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!

Anyone who reads my writing knows I love to clarify anything that can be misunderstood or twisted. Anyone who has read my writing or watched any of our #SONdayBlessing videos knows I love, cherish, respect and honor my wife. I consider us to be equals in our marriage and I am fully aware of God telling us in 1 Peter that we are to honor our wives, and not doing so can hinder our prayers…

1 Peter 3:7 (NKJV)

⁷ Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

I am fully aware and happily accept the husband’s responsibility to love our wives as Christ loves the church. This is the sacrificial love that’s is defined in Ephesians…

Ephesians 5:25-29 (NKJV)

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, ²⁶ that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, ²⁷ that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. ²⁸ So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.

That being said, now let us consider what the word of God says in 1 Corinthians Chapter 11…

1 Corinthians 11:8-9 (NKJV)

⁸ For man is not from woman, but woman from man. ⁹ Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man.

I feel that each husband should treat his wife as if she is his QUEEN, and vice versa. However, anyone who believes the bible is the word of God knows what God said before He created woman…

Genesis 2:18 (NKJV)

¹⁸ And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

God created man to be the head. But, as my father-in-law Pastor Lonnie Black has said for years…

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“God created man to be the head and not the headache.” Pastor Lonnie Black

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We live in a society today that more and more behaves as if man was created for woman than woman for man. That the husband is to submit to his wife, rather than woman submit to her husband.

Even the popular cliche, HAPPY WIFE, HAPPY LIFE eludes to that.

We live in a society today where the husband is expected to ‘answer to his wife’…to go out of his way to make her happy…to work himself to the bone in order to get her whatever she wants…to submit to her when there is a disagreement…that if a woman allows her husband to ‘tell her what to do’ she is being weak. And, that if a husband isn’t giving his wife everything she desires, he is less than a husband.

Television, film, music and especially reality shows and social media support this (Think of all the “HOUSEWIVES” shows…there’s one to target various cultures). It’s art imitating life and art further shaping behavior and the narrative of male/female relationships.

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In a sense, we have made our QUEENS…KINGS.

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Marriage is not 50/50, it’s 100/100. It’s woman submitting to her husband’s authority in the home and enjoying his covering and protection. But, at the same time, marriage is the husband not abusing his authority, and considering his wife as an equal in all decisions. However, when decisions are made in the home, God will hold the husband (head) accountable…especially in regard to worship being established.

If you haven’t already, step back and take a look at what’s on television, movies and social media. Listen to much of the popular music these days. Listen to many of the conversations. Many people have gone beyond treating wives like QUEENS, to making them KINGS.

Husbands and wives…let’s be good to one another. Let’s love, trust, honor and support one another, but let’s not forget God’s order.

BE BLESSTIFIED.

Throughout the history of the world people have committed horrible atrocities to one another.

In His sovereignty and for His ultimate purpose, whether it be for example or judgement, if you believe in God, just as with Job, you have to accept that God allowed those atrocities that were provoked by the devil to happen.

The devil has to submit to God’s power, and he gets no access unless God allows it.

Job 1:12 NKJV

And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

Even today, the most vile, evil and remorseless people are being influenced by the devil, the adversary…Satan.

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There’s a world of evil, crime, oppression and opposition that many people like me only know about from the news or movies.

So, when we get upset at how the devil is allowed to frustrate our lives in many ways…our families… our jobs and careers… our finances… we must stop and thank God there are horrible levels of evil that God doesn’t permit the devil to release into our lives.

This isn’t meant to diminish any level of resistance someone may be facing right now, but for most of us… it could always be worse.

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Stop right now and thank God for how He restrains the devil and His emissaries from your life.

Stop and thank God for YOUR angels who minister to you and fight for you in both the physical and spiritual worlds.

Hebrews 1:13-14 (NKJV)

¹³ But to which of the angels has He ever said:

^(A)“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”?

^{14 (B)}Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will ^(C)inherit salvation?

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And, remember to release prayers for those who are under a more severe level of attack than you.

1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV)

⁸ Be ^[a]sober, be ^[b]vigilant; ^[c]because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

2 Thessalonians 2:7 (NKJV)

⁷ For ^(A)the ^[a]mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only ^[b]He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.

• 

1 Kings 12:24 (NKJV)

²⁴ ‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.” ’ ” Therefore they obeyed the word of the Lord, and turned back, according to the word of the Lord.

The purpose of this article is to build up the Body of Christ, His church, purchased with His blood. It’s because so many people who claim to be disciples in Christ are passionate about celebrating a part of history that should be remembered, but NOT celebrated.

They celebrate a heritage and culture that thrived from…

The enslavement of Black people…

The institutionalized and accepted rape of Black women…

The separation of fathers, mothers and children who were sold away from one another…

Profiting from forced labor.

Yes, they said it was for ‘States Rights’, but we all know the underpinning right for which the so-called “War of Northern Aggression” was fought.

Many of the same people who complain about our flag and military being disrespected celebrate the violent protest that fought against that same flag and military because they arrogantly have judged their cause to be more noble.

The Confederacy was another country, with it’s own constitution, it’s own government, it’s own currency, it’s own flag, its’ own military…it was treason.

