When Hatred is The Foundation!

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers all wrongs. Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of one who has no sense. The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin. The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor. The wages of the righteous is life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death. Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray. Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips and spreads slander is a fool. Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues. Proverbs 10:11-18 NIV

How many times do we hear people ask, "Why is there so much hatred in the land?" There are many reasons for the hatred--or rather excuses for the hatred for no one has to hate another--they simply find excuses to hate because they are devoid of love.

If we remember--only what resides in us will come out of us--we get a better understanding of why people hate--no love inside.

I listened to the news and saw the man in Portland who stabbed two people to death simply because they tried to stop his harassment of two young women. Killing out of hate wasn't enough--he stood defiant in court--spewing his hatred and what I noticed was his eyes--they were dark holes in his face, no light and certainly no love for himself. If he could not love himself, he certainly could not love others.

We cannot control what emotions people feel--only they can. I pray for all who harbor hatred and have allowed it to develop into a foundation on which their every act is determined--Lord, destroy the foundation of hate and replace it with love.

If hate is a driving force--forging the way for all we do, just imagine how much we could accomplish if we allowed love to be the driving force in our lives.

I know there are some who think because we disagree with others--and sometimes the disagreement is intense--I have never allowed disagreement to merge into hate. If a situation gets so intense that hatred might drop a seed and grow--I walk away, turn away, distance myself from the person so the hate won't stand a chance and I turn to The Lord, asking Him to fill me to overflowing with His love.

For with His Love, running over in my heart and stretching out before me--I don't have time to hate. Besides, life is so much better when love rules.

We have a right to agree or disagree with people and we also have a right to own our emotional responses to others. The responses exchanged between people are a direct reflection of what we allow to reside within us. Think about it and make sure the love within is all the world sees. And if the only response we make is one of hatefulness, we need to back up and away from others until we learn to love self (not self-centered love), but wanting the best for us and always mindful of the feelings of others.

If we do not love self--there is no love inside--we cannot love others for all we have is an emptiness that opens the door for hate. We can get a lot further in life on a tank of love instead of a tanker of hate.

Think about how you feel about self and others and note which emotion drives your actions. Don't let the foundational emotion in your life be hatred because hate destroys--you and others.

A Black American by Smokey Robinson - Def Poetry Jam

On The Journey--Aleph

Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart!
They also do no iniquity;
They walk in His ways.
You have commanded us
To keep Your precepts diligently.
Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep Your statutes!
Then I would not be ashamed,
When I look into all Your commandments.
I will praise You with uprightness of heart,
When I learn Your righteous judgments.
I will keep Your statutes;
Oh, do not forsake me utterly!  Psalm 119:2-8 NKJV

The first three verses of this Psalm are written--seemingly as part of a conversation--to everyone. Notice the point of view--written in third person. We are being reminded that all who keep God's laws and live according to His Word are blessed (happy); we do nothing that is wrong, but follow The Lord with our whole hearts.

Verse four--speaks directly to God-(second person point of view) acknowledging that the writer knows who has laid the principles by which we are to live out of obedience.

And then verses five through eight--becomes a personal acknowledge of shortcomings and determination to change (written in first person point of view). Basically, what the writer is saying is, "If I was consistent in obeying Your Word, I wouldn't be ashamed of anything I do. I will praise You with my heart ready to receive from You and learn to do all You have asked me to do. I haven't obeyed all You want me to do, but I will, so please don't forsake me!"

If we all faced reality with the sincerity of the writer--acknowledging where we are and how we have fallen short, but willing to hear God and learn so that nothing we did would put us to shame, what a wonderful world this would be.

Unfortunately, there are too many people--functioning in the church--as well as those outside of it--who are not willing to admit they even have any faults or shortcomings. They think they are just fine the way they are and nothing anyone says will convince them otherwise. This is a person who does not have a teachable spirit.

A person with a teachable spirit is always willing to hear--instructions and corrections--without taking offense to what is being said. They understand the only goal is help them become better--not bitter.

The purpose of The Word--is help us become better --not bitter--as we continue our journey in life. We need to know how to interact with others appropriately, but we also need to know how to correct wrongs when see them and if we can't do it, we should direct the situation to the party who can. The Word should be our authority in life and within The Word, we are admonished to obey authority--those given positions of authority and decision-making. If we are not happy with the authority exercised by man, then we should follow the appropriate protocols to make our dissension clear and public so changes--if necessary--can be made.

