into how the scriptures are interpreted. To make sure the sermon is not full of conjecture and conclusions based on the preachers opinion rather than inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
DID IT APPEAL TO YOUR FLESH OR YOUR SPIRIT?
 Yes, God wants us to have a good life on this earth. Yes, God wants us to enjoy ourselves according to His will.
But, be careful about sermons that ONLY appeal to âthe good life hereâ. Be careful of sermons that only appeal to please your flesh and not strengthen your spirit. Many prosperity preachers have congregations full of weak and ineffective believers because they never hearâŠ
The consequences of sinâŠ
The consequences of bad decisionsâŠ
The necessity of self-denial and denial of fleshâŠ
The sacrifice of Jesus on the crossâŠ
4. LEAVE OUT/ OR MISREPRESENT JESUS
Have you ever sat through an entire message only to not hear the mention of Jesus Christ once? Thatâs not preaching. In fact, the Apostle Paul warned the Galatians of those who come preaching âanother gospelââŠ
Galatians 1:8-9 Â (NKJV)
 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
 Again, as sermon that leaves out Jesus Christ is nothing more than a motivational or inspirational speechâŠnot preaching. Sometimes this is meant to entertain, or convey what the preacher wanted to sayâŠrather than what God wanted the people to hear.
Listen carefully at how Jesus is presented. Jesus is the Living Word, the Son of the Living GodâŠHe and the Father are One.
Be very careful about those who present Him as a âgenie in a bottleâ who is on standby waiting to do what you want. Again, those messages are meant to appeal to your flesh.
I AM NOT CONDEMNING CHARISMATIC PREACHERS…
There is nothing wrong with a preacher who can with great energy and charisma deliver a message in a matter that the congregation is entertained as well as edified is fineâŠbut real preaching has substance.
Never confuse charisma with anointing.
BE BLESSTIFIED!
BE BLESSTIFIED! 