Many of these same people who revere everything above to the point of worship, claim to be Christians. How could they have missed this verse…

Exodus 21:16  (ESV)

¹⁶ “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.

I encourage anyone who claims to love the God of our salvation, Yah, Adonai, our Elohim, the Father of our Lord and Savior, Yeshua the Messiah, the Lamb of God, the Son of God, the Living Word, Jesus Christ to carefully read through the Old Testament.

Notice that the Nation of Israel was split into two kingdoms because of the sin of Rehaboam, which was a heritage of his father, Solomon’s disobedience in his old age…

1 Kings 12:15  (NKJV)

¹⁵ So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events was from the Lord, that He might fulfill His word, which the Lord had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

God forbade them to fight one another…

1 Kings 12:21-24  (NKJV)

²¹ And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. ²² But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, ²³ “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying, ²⁴ ‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.” ’ ” Therefore they obeyed the word of the Lord, and turned back, according to the word of the Lord.

There were subsequently several battles between the northern and southern kingdoms during the reigns of the kings of both kingdoms. Here are a few of the verses…

1 Kings 15:1-6  (NKJV)

15 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah. ² He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maachah the granddaughter of Abishalom. ³ And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; his heart was not ^[a]loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David. ⁴ Nevertheless for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, by setting up his son after him and by establishing Jerusalem; ⁵ because David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. ⁶ And there was war between ^[b]Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.

1 Kings 15:16 (NKJV)

¹⁶ Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

2 Kings 14:11-12 (NKJV)

¹¹ But Amaziah would not heed. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went out; so he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah. ¹² And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his tent.

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You will not find one verse in the bible CELEBRATING any of the civil wars between Israel and Judah! Are they documented? Yes. Are they celebrated? No. Are there statues and memorials? NO!

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This is one of the reasons that God forbade graven images…

Exodus 20:4-5  (NKJV)

⁴ “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; ⁵ you shall not bow down to them nor ^[a]serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting^[b] the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

Notice verse 4 says don’t make them. That’s one complete thought. Then, verse 5 says don’t worship them…that’s an extension of that thought. Don’t make them, then don’t worship them. Why?

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Because God knows us. Too many times passion and respect unintentionally becomes worship. Especially when someone else doesn’t share your perspective or level of reverence.

God is sovereign. As a Black man, I’m thankful that the South did not win. Just as Israel was enslaved in Egypt for 400 years, so were Black people in what became the United States. When God chose, He released Israel from their bondage, and he did the same in America.

If you believe God is sovereign, then you have to accept the fact that IF GOD WANTED THE CONFEDERACY TO WIN, THEN THEY WOULD HAVE.

Again, this post is to equip and build up the Body of Christ. If it for some reason makes you angry, ask yourself which spirit is provoking your anger.

CELEBRATING WHAT WE SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF PART 1…THE CIVIL WAR.

THE HYPOCRISY IN WHICH ‘RIOTS’ ARE TO BE RESPECTED (IT’S ALL ABOUT THE NARRATIVE)…

WHAT THOSE WHO CELEBRATE THE CONFEDERACY HAVE IN COMMON WITH COLIN KAEPERNICK…

FUNNY HOW IT’S CONSIDERED ‘WHINING’ UNTIL IT’S SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO YOU…

FOR THOSE WHO SAYS THE BIBLE ‘JUSTIFIES’ SLAVERY…

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Exodus 3:14 (NKJV)

¹⁴ And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

When God tells Moses who to say sent him when he goes into Egypt, He says tell them, “I AM”.

I AM is less about his name and what He’s called and more about His nature. Every time God says I AM, He let’s us know more about who He is…what He is…what He does.

Look what God says behind, “I am”…

“I am your shield…”

“I am the Lord…”

“I am God…”

“I am the Lord your God…”

“I am the Lord who sanctifies you…”

“I am giving…”

“I am holy…”

“I am with you…”

“I am He who blots out…”

“I am the First and the Last…”

“I am He who comforts you…”

“I am merciful…”

“I am Holy…”

“I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob…”

“I am the Christ…”

“I am able…”

“I am the Son of God…”

“I am One…

“I am from above…

“I am the bread of life…”

“I am the living bread…”

“I am from Him , and He sent Me…”

“I am the Light of the World…”

“Before Abraham Was, I AM…”

“I am the door…”

“I am the good shepherd…”

“I am the resurrection and he life…”

“I am the way, the truth and the life…”

“I am in My Father and the Father in Me…”

“I am the vine…”

“I am not of this world…”

“I am the King…”

“I am the Alpha and he Omega, the First and the Last…”

“I am He who lives…”

“I am alive forevermore…”

“I am He who searches the hearts and minds…

“I am coming quickly!”

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BEHIND every  “I AM” from the Lord…there is meaning, purpose…action!

BEHIND every “I AM”…He defines himself.

AND SO DO WE…

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Remember what Jesus said…

Luke 6:45(NKJV)

⁴⁵ A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. FOR OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART HIS MOUTH SPEAKS.

SO, Be careful how you define yourself!

Be very careful what you say behind your “I am!”

I am defeated!

I am depressed!

I am weak!

I am ugly!

I am helpless!

I am hopeless!

I am lost!

I am cursed!

I am victorious!

I am joyous!

I am strong!

I am saved!