Whenever we do things to circumvent authority without following protocols established to maintain order, we do ourselves a disservice and we dishonor God. If we cannot respect authority, we certainly cannot expect others to respect us in a position of authority.

Before we can lead anyone, anywhere, we must know how to follow and then demonstrate ability to lead--as a facilitator--not a dictator.

When we learn to do things God's way, we prohibit (close the door) the opportunity for friction and chaos and if there is no chaos (no drama), then we can indeed be happy because we are walking under the authority of God's Word.

Thinking back to twelve step programs, it would appear that this segment of scripture was used as a foundational principle--first acknowledge--truthfully--where we are and what we have done to sabotage happiness and order in our lives. Until we acknowledge where we are--no one else can help us move forward and benefit from all God wants for us.

An Open Letter!

Dear Hater Without A Reason:

I’ve heard that you don’t like me and never did. I also understand that you spend a great deal of time trying to persuade others to hate me as well. That’s not a problem for me, but I’d like to know how you can have such feelings for me, when you don’t even know me.

What did I ever do to you? What did I ever say to you that stirred such hatred?

Is your distaste of me because I have a brain and use it to amass knowledge and to create wonders with words?

Is your distaste of me because I am health conscious and care about how I look and feel?

Is your distaste of me because I’m not impressed with you?

Is your distaste of me because I am not dependent upon your limited knowledge?

Is your distaste of me because I know who I am in Christ and you’re still trying to figure it out?

Is your distaste of me because I remind you that you are not me?

Is your distaste of me because nothing you ever do will change who I am or what I’m capable of doing?

Is your distaste of me because I know how to love, unconditionally, even those who hate me and you don’t?

I am who I am because God determined it and I am living it, to His glory.

Are you living life to His glory? If that’s true, you don’t have room in your life to hold onto hatred towards me when I’ve done nothing to you or said anything about you or to you to warrant such strong emotion. If not true, then perhaps, you may need to reexamine your life and understand your own shortcomings before trying to lay them on someone else and ask God to help you overcome them.

Love,

The Object Of Your Distaste

How We Do It!

"Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land."(Psalm 37:3-5, 7,9 NIV)

There are a number of people who have many questions about a Believer's faith and why or how we do what we do. The answer for those who truly have a relationship with God is in The Word. This particular Psalm is one of my favorites and I recite and meditate on it to remind me how I know my Father determines when I please Him.

First of all, I must trust Him to do all He says He will do. God is not a man that He should lie, so I can place my total confidence in Him, even when I don't understand everything He asks me to do. I just do it. Writing this blog every day is in part out of obedience to Him. I don't know why He wants me to do it, I just do.

Making a conscious decision to allow God to direct our paths is only possible when we trust Him. He created the universe and set all things in motion so I know He has a plan to get me where He wants me to be--I just have to follow Him.

With everything I do, I think about whether or not God will be pleased. Not that I'm perfect, but when I do things that line up with the Word, I can't go wrong. When He is pleased with what I do--by faith, I know He'll give me the desires of my heart because His Word is true. Without faith, it is impossible to please Him.

As impatient as some of us are, we must learn to rest in Him, knowing He never tires or sleeps, but is always keeping watch over us and His plans for us. We must learn to expect the fulfilled promises in His timing, not ours. We simply praise and worship Him, while patiently waiting and when we least expect it--He'll show up and show out! That's how my Daddy does it! Hallelujah!

We acknowledge the evil in the land, know how to identify the spirit behind it, and know how not to be influenced by it, by submitting to God and watching the devil flee. We should never be concerned about the success of those who are duped by Satan, for their success will not last and we'll be standing by watching their fall. We can pray for God's mercy to embrace them and for them to repent, but what they get out of life--is completely up to them. We can either do things God's Way or our way--influenced by an enemy who hates us and God.

I've learned that there is nothing like pleasing God and reaping the rewards for being obedient. That's how we do it--by learning to trust and please Him!

Why Faith in God? Part 6

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?” In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. James 2:14,17,18, 26 NIV)

If we claim to have faith, but never do anything with it. what is the point of the proclamation?

I have presented my perspective on this subject previously, but it warrants a second look.

For the person who says, "I will lose 50 pounds this year" and never changes their dietary habits or physical exercise, how are they going to lose weight? They won't and then they'll complain about being overweight.

