Most of what we worry about is beyond today. There are some things that God only dispenses one day at a time. Just like He gave Israel manna…

Lamentations 3:22-24  (NKJV)

Why?

So we will learn to lean and depend on Him…trust Him. So we trust Him and not ourselves. Our abilities… Our wealth… Our Education… Our technology… Our wisdom… Our systems… Our own strength.

Why?

Because all we ever need of ANYTHING is enough for TODAY…

Enough grace…for today.

Enough mercy…for today.

Enough faith…for today.

Enough food…for today.

Enough water…for today.

Enough hope…for today.

Enough joy…for today.

Enough money…for today.

Enough work…for today.

Enough laughter…for today.

Enough clothing…for today.

Enough shelter…for today.

Enough electricity…for today.

Enough courage…for today.

Enough love…for today.

Enough heartbeats for today.

Because today is all we ever have, and it’s all God ever promised. If you have enough for today…you’re rich.

Tomorrow will take care of itself, if God let’s us live to see it.

Matthew 6:34 (NKJV)

³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

When you think about it, tomorrow never actually ever arrives. Yesterday is always in the past. When 11:59 pm becomes 12 am, it’s not suddenly tomorrow…it’s once again today. And GOD’S GOTCHU!

BEBLESSTIFIED!

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

Family asking questions they could have asked last night…

Can’t find your keys…

Horrible traffic…

More horrible co-workers…

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

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

“Good Morning!” (Psalm 63:1)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BE BLESSTIFIED!

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

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

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

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

Malachi 3:10-12 (NKJV)

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,

That there may be food in My house,

And try Me now in this,”

Says the Lord of hosts,

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

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

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

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

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

For you will be a delightful land,”

Says the Lord of hosts.

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

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

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

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

Matthew 6:1-2 (NKJV)

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

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

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

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

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

Luke 6:34-35 (NKJV)

³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. ³⁵ But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.

 2 Corinthians 9:5-15 (NKJV)

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

“He has dispersed abroad,

He has given to the poor;

His righteousness endures forever.”^[b]

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

 Ephesians 4:28 (NKJV)

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

1 John 3:17 (NKJV)

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

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

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

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

BE BLESSTIFIED!

We all know there are millions of children born into poverty putting them at an undeniable disadvantage in getting ‘ahead’ in the world. However, there are those who still overcame the ‘curse’ of poverty. I don’t know why some are born rich while others are born into deep poverty. I do know that Jesus affirmed that the poor will always be with us (Matthew 26:11).

Sometimes those born into generational poverty can feel they are, and very well may be living under a curse, but I want to talk about an often overlooked ‘curse’. Those who are…

CURSED WITH EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED

Just as there are those born into generations of poverty, there are also those born into generations of wealth. Wealth that they didn’t have to earn for themselves. This unmerited wealth can be just as much a ‘curse’ as deep  poverty.

Some people call it SPOILED…

It’s when your so-called BLESSINGS have become a BURDEN and stumbling block…spiritually, morally and hindered the development of Godly character.

They are cursed with no real concept of need, lack, or sacrifice.

They are cursed with a mindset of entitlement…that they deserve everything they have and more with no sense of compassion for those with less.

They were denied the opportunities for the disappointments that are designed equip us to deal with the real world.

And here’s the thing, you don’t have to have extravagant wealth to have this CURSED mindset. There are plenty of middle and lower-income people who feel just as entitled because they really haven’t suffered lack in our prosperous society.

Simply because they weren’t told, “NO!”

After all, God tells us “NO!”. He has the wisdom to NOT give us everything just because we ask or it.

We must be careful that we aren’t raising a cursed generation that feels they DESERVE not only everything that they want, but also INSTANT GRATIFICATION. Parents must be careful not to focus ONLY on making sure their children have…

Smart phones and tablets at younger and younger ages…

The latest brand name shoes and clothes…

The latest video games…

Every extracurricular sport and activity as if it were a job…

While neglecting to give them a spirit of contentment, thanksgiving as a strong sense of responsibility.  We must be careful that we don’t neglect their spiritual development while nurturing their carnal development.

This may be what led to the attitude of the young ruler in…

Matthew 19:16-22 (NKJV)

 ¹⁶ Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good  Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” ¹⁷ So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.  But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” ¹⁸ He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ¹⁹ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”  ²⁰ The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?” ²¹ Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” ²² But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Remember, children don’t have to be rich to be ‘cursed with everything they want’…they only need parents that refuse to say, “No!”

And, yes there are various reason that parents don’t say, “No!”

