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Those of us who have faith in God through Yeshua the Messiah, with confidence, look forward to the promise of eternal life…

John 3:16 (NKJV)

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

However, Christians, even though some may not admit it, can still experience anxiety and fear from the fact that none of us have ever died before. Even though we are eternal, spiritual beings who are simply occupying our current temporary bodies, its difficult to see beyond what our consciousness has allowed us to experience.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 (NKJV)

⁷ Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,
And the spirit will return to God who gave it.

We are only ‘aware’ of when God allowed us to step into the continuum of ‘time’ and the physical world when we were born.

Many people think about the thousands of years that occurred before we lived and the fact that we have no consciousness of those years.

Many may sometimes wonder if we will return to the ‘nothingness’ of before the moment when God ‘quickened’ us into consciousness or gave life to our spirits and we stepped onto the stage of the world.

But, think about this…

None of us can remember the day we were born or even our first birthday, but we were all most certainly aware, conscious and ALIVE.

None of us can remember when we were in our mother’s womb, but we were most certainly aware, conscious and ALIVE.

So, our existence can’t be limited to what we can remember experiencing. The fact that eternity is something we can’t currently comprehend is confirmed in the word of God…

1 Corinthians 2:9 (NKJV)

⁹ But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him

Now consider this…

How many times have you gone to sleep and slept for hours and when you woke up, you didn’t even realize how long you had slept? You couldn’t even remember what you dreamed.

Have you ever been ‘put to sleep’ with anesthesia? If so, all you remember is possibly counting backwards and waking up. You remember nothing about the surgery and activity going on around you while you were ‘out’.

Why?

Because in both instances, just like God, your temporarily existing outside the continuum of time. You have no concept of seconds, minutes or hours. You have no concept of time or the physical world around you.

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Our consciousness while we sleep is a partially spiritual consciousness.

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Notice what the bible says about what will take place when Yeshua returns…

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NKJV)

¹³ But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen ^[a]asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who ^[b]sleep in Jesus.

¹⁵ For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are ^[c]asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Those who are dead in Christ will be resurrected first. So, it’s very possible that just as when we go into a DEEP SLEEP and don’t notice how much time has passed, it’s very possible that when the Lord returns, those who died 2000 years ago will be no more aware of the time they were ‘sleeping’ than someone who died 20 minutes ago.

It’s very possible that as soon as you ‘die’ you immediately experience waking up to Christ’s return even if it’s 1000 years from now. You’ve just simply stepped out of ‘time’ and the ‘physical’ world.

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God is preparing us for death each time we go to sleep.

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So, if you feel some anxiety or fear of when you experience your last moment in this body, don’t be too hard on yourself. God knows that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41).

BE BLESSTIFIED!

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It (1) takes (2) just (3) as (4) much (5) strength (6) to (7) ask (8) for (9) forgiveness (10) as (11) it (12) does (13) to (14) forgive (15).

Anyone who has ever hurt someone knows how difficult it is to sometimes admit that you were mean, unreasonable, impossible…that you were wrong.

Many times we assume that it takes more strength to forgive rather than to ask for forgiveness. But, both are selfless acts of denying ourselves and a total rejection of pride.

When we already know that someone has something against us, and we have given them a good reason to feel that way, then God places the responsibility on us to go to them and ask for forgiveness.

Matthew 5:23-24 (NKJV)

²³ Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Sometimes the best way to say I LOVE YOU is saying I’M SORRY. Once you’ve done that in sincerity, the spiritual responsibility shifts from you. ARE YOU EASY TO APOLOGIZE TO…?

BE BLESSTIFIED!

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God’s gift of intelligence to humans is one of the characteristics that confirms that we are created in His image. It’s an aspect of His character that we too have. Not how He looks, but how He ‘is’.

Genesis 1:27  (NKJV)

²⁷ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Yes, some animals are more intelligent than others, but we, people, are His unique creation.

However, the intelligence and ability to reason, think logically and draw conclusions can sometimes be a curse. Animals’ lack of intelligence limits them pretty much to what God created them to do other than when we intervene.

It’s unfortunate when the people that God created say He’s not there, and then immediately take a breath of His air.

There are countless people every day who look at the world and universe around them, or study history and culture and decide for themselves God isn’t real, that the bible is written by man and is not the word of God. They use science to discredit God, when science is merely an attempt to give a physical explanation to a world to the spiritual.

People consider themselves to ‘wake up’ or be ‘woke’. When this happens, intelligence has become a curse rather than something to help us better relate to the God who gave it to us

They consider Christians as dumb, naive, silly, gullible and even foolish. But the fact is many of us are just as educated and have considered the same information that they have and still choose to believe in the Lord God of Israel from Everlasting to Everlasting through His Son and our Savior Yeshua, Christ Jesus. When you think someone is naive when they really aren’t, that makes you naive.

Don’t let your Intelligence quench your faith.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

You will never be younger than you are today!

Create tomorrow’s good ole days!

Enjoy your youth!

Psalm 103:5-7 (NKJV)

⁵ Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that ^(A)your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

I often hear many of my fellow Christians say that they don’t believe in luck.  They say that since God is in control, there is no such thing as luck. They say that since they have God’s grace, they have no need for luck.

Romans 8:28  (NKJV)

²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Romans 3:23-25  (NKJV)

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ being justified ^[a]freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God set forth as a ^[b]propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,

But, what about those who DON’T have grace?

