How many times has this happened to you?

Someone did something to hurt you, but felt genuinely sorry.  It may have been immediately or it may have been much later, but they did feel bad about what they did, said, didn’t do, or didn’t say. They came to you to offer a sincere apology but…

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You weren’t ready to hear it, and you weren’t ready to accept it.

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When they said, “I’m sorry.” Have you ever said…

“I don’t want to hear it!”

“I KNOW you’re SORRY!”

“Leave me alone!”

“I’ll never forgive you!”

Did you curse them out?

Did you get loud and try to publicly embarrass them?

Did you you just ignore them. Did you snap back, going through every detail of what happened? Did you throw everything they ever did to hurt you up in their face?

You were still hurt. You were still angry. You were still embarrassed. Your pride got in the way. You were still ‘in your feelings’ about what they did. When someone comes to you to apologize the shift in spiritual responsibility shifts from them to you…

Colossians 3:13  (NKJV)

 ¹³ bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

God expects us to always be ready to forgive just as He is…

Psalm 86:5 (NKJV)

 ⁵ For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You

Sometimes we aren’t ready to let go of our anger, especially if the hurt that was done to us made us feel weak, vulnerable, stupid or naïve. Retaining our anger and withholding forgiveness can actually make us feel stronger and in control.

Here’s the thing. We all know that apologizing is not an easy thing to do. We have to swallow our pride. We have to humble ourselves. We have to confront the person we have hurt. And, we know that we may sometimes meet resistance.

Think about Joseph in Genesis (Chapters 37-50). His brothers not only despised him, plotted to murder him and sold him into slavery. Later God elevated Joseph and placed him in position to save their lives. They were afraid of how Joseph would react…but he was READY to forgive…

Genesis 50:19-21 (NKJV)

 ¹⁹ Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? ²⁰ But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. ²¹ Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Joseph saw the big picture of how God not only allowed the hurt and betrayal, but worked it out for the good of everyone…

Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

 ²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

So I encourage you today…

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Be easy to apologize to!

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Be ready to forgive. I know it’s not easy, but it’s situations like this when Philippians 4:13 is most powerful in our lives.

Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

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

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You could have a apology waiting you right now that’s being withheld simply because they are too ashamed or afraid to come to you.

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Pray for a forgiving heart. Swallow you pride. Rise above your pain. Be easy to apologize to – because we all know sometimes we’re the one seeking forgiveness.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

We live in a society when some people say, “We the people” as if those who don’t agree as they do are NOT ‘the people’.

One such ‘American’ characteristic is the love of dogs.

I don’t HATE dogs, but I’m definitely not a dog enthusiast.

My wife loves dogs, and we have a family dog… Sasha.

Dog lovers think that things such as when they destroy shoes or chew things up is cute…it annoys people who aren’t ‘dog lovers’.

Dog lovers love feeding dogs and giving them baths…people who don’t love dogs not so much.

Many dog lovers think it’s cute when their dog wants to sniff and play with you while on an evening walk…people who aren’t dog lovers want to just ‘keep it moving’.

And yes, there is biblical evidence of beloved family pets, as in the Prophet Nathan’s story he used to illustrate King David’s sin to him in 2 Samuel Chapter 4.

So, to those of you who sometimes may be made felt that there’s something wrong or unAmerican about you because you aren’t an avid dog lover…it’s okay.

And for those of you who do love dogs, please don’t project your passion on everyone else. Because there’s always something that someone else is passionate about that you could care less.

Remember, some people don’t like hot dogs and apple pie either ( I dig those though).

By the way, Sasha is a sweet dog and is just like part of the family. I just don’t give her baths:-)

BE BLESSTIFIED!

If you’ve grown up in church like me, you’ve heard the phrase, “It only takes a LITTLE faith.” Of course this is based on the scriptures about ‘mustard seed faith’, such as…

Matthew 17:20 (NKJV)

²⁰ So Jesus said to them, “Because of your ^[a]unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

BUT THINK ABOUT THIS…

Yeshua said, “As a grain of mustard seed.”

It takes GREAT FAITH for something as small as a grain of mustard seed to move mountains, not little faith. We must have faith as a grain of mustard seed would have to possess to grow.

