Relationships make our lives richer….better. God created us because He wanted relationship with us.
As our relationships evolve, whether it be marriage, parent/child, siblings or friends…we are also all evolving as individuals.
For example, If you’ve been married any number of years, then neither of you are the same people you were when you first married.
The truth is some things get better, and some things don’t.
There will always be some things, attitudes, behaviors, moods, etc., that you hate about those who you love most….it doesn’t mean you hate them.
In fact, daily living and loving beyond those things is what makes it love.
Think about God…do you think He is always pleased with you?
Are there ways He is still expecting you to change?
Even at our best, we don’t measure up go God’s level of righteousness…
Isaiah 64:6 (NKJV)
But we are all like an unclean thing,And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.
It’s only through God’s abundant grace and mercy that we are able to be in His Holy presence.
That’s why His gift of justification is so valuable, and should never be taken for granted. Even though we are unrighteous…through the blood of our Lord Jesus, we are ‘counted as righteous’.
Romans 3:23-25 (NKJV)
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,
Just as we don’t measure up to God’s standard…We disappoint each other because at times don’t measure up to one another’s expectations…whether reasonable or unreasonable.
Just as we continue to disappoint God in our individual relationships with Him, we will continue to disappoint one another in our relationships with each other.
As years go by, even though we grow to know one another better, there will still be things about each other that ‘drive us up the wall’…things that ‘drive us crazy’.
Think about some things that you hate about those people who are closest to you.
Does it mean that your relationship is flawed?
Well, yes it does…but so is your relationship with God.
But, just as God loves us through our flaws, He expects us to love one another through ours as well.
So, the next time your notice your husband…wife…parent…sister…brother…friend doing something you don’t like…or even hate, after all these years remember…
Theirs something they can’t stand about you, and…
It makes your relationship normal…not over.
Love each other through it, just as God loves you.
Ephesians 4:32 (NKJV)
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Most people know the biblical account of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego being placed into the fiery furnace because they refused King Nebuchadnezzar’s national decree to worship the image of gold. Let me first say that I don’t like calling them by their Babylonian names. Their real names were Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
The king commanded that when the designated ‘national’ music played that everyone stopped what they were doing and worship the image. This was a ‘national’ decree, and everyone under his authority stopped and worshiped the image.
As you will read below, the three young men refused to do so. Daniel 3:1-18 (NKJV)
3 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was[a]sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2 And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image thatNebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 Then a herald cried [b]aloud: “To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; 6 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”
7 So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Daniel’s Friends Disobey the King
8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. 9 They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 10 You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; 11 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.” 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king.14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who isthe god who will deliver you from my hands?” 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
Does this sound familiar? Many people in America today are considered unpatriotic if they don’t submit to the expected behavior. When the music plays (The National Anthem) you are expected to stop what you are doing, stand, place your hand on your heart or salute.
Some people feel, just as the three Hebrew young men did, that the designated behavior goes beyond showing respect, but is actually an act of worshiping an object.
There are plenty of examples in the bible of Jesus rebuking people for placing their expected traditions before what God has commanded. Mark 7:9 (NKJV) 9 He said to them, “All too wellyou[a]reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.
So here’s my question. If that were today, would Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego be considered unpatriotic?
If that were today, would they be criticized for their behavior?
Do you see the similarities?
Do you feel obligated to prove how these two situations are not the same?
Are you more committed to The Constitution, our laws, traditions and policies than you are to the word of God?
We must be very careful that we don’t place our dedication, devotion, commitment and passion to our country, our race or our traditions before God.
The bible tells us that the things it records were given for our example…
1 Corinthians 10:11 (NKJV) 11 Now [a]all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our [b]admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Romans 15:4 (NKJV) 4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the [a]patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
Just because someone feels they are disobeying God to respect a tradition or commandment of man does not mean they don’t love their country or respect its icons, symbols and traditions.
If we are’t careful, we can even find ourselves worshiping the cross rather than respecting it.
Some people are willing to kill to protect their traditions. GOD IS NOT IN THAT.
Many times we criticize the antagonists of God’s people in the bible, but when we’re honest with ourselves, our attitudes, what we do or don’t do in similar situations today proves how we would have behaved back then.
Systemic racism is a contentious subject in the United States of America. Many people, especially among those who call themselves ‘Conservatives’, assert systemic racism is a myth and that it doesn’t exist. It’s the same people who will complain about ‘CANCEL CULTURE’ but enjoy the benefits of Jesus Christ (Yeshua the Messiah) removing the penalty of THE LAW..