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If grace is ONLY for the believer, what is a SERENDIPITOUS moment for the unbeliever called?

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If you don’t have God’s grace in your life, then basically, whatever happens…happens.

Much like if you spin a top on a small table. Using your hands to prevent that top from falling off the table represents God’s grace. But, if you don’t use your hands to prevent that top from falling off the table, that represents that fact that if that top doesn’t fall off the table…it’s lucky.

So, what do you think? IS IT GRACE OR LUCK?

You may also enjoy this: HOW TO MAKE SURE GOD ISN’T JUST YOUR ‘GOD’ LUCK CHARM…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Most of us get angry at those we love the most…it’s just a part of relationships. All children, both small and adult children, get angry at their parents at some point and time…it’s just a part of the relationship.

Most of us who believe in God also claim to love Him and be in relationship with Him…We are His children.

Soooo, it’s doesn’t seem outside of reason to assume that those of us who are in relationship with God, have gotten angry with him at sometimes or another…if we are willing to admit it.

God’s children get angry at their Heavenly Father.

Have you gotten angry at God because…

You thought He ignored your prayer…

You thought He said no…

You thought He was being unfair to you…

You thought He should have intervened…

You thought He was being too harsh…

You thought He favored someone who didn’t deserve it…

You thought those who are evil continue to win…

You thought…

Well, I could go over possible reasons all day, but you know why you were angry with Him…if you’re willing to admit it.

King David, a man after God’s own heart became angry with God. As he was having the Ark of the Covenant (which represented God’s presence) brought back, the oxen pulling the cart stumbled and as Uzza reached out to hold the ark steady, God became angry at him for touching it, (because no one was to touch the ark), and struck him dead. This made David angry and afraid of God…

1 Chronicles 13:10 (NKJV)

 ¹⁰ Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzza, and He struck him because he put his hand to the ark; and he died there before God. 

Throughout the book of Psalms, there are hints of frustration with God…

Psalm 13:1 (NKJV)

“How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?”

Psalm 77:3 (NKJV)

“I remembered God, and was troubled;
I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed.”

Psalm 94:3 (NKJV)

“How long will the wicked, Lord, how long will the wicked continue to triumph.”

Habukkuk cries out…

Habakkuk 1:2 (NKJV)

O Lord, how long shall I cry,

And You will not hear?
Even cry out to You, “Violence!”
And You will not save.
³ Why do You show me iniquity,
And cause me to see trouble?
For plundering and violence are before me;
There is strife, and contention arises.
⁴ Therefore the law is powerless,
And justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.

Jeremiah laments…

Jeremiah 12:1-4 (NKJV)

Righteous are You, O Lord, when I plead with You;

Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments.
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?
² You have planted them, yes, they have taken root;
They grow, yes, they bear fruit.
You are near in their mouth
But far from their mind.

³ But You, O Lord, know me;
You have seen me,
And You have tested my heart toward You.
Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,
And prepare them for the day of slaughter.
⁴ How long will the land mourn,
And the herbs of every field wither?
The beasts and birds are consumed,
For the wickedness of those who dwell there,
Because they said, “He will not see our final end.”

Jeremiah even cursed the day he was born…

Jeremiah 20: 14 (KNJV)

Cursed be the day in which I was born! Let the day not be blessed in which my mother bore me.

Remember this…Men and women of God are merely, MEN and WOMEN of God. Only human.

God remembers that we are only human…

Psalm 103:14 (NKJV)

¹⁴ For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.

 Psalm 78:39  (NKJV)

³⁹ For He remembered that they were but flesh,
A breath that passes away and does not come again.

 Matthew 26:41 (NKJV)

⁴¹ Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Even Jesus, Yeshua, Himself cried out…

Matthew 27:46 (NKJV)

⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

God allows us to have human moments, but He expects us to ‘come to ourselves’, trust Him and honor Him. He allows us the opportunity to express our humanity in reverence and respect.

When you read the bible, after these men and women of God were angry…after they lamented…after their frustration….THEY TRUSTED GOD!

In the midst of their ‘complaint’ was PRAISE. Each of the Psalms mentioned above ended in PRAISE for God.

Jeremiah 20: 11-13 (NKJV)

But the Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome One.

Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail.
They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper.
Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.
¹² But, O Lord of hosts,
You who test the righteous,
And see the mind and heart,
Let me see Your vengeance on them;
For I have pleaded my cause before You.

¹³ Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord!
For He has delivered the life of the poor
From the hand of evildoers.

They praised God in their pain to activate their faith….They continued to press in to the purpose that God had for their lives.

Anger is one of the ways we were created in God’s image. God becomes angry sometimes, but His anger doesn’t last.

It’s human and natural to become angry at God and doubt, but He told us…

1 John 4:4 (NKJV)

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

…So it’s superhuman and spiritual to overcome our anger and trust Him.

God knows we will have PITY PARTIES, but He expects us to turn them into PRAISE PARTIES.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Unfortunately Father’s Day is a sad day for some fathers because their child or children didn’t acknowledge them or took them for granted.

It could be because the father made mistakes.

It could be because the child is estranged and holding animosity in his or her heart.

It could be the father is very stern.

It could be the child is spoiled and the father just isn’t appreciated.

