Anger: a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility.
As it seems, the Bible does not say not to be angry. It instead reveals to us that in our anger we should know or learn how to compose ourselves. As with any teaching, when telling someone how to respond to situations, we must be the living example of what we teach. But then perhaps we should once again look to the best examples, which we find in our daily guide, the Bible. Anger is an emotion, therefore a natural occurrence, so we can only guide it. Life is a continual test, so we must study and teach how to pass through as smoothly as possible. In regards to anger, the Bible says “The LORD [is] merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. (Psalms 103:8). This is our example, and we must be cautious to ask how and not why. In our human nature, many times when given instruction that may not correlate with our plans, we tend to ask why and challenge what we feel is challenging us. Instead though, when instructed from God, even if “challenged”, we should by faith follow his example and ask “how can I do what you have shown me to the best of my ability.”
In the first chapter of James (v.20), it states, “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” As said before, anger in itself is not wrong. Our reaction to that anger in a negative way is defined as wrong. The “wrath of man” is that anger taken to another level. It is the response to anger that is composed of a desire to retaliate with a heart of revenge. Righteousness does not contain retaliation. While “the wrath of man” invites this retaliation and an attitude that promotes inflicting harm, the righteousness of God is that which perfectly encourages and enforces what is right and just. Hurting and harming others as a response to the way they treat us or talk about us will only slow our walk with God. We cannot grow while holding on to the weight of wrath. Instead, we should do what is right, what is righteous and open our hearts, thawing the coldness and forgive our offenders.
Forgiveness is not always easy. Once again we need to remember that in our Christian journey, when attempting to be in compliance with God, we need to ask how instead of why? The apostle Paul says in Ephesians 4:26, “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:” This verse suggests that we forgive and find resolution before the end of the day. There is no need in beginning a new day with the unnecessary weight of wrath on our hearts. And also, the time spent on realizing the error of wrath could be spent growing ourselves and others in Christ. As humans, this may be difficult, but as Christians we should put this into practice, so that in time it will become easier to do. And as we follow God as our example, so will we too be an example for someone else learning to forgive instead of retaliating.
It has been said that change is always good. And I agree, because when we look at change, it means that we are finishing one chapter of life and moving to the next. Through difficult times, we need to know how to respond to the change that is going on around us. Knowing the direction that we are going in for that change helps, but sometimes we may not know. And even then, we know that we have God to anchor us during the storms and trials of that change. One thing that we have to make sure of is that we do not compromise ourselves as Christians during this change so as not to become on the outside something that we on the inside are not meant to be. Our outside influence should not be what determines how people see us. The cracks in the vase, that is our life, should not be reminiscent of the hard times, but should be an opening for the light that is within us, so that others can see how to go through those times as well. We should be the example, and in doing so we become the change that is so greatly needed in the world today. And the world around us will be very enticing, but if we keep ourselves “studied up, and prayed up", it will be that much easier to stay in God's path and be able to discern those things to embrace and those from which to flee. This will exercise our mind, our heart, and our will, so that we will enter the continual process of changing or transforming our lives, and with it the lives of those whom we come into contact.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Romans 12:2 KJV
But what good is it to begin the process of change on the inside if it is not reflected on the outside. Sure, internal transformation is important, but what is seen on the outside is just as critical if not more, because we are to people what they perceive their experience with us to be. The things that we do and say must yell “Christian” from the rooftops- they must be a clear declaration and definition of what a Child of God is. Many times people learn from what they see and hear, so it is imperative that we not distort or misguide others to thinking that being saved is not "all it's cracked up to be."
