This piece is sure to rub some people wrong, but if God addressed it in His word, then I must address it.

People get both married and divorced for many different reasons. But, it’s God’s will for a MAN and WOMAN (only)… FOR THOSE WHO SAY JESUS NEVER ADDRESSED HOMOSEXUALITY…

Matthew 19:3-5 (NKJV)

³ The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?”

⁴ And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who ^[a]made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ ⁵ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? ⁶ So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

God also makes it clear that He HATES divorce…

Malachi 2:16 (NKJV)

¹⁶ “For the Lord God of Israel says
That He hates divorce,
For it covers one’s garment with violence,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“Therefore take heed to your spirit,
That you do not deal treacherously.”

However, as stated above, people divorce for many different reasons…

Money…

‘Growing apart’…

Careers…

Unequally yoked…

Irreconcilable differences…

And of course…

ADULTERY.

God also clearly says that if one divorces his or her spouse for a reason other than that which God allows commits adultery and causes the one he or she marries to commit adultery…period.

Many Ministers quickly say they would not officiate a homosexual wedding, as I wouldn’t, but I also ask heterosexual couples if they were previously married, and if so, why they got divorced.

Matthew 5:31-32  (KJV)

³¹ It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

³² But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

Matthew 19:7-9 (KJV)

⁷ They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?

⁸ He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

⁹ And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

1 Corinthians 7:10-11  (NKJV)

¹⁰ Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. ¹¹ But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.

That’s very strong and very clear. In God’s view, if one puts away their spouse they are bound. Entering into another marriage is viewed by God as adulterous.

So, ask yourself. Does God accept your marriage, or are you living in adultery?

But, what about the spouse that has been put away and wanted to stay married? Are they bound?

1 Corinthians 7:15  (NKJV)

¹⁵ But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.

Here the Apostle Paul is talking about an unbeliever leaving a believing spouse, but it makes it clear that if your spouse leaves you, then you are not bound. (Please read all of 1 Corinthians Chapter 7 for context).

This is a difficult subject, but one that is not discussed enough. God is clear in His word, and He does not expect us to justify fitting it to our will, but we are to submit to His.

So, is adultery when the spouse has asked for forgiveness an excuse for divorce? For more on that topic, read this…

WHEN GOD EXPECTS US TO FORGIVE ADULTERY (CHEATING ON GOD)…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Too many people want to look like BIG MONEY —

When God just wants us to be CHANGE!

Mark 8:36  (NKJV)

³⁶ For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

Matthew 5:14-16  (NKJV)

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do theyl ight a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Hebrews 10:24  (NKJV)

²⁴ And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,

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,

Galatians 6:9  (NKJV)

⁹ And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Anyone who believes in God has been asked these questions.

Most if not all believers, if they are willing to admit it to themselves, have asked some of these questions.

Not only are there some difficult things to understand in the Bible, but there are things God does today that are difficult to explain.

Why does God allow babies and children to suffer with terminal illnesses?

Why does the bible not explicitly forbid slavery?

Why does God allow abusive parents to have children, while others who would be loving, nurturing parents to go childless?

Why does God allow some people to be healed but other people, some we would even call ‘good’ people, to not be healed?

Luke 4:27 (NKJV)

²⁷ And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”

There are countless questions that atheists and some believers ask concerning God, either arrogantly or anxiously waiting for answers.

God gave us the example through the Psalms that He will allow us to question Him in humility, as long as we continue to trust Him…

Psalm 13:1-2 (NKJV)

How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
² How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart daily?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

³ Consider and hear me, O Lord my God;
Enlighten my eyes,
Lest I sleep the sleep of death;
⁴ Lest my enemy say,
“I have prevailed against him”;
Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

⁵ But I have trusted in Your mercy;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
⁶ I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

If you’re like me, sometimes you feel pressured to give a quick and definite answer to ‘defend’ God. Sometimes you want a definite answer to satisfy yourself. 

But the truth is that some things we simply don’t know.

That means sometimes the best answer is…

I DON’T KNOW!

Even those who depend on science to shape their beliefs have to admit that with all of our advances in science and medicine, there is still more that’s unknown than is known.

Scientists still have to sometimes say…

I DON’T KNOW!

Doctors have to sometimes admit…

I DON’T KNOW!

There are times that after a deadly diagnoses that the illness sometimes disappears and the physician has to admit…

I DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!

So, no one should really scoff when a believer says they simply don’t know.

The fact is, there is great peace in admitting that even though you don’t know…you still trust God. He has told us that there are things that will be beyond are human minds, and even science helps prove that. There is much in science well beyond the reach of scientific knowledge.

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.

Don’t deny yourself the blessing and peace of simply saying…”I DON’T KNOW!”

Psalm 131:1 (NKJV)

Lord, my heart is not ^[a]haughty,
Nor my eyes ^[b]lofty.
Neither do I ^[c]concern myself with great matters,
Nor with things too ^[d]profound for me.