The father watched his phone all day long, but no call. He walked around his house all day long, waiting to hear those words, HAPPY FATHER’S DAY, but they were never spoken.

No matter what the reason, I know it hurts but let me hopefully comfort you with a quick reminder…

God has created countless children in His image who never acknowledge Him.

Even SOME of those children who acknowledge Him only use Him.

SOME only talk to Him when they want something. They may often complain about what He provides.

SOME walk on His earth (His house) full of evidence He lives, they breathe His air, eat His food, receive light from His sun ( and Son) yet claim He doesn’t exists.

But, God still has mercy on them and shows them kindness and love.

So, if you have a child who is not showing you love on Father’s Day, or any other day, think about the way God the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ feels.

Then stop and ask yourself are you showing God the love He deserves.

Finally, make up your mind to be a the minister of reconciliation He has called us to be, and work hard to reconcile as many of God’s children back to Him.

Maybe, God will do the same for you.

2 Corinthians 5:18-20

¹⁸ Now all things are of God, ^(A)who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that ^(B)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.

²⁰ Now then, we are ^(C)ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Are your children ever disobedient or disrespectful? Come on, now even ‘good’ kids have their moments.

Are your adult children ever unappreciative, disconnected or disrespectful?

Mark 7:8-13  (NKJV)

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 reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. ¹⁰ For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’;^[b]and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’^[c] 11 But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God), ¹² then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, ¹³ making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

Most if not all Christian parents love to remind their children of what the bible says about being obedient to parents…

Ephesians 6:1 (NKJV)

6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

 Colossians 3:20  (NKJV)

²⁰ Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.

And, most parents get frustrated and angry when their children…

Disobey them…

Disrespect them…

Deny them…

Embarrass them…

Don’t appreciate them…

Don’t ask for their advice…

Don’t take their advice…

Don’t talk to them…

Respect others more than them…

Or, even rebel against them.

Have you ever had, or are you going through any of these situations as a parent? Did you put your parents through any of these situations?

All parents want their children to listen to them…to honor and respect them. And, they don’t want it to be a ‘burden’ to do so. They want them to do it freely out of love for them.

So, parents, the next time you are frustrated because your children aren’t listening, or aren’t giving you the respect you deserve, remember this verse…

1 John 5:3 (NKJV)

³ For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

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Then, I ask you to join me in asking yourself, “Is this how God feels when I…

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Disobey Him…

Disrespect Him…

Deny Him…

Embarrass Him…

Don’t appreciate Him…

Don’t ask for His advice…

Don’t take His advice…

Don’t talk to Him…

Respect others more than Him…

Rebel against Him…

Don’t listen to Him?

Why should we expect any more out of our children than we give to God?

Maybe, just maybe, God is sometimes trying to teach us a lesson through our children.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

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Most of the good you do will go…

Unnoticed…

Unappreciated…

Unreciprocated…

Undeserved…

And, MISUNDERSTOOD!

Remember, you’ve got to be cool with that.

John 1:11  (NKJV)

¹¹ He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

1 Corinthians 10:34 (NKJV)

³³ just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Not long ago I was watching my son hold his daughter as she fell asleep on him, and it filled my heart with love and joy.

I walked over and kissed her, then kissed him on top of His head.

It’s a shame that our Western culture has reduced strength and masculinity to fighting, aggression, retaliation, insults and a hard heart.

This is not just because of deadbeat dads, or absent fathers, but by ‘good’ fathers raising their sons with the expectation that men should be hard, and anything other than that is weakness.

But, that’s not how God loves us.

HERE’S 3 REASONS FATHERS SHOULD KISS THEIR SONS TOO

1. IT’S A PICTURE OF HOW GOD LOVES US

When the prodigal or wasteful son finally returned home, his father could care less about how his son had put him to open shame. He ran to meet his son and kissed him on the neck. This represents God’s unconditional and unfailing love for us. It gives us a picture of how our strong and ALL-POWERFUL God, can be gentle and kind enough to ‘kiss’ his children. It gives us an example that there is nothing weak, feminine, or ‘weird’ about a father kissing his adult son.

LUKE 15:20 (NKJV)

²⁰ “And he arose and came to his father. But^(A)when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.

2. IT DEMONSTRATES THAT REAL LOVE IS NOT JUST EROTIC

Too many young men grow up thinking that you prove your manhood by being promiscuous. They learn to brag about their intimate encounters that are meant by God to only be between husband and wife (male and female). They learn a perverted view of real love and affection. When a father kisses his son, it teaches him that a kiss isn’t just a tool to get to a woman’s ‘goodies’, but a real, gentle expression of Godly love. It teaches them a kiss can be Holy.

1 Corinthians 16:20 (NKJV)

²⁰ All the brethren greet you.

3. IT TEACHES ALL STRENGTH ISN’T AGGRESSION

Our society today is impressed with what they have been taught is strength. But, God teaches us that evidence, or Fruit, of His Spirit is behavior that many people in the world today consider to be weakness.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Notice that kindness and gentleness are proof that God lives inside of us through our Lord and Savior Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus Christ. God gives us an example of this with the Prodigal Son’s father. A gentle kiss from his father let him and everyone watching know how much he still loved his adult son.

It is our responsibility as fathers to let our sons know we love them as God loves us, and showing that love does not diminish their strength or masculinity.