I am empowered

I am beautiful!

I am hopeful!

I am blessed!

I am a child of the King!

I am BLESSTIFIED!

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Them: When’s your birthday?

Me: September 26th.

Them: So you’re a Libra!

Me: Nope.

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

“You won’t go to Hell for doing it.”

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

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

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

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

Zephaniah 1:5-6 (NKJV)

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

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

“I’m a Pisces so you can trust me…”

You get the picture?

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

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

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

Check this out…

Deuteronomy 4:19 (NKJV)

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

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

Romans 12:1 (NIV)

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

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

Isaiah 47:13 (NKJV)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BECAUSE IT HURTS GOD!

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

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

Micah 6 1:3 (NKJV)

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

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

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

BE BLESSTIFIED!

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…

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

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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!

It’s unfortunate that too many times, Christians totally disregard what God said. Christians will claim to live by God’s word where it’s convenient for their own personal theology, but in places where it challenges their beliefs or behavior, many totally disregard what the word says explicitly.

“You’ve got common sense.”

“God didn’t mean that”

“Times are different now!”

“They don’t know who they’re messing with!”

“Don’t make me revert back to my old self!”

“I haven’t always been saved!”

These are just a few of the statements made when people want to exercise their own authority over God’s word.

One such statement and commandment that Yeshua (Jesus) made was when He clearly told us to TURN THE OTHER CHEEK…

Matthew 5:38-39 (NKJV)

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ ³⁹ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

There’s no IFs, ANDs or BUTs about what Jesus said. We are not to resist an evil person, but we are to do exactly what He did before He was crucified…

Luke 22:64 (NKJV)

^64 [a]And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?”

Many Christians are quick to teach their children that if someone hits you, that you are to hit them back. “Don’t let anyone think you’re afraid of them.”

Others will say that God allows you to defend yourself.

They are correct that God allows you to defend yourself WHEN YOUR LIFE IS IN DANGER. But, someone trying to humiliate or intimidate you by slapping you or striking you is totally different from someone tackling you or trying to overcome you physically. It’s totally different that when someone is really threatening your life.

HERE’S THE PROBLEM WITH IGNORING TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK…

Yes, God give us permission to defend our lives, but when our lives aren’t in danger, its not about self defense…IT’S ABOUT PRIDE!

Pride and the sins that come from pride (arrogance, jealousy, envy, wrath, revenge, etc.) are the reasons that disagreements escalate…

families are dysfunctional…

friendships end…

crime is prevalent in so many cities…

and wars strike up around the world.

Too many Christians are ‘ready for a fight’!

Too many Christians are fantasizing about a situation where they have to ‘stand their ground’!

Too many Christians don’t trust God to fight their battles! (Read 2 Chronicles Chapter 20).

Too many Christians are ready for a physical fight because they don’t trust God to fight their spiritual battles.

We can’t cherry-pick our way through the bible asserting our own authority over God’s. That’s idolatry, and He’s not having it.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Let me say first that I’m not excusing adultery, fornication or any other sexual sin. These sins also result from an innate, natural desire that we don’t ask for, and people make a choice to commit these sins based on that desire.

However, there are many people who are now trying to defend homosexuality by saying that Jesus never addressed it, or forbade it. They say only the Apostle Paul addressed it, and some even try to contend that he wasn’t really talking about homosexuality.

I’m going to keep this short and sweet.

We all know there are several sins that Jesus never directly addressed…

Rape…

Incest…

Domestic Abuse…

Bestiality…

Gossip…

Jealousy…

To name a few.

Jesus didn’t even say directly that getting drunk is a sin. It was indirect.

He did address marriage, fornication adultery and divorce.
And, no one disputes that the LORD only permits sex within marriage.
In Matthew Chapter 19, Jesus repeated what He Himself said as The Living Word in Genesis 5:2 , yes He was there in the beginning (Elohim, the name for God in Genesis is a plural noun)…
Matthew 19:4-5(NKJV)

4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made[a] them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’[b]5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?[c]

The context of the conversation here is marriage and divorce. Jesus specifically calls out MALE and FEMALE in the context of marriage. This is not a cherry picked scripture.  It is Jesus in perfect harmony with what God established in the beginning. 

Jesus clearly says let HIM (male) be joined to his WIFE (female), because some try to contend, ‘who says that a wife has to be a woman’.

This undeniably defines marriage as between a man and woman.

These verses (Genesis and Matthew) define marriage as between a man and woman. And, since God only permits sex within marriage, sex with any partner, heterosexual or homosexual is sin.

So yes, without saying the word ‘homosexuality’, Yeshua, Christ Jesus addressed it. Any other conclusion is conjecture…reaching…trying to fit a square peg into a triangular slot.

For those who say that it’s okay because some people are born that way, click this…JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE’S ‘BORN THAT WAY’ DOESN’T MAKE IT OKAY…

For those who want to bring up slavery in the bible to justify their argument to defend homosexuality, click this…LET’S TALK ABOUT SLAVERY IN THE BIBLE…

And remember, no matter what sin someone is struggling with, God expects us to love everyone without excusing or condoning the sin.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

When being onboarded to my first teaching position, the principal told me, “Teaching is a 24 hour job.”