If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
James 1:26 KJV
Being a Christian means that we are in Christ- we have a new and better mindset, a new and better heart, a new and better direction in life that, even in the difficult times, gives us reason to smile and rejoice because no matter what, God is with us. We could not always smile and rejoice in the old way. And that is because nothing was certain, but with God we know that He is certain and will never change. His love, and grace, and mercy will always be the same;therefore, giving the firm stability that we seek in life. We leave the old, broken and uncertain life and become new, whole and confident.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV
Not only should we essentially dedicate our lives to God with our hearts and minds, but also in our bodies. They are given to us for a short time so as to do the work of God here on this Earth, and it is a gift to be used wisely. Before doing anything to “our bodies", we should consider that what we do with, in, and to these vessels, will certainly show or reflect the level or lack of relationship with God. The Bible gives instruction on how to nurture and grow the body, what to eat, and more. So we have the instruction to develop a healthy body. Once again, what we do is the blueprint for someone to what a Christian is. So we should be mindful that our clothes, body language, what we consume and what we allow others to do to, and how we present our bodies should imitate what would be pleasing to God as we are always in his sight.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Romans 12:1 KJV
No one is perfect, Christians included. But we have the charge to be better than we were to not only change and transform our own lives but also the lives of others. The Bible says go out into the world and teach. So we must go out from where we are and even who we are, and become more in order to save the souls of those who need a new life. It is God's mandate for us as it was for the Christian that helped us and brought us into the fold of God. And what joy has filled our hearts, so we should jump at the opportunity to share!
Songwriter William Gaither describes wonderfully why and what we should share with others.
Shackled by a heavy burden,
'Neath a load of guilt and shame.
Then the hand of Jesus touched me,
And now I am no longer the same.
He touched me, Oh He touched me,
And oh the joy that floods my soul!
Something happened and now I know,
He touched me and made me whole.
Since I met this blessed Savior,
Since He cleansed and made me whole,
I will never cease to praise Him,
I'll shout it while eternity rolls.
He touched me, Oh He touched me,
And oh the joy that floods my soul!
Something happened and now I know
He touched me and made me whole.
Songwriters: William J. Gaither
He Touched Me lyrics © Capitol Christian Music Group
We pray blessings upon all who have read. We invite you to follow us on social media as well! Be Blessed and Be a Blessing!
Whenever we find ourselves without full control due to a bondage of body or mind, we are in captivity. It is always easier to appreciate something that you no longer have, and freedom is definitely one of them. But ironically, it is when we subject ourselves to, or submit to a captor that it becomes worse, because not only are we at war with that which is oppressing us, but we are at war with ourselves.
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."
Galatians 5:1 KJV
Through his sacrifice, Christ has made us free from the ultimate consequence of sin. He has also given us access to God the Father who can give us peace of mind in a world and time saturated with confusion from the desires brought on by sin. When we acknowledge that we are indeed free from the bondage of sin, we must pursue God, who has given us this freedom. As with anything in life that we are trying to turn away from, the pursuit of sin must be replaced. And in order to grow and elevate spiritually, we should set our eyes toward God. If we realize our freedom and independence, yet still continue to sin, confusion will prevail and our testimony is more faint. As Christians, our job here on Earth is to bring souls to Christ. And the only way to bring souls to Christ is to share Christ through love.
"For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."
Galatians 5:13-16 KJV
We are Christians, and as such we need to show it and act like it. Once again remembering that in reciprocity for the freedom, we should honor God and be like him, and show others God through us.
"As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God."
1 Peter 2:16 KJV
Perhaps the most important aspect of freedom is to be accountable to maintain it and embrace the responsibility of remaining free. Having been in bondage, we should know when we are walking the edge or seeing red flags that may lead us back to the very thing that so recently controlled our lives. Bondage via music, food, television, speech, thoughts- those things that ultimately influence an area of our lives where God should be dominant. To stay free of these things, we should remain in prayer to God, to change our hearts, that we might desire only those things that God has for us, and surround ourselves in God's way. For it is only in Gods way that we are and will truly remain free.
Our relationship with God revolves around his love for us. All that has been done for us has been out of love from His heart. This must have been extremely difficult in light of the fact that we are unworthy and imperfect, while He is perfect in this love and in all things. It all stems from the desires of the heart. Jeremiah 17:9 says “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…” and God the Father, our Divine Parent, sees it all. He sees man at his core and knows that the “imaginations of the thoughts” are evil daily (Genesis 6:5, 1 Chronicles 28:9).
