There are many in the Body of Christ who love quoting John 10:10…

John 10:10  (NKJV)

¹⁰ The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

But, we must remember that this verse applies to those of us who are being led by the Good Shepherd (John 10:1-17). Those who are ‘walking in the Spirit’ (Galatians 5:16-26). Those who not only believe, but are responding to being the ‘called according to His purpose’ (Romans 8:28). To those who are laboring for His Harvest (Matthew 9:37-38). And especially those who  are connected to the vine and bearing good fruit (John 15:1-8).

It is God’s will that we add to His Kingdom…that we make disciples (Matthew 28:19), and that every interaction brings glory and honor to His name, that’s bearing good fruit.

So by default, if we aren’t bearing good fruit we are either bearing no fruit or bearing bad fruit. God’s word addresses how He feels about those of us who are being nurtured by His love, grace, mercy, provision and protection and bear no fruit (. Many of us only use the resources that God gives us, not just money, but our anointing, gifts and talents on ourselves. It’s like a fruit tree with all leaves but no fruit (Luke 13:6-9),(John 15:1-8), and dig this one…

Isaiah 5:1-7  (NKJV)

 Now let me sing to my Well-beloved
A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard:

My Well-beloved has a vineyard
On a very fruitful hill.
² He dug it up and cleared out its stones,
And planted it with the choicest vine.
He built a tower in its midst,
And also made a winepress in it;
So He expected it to bring forth good grapes,
But it brought forth wild grapes.

³ “And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah,
Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard.
⁴ What more could have been done to My vineyard
That I have not done in it?
Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes,
Did it bring forth wild grapes?
⁵ And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard:
I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned;
And break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.
⁶ I will lay it waste;
It shall not be pruned or dug,
But there shall come up briers and thorns.
I will also command the clouds
That they rain no rain on it.”

⁷ For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel,
And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant.
He looked for justice, but behold, oppression;
For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.

 So, I think the word of God establishes it well that it is very possible to believe but to be of no use to Him in the Kingdom. Even to the point to tell us that if we have faith, but are always sitting on it, that our faith is dead (James 2:14-26).

By deductive reasoning, we can also conclude that if we are not benefiting God’s Kingdom that we are…

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NO THREAT TO THE DEVIL

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That being established, and so-called believer who is no threat to the devil IS a threat to the Kingdom. They justify being an inactive, apathetic believer.

There are those also who claim to believe but have allowed the devil to manipulate them into pursuing his agenda, for example the scribes and Pharisees claimed to be God’s representatives but were actually working for the enemy, they sought to kill Jesus unknowingly fulfilling scripture (Matthew 12:14, John 5:18, John 7:1, John 11:53, John 16:2).

The Ku Klux Klan claimed and claims to be a Christian organization, but they are actually pursued and are pursuing the enemy’s agenda.

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SO IF YOU ARE OF NO USE TO GOD’S KINGDOM OR EVEN HELPING THE ENEMY WHY SHOULD HE TRY TO STEAL FROM YOU, KILL YOU OR DESTROY YOU? WHY SHOULD THE ENEMY TRY TO HARM YOU IF YOU ARE BENEFITING HIM?

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Do you have a genuine concern for those who are lost? Are you acting on it? Are you letting your light shine? Can people really tell you’re a Christian by how you live daily?

Remember the words of the 12-year old Jesus, “…I must be about my Father’s business.”(Luke 2:49).

Are you about your Father’s business? If not why should the devil fight against you?  In fact, if we aren’t about our Father’s business, then again by default who’s business are we about?

John 8:44-45  (NKJV)

⁴⁴ You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources,for he is a liar and the father of it. ⁴⁵ But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.

If your life seems to be too easy…it may be for a reason.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Psalm 127:2 (NKJV)

² It is vain for you to rise up early,
To sit up late,
To eat the bread of sorrows;
For so He gives His beloved sleep.

Are you tired? You went to bed. You had time away from work, but you’re still tired? Is your mind always racing? Are you either trying to get ahead? Stay ahead? Or, catch up? Maybe you’re just trying to hold it together.

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So many of us our so busy. So many of us are either worried, stressed or obsessed.

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Then what do we say when someone transitions from this life…”Rest in Peace!”

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I want to encourage you today to learn to rest in peace BEFORE you die!

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One of the enemy’s greatest manipulations is to keep us spiritually weak because we don’t rest. He wants us too tired to read and study God’s word. He wants us too tired to take the time to pray before we eat our food, before we go to bed at night. He wants us too tired to go to worship.