Daddies shouldn’t only just kiss their daughters, but their sons too.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

The bible teaches us that it’s God that gives us the power, ability, knowledge and strength to get ‘wealth’, and that is very true…

Deuteronomy 8:18  (NKJV)

¹⁸ “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may ^[a]establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

But, how many times have you heard someone say, or said yourself,  “I deserved everything that I have because I worked hard for it!”

You planned…

You’ve worked hard…

You’ve sacrificed…

You’ve made good decisions.

You even had great faith.

Let me give you a quick reminder in humility and God’s grace and mercy…

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Yes, you definitely ‘earned’ it, but be very careful before you say you deserve it.

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Before you say that you deserve your success and influence because of your hard work and effort, think about all of the people who also planned, worked hard, sacrificed, made good decisions, and had great faith…and for whatever reason, things just didn’t work out.

Think about all of the businesses that fail every day.

Think about all of the relationships that fall apart every day.

There are plenty of people who have planned and worked…

Just as hard or harder…

Just as smart or smarter…

Sacrificed just as much and more…

Made decisions that were just as good or better…

And, things just didn’t work out in their favor.

From the macro-economic environment, to social conditions, unforeseen sicknesses and circumstances, there are innumerable reasons why sometimes hard work is not rewarded with success.

And let us not forget about those people who want to work but can’t because of a disability they can’t help.T

There are many people who saved, invested, planned well and opened businesses, their American Dream, must before the COVID-19 hit. Many of those businesses  were  off to a great start, but the effects of the pandemic wiped them out.

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All in all, it’s only by God’s grace and mercy and His plan for our lives that things, work out as we hope and plan.

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Remember…

Proverbs 16:9  (NKJV)

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Relationships are complicated and difficult, even good ones. But as we all know some relationships can slip into the category of ‘abusive’. And, abusive doesn’t always mean physical abuse.

When someone takes advantage of someone else’s love and mistreats them verbally or emotionally, that’s abusive.

When someone loves you enough to allow you to hurt them over and over again while always willing to forgive and move forward as if nothing happened, that’s abusive.

Micah 7:19 (NKJV)

¹⁹ He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all ^[a]our sins
Into the depths of the sea.

Isaiah 43:25-26 (NKJV)

²⁵ “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake;
And I will not remember your sins.
²⁶ Put Me in remembrance;
Let us contend together;
State your case, that you may be ^[a]acquitted.

That’s how powerful God’s loves is for us.

How many times have we abused Him verbally by taking His name in vain, or simply not giving it proper reverence and respect? Remember, YOU DON’T HAVE TO SAY “GD” TO TAKE GOD’S NAME IN VAIN…

How many times have we taken advantage of His love by promising we wouldn’t do something again, only to do it again…numerous times?

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.

How many times have we hurt Him emotionally buy putting others and things before Him?

How many times have we provoked Him to jealously?

Psalm 78:58 (NKJV)

⁵⁸ For they provoked Him to anger with their high places,
And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.

How many times has He witnessed us committing spiritual adultery right in front of Him only to stand with His arms wide open welcoming us back into His love?

Notice how sometimes in the bible, God sounded almost like a hurt lover before He got angry at Israel’s sin…

Judges 2 (NKJV)

2 Then the Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: “I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you. ² And you shall make no ^[a]covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this?

How many times have we put Him to open shame before His enemy and our adversary, choosing the devil over Him in our decisions.

How many times has the enemy had the same conversation with God about us that he had concerning Job? Have we always maintained God’s character through our trials?

Job 1:9-11 (NKJV)

⁹ So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? ¹⁰ Have You not ^[a]made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ¹¹ But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse^[b] You to Your face!”

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How many times have we physically abused the Lord?

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Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV)

⁵ But He was wounded^[a] for our transgressions,
He was ^[b]bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes^[c] we are healed.

Hebrews 6:4-6 (NKJV)

⁴ For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, ^{6 [a]}if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

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Have you crucified Christ again today?

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The fact is that if this were a marriage (and our relationship with Him actually is) many of us would have ended it a long time ago.

2 Corinthians 11:2 (NKJV)

² For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

Isaiah 54:5 (NKJV)

⁵ For your Maker is your husband,
The Lord of hosts is His name;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;
He is called the God of the whole earth.

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God loves us with a relentless love. He allows us to hurt Him over and over again. Quite frankly, that’s abuse.

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Never take for granted God’s grace, mercy and faithfulness to us. He endures our ‘abuse’ every day and allows gives us brand new mercies every morning.

Lamentations 3:22-23 (NKJV)

²² Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
²³ They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.

The first thing we tell people in abusive relationships is to GET OUT! Aren’t you glad that God hasn’t gotten out of His relationship with you?

BE BLESSTIFIED!

• 

We can “Photoshop” inches (or centimeters) off our stomach and years off of our faces. We can add muscles, facial hair and fine tune ourselves to look exactly the way we want others to see us. How many pictures do you take before you’re satisfied? How much editing do you do. No matter how many pics we take, or how many edits we do…each picture is still us.

We live in an age of selfies, live videos and profile pictures. Everyone wants to look their best. Even if people don’t alter their appearance through plastic surgery, they alter their photos with applications and software to digitally alter our images. Hence, comes the term “Photoshop”, that because the software is so well known, it has become the term used for altering ‘images’ much like ‘Google’, ‘Frisbee’, ‘Klennex’ and ‘Styrofoam have all becomeeponyms extending to other brands and uses.