But not only is this evil seen by God on this “unseen level” of the heart, but by careful observation and listening, we too can determine the status of others and even ourselves. One's actions and words reflect what is on their hearts. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34) and it is because of this that man, in his carnal nature, is “defiled” (Matthew 15:18). This means that man’s potential is tarnished, or ruined; he is weakened. We may not even notice this, as what we do in the flesh becomes so natural and accepted that we see even good actions as being right. But God ponders the heart and sees the true intentions behind these “good deeds”, which then determines whether or not they are righteous. Even so, in these moments of weakness, as said in Psalm 27:14, if we “wait on the Lord and be of good courage, He will strengthen our heart,” and this will in turn place hearts on a pathway to be established in a foundation of being unblameable. This new found strength reverses the effects of being defiled; we will be renewed and cleaned. Then, if we seek him, He too will seek us, and hold us close unto himself. He will give us a new heart and we shall be his people and his children, as our heart has been made whole.
Sometimes in life we find ourselves taking an inventory of who we are and what we have become, only to realize and, perhaps reluctantly, define ourselves as someone with whom we are not familiar. And if we are completely honest with ourselves, our demeanor and response to situations and people, how we think and perceive, what we say and decide to do, is all a reflection of our relationship with God and how in sync our heart is with him. Being out of sync creates confusion and provides an open gateway, an uninhibited pathway to carnage and utter chaos in our lives. If a computer is out of sync with its software, it will loop or freeze, unable to find what it needs to proceed, all the while being rendered useless. And so we too, like the computer can not proceed and access all potential growth without being in sync, rendering our lives, our witness, our testimony useless. But the great news is that, a pause is not the end. At times, what we see as an the end of our story is just God pausing to edit the story. And if we will just be patient and have faith, we will hear him telling us to simply turn the page and therein see a new chapter.
The familiar verses from Proverbs 3:5-6 say "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Our faith in God should allow us to trust him enough to follow him without question, and make his ways ours. If we can let go of the reins long enough, God will work in our lives and situations, syncing us to his will and we will see and know that He has his hands on our circumstances.
Its all about our hearts. Seeking to be in sync with the desires and wants of God for our life. Being what and who He would have us to be. But no matter the appearance on the outside or what we say even to ourselves, if we do not truly seek to become in sync with God in regards to our hearts, all will be for naught. This transformation has to be a desire that one feels an absolute need to achieve, while understanding that sacrifice is essential, yet worth it. Colossians 1:10-11 sites good reason for being in sync with God. "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness."
The key points in this verse reflect some amazing happenings to look forward to when we are in sync with God. Being worthy of God, fully pleasing to him, being fruitful, increasing, strengthened... Considering God and putting him first transforms our heart from carnal desires to His Holy fulfillment. This aligns us with God and causes us to walk the path of godliness with patience. To align oneself with him is to align themselves with infinite possibilities and blessings.
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
Luke 2:15-16 KJV
The story of Christmas is often times lost to the man-made commercial ideals that focus on business and financial challenge. Rather it should be focused on the entire story of God giving an immeasurable gift to the world. Some, through research, have determined that this day and even time of the year was not Christ's birthday. As this may or not be true, still yet there is a more important subject matter, and that is God showing his undying, unquestionable, full love for us.
Consideration
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:16-18 KJV
Reception
God created us by breathing life into us. We were given free will and unfortunately the wrong decisions were made and sins influence sent our souls into a direction that implored justice. The price of these sins is death (Romans 3:23-24), but because God the Father loved us, He sent Jesus (the God Son) to pay the price for us. So God, at this point, has potentially given us life twice. Once at birth and the second when we profess an understanding and belief of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice and follow him.
Thanks
I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord , and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.
Psalms 145:1-3 KJV
When we are given a gift we have been taught (hopefully) to extend our gratitude. And since God has given the greatest gift, we should give him the greatest praise by showing him the respect and admiration due to someone who did something in light of an undeserving receiver. This is love, and what better way to show admiration and approval of love shown toward us than to reflect that love to others in the same manner in which it was exemplified toward us. The God Son came to save us as well as to be “the Way…” so the example of how to show this love here on earth is clearly written in Scriptures.
The Christmas season is a time to focus on the love that we have been shown from God. He has always loved us and has given us a blueprint in his Son how we can show love. Love someone and spread true happiness and cheer this season.