Hebrews 8:10-13 (NKJV)
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins [a]and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
13 In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
When you think about it, the Romans in the bible who were in power during the Roman Empire had a government and culture systematically set up to the advantage of Roman citizens, and a disadvantage to those whom they subjugated.
To assert that’s not true in America is quite silly. The systems, attitudes, paradigms and sub-cultures established through institutional racism that weren’t seriously addressed until the mid-twentieth century have a heritage that continues in many ways today. I had uncles who fought in WWII and came home to second-class citizenship. Even today, when my wife shops for nail polish, NUDE or FLESH color doesn’t look like the color of my skin – that’s systemic!
It’s interesting and quite humorous to me however, that some of the same people who claim that systemic racism is a myth actually prove it’s true through their own assertion that the so-called American liberal media gives certain groups an inherent advantage.
Republican Senator Ron Johnson made the following statements in reference to the Biden administration:
“Unequal application of justice, law by administration should ‘frighten every American’
and
‘Our FBI, our Department of Justice is equally biased and they are not administering justice equally in this country’
SOUNDS SYSTEMIC DOESN’T IT?
Even claims of election fraud are claims of a system that was set up to give an advantage to one political party over another…That’s systemic!
If it’s possible for the media or an administration to give systemic advantages to certain demographics, then it’s possible for the systems established and nurtured for hundreds of years to give an unfair advantage to certain groups of people.
If the media had the power to influence attitudes and actions to the point that it gives an unfair advantage to certain people, then it’s possible for two demographics to be born in poverty, but the established systems make it easier for one group to rise from that poverty than the other.
The very fact that some people assert that presenting another perspective of history is CHANGING history is another example of SYSTEMIC RACISM.
It’s extreme arrogance for some people to think they own the one and only correct perspective and narrative of history.
There’s more than ONE perspective and narrative!
1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Nehemiah, Ezra, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John prove that. God presents the SAME history from several different perspectives. People have twisted much of the bible to fit their preferred narratives — That’s systemic too!
Many people in America need to learn that admitting the ugly parts of our history rather than glorifying or hiding the wrongs we have done isn’t unpatriotic. The fact is that it’s biblical…
Leviticus 26:40-45 (NKJV)
40 ‘But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me,
41 and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies;
if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt—
42 then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember;
I will remember the land.
43 The land also shall be left empty by them, and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them;
they will accept their guilt, because they despised My judgments andbecause their soul abhorred My statutes.
44 Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor them, to utterly destroy them and break My covenant with them;
for I am the Lord their God.
45 But for their sake I will remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God:
If there’s one consistency between both the Old and New Testaments, it’s the fact that names matter to God. From God changing Abram’s name to Abraham to Yeshua changing Simon’s name to Peter (Cephas).
In an age when so many in the Body of Christ are politicizing sins that society considers BIG, while excusing those they consider small, the bible is clear that God takes how we identify ourselves very seriously…
Not many Christians are quick to name their children, Satan or Lucifer.
Why?
Because those names are used to identify the enemy, the accuser of the saints…the devil.
That’s why I don’t understand that while Christians are so passionately ‘campaign’ against the so-called BIG sins, why they never speak up against teams, many of which they allow their children to be a part of, that identify themselves with a devil.
They wear sports paraphernalia, fly flags, display bumper ‘stickers’ and worst of all cheer for, root for, in a sense ‘praise’…and glorify THE DEVILS!
Right now someone reading this knows in their heart it’s not right, but they are naturally inclined to do what Christians do when they want to continue doing something…look for reasons to justify it.
Do you think God is cool with you allowing your child to be identified as a ‘devil’?
Do you think God is okay with allowing a school, AAU team, or professional team to be identified as the DEVILS? The RED DEVILS? The BLUE DEVILS? etc.?
Names matter so much go God that He demands we be baptized in the NAME of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Here name doesn’t mean the combination of consonants and vowels that make up ‘Yeshua’, ‘Jesus’, ‘Emmanuel’, Adonai, or even Ruach ha-kodesh (Holy Spirit). Names denote authority, character…who you are, or what it is. Think about the fact that God changed Jacob’s name to Israel.