NOW THINK ABOUT THIS…

Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) ALWAYS rebuked His disciples for having SMALL (LITTLE) faith…

Matthew 20:17 a

²⁰ So Jesus said to them, “Because of your ^[e]unbelief; 

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Matthew 8:25-26 (NKJV)

²⁵ Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

²⁶ But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

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Matthew 6:30 (NKJV)

³⁰ Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

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Matthew 14:31

³¹ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

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Every time the disciples faith was challenged and proven to be small, He REBUKED them for having ‘LITTLE’ FAITH. He never congratulated, confirmed, celebrated, approved of, or gave a ‘thumbs up’ to small faith.

NOW CONSIDER THIS…

The Lord was ALWAYS IMPRESSED by GREAT FAITH…

Matthew 8:10 (NKJV)

¹⁰ When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!

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Matthew 15:28 (NKJV)

²⁸ Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

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Yeshua ALWAYS celebrated, congratulated, was impressed by, approved of, and REWARDED GREAT FAITH!

We must immediately STOP teaching that it ONLY TAKES A LITTLE faith to please God.

Carefully listen to this sermon by my Senior Pastor W. Michael Martin…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

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https://videopress.com/v/0Nnij4pF?resizeToParent=true&preloadContent=metadata

Pure love is supposed to be unconditional and priceless.

It is.

The problem is that none of us have achieved pure love. We haven’t perfected our ability to love.

Too many times we’re putting conditions and ‘price tags’ on the love we have for those who are closest to us. We all do it sometimes. Why? Because none of us have perfected love.

When we judge and measure by things that HAVE A PRICE we’re diminishing love. Never base your love on:

How much $ they spend on you.

Base love on…

How much FORGIVENE$$ they ‘spend’ on you.

How much KINDNE$$ they ‘spend’ on you.

How much GOODNE$$ they ‘spend’ on you.

How much FAITHFULNE$$ they ‘spend’ on you.

How much GENTLENE$$ they ‘spend’ on you.

How much $ELF-CONTROL they ‘spend’ on you.

Base it on how much JOY they give you for just being in your life, even if you have NOTHING.

And remember, when we fall short, it’s not because LOVE isn’t there, it just means our love isn’t perfect.

Only God’s is.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ^23 [a]gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)

⁸ And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”

Let’s pray that God helps us to love one another like He loves us, through peace.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

5th Graders: “Mr. Johnson! What’s your favorite color?”

Me: “I like black and purple.”

30 minutes later:

I’ve been an ordained minister for the past 25 years, but that’s not how I’ve paid my bills.

After years as a Marketing Copywriting Manager, two years ago I began a second career as a teacher at 50 years old.

I have also worked as a Radio Marketing Consultant, Mortgage Loan Originator, Beauty Supply Store Owner, Welder, Machine Operator, Retail Salesperson. I’ve done Nursing Home Ministry, Prison Ministry, Homeless Ministry…however teaching is by far the most challenging work I’ve done.

BUT IT’S SO REWARDING!

This week I had another subtle, but unmistakable defining moment that helped confirm I made the right choice (the conversation and pictures above).

I’m at a school in a system that seems ideal for my personality and skill set. I started my new career in an inner-city school system where my approach was considered by many to be ‘weakness’. I was pleased to establish great relationships with both parents and students, but some people have an idea of ‘toughness’ with which I disagree.

So, as I’ve been settling into a new school system ( I work at the same school as my wife too) I have again established some beautiful relationships with both students and parents…it’s the little things that confirm you’re really appreciated, like the little bracelet my students made for me.

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I’m also reminded every October. In my previous job we received a bonus based on performance that was many times five figures. It’s the same week as our school Fall Break… I’de rather have the break!

To God be the glory!!!!

Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV)

⁶ Train up a child in the way he should go,
^[a]And when he is old he will not depart from it.

Teaching is a ministry.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Them: When’s your birthday?

Me: September 26th.

Them: So you’re a Libra!

Me: Nope.

Have you ever heard anyone make this statement, or have made it yourself?

“You won’t go to Hell for doing it.”

Too many Christians feel as though as long as they are paying their tithes and going to church regularly that, ‘they’re good’.