But, those closest to us and God know how we really look.

The same holds true for our souls. People can be one person at home, another while at work and yet another at church, if they go.

No matter who we try to make people think we are, God knows who we really are…

1 Samuel 16:7  (NKJV)

⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have ^[a]refused him. For^[b] the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

If you ever catch yourself trying to give a false image of yourself, remember…

YOU CAN’T PHOTOSHOP YOUR SOUL

God always sees you as you are.

BE BLESSTIFED!

 

When it sometimes seems God is ‘TION’ing  (shunning) you…

Isaiah 54:7-8  (NKJV)

⁷ “For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
⁸ With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,”
Says the Lord, your Redeemer.

On those days you may think God has turned His back on you.

Those days you think He is avoiding, ignoring or even rejecting you…

For the days you think God is ‘TION’ing (shunning) you…

Maybe He is trying to take you to a higher level of…

ConsecraTION and SactificaTION

Joshua 3:5  (NKJV)

⁵ And Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”

So you can refocus your…

ConcentraTION…

Colossians 3:2  (NKJV)

² Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

On His gifts of…

JustificaTION…

Romans 5:1  (NKJV)

5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have^[a] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

ReconciliaTION…

2 Corinthians 5:18-19  (NKJV)

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

RestorationTION…

Psalm 23:3  (NKJV)

³ He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

And, not take for granted His gift of…

SalvaTION.

Romans 10:9  (NKJV)

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.

And, maybe, just maybe,

You’ve been…

‘TION’ing Him.

Jeremiah 3:22  (NKJV)

²² “Return, you backsliding children,
And I will heal your backslidings.”

“Indeed we do come to You,
For You are the Lord our God

BE BLESSTIFIED!

 

The enemy wants you to keep your head down. The enemy wants you silent about the Lord. The enemy wants you to sit down on your calling, anointing and purpose. He does this is by manipulating you to FOCUS ON YOUR FAILURES AND FLAWS. He wants you to feel unworthy to speak up or ‘live out loud’ for Christ. You may have made huge mistakes, FINANCIALLY, IN RELATIONSHIPS, even MORALLY…you know what haunts you.

Please notice that God continued to use David as a psalmist and leader, even after he had a man killed to take his wife, God didn’t tell him that he couldn’t continue to serve as King (2 Samuel 12:1-13).

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In fact, some of David’s most powerful psalms came AFTER his greatest sin.

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God already knew the sin that David would commit even when He initially anointed him. Because of his repentant heart, his sin didn’t disqualify his anointing.

Psalm 51 (NKJV)

Have mercy upon me, O God,

According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
² Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.

³ For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
⁴ Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak,^[a]
And blameless when You judge.

Our greatest challenge sometimes is walking with spiritual confidence, walking with our heads up, speaking in God’s authority when people KNOW HOW WE HAVE MESSED UP. God is raising us up to walk boldly for Him even in the midst of our humanity.

Paul spoke boldly even though he persecuted the church and consented to the death of Christians, such as Stephen (Acts 7:1-60, 8:-1).

Peter stood strong for Christ even though he openly denied Him during the darkest hour (John 18:13-27).

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So, if people tell you, “You can’t tell me anything based on what you’ve done!” You tell them, “God has given me grace and mercy, and allowed me to still be here to tell you DON’T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES THAT I’VE MADE”.

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So even if you’re working through the consequences of your mistakes, God expects you to KEEP YOUR HEAD UP and SPEAK BOLDLY IN LOVE FOR HIM. Sometimes it takes years to work through the process of restoration and recovery, but that doesn’t mean you are to be silent in the meantime, BE ENCOURAGED!…KEEP YOUR HEAD UP, STAND UP AND SPEAK UP FOR THE LORD!

Your failures don’t have to disqualify your calling!

BE BLESSTIFIED!

• 

Most of us have heard the saying, “Revenge is sweet”. We have all had moments that we have craved for revenge.

That’s why I think the metaphor is appropriate because REVENGE and SUGAR have something in common. Just like sugar slowly deteriorates your teeth, the desire for revenge slowly deteriorates your spirit. It eats away at your spirit, defiles it and consumes your mental energy.

Besides, God never promised us revenge or allows us to take revenge. It belongs only to Him…

Romans 12:19  (NKJV)

¹⁹ Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

Why?

Because revenge is judgement. It is condemnation. It is us deciding that people deserve to be paid back for how they have hurt us .

However, God does allow us to have and will sometimes grant us vindication. He has even promised vindication in His Word…

Isaiah 54:17 (NIV)

¹⁷     no weapon forged against you will prevail,
    and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
    and this is their vindication from me,”
declares the Lord.

In the bible vindication is getting justice or clearing one’s name.

We all know revenge is getting even and repaying someone for what they’ve done. It is retaliation. And, God does not allow us to do that…

Matthew 5:38-42 Expanded Bible (EXB)

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth [Ex. 21:24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21].’ ³⁹ But I tell you, don’t ·stand up against [resist; retaliate against] an evil person. If someone ·slaps [strikes] you on the right cheek [^Ceither an insult or an act of violence], turn to him the other cheek also. ⁴⁰ If someone wants to sue you in court and take your ·shirt [tunic], let him have your coat also. ⁴¹ If someone forces you to go with him one mile, go with him two miles [^Calluding to the practice of impressment, whereby a Roman soldier could command a civilian to carry his gear for a mile]. ⁴² If a person asks you for something, give it to him. Don’t ·refuse to give to [^Lturn away from] someone who wants to borrow from you.