The same is true for the person who excitedly says they're going to get a promotion on their job, but they never do anything beyond their current job requirements--they take no initiative to do anything, and sit twiddling their thumbs when they have finished doing their work.

How about the person who is confident of even getting a job because of their faith and prayer life, but they never apply for a job?

We can proclaim a lot of things, but until we actually "do" something, we bind God's hands to move us forward. Not too long ago, a person on Twitter (Bart) became upset with me and my faith in thanking God for the 1 + million plus readers that I asked for over a year ago. Those who follow me on Twitter know that I promote my books daily, I am constantly writing and uploading books as I am inspired. I have written various genres ranging from Christian Living, Christian Romance, Fantasy for kids, Contemporary Fiction, Informational texts, poetry, and a murder/mystery. Why? I have faith in God--writing is one of the gifts He has given me (teaching is the other) and I am wearing it out--to His glory, to inspire, inform, and entertain in a Godly manner.

And it is because I believe that He will do what He said He would do--I keep writing and keep thanking Him for the 1 + million plus readers. He is speaking to the hearts of people and they are reading my books. Now, when I'll actually see the 1 + million readers is on Him, not me. But I know, I it will happen--on His timeline, not mine. Thank You, Lord for hearing and answering prayer and making a way for all Your promises to be fulfilled. Hallelujah!

So, if it takes writing another fifty books before the 1 + million plus readers are reading my books, then I guess I'm going to be pretty busy for the next five years or more to accomplish the goal that is set before me. I am doing, what I have faith to believe is going to happen. That's the only way, things happen. Our actions must match our faith and when it does, God honors our faith--for we know, without faith, we cannot please Him.

Part 7 tomorrow!

Why Faith in God? Part 4

“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” (Romans 10:17 NIV) “...so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power.” (I Corinthians 2:5 NIV) 

We have all been given a "measure" of faith by God with the admonition that we should not think more highly of ourselves than we ought (Romans 12:3 paraphrased). And because we have been given a measure of faith, we develop means and ways to exercise what we have faith in. Some only have faith in themselves and what they are capable of doing. Some put their faith in other people when they are too insecure to have faith in themselves. There are more who put their faith in things--astrology charts, Tarot cards, beads, crystals, statues, etc.--all man-made. Still more, believe and have faith in luck--which is happenstance and has nothing to do with God and they with this luck, they have faith in their ability to gamble.

Faith in God, as Paul tells us, comes from hearing the message--the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the redemptive work on the cross, and the love of God towards us all. This is the message that increases our faith in God when we are continually hearing The Word as an exercise of practicing what we believe. The more we "hear" The Word (aloud), the more our faith should increase because we are increasing knowledge and learning to operate more in faith in Him than us.

To make sure we don't understand why we should hear The Word, Paul tells us through his letter to the church at Corinth that we should not have faith in the limited wisdom of man, but in the power of God. Human wisdom, whether we want to admit it or not, is limited by our experiences and exposures. Since most of us will not experience exposure to all there is to know in the universe, we can never claim (truthfully) to know more than God. It is because of God's love for us that He inspires men to discover things through their efforts to understand the whys and hows things, He created, work.

 This is not a put-down of science--I'm totally grateful to science, but what some people don't recognize is that scientists have not "created" anything from "absolutely nothing" but have discovered how to use elements in the earth already created to arrange and rearrange their usefulness. Scientists are not God and those who truly understand their limited ability, acknowledge their success in discoveries is because of God. Thank God those scientists are listening and if they continue to listen and seek His wisdom, life should be better for us all.

The measure of faith we have been given is the foundation of faith on which we build by hearing the word. We take the little and increase it to much, giving God the glory for all we have and know, not attempting to take credit for doing anything ourselves, apart from Him.

Part 5 tomorrow

Why Faith in God? Part 3

“Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done.” (Matthew 21:21 NIV) “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” (Romans 10:10 NIV)

Notice how important it is to use "our mouths" to proclaim our faith. Jesus said, "You can say..." and Paul tells us, "With your mouth you profess your faith..." So, conversely, if we don't "say" we won't see our faith exercised or receive what we won't say. This is why it is important for us to watch those things we say. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." We can use our tongues which are in our mouths--to speak life to our lives with our faith in God or we can speak death to our lives with negative confessions, expressing doubt. It's up to us--remember--according to our faith--it will be what we say it will be.