Think about the fact that most Christians are content with calling a day chosen to commemorate Yeshua’s (Jesus’s) death, burial, and resurrection by a pagan goddess’s name (Easter), which is the same as (Eostre, Ishtar, Ashtoreth) one of the very names He forbid us to make mention of, one of the very names that Israel and Judah invoked (said) and provoked God to anger.
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,
Names matter, so we should stop trivializing what is important to Him.
Standing in the hot sun or cold winter air with a sign in your hand isn’t easy. The fact is that it can be humiliating begging others for help — it’s hard work! If I learned one thing from my experience doing homeless ministry is that many of the people on the street never thought they wold be there.
Many of those people had careers and families…then life happened. Others are mentally ill. And the fact always remains that it could happen to any of us.
Remember this…
Luke 16:19-21
19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table.
The beggar Lazarus – He probably got on people’s nerves just as beggars do today. People probably questioned how he lived and his choices. People probably wondered why his family didn’t help him. They most likely made excuses and justified ignoring him when Jesus clearly said, Give to them who ask and don’t turn them away…
Matthew 5:42 (NKJV)
42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
Jesus also told us to give looking for nothing in return…
Luke 6:35New King James Version (NKJV)
35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.
We all run into Lazarus today…at the gas station…on the street…asking you for spare change…the crumbs that fall from your table. What is your reaction? Do you react as the rich man did and turn them ALL away?
Jesus knows there are scammers and liars. He knows there are those who will use what you give them on things they don’t need. He knows there are those who will try to take advantage of your kindness. Many people refuse to give money to people who beg because they’re afraid they will use it on alcohol, drugs, cigarettes or will waste it on something wicked. I feel that’s one application of the scripture…”And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold”(Matthew 24:12), because so many people can’t be trusted, the love that many people would ordinarily show has grown cold and withheld. We must therefore not withhold God’s love, but share it with wisdom.
If someone who’s begging is lying, that’s between them and God. God expects us to be obedient, compassionate, wise and plant seeds of His love. Purchase a meal for them. Buy them medicine. Pay for them to have shelter for a night or two, while letting them know that you are sharing the love of God. All it takes is the ‘crumbs that fall from your table’. Sacrifice the cost of a lunch, coffee for a week, sodas…whatever it is that you don’t necessarily need to help someone who begs from you. I guarantee you won’t give away enough to break your, but you can hold on to enough to do so. Some times God places these people in our paths for a reason…so they can have an encounter with Him through us. So you can ask them if they have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. So we can be the answer to their prayer to God for help. You can be someone’s confirmation that God hasn’t forgotten them. You could plant a seed in someone who witnesses your act of kindness….God always has a purpose for every encounter.
Remember that God warned us about turning away those who ask of us….be careful when you do because many times, just as in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus…Christians and the church are the RICH MAN.
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.
If we aren’t careful, we can let pride and arrogance creep into our faith. That’s exactly what the Pharisees, Scribes and Chief Priests did. They contended with Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ).
Their spirits live on today in many of those who claim to be Christians. I had a conversation with a man earlier this week. He had shared a post that was going around social media around Independence Day. I responded to the post with a scripture from the word of God, and a brief on-line conversation followed. Below is the post followed by the conversation in the form of a dialogue…
HERE’S THEPOST:
“I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States, and the Officers appointed over me according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.I took this oath on June 15th, 1984 my oath has no expiration date.********For all my military retired and veteran friends, I challenge you to copy and paste this as your status. Replace my name and date with yours. Happy Independence Day!”
As you notice the statement is an oath. Those entering the military or public office take this or a similar oath before beginning service. There is only one problem with that, God clearly has forbidden swearing or taking oaths. Our Lord told us to simply let our YES be YES and our NO be NO, in other words, let the truth in our words stand on it’s own as He does.
