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.

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.

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!

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

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!

We have all been hurt, wronged, betrayed, mistreated, let down, disappointed. used and abused.

It’s a part of life.

Sometimes we feel we have been wronged when the other person of people actually meant no real harm.

Sometimes we feel we were wronged when the other person or persons was actually doing something for our own good.

Sometimes it’s us who was in the wrong.

In many situations we can’t change how we are treated, but we can always control how we react to when we are treated badly….ALWAYS.

So, I have a quick reminder for you. God expects to not only forgive, but have an attitude of forgiveness, even when the other person doesn’t seem as though they are sorry.

Have you ever had a person apologize to you and you weren’t ready to hear it? You want to remain angry…

YOU’RE HOLDING A GRUDGE, AND GOD AIN’T HAVING THAT!

Leviticus 19:18 (NKJV)

¹⁸ You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

Ephesians 4:32 (ESV)

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Romans 12:17-21 (ESV)

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

GRUDGE (Oxford Online Dictionary)

Noun: A persistent feeling of ill will or resentment resulting from a past insult or injury.‘she held a grudge against her former boss’.

Grudges are birthed from pride.

Grudges require huge amounts of mental, emotional and spiritual bandwidth.

You can’t be grateful, thankful, forgiving, joyous, kind, or love the way God requires while holding a grudge.

Grudges our a spiritual drain and they ruin your testimony.

It is impossible to move forward while you hold a grudge.

The fact is…

THAT GRUDGE THAT YOU ARE HOLDING IS ACTUALLY HOLDING YOU!

How many blessings is God trying to put into your hand, but He can’t because you’re holding tightly to a grudge?

Please, let it go.

HOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT AN APOLOGY…

ARE YOU EASY TO APOLOGIZE TO…?

WHY WE SHOULD STOP SAYING, “FORGIVENESS ISN’T FOR THEM, IT’S FOR YOU…”

BE BLESSTIFIED!

They didn’t see things your way?

How many times have you had an argument with _______________, and it was not resolved?

You still don’t agree?

They are still very much angry at you?

You still feel they are wrong?

Or, You may know that YOU are wrong?

Now is the time that you may want to buckle down in your anger. It is the foundation to a grudge and a wall in this ONE area of your relationship with _________________.

You may decide you aren’t going to speak to them. You may decide you aren’t going to listen to them. You may decide you are going to ignore them when they speak to you. You may decide to have a negative attitude towards them or be mean to them. You may decide to withhold affection and kindness from them….

There is a reason that God tells us…

Ephesians 4:26-27 (NKJV)

²⁶ “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, ²⁷ nor give place to the devil.

Proverbs 29:11  (NKJV)

¹¹ A fool vents all his feelings,^[a]
But a wise man holds them back.

James 1:20  (NKJV)

²⁰ for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

SO, BEFORE YOU BUCKLE DOWN IN YOUR ANGER, PLEASE STOP AND THINK ABOUT THIS…

Have you done something to make God angry?

Have you neglected doing something that God wants you to do?

Do you want God to buckle down in His anger towards you?

Do you want God to stop speaking to you? Do you want God to stop listening to you? Do you want God to start ignoring you? Do you want God to have a negative attitude towards you or be mean to you…

DO YOU WANT GOD TO WITHHOLD AFFECTION AND KINDNESS FROM YOU…FOR EVEN A BRIEF MOMENT?

NO! OF COURSE NOT!

So, the next time your anger burns hotter, cool it off with an act of kindness and love, especially if you don’t feel like it. That’s what makes it kindness and love!

Give them a hug. Do something small but kind for them, even if they don’t want you to. Let them have the last word.

Remember, giving someone the last word isn’t loosing an argument, it’s ending the argument.

Make it clear to them that you aren’t going to let your anger rule the situation. Make it clear to the devil that he cannot get a foothold through the situation.

Remember how long God remains angry at us…

Psalm 30:5  (NKJV)

⁵ For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But ^[a]joy comes in the morning.

To sum it up, make sure you have a forgiving heart quickly and let it go.

Ephesians 4:32  (NKJV)

³² And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Luke 11:4  (NLT)

⁴ and forgive us our sins,
    as we forgive those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation.”

Remember, you never really hold a grudge, the grudge always holds you.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Presented with a dilemma with eternal implications unknown to him, and with Jesus before Him, Pilate asked a poignant question…

John 18:38 (NKJV)

³⁸ Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.

The TRUTH is absolute independent of how we view it… just like God.