Sometimes times there will be an issue or behavior that is questionable or vague, or maybe not even addressed directly in the bible. Many times there will be an issue or behavior that we really enjoy, but there is reason to believe it might be displeasing to God. Then there are issues that are addressed, but many people either don’t make the connection, or don’t care about how those issues relate to us today.

There are many Christians who don’t only define themselves as children of God, they also define themselves by ‘their’ zodiac sign.

How does God feel about someone asking, “What’s your sign?”

Zephaniah 1:5-6 (NKJV)

5.“Those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops; Those who worship and swear oaths by the LORD, But also swear by Milcom (or Molech) 6.Those who have turned back from following the LORD, And have not sought the LORD, nor inquired of Him.

“I’m a Gemini so you better watch our for me….”

“I’m a Pisces so you can trust me…”

You get the picture?

Most of us know that it became very popular in the latter part of the 20^th Century to refer to zodiac signs to determine if two people were compatible in relationships.

Some people will even check out their daily horoscope for guidance for the day. How many Christians have you seen post the daily horoscope on their timeline?

Have you ever taken the time to research the origin of zodiac signs. Think about this…zodiac signs are treated as proper nouns.

Check this out…

Deuteronomy 4:19 (NKJV)

And take heed, lest you lift up your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the LORD your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage.

Remember, worship is beyond ‘going to church’. Think about Romans 12:1…

Romans 12:1 (NIV)

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Our worship extends into how we live our lives on a daily basis. God expects us to get our guidance from Him and Him alone. He has given us His Holy Spirit to lead us, guide us, convict us, to help us make the right decisions.

Isaiah 47:13 (NKJV)

13 You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels;
Let now the astrologers, the stargazers,
And the monthly prognosticators
Stand up and save you
From what shall come upon you.

One of the beautiful things about the Old Testament is that it gave us extreme examples of what behavior God loves and what behavior He hates. Even though Jesus fulfilled the law, we can gain great insight looking at the behavior of ancient Israel and how God reacted to it.

Think about this. When Moses was given the task of going into Egypt to free the children of Israel, God told Moses to tell them, “I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14). I AM is God’s name. It’s who He is. It’s His essence. It’s what He does. And so are you. Be very careful what you say behind your, “I am”. Check this out…BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY BEHIND YOUR, “I AM…”

“I am a Virgo.” “I am a Libra.” Do you feel comfortable defining yourself as something God has forbidden?

Do you feel comfortable getting guidance from something God has forbidden?

Do you feel comfortable choosing a mate based on something God has forbidden?

Do you feel comfortable basing your personality on something God has forbidden?

Or, do you enjoy it so much that right now you are reasoning within yourself how I’m wrong and looking for verses or justification to keep doing it. That may be a ‘sign’ that you are too connected to it.

Well if God forbids it, why do the personality traits seem so on point sometimes? We all know that the enemy disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).

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But, here’s the number one reason I think that people of God should ignore the horoscope…

BECAUSE IT HURTS GOD!

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Even if He won’t send you to Hell for it. Even if you think it’s harmless. If God said don’t do it, that means it hurts Him. When you love someone, there’s some things you don’t do not because you think they will leave you, but because you know it hurts them.

Have you ever noticed that before God got angry, He was always hurt first? Have you noticed how God sometimes pleaded with and appealed to Israel like a hurt lover?

Micah 6 1:3 (NKJV)

“Oh My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify against Me.”

The #1 reason we should ignore the horoscope is because it hurts the God of our Salvation.

Please think about this before you ask someone, “What is your sign?”

BE BLESSTIFIED!

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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.

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We all have strengths and weaknesses that are God given.

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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!

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Be very careful when you say, “I can love them from a distance!”

“I’m not ‘fooling’ with them anymore!” “I’m not dealing with them anymore!”

There’s usually a form of this statement for every regional or social dialect.

Have you ever heard anyone say something like that? Have you ever said something like that yourself?