So here’s the conversation:
ME:
Matthew 5:34-37 (NKJV)Jesus Forbids Oaths34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let [b]your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.https://beblesstified.com/2020/06/25/why-the-word-swear-needs-to-be-removed-from-the-constitution-asap/
HIM: (Justifying what he wants to believe in spite of what Jesus said)
“The only reason God forbids you from swearing to an oath is that he wants us to realize that when you swear to something, he is going to hold you to it. I swore to this oath and with God’s help I will hold to it and I stand by it. If he didn’t want us to swear to something then why did he swear in Isaiah that ever knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
As far as taking swear out of the constitution only weakens the meaning of it and would make it null and void and that is what the powers that be want.“
He was referring to Isaiah,,,
Isaiah 45:23 (NKJV)
23 I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath.
(This is God swearing by Himself. We are not God)
ME:
“Yeshua forbade us from swearing because He wants the truth in our words to stand on its on, like His. That’s why He said ‘Let your yes be yes, and your no be know’. You are trying to justify doing something that God clearly said DO NOT DO.Taking the word swear out does not weaken anything if God said don’t do it. As far as Isaiah, That was God swearing by Himself…we are not God. You already know that oaths were permitted in the Old Testament, just like ‘an eye for an eye’. James 5:12 But above all, my brethren, (A)do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into [a]judgment. God bless you my brother”
HIM:
“I still stand by my word and I’m sure all others will as well.”
ME:
That’s fine and quite frankly that’s the problem. This is the type arrogance and pride that is bringing this country down. (pride comes before a fall). You are standing on YOUR word. I am standing on GOD’S word. I gave you scriptures from Matthew and James and explained the context of Isaiah. What you are doing is expecting God’s word to submit to YOUR will instead of submitting to HIS. Do you realize how dangerous that is? Do you realize that’s exactly what the Pharisees, Chief Priests, and Scribes did? I have done my duty in planting a seed of truth. God bless you. https://beblesstified.com/2020/07/05/worried-about-losing-your-freedom-look-at-your-own-pride-first/
This concluded the conversation.
Friends, so many Americans feel their freedoms are being challenged through masks, socialist ideology and ‘sinners’ in the land. I am 100% AGAIST SOCIALISM, but one would have to ask oneself why God might allow that to happen. Remember, that Israel lost their freedom and were exiled into Babylon not because of the pagans in the land, but because of their own compromise, arrogance, hypocrisy and spiritual adultery. WORRIED ABOUT LOSING YOUR FREEDOM? LOOK AT YOUR OWN PRIDE FIRST…
Remember, Yeshua sharply rebuked the Pharisees for giving the traditions they wanted to keep above the word of God…
Matthew 15:3-9 (NKJV)
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’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 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 [a]or mother.’ Thus you have made the [b]commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
8 ‘These people [c]draw near to Me with their mouth, And 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.’ ”
Matthew 15:3-9 is a classic example of what the gentleman with whom I had the conversation was doing. He asserted that despite what God said in Matthew 5 and James 5, he was ‘standing on his word’. That’s dangerous.
I pray in the name of Yeshua the Messiah that God softens his heart to submit to His word, His will and His truth.
Be very careful that you aren’t claiming you have more authority than God by putting your will or traditions above His.
You wake up, reach over and kiss your spouse. You then you turn on the television to check the weather and traffic. You go into the kitchen and grab a bite to eat and promptly brush, floss and take a shower so you can get out the door and be on time for work.
What’s wrong with this morning scenario?
You acknowledged your spouse…
You acknowledged the weather…
You acknowledged the traffic…
You acknowledged your hunger…
You acknowledged your hygiene (even your ‘low’giene:-)…
You acknowledged your job…
But did you acknowledge the One who made everything else you acknowledged possible?
Did you acknowledge God? Did you tell Him good morning? Did you tell Him thanks for protecting you and your family, while you were unconscious all night? Did you thank Him for waking you up? Did you thank Him for brand new mercies..
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NKJV)
22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
This world is far too dangerous. Too unpredictable… Too evil for us to begin our day without acknowledging the God of our salvation.
Too many people say they are believers, but when they are honest with themselves, they live as if God isn’t even there.
We acknowledge, relate to and take seriously what is real to us.
I believe that beginning the day without acknowledging God first thing each and every morning is the ultimate ‘intentional’ act of arrogance and pride.
We are saying, (without saying )… “I’ve got this.” “I don’t need your protection.” “I don’t need your provision.” “I don’t need your guidance.” “I don’t need your wisdom.” “I don’t need your help.”
In as sense we are saying, “I don’t need you today!”
When you love someone…when you’re in love someone, you act like it. In fact, not only do we expect the love we give be reciprocated, we demand it of one another.
We prove how real God is to us, and how much we love Him by how we relate to Him. How we talk to Him. How we fellowship with Him in His word and prayer.
Have you talked to God today? If not, why not stop right now and…Tell Him you’re sorry. Tell Him you love Him. Thank Him for His grace and mercy. And make a commitment that God is the first Person that you talk to each morning.