She was unintentionally feeding a toxic macro-culture of unrealistic expectations that includes judging sincere professionals as undedicated if they aren’t devoting their time away from work to their obligations at work.

This infers that the expectation is to neglect yourself…your marriage… your family… your life for your career.

WRONG! NOPE! I CAN’T GO FOR THAT!

https://videopress.com/v/C8ngWYvq?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

Yes, we sometimes have to arrive early and stay late, then work at home…but it should never be the daily expectation. Some people even consider this behavior noble and judge others on their expectations.

No, my first principal should have encouraged me to use my time wisely… work smart and not hard… and never forget that the number ONE (1) reason(s) for being in any profession begins with yourself and your family.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE ABSENT TO BE A DEADBEAT PARENT…

…All you have to do is put your career before your own children.

https://videopress.com/v/pmEWBSNQ?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

No matter what profession or job you GO TO every day…TAKE ALL OF YOU TO IT, then BRING ALL OF YOU BACK HOME! It should never come before you or the people most important to you…and it should never come before the people to whom you are most important….

THEY NEED ‘QUALITY YOU TIME’…

…Not some shell of you who is always preoccupied with work. Even God teaches us to…

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR ‘AS’ YOU LOVE YOURSELF! (Mark 12:31)

Anecdotally, one of the greatest causes of cognitive dissonance among educators is the feeling they’re doing more for the children of others rather than their own.

How many milestones and memories have you missed to fulfill someone else’s expectations of you above your own or your family?

God also demands that we rest one day out of seven… whether you believe it’s Saturday or Sunday, have you forsaken your gift of rest? Do you spend your weekends getting ready for Monday? God forbid!

Remember, it’s not how many hours you work, but how you work your ours.

It’s your responsibility to create healthy boundaries while honoring your commitment to your career.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

i

It’s unfortunate that many who claim to be disciples in Christ are so easily impressed by so-called strong words, insults, profanity, threats, retaliation, aggression…what the world calls strength.

In today’s society people consider humility, meekness, and restraint are weakness, while they see arrogance and pride as strength. MEEKNESS ISN’T WEAKNESS…

Think about it. Even some women when asserting themselves claim they have ‘balls’. God never told us to have balls, but rather a tender heart.

The bible clearly, and explicitly lets us know the character He demands of those who claim to be His. He clearly gives us the true evidence, or “Fruit” that we possess His Spirit, character and attributes…

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)

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

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)

Matthew 5:5 (NKJV)

⁵ Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the ^[a]earth.

Matthew 5:39 (NKJV)

³⁹ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

Think about how many Christians are perfectly comfortable saying, “Hell yeah!” or “Hell no!” when Yeshua clearly said that ANYTHING above “YES” “NO” is from the devil and evil…

Matthew 5:37 (NKJV)

³⁷ But let ^[a]your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

Almost 100 percent of the time, when I present the argument for quiet, Godly strength, the response is always the same...

“What about when Jesus was turning over the money changers in the temple or when He was rebuking the scribes and pharisees?”

Jesus was being no MORE strong when He got angry in the temple than when He was allowing them to insult Him…

Jesus was being no LESS strong when He allowed them to spit on Him, beat Him and insult Him than when He sharply rebuked His antagonists…

Jesus was being HIS STRONGEST when He endured the pain and shame of the cross.

Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV)

² looking unto Jesus, the ^[a]author and ^[b]finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Don’t let the devil pervert your idea of strength when God clearly told us how He expects us to behave. FOR THE TIMES YOU FEEL YOU JUST CAN’T HELP YOURSELF (RESTRAINT)…

BE BLESSTIFIED

What if you smelled like your thoughts?

What if your odor revealed what’s on your mind?

What if people could sniff what’s in your heart?

Would it reveal a dirty mind? Or, a mind meditating on what is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report and praiseworthy?

Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Would it reveal the works of the flesh or the Fruit of the Spirit?

Would it reveal malice or good intent?

How would you smell at work? At school? While sitting in your home? While looking at your smartphone?

How would you smell while sitting in church?

How often would you smell good? How often would you stink?

What do you think?

BE BLESSTIFIED!

i

It’s unfortunate that many who claim to be disciples in Christ are so easily impressed by so-called strong words, insults, profanity, threats, retaliation, aggression…what the world calls strength.

In today’s society people consider humility, meekness, and restraint are weakness, while they see arrogance and pride as strength. MEEKNESS ISN’T WEAKNESS…

Think about it. Even some women when asserting themselves claim they have ‘balls’. God never told us to have balls, but rather a tender heart.

The bible clearly, and explicitly lets us know the character He demands of those who claim to be His. He clearly gives us the true evidence, or “Fruit” that we possess His Spirit, character and attributes…

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)

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

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)

Matthew 5:5 (NKJV)

⁵ Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the ^[a]earth.

Matthew 5:39 (NKJV)

³⁹ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

Think about how many Christians are perfectly comfortable saying, “Hell yeah!” or “Hell no!” when Yeshua clearly said that ANYTHING above “YES” “NO” is from the devil and evil…

Matthew 5:37 (NKJV)

³⁷ But let ^[a]your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

Almost 100 percent of the time, when I present the argument for quiet, Godly strength, the response is always the same...

