At one time back in 95-96, during my naive days of accepting church invites without thinking, I thought all believers served the same God, I was wrong. I thought all believers were suppose to act a certain way, dress a certain way, and rightly divide the word the same way, I was really wrong. The truth is not everyone who says, "Oh god, Thank god, Oh my god," believes in God.
Some of the celebrities will say, "Thank god..." after doing a sexually explicit movie, singing a song full of cuss words, or acting crazy in some video, do you really think the one true God had something to do with that? After gambling away money for years and then finally winning something people will say, "Thank god!" Then put all the money back into the casino or lottery again or use it to pay for something that will only need more money to keep it going. Oh there was definitely a god in the midst, but it wasn't the one that put his Son on a cross for our sins!
I use to think this way until I started reading the word for myself and I had to ask God for forgiveness. I was thanking the wrong gods! You see we always think about fat statues and weird symbols being idols but we don't think about things like: material wealth, food, sex, and music being gods and/or idols in our lives. For example, there are people who serve food literally. Praising it often, talking about it too much, and spending just about the majority of their paychecks on it and as they do they are getting bigger and bigger starting to look and smell old just like it! No one seems to say too much about serving the god of gluttony until health problems occur. Too much food, money, sex, entertainment and anything related to these areas without balance and the discernment to separate what's wrong from what is right can be a god in your life!
The only way we can combat temptation is to take God at His word!
Saturday
Interesting Biblical Scripture Sounds a Little Bit like G-20 Summit
Weeks before the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh that was held on September 24 and 25th of 2009, I noticed an interesting passage in the Living Bible (1971 edition) which is paraphrased for those of us who don't like the "thy", "thou" and other old English language used in the King James version. Here's what I read:
Psalm 2
"What fools the nations are to rage against the Lord! How strange that men should try to outwit God! For a summit conference of the nations has been called to plot against the Lord and his Messiah Christ King. "Come, let us break his chains," they say, "and free ourselves from all this slavery to God."
But God in heaven merely laughs! He is amused by all their puny plans. And then in fierce fury he rebukes them and fills them with fear. For the Lord declares, This is the King of my choice, and I have enthroned him in Jerusalem, my holy city."
His chosen one replies, "I will reveal the everlasting purposes of God, for the Lord has said to me, 'You are my Son. This is your Coronation Day. Today I am giving you your glory." Only ask, and I will give you all the nations of the world. Rule them with an iron rod; smash them like clay pots!"
O kings and rulers of the earth, listen while there is time. Serve the Lord with reverent fear; rejoice with trembling. Fall down before his Son and kiss his feet before his anger is roused and you perish. I am warning you -- his wrath will soon begin. But oh, the joys of those who put their trust in him!"
What makes the relation interesting to me is United States making claims that as a nation we trust God. However, other countries don't hold the same beliefs. I can almost bet that someone or people in that room made reference to the United State's God and what we believe etc. I wonder what President Barack Obama said when his God was criticized? As we all know the Muslim religion is comprised of many believers that have an agenda that goes beyond our economic crisis and if you think they don't, watch international news. I thought this was interesting maybe in the flesh these leaders were meeting about money, but in the spirit they were meeting about God's presence and how they could rid Christianity and all its believers off the face of this earth and make all countries Muslim nations! In order to do that, you have to put doubt in a believer's mind to make them stop believing. So-called "smart" people will do just that, "If I question you enough to frustrate you so that you look like a fool, put holes in your belief system and call it ignorant, show you where you are a hypocrite, talk to you about how your God or god has failed you, at some point I will have you where I want you in unbelief." I thought of this when I reflected on this meeting of the minds. I wonder what it really accomplished?
)Monday
One of the Better Emails I Received...
The following prayer is a good one to use if you have some things you wish to repent of, be blessed. As always, if you don't agree, don't read.
Billy Graham's Prayer For Our Nation
'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics... We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!'
Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story,' before he died and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired. With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called 'One nation under God...'Think about this: If you forward this prayer to everyone on your e-mail list, in less than 30 days it would be heard by the world. (It's worth a try!) One Nation Under God.
Billy Graham's Prayer For Our Nation
'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics... We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!'
Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story,' before he died and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired. With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called 'One nation under God...'Think about this: If you forward this prayer to everyone on your e-mail list, in less than 30 days it would be heard by the world. (It's worth a try!) One Nation Under God.
Saturday
Let Us Pray...
Dear Lord,
Thank you for blessing me with ears to hear, a voice to speak, legs to walk, and so much more that I often take for granted. Thank you for sparing my life! For when I was down and out you were there when no one seemed to care about me.
I appreciate your wisdom, love, truth, and mercy. I know I don't deserve these things but because of your son Jesus that is why I am able to say, Aba Father! Thank you for adopting me into your kingdom. Lord, I want to have a closer relationship with you. I need to experience you just as I do when I am relating to humans. I need for you to speak a word over my life.