Revenge is getting them back.

Vindication is getting yourself back.

So, pray for vindication, but from the perspective that the person or those who injured you can be brought in right relationship with God.

Remember, God doesn’t love your enemies any less than He loves you.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Let me first say that God never gives us a license to lie.

Wisdom and discernment are gifts of God. Discernment is an aspect of Godly wisdom.

We also know that the truth is always the truth, but we must be sensitive to God’s timing of when and how it should be revealed…of what we should say and of what we should not say…of what we should conceal and what we should reveal…but not for the sake of deception.

God protects us through wisdom and discernment…

Proverbs 4:5-6  (NKJV)

⁴ He also taught me, and said to me:
“Let your heart retain my words;
Keep my commands, and live.
⁵ Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

Yes, even the truth has to be handled with wisdom and discernment.

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DOES GOD SOMETIMES PROTECT US THROUGH THE DISCERNMENT OF WHEN TO USE ‘DECEPTION’?

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The spies that Joshua sent to Jericho were protected by Rahab’s deception…

Joshua 2:4-7  (NKJV)

⁴ Then the woman took the two men and hid them. So she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. ⁵ And it happened as the gate was being shut, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them.” ⁶ (But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.) ⁷ Then the men pursued them by the road to the Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.

As David fled from Saul, he was protected by pretending to be crazy…

1 Samuel 21:10-14 (NKJV)

¹⁰ Then David arose and fled that day from before Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. ¹¹ And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying:

‘Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands’?”

¹² Now David took these words ^[a]to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. ¹³ So he changed his behavior before them, pretended ^[b]madness in their hands, ^[c]scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard. ¹⁴ Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me?

Mary could not reveal who her Holy Son really was until the time…

Luke 2:16-19  (NKJV)

¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷ Now when they had seen Him, they made widely^[a] known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. ¹⁸ And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary KEPT ALL THESE THINGS and PONDERED them IN HER HEART.

Sometimes it’s best not to tell someone what was said about them…

Proverbs 17:9  (NKJV)

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

 Proverbs 11:13  (NKJV)

¹³ A talebearer reveals secrets,
But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.

Proverbs 25:2  (NKJV)

² It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,
But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

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God gives us the wisdom and discernment to exercise emotional labor. Which is managing our feelings and emotions in order to effectively do a job – such as when a waiter or waitress can’t let his or her customer know how irritated they are at the customers’ rudeness.

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Sometimes you can’t tell your boss how you really feel about him/her.

Sometimes you can’t tell your spouse how you feel about his or her parents.

Sometimes you can’t let those closest to you how discouraged, depressed, upset, or tired you really are.

Sometimes it’s not the right time to let people know how disappointed you are in them.

Sometimes it’s not best to reveal what’s really on your mind.

In the last days…even God Himself will send ‘deception’ only to be recognized by those who are truly connected to Him and in His in His word.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12  (NKJV)

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.

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God never gives us the license to lie.

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But, our Heavenly Father does use everything for His purpose, even how we manage the truth. We should always handle it with the spirit of discernment, not the spirit of deception.

THE LIES WE DON’T INTEND TO TELL (MOST OF THE TIME)…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

• 

https://youtu.be/uPVsbhIQrCE

For those of you who don’t know, Juneteenth, marks the day when U.S. troops arrived in Galveston TX  in 1865 to ensure that all enslaved people be freed by taking control of the state. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed on January 1, 1863. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday.

However, most people have never heard of it.

Why?

Because it hasn’t been a part of the national narrative.

Why?

Because it wasn’t important enough to be a part of our nation’s story. Our history. So, that means no recognition in the history books, no days off work, no fireworks.

Why?

Because if the freedom of those who were slaves was important as the freedom of the colonists from their ‘oppressors’ it would have been a part of our history, celebrated by all races and not just those of African descent.

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On July 4th, 1776, Black people in America had no independence. It wasn’t for them. Those inalienable rights were written into the Constitution by hands that also signed bills of sale for slaves. Can you imagine slaves overhearing their oppressors celebrating their ‘freedom’ from their oppressors?

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So, when the end of slavery was officially enforced on June 19, 1865, it should have been celebrated by everyone who considered themselves to be a child of God, because as the Constitution states, those inalienable rights were granted by the Creator, The Lord God of Israel from Eternity Past to Eternity Future, through His Son, the Lamb of God Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ).

Happy Juneteenth America! Let the fireworks begin!

Galatians 3:28  (NKJV)

²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

FOR THOSE WHO SAYS THE BIBLE ‘JUSTIFIES’ SLAVERY…

IF THE CONFEDERACY WAS GOD’S WILL, THEY WOULD HAVE WON…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

• 

Most American’s are passionate and protective of their right to free speech…

Or are we?

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How many people have willingly signed away their right to free speech because of their job or career.

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Companies, school systems, municipalities, government agencies, and even religious organizations don’t want their employees making them ‘look bad’ or liable; so they make one of the conditions of employment a contract that ‘limits’ what they can say publicly if they are to remain employed.

