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Let me preface this piece by saying this piece is not addressing dangerous, abusive relationships.

We all encounter people who ‘get on our nerves’. We all have people in our families, workplaces, and even churches who love to cause trouble, drama and who cause us high levels of stress and anxiety.

Some people have a chronic propensity to bring negativity to every interaction.

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One of the most common and seemingly practical pieces of advice is to remove the people toxic people from our lives…but does the Bible support that teaching?

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It sounds good in blog posts, self help books, sermons, and motivational speeches, but how does God expect us to handle the situation?

Notice that God told Ezekiel that He was sending Him to…well a nation of ‘toxic people’.

Ezekiel 2:3-5 (NKJV)

³ And He said to me: “Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. ⁴ For they are ^[a]impudent and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ ⁵ As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse—for they are a rebellious house—yet they will know that a prophet has been among them.

God equipped Ezekiel for the challenge, and He is trying to equip us…

Ezekiel 3:7-9 (NKJV)

⁷ But the house of Israel will not listen to you, because they will not listen to Me; for all the house of Israel are ^[a]impudent and hard-hearted. ⁸ Behold, I have made your face strong against their faces, and your forehead strong against their foreheads. ⁹ Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.

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Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus Christ, sent His disciples into ‘toxic situations’…

Matthew 10:16 (NKJV)

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

The fact is that Jesus gave us instructions for how to handle people who intentionally antagonize us…

Matthew 5:44 (NKJV)

^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,

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Notice that the Lord didn’t say avoid your enemies, block those who curse you, and remove those who spitefully use and persecute you from your life.

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God expects us to strong enough to be light, and a positive spiritual influence to those who are ‘toxic’. The very person or persons that you have decided to eliminate from you life might have been specifically sent into your life to benefit from your light.

Let’s say you’re one of those people on social media who announce they are unfriending or blocking the ‘negative or messy’ people from their lives. These are people who haven’t unfriended or blocked you from their lives, even though they may be sometimes annoyed by your passion or love for God. You may be the only light they see in a sea of the craziness on social media.

God expects us to be strong and grow in wisdom, knowledge, understanding, love, joy, peace, goodness, kindness, gentleness, self-control and faithfulness enough so we can represent His glory and image in every relationship and interaction.

This is when what God told us through the apostle Paul is the most powerful…

Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

¹³ I can do all things through ^[a]Christ who strengthens me.

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Before you get rid of someone toxic, why not pray for the strength, wisdom and patience to be a blessing to them?

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What if Jesus had decided to reject the negative people in His earthly ministry?

Before you block their calls, what if blocked yours?

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Have you ever noticed that some people are naturally funny? They have a wit so quick, you wonder, how could they think of that so fast.

Why?

Think about these verses in the context of laughter…

James 1:17 (NKJV)

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Romans 12:8 (NIV)

⁸ if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously;if it is to lead,^[a] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Proverbs 17:22 (NKJV)

²² A merry heart does good, like medicine,^[a]
But a broken spirit dries the bones.

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I’m convinced that comedy is a God-given spiritual gift of exhortation.

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I mean, what is more encouraging than a good laugh? A well-placed laugh in a good sermon only helps keep the audience engaged and possibly drive a point home.

The bible tells us that one of the promises from God is that we will all see trouble during our days on this earth…

Job 14:1(NKJV)

14 “Man who is born of woman
Is of few days and full of trouble.

It’s God’s gift of laughter that gets us through many of those tough days.

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 I’m convinced that God has appointed some of us Ministers of Laughter…

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So, do you know anyone with a special anointing to make the best situations better and inject some encouraging humor into the worst. Those who can make us smile when we feel like crying. Is it you?

Unfortunately, many comedians and comediennes use their gift to glorify the enemy through vulgarity and profanity, but that doesn’t mean the gift isn’t from God. It’s just misdirected.

Are you a Minister of Laughter? If so, walk in your anointing. You’re important to the Kingdom of God!

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!