Sometimes they want their children to have what they never had…

Sometimes they’re living vicariously through their children…

Sometime they are using their children as a symbol of their own status…

Whatever the reason. We must be careful that we aren’t raising a ‘cursed’ generation. In fact, some of the children born poor are better equipped to deal with the real world than their spoiled contemporaries.

These spoiled children grow up to lead and cause chaos and dysfunction in…

Families…

Companies…

Churches…

Countries…

So when you see that poor child in need, don’t feel sorry for them…help them if you can.

When you see that person who was clearly ‘cursed with everything they wanted’, send up a sincere prayer for God to give them a humble heart and His Spirit.

And, if you’re blessed with children, make sure you aren’t cursing them with everything they want.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Evening Epiphany.

Remember this…

​CAN’T is a ‘KNOT’ tied to the end of your CAN.

Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

For those whose work schedule allows them to have a normal Saturday and Sunday weekend…Mondays can be tough. Especially if your job is challenging, if you have to work with difficult people, or if you work in a toxic culture.

Monday can also be difficult because the euphoria of the weekend is over. The reality of bills, errands and obligations come rushing back.

I’ve even found myself finding it hard to sleep well on SONday night…have you?

Monday CAN seem like a mountain, it can seem more like MOURNday if we let it.

If any of this is true for you, I have some suggestions to not only help get you through Monday, but make it seem quicker.

Here are 3 Simple Suggestions to Make Your Mondays Easier and Faster…

Work Harder/Have Fun

There are two sure fire ways to make time seem to pass by quicker…working harder and having fun.

When you’re focused on a job or completing a task, you can look at the clock surprised at how much time has elapsed. Anyone who works in a deadline based environment can attest to the fact that not only hours ‘fly by, but days and weeks. If you’re focused on your computer screen…your customers…your phone…your assembly line…your project…your students…your patients…your task, you’ll find yourself suddenly at the end of your work day.

It’s always good if you can find a way to make your job fun. Starting your day with and maintaining a smile sets a mindset, not only in you, but those around you. Find the humor in difficult situations…conversations…meetings. There will always be those who appreciate that you lighten the mood. Of course there will also be those who are annoyed, but that’s on them.

Listen to music, sermons, pod casts, etc if you can.

Play work goal games with yourself…I can make difficult customers smile…I can get this done faster with fewer mistakes.

Find a way to enjoy each day!

Make your it goal to be easy to work with. You can get joy from being the positive voice…from being the encourager.

Don’t Complain

God let’s us know through out His word that He hates complaining…

1 Corinthians 10:10 (NKJV)

¹⁰ nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 

God also said do our jobs as if doing them for Him…

Colossians 3:23  (NKJV)

²³ And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 

That being said, we should learn to work without complaining…

Complaining not only makes you feel worse, but it’s either contagious, or it makes people want to avoid you.

When you feel yourself ready to complain, remember how happy you were when you found out you were hired.

When you feel like complaining, try giving God some praise instead.

Pray Often During the Day

The truth is that Monday is always a blessing, and God deserves to be thanked first thing and all day. Even a job you hate is still a blessing…link

Pray and be thankful when things are going well…

Pray for strength when days get challenging…

Pray for your coworkers or customers who make your job difficult or work against you.

Just as you take a lunch break, dedicate some regular time as your prayer break.

Pray without ceasing (1Thessalonians 5:17) should not be taken lightly…prayer is your key to make God a part of your work day and help you maintain His character and integrity. It is also good to read some of His word during the day as well.

Every day is a gift, and we should treat each as such. We don’t want to find ourselves wasting days in anticipation for the weekend, holidays and vacation. It’s best when we can learn to enjoy every day…all day.

But, as we mature in our ability to enjoy each day, I pray these tips can make your Monday easier and quicker.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Months ago comedian, actor, host Steve Harvey was severely criticized for meeting with President Donald Trump at the request of former President Barack Obama.

This post is not to judge or examine his relationship with God, or his motives for meeting with him, but solely to make comment on something I think Christians (Black Christians in particular) should consider.

This post is not about Donald Trump or his controversial predicency. I did write an article addressing Christians and politics called DON’T LET YOUR POLITICS ‘TRUMP’ YOUR FAITH… that you can read by clicking the highlighted link.

Many people were critical and angry saying Mr. Harvey, met with ‘the devil’, ‘the enemy’, a ‘racist’…and feel that he should not have even entertained the invitation.

Mr. Harvey’s meeting with and willingness to work with the President reminded me of two accounts in the bible…Joseph of Genesis and the three Hebrew young men exiled in Babylon with Daniel…Hannaniah, Azariah, and MISHAEL. (Commonly known by the Babylonian names given to them, Schadrach, Mescach and Abednego.