We defile it…

We pervert it…

We skew it towards our own point of view or agenda.

We make the truth subjective.

This is why the key to finding truth when two people are using THE SAME SCRIPTURE to justify their perspective is totally removing how we WANT to view the scripture and seeking to see it as God intended. WE’RE BOTH USING SCRIPTURE SO…HOW TO TELL WHO’S ‘RIGHT’?

For example, Yeshua the Messiah clearly says we should “turn the other cheek” if someone strikes us, and He gave us that example just before He was crucified…

Matthew 5:39 (NKJV)

³⁹ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

Luke 22:63-65 (NLT)

⁶³ The guards in charge of Jesus began mocking and beating him. ⁶⁴ They blindfolded him and said, “Prophesy to us! Who hit you that time?” ⁶⁵ And they hurled all sorts of terrible insults at him.

However, Christians read the truth in the above scripture, and then reason for themselves how it’s okay to strike someone back when it’s not in self defense. They see turning the other cheek as a sign of weakness. If your life isn’t truly in danger, striking someone back is pride.

In our heated social, historical and political climate, people ‘research’… ‘fact check’… read history and filter the absolute facts we find through our subjective perspectives.

In both the Old and New Testaments the bible makes it clear that homosexuality is a sin just the same as fornication and adultery. However, people who want to justify what they want to do, but also claim to be Christian will say, “That’s not what the scripture means.” WHY IT’S STILL A SIN EVEN IF YOU WERE, “BORN THAT WAY”…

Another example…Benedict Arnold led the British army in battle to the very men that he had previously commanded.

That’s a fact.

But, how history views him is subjective. America views him as a traitor, while people from Britain might not think so. Calling him either a traitor or a hero creates a narrative, so he truth is filtered through perspective.

One last example…a zebra is black and white, however subjectivity creates a narrative when say the zebra is ‘black with white stripes’ or ‘white with black stripes’. Science has determined that their skin is black and their stripes are white per the website LIVESCIENCE.COM…https://bit.ly/3xjAqeA.

We make the truth subjective through our perspective.

When people say they’re LIVING THEIR TRUTH, give them this gentle reminder… “The truth doesn’t belong to you.”

John 14:6 (NKJV)

⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

per·vertverb/pərˈvərt/

1. alter (something) from its original course, meaning, or state to a distortion or corruption of what was first intended.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

We live in a highly interactive world. Everyone has a platform, especially through social media, to express themselves. We interact with one another in our families. On your jobs. In our schools. As the bible says, “as we go out and as we come in”, we are almost always interacting with someone.

Whoever is reading this is interacting with me right now. What I’m writing right now may be foolishness to you. You may consider it stupid. You may consider it offensive. If so, after reading you have a choice. Do I respond? Or, do I just move on? And, thus to the crux of my short message here…

When you hear something. When you read something. When someone comes ‘head on’ to you with something that you consider FOOLISHNESS…what do you do?

SOME FOOLISHNESS DOES NOT DESERVE A RESPONSE, WHILE OTHER FOOLISHNESS DEMANDS ONE.

Some foolishness would die if we would just allow it. While other foolishness is like a spark ready to spread like wildfire.

How do you know?

Well, you have to pray for discernment. Discernment is an aspect of wisdom, and God will grant it in abundance if you ask Him.

James 1:5  (NKJV)

⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Notice how sometimes Jesus responded to those who opposed Him, and sometimes He was rather assertive.

Matthew 15:1-12  (NKJV)

15 Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, ² “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”

³ He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? ⁴ For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; ^[a] and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’^[b] 5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— ⁶ then he need not honor his father or mother.’^[c] Thus you have made the commandment^[d] of God of no effect by your tradition. ⁷ Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:

⁸ ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And^[e] honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
⁹ And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”^[f]

¹⁰ When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand: ¹¹ Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”

¹² Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”

While other times, He didn’t say a word…

Matthew 27:12-14 (NKJV)

¹² And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.

¹³ Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” ¹⁴ But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.

 1 Peter 2:23  (NKJV)

²³ who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;

 But, when you DO respond, remember this…

Respond in wisdom.

Respond with reason.

And, please don’t respond in your raw emotions.

We must realize when we are planting a seed of righteousness, and a seed of foolishness.

Proverbs 29:11  (NKJV)

¹¹ A fool vents all his feelings,^[a]
But a wise man holds them back.

 BE BLESSTIFIED!