Yes, sometimes things can happen when relationships will never be the same but be very careful when you judge that someone doesn’t deserve fellowship with you anymore. Matthew 7:1 is broad in its application…

Matthew 7:1-2  (NKJV)

“Judge^[a] not, that you be not judged. ² For with what ^[b]judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

When you judge someone doesn’t deserve your fellowship are you opening up yourself to the same judgement from God?

Not only is forgiveness one of the greatest gifts we receive from God, but we are supposed to forgive AS He forgives us…not LIKE He gives us. We are supposed to forgive in the same way…

Ephesians 4:32  (NKJV)

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

So, what if God said, “I forgive YOU, but I’m not going to ‘fool with you’ anymore?”

Remember, He forgives us AS (in the same way) we forgive others. That means He withholds forgiveness in the same way we do….

Matthew 6:14-15 (NIV)

¹⁴ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.^{(A) 15} But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.^(B)

BE BLESSTIFIED!

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It’s that undefinable moment that slipped past you almost undetected, but you suddenly notice it…

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WAIT A MINUTE, YOUR PAIN OVER __________ DOESN’T HURT ANYMORE!

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It could have been a betrayal. It could have been an abuse. It could have been an abandonment. It could be something they said. It could be something they did. It could be something they didn’t do. You know how they hurt you. You may still be in relationship with them, but THAT ONE thing suddenly doesn’t hurt you anymore.

It used to obsess you. It used to bother you. On good days the thought of it would rush to the front of your mind and say, “What are you smiling for? Remember me?”

But, WOW! You realize that it doesn’t bother you anymore. You even try to make it bother you for a moment and you can’t.

Why?

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It’s not because God took it from you. It’s because you finally gave it to Him.

Remember God never promised TAKE anything from us. He tells us to GIVE it to Him.

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1 Peter 5:7 (NKJV)

⁷ CASTING all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Hebrews 12:1  (NKJV)

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

The pain is gone now. Please don’t go looking for it again.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

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

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

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

Numbers 11:1-20 (NKJV)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1 Corinthians 10:10 (NKJV)

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

Remember, complaining is the opposite of thanksgiving.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Remember this.

Humility doesn’t mean that you have to let people ‘run all over you’.

It doesn’t mean that they have a right to demean or belittle you, your knowledge, your experience, your character, who you are…especially just to feed their ego, or sense of pride.

It’s not a sin to assert yourself as long as you do it in a Godly manner.

Look at what Job said when his friends, who were supposed to be there to comfort him, began to blame his troubles on him…

Job 12:3  (NKJV)

³ But I have ^[a]understanding as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Indeed, who does not know such things as these?

So, if someone expects you to feed their ego by belittling you, here’s some help if you ever can’t think of what to say…

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I respect you. But, I lick my lips too many times a day to kiss your butt.

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It’s not a sin to assert yourself!

BE BLESSTIFIED!

34 YEARS (September 25th 1987) was a long time ago…

Sometimes we’ve felt like James & Florida (struggles)…

Sometimes like George & Weezy (Movin’ on up)…

But, there’ll still NEVER BEEN A BETTER LOVE!

We’re 33 Years Strong representing godly marriage between a man and a woman!

Perfect? No.

Perfect for each other?

Yes!

Matthew 19:5 (NIV)

⁵ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’^[a]?

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Rejection.

No one likes being rejected.

But, if you believe in God’s sovereignty, it’s never just those who rejected you saying NO!

It’s God saying no.

God has the power to MAKE them say yes if He wants.

For whatever reason, a rejected resume is God’s way of saying…

That church isn’t for you…

That job isn’t for you…

For whatever reason.

I admit that when I ‘tested the waters’ to see if Pastoring is a part of my purpose, that when the church chose someone else over me, my ‘pride’ wanted to take it personal. The devil wanted me to think I wasn’t good enough.

Many times I will run into members who will tell me, “I wish we had chosen you”.

Have I sometimes been ‘in my feelings’? Yes.

Have I sometimes felt jealous? Yes.

Have I sometimes felt not good enough? Yes.

Do I sometimes think I’ve published enough pieces for a lifetime of sermons? Yes.

But, my wife will often remind me, “That wasn’t for you.”.

I’ve even wondered if God wanted me to start a fellowship.

I also know that the role of Pastor isn’t for everyone.