JOSEPH OF GENESIS…

Beginning with Genesis Chapter 37, Joseph was sold away into slavery in Egypt by his own brothers. While in Egypt after serving in the house of a prominent Egyptian citizen named Potiphar and being falsely accused of sexually assaulting his wife, he was thrown into prison, but God blessed Joseph with favor that allowed Him to serve as second in command to the Egyptian Pharaoh , and to rescue his family from starvation…

Pharaoh was a pagan leader that did not worship the God of Israel. The Egyptians also thought themselves to be superior to the Israelites. Had that been today, would HIS people have said?

Don’t serve in Pharaoh’s ‘administration’…

Don’t work for ‘the devil’….

Don’t work for ‘the enemy’…

Don’t work for ‘a racist’…

Reject the offer to serve under him.

However, had Joseph not accepted that ‘invitation’, he would not have been in position to save His people.

HANANIAH, AZARIAH and MISHAEL

The book of Daniel Chapter 1 gives us an account of when the Hebrews were taken captive into Babylon, among them, Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah and Mishelle.

They were ‘hand picked’ by Nebuchadnezzar to ‘be in his service’. So they were selected to be ‘apprentices’ and learn the Babylonian culture and customs. While in the king’s house, they refused the eat the ‘kings meat’ to sanctify themselves for God and chose to only consume vegetables and water. They excelled above all others who were chosen to the Glory of God and went into ‘the kings service’.

Daniel 1:5 (NIV)

 ⁵ The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.

The fact that they were captives would not have prevented people from being critical. The Babylonians thought themselves to be superior to the Jews. Nebuchadnezzar did not serve the one and only true living God. Even though they were captives they still could have refused this ‘invitation’, even if it meant death. Had that been today, would THEIR people have said?

Don’t serve in Nebuchadnezzar’s ‘administration’…

Don’t work for ‘the devil’…

Don’t work for ‘the enemy’…

Don’t work for ‘a racist’…

Reject the offer to serve under him.

It’s not our place to say whom God is or is not choosing to be used in certain positions of influence. Many people harshly villified ‘Steve Harvey’s’, including many of his peers in the industry.

We must be careful of how we judge situations. Christians readily spit out the cliché, “God works in mysterious ways”, but sometimes are the very ones who criticize how or who He chooses to do it.

I know this is old news now, but I like to give the air time to cool, give people time to reflect, so we can have a productive conversation. Plus…I didn’t get this viewpoint until well after the meeting had occurred.

I’m not saying that Steve Harvey is Joseph…or one of the Hebrew young men, but simply instead of being critical, why not just ask God to make the meeting fruitful?

BE BLESSTIFIED!

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Proverbs 18:22 (NKJV)

He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the Lord.

22

If anyone deserves a special day, it’s my beautiful wife!

We’ve been sharing life together for over 30 years! Our 30th anniversary is this September.

She keeps the air filled with her joyous laughter…the perfect audience for my silliness.

She’s been an awesome mother to our three children, often sacrificing her happiness for theirs.

This woman of God is not must my wife, but my best friend and partner in ministry.

But, God wasn’t so selfish as to just give her to us…she’s a phenomenal Gospel Jazz artist with a smooth, crystal clear voice that is anointed to bless YOU. She’s my partner in ministry as she sings the songs God has placed on my heart to write…my partner in taking God’s message beyond the four walls of the traditional church to meet people where they are.

You can help me celebrate by ‘Baby Girl’ on her birthday an beyond while you bless yourself…

Search her online and download, stream and share her smooth, inspirational jazzy singles…

“Urgent” (a soulful charge of the Great Commission)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/urgent-single/id976589931

“Thanks for Loving Me Too” (a beautiful ballad about God’s love)

https://www.amazon.com/Thanks-Loving-Too-Full-Version/dp/B0159JXRJ2

“Walk with Me (Never Alone)” ( A fresh, upbeat jazzy arrangement of an old favorite)

Her music is on iTunes, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, iHeart Radio, YouTube…just search Mechelle Johnson spelled with an (e).

Y’all know I have to represent her if no one else does!!!!!

I’m not ashamed to say I love this woman and pray God let’s her bless my life many more years!

So, help me celebrate my GOOD THING!

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Most of us clean up really well. We put on our public faces. We play the role. Some people go about their daily tasks with such a level of confidence, professionalism and excellence that you would think they are close to faultless.

They are always perfectly groomed…

Their credit score is 800,000,000…

They always know the right thing to say…

Their focus is surgical…

Their anointing is nearly biblical.

