Author: Dennis

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To God’s Glory

To God’s Glory

What’s on your agenda for today ? You workin, playin ball, piddlin with your ride, huntin, shoppin or makin groceries ?…maybe you’re just gonna take it easy. Whatever “it” is, try t’ glorify God while you’re doin it. Doesn’t Colossians 3:17 tell us, “ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” ? If that thought that’s about to leave your mouth is not gonna glorify God, don’t say it ! If you’re angry about something someone said or did, don’t let it cause you to sin ( Ephesians 4:26 )…instead, say a silent prayer for them and ask God to soften both your hearts. Stump your toe or pinch something while workin on a project ? Just say, “Thank you, Jesus !”, insteada cussin. Didn’t He say we should be joyful in all situations and circumstances ( 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ) ? I’s readin Matthew 9:1-8 this mornin and it got me t’ considering my own actions and the attitude i take towards certain situations and circumstances. I can tell you, i ain’t proud o’ the way i represent my Savior sometimes. And naw…it ain’t acceptable. If it ain’t glorifying Him, it ain’t right ! Let’s make no excuses for it or try justifying it. Same way with yours. Yeah…He said love covers a multitude of sins ( 1 Peter 4:8 ), but it ain’t “lovin”, when we’re exacting revenge, being selfish, being prideful and trying to control every situation, losing our cool in traffic, stirring up dissension at work, talking down to our spouses or kids, being disrespectful to our parents or cussin the ump out for makin a bad call. Godly love doesn’t look like that. We’re instructed to do good to those who disrespect us, cuss us, cut us off in traffic or don’t let us in ( Luke 6:27 ). We’re to go the “extra mile” for the one that treats us like the gum on the bottom of their shoe ( Matthew 5:41 ). We were bought at a price that we couldn’t afford ( 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 )…therefore, we need to act like our namesake ! Jesus offered healing to a man and the self-righteous took offense ! Afterwards, the common folks praised God and stood in awe of Jesus ! Which one are you ? Whatever you do, say or think today, let it honor and glorify Jesus Christ. Let’s practice it more , because practice makes perfect ; right ? And because He is perfect ! “ Don’t just hear My words and so deceive yourselves, be doers of it.” —Jesus ( James 1:22 ).

 

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Mercy Stop ?

Mercy Stop ?

When does mercy stop and enabling start ? That’s right…you heard it right ! This statement / question kept reverberating in my mind this morning, so i had to post it. We always hear about the “mercy of God” … how he doesn’t give us what we deserve, due to our sin… which is spiritual death and separation from his blessings and kingdom. Ok…i get it. But where’s that line stop !?? I know you can relate to “yo home situations” maybe a little better than yo situation twixt you and God, so lemme put it in country-boy terms … You, dad / mom, have a kid…he/she grows up into a teenager…they ask if they can go to a friend’s and hang out, but it’s already 9:00 on a school night. You say “no, it’s too late”, they fuss and try to get you to change your mind, but you ain’t havin it, so they storm off and shut themselves in their bedroom, makin some comment under their breath that you don’t really wanna know. Yall hit the hay ( that’s, ‘go to bed’, for you younguns )…and as you lay there, you can’t help but think of that Scripture, “ Don’t let the sun go down on your anger and so, give the devil a foothold” ( Ephesians 4:26-27 )…so you get up and go to their room and knock softly, sayin their name. No answer…figures…but you persist, trying the knob…locked…so after repeated attempts, to no avail, you go get the ice pick and spring the lock. Flipping the light on, you see they aint there…the window is open and so the trackin begins. You started out wantin to make amends, now you’re wantin to ring a neck. Off to “that friend’s” house. When you pull up, you see your child and their friend out in the yard , hangin out with a couple o’ “no goods”, bad role models. After the necessary disclosures and apologies are exchanged between you and that other kid’s parents, you head back to your own home. Tensions are maxed out and your mind is racing through all the punishments you can come up with. You love your child, therefore, punishment must be administered, according to God’s Word ( Proverbs 13:24 ); right ?! You’re relieved they’re back home and safe, and you’re trying to remain their “friend”, so you decide to deal with it in the morning rather than take care of it right then. In fact, you’re even wondering if it’s worth starting it back up…because you’ll just ruin both y’all’s day, so you choose to let it go … nobody was really hurt, so no big deal; right ? Your coworkers just laugh it off and say things like, “ We were all teenagers at one time” … “ They’re just sowin their wild oats; they’ll grow out of it”… and you’ve just fallen into a lie that’s sent many a son/ daughter to hell. You went from being a parent…a mama / daddy that was given a child and all the responsibilities that fall on you, to being an enabler. You withdrew the punishment and chose to enable them to sin and disrespect you and your authority. They saw that they could get away with being disobedient and not suffer consequences that hurt a little while…therefore, they didn’t learn a lesson, weren’t remorseful, so their sinfulness and disregard for authority increased as time went on. Administering mercy doesn’t mean there’s no consequences to our actions. God is definitely a merciful Father… but He’s also a “just” Father. He does what any good parent does that loves their kid and wants em to grow into responsible, respectful and God-honoring adults … He disciplines His child. He knows if he lets it go, they’ll / we’ll only get worse. He still loves us…he still offers mercy and forgiveness…but he also has to train us in righteousness ( Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4 ). Jesus paid to GET us “there”, but it’s up to us to build on that foundation ( Matthew 7:24-27 ). To be a strong supporter…a parent or individual that desires to please God, we’ve got to “work out” our faith with fear and trembling ( Philippians 2:12 ). If we bow down to any other god, including popular opinion, we’re only setting ourselves and those under our influence, up for failure and heartache. You can’t be a follower of Christ and a weak believer at the same time … it ain’t gon’ work ! Don’t be an enabler ! Speak TRUTH while you can ! God’s given you the mic … say somethin that’ll save em from calamity and the fires of hell !! They don’t need a friend, they need the truth ! God’s Word is right there … whatchoo gonna do with it ?