How many times have you said, “I’m not going to church today…I’m too tired!”

Rest is so important to God that He commanded we rest one day every week (Exodus 20:10). He told us to do no work! But, I’ve noticed that in some church cultures people will go to morning worship, then they will leave and go to another church and worship having what’s called ‘afternoon services’ or ‘special days’….Men’s Day, Women’s Day etc.  Then some will even have another service in the evening.

Just as much as it is God’s will that we don’t forsake the assembling of ourselves together and that we worship regularly, it’s not His will for us to spend all day in church to the point that we don’t rest at all. That is establishing our own righteousness (Romans 10:3).

I have to admit when it comes to not getting enough rest. I’m guilty. I’m guilty of sometimes letting life’s problems weigh too heavy on my mind. I’m guilty of not stopping to just do nothing and rest my mind, body and spirit

I encourage you to learn to rest in peace before you die. Learn to rest your body. Learn to rest your mind. Learn to rest you spirit. Learn to refresh yourself in God’s word and prayer. Learn to say NO. Learn to say I can’t do that. Learn to say I need some time to myself. Think of how Jesus would withdraw to Himself (Luke 5:16).

The Lord has promised to help us with our ‘rest problem…’

Matthew 11:28New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Learn to get yourself some rest because if you don’t…you’re being disobedient.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

We all know that God expects us to love everyone, even our enemies. And, we also know that’s not always easy to do. Sometimes peoples’ actions can take us beyond not just liking them.

There are people who clearly don’t like us, people who don’t have the same beliefs, values and opinions. People who we feel don’t respect our traditions, heritages and cultures. Those who unapologetically work against us and try to hurt. People who hate us.

Well, the fact that God forbids us to hate people hasn’t changed, but He does allow us to hate THINGS about people. So, the next time you look at someone in such intense anger that hate begins to fill your heart, here are a few things that it’s okay to hate ABOUT people…

Their behavior…

Their attitude…

Their habits…

Their clothes…

Their taste…

Their traditions…

Their temper…

Even the organizations and institutions they create.

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Everything mentioned above can be hated without hating the person. How do I know that? Because God, who loves all of us, also hates some things about us too…

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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.

But, He never lets what He hates about us provoke Him to hate us, even when we’re His enemies…

James 4:4  (NKJV)

^4 [a]Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Romans 5:10  (NKJV)

¹⁰ For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

We were created in God’s image. He hates stuff too. He just doesn’t hate us…ever. So, the next time you feel your natural God-given emotion to hate fill your heart, do these five things…

1. Stop and focus on what it is you hate ABOUT them.
2. Focus on that or those things.
3. Ask God to help you love the person.
4. Then sincerely pray that God strengthens them in the areas you hate, and to open your eyes if you’re wrong.
5. Ask God to help you love them through the things you hate about them, just like He loves you through those things He hates about you.

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You see. Learning to love people through the things we hate about them gives us the opportunity to be more like God.

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These posts about may also bless you too…

HOW YOU DON’T HAVE TO HATE SOMEONE TO NOT LOVE THEM…

THERE WILL ALWAYS BE THINGS YOU HATE ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE…

NO MATTER WHAT THEY DID, GOD DOESN’T ALLOW YOU TO HATE THEM…

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!

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We must be very careful of the excuses we give why we aren’t doing what God has called us to do.

What do people say when confronted with doing what God expects of them or has called them to do?

Why don’t you go to church?

Let’s go feed the homeless.

Let’s go visit and minister people in prison and hospitals…

Why don’t you give the firstfruits of all your increase to God?

Usually before we make an excuse, we usually give a big BUT…

“I would, BUT the people in church aren’t right themselves…”

“I would, BUT those homeless people will just spend it on drugs, cigarettes and alcohol…”

“I would, BUT I can’t afford to…”

“I would, BUT I don’t have time to visit…”

“I would, BUT my kids have sports…”

Yeshua, Christ Jesus, gave us a parable to illustrate how much He hates our excuses. He let us know how much He hates our BIG BUTS…

Luke 14:18-24 (NKJV)

¹⁸ BUT they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ ¹⁹ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ ²⁰ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ ²¹ So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the ^[a]maimed and the lame and the blind.’ ²² And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ ²³ Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. ²⁴ For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ”

Notice that each of these excuses addressed the same excuses we give today.