Understanding the power we have with our tongues and expression of our faith, why would we contribute to having no ability to do anything worthwhile for others?

We can exercise our faith in God, by saying--"No weapon formed against us shall prosper" when we get that negative report from doctors. "By His stripes, I am healed."  "There is no name above the name of Jesus," and sickness and disease have names that are covered under the blood. And then we do everything we can to live a healthy life. There is no point in saying something, just to say it, now we have something we need to do.

We don't have to be afraid of anything, so when the enemy attempts to ignite fear in us, we say "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind" and then move out in the power of His might!

We never have to accept defeat in any endeavor when we say, "I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me," and then keep trying to accomplish whatever it is we're trying to accomplish, until we do it right.

We can have what we say, when we refuse to allow negativity to enter into our minds and we keep professing we have what it is we need, no matter what things look like. Don't allow what you see to determine what you speak! God created the world in seven days and there is nothing too hard for Him to do for those He loves and for those who complete faith is in Him!

Hallelujah, Jesus! Thanking Him for our needs being met, over and above anything we need so we will have surplus to assist others. Thanking Him for healing bodies with the same healing virtue used to heal the woman with the issue of blood. Thanking Him for protecting the vulnerable, and comforting hearts, and speaking to the hearts of those who commit evil. We may not see it the evidence, but we can rest assured that God hears us and knows everything about everything.

The one thing He will not do--is force anyone to do anything they do not want to do. So, while our faith in God is assured, we must also know that He gives free-will choice to the saved and unsaved, leaving all to the consequences of their choices.

Part 4 tomorrow!

Why Faith in God? Part 1

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:1,6 NIV)

Many people have hope in many things--people, things, animals, but for those of us who have hope in God, total confidence and assurance that He is and will do, our hope is not in vain. We know that without faith--the total assurance and confidence that He is and will do, we cannot possibly please Him.  If we don't please Him, why would we expect Him to do anything for us?

If a parent consistently tells a child they will do something for the child and never does it---sooner or later that child will stop believing the parent and nothing they say will matter. This is a loss of hope and confidence. But for the parent who consistently does what they say they will do--reward or punish--that child develops complete confidence in the parent--knowing they will either be rewarded or punished. If we can believe this analogy about our natural parents, why can't we believe it about God?

I have come to the conclusion that many people distrust God because they believe He has failed them in some way or another. The evidence for this conclusion is clear--when God is blamed for all the things in the world that go wrong or people feel He has not answered their prayers, they can angry with God, doubt His existence and then try to convince others that God does not care.
The answer to prayers are sometimes not evident because people "pray amiss," praying for things instead of direction and wisdom, praying for God to hurt others. When we pray, we must pray--according to The Word--believe we receive, and we shall have what we pray for. However, since God knows so much than we do, when prayers have been answered, some may not recognize it.

For instance--prayers for healing can manifest in a number of ways. A person's body can be totally healed if that is God's plan for them (because He knows the future), or healing can come in the form of death--the person suffering no longer suffers.

Sometimes, people don't recognize that if a person is destined to prolonged suffering, death really is the answer to prayer for those who understand how God works. When my mother was dying of cancer, she had lost all muscle control, could not eat or swallow. I prayed for God to take His child home and He did the very next morning. I was holding her hand when she made the transition. As much I loved my mother, I didn't want her to suffer.

When I pray, since my abilities are limited, I pray for Holy Spirit to interact with people and for hearts to be willing to hear. I pray for wisdom and guidance and when a situation is really serious, I connect with prayer warriors to be in agreement with solution. No matter how God responds, I believe He will answer every prayer.

Part 2 tomorrow

Wait For It!

"I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." (Psalm 27:13,14 NIV)

How many times have we heard the phrase--wait for it? Usually, the phrase has more to do with some spectacular event about to unfold and because it was spectacular, we're never disappointed. And we won't be disappointed as we wait to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living--this side of heaven.

How will we see the goodness of The Lord? When every born-again believer truly walks in their calling--whatever that might be and do the greater works that Jesus said we would do--the entire world will see the goodness of The Lord in everything we do!