 

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Thank You

Thank You

Many of us that can’t make our grandyoungun’s games will often watch on our phones from our homes or wherever else we had to be. This was the case the other day, during my oldest grandgirl’s softball game, and on one particular play she made, the sportscaster doing the feed excitedly announced, “ I see you MK ! “ Of course, i was proudly grinnin and wishin i coulda been there in person to see it better, but the announcer did such a good job, which reminded me of something … although we may not think it, someone’s seein what we did, even if the accolades don’t come like we kinda expected. There’s SO MUCH goes into the organization and orchestration of our kid’s and grandkid’s ballgames and seeing that they are well-equipped and supplied with everything they’ll possibly need…but that kid will probably never notice…never say “thank you, Mom / Dad”…the gate folks may never say, “ Thank y’all for coming and paying our too-high gate fee”… and win or lose, we’ll probably never NOT hear complaints from someone…especially our young ones. There’s so many examples that’ll come to mind that remind us of things we’ve done “for” others, and we can’t even recall a simple, “Thank you.” Guess what though… God sees you ! He reminds us in ( Matthew 6:1-4 )… “ Be careful not to do your’acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, don’t announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy…( when you do a good job or deed, make a good play, achieve a goal, tithe or give an offering , prevent something bad from happening or make someone else’s life a little better ), don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” It dont hurt to praise someone for their hard work or efforts…It feels pretty good to receive an “Attaboy” or “Attagirl” at times… but even if it dont come , KNOW that God sees you … that’s what really counts in the grand scheme of things…and hear Him say proudly and enthusiastically, “ I see you, _______ !!” ( put your name in the blank ) Just know this … He’s supplied you the resources to share and see to those needs you’re meeting. He’s giving you the talents and giftings it takes to get it done. He’s supplying you the breath, mental capacity and strength to make it happen. So…maybe insteada waitin for that pat-on-the-back or that thank you, why not smile and look up towards heaven and say, “ I see you, Lord !” He likes to be recognized, too. And He definitely deserves our “ Thank You’s” !!

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What Then ?

What Then ?

Look around you … what do you see ? Nice home, manicured yard and flowerbeds, comfortable ride(s) … and what about the things that bring you some comfort … good steady job, plenty o’ groceries in the cabinets and frig, wide selection of footwear and clothes in the closet, a variety of weapons in the safe, weekend toys, maybe a home-away-from-home … and what does all this “stuff” really mean to you ? Do you let it define who you are ? Do you gain some sense of deep satisfaction because of it ? If it was all taken away from you through some act of God or social government take-over, would you collapse into a helpless basket-case ? If you don’t have a close relationship with Christ, you probably will. When our stuff is gone and our flesh is failing, there’s nothing that’s gonna sustain us except our faith and hope in Christ … so we’d be wise to grab holt to it before it ever comes to that; right ? The apostle Paul wrote, “ By whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ…the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.” ( Philippians 3:7-9 ) If all that we’ve ever worked for, suddenly is gone, what then ? If everything we consider “success” is ripped from our hands, what then ? If that pride is all we have that sustains us, and God decides to make an example of us, what then ? Ask for humility…now…before it ever comes to that ! God’ll not only provide the salvation of our souls, he’ll provide salvation from “ourselves”. Put Him first, and He will sustain you through the lean times. “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and He will see to all your needs” ( Matthew 6:33 ). And I’m living testimony that He will also let you have a few things that brings you a little extra joy… like a fringe benefit ! He’s SO GOOD, yall !! Won’t you praise Him with me !?!