BUSINESS. WORK. CAREER

“I bought a piece of ground…”

“I bought a yoke of oxen…”

SPOUSE. CHILDREN. FAMILY

“I have married a wife…

These excuses made the master of the house (Jesus) angry. So, He invited the very people who those who were initially invited were called to serve instead.

He then said those who makes excuses and rejected His invitation will not ‘taste His supper’ (will not enter His Kingdom).

Jesus hates our excuses! However, the enemy loves our BIG BUTS! He loves our excuses.
 

Don’t let your BIG BUT keep you out of the Kingdom of God!

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Allow me to be a bit transparent in this one…

This can easily and subtly slip into the day-to-day life a mature disciple of Christ if we aren’t careful. Worshiping myself, a form of idolatry of which many of us may be guilty, but don’t realize it.

Yes, you can be saved, love God, not caught up in what we like to call the ‘big sins’ and still worship yourself either along with or instead of God. See, the enemy knows he isn’t going to convince you to erect a ‘golden calf’ in your home, so he cleverly manipulates us to commit idolatry in other ways.

Here is how it happened to me several years ago…

I’ve always enjoyed trying to eat well and exercising, you know – working out. I’ve enjoyed lifting weights and different forms of cardio for years. As I entered my early forties a few years ago, I was also more cognizant of my overall health. I wanted to be proactive about as many health issues as I could. I wanted my physical quality of life to remain high as long as possible. I wanted my wife to still find me attractive, and honestly, I wanted my size to be somewhat intimidating to anyone who may be looking for a ‘weak’ target.

Even though I have had a regular exercise regime off and on for years, I intensified my efforts to twice per day. I had a gym membership, so I would get up…pray and head to the gym before I went to work. We also have a gym at my office building, so I would also work out during my lunch break as well.

I was pleased to hear the compliments as my body changed more and more. Of course it was cool to have my wife notice, but it was also nice to have other people notice as my body changed. Come on now, I know you strive to be holy, but we we all like complements. Even the preacher loves it when the congregation says, “Great job!” It’s a part of being made in the image of our Heavenly Father, who loves our praise. We all love complements…but the enemy tries to leverage those complements to his advantage.

Here was my problem…some mornings I would wake up a ‘little’ later than others, and yes I would pray, but my prayer would be shorter, but my workouts would be just as long. I would work out anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour each morning.

I began to feel ‘guilty’ or uneasy if I woke and and didn’t work out, or if I missed my lunchtime workout. I think the word for that I was avoiding at the time is obsessed. This was moving beyond what was necessary for good health and into ritual…religion…self-worship. I remembered what the bible teaches…

1 Timothy 4:8 (NKJV)

⁸ For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

Well, I was invited one day to be a part of a flag football league, at 43 years old. Most of the other players were either in their late teens, twenties and thirties. During our first practice I hung right in there with them playing wide receiver, and I was ‘proud’ of myself. We ere out there for about an hour and a half when I felt someone kick me on the back of my ankle and heard a loud pop and I fell down. It didn’t hurt, so as I tried to get up I fell right back down.

No one kicked me. I felt the back of my ankle where my Achilles tendon was supposed to be. It snapped! It was a complete rupture that of course required surgery.

I was in a cast for two months and a boot for two more months…required physical therapy and my recovery took about a year.

Afterward I adjusted my workout regime, bought a bike for my cardio so I wouldn’t stress my injury and even though I kept working out, it was nothing like before.

But, most importantly, instead of working out,  I began going out on my front porch each morning and spending quality time with God – looking at the stars and taking in the beauty of His creation. I began spending up to 30 minutes out there on the porch praying, reading His word and just fellowshipping with Him. I noticed how peaceful it was. I noticed how my morning didn’t feel complete if by chance I didn’t do it. I noticed I close it makes me feel to God and how in His presence is the fullness of joy and peace…

Psalm 16:11  (NKJV)

¹¹ You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

I noticed that when I lay awake troubled about something, I couldn’t wait to get out on my porch to be ‘with God’. It is my personal alter. I absolutely love it.

It suddenly hit me….I went from getting up first thing in the morning and worshiping myself to getting up and worshiping God. Not just praying, but spending real quality time.

I still exercise, but I thank God for allowing me to ‘come to myself’ and put my priorities back in place as they were before this brief ‘midlife crisis’.

So, I encourage you to examine yourself. You may not be worshiping yourself through exercise, but if you aren’t careful your devotion to your appearance, your desires, your pleasures, your possessions, your job, your career, your home… can the enemy tricking you into worshiping yourself.