They are never shaken by anything.

Do you know someone like that?

Watching these people can make you feel…

Unqualified…

Inadequate…

Ugly…

Weak…

Unproductive…

Unfocused…

Insecure…

Naked.

But God sees ALL of us as we really are.

We all stand NAKED before God.

Even the most fit person has some physical imperfections that they don’t want anyone to see when they’re naked.

God sees us all spiritually NAKED.

Jeremiah 17:10 (NKJV)

10 I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings

He sees our heart and our motives of WHY we do what we do.

He sees our secret anxieties and insecurities.

He knows when we’re second-guessing ourselves.

He knows those thoughts that make us most ashamed.

He knows our secrets that we hope are never revealed.

He sees us as we REALLY are when we aren’t ‘cleaned up.

He sees us NAKED.

That’s why we should NEVER take the fact that God sent the Living Word as His Son to serve as PROPITIATION for our sins for granted.

1 John 2:2 (NKJV)

2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

Propitiation means that Jesus covered our guilt and our sin. It means that Jesus served as a substitute, appeasing the wrath of God for all of our sins.

God knows on our best day we mess up and stand NAKED before Him.

Stop right now and thank the Lord Jesus Christ for covering your spiritual nakedness.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Just because someone auditions you for their drama…it doesn’t mean you have to accept the role.

No drama today!

Out of everything you experienced today…there’s much more that you’ve missed.

Out of all you saw, you missed what was behind you.

Out of all the sounds you heard, there were many more that didn’t enter your ears.

Out of everything you touched, there was more beyond your reach.

Out of all you smelled, most didn’t make it to your nose.

Out of all you tasted, there’s a world of flavors you didn’t savor.

Out of all our senses, none of us have enough SENSE to grasp everything.

No matter how much reading you did, there were still more words left to read.

No matter where you went, there were still more places left to go.

Out of all your thoughts, there can only be one on your mind at a time.

No one can know it all…

There will always be something you MISS…

Something that goes over your head…

Something you NEVER experience.

We’re too carnal…

Selfish…

Arrogant…

Impulsive…

Careless…

Proud…

Too human to handle IT ALL.

Even the genius DOESN’T know more than he or she knows…

Even the most anointed ALWAYS misses something.

Out of everything we understand, God has enough wisdom to make us MISS much more.

1 Corinthians 13:9 (NKJV)

 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

A BEBLESSTIFIED.COM EVENING EPIPHANY…
Remember this…

No matter what anyone has done to you. You can STOP being upset as soon as YOU get ready.

Free yourself NOW!

Ephesians 4:31-32(NKJV)

31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

BE BLESSTIFIED

1. Your expression

2. Your mind/thoughts

3. Your perspective

4. Your emotions

5. Your mood

6. Your attitude

7. Your intentions

8. Your desires

9. Your words

10. Your reaction

11. Your response

12. Your direction

Psalm 145:18 (NIV)

18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Have you ever been tired and didn’t know why?

You’re not sad. You’re not depressed. You trust God. You even laugh and smile though everything isn’t ideal in your life.

You’re tired, yet still lie awake at night.

Are you stressed? No, not really because you trust God.

When someone tells you, “Be encouraged!” You say, “You know what? When I think about it…i really am encouraged.”

So why are you tired? Why do you feel drained?

That’s why…because you ARE encouraged.

Sometimes, it takes great effort to stay encouraged.

Being encouraged in difficult circumstances takes more than just ‘mustard seed faith’.

Staying encouraged can be spiritual, mental and psychological HEAVY LIFTING.

Especially when you’re not only carrying the weight of your own burdens, but you’re also encouraging those around you.

How many times have you been down and either no one else knew, or you knew there was nothing that no one else could do? So, you encouraged yourself in the Lord.

If you’re both tired but encouraged today, I pray that God renews your strength and refreshes  your mind body and spirit in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)

³¹ But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

There’s thin line between narcissism and good health…between being healthy and vanity.

Between discipline and self worship…

Between keeping your temple healthy for God and provoking others to lust or envy…

Between putting in hard work and eating right and being lazy by wanting a ‘magic’ pill to do all the work.

There’s nothing wrong with exercise and eating right in an effort to be healthy and even look good, but we must be honest with ourselves about our motives.

What are you thinking about while you’re running…lifting weights…at the gym…taking that ‘weight loss’ pill? Are your thinking about how HEALTHY you will be or how SEXY you will be?

Do we put as much effort into making sure our spirit looks good to God as we put into making sure our bodies looks good in our clothes (or out of them)?