While many Christians are conscious of ‘politicized’ sins and feeding conspiracy theories, there’s 3 sins and conspiracies that have slipped through their radar and been accepted.

Yes, abortion is sin. Yes, homosexuality is sin. Many people who identify as Christians are passionate about rebuking and rejecting these sins, as they should be. However, these aren’t the only abominations in the bible. The fact is that many evangelicals reject some sins while excusing those that either don’t bother them, or that they want to continue committing.

So, if you want liberals to accept that abortion and homosexuality are sins, are you willing to accept…

1. Allowing your children to participate in Halloween is symbolically sacrificing them to idols?

God became very angry at Israel for adopting the customs of the heathen and sacrificing their children to Molech and allowing them to ‘pass through the fire’. Halloween’s roots are undeniably pagan. Either a Google search or scholarly research can easily prove that. The devil knows he can’t get Christians today to ‘sacrifice’ their children literally, so he does it symbolically to spite God. The easiest way for the enemy to allow sin to continue through generations is to make people feel as though their children are missing out on something, and that’s what he does. God made it clear that we are not to ‘learn the way of the heathen’…

Jeremiah 10:2-5 (KJV)

² Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them?

If you want liberals to accept that abortion is wrong, are you willing to accept that Halloween is a pagan practice that should immediately be removed as a National holiday (holy day)?

2. Calling our celebration of our Lord and Savior’s resurrection ‘EASTER’ is blatant blasphemy?

It’s undeniable that the name EASTER has absolutely nothing to do with Jesus Christ, (Yeshua the Messiah). It is derived from the name of a pagan goddess named Eostre, who is the same goddess as Ishtar, and Ashtoreth who God continually rebuked and punished Israel for worshipping. The devil has allowed this worship to continue by defiling the celebration of Yeshua’s death, burial and resurrection. Notice what God told His people before they entered the promised land…

Joshua 23:6-7 (New King James Version)

⁶ Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left, ⁷ and lest you go^[a] among these nations, these who remain among you. YOU SHALL NOT MAKE MENTION OF THE NAME of their gods, nor cause anyone to swear by them; you shall not serve them nor bow down to them,

God is very clear here. DO NOT MAKE MENTION. But, the devil has convinced Christians to do exactly that EVERY TIME they refer to a day set aside to celebrate the Lord’s resurrection. Putting any name where God’s name belongs is BLASPHEMY. Look at how angry God was at His people acknowledging idol Gods when they were rebuked for worshipping Tammuz who is directly associated with Ishtar…

Ezekiel 8:14-18 (NKJV)

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 ^[a]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.”

These are the abominations that got His people exiled into Assyria and Babylon. It’s amazing how Americans who are so concerned with losing their freedom ignore the sins that actually made Israel lose their freedom — the Spiritual adultery, not the actual heathens in the land themselves.

If you want ‘sinners’ to accept that abortion and homosexuality is sin, are you willing to accept that calling our Savior’s resurrection celebration ‘Easter’ and continuing the customs of hunting eggs, especially in church is blasphemy and an abomination?

NAMES MATTER: WHY WE SHOULD CELEBRATE JESUS’ RESURRECTION WITHOUT CALLING IT ‘EASTER’…

3. Celebrating our Savior’s birth by erecting a tree in your home is setting up a shrine to an idol in your home?

It is also clear that the origin of Christmas trees is pagan as well. I myself had vacillated about this for years. But, notice what Encyclopedia Britannica says concerning Christmas trees…

“according to the Encyclopædia Britannica, “The use of evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands to symbolize eternal life was a custom of the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews. Tree worship was common among the pagan Europeans and survived their conversion to Christianity in the Scandinavian customs of decorating the house and barn with evergreens at the New Year to scare away the devil and of setting up a tree for the birds during Christmas time.”

It is clear what God told His people in Jeremiah when referencing how they harvested trees to carve idols…

Jeremiah 10:2-5 (NKJV)

² Thus says the Lord:

“Do not learn the way of the Gentiles;
Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven,
For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.
³ For the customs of the peoples are ^[a]futile;
For one cuts a tree from the forest,
The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
⁴ They decorate it with silver and gold;
They fasten it with nails and hammers
So that it will not topple.
⁵ They are upright, like a palm tree,
And they cannot speak;
They must be carried,
Because they cannot go by themselves.
Do not be afraid of them,
For they cannot do evil,
Nor can they do any good.”

