(2 Samuel 11-12)

King David of Israel was a man after God’s own heart, but He was still a man. He had personal flaws and weaknesses just as we all do. However, the difference between David and King Saul is that David had a truly repentant heart when He came to the realization of His sins, while Saul did not. That’s what made David not only a man of God, but a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:14).

Psalm 51:1-17 (NKJV)

Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
² Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.

³ For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
⁴ Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just ^[a]when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.

⁵ Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
⁶ Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
⁸ Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
⁹ Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.

¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

¹² Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
¹³ Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.

¹⁴ Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
¹⁵ O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
¹⁶ For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it
You do not delight in burnt offering.
¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.

We all have done things of which we are ashamed, some worse than others. But, it doesn’t get much worse than sleeping with the wife of a man who is loyal to you, getting her pregnant, trying to conceal the pregnancy, and finally having that man killed so you can have his wife.

That is what David did. And, he paid a huge price for that sin. Read 2 Samuel Chapters 11 and 12 again to refresh your memory of what happened.

It’s interesting that when the Prophet Nathan rebuked David on the behalf of God that God DID NOT tell David could not be King anymore. His sin did not disqualify David’s anointing. God still fulfilled His promise to David.

God went on to use David to write most of the Psalms in the bible. These Psalms teach us how to praise, pray, worship and even lament to God.

The fact is that God knew what David would do even before He chose Him to be King. David did not surprise God when He sinned, and neither do we.

In today’s culture, not only would David not have been allowed to remain king, but once people discovered what he did, they would have wanted to take all of His Psalms out of the bible.

It is important for us to strive for holiness, but God made us and He knows we are just flesh…

Psalm 103:13-14 (NKJV)

¹³ As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
¹⁴ For He ^[a]knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust

This is good news!

Your sin and your failures don’t necessarily disqualify your anointing. Like David, it’s your attitude after you sin that determines if God will continue to use you.

Be careful how you jump on the bandwagon when a Pastor, leader or public figure has a moral failure that becomes public, and thank God that no one knows your most shameful secrets. Please read this… AREN’T YOU GLAD GOD ALLOWED SOME THINGS IN YOUR LIFE TO REMAIN SECRET?

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Have you ever noticed that the very man that God used to tell us…

⁶ Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV)

…did just that, in his old age? He departed from being obedient to God in his relationships.

We all know that the Bible teaches us that King Solomon was the most wise man who has ever lived.

God used him to channel words of wisdom from the spiritual to the physical world. He is an example of how a person who has total devotion to God can allow others, especially people they love, to come between them and their relationship with God.

Most people know that Solomon had many wives and concubines in spite of what God warned in Deuteronomy Chapter 17…

Deuteronomy 17:15-17 (NKJV)

¹⁵ you shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. ¹⁶ But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’ ¹⁷ Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.

Solomon’s love and devotion for his ‘illegal’ wives caused him to put them before God. He built idols and shrines for the ‘gods’ they served and it made God very angry…but this didn’t catch God by surprise. He knew what Solomon would do even when He ordained him to be king. The fact is that God uses imperfect people to carry out His perfect will. But, there are consequences when we ‘betray’ God.

Solomon ruined his season of peace and rest by provoking God to stir up enemies against him…

1 Kings 11:11-14 (NKJV)

¹¹ Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. ¹² Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. ¹³ However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.“ ¹⁴ Now the Lord raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was a descendant of the king in Edom.

No matter how wise you may be. No matter what God has accomplished through you. No matter how many ‘good seeds’ you have sown….If you don’t remain diligent in obedience, the devil can get a foothold in your life and cause you to stumble and hurt our God.

If it can happen to the most wise man to ever live, it can happen to any of us.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

When your back is ‘against the wall’…remember who has your back.

Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

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

When you are focused on God’s purpose for your life, He has your back. Yes, He is on your side…

Psalm 118:6 (NKJV)

The Lord is on my side;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?

When God is on your side, a wall becomes a VERTICAL FOUNDATION!

Please share this with someone that needs some encouragement today.

BE BLESSTIFED!

How do you know when you’re doing what God created you to do? Well here you go in about :30 seconds…

1. It comes naturally to you.
2. You feel alive when doing it.
3. It’s therapeutic to you.
4. It’s rewarding to you, even if it’s in difficult circumstances.
5. It blesses someone else besides you.
6. It brings glory to God.
7. You would do it for free.

1 Peter 4:10-11 (NKJV)

 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, let him speakas the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

We were created in the image of our Elohim, our God. That doesn’t mean that we have the same color eyes and the same shaped nose that He has (He’s invisible). It means we were created to have His character…His attributes… His emotions. It means we can love like Him, experience joy like Him, hurt like Him, and sometimes get angry like Him.

It’s no secret that God likes attention, honor and glory. That’s why He created us…

Psalm 46:10 (NKJV)

¹⁰ Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!

1 Chronicles 29:11 ERV

Greatness, power, glory, victory, and honor belong to you, because everything in heaven and on earth belongs to you! The kingdom belongs to you, LORD! You are the head, the Ruler over everything.

So, since we were created in His image, it’s both natural and spiritual that we sometimes want some attention, glory and honor for ourselves.

He knows this; that’s why He commanded that we be lights…

Matthew 5:14-16

^{14 (A)}“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they^(B)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, ^(C)that they may see your good works and ^(D)glorify your Father in heaven.

We have no light of our own. Just like the sun, the (Son) is the source of light, and the moon (man) reflects the sun’s (Son’s) light.