Yes, there’s a thin line between narcissism and good health.

Here’s Proof!

Think about the commercials and ads that you see and hear…

Companies spend millions of dollars on research to gain insights advertise on what’s important to consumers. What drives people? What provokes them to make a buying decision.

How many gyms, spas, fitness centers, diet plans, diet pills etc. do you hear advertising about BEING HEALTHY?

Most of the time their pitch is…

Look good!

Be sexy!

Look younger!

Sexy abs.

Sexy bun.

Sculpted arms.

You rarely if ever hear or see ads that say…

Get your blood pressure under control!

Reduce your cholesterol!

Surprise your doctor!

How about this one? How many times have you heard them simply say…

“Feel better!”

Most of the time they are trying to appeal to our sense of vanity.

God wants us to be healthy, as well as look healthy, but we must be very careful that we don’t let our society’s obsession with youth, looking good and being sexy pervert our motives.

We can’t let our workout routines and habits turn into our personal rituals of worshipping ourselves.

Remember what the bible says…

1 Timothy 4:8 (NKJV)

 ⁸ For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Do you have a place where you feel more at peace? Your home? Your room? The beach? Fishing on the lake? Your church? The gym?

Somedays, if you can just get to your ‘peaceful place’, you’ll be okay. But, unfortunately we don’t always have access to our sanctuary when we need it…

That’s why God gave us the priceless benefit of access to Him through prayer.

I think one of the reasons that God allows trouble is to encourage us to come to Him…

Psalm 50:15 (NKJV)

¹⁵ Call upon Me in the day of trouble;

I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

When we praye, we’re supposed to shut out the world and focus on an intimate conversation with our Heavenly Father(Matthew 6:6).

When we learn to to this, there is an unspeakable peace that comes from that conversation.

We discover that in His presence there truly is the fullness of joy…

Psalm 16:11 (NKJV)

In His presence is the fullness of joy.

The awesome thing is you can pray anywhere, anytime…

Working at your desk…

While driving with your eyes open…

In the middle of a meeting…

While getting a speeding ticket…

You don’t have to get on your knees. You don’t have to talk out loud. You just have to reach out to God. It doesn’t have to be a deep conversation full of complicated theological terms…just a sincere conversation. Even a simple, “Lord have mercy on me” can speak peace into your chaotic day.

Think about all of the unhealthy ways some people  ‘escape’ reality…

Drugs…

Alcohol…

Sex…

Food…

Shopping…

The beautiful thing about prayer is that it is the only ‘escape’ from reality that can either…

Solve your problems…

Give you the strength to deal with your problems…

Or, give you peace in your problems…

So no matter where you are…at work, in a stressful meeting, school, running errands, stuck in traffic – it doesn’t matter…

You always have access to your ‘peaceful place’.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Why does God test us when He already knows what we will do?

He doesn’t have to ‘find out’ how strong we are…He already knows.

He doesn’t have to see what we will choose…He already knows.

Yes, God tests us so WE can see how strong we are…or aren’t. Just like any other assessment, tests let us know where we stand, and where we need to grow.

Tests allow others to benefit from witnessing our strength, and to learn from our mistakes…

However, there is one more reason God tests us that is so obvious in scripture, but we if we aren’t careful we’ll miss it…

God somtimes wants to prove a point to the enemy.

God knows the outcome beforehand, but the enemy doesn’t.

The enemy thinks he can tempt you to do anything he wants and put God to open shame.

God loves it when we prove the enemy wrong ‘to his face’. Much like if an attractive rival tempts your spouse. This rival taunts you and tells you he or she can have your spouse any time they wish. You know for yourself that your spouse is attracted to the rival, but they still don’t give in. You didn’t have to make prevent your spouse from giving in…they willingly rejected the rival.

This happened ‘in a sense’ with Job…

Job 1:8-12

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

9 So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”

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

Next time you’re tested, put your name in Job’s place…

“Consider my servant ________.”

Show the enemy that he doesn’t know you better than God does.

Let God prove to the enemy, that you’re stronger than he thinks.

Make God shine in the face of the enemy.

2 Timothy 2:3-5 (NKJV)

³ You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

We all make claims sometimes. We all make promises…

Unfortunately, there are times when we prove our claims are just words…and our promises, though not necessarily empty, went unfulfilled.

We all know about how Peter ‘claimed’ he was ready to die with Jesus, but the Lord quickly told Peter that he would deny Him three times before morning…

Matthew 26:33-35 (NKJV)

Matthew 26:41 (NIV)

⁴¹ “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

For example, one claim that we as Christians often proclaim is that if put in the position…we would die for Christ.