 

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House On The Rock

House On The Rock

I’ve been around for 63 years and I’ve seen alotta things and people, so until you’re my age or older, don’t try to change my mind about certain things or try and convince me your way is right, over mine. I’m not sayin this with a hateful or mean spirit, I’m just sayin. And naw, i don’t know everything and I’m not perfect … lemme just say that right out the gate. Where I’m goin with this, is this…because I’m older and alot wiser than i was ten, twenty or thirty years ago, I’ve learned what God intended me to learn…it just took me longer t’ learn it. Maybe you know what i mean … maybe your parents “held you back” in school. Your grades were so-so, because you never “applied yourself”, thought it important enough to “study”, or you just plain ol’ didn’t give a ( care ) about school. You had to repeat that grade you’d wasted so much time on and got left behind by your friends that DID apply themselves … ( or maybe their parents just didn’t care about em as much as yours did, you ), and insteada makin more excuses, you chose to buckle down and pass this time…cause repeating that same grade once was embarrassing enough…wasn’t gon’ be no return trip a third time. The sooner we learn this valuable lesson, the faster we’ll move forward. God’s willing to teach us, but we’ve gotta be willing to learn. When we leave this ol world, whether it be from heart failure, fiery car crash, drowning or organ failure, we’re gonna stand in front of The Judge, Jesus Christ, and “reap what we’ve sown”( Galatians 6:7 )…so yeah…what we choose to do here and now DOES MATTER ! He ain’t hearin no lame excuses like, “ My mama and daddy abused me”…” Nobody told me or taught me about you, Jesus” … “ We didn’t have no tv, so i couldn’t watch them sermons about you” … “I couldn’t focus because i was outta my medication”. ( Some o’ y’all may wanna share this with someone God’s bringin to your mind / heart right about now )…if you really love em and don’t wanna see em go t’ hell. See ? We tend to teach em about everything BUT the truth of GOD ! We’ll invest tons of money towards their tuitions, their toys, their extracurricular activities and honeymoons, but what are we investing in their futures !?! One day, everything will be burned up ( 2 Peter 3:10 )…and yeah, that’s including those of us that haven’t already gone “Home” / “home”. “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man that built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” ( Matthew 7:24-27 ) Jesus said it … i finally heard it, accepted it and have proven it over and over again ! THAT’S why i said, “Don’t try to convince me otherwise !” The sooner we hear His truths and learn to put them into play, the sooner we’ll reap the benefits of them. Everything else is from another sinful man … or maybe it’s A I . 😳🤨😗 Build on a good foundation ! Begin with Christ as your personal Savior and Lord, study on His truths and laws to live by, let everything you do bring him glory, and watch your “house” withstand everything that tries to bring it down ! Then, you can tell someone else how faithful He is…cuz you’ve tested and proved it !

 

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Love Others

Love Others

1 Corinthians 13:4a says, “ Love is patient. Love is kind.” As many times as we say to someone, “ I love you”, you’d think we’d get better at being more patient and kind; right ? I’m self-evaluating and I’m not sure if I’m getting better, or worse, at this seemingly impossible feat. I think it’s that “love” issue that gets skewed, misdiagnosed or misinterpreted. The love of “this world” says, “I’ll love you if …” … “ As long as you do what I want you to, I’ll love you”… and THAT kinda love ain’t what God was speaking of in 1 Corinthians 13. The love he was talkin about is pure and unadulterated “AGAPE” love. It’s love that expects nothing in return. It’s sacrificial love…given without counting the costs. Agape love expresses itself in ways that promote Jesus and his character. They say patience is a virtue…( behavior showing high moral standards ) … what’s higher than God’s standards !? If i tell you i love you, and I’m walking in the Spirit, then i oughta be more patient with you ; right ? If im walking in the Spirit, then my kindness towards you oughta reflect more of Jesus and less of me; right ? Maybe that’s my problem. Maybe I’m not walkin in His Spirit, but my own, if I’m not exhibiting the patience and kindness His Spirit promotes. I don’t like me alotta times. I don’t love like i ought to, and that bothers me. I wanna be more Christlike and less, “me-like”. I wonder if that word “melarky” originated from our being more “me-like” and not so much, Christ-like ? Sumpem t’ think on. Lord, if you really wanna do a miracle in me, help me love others like you do. In Jesus’ name…amen.

