Live and Let Die!

Have you drove to work, got to your destination, and did not recall actually driving there?  I have, and it is a weird feeling! Not all the time, but most of the time, our minds wander when our life is routine, or we mimic a zombie lifestyle! We travel that same road so often, we can do it in our sleep per say!

We go to work and come home, and come home and go to work! Although we don't view it as mundane, it is! Ask yourself how many lives are you impacting outside of home? Do your children observe the kind acts? Or when we overload our lives with activities, there is no room for others. 

Yes our babies need stability, so putting them to bed every night at the same time, eating meals at the same time, and of course getting to school, work, and church on time is important, so please don’t misinterpret my point! The reason many of us establish a set schedule is to stay organized! And Yes, I agree with having a schedule; however, how many of us are willing to alter it just a little bit?

If God commands you to go another way to work or going home, would you obey? 

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said,“How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
    and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
    so he opens not his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
    Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”

34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water,the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea. (Acts 8:26-40 ESV)

My point is our family is a ministry also, but when the children grow up and leave home, what now? I've seen and continue to witness parents who focus ALL of their attention on their children. When that time comes to be an empty nester, they are at a serious loss! They don't know who they are, what they truly enjoying doing anymore; or how to begin a life outside of their children!

This is a multi-generational women's retreat established at Loyola University Chicago!

Establishing anything in life, whether it be a parent, a pastor, a professor in college, or a commercial fisherman requires a balance of family time, recreational time, and independent time! If not, you lose sight of what it is to live, give, and receive! (I do understand some experience unforeseen sickness, and other hiccups that life brings, but even then, do not stay in a rut of whoa is me and not live).

Widen your horizons just a little! If you see a neighbor who is carrying in groceries offer to help; if your children are of age to help, bring them with you! The girls at work want to go on a weekend retreat and offer to pay your way as well, don't think about it too long, because God is not the author of confusion. You either accept or decline, depending on your family relationships or husband to care for the children. Now when the time comes for him to go on a weekend fishing trip with some friends, you return the favor so he can get away also. It's good to have friends and recreational things outside of the home. However, it's essential to instill in your children values and morals that impact others as well as their own!

Having good neighbours can help cut heart attack risk, study shows

It builds character, creates a spirit of giving, and demonstrates one of the most important Commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself "(Mark 12:31 AKJV)! There are numerous people who do not know Jesus; whereas, doing something off the beaten path will revive and refresh your spiritual life as well as those in attendance with you; and the person you are assisting may not know Jesus! This will be your opportunity to allow them to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior; and remove the zombies one by one! 

Can you walk a mile in My shoes?

I love shoes. They can make or break an outfit depending on the condition and color. Shoes in poor condition no matter if they are running shoes, sandals, or dress shoes, bring the wrong attention to your outfit! Whereas; shoes in excellent condition with a pristine suit or dress polish the look; and people can't help but gaze at how put together you are!

. . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. . . . . .  (Psalm 23 KJV)

Shoes are the last thing we put on when getting dressed and the first thing we take off after a long day! If you hold a position that requires you to stand long periods of time, your shoes let you know if they are comfortable or not because your feet hurt, your back hurts and your legs ache!

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore,confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (I Peter 5:6-11 ESV)

Who knew the foundation of our body, if not properly dressed with the right type of shoe, can cause so much pain and discomfort to the whole body!

The bottom of your feet could affect what's going on in other areas of your body. On each foot there are over 7,000 nerve endings called reflexes that correspond to every organ and system

Our feet are very significant to our body, if this was not so, then why did Jesus wash the disciples feet at the Last Supper. Yes, Jesus demonstrated the importance of serving, which we are all called to do; but it also signifies cleansing ~ even if your whole body has been washed!

A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for him who walks that way, And fools will not wander on it. (Isaiah 35:8 NASB)

What we call cleansing is washing our physical body to rid it of dirt, bacteria, and germs the body can encounter throughout the day; however, Jesus was speaking of the spiritual cleansing Christians should habitually demonstrate by serving to show Jesus' love towards them! Without a strong mind, body and spirit, no one will be able to withstand the journey Christ has set before them to win souls and baptize born again believers in shoes that are worn and tattered! 

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” (John 13:1-12 ESV)

Born A Sinner!

By nature we are born sinners due to Adam's disobedience in the Garden! But through Jesus' obedience to the Cross, we are made righteous!

A child learns at a very early age if they have a temper tantrum, it gets their parent's attention; and many get the very thing their parents said they could not have.  It is not learned behavior, but our sinful nature! As a parent, we are to correct the behavior in Godly love, and be consistent with what you will and will not accept! Do not take this out of context when an infant cries, because that is there only way to communicate to us they are hungry, sick, have a dirty diaper, etc. If a child is not corrected of right and wrong, the behavior can escalate into a level that is harmful to others and themselves!