Psalm 63:1(NKJV)
O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.
Psalm 5:3(NKJV)
3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up.
This is not scientific or philosophical, but it is God breathed. And, there is some degree of randomness as it is for the most part stream of consciousness…
More and more people are falling into modern, popular culture pantheism. They are replacing God with ‘The Universe’.
“The universe will bring it to you.”
“The universe is on your side.”
“The universe will judge you.”
“The universe has heard you”
“The universe sees you”.
This doctrine is straight from the devil (who loves the fact that many don’t believe he exists).
In short, rather than acknowledging the one true, living and sovereign God, these people say everything is determined by the natural laws and natural order establishes and ‘maintained’ by ‘the universe’.
And, there are some who try to actually give the universe ‘consciousness’. However, they don’t even imply that God is the universe, but that the universe is God.
GOD IS NOT THE UNIVERSE, NOR VICE VERSA.
God created the universe..
Hebrews 11:3 (NKJV)
3 By faith we understand that the [a]worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
Even Hebrews Chapter 3 says, “the worlds were framed”.
God is an eternal, invisible Spirit. Quite frankly, He is not an ‘old, bearded, grey-headed white dude’.
Colossians 1:15 (NKJV)
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
John 4:24 (NKJV)
24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Romans 1:20 (NKJV)
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and [a]Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
Science contends that the universe had a beginning. God had no beginning. Yes the bible says, “In the beginning” for our benefit to reference when God began His relationship with our perception of reality and man, but an eternal God needed no beginning. It that was so, what happened before the beginning.
If the universe had to have a ‘beginning’, by what or whom did it begin?
The universe is not alive.
The universe doesn’t have a will.
Here’s the problem, science and our ability to learn and draw conclusions from what we learn is only as good as our ability to understand.
Even the brightest human minds are incapable of understanding the infinite deep knowledge of God, or even the universe.
In fact, I define science as our attempt to give a physical explanation to the spiritual.
Think about this, God is has not beginning and has no end. He cannot be created or destroyed. Sounds a lot like the Law of Thermodynamics…
This law states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed,
but can only be transformed or transferred from one form to another. sounds a lot like God doesn’t it?
Science looks for planets similar to earth that can sustain life, but God can create and sustain life that can live in -200 degrees below zero and breath methane gas if He so desired.
Science, philosophy and all this world’s knowledge will never be able to understand the mysteries of the universe, and definitely will never understand the wisdom of God…
Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV)
8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts
People think there is no God because they feel earth is too small relative to the entire universe. But, if God chose to have life on a million planets, that would still be small relative to the entire universe. The fact is that ten million light years away, God is still God.
And, just as you can’t see the internet, but can be ‘on’ the internet in your Tennessee, while millions of others are on the internet all around the world, while someone else is on the internet in space, God can be everywhere at the same time.
I’m saying all that to say this. God is alive and He is bigger than the universe. It takes just as much faith to believe in ‘the universe’ as it does to believe in God.
Just open your heart and believe.
1 Corinthians 1:25-31 (NKJV)
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For [a]you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many [b]noble, are called.27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the [c]base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”
Salvation is a precious free gift of God, that cannot ever be taken away by anyone. This gift provides us with eternal security…
Ephesians 1:13-14 (NKJV)
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who[a] is the [b]guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
This inheritance is reserved for those of us according to how we manage our walk on this earth.
1 Peter 1:7-9 (NKJV)
7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not [a]seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
Yes, we can never lose the gift of salvation. It is always available as long as we are alive on this earth no matter what we have done.
However, we must not allow the syntax of “once saved always saved” confuse us of its application.
Consider this…
Every day of our lives, God is preparing our spirits for eternity.
He’s conditioning us to freely surrender our free will to His will.
Matthew 16:24-25 (NKJV)
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
When our lives are over on this earth, our bodies will return to the dust of the earth, to be replaced with new spiritual bodies.
1 Corinthians 15:51-53 (NKJV)
51 Behold, I tell you a [a]mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
Our bodies will be new, but our spirits will not be renewed when Jesus returns, they are being renewed right now.
2 Corinthians 4:16 (NKJV)
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
We have a lifetime of refining our spirits for eternity. It’s our responsibility. He’s encouraging us to remove those things from our spirits that come between our relationship with Him. We are all born with ‘stuff’ that we don’t need. That’s what circumcision represented, the cutting away ‘flesh’ that we don’t need.