We pray blessings upon all who have read. We invite you to follow us on social media as well! Be Blessed and Be a Blessing!
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When the word thankful comes to mind, I remember how I tried to explain the word to a preschool class that I was teaching. To this challenging task I simply said that if you are thankful, that means that you are glad to have something or someone. This was a relatable definition for the children, which was realized by the barrage of items named as they were defining what they were thankful for. Just like the children, when we hear “thankful”, an abundance of personal blessings should flood our minds.
Many times in my life I have heard people say something like this, “Thank you God, (I am thankful) for who you are.” I began thinking and reading about why we should thank God.
In Psalm 95:2-3, David says, "Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song."
[And Why?]
"For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods."
God is a great Provider and King, and one reason of many, is that He is so because of the sacrifice He sent for us to enable us to have Eternal Life. He truly loved us, in all our imperfect ways, and promised us peace as a gift for believing and depending on him. As a reciprocal action we should talk to him, and thank him for being close and allowing us to be his chosen children and heirs to the “unshakable Kingdom” and abundant blessings [Hebrews 12:28].
Paul wrote in Romans [5:1] that the peace we have received is a direct result of being “justified through faith” by the gift that is Jesus Christ. And receiving this gift releases us from certain death which is the punishment for sin [Romans 6:23]. For this we must praise God and honor him.
We are not worthy of God’s goodness, yet He gives to us out of grace and mercy because He loves us. We are not treated as we deserve to be, as God has halted what would be just, to show us love. Following in this way, we should halt what the human and carnal nature would have us do and return the love to God and respect what He has done and given to us, by taking care of ourselves, taking care of others who are in need, and by simply thinking, speaking, and acting in a manner that is pleasing to God. This is the ultimate Thank you! For it is at this time of unity with God, and cohesion with his righteous path for us that we fulfill his holy plan for our lives!
What we do for God will last a lifetime, until the end of the ages. It is also contagious, and our responsibility as one of the chosen is not complete until we spread the praise and give God to others.
All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:15-16
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So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32
Even though deception runs rampant in our current world because of influential and appealing power, in Christ, hope remains. For it is in him that we find Truth, and there is a mighty power in truth. Truth is an honest account of reality based on facts. As Christians, we have been gifted and entrusted with receiving and sharing this truth. Because Jesus came for a holy mission, He became truth-a living embodiment and example of what and who we should be. His arrival here on earth has many lessons that we can draw from it, namely that of salvation, love, and truth. The truth that He has shown us in every aspect of his life, is the very thing that we need to combat the growing deceptions of this world. Deception may creep into our lives as that of the symbolic icon of its founder, a snake. But we need not be weary, for God has fitted us with protection from the temptations of the deceiver in the Holy Bible. As God has shown before, his holy image would be to much for our finite human minds to comprehend, so He gave us a bit of his knowledge for preparation in word form. And when that Word became Jesus, hope was right in front of us.
Being given truth that provides us with an abundant preparation in God's light, must be accepted by those whom it is intended to save. In order to yield the desired results- being prepared for deception- after hearing we must believe, act on and share the truth.
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. Romans 1:24-25
Many times the deceptions of this life need not be complex, it only has to tell us what we want to hear, make us feel how we want to feel, show us things we have never seen, and our physical nature will not only fight for it, but it will lust after it. Sometimes those things that please the physical nature may not, at first thought, seem harmful to us, but the truth will show that if of our thoughts are not saturated in what God has planned for us, then all will be for nothing, because only what we do for God will last. Or yet still, only what we do for God will build and solidify a meaningful legacy that will last to the end of the ages and beyond.
As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. Daniel 9:13
If we turn from the wicked ways and seek God, He will hear us and bless us. So with reciprocity, if we turn from God and his righteous path for us, it will only be a matter of time before He allows us to have what we lust for, but it has a price. Turning away from God who is the light means that we are turning toward the darkness of the deceiver. And without being in the grace and mercy of God there is no guarantee that we will be safe from harm and danger be it toward the body, the mind, or the spirit. Undesired circumstances, at times should cause us to pause for a moment to perhaps take a look at our lives with a little more scrutiny, and maybe then we will realize that our spirit is out of balance. God must be and remain first in our lives. And if we realize when we look at our lives and can see where we have gone astray, let us call out to God and implore of him to give us the strength to hold on, and return again home.