Yehovah Yireh provides perfectly through our Lord and Savior Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

We must always be careful that we never dishonor Him because we have our wants confused with our needs.

It didn’t take long for Israel to get tired of the ‘bread from heaven provided by God…

Numbers 11:1-20 (NKJV)

11 Now ^(A)when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; ^(B)for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the ^(C)fire of the Lordburned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp. ² Then the people ^(D)cried out to Moses, and when Moses ^(E)prayed to the Lord, the fire was ^[a]quenched. ³ So he called the name of the place ^[b]Taberah, because the fire of the Lord had burned among them.

⁴ Now the ^(F)mixed multitude who were among them ^[c]yielded to ^(G)intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: ^(H)“Who will give us meat to eat? ^{5 (I)}We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; ⁶ but now ^(J)our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!”

⁷ Now ^(K)the manna was like coriander seed, and its color like the color of bdellium. ⁸ The people went about and gathered it, ground it on millstones or beat it in the mortar, cooked it in pans, and made cakes of it; and ^(L)its taste was like the taste of pastry prepared with oil. ⁹ And ^(M)when the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it.

¹⁰ Then Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent; and ^(N)the anger of the Lord was greatly aroused; Moses also was displeased. ^{11 (O)}So Moses said to the Lord, “Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the ^[d]burden of all these people on me? ¹² Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, ^(P)‘Carry them in your bosom, as a ^(Q)guardian carries a nursing child,’ to the land which You ^(R)swore^[e] to their fathers? ^{13 (S)}Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all over me, saying, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ ^{14 (T)}I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. ¹⁵ If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now—if I have found favor in Your sight—and ^(U)do not let me see my wretchedness!”

¹⁶ So the Lord said to Moses: “Gather to Me ^(V)seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and ^(W)officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you. ¹⁷ Then I will come down and talk with you there. ^(X)I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone. ¹⁸ Then you shall say to the people, ^[f]‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept ^(Y)in the hearing of the Lord, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.” Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. ¹⁹ You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, ^{20 (Z)}but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have ^(AA)despised the Lord who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, ^(AB)“Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?” ’ ”

How many times have you looked in the refrigerator, pantry or cabinet and said, “There’s nothing to eat” because it wasn’t what you wanted?

How many times have you complained about the job you prayed for and God is using to sustain your life this season?

How many times have you complained about the spouse, children or family that God gave you because they don’t always see eye-to-eye with you? Remember the children of Israel complained in the wilderness against Moses’ leadership over and over again.

Complaining is one of the sins that pisses Him off the most…

1 Corinthians 10:10 (NKJV)

¹⁰ nor complain, as ^(A)some of them also complained, and ^(B)were destroyed by ^(C)the destroyer.

Remember, complaining is the opposite of thanksgiving.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

God has said it to me many times.

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The ‘N-WORD’

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And I must admit that it’s very rare that I like it.

It’s very hard for me to hear.

Sometimes, I think it’s not fair.

I will think to myself, “You didn’t say the ‘N-WORD’ to him…or to her!”

I know that God is sovereign, and He can say whatever He wants to say.

I know He loves me…knows what’s best for me…and everything He does is always working for my good.

I know He knows me better than I know myself.

Yes, I trust Him, and I submit to His perfect will for my life.

But, that doesn’t make it hurt any less when God decides to respond to me with…

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The ‘N-WORD’

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Sometimes I reason within myself, He really didn’t mean that.

Sometimes I will keep pushing, trying to force a different response…

But, still His answer remains to be…

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The ‘N-WORD’

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As much as He loves me and gives me all of what I need and some of what I want…

Sometimes God has to say…

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The ‘N-WORD’ to me

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As much as I don’t like it, I still love Him and trust Him.

I take peace in the fact that His grace is always sufficient for me.

How do you react…

When God tells you “NO”?

2 Corinthians 12: 8-9 (NKJV)

 ⁸ Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. ⁹ And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

 BE BLESSTIFIED!

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Should there be consequence for when reasonable expectations aren’t met on the job? Yes, of course!