As an associate minister and blogger, sometimes within church culture, when you are’t in a ‘fraternity of pastors’, they can make you feel less important…whether intentionally or unintentionally.

However, my Senior Pastor W. Michael Martin, told me that I can reach and influence many more singers than he does.

The Pastor who ordained me back in 1996, Dr. Lonnie Black, told me that many churches don’t want a Pastor that speaks on the range of topics that you do.

From my preaching ministry, to my blog, to my published music, just like anyone else…

I want it to be a blessing to millions upon millions…

I want it to be acknowledged…

I want it to be valued…

But, most of all I want it to please God.

So let me encourage anyone else who has felt rejected. God has not rejected you. Trust that everyone He will make sure everyone HE intends to benefit from your ministry will do so.

WHEN GOD USES THE ‘N-WORD’…

STOP WHINING & DO WHAT GOD CALLED YOU TO DO!

BE BLESSTIFIED!

It’s been said that we only use a small fraction of the human brain’s capacity. I believe that’s true – thus, we limit our abilities. If we were able to utilize our entire brain, we could possibly achieve what is believed to be superhuman.

In much the same way, I believe that many of us only know a fraction of who God is because we have limited ourselves through the lens of the perspective of the church culture in which we were ‘introduced’ to God.

It may be the church culture in which we were raised…

It may be the church culture we chose as an adult…

If you are a member of the Body of Christ, take a moment and think about your church culture.

Think about how you approach worship.

Think about how you approach ministry outside of the church.

Think about the music ministry.

Think about the prayers… what topics are addressed during the public prayers.

Think about the sermons… What topics are addressed? Through which perspective are they addressed? What topics are avoided?

Our worship can sometimes be influenced by our past…our socio-economic status…how we experience family…how we experience America, or what ever country in which you live.

Many times our prayers and expectations can be centered around…

Our health…

Our economic status…

Our social views…

Our political views…

Sometimes we can reduce God to a genie in a bottle.

Sometimes we can expect God to worship our hopes, dreams, desires, expectations, pains, worries, our viewpoints when our worship is centered around these things.

Get the picuture?

Some people equate worship music to exuberant shouting, while others equate it being reserved and quiet…why can’t it be both sometimes?

The bulk of some church culture’s worship is centered around crying, lamenting and asking God for help, while others mainly consists of thanking God and acknowledging the beauty of His creation.

Historical example…

Christians during the Civil Rights Movement were introduced to God through how their ancestors experienced America…this varied based on race, geography, etc.

This directly affected how they worshipped, prayed.

It affected what songs they chose for worship.

It affected how they approached social issues.

It affected how they approached politics.

And, this is how they introduced and introduce God to the present generation.

How will this generation introduce God to future generations?

God is a healer.

God is a deliverer.

God is a keeper.

God is a God of love and kindness.

God is a God of anger and wrath.

God IS!

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.

Have you ‘experienced’ God from the perspective and context of…

Oppression?

Abuse?

Success?

Addiction?

Struggle?

How you perceive freedom?

This is why we have ‘images’ of Yeshua as White, Black, Mediterranean, Asian etc.

Don’t limit your relationship to God and definitely don’t limit Him when you share your faith.

CLIQUE-‘ISH’ IN THE CHURCH (YEP, ‘ISH’ IS A EUPHEMISM)…

WHEN WE MAKE CHURCH ABOUT US INSTEAD OF GOD…

WHEN WE GO TO CHURCH EXPECTING GOD TO WORSHIP US…

CIVIL RIGHTS & SOCIAL JUSTICE SHOULD BE ‘A’ PRIORITY BUT NOT ‘THE’ PRIORITY OF THE CHURCH…

QUICK FYI: 4 REASONS NEW MEMBERS QUIT COMING TO CHURCH…

7 ‘CHURCHY’ CLICHES THAT WE SHOULD BE CAREFUL OF HOW WE SAY…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

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

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

Did you throw away your device?

No.

You clicked UNDO.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THERE’S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REMORSE & REPENTANCE…

WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE AN APOLOGY OR REPENTANCE?

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

2 Corinthians 7:9-10 (NKJV)

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

John 1:9 (NKJV)

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

BE BLESSTIFIED!