Are we not created in His image? Are we not His children? Are we not able to do all He has put on our hearts to do, to His glory? When we become living epistles, read of men, others will see The 
Lord in us because we won't be able to hide the light of His love under a bush, but we shall shine brightly, as a beacon, drawing all the lost to The Lord by the love we show them.

Showing others love does not mean we compromise The Word of God by condoning sin in any matter. We must encourage people to live according to The Word, not in opposition to The Word.

Within the next few weeks, I am re-distributing a book on Amazon that will sound an alarm in the hearts of many and be a wake-up call to the Body of Christ. Some will hate the book (and probably me), some will love it, and some will be wary of the intent. The intent of the book, quite simply is to remind all of God's Word, what He has said about sin, and our what our response should be to those who propose to promote sin rather than godliness. And we can do this--showing love--not displeasing God in order to win people to us.

Our ability to win souls should never be about winning someone to be in our cheering section, or church, but encouraging them to repent, be forgiven, and develop a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Are you ready? Okay, just wait for it and wait for The Lord to see His goodness--through us--to overwhelm the land!

Standing Against The Devil's Schemes!

"Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:11,12 NIV--please read the rest).

The armor of God--designed to cover and protect all the sensitive areas of our bodies from the attacks of the enemy. We can stand against the enemy and thwart his attack when:  our waist (stomach) is covered by Truth and we will not be compromised by lies, Righteousness covers our heart, our feet are ready to promote the Gospel of peace, our Faith is the shield upon which the fiery darts of the enemy are extinguished, our heads are covered with the Helmet of Salvation (we are saved), our Sword, the knowledge of The Word which we carry in our hearts that are protected by the breastplate.

We have all we need to withstand the attacks of the enemy and win, but we must be willing to stand and face the enemy who dares to attack the children of God.

We have to know--we should not lie or accept the lies of others.

We have to know--our faith is in Him and Him alone and trust Him in all things.

We have to know--The Word and how it impacts every area of our lives.

We have to know--the enemy thrives on lies, deceptions, half-truths, and fear because his job is to kill, steal, and destroy.

We have to know--how to recognize the enemy and those who he uses to implement his plan of destruction.

We have to know--that God knows the plans He has for us and those plans are for us to succeed and have victory in every area of our lives. We have to know this and proclaim every time the enemy attacks.

And when we stand--fully covered and prepared for spiritual warfare--we will see the victory that God has already established--no matter what the enemy attempts to do!

Hostile Roots!

"The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God." (Romans 8:7,8 NIV)

We are three part beings--mind, body, spirit. Our spirits live in our natural bodies and our minds (our soulish realm) is either going to be controlled by our spirits or our flesh (carnal realm). There is a war between our spirits--given by God--and our flesh--flesh wants what it wants and our spirits want what God wants.

We eat when we are hungry because our flesh dictates that need and all other fleshly desires--thirst, emotions, behavior. Our spirits line up with The Word and we are able to hear God when He speaks--allowing Him to determine how we respond to situations--sometimes. At other times, we allow the enemy's spirit to influence what we do and say, which ignites fleshly reactions.

Notice what Paul says, the mind governed (ruled) by the flesh is hostile to God and when we allow our flesh to govern us, we cannot please God.

Now, I realize not everyone is concerned about pleasing God, but rather they are more concerned with pleasing the dictates of their flesh. God is not pleased, but they are and their pleasure is temporary at best.

For those who desire to please God, we must not allow flesh (that carnal nature) to govern us, but rather we allow our spirits, led by Holy Spirit to direct us in all we say and do. When we allow Holy Spirit to lead us, we cannot do what is wrong or hostile to God and therefore, we please Him.  

When we are hostile to people (and to God), it is because we have allowed our flesh to reign and flesh desires to do what flesh desires. If we get angry, we want revenge. If we are fearful, we want others to be afraid. If we are jealous, we want others to hurt. If we are insecure, we want to blame others for every downfall in our lives. If we have low self-esteem, we misinterpret everything someone else says or does. This is how we react to situations when we allow our flesh to reign and whenever flesh reigns, we end up with regrets. 

We choose (God always gives us choice) what happens to us on a daily basis and it is all determined by whether we want to please God or flesh. Are you trying to please God or flesh today?

Strong To The End!

"He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns." (I Corinthians 1:8 NLT)

We have heard many times that it is not how we start in life, but how we finish. That may  be the stimulus needed for many who race in marathons or triathlons or whatever it is people do in which they need a strong finish. God's promise to us is that He will keep us strong to the end--we will finish this race--without blame--and be ready when He returns to collect us! What a wonderful thought!