Admitting that you don’t know doesn’t confirm God isn’t God, it just confirms that we are human.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

God uses imperfect people to carry out His perfect will. That being said, we know that the church is made up of those imperfect people. It’s unavoidable that the church has historically made some mistakes. What’s important is that we continue to learn from those mistakes…and change.

I feel that one of the most damaging mistakes that’s been made in many churches is about GIVING. I’m not talking about HOW MUCH. I’m talking about WHY?

Too many people have been taught to GIVE SELFISHLY. Too many people have been taught and are being taught to approach God and give carnally. The ‘prosperity’ movement has reduced giving to a selfless act, based on our culture of greed, as a ‘tool’ to get what you want out of life from God. This allows the idolatry (Colossians 3:5) of worshiping oneself to pervert faith. They believe God can do it, but the motivation is wrong.

This actually comes from a biblical truth in the concept of giving when the bible says…

Malachi 3:10-12 (NKJV)

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,

That there may be food in My house,

And try Me now in this,”

Says the Lord of hosts,

“If I will not open for you the windows of heaven

And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. ¹¹ “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,

So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,

Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”

Says the Lord of hosts; ¹² “And all nations will call you blessed,

For you will be a delightful land,”

Says the Lord of hosts.

Again, this post isn’t about the AMOUNT, but about the WHY. Of course God can and will bless you for giving from the heart, but when they’re honest with themselves…too many people give so they can release the blessings of verses 10 through 12 into THEIR OWN LIVES, “open the windows of heaven”…”pour out a blessing that there will not be room to receive it”, “rebuke the devourer for your sakes”, “all the nations of the world will call you blessed”.

When they’re honest with themselves, many Christians only give so they can get. It is their BLE$$ING bill, their BLE$$ING note…no different than their utility bill, cell phone bill, mortgage, rent, car payment…that if they DON’T give God will cut off their blessings.

They prove this in their behavior. These same people who won’t get caught missing an opportunity to give don’t seem to have a problem with not reading regularly, not praying regularly, not sharing their faith with unbelievers, not being generous beyond what they think is the minimum, not helping those in need, and not even having a regular prayer life.

When we’re honest with ourselves, even when we help others sometimes, we aren’t doing it to be a blessing, but so we can feel good about ourselves, or so others can see what we’ve done. A good example…so many people rush to feed those in need in shelters during Thanksgiving, as if these people don’t need to eat 365 days per year. Jesus clearly tells us that when we do things for our own glory, that we have already received our reward…

Matthew 6:1-2 (NKJV)

“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. ² Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

Does that mean that it’s always wrong to share when you’ve blessed someone? No, because we are told to let our light shine…however God also knows the reason why we shared it.

We must always be honest with ourselves of even why we do good.

God wants us to give unselfishly, wishing for nothing in return. He wants us to give to fund the growth of His Kingdom in the earth. He wants us to give to simply plant seeds of His love. He wants us to give to be A BLESSING and not ONLY TO BE BLESSED.

Look at some of the verses concerning unselfish giving, and think of how infrequently you hear some of them or all of them…

Luke 6:34-35 (NKJV)

³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 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.

 2 Corinthians 9:5-15 (NKJV)

 ⁵ Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation. ⁶ But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ⁷ So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God I sable to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. ⁹ As it is written:

“He has dispersed abroad,

He has given to the poor;

His righteousness endures forever.”^[b]

¹⁰ Now may^[c] He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, ¹¹ while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. ¹² For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, ¹³ while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men, ¹⁴ and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. ¹⁵ Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

 Ephesians 4:28 (NKJV)

 ²⁸ Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.

1 John 3:17 (NKJV)

 ¹⁷ But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

There are many more verses where God makes it clear that we should give unselfishly.

Yes, we should always be obedient and give as God told us to do. We should be generous as God told us to be.

But, we must always be honest with ourselves as to why we’re giving or being generous…because He already knows.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

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

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

Why don’t you go to church?

Let’s go feed the homeless.

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

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

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

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

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

“I would, BUT I can’t afford to…”

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

“I would, BUT my kids have sports…”

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

Luke 14:18-24 (NKJV)

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

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

BUSINESS. WORK. CAREER

“I bought a piece of ground…”

“I bought a yoke of oxen…”

SPOUSE. CHILDREN. FAMILY

“I have married a wife…

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

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

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

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

BE BLESSTIFIED!

1 Kings 11:1-2 (NKJV)

But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites— ² from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love.

Anyone who reads the bible knows that King Solomon is recognized as the wisest man who every lived. They also know that he loved women and had many wives and concubines. So, it very be easily concluded that Solomon’s sex drive and love for women was a weakness. He allowed the women he loved to compromise his devotion to God – the wisest man who ever lived.

King Solomon’s wisdom was his greatest strength. His sex drive was his greatest weakness. And, both of them were given to him by God.

We all have strengths and weaknesses that are God given.

I’m not as organized as I would like to be, and when I put great effort into becoming more organized…I find myself slipping back into being less organized (notice how I’m trying to avoid saying unorganized:-)

I also don’t have much rhythm. As much as I try, there are some things that I just can’t do well physically (dancing for example). I am however very strong physically.