However, most of us never get the ‘opportunity’ to prove it…or do we?

How much do you sacrifice for the Lord…daily? (1 Corinthians 15:31)

How much do you deny yourself in following Him…daily? (Luke 9:23)

How much of YOU do you give up for Him…daily? (Matthew 19:21)

How much do you do for ‘the least of them’ (who are Him)…daily? (Matthew 25:31-46)

How many unbelievers do you reach out to, or believers do you encourage…daily? (Matthew 28:19)

You don’t have to die to lay down your life for Christ or your ‘brother’. (John 15:13) Click here to read… YOU DON’T HAVE DIE TO LAY DOWN YOUR LIFE FOR SOMEONE…

Going back to my example of Peter…his denial of Jesus wasn’t the end of the story. He went on to live His life for Christ, putting it on the line to spread the Gospel.

Remember this…

YOU PROVE YOU WOULD DIE FOR CHRIST…BY LIVING FOR HIM!

BE BLESSTIFIED!

How many tears have you shed that no one saw but you?

You may have been…

Hurt…

Troubled…

Betrayed…

Ignored…

Misunderstood…

Mistreated…

Belittled…

Embarrassed…

Left Out…

Ridiculed…

Broke…

Sick…

You were ‘in your feelings’ DEEPLY…in your feelings.

You may have hoped that someone walked up…stopped by…called…or saw you just in time to let you know that they cared.

But,

No one came…

No one stopped…

No one called…

No one saw…

You cried alone. You got yourself together. You moved on.

How we handle those silent tears proves how real God really is to us.

God see’s our tears…all of them. Is it good enough for you to know that He saw your tears and He cares?

Do you really get comfort from knowing that God saw you and heard you?

Too many times we claim that God is real to us, but how often have you not felt truly comforted until you talked to a ‘real’ person?

There are some moments that are meant to be just between you and God. That’s when He’s most real in your life.

God sees every tear you cry. The next time that you’re shed tears all by yourself, remember…you’re not alone.

1 Peter 5:7 (NKJV)

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

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Are you GOING THROUGH something?

Have you ever had days that you just wanted to give up?

Give up on your dreams? Your vision?

Give up on your hopes? Your goals?

Have you ever wanted to give up on your marriage? Your children?

Have you ever just wanted to drop everything and walk off your job?

Are there days when you feel your money will never be right?

Have you ever wanted to give up on your health?

Do you have a weakness that are soooo strong that sometimes you tell yourself…

Why try?

Just a quick word of encouragement…please don’t give up!

Look at what God told Joshua after the death of Moses as Israel was poised to enter their promise.

Joshua 1:5-9 (NKJV)

 ⁵ No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. ⁶ Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. ⁷ Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. ⁸ This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Even though they were about to enter their promise, God told them that they would still GO THROUGH some things. But, the same divine encouragement God gave them holds true for us today.

Slow and steady is still moving forward!

It always takes energy to MOVE UP than to fall!

If you’re struggling, it means you still have some fight left in you.

No matter how tough it seems, keep your faith in God…Faith your way forward!

REMEMBER…

GOING THROUGH IS STILL…GOING!

BE BLESSTIFIED!

If you haven’t already had them they’re coming…those days you DON’T want to hear or read the Word of God.
Do you love God? Yes!
Do you love His word? Yes!
Do you trust Him? Yes!
Are you turning away? No!
But, some days you feel…

So heavy…

So dark…

So busy…

So distracted…

So discouraged…

So apathetic…

So numb…

So upset with God…

That you know you need to read…need to pray…need to hear a word from God, but when you’re honest with yourself…You just don’t feel like it. You just don’t want to.
Someone may come to you with an encouraging word, and you just aren’t in the mood to hear it.

It’s time to go to church, but you just don’t want to go.

Were you always in the mood for a pep talk from your parents? Of course not, but that doesn’t mean you don’t love and respect them.

Psalm 119 and verse 11 is short, powerful and true.

Psalm 119:11(NIV)

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

When you regularly read, study and live by God’s word, you’re consuming it. It becomes a part of you…hidden in your heart.

Not only does it help you avoid sin when you’re strong, but it sustains you and keeps you when you’re weak.

Will you make mistakes? Yes.
Will you have moments when quite frankly, don’t want to hear it? Yes.

There will be days when you’re feelings and your faith don’t agree!

But, when God’s word is hidden in your heart, that longing for His word and presence will always rise back up.
Read Psalm 42…. In the midst of deep distress and discouragement, the psalmist remembers the joy of fellowship and intimacy with God.
So, don’t stop with this devotional…

Read and study your bible TODAY.

