Anger

Have you ever been in a verbal altercation with someone that you can literally feel your frustration turn in to anger? What’s worse in that type of situation is when you realize that the person isn’t going to change their mind and you feel like you are going to explode…even though you know it’s really not THAT big of a deal.

Well, most people have experience that type of situation in their lives, some more often than others. This is usually what causes people to become more defensive overtime. As a young person getting in arguments with others is almost a right of passage. I know when I was High School, there was NEVER a day when there wasn’t a verbal altercation in the classroom or a fight at lunch, what’s sad is that it has increased since the time I graduated.

Most fights are perpetuated due to retaliation for something that was said or done to one person or a friend of that person.

2 Thessalonians 1:6-7

6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.

Wanting to cause some type of harm to someone else who has or is doing you wrong is all to prevalent in our society that it gets MANY people in to trouble, both physically and spiritually.

If only people knew that they do not need to do something to make someone “pay” for what they did to you or someone you know. It is not our place to seek revenge, because the Lord has already said that He will “pay back those who trouble you”. 

It can be a hard truth to wrap your head around if you have been a victim of a crime or have lost a loved one due to violence or a careless act like drunk driving. Just know that God will vindicate you and all you have to do is forgive the person so that God can handle them Himself.

Job 1:7

Job 1:7

King James Version (KJV)

⁷ And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

Satan has, since I can remember, been portrayed as an animal-like beast that stays in a dungeon. In the bible it is completely different, Satan is spirit that can walk amongst us if he wanted to as in Job 1.

Satan is always trying to find reasons as why God should not bless you and instead find a way to bring you down.

God has given us many warnings as to how to keep from being devoured by the enemy. Do not be fooled in to believing that Satan has no authority on earth-the world system is controlled by Satan. 

**side note: I found that many people, both Christians and non-Christians have a hard time or just choose not to use the word Satan, because of fear or feeling silly for using it. The name has been used so much in folklore that it has become more of a name for the “boogey man” rather than an actual demonic spirit.

Just because you don’t use the word Satan does not mean he doesn’t exist.

This is even more of a reason to follow God and keep His commandments, none of us want to live a life of constant ups and downs because we fall victim to the traps the Satan has set up for each of us….

2012 part deux

Genesis 9:11-13

New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth. ”

¹² And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: ¹³ I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

There are many people who believe in the end of the world in 2012 due to the Mayan calendar ending in late December of this year.

It’s unfortunate that people believe this nonsense, however our Lord has made it clear that the earth will not be wiped out,ever!

In Genesis 9:11 we see that God had made a covenant with us the He would never again destroy life like He had before. There is no need for Him to do so.

Of course this world is going to get darker spiritually and eventually physically, but this does no mark the “end of the earth” it marks the end of this supernatural battle that is being fought everyday…but we all know that the war is already won and we just have to stand our ground in faith and trust that God will do the rest if we yield to Him.

Don’t be fooled by fake “warnings” from worldly sources, they use things like these to get people of course and in fear.

If you want to hear truth, crack open a bible and seek for yourself…give yourself to God and allow His spirit to dwell in you and you will have the truth and understanding to keep from being deceived.

Favor

Proverbs 13:15-17

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁵ Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.

¹⁶ Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly.

¹⁷ A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health.

The most recent topic we have been discussing in bible study is about favor.

I never really paid much attention to the need of favor and the appreciation of what favor does for our walk.

Have you ever been in a situation that you know you need to have a certain outcome for everything to be okay? Or in a situation where you want to achieve something that you know you couldn’t buy your way in? Well that is a prime example of when you need favor.

Favor is not something that you earn but rather what you ask for when getting ready to go into a situation. Favor comes when you ask, knowing that you are living a righteous life and not living in sin. Favor is the one thing that can take you from rags to riches in ways that no other worldly person could ever imagine.

I have heard a few people say that they don’t need much and that they just know “the Lord will provide enough”…God is the God of ‘enough’, He is the God of ‘Abundance’!

When you ask for favor in situations it doesn’t just mean you get to get ahead it means that you get to achieve and come in contact with people that God had set aside for you to ‘touch’ their lives. When you get that business going or that job promotion that you asked favor for, you are now able to do more to reach those that wouldn’t have been reached hadn’t you lived a righteous life and asked for favor!

To be continued….

A Good Name

Proverbs 22:1

New International Version (NIV)

22 A good name is more desirable than great riches;
    to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

In a world where your worth is based on your family’s bank account, it is hard for today’s Christians to be unmoved by the topic of finances. Everyone who doesn’t live under a rock has thought about what it would be like to be rich, to have the money to go wherever you want, buy whatever you want and have people look up to you. This idea of having monetary wealth is the cause for many issues that come about in life. We see people like the Kardashians on television and in magazines that advertise a lifestyle that displays excess of money and resources.

God does not place a monetary value on anyone. The Lord loves to spoil His children with whatever they desire, however, He does not have dollar bills falling from the sky into people’s laps for a reason…Because God knows that we would not be unfazed by the money and stay focus on our walk.

You are worth what you do with your life…

Not just doing going about doing good, but being the representation of what God can do.

You can have as many zeros in your bank account, but it cannot buy you salvation or even favor with God and men. Everyone can get money, but not everyone can get a good name in the sight of the Lord.

Mind Manipulation

As each day goes by I have noticed how intensely the lines have been drawn in society when it comes to what you should and should not tolerate.

It’s interesting how we as Americans consider ourselves free thinkers and yet we have the most manipulative tactics being used every day in just the media alone to form our ways of thinking about things.

The heated debate over whether gay marriage should be legalized in any state has caused those who are for it to appear as peace loving and are up to date on how to view people, however those who are against gay marriage are considered to be old fashioned and prejudice.

Due to fact that there have been numerous organizations that have abused the name of God, have called themselves Christians and have inappropriately protested their views of homosexuality, the gay organizations have been provided with “ammo” to persuade others into following them rather than God.

We need to let everyone know that first and foremost, God does not HATE gay people! He hates the homosexuality which is the sin. Love the sinner, hate the sin. Secondly, we have to show the love of Christ and not “bash” them over their heads with the word, but show them that they have been bought with a price and that they can have a life without sin.

These youth who are committing suicide because of the torment from others and from other demonic influences cannot be a reason to support gay rights and groups, it means that we have to help our youth understand that there is a deeper spiritual reason as to why they feel this way and to teach those who bully that they also have issues that need to be addressed spiritually.

Please don’t let these advertisements for raising awareness for gay organizations and artist claiming they support this or that lifestyle persuade you!

Faith = Currency

A member of our church had said that faith is the currency of Heaven. That made me think about how faith would look in comparison to our dollar currency that we value so much in this world.

Can you imagine if having faith in God and all that He has for us being used as actual currency to “buy” the things we want and need??

Well that’s how the things of heaven move-with our faith.

In order for us to get the things we want from God we have to have faith that He can and will do it for us. How else do you expect to receive those things if not for faith?

Faith is the type of currency that does not rise and fall in value, cannot be bought, can be used throughout the world and is always an acceptable form of payment.

faith/fāTH/

Noun:	1.      Complete trust or confidence in someone or something. 2.      Strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.
Synonyms:	belief - trust - confidence - credence - credit

You don’t have to be “born into faith” to have it and achieve great things as those who have been “born into money” that we see in the world.

Having faith in God means that you have no limits!