Too many Christians are perfectly comfortable telling their children that Santa Claus is watching them all year. They are comfortable letting their children think that Santa Clause “knows when they are sleeping, and knows when they are awake…knows if they’ve been bad or good.” Only God can do these things! This again is blasphemy. The devil has convinced Christians that it’s harmless, but notice that God states in Ezekiel 8:17 that God doesn’t see anything as trivial…”Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here?” Again, one of the enemy’s strategies to allow sins to go on for thousands of years is to convince people that their children are missing out on something.

The fact is that if God forbade all of the three practices above, they are symbolically very much like the ‘accursed things’ that Achan coveted from the heathen people of Ai. He took it and hid it bringing the wrath of God on himself and his family. Please go back and read Joshua Chapter 7.

If you find yourself searching for excuses to prove the above statements wrong, if you’re ‘pushing back’, then you’re no different than the ‘sinner’ who supports abortion or homosexuality — they are all equal abominations to God.

Too many people, as the Apostle Paul said, have a zeal or passion for God, but not according to knowledge. And, just like the people of that day, we have gone about to ESTABLISH OUR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Romans 10:2-4 (NKJV)

² For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. ³ For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. ⁴ For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Too many people politicize the sins that bother them, while excusing those that don’t. They excuse the sins they wish to continue. Many of these sins are the very sins that provoked God to enough anger to send them into exile.

I have heard so many people give the reason for their political choices based on ‘sins’ as ‘the lesser of two evils’. In God’s eyes sin is sin, so there is no lesser of two evils.

WORRIED ABOUT LOSING YOUR FREEDOM? LOOK AT YOUR OWN PRIDE FIRST…

HOW PRIDE HAS BECOME THE ACCEPTED ABOMINATION… 7 REASONS THAT PRIDE MAY BE THE DEADLIEST SIN…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

We’ve all done it!

To be polite…

To appease the boss…

To be a good audience…

To prevent hurting someone’s feelings when they weren’t really funny.

How many times do you fake laugh? How often do you type LOL when you didn’t really laugh-out-loud?

How many times do you say, “THAT’S HILARIOUS”… but you aren’t really laughing?

So, if it’s not really funny, and you pretend to laugh…is that considered lying?

Now, we all know that David pretended to be crazy to save his life, but I can’t find an example of someone pretending to laugh.

1 Samuel 21:12-14 (NKJV)

¹² Now David ^(A)took these words ^[a]to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. ¹³ So ^(B)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?

What do you think?

BE BLESSTIFIED!

How many times have you typed something on a device and decided that wasn’t what you wanted to say?

How many times have you done something on a device and decided it wasn’t an action that you wanted to do?

Did you throw away your device?

No.

You clicked UNDO.

Clicking UNDO allows you to totally wipe out what you didn’t want without affecting anything else you’re working on.

When you’ve typed or done something wrong, it allows you the opportunity to ‘change directions’ and do it right.

When you confess your sins to God, and commit to change directions, you’ve clicked God’s UNDO button.

When you repent, God wipes out what you’ve said, done or thought.

When you repent, God doesn’t hold what you said, did, or thought against you anymore…

When you repent, God allows you to continue with your life as if you’ve never did what you did…

When you repent, God allows you to start over and do it the right way…

As long as you don’t RETYPE the SAME thing again.

ASKING GOD FOR FORGIVENESS ISN’T REPENTANCE (QUICK DEFINITION)…

THERE’S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REMORSE & REPENTANCE…

WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE AN APOLOGY OR REPENTANCE?

GOD DIDN’T ASK FOR AN APOLOGY, HE DEMANDS REPENTANCE…

2 Corinthians 7:9-10 (NKJV)

⁹ Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. ¹⁰ For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

John 1:9 (NKJV)

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

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…

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

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.

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.

Remember…

Proverbs 16:9  (NKJV)

Sex is a gift from God. Even though it’s the means He intended for us to be fruitful and multiply, it is also meant to be enjoyed within the bonds of holy matrimony between a man and a woman.

Our bodies with their various curves, shapes, textures, contrast of colors, smells etc., are meant to provoke sexual arousal. It’s up to us to control these urges so that they are only fulfilled within marriage.

One of those divine combinations of curves, shapes, textures, and contrast of colors is the female breast.

Yes, these were created for mothers to make sure their children are nourished, but that’s not all.

They were also created for the mutual pleasure of the husband and the wife. Breasts were created:

As a means of seducing her husband…

For her pleasure during times of intimacy…

To be aesthetically pleasing to entice her husband…

For his enjoyment during times of intimacy…

The fact is that even though God created female breasts to nurse their children, that boobs aren’t just for the babies. Check out these bible verses about female breasts and intimacy within marriage.