Lord, you know the money, relationship, family, work, health, and other struggles I am dealing with at this time in my life, I need for you to bless me with peace. I need to know what direction I must take in the near future to bring happiness to those affected by my decisions and not sadness.
Lord, I command your angels to come down upon those that I know and love and protect them from all harm and danger. Give them a discerning spirit to see trouble coming their way before it gets to them.
Let no weapon formed against me prosper from those who are jealous, angry, confused or bitter concerning me. I ask in Jesus name that you deal with my enemies according to your will.
Bless our government, churches, hospitals, businesses, and schools with the necessary knowledge to perform your will and be a benefit to all and not a burden. Teach those working in these establishments to be better stewards of your resources and have better attitudes about their service.
Thank you for listening to my prayers in Jesus name, Amen.
Thank you for blessing me with ears to hear, a voice to speak, legs to walk, and so much more that I often take for granted. Thank you for sparing my life! For when I was down and out you were there when no one seemed to care about me.
I appreciate your wisdom, love, truth, and mercy. I know I don't deserve these things but because of your son Jesus that is why I am able to say, Aba Father! Thank you for adopting me into your kingdom. Lord, I want to have a closer relationship with you. I need to experience you just as I do when I am relating to humans. I need for you to speak a word over my life.
Lord, you know the money, relationship, family, work, health, and other struggles I am dealing with at this time in my life, I need for you to bless me with peace. I need to know what direction I must take in the near future to bring happiness to those affected by my decisions and not sadness.
Lord, I command your angels to come down upon those that I know and love and protect them from all harm and danger. Give them a discerning spirit to see trouble coming their way before it gets to them.
Let no weapon formed against me prosper from those who are jealous, angry, confused or bitter concerning me. I ask in Jesus name that you deal with my enemies according to your will.
Bless our government, churches, hospitals, businesses, and schools with the necessary knowledge to perform your will and be a benefit to all and not a burden. Teach those working in these establishments to be better stewards of your resources and have better attitudes about their service.
Thank you for listening to my prayers in Jesus name, Amen.
Is God whipping or empowering believers?
Too busy to give thought to this question, I understand. But for those who enjoy thinking philosophically, I ask, is the God you serve whipping or empowering his church?
I have personally witnessed God's action and inaction on a personal and professional level in my own life. He has blessed me at the right time to receive something I may have not been ready for during times when I was being whipped. You see, I believe he whips and empowers. I know for some teachers and counselors they don't believe that God whips, but only empowers. If that is the case, then I pose these questions, "Why would there be a need for hell in his Bible, why would he take Job through struggles, kill many Israelites who were in route to the Promise Land, and deal with Adam and Eve in the way that he did?" People were getting whipped in the Bible whether they deserved it or not for purposes that we don't completely understand and it still happens to this day!
Sometimes the empowerment comes from the whipping. Let me repeat that, sometimes the empowerment comes from the whipping! Just like children who disobey their parents' wisdom and face punishment, so do we. The cost at times is very high from losing money to losing a life. Even with all the losses, some people never learn from their mistakes or "on purposes" if you know what I mean. They like to cover up the whipping with blame, false stories, hide, fake smiles and so on. But I know better, I see a whipped woman or man of God a mile away. You can say, "You are blessed and highly favored of the Lord" all you want, but when God whips people especially Christians we can all see it. When I got whipped God called me to write a book about it then turned it around for his glory, wonder what he will do with some of you hiding from his word?
I am amazed at the awesome blessings God gives people and how they are quick to raise their hand and say, "I did it!" What did they really do? A situation that seemed impossible suddenly comes through with a phone call or some cash and the nerve of some people to take credit for a situation that only hours maybe even days ago kept one up worried. "Please pray for me..." they say. Sad, how some have faith in God when nothing seems to be going their way then later have faith in self when everything is going their way.
I don't think God likes this attitude either because just as quick as one feels good about self, notice how he or she often comes down just as fast! God really does want to empower us, but are we ready? Do we pay attention to the writing on the wall? He uses people, places, and things to warn us of impending trouble but yet we argue about what we see, feel, hear, and read. "That's not God...God wouldn't do that...I don't believe God would...That's nothing but the devil..." The truth is the devil doesn't have the power to whip us if God isn't giving him the belt.
I think of those that I have talked to about health issues, money problems, relationship drama, and many other challenges that keep some up late at night and I hear the same thing, "I just want...I need for you to pray...why is God doing this..." Sometimes we can stop most whippings if we change our mindset. Rather, look at the wonderful things of God and act like it (Galatians Chapter 5 for starters.) Instead, many people focus on the negative reported on the following: TV, radio, Internet, books, and lips who tear others down! It's like looking at a painting, you can either see the line and the dots in the middle of a white board and call the painting ugly, or you can see what looks like hills and raindrops and call it beautiful.