Romans 2:29 (NKJV)
29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose [a]praise is not from men but from God.
2 Corinthians 7:1 (NKJV)
Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
God is teaching us to allow our new nature to overcome our old nature.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
God has kicked those who allowed their spirits to be corrupted out of His Kingdom once, but He’s not going to do it again.
Isaiah 14:12 (NKJV)
12 “How you are fallen from heaven,
O [a]Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
Ezekiel 28:16 (NKJV)
16 “By the abundance of your trading
You became filled with violence within,
And you sinned;
Therefore I cast you as a profane thing
Out of the mountain of God;
And I destroyed you, O covering cherub,
From the midst of the fiery stones.
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.
If your spirit isn’t worthy, you just won’t get in.
Manage your health, manage your money, manage your relationships, manage your life, but please don’t neglect managing your spirit.
Now is the time to get resist all the filth that corrupts our spirits…
Galatians 5:19-21 (NKJV)
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: [a]adultery, [b]fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, [c]murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things WILL NOT inherit the kingdom of God.
Your salvation is not a license to do wrong. Remember, the warning of Galatians 5:19-21 is not just for the sinner, but it’s for the church…
This is huge and often overlooked. Galatians, and all of Paul’s letters were addressing the church and all those who are ‘saved’ in the church (as well as both of Peter’s letters). Notice the greetings to each letter…
Galatians 1:1-5 (NKJV)
Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), 2 and all the brethren who are with me,
To the churches of Galatia:
3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
1 Corinthians 1:1-3 (NKJV)
Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are [a]sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:1-2 (NKJV)
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:1-2 (NKJV)
Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the [a]bishops and deacons:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:1-2 (NKJV)
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father [a]and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:1-2 (NKJV)
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:1-2 (NKJV)
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To the [a]pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
2 Peter 1:1 (NKJV)
Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have [a]obtained like[b] precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
Notice that the greetings to these letters address ‘the brethern’, the ‘sanctified’, ‘the saints’ ‘the elect’, ‘in sactification’, ‘those who have obtained precious faith’. And, every warning in each of those letters applies to them, not just the unsaved. I encourage you to go back and read through each one thoroughly.
And, remember this, no one can be an apostate to something that they were never a part of…
2 Thessalonians 2:3 (NKJV)
3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of [a]sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
Please never forget the warning that Jesus gave us…
Matthew 7:13-14 (NKJV)
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 [a]Because narrow is the gate and [b]difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
So, honestly ask yourself this question, “Is my spirit ready for eternity?”
16 These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to [a]Him: 17 A[b] proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.
God hates pride, and that has never changed. Yet, it has become common and accepted to be proud and express that pride. To be clear…
Racial pride is a sin…
National pride (disguised as patriotism) is a sin…
Gay pride is a sin…
Being proud of your accomplishments is a sin…
Being proud of your children is a sin…
“I’m a proud American!”
“I’m proud to be Black!”
“I’m proud to be White!”
“I’m proud of my heritage!”
“I’m proud of our traditions!”
“I’m proud of my child!”
‘I’m proud of my accomplishments!”
God does not excuse pride, no matter how we justify it.
Proverbs 16:18 (NKJV)
18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 16:5 (NKJV)
5 Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished.
Did you see that? The bible just said that being proud is an abomination, something that stinks in the nostrils of God. Yes, sin is sin, all sin is wrong, but an abomination is a sin that really ‘pisses’ God off and kindles His anger even more. Kinda like…it’s one thing for someone to pinch you, but it’s a another thing if they were to shoot you.
PRIDE DISGUISED AS ARROGANCE IS A PLAGUE OF THE SPIRIT IN AMERICA
Just watch the news. Just look at social media. Just read some blogs. Humility is viewed by many as weakness, but being loud, being mean, being ‘tough’, being insulting, being condescending, being disrespectful is being validated by too many of our national leaders. The shame is those who call themselves disciples of Christ are not holding leaders accountable. The result will be the next generation will grow to believe this is behavior that is acceptable by God.
God resists those who are proud…
James 4:6 (NKJV)
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:
“God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
Humility pleases God. Look at the Fruit (evidence) of God’s Holy Spirit…
Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
In our culture, too many people view people with these qualities as weak.