Sin has damaging consequences, as you just previously read, when we are not mindful of it! Our bodies need food for nourishment and to maintain our strength and health; yet over eating is sin! It can develop into obesity that limits your movement, deteriorates your health and strength, and your quality of life! Another sin the world has come to view as insignificant is sex! It too has damaging effects when misused and leads to death! God made sex for our pleasure between a husband and wife!

I can't stop there, I have to add one more truth of our sinful nature! It's gossip; constant negative talk of loved ones, friends, strangers, etc. Ninety-nine percent of the time, people who are hurting inside do not know how to handle their afflictions so they do it the best way the know how ~ anger, lying, addiction, or abuse. Our spiritual responsibility is to give it to God in prayer, stay in love, and watch Him work in ways you could not have imagined! Prayer is powerful! 

However, if you are prompted by the Holy Spirit to help, then do so! BUT PLEASE REFRAIN FROM DEGRADING THEM! We have no idea what they are experiencing at home!

We war against the flesh daily - sin and righteousness! For example: You receive unexpected money. The flesh is saying, "I can buy that white suit now, but the Spirit says, I want you to pay your delinquent light bill! Your sinful nature tells you to do something for the self, spirit commands you to put others ahead of your needs and do what is right for the household!

Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:20-21 NKJV)

Jesus struggled also before He went to the Cross, but in His agony and struggle, He obeyed the Holy Spirit and never sinned! Therefore, when we believe Jesus died for our sins and choose to be baptized, all our sins are forgiven!

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 5 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. (Galatians 5:13-17 NIV)

Judgment Day!

Upon reading the Word, I truly can learn from our ancestors of how they truly followed the Divine example of Jesus Christ in all of His ways and actions! Every day I get a revelation of something I have previously read; however, God reveals it to me when He knows my spiritual maturity is at another level to obtain the true meaning!

I know many of you have heard people say, “Don’t judge me”! I did not realize how powerful judgment is in the Bible; and how serious it is that we misuse it and abuse it! Know this, “judgment” is authorized to only one being – Jesus Christ to determine our fate when we leave this earth and His judgment is determined by the good deeds we do unto others; if you don't, then you will be judged! Opportunities arise daily for us to give, help, clothe, feed, shelter, even smile, but we are so timid and fleshly (meaning, easily offended and self absorbed) that we either cuss them out or call them names behind their back. And some take it a step further, and choose to quit speaking to that person for a long period of time!

Now I truly understand the meaning of “Love covers a multitude of sins” (I Peter 4:8)! It’s a sin if you see a person struggling with an addiction and you speak negative of them, instead of praying for them and offering them help. If they refuse, continue praying. It’s a sin if you see a child that has no coat and you have 5. If one of your coats do not fit, you are blessed to buy them a new one. It’s a sin to have 3 cars and see the man or woman next door walk in the cold, rain, and heat to the bus stop to his or her job and it’s on your way ~ or give them one of your cars! To say anything against them is called “judging”, because you do not know what they are going through; nor is it your concern to know, but to jump at the opportunity to assist them and never cease to pray for them. Having God's goodness is a blessing, but are you blessing others with it?  

“Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, ⁵ never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong. ⁶ It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out. ⁷ If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him. (I Corinthians 13:4-7 TLB)

The carnal or human definition of judgment is not the divine definition of judgment! In Jude 9, one of the most powerful Angels, Michael, understood his chain of command (his rightful place)! He dared not say anything against Satan that would jeopardize his place in Heaven, but he only spoke what was acceptable in the sight of God!

⁵ My answer to them is: Remember this fact—which you know already—that the Lord saved a whole nation of people out of the land of Egypt and then killed every one of them who did not trust and obey him. ⁶ And I remind you of those angels who were once pure and holy but turned to a life of sin. Now God has them chained up in prisons of darkness, waiting for the judgment day. ⁷ And don’t forget the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, all full of lust of every kind, including lust of men for other men. Those cities were destroyed by fire and continue to be a warning to us that there is a hell in which sinners are punished.

⁸ Yet these false teachers carelessly go right on living their evil, immoral lives, degrading their bodies and laughing at those in authority over them, even scoffing at the Glorious Ones. ⁹ Yet Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, when he was arguing with Satan about Moses’ body, did not dare to accuse even Satan, or jeer at him, but simply said, “The Lord rebuke you.” ¹⁰ But these men mock and curse at anything they do not understand, and like animals, they do whatever they feel like, thereby ruining their souls. (Jude 5-10 TLB)

Now will Jesus forgive you of your sins? The answer is yes, but first you have to “believe” He is the Messiah, who died for your sins, and all of your sins will be forgiven; then let the Holy Spirit guide you into righteous works that will give you rewards in Heaven!