I was born with those weaknesses. I didn’t ask for them. They’re innate…

God gave them to me.

I believe that just the same as we have physical weaknesses, we also have spiritual weaknesses. We have weaknesses in our personalities. Some have difficulty paying attention. Some are naturally poor with words, and have trouble relating with others. Some are naturally poor with numbers and can’t manage money well, no matter how hard they try. Some have learning disabilities, even if the disabilities aren’t severe, they could still be considered a weakness. Some people are poor listeners and have trouble staying focused. The ‘weaknesses’ I’m talking about are things that can’t be taught. They are just a part of who we are. Just as I mentioned about Solomon, some have an unquenchable sexual appetite, that they didn’t ask for. Some have an attraction to the same sex, that they didn’t ask for. Some have a natural propensity for violence…that they didn’t even necessarily learn.

What is your weakness? What are your weaknesses?

The good news is that God is greater than any weakness that He gave us. God can bless you and you can be a blessing to others in spite of your weaknesses.

Moses wasn’t an eloquent speaker. In fact, he considered it to be a weakness. God didn’t allow the weakness He GAVE Moses to get in the way of his purpose…

Exodus 4:10 (NKJV)

¹⁰ Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I amslow of speech and slow of tongue.”

Remember, what the Apostle Paul had a weakness that he didn’t ask for. God gave it to Him, but also remember…

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NKJV)

⁷ And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 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. ¹⁰ Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

God’s strength is made perfect in our weaknesses. God can and will bless us and use us in spite of your weaknesses!

God wants us and others can know that every blessing, every success, every victory, is because of him and not ourselves. He wants us to bring Him glory and that any glory we have is through Him.

Just as Paul said, when we work through our weaknesses, God’s power is resting on us.

He wants to use our weaknesses to show us His power so we can lean on Him, depend on Him, trust Him and love Him.

Anyone and everyone that you know who is successful has multiple weaknesses. We spend so much time focusing on their strengths, talents and abilities that we think make them successful that we don’t notice their weaknesses…unless one of their weaknesses causes them to fall.

Yes, you are far from perfect, but so is every person that God has ever used.

God fulfills His perfect will through imperfect people.

So, acknowledge your weaknesses that God gave you. Pray for God to help you with them and through them. Leverage your strengths to God’s glory.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Have you ever been caught up in thoughts, behavior, habits, relationships, etc, that you wanted to STOP, but found STOPPING to be an enormous struggle?

Are struggling to STOP doing something right now? Are you fighting that battle between the flesh and the spirit?

The Apostle Paul even admitted to and described this struggle…

Romans 7:18-20  (NKJV)

¹⁸ For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. ¹⁹ For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. ²⁰ Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

Galatians 5:16-17 (NKJV)

¹⁶ I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

Many times, in the heat of this struggle, one might ask God, “Lord, please MAKE me STOP!

Remember this, YOU MAY NOT LIKE THE WAY THAT GOD MAKES YOU STOP!

When you read God’s word, He doesn’t want us to ask Him to make us stop. When we choose sin, we are choosing sin over him. It’s a relationship decision, much like a spouse choosing a rival over his or her spouse. No one wants to make a husband or wife stop choosing someone else over them. A spouse would want their loved one to CHOOSE TO STOP seeing someone else.

God gives us the power, strength and responsibility to STOP ourselves.

Notice where God places the responsibility in these verses…

Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV)

12 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,

Ephesians 4:31  (NKJV)

³¹ Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking BE PUT AWAY from you, with all malice.

Colossians 3:8  (NKJV)

⁸ But now YOU YOURSELVES ARE TO PUT OFF ALL OF THESE: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.

2 Corinthians 7:1  (NKJV)

7 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, LET US CLEANSE OURSELVES from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

It is clear that God does not want us asking Him to make us STOP doing anything that is displeasing to Him.

STOP on your own!

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Sometimes it’s difficult to explain how our invisible God can be everywhere at the same time, or omnipresent.

Maybe this example will help.

Where is the internet?

On your smartphone?

On your laptop?

On your tablet?

Is the internet in the air?

Is it in Indiana, Idaho, India or the International Space Station?

Do we have to take turns to access the internet or can we all connect at the same time?

Just because you can’t see it, taste it, touch it or hear it…does that mean the NETWORK isn’t there. Yes, you see the evidence there is a network through the information, videos or audio files…but you can’t see the actual network.

If you can understand how the invisible internet can be OMNIPRESENT in a sense, then you can understand how our invisible God, our Elohim, the Father of our Lord and Savior Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus Christ, can be everywhere at the same time.

EASY-TO-UNDERSTAND EXPLANATION OF ‘THE TRINITY’…

WHY GOD DOES NOT NEED AN ORIGIN STORY…

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

FAITH VS. SCIENCE…

WHEN SCRIPTURE & SCIENCE AGREE…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

It’s very easy to take our blessings for granted. Especially the blessings that some of us might call ‘the little things’…like water.

Plenty of water…

Clean water…

Available water…

Anytime you want it.