Don’t allow ‘you’ to become your own god.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

You may enjoy this article too…THERE’S A THIN LINE BETWEEN GOOD HEALTH AND NARCISSISM…

 

 

 

 

How many times have you heard this (or done this)?

There’s a disagreement…an arguement…a debate…a discussion…a contention… a situation where someone rubbed you wrong.

It could have been politics, religion, relationship, sports, work, or whatever…

But, they pushed the right button (or wrong button) and whether you admit it or not, they ticked you off (or pissed you off).

However, you are a Christian and you love God, so you ‘dismiss’ them with a “God bless you!”, or “I will pray you!”

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Hmmm, when you’re honest with yourself though, you didn’t mean that in your heart.

You would never say, “F*** You!”. And, the devil knows it too.

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That’s why he cleverly slipped in and manipulated you to use a blessing to be nice-nasty. Your ‘blessing contained venom! Your mouth said, God bless you, but your heart really said “F-You”.

The person to whom you it, and those who heard it could tell what you really meant…and so could God.

We all have human moments, but we must be very careful not to allow the enemy to make us guilty of what the Psalmist said…
Psalm 62:4c (NKJV)

“…They bless with their mouths, but they curse inwardly.”

Remember, we must give an account for every word that comes from our mouths…

Matthew 12:36

(NKJV)

³⁶ But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

Remember, real blessings don’t contain venom!

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Sex in marriage between a man and a woman is a beautiful blessing from the LORD, but it can also be the source of frustration.

One of greatest frustrations is when couples aren’t ‘on the same page’…when they aren’t in the mood at the same time. If this goes on and isn’t handled in the right way it can cause a huge strain on the relationship.

Now, I know there are many reasons why couples clash sexually, but God has revealed something amazing to me through 30 plus years of marriage.

There is a hidden blessing in when they aren’t on the same page that can actually enhance a marriage and sex life.

One of the things that makes dating so fun is the mystery. Some people even step outside their marriage to relive that excitement and mystery…

Do they like me?

Are they attracted to me?

Do they feel the same way I do?

Do they want me?

It leads to real dating. It leads to romancing one another. It leads to seduction.

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But, here we go again with God’s hidden, often overlooked wisdom. I believe that He has created us to NOT be in the mood at the same time ALL the time.

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DISCOVER THE HIDDEN BLESSING OF WHEN YOU AREN’T IN THE MOOD AT THE SAME TIME!

After years of marriage, being in the mood at the same time all of the time can become subtly boring. Always getting what you want when you want it sexually can actually become mundane and routine.

When managed correctly, not being on the same page can turn…

Frustration into Fantasy!

Crankiness into Creativity!

Anger into Anticipation!

Rudeness into Romance!

There are unmarried people who, even though it’s wrong, when pursuing sex from someone to whom they are attracted, have waited patiently for months planning…romancing…dating…seducing…trying to impress…doing what it takes PATIENTLY until they finally…

Get it…

Hit it…

Until they finally get their fantasies and passions reciprocated. Sometimes these same people don’t exercise the same level of patience once they are married.

Read the Song of Solomon and notice the level of excitement and anticipation in Godly marriage. Notice how the excitement builds as the bride seeks her love…

Song of Solomon 3:1-5  (NKJV)

3 By night on my bed I sought the one I love;
I sought him, but I did not find him.
² “I will rise now,” I said,
“And go about the city;
In the streets and in the squares
I will seek the one I love.”
I sought him, but I did not find him.
³ The watchmen who go about the city found me;
I said,
“Have you seen the one I love?”

⁴ Scarcely had I passed by them,
When I found the one I love.
I held him and would not let him go,
Until I had brought him to the house of my mother,
And into the chamber of her who conceived me.

⁵ I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
By the gazelles or by the does of the field,
Do not stir up nor awaken love
Until it pleases.

Notice the excitement as Solomon praises his bride…

Song of Solomon 4:1-12  (NKJV)

4 Behold, you are fair, my love!
Behold, you are fair!
You have dove’s eyes behind your veil.
Your hair is like a flock of goats,
Going down from Mount Gilead.
² Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep
Which have come up from the washing,
Every one of which bears twins,
And none is barren among them.
³ Your lips are like a strand of scarlet,
And your mouth is lovely.
Your temples behind your veil
Are like a piece of pomegranate.
⁴ Your neck is like the tower of David,
Built for an armory,
On which hang a thousand bucklers,
All shields of mighty men.
⁵ Your two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle,
Which feed among the lilies.