Pray and talk to your heavenly Father. Tell Him how much you love Him. Thank Him for His unfailing love and faithfulness…

Because the day will come when you will need today’s worship to sustain you.
Some of you who are willing to admit it already know what I mean.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Do you have a place where you feel more at peace? Your home? Your room? The beach? Fishing on the lake? Your church? The gym?

Somedays, if you can just get to your ‘peaceful place’, you’ll be okay. But, unfortunately we don’t always have access to our sanctuary when we need it…

That’s why God gave us the priceless benefit of access to Him through prayer.

I think one of the reasons that God allows trouble is to encourage us to come to Him…

Psalm 50:15 (NKJV)

¹⁵ Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

When we praye, we’re supposed to shut out the world and focus on an intimate conversation with our Heavenly Father(Matthew 6:6).

When we learn to to this, there is an unspeakable peace that comes from that conversation.

We discover that in His presence there truly is the fullness of joy…

Psalm 16:11 (NKJV)

In His presence is the fullness of joy.

The awesome thing is you can pray anywhere, anytime…

Working at your desk…

While driving with your eyes open…

In the middle of a meeting…

While getting a speeding ticket…

You don’t have to get on your knees. You don’t have to talk out loud. You just have to reach out to God. It doesn’t have to be a deep conversation full of complicated theological terms…just a sincere conversation. Even a simple, “Lord have mercy on me” can speak peace into your chaotic day.

Think about all of the unhealthy ways some people  ‘escape’ reality…

Drugs…

Alcohol…

Sex…

Food…

Shopping…

The beautiful thing about prayer is that it is the only ‘escape’ from reality that can either…

Solve your problems…

Give you the strength to deal with your problems…

Or, give you peace in your problems…

So no matter where you are…at work, in a stressful meeting, school, running errands, stuck in traffic – it doesn’t matter…

You always have access to your ‘peaceful place’.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

If you’ve been in church or been around church people any amount of time, you’ve heard them…

You hear them in church, in songs and in everyday language.

‘Churchy’ clichés.

Those familiar sayings, sometimes one liners, that may not be the same in every church culture, but every church culture has them.

Of course there are many ‘churchy’ sayings that are biblical and encourage us, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But, some aren’t really biblical, and are even sometimes mistaken for scripture.

It’s those that we have to either avoid, or be VERY careful of how we say it, or of our attitude towards it.

Here are 7 ‘CHURCHY’ clichés that we need to be careful of how we say.

1. GOD HAS NEVER FAILED ME YET (Avoid)…

This one is so NOT biblical, and it’s one word that messes it up…”YET”. It’s true that God has and will never fail us…but where did yet come from? “Yet” implies that God could possibly fail us in the future. It’s catchy, it helps make a song rhyme, but It’s not biblical.

Psalm 136:1 (NKJV)

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
    For His mercy endures forever.

The fact that God’s mercy endures forever means it can NEVER fail.

2. PRAYER WORKS (BE CAREFUL)…

This one is true, but we’ve got to be careful of how we say it, or our attitude about it. God always answers prayer, and through prayer people are healed, restored, delivered, led to Christ…lives are changed. So what’s the problem? If we are careful, saying ‘prayer works’ in the wrong context or with the wrong frame of mind can reduce prayer to a gimmick…just something else you can try to make things right. This can lessen the true intimacy of conversation with God to be to mindless, superstitious, empty words that we hope changes things. It leads to an, “I’ve tried everything else, so now I’ll try this attitude”.

1 John 5:14(NKJV)

14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

When we pray to God, not only are we talking to Him, but He actually hears and responds. When you start a car, turn on a television, install software or successfully repair something…it WORKS…God RESPONDS. Be careful how you say it.

3. THIS IS MY SEASON (BE CAREFUL)…

This one is also true, but be careful when you say it. Most of the time we are implying it is our season for Good things. But, the bible teaches us there’s a time and season for EVERYTHING. We have seasons of rest and peace, but we also have stormy seasons and trials. We have seasons of progress and celebration, as well as seasons of consequences and struggle. As one the lyrics to one popular Gospel song says, “This is my season for grace and favor”. This is my season to reap what I have sown.” We must remember that sometimes our ‘grace and favor is NOT reaping what we’ve sown. We must be very careful when proclaim, or sometimes brag, “This is my season!”

4. WHAT GOD HAS FOR ME IS FOR ME (AVOID)…

This is a very popular cliché, and is even in songs. We’ve got to be VERY careful about approaching God actually and selfishly. Too much “ME”, “MY”, and “I’s” can mean we are leaning too close to covetousness, which is idolatry.