We must turn to God and indulge in his goodness. We must seek him out for our lives lest we forget who He is and why we are blessed. Lest we forget the Creator and worship the creation.
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The deceptions of this world are ultimately the products of the Deceiver trying to taint the creation of the Creator. When one is deceived, they are intentionally misled by someone that has their own intentions in mind. As mentioned before, the Deceiver desires to deceive the entire world so that the creation of God could be also brought into eternal punishment with him. Misery loves company, and long story short, he is going to be very miserable. But even knowing this, some are still brought to their knees by the deceptions that are allowed to befall them. In order to fight against the evil rulers and spiritual wickedness, we must arm ourselves with the Word of God, not only to fight the devil, but to be versed on how to stay away from him and to recognize him when we see him.
Jesus himself even warns us to not be deceived. He has given us the greatest example of all time how to fight against the evil ruler and also how to fight the temptation that he provides to us. The Deceiver has had thousands of years to study humanity, to know what to do and what to say to convince us to do things for our own pleasure and satisfaction. In the later book of 1 John (4:4-6), it's author piggybacks off of what Jesus Christ says and adds that we are Gods and have overcome these evil people in the world, because we have Jesus Christ in us, and with Jesus Christ we are greater than those that are in the world.
Even in the case of religion the Deceiver has set up people in high places to look sound and appear to be prophets from the Lord. But their words will have no meaning. Their words will have no truth;therefore, they will be deceivers. We were also warned by the Lord to watch out for those with “empty words.” (Ephesians 5:6). In 2 Corinthians 11:3, it says But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. This speaks to the craftiness of the devil and whereas he has to use subtlety and secret influence, Christ used simplicity that you can take at face value. And also regarding the serpent and deceiving Eve, once again this brings us to the aforementioned word in Ephesians that empty words, if they sound good, might affect anyone with any level of a relationship with God.
So how do we combat this deception? The Deceiver is a very powerful and cunning adversary. But he is not the Creator or the Savior of humanity;therefore, he is not all-powerful, and he is not the most powerful Source. Instead, he was created and he also has a weakness. In order to fight the deception, we must realize what the truth is and not just accept what we hear to be the silent truth. We must do our research, test and try what people are trying to influence us with. As with all things, in Christianity we must put God first and use the presence of God and his purpose against anything that we come against that may be deception.
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. (1 John 4:1-3 KJV)
Jesus himself had a legacy left here on Earth. So much so that his fame preceded him. Multitudes of people gathered to hear him and to be healed by him.
The Son of God, came to the masses and He taught them, He preached to them. Living life the way it was intended for us all and invited us to partake also with him in the Kingdom of Heaven for it would be here soon. In his own words, the only way to be there is to Repent (Matthew 4:17).
He had a powerful message with a straightforward delivery. “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men”(v.19). It must have had an impact because the men in the following verses immediately followed him. This became an excellent example of what will happen when we look and listen for Jesus, hear exactly what He is saying, and we obey his every word. We will come into a relationship with him, and He, the God Son, will claim us as his own!
Not only was Jesus preceded by his teaching, and preaching, but also by his healing. People would crowd around him hoping to see the man that symbolized their last chance at a better life. The man whose physical touch would heal the body, and whose spiritual touch would move the soul. The faith that these people had in Jesus was well-placed and properly on what He had done and strengthened by those who knew that there was more to come!
A legacy in the making, and a fame that preceded him, and instead of enjoying the attention, Jesus chose to teach us how to be blessed. Meekness (patient, humble and ready to learn), strongly desiring righteousness, merciful, making peace, and willing to suffer for Christ's sake- these are some of the attributes of one who will be blessed. Jesus did not want to be selfish. He did not want to withhold information as to how to reach God. Neither did He desire to condemn the world, full of wretched and unworthy people, but He desired that we be spared.