“What about when Jesus was turning over the money changers in the temple or when He was rebuking the scribes and pharisees?”

Jesus was being no MORE strong when He got angry in the temple than when He was allowing them to insult Him…

Jesus was being no LESS strong when He allowed them to spit on Him, beat Him and insult Him than when He sharply rebuked His antagonists…

Jesus was being HIS STRONGEST when He endured the pain and shame of the cross.

Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV)

² looking unto Jesus, the ^[a]author and ^[b]finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Don’t let the devil pervert your idea of strength when God clearly told us how He expects us to behave. FOR THE TIMES YOU FEEL YOU JUST CAN’T HELP YOURSELF (RESTRAINT)…

BE BLESSTIFIED

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No matter how bad you have to use the bathroom…

How strong the urge to relieve yourself…

If you’re in a crowd of people outside, in a meeting, at a ball game, or in church YOU WON’T stop and use it right then and there.

Why?

Because you have RESTRAINT.

No matter HOW strong the urge, how painful, you would rather hold it in rather than disgrace and embarrass yourself.

Too many times we in the Body of Christ use the excuse, “I just couldn’t help myself!”

Too many Christians are perfectly content using profanity…retaliating…and giving in to their flesh, and quickly use the excuse, “I just couldn’t hold it in”!

Peter is well known for his lack of restraint. On the Mount of Transfiguration he quickly blurted out, “Let us build three tabernacles, one for Jesus, Moses and Elijah!(Matthew 17:4).

After Jesus was arrested, when accused of knowing Him, Peter cursed (Matthew 26:74, Mark 14:71). But, Jesus knew of Peter’s spontaneity, and had already prayed for him and told him that when he is converted to strengthen his brothers (Luke 22:32). One of the things Peter was going to have to do was learn RESTRAINT.

One of the fruit of the Spirit is TEMPERANCE or SELF-CONTROL (Galatians  5:22).

It’s true we can’t do anything without the help of God, but he has given us the power to restrain our flesh as well.

You don’t have to use profanity (cuss).

You don’t have to get even.

You don’t have to let everybody know EXACTLY HOW YOU FEEL.

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Just the same as you can HOLD BACK when you have to use the bathroom (flesh), you can hold back when that person of the opposite sex is trying to tempt you.

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Let’s be just like our heavenly Father. Because when you think about it, that’s what MERCY is…God holding back the wrath and judgment we deserve.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Have you ever heard a father brag about paying the bills? Putting food on the table? He may even say, “I deserve to run around with the fellas or hang our because he’s holding it down for his family. Have you ever heard a mother brag about taking care of her family? About being at home for her children? Have you heard a father or mother brag about not ‘running the streets’, about dealing with the difficulties of life without turning to drugs or alcohol?

How about this one? ” I’m faithful to my spouse!”

Have you ever heard a child brag about doing their homework and staying out of trouble?

 Have you every heard a Christian brag about regularly attending church, being faithful in giving or studying their bible?

 This is all good, but it is absolutely nothing to brag about.

 Why?

 Because they are all doing what they are supposed to do. They are all doing what’s expected of them.

What’s unfortunate that we live in a society where so many people are not doing what they supposed to do, that those who are may seem beyond the norm, or even special…feel they deserve a pat on the back.

One of my favorite movie scenes is in the movie, “Guess Whose Coming To Dinner” when Roy Glenn’s character who played Sidney Poitier’s character’s father was lecturing his adult son about how hard he worked to make sure he had everything he needed, as he objected to his son dating a white woman. He told him this as if his son owed him something for providing for him. Sidney Poitier’s character quickly rebuked his father for making him feel obligated for doing what he was supposed to do. He then lovingly acknowledged his love and respect for him.

 In an age absent and distracted parents and rebellious children, those doing their duty can begin to feel special…when they actually aren’t.

 Notice what Jesus had to say about simply doing our duty…

 Luke 17:7-10 (NKJV)

7 And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? 8 But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not.[a] 10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”

 Be thankful if God has blessed you with a mind and the discipline to hold down your role as father, mother, son, daughter, employee, citizen, disciple, Pastor as expected. Yes, we all make mistakes, but you haven’t gotten ‘caught up’ or distracted to the level of some others…but we should never think we deserve a pat on the back, are ‘special’,  or ‘owed something’ for doing our duty as God expects.

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.

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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.

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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!

Standing in the hot sun or cold winter air with a sign in your hand isn’t easy. The fact is that it can be humiliating begging others for help — it’s hard work! If I learned one thing from my experience doing homeless ministry is that many of the people on the street never thought they wold be there.

Many of those people had careers and families…then life happened. Others are mentally ill. And the fact always remains that it could happen to any of us.

Remember this…

Luke 16:19-21

19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table.

The beggar Lazarus – He probably got on people’s nerves just as beggars do today. People probably questioned how he lived and his choices. People probably wondered why his family didn’t help him.  They most likely made excuses and justified ignoring him when Jesus clearly said, Give to them who ask and don’t turn them away… 

Matthew 5:42 (NKJV)

42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

Jesus also told us to give looking for nothing in return…

Luke 6:35New King James Version (NKJV)

35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.

We all run into Lazarus today…at the gas station…on the street…asking you for spare change…the crumbs that fall from your table. What is your reaction? Do you react as the rich man did and turn them ALL away? 