There are many people in this world who consider clean water to be a luxury.

There are many people in this world who bathe and drink from the same water that animals drink from.

They just want clean, easily accessible water to drink and bathe in.

But, so many of us don’t only have plenty of water to drink, we can sometimes catch ourselves saying “There’s nothing here to drink,” if there is no juice, soda, wine, beer, or Kool-Aid in the house because we don’t want water.

So many of us have enough water to water our lawns.

So many of us have enough water to wash our cars.

So, the next time you get ready to wash your car or drive through a car wash, stop and thank God for enough water for this task that could be considered by those who don’t have enough as vain.

Then say a prayer for those who can’t go to the faucet and turn on the fresh, clean water.

Exodus 17  (NKJV)

17 Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. ² Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.”

So Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the Lord?”

³ And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”

⁴ So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone^[a] me!”

⁵ And the Lord said to Moses, “Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. ⁶ Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.”

And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. ⁷ So he called the name of the place Massah^[b] and ^[c]Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they ^[d]tempted the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

BE BLESSTIFIED!

God teaches us in His word that wise counsel is priceless…

Proverbs 19:20-21  (NKJV)

²⁰ Listen to counsel and receive instruction,
That you may be wise in your latter days.

²¹ There are many plans in a man’s heart,
Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.

It’s good to get the benefit from the experience of others. But do you know anyone whose advice you really don’t want? Why? How do people feel about taking advice from you? Why?

Do people make any of these statements about you?

Is _____________ going to be there?

Is______________ going with us?

Are you inviting _________________?

Oh no! Here comes _______________?

HERE ARE 5 REASONS WHY PEOPLE MAY NOT WANT TO TAKE YOUR ADVICE…

1. YOU CAN’T HAVE A CONVERSATION WITHOUT GIVING ADVICE…

Some people don’t know how to have a conversation without giving advice. I know a young man who didn’t have his father around when he grew up. All the men in his life felt they had to mentor him. That’s fine, but not all the time.! They would never just laugh and talk. Never could just tell jokes. And, if jokes were told, it was about how the young man wasn’t doing something right. “If I were you I would…”, “When are you going to…”, “Ha, Ha, Ha, that’s not how you do that, here let me show you…” He got to the point that he dreaded when they came around. “Oh know, here comes Uncle ________” he thought. Remember this. Every moment doesn’t have to be a teaching moment. Every situation doesn’t have to be a lesson. And, people don’t learn by making fun of what they do wrong.

2. YOU AREN’T A GOOD EXAMPLE…

I had a barber once who loved to give advice about healthy eating. That was fine be he couldn’t cut my hair without his stomach rubbing against me. I also have an acquaintance who is always full of financial advice, but he is not doing very well financially himself. And, most parents get frustrated when people who have never had children try to advice them how to raise their children. I’m not saying people with children can’t give advice, or that you can’t learn from someone else’s financial mistakes, or that someone overweight can’t advice someone else on how to lose weight. But, I am saying that

3. YOU ARE ARROGANT & CONDESCENDING…

Yes, we see your level of success. Yes, we see that you’ve made great decisions. But, know we aren’t looking for advice every time you come around. Because when you give that advice you act as though everyone else is so stupid. When you give advice you belittle what they have done well. When you give advice, your tone is so mean that your advice goes unheard.

4. YOU USE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRAG ABOUT YOURSELF & FEED YOUR OWN EGO…

These people really aren’t concerned about helping you, they just want an opportunity to glorify themselves. No, we are not interested in how well you planned, how smart you were, or how hard you worked. Because guess what, we planned carefully too. We made intelligent decisions too. We worked very hard too, but sometimes things just don’t work out. Ask any entrepreneur who had a strong business plan, researched their market, sacrificed for their business, put in ‘blood, sweat, and tears’ and because of factors beyond their control, things didn’t work out.

BEFORE YOU SAY YOU DESERVE EVERYTHING YOU HAVE BECAUSE YOU WORKED HARD FOR IT…

5. NO ONE ASKED YOU…

I’m not saying that unsolicited isn’t good sometimes, but most of the time, if people want your advice, they will ask you. If you notice that someone needs some help and aren’t willing to ask, find a way to BE an example of the behavior that you feel could benefit from their experience. Be creative. Pray and ask God for wisdom, or even let the know you’re available if needed, but blurting out unsolicited advice can be so insulting that it goes unheard.

Remember, advice is only good if it received, so stop, think, and pray before you speak into someone’s life.

The next time you get some unwanted advice, come back to this list to see how many reasons apply.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

John 10:10  (NKJV)

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

FEAR

Fear is a faith killer.

It steals your hope.

It destroys your purpose.

It stops you in your tracks.

The enemy uses fear to get us to undermine our own future.

The fear of the shame and consequences of failure. The fear of the challenges and responsibilities of success. Some people are afraid of being promoted, afraid of being a leader, afraid of being held accountable. Some people don’t run for public office because they are afraid of shameful secrets from their past that may be revealed by an opponent. Some people are simply afraid of change.