• 

It’s one of the most abused and misused statements and deflections…

“You can’t judge me!”

“Judge much?”

“Only God can judge me!”

Identifying what the bible says is sin isn’t judging. To identify something is to recognize and name it.

Recognizing and naming sin is NOT judging. It’s our responsibility as disciples to hold one another accountable and to let ‘sinners’ (we are all sinners saved by grace) that they are falling short of God’s standards.

John 7:24 (NKJV)

²⁴ Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

Ephesians 5:11 (NKJV)

¹¹ And have ^(A)no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather ^[a]expose them.

Disagreeing with a sinful lifestyle is not a phobia. For example, if I have a child that uses marijuana for recreational use, and disagree with their regular use of it, that doesn’t mean that I hate them or make me afraid of them. I’m not a ‘marijuana-phobe’. WHEN YOU’RE FALSELY ‘DIAGNOSED’ WITH HOMOPHOBIA…

However, assuming that you know what is inside someone else’s heart…

Assuming that you know their motives…

Or pronouncing condemnation on them…

Are all examples of judging.

Saying that the cup in the picture above is green is not judging it. But, assuming there is coffee inside of it is. Assuming it can only be used for coffee is. The fact is that it may prefer being called a mug.

“YOU’RE JUDGING ME!”… is often the response to an assumption or a conclusion based on someone’s established behavior, character and that’s not judging, that’s their fruit.

Matthew 7:20 (NKJV)

²⁰ Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Most of us get angry at those we love the most…it’s just a part of relationships. All children, both small and adult children, get angry at their parents at some point and time…it’s just a part of the relationship.

Most of us who believe in God also claim to love Him and be in relationship with Him…We are His children.

Soooo, it’s doesn’t seem outside of reason to assume that those of us who are in relationship with God, have gotten angry with him at sometimes or another…if we are willing to admit it.

God’s children get angry at their Heavenly Father.

Have you gotten angry at God because…

You thought He ignored your prayer…

You thought He said no…

You thought He was being unfair to you…

You thought He should have intervened…

You thought He was being too harsh…

You thought He favored someone who didn’t deserve it…

You thought those who are evil continue to win…

You thought…

Well, I could go over possible reasons all day, but you know why you were angry with Him…if you’re willing to admit it.

King David, a man after God’s own heart became angry with God. As he was having the Ark of the Covenant (which represented God’s presence) brought back, the oxen pulling the cart stumbled and as Uzza reached out to hold the ark steady, God became angry at him for touching it, (because no one was to touch the ark), and struck him dead. This made David angry and afraid of God…

1 Chronicles 13:10 (NKJV)

 ¹⁰ Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzza, and He struck him because he put his hand to the ark; and he died there before God. 

Throughout the book of Psalms, there are hints of frustration with God…

Psalm 13:1 (NKJV)

“How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?”

Psalm 77:3 (NKJV)

“I remembered God, and was troubled;
I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed.”

Psalm 94:3 (NKJV)

“How long will the wicked, Lord, how long will the wicked continue to triumph.”

Habukkuk cries out…

Habakkuk 1:2 (NKJV)

O Lord, how long shall I cry,

And You will not hear?
Even cry out to You, “Violence!”
And You will not save.
³ Why do You show me iniquity,
And cause me to see trouble?
For plundering and violence are before me;
There is strife, and contention arises.
⁴ Therefore the law is powerless,
And justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.

Jeremiah laments…

Jeremiah 12:1-4 (NKJV)

Righteous are You, O Lord, when I plead with You;

Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments.
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?
² You have planted them, yes, they have taken root;
They grow, yes, they bear fruit.
You are near in their mouth
But far from their mind.

³ But You, O Lord, know me;
You have seen me,
And You have tested my heart toward You.
Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,
And prepare them for the day of slaughter.
⁴ How long will the land mourn,
And the herbs of every field wither?
The beasts and birds are consumed,
For the wickedness of those who dwell there,
Because they said, “He will not see our final end.”

Jeremiah even cursed the day he was born…

Jeremiah 20: 14 (KNJV)

Cursed be the day in which I was born! Let the day not be blessed in which my mother bore me.