 

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Advice

Advice

When you give advice, where do you pull your resources from ? Is it from the internet, something you’ve heard someone else say, from personal experience…maybe it was mandated from up the ladder and you are the one that’s supposed to pass it down. Whatever “it” is, make sure it’s worth hearing. Don’t just talk to be talking…we’ve got enough talkin heads on the radio and tv that spew forth all manner of lies and trash…we don’t need another one. So, how are you at “receiving” advice ? Do you believe everything you hear ? Are you one of those gullible or naive people that’ll believe everything someonesays … never investigating it for its authenticity ? I like to say that word…”authenticity” … it just has a nice ring to it. So…if advice is as common as bellybuttons, where should we “lean in”, and when should we “run from” what we hear ? I’ve got the answer ! ……. In the presence of God and of Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his kingdom, i give you this charge : Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out; correct, rebuke and encourage…with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine; instead, to suit their own desires, they’ll gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They’ll turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. ( 2 Timothy 4:1-5 ) “The Word” … THAT’S where truth comes from ! I hope your Bible ain’t just sittin somewhere collectin dust. I hope the very presence of it fills you with a longing that screams, “ Here I am…pick me up and let’s communicate !” Treasured words breathed out by the Creator of everything, seen and not seen ! History made and passed on from generation to generation. Whether you saw your parents studying it or not, that shouldn’t stop you from relying on its treasures ! Rely on it MORE than you do your billfold or purse. Never be ashamed to carry it and pull from its valuable resources. The earlier you learn to trust its contents, the wiser you’ll become. There’s nothing we’ll face in life that can’t be located in God’s Word. The Scripture that leads you to making a wise decision today, may be the same Scripture God uses several months or years later to help you in some other matter. We’re gonna be “preaching” something, every day … why not let it come from God’s spoken Word ?! Our coworkers, kids, spouses, family and acquaintances need sound advice to navigate life’s obstacles … let it come from God ! Correct, rebuke and encourage someone with its authenticity today. They need it as much as you do !

 

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Lord, Lord

Lord, Lord

“Not everyone who says to me,’Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” ( Matthew 7:21 ). A long time ago, i invited Jesus to be my “Lord” and Savior. I had a one-on-one conversation with our preacher, per my mama’s insistence, so as to remove any doubts or answer any questions i might have. I knew one thing…i didn’t wanna go to hell if i was to die…at 13 years old, or 113. I didn’t know much, but i knew my decision was a result of my faith in Christ’s ability to save me from hell. I’s always playin with fire, so i knew how uncomfortable it was to be burned..,and i heard how you can’t “burn up” in hell … it’ll be like burning and suffering for eternity ( Mark 9:48; Luke 16:27-28 )…and i didn’t want no part o’ that ! “Savior” was easy to understand, but it took me a lot longer to realize what that “Lord” part looked like, and i think it’s gonna be the demise of a whole lotta “self-proclaimed” Christians, right alongside all the folks who never turned to Christ by faith. When we give someone something, it’s no longer ours … it’s the same with our lives ( 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 ) . Until we give God our everything, we have no right to call him, “Lord”. Unless we’re surrendering, we’re actually still fighting Him. Partial obedience is STILL, disobedience. The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak ( Matthew 26:41 ), and that road to hell is paved with “good intentions”. Until we come to terms with our salvation experience and hear Jesus’ statement, “ Unless you repent, you too will perish”( Luke 13:1-9 ), we’re just foolin ourselves and ridin a lie that has won Satan many a soul. Many of us can come to Christ out of a fear of dying and spending eternity in hell, where the fires are never quenched and the maggot never dies, but, until we let him have the Lordship of our lives, we need not say to him, “ Lord, Lord”… because that ain’t gonna reserve us a mansion or even a cardboard frigerator box ( John 14:2-6 ) in his kingdom. Oh…and bein a “good person” ain’t gon’ cut it either … hell’s fullo good people who never surrendered their lives to Christ. Jesus doesn’t want our goodness, he wants us to believe his gospel and pledge our loyalty to him ( Romans 10:9-10 ). He ain’t expecting perfection, he’s looking for obedience. The sooner we grasp this fact, the sooner we can really understand what “Lordship” feels like. Unless we search his Scripture as searching for buried treasure ( Proverbs 2:4 ) we’ll never really understand the depths of his love for us. The greater the love, the greater the sacrifice. The more we know him, the more we’ll love him … and the more we love him, the more we’ll understand what calling him “Lord” looks and feels like. There’s still time to make it right and real ! Don’t wait and hope…be confident in the grace and mercy of our living God … and when you say to him “Lord”, say it and mean it through total surrender and obedience.