But, in our current culture it’s become all to common for a boss to ‘chew out’ and employee who isn’t meeting those expectations…who makes a mistake…who needs correction.

No matter where someone sits on the hierarchy of organizational structure, the fact is that workers are all just people doing a job to take care of their families or themselves…to make a living.

It’s true some jobs are much more impactful on society if someone messes up, for example if someone is setting up an operating room for emergency surgery, but the fact still remains that all workers are equal citizens doing a job.

But think about this. Outside the workplace, your boss is just another person. He or she is someone else’s wife, husband, son, daughter, father, mother…just a person. They have absolutely NO authority over your life outside of your commitment to the company or organization.

Because we are all just equal citizens trying to make a living, no one has the right to overly assertively reprimand another adult at work. Offices, factories, schools and churches are not the military.

No one has the right to belittle you… insult you… embarrass you… or even threaten you because they think that’s leadership. This usually happens when the correction is affected by emotions.

Every organization has consequences in place for when expectations aren’t met.

Verbally warn me with respect!

Write me up!

Demote me!

Fire me!

But no one has the right to belittle, insult, embarrass, threaten or treat another adult like a child, even if they have organizational authority over them.

Real leadership isn’t achieved through fear, intimidation, or adult bullying.

When a person is hired, make sure that the progression of consequences are clear, and proceed through them with respect.

No one wants to be disrespected, not even when they mess up.

Matthew 7:12 (NKJV)

¹² Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

What do you think?

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

Have you ever noticed how a negative person can sap the energy out of a room? Have you ever noticed how negativity can steal the joy from a moment? Have you ever noticed how a person who complains can convince a person who is completely content and satisfied to be unhappy?

This is why God hates pessimism. This is why God hates negativity. This is why God hates complaining…7 REASONS GOD HATES COMPLAINING…

Remember that God had promised Israel victory, but they had to go in and claim the Promised Land that He had committed to giving them. As they travelled in the wilderness, Moses sent out spies to ‘check out the land’. To make a long story short, Joshua and Caleb brought back positive news in the form of a good report. However, the other spies brought back negative news and pessimism in the form of a ‘bad report’…

Numbers 13:21-33 (NKJV)

²¹ So they went up and spied out the land from the Wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, near the entrance of Hamath. ²² And they went up through the South and came to Hebron; Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) ²³ Then they came to the ^[a]Valley of Eshcol, and there cut down a branch with one cluster of grapes; they carried it between two of them on a pole. They also brought some of the pomegranates and figs. ²⁴ The place was called the Valley of ^[b]Eshcol, because of the cluster which the men of Israel cut down there. ²⁵ And they returned from spying out the land after forty days.

²⁶ Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. ²⁷ Then they told him, and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly ^[c]flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. ²⁸ Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. ²⁹ The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.”

³⁰ Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”

³¹ But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” ³² And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. ³³ There we saw the ^[d]giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like^[e] grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

Numbers 14:1-4 (NKJV)

14 So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. ² And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! ³ Why has the Lord brought us to this land to ^[a]fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” ⁴ So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.”

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This pessimism and negativity pissed off the God of our Salvation because it discouraged the people! It pissed Him off A LOT!

Numbers 14:11-25  (NKJV)

¹¹ Then the Lord said to Moses: “How long will these people reject^[a] Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the ^[b]signs which I have performed among them? ¹² I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

¹³ And Moses said to the Lord: “Then the Egyptians will hear it, for by Your might You brought these people up from among them, ¹⁴ and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, Lord, are among these people; that You, Lord, are seen face to face and Your cloud stands above them, and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. ¹⁵ Now if You kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of Your fame will speak, saying, ¹⁶ ‘Because the Lord was not able to bring this people to the land which He swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness.’ ¹⁷ And now, I pray, let the power of my Lord be great, just as You have spoken, saying, ¹⁸ ‘The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.’ ¹⁹ Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”

²⁰ Then the Lord said: “I have pardoned, according to your word; ²¹ but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord— ²² because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, ²³ they certainly shall not see the land of which I ^[c]swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it. ²⁴ But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it. ²⁵ Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valley; tomorrow turn and move out into the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea.”