Remember this. Anytime that you feel compelled to say, I’M PROUD, saying I’M THANKFUL is always more appropriate.
“I’m thankful for my children” rather than “I’m proud of my children”.
We all notice the unmistakable silence of Yeshua, Christ Jesus from 12 years of age until 30.
Luke 2:41-52 (NKJV)
41 His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. 43 When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother[a] did not know it;44 but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. 46 Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. 48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” 49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” 50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them. 51 Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
I have heard and read much speculation and conjecture as to what happened during that time. There are even apocryphal accounts (Book of Thomas) of events that took place when Jesus was young. However, I think there is enough information given to us in Matthew 13 and John 2 to let us know that nothing miraculous happened. That, after amazing the teachers when He was twelve years old, Jesus went back to being an ‘apparently’ very good boy and young man. No Jesus didn’t sin. His ‘goodness’ ( much like Joseph in Genesis) could have led to His brothers’ initial unbelief and antagonism…
John 7:5-7 (NKJV)
5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him.
6 Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.
Think about what is reported in Matthew 13 when Jesus was rejected in His hometown of Nazareth…
Matthew 13:53-58 (NKJV)
53 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. 54 When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses,[a] Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” 57 So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” 58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
…If Jesus had spent His youth sharing His wisdom and His supernatural powers, the people of His town would not have wondered ‘where did this man get this wisdom?’. They would have known He was unique among His half-brothers and sisters. They would have recognized Him beyond being ‘Joseph’s son’ and a carpenter. They were around Jesus every day as He grew and would not have been surprised at His wisdom if He had revealed that He was special after 12 years of age.
In fact, this implies to me that Jesus spent His teenage years and twenties doing the work of a carpenter while He and Mary held His divinity in their hearts.
As Jesus said at the wedding in Cana after His first miracle, His time had not yet come. And, yes John Chapter 2 confirms that turning the water to wine was Jesus’ first miracle. So no miracles could have happened before that.
The fact that Mary was anxious for Jesus to do something about the wine dilemma at the wedding could imply that she was ready for Him to ‘get the show started’.
She hadn’t even told her other children about their Holy brother. We all know how hard it can be to hold some things in our hearts. How hard it can be to keep a huge secret…especially one this big.
John 2:1-12 (NKJV)
2 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” 4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” 6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it.9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!” 11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.
PROTECTED BY ANONYMITY?
We all know how the enemy used Herod to kill baby boys Jesus’ age killed trying to prevent the prophecy from being fulfilled. God very well could have been protecting Jesus in anonymity to protect Him and His identity until His time had come.
Matthew 2:16-18 (NKJV)
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more.”[a]
God’s wisdom goes beyond our desire to know what happened before Jesus began His earthly ministry. As I said earlier, we can speculate and guess, but that is all it is…guessing and speculation.
Besides, what’s most important is what happened after Jesus began His earthly ministry. His occupation was carpenter but His calling and purpose was SAVIOR.
Jesus’ silent years are one of the greatest lessons in the wisdom of God doing all things in HIS OWN TIMING. And, that we should relate this lesson to our own lives. Even the Son of God didn’t begin His purpose before it was time.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NKJV)
To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
TOUGH LOVE. We want to make sure we aren’t ENABLING their dysfunction. We can’t let the dysfunction and evil of some bring us down with them…can’t let their issues infect our home.
Many times we’ll say, you have to let some people hit ROCK BOTTOM as the PRODIGAL SON (Luke 15:11-32) did and COME TO THEMSELVES.
But we must pray for wisdom and discernment and realize that the ROCK BOTTOM scenario may be a case-by-case basis.
Some people are STRONGER IN THEIR WEAKNESSES than others. For every PRODIGAL who CAME TO THEMSELVES, there are also those who never did.
ROCK BOTTOM didn’t shock them to their senses.
ROCK BOTTOM wasn’t a wake up call.
ROCK BOTTOM didn’t turn them around.
Everyone may not be equipped to handle ROCK BOTTOM.
Do you know anyone who died out there in their HOG PEN?
We must pray for wisdom and discernment when dealing with our challenged loved ones. Sometimes we have loved ones who are good people with a good heart, but they just can’t get it together. Sometimes we have loved ones that have been so HURT by the world, that it may have critically damaged their abilities to cope. We must ask for God’s guidance in which ones we must LET GO, and which we must BEAR THE INFIRMITIES and FAILINGS of the WEAK.