What are you afraid of?

Do you look shamefully on the Jesus’ disciples fear during the storm in the boat, while you may be afraid of flying…afraid of water?  Remember, God did not give us the spirit of fear…

2 Timothy 1:7  (NKJV)

⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

If God didn’t give us the spirit of fear, that leaves only one source.

Facing your fears, attacking your fears is attacking the enemy. And, you can’t do that without the power of God. Never try to face your fears without prayer.

COMFORT

Comfort, convenience and luxury are enemies of your purpose because they disguise themselves as success. Most of us would love a comfortable, trouble free life, but that’s simply not an option to purpose-driven people called by God…

Philippians 1:29  (NKJV)

²⁹ For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,

 Nothing of value comes without sacrifice. How fair would that be since God had to sacrifice His own Son to pay the required price for sin…

Hebrews 9:22  (NKJV)

²² And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

 Too many of us won’t sacrifice our comfort enough to be what God truly called us to be. True ministry is rarely comfortable or convenient. People who claim they have a heart for ministry remain in the comfortable ‘four walls’ of the church because they don’t want to get their ‘hands dirty’.  So many real entrepreneurs may have given up a enormous salaries, benefits, and sacrificed some of their luxuries to pursue their vision.

People stay in lucrative careers and dead-end jobs fulfilling someone else’s vision while letting their own vision die.

Big houses, fancy cars, nice clothes, impressive titles all SOUND LIKE success. But when we put all of our energy pursuing those things, how much do we really put into our purpose?

When we achieve those things what are we willing to do to keep them? If you have invested the money that you’ve put into your comforts into your vision, would you be working for yourself right now? How powerful could you be for the Kingdom of God.

The desire for comfort steals, kills and destroys your desire to sacrifice what is necessary to achieve what God has placed you on this earth to do.

Look inside yourself. Is what you’re afraid of holding you back? Look around you. Is what you have and what you want preventing you from being what and who you can be?

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Should you leave your faith at home when you go to work? Remember, that Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus Christ, engaged Peter, Andrew, James, John and Matthew while they were busy working on their jobs.

He could have waited until they finished for the day, but he ministered to them while they were still working.

Matthew 4:18-22 (NKJV)

¹⁸ And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” ²⁰ They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

²¹ Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, ²² and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

Matthew 9:9-13 (NKJV)

⁹ As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.

Sometimes God places disciples in the workplace to be light.

Matthew 5:14-16 (NKJV)

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Pray is such as special gift from the God of our creation.

We may not have instant and direct access to the President, the governor, the mayor, the CEO, the Athletic Director, your pastor or even one another sometimes…

But, we always have direct access to God through our Lord and Savior Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ).

the Bible teaches us through prayers and supplications to make our requests made known to God…

Philippians 4:6 (NKJV)

⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

There have been times that after I have finished praying, I have wondered…did I miss something?

I thanked God.

I asked for forgiveness of my sins.

I prayed for provision, protection and other things.

I prayed for others…

Did I forget something?

But, then I remembered that we are created in the image of God. That means that we can have His character…His essence.

We can love like Him. We can nurture like Him. We can take care of our children the way He takes care of His children.

So, our children don’t have to make a point to specifically ask every day for us to:

Feed them…

Protect them…

Provide the things they need.

The fact is that many times if they simply come to us, unsolicited…

If they approach us ‘out of the blue’ and with obvious sincerity expressing, I LOVE YOU…and we know that it’s real.

That sincere and unselfish expression of love provokes us to WANT to do something to show them how much we love them. Sometimes it makes us want to do something special for them.

I think we have that reaction because we are created in God’s image. Maybe He sometimes reacts the same way towards us when we bow heads prayer or lift our hands in praise and unselfishly, sincerely express I LOVE YOU! I TRUST YOU! I BLESS YOU! And, I JUST WANT YOU TO BE PLEASED WITH ME!

Remember, prayer isn’t only giving God a laundry list of our needs, but an opportunity to express our love for Him.

Every now and then, just thank God and tell Him that you love Him.

Psalm 103:1-2 (NKJV)

Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
² Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:

BE BLESSTIFIED!

One of the most beautiful gifts from God is His gift of forgiveness. When we repent and confess our sins to Him, He will forgive of all our sins, even those we call great.

1 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.

That’s good news for someone struggling with guilt. But, we must be very careful to not get it twisted. Many people have unintentionally taken Hebrews 8:12 and Micah 7:19 out of context and taught people the wrong thing.

Hebrews 8:12  (NKJV)

¹² For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins ^[a]and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

Micah 7:18-19 (NKJV)

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

Many people have taught and teach that God FORGETS our sins, and that He can no longer remember what we did wrong.

According to Strong’s Concordance, ‘REMEMBER’ here means: (through the idea of fixture in the mind or of mental grasp); to bear in mind, i.e. recollect; by implication, to reward or punish:–be mindful, remember, come (have) in remembrance.

Notice that part of that definition states, “to reward or punish”.