How many times have you negatively influenced someone who was perfectly content? How many times have you spread the contagious spirit of negativity?

God gets just as angry now as He did then. As a matter of fact, His extreme judgments in the Old Testament are recorded for us as examples of how angry pessimism, negativity and complaining makes Him…

1 Corinthians 10:1-10  (NKJV)

10 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, ² all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ³ all ate the same spiritual food, ⁴ and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. ⁵ But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

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.

As much as we are working hard to prevent the spread of contagious diseases, please make sure that you aren’t responsible for contributing to the pandemic of pessimism.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

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!

Don’t let a mistake get you down.Making things right with God is easy.Just acknowledge your mistake (sin) to Him and make a sincere commitment to never do it again.If you hurt someone else, ask them to forgive you if possible.Ask God for His help so that you don’t do it again.Don’t put yourself in the position to do it again.Even if people don’t forgive you, go forward on confidence and enjoy the fact the God has forgiven you through His Son and our Savior, Yeshua, Christ Jesus.
1 John 1:9 (NKJV)If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.BE BLESSTIFIED!

Anyone who reads my writing knows I love to clarify anything that can be misunderstood or twisted. Anyone who has read my writing or watched any of our #SONdayBlessing videos knows I love, cherish, respect and honor my wife. I consider us to be equals in our marriage and I am fully aware of God telling us in 1 Peter that we are to honor our wives, and not doing so can hinder our prayers…

1 Peter 3:7 (NKJV)

⁷ Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

I am fully aware and happily accept the husband’s responsibility to love our wives as Christ loves the church. This is the sacrificial love that’s is defined in Ephesians…

Ephesians 5:25-29 (NKJV)

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, ²⁶ that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, ²⁷ that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. ²⁸ So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.

That being said, now let us consider what the word of God says in 1 Corinthians Chapter 11…

1 Corinthians 11:8-9 (NKJV)

⁸ For man is not from woman, but woman from man. ⁹ Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man.

I feel that each husband should treat his wife as if she is his QUEEN, and vice versa. However, anyone who believes the bible is the word of God knows what God said before He created woman…

Genesis 2:18 (NKJV)

¹⁸ And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

God created man to be the head. But, as my father-in-law Pastor Lonnie Black has said for years…

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“God created man to be the head and not the headache.” Pastor Lonnie Black

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We live in a society today that more and more behaves as if man was created for woman than woman for man. That the husband is to submit to his wife, rather than woman submit to her husband.

Even the popular cliche, HAPPY WIFE, HAPPY LIFE eludes to that.

We live in a society today where the husband is expected to ‘answer to his wife’…to go out of his way to make her happy…to work himself to the bone in order to get her whatever she wants…to submit to her when there is a disagreement…that if a woman allows her husband to ‘tell her what to do’ she is being weak. And, that if a husband isn’t giving his wife everything she desires, he is less than a husband.

Television, film, music and especially reality shows and social media support this (Think of all the “HOUSEWIVES” shows…there’s one to target various cultures). It’s art imitating life and art further shaping behavior and the narrative of male/female relationships.

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In a sense, we have made our QUEENS…KINGS.

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Marriage is not 50/50, it’s 100/100. It’s woman submitting to her husband’s authority in the home and enjoying his covering and protection. But, at the same time, marriage is the husband not abusing his authority, and considering his wife as an equal in all decisions. However, when decisions are made in the home, God will hold the husband (head) accountable…especially in regard to worship being established.

If you haven’t already, step back and take a look at what’s on television, movies and social media. Listen to much of the popular music these days. Listen to many of the conversations. Many people have gone beyond treating wives like QUEENS, to making them KINGS.

Husbands and wives…let’s be good to one another. Let’s love, trust, honor and support one another, but let’s not forget God’s order.

BE BLESSTIFIED.