Jesus knows there are scammers and liars. He knows there are those who will use what you give them on things they don’t need. He knows there are  those who will try to take advantage of your kindness. Many people refuse to give money to people who beg because they’re afraid they will use it on alcohol, drugs, cigarettes or will waste it on something wicked. I feel that’s one application of the scripture…”And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold”(Matthew 24:12), because so many people can’t be trusted, the love that many people would ordinarily show has grown cold and withheld. We must therefore not withhold God’s love, but share it with wisdom.

If someone who’s begging is lying, that’s between them and God. God expects us to be obedient, compassionate, wise and plant seeds of His love. Purchase a meal for them. Buy them medicine. Pay for them to have shelter for a night or two, while letting them know that you are sharing the love of God. All it takes is the ‘crumbs that fall from your table’. Sacrifice the cost of a lunch, coffee for a week, sodas…whatever it is that you don’t necessarily need to help someone who begs from you.  I guarantee you won’t give away enough to break your, but you can hold on to enough to do so. Some times God places these people in our paths for a reason…so they can have an encounter with Him through us. So you can ask them if they have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. So we can be the answer to their prayer to God for help. You can be someone’s confirmation that God hasn’t forgotten them. You could plant a seed in someone who witnesses your act of kindness….God always has a purpose for every encounter.

Remember that  God warned us about turning away those who ask of us….be careful when you do because many times, just as in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus…Christians and the church are the RICH MAN.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

It’s sometimes difficult for many Americans to see how everyone can be equal, but still not have the same ‘American Experience’. Many times they then judge others based on how THEY FEEL OTHERS should REACT to how they perceive their ‘American experience’. But, if we think about the fact that everyone doesn’t experience the organizations for which we work in the same way…it becomes more clear.

Before becoming an educator, for a decade, I worked for a great, very successful Fortune 300 company. This company is the source of a great standard of living for thousands of employees. It was a great company, just as America is a great country. Although, everyone in the company was ‘equal’ …they didn’t ‘experience’ the company the same.

I was a Marketing Manager, and everyone who was at manager level and above received an annual bonus based on company performance. Because of the industry, this company performed well in a ‘good economy’, but performed even better in a ‘bad economy’ (It still does, the stock price is incredible).

Employees who were below manager level worked just as hard, if not harder than many of those who enjoyed receiving the bonuses. They also played just as great a role, if not greater, in reaching the goals that resulted in those bonuses… in much the same way teachers aren’t respected as experts (by ‘experts’ outside the classroom) , even though they are on the ‘front lines’.

But, these frontline workers in that Fortune 300 company weren’t (and aren’t) allowed to share in those financial rewards.

During company meetings, when the leadership tried to ‘inspire’ everyone on every ‘level’ to push harder to meet goals…those who didn’t receive the bonus had less incentive to ‘work harder’ so others can reap a greater reward. It’s unfair for those who are higher in hierarchy to judge their co-workers as lazy and less dedicated because they don’t enjoy the systemic rewards system equally.

It’s clear that even though everyone worked for the same great company, that everyone didn’t ‘EXPERIENCE’ the company in the same way.

Think about your company…organization…school district. What’s your role? Do people higher in the hierarchy enjoy more perks…prestige…access…respect…compensation…rewards? Does every worker experience your organization the same way?

Of course not. The truth is that some people in every organization are treated better because of their role…no matter how much actual value they bring to the organization.

In much the same way, because of race, culture, social status, academic achievement, etc., everyone doesn’t experience America the same way.

Unfortunately, some people can’t see or relate to this unless they feel their ‘status’, ‘rewards’ or level of ‘access’ and ‘freedom’ are being threatened.

If you don’t want anyone judging you based on how you react to what you perceive as unfairness in your work environment, then don’t judge others based on their perception of how they experience America.

Matthew 7:12 (NLT)

¹² “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Please do me a favor. Do your best to AVOID BLINKING AS YOU READ THIS POST. I will make this short and sweet.

Many times we classify blessings as LITTLE and BIG. God has blessed us so abundantly with our wants, that sometimes we get our WANTS and NEEDS confused.

So, I encourage you to stop right now and thank God for the LITTLE THINGS in life that we sometimes overlook, look past or just don’t see…those things we sometimes take for granted. Many are right before our eyes.

If you’re having trouble thinking of any LITTLE THINGS…go ahead and blink your eyes now if you already haven’t.

Doesn’t that feel better?

Looks like the little things aren’t that little after all:-)

Psalm 103:1-2 NKJV

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

BE BLESSTIFIED!

 

We’ve all done it!

To be polite…

To appease the boss…

To be a good audience…

To prevent hurting someone’s feelings when they weren’t really funny.

How many times do you fake laugh? How often do you type LOL when you didn’t really laugh-out-loud?

How many times do you say, “THAT’S HILARIOUS”… but you aren’t really laughing?

So, if it’s not really funny, and you pretend to laugh…is that considered lying?

Now, we all know that David pretended to be crazy to save his life, but I can’t find an example of someone pretending to laugh.