Bearing that in mind, and also knowing that our all-powerful, all-knowing cannot ‘forget’ anything, we can conclude that when God ‘doesn’t remember’ our sins means that He doesn’t bring them back up against to condemn us or hold against us as long as we have truly repented.

God is too powerful to simply, ‘forget’

Think about how many times in the Old Testament God reminded Israel of sins He had forgiven after they had backslidden. For more on this subject, read…YES, EVEN GOD SOMETIMES BROUGHT UP THE PAST AFTER HE FORGAVE…

He reminded them of what they had done. You can’t remind someone of something that you don’t remember.

Also think about the fact that even when we truly forgive one another it doesn’t mean we don’t remember what they did…we just don’t hold it against them anymore. Now, if we don’t forget, are we more powerful than God?

Yes, God casts our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19), but that doesn’t mean He doesn’t remember where He cast them. The beautiful thing is that if we truly repent, He will NEVER let those particular sins ‘rise’ to hold them against us ever again.

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.

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?

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.

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,

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.

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.

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

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!

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!

My wife found some beautiful, fun rainbow colored curtains for our granddaughter’s playroom. After we put them up, being visible from the outside, we both thought what if people think we are supporting ‘Pride’?

The rainbow is a sign of God’s promise…

Genesis 9:13-15  (NKJV)

¹³ I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. ¹⁴ It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; ¹⁵ and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.

Genesis 9:13-15  (NKJV)

God promised to never destroy the world again with water. Yes, there have been catastrophic floods since then, but none like the one in Noah’s time.

The rainbow is a sign of God’s promise and I believe that to be true.

In the past few years those who wish to legitimize the sin of homosexuality have claimed the rainbow as the symbol of their movement. First of all I don’t hate anyone who is gay, but I do believe it is a sin equal to fornication, adultery, and other sexual sins. I also admit that I’m not perfect…my family and God continually reminds me of the areas in which I need to grow. However, it is our responsibility as Christians to hold one another accountable, so calling out sin is not judging someone, as some love to shout when someone else calls out any of the works of the flesh…

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.

That being said, I feel using the rainbow to symbolize PRIDE is wrong for two reasons…

Because the cause is a sin…

1 Corinthians 6:9-10  (NKJV)

⁹ Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor ^[a]homosexuals, nor ^[b]sodomites, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

And, because pride is a sin…

1 Corinthians 6:9-10  (NKJV)

⁹ Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor ^[a]homosexuals, nor ^[b]sodomites, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

So, the curtains hang in her playroom reminding us of God’s promise… we reclaim it in the name of Yeshua the Som of God.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

We were all created in God’s image, which means we are able to have His character… His attributes… His emotions.

One of those emotions is hatred.

God hates evil. He hates evil behavior. He hates sin. He hates the works of the devil.

God hates sin, but He loves the sinner.

He hates the behavior and not the person.

What if we directed our hatred to what God hates instead of towards each other?

Think of how much enemy we waste hating each other.

Think of how many people we hate but won’t admit to ourselves that we do.

How much stress can we relieve hating what God allows us to hate?

The enemy…

Sin…

Poverty…

Homelessness…

Oppression…

Pride…

Arrogance…

Complaining…

Do a study of the things that God hates.

Ask Him to help you direct your hatred where it belongs.

THINGS IT’S OKAY WITH GOD FOR US TO HATE ABOUT PEOPLE…

WHY GOD HATES ‘BIGG BUTTS’…

7 REASONS GOD HATES COMPLAINING…

WHO HAS THE DEVIL CONVINCED YOU TO HATE (BUT YOU WON’T ADMIT IT TO YOURSELF)…

Proverbs 6:16-19 (NKJV

¹⁶ These six things the Lord hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to ^[a]Him:
¹⁷ A^[b] proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
¹⁸ A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
¹⁹ A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren.

Psalm 97:10 (NKJV)

¹⁰ You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.

BEBLESSTIFIED!

What if God gave you unlimited financial resources…what would you do?

What good would you do?

Who would you help?

What if God gave you a voice…a platform to speak to the world?

What would you say?

What causes would you speak out for?

How responsible would you be?

What if you had unlimited free time?

No job to report to?

No clock to punch?

What would you do with your time?

How would you spend it?

You can tell what you WOULD DO THEN by WHAT YOU’RE DOING with the financial resources you have now, whether it’s little or much.

Even if you’re living paycheck to paycheck, you have the means to help someone in need…your $5 gift or meal can change someone’s world.

You can tell by what you’re doing with your platform now.

What do you say? What don’t you say. What you post or publish? Which conversations to ‘speak up’ and which do you remain silent. How responsible are you with your voice now? Do you speak or post without thinking… praying?

What you’re doing with the time you have now? Do you say you don’t have time? Or, is it that you just don’t TAKE time?

There’s much Kingdom work that takes place through people who have no more free time than you…they just make time.

More money…More influence…and more time only empowers us to be more of who we already are.

Luke 21:1-4 (NKJV)

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, ² and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. ³ So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; ⁴ for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Spiritual maturity is realizing that there are some things that caused you so much pain — you’ll never get OVER them. It doesn’t mean you don’t forgive. It just means the thought will always hurt you.