Now, in order to "keep" us strong, we have to get to a place where we are strong and are willing to "exercise" our faith to stay there. This is really how He'll keep us strong. We must exercise our faith, on a daily basis, and know without a doubt that He will do whatever He said He'd do. God is not a man that He should lie and all of His promises are "yes" and "amen" to those who love Him.

How do we exercise our faith daily? Thanking Him daily for all we have or need is a good way to start. Once we develop this habit, we'll discover that thanking Him comes as easily as breathing and we see how He responds to our acknowledging Him, He'll do even more.

Obeying His command to love--no matter how difficult a person is--is an exercise of faith. We love Him and love others simply because it is required of us. The more we love, the easier it becomes to love, unconditionally. Think of this way--we are not always lovable, but He never stops loving us; therefore we must learn to do the same for others. The more we love, the easier it becomes to love.

So, let's start where ever we are--at the beginning of faith or in the middle and stay strong until the end!

Don't Be Moved!

"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (I Corinthians 15:58 NIV)

As we prepare to say goodbye to 2014 and face the challenges of 2015--don't be moved--tempted to join the masses in thinking there is no hope.

No matter who sits in the White House, they are not God--they do not hold our future in their hands and there is nothing they can do to change God's plans. They may be used as part of God's plans, but they cannot change God's plans.

Neither will it matter who holds the majority votes in either the House or the Senate--God is still God--even if some politicians think they are, they're not.

No matter how negative the media reports every event--they will have to stand before God one day, too and give account for how they reported news and so will their producers--whose biases are represented in the news reports.

No matter how many people are killed by the negligence of gun owners, police, or criminals--God still has the last word--and soon, very soon, all will know that the NRA is not God nor do they represent Godly behavior.

No matter how many people appear to suffer at the hands of dictators and godless leaders--God will wipe the slate clean and all who honor and respect Him, will be vindicated.

No matter who attempts to change the intent of God's Word to appease the masses for fleshly pleasure--they, too will stand before God and give account of themselves, but before that--they will see firsthand how the wrath of God deals with those who profess to know Him, but live in opposition to His Word.

No matter how many people say we, who Believe are foolish and unlearned--don't be moved--the same was said of those God used to inspire to write down what He said. Remember this--the fool has said in his heart there is no God and then allowed his lips to utter the same expression. Don't be moved by their unbelief, God will move them.

No matter what 2015 brings into our lives--stand firm, unmovable, in the faith that we are victorious in all things and no matter what the enemy attempts to do to deter us--we shall not be moved because with God going before us--He is more than the world against us! Hallelujah!

Decently and Orderly!

"Let all things be done decently and in order." (I Corinthians 14:40 NKJV)

To keep things in context before I start my rant, remember this verse has to do with doing all things decently and in order in the church; especially in how we conduct church services.
Though I could "rant" about how many don't understand this as it pertains to the church, I'd rather take another route so hopefully, people will think about how they do things--outside of the church, as well as inside.

Old School Teaching about Etiquette--apparently no one is teaching anyone how to conduct themselves when in the presence of others. So, I decided to take this upon myself because rudeness and inconsiderate people really try my patience.

1. Ignoring given time-frames for an event and showing up whenever a person feels like it is rude and inconsiderate. People don't have to explain why they decide to do things at a specific time and if a person plans to participate in the event, they should be on time. If they cannot be on time, don't attend at all. But do send the host an RSVP whether attending or not so they don't waste their money.

2. Ignoring common courtesies such as--not talking with a mouth full of food (no one wants to see what you're chewing), having "very loud" conversations on a cell phone in public (this is your business and the rest of don't need to know it).

3. Knowing that children have not been raised to respect other adults and taking them with you to be rude and disrespectful. Until a child is trained how to behave away from home--keep them at home so no one will just how neglectful you've been as a parent.

4. Excluding other people invited to an event in a home. People should learn how to communicate effectively with conversation that all can join--not play games that exclude others when there are number of people at the event.

5. Inviting yourself to eat at someone's home. Don't visit other people or drop by their house and ask for their food. If offered, then it's okay; but if not offered, don't ask--this is a sign of no home-training whatsoever. If you don't know how they budget their food for their convenience, don't disrupt the flow of someone's plans for themselves.