‘Light’ couldn’t be seen if it didn’t ‘like’ attention!

We must always remember not to steal God’s glory for ourselves, but when we testify that any good thing that we do is because of God, and that all glory belongs to Him, we can share in His glory. When we boast, boast in Him through our Lord and Savior Yeshua, Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:31 (NKJV)

³¹ that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

Matthew 28:18  (NKJV)

¹⁸ And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

So don’t feel bad when you sometimes want a little attention for yourself. Just always make sure that your motives are pure…

Philippians 2:3 (NKJV)

³ Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

IT’S NOT SELFISH TO LOVE YOURSELF…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

We all get overwhelmed sometimes. But sometimes we can feel beyond overwhelmed. Have you ever felt like giving up? Even if you didn’t feel like killing yourself, have you ever felt like giving up on…

Your hopes and dreams,

Your relationship,

Your health.

Your future.

There are some days you feel so low that it takes all you can do to get out of bed.

Sometimes your superpower isn’t superhuman strength or the ability to fly, but just summoning enough strength to get out of bed.

You struggle through every day without abusing drugs, alcohol, or being irresponsible with your body, but you can really understand why people do so to numb themselves to the pain of their struggle.

Sometimes your superpower isn’t battling villains, but battling…

Depression,

Despair,

Regret,

Loneliness,

Grief,

Anger,

Your past.

If this has ever been you, stop and give God some praise. If it’s never been you stop and thank God, and then whisper a little prayer for someone who needs God’s superhuman strength to make through the day (or night).

2 Corinthians 12:9-10  (NKJV)

⁹ And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is madeperfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in myinfirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ Therefore I takepleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, indistresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Atheists love to prove not only Christians to be wrong, but anyone who they consider to be a ‘theist’.

In their passion to discredit the God, the bible, and those of us who believe wrong, many go to two sources…

SCIENCE

THE BIBLE

The fact is that if you have had a conversation with atheists, or monitored/participated in an online or physical forum with them, they often quote scriptures from the bible…

Questioning them…

Belittling them…

Mocking them…

Trying to find contradictions in them…

Trying to disqualify them and anyone who believes them.

Many of them dig pretty deep and go as far as to STUDY the bible trying to look for evidence to make their case against it stronger.

However, this tactic is not new. Even the devil himself knows the bible and tried to use it against Yeshua (Jesus Christ) in the wilderness…

Matthew 4:1-11 (NKJV)

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. ³ Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” ⁴ But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” ⁵ Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, ⁶ and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” ⁷ Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not ^[a]tempt the Lord your God.’ ” ⁸ Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹ And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to him, ^[b]“Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” ¹¹ Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

It’s unfortunate that many Christians are not equipped to contend against an atheist whose using the word of God because they don’t read and study it enough for themselves. It is essential that we in the Body of Christ study the work of God not only for our own relationship with God and spiritual maturity, but so we can be ready to give an answer to those who refute it…

2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV)

¹⁵ Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

1 Peter 3:15 (NKJV)

¹⁵ But ^[a]sanctify ^[b]the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

Psalm 119:11 (NKJV)

¹¹ Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.

The word of God should be a part of our daily spiritual nourishment. Any Christian who goes days, weeks, months and even years without studying God’s word along with history, culture, biblical language and anthropology…is seriously spiritually malnourished. In many ways believers who don’t study God’s word do more harm to the Kingdom of God than good.

It’s a good practice to add to you prayer life prayers for atheists who read the bible trying to disprove it, that God will let what they read be ‘good seed in good soil’. Pray that God will actually give increase to the ‘seed of the word’ that they read so that they can believe in Him through Jesus Christ. Pray that God actually makes them laborers for His harvest, and give them a passion FOR Him that is even greater than the passion they had against them…

Matthew 9:38 (NKJV)

³⁸ Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

If Saul/Paul, a man who passionately worked to destroy the church can be converted…anyone can.

How often do you enjoy quality time with God in His word? PLEASE don’t dishonor God by allowing an atheist to know more about His word than you.

A ‘VERSE OF THE DAY’ is not enough!

BE BLESSTIFED!

From the Washington Redskins, to the Cleveland Indians, to Black History, to the Confederacy…few things provoke anger and division like adjusting the narrative of history.

However, it’s unfortunate that many of those who are so passionate about their own history and culture want to dictate how others should feel about theirs.

Americans have the freedom to honor what’s important to them privately.

But, when it comes to public institutions and entities, many of which were established when America tolerated a clearly biased and insensitive narrative, just as when Jesus came and threatened many Jewish traditions when He established the New Covenant…there comes a time for change. (Whew that was a long sentence).

Mark 7:5-8 (NKJV)

^5 (A)Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”

⁶ He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you ^(B)hypocrites, as it is written:

^(C)‘This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
⁷ And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

⁸ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—^[a]the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”

Public institutions and entities shape thoughts and attitudes for generations. As society corrects it’s wrongs…changes must be made.

Honor and celebrate as you wish on your t-shirt, bumper sticker or property, but public property and institutions and entities must consider what is offensive to all citizens of America…not just those who feel they own the narrative

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Think about your relationship with your husband or your wife, your parents, your siblings, your friends…the people who are important to you.

Have they ever done anything to hurt you? Now, have you ever done anything to hurt them? If you are still in relationship with them, then either two things have happened. Either you’ve hurt and forgiving one another or, you are living with a grudge over…something.