 

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100%

100%

I remember way back when i was “young and dumb” and “bigger’n my britches” and knew i was good at what i was doin…i believe it’s what’s called, “prideful”…and a new “boss” came on the scene and started off by telling us we were gonna haveta start doin this-n-that… which had nothing t’do with the task we were paid to do. I’d heard enough and was young enough to walk out and find another employer, so i told him flat out, “ That ain’t my job. That’s not what I was hired to do.” And i left. As a general rule, the employee works FOR the employer. As long as it’s legal and morally right, an employer can make an employee do whatever they want. If they are paying an honest wage, they get to call the shots…and if you wanna keep gettin paid, you just roll withit and do whatever it is you’re asked to do. I couldn’t help but think back on this young “me” when i fell upon ( 2 Chronicles 26:16 ) …” But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.” That ain’t yo job Uzziah ! Incense burning was the chosen priest’s job…consecrated for the job under God’s direction. Uzziah’s motives got misplaced due to his prideful heart. He’d done got too big for his britches and he was about t’ be schooled. The LORD struck him with leprosy…which he carried all the way till his death. King or janitor, goin against God and His mandates, rules, commands, precepts or proclamations will ultimately lead to our downfall. You wanna get in hot water with your Creator, get cocky and prideful and go outside His boundaries. He ain’t playin our games … He’s expecting more from those that carry His name. And yeah, Christian…some jobs in the “church” ain’t yo job ! You may volunteer for everything but that doesn’t mean you have control over everything … God has the say-so when it comes to placing workers where He desires em to be. It AINT YER CHURCH … it’s HIS ! The same Holy Spirit that calls one person to a task is the same Holy Spirit talkin to you. So stop thinkin you’ve got something somebody else dont have ! Some of us need to step up to the plate and quit backin out the box ! Insteada sayin / thinkin, “ That aint my job”…we need t’ be sayin, “ Hear i am, I’ll do it.” It takes 100 % cooperation to achieve 100 % success… if we’d all do SOMETHING ! Glorifying GOD ain’t rocket science … living out our calling is simple. It ain’t always fun or easy…it’s work. But it’s worth it ! God’ll let you know what your job is…if you really wanna be used by Him. Whether in word or deed, work at it with all your heart, and do it as if you’re working for the Lord, and not just man. ( Colossians 3:23 )

 

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Punisnment

Punishment

What did the punishment for your disobedience look like when you were a kid ? Let’s not get mad about it all over again…let’s just learn from it. Some of us will tone it down considerably, because what was administered to us might be too severe for today’s standards. Some of us will take the complete opposite approach and scold / punish our own kids and grandkids in ways that our own parents and grandparents wouldn’t’ve even considered. If i was misbehaving or embarrassing my mama or daddy, it didn’t matter WHERE we were … they’d snatch me up by my arm and wear me out with their hand, and didn’t care who witnessed it. Probably saved another kid from receiving a similar whippin by example. We learned early on not to be disrespectful to ANY adult…especially not our own mamas and daddies. “Permission t’ whoop” was a given…nobody had to be granted it. Same with our kids … if they needed a whippin, whip em ! Don’t be callin us while we’re tryin t’ eke out a livin…and don’t waste an opportunity to teach em right from wrong and about consequences ! Ain’t nobody got time for that school meetin or delay of discipline stuff. Take care of it as the need arises. You probably savin em from a life-o-crime…or worse. Somewhere along the way, the, “it takes a village to raise a child” got lost … and that’s a shame. This week’s SS lesson reminded me that even though God is merciful, He’s also “just”… “ Based on or behaving according to what is morally right and fair.” My mama and daddy loved me, therefore they punished me accordingly. God loves His children too much to let em continue a life of disobedience. Yeah, we’re gonna slip up every now and then, but that shouldn’t mean we make it a habit. God said, “ How long will these people despise me ? How long will they not trust in me despite all the signs I’ve performed among them ? I will strike them with a plague and destroy them.”( Numbers 14:11-12 ) God’s done got tired of their disobedience and negativity. He’s sick of their belly-achin and distrust…even after ALL He’s done for em ! Sound familiar ? Sometimes, we have to suffer some pretty hard consequences to realize how GOOD we’ve had it. Although God loves us, He’s also gotta discipline us like good parents do ( Proverbs 3:12; Hebrews 12:6 ). He wants our unadulterated love and trust, and if whoopin us is what it takes, whoopin is what it’s gonna be. I ain’t real sure God holds to the “time out” policy… He wants to get our attention … more of a “nip it in the bud” kinda God. Yeah…the people done pushed Him bout as far as He could stand…so He left em out in the desert to die out and allowed only Caleb and Joshua and their families to enter the Promised Land … because they trusted Him to do as He said He’d do ! The kids of all those adults weren’t held responsible for their parent’s actions, so they got a reprieve, also. What a waste ! Folks forfeited the land of promise … the “land of milk and honey”, for wasteland ! What about you ? Does God need t’ bring about some drastic measures down on you and your family to correct some wrong behavior ? Is there something you need to repent of, while God’s still patiently waiting ? Maybe you need to stop running from Him and accept His free offer of salvation. Whatever He’s saying to you, please humble yourself and submit to Him … before it’s too late.