⁶ Until the day breaks
And the shadows flee away,
I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh
And to the hill of frankincense.

⁷ You are all fair, my love,
And there is no spot in you.
⁸ Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse,
With me from Lebanon.
Look from the top of Amana,
From the top of Senir and Hermon,
From the lions’ dens,
From the mountains of the leopards.

⁹ You have ravished my heart,
My sister, my spouse;
You have ravished my heart
With one look of your eyes,
With one link of your necklace.
¹⁰ How fair is your love,
My sister, my spouse!
How much better than wine is your love,
And the scent of your perfumes
Than all spices!
¹¹ Your lips, O my spouse,
Drip as the honeycomb;
Honey and milk are under your tongue;
And the fragrance of your garments
Is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

¹² A garden enclosed
Is my sister, my spouse,
A spring shut up,
A fountain sealed.

Discuss this with your spouse.

Admit that you won’t always be on the same page all the time.

Agree to be patient with one another when this occurs.

Pray that God doesn’t allow the devil to have a foothold in your marriage when it happens.

Make the most of those moments by allowing them to create…

Renewed fantasies of one another…

To restore excitement and anticipation…

To bring back the mystery and thrill of the discovery that ‘he or she feels like I do’…’wants me like I want him or her’…’that we are on the same page.’

Because whether it be because of an argument or not being on the same page, we all know how goooooooood it can be after it’s been a while. Can I get an amen:-)

BE BLESSTIFIED!

 

 

 

 

 

I know you’ve noticed it.

If you’re a man you might have done it.

You may be DOING IT.

Overcompensating: Taking measures that could be seen as excessive to attempt to correct a self-perceived weakness, problem or error.

Have you ever noticed how many men overcompensate with…

1. BIG TRUCKS…

2.BIG MOUTHS…

3.BIG MUSCLES…

4.BIG MONEY…

5.BIG GUNS…

6. BIG EGOS…

7. AND, THE CLAIM OF BIG ________S!

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Instead of prioritizing having a BIG, CLEAN HEART!

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Psalm 51:10 (NKNV)

¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

I never thought we would live in an age when both men AND women would proudly boast of having BIG BALLS!

Do you know anyone guilty of overcompensating for what should be a BIG HEART? Is it you?

BE BLESSTIFIED!

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John Chapter 17 records the real ‘Lord’s Prayer’, as Matthew 6 gives us the model prayer. In John, He prays for Himself, His disciples and finally those who believe in Him through the disciples words…us.

It’s interesting of all things He could pray about, in verses 20 through 24 He prayed for…

Unity… Agreement… ONENESS!

Why?

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Because three of the most powerful forces on this earth are…

LOVE…

HATE…

and…

UNITY!

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It would be impossible for the Gospel to spread, the church to grow and families to survive without unity.

Notice what the bible says about agreement…

Genesis 11:6 (NKJV)

⁶ And the Lord said, “Indeed the people ARE ONE and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.

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Amos 3:3 (NKJV)

³ Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?

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1 Corinthians 1:10 (NKJV)

¹⁰ Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all ^[a]speak the same thing, and that there be no ^[b]divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

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The fact is that unity is powerful that it works for both good and evil… THE POWER OF UNITY WORKS FOR BOTH GOOD AND EVIL…

It was through ‘agreement’ and ‘unity’ that the devil was able to provoke rebellion in heaven leading to him and those who united with him being kicked out…

Revelation 12:7-9 (NKJV)

⁷ And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, ⁸ but they ^[a]did not prevail, nor was a place found for ^[b]them in heaven any longer. ⁹ So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

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However, the ultimate agreement is in heaven…

1 John 5:7 (NKJV)

⁷ For there are three that bear witness ^[a]in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.

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So, if our Savior was intentional enough to pray for agreement, I encourage you to be intentional to specifically pray for agreement EVER DAY in…

Your marriage…

Your family…

In your local church…

In the Body of Christ…

In your government…

On your job.

And especially pray for unity with God… That you are ONE with Him and He is ONE with you, just as He is ONE with our Lord and Savior Yeshua the Messiah. Pray for this every day, and if possible every time you pray.