And, if you are living with a grudge then you are putting your relationship at risk because that grudge gives the enemy a foothold to gain influence in that relationship.

Now, think of those relationships that you are no longer involved in. A broken marriage. Siblings who don’t speak. Friends who have become enemies. There is one reason those relationships no longer exist…something happened that you can’t forgive.

Nothing deep here, must a quick reminder. If the relationship is important to you, be ready to forgive. Because whatever it is that you feel you could never forgive, most if not all of the time, that’s what the enemy will use to destroy your relationship.

Remember this…

Your relationships are only as strong as what you are willing to forgive.

So, not only should you be ready to forgive, but if the relationship is important to you, be ready to move on and forgive without an apology. For more on this, read HOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT AN APOLOGY ( 8 TIPS)…

Proverbs 19:11 (NKJV)

¹¹ The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger,
And his glory isto overlook a transgression.

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!

Life can get overwhelming. And, not just the consequences of sin, but the effects of your calling…

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,

God sometimes puts all of His children in situations where all they have to go on is faith. And, He knows how difficult it can be…

Matthew 26:41 (NKJV)

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

Psalm 103:13-14 N (NKJV)

¹³ As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
¹⁴ For He ^[a]knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.

God knows trusting Him isn’t always easy.

So don’t feel like you have let Him down when you have your weak, human moments. As long as you snap out of them and acknowledge that you love Him and trust Him…

Psalm 13 (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.

Remember how troubled He was while He was in the garden before He was betrayed…

Psalm 103:13-14 (NKJV)

¹³ As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
¹⁴ For He ^[a]knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.

He was troubled, but focused.

And, remember what our Lord and Savior said on the cross…

Matthew 27:46 (NKJV)

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?”

His cry didn’t mean that He didn’t trust the Father, it just meant He had one last human moment.

If Jesus had human moments that weren’t sin, He knows you will too, and understands.

Trust God my friends.

This may also bless you: HOW TO TURN YOUR PITY PARTY INTO A PRAISE PARTY…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

One of the favorite arguments of atheists is the ‘foundations of the earth’ language in the bible. And, honestly, this is one of those things in the bible that’s difficult for believers to understand explain too.

Let me help with a very practical explanation.

First of all, the bible acknowledges that the earth is round…

Isaiah 40:22 (NKJV)

²² It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

I think everyone will agree that circles are round. But, what about all the language referring to the ‘foundations of the earth’ such as…

Psalm 104:5 (NKJV)

⁵ You who ^[a]laid the foundations of the earth,
So that it should not be moved forever,

Think about this. Even though the earth is round, the home in which you live still requires a foundation. Every building that we build requires a strong, immovable, preferably flat foundation. The very flat ground that we walk on, build on…live on has it’s own layers or ‘foundations’.

The fact that the world is round does not prevent the ground from being flat and requiring foundations.

Did people in the ancient world think the world was flat? Yes. But the fact that God didn’t reveal the fact that the world was round to everyone at that time doesn’t negate the fact that He is real and He lives. Think about all of the mysteries of the physical and spiritual worlds that WE still don’t know.

Don’t allow your blessings of intelligence and sense of logic be a curse to prevent you from understanding and accepting the mysteries in the word of God.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Article 2, Section 1, of the U.S. Constitution prescribes the oath of office.

From Senate.gov website:(https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Oath_Office.htm)…”The Constitution contains an oath of office only for the president. For other officials, including members of Congress, that document specifies only that they “shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation to support this constitution.” In 1789, the First Congress reworked this requirement into a simple fourteen-word oath: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States.””

George Washington was the first President to take his oath of office by swearing on the bible. Since then, each President has done the same. It’s become a respected tradition. It has also become a tradition that all elected officials to swear (or affirm) before they take office, and for citizens to do the same before they testify in court.

There is only one problem with that…

God has VERY CLEARLY FORBIDDEN taking oaths! He FORBIDS swearing.

Matthew 5:34-37  (NKJV)

³⁴ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; ³⁵ nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶ Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷ But let ^[a]your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

James 5:12  (NKJV)

¹² But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into ^[a]judgment.

You can’t get more clear than that!

So, why do people who claim to believe in God feel it is okay to swear or take an oath when God said DO NOT DO IT?

Why do people feel it is okay to swear or take an oath with their hand on the same bible that forbids it?

The Constitution is an important document, and I have high respect for it, but it is by no means a perfect document. That’s why it’s a living document and needs to be changed as we learn and grow. Unfortunately, many Americans are more passionate about following the Constitution to the letter even more than they are about following the bible to the letter.

The ‘founding fathers’ were great men, but they were far from perfect. They were ordained by God (Romans 13), but they were not God. Many of them who signed the Constitution also signed bills of sale for slaves with the same hand.

I’m quite certain that someone will take the previous two paragraphs out of context because what I just said offended them. If it offends you, examine yourself and what spirit is provoking you to be offended. Yeshua the Messiah also offended the religious leaders when He came to warn them about how their traditions need to change…

Matthew 15:1-9  (NKJV)

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

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

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

Notice what Yeshua said about oaths when He rebuked the Scribes and Pharisees in Matthew Chapter 23…

Matthew 23:16-17  (NKJV)

¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ ¹⁷ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that ^[a]sanctifies the gold?

He called them fools. It makes no sense to swear on the bible. Which is greater, the cover of the bible carry more weight than the words you are speaking? Which is greater, the Bible or the words in it that make it holy? Besides, someone who doesn’t believe in God or take His word serious enough has no problem with putting their hands on the bible and telling a lie.