One of, and perhaps the most important lessons from Jesus’ legacy was prayer- communicating with God the Father. This lesson is so eloquently shown in “The Lord's Prayer.” Call to God, Honor him, and acknowledge his wonderful works, and awesome and infinite power. Develop a true relationship with the Father and grow it toward its full potential.
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13 KJV)
There was nothing that Jesus did that was questionable, as far as what we should and should not do or follow. Jesus himself, the God man on Earth, told us that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me. (John 14:6) So if we receive him and the sacrifice that he made, we will reach God. Therefore, Jesus' Legacy for all of us, is salvation and an opportunity to have a relationship with God the Father, Creator, and Ruler of all.
We pray blessings upon all who have read. We invite you to follow us on social media as well! Be Blessed and Be a Blessing!
Labor can be described as an extremely physical exertion for work. It is something that you must make an extensive effort for in order to achieve something that you wish to accomplish. Our physical labor here on Earth and our extensive attempts to do so to achieve our goals should be modeled after the work that we do for God. Colossians 3:23 says “And whatsoever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men.” What we do, or labor for in life, we may do to achieve something for ourselves, or our family, or even our churches, but what we do should show to be a reflection of our lives for God. Pushing ourselves beyond expectations and proposed limits so as to achieve what needs to be done with little or no excuses. As Christians, that labor, or “what needs to be done”, is ministering for God in order to bring souls to Christ, and be the example that others may need to labor themselves in the same manner as well.
When we labor on Earth, sometimes we do so out of reciprocity, so if we labor for man and are disappointed by man, our labor may diminish, but if we labor for God, who will never disappoint us, we will always have a reason to keep pushing, because God is a rewarder of those who labor for him. “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love that you show toward his name.” (Hebrews 9:37-38)
If you do for God, God will definitely do for you, especially since the Lord himself recognizes that there are not as many people laboring for him as there should be. “The laborers are few,” (Matthew 9:37-38), but the promises are many. When laboring for souls, we must remember this, and live with the intent to share the truth with others and point them toward the promises (victory) bestowed to those who follow the cross. And because souls are at stake we must be abundantly persistent. “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:57-58)
We pray blessings upon all who have read. We invite you to follow us on social media as well! Be Blessed and Be a Blessing!
One of the most important things in life that we can leave is our Legacy. Not money, and not things, but that which is of positivity and a testimony that will point others in the right direction and how to live life. We are instructed in the Bible, as Christians, to go to all nations, not a few, but ALL nations and teach the gospel (Matthew 28:19-20) so that everyone can hear the truth that was given us by Jesus Christ’s example. Everyone needs to hear about this truth but there are few laborers. The Lord tells us that there is a need for laborers and there are many with the call, yet few answer (Matthew 9:37-38). When we answer the call, we must be prepared for the questions, the slandering, and the comments that are made against religion and even those that will inform others who simply do not know. For this, we must look to the Bible as a resource and study to show ourselves approved that we will have the confidence enough to influence and help others determine what is the truth. We must know what we are talking about, and declare it with no shame (Romans 1:16), not only so that others will be as confident in what we say as we are, but more so, that they will receive the Holy Spirit.
What we do in front of others becomes a light that will draw them to us; therefore, we should draw them to us with the truth and positivity and not the things of this world. For what we are doing is trying to convince them to turn away from the enemy. Because the enemy rules this world and keeps everyone in darkness until they are awakened by someone or something that is of God. It is very vital that we do this and convince all that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), meaning there is a consequence to everything that we do, and if it is not for God, then it is for the devil and as such the punishment is death.
So we as ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20) should take up that mantle and make sure that we are ready to teach others and push ourselves to bring them to the Way of the Lord. Bring them to Jesus Christ so that He will permeate their lives and their testimony. We must teach all that God the Father sent his Son Jesus Christ to die for us, but we have to repent, (which is admitting our sin and turning away from it), and then accept Jesus Christ and his ways by faith, and know in our hearts that way will lead us to God the Father the Holy Spirit and Heaven. God's gift to us was Christ and this gift was given in love. As servants and disciples of God, we must evangelize and tell others about this so as to solidify our own Christian Legacy.
We pray blessings upon all who have read. We invite you to follow us on social media as well! Be Blessed and Be a Blessing!