Notice how many times the Lord says or infers ONE in His prayer for us…

John 17:20-26 (NKJV)

²⁰ “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who ^[a]will believe in Me through their word; ²¹ that they all may be ONE as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be ONE in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. ²² And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be ONE just as We are ONE: ²³ I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in ONE, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.²⁴ “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵ O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. ²⁶ And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Remember, this isn’t just a prayer, it’s the Lord’s passion. And, it should be ours too.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Many people in America suffer from a spiritual epidemic of pride and refuse to acknowledge or address it.

One way this abomination manifests itself is through how history is perceived and presented.

Too many Americans feel they have the right to define which history is appropriate and which is not.

For example, when speaking of the Confederacy or the flag that represented that rebellious effort that fought against the United States…many will not only claim it’s history, but will boastfully say, IT’S HERITAGE NOT HATE. They will quickly tell you they don’t care WHO is offended by the Confederate flag or honoring that history. It doesn’t enter their mind that it’s in any way divisive or stirs up hatred.

However, when little-known history and atrocities committed by Americans is shared, such as the Tulsa Massacre of 1921, some of the same people consider this history to be ‘race-bating’, stirring up hatred, and divisive.

What?

Are you that hypocritical?

How arrogant, selfish and quite frankly entitled can you be?

One of the most beautiful things about the bible, both Old Testament and New Testament, is that it reports the SAME HISTORY from more than one perspective, From the prophets, to the synoptic Gospels compared to John. Study the bible and look at how prophets who were contemporaries conveyed the same story from different perspectives.

God doesn’t try to hide the ugly things Israel did, or paint them as glorious, but instead shows His anger at them, tells how He rebuked them, and left a lesson for generations to come.

Telling people that history they don’t prefer is inappropriate is a text-book attitude of entitlement and privilege. But, people aren’t that stupid. When they’re honest with themselves…they know that. These people get pissed off because they want complete control of the narrative of American history. You don’t get to define what’s HATRED and what’s HISTORY based on the history that you value.

I’m going to repeat the text below from a previous post of mine: WHY EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD CONSIDER WHERE HE OR SHE NEEDS TO REPENT…

“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.

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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…

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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!

So many times we are told what we should do, but not told how to do it. It’s easy to teach and preach what the bible says, but it doesn’t do much good if you don’t give people the tools to do it.

One great example is when we’re told to love our enemies. We all know and acknowledge what Jesus teaches us…

Matthew 5:43-48 (NKJV)

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’44 [a]But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 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. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your [b]brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the [c]tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

But, we all know that can be easier said than done. Especially what he, she or they wish for and work to your harm. It’s difficult when they try to influence other people against you. God never said it was easy, just possible.

God has really dealt with me concerning this. One of the people who greatly encouraged me to create this blog eventually became a person who not only worked against me, but influenced other people against me.

We also know what God teaches us through the apostle Paul…

Romans 12:14  (NKJV)

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

Romans 12:17-21  (NKJV)

¹⁷ Repay no one evil for evil. Have^[a] regard for good things in the sight of all men. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 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. ²⁰ Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

I see other people on the news who hate me because of my race, my faith, my beliefs, and these are people I’ve never met.

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In fact, one of the people who greatly encouraged me to create this blog eventually became a person who not only worked against me, but influenced other people against me.

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So, how do you pray for people who hate you? It’s much easier said than done, especially when someone wishes for and works towards your harm, tries to influence others to hate or hurt your, or when someone hurts someone very dear to you.

HERE ARE 7 SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO PRAY FOR YOUR ENEMIES…

1. ASK GOD TO SHOW YOU IF & WHERE YOU’RE WRONG

Before you approach God about anyone you consider an enemy, make sure you first ask God to reveal to you if you are wrong in the issue, matter or paradigm. Even if you are 100 percent right, ask God to forgive you if you have allowed the enemy to harden your heart beyond God’s required love for your enemy. We must first consider ourselves before we begin to ‘judge’ anyone else…

Matthew 7:1-5  (NKJV)

7 “Judge^[a] not, that you be not judged. ² For with what ^[b]judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. ³ And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? ⁵ Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

2. PRAY FOR THEIR FAITH IN GOD TO BE ESTABLISHED & INCREASE

We must always remember that God doesn’t love our enemies any less than He loves us. They were created in His image too. God has called us all to be ministers of reconciliation. So, whether your enemy is an unbeliever or if they are a believer, if they are acting outside His will and character, it’s His desire that they be brought back into right relationship with Him. That’s where our prayers come in. God expects us to be ministers of reconciliation to Him…

2 Corinthians 5:17-20  (NKJV)

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 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 ^[a]imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. ²⁰ Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