If we really love God, then we want to do what He said without trying to justify otherwise because we want to place our will over his…

John 14:15  (NKJV)

¹⁵ “If you love Me, ^[a]keep My commandments.

One of the problem with many Christians is they prove by their actions that they feel the only sins that God is concerned with are homosexuality, abortion and gambling.

However, Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) has made it clear that we are to NEVER SWEAR.

I do feel it is okay to make an ‘affirmation’. I feel it is okay to say, “I affirm to support the Constitution or I affirm to tell the truth” in court. But NEVER on a bible.

But, any elected official who proclaims an ‘oath of office’ or is ‘sworn in’ begins their term with a sin.

And, anyone who swears not to tell a lie in court promises not to commit one sin by committing another one.

As we work to make the Constitution an even better document by including amendments that secure the rights of everyone, don’t you think we should change it in a way to please the God of our salvation first? And do it ASAP.

BE BLESSTIFIFED!

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

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

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

Numbers 13:21-33 (NKJV)

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

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

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

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

Numbers 14:1-4 (NKJV)

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

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

Numbers 14:11-25  (NKJV)

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

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

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

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

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

1 Corinthians 10:1-10  (NKJV)

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

⁶ Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. ⁷ And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” ⁸ Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; ⁹ nor let us ^[a]tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; ¹⁰ nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

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

BE BLESSTIFIED!

The BEST require the best and most intense training…soldiers, marines, airmen, sailors, coast guardsmen navy seals, green berets, police officers etc.

Some organizations such as fraternities and sororities require grueling trial periods that people willingly subject themselves to in order to become members.

These trainings and trials allow people to learn the culture, prove themselves ‘worthy’, prove what they are able, and willing to withstand and endure, prove their allegiance and loyalty and are prepared for what may come. The trials and trainings should instill a greater since of belonging, brotherhood and sisterhood.

So, we should not be surprised that when we become a part of the body of Christ that God allows us to go through trials to grow help us know Him and ourselves better.

He sometimes allows us to endure intense training so we can grow stronger, increase our faith and be prepared for what’s to come. Trials don’t question your relationship with God, but they confirm it.

1 Peter 4:12 says…

“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;” James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

2 Timothy 2:3 3…

“You therefore must endure[a] hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” But just as in the examples above, when the trials are over, there is great joy for those who reach their goals.

God encourages in Psalm 30:5, that even if some trials and challenges are because of our sin…

“For His anger is but for a moment,His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.”

Be encouraged my brothers and sisters. I pray your strength in the Lord today. If you’re going through something tough today, be strong. God’s got you!

BE BLESSTIFIED!

TOUGH LOVE. We want to make sure we aren’t ENABLING their dysfunction. We can’t let the dysfunction and evil of some bring us down with them…can’t let their issues infect our home.

Many times we’ll say, you have to let some people hit ROCK BOTTOM as the PRODIGAL SON (Luke 15:11-32) did and COME TO THEMSELVES.

But we must pray for wisdom and discernment and realize that the ROCK BOTTOM scenario may be a case-by-case basis.

Some people are STRONGER IN THEIR WEAKNESSES than others. For every PRODIGAL who CAME TO THEMSELVES, there are also those who never did.

ROCK BOTTOM didn’t shock them to their senses.

ROCK BOTTOM wasn’t a wake up call.

ROCK BOTTOM didn’t turn them around.

Everyone may not be equipped to handle ROCK BOTTOM.

Do you know anyone who died out there in their HOG PEN?

We must pray for wisdom and discernment when dealing with our challenged loved ones. Sometimes we have loved ones who are good people with a good heart, but they just can’t get it together. Sometimes we have loved ones that have been so HURT by the world, that it may have critically damaged their abilities to cope. We must ask for God’s guidance in which ones we must LET GO, and which we must BEAR THE INFIRMITIES and FAILINGS of the WEAK.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Titus 2:11-12 (NIV)

¹¹ For the grace^(A) of God has appeared^(B) that offers salvation to all people.^{(C) 12} It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions,^(D)and to live self-controlled,^(E) upright and godly lives^(F) in this present age,

“I’m only human!”

“I’m just a man!”

“I have needs!”

“God made me this way!”

These are some phrases we can find ourselves using to comfort ourselves or to explain to someone else when we have given in to sins of the flesh…especially sexual sin…

Fornication…

Adultery…

Homosexuality…

Pornography…

The bible reminds us that the ‘flesh’ wars against the ‘spirit’ and ‘spirit against the ‘flesh’. It’s a battle, therefore God knows that it’s not easy…

Galatians 5:16-18 (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. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Matthew 26:41 (NKJV)

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

God designed our bodies (flesh) to have sexual desire to be enjoyed within the boundaries of Godly marriage between a man and woman.

These desires are produced and regulated by our glands and our brain.

Testicles…

Ovaries…

When we allow how we react to the hormones these glands release into our bodies to control us, we are allowing our glands to become our god.

“I just can’t help myself!”

“I just can’t say no!”

“I just can’t stay away!”

There are some people who spend most of their time and energy thinking about sex. Even within a marriage, being obsessed with sex can be unhealthy and destructive.

The fact is that much of our society is obsessed with sex. It’s in television, social media, movies, music, art, literature…SEX SALES!

So, whether married or unmarried, we must control our sexual desires and not let them rule us. Because when something rules you, it becomes a priority, and it’s easy for what we prioritize to become our idols….our gods.