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I’m talking about speech that’s respectful and responsible, not reckless.

Ephesians 4:29 (NKJV)

²⁹ Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary ^[a]edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

Colossians 4:6 (NKJV)

⁶ Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

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Are you free to say what you want to say about your company and where they stand on issues?

Are you free to say how you feel about the culture of your organization without fear of retaliation?

Is there something that you want to responsibly express or share about your organization… about your faith… about what’s in your heart, but if you do so you know you could lose your job?

How many people endure toxic cultures, bullying, inequity, unfair policies, abuse of authority, basically from people who are merely ‘working for a living’ just like them because they fear losing their job…career…even their retirement?

Is that freedom of speech?

Restricting our ability to respectfully and responsibly be critical and hold accountable the leadership in our places of employment or our concerns about social or spiritual issues is quite frankly not allowed in many workplaces.

It can’t be equated to shouting ‘FIRE’ in a public place. That protects life. And there is some speech that is not protected by the constitution because it’s a threat to the ‘public good’ however, withholding what’s on our mind about our employers sometimes only protects egos, reputations and the threat of litigation.

Think about this, Americans are more free to say how they feel about their national, state and local leaders… their pastor… their loved ones… than their boss.

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Many people even express their criticism to God Himself before the do so to their boss!

We are more free to tell God how we feel without fear of relaliation than the person for whom we work.

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Psalm 142:1-2 (NKJV)

I cry out to the Lord with my voice;
With my voice to the Lord I make my supplication.
² I pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare before Him my trouble.

God is more willing to ‘reason with us’ than many of our places of employment.

Isaiah 1:18 (NKJV)

¹⁸ “Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.

Is you freedom of speech that’s protected by the Constitution, surrendered in your contract?

Think about it, but be careful what you say about it at work.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Isn’t amazing how people give coaches a pass? They don’t want the teacher or police to ‘curse’ at their children, even if they are disruptive. They don’t even want the preacher to speak too ‘harshly’ to or of their children – but the let the coach say what he or she wants and how he or she wants. Some will even let a coach hit their children…hit not spank.

Have you ever heard anyone say they had to talk to someone ‘on their level’ to reach them, especially when they are disruptive or have harsh speech themselves.

God says very clearly that we are not to allow corrupt communication to come out of our mouths…

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This applies to coaches too!

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Ephesians 4:29  (NKJV)

²⁹ Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

He clearly tells us that we aren’t to swear (an oath) or to curse ( cursing is pronouncing condemnation)…

Matthew 5:37 (NKJV)

³⁷ But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

That means it’s sin to say “Hell yes!” or “Hell no!”. Jesus says that “anything more is from the evil one”.

To reason that it takes profanity or cursing to get the best out of someone is to imply that it takes ‘the evil one’ rather than God to do that. Why do people trust their children to language straight from the devil. In other words, we are saying God can’t handle it, but the devil can. God forbid!

Some say it prepares them for the real world or competition. I say that teaching them how to get the best out of you according to God’s will prepares them to be light in the real world. Remember, God is sending us out like sheep among wolves…that’s how He prepares us.

Matthew 10:16 (NKJV)

 ¹⁶ “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

There is no game, competition or battle on earth than the one Jesus endured on the cross. There was no profanity and cursing in preparation for that…only submission and humility.

If I don’t curse or use profanity to get the best out of my children, I’m not going to allow a man or woman to do so when it’s within my power.

Giving a coach the thumbs up to curse out or belittle your child is another way that a parent can provoke their children to wrath.

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Allowing a coach to curse your children is cursing your children…

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Ephesians 6:4 (NKJV)

⁴ And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

There are plenty of coaches out there are very effective and do it the right way. But to those who don’t…God will hold them accountable and hold the parents accountable for allowing it.

Just because our culture has normalized this behavior as acceptable doesn’t make it right. Trust God’s word and not the ‘devil’s words’ with your children.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Psalm 26:3 (NKJV)

³ For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,
And ^(A)I have walked in Your truth.

Psalm 86:11 (NKJV)

^{11 (A)}Teach me Your way, O Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;
^[a]Unite my heart to fear Your name.

If you consider yourself a disciple of Christ, you must be very careful of a popular affirmation these days…

I’m living my truth!”

Sometimes our truth is sin, anger, wrath, rage, lust, jealousy, prejudice, betrayal, hate, blame,a hardened heart, refusal to read God’s word, refusal to pray, forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, worshipping our desires, satisfaction of our flesh, rebellion against God.

The truth is, we can’t trust our heart or our ‘truth’ because without the truth of God’s word…it’s wicked.

Jeremiah 17:9 (NKJV)

⁹ “The heart is deceitful above all things,
And ^[a]desperately wicked;
Who can know it?

BE BLESSTIFIED!

• 

What is the beginning? When did everything ‘start’?

Genesis 1:1  (NKJV)

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

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Time/tīm/noun (Oxford Online Dictionary)

1. 1.the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.”travel through space and time”
2. 2.a point of time as measured in hours and minutes past midnight or noon.”the time is 9:30″

If you are a parent who believes in the the Lord God of Israel from Everlasting to Everlasting through our Lord and Savior Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) you have heard this question in some form…

“Where did God come from?”

“When was God born?”