3. PRAY FOR THEIR REPENTANCE

If we aren’t careful, someone can hurt us or someone we love to the point that we can find ourselves not wanting them to repent. That will take away our excuse to be angry at them. But, it’s Gods will that everyone repent and turn to Him…

2 Peter 3:9  (NKJV)

⁹ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward ^[a]us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

4. PRAY FOR THEIR SALVATION

There are people that we can find so mean, evil and malicious that we don’t want them to be saved. Knowing that someone is in sin or evil is not judging them, but when we decide they are not worthy of salvation, that’s judgement and condemnation. What if God thought you not worthy of salvation when you were at your worst? And, as Matthew 7:1-2 reminds us, what ever judgement we are placing on someone else we are placing that same judgment on ourselves. Plus, if your enemy is a Christian and they are just in a hardhearted, backslidden, or weak moment, you may be placing condemnation on yourself as well…

Isaiah 54:17 (NKJV)

 

So, always ask God to forgive you for any judgment or condemnation you have placed on someone.

5. PRAY THAT THEY PRODUCE GOOD FRUIT

It’s also God’s will that we all lead fruitful and productive lives…

John 15:8  (NKJV)

⁸ By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

John 15:16  (NKJV)

¹⁶ You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

Once your enemy is sincerely leading a fruitful life, they can no longer truly be your enemy. You are then on the same team working for the same kingdom goals. Even if you aren’t necessarily friends, you will no longer be enemies.

6. PRAY SINCERELY, NOT TRYING TO MANIPULATE GOD TO GIVE YOU REVENGE

It’s a dangerous thing asking God to give someone what they deserve: SO YOU THINK THEY GOT WHAT THEY DESERVED…REALLY??? Again, that’s judgment, especially when God hasn’t given any of us what we deserve. Too many times people take Romans 12:20 out of context. They merely want to pray for their enemy or even help them to ‘heap coals of fire on their head’. That is the wrong motivation. Sometimes people can even say, “I’m praying for you as an insult, rather than in sincerity: NEVER LET YOUR “GOD BLESS YOU” REALLY MEAN “F*** YOU”…

7. PRAY THAT GOD FORGIVES YOU FOR BEING SOMEONE’S ENEMY

We all have situations in our lives that we have been or are someone’s enemy. Not because they just don’t like us, but because we have done them wrong. We have worked against them. We have spoken evil against them. This could even be someone who we don’t know or doesn’t know us…It could be a public figure. Even though it’s wrong for them to do so, we have given some people good reason to hate us. Always ask God to forgive you for when you’re someone else’s enemy.

Romans 3:23  (NKJV)

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Praying for our enemies in sincerity isn’t easy, but it is possible.

 

BE BLESSTIFIED!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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We’re Both Using Scripture, So Whose Right?mi mi

It’s undeniable that sincere, devoted Christians don’t always agree on the interpretation and application of God’s word…the bible.

How many times have you been in a discussion and someone uses scripture to support ‘their’ point and you think to yourself, “Ummm, that’s not what that means.

One of the main reasons that there are so many different groups  or denominations within Christianity is because sincere Christians don’t agree on what was meant by what God said in His inspired word.

“Once Saved Always Saved”

No music instrumental music in worship service

Speaking in Tongues

Proper dress for men or women

Female ministers and pastors

Proper day to worship

Should we celebrate holidays

Tithing

Clean and unclean foods

Should there be priest in church

Is it a sin to drink alcohol

These are just a few of the points in which sincere Christians disagree, unfortunately sometimes to the point of contention. Whether it be huge doctrinal issues or individual disagreements in navigating ‘real life’ situations, too many times Christians are at odds when the word of God clearly said…

1 Corinthians 1:10 (NKJV)

¹⁰ Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Jesus Christ Himself was continually called a devil because He challenged how the religious elite interpreted and viewed the scriptures.

So, how do you know who is right and who is wrong?  NO ONE!

It’s not about US being right or wrong, but who is in harmony with God’s truth. We must be careful not to fall into the mindset of trying to prove we are right. We didn’t create the world. We didn’t die on the cross. We have no authority to be ‘RIGHT’.

So our goal isn’t to be right, but to be in agreement with God’s truth. We can only have unity in the body of Christ when we adopt this mindset. Here are a few ways to tell who is in harmony with God’s truth.