That’s why the apostle Paul asserts that he brought his flesh under subjection…

1 Corinthians 9:27 (NKJV)

²⁷ But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Remember, lack of discipline over his flesh is what allowed Esau to give up his birthright and blessing. He surrendered it to his brother for a single meal (Genesis 25:29-34).

That’s why the exercise of fasting is so important. It’s bringing our bodies under subjection so that what our bodies ‘want’ and our cravings won’t rule us…we rule them.

Sometimes telling God YES is telling our bodies NO!

When it comes to the battle of HOLY vs. HORNY, the struggle is real.

Galatians 5:16-17 (NKJV)

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

Don’t let your glands become your God!

Titus 3:3-8 (MSG)

^3-8 It wasn’t so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God’s gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there’s more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

There are some powerful, spiritual jewels in the bible that can greatly enrich our relationships with God. However, they can easily slip by us as cliche if we aren’t careful.

One such jewel is the blessing that God Himself instructed Moses to give to Aaron and his sons (the priests) to speak over the people…

Numbers 6:24-27 (NASB)

24 “The Lord (A)bless you and (B)keep you;
25 The Lord (C)make His face shine upon you,
And (D)be gracious to you;
26 (E)The Lord [a]lift up His countenance upon you,
And (F)give you peace.” ’

27 (G)“So they shall [b]put My name on the children of Israel, and (H)I will bless them.”

Notice that God says, “THEY SHALL PUT MY NAME ON THEM.”

We also know that God has Hebrew names that designate specific aspects of His character and attributes (who He is) and relationship with us.

Few things make relationships more intimate than calling one another by name. How many times has someone called you Mr. or Ms. and to let them know you have accepted them as more than an acquaintance, you told them, “Please call me YOUR NAME.”?

Personally, incorporating the names of God into the priestly blessing in Numbers 6:26-27 has exponentially enhanced my relationship with God and my prayer life. I can honestly say, I can actually recognize the power of who His names say He is working in my life every day. After all, didn’t God tell us that we are a nation of priests through faith in His Son, Yeshua the Messiah ( Jesus Christ)? So, it’s our responsibility to put God’s character and blessing, or ‘put His name on our families each day.

1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV)

⁹ But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of ^(A)darkness into His marvelous light;

So, here’s how I incorporate several of the names of God with Numbers 6:4-7 to bless my family ever day. If you haven’t already, do a dedicated study on the names of God. You will notice that I replaced the letter (J) with (Y) because there was no (J) in the English language before 1524. I like writing and saying the names as close to how they were written and said as possible.

“May The Lord God of Israel from Everlasting to Everlasting bless us and keep us.

May The Lord God of Israel from Everlasting to Everlasting make your face shine on us and be gracious to us.

May the Lord God of Israel from Everlasting to Everlasting lift your countenance upon us and give us your Shalom in the Name of Yeshua our Shalom.

In this way, I put YOUR name(s) on us, Yah, Adonai, El Elyon, Elohim, El Shaddai, El Roi, Yehovah Yirah, Yehovah Nissi, Yehovah Shabaoth, Yehovah Shalom, Yehovah Rapha, Yehovah Rah, Yehovah Shammah, Yehovah Yehovah Tsidkenu, Yehovah Makedesh. In this way, I put your NAMES ON US, SO THAT YOU WILL BLESS US.”

It is so.

Here’s a great link to study the names of God…

https://www.blueletterbible.org/study/misc/name_god.cfm

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Prayer/devotional time alone.

Prayer/devotional time together.

Personal time alone.

Quality time together.

‘Happy hour’ together.

Intimate time together.

Enjoy sweet music together.

Enjoy at least one meal together.

Resolve arguments together.

Go to bed together.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Have you ever noticed in Matthew Chapter 23 that the religious leaders told Yeshua, Jesus, that if they had lived in the past they would not have mistreated and killed the prophets as their ancestors did?

Many people do the same thing today. They point a self-righteous finger at the Scribes, Pharisees, Chief Priests, those who shouted CRUCIFY HIM, those who worshipped the golden calf, those who bowed to Nebuchadnezzar’s idol God, and so on. People prove on which side of history they would have stood in the past by their attitudes, actions, and behavior today.

Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus Christ, sharply rebuked the religious leaders (the system) because they claimed if they had lived in the past, they would not have participated in killing the prophets as their ancestors did. He told them that they SHARED IN THE GUILT OF THEIR ANCESTORS because of their attitudes and actions TODAY…

Matthew 23:29-32 (NKJV)

²⁹ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and^[a]adorn the monuments of the righteous, ³⁰ and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’

³¹ “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. ³² Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt.

Matthew 23:29-32 (NIV)

29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!

People today claim they would have gone into the fiery furnace with the Hebrew slave boys, or lions’ den with Daniel, but prove they wouldn’t because they won’t take a stand for God at work, or conform to a sinful culture because they don’t want to lose their job.

People today claim they would have fled Sodom and Gomorrah with Lot, but prove they wouldn’t have because they support gay marriage and the gay lifestyle, when Yeshua clearly affirms that marriage is between a man and woman in Matthew Chapter 19 verses 3-9.

People today claim they wouldn’t have participated in worshipping a graven image or calling out the name of an idol, but they prove they would have by blasphemously calling a day to celebrate the resurrection of our Savior by the name of a pagan goddess (Easter, Eostre, Ishtar, Ashtoreth).