This list could go on and on, but I'll stop here. Etiquette rules--though not followed very often--are still available online and in bookstores. Think about this--how would you want someone to treat you and your home?

If I have offended any--good--perhaps it's time someone told you how to act in public. If any have learned anything--even better since the purpose was to remind people how to act in public. When we learn how to do things at home and practice it at all times, we have no need to be reminded when in public.

I'm praying for us all to learn to do things decently and in order at all times--in church and at home!

Loving Regardless!

"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." (Matthew 5:44,45 NIV)

Talk about having a sense of humor! When Jesus told people to do this I can only imagine what they were thinking. "What? Is He nuts? No, He wasn't--He was simply being who He was and is--Love!

Love--can only produce love, can only ignite love, can only fuel love and while it can be a strain sometimes, to love the unlovable, we can do it when we remember this. The problem with remembering this message is that we are often seduced by a spirit of self-righteousness to think we have to cater to those who hate us and we we do not.

How do I  know? When Jesus overturned the tables in the temple because of the farce He saw of hypocrites, He loved them enough to correct them. When parents have rules and instill in their children appropriate behaviors it is because of love. God has established proprieties for all of us and in order to obey Him, we have to love--not be foolish, but care enough about people that we plan no harm, but want to see them in position to receive all that God has for them.

Only an enemy plans harm--love plans care and protection.

Even when we recognize the enemy, we can still love them enough to correct them, redirect their thinking, and treat them courteously, and never lose sight of the rules established to maintain order and consideration of others.

Because people "in general" do not understand the meaning of courtesy and consideration, they often ignore the rules of courtesy and the laws of the land. Discourteous drivers think they are the only ones with the right to drive on the roads, at any time, and to ignore those who also have rights. Discourteous movie-goers have phones ringing and public conversations that interfere with those who have also paid to see the movie to "hear" what's on the screen. Discourteous people eat at restaurants and never tip their servers appropriately. Discourteous people only think about what they want and never consider the rights of others or give them any consideration. In spite of all this, we can still love--sometimes from afar--and pray that their hearts will be softened to hear God and know Love, so they, too--can love.

Regardless of how we feel--as long as we do not allow ourselves to be put in harm's way--we love regardless of the attitudes of others towards us. Jesus said so, but even He had limits and boundaries--because He is love!

Becoming Wise!

"If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise.If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding." (Proverbs 15:31,32 NLT)

What is the difference between being harshly critical of someone or things and being able to offer constructive criticism?

There are many people who are harshly critical of other people--they are the "fruit inspectors" who are always seeking flaws and shortcomings in others, but are never able to see their own faults. They are quick to misjudge a situation or a person because their eyes only see what their soul sees--negativity. Their objective is to tear down people or to break them.

Those who are capable of offering constructive criticism only see what is wrong after careful evaluation and attempt to help correct what they see can be better. They see the possibilities and offer the means for the possibilities to become realities. They see areas that need improvement and provide direction to accomplish. Their objective is to build a person to make them stronger and better.

Many people are not able to receive constructive criticism because they have only heard critical harshness. However, for those who do listen to constructive criticism--they grow as they go, empowered to take a reflective look at themselves and make the necessary adjustments and will always find themselves in the midst of wise people.

The unwise are not so. They will not listen to wise counsel and they hate being corrected. They only see things their way and another--wiser person--they will not hear. Life for them is always an uphill struggle because their hearts have been hardened by the harshness of those who sought to criticize every thing they ever did. Their lives are not disciplined and chaos reigns where order should reside. They reject what others have to say and are adamant in their stance. They think they are capable of teaching others when they have not learned what is needed to teach whatever it is--that someone else needs to be taught. They are close-minded, but are often critical of others--projecting what they have been told about themselves onto the unsuspecting masses who venture onto their pathway.

Wise people are always willing to hear what others have to say, assess what was said for its worth, and make necessary changes in order to accomplish a goal. These are the same people who know how to offer constructive criticism in order to help others grow and improve in whatever they choose to do. The wise see with spiritual wisdom rather than fleshly dictates and one can see the light that emanates from their soul.

If we are not willing to be corrected--by God or others who only seek to help us become better, we are often left standing in a rut, wondering what happened, as we watch others continue to grow and excel with the plans for their lives.