People are constantly looking for answers to crime. I hear cries for police and politicians to find solutions. The truth is that police and politicians can’t stop crime.

Politicians and leaders can ONLY MAKE laws.

Police can ONLY ENFORCE the law.

But neither can make anyone obey the law. Neither can instill the character, integrity, self-control, discipline, respect for the lives, property and opinions of others necessary to reduce or cure crime. Even God Himself watched His people struggle with trying to live up to the standards of the Law, but the Law’s purpose is define right and wrong, to give us boundaries and God’s standards. God Himself gives us the responsibility and power to ‘do the right things’. God has a cure for crime, and it’s really simple…
1. Submit to His will
2. Let His love rule in your heart (let love be the filter for your decisions)
3. Walk in His Spirit
4. Learn to Control Our Emotions

(1) God’s will always puts what’s best for us first, so submitting to His compels us to always do what’s best for one another…

Philippians 2:3 tells us to…

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit and to esteem others better than himself. It’s God’s will that we put others first.

(2) When we allow love to be the filter through which every decision is made, we will not do anything to harm our neighbors…

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 eloquently describes the behavior and character of love…

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;[a] 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

(3) When we walk in the Spirit, it makes it more difficult to follow through on the urges of our flesh that can lead to crime, as Galatians 5:16 makes very clear…

Galatians 5:16  (ESV)

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

(4) I feel that EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE is the most powerful tool God has given us to cure crime. Psychology Today defines Emotional Intelligence as the ability to identify and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others. This is behavioral science that is in perfect harmony with scripture…

Colossians 3:5-7 (NKJV)

5 Therefore PUT TO DEATH your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. 8 But now YOU YOURSELVES ARE TO PUT OFF all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth

1 Peter 2:1 (NKJV)

So PUT AWAY all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.

Ephesians 4:31 (NKJV)

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander BE PUT AWAY from you, along with all malice.

Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV)

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, LET US LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

God commands that WE OURSELVES lay aside, put away, put off, and put to death those things that cause us to stumble.

Most crime comes from a failure to control emotions…

Anger

Lust

Jealousy

Depression

Boredom

Greed

Even apathy leads to sins of omission. Stop and think of various crimes and how they can be linked back to an emotion. We must facilitate cultures of emotional control for crime to reduce. Police can’t do it, Politicians can’t do it, Marches can’t do it…only submitting to God will solve our crime problem. Laws makes our MINDS aware of ‘right and wrong’, but change comes from the HEART.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Most people who grew up in or around church, or were raised with a belief in God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, or those who have come from unbelief to belief will all quickly proclaim, “I love God!”

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But, do you love Him? Or do just feel it’s the right to say? You may even be afraid not to say it. Which is a healthy fear and reverence of God, but still isn’t love.

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When you love someone, you want to be in their presence as much as possible, in fact you look forward to it. When you love someone you want to know what’s important to them. When you love someone you don’t want to hurt them, intentionally or unintentionally.

When you love someone you want to grow closer to them. When you love someone, you enjoy talking about them. Many people when they are honest with themselves love their favorite team, their car, their guns, their _____________ more than they love God because that’s what they love talking about.

When you love someone you aren’t afraid to show affection for them in public. I’m not talking about kissing…I’m talking about holding their hand, hugging them…you aren’t ashamed to let the world know you love them. Some of the same people who get hoarse at a ball game are ashamed to praise God publicly even in worship. Too many Christians are too ashamed to even bless their food in public. Are you ashamed to lift up your hands in public and say ,“Hallelujah, I love you LORD!” Or, are you afraid people with think you’re crazy. Do you reason that, “It doesn’t take all of that to love God”.  But, when you love someone, you aren’t concerned with what is minimal or necessary. You’re more than happy to do what is ‘extra’ for them

When you love someone you aren’t just in relationship with them for what you can get out of them. You aren’t just in the relationship for the benefits. When you love someone you can talk to them for hours. How often do you talk to God and fellowship with Him prayer, just because it’s peaceful…not asking for anything, just spending quality time with Him?