1 Samuel 21:12-14 (NKJV)

¹² Now David ^(A)took these words ^[a]to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. ¹³ So ^(B)he changed his behavior before them, pretended ^[b]madness in their hands, ^[c]scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard. ¹⁴ Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me?

What do you think?

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!

 

 

 

 

Life can take us down some different and difficult roads. Some roads we choose, and some we don’t. Sometimes CRAZY things is our lives, especially our relationships. We sometimes selfishly, sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally do things that hurt others who are in relationship with us…sometimes it’s something we feel we ‘can’t come from’ or ‘can’t get past’.

If this is you, I have good news today. God has given you the power to GET PAST ANYTHING. God has given you the power, that despite what happened, life can be EVEN BETTER. Now, I don’t want to be insensitive to what you have gone through, I’m just sharing God’s truth. The key is really simple…it’s true forgiveness. The key to forgiveness is the day we make up our mind, “I don’t WANT that to bother me anymore.”

We sometimes hold on to our pain, resentment, rage, grudge because it can make us feel stronger in regard to a situation that made us feel vulnerable and weak.

Some people don’t forgive because it takes away their excuse to be angry.

This may sound oversimplified, but the key is forgiving someone else is telling yourself, I’m tired of surrendering my peace to this, and I DON’T WANT TO BE ANGRY ABOUT THIS ANYMORE.

The power is changing how you think of the situation, renewing your mind as in Romans 12:2…

Romans 12:2 (NKJV)

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

When this happens, something miraculous happens in your spirit…suddenly thinking of it doesn’t make you feel the same.

Ephesians 4:31.32 let’s us know it’s our responsibility to ” Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. He also told us to be willing to continue to forgive (Matthew 18:21-22).

Matthew 18:21-22

21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

God expects us to forgive as He forgives us (Ephesians 4:32)…

Ephesians 4:32 (NKJV)

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

That’s the awesome power of true forgiveness! Once you truly forgive, you have tapped into God’s power to free yourself from the pain of the situation. God is very clear here and throughout scripture that it’s our responsibility. If it’s our responsibility, then He has given us the power to do it.

I love 2 Peter 1:3 which proclaims…

2 Peter 1:3

3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.

God has given us everything we need to accomplish what He requires of us. So, no matter what happens in your relationships, if you choose to continue those relationships (as God chooses to do when He forgives us), yes things may not ever be he same. Your relationship may not be innocent anymore (as yours with God isn’t), someone may have betrayed you in a way that some say is unforgivable (as we all done with God), someone may have put you to open shame (as we do God) and yes things won’t be THE SAME but when you make up your mind to forgive, and focus on the joy of the relationship and build new memories to replace the old ones, even though THINGS WON’T EVER BE THE SAME, THEY CAN STILL BE BETTER.

BE BLESSTIFIED!!!

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

Think about how you approach worship.

Think about how you approach ministry outside of the church.

Think about the music ministry.

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

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

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

Many times our prayers and expectations can be centered around…

Our health…

Our economic status…

Our social views…

Our political views…

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

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

Get the picuture?

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

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

Historical example…

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

This directly affected how they worshipped, prayed.

It affected what songs they chose for worship.

It affected how they approached social issues.

It affected how they approached politics.

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

How will this generation introduce God to future generations?

God is a healer.

God is a deliverer.

God is a keeper.

God is a God of love and kindness.

God is a God of anger and wrath.

God IS!

Psalm 71:18 (NKJV)

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

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

Oppression?

Abuse?

Success?

Addiction?

Struggle?

How you perceive freedom?

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

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

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

WHEN WE MAKE CHURCH ABOUT US INSTEAD OF GOD…

WHEN WE GO TO CHURCH EXPECTING GOD TO WORSHIP US…

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

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

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

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Having you ever noticed a child throwing a temper tantrum when he or she doesn’t get something that they want? This is a natural reaction that must be overcome as the child matures. The reaction is natural…innate…the child was born with it.

As you know, the debate continues as to whether people are born gay, or is it a choice. The purpose of this article isn’t to debate that question, but to address this fact…

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The truth is that we are all born with innate desires, feelings and proclivities that we did not ask for.

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Many Christians reason to excuse some behaviors by saying, “I or they was or were born this way”.

This doesn’t mean that God made a mistake because the scripture clearly reminds us that we were all born in sin…

Psalm 51:5 (NKJV)

 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

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We were all born with desires we didn’t ask for…that doesn’t make them ALL okay. Just because it comes naturally doesn’t make right. Some natural desires we must resist with the help of the Holy Spirit…

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Fornication…

Adultery…

Homosexuality…

Gluttony…

Greed…

Jealousy…

Envy…

Wrath …

…ALL come from natural desires and they are ALL EQUALLY wrong.

Even David, a man after God’s own heart was born with an insatiable desire for women…but that did not make it right or acceptable to God. Those who read the bible know what that led to.

Some people are naturally more greedy, more lustful, more promiscuous, more selfish, more aggressive, more violent that others…does that make it okay? For those who wish to argue these are learned behaviors, some people have these behaviors modeled and ‘learn’ them, while others witnessed these behaviors and didn’t succumb to them.

Pedophiles don’t feel they ‘choose’ to be attracted to children…does that make it okay? No!

The desires of our flesh war against our spirit…and these vary from person to person.

Galatians 5:17 (NKJV)

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.