Remember this…Men and women of God are merely, MEN and WOMEN of God. Only human.

God remembers that we are only human…

Psalm 103:14 (NKJV)

¹⁴ For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.

 Psalm 78:39  (NKJV)

³⁹ For He remembered that they were but flesh,
A breath that passes away and does not come again.

 Matthew 26:41 (NKJV)

⁴¹ Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Even Jesus, Yeshua, Himself cried out…

Matthew 27:46 (NKJV)

⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

God allows us to have human moments, but He expects us to ‘come to ourselves’, trust Him and honor Him. He allows us the opportunity to express our humanity in reverence and respect.

When you read the bible, after these men and women of God were angry…after they lamented…after their frustration….THEY TRUSTED GOD!

In the midst of their ‘complaint’ was PRAISE. Each of the Psalms mentioned above ended in PRAISE for God.

Jeremiah 20: 11-13 (NKJV)

But the Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome One.

Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail.
They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper.
Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.
¹² But, O Lord of hosts,
You who test the righteous,
And see the mind and heart,
Let me see Your vengeance on them;
For I have pleaded my cause before You.

¹³ Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord!
For He has delivered the life of the poor
From the hand of evildoers.

They praised God in their pain to activate their faith….They continued to press in to the purpose that God had for their lives.

Anger is one of the ways we were created in God’s image. God becomes angry sometimes, but His anger doesn’t last.

It’s human and natural to become angry at God and doubt, but He told us…

1 John 4:4 (NKJV)

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

…So it’s superhuman and spiritual to overcome our anger and trust Him.

God knows we will have PITY PARTIES, but He expects us to turn them into PRAISE PARTIES.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

John 12:27 (NKJV)
“Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But FOR THIS PURPOSE I came to this hour.

There is nothing more powerful than a person who is certain of his or her purpose, and relentlessly working towards it. But, I hear so many people say,

“I don’t know my purpose!

or ask,

“How do I know I’m walking in my purpose?”

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 It is clear that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ knew His purpose. How else could His human side endure the humiliation, shame and pain of the cross. Every word He spoke, every miracle He performed…led to the cross.

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John the Baptist’s declaration that, “He must increase and I must decrease” in John 3:30 implies that he knew his purpose as well. Of course we were all created to glorify God our creator (Isaiah 43:7), if you are a parent, it is God’s will that you be a good parent and bring up your children in the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).

But, what about the thing(s) we were born to do that no one else can do?

How can we discover that?

Here’s a simple way to help you find out your purpose(s) that God has for your life. I call it the BEBLESSTIFIED.COM THREE P’S of PURPOSE. 

Your Position
Your Passion
Your Pain

YOUR POSITION
This us exactly what it implies. Jesus was born a Jew, and His purpose was to save Israel first then the world from their sins. Acts13:36 states, “For David, after he served his own generation by the will of God fell asleep…”. It is no coincidence that you were born into your specific time, family, socio-economic status, race, culture etc. It was no coincidence that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born into his particular family in the south in 1929 to set him up for his purpose in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Yes he was a husband and father, but his purpose went beyond that. Somewhere in your position, you find your purpose.

YOUR PASSION
In Matthew 25, the Parable of the Talents, Jesus explains how He gives us all talents and has expectations of each of us according to our ability. What are you good at naturally and effortlessly. What do you have an aptitude for? What do you enjoy and get satisfaction out of most? What cause tugs on your heart more than any other? This is the key to your gift and more than likely your calling. Are your using your natural abilities only for your self…Your profession or vocation…Or, to help promote the Kingdom of God?

YOUR PAIN
Philippians 1:29 reminds us that it has been granted to us to not only to believe in Jesus, but to also suffer for Him. It isn’t fair that Jesus suffer and die for our sins and we have a convenient care-free life. We are to share in His sufferings so we can share in His glory as stated in Romans 8:17. We all have situations, storms, circumstances and assignments that we didn’t ask for. You will notice that very few, if any people in the bible who were used by God signed up for their task. You may have been: betrayed by a loved one, had your heart-broken, had a family member murdered, had your parents die while you were young, lost everything, been accused or imprisoned for something you didn’t do…the list can go on and on. But just as Abraham being told to leave his country and go to a place that God will show him, Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers, Hosea being told to marry a prostitute, or Joseph being told to marry a woman who was already pregnant by the Holy Spirit…your unsolicited pain, storms, trials, sicknesses, disabilities and circumstances sometimes hold the keys to your purpose in God.