God demands that His name always be handled with reverence and respect…ALWAYS!
Matthew 6:9 (NLT)
9 Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy
Exodus 20:7 (NLT)
7 “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.
Remember, God’s name is not GOD. And, yes He has names that describe attributes of His character, (Yahweh or Yah, Yehovah Yirah, Yehovah Sabaoth, Yehovah Shalom, etc.) but God’s name is also His authority, His essence, His heritage,…and that of His Son and our Savior Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ). His name is WHO HE IS.
Exodus 3:13-14 (NKJV)
13 Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”
14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”
Matthew 28:19 (NKJV)
19 Go [a]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)
14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Those of us who claim to be called by His name and belong to Him….Those of us who claim the responsibility and honor of representing the authority of His name, his character and reputation… most of us want our names handled with respect. Most of us want people to respect the names of our parents, and those who are a part of our heritage with respect.
So, it’s unfortunate when the children of God think it’s okay to ‘play with the name of God’ by referring to Him with disrespect, in jokes, and even playing with prayer.
In conversations, movies, songs, comdey, memes, GIFs etc. people misuse and reduce God’s name to silliness for jokes for impact…
‘DEAR BABY JESUS’…
‘LAWD HAM MERCY’…
‘OH LAWD’…
‘HALLELU-YER’…
Shouting ‘JESUS CHRIST’ as an exclamation…
The list goes on and on.
One popular Writer/Producer/Director/Actor has made ‘HALLELU-YER’ extremely popular.
The fact is that the YAH syllable in HALLELUYAH is actually one of God’s names…
“Hallel- TO PRAISE OR GLORIFY Yah- SHORTENED FORM OF YAHWEH
When people jokingly pray to ‘BABY JESUS’, the Jesus that died for our sins wasn’t a baby. Our salvation at the time He was a child had not yet been secured. It’s silly and irreverent to pray to BABY JESUS for the sake of a joke. That’s not keeping His name holy.
What’s also unfortunate is that when called out on this rebellious behavior, many who claim to be Christian will immediately look for reasons to justify it, and explain how it’s not a bit deal…it’s not that serious. Too many times Christians ignore what the word of God explicitly says and finds excuses to do what they really want to do.
This equates to telling God what He must accept from us, rather than submitting to His clear expectations.
Even though we can’t tell those who don’t believe what to do, those of us in the Body of Christ should be the first to KEEP HIS NAME HOLY and hold one another accountable in doing so.
I love having fun, but some things need to left alone….Especially by Christians.
This piece is not necessarily critical of fraternal organizations, but addresses a question in an age of removing vestiges of white supremacy and racism from American institutions.
The question it addresses is valid whether you agree or disagree with the removal of monuments, statues and aspects of a time in American when open exclusion, subjugation and racism was accepted.
Black fraternities and sororities are an integral part of Black culture.
Most began in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s following the models of White fraternities and sororities that excluded Black members.
Membership in these organizations has become a tradition and expectation in many families.
They are responsible for much great work in the community.
But here’s the question. In an age of the removal of statues and monuments erected in a time when America had a different mindset, why aren’t the Greek letters that distinguish these organizations considered to be a reminder of the system that excluded Blacks from membership? Why are they excluded from the conversation?
How many African languages are there that offer options of letters that could be used to not only distinguish these organizations, but also celebrate African heritage?
Or, why use letters at all?
Black members of these organizations say, “I’m Greek.” How many people of other cultures proclaim, “I’m an African”?
Greece is a part of the European continent. Members of these organizations refer to themselves by saying, “I’m a Greek.” Even though both religion and science agree that life began in Africa…how many people of other continents proclaim, “I’m an African”. How many people are more passionate about their affiliation than their faith in God.
God introduced Himself to Moses as ‘I AM’, so we must be careful what we say behind our “I AM”.
Exodus 3:14 (NKJV)
14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”
There is no condemnation for using Greek letters and culture…just wondering why members of Black fraternities and sororities who are passionate about removing aspects of racism are excluding Greek letters and culture ( language and letters are a part of culture) from the conversation and movement.
Am I an expert on secret societies and their history in America? No.
But, that doesn’t reduce the legitimacy of the question.
TOUGH LOVE. We want to make sure we aren’t ENABLING their dysfunction. We can’t let the dysfunction and evil of some bring us down with them…can’t let their issues infect our home. 
BE BLESSTIFIED! 