Those who are willing to…

ACCEPT NO GROUP HAS IT ALL RIGHT

It’s interesting how groups and denomonations are so different, but each thinks they are ‘the closet to the truth’. As we grow in our faith, we realize that God doesn’t change, but our theology evolves and changes. That’s what Jesus did. He challenged their theology. Look at some of Jesus’ statement I Matthew 5…

Matthew 5:17(NKJV)

17 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill…”

27 “You have heard it said…”

31 “Furthermore it has been said…”

33 Again you have heard it was said to those of old…”

We have to mature and secure enough to realize that we can challenge our theology, grow and change our thinking without implying that the word or God has changed. Every group, just as the religious leaders in the New Testament has to be willing to accept that they are currently believing and practicing some things that ARE NOT in harmony with God’s truth.

HOLDING ON TRADITION

TRYING TO JUSTIFY WHAT WE WANT TO BELIEVE

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God answers prayers! I’m a witness that He has answered countless specific prayers, intercessions and supplications for me. However, there are situations when God rejects our prayers. We can’t ignore this.

God has given us examples in the Old Testament of the behaviors that causes Him to reject the prayers of His people. However, rejection and punishment always came with a promise.

Please go back and do a dedicated bible study from the perspective of what provoked God to ‘hide His face’ and reject the prayers of His people.

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Remember, idols aren’t just made of stone or wood. The devil knows he can’t convince you to ‘bow down’ to a statue. Stop and think about the ‘modern-day’ works of our hands. “…and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5).

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Isaiah 2:7-8 (NKJV)

⁷ Their land is also full of silver and gold,
And there is no end to their treasures;
Their land is also full of horses,
And there is no end to their chariots.
⁸ Their land is also full of idols;
They worship the work of their own hands,
That which their own fingers have made.

Deuteronomy 32:20-22 (NKJV)

²⁰ And He said: ‘I will hide My face from them,
I will see what their end will be,
For they are a perverse generation,
Children in whom is no faith.
²¹ They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God;
They have moved Me to anger by their ^[a]foolish idols.
But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation;
I will move them to anger by a foolish nation.
²² For a fire is kindled in My anger,
And shall burn to the ^[b]lowest ^[c]hell;
It shall consume the earth with her increase,
And set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

Jeremiah 32:28-32 (NKJV)

²⁸ Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it. ²⁹ And the Chaldeans who fight against this city shall come and set fire to this city and burn it, with the houses on whose roofs they have offered incense to Baal and poured out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke Me to anger; ³⁰ because the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only evil before Me from their youth. For the children of Israel have provoked Me only to anger with the work of their hands,’ says the Lord. ³¹ ‘For this city has been to Me a provocation of My anger and My fury from the day that they built it, even to this day; so I will remove it from before My face ³² because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke Me to anger—they, their kings, their princes, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 8:3-18 (NKJV)

³ He stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my hair; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the north gate of the inner court, where the seat of the image of jealousy was, which provokes^[a] to jealousy. ⁴ And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I saw in the plain.

⁵ Then He said to me, “Son of man, lift your eyes now toward the north.” So I lifted my eyes toward the north, and there, north of the altar gate, was this image of jealousy in the entrance.

⁶ Furthermore He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel commits here, to make Me go far away from My sanctuary? Now turn again, you will see greater abominations.” ⁷ So He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, there was a hole in the wall. ⁸ Then He said to me, “Son of man, dig into the wall”; and when I dug into the wall, there was a door.

⁹ And He said to me, “Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they are doing there.” ¹⁰ So I went in and saw, and there—every sort of creeping thing, abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, ^[b]portrayed all around on the walls. ¹¹ And there stood before them seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, and in their midst stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan. Each man had a censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up. ¹² Then He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the room of his idols? For they say, ‘The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.’ ”

¹³ And He said to me, “Turn again, and you will see greater abominations that they are doing.” ¹⁴ So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the Lord’s house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for ^[c]Tammuz.

¹⁵ Then He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Turn again, you will see greater abominations than these.” ¹⁶ So He brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s house; and there, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east.

¹⁷ And He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence; then they have returned to provoke Me to anger. Indeed they put the branch to their nose. ¹⁸ Therefore I also will act in fury. My eye will not spare nor will I have pity; and though they cry in My ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.”

Everything written in the Old Testament was for our example today…

1 Corinthians 10:6-11 (NKJV)

⁶ Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. ⁷ And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” ⁸ Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; ⁹ nor let us ^[a]tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; ¹⁰ nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. ¹¹ Now ^[b]all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our ^[c]admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

BE BLESSTIFIED!