So, look at your life from the beginning until now. Look at your POSITION…your PASSION…and yes your PAIN, and find YOUR PURPOSE.

BE BLESSTIFIED!!!

• 

Evil is a reality and absolute just like good (9).

You can’t have good without evil just as you can’t have right without left… (23)

Just like you can’t have up without down. (30)

But, just as up without down changes in outer space. (40)

Good and evil will change when Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) returns. (51)

God uses both for His purpose in this age (Good to bless — Evil for discipline). (66)

However, God will separate good from evil for eternity when Yeshua the Messiah returns. (80)

Proverbs 16:4 (NKJV)

⁴ The Lord has made all for Himself,
Yes, even the wicked for the day of ^[a]doom.

Genesis 50:20 (NKJV)

²⁰ But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

Isaiah 10:5-6 (NKJV)

⁵ “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger
And the staff in whose hand is My indignation.
⁶ I will send him against an ungodly nation,
And against the people of My wrath
I will give him charge,
To seize the spoil, to take the prey,
And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

Matthew 13:24-30 (NKJV)

²⁴ Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; ²⁵ but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. ²⁶ But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. ²⁷ So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ ²⁸ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ ²⁹ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’

3 REASONS WHY A LOVING GOD ALLOWS EVIL…

WHY GOD ALLOWED PEOPLE TO BE STONED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, BUT NOT NOW…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Luke 4:23 (NKJV)

²³ He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum,^[a] do also here in Your country.’ ”

This piece is not meant to speak against counseling but to serve as a reminder.

Physicians don’t always have perfect health.

Lawyers have legal problems.

Mechanics have car trouble.

Police break the law.

Preachers sin.

And counselors sometimes need counseling too!

Some of the time when you’re pouring out your heart to a mental health professional, they are reflecting on their own…

Parenting problems…

Marital problems…

Spiritual problems…

Financial problems…

Health problems…

Stresses…

Anxieties…

Depression…

Addictions…

Convictions!

Just like everyone else they are professional men and women, who have their own issues.

However, just like a…

Doctor…

Mechanic…

Attorney…

Police officer…

Or, Pastor…their problems don’t disqualify them from helping you.

Think about this biblical example. God used King Solomon, the most wise man who ever lived, to tell us…

Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV)

⁶ Train up a child in the way he should go,
^[a]And when he is old he will not depart from it.

But, after Solomon was old, he allowed pleasing his many wives to come between him and God…

1 Kings 11:4 (NKJV)

⁴ For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not ^[a]loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.

But, Solomon’s failure at taking his own God-given advice does not negate one word of wisdom He was led by God to write.

God always has and always will used imperfect men and women to fulfill His perfect will.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

• 

There’s nothing wrong with a good laugh. We need laughter to provide balance to the emotional rollercoaster life. In fact, even the Word of God says…

Proverbs 17:22New King James Version (NKJV)

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

But where do we draw the line between good humor and foolishness? We have all laughed and found amusement in things that are displeasing to God.

Jokes that are crude, lewd, insulting, demeaning, disrespectful, blasphemous and intentionally or unintentionally unholy.

Look at how the bible defines a ‘fool’…

Psalm 14:1 (NKJV)

14 The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.

Psalm 53:1(NKJV)

The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;
There is none who does good.

Anything that ‘denies’ not only denies God’s existence, but His holiness, His truth, His integrity, His sovereignty.

Any thing that denies godly character or the character of those made in His image, the fruit of His Spirit, as I said earlier…that is blasphemous and foolish.

That doesn’t mean that you have to be serious all the time or even totally avoid the humor in sex, and other taboo topics in life. We just have to be careful with how we share them.

“THERE IS NO ‘U’ IN FOOLISHNESS. LET’S KEEP IT THAT WAY.”

BE BLESSTIFIED!