It is only by walking in the Fruit of the Spirit can we overcome our fleshly desires that displease God.

Galatians 5:16 (NKJV)

 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 

 Galatians 5:22,23

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

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By the way, calling out something as sin is NOT judging. And, it’s not saying it’s any more wrong than another sin!

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That’s why fasting is so powerful. It is a tool we can use to bring our flesh into subjection, overcome our weaknesses and prove to ourselves that our desires won’t rule us. It’s our tool to move those mountains in our lives.

Matthew 17: 20-21

 ²⁰ So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. ²¹ However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting

Use this as post ammunition when someone presents to you the argument, “I was born this way, so it can’t be wrong”.

Just because it’s natural, doesn’t mean it’s okay.

BE BLESSTIFIED.

A few years ago I regularly volunteered at a rescue mission. While there, I worked closely with the Pastor who over saw the location. As I watched him, there were some occasions I thought his temper was too short and he was too harsh. Of course there were many people there who needed help, but he would daily encounter people who were trying to take advantage of the system, harm other residents, or didn’t appreciate the help they were getting. I didn’t know the Pastor when he first started his job…how hopeful he was to make a difference…how passionate he was for those who were in need, but it was clear that dealing with negative, evil people had since hardened his heart.

There have been times that I willingly bought food for people in need on the street, but other days, because of people who were clearly trying to take advantage of my kindness, tried to ignore those who are in need.

Jesus made a powerful prophecy for the last days. He prophesied that BECAUSE of evil, the sincere love of many will grow cold.

Matthew 24:12 (NKJV)

¹² And because lawlessness (sin) will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

Has negativity, dysfunction, racism, violence…evil ever made you angry?

Do you have a family member or friend who has given so many chances to change that you don’t feel sorry for them any more?

Has being mistreated made you feel justified in disliking, or even hating someone?

When people seem to confirm negative stereotypes, does it push you towards racism?

Have those who abuse systems designed to help cause you to lose compassion for those who are truly in need?

Have you found yourself to love less? Be careful, because it can lead to being loveless.

The devil wants to use the evil in the world to harden your heart. He wants to find the right button(s) to press to make you the mirror image of that you see as evil.

Please don’t let allow the bad in the world to harden your heart.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

Everyone wants to look good. Men want to be handsome. Women want to be beautiful. Do you know anyone who doesn’t?

Many people work towards looking good and being healthy – and yes there is a difference. That’s why when you see or hear advertisements for gyms and diet plans, very rarely is it that they promote good health. Think about it. Most of the time it’s about…

Being sexy…

Being attractive…

Getting into shape…

Buns and abs…

Right?

We groom. We work out.  We watch our diets. We purchase clothes. We do what it takes to look and feel our best. We do what it takes to maintain our health and a good quality of life.

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There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look good as long as we don’t become obsessed. Consider what the word of God says…

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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.

1 Peter 3:3-4  (NKJV)

³ Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— ⁴ rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

The bible isn’t saying it’s a sin to ‘get your hair done’, wear jewelry or wear nice clothes. It’s saying that you shouldn’t rely on that to make your beautiful. It’s saying that your true beauty should come from the godliness that’s inside your heart. He wants you more concerned with your inner beauty than outer beauty.

Even those who don’t have the so-called characteristics that society deems ‘beautiful’ in the context of each individual’s culture, can be viewed as beautiful and attractive when you can see the light of God on the inside – their loving, vibrant, lively, humble spirit shines through!

Have you become obsessed with your appearance? Are you feeding your flesh more than your faith? How many times a day do you check yourself in the mirror?

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HAS YOUR MIRROR BECOME YOUR PLACE OF WORSHIP?

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Here is a great test to give yourself…

Are you spending more time with your face in a mirror than your bible?

Do you use the camera on your phone to view yourself more than you use your bible app?

Do you know anyone obsessed with their appearance? Is it you?

There’s a thin line between good health, looking your best and worshiping oneself.

Please don’t let your mirror become your place of worship.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

https://videopress.com/v/AI15hyL4?preloadContent=metadata

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!”

BULL!!!

We all know words hurt. Verbal insults can inflict wounds that leave behind scars that last a lifetime.

As disciples of Christ we should develop a ‘tough skin’ to minimize the pain of when people insult us, however there’s one thing we should all remember about insults.

They hurt even more when they are injected with some painful truth about us…

“I can’t stand your selfish _______!”

“You wouldn’t be so broke if you weren’t so lazy!”

“People don’t like being around you because you’re so mean!”

“You know you’re much too heavy to wear that!”

It really doesn’t matter if the insult is said to hurt you, sometimes God will use an insult to help us examine ourselves so we can change. Especially if we have people around us who always say what we want to hear.

The disciples knew that the Pharisees and religious leaders were insulted at the rebukes of Yeshua, but they were filled with truth…

Matthew 15:12-13 (NKJV)

¹² Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”

¹³ But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.

When someone is accused of libel or slander, if what they said is true, then they are considered to be innocent.

Yes, insults are painful, but most of the time it’s the truth in some insults that make them more painful. Being honest with ourselves, even though it hurts, can help us make the necessary adjustments to achieve personal and spiritual growth.

BE BLESSTIFIED!