O give thanks unto the Lord ; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. (Psalms 105:1)
In Psalms and Isaiah, the authors [David and Isaiah respectively] gave a great blueprint to follow in regards to acknowledging God. They first show us how to recognize that even when (especially when) we are in trying times or “storms”, we should have faith that God is going to deliver us. We, as believers, have but to call on him and patiently wait on his reply. He will be what we need in times of uncertainty-strength, shelter, a present help.
For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord ; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. (Isaiah 25:4-5, 8-9 KJV)
Secondly, It is our duty and all around common courtesy to extend thanks to God for all that He has done to and through us. We are but a small piece in a much grander scale of life, yet He treats us as though everything revolves around us.
O Lord , thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. (Isaiah 25:1 KJV)
In addition to giving him thanks, we also should declare publicly his wonders performed in our life. As Christians, we should praise and share our testimonies because they can be what help to create hope for others. Therefore, if God has blessed, and brought us to better situations, we should share our encounter with someone else. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; (Psalms 107:2 KJV)
The celebration of Independence recently, proves to be a great reminder how coming together in numbers against an enemy will cause an oppressed people to become free. As this July 4th celebration has become an extravagant annual happening, there is another similar event in past history that shows a nation being liberated from an oppressive people. The Israelites, in the Bible, were brought to be captive slaves on multiple occasions and freed every time. But sometimes oppression is a direct reciprocity to actions of negligence by the receiver. For example, the Israelites, though the chosen people, were proving themselves unworthy of representing God and of receiving God's promised inheritance. Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.(Psalms 106:39 KJV)
For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.(Psalms 78:58 KJV)
As a Divine Parent, God can not allow his children to fall into transgression without there being any consequences. Though the discipline is difficult to administer, because it is a derivative of love, it must be done. The presence of trials at times may in fact be God's way of molding us and giving us the opportunity to learn once again how to trust him and to give him his due praise, before He delivers us. Independence and Freedom on any level is a gift from God and to take it lightly is, in essence, not appreciating it. As the phrase goes, ”We do not know what we have until it is gone.” It would be a terrible tragedy to experience the absence of God, so in order to avoid this, we simply must envelop ourselves in God and allow him to consume us as a fire. Then we will not need to be concerned with returning to God, because we will already be with God, waiting patiently, in safety, knowing that He will bring us out and back into his arms.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord , thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord : and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord ; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
Jeremiah 29:11-14 KJV
A very important duty for a man is taking on the responsibility as a teacher. Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6 KJV)
The best type of teacher is the type that lives and acts out the lessons that they want for their students to learn.The lesson for young men would be showing them how to become a man. Respectful, knowledgeable, and strong in the Lord. He should honor his parents and seek to himself grow and take on his own family, and be the head of them. Learn the ways of God, so as to have a firm foundation with which to teach as well as discipline. Exhibit principles that show that strength is not always a product of large muscles, but of a full intellect that shows respect to all others even when it is not received. For the young woman he must teach her what type of man to accept into her life for a relationship. Show her how to respect herself and how to demand respect by he himself respecting her mother regardless of life's difficulties. Teach her that a woman's body is beautiful and as such, while it is enticing, it is a gift- a gift to her from God, and a gift to the right man. She is to take charge of herself in regards to her body, to protect it and keep it pure.
To whomever a man is teaching, he should be the example of what a man's role is in accordance to his Christianity. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.(Matthew 5:16 KJV)
But not only is a man teaching through his actions and his words but he is also teaching by the things that he denies or stays away from, and doing so with courage, persistence, and integrity. His Integrity towards his beliefs will show his true strength. The strength that matters in life when dealing with life's troubles, life's rewards, and every aspect of what we do on a day-to-day basis.Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; (Philippians 1:27 KJV) The places we go, the things we watch, the things we listen to, the words we say... All these things need to have a filter, if not for ourselves, then for those who we may be teaching inadvertently without knowing.
I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord , and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.
(Psalms 78:2-8 KJV)
We pray blessings upon all who have read. We invite you to follow us on social media as well! Be Blessed and Be a Blessing!