 

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Think A Minute

Think A Minute

Think about something for a minute … in your lifetime thus far, who is it that’s REALLY influenced you to the point that you REALLY “listened” to what they said ? It wasn’t so much their tone of voice or their delivery…but in your mind you knew what they were tellin you, you could bet on it … or as Pennye Jacobs Lewis would say, you could “put your foot on it”😁. The only times you heard em stretch the truth was when they were funnin with you…so that didn’t count. They weren’t liars, and if someone insinuated it behind their backs, your hackles would rise and you’d immediately come to their defense. That was just how trustworthy they were ( are ) to you. This takes me to where the Spirit led me this mornin … when Jesus said, in ( John 14:6 ), “ I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”… why is it we question the validity of his statement ?!? Why would we shrug it off and give it less attention than a pesky mosquito flyin around our ear ? The “God-Man” that never told an untruth in his whole life ( Hebrews 6:18 ), tells us the route to the Father of all creation, and we should so callously discount it and forfeit a relationship that could change everything about life as we now know it ! Blows my mind ! What !? Is it too easy to believe, so we just figure it must be a gimmick ?! Something so simple, there must be a trick to it; right ? WRONG !! Jesus is not only “the way” to GOD, he’s also the way to peace with GOD, salvation from sin, abundant life ( which includes managing respectful responsible kids, a healthy marriage, good job, needs met, lack of worry, joy in your spirit, great relationships with others, etc; etc; etc.. ) and the favor and blessings of GOD ! Jesus is “the truth”, personified … he cannot lie, therefore, everything he says, you can count on, bank on and yeah, put your foot on. His truth is recorded in his word ( the Bible )…if we neglect our study of it, we’re actually sayin to Jesus, “You ain’t worth readin about.” Truth’ll set us free … therefore, knowledge of Jesus will set us free from all the trappings and lies that we’re being fed since birth. If we choose to ignore it, we better be satisfied with what we get ! Jesus says he’s “the life”. I’ve lived a life apart from him because i thought my way was gonna be better; i was sadly mistaken. The life Jesus supplied me, i never could’ve dreamed up ! He’s shown me things i never would’ve seen apart from him. I’ve experienced one miracle after another and it still chokes me up to recall em. That grass ain’t greener on the other side…that’s just another lie that Satan dupes folks into believin to keep em livin in discontent. True livin comes when we give our life to Jesus, by faith in his abilities and not ours. He came to earth as a baby, just so we could hear and see the possibility of living a righteous lifestyle, all the while glorifying GOD the Father. He sacrificed his own life so we could die to self and raise to new life, in Him ! All that’s required on our part is to accept by faith that Jesus died for us, personally…that he was raised the third day to live again…and confess this “truth” to our fellow man … that’s it ! ( Romans 10:9-10 ) Walking in awareness and newness ain’t bein withheld from anyone … GOD already knows who will choose Him and who won’t. He doesn’t desire anyone to perish, but that all would come to repentance and live…the way, the truth and the life that’s found only in Jesus, the Son. ( 2 Peter 3:9 ) Stop listening to liars and instead, listen to someone that’s NEVER lied to you.

 