When you love someone, you love listening to ‘mood’ music with them. You love listening to music that makes you feel closer to one another. You love sharing ‘your song’. I’m not saying you have to listen to Christian music all of the time, but I wonder how many Christians are perfectly comfortable never listening to some form of Gospel music…except when they are in church.

When you really love someone, what they think about you matters to you more than anyone else in the world. You want their love…their respect…their devotion…their affection.

How can one really love God and either never, seldom or randomly read His word? God knows we have the opportunity to fellowship with Him in His word whenever they please. Many claim they don’t have time, but that’s simply not true. Many people, when their honest with themselves, love social media, their favorite fiction or non fiction book, or whatever else they love to do in their spare time more than they love the word of God. What’s the first thing you check each morning? Your social media? The news? The weather? Your horoscope? Or, God’s ‘status’ and what He has ‘posted’ in His word.

It’s in His word we fellowship with Him. It’s in His word we find out what pleases Him. It’s in His word that we find out what He loves and what He hates. His word gives us both comfort and correction.

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When you love someone, living to please them is not a burden, but a blessing…

1 John 5:3  (NKJV)

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

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I challenge you today to ask yourself, “Do I really love God, or is it just the right thing to say”. Yes, you believe in Him. Yes, you fear Him. Yes, you respect Him. Yes, you reverence Him. Yes, you pray. Yes, You, go to church…

But do you love Him?

And finally, think about this…

Most people quickly claim that want to go to heaven or live eternally in His presence, but I contend that if you don’t genuinely enjoy reading His word, fellowshipping with Him, worshiping Him, being in His presence, even going to church now, what makes you think you will want to do it forever?

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Remember, real love isn’t just state, it’s demonstrated…

Romans 5:8  (NKJV)

⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

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BE BLESSTIFIED!

It’s unfortunate that too many times, Christians totally disregard what God said. Christians will claim to live by God’s word where it’s convenient for their own personal theology, but in places where it challenges their beliefs or behavior, many totally disregard what the word says explicitly.

“You’ve got common sense.”

“God didn’t mean that”

“Times are different now!”

“They don’t know who they’re messing with!”

“Don’t make me revert back to my old self!”

“I haven’t always been saved!”

These are just a few of the statements made when people want to exercise their own authority over God’s word.

One such statement and commandment that Yeshua (Jesus) made was when He clearly told us to TURN THE OTHER CHEEK…

Matthew 5:38-39 (NKJV)

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 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.

There’s no IFs, ANDs or BUTs about what Jesus said. We are not to resist an evil person, but we are to do exactly what He did before He was crucified…

Luke 22:64 (NKJV)

^64 [a]And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?”

Many Christians are quick to teach their children that if someone hits you, that you are to hit them back. “Don’t let anyone think you’re afraid of them.”

Others will say that God allows you to defend yourself.

They are correct that God allows you to defend yourself WHEN YOUR LIFE IS IN DANGER. But, someone trying to humiliate or intimidate you by slapping you or striking you is totally different from someone tackling you or trying to overcome you physically. It’s totally different that when someone is really threatening your life.

HERE’S THE PROBLEM WITH IGNORING TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK…

Yes, God give us permission to defend our lives, but when our lives aren’t in danger, its not about self defense…IT’S ABOUT PRIDE!

Pride and the sins that come from pride (arrogance, jealousy, envy, wrath, revenge, etc.) are the reasons that disagreements escalate…

families are dysfunctional…

friendships end…

crime is prevalent in so many cities…

and wars strike up around the world.

Too many Christians are ‘ready for a fight’!

Too many Christians are fantasizing about a situation where they have to ‘stand their ground’!

Too many Christians don’t trust God to fight their battles! (Read 2 Chronicles Chapter 20).

Too many Christians are ready for a physical fight because they don’t trust God to fight their spiritual battles.

We can’t cherry-pick our way through the bible asserting our own authority over God’s. That’s idolatry, and He’s not having it.

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?

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

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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!