Every time it comes to mind — the thought will hurt you.

Whenever something or someone reminds you of it — you will feel pain.

People spend years of energy trying to make a horrible memory— not hurt.

That’s wasted energy.

You will never get OVER it.

But, you CAN get past it.

You can control how the pain controls you, and how you react to it.

You can prevent IT from preventing YOU from moving on.

Even God Himself felt pain when He thought of how His chosen people consistently turned their backs on Him…

Notice how God sounds like a ‘hurt lover’ as He expresses His pain against how they have treated Him…

Micah 6:3-5 (NKJV)

³ “O My people, what have I done to you?
And how have I wearied you?
Testify against Me.
⁴ For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
I redeemed you from the house of bondage;
And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
⁵ O My people, remember now
What Balak king of Moab counseled,
And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him,
From ^[a]Acacia Grove to Gilgal,
That you may know the righteousness of the Lord.”

Remember, just because God said He will forget our sins doesn’t mean that He CAN’T remember them.

He is all powerful!

You will never remember something that our all powerful God can’t. It’s just a figurative way of saying that He will never hold our sins against us once we truly repent. WHEN GOD FORGETS, IT DOESN’T MEAN HE CAN’T REMEMBER…

I really believe this is going to set someone free…

Accept the fact that you will never get OVER some things.

Understand that some thoughts will ALWAYS cause you pain.

Ask God to help you get past the pain and move on.

Ask Him to help you to be strong enough to not let painful memories control you.

Ask God to help you move on, just like He moves on when we hurt Him.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

It may be because of the mistakes and bad decisions you’ve made…

It may be because your children aren’t living up to their potential…

It may be because you don’t have the relationship with your children that you wish or thought you would…

You may feel that you aren’t getting the level of respect that you deserve…

You may even be a teacher or professional and feel as though you do better with other children than your own…

You may feel guilty because of the number of hours you spend working…

Or feel guilty of the fact that you haven’t been able to work.

I know there may be some people out there who feel they were or are the ‘perfect’ parents, but this article is for those who on some days feel as though they have failed at parenting.

Remember this, none of the anointed men and women of God were perfect parents.

But, here is an even more powerful, and liberating thought.

None of us are a better parent than God our heavenly Father.

He has never made a mistake in ‘parenting’ us, yet…

Many of His children still don’t live up to their potential…

Many of His children still don’t give Him the relationship that He deserves…

Many of His children still don’t give Him the level of respect that He deserves…

Many of His children live in open rebellion to Him.

Many of those who God created in His image don’t even acknowledge Him as their father

Think about how many times you, yourself have disappointed God.

So, the next time you feel you’ve failed as a parent, ask yourself…

Has God failed?

1 John 3:1 (NKJV)

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of ^[a]God! Therefore the world does not know ^[b]us, because it did not know Him.

WHEN YOUR CHILD MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE A BAD PARENT…

15 LINKS TO BE BLESSTIFIED! ARTICLES ABOUT PARENTS & FAMILY (THE GOOD, BAD & VERY IMPERFECT…)

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Consider this…

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)

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)

BE BLESSTIFIED!

How many times have you done it? You jumped out of bed, and hit the ground running. You got dressed, maybe grabbed a bite to eat and started your day. Then here come the challenges…

Family asking questions they could have asked last night…

Can’t find your keys…

Horrible traffic…

More horrible co-workers…

Everyone seems to be pushing all your buttons all morning long!

Then, just before lunch you realize it. How could you have forgotten? Yes, the bed felt good and you lay there a few more moments, so when you jumped up you had to get going. But, how could you get going without telling God…

“Good Morning!” (Psalm 63:1)

“I bless your Holy Name this morning!” (Matthew 6:9)

“Thank you for keeping while I slept!” (Psalm 4:8)

“Thank you for brand new grace and mercy this morning!” (Lamentations 3:22-24)

“Please forgive me of all my sins!” (Psalm 41:4)

“No matter what happens today I love you and I trust you!” (Psalm 31:13-14)

 “Thank you for sending the living word as your Son to die for my sins.” (John 1:14)

 “Please provide all of our needs for this day.” (Matthew 6:11)

 “ Lord, I look forward to being with you where you are when you return.” (John 17:24)

 “ I pray for peace and prosperity in your Holy City of Jerusalem and salvation for your people.” (Psalm 122:6-9, Romans 10:1)

 “I declare to have a good day in your Name!” (Psalm 118:24)

“For yours is the Kingdom, and the Power and the Glory forever!” (Matthew 6:13)

“In the name of Yeshua, Jesus Christ the Son of the only living God, and you are one.” (John 14:13-14)

 “I love you because you first love me…Amen!” (1 John 4:19)

Of course, you don’t have to use this exact prayer, but how dare us begin are day without talking to God first! Sometimes we forget, but sometimes we may just decide to skip praying. There are even mornings when we are going through trials that we honestly don’t FEEL LIKE PRAYING.