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Do Not Sin

Do Not Sin

“In your anger do not sin”. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, and don’t give the devil a foothold…for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. ( Ephesians 4:26-27; James 1:20 ) Ohhhh, if we’d hang on tight to this one and pause long enough to ask God for righteous responses, many of us ( men and women alike ) would stay outta the doghouse a lot longer than usual. We’ll still have inconsiderate people blocking the passing lane…one cashier that can’t seem to speed up…thugs that don’t care who hears their vulgar “music” at the redlights or gas station parking lots…missed calls by the umps and referees…the occasional spat-with-the-spouse… and any other number of things that get under our skin…but…we don’t haveta sin in our anger. Remember…anger ain’t a sin…it’s what we do with it that is. “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall ! No temptation ( to sin ) has seized you that someone else ain’t already experienced. And God is faithful; He won’t let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you ARE tempted ( to sin ), He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” ( 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 ) It’s ahight t’ get mad, just don’t let it cause you to sin … whether it be against another human being, or God. God’ll test us sometimes to see what we’ll do…and even if we don’t hear, “ I’m proud of how you stood up to that test and passed with flyin colors”… we can know God saw it and is proud of us…and THAT’S what counts. You might ask, “I thought anger and sin kinda went together … how can we get angry and still not sin ?!” Don’t respond like this world expects. Satan gets a foothold when we respond in “unrighteous” ways. We get angry at the slow traffic, slow check-out person, slow employee… we oughta bow or close our eyes ( not while driving ) and pray for them. We don’t know what their struggle is at that time…but God does…and He may just be waiting on you to ask Him to help that person. Sure…some people are inconsiderate of others and live self-centered lives, but that shouldn’t have anything to do about how you live yours. As far as it depends on “you”, get along with everyone and treat em as more important than yourself” ( Romans 12:18; Philippians2:3 ). Remember how good God’s been to you ! You’re no longer locked up or locked down … you’re free from all chains and shackles ! Sin ain’t cha daddy anymore … God is ! Jesus bought and paid for you … and the ol devil lost a good-un ! ( 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ) Instead of findin things to complain about, find things to compliment that person about. Finding fault, tearing down and belittling ain’t a character trait of Jesus Christ our Lord … neither should it be ours. Flippin somebody off or cussin ain’t honorable unto God and it doesn’t compliment the NAME we carry around…”Christian”. Anything that doesn’t glorify God and magnify the Name above all names, oughta bring shame upon us and cause us to repent and seek forgiveness … from God, first, and then from the one we wronged. If you’ve never been good at saying you’re sorry, you oughta try it ! It’s liberating ! And the more you practice it, the easier it gets. Plus, it honors God … even if it was the other person that SHOULD be doin the apologizing. We’re all gonna disagree every now and then … but it doesn’t mean we’re enemies. We’re here to encourage and make each other better. By acknowledging God’s word as our guide, walking in the Spirit instead of the flesh, and abiding in Christ in all our ways, thoughts and actions, we CAN get angry ( about sin ) and still not fall victim to it ! I’m pretty sure we can all be of one mind and one spirit … as long as it’s THE SPIRIT ( of GOD ) … we’ve only to ask Him to glorify Himself, in us and through us, today … because that’s what we’ve got right now ! Won’t you join me ?! Stand up to them temptations and battle against em with God’s armor ! You’re a warrior and didn’t even realize it ! Satan saw you on your knees with your head bowed and thought he’d won … until he heard you say, “ Amen “ !

 

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Humble Yourself

Humble Yourself

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. ( 1 Peter 5:6-7 ) Sounds like a promise that so many of us forget sometimes. When the boss seems to be lookin for ways to get rid o’ you…when the spouse seems to be tired o’ bein married…when the kid won’t mind…when the bills outweigh the income…when the ride starts actin up…when our bodies won’t heal…the funerals come more often than the weddings…etc; etc; etc.. Calgon, take me away ! ( old commercial 😁 ) Ain’t no bubble bath, alcohol drink, illegal substance, opposite sex, self-help book, vacation or “supposed” greener grass on the other side o’ the fence gonna cure what ails us, like God can. Being “prideful” can not only kill a body, it can cripple it so as to wish we were dead ! Retaining pride is like holding onto acid reflux, gas, diarrhea and vomit all at the same time. EXPEL IT !! Get it outta your system !! Until we get humble, we will NEVER experience the grace and mercy of our all-powerful God. Ain’t gon’ happen ! A humble heart and spirit activates the power of God. If God never did another miracle, He’s already proven so many times that He can ! Created mankind and all of creation…parted and held back the waters of a sea and made dry ground for the people to walk across…gave a kid the ability to kill a giant…healed the blind…raised the dead…made the lame to walk…restored families…gave forgiveness and the ability to forgive…torched whole cities from heaven…turned water into wine…allowed one man to kill a thousand men with only the jawbone of a donkey for a weapon ! And we can go on and on and on and on with examples of God’s amazing power ! So … does it make more sense to combat our DAILY trials, struggles, problems and troubles with our foolish pride … or … does it make more sense to “humble ourselves” under God’s mighty hand, so He can lift us up in due time ? That’s “it”; ain’t it ? We don’t wanna wait on God ! We think we can do it ourselves ! We won’t accept advice and we won’t ask God for help…and patiently wait on Him to do whatever’s best for us ! We settle for the “temporary fix” and forfeit the “permanent solution” that brings that euphoric feeling ! WHY do we settle for less than ?!? Nothing and nobody can bring “permanence” like God can. If His stamp is on us, then we’re “sealed”… bought and paid for by the blood of Christ ( 1 Corinthians6:19-20 ) ! Nobody can do anything to snatch us outta His hands or cause us to be “disenfranchised” ! We are His and His alone ! ( John 10:28-30; Romans 8:38-39; Romans 6:10 ). Cast that anxiety on Him…He can handle it a lot better than you can ! And never ever forget…He cares for you !