Afterthought!

So what qualities are you looking for in a potential wife or husband? Seriously think about that question before you answer it! Those who are born again believers should not hesitate or stumble with an answer!

It’s becoming more and more prevalent in our society that we do not consider the words “Love” and “Commitment”! The word I am going to use, I feel, is how the world chooses a mate is “Lust”! We look at the outer appearance and have no knowledge of what lurks inside! It’s like taking a beautiful piece of fruit, and once you cut it open, the inside has rotted! True beauty radiates from the inside out! 

My son, be attentive to my Wisdom [godly Wisdom learned by actual and costly experience], and incline your ear to my understanding [of what is becoming and prudent for you], ² That you may exercise proper discrimination and discretion and your lips may guard and keep knowledge and the wise answer [to temptation]. ³ For the lips of a loose woman drip honey as a honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil; ⁴ But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged and devouring sword. ⁵ Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold of Sheol (Hades, the place of the dead). ⁶ She loses sight of and walks not in the path of life; her ways wind about aimlessly, and you cannot know them. ⁷ Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, and depart not from the words of my mouth. ⁸ Let your way in life be far from her, and come not near the door of her house [avoid the very scenes of temptation], ⁹ Lest you give your honor to others and your years to those without mercy, ¹⁰ Lest strangers [and false teachings] take their fill of your strength and wealth and your labors go to the house of an alien [from God]—¹¹ And you groan and mourn when your end comes, when your flesh and body are consumed, ¹² And you say, How I hated instruction and discipline, and my heart despised reproof! (Proverbs 5:1-12 AMP)

Although the woman who was caught in the act of adultery was not named, many believe it was Mary Magdalene, whom Jesus cast out seven demons from her (Luke 8:2); and who anointed Jesus with expensive oil at the Last Supper (John 12:1-8)!

None of us have the power or authority to judge another and Jesus proved that when He said, “He who is without sin shall cast the first stone”! (John 8:7) A loose woman mentioned in the bible is as bitter as wormwood and sharp as a two-edged devouring sword. (Proverbs 5:4) She is filled with wrong motives and self gratification that will only benefit her!

Wrong motives drive us into wrong actions! He is handsome, or she is built nice should not be your driving force to pursue him or her! Initially we do not delve deep enough in a person’s life to unveil what is hidden! Ask questions and date them awhile before you make that leap!   Emotions should never lead us, because it proves our weaknesses and instability! Neither should riches!

Satan gets in our thoughts and minds, but he has no authority or power to keep you in that lifestyle! Yet, many settle there! When Mary poured that expensive oil (that was valued as a year’s wages) on Jesus’ feet before His crucifixion, it symbolized “Thanksgiving” of His forgiveness of her sins and her freedom from bondage! In addition, the oil used was in preparation of His body for the sacrificial death He was to endure!  

So how do you choose a spouse you can stay committed to and love them the way God loves you? You pray about it and believe God will give you that person in His timing! 

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.(John 15:7 NKJV)

Under Construction!

I know there are many women and men who watch Home and Garden Television (HGTV). I do and there are several episodes I thoroughly enjoy such as Fixer Upper, Property Brothers, Rehab Addict, 5 Day Fix, and some new ones that have just surfaced. Of the ones mentioned, the homes require extensive renovating to meet the buyers’ needs!

Once demolition begins, it exposes years of neglect, improper installation of electrical, plumbing and foundation issues; that if not revealed could cause the owner twice as much damage and money down the road! There are also issues such as asbestos, termites, mold, and bee and wasp nest lurking too! 

Personally, anything hidden for a long period will eventually be exposed to the light; and for good reason! It could be demolished because it is such an eyesore, or restored, because there is still hope!

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.

Except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; except the Lord keeps the city, the watchman wakes but in vain. (Psalm 127:1 AMP)

Labor cost and many want to eliminate as much of it as possible; which leaves room for errors! So the cost elevates when there are loopholes; because to undo and then redo correctly doubles the "cost of labor"!

Just like a condemned house, you have to detoxify the body and mind! Whereas, once you do, you become vulnerable for attack; if proper reconstruction is omitted!

⁴³ “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. ⁴⁴ Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.” (Matthew 12:43-45 ESV)

To ensure you are better than you were previously, is to allow Jesus Christ into your life; as well as read your bible! It is important is these days so that no weapon formed against you shall prosper and every tongue that rises against you in judgment, you shall condemn (Isaiah 54:17) As the old spiritual hymn composed by Edward Mote (1797-1874) says:

“My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand”.

⁷ And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” ⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, ⁹ if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, ¹⁰ let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. ¹¹ This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. ¹² And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:7-12 ESV)