Colossians 3:5(NKJV)

5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Yes, what God has ordained for you is for you, but too many time this is said from a selfish, I want what’s mine point of view. Plus, everything that, “God has for you” isn’t necessarily pleasant. Some trials, tests, challenges and struggles God has ‘for you and no one else’, but you don’t hear many people singing about that. God had Joseph of Genesis struggle, ‘Just for him. God had Job’s struggle, ‘Just for him’. This isn’t necessarily based on any scripture, and I think it’s best to leave it alone.

5. I’M BLESSED AND HIGHLY FAVORED (BE CAREFUL)…

This one is true and based on scripture, but we must be careful of our attitude about the phrase and we say it around. Again, we must not say it with a covetous or arrogant attitude. God promised that all things work together for the good of those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). But, the contingency is, those who are called according to His purpose, but some boldly say this inferring their own purpose. The bible also tells us His favor is for life in the same context of His anger and weeping. And, don’t forget, God showed Joseph on Genesis favor while he was in prison for something he didn’t do…

Genesis 39:21(NKJV)

21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

God’s favor is sometimes working things out for our good in very difficult, undesirable circumstances.

Plus, saying ‘blessed and highly favored’ around the spiritually immature can not only make them think God has respect of persons, but make us sound spiritually arrogant, I’ve seen it happen. We need to be careful with this one.

6. I HAVEN’T ALWAYS BEEN SAVED (BE CAREFUL)…

If this is said with a humble attitude in an effort to encourage someone who is unsaved or weaker to let them know the dramatic change God made in your life…then cool. But, most of the time I’ve heard this said in pride or arrogance, with a threatening tone after they’ve been made angry. I’ve most often heard it said implying they will revert back to the ‘old them’, if prompted. I have more often heard it said with an attitude of they are proud of what they used to be, rather than ashamed, and we all know what God said about that…

James 4:6(NKJV)

6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

7. IF I’VE EVER DONE ANYTHING TO OFFEND YOU, PLEASE FORGIVE ME (BE CAREFUL)…

This is often used as an easy ‘way out’ to ask for forgiveness. Too many times people say this either to a group or an individual…the problem is that if it’s a group they fully know EXACTLY WHO IN THE GROUP they hurt, and if it’s an individual, they know EXACTLY WHAT THEY DID. Simply saying, “If” is not good enough…

Matthew 5:23-24(NKJV)

23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

God expects us to go to the person and make things right…and remember, a public embarrassment deserves a public apology.

‘CHURCHY’ clichés sound good, and help define church culture, but we must be very careful how we use them…and know which ones to leave alone.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Can you tell the difference between a REASON and an EXCUSE?
I was recently in a situation where I was at fault. I was angry, and said something hurtful that I shouldn’t have…

When asked, “How could you say that?” “Why did you say that?” I responded…

“I was angry, I got defensive and I lashed out.”

I was also in a situation in my office where I overlooked something very important, and was asked by my Director at the time, “Why did this happen?” I responded…

“I was really busy and just missed it”.

The above situations involved two different people, but I got the same response both times, a response that I have made myself. The response was…

“That’s not an EXCUSE!”

Again, my response was the same both times…

“ I didn’t say it was an EXCUSE, but it IS the REASON that I did it.”

God invites us in His word to come and reason with Him…

Isaiah 1:18 (NKJV)

 ¹⁸ “Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.

If God is willing to reason with us, we should be willing to reason with one another, but that involves good communication and a willingness to accept what the other person has to say.

One tool in reasoning together is learning the difference between a REASON and an EXCUSE. It’s inevitable that we will hurt one another from time to time…especially those we love. But, one way to diffuse the disagreement is learning to EXPRESS and ACCEPT the REASONS we do or say things rather than EXCUSES.

My answers above were REASONS…

I was angry…

I was defensive…

I was careless…

I was foolish…

I was inconsiderate…

I felt rushed…

I was unprepared…

I was embarrassed…

I was immature…

I didn’t care enough…

These are all examples of REASONS we might make mistakes or hurt one another.

Here are some examples of EXCUSES…

I’m only human…

Everyone else did it…

I’m just a man (or woman)…

I couldn’t help myself…

You get the picture?

Sometimes people take our REASONS for EXCUSES. Sometimes we try to pass off EXCUSES as REASONS.

We’ll find ourselves on both sides of this discussion so…

Learning the difference between both can help diffuse our arguments, differences, disagreements and help us move on to resolution.

BE BLESSTIFIED!