 

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Repent

Repent

Y’ ever been goin somewhere, maybe on a vacation or business trip, the area totally unfamiliar, and you realize too late that you missed your exit ? Blood pressure and adrenaline spikes and you frantically search your gps or phone for the next exit to do a uey… but wait…there’s one o’ them crossovers that’s made for “emergency vehicles only” … well…do i – dont i – do i- dont i ??? Do they REALLY care if i use it ? I mean…it IS an emergency…sort of. So…after deliberating about it for a whole two seconds, you dart back into the fast lane and brake so hard that the folks behind you doing 75 haveta slam on brakes, almost creating a major accident, horns blasting and at least two of em shouting something inaudible while tellin you through sign language that you are “number one” in their books🙄. Well…at least you found your turn-around, albeit you almost kilt a family of five in the process. We’re quick to turn around when we’re going the wrong way because it just don’t make good sense to keep goin the wrong way; right ? So why is it we find it so hard to REPENT ? Shouldn’t it be the natural thing to do if we’re goin against God’s laws, commands, precepts or directives ? Do we give greater attention and credence to this world’s opinions, suggestions and bad habits, than we do t’ GOD…the Creator of all the heavens, the earth…and us ? Do we not realize that we were created “by GOD” primarily for “HIS pleasure”( Colossians 1:16 ) ? He could’ve made us puppets on strings, but He didn’t. He gives us free will to choose. Sure…He could make us do as He wishes, but He doesn’t. He knows that if we’ll trust Him and place our complete faith in Him, we’ll come t’ see that He is a loving GOD…the Friend a friend would love to have ( Hosea 6:6 ). He knows if we’ll test Him, we’ll see that He’s trustworthy and loyal. He ain’t out to kill our fun and make us boring…He’s all about havin fun and building relationships…and He’s got a great sense of humor … just look around you at some of the things and people He’s created 😉🤣( Jeremiah 29:11 ). The only time we’re exempt from “man’s law” is when it goes directly against “God’s law” ( Acts 5:29 ). God clearly states that we are to submit to the governing authorities, because they were established by Him ( Romans 13:1-7 )… and if we hold to those standards, and those governing authorities make laws that contradict God’s laws, then we hold “to the higher road”…God’s. We may face persecution or penalties, but at least we won’t dishonor GOD or go against His principles, His codes of conduct or standards of righteous living. In other words, that illegal uey went against state law as well as God’s directives…and im pretty confident that the po-po aint gon’ be lenient if we try the ol’, “ I was just repenting” excuse ! Wrong is wrong, no matter how we try to justify it ! I’m pretty sure, we do this quite often, so as to feel better about our sin. We dishonor and disrespect our spouses with our unkind words and rude behavior, and we say it’s because “they” made us … or it’s because “they” did the same thing. This behavior has never and will never line up with God’s word. Number one, it dishonors one of God’s kids ( how would you respond if someone was dishonoring one of your kids ? )… plus, God’s word says we are to love them like Christ loves His church ( Ephesians 5:25 ) … demonstratively , sacrificially and unconditionally. If both parties would try harder to commit to this one principle and let the Spirit lead, divorce lawyers would be looking for other work. Children are a blessing from God, whether they are ours or someone else’s. When we treat em as less, God ain’t pleased ! He’s already warned us that to abuse a child or direct them towards unrighteous behavior, is deserving concrete shoes while in deep waters ( Matthew 18:6 ). This goes not only for children, it relates to “baby / immature Christians.” God takes a hard stance on how we treat each other ! Anything we do that MISSES GOD’S MARK of PERFECTION, is “SIN”… period. If we’re as serious about repentance as GOD says we oughta be, then we WILL TURN AROUND … 180 degrees , and go GOD’S WAY !! Jesus says, “ Produce fruit in keeping with repentance “ ( Matthew 3:8 ). The fruit He’s referencing is “fruit of His Spirit”, “Spiritual fruit” ( Galatians 5:22-23 ) … we’ll never be deficient if we’ll produce, harvest and make this “fruit” a staple of our daily diet. “ Every tree ( vine ) that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” ( Matthew 3:10 ). And who enjoys being burnt; right ? Therefore, “ Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” ( Matthew 4:18 ) … nearer than we think ! Aintcha tired of pushin against the goads ( Acts 26:14 ) ? Google it…if you’re interested.