Proverbs 5:18-19  (NKJV)

¹⁸ Let your fountain be blessed,
And rejoice with the wife of your youth.
¹⁹ As a loving deer and a graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
And always be ^[a]enraptured with her love.

Song of Solomon 1:12-13  (NKJV)

¹² While the king is at his table,
My ^[a]spikenard sends forth its fragrance.
¹³ A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me,
That lies all night between my breasts.

Song of Solomon 4:4-5  (NKJV)

⁴ Your neck is like the tower of David,
Built for an armory,
On which hang a thousand ^[a]bucklers,
All shields of mighty men.
⁵ Your two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle,
Which feed among the lilies

Song of Solomon 7:2-3, 8(NKJV)

² Your navel is a rounded goblet;
It lacks no ^[a]blended beverage.
Your waist is a heap of wheat
Set about with lilies.
³ Your two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle.

Song of Solomon 7:8  (NKJV)

⁸ I said, “I will go up to the palm tree,
I will take hold of its branches.”
Let now your breasts be like clusters of the vine,
The fragrance of your ^[a]breath like apples,

Song of Solomon 8:10  (NKJV)

¹⁰ I am a wall,
And my breasts like towers;
Then I became in his eyes
As one who found peace.

Hebrews 13:4 (NKJV)

⁴ Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

1 Corinthians 7:2-5 (NLT)

² But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.

³ The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. ⁴ The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife.

⁵ Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

So, couples enjoy one another, and may your marriages…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

You may also enjoy these BE BLESSTIFIED articles on Godly marriage…

GODLY MARRIAGE: WHAT IF THE ‘BIG O’ WAS TOO BIG (Adult but Holy)…

GODLY MARRIAGE: HOW SEX IS SUBMISSION AND HONOR PERFECTED (Graphic but Holy)…

4 SIMPLE THINGS THAT CAN MAKE YOUR MARRIAGE BETTER IMMEDIATELY…

GODLY MARRIAGE: YOU CAN’T GET ROMANTIC WITH A HYMNAL…

MARRIAGE ADVICE: IT’S YOUR DIFFERENCES THAT MAKE YOU A PERFECT FIT…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

There may be some reason that you aren’t looking forward to or may even be dreading tomorrow…. next week… or next month.  It could be because of challenges in your relationship(s), on your job, your health.

It could be that your paycheck will not be enough to take care of your obligations.

It may be a promise you made that you already know you can’t fulfill.

You may have robbed Peter and still don’t have enough to pay Paul. You may be separated from loved ones and support.

It may be the expected or the unexpected.

I’m not here to promise a miracle if you share this post.

I’m not even promising tomorrow will be better or even arrive.

God hasn’t promised us tomorrow…but He has given us today.

That’s why He said…

Matthew 6:34 (NKJV)

 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

If you have the strength or means to read this post or have it read to you, then God has abundantly blessed you.

In fact, no matter how much or how little money, food, clothing, strength or hope you have, He’s given you more than enough for today.

Those days in your past that you have dreaded, even if they were as ‘bad’ as you expected…you’re still here.

The truth is that God is sovereign to do what He pleases with each day and each person He made.

He loves us, and no matter how bad it may seem, He’s working all things together for our good…

Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

 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.

The fact is either we trust Him or we don’t. Don’t worry about tomorrow if you don’t trust God with today.

If you’re worried about tomorrow… next week… or even next year…

SNAP OUT OF IT! And, make a conscious effort to do everything you can to enjoy every minute… every second… every hour of today.

Reach down inside and praise God and tell Him you love Him and trust Him with today.

If you don’t know what to say, I suggest…

Psalm 118:24 (NKJV)

This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

You’ve stopped.

You don’t do it anymore.

You even asked God to forgive you.

But, when you think about it, the memory still makes you smile.

If you don’t really regret it.

If you had to do it all over…you would do it again.

If you aren’t truly sorry that it happened, then it’s a good chance that God hasn’t forgiven you.

Why?

Because you haven’t truly repented in your heart.

True repentance comes from godly sorrow…

2 Corinthians 7:10 (NKJV)

¹⁰ For ^(A)godly sorrow produces repentance leadingto salvation, not to be regretted; ^(B)but the sorrow of the world produces death.

If you aren’t sorry, have you truly repented?

BE BLESSTIFIED!