But, it is a foolish thing to be bold enough step out into this world (or even stay at home) without talking to God first.

If you aren’t having a ‘good day’…did you pray? And, even if you did, stop and think of how much ‘worse’ your day could have been if you didn’t.

Remember, before you ‘hit the ground running’…hit the ground in prayer!

THE ARROGANCE OF BEGINNING THE DAY WITHOUT PRAYER…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

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:

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Arguments in relationships, families, on the job, even in church are unavoidable.

Do you know anyone who actually enjoys arguing?

On the other hand, there are others who do everything they can to avoid an argument.

Even on social media there are some people who won’t respond to you unless they disagree. In fact, social media has given people the ‘distance’ to be insulting, disrespectful, and condescending.

But no matter where the arguement takes place, there is one thing that remains true…

Many times our pride won’t allow us to stop arguing until we get in the last word, especially when we know in our hearts we are right, and sometimes when we know we are wrong.

But remember this, when Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) died on the cross, those who crucified Him went home that day thinking that they had won.

Isaiah 53:7 (NKJV)

⁷ He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.

Matthew 27:13-14 (NKJV)

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.

Notice how Joshua and Israel’s army allowed the army of Ai to thing they were winning as a strategy to defeat them…

Joshua 8:16  (NKJV)

¹⁶ So all the people who were in Ai were called together to pursue them. And they pursued Joshua and were drawn away from the city.

The one way to stop an argument is to humble enough to let someone else have the last word.

Proverbs 26:4 NKJV

⁴ Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
Lest you also be like him.

That’s right, plant the most important seed, make the most important point respectfully and then shut up!

Remember, letting someone else have the last word, isn’t LOSING the argument, it’s STOPPING it!

Sometimes, just as Yeshua The Messiah (Jesus Christ) did, it’s best to let them think they have won.

WHY YOU SOMETIMES HAVE TO LET YOUR ENEMIES THINK THEY’VE WON…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

When you’re pursuing your God-given purpose,

When you’re loving and forgiving,

When you’re sharing God’s love, it frustrates the devil.

But, he has absolutely no power over your life except that what God allows…

 Job 1:12 (NKJV)

 ¹² And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your ^[a]power; only do not lay a hand on his person.”

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

God gets glory out of our lives when we overcome the devil, just as He did when He allowed the enemy to have temporary access to Job.

He bragged on Job, and sometimes God is bragging on you…

Job 1:8  (NKJV)

⁸ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you ^[a]considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and ^[b]shuns evil?”

That’s why sometimes frustrations come from nowhere…

Frustrations to your health…

Frustrations to your finances…

Frustrations in your relationships…

Frustrations on your jobs…

Those aches and pains. That boil on your behind. That person who has been frustrating you in traffic for the past 20 miles. That co-worker who continues to conspire against you. Those people who are insensitive, inconsiderate and unapologetic.

The devil see’s when you’re not letting those frustrations get to you. So, he sends another frustration…and another…and another, until God tells Him, “That’s enough!”

The enemy knows He has no real power over your life, so those frustrations are just him ‘giving you the finger’…

He’s flipping you off because you’ve pissed him off.

So, don’t let him get the best of you! Keep your cool. Praise God. And, let God get glory out of your story.

More BE BLESSTIFIED articles about the devil:

7 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO PISS THE DEVIL OFF TODAY…

WHEN THE DEVIL GET’S ‘THE BEST OF YOU’…

WHY THE DEVIL IS NOT A PYROMANIAC…

DON’T ASK GOD TO LEAVE TO INVITE IN A DEMON (Short & to the Point)…

TRADITIONS FROM HELL…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Our challenge is to love the sinner without condoning or justifying the sinful lifestyle…while we struggle with our own.

Our challenge is to call out sin and warn of it’s consequences in spite of our own imperfections, faults, failures and weaknesses.

We must remember that calling out sin, warning about it’s consequences and holding one another accountable is not judging…it’s our responsibility.

Condemnation and stating what we believe is in someone’s heart is judging.

None of us are perfect. Far from it. But, God still expects us to warn about the consequences of sin.

The truth is that none of us are never at any moment, ‘sinless’. Does that make us all hypocrites?

Nope. God justifies us and ‘views us as righteous’ only through faith our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus.

Romans 3:23  (NKJV)

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

Romans 5:1 (NKJV)

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

The key is to never be content or satisfied with our own sins. To constantly allow His Holy Spirit to convict us of our own wrong, working diligently to ‘lay them aside’…

It’s your attitude about your sin that prevents you from being a hypocrite.

Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV)

12 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,

Pray for God to give you wisdom, knowledge, understanding, discernment and revelation for how to be His image, His voice, His representative in this generation. And, leave behind a heritage of good fruit for the generations to come.

Colossians 1:27-28  (NKJV)

²⁷ To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which^[a] is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ²⁸ Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

 Psalm 71:18 (NKJV)

¹⁸ Now also when I am old and grayheaded,
O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Your strength to this generation,
Your power to everyone who is to come.

 BE BLESSTIFIED!