Your life is in the eye of the beholder -- in this case yourself and God. If an individual presents him or herself before God, the world and (of course) self, as nothing more than a gossip, a liar, a thief, a cheat, ugly, crazy, loud, or something else, then expect all the drama and whippings that go along with the negative perception. Chances are some of you know someone like this and they aren't proud of who they are, that is why they are giving you so much grief! They spend an awful lot of time in everyone else's business. But if an individual presents him or her self, as a child of God, with a purpose, positive, productive, loving, and other positive qualities (irregardless of one's age, what he or she looks like, etc.) then that is what the world will see and so will God!
When you feel good about who you are in Christ, you are therefore empowered to go the distance, but when you find yourself weak and can't stand up against the enemy schemes then God doesn't have to whip you; instead you are whipping yourself. Consider this, Jesus already took many beatings for you and me. Don't beat yourself up about people, places and things! Just do better the next time. Pray, repent and keep it moving!
The way you choose to see yourself (flaws and all) is up to you. Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder and the God you serve sees himself in you!
For those of you struggling with seeing the beauty in you, know that you must labor to love yourself. I wrote "Laboring to Love Myself," a poetry book that reaffirms this point.
I have personally witnessed God's action and inaction on a personal and professional level in my own life. He has blessed me at the right time to receive something I may have not been ready for during times when I was being whipped. You see, I believe he whips and empowers. I know for some teachers and counselors they don't believe that God whips, but only empowers. If that is the case, then I pose these questions, "Why would there be a need for hell in his Bible, why would he take Job through struggles, kill many Israelites who were in route to the Promise Land, and deal with Adam and Eve in the way that he did?" People were getting whipped in the Bible whether they deserved it or not for purposes that we don't completely understand and it still happens to this day!
Sometimes the empowerment comes from the whipping. Let me repeat that, sometimes the empowerment comes from the whipping! Just like children who disobey their parents' wisdom and face punishment, so do we. The cost at times is very high from losing money to losing a life. Even with all the losses, some people never learn from their mistakes or "on purposes" if you know what I mean. They like to cover up the whipping with blame, false stories, hide, fake smiles and so on. But I know better, I see a whipped woman or man of God a mile away. You can say, "You are blessed and highly favored of the Lord" all you want, but when God whips people especially Christians we can all see it. When I got whipped God called me to write a book about it then turned it around for his glory, wonder what he will do with some of you hiding from his word?
I am amazed at the awesome blessings God gives people and how they are quick to raise their hand and say, "I did it!" What did they really do? A situation that seemed impossible suddenly comes through with a phone call or some cash and the nerve of some people to take credit for a situation that only hours maybe even days ago kept one up worried. "Please pray for me..." they say. Sad, how some have faith in God when nothing seems to be going their way then later have faith in self when everything is going their way.
I don't think God likes this attitude either because just as quick as one feels good about self, notice how he or she often comes down just as fast! God really does want to empower us, but are we ready? Do we pay attention to the writing on the wall? He uses people, places, and things to warn us of impending trouble but yet we argue about what we see, feel, hear, and read. "That's not God...God wouldn't do that...I don't believe God would...That's nothing but the devil..." The truth is the devil doesn't have the power to whip us if God isn't giving him the belt.
I think of those that I have talked to about health issues, money problems, relationship drama, and many other challenges that keep some up late at night and I hear the same thing, "I just want...I need for you to pray...why is God doing this..." Sometimes we can stop most whippings if we change our mindset. Rather, look at the wonderful things of God and act like it (Galatians Chapter 5 for starters.) Instead, many people focus on the negative reported on the following: TV, radio, Internet, books, and lips who tear others down! It's like looking at a painting, you can either see the line and the dots in the middle of a white board and call the painting ugly, or you can see what looks like hills and raindrops and call it beautiful.
Your life is in the eye of the beholder -- in this case yourself and God. If an individual presents him or herself before God, the world and (of course) self, as nothing more than a gossip, a liar, a thief, a cheat, ugly, crazy, loud, or something else, then expect all the drama and whippings that go along with the negative perception. Chances are some of you know someone like this and they aren't proud of who they are, that is why they are giving you so much grief! They spend an awful lot of time in everyone else's business. But if an individual presents him or her self, as a child of God, with a purpose, positive, productive, loving, and other positive qualities (irregardless of one's age, what he or she looks like, etc.) then that is what the world will see and so will God!
When you feel good about who you are in Christ, you are therefore empowered to go the distance, but when you find yourself weak and can't stand up against the enemy schemes then God doesn't have to whip you; instead you are whipping yourself. Consider this, Jesus already took many beatings for you and me. Don't beat yourself up about people, places and things! Just do better the next time. Pray, repent and keep it moving!
The way you choose to see yourself (flaws and all) is up to you. Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder and the God you serve sees himself in you!
For those of you struggling with seeing the beauty in you, know that you must labor to love yourself. I wrote "Laboring to Love Myself," a poetry book that reaffirms this point.
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