Exodus 23:13  (NKJV)

¹³ “And in all that I have said to you, be circumspect and make no mention of the name of other gods, nor let it be heard from your mouth.

People today prove where they would have stood during the American Civil Rights Movement…

People today prove if they would have considered Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to be a great man or a trouble maker…

People today prove if they would consider the peaceful protests to be a means to change or a nuisance…

People today prove whether they would have supported a system of slavery or against it by how they hold on to the symbols and paradigms of a sinful heritage of oppression, rape and separation of families because they feel it honors their ancestors.

People today prove whether they would have placed ‘traditions of man’ over the word of God (flags, statues, monunents, hazing, etc…

Matthew 15:1-8 (NKJV)

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

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

⁸ ‘These people ^[c]draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.

How you respond to the teachings of Yeshua the Messiah today proves how you would have stood back then…

People today prove whether they would have shouted HOSANNA or CRUCIFY Him!

BE BLESSTIFIED!

There are countless people who have used drugs, alcohol and other forms of personal abuse to help them cope and ‘escape’ from the severe storms of life. And, we find ourselves often celebrating those who have climbed out of the abyss of personal abuse successfully…as we should. Doing so is a great accomplishment.

Disappointment…

Depression…

Betrayal…

Loneliness…

Chronic Pain…

Abuse…

There are countless factors that have led people to turn to drugs and alcohol to both confront and avoid the demons that are attacking them emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

This piece is not meant to belittle or diminish those who have conquered their drug and alcohol demons, but to ALSO celebrate those who have gone through life’s darkest days without turning to drugs or alcohol.

Do you know anyone like that? Has it been you? Is that you now?

Rather than turning to drugs or alcohol, many have turned to the therapy of…

Good memories…

Good music…

Creativity…

Family…

Friends…

And of course their faith in God through Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ).

It’s easy to say, “Just give it to God”, but how do you do that?

1 Peter 5:7 (NKJV)

⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Part of growing in relationship with God is learning to…

1. First tell Him, “I can’t handle this alone, please help me!”

2. Pray for the strength to carry the emotional, physical and spiritual load that God has assigned to you.

3. Realize that you may never truly have ‘closure’. Accept that you will have to deal with the physical and emotional pain for the rest of your life.

4. Accept that some thoughts will never stop making you feel horrible, even decades in the future.

5. And most of all realize that your real battle isn’t physical. It’s bigger than the disappointments, depression, betrayal, loneliness, abuse, and sometimes chronic pain. Those demons aren’t just figurative, but literal…

Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)

¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of ^[a]the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

2 Corinthians 10:4 (NKJV)

⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not ^[a]carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,

Sometimes we find ourselves trying to have closure… trying to get past ‘it’… trying to erase the memories and pain…

When we should be asking God for the strength to deal with those dark moments.

Is it easy? No!

Has everyone mastered it? Of course not. Even many of the ‘spiritually mature’ haven’t.

But, to those who have decided that they would not succumb to the temptation of drugs, alcohol, promiscuity, or other forms of personal abuse to deal with their personal ‘hell’…

You lay awake at night…

You cried tears that no one saw…

You went to work…

You cooked dinner…

You smiled through your pain…

You ignored phone calls…

You put one foot in front of the other…

You prayed…

You studied His word…

You cried out to Him…

You trusted Him more than yourself…

You discovered what, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” really means.

If that’s you…

WE CELEBRATE YOU!

Please share this with someone you know who has overcome their dark days without turning to darkness.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

As a child, did you ever play with a top? If so, when you spun the top it fun to watch it move around the top of a table. You allowed the top to spin on its own. If it got close to the edge of the table, you had the choice to intervene and stop it from falling, or you could allow it to fall. Now imagine if that top had its own consciousness and will.

Many people, even believers, ask how can a good, loving God allow evil to exist in the world. This is one of the spiritual realities that is difficult for our human intellect, not matter how sophisticated, to understand…

Isaiah 55:8-9 (NASB)

⁸ “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares 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.

God created us for relationship. Real relationship. He doesn’t want robots, He wants to be loved. That’s why we want love and affirmation because we were created in His image. If God forced us to love Him, or if He forced us to believe, that love would not be genuine. If our actions were forced, they would not be from our hearts.

One spiritual reality is that you can’t have good without evil. In order to have the reality of good, there must be also the reality of it’s absence. Another spiritual reality is that if good always exists, then evil must also always exist, otherwise how would we know that ‘good’ is ‘good’. The good thing is that God has the power over both.

There must be a means for both good and evil to manifest for be displayed and exist. There must be a place for both to ‘reside’,

So, God gives us FREE WILL to come and go… to think for ourselves… to believe…to love… to reject…and to choose evil.

1. FREE WILL

Look at us, people, as that top spinning on the table. As we spin, if we have our on consciousness and will, we have a choice to choose where we spin on that table. We have the choice to choose good, and we have the choice to choose evil. If God forced us to choose good it would not be free will. God reserves the right to STOP us from falling off the table…to catch us if we fall…or to put us back on the table if we fall. Notice that when the end of time comes, God is not DESTROYING evil, He will SEPARATE good from evil…

Revelation 20:10-15 (NKJV)

¹⁰ The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where^[a] the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before ^[b]God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. ¹⁴ Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second ^[c]death. ¹⁵ And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

It was the devil’s, who was originally an angel, choice to choose evil. That choice thus made him the personification of evil. He was the first to choose it, and it is in Him it resides.