“Who created God?”

I know most of you already know this, but please humor me so I can make my point. Besides, even the Apostle Peter let us know that we sometimes have to be reminded of what we already know…

2 Peter 1:12-13 (NKJV)

¹² For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. ¹³ Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this ^[a]tent, to stir you up by reminding you,

God introduced Himself to the world of many beliefs and many ‘gods’ through the perspective of a people He raised up to create a faith. FAITH, NOT RACE…

He created this people through a man named Abram, later changing his name to Abraham…

Genesis 12:1-3  (NKJV)

“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.
² I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
³ I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

I love the way that the bible refers to God as “The Lord God of Israel from Everlasting to Everlasting” in so many places. Yes, it’s a mouthful. Yes, it’s a lot to type, but it is exactly who He is…

Psalm 41:13  (NKJV)

¹³ Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen.

Psalm 106:48 (NKJV)

⁴⁸ Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And let all the people say, “Amen!”

Praise the Lord!

That is the New King James Version but, look at how the Complete Jewish Bible says it…

Psalm 41:14  (CJB)

^14 (13) Blessed be Adonai the God of Isra’el
from eternity past to eternity future.

I love that…“from eternity past to eternity future”. The thought of eternity past infers that there was NO BEGINNING.

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God does not require a beginning. He does not require a birth. He does not require an origin. Why?

Because He exists outside of time.

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God, Adonai, our Elohim is an eternal being that was never created. He has consciousness, emotions, feelings and the ability to communicate…but no recognizable form that our eyes can understand. GOD IS NOT ‘THE UNIVERSE’ & THE ‘UNIVERSE’ IS NOT GOD…

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God created TIME for our benefit. So we can measure and have context to our lives, history and the future.

Galatians 4:4-7 (CJB)

⁴ but when the APPOINTED TIME arrived (IN THE FULLNESS OF TIME), God sent forth his Son. He was born from a woman, born into a culture in which legalistic perversion of the Torah was the norm, ⁵ so that he might redeem those in subjection to this legalism and thus enable us to be made God’s sons. ⁶ Now because you are sons, God has sent forth into our hearts the Spirit of his Son, the Spirit who cries out, “Abba!” (that is, “Dear Father!”). ⁷ So through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if you are a son you are also an heir.

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Think about it. Even when scientists who say the universe BEGAN with a BIG BANG, you can ask, “Okay, what was there before the BIG BANG?”. One could very easily reason that when God said, “Let there be…” there was a noise and physical manifestation.

Some things are difficult for even the ‘greatest’ scientific minds to understand, and one of those things is TIME. After all, I think of science as our attempt to give a physical explanation to a spiritual world.

IF YOU BELIEVE IN SCIENCE, YOU CAN BELIEVE IN GOD (HERE’S A PERFECT EXAMPLE)…

THE THINGS THAT SCIENCE CAN NEVER EXPLAIN (From my archives)…

FAITH VS. SCIENCE…

WHEN SCRIPTURE & SCIENCE AGREE…

The fact is there are some things we won’t understand until Yeshua returns and we share in His eternal kingdom.

Look at the mess we’ve made of the world. Look at the mess we’ve made of time. Just think of how bad it would be if God gave us the ability to understand eternity.

God doesn’t need a beginning because He IS the beginning.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Early in His ministry, Jesus was confronted by the enemy as recorded in Matthew 4:1-11,  He was confronted/attacked while His FLESH was weakest. He had been fasting for 40 days. The enemy tried to catch Jesus in His flesh’s most vulnerable state. But, even though Jesus’ flesh was weak, His will was strong. Jesus knows us, and He knows our flesh gets weak too, that’s why He encourages us…

Matthew 26:41  (NKJV)

⁴¹ Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Even though Jesus’ flesh was weak, His Spirit and resolve was still willing and strong.

Why?

Because He fought off the enemy’s attack with the WORD OF GOD. The word of God is our most powerful weapon against the enemy.

As much as so many Americans are preoccupied with and put faith in their GUNS…our greatest attacks aren’t against the FLESH, but SPIRIT. Even those who attack you physically have succumbed to a spiritual attack that led them to result to violence…it started in the Spirit.

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That’s why you can’t bring a gun to a sword fight!

Temptation is an attack of the enemy, and Jesus made the devil back down with the word of God in Matthew 4:1-11.

He was tempted with HUNGER (vs 3)…which many have used as an excuse for violence and theft. Jesus’ response…“IT IS WRITTEN, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God”. (vs 4)

He was tempted with PRIDE (vs 5,6)…which has led many to violence. Jesus’ response…“AGAIN IT IS WRITTEN, you shall not put the Lord your God to the test”. (vs 7)

He was tempted with POWER (vs 8,9)…which has led many to kill countless people. Jesus’ response…“Be gone Satan! FOR IT IS WRITTEN, you shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.” (vs 10).

Verse 11 tells us that the devil fled…Jesus overcame the temptation/attack with the word of God.

Everything that leads man to violence and gun fire BEGINS with a temptation to the spirit, but Jesus taught us how to fight before the guns are drawn.

Read Matthew 4 :1-11 again for context. Read 2: Corinthians 10:1-6. Read James 4:7. And read Psalm 33:16 and remember….
YOU CAN’T BRING A GUN TO A SWORD FIGHT!

BE BLESSTIFIED!