John 8:44  (NKJV)

⁴⁴ You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

Any ‘villain’ in biblical history wasn’t cursed by God to be evil. Their heart made them an ideal place for evil to reside. From Pharaoh to Ahab to Jezabel to Judas to Herod…to Hitler, they chose evil. They were not ‘victims’ of God doomed to evil. Their hearts made their ‘house’ a comfortable home for evil.

2. HE USES BOTH GOOD AND EVIL FOR HIS PURPOSE

God uses everyone and everything He creates for His purpose. Sometimes He has to discipline those whom He loves, and those who choose Him. Sometimes He allows bad things to happen as judgment and as a consequence of people choosing evil to prove He is sovereign. Sometimes this is done through a natural disaster, but sometimes He does it through people. It was prophesied that the Lord would be betrayed. God was not going to use anyone who ‘chose’ good to do this, so Judas made himself that choice because of his heart…

John 17:12 (NKJV)

¹² While I was with them ^[a]in the world, I kept them in ^[b]Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is ^[c]lost except the son of ^[d]perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

There were several occasions God used those who chose evil to fulfill His purpose…

Exodus 14:4  (NKJV)

⁴ Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.

Isaiah 10:5-12  (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.
⁷ Yet he does not mean so,
Nor does his heart think so;
But it is in his heart to destroy,
And cut off not a few nations.
⁸ For he says,
‘Are not my princes altogether kings?
⁹ Is not Calno like Carchemish?
Is not Hamath like Arpad?
Is not Samaria like Damascus?
¹⁰ As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols,
Whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
¹¹ As I have done to Samaria and her idols,
Shall I not do also to Jerusalem and her idols?’ ”

¹² Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has ^[a]performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.”

3. GOD HAS AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE

I love the way that the Complete Jewish Bible translation refers to eternity as eternity past to eternity future…

Psalm 90:2  (CJB)

² Before the mountains were born,
before you had formed the earth and the world,
from eternity past to eternity future
you are God.

God exists outside of time. He has not beginning or end. WHY GOD DOES NOT NEED AN ORIGIN STORY… So, everything God does is from an eternal perspective. No matter how ‘bad’ things may be for us now whether it be war, sickness, disease or disaster, He uses it for His purpose because He knows that even 1000 years from now, when we are experiencing eternal joy with Him, that the temporary ‘ugly things’ of life and time will not even matter. His eternal perspective can see that top spinning on the table, and He already knows that if it falls He will pick it up, or when the table is no more, He will hold the top in His hand.

Romans 8:18 (NKJV)

¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

1 Corinthians 2:9  (NKJV)

⁹ But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

So, when we see the extreme evils in the world… When we see the tragedy of children with horrible illnesses… When we see those who are evil doing what they please with what appears to be impunity… We must still trust God and know that He is working what is sometimes difficult for us to understand for His eternal purpose…

Ecclesiastes 5:8 (NKJV)

⁸ If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent ^[a]perversion of justice and righteousness in a province, do not marvel at the matter; for high official watches over high official, and higher officials are over them.

Remember, that as we spin on the table, God’s eyes are always on us (El Roi: The God Who Sees Me). Choose Him. Trust Him. Love Him, Work for His purpose and He will work all things out for our good…even when we don’t understand.

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.

Many Americans are afraid of losing their freedoms, and point their fingers at the ‘blatant, overt sinners’ in the land.

However, if you study the bible carefully, Israel lost their freedom and were oppressed and exiled not because of the ‘non-believers’ or heathens, (we are all sinners saved by grace) but because of the idolatry, hypocrisy, compromise and pride of believers.

God rebuked them for refusing to reject the ‘sins of their fathers’.

Leviticus 26:40-42 (NKJV)

⁴⁰ ‘But ^(A)if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me,

⁴¹ and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies;

if their ^(B)uncircumcised hearts are ^(C)humbled, and they ^(D)accept their guilt—

⁴² then I will ^(E)remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember;

I will ^(F)remember the land.

Too many ‘Christians’ are pointing their fingers at unbelievers and those they consider to be ‘worse sinners than them’ instead of repenting of their pride, arrogance and self righteousness, much like the Pharisee in the parable of The Pharisee and The Publican …

Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)

⁹ To some who were confident of their own righteousness^(A) and looked down on everyone else,^(B) Jesus told this parable: ¹⁰ “Two men went up to the temple to pray,^(C) one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood by himself^(D) and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast^(E)twice a week and give a tenth^(F) of all I get.’

¹³ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast^(G) and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’^(H)

¹⁴ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”^(I)

Remember, God Himself said national restoration wouldn’t take place through the repentance of ‘sinners’, but the repentance of those who consider themselves to be His.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)

¹⁴ if My people who are ^(A)called by My name will ^(B)humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, ^(C)then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Remember, PRIDE is the first mentioned among the 7 deadly sins and the ‘parent’ sin to countless others.

If you’re afraid of losing your freedom, maybe you should put your pride in check.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

If you feel God is placing it on your heart to move, to act, to do something. Test it by the Word of God, pray for wisdom, guidance and protection…then move!

I learned this lesson the hard way several years ago…

One morning while getting ready to go to church I received a phone call from a young friend of mine from jail…

He said, “Brother Al, I need to talk to you brother! I can’t do this! This is my third time being locked up, and I know that I will be away from my family for a very long time. I really need to talk to you!”

I responded, “Okay, I will stop by to talk to you as soon as I get out of church”.

I had ministered to this brother by phone and letters while he was in prison before. My phone would ring and I’d hear… “You have a call from ____________ at the ____________ Center for Corrections.” I would quickly respond, “Yes”.

He was very sincere, and He told me that he had been brought back to Christ while in prison. Not only that, He felt God had called Him to be a minister.

After being released he, came to church and was given the opportunity to preach his first sermon, “Are You Lame” from Acts Chapter 3. His sermon was very good. He then told me he was anxious to go and witness to the people he used to ‘run with’. Those who were his ‘partners in crime’…both figuratively and literally.

I told him, “I admire your passion to reach back and grab them, but PLEASE don’t do it until you’re strong enough, so you aren’t drawn back in. I then reminded him of the warning in the bible…

Galatians 6:1

 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 

 And also,

1 Corinthians 15:33 (NKJV)

 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”

He did in fact try to reach back, and unfortunately, he got drawn back in. That’s why he was calling me from jail.

Well, as I said…He asked me to come and talk to him that morning, and I told him that I would as soon as I got out of church.

While I was in church, he hung himself and died.

My church should have been at the jail that morning.

I let him down…

I let God down…

For religion…

For duty…

For tradition…

For ‘a form of Godliness’…

I missed the entire puropse of what church equips us to do. (Ephesians 4:12)

I missed an opportunity to save a life.

This is one of the reasons Jesus said…

Matthew 9:13 (NKJV)

 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’^[a] For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”^[

This is one of the reasons the bible says…

James 2:15-17 (NKJV)

 ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? ¹⁷ Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

This is one of the reasons the bible says…

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?

 And most definitely why Jesus said…

Matthew 25: 31-40 (NKJV)

 ³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy^[c] angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. ³³ And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? ³⁸ When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? ³⁹ Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

God told me to move that morning and I ignored Him, because I felt I was doing the right thing. But, had I looked closer at the word of God…I would have quickly gone to the jail.

If you feel God is placing it on your heart to move, to do something, to bless someone, to pray for someone…test it by His word…pray for wisdom, guidance and protection…and do it.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Why?

Why do we ‘bite and devour’ one another? Why do we continue to repeat the same mistakes of history, even when we know them

Galatians 5:15 (NKJV)

¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

People love to say, “If you don’t know your history, you are condemned to repeat it.”

However, simply knowing history and even learning ‘what happened’ does not prevent us from going down those same paths to destruction.

God continually reminded Israel of the mistakes of their ‘fathers’, but they continued to ‘repent then repeat’, sometimes only one generation later. Go back and read Psalm 78, 1st and 2nd Chronicles and 1st and 2nd Kings.

James 4:1-6 (NKJV)

4 Where do ^[a]wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires forpleasure ^(A)that war in your members? ² You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and ^[b]war. ^[c]Yet you do not have because you do not ask. ^{3 (B)}You ask and do not receive, ^(C)because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. ^{4 [d]}Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that ^(D)friendship with the world is enmity with God? ^(E)Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ^(F)“The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”

Pride,

Greed,

Lust,

Jealousy,

Fear,

Hatred,

Aggression,

Revenge,

Unchecked anger.

The one lesson from history that we never seem to learn is to control our emotions.

Ephesians 4:31-32 (NKJV)

^{31 (A)}Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, ^[a]clamor, and ^(B)evil speaking be put away from you, ^(C)with all malice. ³² And ^(D)be kind to one another, tenderhearted, ^(E)forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

We all know that God expects us to love everyone, even our enemies. And, we also know that’s not always easy to do. Sometimes peoples’ actions can take us beyond not just liking them.

There are people who clearly don’t like us, people who don’t have the same beliefs, values and opinions. People who we feel don’t respect our traditions, heritages and cultures. Those who unapologetically work against us and try to hurt. People who hate us.

Well, the fact that God forbids us to hate people hasn’t changed, but He does allow us to hate THINGS about people. So, the next time you look at someone in such intense anger that hate begins to fill your heart, here are a few things that it’s okay to hate ABOUT people…

Their behavior…

Their attitude…

Their habits…

Their clothes…

Their taste…

Their traditions…

Their temper…

Even the organizations and institutions they create.

Everything mentioned above can be hated without hating the person. How do I know that? Because God, who loves all of us, also hates some things about us too…

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.

But, He never lets what He hates about us provoke Him to hate us, even when we’re His enemies…

James 4:4  (NKJV)

^4 [a]Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Romans 5:10  (NKJV)

¹⁰ For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

We were created in God’s image. He hates stuff too. He just doesn’t hate us…ever. So, the next time you feel your natural God-given emotion to hate fill your heart, do these five things…

1. Stop and focus on what it is you hate ABOUT them.
2. Focus on that or those things.
3. Ask God to help you love the person.
4. Then sincerely pray that God strengthens them in the areas you hate, and to open your eyes if you’re wrong.
5. Ask God to help you love them through the things you hate about them, just like He loves you through those things He hates about you.

You see. Learning to love people through the things we hate about them gives us the opportunity to be more like God.

These posts about may also bless you too…

HOW YOU DON’T HAVE TO HATE SOMEONE TO NOT LOVE THEM…

THERE WILL ALWAYS BE THINGS YOU HATE ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE…

NO MATTER WHAT THEY DID, GOD DOESN’T ALLOW YOU TO HATE THEM…

BE BLESSTIFIED!